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Category: Sports

  • UTT season 2: Sharath Kamal sold for Rs 3 crore to Yodhas

    UTT season 2: Sharath Kamal sold for Rs 3 crore to Yodhas

    MUMBAI: Three-time Commonwealth Games (CWG) gold medallist Sharath Kamal Achanta is set for a new challenge in the second season of the Rs 3 crore CEAT Ultimate Table Tennis League (UTT), with the Yodhas swooping on him in the player draft.

    The Yodhas clinched the eight-time national champion, a strong contender for gold in the upcoming CWG in Gold Coast, in round three, after first picking their foreign male and female players. They opted for Chuang Chih-Yuan (Chinese Taipei; World No 18) and Sofia Polcanova (Austria; World No 21) to return with a solid team.

    Interestingly, the foreign women players were very much in demand, with the first seven choices out of 10, coming from that category.

    Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) senior VP Rajeev Bodas credited the CEAT UTT for the rise in the rankings of Indian players over the past year. “We have seen players’ rankings rise by 15-16 spots. For the first time in the history of Indian table tennis, we even had a player who went on to become World No 1 (Manav Thakkar in under-18 category; picked by the Challengers). Now, the TTFI and our players are viewed with a lot more respect on the world stage,” he said.

    “The CEAT UTT is the only league of this kind in the world and the TTFI is fully behind them, providing all assistance for the conduct of the league in a professional manner,” he added.

    The six franchises had to pick four foreign and four Indians each from six different categories (Indian male seniors, Indian male youth, Indian female seniors, Indian female youth, foreign male and foreign female) to ensure an exciting set of matches in each tie. The CEAT UTT commences in Pune from 14 June.

    The teams had the option of retaining one Indian player before the draft pick, and Falcons TTC and Dabang Smashers chose to hold on to Sanil Shetty and Gnanasekaran Sathiyan respectively. In all, 50 were in the pool for the franchises to pick their eight-member squads.

    The highest ranked foreign players Frenchman Simon Gauzy (World No 8) and Hong Kong’s Doo Hoi Kem (World No 11) were picked by Challengers and RP-SG Mavericks respectively. The youngest Olympian in the fray, Adriana Diaz of Puerto Rico, went to Dabang Smashers.

    11Sports chairperson Vita Dani expressed her delight at the turnout of players for the second season. “Almost 50 per cent who took part in the inaugural season are back for the second season,” she pointed out. “This season will feature 25 Olympians, players of 19 different nationalities, 19 national champions and 17 No 1 ranked players. We are really proud that exciting talent from around the world is taking part this season,” she added.

    India’s top players Manika Batra (World No 66), Mouma Das (No 71) and Harmeet Desai (No 66) went to Dabang Smashers, RP-SG Mavericks, RP-SG Mavericks and Maharashtra United respectively.

    The league takes place at Pune’s Balewadi Indoor Stadium from 14-19 June 2018 before heading to Delhi’s Thyagaraj stadium from 20-25 June 2018. The final leg of the tournament will be played at Kolkata’s Netaji Indoor Stadium from 26 June to 1 July 2018.

    CEAT-UTT SEASON 2 SQUADS

    Challengers: Men: Simon Gauzy (France), Manav Thakkar, Tiago Apolonia (Portugal), Arjun Ghosh. Women: Lee Ho Ching (Hong Kong), Georgina Pota (Hungary), Divya Deshpande, Prapti Sen.

    Dabang Smashers T.T.C: Men: Gnanasekaran Sathiyan, Yoshida Masaki (Japan), Sanish Ambekar, Cedric Nuytinck (Belgium). Women: Sakura Mori (Japan), Manika Batra, Adriana Diaz (Puerto Rico), Archana Kamath.

    Falcons TTC: Men: Sanil Shetty, Liam Pitchford (Eng), Alvaro Robles (ESP), Ronit Bhanja. Women: Bernadette Szocs (Romania), Matilda Ekholm (Sweden), Sutirtha Mukherjee, Priyadarshini Das.

