ITV

Category: Sports

  • Screentime of sports celebrities grew in IPL 13 ads, says BARC

    Screentime of sports celebrities grew in IPL 13 ads, says BARC

    MUMBAI: IPL 13 was the much-needed break that enlivened Indian audiences from the Covid2019 pandemic-induced gloom. While the tournament was played in the UAE, it saw scores of brands advertising during the game to reach out to their audiences. This year, the league clocked over 400 billion viewing minutes and had an extremely high viewership. For the record, the IPL 13 opener saw a viewership of over 200 million-plus. Multiple brands roped in endorsers from films, sports and other categories in a bid to stand out from the clutter.   

    As per Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) data, the share of ads featuring a sports celebrity went up from 14 per cent during IPL 2019 to 17 per cent during IPL 2020. The data also revealed that the IPL 13 witnessed a 3 per cent growth in the ads featuring sports stars versus Bollywood celebrities.

    Aamir Khan topped the list of top ten celebrities who were featured in ads during IPL 2020. Khan registered 89,000 ad seconds, followed by MS Dhoni with 73,000 seconds and Shah Rukh Khan with 59,000 seconds.

    Other celebrities who made the top ten list were Virat Kohli on the fourth spot with 45,000 seconds, trailed by Akshay Kumar with 34000 seconds. BCCI head honcho Sourav Ganguly came in sixth with 33,000 seconds, while Ranveer-Deepika ranked seventh with 27,000 seconds. Aayushmann Khurrana bagged the eighth spot with 26,000 seconds. Rishabh Pant and the Aamir Khan-Alia Bhatt pairing rounded out the top 10 with 26,000 and 25,000 seconds of ad volumes respectively.

  • IPL has 86 million fans in India: Ormax Media study

    IPL has 86 million fans in India: Ormax Media study

    MUMBAI: Chennai Super Kings (CSK) is the IPL team with the biggest and most hardcore fanbase, a study by Ormax Media has revealed. With 26.8 million fans, the MS Dhoni-led CSK has emerged as the strongest franchise, as per the findings of the IPL Franchise Fans report, based on a research conducted among 3,200 urban respondents across 23 states in India. 

    The data was collected over the course of the eight weeks of IPL 2020. The study pegs the number of fans across the eight IPL franchises at 86 million (8.6 crore). The study defines a franchise fan as someone who has a clear favourite team, is emotionally connected with it, watches its matches from start to finish, and discusses the team and its players online or offline.

    Following in the wake of CSK is this season’s champion Mumbai Indians (MI) at 24.8 million devotees. Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) ranks third, with 13.3 million enthusiasts. Between them, these three franchises account for 75 per cent of the total fan base, while the remaining five contribute to the balance 25 per cent.

    64 per cent (55 million) of the total franchise fans are males, while the balance 36 per cent (31 million) are females.

    CSK and RCB have the most gender-balanced fan base, with the proportion of female fans being the highest at 40 per cent each. Nationwide popularity of their star players (MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli respectively) contributes to their stronger female fan base. Mumbai Indians leads Chennai Super Kings by a slender margin when it comes to the male fan base, but the latter takes the overall number one position because of its stronger female following.

    Ormax Media founder & CEO Shailesh Kapoor said: “Apart from viewership, a definitive measure of the success of a sports league is whether the teams playing in it manage to build a sizeable fan base over the years. A strong fan base is eventually the key for a profitable franchise, because it offers higher monetisation opportunities through sponsorships, ticket sales, merchandising, licensing and other such avenues. Over the last 13 years, IPL has done very well, and the fan base estimates of the top two franchises suggest that they are now two of the strongest sports teams across the world. It’s for the other franchises to learn from the success story of CSK and MI and develop a strategy to widen their fan base in the coming years.”

