ITV

Tag: Leisure Sports Management

  • NDTV moots fourth channel as NDTV Nation

    NDTV moots fourth channel as NDTV Nation

    MUMBAI: It appears that as a natural progression for the Prannoy Roy-promoted NDTV Ltd, the network is moving forward to have a bouquet of channels, on the lines of Star India and Zee Telefilms. NDTV has applied for uplinking permission for a fourth channel.

    The name of the proposed channel, as mentioned in the uplink application, is likely to be ‘NDTV Nation’.

    Quoting from relevant papers, government sources said the name, NDTV Nation is mentioned by NDTV in its uplink application, but added it could be a working name for the proposed channel that could undergo a change at a later stage.

    Contacted by Indiantelevision.com, a source in NDTV did not confirm or deny the development on NDTV Nation, but added, “No final decision (on the name) has been taken yet.”

    Though details of the proposed channel are still hazy, it is expected that NDTV Nation would be a news channel focusing on news of various regions of India.

    PERMISSION FOR A 5TH CHANNEL SOUGHT?
    Interestingly, government sources in the know of the developments, say NDTV has sought permission for a fifth channel as well, which is likely to have niche sports programming as its dominant content offering.

    When queried about uplink permission sought for a fifth channel, the NDTV source denied it outright, categorically stating there is no fifth channel in the pipeline as of now.

    It is worth noting here that NDTV has already made a play in the sporting property rights arena – recently submitting financial bids for telecast rights for the All India Football Federation. The other contenders in the fray are ESPN Star Sports, Zee Sports, Nimbus and Leisure Sports Management.

    According to information available, the attempt to bid for the football rights is just a step towards realising a bigger dream of NDTV — that of having a bouquet of channels of its own straddling most of the traditional genres of programming.

    According to a market analyst, in the $ 4.5 billion Indian entertainment industry, the advertising industry is expected to grow strongly by around 12 per cent in FY 2006-2008. TV will increase its share of ad pie from 47 per cent to 50 per cent in the next three years to cross Rs 50 billion, the analyst states. Not surprisingly, within the TV segment, news broadcasting is the fastest growing one.

    NDTV scrip opened on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) on Monday at Rs 208 after closing on 17 June, Friday at Rs 206.

  • India soccer telecast rights bidding in Rs 3-5 billion range

    India soccer telecast rights bidding in Rs 3-5 billion range

    MUMBAI: Despite having a sizable following in India, football does not excite broadcasters and marketers as much as cricket does.

    Still, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) is attempting to hawk the telecast rights to suitors on the lines of its cricket counterpart.

    The last date for submitting bids, 8 June, saw five companies make a grab for a 10 year deal for domestic football.

    Companies like Zee Sports and Nimbus, according to AIFF sources, have quoted between Rs 3 – Rs 5 billion for the telecast and marketing rights.

    What’s more, AIFF president Priyaranjan Das Munshi has also hinted that the organisation is not averse to making Indian soccer viewer and TV friendly, on the lines of what ESPN Star Sports, Indian Hockey Federation and Leisure Sports Management have done with domestic hockey.

    The sources said that while Nimbus has put in a bid of Rs 5.04 million (inclusive of production cost), Zee Sports has put in a price of Rs 3.74 billion.

    ESS and NDTV have submitted proposal that are slightly more complex and envisage revenue sharing and development of the game along with the Football Federation.

    Interestingly, the last date for submitting bids for football, which was 8 June, saw NDTV promoter Prannoy Roy himself present at the venue in Delhi. This is also indicative of the importance that NDTV is attaching to sports broadcasting and the fact that its toying with the idea of having a sports channel in its stable.

    AIFF sources said a final decision would be announced later after the bids have been evaluated by a committee comprising AIFF president Priyaranjan DAs Munshi, senior vice-president Praful Patel and treasurer Sivanand V Salgaocar.

    The new season starts from October till when pubcaster Doordarshan has the telecast rights.

    According to a DD statement, issued some time back, the pubcaster will pay a graded rights fee of RS 1 million, Rs 600,000 and Rs 400,000 for `A’, `B’ and ‘C’ category matches, respectively.

    Some of the bidders, who have been earlier involved in legal wrangling over cricket rights, hope that the soccer rights would not go the cricket way.