Amazon Quit $6.2 Billion IPL Rights Auction, Ceding Cricket Prize to Disney and Reliance
Updated
Updated · Bloomberg · Jun 4
Amazon Quit $6.2 Billion IPL Rights Auction, Ceding Cricket Prize to Disney and Reliance
1 articles · Updated · Bloomberg · Jun 4
Summary
Hours before the June 2022 auction, Amazon withdrew from bidding for Indian Premier League media rights, leaving Walt Disney and Reliance Industries to secure one of India’s most valuable sports properties.
The retreat undercut expectations of a bruising contest that bankers, broadcasters and India’s cricket board had expected would drive prices sharply higher.
Amazon executives who backed the bid had argued IPL cricket could give the brand a halo effect and support its push to become India’s biggest e-commerce player.
The episode highlights Amazon’s broader struggle to gain traction in the world’s most populous nation, where marquee media assets can shape consumer reach and brand power.