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Tag: All India Football Federation

  • AIFF assigns national football tournament telecast rights to Shrachi Sports for 2024-25

    AIFF assigns national football tournament telecast rights to Shrachi Sports for 2024-25

    MUMBAI: Football fans are going to get more soccer than they could have ever imagined. Close on the heels of JioStar signing up with the Premier League as well as presenting the Indian Super league, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) signed a commercial rights agreement for its premier competitions (I-League, I-League 2, IWL, senior national football championship for the Santosh Trophy and senior women’s national football championship for the Rajmata Jijabai Trophy) with Shrachi Sports Endeavour Pvt Ltd for producing and broadcasting 338 matches in the 2024-25 season on 2 December 2024.
     

    All India Football Federation assigns rights

    The senior men and women club leagues and national championship matches will be streamed on the SSEN app (owned by Shrachi Sports Endeavor), and 110 of the 132 I-League matches will be broadcast live on the Sony Sports Network.

    “This significant partnership will help Indian football to get necessary exposure,” said AIFF secretary general Anilkumar.

    Shrachi Sports managing director Rahul Todi said that the agreement will provide “a platform for men and women players to showcase their talents to national and international audiences with high quality HD content. With this partnership, Shrachi shows its commitment towards being part of India’s growing sports ecosystem.”

    The SSN streaming platform is available to football fans at three  price points: Rs 20 for a single match as a pay per view option, Rs 100 for an entire tournament and Rs 600 as an annual subscription which gives access to all the matches for all the tournaments. 
     

  • Top NRI athletes welcome PM Modi’s vision for Pravasi Sports

    Top NRI athletes welcome PM Modi’s vision for Pravasi Sports

    Mumbai: Indian golf legend Arjun Atwal has welcomed honourable prime minister Narendra Modi’s vision for Pravasi Sports. Atwal, who is the only Indian to win on the coveted PGA Tour, shared his thoughts with the Holistic International Pravasi Sports Association (HIPSA), the first organization to be exclusively set up with an aim to promote and ‘Integrate’ PravasiBhartiya youth with their motherland through the medium of Sports.

    Speaking from his home in the USA, Atwal further said, “I have always appreciated PM Modi and this vision of Pravasi Sports has a special significance for me and my family. I’m still playing golf and have another five years to go and I would be delighted to play in India. Both my sons are basketball players and we as a family would be elated if they can come and play in India and connect back to their roots. Going forward, a Pravasi vs Nivasi competition would be even more exciting to have.”

    HIPSA is planning several tournaments involving overseas Indian youth and recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Haryana government for the development and promotion of Kabaddi, in particular focussing on overseas Indian women Kabaddi players. The ultimate aim being to push for the inclusion of Kabaddi in the Summer Olympics.

    Pravasi Sports Leagues in Women’s Kabaddi & Cricket are also in the plans for 2024 and the captain of the 2012 U-19 ICC World Cup winning Indian cricket team Unmukt Chand, is among its first backers. The cricketer who now plies his trade in the USA, said, “The Prime Minister’s vision for sports competitions for PravasiBharatiyas is very inspiring and gives us all a chance to stay connected to our roots. The concept of a Pravasi Sports League is very promising, especially as it promotes fitness, enthusiasm and the spirit of reconnecting to your motherland.”

    The prime minister back in 2019 in a meeting with the sports fraternity, had envisioned and had desired to find a way to conduct Sports competitions for talented Pravasi Bharatiya youth in India.

    Earlier in 2017, addressing the 14th edition of the PravasiBharatiya Divas in Bengaluru, Modi had said, “I welcome all young Pravasis. You must stay connected with India and return over and over again. This is your home.”

    Recently, All India Football Federation (AIFF) president Kalyan Chaubey, had revealed that they were looking to approach 24 Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) to explore the possibility of them being selected for national duty. However, dual citizenship still remains a contentious issue and the need for an initial bridge between talented overseas Indian athletes engaging through sport with their country of origin seemed to be the need of the hour.

    HIPSA, through its objectives, will look to act as that bridge and try and give talented overseas youth a first feel of playing regularly in India.

