Category: Sports

  • LaLigaSportsTV: Free access to live Spanish sport with new OTT service

    LaLigaSportsTV: Free access to live Spanish sport with new OTT service

    MUMBAI: LaLiga has officially unveiled its OTT (over-the-top) service, LaLigaSportsTV, which offers fans free coverage of live Spanish sporting competitions via mobile and connected devices. This service, designed by LaLiga, will boost the visibility and exposure of all Spanish sport, with matches also to be made available internationally via a catch-up service.

    Through this platform LaLiga aims to support the development of audio-visual offerings for sports that do not receive coverage through traditional media channels and whose content distribution has been limited for fans.

    LaLigaSportsTV was created with the sports fan experience in mind. This has resulted in a simple and accessible interface, featuring native applications, cloud-based HD content and the ability to customise content for both live and on-demand services.

    Fans of Spanish sport living outside of Spain will be able to watch matches on demand after the live broadcast has ended, pending local rights restrictions. The LaLigaSportsTV app is available in eight languages (English, Spanish, German, French, Italian, Portuguese, Russia and Indonesian) for smartphone and tablet, while the smart TV service can be accessed in English and Spanish.

    This service sees LaLiga strengthen its commitment to the sporting federations as a part of the LaLigaSports project, which was created to offer sporting federations in Spain enhanced exposure, help with their development and boost their motivation to compete.

    Federations will also be able establish a new framework through which to reach their fans through the service. LaLiga is keen to assist the federations in gaining a better understanding of user consumption habits with a view to developing improved commercialisation strategies as far as audio-visual content and sponsorship are concerned.

    LaLigaSportsTV is a central part of the league’s commitment to innovation and to be at the forefront of technological advances, particularly in the audio-visual field. LaLiga is the first major European league to roll out its own OTT service and offer fans a platform for niche sports. This product is the only one of its kind globally and demonstrates the leading role played by the LaLiga clubs.

    The launch event for LaLigaSportsTV was attended by LaLiga President, Javier Tebas; the President of the Spanish Sports Association (ADESP), Jose Hidalgo; the Corporate Vice-President of Samsung Electronics Iberia, Celestino Garcia; the Captain of the Spanish rugby sevens team, Paco Hernandez; as well as several elite athletes from Spain including Carolina Marin, David Cal, Joana Pastrana, Jeronimo Garcia, Jose Javier Hombrados and the full Spanish rugby sevens team.

    LaLigaSportsTV will now be promoted through an advertising campaign with the message 'Cuando te miran, lo das todo' (When you're being watched, you give your all), conveying that greater numbers of spectators have a direct impact on an athlete's performance levels.

    At the beginning of the event a minute’s silence was observed for Marcos Garrido Beltrán, a motorcyclist who died yesterday in an accident in the Andalusia Supersport 300 championship race at the Circuito de Jerez track. LaLiga sends its deepest condolences to Marcos’ family and friends.

  • Watch top Indian  & International golfers in action LIVE on DSPORT at the Hero Indian Open 2019

    Watch top Indian & International golfers in action LIVE on DSPORT at the Hero Indian Open 2019

    MUMBAI: DSPORT, a premium sports channel of Discovery Communications, will broadcast LIVE, the Hero Indian Open 2019 in India. Hero Indian Open – the biggest National Open golf championship in India, is co-sanctioned by both the Asian Tour and the  prestigious European Tour, besides the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI). The tournament will be played from 28-31 March 2019, at the state-of-the-art DLF Golf & Country Club, Gurugram.

    The Hero Indian Open – a US $ 1.75 Million Prize money event will see participation from the top Indian Professional golfers. Shubhankar Sharma and former Champion Anirban Lahiri will lead the field for India. Other Indian golfers expected to be seen in action are former Champion SSP Chawrasia, besides Shiv Kapur, Ajeetesh Sandhu, Viraj Madappa and Khalin Joshi.

    Top international golfers who can be seen in action at the annual flagship event of Indian Professional Golf, include last year’s runner-up Andrew Johnston, Maybank Championship 2019 winning Australian Golfer Scott Hend, four time European Tour winner Bernd Wiesberger, Aberdeen Standard Investment Scottish Open Champion Brandon Stone, 2018 Honma HongKong Open Winner English Golfer Aaron Rai, 2019 SIMB Singapore Open Winner Thai Golfer Jazz Janewattananond, Chris Wood and Julian Suri.