  • Star India scores Cricket South Africa media rights till 2024

    Star India scores Cricket South Africa media rights till 2024

    NEW DELHI: Strengthening its cricket portfolio, Star India has acquired the media rights to Cricket South Africa (CSA) till the end of the 2023/24 cricket season across Asia, Middle East and North Africa.

    The agreement grants Star India exclusive rights across linear and digital mediums including all India tours to South Africa in this period. The association will commence with England’s tour to South Africa starting on 27 November 2020, marking the return of cricket on Star Sports Network since the conclusion of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Star India already has the global rights for ICC, BCCI, and the IPL, apart from other cricket rights.

    “We are delighted to collaborate with Cricket South Africa. This alliance fortifies our commitment to cricket and our belief in the significance of sport in Star India's consumer proposition. South Africa has some of the most highly recalled cricketers and competitive teams, which pride themselves in taking on the best from around the world. We look forward to hosting the best of South African cricket till 2024," said Star India CEO – Sports Sanjog Gupta.

    He went on to add that the network has made significant investments over the years to deepen the relationship that fans have with the game via enhanced story-telling, innovations in broadcast and regionalisation. Going forth, Star India hopes to apply the same approach and elevate the consumer experience of CSA's matches.

    “The partnership will kick off with the England tour of South Africa on 27 November 2020 during which the three T20Is will be broadcast in Hindi for the very first time. This will give these matches significant reach in the Hindi-speaking markets," Gupta said.

    Read more news on Star India

    CSA acting CEO Kugandrie Govender said, “There are few social events on the South African sporting calendar that rally our fans up as much as the cricket-showdown between South Africa, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, so we wholeheartedly welcome this agreement with Star India. Knowing that the sport reaches millions of people all over the world, which is now further amplified by this Star deal, will see our Protea teams even more powered up to impress fans and to outperform their rivals.”

    The agreement will cover all international cricket matches played by the South African men’s cricket team. As per future tour plans, South Africa will be playing 59 matches at home including series against top teams such as India, England and Australia. With the Indian cricket team scheduled to tour South Africa thrice in this period, this deal comprises 20 South Africa vs India bilateral matches across formats, with the first of these tours commencing in 2021/22 and comprising three Tests and three T20Is. The agreement will also cover women’s international cricket matches played by the Momentum Proteas as well as CSA’s domestic men’s franchise matches.

    Cricket resumes on the Star Sports network with the T20I matches for South Africa vs England series. This will be a first for Star India for a non-India bilateral cricket tournament to be produced in Hindi on SS1 Hindi, in addition to the English feed. England’s tour of South Africa will consist of three T20Is and three ODIs, beginning on the 27 November.

     

  • IPL season 13 clocks 400 billion minutes of consumption

    IPL season 13 clocks 400 billion minutes of consumption

    Mumbai: Star India delivers the biggest IPL ever in the history of the tournament. From swashbuckling young talent, exciting clashes, to nail-biting double super overs in a single day, season-13 was nothing short of electrifying. With fans enjoying matches from the comfort of their homes, Dream11 IPL 2020 has set a viewership record with an overall consumption increase of 23 per cent *versus 2019. Television viewership reached an outstanding 31.57mn average impressions.

    Capitalizing on the regional appeal, five independent language channel offerings – Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Bangla, and Kannada, contributed immensely to the increased viewership growth of Dream11 IPL 2020. The regional offering across languages has been received well by viewers and has increased the viewership by 28 per cent over last year.

    “It’s the biggest IPL the nation has seen and the response from fans and advertisers has been stupendous. The record-breaking opening week gave us the ideal start and laid the foundation for a record breaking season. We are extremely delighted that this season has been the biggestever in terms of viewership, engagement and ad sales. Enhanced story-telling, localisation, contextually relevant marketing and technology innovations formed the pillars of our offering. We are encouraged by the growth we have seen in southern markets driven by our regional feeds and higher consumption across demographics especially in rural markets and amongst kids,” Star India head – sports Sanjog Gupta said. “Season 13 witnessed some explosive matches which were aptly supplemented by innovative programming, world-class production – both remote and on-ground. This wouldn’t have been possible without the fantastic work done by the team at BCCI in staging the tournament under extenuating circumstances and seamless functioning from our teams inside the bio-secure bubbles in India and UAE,”he added.

