Amazon will not bid for the IPL media rights for the year 2023 to 2027, a person familiar with the matter said, leaving the hotly contested streaming auction to Disney and Reliance. The e-commerce giant was one of several tech giants preparing to participate in the highly anticipated auction set to take place on Sunday.
The e-commerce group, which has staked approximately $6.5 billion in its Indian business and operates Prime Video streaming service, has informed BCCI, the cricket board that oversees the IPL tournament, that it will not participate in the bid, said the person. , request anonymity as the details are private. Media reports this morning were already calling for an alleged war between Ambani, one of Asia’s richest men, and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.
Ambani’s Reliance operates the largest retail chain in India and also the largest telecom operator.
Disney, which currently owns the streaming rights, and Mukesh Ambani-controlled Reliance are expected to go neck and neck for the auction, which industry analysts expect could be worth between $4 and 7 billion.
Star India, a subsidiary of Fox, won its last five-year rights auction with a bid of $2.5 billion in 2017. Google and Facebook, which made significant bets on the five-year rights last time, are also unlikely to make large bids. people familiar with the matter said.
Amazon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.