ITV

Category: Sports

  • RR Kabel joins IPL bandwagon, sponsors KKR

    RR Kabel joins IPL bandwagon, sponsors KKR

    MUMBAI: With the fourteenth edition of the Indian Premier League barely a fortnight away, brands are scrambling to hammer out partnerships with teams in order to maximise their visibility and reach during this super popular cricket extravaganza. The latest to join the bandwagon is wire and cable manufacturer RR Kabel, which has come onboard as the official sponsor of IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). This marks the company’s first-ever association with the cash-rich league. 

    As part of the sponsorship deal, RR Kabel is the leading trouser branding for all KKR team players for IPL 2021. The company, a part of RR Global’s $850+ million conglomerate, aims to reach audiences beyond physical and geographical boundaries, through this association.

    RR Global director Kirti Kabra said, “The eastern region markets are critical for RR Kabel where we are strengthening our market position further. And what better way to execute this than an association with a religion like cricket. This strategic collaboration gives us a great opportunity to promote our brand to a larger audience. RR Kabel shares the same brand sentiments as the KKR team which makes our partnership more meaningful with them.”

    Kolkata Knight Riders marketing head Kaustubh Jha said, “RR Kabel is one of the most prestigious brands globally and we are elated that they chose to partner with KKR for their first IPL. We aim to forge a strong partnership and create great value for the brands who collaborate with us. KKR looks forward to having a successful season with RR Kabel on board.” 

    IPL 2021 will begin from 9 April, and will see two-time champions KKR play against the eight other teams in 14 matches. KKR will play their first match of the season on 11 April at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

  • Eurosport India to broadcast India’s FIFA friendly matches

    Eurosport India to broadcast India’s FIFA friendly matches

    KOLKATA: Eurosport and Eurosport HD India have bagged the broadcasting rights for the upcoming FIFA friendly matches of team India.

    The Indian national team is currently in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and will be playing two matches in the upcoming FIFA international friendlies on 25 and 29 March, where they take on Oman and the host country, UAE. The Indian side will be back in action after almost 16 months.

    Eurosport India head & Discovery Inc affiliate sales and product distribution, Asia – India sales & distribution SVP Vijay Rajput said, “We are extremely delighted to have an opportunity to bring the fans close to the Indian national football team as they take on national duty after a long time. The Indian National Football team has been making giant progress and we can surely look forward to two thrilling, action filled matches coming our way.”

    All India Football Federation (AIFF) general secretary Kushal Das said, “I am happy to announce that we have associated with Eurosport India as the official broadcaster for the upcoming FIFA international friendly matches of Team India. They are one of the most promising broadcasters and we look forward to performing well and giving the audience spectacular matches in the coming days.”

    Schedule:

    India vs Oman – 25 March 2021, Maktoom Bin Rashid Stadium – 19:15 Hrs (7:15 pm) IST on Eurosport HD

    India vs UAE – 29 March 2021, Zabeel Stadium – 21:45 Hrs (9:45 pm) IST on Eurosport and Eurosport HD

  • Sunrisers Hyderabad ropes in 15 big-ticket sponsors

    Sunrisers Hyderabad ropes in 15 big-ticket sponsors

    NEW DELHI: Sun Group-owned IPL franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad are off to a flying start when it comes to brand partners. With the opening match of the tournament’s fourteenth edition a fortnight away, the David Warner-led team has secured no less than 15 sponsors this time around. Sunrisers had signed 13 sponsors last year.

    JK Lakshmi Cement leads the massive line-up as the title sponsor. The cement brand continues its association with the team from last year, along with Ralco Tyres as a principal sponsor. The franchise has added Kent RO as another principal sponsor to its portfolio.

    Jio, TCL, Dream 11, Jai Raj Steel, Nerolac and Colgate have all been retained as sponsors for IPL 14, with their logos and branding set to be prominently displayed on the team’s match kits. Kotak Bank, Tyka, IB Cricket, Double Horse and Fancode have also continued their partnership with the franchise. Anil Kumble’s technology-based sports firm Spektacom is a new addition to the list of partners.

