The leading Russian DTH platform Tricolor TV expects up to 4.5 million of its viewers will tune in to watch Russian Premier League football matches in the 2011/12 season.
The matches will be carried on the NTV Plus Nash Futbol channel, which has the exclusive rights to the Russian Premier League.
As Tricolor TV estimates its viewership to be around 20 million, some 23% of the total are likely to watch NTV Plus Nash Futbol.
Tricolor TV, which like NTV-Plus is backed by Gazprom Media, is one of at least 7/8 DTH platforms currently serving the Russian market.