ITV

Category: Sports

  • Star Sports to air 2021 NBA playoffs, finals for fans in India

    Star Sports to air 2021 NBA playoffs, finals for fans in India

    New Delhi: The National Basketball Association (NBA) announced that Star Sports will broadcast the 2021 NBA Playoffs and the finals for fans in India. The playoffs will witness 16 teams including the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers compete to win the Larry O’Brien Trophy.

    Star Sports will air the entire Conference Finals and the finals in July as well as a weekly selection of games throughout the first two rounds of the NBA Playoffs, live on Star Sports Select. The coverage, which tipped off 23 May, will also feature daily highlights from the 2020-21 NBA season and classic NBA content, said the channel on Monday.

    “We are delighted to collaborate with Star Sports to provide the excitement of the NBA Playoffs to millions of fans across India,” said NBA India head of global content and media distribution, Sunny Malik. “As we embark on another highly anticipated postseason, fans in India can watch the best players in the world compete for the championship on the country’s leading sports broadcaster.”

    The NBA is a global sports and media business built around four professional sports leagues: the National Basketball Association, the Women’s National Basketball Association, the NBA G League and the NBA 2K League. 

  • Vivo IPL to recommence in UAE in Sep-October

    Vivo IPL to recommence in UAE in Sep-October

    MUMBAI: The world’s most valued cricket league – the Vivo Indian Premier League (IPL) is set to make a comeback (and continue from where it left off early May) in September-October 2021 in the United Arab Emirates. This was announced by The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah through a press release a short while ago.

    The decision was taken, Shah revealed, because “the monsoon season in India (is still in place) in the months of September-October this year.”

    It may be recalled that the Vivo IPL 2021 had to be aborted following three cricketers getting infected by the novel coronavirus, despite strict bio bubbles being in place. At that time, India had just started reporting global world-record-setting Covid-19 infections as the pandemic’s second wave gathered pace.

    The decision was taken at the special general meeting (SGM) held virtually, where members unanimously agreed to resume the IPL. India is all set to play a five-match test series against England, and it is speculated that the T20 series will commence immediately after the tour ends.

    The BCCI SGM on Saturday further authorised its office bearers to seek an extension of time from the ICC to take an appropriate call on the hosting of ICC T20 World Cup 2021.

    IPL’s comeback is a welcome one for the broadcaster Disney Star India, advertisers, and agencies who were left twiddling their thumbs when a decision was taken to pull down the curtains on the tournament because of the negative Covid-19 sentiments and burgeoning deaths due to the pandemic in India.

    Advertisers – who had signed for the IPL which was to end this month – were given the first right of refusal to their deals with Disney Star India when the tournament’s recommencement dates would be announced.

  • Sony Sports strike a chord with its latest campaign ‘Sirf Sony Pe Dikhega’

    Sony Sports strike a chord with its latest campaign ‘Sirf Sony Pe Dikhega’

    MUMBAI: To highlight all the delightful and adrenaline-pumping offerings that the Sony Sports Pack has on offer, the brand has come out with a new film.

    Aimed at driving the Sony Sports Pack subscription, the latest campaign from Sony Sports highlights the consumer delight that Sony Sports brings about with its diverse offerings throughout the day, all year long. The short video humorously drives in the message that a Sony Sports pack is as essential to a happy family as roti, kapda aur makaan!

    The film juxtaposes two neighbouring families – The sporty Gupta Family, which is led by the renowned actor Ranvir Shorey and the not-so-sporty Mehta Family, which is led by the accomplished actor, Deven Bhojani- and the difference Sony Sports brings about in their lives.

    Through a series of quirky slice-of-life situations, the contrast between the Gupta Family, which has subscribed to Sony Sports Channels and the Mehta Family which hasn’t taken the subscription is brought to the fore.

    Where the Gupta family always has something to look forward to & celebrate together, the Mehta Family is shown to have a drab existence, always wondering at the source of their neighbours’ constant merry making.

