Ten Sports eyes fee, operators just aren’t game

In this case, Ten Sports, after paying up Rs $ 42 million to buy TV rights for five years, is asking operators to declare their subscription base at the rate of Rs 14 per subscriber. Ten Sports MD, Chris McDonald who is in Mumbai, says: ‘‘We will sort out the matter.’’

Ten Sports India MD Sharmistha Rijhwani says: ‘‘We are seeking to be treated on par with other pay broadcasters.’’ Operators claim the channel is seeking advance fee for the next six months, and has asked them a 500 per cent in connectivity, a point Rijhwani disputes. ‘‘To ask for advance fee is standard practice,’’ she says.

Operators disagree and say the channel can’t arm-twist them. ‘‘We will not pay a penny more than what we paid in December on a subscription base declared to them, when telecom regulator TRAI froze the rates,’’ state the operators.

Doordarshan has entered the race the last moment and is using all avenues to secure the rights for its 80 million viewers. Prasar Bharati CEO K.S. Sarma has asked for the terrestrial rights to the matches. It is also learnt that the corporation is willing to pay a little over $ 6 million for the rights. A PIL, questioning why DD does not have the rights, was filed in a Chennai court and comes up for hearing tomorrow.