Category: Sports

Mumbai: The biggest festival of cricket and entertainment has arrived. From 31 March to 28 May, the excitement and buzz around IPL 2023 are palpable as cricket fans worldwide gear up for the biggest cricketing festival. The Indian Premier League, a colossal sporting extravaganza, commands the attention of millions both in India and around the world, spanning an impressive three-month duration. Its immense popularity and longevity present a remarkable opportunity to captivate the audience.

Amidst the unprecedented frenzy surrounding the IPL, Money9, India’s only digital platform for personal finance, has astutely recognised the potential of this unparalleled platform to make an indelible impression. This is not merely a chance for the ardent followers of the sport to revel in its excitement, but also an opportunity to enrich their knowledge on how to better their personal finances.

TV9 Network’s association with IPL teams is well established, and this marks the fourth consecutive season of their sponsorship with KKR. The country’s largest hindi channel, TV9 Bharatvarsh, was KKR’s sponsor for the last three seasons, and this year, Money9 will proudly grace the KKR jersey.

Money9 is India’s first multi-lingual OTT news and service platform with a focus on personal finance. We cater to a diverse audience and aim to strengthen the efforts of financial inclusion and wealth creation across India, with comprehensive coverage, insightful analysis, and user-friendly tools, it is an endeavour to empower our users to make informed decisions about their money.

Speaking about the partnership, TV9 Network chief growth officer Raktim Das said, “Cricket is like religion in India. The rise of IPL is another proof of the game’s popularity. TV9 network somewhat mirrors the IPL success in the news television genre given that it has disrupted the industry to emerge as the largest television news network in the country.”

“Bolstering further our relationship with KKR, we feature this IPL edition Money9, India’s first and only multimedia multilingual personal finance platform. This disruptive innovation needs a big platform to be seen by millions of Indians, and what could be bigger than a partnership with Kolkata Knight Riders, to educate all about Money9’s vision on financial freedom for 1.4 billion people of this country,” Das added.

Commenting on the association, KKR chief marketing officer Binda Dey said, “Our association with TV9 Network has grown from strength to strength over the last four years. This year, as we aim to look forward to a great season of cricket, we are delighted to have Money9 onboard as our leading arm sponsor. Money9 fulfills a very important gap as it serves to enable financial security of all Indians. We are glad to make our fans aware of the importance of financial planning and wellbeing through our relationship with Money9.”

TV9 Network’s latest move is a testament to their unwavering commitment to the IPL and their continued association with KKR. With Money9 as the arm sponsor of KKR, the network has once again demonstrated its leadership in the industry, setting the standard for others to follow.

Mumbai: Planetcast Media Services, a leading broadcast technology and media services provider in India and Southeast Asia, has been selected as the media services partner by Indian Premier League (IPL) rights winners Star Sports (domestic TV broadcast), Viacom18 (domestic OTT on JioCinema), and Times Internet (international via Cricbuzz). Planetcast brings deep cricket video experience to its work with Star Sports, Viacom18 and Times Internet, having provided the media distribution backbone for most of the IPL’s 16-year history.

To help rightsholders meet new IPL audience demands, Planetcast has pioneered a host of innovations to enhance viewer experience and monetisation, from near-real-time ad insertion to AI-based instant highlight creation to supporting the first 4K production since its launch by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The league’s matchday coverage is among the world’s most complex live sports video challenges, with simultaneous matches broadcast and streamed over numerous channels and OTT services in multiple languages.

“It is hugely gratifying that IPL rightsholders have once again put their trust in Planetcast to ensure their coverage is breaking new ground while being delivered seamlessly around the world,” says Planetcast Media Services CEO Sanjay Duda. “The work we’ve done at IPL matches almost every season since the first in 2008 has enabled Planetcast to build a reputation for handling incredibly complex and valuable live events. With the IPL now the world’s second most expensive sports rights on a per-match basis – just behind the NFL – media leaders like Star Sports, Viacom18 and Times Internet more than ever need to give TV viewers the best possible viewing experience, including UHD viewing on TV and mobile devices.”

The services Planetcast provides enable IPL 2023 rightsholders to deliver live high-definition (HD) and ultra-high-definition (UHD) coverage. These services include playout, feed management, live feed acquisition, low-latency encoding, graphics management, multi-language commentary and AI-based highlights editing. Planetcast is the technology mainstay for 17 Star Sports channels and several pop-up channels, with feeds in eight languages. Planetcast enables Viacom18 to bring IPL coverage to Indian streaming audiences via the JioCinema platform. In addition, it provides international OTT distribution for Times Internet to the USA, Canada, the Middle East and North Africa via its Cricbuzz website. The entire media services framework is deployed across 10 stadiums and three Viacom Sports Hubs in India.