    Maharashtra United: Men: Kristian Karlsson (Sweden), Amalraj Anthony, Joao Monteiro (Portugal), Utkarsh Gupta. Women: Elizabeta Samara (Romania), Madhurika Patkar, Lily Zhang (USA), Selena Selvakumar.

    RP-SG Mavericks: Men: Mattias Karlsson (Sweden), Harmeet Desai, Kou Lei (Ukraine), Siddhesh Pande. Women: Doo Hoi Kem (Hong Kong), Ayhika Mukherjee, Mouma Das, Sabine Winter (Germany).

    Yodhas: Men: Chuang Chih-Yuan(Chinese Taipei), Achanta Sharath Kamal, Aruna Quadri (Nigeria), Ravindra Kotiyan. Women: Sofia Polcanova (Austria), Hana Matelova (Czech Republic), Pooja Sahasrabuddhe, Sreeja Akula

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  • Sony to be ahead of the curve in regional penetration: Kedar Teny

    Sony to be ahead of the curve in regional penetration: Kedar Teny

    MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Networks (SPN), in collaboration with Sports Journalists Association of Mumbai (SJAM), is attempting to bring fans closer to the Commonwealth Games (CWG) with Hindi commentary on Sony Ten 3 channels and English commentary on Sony Six and Sony Ten 2 channels.

    SPSN senior VP marketing and OAP Kedar Teny said, “2018 is a watershed year for sports given that there are two multi-sporting events in the year in a build-up to the Olympics. People in India want to watch other sports and CWG is one such initiative.”

    In addition to more than 150 hours of live games telecast, SPN will also air more than 30 hours of highlights and repeats for viewers to catch up with all the sporting action in Gold Coast, Australia.

    India has excelled at the CWG, winning 75 gold medals and 215 medals overall in the last three editions of the marquee sports event. This year, expectations soar high with fans across the country inspired by SPN, send their good wishes for the Indian contingent with their #RangDeTiranga message.

    SPN is taking note of the regional sector. Teny said, “The interest and awareness for CWG is building in the country and the momentum is already picking up. The multi-sporting culture is beginning to evolve in the country. As we start seeing a sizeable regional population demanding content, we will be ahead of the curve at that time.”

    Viewers can also look forward to in-depth coverage of the games with a live studio show which features expert panellists like wrestler Geeta Phogat, shuttler Aparna Popat, shooter Anjali Bhagwat, hockey Olympian Viren Rasquinha and hockey player, Jagbir Singh. Raman Bhanot, Nikhil Naz and Gautam Bhimani will host different segments of the show, while sports columnist Ayaz Memon will provide his expert insights to the viewers.

    Indian athletes Anjali Bhagwat, Aparna Popat and Viren Rasquinha sent their best wishes and support to the 2018 CWG contingent with the #RangDeTiranga initiative.

    “The #RangDeTiranga campaign is SPN’s rallying cry that taps into the emotions of Indian sports fans and asks them to show their support for the tricolour. It brings alive our ethos to go beyond and cultivate a multi-sport viewing culture in India. Our intent is to bind the sports fans in a one game-cry ‘Rang de Tiranga’ and give them the opportunity to watch their heroes bring glory to the nation,” Teny added.

    Bhagwat, a professional Indian shooter, multiple gold medallist at the CWG said, “The mind-set and morale of our athletes is upbeat considering their high-level achievements so far. I am very confident about the success of our Indian team in the upcoming CWG.”

    Popat, nine-time badminton national champion said, “It’s a huge responsibility and at the same time a feeling of immense pride to represent the tiranga at an international multi-sports event like the CWG. I would like to wish the entire Indian contingent the very best and hope they emerge victorious. I am thrilled to be a part of the Rang De Tiranga well-wishing ceremony.”

