New Delhi:
The legendary MC Mary Kom and Asian Games gold medallist Amit Panghal are among the stars who will take the ring in the inaugural Indian Boxing League which will be held from October 20 to November 9. The rights holder and organisers of the league, SportzLive, will also auction the live digital streaming rights for the initial three seasons of the league through a separate tender process. "There will be a total of 90 bouts of three rounds each, spread over 18 days across three venues. With 5 bouts across different weight categories between two teams, each day...," the Boxing Federation of India said in a press release.
"Leading boxers like Mary Kom, Amit Pangal, Gaurav Bidhuri, and Sonia Lather and over 50 leading international boxers participating, the League is set to establish Boxing as one of the most popular sports in India," it added. The auction will cover both India and global rights. The league has set a base price of Rs four crore for India rights and Rs 4.5 crore for the global rights per season.
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"...Big Bout will be another feather in the cap of Indian boxing as the first amateur boxing league in the world. It definitely has the potential to take the sport to the next level and this OTT bid, a first of its kind for any Olympic Sports in India will set an example for others to follow," BFI President Ajay Singh said.
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Echoing his view, Atul Pande, MD of Sportzlive added, "We believe that OTT & Mobile will be a key consumption destination for this sport."
SportzLive, the long-term rights holder of the Big Bout Indian Boxing League and the Premier Badminton League (PBL), has roped in Trojan Horse Media as the official media and content consultant to guide and evaluate the auction process. The bid documents would be available from the Sportzlive office by payment of Rs. 10,000 vide Demand Draft in favour of Sportz & Live Entertainment Private Limited. The bids are slated to be opened on August 16th, 2019. The Bid can be found here.
