TRACE Sports Scores Carriage in Israel

LONDON: TRACE Sports is making its debut in Israel, after having secured a carriage agreement with HOT.

TRACE Sports will be available to all HOT subscribers as part of their basic package at no additional cost. The channel will be localized with full Hebrew subtitles. It will feature items on local sports celebrities that will be produced and operated by Imagine Media Israel.

Ron Hermelin, the head of channels at HOT, said, "TRACE Sports expects to address a wide audience among sports fans who are interested in the private lives of the world’s biggest sports stars. HOT will continue to bring new and unique channels from around the world, providing the best experience to our viewers in a variety of areas."

Laurent Dumeau, the CEO of TRACE Sports, added, “After successful launches in Europe, Asia and Latin America, TRACE Sports continues its fast growing expansion in the Middle East. We are delighted to be expanding our footprint to Israel with a major deal with one of Israel’s major operators, HOT.”

Avi Bar, the CEO of Imagine Media, commented, “I’m proud to partner with the TRACE group in Israel. There is no doubt in my mind that the activity in Israel will be important and will constitute a strategic part of the brand positioning worldwide. I am sure that the collaboration between HOT, TRACE and Imagine Media group will create a relevant, diverse and popular channel for the Israeli sport fans.”

Dumeau continued, “To partner with Imagine Media is part of a natural evolution for TRACE Sports, as we partner with local agents; we will build an even stronger channel that resonates better with local audiences. This partnership has proven extremely successful and is something that we’ll be looking to replicate in the coming months.”