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Category: Sports

  • Star India overcomes obstacles in making World Cup a hit

    Star India overcomes obstacles in making World Cup a hit

    MUMBAI: Not long ago speculations were drawn that cricket’s biggest tournament may emerge as a super flop in India courtesy Team India’s feeble performances Down Under, the questioned integrity of the sport and odd timings of the matches. Adding to the list of negatives was the absence of Sachin Tendulkar and Yuvraj Singh. India, after two decades, was playing a World Cup without the master blaster, who is also known as the God of Cricket in India. 

     

    However, as is said – where there is a will there is a way.  The young Indian brigade which was was looking like a beaten lot, pulled up their socks and came together as a unit, and lo and behold the magic was back. And that was more than evident from their first match performance against Pakistan. Indian cricket fans – who had been wearing frowns, and had their noses turned up in disgust reading about the legal proceedings in the sports pages –  are now rejoicing, celebrating the Indian team’s going from strength to strength. Adding to their delight have been the stellar batting displays from Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakarra, West Indie’s Chris Gayle, South Africa’s AB De Vlliers, and the tough fights  associate teams have been giving more established national sides. All this has made the tournament a worthy exhibition and created a perfect platform for Star India. 

     

    “With India being the defending champions, interest from viewers and advertisers for the World Cup was very positive from the start. We started the World Cup with over 30 sponsors on board and the first India game, against arch rivals Pakistan had 93 advertisers showcasing their brands across digital and TV. In the first two weeks only, the advertiser as well as sponsor count for the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup is 50 per cent higher than 2011 edition as well as the IPL. We currently have 38 sponsors across feeds and World Cup programming and over 100 brands advertising during the ongoing World Cup. With India’s strong performances, there is a cricket frenzy through the nation. We have been in talks with more brands for coming on board cricket’s biggest extravaganza, the ICC Cricket World Cup,” says a Star India spokesperson.

     

    The ICC World Cup has opened doors for many first time advertisers and buoyed by the progress so far, there are many brands that are also lining up to the brigade. “For the India – West Indies game we had added hungama.com, Max Life Insurance, Hike, UP Tourism, Reliance Communications and Joy Alukkas as advertisers for the game,” asserts the channel official.

     

    “India stepped into the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 as the defending champions and we at Star have introduced numerous ‘Firsts’ that would bring the entire World Cup experience closer to the fans. These include broadcast in multiple regional languages and first ever global telecast in 4K technology among others. Our efforts have borne fruits as within the first two weeks, 473 million viewers tuned into their television sets to capture the live action of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015. As the race for a berth in the quarter-finals heats up, the viewers’ excitement is sure to go through the roof,” says the spokesperson, describing expectations from the tournament. 

     

    According to Star, by the beginning of the knock out rounds of World Cup 2015, all the past TV viewership records registered in India by a sporting event, which includes World Cup 2011 and various seasons of Indian Premier League (IPL), have been surpassed. 

     

    The World Cup so far has seen an exhibition of sportsman spirit and quality cricket. Speaking to Indiantelevision.com veteran cricket analyst Hemant Kenkre said, “The quality of games this year has been outstanding. We have seen a few mind-blowing individual performances but the team efforts were unbelievable. I know there were a few questions that emerged before the tournament started but no one remembers them now. Now everyone will cheer for team India because the way they have performed so far. Match fixing speculations are nothing new; it was always there since 1999 – 2000. It is just that the country needed good performances from team India and the India VS Pakistan match gave the necessary ignition. The tournament will grow bigger in terms of sponsorship and viewership if India plays well. And I would be highly disappointed if ICC restricts the World Cup to 10 teams. Being associated with the Singapore Cricket Association, I know the hard work the associate teams put and if a championship is restricted to 10 teams then it will disappoint and demotivate all the aspirants.” 

      

    Credit should also be given to Star Sports for unveiling up the Mauka campaign. After every India match, the broadcaster has been unleashing a new promo, which engages viewers and starts trending across social media platforms.

