Dubai: Dubai Media Incorporated (DMI) has announced the launch of six free-to-air sports channels to cover the London 2012 Summer Olympics, which will take place from July 27 to August 12.

The 24-hour channels will begin transmission a week before the Games start. The move is in line with the directives of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and Shaikh Maktoum Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Chairman of DMI.

The new sports channel portfolio on AsiaSat 5, which covers two thirds of the world’s population, will enable DMI to reach approximately 800 million viewers.

The step comes in line with the keenness of DMI and its sports channels to establish a strong presence through its coverage of the Olympics. It will deploy an army of journalists in the British capital to provide full coverage of the world’s major sporting event.

The service will feature live transmissions of local and international sporting events.