ITV

Category: Sports

  • Viacom18 partners with LaLiga, MTV India to exclusively air the Spanish league in India

    Viacom18 partners with LaLiga, MTV India to exclusively air the Spanish league in India

    New Delhi: Viacom18 Media’s flagship youth brand MTV has teamed up with LaLiga to bring the Spanish Football League exclusively to the Indian subcontinent for the next three years. The exclusive partnership will give the network linear and digital rights across the Indian subcontinent.

    Enabled and supported by Rise Worldwide, LaLiga will air exclusively on MTV in India, along with select national and regional network channels and live-streamed on Voot & Jio platforms, the network announced on Monday.

    Consumption and following of football in India have consistently increased over the past decade, especially amongst the youth. Currently in its 91st season, the iconic league is one of the most followed football leagues across the world and is home to Europe’s finest talent and football clubs including Atlético Madrid, Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, amongst others.

    MTV is a popular destination for youth entertainment and content in India with a strong affinity with its young-at-heart viewers. Given the following that Football currently enjoys in India, Viacom18 and MTV are committed to building a wholesome entertainment-driven ecosystem centred around LaLiga, in a bid to further augment the fandom of the game, said the media conglomerate in a statement.

    Speaking about the association LaLiga, executive director, Oscar Mayo said, “We are excited to partner with Viacom18 (MTV India) and further bolster the LaLiga fandom to an ever-growing football fan base in India. Having set one of the highest standards of football globally and India gaining tremendous momentum, we are confident that we will reach and engage with the youthful audience that MTV as a destination appeals to.”

    Speaking about LaLiga on MTV, business head – Youth, Music and English Entertainment, Anshul Ailawadi said, “We at MTV have always known that football enjoys a groundswell of support amongst young-at-heart Indians. The LaLiga in particular, is a cultural phenomenon all over the World. When the folks from RISE Worldwide introduced us to the LaLiga team, we realized that this was a partnership waiting to happen – the vision was common, the vibes were good, and we quickly put pen to paper.”

    LaLiga will commence on 13 August and will see Viacom18 put the network’s might behind building reach and resonance for the league amongst Indian viewers. Viacom18 will connect with the football fans through a massive marketing and communications campaign, further building the fandom and outreach for LaLiga in India.

    “MTV’s extensive social media and digital clout will ensure that LaLiga engages fans through a multi-platform approach, potentially making football a part of dinner-table conversations across Indian homes and further widen MTV and Viacom18’s offering to its viewers,” said the channel.

  • Over 48 million viewers tuned into SPSN to watch UEFA EURO 2020

    Over 48 million viewers tuned into SPSN to watch UEFA EURO 2020

    New Delhi: The UEFA EURO 2020 continues to captivate sports fans across the country. The sporting extravaganza has been watched by as many as 48 million viewers on its official broadcaster Sony Pictures Sports Network (SPSN), the network announced on Friday.

    The viewership figures are for the network’s entire coverage of the first 36 matches of the tournament from 11 to 25 June.

    According to the data (Source: TG: CS 2+, All India U+R) shared by the network, Portugal vs Germany on 19 June (Saturday) was the most watched match of the week in the tournament with ten million viewers. The defending champion Portugal led by Cristiano Ronaldo was defeated by 4-2 in the match in the group stage despite the ace player’s goal and an assist. This group was also touted by fans as ‘Group of death’ with current world champion France in it.

    The second most watched match this week was Italy vs Wales on 20 June (Sunday) which clocked 8.1 million viewers. Italy completed their Group A fixtures defeating Wales by 1-0, continuing its winning streak in the tournament.

    The regional feed of the network was also watched by fans with equal enthusiasm. The Hindi feed for Live matches was been watched by 14 million viewers across the country (TG: CS 2+, All India U+R). While the Malayalam and Bengali feed on SONY SIX channels were watched by seven million viewers across Kerala and West Bengal (TG: CS 2+, Kerala and WB U+R).

    The UEFA EURO 2020 is being telecast by SPSN in six languages across India: English, Hindi, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam. The tournament is LIVE on Sony Ten 2, Sony Ten 3, Sony Six and Sony Ten 4 channels and is also being livestreamed on SonyLIV.