     

    Drawing light on the reverberating Mauka campaign, the Star India spokesperson adds, “Cricket is nothing less than a religion in India and nothing is bigger than the ICC Cricket World Cup for millions of cricket fanatics. The Mauka campaign struck the right chord among fans as it portrayed the World Cup from a fan’s lens. The idea was at a human level, it was true, funny and ignited a sense of pride without being nasty to the opponents. The film received great response online and on social media from fans across the two countries. The campaign was promoted across 45 channels including news, movies, regional, films, GEC genre and it has received close to 17 million views online making it the most viewed campaign during the World Cup.”

     

    Depicting the commercial growth of the tournament, Maxus Global managing director Kartik Sharma said, “Typically sporting events start with a certain base expectation, which is dependent on recent performances of the playing teams. The cricket World Cup is no exception to this and people’s expectations were dependent on India’s recent performances. With two very interesting India matches everything has changed and more people are now interested in them. Ad rates are a function of early sponsors and also last minute advertisers who might want to utilise it tactically. Rates reflect recent interest in matches. It’s critical that matches have close finishes, which will fuel the interest of viewers irrespective of which country plays.”

     

    Helios Media managing director Divya Radhakrishnan adds, “The tournament has already made its impression in advertisers’ mind and hence all the speculations that were drawn in the initial stages because of controversies and absence of Sachin Tendulkar have been put to an end.”    

     

    Expectations have in fact been surpassed so far with Ireland defeating West Indies and Bangladesh knocking out cricket inventor England. Every cricket lover wants last over finishes and close encounters, and this World Cup so far has offered it. If permutations and combinations are to be believed, India is set to face Bangladesh in the quarter finals and despite having a rough start, Pakistan is also on the verge of securing a quarter final berth. This increases the probability of another Indo-Pak bout, which will be the icing on the cake for both viewers and Star India as it will definitely up the the brand value of the tournament.

  • Team India’s winning run against the West Indies scores 13.1 TVR

    Team India’s winning run against the West Indies scores 13.1 TVR

    MUMBAI: Three weeks on and still in the league stage, the viewership for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 rose to over half a billion viewers. The cumulative reach of the ongoing World Cup touched 534 million viewers after the first 29 matches (TAM data CS4+ extrapolated to the universe using a standard conversion factor).  

     

    With the defending champions on a roll, the India versus West Indies game rated 13.1 TVR across the Star network and DD (TAM M15+ ABC). The match rated 10.9 TVR on Star network and 2.2 TVR on DD (TAM data M15+ ABC). Close to 262 million viewers (TAM data CS4+ extrapolated to the universe using a standard conversion factor) tuned in to watch team India chase down the West Indies’ total to register their fourth consecutive win in the ongoing ICC Cricket World Cup 2015. 

     

    Viewers across the country cheered for team India across multiple feeds with Hindi, English and Tamil emerging as the preferred languages. Hindi and regional language contribution continued to be high with 80 per cent of the viewership coming from the non-English feed. 

     

    Star extended the ‘Mauka’ campaign for the India West Indies game incorporating the festive celebrations on the occasion of Holi receiving overwhelming response from the fans. The India West Indies promo was watched by over 2.7 million fans as the campaign overall crossed over 17 million online views. 

  • IPL 2015: 65 percent ad inventory of Sony already sold

    IPL 2015: 65 percent ad inventory of Sony already sold

    MUMBAI: Even as the cricket World Cup fever is on, Multi Screen Media (MSM) is gearing up for the next big cricket tourney – the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2015 and advertisers are flocking to it nineteen to the dozen.

     

    The tournament starts right after the World Cup. Speaking on advertisers reaction so far, Multi Screen Media president Rohit Gupta says, “We have got amazing responses so far and the way it’s shaping up, we may have to extend our ad inventory. We already have our two presenting sponsors in Vodafone and Amazon. It must be noted that Amazon has upgraded itself as a presenting sponsor and it’s an encouraging example. The seven associates are Hero Moto Corp, Cardekho.com, Intex, Vimal Pan Masala, Pay TM, Pepsi and we have one more advertiser who has confirmed its participation. Hero Moto Corp, Cardekho.com and Vimal Pan Masala are first timers and it proves the growing interest of the tournament.”