    The record-breaking start to the Dream11 IPL 2020 started with the campaign ‘EkSaathWaaliBaat’. The campaign aimed to uplift the mood of the nation by bringing people together for the biggest cricketing tournament of the year. Star Sports, India’s leading sports broadcaster – pulled out all stops to ensure viewers and fans are offered an unparalleled experience of the Dream11 IPL 2020 from the comfort of their homes.

    The season began with sold-out inventory, with 18 sponsors and 114 advertisers onboard, setting an optimistic tone to a massively successful season ahead. Star Sports pulled off the telecast of one of the biggest sporting spectacles in 2020 in just six weeks during an ongoing pandemic and a lot of uncertainties.

    With fans enjoying the matches from the comfort of their homes, Star took it upon them to make sure fans of all ages and demographics were hooked to the 2020 edition. This resulted in women and kids registering impressive viewership growth of24 per cent and 20 per cent respectively. Star India’s effort to offer unmatched engagement for its viewers with state-of-the-art product innovations such as surround-in-stadia fan cheer, specialized broadcast feeds, and fan walls have received a great response and got fans closer to the game than ever before. Chapterisation of the tournament via themes such as Fan Week and Rivalry Week, along with a slate of programming including franchise shows continued to draw IPL aficionados throughout the tournament. The revamped Select Dugout this year continued to target core cricket viewers and also registered significant growth in consumption.

  • Countdown to ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 begins

    Countdown to ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 begins

    MUMBAI: Five years after hosting the marquee event, India is once again gearing up to stage the ICC Men's T20 World Cup. Deferred by a year due to the Covid2019 pandemic, the competition is now slated to be held in October-November 2021. With less than 12 months to go before the opener, the ICC and the BCCI came together in Dubai to launch a countdown and reveal the brand identity of the 16-team tournament.

    Inspired by the colours of India and the intense passion that fans have for the game, the brand identity is bright and full of energy and embodies the excitement that comes with the fast and fierce pace of world’s best T20 cricket. Functionally, the design has been carefully constructed to come to life across all channels especially for digital and motion graphics.

    ICC chief executive Manu Sawhney is optimistic that it will be possible for fans to attend. “With Diwali just two days away and with the countdown to the tournament in India underway, this is an opportune moment to unveil our brand identity that so wonderfully reflects the vibrant festival of lights.”

    He further added, “We are working very closely with the BCCI to deliver a stellar tournament bringing the world’s best players together to go head to head in the first global cricket event since the advent of the pandemic. Our focus will be on staging a safe and secure event that fans from across the world can enjoy.”

    With the BCCI having successfully concluded the IPL in Dubai in a bio-bubble, all eyes will now turn to how it manages to stage the World Cup. Even as the country registers 45,000+ cases on the regular, board president Sourav Ganguly and honorary secretary Jay Shah insisted that India would be in fighting fit shape to host, and said that the BCCI would ensure all necessary protocols are in place.

    “The BCCI will leave no stone unturned in ensuring that the health and safety of everyone concerned in this showpiece event is taken care of. While we are determined to provide a rich cricket-viewing experience, I would also like to assure the ICC and member boards that India is known for its warm hospitality and we will make you feel at home. In these times of pandemic when there are severe restrictions, the BCCI believes in the policy of innovating and adapting, and I am confident that we will overcome every challenge,” added Shah.

    Former India captain Sourav Ganguly, who has participated in numerous ICC events as a player, said he is now looking forward to calling the shots off the field as an administrator. “It is a matter of great honour for us to be hosting the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. India has successfully staged several global events since the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in 1987 and I am sure cricketers from around the world would be excited at the prospect of playing in our cricket loving country.”

