Digitaltveurope.com

Russian service provider Rostelecom has launched new sports channel Eurosport Gold as part of its programming line-up.

The channel is the result of a collaboration between Rostelecom and Media Alliance, which distributes the Discovery and Eurosport channel portfolio in Russia.

The channel’s content is based on that of Eurosport 2. Eurosport Gold will be the only channel in Russia that airs all the matches of the US and Canada’s National Hockey League (NHL), according to Rostelelecom. It will also air Italian football, Australian Open and Wimbledon tennis and other sports including figure skating and snooker.

The channel will be available as part of the service provider’s Optimum, Advanced and Maximum packages, with an HD version aired in the Ideal HD pack.

Media Alliance CEO Grigory Lavrov said that the launch of the channel was “an important step in strengthening our fruitful and long-term cooperation with Rostelecom”.

Rostelecom content director Andrei Golovanov said that it was of symbolic note that the launch of Eurosport Gold coincided with the 35^th anniversary of the ‘super series’ hockey matches between the USSR and Canada than introduced Russian audiences to top NHL players for the first time. A number of top Russian players now play in the NHL.