ITV

Tag: ESPN HD

  • MIB gives licence to 12 new channels

    MIB gives licence to 12 new channels

    MUMBAI: 12 new channels have been added to the list of permitted private satellite TV channels in India after they received licence clearances from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB). As of 31 August 2014, there are 810 channels in all as compared to 798 till 28 August 2014.

     

    Of the 12 additions, one is a news channel and the rest are non-news. The total news and current affairs channels in the country are now 398 and non-news and current affairs are 412.

     

    The new channels that have received clearances include Blue, ESPN, ESPN HD, Star Sports Highlights, Star Cricket Asia, Janam and Green TV.

     

    Meanwhile, existing channels Star Sports 1, Star Sports 2, Star Sports 3 and Star Sports 4 have got permission for languages English, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, Gujarati, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Maithili, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Sanskrit, Santhali, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu and any other language as permitted under the Constitution of India.

     

    Star Sports HD1 and Star Sports HD2 have got permission for languages English, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Bodo and Dogri. New channels under Star India that got permission- ESPN, ESPN HD, Star Sports Highlights and Star Cricket Asia also have permission for all the above languages.

     

    The number of TV channels permitted for uplink from and downlink to India has increased from 671 to 682 with 376 (earlier 375) news and 306 (earlier 296) non-news channels. The number of channels permitted for uplink from India has increased from 34 to 35 with six news and 29 (earlier 28) non-news channels.

     

    TV channels that can only downlink in India stayed constant at 93 with 16 news and 77 non-news channels.

  • Sun Direct launches freedom offer @1947

    Sun Direct launches freedom offer @1947

    Chennai, 13th August, 2013: On the eve of the Independence Day (August 15th), Sun Direct announces a limited period special offer priced at Rs.1947 for the Cinema + Sports pack valid from 14th to 18th August 2013. This subscription comes with 2 months subscription free.

    Cinema + sports pack comes at a great value of just Rs. 185 per month with 130+ channels and cheapest Cinema + sports offering among the DTH Players. This includes a range of sports and entertainment channels, with nonstop movies round the clock. The freedom offer delivers non-stop entertainment value at a very affordable price point. This new pack is sure to address the complete entertainment needs of the entire family with the addition of 4 new popular sports channels ESPN, Star Sports, Star Sports 2 and Star Cricket- at an amazing price point. Sun Direct has also added ESPN HD and Star Cricket HD as part of their HD offering. What's more, customers can now record their favorite serials and movies with Sun Direct offering video recording at no extra cost on all its SD + and HD + boxes. With introduction of this offer, Sun Direct wishes all its viewers a very happy Independence Day!

  • Airtel DTH and ESPN Star Sports smoke peace pipe

    Airtel DTH and ESPN Star Sports smoke peace pipe

    MUMBAI: It was a spat, which was in the works for almost six months. But now it has been resolved – amicably, at least if one goes by a press release issued by ESPN Star Sports (ESS).

    Though details are not available on what the terms are ESS has signed a multi-year agreement with Airtel Digital TV to enable distribution of its channels Star Cricket, Star Sports, Star Sports 2, ESPN, Star Cricket HD and ESPN HD on the latter’s DTH platform.

    In late 2012, Airtel had yanked ESPN and Star Cricket HD channels from its platform citing prohibitive pricing of the two channels. Then on 22 March, the sports network deactivated the channels on its DTH and IPTV platforms due to Bharti Telemedia and Bharti Airtel’s “non-signing of agreements and breach of statutory obligations.”

  • Comcast inks distribution deal with Walt Disney; acquires E! Networks

    Comcast inks distribution deal with Walt Disney; acquires E! Networks

    MUMBAI: Comcast Corporation and The Walt Disney Company announced that they have entered into long-term comprehensive distribution agreements that will extend their relationship into the next decade for the 10 ABC-owned broadcast television stations and an array of Disney’s networks and services including: Disney Channel, ABC Family, Toon Disney, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Classic, ESPNEWS, ESPN HD and increased carriage of SOAPnet.

