Doordarshan to telecast Vishy Anand-Magnus Carlsen World Championship duel

Doordarshan, India’s Largest Television Network, has signed an agreement with All India Chess Federation for the Complete Global Television Rights of the Forthcoming FIDE World Championship Match 2013 to be played in Chennai, between reigning World Chess Champion GM Viswanathan Anand and Challenger GM Magnus Carlsen of Norway.

Doordarshan is the Government-run Indian public service broadcaster, a division of Prasar Bharati. It is one of the largest broadcasting organisations in India in terms of the studio and transmitter infrastructure. Recently, it has also started broadcasting on Digital Terrestrial Transmitters. On September 15, 2009, Doordarshan celebrated its 50th anniversary. The DD provides television, radio, online and mobile services throughout metropolitan and regional India, as well as overseas through the Indian Network and Radio India.

The agreement was signed by (left) Ranjan Thakur, Addl DG Doordarshan on behalf of Prasar Bharati and Bharat Singh Chauhan, CEO All India Chess Federation. Under this Agreement Doordarshan will telecast the 12 games Championship live and exclusive on its DD Sports Channel. Television networks interested in obtaining TV Broadcast and Live Video Streaming rights would have to contact Avinash Acharya Asst Director DD Sports (email: avinash_acharya@yahoo.co.in).

Anand – Carlsen 2013 FWCM is set to take place 7th to 28th of November. It is the most important individual chess event of the year and starts just a week after the most prestigious club event – the European Club Cup 2013, with 300+ titled players and 100+ GMs.

DD Sports was launched on March 8, 1999. In the beginning, it broadcast sports programmes for six hours a day, which was increased to 12 hours in 1999. From 1st June, 2000, DD Sports became a ‘round-the-clock’ satellite channel. It was an encrypted pay channel for a while, (between 2000 and 2003) and on 15th July, 2003 it turned free, to become the only ‘Free-To- Air’ Sports Channel in India.

So, you will be able to watch live World Chess Championship 2013 between Viswanathan Anand and Magnus Carlsen both on the official website and the DD Sports broadcast. The DD Sports broadcast is also available on free via several websites.