  • Prasar Bharati survey to gauge demand for sporting events coverage soon

    Prasar Bharati survey to gauge demand for sporting events coverage soon

    MUMBAI: Prasar Bharati CEO Shashi Shekhar Vempati has revealed that a survey will soon be conducted to assess the demand for sports coverage on the public broadcaster’s platforms like Doordarshan (DD) and All India Radio (AIR). Vempati, however, pointed out that sports coverage by a public broadcaster is determined by factors like rights and monetisation opportunities.

    “Coverage of sports by the public broadcaster within its limited means depends on several factors including but not limited to availability of rights, monetisation potential etc. We will be conducting survey shortly to assess demand,” he said.

    The ongoing Indian Premier League is being covered by the BBC for its radio listeners. Not only is AIR not covering the IPL, but it also hasn’t been associated with a bilateral cricket series in India since 2014. Responding to a question on the same, Vempati pointed a finger at the Indian board.

    “At this time there is no proposal from BCCI regarding IPL on radio. Question best answered by BCCI on why IPL radio rights have not been offered in India while internationally they have been made available,” he remarked.

    However, Vempati was optimistic about agreeing to a deal with the Indian cricket board ahead of the next bilateral series at home.

    “As far as bilateral series in India goes, coverage on radio will commence once BCCI and All India Radio finalise MoU on the same. I am optimistic we will be able to narrow the gaps soon and before the next bilateral series happens in India” he said.

    Last year, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) proposed to amend rules relating to mandatory sharing of feeds of sports of national importance with not only the pubcaster but with other distribution platforms. Reason for proposed changes: people with less purchasing power should not lose out on sporting excitement.

    The MIB said in a notice issued on 17 October 2018, adding that public comments were invited within a month (later extended) on the changes proposed in the relevant regulation relating to sharing by rights-holding private TV channels of broadcasting feed with the pubcaster.

  • Pakistan bans IPL telecast

    Pakistan bans IPL telecast

    MUMBAI: The 12th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) that is slated to commence from today, 23 March 2019, will not be telecast in Pakistan, confirmed the country’s Minister of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) Fawad Ahmed Chaudhry.

    The decision comes a month after DSport decided to stop the live coverage of the Pakistan Super League 2019 in India, in the wake of the Pulwama attack last month.

    Chaudhry was quoted as saying, “During the PSL, the way the Indian companies and the government treated Pakistan cricket after that, we can’t tolerate that IPL is shown in Pakistan.”

    The demand to take strict action against the Indian cricket team, for sporting camouflage caps during an ODI in a five-match series against Australia, was made by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to the International Cricket Council (ICC). However, ICC confirmed that the BCCI had taken prior permission.

    “We tried to keep politics and cricket apart but then the Indian cricket team played matches wearing army caps against Australia and there was no action taken against it,” said Chaudhry

    The minister further claimed, “I feel if IPL is not shown in Pakistan, it will be a loss for IPL and Indian cricket. We are a cricketing superpower in international cricket.”

  • IPL comes to Snapchat

    IPL comes to Snapchat

    MUMBAI: Snapchat has teamed up with Mumbai Indians, Rajasthan Royals, Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders this IPL season. The partnership will bring fans at home and in the stadium behind-the-scenes updates and the chance to show their support for their favourite team on match days through creative Augmented Reality Lenses, Our Stories and more.

    Follow your team

    Follow Mumbai Indians @mi_platan, Rajasthan Royals @rajasthanroyals, Chennai Super Kings @yelloveforever and Kolkata Knight Riders @kkrsnaps on Snapchat where they will be posting updates and behind-the-scenes highlights to their Official Account’s Story and opt-in to receive notifications when they post.

    In addition, from today CricTracker – the first cricket publisher on the platform – and Sportskeeda will launch on Snapchat’s Discover providing up-to-date news on all things IPL through their own Publisher Stories.

    Get creative

    Fans will also be able to celebrate key moments and show their support in creative ways – wearing their teams’ colours with special augmented reality Lenses as well as adding creative touches to their Snaps with a range of custom filters and stickers.

    There will also be Our Stories around the opening weekend games in Chennai, Mumbai, Jaipur and Kolkata celebrating the best submissions from fans across India, with the first going live on March 25th. Our Stories are collections of publicly submitted Snaps from events and locations around the world and curated by editors at Snapchat.

