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Category: Sports

  • Cricket World Cup: Over 100 million Indian viewers tune in on opening day

    Cricket World Cup: Over 100 million Indian viewers tune in on opening day

    MUMBAI: This year’s biggest sporting spectacle – the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 – has recorded an impressive opening with 101 million Indian viewers (TAM data CS4+ extrapolated to the universe using a standard conversion factor) tuning in on the first day of tournament that takes place once every four years. The inaugural day saw New Zealand vs Sri Lanka and England versus Australia face off in the opening stages for the Cup.

     

    Approximately 67 per cent of the viewership for the opening day’s game, Australia versus England, came from Hindi plus vernacular feeds with English at 33 per cent. This reflects a shift as compared to the prior edition of the World Cup where English dominated with a 55 per cent share according to the network. The World Cup broadcast was bolstered by new look graphics and multi lingual feed (six languages).

     

    The World Cup buzz renewed the Australia – England rivalry as viewers lined up to watch the co-hosts take on their arch rivals, irrespective of the time zone. The 9 am game delivered 2.5X of the ratings of the recently concluded Tri-Series and over ten times the viewership of any other Australia-England game, including day and night matches, in the last one year claims the network.

     

    With nearly four million households having access to HD, Star Sports aired the games across a network of four HD channels including the newly launched Star Sports HD3, which is an all Hindi HD channel for sports.

     

    The World Cup buzz also dominated social trends online with fans being vocal in their enthusiasm. The opening day witnessed 1,31,000 conversations from 80,000 unique authors delivering one billion impressions (in India) for the two matches.

  • Rohit Sharma wins ODI batsman of the year

    Rohit Sharma wins ODI batsman of the year

    MUMBAI: Brendon McCullum, Mitchell Johnson, Rohit Sharma, Lasith Malinga, Alex Hales and Rangana Herath are amongst the winners of the eighth edition of annual ESPNcricinfo Awards for the best batting and bowling performances in Tests, ODIs and T20s in 2014.

     

    The winners were picked by a jury consisting of Rahul Dravid, Ian Chappell, Ricky Ponting, Ajit Agarkar, Russel Arnold, Martin Crowe, Michael Bevan, Mark Butcher, Aakash Chopra, Daryll Cullinan, Michael Holding, Mark Nicholas, Ramiz Raja and Graeme Smith. Also part of the jury were ESPNcricinfo’s senior writers, Sambit Bal, Sharda Ugra, Sidharth Monga, Brydon Coverdale, Mohammad Isam, David Hopps, Osman Samiuddin, Jarrod Kimber, Firdose Moonda, Daniel Brettig, Andrew Fernando and George Dobell.

     

    Winners for each category were picked from shortlists of between nine and 14 performances selected by ESPNcricinfo staff.

     

    Brendon McCullum’s 302 against India was the first triple-hundred by a New Zealander in Tests, and came at the start of a year in which he scored 1164 Test runs.

     

    Mitchell Johnson’s seven for 68 against South Africa in Centurion saw him in arguably more fearsome form than he was during his Ashes-winning performances earlier in the season back home in Australia. It was Johnson’s second consecutive ESPNcricinfo Award in the category.

     

    Rohit Sharma’s 264 against Sri Lanka was his second double-hundred in ODIs (the first won in this category at last year’s ESPNcricinfo Awards), and the third by an Indian, following Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag.

     

    Lasith Malinga, who won in the best ODI bowling category for his 5 for 56 in the Asia Cup final against Pakistan, is also a former ESPNcricinfo Award winner.

     

    Both winning performances in the shortest format came from the World T20: Rangana Herath’s 5 for 3 demolished New Zealand in a tournament Sri Lanka went on to win. Alex Hales won the batting award for his 116 not out against Sri Lanka, which came off 97 balls and took England to a six-wicket win.

     

    ESPNcricinfo editor-in-chief Sambit Bal said, “2014 has been an exciting year of cricket and we saw the emergence of some real champions. We want to reward champions who made a difference to cricket through their performances over the last 12 months. Selecting these winners was a daunting task, to say the least, for all the jury members, considering the immense talent that was on display. We wish the winners all the success in the world, and hope they take the gentleman’s game to greater heights.”

  • Anil Kumble to be inducted into ICC Hall of Fame

    Anil Kumble to be inducted into ICC Hall of Fame

    MUMBAI: Former India captain and one of the most versatile wrist-spinners to ever play the game Anil Kumble, and Betty Wilson, one of the greatest women’s cricketers of all-time, will be inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame during the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 match between India and South Africa at the MCG on 22 February.