    The seventh edition of the Men’s T20 World Cup will be the first global cricket event since this year’s highly successful ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, which climaxed with a record 86,174 people attending the Australia-India final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on International Women’s Day.

    The teams participating in the tournament scheduled for October-November next year are Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, Ireland, Namibia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Oman, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Scotland, South Africa, Sri Lanka and the West Indies.

  • How ISL is putting Indian football on the world map

    How ISL is putting Indian football on the world map

    Indians have long nursed a smouldering passion for football and sporting clubs have been around for decades in the country. A few of these hallowed clubs are over a century old, with an illustrious history and devoted fanbase of their own. In the past though, their woeful refrain was how India had yet to make a mark on the international footballing scene. That has changed over the past few years.

    When the Hero Indian Super League (ISL) gave the clarion call of ‘Let’s Football’, a new generation of football fanatics took up the cry and thus, a sports phenomenon was born. Global recognition soon followed.

     Recently, the fast developing football league has been catching the attention of international investors as well. For starters, the City Football  group plonked down top dollar  to acquire a 65 per cent stake in the Mumbai FC in November 2019. What’s noteworthy is that the group is 78 per cent owned by the Abu Dhabi United group (ADUG), 12 per cent by the American private equity firm Silver Lake with the remainder owned by Chinese firms China Media Capital and CITIC Capital  and it has stakes in in clubs in most of the football  leagues globally. The most prominent is English Premier League major Manchester City FC. The City Football group’s investment in an ISL club showed that the league has arrived on the football map.

    Then in mid-August 2020, ISL franchise Hyderabad FC announced that it had struck a two-year partnership with German Bundesliga giant Borussia Dortmund (BVB), the twelfth richest football team in the world. The intent: use BVB’s experience in nurturing and developing young players, and transplant that into Hyderabad’s academy structure and coaching education. The German club will impart its expertise in technology to drive innovation apart from help expand its fan base.

     Moreover, the Hero ISL has also became the first league from South Asia to be inducted into the prestigious World Leagues Forum, which includes professional football leagues like La Liga, Bundesliga and Premier League, to name a few.

    That India was chosen by these prestigious groups speaks volumes to ISL's contribution in exhibiting the country's potential to be the next big thing in international football. Tie-ups like these are actually advantageous for both parties – while the global players get to expand their audience and fan  base in India, for the home teams it’s a chance to gain exposure and pick up new skills and techniques. It helps build synergies that make the Indian football ecosystem more diverse and competitive, while also being inclusive.

    “It’s similar to how the IPL has helped India in becoming one of the strongest cricketing teams. There are expectations for the ISL to do the same for Indian football. As a sports-loving nation, we need something besides cricket and football can be a game for the masses,” said Kaushik Chakraborty, senior vice president at Vizeum India.

    In some ways, the ISL is still a virgin league next to the EPL and other established brands. But it has emerged as a highly interesting property with global appeal, shared a media veteran. The upcoming season will host 74 overseas players contracted with different clubs. Such 'crossovers' will consequently raise the quality of football being played, especially since a handful of these athletes have played top-flight football in some of the biggest leagues in the world. As the ISL grows bigger in reach and repute, and more investment pours in, it will set the stage for A-list players to consider becoming a part of the league too.

    Investment from foreign teams not only boosts popularity but also helps Indian sides market themselves better, noted Chakraborty.

    But what about the impact of Covid2019 on ad spends?

    The good news is that select advertising categories have been showing they have the appetite to spend, Covid2019 or not, during the unique confluence of the festive period and the IPL this year.

    The question arises: will they continue to spend on the ISL now?

    The answer is a resounding yes.

