MSM Discovery bullish on growth amid TRAI’s content aggregator regulation

[Deepu]

MSM Discovery, the 12–year-old joint venture distribution company that operates under the brand name TheOneAlliance, will continue to be the distribution agent of Multi Screen Media, Discovery Communications and TV Today group of channels. In the backdrop of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s (TRAI) content aggregator regulation, the channels of the multiple broadcasters cannot be bundled. Within this regulation, MSM Discovery will distribute the channels of these three broadcasting companies. Earlier, TheOneAlliance used to also distribute Neo Sports’ and Times Television Networks’ channels. The distribution deals with these companies have been terminated with mutual consent. MSM Discovery president Rajesh Kaul said that the company will continue to be the authorised sole and exclusive distribution agent for MSM, Discovery Communications India and TV Today Network to various distribution platforms—cable (both analogue and digital), direct-to-home (DTH), HITS, IPTV, and hotels and commercial establishments. The channels under TheOneAlliance will include SET, Max, Max 2, SAB, Mix, Pix, Six, AXN, Animax, Aath, Discovery Channel, Discovery Channel Tamil, Animal Planet, TLC, Discovery Science, Discovery Turbo, Discovery Kids, Discovery HD World, Sony HD, Six HD, Pix HD, Headlines Today, Aaj Tak and Tez. MSM CEO NP Singh said, “We are very confident that TheOneAlliance is perfectly enabled to monetise the valuable and exclusive premium content that we produce and acquire.” Added Rahul Johri, EVP and GM – South Asia, Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific and Head of Revenue, Pan-Regional Ad Sales and Southeast Asia: “Discovery has a very strong partnership with Sony and we are fully committed to TheOneAlliance. It is Discovery’s endeavor to provide the Indian viewers with the finest entertainment and TheOneAlliance will continue to distribute our eight current channels and our new launches across India.” Kaul is upbeat about the future of TheOneAlliance and is looking forward to a strong double-digit growth.“Given the current strength and the aggressive future investment plans of our partners, TheOneAlliance will continue to excel as a powerful leader in the industry. We will have a very strong bouquet of over 30 channels. We are going to invest in channels like Max 2 (a contemporary Hindi movie channel), Pix HD, AXN HD, and upcoming entertainment channels from the MSM stable. There will also be new channels from Discovery – Investigation Discovery (ID), TLC HD and Animal Planet HD,” Kaul said. He is also gung-ho about MSM’s sports channel Six, which is currently airing the Fifa World Cup. Earlier it had IPL, and will also have the Australian Open. “Six will have international football for the next five years with exclusive rights to Fifa 2014, 2018 and UEFA Euro 2016.” Following the TRAI’s content aggregator regulation, Star DEN and Zee Turner decided to split their three-year-old distribution joint venture MediaPro Enterprises in April.

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