    The film concludes with Guptaji excitedly reciting the fully-loaded product offerings of Sony Sports which keep his family enthralled, all day long, namely: WWE, UEFA Champions League, Euro 2020, Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, India tour of SL, India tour of England, and more! Finally, he recommends his neighbour, Mehtaji to subscribe to Sony Sports Channels as well, for the non-stop, year-long LIVE sporting entertainment.

  • IPL 2021 set to resume, come September

    IPL 2021 set to resume, come September

    Kolkata: In what could be good news to many in business, Indian Premier League (IPL 2021) is likely to resume on 18 or 19 September in UAE, as per media reports.

    The final game may be played on 9 or 10 October. The three-week window will see many power packed matches if played with as many as 10 double header matches.

    The league was postponed earlier this month after the bio bubble security was breached. Four team members, including staffers tested positive for the COVID-19 infection even as the number of cases started picking up across India. Moreover, it was also called out for being ‘tone deaf’ in the middle of an ongoing pandemic crisis.

    “The BCCI has spoken to all the stakeholders and the likely start could be between September 18th to 20th. Since September 18 is a Saturday and 19 a Sunday, it is more likely that you would want to re-start it on a weekend date,” a BCCI official was quoted in a PTI report.

    It would be a big relief for the advertising industry as well with huge amounts of money committed to the IPL sports calendar.

    As per reports, BCCI will not ask the England Cricket Board to change dates for the India-England series. After the last match, players will be flown to UAE in a chaterd flight in a bio bubble transfer.

  • Brands respond with optimism, as pandemic throws up new challenges

    Brands respond with optimism, as pandemic throws up new challenges

    KOLKATA: The absence of live sports during the pandemic has not only been felt by fans, but by brands and advertisers alike. Even when the games returned, they remained restricted to empty stadiums with players inside a bio-bubble. Despite the challenges, sport is not losing its charm even during these uncertain times, especially cricket.

    So it was no surprise, when the much-awaited Indian Premier League (IPL) broke all viewership records after its return last September. The 13th edition of the cash-rich league breathed life into the distressed advertising sector which was hit hard by the extended lockdowns. Eventually when the tournament returned this year in April, the hopes were high. But they came crashing down, when the league had to be suspended midway amid the worsening situation in the country, battling it’s worst ever health crisis.

    While the Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) is still looking for another window to finish the rest of the tournaments, advertisers remain optimistic. If the next window is in September later this year, the consumer sentiment will be at its peak, opined DDB Mudra Group Integrated Media country head, managing partner Rammohan Sundaram. The chances of reaching out to a bigger audience will increase as more people are expected to watch. So, it would be more positive for business compared to March, Sundaram added.

    He was speaking at ‘Brands and live sports in the pandemic times’ organised by Indiantelevision.com, moderated by founder, CEO and editor-in-chief Anil Wanvari and attended by Havas Media Group India CEO Mohit Joshi, upGrad India CEO, Arjun Mohan, Mobile Premier League (MPL) corporate development, investors relation SVP Joe Wadakethalakal and DDB Mudra Group Integrated Media country head, managing partner Rammohan Sundaram.

    “It was the right decision to not run IPL 2021 that time, as it would have appeared very tone-deaf,” said upGrad India CEO Arjun Mohan. “By the time it returns, the mood of the nation will change. upGrad can look forward to creating campaigns around it.”

    “Keeping aside the economic situation and the mood of the country in the pandemic, I think the big breach was in regards to the bubble which should not have ideally happened. IPL is not ready to handle the pandemic situation in India,” Sundaram added.

    Havas Media Group India CEO Mohit Joshi also agreed it was a good decision to take off IPL while bio bubble security was already broken. However, he noted that IPL is a very big component of P&L, it builds a strategy for the entire year. Overall, the sports genre is itself important for the agency.