    Former captain of India’s national hockey team Viren Rasquinha said, “The recent performance of the Indian men’s and women’s hockey teams has been very promising. The CWG is a great platform for the teams to take their performance to the next level. Focus, self-belief, team-work and great team spirit are critical to bring laurels to the country. Rang De Tiranga is a great initiative by Sony Pictures Networks and it will surely encourage the entire Indian contingent travelling to Gold Coast.”

  • Regulatory hurdles prompt Star to telecast IPL’s Kannada feed on Star Suvarna Plus

    Regulatory hurdles prompt Star to telecast IPL’s Kannada feed on Star Suvarna Plus

    MUMBAI: Star India’s attempts at securing an exclusive sports channel for its Kannada viewers is unlikely to see the light of day this season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The launch of Star Sports 1 Kannada has presumably been put on hold due to regulatory hurdles and, instead, the Kannada feed of the IPL 2018 matches will be broadcast on Star Suvarna Plus.

    Star India had applied for a name and logo change application to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) to launch Star Sports 1 Kannada in place of Channel V. Since the approval has not yet been granted, the broadcaster has announced that Star Suvarna Plus as the destination for the Kannada coverage of matches. The planned date to launch Star Sports 1 Kannada was 16 November 2017.

    Channel V started as a pure-play music channel before switching to general entertainment and then back to music. As the channel was searching for its identity, its audience slowly and steadily shifted to other channels and platforms. In a public notice dated 26 October 2017, Star India informed viewers that Channel V would continue to remain available in its current form to all viewers across all addressable platforms (DAS, DTH, IPTV and HITS). Moreover, at an event in Delhi in January this year, Star India MD Sanjay Gupta declined to comment on the status of Star Sports 1 Kannada and added that it was still at the planning stage.

    Star India will broadcast live matches of IPL 2018 in six languages—Hindi, English, Tamil, Telugu, Bengali and Kannada. The league will also be streamed live in the languages on Hotstar.

    To build the excitement, Star India has launched a TVC featuring Kannada movie star Shiva Rajkumar.

    Commenting on his association with the IPL, Rajkumar said, “I’ve always been a cricket enthusiast and enjoyed playing and watching cricket right from my childhood. Vivo IPL has been one of the tournaments I look forward to every year. I’m excited about my association with Star India for Vivo IPL 2018 and looking forward to enjoying the best of cricketing action for the first time in my mother tongue.”

    The eleventh edition of Vivo IPL starts on Saturday, 7 April 2018, with defending champions Mumbai Indians taking on Chennai Super Kings.

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  • HP is RCB’s new principal sponsor

    HP is RCB’s new principal sponsor

    MUMBAI: HP India partnered the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) for the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

    In an effort to better engage with millennials, the computer manufacturer will be the principal sponsor of the team Virat Kohli. Through the partnership, HP will occupy the commercial space on the front of the RCB playing jersey.

    Additionally, RCB players will also be seen endorsing HP products in a TV commercial.

    HP India MD Sumeer Chandra said, “HP is proud to be partnering with RCB and this association will help us connect with consumers across segments, age groups and geographies in India. I wish Virat Kohli and the RCB team a very successful T20 season and expect this association to provide further impetus to technology adoption in the country.”

    Commenting on the partnership, HP India country marketing director Neelima Burra. said, “As brands, both HP and RCB stand for leadership, trust, performance, versatility and resilience and we are excited to partner with RCB. We are continuously looking for avenues to engage with our consumers. We believe our association with RCB will help us strengthen our engagement with the millennials in India and bring the world of cricket and technology on a single platform.”

    Royal Challengers Bangalore check Amrit Thomas said, “We are very happy to welcome on board HP India, leaders in technology and a brand that is synonymous with creating fantastic experiences for everyone, something very similar to the DNA of RCB. We look forward to them sharing a great T20 season with the team and all RCB fans.”

    With this partnership, HP aims to connect with millions of consumers across India as the leading technology provider. As part of the collaboration, HP will have visibility across retail outlets, on-ground activations, team jersey and will feature in promotions and activations led by RCB team and management. Furthermore, RCB players will be visible in HP-led promotions/activations.