     

    Sony Max and Six have already launched India Ka Tyohaar campaign for IPL’s 2015 edition. The campaign, which has been orchestrated by DDB Mudra, speaks about unity and celebration, and portrays IPL as a festival that is followed by one and all irrespective of caste, communities and creed.

     

    Way before the campaign launch, Gupta had told Indiantelevision.com that ad rate for the 2015 edition will be hiked by 15 per cent and MSM has successfully managed to achieve the figures.

     

    “As decided, we have hiked our ad rate by 15 per cent and the hike was not on the basis of arrogance or overconfidence, it’s because we had a seven per cent increase in viewership. We have already sold 65 per cent of our ad inventory and we are in last stage talks with many companies. IPL is a tournament that consistently delivers in terms of meeting viewership expectations and advertisers are presented a platform for the entire tournament. IPL is not a tournament where fans have to wait for a week’s time to have a good match. Moreover all the IPL matches are played in prime time and each and every match has equal interest. The growth of viewership is constant in each and every match unlike World Cup where non India matches failed to garner viewers so far. Overall IPL is an insured platform for advertisers where whatever may happen viewership never declines.”

     

    Talking about the campaign, Sony Max senior EVP and business head Neeraj Vyas says, “IPL is beyond any barrier; it’s a huge event that connects everyone. A family that has members of different generations sit together to enjoy the cricketing extravaganza, which has nail biting finishes and entertainment to satisfy everyone’s need. We are our biggest competitor and the only challenge for us is to do better than what we have done in our previous editions. We did aisa mauka aur kahan milega in 2012, which we followed up with Jumping Japang and Come on bulava aaya hai in the following years. But this year we are going to be better than any other year.”

     

    MSM is known for aggressive marketing of IPL, which is their biggest asset and this year is no different. “We have spent 15 per cent more than previous year for the India ka tyohaar campaign,” informs Vyas.

     

    DDB Mudra chairman and chief creative officer Sonal Dabral is satisfied with the progress and the feedback received so far. “India ka tyohaar is something that everyone has been missing. Festivals in India are based on religion and region. IPL is one such festival where everyone participates in the celebration,” Dabral tells Indiantelevision.com.

     

     

    When queried about the other campaigns that are already buzzing, Dabral says, “There will always be a flurry of creative campaigns and it’s not about what others are doing. You have to understand the brand and then come up with a creative concept. Mauka is a good and creative campaign but India Ka Tyohaar is different and it will emerge as the testimony of all campaigns.”

     

    Sony will launch an interactive digital campaign to connect with youth on various social media platforms. The broadcaster is going to feature the 2015 edition of IPL in different languages and there will be a regional awareness initiative to promote the multilingual strategy.

     

    The anthem of the campaign has been composed by musical duo of Salim – Sulaiman, who hope to get everyone to dance to the anthem of Pepsi IPL 2015. “With Pepsi IPL that reflects the fervour of the nation and an idea as powerful as ‘India Ka Tyohaar’, we tried to create a song, which is very Indian in its spirit but yet has the sound of ‘The Now’. Once we had the lyrics we composed the tune and created a rhythm around it which is the beat of our folk music and festivals all across India. The song is infectious! We hope the audiences will celebrate the music and this festive spirit of the Pepsi IPL across the globe,” the duo said.

     

    When asked if composing music for a tournament of such high magnitude is different and difficult from feature films and music albums, Salim Merchant told Indiantelevision.com, “After composing Chak De nothing seems to be difficult anymore but it is indeed different. The tournament will be watched in each and every household and the audience is across age groups. While we ensured that the song pumps up, we also took care that the unifying factor, which is the USP of the campaign, is kept alive.”

     

    Stretching across a four-week period till the launch of the tournament, the Pepsi IPL 2015 campaign will have a complete 360 degree rollout across mass media. The communication will be seen by viewers across mediums like television, print, radio, digital, outdoor, on-ground, mobile and BTL.

