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MUMBAI: Neo Sports has announced the details of its Pan Asian
expansion as part of its mission to be a Pan Asian cricket
channel by the middle of 2007. These markets include the Middle
East, Bangladesh, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and Nepal.
Shortly, the cricket dedicated channel will also commence
broadcasting in Malaysia and Singapore.
Neo Sports Broadcast Pvt Ltd CEO Shashi Kalathil said, "In
barely three months of our commercial launch in India, we
have succeeded in a comprehensive Pan Asian roll-out. Asia
is a very important market for us as it is an amalgamation
of cultures and nationalities with a huge Indian ethnic community."
The revenues from the Pan Asian operations of Neo Sports outside
India, between subscription and advertising are expected to
add up to approximately $ 26 million in 2007-2008 with an approximately
30 per cent EBIDTA margin, as incremental cost for international
operations is relatively insignificant since the bulk of the
costs are already absorbed in the Indian operations, informs
an official release.
Neo Sports was launched in Nepal through Pacific Traders
on Cable and MMDS and has also partnered with the Pehla bouquet
on the ADD platform in the Middle East, which is the pay TV
platform management company in the Middle East, North Africa
and Europe.
Neo Sports has also been launched on Cable in Bangladesh
via SAARC Media in January 2007 and in Sri Lanka through Sri
Lanka Broadband Network. In March 2007 Neo Sports will commence
broadcasting on Hong Kong's Cable system I-Cable and via DTH
on One Broadcast Ltd, in New Zealand.
Neo Sports, which had its soft launch in October 2006 and
its commercial launch in the first week of January 2007 in
India, has secured platform partnerships across Asia, as part
of its mission to be a Pan Asian cricket channel by the middle
of 2007.
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