MUMBAI: James Murdoch has reiterated the importance of India as a market for News Corp.

Murdoch believes pay TV operators in the country will consolidate over time due to regulatory changes.

?India is a very important market for us, it?s one of our largest international markets," Murdoch, the Deputy COO of News Corp said at an investment conference in San Francisco.

He is also satisfied with the progress being made in South America. "We?ve also made great strides in South America over the last few years, particularly the launch of our sports business there," he added.

Murdoch also stated that the investment in UK pay TV service provider BSkyB, which News Corp un-successfully tried to buy out, is an unfinished business.

News Corp in the recent years has been trying to streamline its overseas businesses that aren?t consolidated.

Last month, the company increased its stake in German pay-TV company Sky Deutschland (SKYD), giving it majority control and putting it a step closer to creating a pan-European broadcaster.

MUMBAI: Discovery, which is a leader in US pay-TV market, is all set to become world?s leading pay TV programmer outside the US, after it acquired ProSiebenSat.1 Group?s SBS Nordic operations for $1.7 billion and a 20 per cent stake in Eurosport for$221.6 million ( ?170 million).

The acquisition of ProSiebenSat.1 Group?s SBS Nordic operations and a minority stake in TF1/Eurosport would add to Discovery Communications? earnings and accelerate the international growth, Discovery Communications CEO David Zaslav said on a conference call.

The two acquisitions will add sports and scripted programming to the company even as he sought to clarify that the wasn?t planning to become a player in US sports broadcast which has big players like ESPN and Fox Sports among others.

"The US sports TV business is a totally different business. I do not see us getting into big checks," Zaslav said.

Discovery, Zaslav said, now has 153 channels in 217 countries with more than 1.8 billion subscribers. He also pointed out that Discovery was a "unique" media company as it owns nearly all of its content, which allows it room for syndication.

Similarly, TLC, he said, is now in 150 countries and has more than 300 million subscribers worldwide, making it the number one female TV lifestyle brand in the world.

According to Zaslv, the two deals will help Discovery to grow faster.

On being asked as to when international would overtake US business, Discovery Networks International CEO Mark Hollinger said there would be "friendly rivalry" between the US and international teams.

Hollinger and Zaslav are also bullish about Eurosport which has a potential for growth in other regions inlcuding Asia. Eurosport was a viable proposition since it was focussed on low-cost sports like tennis and ice skating. It also airs Bundesliga outside of Germany where it is cheaper.