ITV

Category: Sports

  • Disney Star aims to reach record-breaking 500 Mn viewers on TV in IPL 2023

    Disney Star aims to reach record-breaking 500 Mn viewers on TV in IPL 2023

    Mumbai: The broadcaster plans to leverage over 5000 hours of broadcast prior to the IPL 2023 to promote the league and will launch its marketing campaign mid-February with a 45 lead-up to the tournament.

    The countdown for the upcoming edition of TATA IPL has begun and broadcaster Disney Star is preparing to make it the biggest ever edition on TV. As the broadcaster begins its second IPL cycle having delivered a reach of 400+ million in past editions, Disney Star aims to reach a viewership of 500 million in the upcoming edition.

    Sanjog Gupta, Head – Sports at Disney Star believes that IPL 2.0 for the broadcaster will be the year of positioning IPL on TV as the biggest ever platform in India. “We will make all the efforts to ensure that more people have access to Star Sports. We are launching two premium HD sports channels — in Tamil and Telugu — to service premium audiences, in addition to HD channels in English and Hindi. Last year, we managed to place our sports channels in the base packages of cable operators in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh/ Telangana markets, which has ensured higher reach. We will make IPL the biggest ever on TV,” he said.

    He also spoke about how the tailwinds generated from a record-breaking cricket season on Disney Star with Asia Cup (16% Higher Viewership), ICC Men’s T20 World Cup (25% higher viewership) and India bilaterals (30-40% Higher viewership) has built significant momentum for the broadcaster ahead of the IPL season. “Even the IPL auction this year has rated 30% higher than last year. So there is a renewed excitement for cricket and we plan to continue this momentum,” Gupta added.

    With IPL returning back to stadiums across 10 cities, local marketing initiatives within the regions will ignite passion among fans and viewers which in turn would dial up viewership across markets. In addition, IPL 2023 will happen after a full year its past three seasons which were played in a span of 18 months.

    Disney Star will be broadcasting IPL 2023 across 22+ channels which commands a network share of over 30% in India. The league will be broadcast across 10+ languages with over 100 experts engaging viewers in ways bigger than ever. We are looking at building and engaging communities and creating content around IPL for different cohorts, from school kids and sports academies at one end to young mothers at the other. We know that viewers like to watch live sports on their TV sets while engaging with friends or family members on their devices. So IPL on Star Sports will give them the same opportunity, in their own language; Gupta said.

    Disney Star plans to leverage over 5000 hours of broadcast prior to the IPL 2023 to promote the league and will launch its marketing campaign mid-February with a 45 lead-up to the tournament.

  • Fifa World Cup Qatar 2022: Viacom18 Sports announces a regional experts panel

    Fifa World Cup Qatar 2022: Viacom18 Sports announces a regional experts panel

    Mumbai: Viacom18 Sports has announced its roster of regional commentary panellists for the upcoming FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. The most prestigious football competition in the world will be brought to viewers in India in five languages: English, Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, and Bengali on JioCinema, which is now available across Jio, Vi, Airtel, and BSNL subscribers. From 20 November to 18 December, all viewers will be able to watch the competition on the pay-TV channels Sports18, 1 SD and HD.

    Dempo SC’s CEO and former coach Pradhyum Reddy and Brazilian footballer Jose Ramirez Barreto will form the English expert panel. India footballer Robin Singh, current Indian women’s national team goalkeeper Aditi Chauhan, Kerala Blasters FC assistant coach Ishfaq Ahmed, and former player Karan Sawhney will form the Hindi language panel.

    “The panel lends to our commitment to present the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 like never before with regional customisation and fresh perspectives from seasoned as well as first-time experts across five languages on JioCinema, which is now available to download across Jio, Vi, Airtel, and BSNL subscribers. We are pulling out all the stops to offer the best experience to viewers across geographies so they can enjoy the FIFA World Cup the way it should be,” said Viacom18 Sports head of content Siddharth Sharma.

    Former Indian men’s national team goalkeeper Subrata Paul and former players Mehtab Hossain, Alvito D’Cunha, Shilton Paul, and Manas Bhattacharya will serve the viewers in Bengali. Tamil viewers will be able to enjoy the voices of former India player and notable commentator Raman Vijayan along with Nallapan Mohanraj, Dharmaraj Ravanan, and Vijayakarthikeyan. Coverage in Malayalam will be headlined by former and current national team players Jo Paul Ancheri, CK Vineeth, Mohammed Rafi, Rino Anto, Sushanth Mathew, and Feroz Sherif.