    An annual event on the sports calendar, it has worked effectively for brands wanting to associate with a tent pole event that gathers a reasonably large cohort at affordable prices. ISL 2020 has already attracted sponsors – some rock solid ones. Among them: Hero, the title partner, which has been associated with the league since inception. Apollo Tyres and Nivia have signed as official partners. And more are jumping on the bandwagon.

    Brands have taken a fancy to associating with the clubs as well. Puma for instance has signed on with the Mumbai FC as its kit partner; sports news site SBOTOP.net has partnered with ATK Mohun Bagan as the team’s principal sponsor.

    Not to mention that the Premier League, the wealthiest and most-watched football league in the world, has come onboard as strategic partner. This, perhaps, is the biggest vote of confidence the homegrown ISL could ask for with regards to its prospects as a global player of the future.

    The ISL has always believed in playing offense. With the support of its sponsors and loyal viewers, it is only a matter of time before it drives India past the goal line and puts us well and truly on the world map of football. 

  • IPL 2020 excitement builds as final looms

    IPL 2020 excitement builds as final looms

    MUMBAI: Two hours to go. And the top two teams till the playoffs will be slugging it out with each other in the IPL final  as a billion cricket lovers watch the fierce competition on the field. Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals – two teams which impressed one and all on the way with their fighting spirit. Both the blues will be on the field.

     

    It was not an easy IPL and it went down to the wire, with five teams almost level, until the playoffs. Yes, there were no spectators. But the simulated audience cheers, encouraging roars, the instruments blaring away, did not make that apparent at all. The palpitating excitement kept you glued to your screen – whether mobile, TV or laptop. And the commentators, well, they surpassed themselves, and put in that extra effort they took to get the action seem more engaging.  

     

    Cricket lovers responded in droves: the opening match had 200 million viewers across TV and digital; with the fixture streamed behind the Disney+ Hotstar pay wall seeing a record 8.4 million viewers. Yes last year’s audience numbers on Hotstar were higher, by multiples, but it was a free AVod service. Star India’s goal is to go past a record 550 million viewers for the entire league, as it had elaborated at its start.

     

    Of course, the brands made merry: whether it was Dream11 or  Byju’s or Zomato, or Unacademy or  payTM or Cred or Ceat or Tata Motors (and its famous gold standard vehicle Altroz displayed during the matches at the three stadiums and being talked about by the commentators) or  Upgrad or Great Learning or  Usha fans or AMFI – the list could go on.

     

     Clearly, an association with the IPL helps get a tremendous recall value, and especially if the communication is humorous and brings a smile to your face – a tack many of these brands took. More than a hundred brands associated with the IPL, whether with the broadcaster or with the franchises or with the BCCI.

     

     Fortunately for them, the sponsorship ticket sizes were not as large as last year, giving them a fabulous return on their investments. Even as  broadcaster and streamer  Star India and Disney +Hotstar took a hit in revenue, they build a stronger bond with cricket lovers.

     

    Expectation amongst all is that the final telecast today is going to set new records in terms of viewership, even though tomorrow is gold buying time and the festival mood is in full swing.  It’s the classic old duel, Mumbai – the Indian commercial capital – vs Delhi – the political capital – though Delhi is led by a Mumbai lad. Who will triumph? Punters are betting it will be Mumbai Indians who have a better pedigree or track record, but who knows Delhi might spring a surprise.

     

    Whosoever wins, for audiences too, the IPL has been time well spent. The sixes have rained, the wickets and bails have been lit up very often, new players have emerged, records have been set and  there have been more than enough heart stopping super-overs. Clearly cricket has entertained, and how.  2020 will be known as the year when despite the most challenging Covid 2019 circumstances it was sport – namely cricket – which turned out to be a winner.

  • SPN India honoured for diversity and inclusion efforts

    SPN India honoured for diversity and inclusion efforts

    MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN),  has been recognized among 100 best companies for women in India by Working Mother and Avtar, and as an exemplar of inclusion in their most inclusive companies index. This year marks the fourth consecutive win for SPN being featured on the Avtar list for Top 100 best companies for women.

