Follow UsFormer Indian Premier League (IPL) chairman Lalit Modi has revealed that he broke multiple broadcasting rules during the inaugural match of the IPL 2008 between Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). Modi admitted that his main concern was ensuring strong viewership for the first game.
"Everything, everything was dependent on that one game. I broke every rule in the book that day. I signed the contract, an exclusive contract with Sony, but Sony didn't have the reach. I said open the signal. Now it was available everywhere, right? And I told all the broadcasters who lost out, all of you, all news channels, go live," Modi told Michael Clarke on the Beyond23 Cricket Podcast.
He added, "Sony said 'I'll sue you'. I said 'Sue me later, forget about it? Ok, we are going live now because you don't have the reach'. I needed everybody to watch the first game. If the first game had flopped, I was dead."
The gamble paid off spectacularly. The first IPL match became a massive hit, largely thanks to Brendon McCullum, the former New Zealand captain, who smashed 158* off just 73 deliveries, helping KKR post 222/3 in 20 overs. RCB, in response, were bowled out for just 82 runs.
Modi recently made headlines after revealing previously unseen footage of the 2008 altercation between Harbhajan Singh and S Sreesanth, infamously known as ‘Slapgate’. Bringing the footage to light after 17 years, long after both players have moved on, sparked controversy across the cricketing ecosystem.