    The panel will be part of Visa Match Center Live, which will give fans the ultimate experience of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, including in-depth analysis, pitch-side coverage, and locker room access from the convenience of their homes. The Visa Match Center Live will be a fully immersive studio show customised in all five languages on JioCinema, with legends like Wayne Rooney, Luis Figo, Robert Pires, Sol Campbell, and Gilberto Silva joining for the English coverage.

  • Viacom18 Sports announces content lineup for FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022

    Viacom18 Sports announces content lineup for FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022

    Mumbai: Viacom18 Sports has announced an expansive content lineup offering viewers compelling storytelling around famous rivalries, revered heroes, seminal moments, and the stories of ardent FIFA World Cup fans in the run-up to the 2022 edition, which will be held in Qatar from 20 November to 18 December.

    The programming on Sports18-1 and JioCinema began with FIFA World Cup 2022: Road To Qatar, a 16-episode show profiling the 32 teams qualified for the World Cup. Through shows like Football Goal’D Super 16 and The Fantastic Lives of Footballers, the build-up programming includes the on-field and off-field exploits of World Cup superstars such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Neymar Jr., Kylian Mbappe, and many more.

    Viacom18 Sports will provide a platform for die-hard football fans by producing original content. Flavours of Football in India will take viewers through unheard and extraordinary fan stories from the country’s football hotbeds. Football Adda, a Bengali chat show centred on the FIFA World Cup, will give state fans a platform to support their favourite teams and players.

    Viacom18 Sports content head Siddharth Sharma said, “The FIFA World Cup is a total communal experience, and we want to offer content that brings everyone across the country together to enjoy the world’s greatest show.”

    He further said, “Our programming across five languages will cater to a wider audience and complement the never-seen-before extensive live coverage of the event on JioCinema, which is now available to download for all telecom subscribers.”

    The likes of Patrick Kluivert, R Ashwin, Yuvraj Singh, Jonty Rhodes, Shane Bond, Scott Styris, Brad Hodge, and Chirag Shetty, among others, recall their favourite FIFA World Cup moments in Hero Speak for sports fans to enjoy. All of the captivating content will be spread across JioCinema, Sports18 – 1 SD & HD, and Sports18 Khel.

    The pre-game and post-game shows on the Viacom 18 Sports network will also feature well-known World Cup heroes and provide an in-depth preview and analysis of all 64 games. All viewers can watch the global marquee competition on JioCinema from 20 November through 18 December, inclusive. Sports18 – 1 SD & HD and Sports18 Khel will both be broadcast on TV.

  • Viacom18 Sports launches ‘Isse Bada Kuch Nahi’ campaign for FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022

    Viacom18 Sports launches ‘Isse Bada Kuch Nahi’ campaign for FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022

    Mumbai: The FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 campaign “Isse Bada Kuch Nahi” was launched by Viacom18 Sports. The promotion, which was developed to heighten anticipation for the opening of the show, is now active on television and online.

    All of the matches will be live streamed on JioCinema, which is currently accessible for download for all telecom service subscribers. It will also provide specially selected content related to the FIFA World Cup in Qatar in 2022. From 20 November to 18 December, all viewers will be able to watch the competition on the pay-TV channels Sports18, 1 SD and HD.

    Ogilvy developed and conceptualised the campaign film, which tells the story of a fun heist carried out by a group of football fans at a world-famous puppet show in a carnival. A large audience has gathered to watch the puppet show. As the football fans seize the show, a shrill whistle interrupts the act. Enter the puppets of superstars Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar Jr, Harry Kane, and Kylian Mbappe, who take over the act with an exhilarating display of skills, capturing the audience in the thrill of the world’s most beautiful sport.

    The film aims to excite viewers and fans by capturing the euphoria and carnival atmosphere that a football World Cup brings. Viacom18 Sports announces, using a puppet show as a metaphor, that no show entertains fans and connects with the community as passionately as the FIFA World Cup.

    A Viacom18 Sports spokesperson said, “We want everyone in the country to experience the infectious energy that comes with the world’s most watched sporting event, the FIFA World Cup, and enjoy this tournament like never before. Our campaign reflects the celebration that comes with the event and the intrinsic power it possesses to enthral one and all.”

