Concerns over West Indies-Bangladesh series TV broadcasting

The West Indies-Bangladesh Test series is set to launch just after 5 days. The ICC Championship series includes two Test matches, three ODIs and as many T20Is. No Bangladeshi TV channel has yet not got the broadcasting rights of the tour.

That is why Bangladeshi audience are worried about watching the game on TV. The host usually sells the broadcasting rights. In the West Indies, this is completed through a third party ‘Total Sports Marketing (TSM)’. So far no local TV channel has bought the broadcasting rights from the TSM.
As the right is in the hands of a third party, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has officially nothing to do in this case. BCB media committee chairman Tanvir Ahmed Titu said they had nothing to do but can request the concerned board.

“Actually, when we go abroad to play any series, it all depends on the boards of that country which hosts and their broadcasters,” he said in Mirpur on Saturday. 

He said, “The BCB has no scope to interfere here. We can only request the concerned board to broadcast in our country. Apart from that, we do not have to do anything officially.”

Tanvir hopes that any local TV channel will make arrangements for audience to watch the game. He said, “But I hope that the channels that we have, which are involved in broadcasting the game, will somehow come up with a solution for our people.”

T-Sports broadcasts sports from different countries including Bangladesh. An official of the channel says that this time the chances of broadcasting the game on T-Sports are very slim.

He told risingbd, “There are problems with some internal issues. The chances of broadcasting are very slim. Besides, Gazi Television also broadcasts the games of Bangladesh. This time they are not interested in broadcasting the series. But if no one broadcasts, Gazi Television is going to come forward at the last minute.”

Last year’s home series between Bangladesh and Australia was not watched by any spectators from outside the world. The incident is likely to happen again. If it happens audience of any country except West Indies will not be able to watch the game on TV.