    Comcast will also launch ESPN Deportes, a stand-alone Spanish-language sports network, and the companies formalised their ESPN2 HD agreement.

    In addition, Comcast has acquired The Walt Disney Company’s 39.5 per cent ownership stake in E! Networks. Following this acquisition, E! Networks, which includes E! Entertainment Television and Style Network, is now wholly owned by Comcast. The purchase price for the 39.5 per cent stake was $1.23 billion, states an official release.

    The companies have also agreed to add primetime television programs, cable network shows and Disney movies to Comcast’s signature On Demand service. Marking the first time ABC broadcast programs will be available on video on demand (VOD) by any cable company, several ABC primetime series will be offered free by Comcast in ABC-owned television station markets. The companies also said they will work together to make promotional content from the Disney-ABC Television Group available on Comcast’s broadband portal, www.comcast.net, adds the release.

    “This agreement reflects our ability to distribute content on multiple platforms and signals another first for Comcast and Disney as we continue to explore the evolving possibilities of digital technology. We could not have gotten this deal done without Bob Iger’s leadership and vision. Putting Disney, ESPN and ABC’s extremely popular content on Comcast VOD is a watershed event for both of our companies,” said Comcast chairman and chief executive officer Brian Roberts.

    “This is the first cable on-demand agreement for hit ABC primetime broadcast programs like Desperate Housewives and Lost and, when combined with Disney movies and other ABC/Disney/ESPN television programs, gives Comcast access to the most Disney content available.”

    The Walt Disney Company president and chief executive officer Robert A. Iger commented, “This is one of the broadest distribution agreements in the history of our company. Disney’s great brands and great content combined with Comcast’s leading distribution platforms provide an incredibly compelling consumer experience in sports, family, news and entertainment. We look forward to working with Brian and Steve Burke on a range of future projects as technology continues to evolve.”

  • PanAmSat solidifies HD dominance with National Geographic HD win

    PanAmSat solidifies HD dominance with National Geographic HD win

    MUMBAI: National Geographic HD has chosen to join PanAmSat’s high-definition neighborhood. PanAmSat’s Galaxy HD neighborhood reaches over 9,000 cable systems throughout the US and features many of America’s top HD offerings, including: HBO HD, Cinemax HD, National Geographic HD, HDNet, HDNet Movies, Encore HD, ESPN HD, Fox Sports Net HD, NBA HD, NFL Network HD, The Outdoor Channel, Showtime HD West, STARZ! HD, TNT HD, WB HD and Wealth TV.

    “National Geographic’s high-quality, award-winning programming lends itself perfectly to high-definition television delivery. By joining the A-list roster of customers on Galaxy 13, National Geographic HD will enjoy the industry’s best coast-to-coast coverage that this powerful spacecraft offers. And, bar none, the Galaxy HD neighborhood delivers what television networks want — to pass every potential HDTV cable home in the nation’s top ADIs,” said PanAmSat executive vice president global sales and marketing Mike Antonovich.

    National Geographic HD is distributed by Fox Entertainment Group. Fox had signed a long-term, multi-year, multi-satellite, multi-transponder deal with the Company, consolidating its entire suite of US programming onto PanAmSat’s global fleet as well as a significant portion of its international traffic. The contract was later expanded to include two additional transponders on Galaxy 13, the new home for National Geographic HD.

    High-definition television has made large strides in the US and is predicted to make even larger inroads in the next four years.

    According to industry analyst reports, by 2009, HDTV will be in 52 million households, up from the current four million households. Northern Sky Research estimates that 500 channels will be broadcast in HD by 2010. And, the Consumer Electronics Association reports that seven in 10 consumers are planning to purchase a digital cable-ready HDTV as their next television.

    Ultimately, the continued price reductions in the HDTV arena, coupled with the looming analog cut-off, will result in 55 percent of US households having at least one HD-capable TV by the end of 2010 explain analysts from Leichtman Research Group’s in a recent report entitled, “HDTV: Awareness, Interest and Intent to Purchase 2005.”