Ten Sports CEO Chris McDonald in a late night statement today denied that any negotiations were on between DD and Ten Sports for delayed telecasts of the FIFA World Cup.

Quoting the statement he said: "In order to allow as many households as possible in India to enjoy the World Cup soccer, Ten Sports had offered to DD to buy suitable time slots on the network as per their standard rate card. For reasons best known to them DD has rejected this offer."

Earlier in the day, a senior Prasar Bharati official had told indiantelevision.com that the pubcaster was considering whether Ten Sports should be "charged prime time telecast fee or the normal telecast fee for the time band when the soccer matches are telecast."

The Prasar Bharati official had also pointed out that DD has no other option but to telecast the soccer matches on a deferred basis as Ten Sports has claimed it has exclusive telecast rights for the India region.

Despite the telecast imbroglio, officials of Prasar Bharati, the corporation which oversees the working of DD and the All India Radio, feel that there would be viewership of the soccer matches on DD even on a deferred basis as Ten Sports' penetration still leaves much to be desired.