Category: Sports

Mumbai: Low intent to download the app through WPL coupled with several functional issues and the overarching preference to consume live sports on TV makes the struggle real for Jio Cinema.  

With just a couple of days left for TATA IPL to begin, the Official Streaming App Jio Cinema is facing a massive struggle to get audiences to download their mobile app. According to app analytics company DATA.AI, despite the Women’s Premier League and launch of IPL promos, the install-base of Jio Cinema is restricted to a mere 90 million just a week before IPL begins. The app has witnessed only 6% increase in install-base through Women’s T20 tournament between 3rd and 18th March, which also includes the widespread promotion of the Jio Cinema promos for IPL. To add to that, social media platforms have witnessed huge backlash from viewers as the Jio Cinema app malfunctioned through the WPL with issues ranging from the crashing of the app to freezing of ads leading to viewers missing live action.

Commenting on the current state of Jio Cinema leading up to IPL, an industry expert said, “The claim of reaching 500 million on digital this year on IPL seems far-fetched to say the least. Their install-base just a handful of days before IPL is struggling and there have been several issues with the functioning of the app throughout WPL. IPL on digital is behind the 8 ball as it stands, and a lot of ground would have to be covered to salvage the situation.”

There has been significantly low demand for Jio Cinema and mobile viewing of live cricket as audiences continue to choose TV as their outright preference. Audience intent to download Jio Cinema in the runup to IPL too has been underwhelming with app downloads restricted to merely 0.4 million per day a week before IPL adding to the existing 91 million install-base. Even if this rate of downloads doubles through the duration of IPL, Jio Cinema’s install-base would be restricted below 150 million, a scale merely a fraction of TV. 

Mumbai: JSW Sports, one of the most revered names in the business of sports today in India, has announced a milestone achievement for their Sponsorship Consulting business vertical with the facilitation of one of the most notable sponsorship deals in the history of the IPL. As part of the association, Qatar Airways will be entering the Indian sports market for the first time as the main principal partner of the Bengaluru-based IPL franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) for a three-year duration.

Speaking about the growth of their sponsorship consulting business, JSW Sports’ chief operating officer Divyanshu Singh said, “The partnership between Qatar Airways and RCB is a great landmark for the IPL as we start attracting some of the global and iconic brands to Indian sports, and we all are working towards making this one a successful case study. From a JSW Sports perspective, we aim to grow the market size for Sports Sponsorships in India which at the INR 9500 crore mark, dominated by cricket, is still less than 10% of the ad-ex market in India and has tremendous potential to grow. As one of India’s leading sponsorship groups, we are excited about our growth and future prospects having clocked gross sponsorships of INR 250 crores this FY across our owned assets and consulting verticals. Within a year of starting this vertical, we have done business across sports ranging from cricket, football, kabaddi and Olympic sports, attracting many first-time investors to sports which is an extremely positive sign. A big thanks to all the right holders who have shown faith and believe in our endeavour to create value for the sporting ecosystem”.

With an aim to drive leadership in an otherwise fragmented sponsorship ecosystem, JSW Sports ventured into sponsorship consulting in 2022 to address some of the biggest gaps in the Indian sports market, such as measurement and evaluation, purpose-led activation strategy, content marketing, and a data-led approach to decision-making. Having already built a legacy as a rights holder across multiple sporting disciplines for the last ten years, JSW Sports will now harness this unique in-depth knowledge and expertise they have gained to make their sponsorship consulting business a one-stop shop for rights holders and brands looking for sport marketing strategies for the Indian market.

Royal Challengers Bangalore head & VP Rajesh Menon said, ”It has been great working with the sponsorship consulting team at JSW Sports to stitch together the RCB and Qatar Airways partnership. Their robust understanding of the ecosystem helped us during our engagement with Qatar Airways to structure and eventually formalize the partnership. We look forward to building and scaling this marquee partnership over the long term and strengthening our association with JSW Sports. We are confident that this association and its activation will be a benchmark in the Indian Sports industry.”

