JOIN USReliance-IMG is set to come on board as AIFF’s new broadcast partner, though top officials in the federation were tight-lipped about it.
“Yes, it (Zee) has asked for Rs 70 crore as compensation from the AIFF but, as far as the deal with IMG is concerned, it is still in the negotiation stage and nothing has been finalised yet,” a top AIFF official said on condition of anonymity. “The AIFF is reviewing IMG’s proposal but nothing is official as yet.”
Sources in the federation also claimed that IMG was offering the AIFF Rs 200 crore and part of that money would be used in giving compensation to Zee Sports. The AIFF’s executive committee has already formed a three-member sub-committee to negotiate with Zee Sports and look into IMG-Reliance’s proposal for broadcast rights.
The AIFF, whose deal with Zee Sports was to run till 2014, was apparently not happy with the channel’s coverage of matches. Delayed payments from Zee Sports also did not help matters and the AIFF had raised the issue with the channel last year.