    The awards are conducted by Avtar, a pioneer in gender diversity and inclusion in India, and Working Mother, a prestigious global gender parity champion in the United States. The Working Mother’s annual list of 100 Best Companies in its 33rd anniversary this year, continues to raise awareness of the issues faced by women at the workplace and encourages the development of programs to address those concerns.

    Over the course of the last 25 years, SPN has built an inclusive and diverse environment which extracts the very best from them. With over 30 per cent women representation amongst the network’s employees, SPN continues to not only play an active role in the dialogue on gender equality, but also champions causes which challenge the status quo and support women workforce in all their endeavours. Amongst SPN’s several progressive policies, the SPN Apex diversity and inclusion council, ‘Live your dream’, Dastangoi and ‘SPNI Pitchers’ are some of the innovative and noteworthy efforts which position the network as a coveted employer in the industry.

    Along with a stringent POSH policy championed by select employees across teams which ensures a safe work environment, SPN also provides enhanced maternity benefits (fertility treatments), universal primary caregiver leave (26 weeks – childbirth, adoption and surrogacy), free near-site creche, preferential parking for expectant & new mothers, mother’s room and medical insurance. With new formats of working emerging as a result of the pandemic, SPN is among the first movers in securing mental and physical wellbeing. The network’s people-friendly initiatives such as scheduled downtime, mandatory leaves and introduction of Covid2019 reimbursements and insurance have resulted in employee delight, especially women.

    SPN’s values are the bedrock of culture and have a huge impact on happiness and success at the organisation. Its nurturing environment celebrates performance and results while fostering collaboration to achieve big goals.

    Sony Pictures Networks India MD and CEO N P Singh said, “I am humbled that SPN is recognised as a leader in championing the cause of gender parity. We will continue to accelerate our efforts in inclusion and diversity so that we can support the tangible change in society.”

    SPN India chief human resource officer Manu Wadhwa said, “With the recognition in the Most Inclusive Companies Index, we are encouraged to push further with our diversity and inclusion initiatives at SPN. We endeavour to build on our reputation of remaining a people-first organization that welcomes diverse talent.”

  • Historic rivalries, fan fervour: How Hero ISL 7 will be a game changer

    Historic rivalries, fan fervour: How Hero ISL 7 will be a game changer

    NEW DELHI: Football is a sport that arouses unbridled passion – in players and spectators alike. A favourite team’s win or a loss can send fans into a paroxysm of delight or deep into despair. Watching a game of football – be it from the stands or in front of a screen – has its own unique kind of thrill, and billions of people all over the world revel in it.

    Though its first love may be cricket, India is always ready for a tryst with the beautiful game. And now that the IPL has woken the nation up from its Covid2019-induced torpor, Indians are eager to dive straight into the latest edition of the Hero Indian Super League (ISL). Set to kick-off on 20 November, the Hero ISL 7 is the league’s biggest and boldest instalment yet – with 11 teams, 115 group stage matches, and one of the oldest rivalries in Asian football.

    Over the course of its last six seasons, ISL has charted an upward trajectory in terms of growth and popularity. As per BARC reports, Hero ISL 6 had recorded a 51 per cent growth in viewership, with 28 billion minutes consumed, 168 million live match reach, 213 million video views and over 75 million interactions achieved. The brand is a hit across mediums, with the last season being aired on more than 20 TV channels, and clocking 19 million views on Disney+Hotstar.  

    The tournament has extended its reach across the country and captured football fans' imagination, inspired them and brought them together. It has brought razzmatazz to football, something the sport had sadly lacked in this country. In fact, such is the league’s impact that since its inception, India has jumped 70 plus places in the FIFA rankings.