  • If you have the Game, your Dream can have a Name: Star Sports launches a brand-new docuseries ‘Dream On’ as a lead up to VIVO IPL 2019

    If you have the Game, your Dream can have a Name: Star Sports launches a brand-new docuseries ‘Dream On’ as a lead up to VIVO IPL 2019

    MUMBAI: The 12th edition of VIVO IPL is all set to enthrall fans globally from March 23rd onwards. Adding to the excitement ahead of the world’s most-watched cricketing tournament, Star Sports, the official broadcaster of VIVO IPL has launched a brand-new docuseries – Dream On – Game Banayega Name. Youngsters, Khaleel Ahmed, Rinku Singh, Rahul and Deepak Chahar, Kulwant Khejroliya, Shivam Mavi, Aryaman Birla, Manzoor Dar and Shubman Gill feature in this seven-part docuseries, which seeks to turn the spotlight on Vivo IPL as the platform where talent meets opportunity. The series captures the trials tribulations that these youngsters have been through to earn a place on the world’s biggest showcase of talent.

    For decades, budding cricketers have had limited opportunities. After all, how many dreams can the India cap accommodate? 11 years ago, VIVO IPL changed all of it. Uncapped talented players got an opportunity to play with or against Indian and International players. In a few years, VIVO IPL became the platform for talented youngsters to leap towards their dream of being a well-known Cricketer. ‘Dream On’ captures 8 such stories of hardship, grit, determination, courage, failure and success. The show highlights the impact VIVO IPL has on these lives and how it has changed lives, communities and the game forever. Making dreams come true and inspiring young minds to dream big, VIVO IPL is perhaps one of the biggest platforms today and this is what this 7-part documentary series aim to capture.

    On the lines of the VIVO IPL marketing campaign ‘Game Banayega Name’, Dream On focuses on how VIVO IPL is a platform where the only thing that matters is the game one owns with the talent they have.

    Dream On series debuts on the Star Sports network on Star Sports 1 Hindi and Star Sports First on Saturday, March 16, 2019 and will be telecast every Saturday and Sunday. The series will be narrated in a non-linear style and will showcase trepidation, hard work, excitement and various other emotions as the players continue their journey in VIVO IPL 2019 and go beyond.

    The 12th edition of VIVO IPL starts on Saturday, March 23rd, 2019 with defending champions Chennai Super Kings taking on Royal Challengers Bangalore on the Star Sports Network and Hotstar.

  • Sony Pictures Networks India and Olympic Channel to broadcast Olympic Games Tokyo 2020

    Sony Pictures Networks India and Olympic Channel to broadcast Olympic Games Tokyo 2020

    MUMBAI: The International Olympic Committee (IOC) today announced that Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) has been awarded the broadcast rights in India and the Indian Subcontinent for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, as well as the Winter Youth Olympic Games Lausanne 2020. The Olympic Channel and other IOC digital platforms will also feature highlights and replays of key events.

    Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN),an established pay-television network in India, has acquired media rights in India as well as the Indian subcontinent and will provide comprehensive coverage across its broadcast and digital platforms.

    In addition to the coverage on Sony’s digital platform, SonyLIV, the Olympic Channel and other IOC digital platforms will feature highlights and replays of key events to supplement SPN’s coverage of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 across India and the Subcontinent. This follows the successful broadcast of the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 on the Olympic Channel and other IOC digital platforms.

    In addition, the IOC and SPN will collaborate on creating a permanent Olympic Channel home within the SonyLIV service. Programming will feature year-round coverage of Olympic athletes and sports, highlighting locally relevant original content produced by SPN and Olympic Channel.

  • Broadcasting rights are the fuel for any sport to grow” Matthew Kurlanzik

    Broadcasting rights are the fuel for any sport to grow” Matthew Kurlanzik

    MUMBAI: Day 3 of the 20th edition of FICCI FRAMES started with an interesting session on Sports. Titled ‘Sportsonomics: Driving Indian Sports Forward, On And Off The Field’, the session saw coming together of sportspersons, regulators, administrators and industry leaders to analyze business models and policies that will launch next decade of growth for Indian sports.

    Moderated by Indian Sports Journalist Ms. Mayanti Langer, the panelists included Mr. Atul Pandey, Chairman, Sports Live Entertainment , Mr. John Medeiros, Chief Policy Officer, AVIA, Mr. Chintamani Rao, Renowned media expert, Mr. Vinit Karnik, Business Head – Entertainment, Sports & Live Events, GroupM, Mr. Nitin Kukreja, Chief Executive Officer, IQuest Enterprises Private. Limited and Mr.Matthew Kurlanzik , Director, Government Relations, Asia, 21St Century Fox.