“IPL 2023 will see us continue to push the envelope in consumer experience in live TV sports,” says Planetcast International chief operating officer – digital Venugopal Iyengar. “We are launching a number of IPL broadcast innovations this season, including AI-based editing with player facial recognition to quickly provide key video highlights, fast and flexible upstream ad insertion, and handling multiple language audio commentary tracks. We’re excited that Star Sports, Viacom18 and Cricbuzz have chosen us to enable them to fully monetise their coverage and, most importantly, drive viewer enjoyment for over 400 million cricket fans.”

To enable Star Sports’ UHD broadcast, Planetcast will be supporting HD1080P distribution using a satellite news gathering (SNG) kit at Dharamshala and Guwahati venues, representing India’s first SNG transmission of live sports using the latest HEVC® technology with Dolby Atmos. Planetcast has created an IP setup based on the latest standards for 4K production, enabling parallel HD and UHD content delivery via compatible televisions and devices to consumers across India – with the opportunity to support HDR in the future.

IPL facts:

·         The league is presently sponsored by the Indian multinational conglomerate TATA.

·         The TATA IPL 2023 season starts on 31 March and concludes with the final on 21 May. It has 10 teams and a total of 74 matches.

·         Seven IPL seasons were auctioned in June 2022 for the 2023-2027 TV and OTT rights cycle at a cost equivalent to $6.2 billion.

·         This makes the IPL the world’s second most valuable sports rights, equating to $15.1 million per match, more than the English Premier League’s $11 million per match and only trailing the USA’s National Football League’s $17 million per game.

·         Viewership of IPL in India has regularly topped 400 million total viewers.

Mumbai: JioCinema, the official digital streaming partner of TATA IPL 2023, made a blockbuster debut with a stellar opening weekend. The number of video viewers for the first weekend alone on JioCinema eclipsed what was recorded across the entire last season of TATA IPL on digital. This was also higher than the ICC T20 World Cup 2022.

Viewers were glued to JioCinema’s fan-centric presentation as the average time spent per viewer per match touched 57 minutes. The time spent per viewer per match on JioCinema increased by over 60 percent compared to last season’s first weekend. JioCinema clocked over 147 Cr. video views, recording the highest-ever opening weekend for the TATA IPL on digital.

“These numbers are exceptional and evidence of the digital revolution sweeping through the country. Digital is targetable, addressable and interactive. Unlike legacy services, measurement on digital is based on the exact number of people who come in to watch and not based on subjective extrapolation from a small sample set. The landscape for content consumption has irrevocably moved to digital and JioCinema performance this week is the biggest evidence of it,” said Viacom18 Sports CEO Anil Jayaraj. “What we witnessed through the opening weekend of the TATA IPL 2023 is a testimony of the faith viewers have shown in JioCinema’s offerings to make the league more accessible, affordable, and in unique first-time cricket broadcast languages, including Bhojpuri, Punjabi, Oriya and Gujarati. I want to thank all our sponsors, advertisers, and partners for embarking with us on this journey where we strive to elevate every fan’s TATA IPL viewing experience.”

JioCinema set the tone with the season-opening clash between MS Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings and Hardik Pandya’s Gujarat Titans, achieving a peak concurrency of 1.6 cr. In addition, JioCinema registered over 2.5 cr. downloads, a record for the most installed app in a single day.

The strong viewership – over 10 cr. new viewers and five cr. new app downloads – this weekend comes on the back of JioCinema’s extensive fan-centric features. Fans continued to lap up unique features like 4K feed, 12-language coverage, 16 unique feeds, hype mode, and multi-cam setup, among others.

After the unprecedented response to the opening weekend, JioCinema is set to release new features every week to delight fans, showcasing the power of immersive fan engagement on digital.

The record-breaking numbers are supported by customised device integration partnerships with over 500 OEM and CTV platforms, including Jio STB, Apple TV, Amazon Fire Stick, OnePlus TV, Sony, Samsung, LG, and Xiaomi, among others. In addition, CTV viewers continue to watch the world’s most famous cricket league in 4K for the first time ever through JioCinema.

India’s favourite sporting carnival is being brought to viewers on JioCinema in 12 languages, including English, Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Bhojpuri, Punjabi, Oriya, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada. Giving viewers a new way to enjoy their favourite sport, JioCinema offers four additional feeds, including The Insiders feed, Hangout feed, Fantasy feed and Fanzone feed.

