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Friday, Jul 20, 2007
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National

Cricket fans disappointed

Vijay Lokapally

Unable to watch the opening day’s play

ESPN-STAR Sports and some service providers failed to reach agreement in time
‘Only 12 per cent of subscribers in Mumbai, 10 per cent in Delhi affected’

NEW DELHI: Tens of thousands of cricket fans all over the country were unable to watch the telecast of the opening day’s play of the first Test between England and India at Lord’s on Thursday on the STAR Cricket channel as ESPN-STAR Sports and some service providers failed to reach an agreement in time.

However, a spokesperson for ESPN-STAR Sports painted a different picture, saying only 12 per cent of the subscribers in Mumbai and 10 per cent in Delhi were affected.

The spokesperson claimed that all CAS areas were able to receive the telecast. “It is a pay channel and obviously you have to buy the signals. All four Metros have reported encouraging response to the new channel. Only Hathway is not showing the match to its subscribers.”

The Managing Director, ESPN Software India Pvt. Ltd., R.C. Venkateish, said, “STAR Cricket has received a very positive response from cable operators across the country. Even before the first delivery was bowled during the first India-England Test series, STAR Cricket’s penetration has reached more than 75% of the reach of ESPN and STAR Sports in the country.”

Mr. Venkateish added, “STAR Cricket is today available across all major platforms nationally, including all CAS notified areas. In the non-CAS areas, we have already signed deals with leading MSOs like Incable and Siticable and multiple independent operators across the country. We have also closed deals with the two major DTH operators - TATA Sky and Dish TV.”

“As the leading sports broadcaster, it is our objective to ensure that STAR Cricket is seen by fans across India. We are confident of concluding deals with the remaining operators very soon.”

Hathway CEO K. Jayaraman, on the other hand, said, “We are not receiving signals from ESPN-STAR Sports. Negotiations are still on and we hope things will be better soon. Such things take some time to be sorted out. Before every series such issues crop up.”

Cable Operators Federation of India president Roop Sharma said, “The broadcasters can’t always force themselves. They are asking for too much connectivity. We can’t thrust channels on the subscribers. We can’t accommodate these new channels at the cost of the existing ones in the analog system. How can we accommodate these new channels? Why can’t they give them free to the subscribers? Consumers did not ask them to force a new channel. They are fooling the advertisers and the consumers by thrusting a new pay channel,” she said.

Many viewers were unsure which ESPN-STAR channel would telecast the match. Actually, the ESPN-STAR website had indicated that it would be available on STAR Sports.

The ESPN, STAR Sports and STAR Cricket also hold the telecast rights for the Twenty 20 World Cup in South Africa (September) and for India’s tour of Australia involving four Test matches and a tri-series from December 2007 to March 2008.

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