     

  • SPSN launches ‘Hum Honge Kamyab’ ahead of 2020 Tokyo Olympics

    SPSN launches ‘Hum Honge Kamyab’ ahead of 2020 Tokyo Olympics

    Mumbai: As the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 gathers momentum with only 20 days to the start, Sony Pictures Sports Network (SPSN), along with many luminaries from diverse fields, undertakes a ‘Best Wishes Initiative’ to rally the support of the nation for the Indian contingent. 

    As a part of its ‘Hum Honge Kamyab’ campaign, SPSN has put together a series of videos on-air and on their social media platforms led by many eminent personalities sending their best wishes to the Indian contingent for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. The campaign has been conceptualised and created in-house by the SPSN team.

    The broadcaster has collaborated with the ministry of youth affairs and sports as well as many other eminent personalities. Joining the brigade are minister of state (I/C) youth affairs and sports Kiren Rijiju, chief of Defence Staff and chairman chief of Staff Committee General Bipin Rawat, and Sony Pictures Networks India MD & CEO N.P. Singh, along with Rana Daggubati, Anupam Kher, Yuvraj Singh, Boman Irani, Farhan Akhtar, Sonakshi Sinha, Johnny Lever, Ali Fazal, Adille Sumariwala, Arshad Warsi, Pullela Gopichand, Vijender Singh, Anjali Bhagwat, Parth Jindal, Harsha Bhogle, Sudha Murthy, Shankar Mahadevan, Anurag Basu, and many more to catalyse the Olympics momentum in the nation for the landmark event.

    SPSN will launch ‘India’s Quest for Gold with Kiren Rijiju’, a special interview with the MoS (I/C) Youth Affairs and Sports, starting 3 July at 6.30 pm (IST) on SONY SIX and SONY TEN 3 channels. Hosted by anchor, Ridhima Pathak, the minister will talk about the impact of the pandemic, athletes preparing through online training in the past year, TOPS (Target Olympic Podium Scheme) with Junior TOPS and the Indian sporting, the viability of hosting the Olympic Games in the future, the 2026 Youth Olympics, his favorite Olympic moment, the role of Sony Pictures Networks in supporting the Olympic movement and much more.

     
    SPSN has also produced a seven-episode series titled “The Torchbearers” which showcases the known and unknown stories of our Olympians. The series will feature athletes like Neeraj Chopra, Bhavani Devi, Manu Bhaker, Abhishek Verma, Tejinder Toor, and many more. The series will be available to watch every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday starting 9 July from 12.30 pm (IST) on SONY SIX, SONY TEN 1 and SONY TEN 3 channels.

    SPSN will also launch a mega contest ‘Sony Ten Medal of Glory’ starting 3 July. The contest will be launched Kiren Rijiju and it will feature 20 questions across 20 days, leading to the start of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. It aims to generate conversations among the Olympics fan community as well as to gratify the select few winners.

    Speaking about the campaign, Kiren Rijiju said, “I am very happy that as official broadcasters of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, Sony Pictures Networks India, has created specialized programming to support and motivate Indian athletes. ‘The Hum Honge Kamyab’ campaign is a wonderful initiative to galvanize icons from all walks of life to rally behind the Indian contingent. The Government of India has also launched the #Cheer4India campaign envisioned by PM Narendra Modi, through which we are conducting various activities across the country to create awareness about our athletes and to garner support for them. With the combined effort of all stakeholders, I am sure that as a nation we will be able to create an atmosphere of enthusiasm that will truly energise our athletes to give their best at Tokyo.”

    N.P. Singh said, “The Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 is one of the biggest sporting events across the globe and while every Indian knows about the stature of the tournament, few are aware about the athletes who represent our country. We are delighted that our campaign, ‘Hum Honge Kamyab’ has received such an overwhelming response. Our attempt is to convey our best wishes to the Indian contingent and are looking forward to a splendid performance at Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.”

    Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 will be telecast LIVE on SONY TEN 1, SONY TEN 2, SONY TEN 3, SONY TEN 4, and SONY SIX channels, between 23 July and 8 August.