The partnership with the two iconic brands will aim to leverage the unparalleled reach of one of the most valuable leagues in the world and usage of rights including the coveted front of the jersey and on-ground branding during the IPL, access to star players such as Virat Kohli, Glenn Maxwell and Faf Du Plessis, on-ground activations, turnkey content solutions and bespoke hospitality packages for customer experiences.

Over the past year, JSW Sports Consulting has facilitated over 150 brand partnerships across its owned assets and consulting deals for franchises in Pro Kabaddi, the South Africa T20 league, – The Women’s Premier League and the IPL.  It has also facilitated licensing and merchandising collaborations for HRX with 4 IPL teams this season, a long-term grassroots development partnership focused on women athletes between the Athletics Federation of India and HSBC along with bespoke partnerships featuring talents across sporting disciplines.

Some of the other partners for JSW Sports Consulting include Google, Coca-Cola, Bridgestone, Nestle, Puma, Dynapar QPS, Pop Eye, Optimum Nutrition, Under Armour, Borosil, Rario, Greenpanel, Vision 11, and Tata AIA.

Mumbai: The gaming industry is witnessing the rise of an exciting new segment: Paid Competitive Gaming or PCG. A new report titled “Global Paid Competitive Gaming Report 2023,” launched at the Game Developer Conference in San Francisco, revealed that the PCG market is expected to reach $16 billion by 2024. With a CAGR of 31.9per cent from 2021 to 2024, it is growing six times faster than the overall global mobile games market, which is forecast to reach $223 billion by 2024 at a 4.9 per cent CAGR.

The report, a collaborative effort between Newzoo, the global leader in video game and gamer data, and MPL, chronicles the rise of the promising gaming segment and trends in this space. It is based on a consulting analysis by Newzoo and customized research conducted by the company in 2022 on 24,562 respondents across 12 of the largest gaming markets.

The gaming industry has undergone a paradigm shift since the introduction of the pay-to-play model in the 1970s and the subsequent free-to-play model in the 2000s. Today, there are four distinct ways to monetize games: subscription services, rewarded ads, play & earn, and PCG.

“This shift highlights that publishers are embracing new and innovative models, while players are expecting new and inventive forms of interaction with their favorite games,” said Newzoo head of consulting Tony Habschmidt, adding, “PCG has become a burgeoning example of this, and focuses on offering players the ability to monetize their experiences with and through other players, opening up the potential to be rewarded for their skills. As new players are drawn to it from traditional forms of gaming and from adjacent entertainment realms like sports and social media, PCG will democratize and redefine the industry.”

PCG represents a novel competitive experience for everyday gamers, offering them myriad of opportunities to compete in low to high stakes skill-based games against other players worldwide, beyond traditional games. Real money prize pools allow players to monetize their gaming abilities, and effective skill-matching ensures a fair and competitive playing field for all participants.

Report Highlights:

Top PCG Markets

US, India, Mexico, UK and Germany are forecast to be the top markets for PCG. The United States, currently the largest gaming market in the world, is also leading the way in PCG, with an estimated value of $3 billion in 2021. It is projected to grow at a CAGR of 29.4 per cent, reaching $6.6 billion by 2024 (representing 33 per cent of the total mobile gaming market). India is the second largest PCG market and is projected to grow to $3.5 billion by 2024. India along with Mexico are the fastest growing PCG markets with a CAGR of 33.3 per cent and 32.0 per cent respectively. The UK and Germany are growing at a rate of 21.9 per cent and 20.6 per cent, respectively.

Mobile will remain the dominant platform for gaming

Mobile is gaming’s biggest and fastest-growing segment, by player numbers and revenues alike. In 2021, the global gaming industry saw 2.8 billion mobile gamers contributing over 50 per cent of the global gaming revenue and is forecasted to grow even further to $113.0 billion by 2024 with 3.1 billion players. PC gaming had 1.4 billion players in 2021, expected to rise to 1.5 billion by 2024, and console gaming had 871 million players in 2021, projected to increase to 943 million in 2024. Cross-platform play is popular, with significant overlap between the platforms. Newzoo estimates that there will be over three billion gamers globally by 2024.

