Doordarshan over Sony — Why Indian sports fans are now rooting for the former?

The five-year-long wait for the Tokyo Olympics finally concluded on Friday, as the opening ceremony was held in the Olympic Stadium, Tokyo. All eyes were on the Indian athletes when 20 odd players graced the stadiums with their presence.

London Olympics bronze medalist boxer Mary Kom and Indian men’s hockey captain Manpreet Singh were designated as the flag-bearers for the Opening Ceremony. An unexpected event took place during India’s walk into the Olympics, which has angered several fans. As the country walked out in the Parade, India’s sports minister Anurag Thakur was displayed on the screen, splitting into two halves.

We had the Indian athletes walking out on one side, whereas the other half showed Thakur cheering the nation on. However, this has caused a huge uproar among the viewers, given that the Sports Minister took the spotlight away from the deserving athletes who worked so hard to qualify for the Games.

The official broadcaster of the Olympic Games in India is the Sony Network, as the opening ceremony was shown across different Sony channels. Following the latest incident involving Anurag Thakur, Indian sports fans are now rooting for one of Doordarshan’s oldest broadcasters.

Sports fans angered with Sony’s latest antics involving Anurag Thakur
Even though Sony showed Thakur during India’s march to the Olympics, Doordarshan managed to show the country’s entire introduction to the Games, without diverting any kind of attention.

Doordarshan was established way back in 1959 and has been the country’s go-to channel regarding the premier sporting events over the past six decades. The channel has broadcasted several Olympic Games, Commonwealth and Asian Games in its 62-year history, among other sporting events.

Doordarshan’s legacy and class were evident because they managed to show a clear video of the Indian contingent’s introduction at the Games, which is the moment every athlete wants to savour. In the modern-day and age, due to the growing technology, Doordarshan has often found itself lagging behind the likes of Sony Network and Star Network, who have taken the majority of the viewership in the past few years.

The recent opening ceremony has reinforced the sports fans’ perception of Doordarshan, and they have started criticizing Sony. Doordarshan cannot broadcast the Olympic Games on cable/DTH due to a Supreme Court order.

Viewers believe that Sony Networks has acted as a PR to Anurag Thakur by showcasing him on the screen. On the other hand, a few Indians have also slammed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to witness the Opening Ceremony on the Sony Network instead of the government-backed Doordarshan.

Doordarshan, as a broadcaster, has always held its integrity and showed Indian sport in true essence. Hence, fans are now rooting for the vintage broadcaster instead of Sony LIV, which snatched the spotlight away from the athletes. The Bridge