  • SPSN onboards 15 advertisers for India’s Sri Lanka tour

    New Delhi: The Men in Blue are all set to return on Sony Pictures Sports Network (SPSN) as the countdown begins for the India tour of Sri Lanka. The much-awaited cricket series with three ODIs and three T20s is all set to begin on 13 July. 

    The series will be aired in India LIVE in four languages: SONY TEN 1 and SONY SIX in English, SONY TEN 3 in Hindi, and on the newly launched SONY TEN 4 in Tamil and Telugu from 1.30 pm as well as live-streamed on its on-demand OTT platform SonyLIV.

    The network has roped in as many as 15 advertisers so far, which includes Byju’s, Pan Bahar, Amazon Prime, 99 acres.com, Cars 24, Oppo, Tata Motors, Raj Niwas, Vimal, Kent, Unacademy, Housing.com, Policy Bazaar, Paisa Bazaar, and Dafa News. “The network is in the process of closing more brands before the start of the first ODI on 13 July,” it said on Wednesday.

    SPSN will be back with its flagship studio show Extraaa Innings in English and Hindi. The LIVE studio show in English will be presented by former players like Sanjay Manjrekar, Ajit Agarkar, and Ajay Jadeja along with Matt Floyd while the Hindi studio show will be presented by former cricketers – Mohammad Kaif, Vivek Razdan, Amit Mishra, Saba Karim along with Arjun Pandit. The Tamil commentary box will feature Laxman Sivaramakrishnan, WV Raman, Vidhyut Sivaramakrishnan, T Arasu, and S Seshadri while the Telugu commentary will be presented by Venkatapathy Raju, Gnaneshwar Rao, C Venkatesh, RJ Hemanth, Sandeep Kuma,r and Vijay Mahavadi.

    Led by former India captain Rahul Dravid who will step in as coach, this will be the first time two senior Indian men’s teams play bilateral series simultaneously. Shikhar Dhawan will captain the young side while Bhuvneshwar Kumar will be the vice-captain in the three-match ODI and T20I series against Sri Lanka.

    Devdutt Padikkal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Nitish Rana, Krishnappa Gowtham, and Chetan Sakariya are likely to receive their maiden Indian cap in ODIs and T20Is and will have the experience of seasoned players like Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav and more by their side as all eyes will be on the performance and future of the Indian Cricket Team.

    SPSN has also launched the #JeetneKiZid campaign that depicts the #HungerToWin or #JeetneKiZid of the Indian Brigade, who are ready to give their all to emerge victorious in Sri Lanka. The campaign calls all Indian cricket fans to show their support and cheer for their home team as the young squad is very determined to emerge victorious in Sri Lanka. 

  • Kabaddi Adda unveils new mental health campaign ‘Mann Ki Jeet’

    Kolkata: In wake of recent events propelled by the Covid-19 pandemic, Kabaddi Adda has launched its new mental health campaign to build a greater support system for the player community at the grassroots.

    The campaign ‘Mann Ki Jeet’, has been supported by the biggest names in kabaddi including, the Indian Kabaddi Team former captain Ajay Thakur, along with the award-winning national players like BC Ramesh, Ashok Shinde, Rishank Devadiga, current Indian captain Deepak Niwas Hooda, veteran Dharmaraj Cheralathan and Dronacharya Awardee coach Rambir Singh Khokhar, alongside the CEOs of the Pro Kabaddi League.

    NIMHANS Bangalore, former dean and senior professor of Psychiatry, Dr. Santosh Kumar Chaturvedi, and other prominent doctors will also be on board.

    The campaign, which has three closed-door sessions, will be accessible to everyone and primarily be hosted in Hindi and is aimed at the Kabaddi players.

    As part of this initiative, special invites have also been extended to players and coaches from 90+ academies (800+ players) who qualified to participate in the upcoming K7 Kabaddi tournament.

    Attendees will also get a chance to ask questions while gaining valuable insights and suggestions from the experts and professional Kabaddi players that share their learnings and experiences.

    “I too have been suffering from anxiety and depression since the pandemic,” shares the ace kabaddi player and one of the leading voices of the initiative, Ajay Thakur. “I would now like to help young players participating in the K7 tournament realise their mental health issues and work around the same. This has been a hard time for all of us and I’m truly hoping that the upcoming events will rescue us from this dry run.”

