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Category: Sports

  • THE RACE TO PLAYOFFS HEATS UP WITH STAR SPORTS NEW TVC!

    THE RACE TO PLAYOFFS HEATS UP WITH STAR SPORTS NEW TVC!

    MUMBAI 9th May 2018: The Best vs Best spectacle of VIVO IPL is about to reach its pinnacle with the heated playoffs fast approaching, highlighting how 2 points make all the difference for the teams at the moment. To capture the essence of fan anticipation and dedication for the tournament by accentuating the unpredictability of the points table at the moment, Star Sports has launched a Television Commercial pegged as “RACE TO PLAYOFFS”, establishing how every 2 points matter at this stage.

    The national TVC mastered in seven languages namely Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Bengali, Kannada and Hindi, showcases 2 times tables that the nation is reciting, portrayed on a chalkboard, emphasizing the fact that every 2 points matter in the run up to the playoffs. The campaign highlights the closely fought contests between VIVO IPL teams as they compete for the coveted title of VIVO IPL championship.

    The ‘Race to playoffs’ TVC is the perfect build up to the playoffs for VIVO IPL 2018, doing well to highlight the unpredictability of the tournament at this stage and the extent of fan anticipation and dedication for cricket and VIVO IPL. VIVO IPL 2018 has been a tight fought season, with nail biting match ups and unforeseeable results at every turn. The next one week will see the emergence of new heroes as teams clash for a chance at a spot in the playoffs for the coveted VIVO IPL trophy. There is much in store for cricketing fans across India.

    The national TVC “KAUN BANAYEGA APNI JAGAH PLAYOFFS MEIN? Or Race to Playoffs” has been conceived, conceptualized and directed by the Star Sports in-house Creative Team with music done by Pankaj Awasthi.

    The playoffs for VIVO IPL 2018 promises to be an exceptional spectacle where the Best vs Best take on each other. Expect each match to be an action-packed experience with unpredictable results.

    To be a part of the nail-biting action as the Race to the playoffs culminates tune in to the Star Sports Network to experience the tournament in your preferred language:

    World feed (English) – Star Sports 1 and Star Sports 1 HD
    Select Dugout feed (English) – Star Sports Select 1 and Select Sports Select 1 HD
    Hindi – Star Sports 1 Hindi and Star Sports 1 Hindi HD
    Tamil – Star Sports 1 Tamil
    Bangla – Jalsha Movies
    Kannada – Suvarna Plus
    Telugu – Star Maa Movies
    Hotstar – all language options

  • India’s No.1 & Ace Golfer, Shubhankar Sharma is the next signing for the sports marketing firm, Baseline Ventures

    India’s No.1 & Ace Golfer, Shubhankar Sharma is the next signing for the sports marketing firm, Baseline Ventures

    MUMBAI: Sports marketing firm Baseline Ventures has signed a multi year agreement with India’s latest golfing sensation Shubhankar Sharma to look after all his endorsements and commercial interest for the Indian region. Shubhankar globally is managed by Wasserman Media Group. 

    Shubhankar’s stunning rise up the golf rankings saw him rise from 462nd place to 71st in three months following two European Tour Wins and a tied ninth place finish at the World Golf Championships in Mexico couple of months back. The 21 year old is now the highest ranked Indian golfer in the world.

    Shubhankar, became only the fourth Indian golfer to play at the prestiguous, The Masters,  after Jeev Milkha Singh, Arjun Atwal and Anirban Lahiri.  He also has been the only Indian to lead the European tour OOM, ever. 

    Shubhankar on his assotiation with Baseline said “ I am happy to be associated with India’s topmost sports marketing firm, Baseline Ventures, for my India affairs. They have been  great in agreeing to manage me in India. Baseline has done some fantastic work with their other key talents and I am sure that we will have a great partnership going forward.” 

    “We are extremely excited to have Shubhankar on board who is surely the most exciting Golfer in the world and its a proud moment for Baseline to be part of Subhankar’s journey & manage his  endorsements &  commercial interests in India.” said Tuhin Mishra, Managing Director, Baseline Ventures

    Baseline has come out as one of the top sports marketing agencies, having spotted badminton players PV Sindhu and Kidambi Srikanth, cricketer Smriti Mandhana & Prithvi Shaw and film actor Zaira Wasim in their early days & 18 year old F1 prodigy, Arjun Maini. The company also manages cricketers Ravindra Jadeja and billiards & snooker World Champion, Pankaj Advani. 

