Nimbus plans to launch cricket web portal

NEW DELHI: In a bid to capitalise on its portfolio of cricket internet rights, Nimbus Communication is planning to launch a cricket web portal that will offer streaming of live matches with claims to match the TV experience on the Net. The company claims this would be the first attempt in India to offer live streaming of cricket matches on the internet.

Nimbus Communications��� new media business head Sumit Luthra said, ���We are trying to monetise Neo and Nimbus rights for cricket properties on the internet. This is the first time that a cricket rights holder would converge broadband and TV to offer a web portal that has live video streaming of matches and video-on-demand, among other features.

���The portal would focus on Indian domestic and international cricket. Nimbus Communications is not the first broadcaster to get aggressive in the internet space. ESPN-Star Sports��� parent company ESPN International had last year bought cricket website cricinfo for an undisclosed amount. Sports broadcasters have been investing huge amounts to grab cricket rights. Industry players believe that internet could become lucrative revenue stream.

The company expects to clock a turnover of Rs 50 crore in the next two to three years of operation through the portal. ���We would follow a subscription model under which some content would be offered for free. On the other hand, we will mark some content as premium and charge a subscription fee for access. However, the subscription could be as low as Rs 25,��� he said. The company has tied up with content distributor Akamai for the portal.