Gamers who participate in paid competitive games display distinct behaviors that set them apart from traditional gamers, contributing to the steady growth of the PCG segment:

1.     Skill gamers are more engaged than traditional gamers: Skill-based gamers spend more time playing mobile games (4.6 – 6.2 hours per week) and have more gaming apps installed (6.0 – 7.6 on average) than non-skill-based gamers (3.5 – 5.3 hours per week and 4.4 – 6.1 apps on average).
2.     High likelihood to play skill-based games for traditional gamers: A significant portion of traditional gamers (15-48 per cent) are likely to play skill-based games in the future, and many of them are eager to start within a month.
3.     Gamers expect to increase their money spent on PCG in the long term: Indian gamers are the most likely to do so (58 per cent), followed by gamers in the US and Brazil (both at 51 per cent)
4.     Skill gaming is high-churn by nature but many players reactivate: Many churned players return within a year, particularly in Latin America and India, where almost half of the skill-based gamers plan to play such games in the coming three years.

Smartphone and 5G penetration will unlock new audiences

According to projections from Newzoo’s Global Games Market Report (April 2022 Update), the number of global smartphone users is expected to rise by 45 per cent from 2.9 billion to 4.8 billion by 2024. This growth will be driven by affordable smartphones, especially Android devices, in emerging markets, providing a more accessible gateway to gaming. In addition, 5G technology’s faster speeds will enhance gameplay and support cloud gaming. By 2024, approximately 2.4 billion, or 37.4 per cent, of the projected 6.4 billion active smartphones will be 5G-ready.

Mumbai: TCL, a consumer electronics brand, has demonstrated its commitment to its customers, with the announcement of several high-profile sports sponsorships, spanning a variety of disciplines across multiple markets.

TCL understands the impact sport has on the hearts and lives of people from all corners of the world. Harnessing the power of technology to make watching sports more enjoyable and entertaining than ever before, TCL aims to bring people together to celebrate meaningful moments and revel in the joy of one of life’s greatest pastimes.

Like TCL’s customer base, the world of sports is incredibly rich and diverse. At the beginning of this year, TCL America announced it has been named the official partner of the NFL in North America. Instead of singling out one particular discipline, TCL has opted to broaden its reach by supporting a myriad of beloved national teams and eminent events in a cross section of competitive leagues.

Supporting Latin America’s Top Football Fixture as Premium Partner of the CONMEBOL Libertadores

By sponsoring one of the most important leagues in South America, the CONMEBOL Libertadores, TCL hopes to encourage a global audience to engage with the regions’ love of football.

TCL joins other global brands in sponsoring the CONMEBOL Libertadores during the 2023-2026 cycle, where it will benefit from brand exposure on the patches of the referee shirts, billboards on the field, and LED billboards. The brand will receive tickets to be able to activate with clients in all countries, offering superfans enriched experiences.

Kicking off 2023 with a renewed focus on European Football; TCL Becomes Official Partner of both the Spanish and Italian National Teams

Across the pond and highlighting the brand’s commitment to Europe, TCL has also reached an agreement with both the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) and the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) to become the official partner of the both the Spanish and Italian national teams respectively, until 2026.

With anticipation building for an upcoming Summer of major football tournaments there has never been a more exciting time to be a fan of European Football. TCL’s support of these two legendary teams underlines its determination to continue to grow in two very important European markets.

With additional support for various teams and competitions in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, the United Kingdom and the United States, amongst others, TCL’s commitment to football is long standing and far reaching. TCL has also established on-going relationships with some of the game’s greatest sporting heroes, most recently with Pedri, Rodrygo, Phil Foden and Raphaël Varane.

