ITV

Category: Sports

  • Jagmohan Dalmiya is BCCI president after winning an uncontested election

    Jagmohan Dalmiya is BCCI president after winning an uncontested election

    MUMBAI: After winning an uncontested election veteran cricket administrator Jagmohan Dalmiya will make a comeback as full-time president of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) after 10 years.

     

    He was the sole nominee for the top post, which was formally filled at the board’s AGM on 2 March, 2015.

     

    The former International Cricket Council (ICC) president, whose previous tenure as full-time BCCI chief in India ended in 2004, emerged as a consensus candidate of the two rival groups as the deadline for filing nomination ended on the afternoon of 1 March.

     

    While one group was led by the sidelined board president N. Srinivasan, the other camp was led by Maharashtra strongman Sharad Pawar.

     

    Both the groups claimed that Dalmiya was their candidate, but the wily 74-year-old businessman has kept his cards close to his chest.

     

    “Three sets of nominations were filed on Dalmiya’s behalf. Each of the six BCCI affiliates from the east Zone were either proposer or seconder,” a BCCI source told IANS.

     

    As per BCCI rules, it is the turn of the east zone associations this year to nominate candidates for the elections.

     

    Srinivasan was barred by the Supreme Court from contesting the election following the Indian Premier League (IPL) spot fixing scam. He is not even allowed to participate in the AGM, but can only vote when required as a nominee of the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA), if there is an election.

     

    Former ICC chief Pawar, who was BCCI president from 2005-2008, was also eyeing the post, but had to backtrack after failing to find a proposer and seconder from the east zone.

     

    Anurag Thakur edged Sanjay Patel by a vote to win the post of BCCI Secretary.

     

    The outcome of the meeting :

     

    ·         Jagmohan Dalmiya – President

    ·         Anurag Thakur – Hon. Secretary

    ·         Amitabh Choudhary – Hon. Jt. Secretary

    ·         Anirudh Chaudhry – Hon. Treasurer

    ·         M.L. Nehru – Vice President (North)

    ·         G. Ganga Raju – Vice President (South)

    ·         Gautam Roy – Vice President (East)

    ·         T.C. Mathew – Vice President (West)

    ·         C.K. Khanna – Vice President (Central)

     

    The audited accounts for the FY 2013 – 2014 were approved.

  • ESPN INC bags US region IPL media rights for $12.4 million

    ESPN INC bags US region IPL media rights for $12.4 million

    MUMBAI: The marketing committee of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) met in Chennai on 28 February, 2015 to decide the media rights of the Pepsi IPL for the United States region for the three-year period (2015 to 2017).

     

    BCCI received three bids from M/S Willow, Times Internet and ESPN and after following tender policy, the rights were awarded to ESPN INC at a total fee of $12.4 million for the three-year period.

     

    Speaking about the association, BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel said, “We are delighted to have entered into a strategic partnership with one of the leading platforms of global sport, M/S ESPN, which will deliver the widest possible reach ever for the Pepsi IPL in the United States.”

  • Universal Music and Ten Sports launch cricket song for World Cup

    Universal Music and Ten Sports launch cricket song for World Cup

    MUMBAI: Music label Universal Music India in association with Ten Sports Network has launched a song that celebrates cricket, titled Heroes (We Could Be).

     

    With the cricket World Cup craze taking over the country; the song echoes the sentiments of a nation reeling with cricket fever.

     

    The original song of the same name by Grammy-nominated Swedish DJ/producer Alesso featured the vocals of Tove Lo and is a global hit. The Indian version has been sung by Kanika Kapoor, who has sung songs like ‘Baby Doll’ (Ragini MMS2) and ‘Chittiyaan Kalaiyaan’ (Roy).

     

    The song is in Hinglish with lyrics written by Manoj Yadav. Kapoor has also shot a video for the song, which reflects the passion and excitement of the sport and features some great cricket action from the various cricket series that have been telecast on Ten Sports Network.

     

    Kapoor said, “I’m thrilled to be part of this exciting sporting project. It’s unlike anything I’ve done before and in India it can’t get any bigger than the sport of cricket besides the fact that it’s backed by a leading sports network – Ten Sports. I’m extremely grateful to Universal Music for giving me this opportunity as I eagerly look forward to my fan’s reactions to this song and video created for the sport we all love so much – cricket!”

