Sahara One’s new marketing strategy: Cricket

In an effort to bolster its presence in the competitive UK Asian TV market, Sahara One has teamed up with ARY Digital by announcing the acquisition of Indian cricket.

Hot on the heels of India’s triumph win over Pakistan in this week’s ICC Twenty20 series, channels are now preparing to market their forthcoming cricketing properties in a big way.

ARY Digital currently holds the UK and Europe cricket rights for India matches until 2010. The upcoming India tour of Australia will see the UK telecast being shared between Sahara One and ARY Digital. A spokesman from ARY Digital confirmed that the cricket was “a one-off” on Sahara One as a marketing strategy to steer viewers to its sister channel.

ARY Digital and Sahara One are being sold as part of the MAX Mix package (by Sony Entertainment Television Asia) in the UK. Even though Sahara One boasts of good soaps and film titles, the channel has been seeking an extra push, which this cricket programming may just provide.