Big Productions, the television broadcasting arm of Reliance ADAG, Nimbus Communication Ltd, Singapore-based Nimbus Sports International Pvt Ltd are among the five players in the race to win the production and coverage contract of CommonWealth Games 2010 to be held in India.
The five production houses, which have been shortlisted by the ministry of information & broadcasting (I&B) and the ministry of law combined, include Big Productions in consortium with Interpublic Marketing Services, (Shanghai) Ltd, the Beijing Branch also referred to as Octagon/Tokyo Broadcasting System, IMC Japan with Octagon/TBS as the lead partner and Nimbus Communications Ltd in consortium with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) with CBC as the lead partner.
The other remaining three players, which have qualified among the final five producers are Nimbus Sports International Pte Ltd, Singapore in consortium with International Sports Broadcasting, (ISB) USA with ISB as the lead partner, Satellite Information Services Live, UK, SIS Outside Broadcasts Ltd and finally International Games Broadcast Services, the newly-named company born out of Doha Asian Games Broadcast Services (DAGBS), which had been awarded the broadcasting rights of the first Asian Beach Games Bali 2008.
?The I&B ministry had received 10 responses (expression of interests) to the bids it had invited to choose the production house, which would be responsible for the production and coverage of the CommonWealth Games,? officials in the know said.
The other players who had applied for the venture but failed to make it to the last round of bidding include Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd, Belgium-based Alfacam, World Sports Group, Singapore, Swiss Timing, Switzerland, Sunset Vine, UK and SportFive, France.
The official said that only those players have been shortlisted for the venture that have first-hand experience of covering an event of the scale and stature of CommonWealth Games or of a larger scale like Olympic Games. Once the consortium of producers is chosen, it would be entrusted with the task of producing the Games.
The national broadcasting rights would go to the public broadcaster, Doordarshan while the international broadcasting rights of the Games would go to an entity finalised by the Indian Olympic Association.
The producer in charge of covering the event would supply the content to the national as well as international broadcaster. On the question of whether the DD would have exclusive rights for the national telecast or would have to share the rights with other private broadcasters, the officials said, ?It is yet to be determined.?
The total budget allocated to I&B with regards to CommonWealth related activities is to the tune of Rs 240 crore, of which around Rs 155 crore is to be spent this year.