More than 20 top brands have partnered with JioCinema for their digital streaming of TATA IPL 2023, including (Co-Presenting Sponsor) Dream11, (Co-Powered) JioMart, PhonePe, Tiago EV, (Associate Sponsor) Appy Fizz, ET Money, Castrol, TVS, Oreo, Bingo, Sting, AJIO, Haier, RuPay, Louis Philippe Jeans, Amazon, Rapido, Ultra Tech Cement, Puma, Kamla Pasand, Kingfisher Power Soda, Jindal Panther TMT Rebar.

Defending champions Gujarat Titans, five-time champion Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore, and Delhi Capitals announced exclusive partnerships with JioCinema in the lead-up to the 2023 edition. Global cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar, India’s most-celebrated cricket captain and four-time IPL winner MS Dhoni, World no. 1 T20 batsman Suryakumar Yadav and India Women’s team vice-captain Smriti Mandhana joined hands with JioCinema to amplify their world-class, digital-first TATA IPL presentation.

Mumbai: SBI Life Insurance, one of the private life insurers in the country, has announced its association with Rajasthan Royals franchise as their lead helmet partner for the 2023 season of IPL. As part of the collaboration SBI Life’s logo will be displayed prominently on the Rajasthan Royals helmet during all their matches in 2023.

SBI Life’s strategic alliance with Rajasthan Royals franchise signifies the role of protection played by helmets on ground, similar to that of insurance in life, both of which essentially act as enablers for individuals to pursue their dreams. Helmet being one of the most visible assets in cricket offers an extraordinary opportunity for SBI Life to symbolically emphasise on the important role of insurance. Being present in one of the most watched cricket leagues augurs well for the brand to establish a strong bond with consumers and impress upon the need for insurance.

Expressing his excitement, SBI Life Insurance chief of brand, corporate communication and CSR Ravindra Sharma said, “SBI Life is making a ‘Dil Se Royal’ entry at the Biggest Cricket League in a cricketing crazy nation like ours. This is a landmark association marking SBI Life’s foray into mainstream sports partnerships. As a brand we continuously explore meaningful associations which help us establish a deeper connection with the consumer. In today’s age of information overload, our choice of cricket as the sport, the biggest cricket league, Rajasthan Royals as a team and Helmet as the asset, have been strategically thought through keeping in mind the brand synergies and the purpose we serve. We are extremely excited to leverage our association to impress upon the need for insurance as a protector and enabler for individuals to pursue their dreams, which is symbolically represented by the helmet; which protects the player and enables him to play without worrying about setbacks. The brand’s presence on the Rajasthan Royal’s helmet provides an unmissable brand recall with an extremely high reach, which will help us drive home the message of uncompromisable protection provided by insurance.”

He further added, “We sincerely hope the visibility offered by the sport will go a long way in spreading awareness about the importance of insurance and furthering the national agenda of ‘Insurance for all’ by 2047.”

Commenting on the partnership, Rajasthan Royals CEO Jake Lush McCrum said, “We are thrilled to partner with SBI Life, a company that shares our commitment to making a difference in people’s lives. At the Royals, we have always believed in the power of sports to bring about positive change, and this partnership is a testament to that belief. We look forward to working together to promote the importance of insurance for all and to creating meaningful opportunities for our fans and communities.”

At SBI Life we are driven to transform the society through insurance solutions which liberate individuals to pursue their dream, by securing the needs and aspirations of their loved ones. SBI Life’s comprehensive range of life insurance products are designed to provide long-term financial protection, savings, and investment opportunities, enabling the customers to pursue their goals with confidence and peace of mind. The partnership with Rajasthan Royals which is on a mission to Transform Society through cricket will go a long way in creating a lasting impact for the nation by bringing the focus on protection as an enabler for individuals to pursue their dreams.

Mumbai: JioCinema’s debut for the IPL 2023 was a runaway success, with an epic opening weekend. The number of video viewers for the first weekend alone on JioCinema eclipsed what was recorded across the entire last season of Tata IPL on digital. This was also higher than the ICC T20 World Cup 2022.

The average time spent per viewer per match touched 57 minutes. The time spent per viewer per match on JioCinema increased by over 60 per cent compared to last season’s first weekend. JioCinema clocked over 147 crore video views, recording the highest-ever opening weekend for the Tata IPL on digital.