    Mohan also agreed that any brand that is advertising in India cannot ignore sports. Fundamentally, the way upGrad looks at live sports is the reach and width it offers, so it prefers Cricket. The brand has tried multiple other sports too like the English Premier League (EPL) which has very loyal committed fans.

    However, the scale of those sports does not give many reasons for the brand to invest now. When a brand’s objective is to achieve reach through various campaigns, cricket qualifies for now. He also noted that Kabaddi may reach there in the future.

    Mobile Premier League (MPL) corporate development, investors relation SVP Joe Wadakethalakal shared the increasing interest among the e-sports platform to engage with sports that have the broadest reach. So it focuses primarily on cricket for brand-building activities. It also finds value in international cricket if team India is involved.

    Joshi said that he has been fortunate enough to have clients who go beyond Cricket. For example, Tata Motors associated with Kabaddi for its trucks. However, ROI and investment were very different indeed. But even brands invest in other sports, the spends are largely skewed towards cricket.

    “We are planning to launch a sports marketing division. There is a holistic approach that one needs to take to understand what sporting events can deliver,” Sundaram added.

    However, all the experts agreed that brands should be agile in these uncertain times. Rather than planning for the entire year, the agencies and brands should look at a month or even for two weeks. “One has to be short-term focused with a long-term strategy,” Joshi summed up.

  • Eurosport India to telecast 2021 FIA Formula 2 Championship

    Eurosport India to telecast 2021 FIA Formula 2 Championship

    New Delhi: Eurosport India has acquired the broadcasting rights of the 2021 FIA Formula 2 Championship, the primary feeder series to Formula 1.

    The FIA Formula 2 Championship will take place over eight action-packed weekends with two sprint races on Saturday, followed by an hour-long feature race on Sunday. The 2021 season of FIA Formula 2 began in Bahrain in March, and it will end in December in Abu Dhabi, visiting iconic circuits like Silverstone, Monza, and Monaco.

    Indian driver Jehan Daruvala is competing in the 2021 FIA Formula 2 Championship for the Carlin team. He currently sits in fourth place in the driver standings after a strong start this season.

    “Indians have been consuming motorsports like never before. It is undoubtedly a growing market. We have been expanding our offerings to suit the wide-ranging interests of our users. We hope the fans will have a thrilling time enjoying the sport first-hand,” said Eurosport India head & SVP – affiliate sales and product distribution, Asia – India sales & distribution at Discovery Inc Vijay Rajput.  

    Eurosport, across the globe, has a rich heritage of broadcasting some of the most noted motorsports championships including 24 Hours of Le Mans, MotoGP, the NASCAR Cup Series, the Dakar Rally, FIM WorldSuperbike Championship, Indycar, and Formula E.

  • IPL residual season may catch virtual flight to Emirates

    IPL residual season may catch virtual flight to Emirates

    Mumbai: Sporting fans will return to spectator stands after more than a year of a forced hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic, as India faces off with New Zealand in the World Test Cricket finals.

    Just over 4000 fans will cheer the two teams, for the first time, after 16 months of cricket sans spectators becoming the new normal in the world of cricket since the pandemic struck. Star Sports will bring live actions of the world test championship finals for Indian audiences. 

    As per (new normal) the standard protocols and practising Covid-19 appropriate behaviour, the Indian team is currently observing the harsh conditions of quarantine in Mumbai, before they depart for the UK on 2 June.

    Once there, they will stay ensconced within the imaginary bubble and hope it doesn’t burst before their Kiwi test challenge to decide top honours of the sport, at the Southampton stadium grounds on 18 June.

    The inclusion of spectators at the stadium will enthuse the cricketers, since most International matches over the last 16 months played out to empty stadiums over fears of infection of the contagion. 

    The United Kingdom sets an example

    The decision to include spectators in the test championship final was made as the Covid-19 situation in the United Kingdom has markedly improved. Recently, 1,500 spectators watched the match between Hampshire and Leicestershire at the Rose Bowl in Southampton, the same venue that will host the test championship final, come 18 June.