    Sunrisers Hyderabad CEO K Shanmugam is naturally ecstatic at the rush of sponsors flocking to his team. "Last year has been extremely tough for all of us, business-wise and personally. However, with the incredible support of our invaluable sponsors and fans, we managed to beat the woes and come out strongly with a super successful season. We hope that our partnerships continue to grow from strength to strength and we come back even stronger this year," he remarked.

    IPL 2021 is all set to kick off on 9 April at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, with defending champions Mumbai Indians taking on the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). After nearly two years, the cricketing extravaganza will return home with Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata hosting the marquee event. All matches will be telecast live on Star Sports channels, and stream on Disney+ Hotstar.

  • ‘Yeh apna mantra hai’ is the official anthem of IPL 2021

    ‘Yeh apna mantra hai’ is the official anthem of IPL 2021

    MUMBAI: The Indian Premier League is undoubtedly the biggest celebration of cricket as a sport. And no desi celebration is complete without some music and verve. With the 2021 edition just around the corner, Star Sports has rolled out a new anthem for the IPL, launched during the first India versus England ODI on Tuesday.

    The cash-rich league has always been known for producing upbeat anthems with exciting themes woven around it. For its 14th edition, the league’s reputation to have a catchy theme has been kept intact. The video starts with a teacher asking his students the mantra for success. At this, the student starts rattling off all the mantras he knows, but the teacher interrupts him saying these are quite old and outdated. With this, the music video takes off with the song, “yeh apna mantra hai, India ka apna mantra” (this is our mantra, India’s own mantra). The theme of the video revolves around how India is rapidly changing and racing ahead at a swift pace. 

    Throughout the video, one can catch glimpses of celebrated Indian cricketers. Each of the IPL teams has a representation in the film. The tournament openers, Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore lead the way in the video along with their captains and star players, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Shubman Gill of Kolkata Knights Riders and Punjab Kings’ captain KL Rahul are also seen taking part in the short video. 

    From Chennai Super Kings, new recruit K Gowtham is seen while Wriddhiman is the torchbearer for Sunrisers Hyderabad. Rishabh Pant is the representative of Delhi Capitals while young batsman Riyan Parag bears the flag for the Rajasthan Royals. From the looks of it, the video seems to have been shot during the Test series between India and England, which ended earlier this year. 

    IPL 14 is all set to kickstart with a bang on 9 April. After the 2020 edition had to be played out of India, in the United Arab Emirates due to the Covid scare, this time around with the league back on its home ground, there is a lot of excitement. The opening match will see Kohli’s RCB take on the defending champions Mumbai Indians led by Rohit Sharma in Chennai.

  • Eurosport India acquires broadcast rights for Bihar Cricket League

    Eurosport India acquires broadcast rights for Bihar Cricket League

    MUMBAI: Eurosport and Eurosport HD India have acquired the broadcast rights for Bihar Cricket League (BCL)- a T20 League organised by Bihar Cricket Association (BCA) and Elite Sports Management.

    The league is currently underway at the URJA Stadium in Patna and will go on till 26 March. Eurosport has expanded its current portfolio of live cricket offerings with the current edition of BCL. A subsidiary of Discovery, the channel had also broadcasted the ODI series between UAE and Ireland early this year.

    The league will witness five teams – Angika Avengers, Bhagalpur Bulls, Darbhanga Diamonds, Gaya Gladiators, and Patna Pilots competing with each other for the winner’s trophy. Former international cricketers including Sanath Jayasuriya, RP Singh, Danny Morrison, Venkatesh Prasad, and Tillakaratne Dilshan are associated as team mentors.

    The next match between Patna Pilots and Bhagalpur Bulls will be live on Eurosport and Eurosport HD on Monday from 6:00 PM IST onward.

