Asia Cup 2018: Will BCCI's Decision to Rest Virat Kohli Affect Star Sports' Viewership Ratings & Revenue?

Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli's absence from Asia Cup has caused a rift between BCCI and  Star Sports, who bought the broadcast rights of the tournament in 2016 for eight years. In an email written to Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Game Development Manager Thusith Perera, host broadcaster Star has expressed their displeasure over putting Kohli to rest because it will affect their revenues. BCCI, on the other hand, has asked Star not to interfere in the matter and to stay out of it. It has clearly stated that broadcasters have no right to give their opinion on matters such as squad selection. Asia Cup 2018 Schedule, Date & Time Table in PDF for Free Download: List of All Matches in IST Including India vs Pakistan Fixture.

The copies of the email that were exchanged between the Star and BCCI are leaked and it shows that things are not okay and the situation is complicated.

Star War With BCCI: 

In an email shared to ACC, Star stated, "In our view, the announcement of the absence of one of the world's best batsmen from the Asia Cup, only 15 days before the commencement of the Asia Cup, is a severe dent to us (event broadcaster) and will severely impact our ability to monetise and generate revenue for the tournament." The broadcaster urged ACC to get in touch with BCCI on the issue and that they have already made it clear that the MRA (Media Rights Agreement) obligations required ACC to ensure best national teams are playing the Tournament. Star feels that certain clauses in the agreement have not been honoured.

However, in a tersely written response to Star, BCCI reportedly said," It is not open for ACC or its broadcaster to insist on the selection of any particular player and/or to question the expertise of any selection committee as to which is the best available team for a particular tournament."

Will Kohli's Absence From Asia Cup Affect Star's Revenue?

Saurabh Uboweja, International Brand Expert and CEO Brands of Desire exclusively spoke to LatestLY and shared his views on the issue.  He said, "Kohli's absence has certainly dented the marketability of Asia Cup given that he is not just Asia's but the world's best batsman in ODIs. His absence is synonymous with the absence of Usain Bolt or Roger Federer's absence from a key regional athletic meet or tennis tournament. It certainly takes the shine off Asia Cup. Having said that, cricket is a team sport and there are enough potential high performers in Asia Cup who would like to stake claim to prominence with their performance on-field and keep the tournament exciting for viewers."

Uboweja feels that one can expect up to 25-30 percent dip in potential revenues for broadcasters due to the absence of Kohli.

Can India vs Pakistan Clashes Help the Ratings?

This time, two of the most sought-after arch-rivals India and Pakistan are clubbed in the same group, both the teams have already qualified for the Super 4 round and the two rivals will again face each other in the Super 4 round on September 23. If things go as per every cricket fan's dream there is a strong possibility of third India vs Pakistan match on the Asia Cup 2018 final. We believe, three India vs Pakistan matches in a span of 10-days is enough to pull the TRPs up. India vs Pakistan, Asia Cup 2018: Here’s How Arch Rivals Could Meet Thrice at This Year’s Tournament.

BCCI has clearly stated that it was very important to put Kohli to rest because of his workload and that he has been playing continuously. It is without a doubt that Virat Kohli is one of the main attraction and is a star player with a massive fan following. The reason why Star probably is worried over Kohli's absence is because Asia Cup is one of the two marquee multi-team tournaments properties under Star, and the broadcaster was pinning their hopes high on their chance to make the most out of it.

However, is it fair to put all the expectation and money on only one player, are we not undermining other's capabilities even before they have performed? Shouldn't team selection be kept aside from the broadcasters interference? Let us know, what you think about it by writing to us in the comments section below.

For the time being, let us keep the war aside and cheer for India as they clash with Pakistan today at the Asia Cup tournament.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 19, 2018 05:07 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).