    “With Isse Bada Kuch Nahi, we aim to spark uncontainable excitement and urge everyone to download JioCinema, now available to all telecom subscribers, to experience the World Cup like never before,” he added.

    “FIFA World Cup is the biggest entertainment spectacle in the world. Our campaign, “Isse Bada Kuch Nahi,” brings to life this football fever that’s about to capture the hearts of the country and the world by taking over every other form of entertainment,” said Ogilvy India chief creative officer Sukesh Nayak. “Brought to life by puppets of the most loved football stars, this fun takeover idea will surely have the World Cup fans tuning in for all the upcoming entertainment.”

    For the FIFA World Cup in Qatar in 2022, JioCinema will provide multiple language feeds, including Tamil, Malayalam, and Bengali. The campaign will also include short edits urging fans to watch the World Cup in these languages and emphasising how the world’s greatest sporting spectacle will be free to all.

    The JioCinema app, which includes access to Viacom18 Sports’ portfolio of live and non-live programming, is now available for download for all telecom service subscribers and devices, including iOS and Android, and includes access to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. The 64-match showcase will feature live 4K streaming, a first for the FIFA World Cup presentation in India on JioCinema.

  • Harbhajan Singh and Mithali Raj play cricket with school children

    Harbhajan Singh and Mithali Raj play cricket with school children

    Mumbai: Students at Raje Shivaji Vidyalay in Dharavi, Mumbai, were given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity when cricket legends Harbhajan Singh and Mithali Raj visited their school on Wednesday. The veterans spent a fun-filled morning with the school children at the special event organised by Disney Star in collaboration with Yuva Unstoppable.

    The duo, who are part of the Star Sports commentary panel for the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, played cricket with the kids and gave them real-time game insights.  

    The students had a memorable day because an exciting game of cricket was followed by a heart-to-heart conversation with their favorite heroes.

    Former Team India spinner Harbhajan Singh said, “I would like to thank Disney Star, along with Yuva Unstoppable, who gave me the opportunity to come here and spend quality time to play cricket with these children. Whenever we meet with kids, the happiness and smiles we see on their faces, is the real victory in life. Today, their day was made along with mine.”

    Former India Women’s captain Mithali Raj said, “Today was a surreal experience and it was amazing to interact with some talented students at Dharavi. I had a lot of fun playing and even shared a few cricket tips with them. Our country has plenty of talent, both girls and boys, and such kind of events will only inspire them to excel and work hard in everything that they want to do. Today was a special day which I will remember for a long time!”

    For over two years, Disney Star has been associated with Yuva Unstoppable for the School Transformation Program. Disney Star has so far transformed 40 schools across the country.  

    The program will enhance government-run schools by renovating the school campus, thereby encouraging students to continue their education. Sanitation (separate toilets for boys and girls), improved access to water (separate drinking and dishwashing areas), making the school building brighter, educational paintings, smart classrooms, rainwater harvesting, providing tablets for digital learning, equipping science labs, and more are some of the key areas of this intervention.

  • Viacom18 Sports ropes in Bollywood star Ranveer Singh for NBA campaign

    Viacom18 Sports ropes in Bollywood star Ranveer Singh for NBA campaign

    Mumbai: Viacom18 Sports, India’s newest premier sports network, has launched its 2022–23 NBA season ad campaign, “Morning Time Is Baller Time,” headlined by Bollywood star Ranveer Singh. Streaming now across all Viacom18 Sports’ digital and social media platforms, the film draws energy and excitement from the actor’s love for the NBA and celebrates the return of the basketball league live on Sports18 (SD & HD), MTV (SD & HD), and JioCinema.

    The film opens with Singh blissfully calling it a night with a rooster in tow. As the sun rays hit Singh’s face, the rooster cackles aloud, alarms go off, and the super fan in Singh swiftly slips into his baller threads and sneakers to catch the high-octane NBA action, signalling “Morning Time Is Baller Time.”

    “As an avid basketball fan and the NBA Brand Ambassador for India, it’s a pleasure to be a part of the new campaign for the 2022–23 NBA season. With the season having tipped off in high gear, the film “Morning Time Is Baller Time” aptly brings to life the excitement and energy surrounding the NBA,” said Singh.