The OTT platform by Viacom18 registered over 2.5 crore downloads, a record for the most installed app in a single day. In addition to that, over six crore unique viewers tuned in for the first match – the Gujarat Titans vs Chennai Super Kings fixture, which achieved a peak concurrency of over 1.6 crore on JioCinema. The total match views on the first day on JioCinema touched 50 crore.

Indiantelevision.com spoke to Elara Capital senior vice president Karan Taurani about how consumers are taking to the fact that the IPL has moved from Hotstar to JioCinema, the kind of impact CTV viewing of the IPL through JioCinema has on linear TV viewers, and more.

Talking about IPL moving from Hotstar to JioCinema and discussing the experience of viewers, Elara Capital senior vice president Karan Taurani feels that the customer response so far has been mixed – it has not been a wow experience. “So, if you look at Hotstar, since the time they started IPL, they have a first mover advantage here in terms of the other broadcaster OTT apps. They have been far superior in terms of experience. I am not comparing it to Netflix wherein the consumption would be different, but here you have a lot of concurrent viewers on your platform. So, on the basis that Hotstar has been very much superior in terms of customer experience. JioCinema is obviously not better than them. It looks that it has been below par on the initial customer reviews and social media reviews that one can go through. But I believe that hopefully they will probably catch up and improve with time, because customer experience, on a large scale concurrent basis, comes with time and there will be lots of technical errors and glitches which might be rectified and going ahead the customer experience can become seamless or rather better.”

The impact CTV viewing of the IPL through JioCinema on linear TV consumers

Taurani elucidates, “For CTV, firstly, you have to look at it from a very different perspective. The universe of CTV is not more than somewhere around 25-30 million households. India as a country has close to 200 million households today – assuming that only 15 per cent of that is CTV, it’s a very small base for people to move from linear TV to CTV. Even in the CTV universe, if we dig deep, only maybe 40-50 per cent of the CTV universe has access to the best data plan of fibre broadband and others would have low-end plans or mid-end plans. But plans which are 150mbps and above would only be about 40-50 per cent of the CTV universe. So, putting everything into perspective, you have about 20 million CTV households which is about 10-12 per cent of the overall base, and within that only 40-50 per cent have access to high-speed broadband wherein they can watch the match seamlessly – so it’s a very small number. So you’re talking about 10-12 per cent of the smart TV number and maybe five to six per cent of the overall universe of TV households which would probably move away from linear TV and watch the match entirely on CTV. Even in that, if there are technical glitches from the app’s side, the user experience will be bad and the consumer might watch it on linear TV as well. The point that I’m trying to make is that it’s very tough to go only digital for a medium like sport which is live in nature where consumers don’t want any kind of glitch.  So the potential for technical glitches is high here, because there could be a technical glitch from the app’s side, or from the broadband connection side as well.  As far as DTH or cable for watching live sports is concerned, it is far superior and seamless.

Nonetheless, the point that I’m trying to make here is that firstly, the base is very small. And secondly, if at all there are glitches, you could see them on and off.  So people are not going to do cord-cutting as far as sports is concerned.  I think sports as a medium is here to stay on TV. Other mediums – English, infotainment, and movies put together – are witnessing pressure. But as far as sports and news are concerned which are consumed live in nature, without any kind of glitch and in a seamless manner, you have to have a linear TV connection.”

He goes on to add, “So a lion’s share is still with TV. If we see, we still have close to 182 million TV households, out of which around 140 million are pay TV, 30-35 million are FTA and the balance, about 20 million is CTV. So the shift is not happening from the MSO, DTH or FTA households. It is happening more from CTV households wherein 40-50 per cent of the universe which have high-speed broadband and is paying a hefty amount of cost, will move purely digital – but that too, if the experience is not seamless, would want to have a linear TV connection as well.”

The advantage of updated technology and features that JioCinema has rolled out to enhance viewership for IPL 2023

Taurani believes that the updated technology and features are great for JioCinema. “I think digital is the future. I think digital has two things – improved quality of content, you can move to 4k content. The number of 4k TVs is very small as a base but eventually, when the number of 4k TV penetration picks up, you can watch the match with a superior experience. And cricket and sports is that kind of content where you want the experience to be superior, so that is going to do wonders. But again 4k comes at a very hefty cost, the data speeds have to be much superior to what you would get right now. So I wonder what it would be in terms of the cost of the data and how many people would have that kind of connection of 150-200 mbps kind of speed with unlimited data without any sort of capping.  I think it’s still a long way to go as far as 4k is concerned.”