     

    Kumble, with 619 Test wickets, is the third highest wicket-taker in Test cricket after Muttiah Muralidaran (800) and Shane Warne (708), while his 337 wickets in ODIs ranks him in ninth position on the all-time list of most successful bowlers in that format. Kumble captained India in 14 Tests between 2007 and 2008, winning three and losing five.

     

    In the 138-year history of Test cricket during which 2,156 Tests have been played to date, Kumble is one of only two bowlers after England’s Jim Laker to have taken all 10 wickets in an innings. He achieved this feat against traditional rival Pakistan in New Delhi in February 1999.

     

    Kumble made his Test debut in 1990 in Manchester and his final appearance was in New Delhi in October-November 2008. During his career, Kumble played 132 Tests and 271 One-Day Internationals. Apart from his 619 Test and 337 ODI wickets, Kumble also scored 2,506 runs in Tests and 938 runs in ODIs.

     

    Wilson, a former Australia batter, played 11 Tests between 1947 and 1958 in which she scored 862 runs at average of 57.4 and took 68 wickets at 11.8 per wicket.

     

    On her debut against New Zealand at the age of 26 in 1948, she scored 90 and took four for 37 and six for 28. In her second Test, she scored 111 against England, becoming the first Australia woman to score a Test century against England, and took nine more wickets. Against England in 1957-58, she became the first cricketer, male or female, to score a century and take 10 wickets in a Test. Wilson passed away on 22 January 2010, aged 88.

     

    Kumble and Wilson will be formally inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame during the innings break in the India versus South Africa match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday 22 February. International Cricket Council (ICC) director and chairman of Cricket Australia, Wally Edwards, will present Kumble with his commemorative cap, while Wilson’s commemorative cap will be received by her nephew, Ken Wilson, from ICC chief executive David Richardson.

     

    Kumble, who is now the chairman of the ICC Cricket Committee, is the fourth India cricketer to be inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame after fellow former captains Bishen Singh Bedi, Kapil Dev and Sunil Gavaskar were inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in 2009.

     

    The process for the selection of players into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame started last year when the ICC chairman invited all the living ICC Cricket Hall of Famers to send their nominations. The ICC Nominations Committee reduced the long-list to 10 men and three women cricketers. The short-list was then sent to the Voting Academy, which included representatives of all the 10 Full Members, media representatives from all the 10 Full Members, Associate & Affiliate Member, women’s cricket and FICA representatives as well as living ICC Hall of Famers. The ICC collated the nominations and forwarded the ballot papers to the auditors who provided the final results.

  • “IPL 8 will be bigger and better in every aspect including brand valuation”: Rohit Gupta

    “IPL 8 will be bigger and better in every aspect including brand valuation”: Rohit Gupta

    MUMBAI: The country hasn’t yet recovered from the celebrations of India’s victory over Pakistan in the World Cup and they are being served with another dose of cricketing enthusiasm with Indian Premiere League (IPL). India discard Yuvraj Singh became the highest paid player in 2015 Pepsi IPL players auction as Delhi Daredevils paid Rs 16 crore to earn his services. The multimillionaire league will start on 8 April in Kolkata.

     

    This time round, Multi Screen Media (MSM) will hike the ad rates by 10 – 15 per cent for the league’s matches. Emphasising on the commercial aspect, Multi Screen Media (MSM) president Rohit Gupta tells Indiantelevision.com, “We will have a 10 to 15 per cent hike in the ad rate this time too. We cannot increase the number of advertisers as our inventory follows certain guidelines laid down by the Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI).”

     

    Speaking on the eighth edition of IPL, Gupta adds, “IPL has established itself as a stable format now like any other major sporting league in the world. There is not much room for improvisation when it comes to the format of the game. The tournament has seen tough times. Last year IPL was organised in the midst of general elections and everyone thought the viewership will take a blow but the ratings say a different story. The fact that we successfully traveled through all the tough times, proves IPL’s establishment as a mature tournament.”

     

    The tournament starts only 10 days after the World Cup and when questioned about the fatigue factor of viewers and advertisers Gupta replies, “This World Cup is highly different from 2011 edition when the matches were played in the Indian subcontinent. Spectators went to the ground to cheer for the national team. In this edition of the World Cup that’s not happening since the matches are being played in Australia and New Zealand. India has already played against Pakistan and for many cricket lovers the tournament is over there. Interest will be high for other India matches, which comes once a week and a point that has to be noted is none of the matches are being played in the primetime. Overall fatigue is not at all an issue or concern when it comes to viewership or commercial interest. During IPL you get a competitive match every day and need not wait for a week.”

