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MUMBAI:
English movie channel Pix has bagged the India telecast rights
for the FA Cup.
Pix
hopes the telecast of the British football tournament will
help grow its reach and increase sampling of the channel.
Matches will begin airing on Pix from November.
As part of the agreement between Multi Screen Media (formerly
Sony Entertainment Television India) and The Football Association,
Pix will also have the rights to air a series of England International
matches in which the national team will attempt to qualify
for World Cup 2010 and European Cup 2012.
Says
MSM CEO Kunal Dasgupta, "The passion for football is
rapidly growing while the sport is gaining popularity in India.
Pix brings its viewers the best in football action - FA Cup
live from stadiums throughout the UK."
Adds
MSM COO NP Singh, "Our viewers can enjoy the best selection
of movies on Indian television along with some exciting football
action from the world's top professional league."
Pix
business head Sunder Aaron believes the penetration of the
channel will get a boost without diluting the positioning.
"The
event takes place till May. We will air matches every three
weeks over the weekend as that is how the event is scheduled.
Our aim is to get more viewers to sample the channel. If they
do, they will stick with us. Most matches take place around
midnight. So our schedule is not affected."
"Pix
has been a keen promoter of special events since we launched.
In the past we've aired music concerts, The Bafta Awards,
and the Goal 4 Africa Charity match, all of which augmented
the staple of great movies already on the channel. In this
way we are able to expand our audience base and reach out
to more viewers," Aaron added.
The
channel, which will run a contest, is in the process of roping
in sponsors for the event. Two winners will get to travel
to England for the final.
A
total of 42 clubs have won the FA Cup since its inception.
Manchester United has won it 11 times, followed by Arsenal
who grabbed it on 10 occasions.
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