Officially partnering with The Australian Football League (AFL)

Since operating in the Australian market from 2004, TCL Electronics provides a wide range of products from TVs to washing machines. As one of the most exciting sports on the planet, The Australian Football League (AFL) announced a new partnership with TCL Electronics in Australia. The partnership will connect the AFL with TCL, who have a long-standing tradition of recognizing the power of sport and the connective spirit that inspires greatness in players and the wider community.

TCL will also host key customers, suppliers, and retailers throughout the year within the TCL Supersite at Marvel Stadium and at AFL Events.

Expanding Basketball Across the Globe via FIBA Basketball World Cup Partnership

Beyond football, TCL is preparing to deliver the world’s largest basketball tournament and the sport’s brightest stars to the Philippines ahead of the forthcoming FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023.

Beginning on August 25, the three hosts—the Philippines, Japan, and Indonesia—will host the World Cup Group Phase. The competition will culminate on September 10 in Manila, Philippines, with the crowning of the 2023 champions.

Strengthening TCL’s Footprint in India Through Sponsorship of Sunrisers Hyderabad Cricket Team

TCL has also become an official partner of popular Indian cricket team Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) for the fourth year in a row, demonstrating its commitment to customers in India through the support of its most treasured national sport.

With the commencement of the 2023 cricket season at the end of this month, fans in India and globally will be glued to their TV sets in anticipation. Through its accessible technology and support of SRH, TCL offers a convenient and immersive viewing experience for millions of cricket lovers worldwide.

Leaders In and Off the Field – The Powerful Pairing of Technology and Sports

TCL recognises that TVs have the unique ability to connect and inspire people around the world, by immersing them in the action that unfolds on screen. Of all the TV content available, there is undeniably something magical about watching live sport and feeling the exact same emotion that millions of other viewers across the world are feeling at the same time.

As a titan of inclusive innovation, TCL believes that these moments of magic should be accessible to the masses, striving to create best-in-class Mini LED and QLED TV sets of unparalleled value. Ensure you never miss a moment of the action with TCL’s range of XL screens measuring up to 98” and making you feel like you’re right there on the sidelines. What’s more, through these global sponsorships that will appeal to a broad spectrum of fans, TCL hopes to inspire moments of greatness within us all.

Mumbai: The summit clash of the inaugural season of TATA WPL between eventual champions Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals saw more than 10mn new viewers tune in. With that, the first season of TATA WPL on JioCinema delivers the highest viewership on any Women’s events globally.

JioCinema also clocked more than 50 minutes of watch-time per user per match on the TATA WPL. In addition to 4K streaming, viewers enjoyed multi-cam setup, hype mode and the extensive panel of experts across multiple languages, helping the league surpass initial expectations and projections.

“Our vision is to nurture the TATA WPL into the biggest women’s sporting league in the world, and this is a big leap in that direction. To see it already on its way to becoming the largest viewed sports event in the world in the first season is a remarkable feat and testament to the potential,” said Viacom18 Sports CEO Anil Jayaraj. “We’d like to thank our 50+ advertising partners that met us eye-to-eye on this vision, viewers who pushed us to raise the bar and deliver a world-class viewing experience.”

JioCinema, now available to Jio, Airtel, Vi, BSNL and all other subscribers, will live-stream the TATA Indian Premier League for free in 12 languages, English, Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Bhojpuri, Punjabi, Oriya, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada.

The record-breaking viewership on TATA WPL augurs well for the upcoming season of TATA IPL as the official digital streaming partner will offer 16 feeds, including 4K feed, multi-language and multi-cam presentation, interactivity through stats pack, and play along feature for over 700mn + internet users.

Viewers can continue to watch their preferred sports by downloading JioCinema (iOS & Android). For the latest updates, news, scores, and videos, fans can follow Sports18 on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube and JioCinema on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.

Mumbai: It’s raining brand ambassadors by the broadcasters of the much-awaited cricket extravaganza of the country, the IPL 2023. Disney Star and Viacom18 clearly want to get the better of each other. Star Sports and JioCinema are undeniably at war, and both have got the superstars of the game to represent them – Star Sports has the cricket heartthrob Virat Kohli and JioCinema has roped in cricket veteran Sachin Tendulkar – both clearly trying to match each other.

