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Ten Sports: A channel that enlivens the
masses | |
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WHEN Ten Sports from Abdul Rehman Bukhatir’s Taj Television Ltd. was launched, it was greeted with a fair share of scepticism. After all ESPN Star Sports (ESS) had a firm grip over the sports broadcasting sphere and with Max stepping up cricket coverage there were doubts as to whether India really needed another sports channel. However, the channel has certainly enlivened the scene. Indiantelevision.com’s Ashwin Pinto caught up with Taj Television’s CEO Chris McDonald via e-mail and got him to dwell on the channel’s progress and future plans. Excerpts from an interview: It has been over a year since Ten Sports was launched in India. What are the major lessons that have been learnt? It was our belief, prior to the launch, that in order to create a viable 24-hour sports channel, we could not rely solely on Indian cricket. We knew alternative sports had to be developed. The reinforcement of this belief over the last one year can be termed as our biggest learning. We have succeeded in changing the rules of the sports television business with our "Sports Entertainment" programming philosophy and programmes like WWE, Legends, Cricket Classics, Sharjah Gold, Robot Wars, Gamer TV and Weird World of Sports. To all this, we added other sports with growing popularity in India, such as hockey (Champions Trophy) and motor racing. In what way has the definition of being a sports broadcaster expanded and changed since your stint with ESS? When ESPN and Star Sports joined hands in 1996, they enjoyed a virtual monopoly and concentrated on how to generate maximum revenues. The customisation of their channels, beyond cricket, did not happen. How Ten Sports presents content (like a cricket match) different from ESS and Max? Cricket is a religion in India and the biggest value addition for any viewer is top of the line coverage of the sport. This is what we bring to the table at Ten Sports - top quality. We also believe in having fun with cricket when the occasion is light. What are the major changes happening in the broadcasting rights market? Have acquisition costs gone up or down? The key in acquisitions is the vision to identify potentially popular sports and invest behind the same for a substantially long period of time. A case in point is hockey. Ten Sports had telecast the 2002 Champions Trophy because we believed it could develop into a high profile sport like cricket and soccer. Our belief has turned into reality with the strong performance of the 2003 Champions Trophy. What role will new delivery mediums like broadband downloads play in your revenue stream? Broadband is an alternative form of distribution to cable and DTH. So we welcome the opportunity to expand the viewing base of Ten Sports throughout the country. We will obviously look to create more interactive elements for this medium. Will there be greater experimentation in the content format of sports channels? For instance, Star Sports airs the soap Dream Team. Yes, experimentation in content for sports channels is here to stay. The idea is to broad-base sports and the same is in sync with our programming philosophy of "Sports Entertainment". Programmes like Gamer TV, Robot Wars and Techno Games have been an essential part of this philosophy right from the launch of the channel. In the US, ESPN has a High Definition Channel (HDTV). Do you foresee this technology coming to India within a couple of years? Yes, viewers certainly would enjoy the high resolution pictures and crystal clear audio which is the hallmark of HDTV. The broadcasters have to, in turn, provide HD signals. So it may take some time, but it will come. Is Ten Sports looking at co-organising sport events in India? We are open to organising sports events and will take it up if we arrive at the right project. What are the main value additions that you'll look at offering viewers in a CAS environment? The biggest value addition we will be offering the consumer is the number one sports channel in the country at a much lower price in comparison to the competition. Would a brand ambassador be looked at? A brand ambassador is usually signed on so as to satisfy an existing "need gap" in the brand, by borrowing off the ambassador’s positive values. At this stage, Ten Sports has managed to maintain its equity with the consumer without the help of an ambassador. | |
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Former Prime Minister of India | |
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