Neo Sports to launch OTT platform

Indian pay-television broadcaster Neo Sports is planning to launch a new over-the-top platform next year, according to the TelevisionPost.com website.

The platform is expected to launch in mid-2016 and operate under the Neo Sports brand name, but the broadcaster said that it is also open to aligning with another brand for the new platform.

Neo Sports added that the platform will be subscription-based and cater for ‘niche’ audiences.

The platform will offer sports in the premium lifestyle category, but content will differ to that broadcast on its other television channels. Featured content will include sports that have a significant following in India.

Mautik Tolia, executive vice-president of programming at Neo Sports, said: “What you will see on Neo Sports or Neo Prime is only the pick of those sports, whereas on the OTT platform you will have sport-specific channels which we will eventually build.

“With digital, we will be able to offer more content to our audiences which we were not able to do on TV. There is a huge opportunity.”

Neo Sports acquired rights for the 2015 and 2016 editions of the Fifa Club World Cup football competition earlier this month. The deal marked the broadcaster’s first venture into club football. Neo Sports acquired the rights for the tournament from the Dentsu agency.