Viacom18 has won the media rights for the Women’s Indian Premier League (WIPL), committing INR 951 crores, or a per-match value of INR 7.09 crores for the next five years (2023-27). This marks a significant step forward for the empowerment of women’s cricket in India, and will ensure participation from women of all ages.
“It gives me immense pleasure to welcome Viacom18 as our official digital and television broadcaster for women’s IPL,” said Arun Singh Dhumal, Chairman of the IPL Governing Council. “This is a big and decisive step for the empowerment of women’s cricket in India, and will ensure participation from women of all ages. A new dawn indeed!”
The WIPL has been gaining popularity in recent years, and this new partnership with Viacom18 is expected to further increase the visibility and accessibility of the league. The deal comes after pay equity was recently achieved in the league, making it an even more attractive proposition for broadcasters.
“After pay equity, today’s bidding for media rights for Women’s IPL marks another historic mandate,” said Jay Shah, Secretary @BCCI and President of Asian Cricket Council, adding “this is massive for Women’s Cricket.”
The International Cricket Council (ICC) also welcomed the news, with a tweet reading: “Congratulations viacom18 for winning the Women’s IPL media rights. Thank you for your faith in BCCI and BCCIWomen. A big and decisive step for empowerment of women’s cricket in India. WIPL.”
This development is being seen as a major boost for women’s cricket in India, and it is expected that the increased visibility and accessibility provided by Viacom18 will lead to even greater interest and participation in the league. With a new dawn for women’s cricket in India, it will be exciting to see how this development will shape the future of the sport.