Star India gets uplinking license for three new sports channels
Media and entertainment network StarIndia has acquired uplinking and downlinking license for 10 sportschannels in India. According to data filed by the Ministry ofInformation and Broadcasting, as of 28 August, the network can now uplinkand downlink sports channels from India, which it was until now doingfrom Singapore and Hong Kong.Uplinking refers to uploading thesignal onto the satellite from where it is then relayed to varioustelecast destinations. These destinations then downlink (or downloa
Media and entertainment network Star India has acquired uplinking and downlinking license for 10 sports channels in India. According to data filed by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B), as of 28 August, the network can now uplink and downlink sports channels from India, which it was until now doingfrom Singapore and Hong Kong.
Uplinking refers to uploading the signal onto the satellite from where it is then relayed to various telecast destinations. These destinations then downlink (or download) the signal and relay to the television homes. Until now, Star India was only able to downlink signals to seven sports channels in India, six of which were active and one downlink license remained dormant.
Upon the completion of the necessary formalities, the network will be surrendering its downlinking licenses to the MIB.
Star India currently operates six sports channels in the country - Star Sports 1, Star Sports 2, StarSports 3, Star Sports 4, Star Sports HD1 and Star Sports HD2. It has one downlinking license lying dormant (registered in the name of ESPN). All these channels are operational under the existing downlinking licenses resting with the network. The three new channel licenses have been registered under Star India Pvt Limited under the names ESPN HD, Star Sprots Highlights and Star Cricket Asia.
Over the past year, the channel has rebranded its sports bouquet to Star Sports brand after Fox bought out Disney's stake in the joint venture ESPN Star Sports in 2012.
Star India's strategy has been to invest in non-cricket sports and provide non-English feeds to its viewers. Of the six sports channels currently on-air, one is dedicated to Hindi commentary (Star Sports 3). The network has in the past expressed intentions of launching more regional feed channels in the future, though a comment from Star India was not available at the time of filing this report.
According to data filed on the MIB website, apart from the two HD channels, all the channels have been registered for any language as permitted under the Constitution of India including English, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri,Gujarati, Kannada, and Kashmiri among others.