    Baseline also stages live events and branded entertainment experiences, strategises sponsorships and specialises in media rights distribution and brand licensing. Baseline has been working closely with sports organizations like the  IPL, FIFA, ATP and recently won the rights to host Professional Volleyball League for 10 years from Volleyball Federation of India. 

  • ITW Consulting bags rights for T20I series against India in Ireland

    ITW Consulting bags rights for T20I series against India in Ireland

    MUMBAI: ITW Consulting, India-based Sports management company, has acquired in-ground and broadcast production rights from Cricket Ireland. Cricket Ireland is organizing the two T20Is against India that will be played on 27 and 29 June 2018 at Dublin. The exclusive deal involves title sponsorship, on-ground and in-stadia advertising rights along with their broadcast production respectively. 

    ITW Consulting won the rights as they offered value for the inventory amongst other agencies. ITW Consulting is permitted to market the in-stadia advertising rights and can enter into contract with potential clients and agencies towards exploiting the rights commercially. Additionally, the broadcast production will be done by the TSG-innovative, an independent broadcast vertical of ITW Consulting. 

    Commenting on the association, M.S. Muralidharan, Director, ITW Consulting Pvt. Ltd. (a Global Sports Commerce affiliate) said, “Our vision is to make ‘ITW’ synonymous to the idea of best in class organization in promoting, encouraging investments and laying the foundation to ‘sports’ as a leading industry. We are pleased to be associated with Cricket Ireland and with this partnership we are hoping to infuse more energy into them and looking forward to our journey together.”

    Talking about the rationale behind the deal, ITW Consulting Pvt. Ltd, Co-Founder, Bhairav Shanth said, “Our team has extensive catalogue of cricket work. Instilling innovation as a core of our business has enabled us to succeed in supporting various cricket boards and many global brands. Our sales team expertise and innovative on-ground technologies help the brands to stand tall and cherish seamless branding experience whilst enhance the fan experience during the matches. It is undoubtedly evident that the series will be a platform for brands across the world to build strong and strategic engagement. Additionally, our independent broadcast production vertical TSG-innovate – with its proven success in past – will help enhance optimum broadcasting quality to global viewers.” 

    Chief Executive of Cricket Ireland, Warren Deutrom said, “This summer pushes us forward as an organisation and as a sport – it is a real investment in making cricket a mainstream sport in Ireland. We anticipate that the T20I series against India will be the biggest worldwide TV audience of any event – sporting or otherwise – ever staged in Ireland. ITW’s innovation and production standards are widely acclaimed and we are delighted to form this partnership with ITW Consulting. It is great to be associated with such progressive team who has vast experience in this sector.”

    The Cricket Ireland will be organizing the Test Matches against Pakistan from 11-15th May 2018 followed by Afghanistan Series in August 2018.
     

  • Mohit Burman willing to look at cricketing leagues globally

    Mohit Burman willing to look at cricketing leagues globally

    MUMBAI: They had never won the Indian Premier League (IPL) title in 10 seasons but that didn’t stop Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) from investing in big names for the eleventh edition. Chris Gayle, Aaron Finch, Yuvraj Singh and KL Rahul are names associated with this team.

    Since the commencement of the league, the ownership of KXIP has remained unchanged with Dabur India director Mohit Burma holding the majority stake and the rest being distributed among actress Preity Zinta, businessman Ness Wadia and Apeejay Surrendra Group’s Karan Paul.

    This season, the IPL has introduced a novel concept of allowing mid-season transfer of players. While some team owners believe that it won’t be used much, Burman thinks the opposite. Speaking to Indiantelevision.com, he says, “It is a great move by IPL. It helps the team realign its strategy keeping in mind the kind of position it is in at that particular moment. The players who haven’t received enough opportunity to play for the team will get a chance to play for some other team.”

    The first seven seasons were loss-making with KXIP losing Rs 70 crore but the team stuck to it and managed to turnaround things in the next three seasons. Burman is set on cricket and isn’t keen on investing in other sports but will look at other cricketing leagues globally.

    Burman may have taken a lesson from his investment in the team Dabur Mumbai Magicians in the Mumbai Hockey India League (HIL) from 2012 to 2014. The team is now owned by DoIT Sports Management. But he still owns the Pune team of the Indian Badminton League.

