as

Zee set to launch sports channel despite setback

The setback on the ICC cricket rights front notwithstanding, Zee Sports is determined to go on air on October 1, according to Zee Sports deputy CEO Satish Menon. To strengthen its foothold on the sporting arena, Subhash Chandra-promoted Zee is out to take a stake in different sporting organisations including tennis and athletics.

The company has recently taken around a 60 per cent stake in Goa-based soccer club Churchill Brothers. Menon said even with or without the ICC cricket rights, the channel has enough software to go on air from October this year. "We will have cricket, soccer, tennis, athletics and other sports", Menon said.

Menon confirmed that Zee has taken a stake in the football club. He said Zee is open to picking up a similar stake in other sporting organisations. The company has bagged the rights to telecast the Goan football league.

Giving a new twist to the issue of award of ICC cricket rights to Rupert Murdoch-backed World Sports Group, Zee issued a statement dubbing it as ‘the second innings of apartheid’.
According to Menon, the biggest loss in the whole drama was to the development and spread of cricket across the world. "The associate members who could have earned millions have lost a lot of money in the process," he added.

The Zee group will not take this discrimination lying down, claimed Menon and added that the group was in consultation with legal experts to take appropriate action against the ICC. "They should have at least asked WSG to match our bid of $666 million," he said.

SD