     

    The digital rights for IPL have been bagged by MSM’s competitor Star India’s VOD platform Hotstar. When questioned about the impact of that on viewership, Gupta asserts, “TV viewership does not get affected by the digital platform. If someone has the option of choosing one of the two mediums, the obvious choice would be television. The digital platform helps building curiosity and as a result increases viewership. Moreover in India, we have a lot of issues like bandwidth and lack of proper 3G network.”

     

    Necessary ignition was offered by the IPL players’ auction where Yuvraj Singh and KC Cariappa emerged as two shocking acquisitions. The flagship tournament is already being talked about and hence sets the stage for marketing. Throwing light on the network’s promotional strategy, Gupta says, “We are launching a huge marketing campaign, which would be different and bigger from last year. IPL is our biggest asset and we need to back it with proper promotional activities. It will be a 360 degree campaign across all mediums and it is expected to go on air by the end of February.”

     

    IPL may be a platform for new talent but it has been the centre of a lot of controversies in recent times. The Supreme Court of India had to intervene to fight misdemeanour of many officials. When questioned about the integrity of the tournament, Gupta asserts, “BCCI is an established organisation and it will certainly take care of the integrity. International cricket stars play in the tournament, spectators love it and advertisers are interested in it, that’s all that matters. By mid-March we will have a packed ad inventory.”

     

    “IPL season 8 will be bigger and better in every aspect including brand valuation. We will grow our viewership and successfully earn good ratings,” Gupta adds.

     

    Media buyers are also upbeat about the tournament. Helios Media managing director Divya Radhakrishnan says, “IPL has a different set of spectators and there is no possibility of fatigue ruining the enthusiasm of the tournament. Whereever there is viewership, there is advertisement and IPL is one of the highest viewed cricket tournaments, which automatically make it a tournament of high commercial interest.”

     

    Maxus managing director Kartik Sharma adds, “The first two or three matches will decide the fate of the tournament. They have to be strong and well fought bouts. If we get last ball finishes and super overs in the initial stages of the tournament it will evolve as a big thing. It’s all about entertainment at the end of the day and if IPL manages to attract spectators and viewers, advertisers will automatically follow.”

  • Enforcement Directorate issues show cause to BCCI, IPL, MSM, WSG

    Enforcement Directorate issues show cause to BCCI, IPL, MSM, WSG

    MUMBAI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has issued a show cause notice against Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Indian Premier League (IPL), their officials and private multimedia firms for alleged contravention of forex laws in awarding a cricketing media rights contract in 2009. The ED has slapped a charge of Rs 425 crore for the same on the entities.

     

    The notices have been issued to close to ten individuals and entities, which include former BCCI boss N Srinivasan, the then IPL chairman Lalit Modi, chief operating officer (COO) Sunder Raman, and the officials of World Sports Group (WSG) and Multi Screen Media (MSM) for allegedly and fraudulently “manipulating” the contract and hence making illegal payments.

     

    The notices were served when the entire country was celebrating India’s win over Pakistan in the World Cup and witnessing the Pepsi IPL 2015 auction.

     

    It was in 2008 when the BCCI awarded the 10-year media rights to WSG on payment of $918 million. In the same year, WSG also entered into a deal with MSM to make Sony the official broadcaster. The contract was replaced a year later with a nine-year deal where MSM paid $1.63 billion.

     

    The ED stepped in on this case in 2009 and began a probe under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) to investigate allegations that payment of Rs 425 crore facilitation fee by MSM Singapore to WSG Mauritius was made in an alleged unauthorised manner.

     

    As per media reports, the agency has now issued a show-cause notice to those officials in these organisations, who were at the helm and signatories to the contract deal as it probed and detected that FEMA and RBI laws were “contravened” in the final execution of this deal.

     

    The agency has issued the final notices after which all parties are allowed to appeal against the order within a period of 45 days or else pay the charged amount as mentioned in the notice.

  • Frankly.me ropes in commentator Jatin Sapru

    Frankly.me ropes in commentator Jatin Sapru

    MUMBAI: Frankly.me, a mobile application, which provides a QnA platform to the general public is all set to take the thrill associated with the World Cup experience a notch higher. The app will now host the virtual presence of famed sports presenter – commentator Jatin Sapru, who will take queries from cricket enthusiasts via Frankly.me. 

