|
With
just three days left for the kick-off the 2002 FIFA World
Cup in Japan and Korea, indications are that B4U Networks
and Doordarshan are on the verge of signing a deal which
will allow for the deferred telecast on DD of four matches
and a daily highlights capsule.
The sticking point thus far on the negotiations has reportedly
been that DD was quoting Rs 250,000 per half hour as placement
cost, a figure B4U was attempting to mark down. According
to industry sources, the two sides likely to sign the papers
tomorrow.
The
developments came even as Ten (Taj Entertainment Network)
Sports, which holds the rights for India, finally made it
official today that it had sold the terrestrial telecast
rights to LMB Holdings (promoter of B4U Networks).
Pavithran
said that after making its presence felt in all the main
southern language channels (Tamil, Telugu, Kannada), Balaji
was next looking to enter Malayalam language programming
on the Sun Network's Surya channel.
The terrestrial rights allow for transmission of four games
only. These are the opening game, two semifinals and the
finals on a six-hour delayed telecast. They also include
a daily highlights package, also on a six-hour delayed basis,
an Ten Sports release said. There was no mention however,
of the telecast of the opening and closing ceremonies, which
was earlier mentioned as being part of the package.
As
for Ten Sports, even as the clock counts down to the 31
May kick-off, there is still no clear indication of how
many people will finally get to watch the sporting world's
(not for India though) biggest mega event.
Financial
daily Economic Times' website reported that in Delhi both
the Star-controlled Wincable and the Hindujas’ InCableNet,
which together reach 65 per cent of cable & satellite homes
in the capital, have signed up with Ten Sports while the
Zee-controlled MSO Siticable had not. In Mumbai however,
where the Star-controlled Hathway Cable and Datacom and
InCableNet cover nearly 75 per cent of the city there is
no word as yet of any deal. In the other three metros of
Kolkata, Chennai and Bangalore (all of which have one MSO
dominating) there is reportedly still no accord in place
either. In Kolkata it is RPG Netcom, in Bangalore Hathway
and in Chennai Sumangali Cable Vision that rule the roost.
It is difficult to tell whether this is an article of faith
or not considering how close at hand the tournament is,
but the feeling in the industry seems to be that come 31
May, some agreement will be reached.
Click here for more headlines
|
