ITV

Category: Sports

  • ESS brings English Premier League & Spanish Football League on weekends

    ESS brings English Premier League & Spanish Football League on weekends

    MUMBAI: Espn Star Sports will telecast live and exclusive top soccer action from the English Premier League and the Spanish Football league this weekend. The network will showcase its proprietary properties Premiership Saturday and Super Sunday showcasing taction from the world’s best football leagues.

    Liverpool will host Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday which will be the match of the weekend with both clubs looking for three points after indifferent starts to the season. Liverpool fresh from mid week victory at home over Newcastle will look at three much needed points this weekend. Londoners Fulham will host Champions Chelsea who thwarted Liverpool’s challenge last weekend. The Blues are third on the table with only Manchester United and surprisingly Portsmouth leading them.

    Manchester United will also be in action on Saturday as they visit the newly promoted Reading who have shown grit and work man ship like qualities to be sixth on the table early in the season. United can not afford slip ups after they were defeated by old rivals Arsenal last weekend. The Gunners also take to field against lowly Sheffield United who are still looking to register their first win in the Premiership. All eyes will be on the return of Thierry Henry and if Arsene Wenger partners him with Adebayor up front.

    In the Primera Liga, Defending Champions Barcelona, host Valencia with the two powerhouses of soccer tied at nine points from three games. Though very early in the season, victory will certainly give the winner a psychological edge in the Spanish league. The Real Madrid Galacticos will tune themselves to face Real Betis late on Saturday.
    English Premiere League

    23 Sep 06 Liverpool Vs Tottenham Hotspur (L) 5:10 ESPN
    23 Sep 06 Fulham Vs Chelsea (L) 7:25 ESPN
    23 Sep 06 Arsenal Vs Sheffield United (L) 7:25 STAR Sports
    23 Sep 06 Reading Vs Manchester United (L) 9:40 STAR Sports
    23 Sep 06 Manchester City Vs West Ham United (S) 10:00 ESPN
    24 Sep 06 Newcastle United Vs Everton (L) 8:25 ESPN
    Spanish Football League
    24 Sep 06 Real Betis Vs Real Madrid (L) 01:25 ESPN
    25 Sep 06 Barcelona Vs Valencia (L) 00:25 ESPN

  • Live action from the English Premier League and Spanish Football League on ESPN Star Sports

    MUMBAI: ESPN Star Sports, Asia’s leading sports broadcaster, will telecast live and exclusive top soccer action from the English Premier League and the Spanish Football league this weekend. The leading sports network will showcase its proprietary properties Premiership Saturday and Super Sunday showcasing top class action from the world’s best football leagues.

    On Sunday, Manchester United host archrivals Newcastle United on what is being billed as the game of the week. Newcastle United has never recorded a Premier League victory at Old Trafford, but the fixture has by no means been a walk in the park for Manchester United over the years. In the past, out of three matches, the Red Devils have recorded two victories while drawing once.

    And, with Chelsea yet to find their best form, the signs are that Sir Alex Ferguson’s side will have to be in top gear all season if they are to end a three-year wait to win the league. At present, Chelsea leads the field with 15 points while Portsmouth and Man United have 13 each.

    In other matches, on Saturday, Liverpool takes on the Bolton Wanderers; Arsenal plays with Charlton Athletic while Chelsea is matched against Aston Villa. On Sunday, Portsmouth plays Tottenham Hotspur with the race heating up for the top spot in the League. The Gunners’s coach Wenger, who celebrated 10 years with the club last Thursday, will use all the tricks up his sleeve to improve Arsenal’s current standing of ninth in the table. After their 3-0 win over Sheffield United, all of a sudden Arsenal looked like world beaters again, in stark contrast to the languid displays they produced in their previous home games in the Premiership against Aston Villa and Middlesbrough.

    In the Primera Liga, reigning double Spanish champions Barcelona returned to the top of La Liga despite being held to a 1-1 draw at the Nou Camp by Valencia. They now play Athletic Club Bilbao on Sunday in what is expected to be a ‘walk in the park’ for them. Real Madrid will be looking to build on their midweek success and create some gap between title rivals Barcelona and Valencia.

