ESPN-Star Sports had digitally encrypted Star Sports in March last year when the channel was priced at Rs 3.30 per subscriber.

According to a spokesperson of the channel, restructuring of the fee is an annual revision.

However, according to cable operators the revision in the pricing of Star Sports reflects bullying tactic on the part of ESPN-Star Sports, which is managing and distributing both ESPN and Star Sports.

Operators feel the two channels can easily share important sporting events and charge operators for both channels. According to them, as the collection of subscription fee from the end-user is low such a decision will spell doom for smaller operators.

Some cable operators had dragged ESPN-Star Sports to the Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices Commission (MRTPC) for charging subscription fee for both ESPN and Star Sports despite common ownership andfocus.There was also partial boycott of ESPN by operators when the channel had raised the subscription fee the last two times.

The operators feel that in the absence of any other sports channel ESPN-Star Sports is having a field day.

The Prasar Bharti board has decided in-principle to launch an exclusive sports channel, minister of state for information and broadcasting Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said in the Lok Sabha on Thursday. He added that no specific time frame for its operationalisation can be given. It is believed that DD may launch the channel before the forthcoming Cricket World Cup to be held in England in May.