World Cup 2019: Huge financial blow if rain washes out Pakistan-India clash

MANCHESTER: After the cancellation of four matches in the ICC World Cup 2019 so far due to rains, the fans on both the sides of the border  appear to be anxious about the fate of the upcoming India-Pakistan clash on Sunday, June 16.

If the rain washes out the much-awaited ICC World Cup match of India vs Pakistan, it would cost  billions of rupees to the  broadcasters  and big advertisers, as the  advertisement slots for the game are almost sold out.  From the business point of view, the cancellation of the match due to expected rain  would  be a huge financial blow.

Pakistan vs India match is likely to be one of the most-watched matches in this World Cup. So, it's the best opportunity for advertisers to maximise reach, but it comes at a huge cost. 

Star Sports  is reportedly expected to earn Rs 137.5 crore from the India-Pakistan match alone through advertisements. The channel has about 5,500 seconds of total inventory (the time slot they can sell to advertisers). 

For India vs Pakistan, the cost has spiralled to Rs 2.5 lakh per second. But, that hasn't discouraged the advertisers. In fact, there's a rush. Around 40 top advertisers  have already signed up for the slots.

 According to media agency Carat India's senior executive Vinita Pachisia, there might not even be enough ad inventory left with the  sports channel. The broadcasters had sold off most of the inventory much in advance, which meant the advertisers interested in last-minute booking had to pay even higher price.

"Even if there is inventory left, it may be sold at 50 per cent higher rates than the current prices," a media outlet, citing Pachisia reported on Friday.