With the very recent decision of JioCinema roping in Tendulkar, Indiantelevision.com spoke to advertising industry mavens about how this step will prove to work in favour of the OTT platform.

First things first, this war is about platforms – the fight between TV and digital. Star Sports is on the TV side, while JioCinema vouches for digital.

As Tendulkar comes on board, he insists that viewers should watch the game only on JioCinema.

 

 

 

 

 

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Will Tendulkar’s association help in uptick of viewership?

The very obvious question in this combat of brand ambassadors is will JioCinema benefit from its partnership with the cricket icon?

Business strategist and independent director Lloyd Mathias is of the view that the battle between Network 18’s Jio Cinema and Disney-Star was inevitable since this year media for the first time in IPL’s 16-year history the media rights were split between two rival networks for TV and digital.  “Also because the value realized for digital rights were pretty close to the broadcasting rights.

Jio Cinema will use Tendulkar (as it did with its earlier campaign with MS Dhoni) to drive home their differential advantage of digital offering full customisation – from different views to zooming to being able to repeat key moments – while stressing that steaming on Jio is free and it can be viewed on any device.”

“With Sach‘in’, JioCinema, the brand will be ‘in’ and this brand ambassador will make the brand w‘in’!” exclaims brand guru & Samsika Marketing Consultants founder, chairman & managing director Jagdeep Kapoor.

Sideways Consulting co-founder Abhijit Avasthi deliberates that this partnership wouldn’t affect the viewership. “You normally bring on board celebrity faces to drive credibility or awareness or do something in a cluttered market which people are not getting drawn towards. Personally, I don’t think JioCinema is facing any of these issues – Jio is a trusted brand, they have credibility, there is no awareness issue, and they are sole deliverers of that experience. So, quite frankly, they would have done just fine without Tendulkar or as a matter of fact any celebrity.”

Spring Marketing Capital founder & creative partner Arun Iyer thinks there is no dearth of sports ambassadors in the realm of IPL. “I think obviously that this is the first time that there is a battle between two formats – digital and TV. Usually it is the same player, whether it is Sony or Star Sports – both the rights have been with the same network. This is the first time that there are conflicting platforms – one is TV, and the other is digital which is emerging. The fact that they have got Tendulkar will definitely add a lot of stature because everybody knows the kind of emotions cricket fans carry towards Tendulkar. But the fact that in the first season it is going to be free of cost is going to be a big factor at play which will help draw in more audiences. All said and done, when things are behind the paywall in India, there is resistance to sign up. When it is free and data doesn’t bother people as much as it used to, so I think it will definitely play a big role.”

The flak faced by JioCinema during FIFA World Cup 2022

JioCinema faced a lot of flak during the FIFA World Cup 2022 for the 5-minutes lag that was witnessed during the telecast of the matches. Will getting Tendulkar as their brand ambassador help the broadcasting platform regain its lost sheen from a brand image point of view during IPL 2023?

Mathias elucidates, “The FIFA World Cup was the first time in India that an OTT service – JioCinema was the default channel for watching a mass sport.  There were obvious teething issues, as JioCinema offered the FIFA World Cup matches free to viewers to expand its reach.

Now that they’ve bagged the IPL digital rights they want to fully leverage the hefty fee they have paid BCCI for digital media rights.”

He adds, “Till last year the advertising spends were 80:20 in favour of TV – but this year onward with the split in IPL rights between TV (Disney-Star) and Digital (Network 18’s Jio Cinema) the competition will intensify.

Jio Cinema will use the ability of digital to target niche segments using personalisation – bringing in a lot many small advertisers into the fold.”

“Tendulkar as a brand ambassador will enhance the sheen, shine and show, of the JioCinema brand. Whether on the cricket field or on the advertising endorsement field, Tendulkar’s following and brand image will upgrade the JioCinema brand,” says Kapoor.