     

    Star Sports presenter Sapru will be answering public queries during live cricket matches while sharing space with well-known celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan and Shoaib Akhtar. This is for the first time a commentator is connecting to the public directly during commentary intervals. Frankly.me is providing a chance to all the cricket fans out there to come and connect with the cricket fraternity via video selfies.

     

    Frankly.me co-founder Nikunj Jain said, “The team Frankly.me is really proud and happy with the recent advancements in the platform and it’s steadily rising popularity with the empanelment of noted public figures including politicians. With Frankly.me, these personalities intend to understand the masses and their expectations better. This facilitates them with first-hand information directly from the common people and gives them insights which are more perceptive.”

     

  • IPL Auction: 67 players sold, Yuvraj again tops the list with Rs 16 crore

    IPL Auction: 67 players sold, Yuvraj again tops the list with Rs 16 crore

    MUMBAI: Indian all-rounder Yuvraj Singh has become the most expensive cricketer in the IPL 8 players’ auction, which was held on 16 February in Bengaluru. Delhi Daredevils bought the cricketer for a record Rs 16 crore.

    Dinesh Kartik was second in the list of most costliest player as Royal Challengers Bangalore paid Rs 10.5 crore for the wicket keeper batsman. If the amount paid for the India discards is shocking, the unsold list emerged as one of the idiosyncratic in the history of tournament. Hasim Amla, Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene failed to find a bidder. Both Sangakkara and Amla are in top 10 rankings of ODI and Tests.

    Indian World Cup winner speed star Zaheer Khan, who failed to come in the bidders list in the first round was purchased by Delhi Daredevils for Rs 4 crore in the later half.

    Multi Screen Media’s (MSM) sports broadcaster Sony Six aired the Indian Premiere League (IPL) 2015 auctions live. The auction was also streamed live by the tournaments official website iplt20.com.

    The team overview at the end of Pepsi IPL 2015 auction

    The top buys of Pepsi IPL 2015:

    Famous players in the list of unsold in Pepsi IPL 2015 Auction:

    Hashim Amla, Cameron White, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Irfan Pathan, Marlon Samuels, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardena, Alex Hales, Brad Hodge, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ross Taylor

    The Team wise list after Pepsi IPL 2015 auction:

    CHENNAI SUPER KINGS

    DELHI DAREDEVILS

    KINGS XI PUNJAB

    KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS

    MUMBAI INDIANS

    RAJASTHAN ROYALS

    ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE

    SUNRISERS HYDERABAD

  • India Vs Pakistan: A match ‘Not to be missed’

    India Vs Pakistan: A match ‘Not to be missed’

    MUMBAI: Whether it is Kashmir, Baluchistan, football, hockey or cricket; India vs Pakistan is always big news. This time the battlefield is the Adelaide Oval in Australia and war is ICC Cricket World Cup 2015.

     

    The war of bat and ball, of mental strength and temperament, will start at 9.00 am Indian Standard Time (IST) with the national anthems of the respective countries followed by 100 overs of nail biting cricketing action. It will be pride for some and agony for others, but whatever the result may be, it will end with handshakes and hugs. That’s what makes this battle so exciting and one of the most watched rivalries in sports history.  

     

    Commenting on the magnitude of India vs Pakistan match, Colors CEO Raj Nayak said, “It’s indeed a big match and I will obviously cheer for India. But we have to understand the fact that it’s just a match and the team that plays better cricket will win. The timing is very good and hence I will obviously watch the match.”

     

    Multi Screen Media president Rohit Gupta opined, “Though I don’t get to follow the 50 overs format, I will certainly try to watch the India – Pakistan bout. My support is always with India but may the best team win.”

     

    “India vs Pakistan is a big match and it’s great that India is starting their campaign against Pakistan. It will decide the tone of the tournament and build immense interest in the country,” added NDTV executive vice-chairperson K. V. L. Narayan Rao.

     

    Madison Communications COO Kartik Lakshminarayan said, “I am surely going to watch the match and have already made my plans. Around 150 of us will book a place and watch the match live. It is indeed a time to celebrate and obviously India’s victory is what we will be cheering for.”

     

    Maxus managing partner head of the north and east regions, Navin Khemka asserted, “It’s a big day for India, and I would say it’s a super Sunday. The match starts at 9.30 in the morning and it can’t be any better. And as an advertiser I must say this match is very important in context to the tournament. Fans and spectators in India will be looking forward to this match and a good start here can make the tournament a very special one.”

