"From a content perspective we don't have a disadvantage"

Published>Tue, Sep 07 10 02:51 AM

Taj Television India, owned by Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL), has launched Ten Cricket, a dedicated cricket-only channel. It enters a crowded sports segment at a time when rights of all major cricket events have been sold?Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) rights to Nimbus, IPL to Sony, and others such as Champions Trophy to ESPN. ZEEL already has two sports channels?Zee Sports and Ten Sports, and Ten Cricket will be its third. But the channel is unfazed. Its strategy is to showcase a mix of live, recorded and feature programming, with customized content for Indian audiences. Atul Pande, CEO-Sports Business, ZEEL, spoke to FE's Rahul Sharma on the strategy behind the channel and how it will take on the competition. Edited excerpts:

Why have you launched a 24-hour cricket channel? And what will it showcase?

Cricket is the biggest youth sport in India and it provides the maximum amount of revenues. We have the broadcast rights of five cricket boards which translates into 100-odd cricket days every year. We have a dedicated population in India which follows cricket and as a part of our on-going strategy to have a sports based communication platform, we thought it was the best strategy to have a cricket based channel. Given that fact, we have the highest number of live international cricket matches in terms of rights. We have rights for Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Pakistan, and West Indies.

Does that mean all cricket action shifts to Ten Cricket?

Yes, we will also have cricket focused talk shows subsequently. We will also have specific cricket focused programming, in terms of highlights, re-runs, special events etc. Of course, we will also be looking at investing in new properties such as inter-country tourna- ments and various other formats.

Have you identified some of the domestic cricketing action?

We would be broadcasting a large part of South Africa's domestic cricket for which we have the rights. We will also be talking to various other boards in identifying broadcasting opportunities which are of interest to the Indian viewer. Typically, it's mostly the one-day cricket and T-20 (twenty-twenty overs) which generate more traction.

What sort of advertising response are you expecting?

We have rights to broadcast international tournaments where India is one of the participants as well as for bilateral matches. For example, this year we have 45 days of India playing, most of which is currently on. The advertising revenue is driven by India cricket, but we are also able to do efficient media for non-Indian cricket. Specifically, we are seeing much better traction in Pakistan playing surprisingly well. So we get decent ratings for it.

Isn't it a difficult proposition considering that most of Indian cricket rights are with other channels?

We still have a fairly large proportion of Indian cricket (tournaments where India is one of the participants). And I would say we would have the same number of days of Indian cricket as other broadcasters. The Indian Premier League (IPL) tournament is a different product altogether. In terms of international cricket we are on a fairly equal footing with other channels. This year we have a tournament in South Africa, and the timings of the matches suit Indian viewers. They are aired during prime time and we get very good ratings. I think from a content perspective we don't have a disadvantage. Cricket still drives revenues in sports. As much as 80% of revenues come out of cricket. If the channel has the right combination of events, it should be able to sustain that proposition.

But does not most ad monies go to Indian cricket and IPL?

That's incorrect. IPL is somewhere between cricket and entertainment. However, for all international cricket involving India, viewership ratings as well as money is largely dictated by the quality of opposition and how the matches are played out. We have two high-quality series Sri Lanka tri-series and test matches and then the South Africa series?we expect similar amount of ad spends as you get in BCCI matches.

What is your long-term game plan?

Right now, we have contracts with the boards till 2013. So we will work with them to enhance the value of the properties. We will also build on domestic leagues. There are 7-8 million people who watch cricket of any kind. We want to bring maximum cricket to these viewers.

What are your plans for Zee Sports?

It is our football focused channel. We have acquired new football rights like La Leagua, and some other European leagues which are being finalised. We believe football has potential though right now it is low in terms of ad revenues. We want to build Ten as a leading sports network in India, with Ten Sports led by World Wrestling Entertainment, motor sports, simulcast of football and cricket matches, and the Asian Games. We aim to be the leading sports broadcaster in India offering high quality sporting action.

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