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Category: Sports

  • Pune joins the Vodafone Premier Badminton League bandwagon; Season 4 to have nine franchises

    Pune joins the Vodafone Premier Badminton League bandwagon; Season 4 to have nine franchises

    MUMBAI: In its endeavour to take the Vodafone Premier Badminton League (PBL) to unprecedented heights and making it a much bigger affair, the Badminton Association of India (BAI) is introducing a new team for the fourth edition of league, having its highest prize money.

    The league is owned by BAI and is organised by Sportzlive, the official license holders under the aegis of the Badminton Association of India. After the highly successful completion of three editions, the city of Pune will join the bandwagon to make the event a nine-team affair from the forthcoming season.

    The Pune team has been baptized as Pune Seven Aces and is owned by popular Bollywood actress, Taapsee Pannu and KRI. 

    The new addition underlines BAI and its President, Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma’s philosophy of taking badminton to all the corners of the country as well as making the League the most talked about and followed not only in India but also globally.

    Echoing the thoughts, BAI President and Chairman PBL Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma said, “The number of people getting inclined towards badminton in this country has witnessed a steep rise in the last few years. PBL especially has been instrumental for such a development. The League started off with six teams in Season 1 and now we have nine franchisees within a span of three years, which is an incredible feat. I am confident we will continue to increase the popularity of the sport and PBL will continue to make waves all across in the future too.”

    The upcoming season will begin from December 22, 2018 to January 13, 2019 and will be played across five cities, Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Bengaluru. 

    Critically acclaimed for her acting Taapsee Pannu, the Pune owner, said after signing her association with the League, “I have played quite a bit of badminton in my early days and have a special liking for the game. I always wanted to associate myself with the game in a big way and I have found the perfect avenue to express my passion through the League. I am confident that Pune Seven Aces will be a team to reckon with.”

  • VIVO PRO KABADDI SEASON VI BIGGER, BETTER AND FITTER

    VIVO PRO KABADDI SEASON VI BIGGER, BETTER AND FITTER

    MUMBAI: India’s most anticipated kabaddi league, VIVO Pro Kabaddi is back, with Season VI as the 12 fittest captains unveil the most coveted trophy.

    The bravest 12, Surjeet Singh from Bengal Warriors, Joginder Singh Narwal from Dabang Delhi, Sunil Kumar from Gujarat Fortunegiants, Surender Nada, from Haryana Steelers, Anup Kumar from Jaipur Pink Panthers, Pardeep Narwal for defending Champions Patna Pirates, Girish Ernak from Puneri Paltans, Vishal Bharadwaj from Telugu Titans, Rishank Devadiga from UP Yoddha, Dharmaraj Cheralathan, from U Mumba came together on one stage, decoding their strategy for the season.

    Talking about the famous Dubki, Pardeep Narwal, Captain, Patna Pirates, said, “I will never stop doing the dubki. This season along with the dubki, I have worked on multiple strategic moves to counter our opponents. For Patna Pirates, one of the most challenging teams we believe is Puneri Paltan because their defense is very strong. I look forward to the season and I am going to take the trophy home this time.”

    Talking about the team composition, Ajay Thakur, Captain, Tamil Thalaivas, said, “In the previous season our team composition was heavy on youngsters. So, if it happened that I was not on the mat, taking instant decisions was tough. This year, the team has a perfect balance of young and experienced players, we have Manjeet Chillar, Jasvir Singh and Sukesh Hegde who can take phenomenal decisions at the spur of the moment during the match.”

    Commenting on the biggest rivals for Bengaluru Bulls this season, Captain Rohit Kumar, said, “According to me, the team that puts its best foot forward will win, it is a competition, and everyone will come prepared. In my opinion Tamil Thalaivas is the most prepared team for this season, under the able guidance from Ajay Thakur. In terms of players, Surrender Nada is the one defender who is the toughest to beat for a raider, along with being the best, he also covers up when his team falters.”

    Talking about the impact of fitness in a 3-month long league, Rishank Devadiga, Captain, UP Yoddha, said, “Earlier the season was shorter, and the chances of injury were higher as players prove their mettle on the mat each day. With a 3-month long league, there is enough break period for players to rest and recuperate. The challenge in a longer league is the maintain a certain level of fitness consistently which is what we at UP Yoddha’s are training for.”

