- Joined
- 16 May 2011
- Messages
- 21,065
- Reaction score
- 30,271
KOLKATA: If you're all ready to catch the Champions Trophy action on television, you may have a big disappointment in store. Over 7 lakh cable homes in the city will be unable to tune into the matches that do not feature India. Viewers in another 13 lakh homes may suffer the same fate if broadcaster ESPN-Star Sports carries out its threat and blacks out feed. If that happens, nearly two-thirds of the city will be unable to tune into ESPN, Star Sports and Star Cricket, the largest ever blackout by the sports channel network.
Of the 15 matches at the tournament, Doordarshan will broadcast only those matches featuring India during the league stage. That makes it three matches — India versus South Africa on Thursday, India-West Indies on June 11 and India-Pakistan on June 15. DD will also broadcast the two semi-finals and the final.
ESPN-Star Sports stopped beaming its signals to MSO Manthan just days ahead of the high-ticket Champion's Trophy tournament, alleging non-payment of dues. Sources said the amount was around Rs 6.5 crore. From Tuesday, the sports network began to run a scroll on its channels beamed to at least two other MSOs — SitiCable and DEN — warning viewers that the channels faced imminent blackout due to non-payment of dues by the MSO.
While SitiCable officials were confident that the matter would be resolved by Thursday and that there would be no disruption on its network, DEN officials could offer no such assurance. "Dues have been piling up over the past five-six months due to non-payment by cable operators. Now that set-top boxes have been seeded, MSOs are demanding payment per box. That is something that operators are refusing to do, claiming that since viewers have not opted for packages, the old cable rates continue," an industry source said.
At present, most MSOs are beaming the entire bouquet of channels and cable operators are collecting a monthly fee of around Rs 250 per home.
While the sports channels are back on Hathway after a blackout following settlement of dues, they are unlikely to return on Manthan's network following breakdown in talks. Sources in Manthan claimed they had offered to pay a big chunk of the dues but the ESPN-Star Sports officials had refused to accept anything less than the full payment.
"Sports channels always arm-twist MSOs into meeting their demands before a major tournament because they know we are vulnerable. Yet, during the rest of the year, they allow their channels to be beamed without raking up the dues issue," an MSO official said.
Cricket fan? Non-India matches may be off limits - The Times of India
.
Of the 15 matches at the tournament, Doordarshan will broadcast only those matches featuring India during the league stage. That makes it three matches — India versus South Africa on Thursday, India-West Indies on June 11 and India-Pakistan on June 15. DD will also broadcast the two semi-finals and the final.
ESPN-Star Sports stopped beaming its signals to MSO Manthan just days ahead of the high-ticket Champion's Trophy tournament, alleging non-payment of dues. Sources said the amount was around Rs 6.5 crore. From Tuesday, the sports network began to run a scroll on its channels beamed to at least two other MSOs — SitiCable and DEN — warning viewers that the channels faced imminent blackout due to non-payment of dues by the MSO.
While SitiCable officials were confident that the matter would be resolved by Thursday and that there would be no disruption on its network, DEN officials could offer no such assurance. "Dues have been piling up over the past five-six months due to non-payment by cable operators. Now that set-top boxes have been seeded, MSOs are demanding payment per box. That is something that operators are refusing to do, claiming that since viewers have not opted for packages, the old cable rates continue," an industry source said.
At present, most MSOs are beaming the entire bouquet of channels and cable operators are collecting a monthly fee of around Rs 250 per home.
While the sports channels are back on Hathway after a blackout following settlement of dues, they are unlikely to return on Manthan's network following breakdown in talks. Sources in Manthan claimed they had offered to pay a big chunk of the dues but the ESPN-Star Sports officials had refused to accept anything less than the full payment.
"Sports channels always arm-twist MSOs into meeting their demands before a major tournament because they know we are vulnerable. Yet, during the rest of the year, they allow their channels to be beamed without raking up the dues issue," an MSO official said.
Cricket fan? Non-India matches may be off limits - The Times of India
.