    According to a senior official formerly attached with the Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI), “India was always preparing to play in a foreign venue in respect of the T20 World Cup that has been rescheduled to be held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). India was supposed to host the tournament but the decision to shift the venue to the UAE was taken last year after the pandemic situation broke out over reluctance by other cricketing nations to visit India even as the pandemic’s footprint grew larger upon us in India. Now, even the remainder of the IPL is likely to be shifted to the UAE,”

    In another recent interaction, with Cricbuzz, the Hampshire cricket county club head Rod Bransgrove confirmed that upcoming county games and the world test championship final will be played with a reasonable number of spectators in the gallery. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), and the International Cricket Council (ICC) have also given a green signal to permit 4,000 spectators for the much-awaited clash between India and New Zealand. 

    After reaching Southampton, the Indian cricket team will undergo quarantine for ten days. However, the team will be allowed to participate in training sessions during this period. 

    Will India witness packed cricket galleries in near future?

    Even though England has permitted a limited number of spectators in cricket matches in the country, the current scenario in India indicates that the likelihood of people enjoying matches from galleries is still unlikely. The second wave of Covid-19 is expected to be followed by a third wave of the same that has the potential to wreak havoc in India. 

    The BCCI was compelled to temporarily suspend the remainder of the 2021 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) after some players tested positive for Coronavirus infection. Even though the tournament played out with all stakeholders abiding by safety protocols and viewer galleries bereft of spectators, the bio-bubble was still invaded by the virus. BCCI president Sourav Ganguly, while suspending the tournament revealed that the cricket board would incur a loss of Rs 2,500 crores if the 2021edition of IPL was not completed. 

    India was similarly expected to host the ICC T20 Men’s cricket world cup in October that will most likely now shift to the UAE. As the current wave of the pandemic in India is showing no signs of slowing down, it appears likely that this tournament will also be outsourced to a neutral venue such as the UAE.

    Both the ICC and BCCI have thought of a backup plan if a third wave hits India. Last month, ICC had revealed that Sri Lanka and the United Arab Emirates were being considered as alternatives if the pandemic situation in India worsened. 

    Dhiraj Malhotra of BCCI had also recently confirmed that the UAE would be used as a contingency if the pandemic in India continues to get worse. 

    The recent developments strongly indicate that the future of cricket in India will be directly dependent on the pandemic situation, and it is highly unlikely that matches in the country will be played out to packed galleries, or even moderately populated stadiums until the pandemic curve flattens. 

  • IPL suspension may hit Disney+ subscribers’ growth, ad revenue, says top exec

    IPL suspension may hit Disney+ subscribers’ growth, ad revenue, says top exec

    KOLKATA: When the Board of Cricket Council of India (BCCI)’s announced on 4 May, that it is indefinitely suspending the Indian Premier League (IPL) mid-way, the decision was backed by advertisers and broadcasters alike. The health and safety of players and staff was indeed paramount in  wake of the current Covid crisis in the country.

    But it also left media and advertising professionals guessing the impact that the suspension of one of the biggest cricket tournaments could have on the businesses, especially IPL’s official broadcaster – Star India.

    According to a top Disney executive, there could be an immediate effect on Disney+ subscriber addition guidance for the next two quarters. Despite lesser revenue with a low ARPU, Disney+Hotstar contributes significantly to the overall subscriber base of The Walt Disney Co’s biggest streaming bet since Disney’s entry in India last year merging with existing Hotstar service.

    While Disney+ paid subscribers have reached 103.6 million subscribers, Disney+Hotstar has nearly crossed around 34.5 million subscribers, which accounts for one-third of the overall base.

    The company spokespersons in the earnings call revealed that they expect “fewer net subscribers’ addition in the second half of the year given the Covid-related suspension of the IPL season and the decision to move the Star+ Latin America launch to the fourth quarter.” After the launch of Disney+Hotstar in India, the network had taken the tournament entirely behind the paywall for the first time.