    The inaugural ceremony of Season VI will be a star-studded affair, with eminent sports icons and film personalities expected to attend. Shruti Hassan and face of VIVO PKL in Tamil Nadu, Vijay Sethupathi will be seen cheering for their favourite teams along with fans on opening day.

    In a first, to further build team affinity and fan loyalty, Star Sports has introduced invitational regional campaigns for key markets, Bengaluru Bulls – Bulls Gala Budhwaara (Wednesday), Telegu Titans – Titans Tho Tuesday and U Mumba – Saturday Night, U Mumba Chi Night, heralding the weekly team slots for the 3 squads.

    Gearing up for the exhilarating matches across 13 weeks, the teams have been training fastidiously to prepare for a competitive season. With many firsts this season, the caravan will travel to Kochi for the play-offs and the grand finale will be held in Mumbai on the 5th of January, 2018.

    From October 7th, 2018 to January 5th 2019, fans can catch each match LIVE, 7:30 pm onwards, on the Star Sports Network including the FTA channel Star Sports First, regional channel Star Sports 1 Tamil, in Kannada on Star Suvarna Plus, in Telugu on Star Maa Gold and Hotstar.

  • Kia Motors India signs four-year partnership with Bengaluru Football Club

    Kia Motors India signs four-year partnership with Bengaluru Football Club

    MUMBAI:  Kia Motors, the world’s 8th largest automaker, has announced an all-new partnership with Bengaluru Football Club as a principal sponsor for the ongoing season of the Indian Super League 2019 through to end of the 2021/22 season. To formalize the partnership, Kia Motors India and Bengaluru Football Club signed a MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) for the four-year deal in the presence of Mr. Kookhyun Shim – MD & CEO, Kia Motors India and Mr. Parth Jindal – CEO, Bengaluru Football Club.

    As a part of this association, Kia Motors’ logo will feature on the front of the BFC jersey beginning from the game against Jamshedpur FC scheduled on Sunday (7th October).

    Bengaluru FC has been the most successful Indian club over the last five years, winning a major trophy once every season since its inception in 2013. In making the final of the Asian Football Confederation Cup (AFC CUP) in 2016, Bengaluru FC became the first club in Indian football history to reach the stage in continental competition. This partnership will be a major step forward for the Indian football community as two significant brands partner to build unforgettable fan experiences for millions of sports enthusiasts across the nation.

    Kia's global sports sponsorship portfolio includes FIFA, UEFA Europa League, Australian Open, and LPGA, to name a few. With Kia’s India brand launch scheduled for June 2019, the automaker has found the perfect partner in BFC to share its success story and vision, while strengthening community engagement, especially among young fans.

    “Bengaluru Football Club’s partnership with Kia is a historic association in Indian football. Kia has a rich background of partnerships with sports including a host of world-class sporting events and teams. For Kia to choose Bengaluru FC as a medium to announce its presence in India is a matter of pride for the club and is also a big testament to the fan culture that the team and the city have created. The JSW name that the club wore with pride, is now entwined in Bengaluru FC. Now, with Kia alongside us, we are looking forward to doing great things to grow the sport in the country,” said Mr. Parth Jindal – CEO Bengaluru Football Club.

    For Kia Motors India, this partnership is also a great step towards encouraging sports in India after a successful FIFA Official Match Ball Carrier (FIFA OMBC) program which gave India its first-ever Official Match Ball Carriers for the FIFA World Cup 2018 in Russia. Kia as a brand is young-at-heart and this partnership with Bengaluru FC reiterates the brand’s belief in the power of football to build communities and enhance consumer lifestyles beyond automobiles.

    Speaking about the new partnership, Mr. Kookhyun Shim – CEO & Managing Director, Kia Motors, said, “We at Kia, are as passionate about sports as we are about our world class cars. Our past and current partnerships with different sporting championships across the world are a clear sign of our enthusiasm for sports. As we extend this legacy to India, we aim to foster and inspire youngsters in the country to become a part of the global sports community. We are proud to associate with one of the most consistently successful teams in the ISL – Bengaluru FC, and we look forward to an excellent season with memorable experiences for millions of football enthusiasts throughout India.”