    To further amplify the association, HP is also introducing special promotional offers for PC and print consumers. HP will also enable opportunities for tech-savvy cricket fans to meet RCB’s star performers including Kohli, Brendan McCullum and AB de Villiers.

    The Kohli-led squad will play its first match against Kolkata Knight Riders on 8 April at Eden Gardens, Kolkata.

    Also read:

    Aamir Khan becomes Vivo Pakistan’s official brand ambassador

    Dsport tops BARC ratings with Nidahas Trophy viewership

  • LaLiga unveils its new headquarters

    LaLiga unveils its new headquarters

    March 2018. LaLiga unveiled its new headquarters on Tuesday with an official event attended by a range of dignitaries, diplomats, LaLiga Santander and LaLiga 1|2|3 club presidents, competition sponsors, LaLiga ambassadors, and other representatives of Spanish sport.

    After more than 25 years at its long-standing headquarters at Calle Hernandez de Tejada 10, LaLiga continues to grow by moving its head office to Calle Torrelaguna 60 in Madrid, marching onwards to a new “stadium” where the association’s professionals can carry on working day in, day out for the benefit of the clubs and on the internationalisation of professional football in Spain.

    The new LaLiga offices provide a new home for all of those people who share this great passion called football. They feature modern, open spaces with a design inspired by the history, legends and values of the Spanish game. The philosophy underlying the “stadium” is based on the idea that there is no heart without a heartbeat, there is no passion without heart, there is no emotion without passion, and without emotion football would not be football.

    The attendees at the ceremony showcasing the international emphasis of LaLiga included the minister of foreign affairs and cooperation, Alfonso Dastis; the president of the High Council for Sport, Jose Ramon Lete; and the high commissioner for the Spain Brand (Marca España), Carlos Espinosa de los Monteros.

    LaLiga president Javier Tebas stressed during the event that “these new headquarters represent a giant stride towards our goal of becoming a leading global entertainment company, by creating experiences and allowing the fans to form part of the story in a different way”.

    Meanwhile, the minister of foreign affairs and cooperation underscored the fact that “the level of professionalisation seen in Spain in recent decades, both in sporting and organisational terms, has permitted LaLiga to compete neck and neck for some time now, not just with the other leagues, but also with other time-honoured sports competitions such as the NBA and the NFL”.

    Shortly before the opening ceremony, the attendees visited the spaces which LaLiga will occupy in the new building, getting a close-up view of each of the different areas where LaLiga will carry out its work on a daily basis. Furthermore, they got to enjoy a two-Michelin-star cocktail menu thanks to the creations of the Spanish chef Ramon Freixa.

  • Dsport tops BARC ratings with Nidahas Trophy viewership

    Dsport tops BARC ratings with Nidahas Trophy viewership

    MUMBAI: Dsport, which launched last year in February, became the top ranked sports channel according to Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) all-India data in week 11. Rishtey Cineplex attracted a big chunk of the Hindi-speaking audience while competing with pubcaster DD Sports.

    DD Sports dropped a slot to the second position with a decrease in rating, from 144541 to 113894 impressions (000s) sum.  

    Dsport acquired the exclusive India broadcast rights of Nidahas Trophy 2018, a tri-nation international T20 tournament involving India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, in January. Subsequently, Discovery Communications, the broadcaster of Dsport, joined hands with Viacom18-owned mass entertainment channels, Rishtey Cineplex and Cineplex HD, for the Hindi feeds.

    Rishtey Cineplex was at numero uno position in the Hindi-speaking market (HSM) with 707855 impressions (000s) sum compared to 545931 impressions (000s) sum last week. In the rural market the channel garnered 460789 impressions (000s) sum and is at the top position. In the urban market, the channel climbed two slots to the second position with 247066 impressions (000s) sum.

    In week 10, Dsport managed to plough in 130982 impressions (000s) sum, whereas Rishtey Cineplex grabbed 545931 impressions (000s) sum.