    “Morning Time Is Baller Time” reinforces our proposition that mornings are best enjoyed watching the incredible action from the NBA on Sports18 1 and JioCinema, and who better than the effervescent resident NBA fan Ranveer Singh to reiterate this and celebrate the start of what promises to be yet another exciting season. We are focused on expanding and elevating our NBA offerings this season and taking them to a broader audience,” said Viacom18 Sports head of content Siddharth Sharma.

    “Viacom18 Sports provides NBA fans in India with unparalleled access to follow and watch their favourite teams and players in Hindi and English. We look forward to continuing our collaboration as we engage both new and existing fans throughout the country and bring them closer to the game by offering a wide range of NBA programming to sports, lifestyle, and youth audiences,” said NBA India business head for global content and media distribution Sunny Malik.

    In its endeavour to engage viewers through the season, Viacom18 Sports’ NBA offerings include a mix of live and non-live programming across all their platforms, including more games after 7 a.m. Coverage features live games each week and the league’s marquee events, including the NBA All-Star Game, the NBA Play-In Tournament, the NBA Playoffs, and the NBA Finals. The 2022–23 season tipped off on Sports18 1, MTV SD & HD, and JioCinema on 19 October, with the defending champion Golden State Warriors defeating the Los Angeles Lakers 123-109.

    JioCinema live-streams one game every morning in English and Hindi, and Sports18 1 and MTV will continue to broadcast select live games every week through the season in English and Hindi, respectively. The JioCinema app is available to download for all telecom service subscribers and across devices on iOS and Android, with access to Viacom18 Sports’ portfolio of live and non-live programming.

    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. Fans in India can also follow the NBA on Facebook (Facebook.com/NBAIndia), Instagram (@NBAIndia) and Twitter (@NBAIndia) and download the NBA App for the latest news, updates, scores, stats, schedules, and videos.

  • vivo Pro Kabaddi League launches PKL unplugged

    vivo Pro Kabaddi League launches PKL unplugged

    Mumbai: Pro Kabaddi League has decided to take fan engagement to the next level during the ongoing vivo PKL Season 9.

    With this, kabaddi lovers will get a special insight into the lives and minds of their favourite vivo PKL stars off the mat in the League’s new digital property – vivo PKL Unplugged.

     

     
     
     

     
     
     
     
     

     
     

     
     
     

     
     

    A post shared by Pro Kabaddi (@prokabaddi)

     

    Exclusively available on the vivo PKL app and the website, vivo PKL unplugged will consist of several exciting segments such as the Ultimate Panga Fan, Mazedaar Panga, Coach ki Soch and Rapid Fire Raid.

    The Ultimate Panga Fan series will provide a never-before opportunity for kabaddi fans to express their love for their favourite teams and players, while, the stars will also be seen entertaining the fans through trending challenges and snappy rapid fires. In addition, kabaddi fans will get a chance to hear from all 12 Head Coaches about the nitty-gritties of coaching and their side of the story.

    Speaking about the launch of PKL Unplugged, Vivo Pro Kabaddi League, league commissioner and Mashal Sports head sports leagues Anupam Goswami said, “With increasing ascriptive stature of PKL athletes, we realise that fans want to see and engage with their PKL heroes beyond the mat as well.  That’s why vivo PKL Unplugged is a special initiative for us as this will give the fans a brilliant chance to get to know the persona behind the superstars that they are. This is a new journey for us and we will keep looking to come up with out-of-the-box initiatives for our fans in the future.”

    The ongoing Season 9 of the vivo Pro Kabaddi League was launched at the Shree Kanteerava Indoor Stadium, Bengaluru on 7 October and was conducted there till 26 October, after which the League moved to the Shree Shivchhatrapati Sports Complex, Balewadi, Pune on 28 October. The third leg of the tournament will be held at the Gachibowli Indoor Stadium, Hyderabad from 18 November to 10 December before the playoffs and the final.

  • Volleyball World announces to stream the RuPay Prime Volleyball League globally

    Volleyball World announces to stream the RuPay Prime Volleyball League globally

    Mumbai: As season two of the RuPay Prime Volleyball League powered by A23 approaches, Indian volleyball is set to go global.

    Powered by A23, the RuPay Prime Volleyball League has signed a multi-year deal with the leading global streaming website, Volleyball World, as international streaming partners. Along with existing host broadcast partners, Sony Sports Network, who will be broadcasting season two of the Prime Volleyball League in the Indian subcontinent, the entire season will also be available on Volleyball World globally to showcase India’s elite talent. The Prime Volleyball League is co-owned and exclusively marketed by sports marketing firm, Baseline Ventures.