     

    Universal Music / EMI Music managing director South Asia Devraj Sanyal said, “We all know that cricket and Bollywood are considered religions in India and we are ecstatic to bring together the two with Heroes (We Could Be) – a song celebrating the sport of cricket sung by the current #1 female voice in Bollywood playback Kanika Kapoor, who has done an exceptional job on the song by capturing the passion of the sport. And then to have the Ten Sport Network as our partner on this project, who being part of the Zee Network, have an incredible reach pan-India, we are confident that this song will soon become synonymous with the sport of cricket.”

     

    Ten Sports Global CEO Rajesh Sethi added, “Ten Sports Network, leader in sports entertainment with rights of five Cricket Boards believes in exploring innovative and unique ways to reach out to its audiences. Heroes (We Could Be) in collaboration with Universal Music India is one of the initiatives to celebrate the sport of cricket.”

  • India – Pakistan match registers 288 million viewers

    India – Pakistan match registers 288 million viewers

    MUMBAI: The most anticipated clash of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 created Indian television history as 288 million viewers (TAM data CS4+ extrapolated to the universe using a standard conversion factor) tuned in to watch India take on Pakistan on 15 February, 2015.

     

    The game was the most watched television event in India in the last four years, since the finals of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011.

     

    The match between archrivals rated 14.8 TVR (TAM data M15+ ABC) across Star network including DD. The match rated 11.9 TVR (TAM data M15+ ABC) on Star network and 2.9 TVR (TAM data M15+ ABC) on DD. The India – Pakistan game delivered across town classes led by the top six Metros rating 17.2 TVR and 1million+ towns rating 15.5TVR (All data TAM data M15+ ABC).

     

    Star India CEO Uday Shankar said, “Nothing is bigger than the ICC Cricket World Cup and the Indian fans have shown their unflinching faith and passionate following for Team India as they began their World Cup campaign with a bang. As the country’s leading broadcaster, our efforts have been to showcase the best of cricket, have wider coverage, offer multiple languages and take the sport deeper by reinventing the viewer experience. With a host of innovations, we are committed to make this edition of the ICC Cricket World Cup the biggest ever.”

     

    Star unleashed a host of innovations for the biggest spectacle in the country. The first ever broadcast in six languages of the India – Pakistan game received 76 per cent of the viewership from Hindi and regional feeds and the balance 24 per cent from English validating the multi-lingual strategy pioneered by Star.

     

    A disruptive ‘Mauka’ ad campaign, which went beyond cricket on the field and leveraged fan passion in a unique way, went viral with over 17 million views online. Star roped in the most prominent voice in Indian cinema, Amitabh Bachchan, for India’s biggest game as he debuted as a commentator with the Star Sports panel of Kapil Dev, Shoaib Akhtar, Rahul Dravid and Sanjay Manjrekar for the India – Pakistan game.

     

    The India – Pakistan clash at the World Cup took social media in India by storm as 324,000 consumers spoke 500,000 times about the match, generating a potential three billion impressions. The match dominated conversations on Twitter, with 10/10 trends on Twitter Web, and 15/15 trends on Twitter Mobile, India spoke about nothing else. Indian fans were hopeful of India’s victory, and #Indwins was used 90,000 times, starting well before the game ended. The Star Sports campaign #wontgiveitback was used 24,000 times, and the second installment of the ‘Mauka’ campaign was viewed half a million times within hours of its release.

  • ICC to induct Martin Crowe in Hall of Fame

    ICC to induct Martin Crowe in Hall of Fame

    MUMBAI: New Zealand great Martin Crowe, one of the most stylish and elegant batsmen of his generation, will be inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame during the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 match between New Zealand and Australia at Eden Park in Auckland on 28 February.

     

    When Crowe receives his commemorative cap from ICC director and chairman of Cricket Australia, Wally Edwards, during the innings break, he will become the 79th inductee into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame and third New Zealand player after Sir Richard Hadlee and Debbie Hockley.