    Catch all the action Live and exclusive on ESPN Star Sports this weekend

    English Premier League

     

    Date Fixture Time Channel
    30-Sep-06 Bolton Wanderers Vs Liverpool (L 17:10 ESPN
    30-Sep-06 Charlton Athletic Vs Arsenal (L) 19:25 ESPN
    30-Sep-06 Chelsea Vs Aston Villa (L) 19:25 STAR Sports
    30-Sep-06 Everton Vs Manchester City (S) 22:00 ESPN
    01-Oct-06 Manchester United Vs Newcastle United (L) 19:24 ESPN
    01-Oct-06 West Ham United Vs Reading (S) 23:30 STAR Sports

    Spanish Football League

    Date Fixture Time Channel
    01-Oct-06 Athletic Club Bilbao Vs Barcelona (L) 01:25 ESPN
    01-Oct-06 Real Madrid Vs Atletico Madrid (L) 21:25 STAR Sports
    02-Oct-06 Valencia Vs Gimnastic (L) 00:25 ESPN

    India Time. Schedule subject to change; L: LIVE. S: Same day delayed. T: Taped

  • WWE doing a VoD promotion in the US

    WWE doing a VoD promotion in the US

    MUMBAI: US broadcaster NBC Universal On Demand and World Wrestling Entertainment )WWE) are joining forces for a video on demand (VOD) and pay-per-view (PPV) promotion.

    The aim is top help help cable operators in the US attract and upgrade digital and broadband subscribers, while increasing revenue for PPV and the On Demand platform.

    Consumers can separately purchase the interactive pay-per-view Cyber Sunday from WWE from 5 November and The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift from 26 October offered by NBCU on VOD and PPV. If consumers order both programmes and send in their bill showing proof of purchase by 23 November, 2006, they will receive a WWE and The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift Limited Edition Car Kit gift pack of automotive paraphernalia while supplies last.

    Additionally, from 26 October till 28 February , 2007, consumers can visit www.highspeedstakes.com and enter the “HighSpeedstakes” for a chance to win a prize of a driving school experience with a WWE Superstar. This co-branded microsite will also feature exclusive footage of The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift and provide a link to vote for Cyber Sunday.

    Fans also can participate in WWE’s Cyber Sunday PPV event in November by casting votes online at www.wwe.com to determine, among other things, which Superstars and match stipulations may be involved in the PPV event. For many situations, fans can vote right up until the match starts on PPV, providing almost immediate feedback.

    Participating cable and satellite systems will be offered an array of marketing materials in English and Spanish and will have the opportunity to tag all materials with broadband information and promotions. NBCU and WWE will support the initiative with national exposure and a media buy.

    WWE Affiliate sales and marketing senior VP Peter Clifford says, “The premise behind Cyber Sunday, which is largely a broadband involved interactive PPV event, and the natural fit between WWE fans and fans of The Fast and the Furious franchise made for a wonderful opportunity to join forces with NBCU. The result is a win/win/win for WWE, NBCU and our affiliates.

    “Using our pay-per-view and VOD assets, we are giving our customers a great opportunity to sell more high speed services.”

  • Australian speedster Brett Lee all set to bowl Times Now viewers over

    Australian speedster Brett Lee all set to bowl Times Now viewers over

    MUMBAI: English news channel Times Now has roped in Australian fast bowler Brett Lee to present match analysis throughout the day, during the ongoing Malaysian Tri series and also the ICC Champions Trophy 2006 which kicks off next month. He will also be seen in a show League of Champions at 11.30 pm on the channel’s sports show The Game.

    Times Now says that it will tap into Lee’s cricketing acumen to provide urbane viewers with an in depth match analysis. Times Now editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami said, “Brett Lee is not only the world’s fastest bowler, but also one of the most dynamic personalities in world cricket. Getting him on the channel for these big tournaments is a coup and Times Now viewers will enjoy his candid analysis on television.”

  • WWE looks to expand on the mobile

    WWE looks to expand on the mobile

    MUMBAI: Like a lot of media firms World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is looking at the mobile to expand its offerings globally.

    WWE has chosen mobile transaction network mBlox to bring global interactive services direct to its consumer base, reaching fans in more than 130 countries, across all networks and handsets. These enhanced interactive services are part of WWE’s mobile initiative. In India, WWE airs on Ten Sports.

    WWE chose mBlox in part for its ability to offer a single point of access for its audience. WWE VP, interactive development David Knise says, “Mobile is the next frontier for WWE, and content that allows our fans to interact with us or with each other is our highest priority in this medium.

    “Our decision to use mBlox as our partner in delivering this content reflects the quality of its offering, the depth of its relationship with mobile operators and its global capabilities. With mBlox, we’ve found the partner who’s committed to giving our worldwide fans the same high quality of service and pleasant experience they expect from WWE.”

    In May, WWE had unveiled plans for new mobile services that now include a slate of original “made for mobile” content, including video, text news alerts, schedules, ringtones, wallpapers and a fantasy ticker. Adding even more interactivity and functionality is the next phase of this growing programme.