    So it comes as no surprise that interest is sky-high as Hero ISL returns for its seventh season, the first professional sporting league to play on desh ki mitti since the Coronavirus struck. There have been over 100,000 conversations on social media around the upcoming season in the past month, which is further testimony to the fact that young men – and women – have sorely missed live football action in the past few months.

    This edition of the ISL is pulling out all the stops to ensure that viewers have a ball. While there will be no audience in the seats cheering for their teams and heroes, we hear the league is working hard to ensure the engagement between fans and players continues to grow. Along with efforts to create more in-stadia experiences virtually; with the new normal setting in, digital activations are likely to be big. Digital engagement with fans through Insta Live and other platforms will make this season a truly unique and unforgettable affair.

    Historical data indicates that more and more fans have been glued to Hero ISL with every new season. According to the league, hardcore enthusiasts racked up 19.3 billion minutes of viewership on their own. Moreover, devotees who follow the league religiously to track the fortunes of their favourite team have banded to form fan clubs. From the Manjappada Club dedicated to Kerala Blasters, to the West Block Blues at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium for the Bengaluru FC, ISL has sparked fan culture in India like never before. KBFC members proudly proclaim the fact that they are among the top 50 clubs globally in terms of fan engagement.

    27-year-old Rohan Chandrasekhar has been living in Bengaluru for the past four years and has tried to make it to every single home match of the Bengaluru FC, his punishing corporate job hours notwithstanding. If attending a live game was a no-go, he would meet up with fellow West Block Blues members at sports bars. But now both of these prospects have gone out the window. He said: “Yeah, it’s a bummer that we don’t get to attend matches in stadiums this time around. But I’m looking forward to what the league has planned to make us fans feel the vibe of a live match. The fan club has also been very proactive on social media lately, sharing behind-the-scenes moments, clips from training sessions and interviews with players. It’s nice, it makes us feel involved. We’re thinking of ways to have that ‘all together’ experience, like virtual watch parties. I’m sure we’ll figure something out in time for the opener.”

    This year, the league struck gold when it successfully signed on SC East Bengal, thereby setting the stage for the boro match, the most fiercely contested derby with arch-rival ATK Mohun Bagan. East Bengal will face Mohun Bagan in the biggest spectacle of Indian football on 27 November. Their historic rivalry has added more enthusiasm among followers of the ISL and their matches will certainly be one of the main attractions of the season. Judging by reactions on social media, the anticipation among viewers at home is palpable.

    The reigning champion Mohun Bagan already has a strong rivalry with Kerala Blasters. And now with the addition of the Red and Golds in the league, the stakes will be much higher, as will the intensity of the upcoming clashes.

    Tapan Mukherjee, a retired Indian Railways officer, has been a life-long supporter of Mohun Bagan. A resident of Kolkata, he owns season’s passes to all Mohun Bagan matches and makes sure to attend each and every one of them, come rain or shine – all while wearing the iconic red and green team jersey, to boot. He had followed the team as it rose through the ISL ranks and lifted the trophy thrice in the past. Here’s what he had to say:

    “Next year, when the situation normalises – and I strongly believe that it will – I’m going to buy tickets to every single boro match in the ISL fixtures, it won’t matter to me if they’re held in Goa or Timbuktu. We don’t have a choice this year but next time it will be different. I’ve never missed attending a Mohun Bagan vs East Bengal derby in stadium in my 70 years and I don’t plan on missing out in future.”

    Hero ISL not only has the loyalty of fans, but is making a name for itself all over the globe. In a landmark deal, the City Football Group, which owns Premier League champions Manchester City, acquired a 65 per cent stake in Mumbai City FC. German club Borussia Dortmund, the twelfth richest football team in the world, has teamed up with Hyderabad FC in its first partnership with an Indian football side. Adding yet another feather to its cap, the ISL became the first league from South Asia to be inducted into the prestigious World Leagues Forum, which functions closely with FIFA on the development of professional football. This association of professional football leagues also includes the likes of the Premier League, La Liga and Bundesliga, among others.