  • Pepsi IPL 2015 goes with ‘Unity in Diversity’ theme

    Pepsi IPL 2015 goes with ‘Unity in Diversity’ theme

    MUMBAI: Sony Max and Six, the official broadcasters of the Pepsi Indian Premier League (IPL), have given viewers a reason to cheer by launching the new campaign for this edition of IPL: ‘Ye Hai India Ka Tyohaar.’ 

     

    As the name suggests, the campaign aims to connect hearts and lives by creating a national euphoria and strengthening emotional affinity towards the sport. 

     

    ‘India Ka Tyohaar’ invites people to break their differences and join in the revelry, which is aptly communicated through a heart shaped mnemonic that excludes spirit of togetherness. 

     

    The campaign kicked off with a series of three prequels set in distinct situations of people’s life, ending with the common message of ‘India Ka Tyohaar.’ Sony Max and Six have roped in the musical duo Salim-Sulaiman to compose the anthem “Dooriyan chodkar… dil se dil jodkar.”

     

    Sony Max EVP and business head Neeraj Vyas said, “Pepsi IPL reaches out to people across age groups, gender and languages. This year’s initiative is a unique thought that stems from the insight of how Pepsi IPL over the years has grown to be a huge festival which people celebrate together. It is a perfect blend of cricket, entertainment and festivity packaged in one. The campaign will be promoted in each and every platforms. And with time we will launch an interactive campaign for the digital medium.”

     

    IPL starts right after ICC cricket World Cup and when queried about it, Vyas told Indiantelevision.com, “We have learnt from our experiences before and that’s why we have a different campaign this time. IPL has its charisma and the campaign will back it. The 2015 edition is going to be bigger and better and in all aspects and I am sure about it.”

     

    The multilingual concept will be witnessed during IPL too as the tournament will be showcased in five different languages viz English, Hindi, Bengali, Tamil and Telegu. While Sony Aath will feature the Bengali edition, MSM may launch two new channels for Tamil and Telegu. But the ad inventory will remain the same and regional players won’t get the opportunity to participate for a particular region.

     

    DDB Mudra CCO Sonal Dabral said, “If cricket is a religion in India, Pepsi IPL is the only true festival. Unlike any other sporting event in the world, it’s a microcosm of the passion and madness that envelops our country whenever cricket is played, uniting hearts and minds in its wake. And unlike any other festival in India, this is one festival that every Indian celebrates. It got the colors of Holi the festivity of Diwali the brotherhood of Eid and joy of Christmas. What else can you call it but one amazing India ka tyohaar? Its been a privilege and an honor to create this big idea for Pepsi IPL.”

     

    Speaking to Indiantelevision.com Dabral said that the name behind the campaign came because of all the religious diversities we are witnessing now a days, “The video shows Muslim man picking a Sikh kid on his shoulder and that’s the beauty of IPL and that’s why it’s ‘India ka Tyohaar,’” he concluded.

  • Rs 20 crore salary cap set for Indian Super League season 2

    Rs 20 crore salary cap set for Indian Super League season 2

    MUMBAI: The first season of the Hero Indian Super League (ISL) was indeed a success for the sport in India as it achieved a rare status of being the fourth-most watched football leagues in the world. 

     

    Now in its second edition, the controlling body of the ISL, the Football Sports Development Ltd (FSDL), formed through a joint venture between IMG-Reliance and Star India, has decided that the ISL clubs will have player’s salary cap of Rs 20 crore for the second season to be held this year. 

     

    The board has also decided that the ISL will have an auction for Indian players who have played in the senior national teams but missed out on the inaugural ISL season.

     

    Each club will be eligible to add only one such player from the auction list consisting of maximum 12 to 15 players. Those not picked through auction will form part of the Domestic Players Draft. 

     

    Commenting on the development, an Indian Super League spokesperson said that the new set of rules are defined to encourage clubs in player retention, assist them in managing player costs and provide a level playing field for each club to prepare for the second season with a reasonable and broadly equitable chance of winning the league in 2015. 

     

    “The inaugural year of the ISL brought to fore many new faces of Indian football other than the known international names. The league encourages the Clubs to retain such players to help them build an identity and fan base,” added the spokesperson.

