India’s state-owned broadcaster Prasar Bharati plans to launch its own OTT platform, which has private broadcasters concerned about its potential impact on their businesses.
Prasar Bharati hasn’t confirmed if sports will be part of its new platform. Private broadcasters fear that if Prasar Bharati streams sports events for free, it could hurt their ability to make money from broadcasting sports.
A spokesperson suggested that if private broadcasters are required to share live sports feeds with Prasar Bharati, it could severely impact sports broadcasting. Sports rights are valuable because they attract large audiences and generate high advertising revenue.
Prasar Bharati aims to offer a wide range of content on its platform, including news, entertainment, and possibly sports. The broadcaster hasn’t officially commented on these plans yet.
Currently, Disney Star and Viacom18 hold the rights to stream major cricket tournaments in India until 2027 and 2028, respectively.
Prasar Bharati may offer free subscriptions initially to attract more viewers. For events like the Olympics and Asian Games, broadcasters must share broadcast signals with Prasar Bharati to ensure wider accessibility.
In cricket, this includes test matches, one-day matches, twenty-20 games, women’s cricket, and ICC matches involving India.
