MUMBAI: The performance of the Indian cricket team may have been typical ---below par ---during the tri series in Sri Lanka, but for Ten Sports the event has proven to be a windfall.

Tam data for 24-30 July 2005 C&S 4+ shows that the channel has managed to coerce its way into the Top 20 list at No. 11 with Star Plus occupying the top ten spots.

The India versus Sri Lanka match on 30 July managed a TVR of 6.6. It helped the (FULL NAME PLS.) Bukhatir-owned broadcaster's cause that Doodarshan did not get the feed. Experst chatting during the drinks break managed to get TVRs in the region of 4.

On the distribution front, while not giving out any specific numbers, One Alliance president Anuj Gandhi claimed that Ten managed to increase reach by "200 per cent."

"In the past month, the tri-series has helped Ten Sports penetrate the South in a big way.

Traditionally, Ten Sports has been strong in the North. The tri-series has also helped push the other channels in the second bouquet like MTV and Discovery Travel and Living, " Gandhi asserted.

Ten Sports is distributed as part of the second bouquet of Sony-Disocvery joint venture One Alliance.

"Previously Ten was floundering. However, its reach now matches that of Sony, Max, Discovery and AXN. I think that with time Ten Sports will enable the reach of the second bouquet to outpace the first one," Gandhi optimistically said.