MUMBAI: Riding high on the ICC cricket World Cup wave, SET Discovery expects to garner a revenue of Rs 4.5 billion in 2006-07. This would mean a growth of 40 per cent in a tight subscription market with cable operators resisting any big increase in payouts to broadcasters.

"SET Discovery is targeting a total income of Rs 4.5 billion in 2006-07. This will include for the first time income from direct-to-home (DTH) which should be contributing eight per cent of the overall kitty," says a source in the industry who is close to the company.

SET Discovery signed a contract with DTH service provider Dish TV in June 2006 and subsequently with Tata Sky.
When contacted, SET Discovery president Anuj Gandhi declined to talk on the financials of the company. "We had set an aggressive target this year and we are going to hit it," he said.

Despite a slide in Sony TV's ratings, analysts say SET Discovery's growth in the fiscal would be greatly helped by a rich lineup of cricketing properties that include ICC Champions Trophy and the ICC World Cup.

SET Discovery's revenue stayed flat in 2004-05 but rose 15 per cent to Rs 3.2 billion last fiscal as it added Ten Sports in its distribution bouquet. Sony signed a distribution deal with the sports channel which has key cricket properties that include the Pakistan, Sri Lanka and West Indies boards.