    Other than millions of viewers who tune in to TV or OTT platforms to watch one of the biggest cricket spectacles, numerous brands also line up for quick reach and brand recall. Disney+Hotstar had roped in 14 sponsors for IPL 2021 and was expected to rake in higher ad revenue this year. But with the recent turn of events, IPL suspension could hit the advertising revenue too. “You could see a decrease in the ARPU and the subscribers in India if that plays out like we just said,” Christine McCarthy said during the earnings call.

    The 14th edition of the IPL was suspended after the bio-secure bubble was invaded by the Covid-19 and several players and team staff contracted the disease. The fate of the tournament now hangs in balance, as BCCI now faces the challenge of finding a suitable window to play the rest of the matches this year. BCCI president Sourav Ganguly has already made it clear that there is no option, but to play the remainder of the season outside India.

    “About half of the 60 IPL matches that were expected to be played this season have already taken place. So you’re looking at the back half, 30 games to be played. So sure, if they were able to successfully relocate the tournament, we would hopefully see an impact, especially on advertising,” McCarthy replied while asked if rescheduling of IPL would change the outlook for the second half of the financial year.

    With the second wave of Covid-19 ravaging the country, and a third wave likely, it remains to be seen how BCCI will navigate through the pandemic and schedule the remaining matches in a Cricket-packed year. The big-ticket events like ICC T20 World Cup are also scheduled for October-November 2021.

    “The big issue is going to be when in the quarter and if it overlaps into q4, or if it goes into the first fiscal quarter, which starts for us and the beginning of October. So it would have an impact on it, it just depends on when it would come in. Let’s hope they can relocate it,” McCarthy added further.

  • IPL 2021: MI-CSK game becomes the most-watched midseason match

    IPL 2021: MI-CSK game becomes the most-watched midseason match

    KOLKATA: What does India love to watch? Cricket, especially the Indian Premier League (IPL) which continues to remain top of the chart. Despite being suspended mid-way due to a surge in Covid-19 cases, the 14th edition of the league managed to create new viewership records.

    With 11.2 billion minutes, the MI-CSK game on … became the most-watched IPL mid-season match ever (in BARC history). This match also became the most-watched match of the entire season. This is in addition to IPL 2021 surpassing the overall reach of 367 million versus 357 million in 2020.

    Mumbai Indians (MI) had pulled off a nail-biting win, which was also their fourth victory of the season as they beat table-toppers Chennai Super Kings (CSK) by four wickets at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi.

    The growth in numbers is a testament to the faithful fan following that IPL enjoys and the continuous effort by Star and Disney to innovate and grow the league each year.

    Star India network garnered a cumulative reach of 352 million in the first 26 matches of IPL 2021 compared to 349 million in the corresponding number of matches in IPL 2020 (Source – BARC TG: 2+U+R).

    The opening match between defending champions Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore also received a tremendous response, bigger than opening matches of all other IPL editions held previously other than Dream11 IPL 2020 and 42 per cent higher than the edition in 2019.

  • Sony Pictures Sports Network unveils UEFA EURO 2020 fixtures

    Sony Pictures Sports Network unveils UEFA EURO 2020 fixtures

    KOLKATA: With the UEFA EURO 2020 barely a month away, Sony Pictures Sports Network has unveiled the schedule for the biggest football tournament in 2021 gathers pace. The tournament kicks off 11 June 2021 live on Sony TEN 2 and Sony TEN 3 (in Hindi) channels in India.

    Between 11 June and 11 July, there will be 51 games for fans to enjoy and soak up the atmosphere across the 11 host cities across Europe. All 24 teams at the final tournament are guaranteed to play at least three games before the top performers in the group stage move on to the knockout phase – where things get even more exciting. From that point, every game is sudden death: win and teams reach the next round, lose and they are going home.

