NEW DELHI: Dish TV, India's first Direct-to-Home (DTH) service, has given football lovers in India cause to celebrate as it has added two 'lifestyle football' channels, Goal TV 1 and Goal TV 2, to its bouquet.

The deal relating to Goal TV, a dedicated football platform offering Asian audiences coverage of top European soccer, is for distribution in India.

Football fans in India can now watch the two channels dedicated to the sport, 24 hours a day. With the addition, the total strength of television channels offered by Dish TV has gone up to 112, an official statement of Dish TV stated today.

Goal TV 1 showcases Manchester United, Arsenal and the Live Scottish Premier League, Goal TV 2 brings Chelsea, Liverpool, Live Dutch, Live French and the UEFA Champions League of the four clubs to the viewers. The comprehensive coverage includes live soccer from three major European leagues as well as behind-the-scenes access to England's Big Four clubs: Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool.

Dish TV CEO Sunil Khanna was quoted in the statement saying, "This one is especially for the thousands of football dedicated fans in our country. For the people who are passionate about the game, Goal TV is the right destination. As our tag-line goes, DishTV is all about enjoying your passion. With this addition, we have taken another step towards providing quality and niche entertainment in the country."

The subscription prices for the channels, offered on the à la carte platform, will be announced soon.

According to Goal TV CEO Thomas Kressner, "It was a natural association between the two: DishTV is all about being passionate about your interests, and Goal TV is dedicated to passionate football fans. Given the popularity of football in Asia and the fact that we provide dedicated club programming, as well as all the season's big matches, Goal TV channels are catering to millions of dedicated fans in the continent and can be seen in Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Shanghai and Macau."

Goal TV, according to the statement, delivers over 65 per cent original content; 200 hours every week.

DishTV is India's first DTH service and allows consumers access to a variety of digital television channels directly from the satellite. Dish TV is an Essel Group venture.