Avasthi feels that the matter was done and dusted, then and there. “They were trying to do something unique and innovative. It was a technology glitch which happens to the best. There are so many times people know that even at big technology companies such as Microsoft etc. things don’t work out. Yes, people were disappointed and quick to react on social media and chastise them. But once when everything fell into place, it was fine. Now I don’t think anybody even talks about it. So, I don’t think it matters – them getting Tendulkar on board or not, because of two reasons – firstly, because the technology glitch was more than taken care of before and people have experienced it after that, and secondly Jio is as much as a respectable brand as one can get. So honestly I don’t know if getting Tendulkar adds any more stature to them – I don’t think so.”

Iyer understands that the five-minute lag of the FIFA World Cup broadcast was just right at the beginning, on the first day actually. “Post that, they got their act together and by the end of the tournament, nobody remembered the pain. Anyways people have a short memory.  There was a little chatter on the usual social media but then it faded out. And then the tournament and its excitement took over.”

“In my view, I don’t think they are trying to correct anything with Sachin. He is one of the greatest ambassadors of the sport, and not just the sport – he is one of the most respected figures of the country. And given that they are promoting IPL, I think Star Sports has also taken Virat Kohli. JioCinema has already done a TVC with MS Dhoni and Suryakumar Yadav. I think it’s also a question of stature that Tendulkar brings to the table,” he concludes.

Mumbai: Star Sports, the official television broadcasters of the TATA IPL 2023, launches a ‘Subtitled Feed’, a first-of-its-kind initiative in sports broadcasting in India, for the hearing impaired. The new innovative feature will provide live match commentary subtitles, catering to the needs of differently abled fans. To celebrate 15 years of MS Dhoni in IPL and the launch of the landmark initiative, Star Sports launched a special promo that brings out the love that all fans have for Dhoni. Viewers can now experience the ‘Shor’ that comes along while watching their favourite cricketers like Dhoni, who has transcended the ideology of just being a player, but now an emotion.

Link to the promo film:

 

#Dhoni isn’t just a player but an emotion for his fans. The #Shor when he takes the field is not just heard but felt. Can you feel it too? #7Forever
Btw we’re celebrating #15YearsOfDhoni in IPL with #RoarOfTheLion, every day at 7PM on Star Sports starting today, Mar 25 #IPLonStar pic.twitter.com/eFiQXiVGGq

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) March 25, 2023

 

The promo film showcases fans of Dhoni chanting his name in a packed stadium, showcasing the passion and emotion that he can bring out among cricket aficionados. This has become an emotion that has been seen time and time again in the TATA IPL, and this season all kinds of  fans can experience every second of ‘Thala’s adrenaline-pumping moments differently on television, drawing them closer to their favourite player. 

Commentating on the launch of the film and the innovative feature, a Star Sports Spokesperson said, “Star Sports has always been at the forefront of revolutionizing the viewing experience for fans. We are proud to introduce the Subtitled Feed, a ground-breaking technology that aims to make the excitement of the TATA IPL 2023 accessible to everyone, including differently-abled fans. By providing live subtitles of commentary, the innovative feed ensures that no one is left out of the action that only the IPL can bring. With this latest technological advancement, we are bringing fans closer to the game, allowing them to experience the ‘Shor’ of the IPL like never before.”

The launch of the ‘Subtitle Feed’ represents a significant step forward for the TATA IPL 2023. Star Sports remains committed to ensuring that every viewer and fan can experience the excitement, fervor and flavor of the tournament with the latest innovations in sports broadcasting. 

 

Mumbai: A one-of-a-kind sports-focused survey, by sports brand PUMA India and reputed research & analytics firm Nielsen Sports, has unearthed startling insights that indicate a huge lag in inspiration in the country to pursue physical fitness, even as India is witnessing a growth in the adoption of sports culture. The exclusive study was conducted to deep dive into the nation’s perception and extent of participation in sports and fitness activities among adults and kids in the country.  

The PUMA – Nielsen report stated:

·       In the last 12 months, 68 per cent of adults in Urban India claimed to have participated in fitness-related activities.

