Doordarshan's Revenue Sharing: A New Dawn for Indian Sports

Doordarshan is set to share revenue from the telecast of sports events with federations after production costs. This initiative could support lesser-known sports like handball in gaining popularity across India. Agreements with sports bodies such as Hockey India and Badminton are underway to extend this coverage.

In a bid to bolster lesser-known sports across India, national broadcaster Doordarshan announced plans to share the revenue from telecasting events with respective sports federations, post production cost deductions. This initiative was revealed by Prasar Bharati chairman Navneet Kumar Sehgal on Friday, aiming to foster self-sufficiency among sports federations.

Doordarshan has solidified its commitment through a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Handball Association of India. The strategic move targets increasing the visibility and support for sports like handball, which, despite international participation, lack mass popularity in India.

With talks underway with other federations like the Badminton Association of India and the Professional Golf Tour of India, the broadcaster hopes to extend its reach. Prasar Bharati is working on digital rights issues to bring cricket content to broader audiences, marking a significant step in sports content accessibility.

(With inputs from agencies.)