    Eurosport India head & Discovery SVP – affiliate sales & product distribution, Asia – India sales & distribution Vijay Rajput said, “It has been our constant endeavor to bring varied sports from across regions to our fans. In the past few years, the advent of the T20 leagues has helped talent from every nook and corner of the country to find a stage and we are sure this league will follow suit. We are looking forward to a week of some exciting cricket action.”

    Despite having one of the oldest cricket associations in the country, Bihar has been starved of quality cricket for the past 16 years, said Bihar Cricket Association (BCA) president Rakesh Tiwari. "The Bihar cricket league (BCL) is a big hope for the future and we are very confident that this is the start of better days for Bihar cricket and the young cricketers of the state,” he added.

    Bihar Cricket League schedule:

    M6 – Patna Pilots Vs Bhagalpur Bulls (22 March, 6:00 pm)

    M7 – Patna Pilots Vs Darbhanga Diamonds (23 March, 2:00 pm)

    M8 – Gaya Gladiators Vs Angika Avengers (23 March, 6:00pm)

    M9 – Angika Avengers Vs Bhagalpur Bulls (24 March, 2:00 pm)

    M10 – Gaya Gladiators Vs Patna Pilots (24 March, 6:00 pm)

    M11 – Semi Final 1 – (1 Vs 4) (25 March, 2:00pm)

    M12 – Semifinal 2 – (2 Vs 3) (25 March, 6:00pm)

    M13 – Grand FINALE (Winner of SF1 and SF2) (26 March, 4:00 pm)

  • Star Sports signs 14 sponsors for Vivo IPL 2021

    Star Sports signs 14 sponsors for Vivo IPL 2021

    KOLKATA: Star Sports has begun the countdown to Vivo IPL on a strong note with 14 sponsors already on board for this season. The broadcaster has announced Dream11, Byjus, Phone Pe, Just Dial, Bingo, Kamla Pasand, AMFI, Frooti, Asian Paints, Thums Up, Vodafone-Idea, Mondelez, Amazon Prime, and Groww as sponsors a fortnight before the tournament.

    After a delayed start to the league in 2020, Star India managed to rake in Rs 2,800 crore in TV ad revenue and is expecting this figure to get a substantial boost during IPL 14. This year, Star Sports has witnessed significant interest from multiple brand categories including ed tech, fantasy sports, FMCG, beverages, financial services, pay wallets, home décor among others.

    “Vivo IPL is back on the Indian soil, and in its original summer window. The tournament spans across two months, giving brands the advantage to have extended engagement with their consumers and provide a platform that has the most significant brand value and recall, like no other. After the launch of our network campaign, there is high anticipation around the most awaited cricket tournament and brands are eager to capitalise on its popularity. The response from the advertisers is extremely encouraging; with only a few sponsor slots left for grabs,” Star Sports executive vice president Anil Jayaraj said.

     Star Sports launched the IPL campaign – #IndiaKaApnaMantra earlier this month featuring MS Dhoni in two completely new avatars. The campaign reflected the resilience, determination, and enterprise of the nation. Through the aperture of Vivo IPL, the campaign is seen saluting the attitude of a generation that is redefining conventional rules of the game to overcome seemingly insurmountable challenges.

    IPL 2021 will broadcast live on the Star Sports Network and stream on Disney+ Hotstar from 9 April, 2021 from 7.30 pm onwards across multiple languages. Select Dugout will be back on Star Sports Select with legends providing cricket enthusiasts with an in-depth analysis of each match.

  • India-England Test series scores reach of 103 mn viewers

    India-England Test series scores reach of 103 mn viewers

    KOLKATA: After delivering the highest opening day reach since 2019, the recently concluded India-England Test series witnessed the highest Test match viewership in the last five years, registering a staggering viewership of 1.3 million average minute audience (AMA). The result stands testament to the ever-increasing popularity of the longest format, which also gained impetus with the introduction of the World Test Championship. The test series recorded a phenomenal cumulative reach of 103 million viewers.