     

    In terms of player retention, a number of decisions have been taken at the first Governing Council to review the inaugural season. The Governing Council committee consists of all eight ISL participatory club representatives and officials from FSDL. 

     

    For marquee players it has been decided that each club must have a minimum of one marquee player. Clubs can retain their marquee player from the inaugural season but are free to sign one from the open market, with prior approval from the League. For international players, clubs can retain a minimum of one and maximum of five international players. Additionally, clubs are allowed to contract international players by themselves through the market directly. 

     

    It has also been decided that a minimum of one and maximum of six domestic players can be retained by a club. Players, who are not part of the retention list of clubs, can be signed by any ISL club in the open market until April 2015. In case they are still without contract, such players will be listed in the Domestic Draft. 

     

    Each club is to have a minimum of 22 players, with a mandatory two developmental players in the squad. Each team would consist of one marquee, eight international and 13 domestic players including the compulsory two under-23 developmental players. A club can have a maximum squad size of 25. Additional quota of three players can have maximum two international players it has been decided.

  • India produced 36% of global chatter for World Cup week 1: Repucom study

    India produced 36% of global chatter for World Cup week 1: Repucom study

    MUMBAI: The ongoing ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 is seeing a strong rush of trends on social media platforms. Comparing the social media buzz from both the first weeks’ action of the 2011 and 2015 Cricket World Cups, the growth of India’s online community has made them the dominant force in international social engagement within the sport, states a report released by sports marketing research company Repucom. 

     

    According to the report, in the first week of the tournament held in 2011, the top 10 most active nations talking about the Cricket World Cup had produced just under 9,000 (8,930) online interactions. When compared to the same period of this year’s competition, the top 10 most active nations produced over 82 times as much traffic (7,39,050). Besides over 36 per cent of the global chatter was produced by one nation, India.

     

    Speaking about the emerging social media trends, Repucom South Asia senior vice president and India director Joseph Eapen said, “Commercially speaking, India’s official Facebook page generates $16,156 per post of potential media value to their sponsors. This average was taken from a sample of 10 posts during the first seven days during the World Cup.”

     

    Eapen also states that the ICC has been making big efforts in bringing digital platforms to the foreground of this year’s tournament through collaborations with Twitter as well as extending their digital coverage with live scores, in-match clips, exclusive videos and an official app. 

     

    According to the report, other teams which have produced the biggest online buzz this year include Pakistan, Australia and the UK. Surprisingly though nations like the US have  also contributed to a good deal of engagement. “In 2011, the US was responsible for 29 per cent of the global online buzz. In 2015, that percentage has dropped to nine per cent, showing the growth in online competition and share of voice,” the report adds.

     

    In its concluding remarks the report says that of all the competing nations, England and South Africa join India as the only teams to rank in both the top five most well followed Facebook and Twitter accounts.

  • BCCI reports lower gross media rights income in 2013-14

    BCCI reports lower gross media rights income in 2013-14

    MUMBAI: The annual report of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for the financial year 2013 – 14 shows a decline in gross media rights income as it dipped from Rs 774.24 crore  to Rs 419.38 crore. The honourary treasurer of the board Anirudh Chaudhry blamed lack of international action in India for the dip in media rights income. During the year of consideration, the annual gross receipts from international tours was Rs 193.52 crore as against the Rs 216.02 crore in the previous year.   

     

    BCCI’s million dollar baby Indian Premier League (IPL) did not disappoint the treasurer. Gross receipts from IPL 2013 were Rs 1194 crore as against Rs 892 crore of previous year. 

     

    The treasurer said, “This is because the receipts from IPL media rights income have gone up from Rs 556 crore to Rs 844 crore and the franchisee consideration has gone up marginally from Rs 460 crore to Rs 502 crore.”

     

    The rights income from Champions League has also gone up, as a substantial hike from Rs 278.88 crore to Rs 327.50 crore was registered. 

     

    Receipt from ICC share of distribution remained at Rs 32.26 crore. There is a reasonable increase in interest income from Rs 85 crore last year to Rs 120 crore for the year of consideration. “This is mainly because of better treasury operations in getting better-negotiated interest rates for the short term deposits and efficiency of operations,” said Chaudhry.