    He also adds, “I’m so glad to see so many kabaddi community leaders coming together and joining forces to take up the cause to help the Kabaddi players’ ecosystem.”

    The sessions will be available on Kabaddi Adda as episodic pieces for subscribers of the platform. Edited excerpts of these conversations will also be available on its official social platforms.

  • Star Sports’ customer strategy and marketing lead Nupur Gadkari moves on

    Mumbai: Nupur Gadkari, the head – customer strategy and marketing at Star Sports, on Monday announced her departure from the organisation. She had been associated with the company since December 2018.

    As the lead, Nupur was at the forefront of the customer marketing and strategy across all sports (Cricket, Kabbadi, Tennis, Football, Badminton, Premier League, Formula One, Khelo India, etc), including various marketing initiatives for customers – agencies, brands, and advertisers for the channel.

    “Farewells are never easy. While a part of you bids goodbye, the other part often re-lives innumerable moments spent together as a team, delivering exceptional work,” she said in a LinkedIn post announcing her exit, “My super amazing, awesome team at #starsports gave me an unforgettable farewell. From bosses to super bosses. Peers to team members, everyone made an effort to look the part and enthusiastically participate in a ‘Boy Band’ Theme. The evening was filled with fun and laughter, a ‘How well do we know Nupur’ quiz, videos, and messages from people I’ve worked with on some amazing projects.”

    Nupur is a creative marketing professional with close to 14 years of experience in the field. Before Star Sports, her professional stints include Castrol (BP), Mattel, IMG Worldwide, Ernst & Young, and Percept.

  • Roland Garros ‘21: Djokovic vs Tsitsipas final becomes highest-rated Grand Slam match since 2018

    Mumbai: Roland Garros 2021 generated huge excitement among fans, who stayed hooked to their screens as the stars battled to leave their mark of greatness on the clay courts in Paris. The epic final between eventual champion Novak Djokovic and Greece sensation Stefanos Tsitsipas, who played his first-ever Grand Slam final, became the highest-rated match across Grand Slams on the Star Sports network since 2018, said the channel on Saturday.

    The thrilling encounter on June 13 (Sunday) recorded 84,000 Average Minutes Attendance (AMA, in M15+ AB), while the entire tournament garnered 0.47 billion viewing minutes, it said in a statement.

    Djokovic made a stunning comeback in the final, putting behind the challenge by fifth seed Tsitsipas to win the summit clash 6-7 (6), 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 and lift his 19th Grand Slam trophy. The victory also sealed a historic feat for the Serbian, making him the first player in the Open Era – and only the third player in history (male) – to achieve the career Grand Slam twice.

    Djokovic’s latest Slam title also reduces the gap on 20-time champions Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal at the top of the list for most major men’s singles titles.

    The focus now shifts to the grass courts at Wimbledon 2021, where Djokovic remains the favourite to defend his crown, and Federer will look to extend his Wimbledon record. The tournament will be broadcast LIVE & Exclusive on Star Sports Select from 28 June to 11 July.

  • UEFA Euro 2020: 37 million viewers watched the first 21 matches on SPSN

    Mumbai: The football fever is sweeping the world and India is no different. The UEFA Euro 2020 has performed well in terms of ratings on TV with 37 million viewers tuning in to Sony Pictures Sports Network (SPSN) to watch the entire coverage of the first 21 matches of the tournament in the group stage from 11 to 18 June. The total viewership rating is the culmination of BARC, All India, CS2+, Cumulative reach of LIVE matches, wraparound shows, highlights, and repeats on SPSN.

    In terms of average Impressions, viewership for Euro 2020 is almost three times (BARC, All India Urban+ Rural, CS 2+, LIVE match) the viewership of UEFA EURO 2016, it said in a statement.

    The Hindi audio feed for the LIVE matches has been watched by close to 12 million viewers across the country to date. Whereas the Malayalam and Bengali audio feed recorded close to six million viewers on Sony Six.