    Financially, this was the best pre-tournament time for KXIP’s history. “For the first time in history, we closed all our sponsorships one month before. This year, we changed our strategy to sell out sponsorships by approaching the companies that generally don’t advertise on cricket. In terms of sponsorship revenue, we grew by 20-25 per cent compared to last year. The average title sponsorship for all the teams is between Rs 10 crore and Rs 20 crore. The top teams for selling sponsorships are Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders,” Burman adds.

    KXIP sponsors for season 11 include Kent RO, Lotus Herbals, Jio, Fena, Royal Stag, Finolex, Manyavar, Tecno, Surya LED, Kingfisher, Tic-tac and Coca-Cola.

    He lauds the investment by Star India to ensure the IPL reaches out to regional crowds this season onwards. “Star has put it a lot of work because of the amount they have paid for broadcasting it. IPL viewership has gone up in the south because they are showing it in different languages like Telugu, Tamil and Kannada,” he says.

    The team that failed to qualify for the knockouts in the previous season, surprised everyone by deciding to release star performers Glenn Maxwell and David Miller with the former going to Delhi Daredevils and the latter being retained using the right to match option. The side that ended in the fifth position of the table decided to retain only the bowling all-rounder option Axar Patel this year.

    As of today, KXIP stands fourth in the IPL ranking chart trailing Sunrisers Hyderabad, Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders. The team will have to buck up if it wants to defeat champions and become champion for season 11.

  • Star Sports 1 Hindi tops across-genre list

    Star Sports 1 Hindi tops across-genre list

    BENGALURU: Star India’s Hindi Sports channel Star Sports 1 Hindi topped the Broadcast Audience Research Council of India’s (BARC) weekly list of top-10 channels across genres in week 17 of 2018 (Saturday, 21 April 2018 to Friday, 27 April 2018), replacing Sun TV Network’s flagship Tamil GEC Sun TV. Star Sports 1 Hindi is one of the 10 Star India channels that air the Indian mega cricketing bonanza. IPL 11 is broadcast live in six languages—English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Bengali.

    Seven Hindi GECs and one channel each from Hindi sports, Tamil GECs and Hindi Movies made up the top-10 channels across-genre list for week 17 of 2018. Hence, Sun TV was the lone non-Hindi channel on the list. From the networks’ perspective, four channels from Star India, two channels each from Sony Pictures Network India (SPN) and Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (Zeel) and one channel each from Viacom 18 and the Sun TV Network were on the list.

    Star Sports 1 Hindi topped the list in week 17 with 985.930 million weekly impressions during the week under review as compared with 949.032 million weekly impressions in the preceding week. Star Sport 1 Hindi also topped BARC’s weekly list of top-five sports channels. All the top-five sports programmes in week 17 of 2018 were aired on Star Sports 1 Hindi. The match involving two IPL teams from the south—Mahindra Singh Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Virat Kohli-led Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB)—was the top programme with ranking based on average rating across all airings (original and repeat) during the week under review.

    Sun TV was second in week 17 of 2018 with a huge drop in ratings (13.7 per cent drop) to 890.534 million weekly impressions as against 1,032.408 million weekly impressions in week 16. Sun TV was the most-watched Tamil channel in BARC’s list of top-five Tamil channels in the Tamil Nadu (TN) and Puducherry markets and all the top-five Tamil programmes in these markets were beamed on Sun TV.

    Retaining its third rank in the list in week 17 of 2018 was Zeel’s free-to-air (FTA) Hindi GEC Zee Anmol with 774.763 million weekly impressions as compared with 717.079 million impressions in week 16. Zee Anmol also topped BARC’s weekly list of top-10 Hindi GECs in the Hindi-speaking urban and rural or HSM—(U+R) and in HSM (R). Zee Anmol was ranked ninth in HSM (U). Balaji Telefilms-produced family drama Kumkum Bhagya, which airs on Zee Anmol, was the second most-watched show during prime time in HSM (U+R) and was the most-watched show on HSM (R). Two other shows, Ganga and Mahek that were also aired on Zee Anmol, were the third and fourth most-watched shows during prime time in HSM (R).