He further adds, “The second is interactivity. Interactivity is something which Disney Star was also doing earlier, so there is nothing new added to it. But definitely, if there are people who want to interact with content, there are people who like interactive stuff like different camera views, angles etc., I think that is the future definitely. This, unfortunately, cannot be replicated on TV. DTH companies are trying to do something on the interactive side, still very early days for them.  But if they are able to do something on the interactive side, it would be a win-win.  But for now, digital seems to have a stronger proposition as far as interactivity is concerned. So these are the only two things that stand out as an edge over TV. But like I said, 4k numbers are too small, data costs for watching on 4k would be phenomenally high and the number of people having a 300 mbps connection and 4k TVs is very small; so the impact of 4k is phenomenally small as compared to what it would be for smart TVs because the smart TV numbers are still at some kind of a base. In a nutshell, digital is definitely the future and it has features like interactivity and better viewing experience, but it’s very important for infra to pick up too – the smart TV penetration and the broadband penetration are also very low, so you don’t have more than 20 million households having a good broadband connection and within that fibre connection is not more than 40—50 per cent, so the numbers are very minuscule at every end. So for example look at Jio – they have 7.5 million broadband subscribers, and you can assume that out of that only 50-60 per cent would have a high-speed unlimited data plan. Clearly, those are the only three-five million customers that are going to move purely to the smart TV side or digital side, otherwise apart from that many of them will not because giving data packs of 10-20 mbps won’t serve the purpose, you will find interruptions at a lot of places. So, digital is the future, but there are three things – the infrastructure on the broadband penetration side and also on the smart TV side and thirdly the UX also from the platform needs to pick up for digital to work in a big way. But I think for the next few years, TV is very much here to stay, and the lion’s share is going to come from TV.”

Mumbai: Sony Sports Network is all set to broadcast the second edition of FairBreak Invitational T20 tournament starting from 3 April 2023 LIVE on Sony Sports Ten 5 & Sony Sports Ten 5 HD channels. The ICC-sanctioned women’s tournament will witness six teams go head-to-head across 20 matches, which will take place in Hong Kong.

The FairBreak Invitational is a unique initiative which seeks to advance gender parity in cricket while giving female cricketers a stage to showcase their skills. The maiden edition of the tournament saw participation from over 35 nations represented by 99 players, including international superstars like Suzie Bates, Heather Knight, Jahanara Alam, and more.

As young cricketers look to impress cricket fans across the globe with their talent, the 2023 edition of the global tournament will take place from the 3 to the 16 of April in Hong Kong. The six teams – Barmy Army, Spirit, Warriors, Sapphires, Falcons, and Tornadoes will also see participation from Danni Wyatt, Nicola Carey, Sophia Dunkley, Hayley Matthews, Ellie Johnston, Sana Mir and more.

Mumbai: playR, a sports and lifestyle brand, has announced that they have associated with Rajasthan Royals, the inaugural champions of the T20 Tournament, as the team’s exclusive global merchandise Partner starting with the 2023 season.

This partnership will enable Rajasthan Royals to create a vast range of fan merchandise for their supporters worldwide. The merchandise range will include apparel, accessories and lifestyle products for fans to show their loyalty to the team.

The objective of this partnership is to increase the brand’s visibility and reach a global audience. This will allow the team to expand their international fanbase and attract new supporters. The partnership will also enable Rajasthan Royals to provide their fans with unique and exclusive merchandise.     

Rajasthan Royals CMO Zameer Kochar said, “One of the core values at the Royals that we believe in is to cater to the needs of our supporters, and this global partnership will enable us to offer them a specially curated range of merchandise which they can proudly don while they cheer for the team.”

playR co-founder & director Ravi Kukreja, expressed his enthusiasm for the partnership and said, “We are thrilled to be partnering with Rajasthan Royals for the 2023 season. This partnership will allow us to create a unique range of merchandise for Rajasthan Royals fans around the world. We look forward to working with the team and helping them to create a strong fan base.”

playR is a sport and lifestyle brand founded in 2021 and strives to provide customers with unique and edgy apparel, sports equipment, bicycles and accessories that celebrates their style and encourages them to express themselves. Currently present in over 100 retail stores in India and International and ecommerce, playR strives to cross 800+ stores over a period of two years. playR provides a wide range of products that includes t-shirts, jackets, shorts, tracksuits, bats, balls, leg-guard, gloves, bicycles, bags, yoga mats, bottles, etc, as well as limited-edition items. playR’s mission is to inspire customers to be creative, confident, and fearless by providing them with a unique and fashionable style.