     

    Crowe made his international debut against Australia in Wellington in February 1982 at the age of 19. He retired 13 years later after playing 77 Tests, scoring 5,444 runs at an average of 45.36. This included 17 centuries (the most by a New Zealand cricketer), while his 299 against Sri Lanka in Wellington in January 1991 stood as a national record until Brendon McCullum scored 302 against India in Wellington last year in February.

     

    Crowe also played 143 One-Day Internationals (ODIs) in which he scored 4,704 runs at an average of 38.55 with four centuries and 34 half-centuries. He played in three ICC Cricket World Cups, and led New Zealand to the semi-final of the ICC Cricket World Cup 1992 where his side lost to eventual champion Pakistan in Auckland. However, his innovative captaincy and most runs in the series won him player of the ICC Cricket World Cup 1992 award. Crowe captained New Zealand in 16 Tests and 44 ODIs.

     

    Last week in Melbourne, former India Test captain Anil Kumble and Australia’s Betty Wilson were inducted in the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.

     

    ICC Cricket Hall of Fame – initial inductees (55)

     

    Sydney Barnes, Bishan Bedi, Alec Bedser, Richie Benaud, Allan Border, Ian Botham, Geoffrey Boycott, Donald Bradman, Greg Chappell, Ian Chappell, Denis Compton, Colin Cowdrey, Kapil Dev, Sunil Gavaskar, Lance Gibbs, Graham Gooch, David Gower, WG Grace, Tom Graveney, Gordon Greenidge, Richard Hadlee, Walter Hammond, Neil Harvey, George Headley, Jack Hobbs, Michael Holding, Leonard Hutton, Rohan Kanhai, Imran Khan, Alan Knott, Jim Laker, Harold Larwood, Dennis Lillee, Ray Lindwall, Clive Lloyd, Hanif Mohammad, Rodney Marsh, Malcolm Marshall, Peter May, Javed Miandad, Keith Miller, Bill O’Reilly, Graeme Pollock, Wilfred Rhodes, Barry Richards, Vivian Richards, Andy Roberts, Garfield Sobers, Brian Statham, Fred Trueman, Derek Underwood, Clyde Walcott, Everton Weekes, Frank Woolley, Frank Worrell

     

    2009-10 Inductees

    Herbert Sutcliffe, Steve Waugh, Wasim Akram, Victor Trumper and Clarrie Grimmett

     

    2010-11 Inductees

    Rachael Heyhoe-Flint, Ken Barrington, Courtney Walsh and Joel Garner

     

    2011-12 Inductees

    Belinda Clark, Frederick Spofforth, Curtly Ambrose and Alan Davidson

     

    2012-13 Inductees

    Enid Bakewell, Brian Lara, Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne

     

    2013-14 Inductees

    Adam Gilchrist, Debbie Hockley, Bob Simpson and Waqar Younis

     

    2014-15 Inductees

    Anil Kumble, Betty Wilson and Martin Crowe. One more to be announced in due course

  • Sony Six extends deal with TNA Wrestling till 2022

    Sony Six extends deal with TNA Wrestling till 2022

    MUMBAI: Multi Screen Media’s (MSM) sports TV station Sony Six has signed a long-term deal with Total Nonstop Action (TNA) wrestling, which makes Sony Six the exclusive home for all TNA content until 2022.

     

    The partnership also includes a commitment to the discovery and development of talent from the Indian subcontinent to join the TNA roster, following in the footsteps of Mahabali Shera – who last year became TNA’s first ever Indian-born superstar.

     

    Fans across the Indian subcontinent can watch TNA’s flagship show Impact Wrestling every Monday night at 9 pm on Sony Six, with TNA Wrestling’s Greatest Matches airing every Tuesday at 9 pm and TNA Xplosion each Wednesday at 9 pm. Sony Six also airs TNA’s PPV and One Night Only events.

     

    Since joining the Sony Six line-up in the summer of 2013, TNA has helped Sony Six get popularity amongst sports channel across the Indian subcontinent. Other major sports/events on Sony Six include Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket, FIFA World Cup soccer, NBA basketball and Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).

     

    A major highlight for 2015 has been the Impact Wrestling debut of Mahabali Shera. Introduced in a blaze of publicity by Olympic Gold Medallist Kurt Angle, Shera has made headlines and led news bulletins across India.