    Climbing up a rank in week 17 of 2018 was Viacom18 FTA Hindi GEC Rishtey with 677.772 million impressions as compared with 631.658 million impressions in week 16. Rishtey was ranked second in BARC’s list of top-10 Hindi GECs in HSM (U+R) and HSM (R) while it was ranked eighth in HSM (U).

    Dropping down a rank to fifth place in BARC’s across-genre list was Star India’s FTA Hindi GEC Star Bharat. The channel gained 1.2 per cent ratings in week 17 of 2018 to reach 664.618 million impressions as against 637.080 million impressions in week 16. Star Bharat was ranked third in BARC’s weekly list of top-10 Hindi GECs in HSM (U+R) and HSM (U) and was ranked fifth in HSM (R). Daily soap Jiji Maa, which was aired on Star Bharat, was the fifth most-watched Hindi GEC programme during prime time in HSM (U+R).

    Also retaining its previous week’s rank of sixth in week 17 of 2018 was SPN’s women focused Hindi GEC Sony Pal. The channel had 610.822 million impressions in week 17 as compared with 606.067 million weekly impressions in week 16 of 2018. Sony Pal was ranked fourth in BARC’s list of top 10 Hindi GECs’ in HSM (U+R), third in HSM (R) and was ranked seventh in HSM (U). Two Sony Pal programmes—Tarak Mehta ka Ooltah Chashma and Baalveer—were ranked as the second and fifth-most watched Hindi GEC programmes during prime time, respectively, in HSM (R).

    Zeel’s flagship Hindi GEC Zee TV was ranked seventh in week 17 of 2018 with a huge 14.1 per cent increase in ratings to 609.069 million weekly impressions (533.901 million impressions in week 16). The channel was also ranked seventh in week 16. Zee TV was the fifth and sixth most-watched Hindi GEC in BARC’s list of top-10 Hindi GECs in HSM (U+R) and HSM (R), respectively. Zee TV was the most-watched Hindi GEC in HSM (U). Three shows aired on Zee TV—Kundali Bhagya, a spinoff of Kumkum Bhagya, Ishq Subhan Allah and Kumkum Bhagya—were ranked first, third and fourth watched Hindi GEC programmes during prime time, respectively, in HSM (U+R). The shows were also the first, second and third most-watched Hindi GEC programmes during prime time in HSM (U).

    Another Star India FTA Hindi GEC, Star Utsav, was ranked eighth in BARC’s list of top 10 channels across genres in week 17, the same rank as in week 16. Star Bharat lost 2 per cent in ratings in week 17 at 522.110 million impressions as compared with the previous week’s 532.947 million weekly impressions. Star Utsav was ranked sixth in BARC’s weekly list of top-10 Hindi GECs in HSM (U+R), fourth in HSM (R) and tenth in HSM (U) in week 17 of 2018.

    Re-entering BARC’s list of top-10 channels across genres in week 17 was SPN’s Hindi Movies channel Sony Max. The channel garnered 519.052 million weekly impressions during the week under review. Sony Max was the most watched Hindi Movies channel inn HSM (U+R) and HSM (U) and was ranked fifth in BARC’s list of top 5 Hindi Movies channels in HSM (R). Hindi feature films (HFF) Bahubali: The Beginning and Kanchana 2 were among the top-five most-watched Hindi movie programmes during prime time in HSM (U+R) and HSM (U). Hindi-dubbed feature film Son of Satyamurthy, which aired on Sony Max, was the fourth most-watched Hindi movie programme during prime time in HSM (U). Bahubali: The Beginning was also the fifth most-watched Hindi movie programme during prime time in HSM (R).

    Star India’s flagship Hindi GEC Star Plus also re-entered the across genres list in week 17 of 2018 at tenth rank with 484.387 million weekly impressions. Star Plus was ranked seventh in HSM (U+R); ninth in HSM (R) and second in HSM (U) in week 17 of 2018.

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    Zee TV leads GEC urban in BARC week 17

     

     

  • IPL team owners don’t expect much from mid-season transfers

    IPL team owners don’t expect much from mid-season transfers

    MUMBAI: For the first time in its history, the IPL will witness mid-season transfers introduced by the governing council, allowing players to switch to a new team. There are, however, certain conditions for a player to be eligible for the transfer window.

    The transfer window is currently active and started from match 28 till match 42—which will culminate in each of the teams completing half their IPL campaign with seven games. During this period, all the players who haven’t got the chance to play or have played up to two games are eligible.