·       Only 20 per cent of adults in urban India meet the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended index of a minimum of 150-300 minutes of physical exercise per week.

·       Kids spend a mere 86 minutes of the WHO-recommended 420 minutes or more on an average per week. Shockingly, this is less than that of Adults who invest 101 minutes of fitness activity per week.

·       Kids in the East region spend the most time playing sport & fitness (125 minutes per week), vs the West at lowest average (68 mins)

·       Direct correlation was found between Kids with high sports participation and improved academic performance.

·       Among Adults that exercised in the last 12 months, more Females (42 per cent) participated in sports & fitness related activities on a daily basis than Males (36 per cent).

·       Adults with high sports participation are likely to exhibit more positive emotions than adults in general by 21 per cent.

·       Yoga (37 per cent), Jogging (29 per cent), Running (28 per cent) and Cricket (28 per cent) are the most actively participated sports & fitness related activities by adults, in the last 12 months.

·       54 per cent adults prefer self-guided workouts post pandemic.

Both kids and adults listed Lack of Time as the primary barrier to participating in sports and physical activities, followed by other challenges such as lack of facilities and high cost.

The shocking report, which is part of PUMA’s sports-focused study on the ‘Let There Be Sport’ initiative, has emerged as the catalyst for the country’s leading sports brand to become the driver of change and champion the cause of prioritising sport and fitness in the country.

Based on the report findings, PUMA launched the ‘Let There Be Sport’ campaign featuring Virat Kohli, MC Mary Kom and Sunil Chetri today to question the conventional mindset that sports is a digression from academics. The brand affirmed to champion the cause of sport and advocate it as a life skill. The movement comes with the aim to disband the word ‘extra’ used typically for the subject of sport and integrate it into the main curriculum of educational institutions across the country.

Commenting on the report and its findings, PUMA India and Southeast Asia managing director Abhishek Ganguly said, “As a nation, we have witnessed a fundamental change in the adoption of sports culture with far more running communities, gyms and people taking up different sports. However, we have just scratched the surface and have miles to go. The PUMA – Nielsen Sport study proves that there are still significant areas for development. The study indicates the growing need to create awareness and inspiration among adults and kids to play more sports as well as illustrates the myriad ways in which sport adds value to life. There is a direct correlation between sports participation in kids and improved academic performance and positive emotional wellbeing. A strong sports culture brings out the best in people and is critical for the development of a country.”

The PUMA-Nielsen sports survey was conducted across 16 cities, with 4280 respondents aged from 18-65 years of age (including parents of kids aged between 6-18).

“PUMA’s new platform, Let There Be Sport, will be our priority this year. It will promote and encourage sport and fitness as a life skill. We will heavily invest in creating awareness towards sports adoption at a mass level, build more moments of inspiration, continue to support grassroot athletes and work closely with key stakeholders across sectors to integrate sports and fitness into the main curriculum. In five years, we are confident that a sports-focussed survey will yield better insights in India,” added Ganguly.

Under the new campaign, PUMA also released a digital film today featuring its brand ambassadors Virat Kohli, MC Mary Kom, Sunil Chhetri, Avani Lekhara, Bhagwani Devi and everyday athletes. Created by Ogilvy & Mather India, the 90-second film launched on PUMA India’s social handles on Instagram, Twitter and YouTube, captured the archetypal need to call sport an extra-curricular activity, and in turn advocated the increased adoption of sports culture to foster the overall development of the nation.

Nielson Sports has a history of presenting a clear and comprehensive picture of the sporting landscape and its association with PUMA to bring out this revolutionary report, is a game-changer for the upliftment of sports in the country.

Nielsen Sports & Entertainment managing director for APAC & MENA Denise Menasan said, “A study was commissioned by PUMA India to help understand the views of sports in India and how sports & physical activity impacts other aspects of our life, such as emotional wellbeing, academics and employability. While there have been multiple initiatives to boost fitness-related activities, our study indicates that more needs to be done in this space. The study highlights that an increase in sports and fitness activities can help enhance overall emotional wellbeing amongst adults, help learn valuable life skills and increase academic grades of kids. We hope this campaign from PUMA India inspires people to become more physically active in their day-to-day activities and equips government agencies with data to frame new policies.”

