NEW DELHI: In the face of the acquisition of Ten Sports by Zee Telefilms, rival ESPN Star Sports has presented an unruffled visage, though the scene could be different in the boardroom.

Star officials avoided commenting during the day, but in the evening, ESPN India head RC Venkateish said: "It changes nothing in the landscape."

The deal between Zee Tele and Ten Sports will give Zee for the first time access to high-viewership international programmes, especially cricket, and also a foothold in the West Asian markets. Would this not give ESPN-Star some competition in India? "I don't think so," Venktateish told indiantelevision.com.

"ESPN is the world sports TV leader. Zee Sports was there already and so was Ten Sports, and they were already having many sports properties. What has happened is a change in the pattern of ownership. Why should it make a difference to us?" Venkateish pointed out.

"We are focussing on what we have already," he added.