    A team owner who didn’t want to be quoted said, “At least this season, I don’t think anything like this is going to happen. Why would somebody want to loan the players out when you know he is going to be a part of all your important strategic meetings and knows how the team is going to play.”

    Teams willing to buy or sell a player will be allowed to negotiate and buy their desired players, just like clubs do in football. Players to be transferred can be uncapped, capped or foreign.

    In the previous seasons, teams would struggle to keep up with the demanding fixtures. In 2016, Rising Pune Supergiant lost Kevin Pietersen, Steve Smith, Faf du Plessis and Mitchell Marsh to injuries leading to a bottom of the table finish.

    Delhi Daredevils CEO Hemant Dua said, “It will become effective only when you have a lot more players sitting on the bench whether it is international or Indian, capped or uncapped players. It’s a good move in that direction but it needs more wings. There might not be a lot that will happen this year but if more players are added in the future then it will probably work.”

    This year, too, many overseas players haven’t played a single game because of injury. Big names such as Pat Cummins (MI), Kagiso Rabada (DD), Mitchell Starc (KKR) and Nathan Coulter-Nile (RCB) have been replaced by Adam Milne, Liam Plunkett, Tom Curran and Corey Anderson, respectively. The ICC’s ban on Steven Smith (RR) and David Warner (SRH) made a place for Heinrich Klaasen and Alex Hales in the team. Indian player Kedar Jadhav got injured in the very first game of this season after a winning knock and was replaced by England all-rounder David Willey.

    Going by these guidelines, some big names who will be available for a swap in this transfer window are Adam Milne, JP Duminy (both MI), Sandeep Lamichhane (DD), Carlos Brathwaite (SRH), Moeen Ali (RCB) and David Willey (CSK).

    Player like Jofra Archer (RR), Faf du Plessis (CSK), Tim Southee (RCB), Alex Hales (SRH), Marcus Stoinis (KXIP), Chris Jordan (SRH) who have played one or two matches and performed well are likely to be retained by their respective franchises.

    MI captain Rohit Sharma has publicly supported the transfers. “The mid-season transfer window will give the teams an opportunity to see what they need in the squad and other teams will also be looking at what players they can get. It completely depends on the franchise if a situation comes when we need to get a player or give a player. It is good for the tournament and will add even more value to it,” he told the Financial Express recently.

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    Star to share select IPL matches with DD with an hour’s delay

    Star India lines up innovation filled IPL 2018

  • Kaizzen bags the PR mandate for DSPORT channel

    Kaizzen bags the PR mandate for DSPORT channel

    MUMBAI: With a vision to expand its footprint in the Sports and Broadcasting vertical, Kaizzen Communications, a leading independent agency, has recently won the PR mandate for DSPORT, a premium sports channel. The mandate includes strategic counsel, planning and media relations for rapidly growing sports channel in India.

    DSPORT largely focuses on bringing sports content from around the world with an expansive catalogue of more than 4000 hours of live programming to Indian audiences. DSPORT’s wide portfolio of live sports content includes the best of Cricket, Wrestling, football, cycling, horse-racing, golf, Tennis, motorsports and extreme sports from around the world. From the laver cup tennis to cricket T20 leagues, the prestigious British Open in golf to football’s Chinese Super League, DSPORT celebrates sporting excellence and connects audiences with the athletes and sports they love.

    Kaizzen Communications, CEO, Vineet Handa said “We are proud to be associated with DSPORT, one of the fastest growing sports channels in the country with niche programming. This will be a very exciting opportunity for us and we are all set to deliver the best results on this account. Sports is a genre we have always enjoyed working on and we eagerly await the varied set of opportunities & challenges this opportunity will bring along.”

    Kaizzen is a decade-old independent agency handling a balanced portfolio of clients across various sectors. When it comes to Sports, it has a proven record in handling accounts of eminent sports clients such as Pro Kabaddi, IPTL, Poker Sports League, All India Gaming Federation, to name a few in the recent past. Beyond Sports, Kaizzen also serves clients across Education, Healthcare, Fintech, FMCG, Broadcasting, Market Research & Hospitality on both National and International platforms.