    Also present at the announcement was ace footballer and Bengaluru FC captain Sunil Chhetri  who has been sporting the club’s iconic blue shirt over the past five seasons. At the unveiling of the Kia logo-emblazoned jersey, Chhetri said, “I have been a part of the Bengaluru FC’s growth story from day one; we have taken big steps with every passing season. This association says so much about the club’s intent to grow, Kia has been a global ambassador of football and it was a real honor for me to be a part of the jury for Kia’s Official Match Ball Carrier Initiative where two kids were selected to be the first-ever Official Match Ball Carriers from India for the FIFA World Cup 2018. With this partnership, we are confident of encouraging and strengthening the rapidly evolving football community in India.”

  • Kabaddi beats football in popularity among Indian kids

    Kabaddi beats football in popularity among Indian kids

    MUMBAI: The sports viewership in India has been mainly restricted to cricket for the longest time. It is difficult for any other sport to lock horns with cricket. So the race is on for the second spot. We seem to have a winner for now. Star India’s homegrown property Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) has helped kabaddi carve its space and became the second most watched sport in the country.

    With the sport gaining popularity across the country, not only adults and youth but kids are also enjoying the game. PKL season 6 is all set to commence on 7 October 2018. The league is by far the most popular non-cricket property, contributed 61 per cent of viewership share in season 4, according to Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) India.  

    Kids as an audience, contribute to 20 per cent of total TV viewership, which is the highest share across all age cuts. In 197 million TV households, there are around 211 million kids. In sports, after cricket, kids are watching kabaddi with 19 per cent viewership share from week 8 in 2017 to week 37 in 2018.

    Ernst & Young partner, media and entertainment advisory services Ashish Pherwani said, “Star changed the way kabaddi was marketed in India. It created heroes, made the sport more involving for the audience and made it a faster exciting event.”

    Rural India contributes to 74 per cent of the live viewership and the remaining by the urban market in the kid’s audience. Out of the 19 per cent share, kids mostly watch live telecast (55 per cent), whereas 26 per cent of the viewership comes from highlights.

    PKL season five garnered 1.6 billion impressions from the live telecast on seven channels. The final match in season five garnered 25.4 million impressions compared to 13.9 million impressions in season four, which is 83 per cent growth.

    Kabaddi as a sport is followed the most in AP/Telangana followed by Maharashtra/Goa and Karnataka. If we look at the region wise contribution in the two to 14 age groups, 44 per cent is shared between Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra and Goa. Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh contribute to 27 per cent of the overall viewership in the same age group.

    As kids contribute to 20 per cent of the total TV viewership, a larger part of it is because of co-viewing. A further split is observed between channels whose primary audience are kids and all other channels where kids are the incidental viewers. GEC and movies channel together account for over 80 per cent viewership share on non-kids channels.

    PwC India partner, media, entertainment and sports sector advisory leader Raman Kalra said, “Kabaddi is popular that is true and it will continue to grow also but there is a very clear rise of football. Even though the statistics are either way but clearly football is going to grow rapidly in India. I do believe that it is going to become a prominent sport in all the segments, especially given the kind of grassroots development and academies happening in that front.”

    If we talk about brands, PKL season one hardly had any sponsor and partner but with the traction it had got for the past couple of seasons, it has managed to cross 100-mark in season five including individual team sponsors and partners. In 2017, Vivo signed a Rs 3 billion ($45 million) deal for five years with the league.

    PKL season 4 had a high contribution from female viewers (44 per cent). Despite this, female-specific sectors are not present on PKL. Female-targeted sectors (personal care/ personal hygiene, household products, personal healthcare) contributed 15 per cent to the total duration of advertisement. As opposed to that, male categories (durables, banking/finance/investment, auto, fuel/petroleum products, alcoholic drinks) constitute 35 per cent of the total duration.