    Rishtey Cineplex garnered three times the viewership of Dsport in week 11. As the viewership indicates, the HSM in India is way bigger than the English audience. Dsport being on the top spot in the sports genre has managed to grab 242210 impressions (000s) sum this week.

    Rishtey Cineplex became the first choice of the rural people replacing DD Sport in the week under review.

    Live telecast of India versus Sri Lanka garnered 9772 impressions (000s) sum while India versus Bangladesh got 8095 impressions (000s) sum on Dsport, according to BARC.

    Sony Ten1 climbed a rung to third position even as it witnessed a slight drop in the ratings with 88932 impressions (000s) sum compared with 89983 impressions (000s) sum in the week before. Star Sports First dropped a slot to fourth position with 82582 impressions (000s) sum followed by Star Sports 1 Hindi at fifth position with 36506 impressions (000s) sum.

    Viacom18 COO Raj Nayak had earlier stated, “Cricket is much more than a sport in this country, it is an emotion. With this collaboration, we will be taking this emotion to more than 460 million additional viewers in India.”  

    The viewership of the channels will witness a big jump in week 12 ratings thanks to the thrilling finals featuring India and Bangladesh on 18 March 2018. Investing in cricket has turned Dsport’s fortunes, bringing the channel its highest viewership since inception. On 12 March, Indiantelevision.com reported that Discovery Communications would not bid for the BCCI’s upcoming rights. Maybe it’s time for Discovery to re-examine its strategy for the cricketing properties that come up for bidding in the future.

  • Emerald Media buys minority stake in Global Sports Commerce

    Emerald Media buys minority stake in Global Sports Commerce

    MUMBAI: Emerald Media, the Pan-Asia company backed by global investment firm KKR, has acquired a significant minority stake in sports technology and management company Global Sports Commerce (GSC) through a combination of primary and secondary investments.

    The aggregate US$80 million investment will include the secondary purchase of Asia-focussed private equity firm FidelisWorld’s stake in Techfront and the primary growth capital. The growth capital will enable GSC and its global affiliate Techfront to explore inorganic acquisition opportunities, develop next generation technologies for the sporting eco-system, and expand its operations in the fast-growing digital sporting solutions markets across the globe, the release issued by Emerald Media, which invests in media, entertainment, consumer tech and B2B industries, stated.

    FidelisWorld, which had invested in Techfront in 2014, will be fully exiting the business as part of the current transaction. Asia-focused private equity firm ADV Partners, which invested in GSC in 2015-16, will continue to hold a significant minority stake in the company.

    Emerald Media MD Rajesh Kamat said that the introduction of digital technology into the world of sports had helped amplify fans’ appreciation of the games and had helped to create an alternative source of revenue for clients, besides the games themselves. “GSC has transformed sports tech in India and across the globe by enhancing the way sports franchises interact with fans and capitalising on the ardor of their fan base. With GSC, we are excited to add sports to our eco-system of assets,” he said.

    Headquartered in Singapore, GSC combines cutting-edge technology solutions in the fields of LED signage, sponsorship management, premium consulting, fan engagement, AR/VR, drone-based data acquisition, wireless tech and data-sciences. It offers clients these comprehensive sports technology and management services by leveraging its network of companies that include Techfront, ITW, Qubercomm, Sportsgateway, Media Bay, Beyond Boundaries, Cartoon Mango and Nanoyotta.

    Since inception, the company has cultivated strong relationships with franchises across the sporting world with the aim of enhancing the commercial value of its sporting clients and creating new avenues for commerce. The franchises that GSC has partnered with include FIFA, the English Premier League, NRL Australia, Australian Football league, IPL, Formula 1, Big Bash League, New Zealand Cricket, Cricket Australia, IMG and Asia Sports. The companyoffices in 16 cities in 10 countries including Australia, Hungary, India, New Zealand, South Africa, Switzerland, the UAE, UK, and the US.