    While the teams are yet to announce their squads, viewers are already looking forward to some of the biggest names from across the 24 participating nations like Cristiano Ronaldo, Harry Kane, Paul Pogba, Sergio Ramos, Luka Modric, Toni Kros, Bruno Fernandes, Kevin Du Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, Ciro Immobile, Federico Chiesa, Memphis Depay, Georginio Wijnaldum and Matthijs de Ligt.

    The opening round of matches from 11 June 11 to 23 June will feature some thrilling encounters such as England vs Croatia, France vs Germany, Portugal vs Germany, Portugal vs France and many more. Rome’s Stadio Olimpico will host the opening match on June 11, while only two teams will ultimately make it all the way to the July 11 final at London’s Wembley Stadium. The 11 final UEFA EURO 2020 host cities are Amsterdam, Baku, Bucharest, Budapest, Copenhagen, Glasgow, Munich, London, Rome, Seville and Saint Petersburg.

    Portugal –

    The current holders and inaugural UEFA Nations League winners have progressed from the EURO group stage on all seven occasions. Their group looks difficult, but coach Fernando Santos said: “We will prepare well for this EURO and look to go into it with incredible conviction, looking to defend the title.”

    Jersey Colors: Red, Green

    Group stage opponents: France, Germany, Hungary

    France –

    Any fan of flair, attacking football and Gallic genius will surely look no further than reigning world champions France for this competition. History tells us there have only been four occasions when a team has won five matches at a single EURO – France have achieved that feat three times. 

    Jersey Colors: Blue, White, Red

    Group stage opponents: Germany, Hungary, Portugal

    Croatia –

    Croatia’s unmissable red-and-white checked kit makes them the must-support side for the style-conscious fan. The Vatreni will be appearing in their fifth consecutive EURO – a huge achievement for a nation of less than five million citizens. Losing World Cup finalists in 2018, they will be out on the field to make a statement at this year’s UEFA EURO 2020

    Jersey Colors: Red, White

    Group stage opponents: Czech Republic, England, Scotland

    Belgium –

    The top scorers in qualifying with 40 goals in ten matches, Belgium have just one major tournament success in their history – can they add a second 101 years after striking gold at the 1920 Olympic Games? Striker Romelu Lukaku hopes a settled squad can help them, explaining: “If you keep getting better and the team plays together for a long time, it gets easier.”

    Jersey Colors: Red, Yellow

    Group stage opponents: Denmark, Finland, Russia

    England –

    If goals are your thing then England is your pick. The Three Lions are also playing in their tenth EURO, which is the most participations any country has racked up without ever winning the title. With the final scheduled to take place in London, has their time finally come?

    Jersey Colors: White, Blue

    Group stage opponents: Croatia, Czech Republic, Scotland

    Germany –

    Appearing in their 26th consecutive major tournament, the three-time winners have progressed from the EURO group stage on seven occasions – no team has advanced more times – and have the most wins (26) and most goals (72).

    Jersey Colors: White, Black

    Group stage opponents: France, Hungary, Portugal

    Italy –

    The Azzurri are unbeaten in 40 EURO qualifiers, dating back to 2006, so translating that form into silverware is surely the next step for the 2012 runners-up.

    Jersey Colors: White, Blue

    Group stage opponents: Switzerland, Turkey, Wales

    Netherlands –

    Having failed to make the last EURO and World Cup, it is the Netherlands’ longest absence from major finals since the mid-1980s – when they marked their return by winning EURO ’88. If you believe in fate then the Dutch could deliver for you.

    Jersey Colors: Orange, White

    Group stage opponents: Austria, North Macedonia, Ukraine

    Spain –

    The choice of the purist, the kings of tiki-taka have lost none of their total football philosophy after winning two of the last three EUROs. Could they claim their fourth EURO triumph?

    Jersey Colors: Red, Blue, Yellow

    Group stage opponents: Poland, Slovakia, Sweden