    As kids watch kabaddi more than football, if we compare the ad sector between ISL and PKL, we can see the entire education sector missing in PKL. Education sector contributed to 11 per cent of total duration at the time of ISL. “That’s a natural phenomenon, brands will follow the audience no matter the sport. As the audience profile starts going up you will always see an appropriate shift of brands,” Kalra added.

    Encouraging the growth of the sport amongst the younger generation, Star Sports has undertaken a pioneering initiative, KBD Juniors, to spread awareness by facilitating grassroots level engagement. KBD Juniors season 2 has already begun and will be broadcast on Star Sports and Hotstar during season six of PKL. The tournament will have 24 schools across 12 cities and 3,500 students between the age group of 11 to 12 years battle it out to make it to the grand finale.

    The events included in the data are National Kabaddi Championship, Pune League Kabaddi Spardha, Vivo PKL Season 5 from 2017 and All India national style Kabaddi, Asian Games (Kabaddi), Big C Telangana Premier Kabaddi, Kabaddi masters Dubai, Kabaddi national and Pune League Kabaddi in 2018.

  • Star India pegged to earn close to Rs 450 cr from ISL 5

    Star India pegged to earn close to Rs 450 cr from ISL 5

    MUMBAI: Star India is aiming to earn more from this year’s Indian Super League (ISL). Industry experts believe it will earn close to Rs 450 crore revenue from advertising and sponsorship. The projected revenue includes broadcast as well as digital. Season 5 starts from 29 September 2018 to 16 December 2018.
    “Star is eyeing around Rs 450 crore. This was the aim last time but this time it looks like they will be able to achieve it because they have put Star Gold and Star Utsav in the frame,” an industry source informed Indiantelevision.com on condition of anonymity.

  • Kirloskar Brothers to be the Co-sponsor of Puneri Paltan Team

    Kirloskar Brothers to be the Co-sponsor of Puneri Paltan Team

    Kirloskar Brothers Limited (KBL) will co-sponsor the Puneri Paltan team for the second time for the sixth season of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL).
    Kirloskar Brothers Limited (KBL), India’s leading pump manufacturer, will again co-sponsor the Puneri Paltan, representing Pune, in the 6th season of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL), which will be held from 5th October 2018 to 6th January 2019. The company, which co-sponsored the Paltan in the last season in 2017, will thus be reaffirming the brand association with the team.

    The official announcement of the association was done by Mr. Anurag Vohra, India Business Head, KBL, at a ceremony held in Pune on Sep 26th, 2018. On the occasion, Mr. Vohra remarked “We are extremely delighted to again co-sponsor the Puneri Paltan team for the second year in a row. We feel honored to be associated with the traditional Indian sport. There is a large similarity between KBL and Kabaddi. KBL, this year, is celebrating its 130 years of existence and the advent of Kabaddi as a competitive sport can also be traced back to the early 20th century. Kabaddi is a sport that requires a lot of strength, intelligence, speed, and strategy. KBL products are also known in the market for their reliability, durability, performance, and innovation. Both embark a sense of “Make in India” feeling and yes, both are representing Pune on the global stage. Kabaddi has made its foray into the international arena and so has KBL with 8 plants in India and 7 plants abroad. We are confident of a stupendous performance of the Puneri Paltan and wish them all the best.”
    Mr. Vohra also pointed out how the popularity of the PKL is growing year on year with the franchise garnering the second highest viewership in the country after cricket and how PKL is one of the primary rural games to garner fame in urban areas as well.
    PKL is a franchise-based professional kabaddi league in India founded in 2014 and, this season will feature a total of 12 teams. Meanwhile, the Puneri Paltan team will play its first match of PKL VI against U Mumba on 6th October in Chennai.