     

    Sony Six business head Prasana Krishnan said, “We are extremely thrilled to extend our partnership with TNA. India historically boasts of a rich heritage in wresting and we believe, that through this initiative, we will be taking another step forward in reaching out to our audiences across India. The introduction of Shera and more Indian talents will only bolster our special televised capsule of action sports, which will feature the best of action and combat sports. We at Sony Six look forward to building on this fascinating sport.”

     

    TNA president Dixie Carter added, “India has an incredible cultural heritage with wrestling and we are thrilled to continue this amazing partnership with Sony Six for years to come. As is evident through this long-term deal with Sony Six, the powerful introduction of Mahabali Shera, and our continued pledge to find and develop Indian talent, together we are committed to growing legions of TNA fans across the Indian subcontinent.”

  • Star’s ‘Mauka’ becomes victory anthem for Indian cricket fans

    Star’s ‘Mauka’ becomes victory anthem for Indian cricket fans

    MUMBAI: Not long back team India’s victory in a cricket match was celebrated with chants like Vande Maataram, Chak De India or Jai Hind. That seems to have changed in the 2015 edition of World Cup. The moment India wins a match, an unusual scenario develops in India and it can be called Mauka Mania.

     

    The Hindi word Mauka, which implies to opportunity in English has been used in such a way by Star Sports (the official broadcaster of ICC World Cup 2015 in India) that it has turned that innocuous word to an anthem – An anthem dedicated to both winners and losers of the match.        

     

    When queried on how the Mauka campaign started, Star India spokesperson said, “The India Pakistan match is the biggest unifying factor in the country regardless of age, gender or whether you’re a sports fan or not. We wanted a campaign, which will get the attention of the nation and would have a life of its own, but still be a part of the larger umbrella campaign #wontgiveitback.” 

     

    India’s undisputed victories over Pakistan in the World Cups were taken as a concept to create the campaign. It is quite natural to get invisible in the flurry of ads during an Indo –Pak bout and hence it was extremely important to be different from others and Mauka was indeed different. On the conceptualisation of the campaign the official asserted, “The brief was clear, we haven’t lost to them ever in a World Cup and we should not give this record up. After we had the idea in place we knew it was a disruptive thought that people would talk about and share. The proposition for the Mauka campaign was way beyond cricket and so needed to be the campaign. It used fan’s passion in a unique way. The idea was at a human level, it was true, funny and ignited a sense of pride without being nasty to the opponents.”

     

    The initial response videos came from Pakistan, where they planned and launched a new video to counter it creatively. That set the stage perfectly for a creative battle. Appreciating sportsman spirit of the counterpart the spokesperson said, “They accepted the film in great spirit and rebutted without any hate message or dirty war of words. The film that intended to unite India brought fans from both sides of the border together like never before – and that truly reflected the ‘power of cricket’ as a unifier especially in our part of the world.” 

     

    The success of the first video ignited the zest to go for the second one. While a series of advertisements were launched, the Mauka video managed to be the stand out amongst the lot. The video went viral and was trending in social media platforms. “The morning after the online release, we knew we had gone viral and had to do the second film for India- South Africa match, taking the Mauka thought forward. With the positive reactions coming in, we knew we had to relook at the entire World Cup through an India Pakistan lens,” the spokesperson added. 

     

    On the challenge to be spontaneous and match the level of expectation created by previous versions the spokesperson said, “Our routine for the group games is to watch the game, script for both outcomes of the next game. As we are nearing release, being in touch with the audience online helps make minor tweaks depending on fan sentiment closer to the next game.”

    He also added, “Having an internal team work on this creative was a boon as the team knows the working of the channel well and is able to get things done quickly. We got real time feedback and reactions to the campaign instantly to drive it forward.” 

     

    Credits for all Mauka campaigns

     

    Star Sports Team: Rohit Khanna, Venkataraman Mandalam, Juju Basu, Mustafa Rangwala, Prathamesh Sapte, Vikas Dubey,  Atulya Parashar, Ajeet Mestry, Dayanand Bhoite.