    GSC CEO M S Muralidharan said, “We are very happy to have a strong partner in Emerald Media, whose team’s extensive investment experience and critical connections across the globe will help deepen GSC’s engagement with the world of sports. This investment further contributes to the consolidation of sports commerce worldwide via use of technology, and it helps us expand our international footprint.”

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  • BCCI extends India media rights submission till 3 April

    BCCI extends India media rights submission till 3 April

    MUMBAI: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has extended its last date for submission of bids for the media rights for international and domestic matches at home for the next five years from 27 March to 3 April.

    The BCCI media rights contract with Star India has been extended by 15 days to accommodate the Indian women team’s ODI series against England, according to a report.

    The decision was taken by BCCI because the Indian women team is supposed to take on England in a three-match ODI series, which is part of the ICC women’s ODI championship, on 6, 9 and 12April at the VCA Stadium in Nagpur. Star’s contract with the BCCI was earlier supposed to end by 31 March but now will end on 15 April 2018.

    The rights have been split across three categories – global television rights plus rest-of-world digital rights package, an Indian subcontinent digital rights package, and a global consolidated rights package.

    BCCI has set Rs 33 crore per match base price for the global TV rights and the rest of the world digital rights package, Rs 7 crore for the digital rights package for the Indian sub-continent, and Rs 40 crore for the consolidated package for global rights. This gives the bidders an option to submit separate bids for the global rights, Indian subcontinent rights or a consolidated bid for all the rights. The bid increment was fixed at Rs 50 lakh for the global TV and digital rights as well as the consolidated global rights and at Rs 12 lakh for the Indian sub-continent digital rights.

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    Paytm is the official ticketing partner of Kings XI Punjab’s home games for VIVO IPL 2018

    Tata Motors signs three-year IPL deal with BCCI 

  • Paytm is the official ticketing partner of Kings XI Punjab’s home games for VIVO IPL 2018

    Paytm is the official ticketing partner of Kings XI Punjab’s home games for VIVO IPL 2018

    MUMBAI: Paytm along with event ticketing platform Insider.in would be the exclusive ticketing partners for the home games of Kings XI Punjab, in the upcoming 11th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Insider.In will be handling the logistics and operations for the game – managing box office, stadium entry, seating and physical ticket delivery.  

    The tournament starts on 7th of April, through 27th of May, with the opening game between current title holders Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings, who are making their IPL return. The tickets will go live on Paytm and Insider.In (website and app) on 22nd of March.

    The team’s games will be divided between Holkar Stadium Cricket Stadium, Indore (first 3 matches) and I.S. Bindra Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali (latter 4 matches). Its opening game of the tournament comes against DD at Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium (08 April), and its first home game will be at Indore on 15th of April, against Chennai Super Kings.

    Fans can expect several new features and services to enhance their cricket-watching experience. In an industry first, Paytm & Insider.In will be providing refunds for cancelled tickets for a cricket match, via a feature called Cancellation Protect. For a small fee, ticket buyers have the ability to cancel their tickets up to 10 days before the match starts, getting a refund on the full price of the tickets. This, the companies believe, will be a major step towards helping fans plan their cricket-watching experience, encouraging them to book tickets, safe in the knowledge that their money will be refunded in the event of an exigency.

    Attendees will also be able to pre-buy a special IPL-Paytm F&B payments card online and use it towards food & beverage purchase at the stadium. The IPL-Paytm F&B card can be easily topped up when at the match using the Paytm app. What’s more, die-hard fans of the teams will now also be able to purchase official merchandise on the Paytm Mall and Insider.In app and website. All of this is available right at the time of ticket purchase, offering a seamless buying experience to cricket fans waiting to support their favourite teams. While the benefit to the consumer is clear, the streamlined process which makes the sale of merchandise and F&B easier, will also help teams grow these revenue streams.

    Insider.in and Paytm will be selling tickets offline as well in a network of outlets in and around Mohali. Those who choose to buy tickets from here will receive physical tickets at the locations.