  • The Valencian Community Derby: LaLiga’s 21st century rivalry

    The Valencian Community Derby: LaLiga’s 21st century rivalry

    For many Valencia supporters, their biggest local rivals are not city neighbours Levante, but Villarreal. Even though the two clubs are separated by 57 kilometres of Mediterranean coastline, this rivalry has blossomed in recent years and they’ll meet again on Matchday 36 of the 2017/18 LaLiga season.

    Europe on the line

    The right to be seen as the best team in the Valencian Community is up for grabs. Both clubs are very proud of the region they represent; in fact they both feature the red and yellow of the Valencian flag on their club crests. Even though Valencia currently sit above Villarreal in the LaLiga table, it was the team nicknamed ‘The Yellow Submarine’ who took home the bragging rights last time these sides met, claiming a 1-0 away victory at Mestalla.

    Another victory would be as delicious as a Valencian orange for Villarreal and for their fanbase, and go a long way to helping the side qualify for next season’s Europa League. Valencia have had an excellent campaign and are already set to play in next season’s Champions League but Villarreal’s European status is still to be confirmed; they’ll need every point they can muster between now and the end of the season.

    A star-studded spine vs. a magical midfield

    Valencia’s impressive season has been down to consistently strong performances from the team’s core, from goalkeeper Neto and midfield captain Dani Parejo to dynamic wingers Carlos Soler and Gonçalo Guedes and in-form strikers Simone Zaza and Rodrigo.

    Villarreal, meanwhile, boast one of the very best midfields in LaLiga with Rodri Hernández, Manu Trigueros, Samu Castillejo and Pablo Fornals forming a dynamic midfield diamond. Upfront, the experienced Colombian international Carlos Bacca is the side’s main goalscoring threat.

    Villarreal challenge Valencia’s historical dominance

    This derby is a relatively recent phenomenon. Valencia have a storied LaLiga history, having won the league championship on six occasions, but Villarreal have spent the majority of their history in the lower leagues, only securing a first promotion to the top flight in 1998.

    However, backed by businessman Fernando Roig, the brother of former Valencia president Paco Roig, the club quickly grew into a side capable of competing with their local rivals. The Yellow Submarine reached the semi-finals of the 2005/06 Champions League and have finished above Valencia in LaLiga on many occasions in recent years, including in 2004/05, 2007/08, 2008/09, 2013/14, 2015/16 and 2016/17.

    At first many Valencia fans welcomed the arrival of Villarreal as a LaLiga regular, but with the success of their neighbours to the north threatening their standing as the region’s top dog this fixture has taken on extra importance. Add in the memory of Valencia knocking Villarreal out of the 2003/04 Europa League semi-finals and you’ve got a true local rivalry on your hands. 

    A local derby known all over the world

    Valencia, as one of the most legendary teams in LaLiga history, have conquered the hearts of supporters across the globes with fan clubs ranging from London to Moscow. Villarreal, meanwhile, have attracted many international fans in such a short period of time thanks to their amazing success story, their unique all-yellow kit and a series of iconic players such as Argentina’s Juan Roman Riquelme and France’s World Cup-winner Robert Pires.

  • MIB mandates broadcasters to display ticker for games of ‘national importance’

    MIB mandates broadcasters to display ticker for games of ‘national importance’

    MUMBAI: On 25 April 2018, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) issued a notice mandating all TV channels broadcasting live sports of “national importance” to display a ticker with immediate effect. The ticker would have to state that the match was also available on DD Free Dish.

    The order requires channels to run the scroll—‘This match/game can also be viewed on DD Sports channel on DD Free Dish DTH and DD’s terrestrial network on the free-to-air basis’—in appropriate colour, font and size making it prominently visible every 15 minutes.

    The MIB had earlier this year tried to get Indian Premier League (IPL) matches under the ambit of games of “national importance.” The sports ministry, however, had rejected the proposal after which, Star India agreed to share one IPL match every week with DD with one hour’s delay.

    Games of national importance constitute India playing global sporting events and the finals of top tournaments. The Sports Broadcasting Signals (Mandatory Sharing with Prasar Bharati) Act, 2007, made it compulsory for private broadcasters to provide access to sporting events of “national importance” to the largest number of listeners and viewers on a free-to-air basis.

    DD National then started getting live feed of Indian cricket matches, the Olympics and other important events and Prasar Bharati shared advertising revenues with the rights holder.

