Mumbai: Viacom18 on Friday announced the launch of Sports18, the network’s dedicated sports broadcasting channel. The pay-TV channel, available in SD and HD, will offer fans the 'best-in-class' sports content in India, the network said.

"Sports18 will be the new home to the world’s most premium sports properties, including the Fifa World Cup Qatar 2022, NBA, LaLiga, Ligue 1, Serie A, Abu Dhabi T10, and top ATP & BWF events. Apart from premier picks from the world of football, basketball, tennis, cricket and badminton, the channel will provide fans access to top programming covering international sports news, magazine and highlights shows," said the media company in a statement.

“We are pleased to launch a dedicated sports channel for an audience across demographics and geographies,” stated Viacom18 Sports CEO Anil Jayaraj. “Sports18 will strive to be India’s most-coveted broadcast network by providing fans easy access to a comprehensive bouquet of international and premier sports content.”

As the LaLiga, Ligue1, Serie A, and the NBA come to the business end of their seasons, fans will be able to experience all the events on Sports18. "Viewers can continue to watch their preferred sports by downloading Viacom18’s premium video-on-demand platform Voot (iOS & Android) and JioTV (iOS & Android)," the statement added.

Effective 6 p.m on 15 April, the channel will be available on leading DTH service providers across the country.