Sony looks to launch sports channel

MUMBAI: Even as the second season ofthe Indian Premier League (IPL) draws to a close, Hindi general entertainmentchannel Sony is looking to launch a sports channel. After acquiring Channel 8, aregional Bengali movie channel, the broadcaster is also keen to acquire regionalplayers on the lines of Star and Zee.In an exclusive tete-a-tetewith TOI, chief operating officer of Multi Screen Media (formerly known as SonyEntertainment Television) N P Singh said: "From a strategic perspective, itmakes business sense to launch a sports channel. There is enough cricket tojustify a separate sports channel. We are looking at a sports channel of our ownand have taken an organic approach."Sony has significant sportsproperties at the moment, such as the IPL rights, the New Zealand cricket seriesand the Football Association Challenge Cup.Singh added thebroadcaster was serious about getting a pure-play sports channel in its bouquet,though it already has Set Max, which is a mix of movies and cricket. "We areevaluating the final contours at this stage, though it entails the acquisitionof further sporting rights. Available business properties regarding tennis,football and golf could be added to the kitty by the year-end," Singhsaid.In a bid to compete with Star India and Zee Entertainment whichhave a host of regional channels under their wing, Sony is also eyeing theregional market. "It is a very big network. The regional market is coming intoits own, especially in the South, which is a developed market," Singhsaid.While Zee has a host of regional channels under its Alphabrand, Star has Ananda (Bengali), Vijaya (South) and Pravaha(Marathi).Asked to comment about some investors wanting out, the COOsaid: "MSM investors are still keen on the channel." Investors in MSM includeAtlas Equifin and Grandway Global Holdings, who hold around 31.67% stake,Shemaroo Entertainment's Raman Maroo, World Media Group director Sudesh Iyer,MobiApps Holdings' Jayesh Paresh and actor Jackie Shroff.Acquisitionof sporting properties is big business. Following the decision to host IPL 2 inSouth Africa this year, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) signeda new deal with Multi Screen Media (MSM) and World Sports Group for Rs 8,200crore. Sony retained IPL 2 for nine years, at a higher price. The first seasonof IPL had been secured for a little over $1billion.Sony bid $50million and secured the telecast rights for the New Zealand cricket for SetIndia, for four years. When Max was launched as a cricket and movies channel in1999, it had the Sharjah rights as its key cricketing property.Pix,the movie channel from MSM, bagged the rights to telecast UK's popular footballtournament, the Football Association Challenge Cup, known as the FA Cup. Theknockout cup competition in English football also entailed that Pix would havethe rights to air a series of England International matches in which thenational team would attempt to qualify for World Cup 2010 and European Cup2012.For now, to ensure sticky eyeballs post IPL 2, Sony is set tounwrap a fresh programming lineup from May 25, with new shows and theswash-buckling Salman Khan in his second avtaar on '10 ka dum.'