MUMBAI: MSM Discovery is targeting Rs 10 billion in FY’11, an almost 40 per cent jump over the year-ago period, as it adds Neo Cricket into its distribution muscle.

The rise in revenue will also be aided by stronger performance from some of the existing channels such as Sony Entertainment Television (Set) and Sab.

MSM Discovery, the joint venture distribution company between Multi Screen Media (formerly known as Set India) and Discovery, will push hard the distribution of Neo Cricket ahead of the India-Australia series.
 
“We are the only distribution company that has entertainment and sports channels in our bouquet. We should be getting the subscription revenues of what an entertainment bouquet and a sports network make. We are targeting a 40 per cent jump in our revenues this year,” says MSM Discovery president Rajesh Kaul, while declining to comment on how much this would amount to.

MSM Discovery has put Neo Cricket and Neo Sports on bouquet three and has priced it at Rs 65. The other channels in the pack include Sony Aath, Discovery Science and Discovery Turbo.

Has the exit of the Viacom18 channels (Colors, MTV, Vh1 and Nick) affected MSM Discovery? “We are still the biggest,” says Kaul. 
 
Neo has exclusive telecast rights for BCCI content, which will immediately include the India-Australia series followed by the New Zealand tour. “Neo has got a guarantee of 20 Test matches over three years that will not be simulcast on Doordarshan. That gives 100 days of cricket exclusive on Neo. We, in fact, will have 3-4 months of BCCI cricket, including ODIs and T20s, and almost 2 months of IPL,” says Kaul.

But isn’t a 40 per cent jump in revenues an ambitious target? “Not at all. We are the only distribution bouquet that has three out of the top 10 channels (Sony, Max, Sab) in the country. Along with the sports properties, this puts us in a formidable position,” says Kaul.