You're reading it here first.
The new premium sports channel that will be added to On Digital Media's (ODM) TopTV from the end of February 2011 will most likely be its own self-compiled Top Sport channel on TopTV channel 200.
Although TopTV isn't talking, insider sources confirmed to me that TopTV has now started working on a Top Sport channel logo, indicating a possible imminent launch for this as-yet dormant channel.
Top Sport has been envisioned as TopTV's premium in-house sports channel that was to be part of the channel roll-out in May of this year, but TopTV struggled to tie down the rights to quality sport broadcasts, most of which have already been taken, in time. ODM decided to rather hold off on the start of Top Sport during the pay operator's launch but I've been told have been aggressively been pursuing sport options - a big driver of pay TV uptake - for 2011.
Also, unrelated, but I'm told a major TopTV surprise is coming within days, according to sources. I'm knowledgeable about what this surprise pertains to, but since all my competition is on holiday (I'm not) I'm going to keep the suspense.