    The most-watched game to date has been Hungary vs Portugal, and Denmark vs Belgium was the second, witnessed by 8.5 million and 7.5 million viewers, respectively.

    The massive viewership of Euro 2020 in the group stages is evidence of cricket-frenzy country’s appreciation for one of the biggest footballing spectacles of Europe currently underway on SPSN.

    Fans can watch UEFA Euro 2020 LIVE on SONY Ten 2, SONY Ten 3, SONY Six, and SONY Ten 4 chanchannel

  • Star Sports Select celebrates Wimbledon’s return with new promo

    KOLKATA: Star Sports Select, the official broadcaster of the premier Grand Slam event has launched a promo #GreatnessResumes that brings to the fore how the toughest setbacks lead to the greatest comeback. Wimbledon 2021 will be live and exclusive on Star Sports Select from 28 June- 11 July, 3:30 PM onwards.

    Wimbledon was cancelled last year, for the first time since the Second World War, due to the pandemic. However, this year’s men’s and women’s singles final will be played with full capacity crowds in attendance on Centre Court, while the tournament will begin with 50 per cent capacity across the grounds, the AELTC announced.

    Star and Disney India sports head Sanjog Gupta said, “Wimbledon is the most revered of all Grand Slams with rich history and strong appeal amongst fans. Through #GreatnessResumes, we look to further the excitement for the return of this iconic championship after two years. Fans are eagerly anticipating the return of Federer, Serena, and Djokovic along with the new generation of top players, to the grass at AELTC. And with history at stake, the occasion has assumed greater proportions, which fans can experience on SS Select.”

    Federer, who left the clay courts at Paris midway, will hope to make a strong return, and extend his winning record at Wimbledon. World No. three Rafael Nadal pulled out of The Championships and the following Tokyo Olympics to prolong his career. The Spaniard, who lost to eventual champion Novak Djokovic at the French Open, said that that the two-week gap between Roland Garros and Wimbledon “didn’t make it easier on my body to recuperate after the always demanding clay-court season”.

    Nadal’s absence now puts the World No. one Serbian in a prime position to notch up another title-winning run at London. Djokovic will draw level with Federer and Rafael Nadal on 20 Grand Slam singles titles if he retains his Wimbledon crown.

    Meanwhile, in the women’s field, veteran Serena Williams along with World No. one Ashleigh Barty will be the cynosure of all eyes. World No. three Simona Halep, and two-time champion in London, Petra Kvitova will also be of key interest to fans as they could pose tough competition to their opponents. In a big delight for Indian tennis fans, superstar Sania Mirza, who has not played on tour since the WTA 1000 Dubai Open in March, returns to action in the doubles event. 

  • SPN secures dynamic John Doe injunction to protect copyright of India’s upcoming series

    New Delhi: Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) has secured a Dynamic John Doe injunction order from the Delhi high court to protect infringement of copyrights for two of the upcoming international cricketing series.

    The order applies to India–Sri Lanka Men’s International Series in July 2021 and the India–England Men’s International Series in August and September 2021. The Dynamic John Doe will shield SPN from unlawful and unauthorized dissemination of IPs on the internet and other social media platforms.

    The injunction order restrains Internet Service Providers (ISPs), cable operators and websites from carrying content that violates SPN’s copyright in the broadcast and digital transmission rights for the cricketing series. With the Dynamic injunction, if SPN finds that other ISPs and websites are violating its copyrights, it can obtain an injunction against them also. Besides, to combat piracy on the ground, the court has appointed two local commissioners to ascertain and report to the court whether the Multi-System Operators (MSOs) and Local Cable Operators (LCOs), are distributing or transmitting the cricketing events illegally.

    SPN has acquired from the England and Wales Cricket Board Limited (ECB) as well as from Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) an exclusive license to broadcast in the territories of India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar and the Maldives for the India Tour of England 2021 and worldwide, excluding Sri Lanka, for the India Tour of Sri Lanka 2021.

    The matches will be available on SPN’s linear channels SONY TEN 1, SONY TEN 1 HD, SONY TEN 3, SONY TEN 3 HD, SONY TEN 4, SONY TEN 4 HD, SONY SIX, SONY SIX HD and its digital platform SonyLIV.