    The programme will include offerings that allow fans to interact with WWE and each other with an eye toward further engaging and captivating WWE Mobile users through innovative promotions, sweepstakes, in-arena activities, trivia, contests, Live Event seat upgrades and other Premium SMS (PSMS) programs. With mBlox, these communications can occur on any mobile device and over any mobile network.

  • Ten Sports dominates sports viewing courtesy WWE

    Ten Sports dominates sports viewing courtesy WWE

    MUMBAI: If there is one thing that has generally stayed constant in the sports genre it is that when there is no India cricket Ten Sports has dominated in terms of channel share in the sports genre thanks to World Wresting Entertainment (WWE).

    According to Tam data, c&s 15+ male all India from 29 July 2006 to 19 August 2006, Ten Sports has managed to do better than the other players in the sports genre.
    In terms of TVR share Ten Sports managed a 61 per cent share. ESPN and Star Sports combined managed 36 per cent. Zee Sports and DD Sports have a share of one per cent each.

    In terms of the weekly TVR Ten Sports in the week of 29 July managed an average rating of 0.16. This rose slightly to 0.18 during the week of 5 August. ESPN’s TVR fell slightly from 0.07 to 0.06 for the same weeks. Star Sports rose slightly from 0.04 to 0.05.

    Ten Sports’ highest rated show for the period was the WWE special The Great American Bash. It managed a rating of 2.1. The fact that viewer interest in non India cricket is still small can be gauged by the fact that ESPN managed a TVR of 0.4 for an England Pakistan test match. Even for an ODI Star Sports got a TVR of 0.5

    Ten Sports has also done an age wise analysis of WWE. This finds that those in the 15-24 age bracket tune in to it the most. That age group shows an average TVR of 2.0 for the WWE special The Great American Bash on 6 August. If one looks at the 15-34 age group the TVR is 1.6. It is 1.7 for males 15+.

    For the edition of Raw on 7 August the average TVR is 1.25 among males 15-24. For males 15+ it is 1.11. It is 1.14 for the 15-34 age bracket. Those in the 4-14 age group watch WWE the least among all the age brackets surveyed. Their rating for Raw is below one. By contrast to WWE’s performance TNA which is a wrestling show on ESPN Star Sports fails to find a mention.

  • Zee Sports-MSO tussle to deny cricket to Mumbaikars

    Zee Sports-MSO tussle to deny cricket to Mumbaikars

    MUMBAI: Looks like cricket fans in Mumbai will be unable to watch the India-Australia match on Saturday with Zee Sports and the major Mumbai multi-system operators (MSOs) continuing to take a hard stance.

    Even Incablenet’s plea filed in the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) for restoration of signals was rejected today.

    “Since Incablenet was unwilling to sign the subscription agreement, TDSAT rejected the operator’s plea for interim relief. The next hearing of the case is scheduled for 19 September by which time if an agreement has not been reached between the two parties, then the court will take a decision,” Zee Turner said in a release.

    Incablenet’s argument was that Zee Sports had not served a 21-day notice before blacking out the signals, as required by a regulation prescribed by the Telecom regulatory Authority of India (Trai). The MSO also wanted restoration of the signals as the disconnection was patently illegal.

    “Zee Turner also offered a bulk discount to Incablenet but this was also rejected by the MSO,” the company said.

    The TDSAT has asked Zee Turner to file its reply on Monday following which the next hearing of the case would be on Tuesday.

    “We cannot allow our signals on any of the networks that have not signed the subscription agreement with us, especially since a majority of the country has already signed and is watching the tri-series. Zee Sports has been a pay channel since June 2005 and we have spent a substantial amount of money in acquiring the rights of the DLF Cup tri-series. We have the right to demand subscription fees,” says Zee Turner CEO Arun Poddar.

    “The operators that have already signed the agreement will continue to get the signals for Zee Sports,” Poddar adds. The sports channel, for instance, is on Seven Star, which operates in the western suburbs of Mumbai.

    Zee Sports was made available to viewers in Mumbai for the India-West Indies cricket match yesterday but was once again blacked out from the major cable networks in the evening.

    Sources say the cable operators were willing to sign up for a 10 per cent declaration of Zee Turner’s first bouquet. But this was not acceptable to Zee Turner, the company which distributes a bouquet of channels including Zee Sports.

    Zee Sports has the exclusive telecast rights for the DLF Cup between India, Australia and West Indies. The tri-series will last till 24 September.

  • Arvind Agarwal to head finance at Neo Sports

    Arvind Agarwal to head finance at Neo Sports

    MUMBAI: Neo Sports the upcoming cricket channel from Nimbus has appointed Arvind Agarwal as senior VP – finance.