     

    In the year under consideration, the expenses on cricketing operations went down marginally from Rs 551.17 crore to Rs 516.83 crore. The provision for gross revenue share payable to the players has gone down from Rs 48.57 crore to Rs 11.02 crore. “This is because of the lesser media rights income. From 2013-14, the Board decided that all the common expenses, which are not allocable to any specific tournament would be apportioned on the basis of revenue generated by IPL, CLT20 and BCCI’s international tours. This will reflect more accurately the income generated from these activities of Board,” said Chaudhry. 

     

    In the year under consideration, the surplus of income over expenditure was Rs 526 crore as against Rs 319 crore in 2012-13, before any appropriation. In the current financial year 2014-15 the budgeted surplus is estimated at Rs 391 crore. 

     

    During the year four finance committee meetings were held. The following decisions were taken during the year: 

     

    · The Board awarded the Team Sponsorship contract for the period from 1 January 2014 till 31 March 2017 to Star India. 

     

    · Star India was awarded the title sponsorship for the limited period from October 2013 to December 2013 in which two series i.e., India versus Australia and India versus West Indies were played. 

     

    · The back office of the honorary treasurer was set up in Chennai from 1 April, 2014 and the coordinating office of honorary treasurer was established in New Delhi. 

     

    · The allowances and fees payable to support staff accompanying the senior team, A team, under 19 team, junior team and women’s team were revised.

     

    · Under the scheme of One Time Benefit to former players, an amount aggregating to Rs 1.55 crore was paid during the year under consideration. 

     

    · Under the infrastructure subsidy scheme, the member units have claimed Rs 764.03 crore till 31 March, 2014, including subsidy for ground equipment. 

     

    · During the year, Board invoked the Bank Guarantee given by Sahara Adventure Sports (Pune Franchisee) to recover the balance franchisee consideration of Rs 133 crore. 

     

    · During the year, as per the order of Supreme Court of India, the three bankers of Nimbus, who had provided the Bank Guarantees of Rs 1600 crore together and who had not honored the invocation of the Bank Guarantees by the Board and had challenged the invocation, paid Rs 400 crore to the Board against an undertaking from the Board that in case the decision goes against BCCI the said amount will be returned along with the applicable fixed deposit interest.

     

    · During the year the team won the ICC Champions Trophy and the Board awarded prize money of Rs 1 crore to every playing member of the team and Rs 30 lakh to every member of support staff. 

     

    · In the last Annual General Meeting, a new Finance Committee was appointed under the chairmanship of Dr. Ganga Raju. The Finance Committee and the Treasurer’s office benefited from the rich experience of Dr. Raju.

  • BodyPower Expo set to attract over 20,000 visitors in 2015.

    BodyPower Expo set to attract over 20,000 visitors in 2015.

    MUMBAI: Staged at Mumbai’s Bombay Convention and Exhibition Centre, BodyPower Expo is the fitness hub of Asia, attracting thousands of key buyers, distributors and manufacturers from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and UAE with a multitude of opportunities to experience in this unique, awe-inspiring event.

     

    BodyPower Expo is the perfect platform to promote health & nutrition and body building related products and services to an audience made up of thousands of key business decision makers, trade delegates and enthusiastic consumers.

     

    This is a perfect event for leading sports nutrition, fitness equipment, vitamins and apparel brands. BodyPower Expo is a show that encapsulates everything positive about fitness. This unique, inspiring atmosphere generates extensive sales and networking opportunities for aspiring companies looking to build a formidable reputation in the rapidly developing Indian health and wellness market, worth Rs. 620 crores.

     

    Set across an action-packed weekend on 21st and 22nd March 2015, BodyPower Expo is an event that simply can’t be ignored for any company looking to raise their profile within the domestic and international fitness industry.

