Political strain in sports broadcasting
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Political strain clouds Bangladesh Premier League telecast in India
The Economic Times· 2026-01-07 18:55
Group 1 - The Indian government has not issued any directive to restrict the telecast of Bangladeshi sporting events, allowing the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) to be streamed in India on FanCode and Tata Play [1][7] - The release of Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman by Kolkata Knight Riders led to the Bangladesh government banning the IPL broadcast in Bangladesh and requesting the ICC to shift Bangladesh's matches for the Men's T20 World Cup to Sri Lanka due to security concerns [3][7] - The ICC rejected Bangladesh's request to relocate its matches, stating there was no valid basis for such a move, indicating that the BCCI and IPL broadcasters are not significantly affected by the ban in Bangladesh [6][7] Group 2 - The Bangladesh Cricket Board has historically faced challenges in securing a broadcast partner in India, with rights for Bangladesh cricket considered commercially unattractive [7] - Hoichoi, a Bengali-focused streaming platform, is maintaining a low profile amid the uncertainty, with Bangladesh being its largest market outside India [6][7] - Piracy of Indian television and digital content remains a significant issue in Bangladesh, exacerbated by the exit of Indian broadcasters due to regulatory challenges and unpaid dues [6][7]