     

    Hats Off Productions founder J D Majhetia said, “India – Pakistan match is a never miss game for me, since the time I started understanding cricket I don’t think I have missed an Indo – Pak match. Last time I flew to Chandigarh with my family when the two teams met in the semifinal of 2011 edition. This time we are planning a mass gathering in one of the studios. I have already announced that there will be no shoots on 15 February because of the match.”

     

    The match is also big in terms of commercial aspect. If sources are to be believed then Star, the official broadcaster of World Cup in India, has hiked its ad rate by around 200 per cent for the India – Pakistan match. However, if an advertiser wants to buy a slot only for this particular match, then the hike is around 350 to 400 per cent. During a normal league match, the ad rate fluctuates between Rs 5 to 10 lakh for a 10 second spot depending on the magnitude of the match. For the India vs Pakistan match, Star is selling a slot for Rs 20 to 25 lakh.

     

    Any cricket lover would not like to miss a single minute of a match of such substance. And this season there are a number of options for a cricket fan to catch the action.

     

    Television: One can sit with a hot cup of tea and breakfast in front of the TV and enjoy every moment of the match. Star has already roped in a number of innovations to make the broadcasting a worthy treat. One can opt for high quality pictures by tuning to HD channels. Amitabh Bachchan will also be there as a commentator to entertain viewers in Hindi. Panel of experts and legends of the game will be in the commentary box to bring detailed analysis of the live action. Additionally, as a never before treat, Star gives viewer choices of opting for regional languages too. But what if one is not subscribed to Star? Not to worry, thank to the Supreme Court of India, DD will telecast the India vs Pakistan match and will be available on cable and DTH platforms.

     

    But what if one has to travel? Will he or she have to miss the match? That brings the digital platforms in the game.

     

    Starsports.com: Gone are the days when television was the only source of audio visual entertainment. One can log in to starsports.com and catch ball by ball action live. Star India’s sports VOD platform will stream all the World Cup matches live and India vs Pakistan is certainly one of them.

     

    But India is a country with a lot of VOD platforms and less bandwidth, 3G is expensive and can take a hefty chunk out of one’s pocket. In case a user does not have access to 3G services to stream the matches live, there are various apps available that can give updates about the match.

     

    Cricbuzz: Times Internet’s sports venture Cricbuzz gives the opportunity to relive the nostalgia. One can opt for audio commentary through that app and it works fine in 2G too. It is quite similar to how radio is, one can plug in earphones and enjoy the audio commentary.

     

    EspnCricinfo: The cricket dedicated app does ball by ball text commentary, updates scores and statistics. The app also enables the opportunity to tune into pre match and post match video analysis.

     

    ICC Cricket World Cup App: The Official ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 app for the first time one can access to live scores, in-match clips, fixtures, exclusive videos, real-time statistical updates and more – all in the palm of their hand.

     

    Besides these apps, one can also log in to any news website to know the score of the match.

     

    This world cup International Cricket Council (ICC) gives fans exclusive opportunity to connect with the marquee tournament. One can easily become a commentator or expert and share their views and opinions in the social media platforms through the following mediums:

     

    Facebook: www.facebook.com/ICC & www.facebook.com/CricketWorldCup 

    Twitter: www.twitter.com/ICC & www.twitter.com/CricketWorldCup 

    Instagram: www.instagram.com/ICC & www.instagram.com/CricketWorldCup 

    Google+: www.google.com/+ICC & www.google.com/+CricketWorldCup

    YouTube: www.youtube.com/ICC       

  • Ecstatic India is all set for World Cup 2015

    Ecstatic India is all set for World Cup 2015

    MUMBAI: New Zealand Prime Minister John Key declared the World Cup open on 12 February, 2015 in Christchurch. With thousands in attendance and millions watching around the world, the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 opened in spectacular fashion with star-laden events in both Christchurch and Melbourne.

    Featuring sporting and entertainment icons, cultural performances and impressive pyrotechnic displays, the opening event has set the right tune for the 2015 World Cup.

    With digital being the theme for 2015, a giant robot lit with LED lights is the mascot for this edition of the World Cup.