    With Khelo India, sports is being promoted as an important tool not only for physical growth but also for mental strength. The panelists spoke about the importance of creating sports environment on ground level to make India more prominent on international platforms.

    While Mr. Atul Pandey spoke about challenges from policy makers perspective, he also mentioned how the opportunities in our country are very high.

    Speaking about popularity of Indian Sports outside India Mr. John Medeiros said, “I live in Honk Kong, the cultural sphere is much different but and now I see a lot more Indian sports in our media there then say ten years before. There is a dynamism in India which is flowing out into the rest of the world.”

    “The IPL league has created a momentum around sports economic in India and that’s been pretty much driven by private players. The responsibility is not only of the broadcasters but we need to create a holistic environment around sports”. Mr. Nitin Kukreja.

    Speaking about taking sports to international platforms, he further added, “We have seen mushrooming of leagues and exposures but at international level sports is a competition. Our medal tally at international level has come down.  We need to take measures to correct and take Indian sports forward at an international level because the recognition, fan attention and money comes from there.”

    Mr.Matthew Kurlanzik spoke about how abroad the sports competitions at school and university levels are being broadcast. “It doesn’t only give you a player that has already garnered fan following but also helps creating an environment around that sport.”

    “Broadcasting rights are the fuel for any sport to grow.” He added.

    “We need to have many more leagues at school level, international coaches come here to coach our students, we need to nurture talent, give him or her right competition exposure, we need to have more international teams come here and play and we need to have that comprehensive piece from sporting side and from marketing point of view. “ concluded Mr. Nitin Kukreja. 

  • NBA partners with suditi industries to launch range of nba fanwear apparel in india

    NBA partners with suditi industries to launch range of nba fanwear apparel in india

    MUMBAI: The National Basketball Association (NBA) and Suditi Industries Ltd., a long-time leader in apparel exports, today announced a multi-year merchandising partnership to launch a range of NBA fanwear apparel in India.

    The new NBA fanwear apparel will feature the widest range of NBA merchandise available in India, including an assortment of dedicated youth and adult products from all 30 NBA teams.  NBA fanwear apparel will be available in department stores nationwide, including Shoppers Stop, Central, Lifestyle & Brand Factory Pan-India, and through e-commerce sites Jabong – operator of NBAStore.in, the NBA’s official online store in India – and Myntra.

    “As our fanbase continues to grow exponentially, we have also seen a rising demand for NBA merchandise beyond our core oncourt products from Nike and Spalding,” said Siddharth Chury, NBA India Associate Vice President of Global Partnerships.  “We are excited to partner with Suditi Industries, a leading expert in the licensing space, to expand the range of NBA products available to fans.”

    “The NBA is one of the most prestigious sports organisations globally and it’s an exciting opportunity for us to partner with them and bring exclusive merchandise to fans in India,” said Pawan Agarwal, Chairman & Managing Director, Suditi Industries Ltd.  “Our goal is to fully penetrate the Indian market and to make NBA fanwear apparel more widely available for fans across the country.”

  • NBA India announces NBA primetime sundays campaign

    NBA India announces NBA primetime sundays campaign

    MUMBAI: For the second consecutive season, the NBA will schedule a weekly game for live primetime broadcast in India every Sunday evening on SONY TEN 1.  This builds on the league’s NBA Primetime Sundays campaign, a weekly live game on Sunday evenings in Africa, Europe and India.  The five weekly primetime games airing from March 10 – April 7 in India will feature some of the most popular teams in the league including the L.A. Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks and Toronto Raptors.

    In conjunction with the primetime games, the NBA has launched a video/campaign which highlights the differences of watching and enjoying the game in the morning and at primetime.  The film features the journey of a fan who usually starts off watching the game alone on his couch with a cup of coffee however during NBA Primetime Sundays, given the evening time band, his experience of watching the game changes where he is seen in his stylish sneakers and apparel, cheering for his teams with friends at a local bar.  The video captures the joy of a fan being able to watch NBA Games at primetime along with game highlights from the season. 

    The NBA and sports cluster of SPN will continue customized, local live NBA wraparound show ‘NBA Primetime Sunday’ before and after the prime time games to bring viewers closer to the game.  The program will be hosted by a panel of basketball experts that will provide analysis and insight on all the latest NBA news. More than 120M viewers tuned-in to NBA programming over the course of the 2017-18 NBA season and more than 3.9M viewers tuned-in to the 2018 NBA Sunday games.

    The NBA’s partnership with Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) began in the 2012-13 season and includes more than 350 live games in English and Hindi each season.