     

    Production House: Bubblewrap Films

     

    Directors: Suresh Triveni & Ninad Chavan (UAE film)

     

    Producer: Ketaki Guhagarkar

     

    Music: Rohan & Vinayak

     

    Lyrics: Vikas Dubey

     

    India is yet to face a defeat in the tournament, while no Indian will want to see Team India facing a defeat the curious mind will always want to know Mauka’s strategy to depict India’s defeat.

  • Chris Gayle creates history in CWC 2015

    Chris Gayle creates history in CWC 2015

    MUMBAI: The Caribbean giant known for his flamboyant hitting of the cricket ball Christopher Henry Gayle has scored the first double century in the history of World Cup cricket. The southpaw hammered Zimbabwe all over the park in Canberra to score 215 of just 147 balls with the help of 16 sixes and 10 fours.

     

    After achieving the milestone the Jamican told Star Sports, “Getting a bit of cramps, feeling a bit tired. We still have 50 overs to get through. I didn’t want to be out with the first ball. I said “you can’t be serious?” I just want to thank god for this knock. I was under pressure to score runs, and I kept getting messages from twitter and on my cell phone. I have never felt this kind of pressure, but in the end, I am sure I gave them something to talk about. It was a bit slow at the start, not to mention keeping it low. I just tried to take the bull by the horns and hang out there and try and build an innings. After a while I was able to pick a bowler to target and then, in the end, I was out off the last ball (chuckles). A lot of time people don’t know what you are going through as I had some issues with injuries. I am also not getting any younger so age is definitely catching up on me. Overall I am really happy, and I just want to try and build on this as much as possible. Want to build on this momentum and move ahead as we look towards the South Africa game. It was a bit easier to bat later on. I am very happy to get this first double hundred and ever since Rohit got two, I have been hounded to get one as well.”

     

    He was well accompanied by Marlon Samuels who scored undefeated 133 runs. The right hand – left hand partnership yielded West Indies 372 runs.

     

    The milestones achieved in the match were:

     

    · Chris Gayle became the first cricketer to score a double century in World Cup history.

     

    · He is also the first Non – Indian to score a double century. Sachin Teldulkar, Virender Sehwag, Rohit Sharma were the only batsmen to reach the milestone before.

     

    · The 372 runs partnership between Chris Gayle and Marlon Samuels broke Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid’s 318 runs partnership record to take the pole position in World Cup cricket.

     

    · The Gayle – Samuels partnership (372) also broke Sachin – Dravid’s (331) to register highest partnership in One Day International cricket for any wickets.

     

    · Gayle scored 16 mammoth sixes to equal the record of most sixes in an innings. He shares the record with South African AB de Villiers.

  • Sachin Tendulkar upbeat about World Cup 2015

    Sachin Tendulkar upbeat about World Cup 2015

    MUMBAI: ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 ambassador Sachin Tendulkar has predicted that the event will be even more competitive as it progresses after the first 10 days produced exciting and entertaining cricket.

     

    Talking to the ICC on the sidelines of India versus South Africa match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday, the maestro advised the sides and the players to find and maintain the right balance so that they remain fresh and ready for the big matches and yet maintain any momentum they have established early in the tournament.

     

    “It’s been exciting. You’ve already seen a couple of surprises. The teams have played competitive cricket,” Tendulkar, who is the record-holder for most runs and hundreds in One-Day Internationals (ODIs), said.

     

    “The standard has been good, and that is what people want to witness. I feel as the tournament progresses it’s going to produce some fantastic cricket and we’re looking forward to it. I think to have the same successful combination going all the way is going to be the key and to find that balance between staying fresh and not overburdening yourself with additional practice sessions. You just need to find that right balance. If somebody’s not playing well, then obviously that guy needs to go out and hit as many balls as possible in the nets or bowl as many balls as possible. But if everything is going well, then it’s important to have that energy and peak at the right time,” he said.

     

    Tendulkar, who was the player of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2003, said ODIs were now producing more runs and centuries due to changes in playing conditions as well as the emergence of the Twenty20 format.

