MUMBAI: Longtime sports broadcast executive and managing director ESPN Star Sports Peter Hutton has put in his papers. He has been appointed COO of the MP & Silva Group and he is slated to join its London office in July. The company specialises in distributing television rights for sports federations, leagues and clubs globally.

Hutton had joined ESPN Star Sports in 2012. Prior to this, he was senior VP sports for Fox International Channels. He then relocated to Asia last year to head Star?s sports business in the region after Disney and News Corp called off their JV.

Prior to that in 2002 Hutton helped shake up the Indian sports broadcasting business by helping start Taj Television which ran Ten Sports. He became COO before helping to finalise the sale of Taj Television to Zee.
 
MP & Silva Group CEO Andrea Radrizzani said, "We are very glad to welcome Peter to work with us at MP & Silva. Peter has over 30 years of sports broadcasting experience and he is the perfect person to join MP & Silva?s leadership team to help the group into our next phase of commercial expansion."

MUMBAI: Taj Television-owned Ten Sports has secured the broadcast rights to televise WTA Premier tournaments for India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka from 2013 to 2016.

In addition to the television rights, Ten Sports has also acquired the rights to distribute the matches on mobile and internet technology.

As part of the deal Ten Sports will be telecasting 110 matches every year including Semi Final and Final from each of the WTA?s 22 Premier tournaments, including the year-end WTA Championships.

Ten Sports CEO Atul Pande said, "As we continue to expand our content for viewers in South Asia, we?re delighted to add outstanding WTA women?s tennis tournaments from around the world." Women?s tennis is one of the fastest growing sports in India and we are privileged to be a part of its success.

The WTA acquisition add to the existing strong line-up of tennis programming on TEN Sports , which includes US Open, Aircel Chennai Open, ATP 1000 and 500 Tournaments.

The 2013 WTA competitive season starts with the Brisbane International from 3-6 January and concludes with the TEB BNP Paribas WTA Championships in Istanbul, Turkey, 22-27 October, and the Tournament of Champions in Sofia, Bulgaria, 29 October - 3 November.

MUMBAI: Taj Television has announced that Ten Cricket, Ten Sports and Ten HD will do a live telecast of one of the Twenty20 matches between South Africa and India to be played on 30 March in Johannesburg.

The two matches, an annual affair, is being played to mark the 150 years of collaboration between the two countries and the cup has been named as ?The Friendship Cup?.

In the year 2011, South Africa played a Twenty20 against India at Moses Mabhida stadium in Durban as a farewell for Makhaya Ntini. This year South African all rounder Jacques Kallis will be honoured during this match.

Ten Sports CEO Atul Pande said, ? With Friendship Cup becoming an annual affair this encounter will be a high octane match with both team vying for this edition of Friendship Cup. TEN Channels will be bringing all the action Live and exclusive for viewers in India.?