Mumbai: B Natural Juices & Beverages, a reputable and widely loved brand from the house of ITC, has announced its partnership with Punjab Kings for the forthcoming Season of IPL 2023. In a first-of-its-kind association, B Natural has come on board as the official Fruit Beverage Partner for IPL 2023 scheduled to begin on 31 March 2023.

As part of the collaboration B Natural has launched a campaign #MatchReadyBNaturalDeNaal, where the brand is helping Punjab Kings players be match ready with its fruit and fiber beverages. B Natural invites fans to share how they are #MatchReadyBNaturalDeNaal and show their support for their favourite team.

Expressing his delight on this association ITC Ltd. Dairy & Beverages, foods division chief operating officer Sanjay Singal said, “We are thrilled to be partnering with Punjab Kings, one of the preeminent IPL teams. B Natural has always been focused on providing fruit and fiber to its consumers and we are happy to extend the same goodness to the players of Punjab Kings and help them be match ready.”

He further added, “The partnership represents a significant milestone for both organisations, and I am confident that it will be an exciting season ahead for the team and the fans.”  

Commenting on this collaboration, K.P.H. Dream Cricket Pvt. Ltd. CEO Satish Menon said, “We are delighted to have B Natural Juices & Beverages onboard as the official Fruit Beverage Partner for Punjab Kings. Their goal of promoting an active lifestyle in India is something we as a team admire and support. It’s great to find synergies when you come across like-minded brands with a vision that aligns with yours.”

Furthermore, through this association with Punjab Kings, B Natural aims to promote the importance of both fruit and fiber in an individual’s diet just as both mother and father play an important role in a family. With Punjab Kings and Harmanpreet Kaur, the brand will conduct a social media contest inviting cricket enthusiasts to share their #FruitfulStories and talk about how their parents have played a significant role in their lives. Participants will get a chance to meet and greet the Punjab Kings players and also an opportunity to win exciting gratifications.

Mumbai: This IPL 2023, Ampere has become an official EV partner of Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).

Royal Challengers Bangalore, will play its first match on 2 April, 2023.

Starting from the first match, Ampere (the flagship electric two-wheeler brand from Greaves Electric Mobility Private Ltd. (“GEMPL”),and Royal Challengers Bangalore will bring an electrifying combination of style and sustainability to the upcoming T20 cricket season with an extremely unique and purpose-driven cheer squad – the “Ampere Take Charge Squad” (Cheer Squad).   

This unique mix of fashion and eco-consciousness will align with today’s Gen Z and millennials who are driven by a purpose of sustainability. The one-of-a-kind cheer squad stands for sustainability with their attire and musical instruments made from upcycled, recycled, and scrap materials.

The cheer squad’s jumpsuits are made from upcycled or recycled eco-conscious fabric, use natural dyes for color and will feature the Ampere logo and the anthemic phrase #HarGullyElectric embroidered with ropes made from plastic packaging waste. Fabric waste is used on the side of the pants using appliqué work to signify the electric arc.

LEDs are used in the outfits to bring out the EV message of the brand, and the footwear is made of vegan material with elements of upcycled fabrics to add color and contrast.

The Ampere Take Charge Squad’s musical instruments is made from materials such as broken instruments, pieces of wood, metal, buckets, plastic and scrapped petrol vehicle parts. These include a patched-up guitar, large and small drums made from PVC pipes and discarded metal, and other unconventional instruments made from discarded tyre material, repurposed geyser, refrigerator elements, lights, among other things.  The straps of the instruments are made from banana fiber and other recycled materials.

Commenting on this collaboration, Greaves Electric Mobility Private Ltd. CEO & executive director  Sanjay Behl said, “This collaboration is a significant milestone for us as it aligns with our vision of promoting sustainability in every aspect. As one of the early entrants in the EV industry, our core purpose is to do our bit towards healing the planet and a sustainable Ampere Take Charge Squad is a step towards the same.”

The Ampere Take Charge Squad will bring the stadium to life with chants and slogans that celebrate the spirit of the game and sustainability. Ampere will also be launching a contest for the RCB fans to submit their slogans and have them featured on match days.

Royal Challengers Bangalore head & vice president Rajesh Menon said, “As the world’s first Carbon Positive Cricket Franchise, we’re committed to year-round sustainability initiatives. With this unique integration, we hope to inspire our fans to join us in this mission and make conscious choices that benefit the planet for generations to come”