Business | Technology
Cricket Radio goes on the web
Many people believe audio electronic media, or radio, is losing out to its more attractive rival - the television - in the race to dominate the world. Others think it's the internet - the mother of all media.
- By Saifur Rahman, Business Editor
- Published: 23:35 June 3, 2009
- Image Credit: Supplied picture
- Ajay Sethi (left), chairman of Channel 2 Group and board member of Fujairah Media, with Sunil Gavaskar, former Indian cricket captain, ahead of the launch of Cricket Radio. Cricket enthusiasts will be able to get live commentary through Cricket Radio on the CricInfo.com website from Saturday.
Dubai: Many people believe audio electronic media, or radio, is losing out to its more attractive rival - the television - in the race to dominate the world. Others think it's the internet - the mother of all media.
However, there's one man who thinks otherwise.
"It's radio and the internet - the future of media," says Ajay Sethi, a Dubai-based non-resident Indian entrepreneur and chairman of Channel 2 Group, who had taken a sudden interest in electronic media a few years ago after running successful businesses in the Gulf and East Africa.
He is launching Cricket Radio on Saturday - a "combo media" - channelling live cricket commentary through the internet, to coincide with Twenty20 World Cup in London.
This would be the first such venture in this part of the world.
The channel will allow the world's cricket fans to listen to live commentary through Cricinfo website (www.cricinfo.com) that offers ball-by-ball updates in written format, much to the dismay of impatient fans who are often betrayed by slow deliveries or weak bandwidths.
"Online radio is the future of media. If you could broadcast through the web, then you could reach hundreds of millions of listeners through your mobile phones as well," Sethi says.
"From Saturday onwards, you don't have to rely on the slow typing of the ball-by-ball updates and re-fresh or reload your site for updates. You will get live audio commentary through the net - the real thing. It is this experience that will drive the growth of this channel and media," he added.
Cricket, otherwise a sport, has recently become a big business proposition - an international money-spinner. The recent Indian Premier League (IPL) is a classic example of how India successfully mixed Bollywood glamour with its new-found capitalism might to popularise the game across the world. Apart from being a businessman, Sethi is also a flamboyant cricket fan himself. With cricket, he means business.
That's why, like everything else in life - this service also comes with "terms and conditions", and more importantly - with a small fee.
"We are starting with $1.99 (Dh7.30) per match. If I have the intended subscriber base, then we are looking at bringing it down to $0.99 (Dh3.63) per match," Sethi says.
He has invested $10 million (Dh36.7 million) in the project so far - including a half to secure ICC rights through Trans World International.
He hopes to rope in five million subscribers within a few months. This translates to nearly $10 million revenue per match - almost the same amount he's invested in the venture.
The channel is expected to grow fast across all continents. As it is broadcast through the web, the company won't have to spend extra on expansion, except for marketing expenses.
His office at Arbift Tower on the Dubai Creek remains without any buzz, despite the pre-launch preparations. This is because all production and marketing activities are being done in India and England through support service organisations.
"I basically, do the networking and the business plan from here. The key is to hold the broadcasting rights," he said. "Everything else is done in India."
Radio channels represent only three per cent of Dubai's Dh300 million advertising market, according to Sethi.
"It is one of the fastest growing media, expanding at 20 to 30 per cent annually to a Dh500 million market in the next few years," he said.
South Asian sport lovers represent a large target of this budget.
His company is tying up with India's Reliance Communications - a company owned by billionaire Anil Ambani - whose telecom arm could spread the radio to 75 million subscribers, wanting to listen to either live updates or commentary. "I am going to talk to Etisalat for a similar tie-up so that the regional subscribers could benefit from sporting events."
After the Twenty20, the next best thing for Cricket Radio will be the India-West Indies series. And Cricket Radio will become a 24-hour live audio channel for cricket-related information, news and entertainment.
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