may have been at loggerheads during their fractious series of matches over the summer but they’ll both be happy that the tour has delivered for the bottom line.DAC – of which the two are the only shareholders – did even better on the TV rights deals it secured than it had expected. The whole tour was in doubt until close to the departure date as Covid-19 wracked both Europe and Africa.
The company, set up in 2019, was responsible for managing, controlled, directing and administering the exploitation of the commercial rights of the 2021 Lions tour. But it is not involved in the merchandising side of the tour, or in revenue streams from ticket sales. Broadcasting and sponsorship rights formed the main income streams for the company. Broadcasting revenue exceeded target, the company said, with the rights largely unaffected by the Covid-19 pandemic.“The pandemic had a bigger impact on sponsorship rights, particularly on those rights being delivered in South Africa,” the directors state in the accounts for 2021. “While negotiations with sponsors resulted in some revenue reductions, the majority accepted alternative rights packages.