    Star India sports head Sanjog Gupta said, “We are delighted with the response to the Test series. Resumption of international cricket in India after almost a year, high stakes to the series with a spot in the World Test Championship final on the line and quality opposition, provided the ideal context for the series. This was bolstered by Star's high decibel marketing campaign (India Taiyar Hai) and regional customisation in four Indian languages, set the stage for record viewership. Keeping the momentum going, we will continue to offer viewers an action-packed summer of cricket with the upcoming India-England ODIs, followed by Vivo IPL 2021 and the World Test Championship Final.”

    Every game in the series mattered for securing the qualification in the WTC final, and with stellar performances from Axar Patel, R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma and Rishabh Pant, the series had the right context for ardent cricket fans to tune-in. Following a crushing 3-1 series win, Team India have set up a blockbuster clash with New Zealand in the final on 18 June 2021. Star Sports promises to entertain and engage fans with the best programing activities leading up to the finale. Meanwhile, it is time for limited-overs cricket to take center-stage with the on-going T20Is and the upcoming ODIs commencing from 23 March. 

  • Sony Pictures Sports Network launches teaser campaign for UEFA Euro 2020

    Sony Pictures Sports Network launches teaser campaign for UEFA Euro 2020

    KOLKATA: Sony Pictures Sports Network (SPSN) is set to broadcast Europe’s biggest football tournament, UEFA Euro 2020, live on Sony Ten 2 and Sony Ten 3 (in Hindi) channels starting 11 June 2021 in India. Ahead of the football fiesta, SPSN has rolled out a teaser campaign with its #MeriDoosriCountry films to bring fans closer to their teams leading to UEFA Euro 2020.

    Meri Doosri Country will give the audiences a chance to exhibit their undying passion for football, as they start supporting their favourite team from Europe at the UEFA Euro’s this June. Through its signature campaign, SPSN aims to draw in the attention of both fans and fringe-viewers to root for their favourite countries with the same passion and intensity as they would support their own country.

    This campaign will complement the network’s campaign for the FIFA World Cup 2018 and will act as a signature campaign for all international country football tournaments on the network. To build up interest for the launch of the campaign, SPSN has released four teaser films encapsulating the same fervour, team rivalry and fan banter in a quirky and funny way. The four films were conceptualised and created in-house by SPSN’s marketing team.

    Film 1: France vs Portugal

    The film explores the story of two friends who showcase the chance of their favorite team winning the Euro trophy through the size of the Dosa they order.

    Film 2: Netherland vs Germany

    This film highlights the rivalry among middle-aged men as the Netherland supporter tries to leave the Germany supporter behind in a quest to win the trophy at the upcoming UEFA Euro 2020.

    Film 3: Spain vs Italy

    The film features an endearing Bengali couple and goes on to tell a story of how they influence their new born baby in supporting the two different clubs they support.

    Film 4: England vs Croatia

    The film takes us through the football rivalry between two youngsters as they show how best their team can win matches by scoring the goal from farther away.

    As one of the most celebrated and largest football events, UEFA Euro’s has established itself as one of world football's most exciting competitions. The 2021 edition of the UEFA Euro marks the 60th anniversary of this competition and will feature 24 teams from across Europe. Fans will get to watch some of the best footballers in the world like Cristiano Ronaldo, Antoine Griezmann, Harry Kane, Toni Kroos, Paul Pogba, Kylian Mbappè to name a few compete for the coveted title. Rome's Stadio Olimpico will host the opening match on June 11, while England's national stadium Wembley will stage both semi-finals and the final.

