DD Sports is a state owned TV channel telecasting from Central Production Centre Delhi. DD Sports was launched on 18 March 1998. In the beginning, it broadcast sports programmes for six hours a day, which was increased to 12 hours in 1999. From 1 June 2000, DD Sports became a 'round-the-clock' satellite channel. It was an encrypted pay channel for a while (between 2000 and 2003) and on 15 July 2003 it became free, to become the only free-to-air sports channel in the country.