    Clearly, the Hero ISL has established itself as a game changer when it comes to Indian football. With this season, the league has set its sights on an even bigger goal, and even before the whistle blows for kick-off, it is shooting for success.

  • Sportskeeda partners with Lifebuoy to host Rajasthan Royals’ Shane Warne and Sanju Samson on SKLive.

    Sportskeeda partners with Lifebuoy to host Rajasthan Royals’ Shane Warne and Sanju Samson on SKLive.

    In an exclusive interview sponsored by Lifebuoy, the world’s number one germ protection soap brand*, Sportskeeda's interactive chat show SKLive got an opportunity to chat with the Rajasthan Royals’ brand ambassador and mentor Shane Warne and their rising star Sanju Samson.

    SKLive is Sportkeeda’s live interactive chat show hosted by Indranil Basu, one of India’s most prolific sports journalists, and has featured some of the biggest names in the sporting world like Leander Paes, Sania Mirza, Baichung Bhutia, Javagal Srinath, Mohd Azharuddin, Vishwanathan Anand, Bajrang Punia, and R Ashwin.

    Lifebuoy, a Unilever brand, has a commitment to help improve the handwashing habits of communities all over the world and has already reached more than one billion people. Similar to recent partnerships with the West Indies and Pakistan Cricket teams, the brand will capture content with members of the Rajasthan Royals squad to help keep everyone safe and help reduce the spread of germs.

    In this exclusive interview, Indranil probes the duo from Rajasthan Royals about their respective roles in the team, how the presence of Shane as a mentor and the experience he brings to the table helps the young roster, including Sanju, who has been an absolute pillar for the Rajasthan Royals batting lineup this season, what their outlook for the remainder of the tournament is and how they have a well-rounded team that is capable of being a true title contender this season. 

    Shane and Sanju also touch upon their life in the IPL bubble in Dubai, how important it is for the athletes to maintain a strict hygiene regimen under the present adverse circumstances to continue performing at a high level and how Lifebuoy has been an integral part of their regimen in safeguarding against the threat of COVID-19. 

    Kartik Chandrasekhar, Global Vice President of Lifebuoy said: “Lifebuoy has always been a brand that has looked to support people to have better personal health. We are very excited to be partnering with Rajasthan Royals, a team of immense international talent from key markets for Lifebuoy, including Sanju Samson from India and Ben Stokes from the UK. Sport is an integral part of life, and we are pleased to partner with some of its most impressive athletes to spread awareness throughout the world about better hand hygiene.” 

    Ajay Pratap Singh, Head – Marketing and Partnerships, Sportskeeda said:  It was an absolute honor to host one of the world’s best bowlers Shane Warne and rising sensation Sanju Samson on SKLive and support Lifebuoy in their endeavor to spread awareness among communities in such times.

    About Sportskeeda: 
    Founded in 2009, Sportskeeda is the place for hardcore sports fans, a home for exclusive content, live scores, videos, and in-depth articles produced by experienced sports journalists. Serving 150Mn+ annual and 50Mn+ monthly users, with a major focus being on Cricket, ESports, Wrestling (USA), and Football. Sportskeeda’s content is contributed by a global community of journalists, publishing  200+ articles and videos every day.

    About Lifebuoy*: 

    As the world’s leading health soap, Lifebuoy aims to make a difference by creating accessible hygiene products (soap) and promoting healthy hygiene habits. Lifebuoy runs one of the world's largest handwashing behaviour change programmes in the world having reached + 1 billion people through behaviour change communication till date. Handwashing with soap saves lives. Lifebuoy’s Help A Child Reach 5 campaign aims to eradicate preventable deaths from diseases and illnesses like diarrhoea, by teaching lifesaving handwashing habits.

    *Unilever calculation based on Nielsen volume sales information for the total markets (Latest 12 months). Details available on request.
    * For more information, please visit www.lifebuoy.com