DD, Ten Sports deal still on 'Ten'terhooks

DD, Ten Sports deal still on 'Ten'terhooks

DD

MUMBAI: The telecast deal between Prasar Bharati and Ten Sports stands deadlocked as Prasar Bharati has not agreed to an offer of Ten Sports, which envisaged making available 10 signals to Doordarshan on low power transmitters, for non cable areas in non metros.

wAccording to Modi Entertainment Network chairman Lalit Modi, at the moment, as things stand, "it is a deadlock". According to Ten Sports CEO Chris McDonald, the ministry had "requested us to look into the issues of making it available to a larger section of the population. We had come up with with a formula to which Doordarshan is not agreeable."

Prasar Bharati CEO K S Sarma, who is currently camping in Mumbai, told indiantelevision.com, " If Ten is to come on DD, they will have to pay us an opportunity cost of approximately $ three million."

Reportedly meanwhile, the Chennai High Court today observed that cricket signals would have to be made available to the terrestrial broadcaster but the terrestrial broadcaster would have to pay a certain amount for the telecast rights.

The impasse continues, but the issue could well change colour in a matter of hours.