Sports broadcaster ESPN is set to return to the Indian market after agreeing a long-term partnership with Sony-owned Indian broadcaster Multi Screen Media.
Through the collaboration, which will run across India and the Indian subcontinent, ESPN and MSM will bring new offerings to sports fans including new Sony ESPN sports channels and a new multi-sport website and app.
MSM’s existing Sony Kix sports channel will be rebranded Sony ESPN and the two companies will launch other new channels in the coming months. In collaboration with MSM, ESPN will launch a co-branded localised multi-sport website and app, which will provide coverage of the likes of cricket, football, tennis, North American basketball league the NBA, badminton and hockey.
MSM’s Sony Liv digital operation will also benefit from the collaboration, increasing its current sports offerings significantly. MSM’s current sports rights portfolio in India includes cricket’s Indian Premier League, football in the shape of Uefa Euro 2016 and leagues such as Spain’s LaLiga and Italy’s Serie A, the NBA, American football league the NFL and mixed martial arts series the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
ESPN will add to that by delivering more than 1,000 hours of programming per year from its portfolio of sports rights, original programming and studio programs. Live sports content in the deal includes major US college American football and basketball; boxing in the shape of the Premier Boxing Champions series and ESPN’s Big Fights Library, as well as ESPN’s action sports franchise the X Games.
ESPN had exited the Indian market in 2012 after ending its joint venture with pay-television broadcaster Star India. Components of the new collaboration require regulatory approvals, for which the process is currently underway.
Commenting on the partnership, Multi Screen Media chief executive NP Singh said: “For consumers in India and the subcontinent, sports television viewing will change dramatically since they will soon have access not only to more content but also the widest array of sports lineup, ever available.
“MSM’s association with ESPN is holistic and embraces both television and digital formats. Not only are we about to set the frontiers in sports content and distribution but we will most likely set the trends as well. Going further, both companies will also explore collaboration on the development of other original sports programs.”
Russell Wolff, executive vice-president and managing director of ESPN International, added: “This exciting, long-term collaboration between ESPN and MSM will serve Indian sports fans with exceptional products, content and coverage through the combined strengths and expertise of our two companies, which each have a strong heritage of leadership and innovation in India. We are very excited to be working with Sony, one of the leading television channels in India, on the opportunities that lie ahead.”