The Ten Sports-Doordarshan battle, which had led to uncertainty over the telecast of the historic India-Pakistan cricket series, had made millions of fans bite their nails in anxiety.
Ten Sports has the exclusive telecast rights for all cricket matches played in Pakistan. It has also bagged the telecast rights for West Indies cricket for the next five years. The combined cost of both acquisitions is said to be around $50 million.
The sports channel demanded $24 million from Doordarshan to share its live telecast feed, but DD refused to part with that amount leading to a high-profile battle which moved from the high courts of Mumbai, Chennai and Delhi to the Supreme Court. Due to the apex court's intervention, cricket fans in India have been able to watch the first two ODIs.Meanwhile, Ten Sports has indicated that it might be ready for an out-of-court settlement over the issue with DD, to put the controversy to rest.
But what is Ten Sports? Who owns it? Let us find out.
What is Ten Sports?
Ten Sports is a sports channel owned by Taj Television Ltd which is headquartered in the Dubai Media City, with six offices across the sub-continent.
When was it established?
Taj Television Ltd was established in January 2001. It is a full service television concern and its portfolio consists of a 24-hour sports channel Ten Sports, television production, broadcasting solutions, remote television production and event management.
Who owns Ten Sports?
Abdul Rahman Bukhatir, Chairman of Bukhatir Investments Limited and the man who brought one-day international cricket to a seemingly unlikely place -- Sharjah -- in the United Arab Emirates on April 6, 1984, is the owner of Taj Television Ltd. Sharjah also hosted its first Test on January 31, 2002.
Bukhatir set up the Cricketers Benefit Fund Series in 1981. Its main aim was to honour cricketers of past and present generations from India and Pakistan who were invited to play exhibition cricket in the UAE.
When was Ten Sports channel launched?
The channel launched on April 1, 2002, and is now the world's premier sports channel for South Asians, reaching nearly 55 million homes in the sub-continent, Middle East, Europe & Asia.
Who is the CEO of Taj Television?
Chris McDonald is Taj Television's chief executive officer. The company employs over a 100 highly skilled and experienced professionals from all over the world.
Where is it broadcast from?
The Taj Television-promoted Ten Sports is broadcast from Dubai. It is now seen on the Arab Digital Distribution and E-Vision platforms.
Ten Sports broadcasts top sports properties including India's Tour of Pakistan, the FIFA World Cup 2002, ICC World Cup cricket, thousands of hours of live international cricket, the French Open and 'Classic' cricket from events at Sharjah over the last 22 years.
How good are its broadcasting facilities?
Taj's broadcast and production facility is one of the most advanced in the industry, and was purpose built for television.
The production and broadcast equipment is digital and state-of-the-art, and generates higher quality television pictures with maximum efficiency, says the Ten Sports web site.
The facility features Sony cameras, Quantel edit seats, Smoke/Softimage and 3D Max graphics and Snell and Wilcox mixers. Ten Sports' two studios handle multi-set and audience set-ups, and have been constructed to meet the highest acoustic standards.
Its production facility is the best in the UAE, in terms of technology, experienced personnel, and efficiency.
What is Bukhatir Investments Limited?
Bukhatir Investments Limited is one of the most successful conglomerates in the UAE, with interests in banking, construction, real estate, trading, information technology, cricket and now television.