     

    Some of the prominent international athletes like Ronnie Coleman (legendary), Phillip Heath, Kris Gethin, Nathan Harman, Ricardo Correia, Callun Won Moger, Francis Benfatto, Oksana Grishina, and Indian athletes such as (Mukesh Gahlot, Sangram Chougule, Dinesh Aswal, Bhupendra Dhawan (Dronacharya Awardee) have joined hands with BodyPower Expo India to make it big in the Indian market. Brands like Neulife, Unlimited Nutrition, Life Fitness, Cellucor, BSN, Optimum Nutrition, Musclepharm, Precor, Jerai, Gifted Nutrition, SAN Nutrition, Cytosport, ESN, BillionBody, Scitec, Grenade, Fitcrunch etc. have got associated with Body Power to escalate India’s health and wellness market with this unique initiative.

     

    Mr. Nick Orton, CEO, Body Power Expo stated, “Despite seven years of exponential growth and unrivalled success in the UK, we will ultimately be delighted at the impact the show is going to make in the upcoming second season of BodyPower Expo India 2015. An eye-catching 20,000+ visitors are expected to make their way to Mumbai’s Bombay Exhibition Centre across the two day event, to enjoy an extremely well-presented international show that evidently resonated with those who attended.”

     

    Following its inception within the fitness industry back in 2009, BodyPower has progressively expanded its global profile and has established itself as a driving force for the consumer fitness market with an international reach of over 35 million.

  • Lalit Modi ousted from Rajasthan Cricket Association

    Lalit Modi ousted from Rajasthan Cricket Association

    MUMBAI: Former Indian Premier League (IPL) commissioner Lalit Modi was ousted from the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) as the members of the association passed a no-confidence motion against Modi and his office-bearers at the Extraordinary General Meeting today (9 March).

     

    With 17 out of 18 members casting their votes against Modi, Amin Pathan is expected to take charge as the new chief of RCA.

     

    However, Modi loyalists alleged that their members were not allowed to participate in the general meeting and that their bus was even pelted by stones. RCA deputy president Mehmood Abdi, who is also a Modi loyalist, cried foul claiming that it was an intentional sabotage.

     

    As per media reports, out of a total 33 district associations, only 18 could attend the meeting and since the majority was present, RCA members decided to go ahead with the meeting.

  • India vs South Africa match engages 257 million viewers

    India vs South Africa match engages 257 million viewers

    MUMBAI: A whopping 257 million fans (TAM data CS4+ extrapolated to the universe using a standard conversion factor) tuned in to support Team India’s bid to retain cricket’s most coveted prize, as MS Dhoni and his men seized their ‘mauka’ opportunity and scored their first ever victory against South Africa in a World Cup match.

     

    The match rated 12.9 TVR across Star network including DD, with 10.5 TVR on Star network and 2.4 TVR on DD (All TAM data M15+ ABC).

     

    The joy of beating the Proteas was amplified for 76 per cent of the 257 million viewers as they tuned into the India South Africa game in their preferred language feed in Hindi, Tamil, Bengali, Malayalam and Kannada. The English feed contributed remaining 24 per cent of the total viewers for the game.

     

    Star India COO Sanjay Gupta said, “The viewership for India’s first two games of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 bears testimony to the cricket frenzy sweeping the nation. The fans, with their undiminished support for Team India, have been treated to some quality action and results of choice. The World Cup in regional language articulated by former India players has taken the viewer experience to the next level. Our efforts of bringing the fans closer to the world cup experience through a host of innovations have borne fruit and they continue to rally to Team India’s defence of its title.”

     

    The flagship ODI tournament has remained true to its billing of the most exciting cricket extravaganza drawing 473 million (TAM data CS4+ extrapolated to the universe using a standard conversion factor) fans to tune in to within the first two weeks of the tourney.

     

    The clash between two favorites for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 also sizzled across social media – with 175,000 unique authors driving 254,000 conversations – dominating the trends for the day. Star had extended its popular and disruptive ‘Mauka’ campaign to build anticipation ahead of the South Africa game, releasing a new promo under the fan passion theme, #maukepechauka, which was trending through the day in India.

     

    The viewership numbers for the India – South Africa game build on the record viewership for India’s tie against arch-rivals Pakistan. The blockbuster clash attracted 288 million viewers, making it the most watched television event in India since the finals of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011.