Pan-Asian sports broadcaster ESPN Star Sports has signed a multi-year agreement with the direct-to-home arm of telecommunications company Bharti Airtel, Airtel Digital TV, to enable distribution of its six primary channels in India.
The agreement means the Star Cricket, Star Sports, Star Sports 2, ESPN, Star Cricket HD and ESPN HD channels will return to Airtel Digital TV. The deal was signed between Airtel and ESPN Software India, the distributor of ESS in India.
The IndianTelevision.com website reports Airtel removed the ESPN and Star Cricket HD channels from its platform in late 2012 citing prohibitive pricing of the two channels.
In March, the remainder of the ESS channels were deactivated due to Bharti Telemedia and Bharti Airtel's “non-signing of agreements and breach of statutory obligations.”