Rajasthan Hants deal- We are all Indians now
Feb 08 2010 - 21:05:02
After the Hampshire Rajasthan deal, six English counties are salivating at the advertising income which bearing the name of an IPL team on their shirts will bring.
Rod Bransgrove Hampshire's supremo said "Royals sell the primary position on their shirts for something in excess of $4 million. At Hampshire we aspire to £200,000 ... a massive difference."
"They (counties) have to look at this," said Sean Morris, chief executive of the Rajasthan Royals. "It is tough commercially for a county club. Things are very tight. They have all got a similar problem. If they can only make money in the summer what do they do in the winter?
Morris who left his job after a very brief spell as PCA chief executive to run the Rajasthan Royals said "they (counties) have costs, 12-month contracts, it is hard. If they don't qualify for the Champions League what can they do?
Morris went on to say "so it is no secret that there are a variety of leading county chief executives in Mumbai every week at the moment."
With the threat of a reduction in broadcasting income, due to the ongoing Government consultation over the preservation of Ashes series for terrestrial television, counties fear their ECB handout, worth £1.5 million annually, cannot be guaranteed in the future.
"The longer game is to create a genuinely valuable worldwide franchise which will leave our county less dependent on the central distribution from the broadcasting rights and other deals that at the moment are the lifeblood of the game," said Hampshire chairman Rod Bransgrove.
"You can see the benefit immediately." All teams under the Rajasthan umbrella will incorporate 'Royals' into the name of their Twenty20 sides. Plans for tournaments around the world between the Royals 2020 teams were also revealed yesterday, with Lord's and the Rose Bowl set to be the first venues in July.