  • DSPORT to broadcast ‘Ryder Cup’ for viewers in India starting 28th Sep, 2018, 11:30 AM onwards

    DSPORT to broadcast ‘Ryder Cup’ for viewers in India starting 28th Sep, 2018, 11:30 AM onwards

    New Delhi, September 24, 2018: The 42nd edition of the biennial ‘Ryder Cup’ will bring the long lasting existing rivalry between golfers of Europe and USA for the Indian viewers. The prestigious tournament will be telecast live on DSPORT from 28th – 30th September, 2018 from 11:30 am onwards for the first two days while the action of the final day will be live from 3:30 pm.
    Some of Golf’s greatest players from Europe and USA will be seen in action during the Ryder Cup. USA will be captained by Jim Furyk who is a 17 time PGA tour Winner while David Duval and Zach Johnson hold the post of vice captains. Europe will be lead by Thomas Bjørn who has had an illustrious career having 15 European Titles to his name, supporting him as vice captains will be Robert Karlsson, Graeme McDowell and Lee Westwood.
    This cup will showcase marquee golfers such as Rory Mcllroy, who stood 5th in the recent PGA Championship; Justin Rose, who finished first in the PGA championship looks in splendid form and he would be ready to make his mark on this cup; The Spanish Sergio Garcia, won his last Major at the 2017 Masters Tournament is the only golfer to hold a record to score four-and-a-half points out of the possible five at the ‘Ryder Cup’. Tiger Woods, has made a tremendous come back by finishing T-2 in the Valspar Championship and his alone second position at the PGA Championship makes him a very tough contender. Jordan Spieth who has five top 10 finishes this season and a third place finish at the Masters tournament will be a key man to look forward to.
    Since the inaugural ‘Ryder Cup’ in 1927 the contest has become very popular with players and spectators alike.
    DSPORT is available on all DTH platforms (Tata Sky Channel #495, Airtel DTH Channel #304, Dish TV Channel #630). The ‘Ryder Cup’ is hosted at the spectacular Le Golf Nation, Albatros Course, and has been evolving to become bigger and better with each edition.

  • Football er daak shune Bangali ashbena? Etao ki hote paare? Cholo, Shonge cholo! Banglar jeet hok! Says Sourav Ganguly in Star Sports’ new TVC for Season 5 of the Hero Indian Super League

    Football er daak shune Bangali ashbena? Etao ki hote paare? Cholo, Shonge cholo! Banglar jeet hok! Says Sourav Ganguly in Star Sports’ new TVC for Season 5 of the Hero Indian Super League

    KOLKATA 22nd SEPTEMBER 2018: Hero Indian Super League – India’s premier football league, kicks off in a week’s time on September 29, 2018, with two-time champions ATK hosting Kerala Blasters. The season is full of optimism for ATK and its fans as the 2014 & 2016 champions are sporting a new look this year with Englishman Steve Coppell, taking over as head coach. The side has also signed a few exceptional players this season and features the likes of John Johnson, Manuel Lanzarote, Andre Bikey and Kalu Uche which will strengthen their defense and attack, contributing to the team’s strong core players such as Eugeneson Lyngdoh and Cavin Lobo.

    In a run-up to the season opener, Star Sports – the official broadcaster of the HISL, has launched a new TVC highlighting football as the essence of West Bengal’s heartbeat and features the ‘Prince of Calcutta’ Sourav Ganguly. The TVC sees ‘Dada’ Sourav Ganguly leading the throngs of football fans in a united march to the stadium while magnifying the fact that Football daake aar Bangali ashena? Eta konodin hote pare na! The TVC is a reminder for football fans across India that Kolkata is the birthplace of Indian football which has even seen legends like Pele, Messi and Maradona gracing the land and acknowledging the unmatched emotion for the sport that flows through the veins of people from the city.

    Looking forward to another successful season of HISL season, Sourav Ganguly said, “To all, this is the new film of the season, hopefully it will bring us luck and we will have a good season this year. Our record at Hero ISL is phenomenal, yes it wasn’t a great year last year but we will surely turn it around in Season 5”.

    ATK currently holds the most HISL trophies along with Chennaiyin FC and can become the first team in the history of the tournament to win the Hero Indian Super League thrice. ATK will begin their Hero Indian Super League journey on Saturday, September 29, 2018, at home against the team they have beaten twice in the finals since the inauguration of the league – Kerala Blasters. The game will kick off at the iconic Yuba Bharati Krirangan at 7.30 p.m.