    Sony Pictures Networks India sports channels marketing & on-air promotions head Neville Bastawalla said: “After the FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro is the biggest and the most exciting football extravaganza in the world with rich and colourful history. For a tournament in which India does not participate, we aimed to build vested interest among the Indian viewers who support their favourite European team with the same passion and intensity with which they support their own country. Our teaser films, which are an extension of #MeriDoosriCountry will bring out the rivalries of different fans across demographics and bring alive the emotions of these millions of Indian viewers who will be voicing their support for one of the countries participating in UEFA Euro 2020.”

  • After Rs 3,000 crore ad revenue haul, Star India eyes bigger pot in IPL 14

    After Rs 3,000 crore ad revenue haul, Star India eyes bigger pot in IPL 14

    KOLKATA: 2020 was a tough year for broadcasters as major live sports events were cancelled. Cricket fever resumed in India with the Indian Premier League (IPL) returning in September after a six month hiatus, which helped rights-holder Star India garner Rs 3,000 crore in advertising revenues, including the digital segment.

    According to a Moneycontrol report, the broadcaster saw 100 new advertisers despite the economic slowdown. Hence, it is expected that advertisers will be upbeat about IPL 2021 as well.

    While last year Rs 12.6- 12.7 lakh was charged for a 10 second ad spot on TV, Star India is charging Rs 14 lakh for a slot of the same duration this year. The network has already sold out most of the ad inventory this year. Experts project that Star India's TV segment will likely see a 15 per cent jump in ad revenues from IPL 14.

    On the other hand, Disney+Hotstar is charging a 20-25 per cent premium for ad rates. CPMs (cost per mille) are in the range of Rs 200-350 depending on the type of advertisements. The streaming service has priced a 10-second spot at Rs 180. BFSI, telecom, d2c platforms, e-commerce platforms and FMCG brands are interested in the slots this year too. Last year, the streamer earned around Rs 400 crore from ad revenues, up from around Rs 250 crore in 2019.

    Disney+Hotstar has already signed 10 sponsors for this year's tournament. Dream11 is the co-presenting sponsor, Upstox and Vimal Pan Masala are the co-powered by sponsors. Phone Pe, Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI), Unacademy, Pharmeasy, Livspace, Swiggy, and Parle Agro have come on board as associate sponsors.

    The network is already raking in the moolah in terms of TV advertisers. Dream11, Byju’s, Phone Pe and Just Dial have signed as co-presenting partners of the league, while Chinese handset manufacturer Vivo has returned as the title sponsor this year.

  • BCCI invites bids for board and IPL digital properties

    BCCI invites bids for board and IPL digital properties

    NEW DELHI: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has invited bids to provide services in relation to the design, hosting, and maintenance of the digital properties of the board through a tender process.

    The apex body of cricket in India has issued two requests for proposals (RFP), namely BCCI website (www.bcci.tv) and BCCI mobile applications for BCCI international and domestic matches and IPL website (www.iplt20.com) and IPL mobile applications for IPL matches.

    Interested parties can opt to purchase either or both the RFPs, which will remain for purchase till 31 March. Those interested are requested to email at rfp@bcci.tv in order to get further details, stated BCCI honorary secretary Jay Shah in a press release on Tuesday.

    According to the statement, the email requesting for BCCI Digital Properties RFP should have the subject line 'RFP for Digital Properties for BCCI' and email requesting for IPL Digital Properties should have the subject line 'RFP for Digital Properties for IPL'.

    "In the event, an interested party is desirous of purchasing both the RFPs then it should have the subject line 'RFP for Digital Properties for BCCI and IPL',” the statement further read.

    According to the governing body for cricket in India, the detailed services, terms, and conditions governing the submission and evaluation of bids including eligibility requirements and performance obligations are contained in the RFPs which will be available on receipt of payment of the RFP fee of Rs 1,00,000. It also reserves the right at its discretion to cancel or amend the bidding process at any stage without providing any reason.

    "Merely buying the RFP(s) does not entitle the purchaser to bid, but to bid the purchaser must buy the RFP(s) in the name of the person/entity desiring to bid," it added.