Following an auction in Mumbai to secure the rights for the inaugural Women's IPL, the winning bid came from media heavyweight Viacom 18 in a ground breaking deal spanning a handful of years.
An estimated INR 7.09 crore is expected to be the cost per match with the Indian TV network anticipating the total to tally INR 951 crore across the 22 matches scheduled in the fixture.
BCCI secretary Jay Shah jumped on twitter to brand the announcement "massive" after news broke of the landmark settlement that will be in order from 2023 until the end of 2027.
"After pay equity, today's bidding for media rights for Women's IPL marks another historic mandate," Shah said on Twitter.
"It's a big and decisive step for empowerment of women's cricket in India, which will ensure participation of women from all ages. A new dawn indeed!"
"I am really thrilled that we have had such an encouraging response for a league that will revolutionise women's cricket not just in India but across the globe."
"This is a commitment I had made to the board and our women cricketers and today we have taken one big leap."
"The broadcasters play a key role in taking the game to a wider audience and their active interest in the league is a clear indication that the Women's Indian Premier League is headed in the right direction."
Clauses in the contract ensure there is room to move with women's cricket an ever evolving beast, the BCCI have allowed for changes to be made depending on the nature of it's success.
"Women's cricket has been on the up since a few years and the recently concluded bilateral series against Australia is a great testament to how popular women's cricket has become in India."
BCCI president Roger Binny spoke in a release stating the importance to reach a broader audience; "It was only apt to get our own women's T20 league and give the fans more of women's cricket."
Whist nothing is set in stone it is understood the first season of the women's IPl will run through a period in March, starting on the 5th and ending on the 23rd to work as a curtain raiser for the men.
With teams set to be finalised later this month through a unique bidding process it marks the start of a new era for women on a global scale in the cricket world with Viacom 18 set to be front and centre throughout.
