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'Realised cricket was the most under-monetised property': How Harish Thawani and the 90s boom revolutionised Indian cricket broadcasting
Founder of The Indus Club and formerly of Neo Sports Network, Harish Thawani offered a fascinating look into the genesis of India's sports broadcasting industry in the latest episode of Bombay Sport Exchange (BSE).
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A pioneer in the field, Thawani shared how Indian cricket transformed into a monetisable behemoth, starting with a bold move during the 1992 Cricket World Cup.
"I'm a failed sportsman who turned to off-field activity," said Thawani in a candid conversation with K Shriniwas Rao, Head of Content (Sports) at Times Internet. "Passion ka pesha banadi (I turned my passion into a profession)." Thawani began his career in advertising, a background that gave him insights into media and branding — skills he would later apply to cricket broadcasting.
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The turning point came in 1992. "It's little known that we actually backed the India broadcast rights of the 1992 World Cup — the same one where (Sachin) Tendulkar made his debut," Thawani recalled.
Nimbus Sport, under Thawani's leadership, paid around $550,000 for those rights. "The previous World Cup in 1987 had generated just $64,000 in broadcast revenue. So you can see what a leap it was."
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Which factor do you believe contributed most to the growth of Indian cricket broadcasting?
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At a time when Indian industries were monetising real estate, cricket remained a vastly under-utilised asset, he proclaimed.
"We realised cricket was the most under-monetised property in the country," Thawani said. "We placed it on Doordarshan and sold the ads ourselves. That's how we made a 300% profit."
Instead of approaching the traditional four big advertisers, Thawani and his team reached out to untapped sectors.
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"If you want someone to pay a dollar instead of a penny, you find new customers. That's what we did, and that's how every business expands," he explained.
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The success of this venture triggered a domino effect, ushering in a new era for Indian sports broadcasting. Over the next two decades, India witnessed a revolution in how cricket — and eventually other sports — were consumed. The entry of satellite television, the rise of private sports networks, and the eventual explosion of digital media further propelled this transformation.
When asked about the origins of the
(IPL) and the personalities who shaped modern Indian cricket, Thawani took a nuanced stance. While acknowledging
's prominent role, he emphasised that credit for IPL's creation was shared.
"Success has many fathers; failures become orphans," he quipped. "There were many brains behind the IPL. The real architect was Sharad Pawar — he backed it with board money. Lalit wasn't around for the last 16 years and IPL has only grown."
He also noted that a pair of American sports management professors were hired to help design the IPL format. "Was it flawless? No. Has it improved? Yes. That's the journey," Thawani said.
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Recalling a 2000s-era profile that called him "The Beast," Thawani laughed it off. "All fast bowlers have a beast in them. You have to come in with that mentality — I'm going to get you," he said, comparing his aggressive business approach to a bowler's mindset on the field.
Reflecting on the last 25 years, Thawani credited visionaries like Jagmohan Dalmiya, IS Bindra, and Sharad Pawar for having the courage to challenge the status quo and professionalise Indian cricket administration. But it was the combination of strategic vision, bold financial decisions, and media savvy that enabled Indian cricket to go from a modestly-funded pastime to a global entertainment powerhouse.
Today, Indian sports broadcasting is one of the biggest markets in the world — spanning television, OTT, and mobile streaming platforms — with cricket at its core. And it all began with a small, calculated gamble in 1992 that changed the game forever.