    The ceremony did not become a talking point in India and the World Cup enthusiasm was missing the ignition, which finally came from none other than the digital savvy Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi. He used Twitter to infuse the World Cup enthusiasm in players and spectators’ mind with his emotional tweet, “As the 2015 Cricket World Cup begins, my best wishes to the Indian Cricket Team. Khelo Dil se World Cup Lao phirse.” The rhythmic Hindi line may give tough competition to Star Sports’ campaign slogan We won’t give it back.

    Modi also used the social media platform to convey his best wishes to each and every member of the team by tweeting individually to them. His tweet to captain Dhoni read, “My best wishes to captain cool @msdhoni. Play hard, lead well & make India proud. Knowing you, I am sure you will.” The humorous tweet dedicated to Ravindra Jadeja said, “Who is not a fan of Sir Jadeja? We all look forward to seeing your all round performances take India to victory! @imjadeja.”   

    Modi also took the opportunity to reach out to the leaders of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) region. In a series of tweets the PM mentioned, “Spoke to President @ashrafghani, PM Sheikh Hasina, PM Nawaz Sharif & President Sirisena. Conveyed my best wishes for the Cricket World Cup. 5 SAARC Nations are playing & are excited about the World Cup. Am sure WC will celebrate sportsman spirit & will be a treat for sports lovers. Cricket connects people in our region & promotes goodwill. Hope players from SAARC region play with passion & bring laurels to the region.”

    Not only the Prime Minister but the entire media fraternity is also buoyed by the World Cup. Indiantelevision.com took the opportunity to know media stalwarts’ plan for the flagship tournament.

    When asked about the Word Cup plans NDTV executive vice-chairperson K.V.L. Narayan Rao replied, “I am highly excited about the tournament and I will cheer my heart out for India.  I will rate India as my favourites despite their current poor performances. Star India’s ‘We won’t give it back’ campaign was a positive one, it sends a good message to both players and audiences. The players would be playing in Australia and New Zealand and it is very important for us to support them from here in India. Our loyalties will make them stronger.”

    Multi Screen Media president Rohit Gupta added, “Though I don’t follow 50 overs cricket a lot, I will try to catch as much action as possible. The team that plays good cricket throughout the tournament will win. I want the best team to win.”

    Hats Off productions founder J D Majhetia said, “I am ecstatic about the World Cup. Though my heart is always with India, I am supporting Australia and South Africa. It’s high time South Africa wins a World Cup if not India. I have travelled all across to catch World Cup actions live. World Cup is a celebration and I will celebrate with fans and families.”

    Madison Communications COO Karthik Lakshminarayanan asserted, “I am definitely excited about the tournament and will try to see all the India matches. I will support the team that plays good cricket throughout the tournament. I expect this tournament to be one of the finest in terms of discipline and sportsman spirit.”

  • Ten Sports acquires exclusive rights to MotoGP for five seasons

    Ten Sports acquires exclusive rights to MotoGP for five seasons

    MUMBAI: Ten Sports Network has secured exclusive rights for MotoGP the premier world championship for motorcycle road racing. As was first reported by Indiantelevision.com, this is for the first time that MotoGP will be broadcast exclusively by a broadcaster in the Indian sub-continent.

     

    This new deal between Taj TV and MotoGP rights holders Dorna Sports will run for a period of five seasons starting 2015. As a part of this deal, Ten Sports will broadcast all MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3 races and qualifying practices live on its network of six channels. Ten Sports will also be offering multi-screen feeds on its digital platforms and will develop a dedicated section on www.tensports.com.

     

    Ten Sports CEO Rajesh Sethi said, “We are very excited to embark on this new journey with Dorna. We are committed to building this property in India over the next five years and viewers will witness unprecedented programming initiatives on our network. We have also been rights holders for this premium property since 2006 and we are delighted to continue and take this partnership to the next level.”

     

    Dorna Sports managing director Manel Arroyo added, “We are thrilled about our exclusive partnership with Taj TV and looking forward to developing a close relationship with them. India is a key market in the coming years and the World Championship will benefit greatly from the extensive promotion that Taj has committed to provide.”

     

    The 2015 MotoGP season begins in Qatar on 27 March with the first of 18 races in the 2015 calendar. The 2015 rider line up is stronger and more competitive than ever with defending champion Marc Marquez looking to retain his title over rivals Valentino Rossi, Jorge Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa amongst others.

     

    Ten Sports will run contests to send fans to witness live action from the best races. Promotional events are being planned in the territory as well. From a programming standpoint, there will be new shows around races with Ten Sports also looking to add a local flavour by creating Indian-focused programming for a few events.