Neo Sports spends $4 million for ForeTV

Mumbai "� September 7, 2007: Neo Sports, India's first cricket only television channel, is set to go live with pioneering broadcast management system, ForeTV from MSA Focus following the solution's recent implementation at the broadcaster's Mumbai headquarters. The deal, believed to be the first for ForeTV on the Indian Subcontinent, was signed following a competitive pitch process.

The Fore TV Broadcast management system allows Neo Sports the ability to efficiently manage the proliferation of new revenue streams. Unlike traditional systems which treat each stream separately, ForeTV offers a consolidated solution for total revenue management, allowing convergence across traditional advertising, sponsorship and also encompassing income from Internet Protocol Television (IPTV), pay-per-view (PPV), interactive (iTV) and video on demand (VOD).

As part of the core system, MSA Focus is developing a new live events scheduling module for Neo Sports and is also developing a further module to enable Neo Sports to carry out secondary events selling and capitalize on advertising opportunities in the region.

This System will be fully integrated into workflow of the channel, automation, editing and financial software allowing seamless process from acquisition, production and postproduction, transmission and billing at the end of the process. This system is new to India and Neo is its first installation.

On the production front, Neo has installed Vizrt Virtual studio, a virtual studio for sport production, again one of the first installations in India. This allows Neo to create a number of different sets for each sport and change it at flick of a button. There is no need for storing and changing physical sets.

The advantages of using Vizrt virtual studio are; flexibility in different backdrops, virtual monitors in the set and incorporation of sport results directly to the set. Vizrt Graphics are template based, allowing for rapid changes especially suited for ever changing sport environment.

It also allows for flexibility of total integration of Graphics to an Aveco automation system allowing running the graphics and tickers straight from the schedules produced by Fore TV. Aveco uses QNX platform and is the most stable automated playout system available in the market today.

The compression system installed, Harmonics MV100 is extremely high tech, offering great redundancy and very high picture quality needed for fast moving sporting events like cricket or football. This is also one of the first installations in India.

For fast editing facilities Neo is using Avid system, which is very well known and established in the Indian market, but the system that has been included is one of the first installations interplay in the world that allows easy and quick access to clips required for live sport production. This offers end to end solutions for the channel. All this makes presentation sleeker, more creative and professionally executed.

Most of the systems installed by Neo Sports Broadcast are a first for any media & entertainment company.

Neo Sports is India's 1st - cricket Only TV channel, dedicated to telecast matches, live and played under the aegis of BCCI. The channel has exclusive rights to broadcast all the cricket matches played by India till 2010.

About Neo Sports Broadcast Pvt. Ltd: Neo Sports & Neo Sports Plus are owned by Neo Sports Broadcast Pvt. Ltd.

Neo Sports is India's 1st Cricket "� Only TV channel and will telecast matches being played under the aegis of BCCI live. This will also include domestic cricket. The channel will also showcase various cricket related programming, interviews with top cricketers, analysis and other shows around cricket.

Neo Sports Plus is a 24-hour sports entertainment television channel launched by Neo Sports Broadcast Pvt Ltd. The channel will bring to life, action from sporting disciplines from all over the world.

On the soccer front, Neo Sports Plus has acquired properties linked to India's favourite footballing nations via premier leagues like Bundesliga & Serie A. It also has one of the best motor sports action in the form of V8 Supercars. Additionally Neo Sports Plus brings about a renewed focus to Badminton through properties like Sudirman Cup, The Thomas Cup, The Uber Cup & The World Badminton Championship.

The channel broadcasts on PAS 10 satellite. Neo Sports Broadcast is a broadcasting & media company promoted by Nimbus Communications Limited.