 NEW DELHI: Entertainment & Sports Direct (ESD) -- promoted by DAR Capital Group, an investment advisory and private equity firm -- which emerged as the highest bidder for the exclusive exhibition rights to Indian Premier League (IPL) season 2010 through to 2019, will look to tap the revenues from two sources: theatrical rights and advertising. ESD has partnered with Valuable Group of Companies, which operates UFO Moviez, to get the technology support for the exhibition of the matches.
 Kapil Aggarwal, joint-managing director, UFO Moviez, told network2media, "We have partnered with ESD to provide technology support. As for revenue, ESD will have two streams of revenue, firstly the company will collect revenue through the games shown in theatres; here the process of collecting revenue will be similar to the way a producer gets the revenue for any film. Secondly, we will look at advertising revenue."
ESD has made a bid of Rs 330 crore for the exhibition rights. The deal once approved by IPL will give ESD the exclusive exhibition rights for audiences in cinema halls, stadia, water borne vessels, buses, trains, armed service establishments, hospitals, bars, hotels, restaurants, airports, railway stations, shopping malls, offices, construction sites, oil rigs, clubs, auditoriums, spas, salons and other similar public venues.
 Commenting on the bid, Lalit Modi, chairman and commissioner, IPL, had earlier commented, "We have what we believe to be the best theatrical telecast deal for the IPL and its fans across India. The ESD bid is subject to final approval from the IPL Governing Council, and we believe that this agreement will help us take the IPL action direct to the fans on the large screen."
Arun Rangachari, Director, ESD, had said, " We are very proud to be associated with this extremely prestigious event and would like to, through this path-breaking initiative, reaffirm our commitment to bringing high-octane sporting action to fans around the world. Together with our partners UFO Moviez and Valuable Media we are confident of bringing about a radical transformation in the way the sport of cricket is viewed and enjoyed by fans across the world. We believe that there are significant untapped business opportunities that are being addressed by this association that will create a global benchmark."
 UFO Moviez Ltd. and Valuable Media Ltd., promoted by Valuable Group are pioneers of the digital media platform in India and around the world. UFO Moviez is the largest satellite based digital cinema network in the country with over 1700 screens.
Valuable Group acquired moviebeam, a digital media technology platform founded by Disney with over USD 250mm in investment, and has repurposed it for use in the hospitality and public venue markets around the world.
 Sanjay Gaikwad, managing director, Valuable Group of Companies, said, "We are very excited with this new initiative kicked off by IPL. With UFO's 1,700 digital cinemas and our proprietary Hollywood studio approved moviebeam digital platform, this is a unique opportunity for theater owners and public venues to get exciting high definition cricket content at their properties." Season 2010 of the Indian Premier League is set to kick-off in Hyderabad on March 12.
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