    Paytm and Insider.In have aggressively moved into the sports ticketing space over the last year. In December 2017, they were responsible for ticketing and operations for 4 cricket matches across all three formats: India vs New Zealand T20 (Paytm T20 Trophy, November 1, Delhi), India vs Sri Lanka Test (Paytm Test Series, December 2-6, Delhi),  India vs Sri Lanka ODI (Paytm ODI Trophy, December 10, Dharamshala) and India vs Sri Lanka T20 (Paytm T20 Trophy, December 22, Indore). In addition to cricket, the companies have also been the official ticketing partners for ISL teams FC Goa & Delhi Dynamos; Pro Kabaddi League teams U Mumba, Dabanng Delhi, & Jaipur Pink Panthers for the 2017-2018 season.

    “Over the past few years, Insider.In has become well-known for ticketing top music events such as Bacardi NH7 Weekender, A.R. Rahman’s live shows, Arijit Singh live, and comedy tours of artists such as Russell Peters, AIB, Biswa Kalyan Rath, Zakir Khan and several others. This has been the first year of Insider.in ticketing sports events in the country.”, says Shreyas Srinivasan, founder and CEO, Insider.In. “As with Music and Comedy, we aim to deliver for our partners value add beyond traditional ticketing. We are here to provide tools which improve efficiency and help organisers drive more value to sponsors and fans.”

    Paytm, Chief Financial Officer and SVP, Madhur Deora said “We are very proud to associate with Kings XI Punjab and be a part of their journey as the official ticketing partner in this season of VIVO IPL. Paytm Entertainment is working towards building a seamless experience for cricket fans and partners alike. With innovative features for booking tickets online and offline, payments and fan club management, our goal is to bring the best to the industry. Not only ticketing, our association also focuses on Food & Beverage cards and official merchandise for fans to have an incredible experience at the stadium.” 

  • Star India roars with IPL’s second national campaign

    Star India roars with IPL’s second national campaign

    MUMBAI: Following the recent launch of the Best vs Best VIVO Indian Premier League (IPL) anthem that crossed over 15 million views across social media platforms, Star India has launched the second phase of its campaign with a pertinent question.

    The national campaign ‘Sher vs Sher’ conceived and conceptualised by the Star Sports’ creative team is directed by Shlok Sharma in Bundelkhandi and Prakash Varma of Nirvana Films in Hindi, along with Vijay Prabakaran in Tamil.

    The iterations of the national TVC are a portrayal of how this simple question echoes across the nation. In Bundelkhandi: “KaunJeetego?”, shot in Chambal and Tamil: “YāruJeyippāṅga?”, shot in Madurai features two brothers who are in a question and answer banter, as they go back home from school. The older brother is a ’know it all’ , and has all the answers for his younger brother, but when they watch IPL on TV, he fails to predict the winner, concluding with the punchline that when a Sher takes on another Sher, the winner is always a Sher.

    Commenting on the launch of these films, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) CEO Rahul Johri said, “With fans across the globe waiting for the Vivo IPL 2018 to start, we decided to launch the second leg of the #BestVsBest campaign today. It is all about the universal appeal of IPL. This aspect is something I believe will keep fans glued to all the action which will further enhance this global celebration of the brand IPL.” 

    The Tamil version of the TVC will also be translated into Malayalam: “AaruJayikkum?”, Kannada: “YaaruGelluttaare?” and Telugu: “EvaruGelustharu?”.

    Star India president consumer strategy and innovation Gayatri Yadav said, “The Sher vs Sher campaign is a representation of what Vivo IPL 2018 has in store for millions of cricketing fans across the globe. Continuing from the IPL anthem launch earlier this month, with this motive we would like to reinforce how intense and unpredictable the contest would be between the teams to win the coveted trophy. This April, stars from across the cricketing world descend upon India to prove their mettle in one of the most testing tournaments in the world giving fans across a truly exhilarating and nail-biting experience.”

    The 11th edition of IPL starts on 7 April 2018 with defending champions Mumbai Indians taking on Chennai Super Kings.

    Chambal film:

    Madhurai film:

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