    Hero Indian Super League Season 5 will be broadcast on the Star Sports network, Hotstar and Jio TV. Season 5 will have a six-language feed across 7 channels. Season 5 will also see the debut of Star Sports 3, wherein the Hero ISL will be exclusively broadcast in Hindi. ATK fans can catch all the HISL action in their favourite language on Jalsha Movies.

    Creative Agency: Star Sports Creative Team

    Production House: Chalk & Cheese Films

    Campaign Links:

    Twitter : https://twitter.com/IndSuperLeague/status/1042075866170314752

    Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/p/Bn33sIOAyMW/?hl=en&taken-by=indiansuperleague

    Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/IndianSuperLeague/videos/746186469052628/

    YouTube: https://youtu.be/8E4lkA4gFhM

    List of channels:  

    English – Star Sports 1 & Star Sports 1 HD

    Hindi – Star Sports 3

    Bengali – Jalsha Movies

  • DSport to broadcast Laver Cup from 21-23 September

    DSport to broadcast Laver Cup from 21-23 September

    MUMBAI: DSport will bring live action from the second edition of Laver Cup, a men’s tennis tournament between teams from Europe and the rest of the world to be held in Chicago from 21-23 September 2018.
    For the first time, tennis legends Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic will be seen on the same side of the net playing the doubles fixture for Team Europe. They will take on Jack Sock and Kevin Anderson in doubles at the United Center.
    The three-day tournament, a joint initiative between TEAM8, Tennis Australia, the USTA and Jorge Paulo Lemann, will witness a team of six of the best tennis players from Europe competing against six of their counterparts from the rest of the world. While Björn Borg is captain of team Europe, John McEnroe is leading team World.
    With a memorable first edition held at Prague last year, tennis enthusiasts across the world witnesses two of the greatest rivals in the history of the game Federer & Nadal, teaming up for a doubles partnership against Rest of the World.

  • Hero ISL an ideal platform to educate the youth about hydration: Bisleri’s Anjana Ghosh

    Hero ISL an ideal platform to educate the youth about hydration: Bisleri’s Anjana Ghosh

    MUMBAI: With the Hero Indian Super League (Hero ISL) is set to kick off on 29 September 2018, a national campaign titled #FanBannaPadega has been rolled out by the organisers to drum up enthusiasm ahead of the fifth edition. The essence of the campaign puts football fans at the heart of the experience and their role in helping Indian football grow.
    Season five of the league will be broadcast in six different languages – English, Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, Bengali and Kannada. On the digital, front the league will also be live streamed on Hotstar and Jio TV.
    Through the years, the Hero ISL has attracted a steady stream of advertises. This year, the league is being backed by Hero, DHL, Bisleri, Maruti Suzuki, Dream11, Zeven, Nivia and Imperial Blue.
    Bisleri international marketing director Anjana Ghosh said, “The younger generation decides what the trends are. Events such as Hero ISL have been able to capture this new found interest in football and made it more relatable by showcasing Indian talent along with foreign. Now, that younger generation is increasingly realizing the importance of active lifestyle, Bisleri would like to emphasize the importance of water for leading a healthy lifestyle.”
    Hydration as a subject is often neglected in India. Associating with Hero ISL gives Bisleri an ideal platform to connect with the youth, educate them about the importance of right hydration, hydrate the players on ground and in turn let the consumers know that they care for their health.
    “Hero ISL is a new platform for Indian footballers where they compete with International players, and, it is truly a delight to watch our national players do so well and gain recognition worldwide. A lot of young adults, the millennials, are coming forward and showing their support to this sport. So we believe this is the right platform for Bisleri. Here water matters and that works very well with our product”, she added.
    From marathons to cricket, Bisleri has always aligned itself with sporting events. The brand has made its presence felt on the ground, in both large scale and smaller local events as well.
    “We see a very natural fit with sports since the right kind of hydration is essential for an intense sport like football. Popularity of football is only set to rise and hence such associations will be fruitful in the long run”, she concluded.
    India is an emerging football-loving nation, with loyalties divided at marquee global leagues/championships, but Hero ISL gives them the opportunity to come together to celebrate India’s footballing revolution. Thus, the campaign for season five is a call out to all football fans at large to come together for Indian football – #FanBannaPadega.