    Launched in 2021, Volleyball World, a product of a partnership between the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) and CVC Capital Partners, is aimed at driving growth, innovation, and investment in volleyball around the globe with a key focus on bringing the global volleyball community together. The association with Volleyball World will offer a golden opportunity for Indian volleyball players to showcase their skills and talent across the world. It will also help the Indian fans to get access to top global volleyball events, which will further help in increasing the sport’s popularity in the country.

    Speaking on the partnership, Volleyball World CEO Finn Taylor said, “We are delighted to associate ourselves with the Prime Volleyball League. The standard of volleyball that we saw in India has made us extremely optimistic about the future of the sport. We believe volleyball fans around the world will be pleasantly surprised to see the passion for the sport in India. We see this as an enduring partnership to build the world’s most popular family sport in one of its largest markets.”

    Baseline Ventures MD & co-founder Tuhin Mishra said, “We are thrilled with our multi-year partnership with Volleyball World, which has already established itself as the go-to platform for global volleyball fans across the world. We truly believe in our country’s volleyball stars and we cannot wait for the world to appreciate the talent that is present today in the country. The partnership with the global body of volleyball, Volleyball World, will help us in accessing the best global practises in the sport, which will help in nurturing and grooming the youngsters in the country.”

    Volleyball World was launched in order to drive innovation, growth, and investment in volleyball around the globe. It has grown to become the commercial entity for the sport around the world for FIVB. Volleyball World is already working alongside top volleyball leagues and federations in the world with the goal of increasing the profile and popularity of the sport through fresh investment for the benefit of fans, players, and national federations.

    Volleyball is the fourth most popular sport globally, with more than 800 million fans and high participation across attractive markets, including Italy, Brazil, Japan, Poland, China, and the US. Volleyball was the most watched sport at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, with 2.6 billion viewer hours globally. Even during the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, indoor volleyball was among the most viewed sports in India.

     

  • Rishab Gulshan of BCCL passes away in a road accident

    Rishab Gulshan of BCCL passes away in a road accident

    Mumbai: Bennett Coleman and Co Ltd (BCCL) head of group strategy and digital growth Rishab Gulshan, has passed away in a road accident, wherein he was riding a bike on the Delhi-Jaipur highway in Rewari, Haryana.

    Rishab had joined the BCCL group in 2019, prior to which he was working with Boston Consulting Group (BCG) leading their Telecom, Media and Technology (TMT) practice in India. At the time of joining BCCL, his role was known to be that of handling the digital transformation initiatives across the group’s companies.

    An IIM Bengaluru graduate and with approximately two decades of experience in business growth and transformation, he had worked with global marquee technology companies including telecom companies, IT/BPO/engineering service providers, mobile devices and services companies, software players, and a variety of start-ups. 

    Rishab Gulshan’s family lives abroad, and also has an 11 -year -old son. They have been informed about his death.

  • Hero Indian Super League returns to Kolkata after two years

    Hero Indian Super League returns to Kolkata after two years

    Mumbai: Hero Indian Super League 2022-23 returns to Kolkata after a hiatus of two years. With this, fans will yet again witness live football action, cheering for their teams as they grind it out for glory. Star Sports Network, Disney+ Hotstar and Jio TV will carry the show from 7 October 2022, at 7.30 p.m. onwards.

    ATK Mohun Bagan and East Bengal will face each other in the Hero ISL for the first time in front of fans in Kolkata. To celebrate the excitement and passion of football fans across West Bengal, Football Sports Development Limited has unveiled another emotional campaign film for the vociferous football fans of West Bengal.

    The campaign film cinematically highlights the rivalry between fans of ATK Mohun Bagan and East Bengal, as chants of ‘Chol Chol Chol’ echo on the streets of West Bengal. Fans across generations, along with legends of the two clubs, gather on the streets in support of their favourite team by donning their jerseys. The promo film also features Sourav Ganguly as the biggest cheerleader, encouraging the fans of both teams to take Bengal football to greater heights with their support. With the streets filled with the colours of ATK Mohun Bagan and East Bengal, the campaign film symbolises a legendary battle that will take place in this year’s Hero ISL.