MUMBAI: Digitisation is attracting foreign niche channels to launch in India. Trace Sports, the High Definition lifestyle channel dedicated to sports celebrities, has entered the Indian market.

Trace Sports has assigned NDTV to distribute the channel in India. The channel has signed a carriage deal with direct-to-home (DTH) operator Airtel digital TV, which has a subscriber base of 7.45 million.

"We have a multi-year distribution deal with Trace Sports. We have launched the channel on Airtel digital TV and on cable networks like Hathway, Digicable and ICC Network in Pune," NDTV head of affiliate sales and network distribution Rahul Sood told Indiantelevision.com.

Airtel digital TV offers the channel as part of its South Value Sports Pack in South India and in the rest of the country through the Economy Sports Pack.

The channel is currently available on free view basis and the subscription fee will be decided shortly, Sood added.]

Trace Sports is targeted at sports fans with a skew towards males in the 25-39 age group. The programming strategy of the channel is to provide in-depth understanding of sports icons through features and real stories.

Some of the programmes on the channel include Up Close With, In the name of Good, Untold Stories, and Sporty News.

Trace Sports CEO Laurent Dumeau said, "Trace Sports? launch on Airtel, one of India?s leading satellite operators, is another significant step in the channel?s global expansion. Thanks to our partners NDTV, we expect to announce several new launches in the coming months in India. Trace Sports? unique concept, merging entertainment and sports, is now a truly global success. In less than 18 months the channel has become available to 35 million subscribers in over 80 countries."

NDTV also has a deal with UK?s leading commercial broadcaster ITV to distribute its general entertainment channel ITV Granada in India.