    Agarwal will oversee the finance, accounting and secretarial functions and also be a part of the core think tank on strategic planning, acquisitions, distribution and regulatory matters. He comes to Neo Sports from Star where he was VP finance, heading the budgeting and treasury functions for Star.

    Neo Sports CEO designate Shashi Kalathil said, “As we build the ‘A’ team of sports broadcasting, we are fortunate to have found in Arvind an outstanding fit given his domain expertise in broadcasting and capabilities that go well beyond the finance function. Arvind typifies the culture of Neo Sports which has become a magnet for top talent in the industry.”

    Agarwal says, “I am excited about the new enhanced role at Neo Sports. Nimbus has a vision of becoming by 2010 India’s first globally operating billion-dollar revenues company in the sector & I look forward to combining my experience in broadcasting with my passion for sport to contribute significantly to the realisation of that vision.”

  • Zee Sports off-air in Mumbai’s major cable networks, signs truce with SCV

    Zee Sports off-air in Mumbai’s major cable networks, signs truce with SCV

    MUMBAI: Cricket fans in many pockets of Maharashtra and Tamil Naidu will not be able to watch India play West Indies in the DLF Tri-Series on Thursday. Zee Sports is yet to restore signals to the cable operators who have not signed agreements with the sports channel.

    Zee Sports, however, is back on SCV, the dominant multi-system operator (MSO) in Tamil Naidu. Though the MSO had approached TDSAT, the matter got sorted out after today’s hearing. Zee Sports and SCV reached a commercial agreement today.

    Says Zee Sports VP marketing Gaurav Seth, “We have closed the deal with SCV. We had switched off signals to many cable networks in Tamil Naidu and Maharashtra with whom we had no commercial agreements. We are in negotiations with them and hope to arrive at a settlement soon.”

    In Mumbai, the channel has been off-air on two major networks Hathway Cable & Datacom and Incablenet. Even in Pune, a major chunk of viewers will be deprived of watching the live telecast of the India-West Indies match as the sports channel is not available on Intermedia Cable Communication, a leading MSO in the city.

    Meanwhile, the Pune District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum, which heard the injunction filed separately by two individuals, today directed Zee Sports to restore the signals till further hearings on 21 September.

    “The court order will be respected and the signals will be restored (or may have been restored as it does not take too long). But we will challenge this order in a higher court,” says Seth.

    Zee Sports has priced the channel at Rs 10 per subscriber.

  • Zee Sports yet to sign up with Mumbai’s major MSOs

    Zee Sports yet to sign up with Mumbai’s major MSOs

    MUMBAI: Zee Sports, which was available to viewers in Mumbai for the India-West Indies cricket match, is once again blacked out from the major cable networks in Mumbai today evening.

    “Major operators in Mumbai have still not reached an agreement for continuation of signals for the sports channel. Since the operators are being stubborn and are not agreeing to sign the agreement, we are being compelled to switch off the channel on defaulting networks,” says Zee Turner CEO Arun Poddar.

    Counters Cable Operators and Distributors Association (CODA) vice-president Ravi Singh, “If we have not signed the agreement, how can we be turned as defaulters? Zee Sports is asking us to pay for an unreasonable subscriber base.”

    Zee Turner had restored the signals of Zee Sports channel early in the day on assurance from MSOs like Hathway Cable & Datacom and Incablenet that they would be signing the pay channel agreement in Mumbai.

    In a meeting with major operators held in Mumbai, the operators had to discuss and sign the pay channel subscription agreement and had requested Zee Turner to allow the signals for today’s India-West Indies match. Considering the request from cable operators, Zee Turner had allowed the signals of Zee Sports to these networks in Mumbai, says Poddar. “The operators that have already signed the agreement will continue to get the signals for rest of the matches on Zee Sports,” he adds.

    CODA had an internal meeting in the afternoon but could not agree to Zee Sports demand. “The channel does not have telecast rights to any major event after this. If we can withstand the pressure over the next few days, we needn’t yield to their demands,” says a CODA member. The DLF tri-series will last till 24 September.

    Zee Sports, which has bought the telecast rights from BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) for cricket matches to be played by India in non cricket playing countries over the next five years, will be showing the India-Australia match on Saturday.

    The channel, however, is back on cable networks in Pune after the Pune District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum directed Zee Sports to restore the signals till further hearings on 21 September. “We have restored the signals in Pune following the order. The next hearing comes up on 21 September,” a Zee Turner spokesperson confirms.

    Zee Sports is also available in Chennai as SCV signed a commercial agreement with the channel for the conditional access system (CAS) market. The channel, however, is blacked out in other parts of Tamil Nadu where SCV has not signed up.