    The private broadcasters went to court and on August 22 last year, the Supreme Court asked Prasar Bharati to air the events only on terrestrial networks or on DD Free-Dish and not on channels like DD 1, which is notified as a must-carry channel for all pay TV (cable and DTH) operators according to the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995.

    In March last year, the MIB notified the Commonwealth Games, Asian Games, summer and special Olympics, Paralympics and certain tennis, hockey and football events as sporting events of national importance. In October 2016, the ministry declared that all official one-day internationals, Twenty20 and Test matches played by the Indian men’s cricket team, semi-finals and finals of the men’s World Cup and International Cricket Council Championship Trophy as cricketing events of national importance.

     

  • 3BL comes to India with Rs 30 cr budget

    3BL comes to India with Rs 30 cr budget

    MUMBAI: The fastest growing urban team sport in the world, 3×3 Basketball comes to India for the first time with 3BL – 3×3 Pro Basketball League. 3BL is an intellectual property of YKBK Enterprise that has been granted the exclusive rights contract from FIBA 3×3 for the Indian subcontinent, making it the first ever FIBA recognised basketball league in India.

    3×3 Basketball is a 10-minute high speed basketball tournament and it officially became an Olympic sport in June 2017. It will be introduced in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The inaugural season of 3BL in India, featuring 12 teams with international and Indian sensations like Amjyot Singh, Palpreet Singh Brar and international basketball sensations like Bikramjit Gill, Inderbir Singh Gill, Leandro Lima and many more, will be played in six cities – Mumbai, Delhi, Aizawl, Kolkata, Chennai and Bangalore. The winners of the tournament(s) will get to represent India at the FIBA World Tour(s).

    3BL chief of marketing and business development Sudhir Vashist told Indiantelevision.com, “We have visibility of seven seasons. However, that does not mean that we have FIBA rights for seven years, we have the FIBA rights perpetually. We are the exclusive partner of FIBA for lifetime for 3BL in the Indian sub-continent. We have a media budget of close to around Rs 30 crore for the first season.”

    To bring visibility to the league YKBK Enterprise is in talks with some of the leading broadcasters and intends to go strong on the digital front. Season one of the league will start from 9 June 2018 in Delhi and will culminate in Mumbai in August 2018 after a three month run. Tryouts for the league begin in May this year.

    The 12 teams in season one are Delhi Hoopers, Chandigarh Beasts, Jaipur Regals, Aizwal Legends, Kolkata Warriors, Ahemdabad Wingers, Bangalore Machas, Goa Snipers, Kochi Knights, Hyderabad Ballers, Chennai Icons and Mumbai Hustlers.

    “The culture of basketball is defined by three things – urban, youth and hip-hop. These three things are very much digital friendly. Almost 25 per cent of the total budget is kept for digital. One of the biggest international basketball and street brand is already sold to the idea of 3BL and will be riding on us to launch in India”, Vashist added.

    “Basketball has a fascinating story in India. Till a few years ago, most people didn’t know anything about 3×3 Basketball and today it poses a serious opportunity,” said 3BL – 3×3 Pro Basketball League league commissioner Rohit Bakshi. “Our aim is to create a new fan base for basketball in India by promoting the 3×3 Basketball at a grassroots level and through wider outreach plans for viewers and players both.”

    3BL chairman Yoshia Kato said, “Seeing the performance of Indian origin players in the sport, we decided to start the first ever FIBA 3×3 recognised basketball league in India. We plan to make a serious impact on the growth of this sport in the country.”

    “As the sporting landscape of our country changes and evolves, this short action-packed format will revolutionise basketball in India. It is definitely going to be a very appealing sport for both brands and audiences,” Vashist added.

    “This sport is attractive to people since they can watch it in lesser time and still get as much entertainment and action as they do from longer format sports,” said 3BL entertainment director Vivek Krishna. “3×3 Basketball is a highly engaging form of the beautiful game which will charm India, as it has charmed 144 other countries.”

    “India being a very young country, with half of its population under 25 years of age, 3×3 Basketball is definitely going to be very appealing for audiences here,” said FIBA3x3 senior communications manager Julien Debove. “I’m excited to explore the vast land of opportunities that India presents with 3BL.”

    This is the first time ever that India will be hosting the World Tour, organised and marketed by YKBK Enterprise.

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