back to article Facebook fails in bid for streaming sports rights

Facebook has again suffered a setback in India, this time finding that around US$600m wasn't enough to secure five years worth of digital distribution rights for cricket matches. Cricket is India's national sport and television audiences exceed fifty million for many of the 60 matches in the annual Indian Premier League (IPL …

  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Rock and a Hard place

    Personally, I can't think of two organisations that I dislike more than these two.

    Which is worse? That is a hard call but on the whole, Facebook wins out here.

    The decision of the IPL not to get into bed with FB is probably the best of a bad job.

    IMHO, it seems that FB's plans for social engineering on a grand scale in India have taken a small setback. Good!

    1. Dan 55 Silver badge
      Devil

      Re: Rock and a Hard place

      IPL's decision was based on which of the two numbers was greater.

      Could Facebook's plans for social engineering be any worse than Murdoch's are?

      I'd have a hard time deciding between the two as well, but we know Murdoch is evil.

      1. phuzz Silver badge
        Happy

        Re: Rock and a Hard place

        Imagine the boost in popcorn sales if Murdoch and Zuck got into a global media pissing match.

      2. John Brown (no body) Silver badge

        Re: Rock and a Hard place

        "IPL's decision was based on which of the two numbers was greater."

        Look on the bright side. The more sharks in the pool, the more it costs them.

  2. Tromos

    Makes no difference...

    ...which of those two get IPL rights. I'll do without rather than use either of them.

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    A very difficult choice

    So Facebook (something I don't use because it's naff and full of idiots) failed to get the rights to stream cricket (a sport I find to be less interesting than a slow-mo replay of paint drying).

    A very difficult choice. Do I simply get on with my life after a brief pause to wonder why people are getting so worked up or do I piss myself laughing?

    1. fishman

      Re: A very difficult choice

      When a company like Facebook (or Sky or ESPN) buy broadcasting rights to certain sports, they plan on making it back by selling expensive advertising slots. Companies buy ad time, and that cost is passed down to the consumer through the product price. So even if you never watch sports and don't have any sports channels on your TV, you end up paying for it when you buy many products.

      1. Charles 9

        Re: A very difficult choice

        But OTOH if they raise prices too high, people don't buy, so the ad buyers can put pressure on the media outlet to cut rates. It's one thing to pay $3B for exclusive media rights. It's another to find ad buyers willing to pay through the nose for ads when they're under pressure to keep their own prices down.

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