The launch of Neo Sports Plus was followed after the launch of the Neo Sports channel. Shooter Anjali Bhagwat, billiards player Michael Ferreira, badminton champ Pulela Gopichand, table tennis player Kamlesh Mehta and ace tennis player Sania Mirza were all present at the launch. This is a sports entertainment channel. STAR India had exclusive distribution rights for this channel till 2010 and would also distribute any future sports channels from the Neo Sports stable. The channel ideology of sports entertainment means that the channel focuses on concepts like reality shows, sports serials, news, game shows, and quizzes and so on. Statistics and television viewing trends show that sports entertainment has enormous potential.
Close on the heels of Neo Sports came Neo Sports Plus for sports beyond cricket, it was termed as the non-cricket channel. The channel brings to life, action from sport disciplines from all over the world. This channel started a new genre of programming; a combination of entertainment and sports as well as some cricket action. The channel focuses on sports entertainment by conceptualizing and featuring shows in the arena of reality shows, sport game shows, sports news, quizzes and in-depth analyses. On the soccer front, Neo Sports Plus acquired properties linked to India`s favourite footballing nations. It has already acquired properties linked to Indians favourite footballing nations. The channel has access to premier leagues such as Bundesliga, SerieA, Copa Sudamericana and Copa Libertadores. Besides, the channel would also broadcast motor sports action in the form of V8 Supercars and Superbike world championships. There would be renewed focus on badminton through properties such as the Sudirman cup, the Thomas Cup, the Uber Cup and the World Badminton Championship. Additionally Neo Sports Plus brings about a renewed focus to Badminton through properties like Sudirman Cup, The Thomas Cup, and The Uber Cup & the World Badminton Championship.
The channel is using PAS 10 satellite and is currently available in India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Middle East, Hong Kong and New Zealand.
The channel has been giving domestic cricket a 13-camera coverage that`s not been seen before, and expects its better packaging to help popularize domestic cricket. The channel also plans to telecast all domestic and international cricket matches played in India in regional languages.
Neo Sports Plus is a channel especially for viewers who are passionate about different sports and a 24-hour channel which show all sports from all corners of the world.
This channel has announced a contract with PGA Tour for broadcasting the US leg of the PGA Tour in the Indian Sub-continent for 2008 and 2009. The live telecast of the PGA Tour on Neo Sports Plus commenced on January 24, 2008 with the Buick Invitational.
The channel also acquired the exclusive rights for all tier one and tier two events of the 2008 Sony Ericsson WTA Tour in a deal brokered by sports rights agency IM
The sports programming on Neo Sports Plus, has been acquired basis a deep understanding of the Indian audiences. The programming line up has an eclectic mix of sports and sporting nations followed by Indians and those, which involve superlative Indian performances in the international and domestic scene. The executive vice president of this channel is Prasana Krishnan.
