1Sports
1Sports was an Indian sports television channel operated by Lex Sportel Vision that carried live international and regional sporting events before closing in November 2023.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
1Sports was an Indian sports television channel operated by Lex Sportel Vision Pvt. Ltd. It emerged from a dispute over the future of the DSport service, a sports channel launched by Discovery Communications in India in February 2017. Lex Sportel, whose owner Venkateish had acquired and supplied rights to a range of sporting events carried by DSport, challenged Discovery’s plan to rename the service Eurosport and end the existing arrangement. The Delhi High Court ultimately ruled in Discovery’s favour, leaving Lex Sportel to establish a separate outlet. Lex Sportel promoted the new service during the transition and launched 1Sports on 28 January 2020. The channel was positioned as a broad, rights-driven sports network rather than a single-sport specialist. Its schedule combined Indian and international competitions across cricket, football, golf, tennis, motorsport, professional wrestling and mixed martial arts. Reported football properties included the I-League, Coppa Italia, Coupe de France and UAE Pro League. Cricket coverage included the Afghanistan Premier League, Everest Premier League, Zambia T10 League, British Columbia T20 League and Asian Challenger Trophy. Other programming included golf tournaments such as The Open Championship, the Masters Tournament, the European Tour, LPGA events, the Ryder Cup and Indian Open competitions; tennis coverage of the Laver Cup; motorsport events including the Dakar Rally and Monster Jam; and combat-sports programming from Bellator and Cage Warriors. The channel’s business model depended principally on acquiring and packaging sports-media rights for distribution to Indian viewers. Lex Sportel was reported to have supplied more than 4,000 hours of live sports content annually across its portfolio. This gave 1Sports a wide programming mix, but also placed the channel in a competitive market dominated by larger Indian and international sports broadcasters. Its launch was closely tied to the corporate and legal separation from Discovery’s DSport operation rather than to the introduction of a wholly new sporting format. 1Sports ceased broadcasting on 21 November 2023. The closure ended the brand’s life as a linear sports television channel. Public reference material does not establish a continuing operating business, successor channel, current ownership arrangement beyond Lex Sportel Vision’s role, or a replacement service under the 1Sports name.
History
1Sports originated in the breakdown of the commercial relationship surrounding DSport, an Indian sports channel launched by Discovery Communications on 6 February 2017. Lex Sportel Vision, led by its owner Venkateish, had acquired rights to sporting events that were carried by DSport. Over time, the company became closely associated with the channel’s rights supply and programming proposition. In January 2020, Discovery sought to change the name of its sports service to Eurosport. Lex Sportel challenged the move, arguing that it had a relevant role in the uplinking and rights arrangement for the channel. The dispute reached the Delhi High Court. The court ruled for Discovery, allowing the company to proceed with control of the service. During the transition, Lex Sportel promoted a new channel and used on-screen messaging on DSport to assert that certain content belonged to its Hong Kong-based server. Discovery took control of the service earlier than the date initially scheduled in the transition arrangements, and the court dismissed the related challenge. Lex Sportel then established its own sports outlet. 1Sports launched on 28 January 2020, offering an alternative platform for the event rights and sports programming associated with Lex Sportel. The channel adopted a generalist sports profile. Its reported portfolio included cricket leagues in Afghanistan, Nepal, Zambia and British Columbia; football competitions in India, Italy, France and the United Arab Emirates; major golf tournaments; the Laver Cup in tennis; motorsport events; professional wrestling; and mixed martial arts. The programming strategy relied on assembling a large number of rights packages, with the company reported to provide more than 4,000 hours of live content each year. The channel’s scope made it a multi-sport broadcaster rather than a network focused only on cricket or football. Its schedule combined established international properties such as The Open, the Masters and the Ryder Cup with regional competitions such as the I-League and the Everest Premier League. It also carried specialist programming, including Lucha Underground, Ring of Honor, WOS Wrestling, WIN: Dangal Ke Soorma, Bellator and Cage Warriors. 1Sports ultimately ceased broadcasting on 21 November 2023. Available reference material does not document a later relaunch, a successor brand, a sale of the channel, or an ongoing digital operation under the same name. The brand is therefore treated as defunct, with its history primarily defined by the DSport separation, its rights-led programming model and its short period as an independent Indian sports television channel.
- 2023
Broadcasting ends
[1]1Sports ceased operations on 21 November 2023.
- 2020
Discovery seeks DSport rebranding
[1]Discovery applied to rename its sports channel Eurosport, prompting Lex Sportel to challenge the transition and assert interests connected with the service’s uplinking and content arrangements.
- 2020
1Sports launches
[1]Lex Sportel launched the independent 1Sports channel on 28 January after losing the dispute over Discovery’s control of the DSport service.
- 2017
DSport launches in India
[1]Discovery Communications launched DSport on 6 February 2017 as a sports television service for India and the wider Indian subcontinent.
Products and positioning
A broad Indian sports television service built around acquired live-event rights across cricket, football, golf, tennis, motorsport, wrestling and mixed martial arts.
Sports television broadcasting · 2020
1Sports television channel
The core 1Sports product was a linear sports television channel serving Indian audiences. It aggregated live and recorded programming from multiple rights holders and sports categories, including cricket, football, golf, tennis, motorsport, wrestling and mixed martial arts. The channel was designed as a broad sports destination, with its identity based on the breadth of its event catalogue rather than on one flagship league. It stopped broadcasting in November 2023.
Brand decisions
2020
Challenge to Discovery’s DSport rebranding and controlOtherBackground
Discovery planned to rename its DSport sports service Eurosport. Lex Sportel challenged the move, citing its role in the channel’s uplinking and sports-content arrangements.
Action taken
The dispute was taken to the Delhi High Court. The court ruled in Discovery’s favour, after which Lex Sportel proceeded with a separate sports channel.
Aftermath
Discovery retained control of the original service, while Lex Sportel launched 1Sports on 28 January 2020.
Recent events
- 2023
1Sports ceases broadcasting[1]
Other
1Sports ended its television operations on 21 November 2023.
- 2020
Lex Sportel launches 1Sports after DSport dispute[1]
Product launch · Lawsuit
Lex Sportel launched 1Sports on 28 January 2020 after a legal and commercial dispute concerning Discovery’s planned transition of DSport to Eurosport.
- 2020
Delhi High Court rules in Discovery’s favour in channel-transition dispute[1]
Lawsuit · Other
A Delhi High Court decision supported Discovery’s position in the dispute over the proposed renaming and control of the DSport service, contributing to Lex Sportel’s decision to operate a separate channel.
Sources2 sources
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