ESPN-Star, Prasar Bharati lock horns

ESPN-Star Sports on Friday threatened legal action against Prasar Bharati for not giving them India-Pakistan match highlights as per an 'MoU'.

Even as ESPN-Star Sports (ESS) on Friday threatened legal action against Prasar Bharati for not giving them India-Pakistan match highlights as per an 'MoU', the public broadcaster stuck to its guns and said there was "no question" of it bowing down.

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"My agreement with ESS is applicable only in case of either of us bagging four-year telecast rights. Presently, this is a temporary arrangement under an interim order and we are not obliged to provide them one-hour telecast rights," Prasar Bharati CEO KS Sarma said.

Sarma said the arrangement with ESS was not any particular series-specific.

Also, he questioned why ESS has not made a similar claim when Prasar Bhharati had bagged rights for 31 cricketing days last year, involving India's Test matches against Australia and South Africa as well as the one-day tie against Pakistan.

"Thus, there is no case at all for they getting any kind of highlights from us," he said.

ESS managing director RC Venkatesh earlier said that the sports broadcaster was "prepared to use all other avenues, including legal option", against Prasar Bharati if it did not provide one hour highlight package for every cricketing day as per an 'MoU'.

"We have an existing contract with Prasar Bharati, which clearly spells out that they have to provide us one-hour highlight package for every cricketing day, in case they get rights," he said.