PUMA has been actively contributing to the rise of sports culture in the country and this report will go a long way in helping the brand fulfil its goal of creating a sports-friendly and fit India.

Mumbai: JioCinema has announced cricketer Sachin Tendulkar as their brand ambassador. Tendulkar will reinforce JioCinema’s efforts to make sports viewing synonymous with digital.

Tendulkar opens his new innings with JioCinema in a film where he calls for fans to watch IPL only on JioCinema. In addition, the former Mumbai Indians captain will participate in several initiatives featured on the JioCinema, Sports18 and various social media platforms. 

Tendulkar said, “Fans are an integral part of all sports. It has been wonderful knowing the various efforts that are being put by the JioCinema team, keeping fans at the centre. While there are many interesting digital innovations being rolled out this IPL, I am sure this is just the start of several more to come. It has been a pleasure working with the Viacom18 team and I am looking forward to an exciting partnership as we travel together with fans into the future of sports consumption.”

“Sachin Tendulkar is synonymous with cricket and one of those rarest of rare cricketers who have been part of the rapidly changing face of cricket for over three decades,” said Viacom18 sports CEO Anil Jayaraj. “We are thrilled to have him amplify JioCinema’s proposition for sports fans of unmatched experience of watching their favourite sports on digital.”

The 2023 season of TATA Indian Premier League tips off 31 March with defending champions Gujarat Titans taking on MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. All matches will be live on JioCinema for no cost this season. In addition, JioCinema will offer 4K feed, multi-language and multi-cam presentation, interactivity through stats pack and Play Along feature for over 700mn internet users through the 2023 edition of TATA IPL.

JioCinema, now available to Jio, Airtel, Vi, and BSNL subscribers, is live-streaming all the Women’s Premier League matches in five languages, including English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada. 

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Mumbai: FanCode Shop, the merchandising arm of FanCode, has announced a long-term partnership with Rajasthan Royals to launch, build and manage the RR Mega Store.  The partnership will leverage FanCode Shop’s sports commerce and tech capabilities to curate  a connected and seamless experience for fans to purchase licensed Rajasthan Royals  merchandise.

The mega store is now live on rajasthanroyals.com/shop with a diverse product range including the official jersey, fan jersey, fan wear (t-shirts, shorts) and more.

With the RR Mega Store, FanCode Shop will lend its expertise towards building and managing an exclusive digital store for the team including end-to-end product and customer experience,  manufacturing, logistics, customer care, and marketing.

Talking about the partnership, Rajasthan Royals chief marketing officer Zameer Kochar said, “One of our key core values at the franchise is to always have a fan-first approach and  keep them at the center of everything we do. We believe our fans are our biggest asset, and  through this partnership with FanCode Shop, our aim is to provide an integrated, seamless,  one-stop experience for them to stay connected with their favourite team as well as have  access to a varied range of our official, authentic merchandise.”

Talking about the partnership, FanCode co-founder Yannick Colaco said, “Through  technology and innovation, FanCode has strived to improve the fan’s experience of consuming  sports. We are proud to be Rajasthan Royals’ partner of choice in building and managing the  RR Mega Store. Fans will now have access to a wide range of authentic merchandise at  affordable rates.”

Launched in 2020, FanCode Shop uses technology to innovate and deliver rapid turnaround times in both the creation and distribution of fan gear, ensuring that fans will have access to the latest, most topical designs of their favorite sports brands and teams under one roof.

Since inception, FanCode Shop has partnered with the biggest names in sports and fitness including the ICC, FIFA, NBA, Manchester City FC, Liverpool FC, FC Barcelona, Bengaluru FC,  MotoGP, WWE, SG, Nivia, BDM, Elevar, FILA, and Proline.