Gazprom Media chief executive Dmitry Chernyshenko has said the division of state-owned energy company Gazprom intends to streamline operations of the new Sport 360 project following the deal struck with state-owned broadcaster VGTRK last month.
VGTRK was instructed by President Vladimir Putin to hand over the frequency utilised by its Russia 2 channel to Gazprom Media by August 1, ahead of the planned launch of a new state-backed sports broadcaster one month later.
The deal transferring the Russia 2 frequency to Gazprom Media is understood to be worth R9.3bn (€150m/$168m). It will include infrastructure that VGTRK utilises to broadcast sporting events.
The Sport 360 platform intends to include a television channel, which will commence both as an analogue service and the country’s first DTT multiplex. Chernyshenko said the sports channels of Gazprom Media, as well as other sports platforms, will be included in a sub-holding of VGTRK, which has been entitled Sport 360.
“After the deal with VGTRK we will have 20 sports channels, probably, as we do not need (this number), the amount will be optimised,” Chernyshenko said, according to Russian news agency Tass.
He added: “We have to reorganise the holding, which we hope to finish by the end of the year.”