     

    “We’ve been witnessing high-scoring games because of two reasons. One is because the rule has changed. There is one less fielder outside the circle. So, that makes a huge difference. The game opens up completely and that becomes difficult for bowlers to consistently find those areas to work because there is one less fielder, which forces you to bowl different lengths and different lines. The second point is also the introduction of T20 format, which has allowed the batters to play more risky shots, play innovative shots, and the guys regularly practice these shots in the nets,” he added.

     

    “How many times in the 80s or 90s did you see someone playing a reverse sweep off a fast bowler, which happens in today’s cricket? If batsmen have to chase at eight runs an over, it’s not something beyond their reach, because in T20 you play 20 overs with asking run-rate sometimes of nine or even more than that. So it’s just the mental set-up and the belief that even if it goes to nine runs and over, we can still hit that target,” said the India icon who retired from cricket in November 2013.

     

    Speaking about his journey as a 14-year-old ball boy to ICC Cricket World Cup ambassador and the experience of not being involved in an ICC Cricket World Cup as a player for the first time in 23 years, Tendulkar said, “First of all, I’d like to thank ICC for nominating my name as Ambassador of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 and 2015. I remember I was a 14-year-old boy and I was sitting outside the dressing room as a ball boy in the ICC Cricket World Cup 1987. So, from there to become the Ambassador of the ICC Cricket World Cup is a special journey and I’m excited. This is a new experience to me where I’m watching an ICC Cricket World Cup match from the stands. The atmosphere is fantastic. Absolutely, it is something that I have experienced but not sitting in the stands. I was always on the other side of the fence. To be sitting in the stands and to feel this atmosphere is incredible. Being a World Cup Ambassador I’m supposed to be neutral, but my heart says something and my brain says something. So, I’ve got to stick to my heart and support India,” he said.

  • Sony’s Uday Sodhi upbeat about VoD platform Liv Sports

    Sony’s Uday Sodhi upbeat about VoD platform Liv Sports

    MUMBAI: Multi Screen Media’s (MSM) sports Video On Demand (VOD) platform Liv Sports is set to take audiences to a whole new frontier. Liv Sports is a VOD service that offers sports content from Sony Entertainment Network.

     

    India now has 300 million internet users, up from 200 million a year ago, with a little more than 50 per cent having access to mobile Internet, which makes India a big market for online content consumption.

     

    With the on-going Cricket World Cup, various VOD platforms are coming up with innovative shows to build interest. Speaking about Liv Sports’ plan for the World Cup, Sony Entertainment Network executive vice-president and head digital Uday Sodhi tells Indiantelevision.com, “We are in the process of packaging and will release them in phases. Our exclusive package will include articles from journalists, news coverage, and result analysis through innovative graphics and text.”

     

    Commenting on the catalog of Liv Sports Sodhi says, “We have streamed Australian Open live and reached more than a million viewers. We are also streaming Indian School and College Basketball League, which is not aired on television. Moreover, we also streamed Syed Modi International Badminton Grand Prix. We are moving ahead and will invade into new territory whenever we get an opportunity.”

     

    Responding to the marketing strategy to popularise the portal, Sodhi asserts, “As of now there is no such campaign coming out, we are promoting the portal on our network. But soon when there is an opportunity we will opt for aggressive advertising.”

     

    Though digital platform is growing with time there is no clear revenue model for the portals. When quizzed about the revenue model of the digital platform, Sodhi says, “Advertisers are showing significant interest on the digital platform, and the fact that it is the fastest growing media, I think good content will rope in big endorsements. There will be creative banners, pre-rolls, exit rolls and also in the middle of the event there may be banners. There is always a room from creative innovations to grab attention.”

     

    “Television is a medium to consume content at home and that will continue to grow. We are seeing modern infrastructure like 4k and HD on TV. Digital platform is for consumption of content on the go and that will grow independently. Both may be a medium of communication but individually different in their mode of operation,” says Sodhi, when asked about digital media’s impact on television.

     

    “We are a six to eight months old venture and we aspire to be the digital destination of quality sports. With digital platforms we can reach to new audiences and that is a good sign. Bandwidth will increase and more and more people will use internet on their mobile, which increases our possibility of growing bigger. And the main factor is time spent in front of screen. We don’t expect people to sit and watch TV full time so more screens are essential and digital is one of them,” he concludes.