  • Global football heavyweights root for India’s bullish sports market at RCB Innovation Lab’s Leaders Meet India

    Global football heavyweights root for India’s bullish sports market at RCB Innovation Lab’s Leaders Meet India

    Mumbai: Global stakeholders from the world of football expressed their optimism regarding the emergence of India as a rising sporting market at the RCB Innovation Lab’s Leaders Meet India on 29 November in Bengaluru.

    Nic Coward who is the former general secretary of the Premier League and CEO of UK Athletics is one of the few global football experts at the country’s first-of-its-kind summit promises to offer a panoramic view of the present and future of the sports industry, advocating and providing insights into the transformative elements that are propelling India into a new era of sporting excellence and business innovation.

    Talking about the economically burgeoning sporting industry of India, Coward stated, “This (India) is the single greatest sports growth economy story anywhere in the world and will be for a considerable period of time. I think one of the great advantages that (India) has is that a lot of this entrepreneurial spirit can go from an idea through to execution pretty quickly. ISL doing what they did in order to grow and to develop created a compelling entertainment product. As things have progressed, there can now be greater coming together of an entire ecosystem.”

    By bringing together titans from the international sporting world, RCB Innovation Lab starting with the Leader’s Meet: India is creating a participative platform where influential dialogues and the exchange of innovative ideas become center stage.

    The Premier League enjoys a substantial fan base in India with interest growing especially among the emerging middle class in the country. The average age of an adult Premier League fan in India is 34.5 years while 39% are aged 25-34.

    Will Brass the Chief Commercial Officer of the English Premier League citing Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh as a key figure in expanding the popularity of Premier League in India said, “Ranveer Singh has been really critical for us in understanding the market. We have been working with him since 2017. He is an authentic fan of the game, an authentic fan of the league, and has delivered a great deal, growing the India-specific social media audiences that we have via the PLO India, social tags here.”

    According to a YouGov survey last year, India enjoys a total of 160 million football enthusiasts. Italy’s 2006 FIFA World Cup champion Alessandro Del Piero who has enthralled the passionate footballing fans of India during his stint at Delhi Dynamos also shared his thoughts on how India can become a football powerhouse at the event.

    “In order to become better, you definitely need to start from the grassroots. If you want to create something big and long-term with real value, you need to invest in facilities and the teams and, of course in coaches. Grassroots is the key, to everything because children learn so fast and much better than us. If you build the academies then you can teach them the right things because talent is everywhere, in India and in every country in the world,” said Mr. Alessandro Del Piero.

    All India Football Federation president Kalyan Chaubey, who was also part of the RCB Innovation Lab’s Leaders Meet India, on the first day spoke about the growth market of Indian football, “India has opportunity business-wise because we have 1/6 population in this world and also the largest population. I have spoken with FIFA several times and the President of FIFA and myself, are on the same page that India has huge potential to develop.”

    RCB Innovation Lab Leaders Meet: India will conclude on 30 November.

  • Eurosport acquires broadcast rights for international football friendlies of India

    Eurosport acquires broadcast rights for international football friendlies of India

    Mumbai: Warner Bros. Discovery’s premium sports brand Eurosport India has acquired broadcast rights for the upcoming international football friendly match of the Indian national men’s football team against Singapore and Vietnam.

    The matches are scheduled for 24 September (vs Singapore) and 27 September (vs Vietnam) at 5:30 p.m. IST at the Thống Nhất Stadium in Vietnam.

    The All-India Football Federation (AIFF) awarded Eurosport India the broadcasting rights. The Indian men’s football team, also known as the Blue Tigers, will play for the first time since the 2023 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers in Kolkata in June 2022. These friendlies have been planned in anticipation of the team’s participation in the upcoming Asian Cup next year.

    India, led by talismanic Captain Sunil Chhetri, will face the host nation, Vietnam, for the first time in over a decade, with the goal of maintaining their winning record, while their next game against Singapore will be played on 27 September , 2022.

    Warner Bros. Discovery Sports has been bringing top-level action from the world of international football leagues to India via the MLS and the Eredivisie (Dutch league).

    In addition, through the AFC Women’s Asian Cup earlier this year, FIFA friendlies, the SAFF Championship, and the inaugural Hero Futsal Club Championship, they have played an important role in bringing Indian football to the fans here.

    Both matches will be broadcast live on the Eurosport and Eurosport HD channels in India, as well as on the discovery+ app.

  • Ten Network to telecast I-League ’17 from 7 Jan

    Ten Network to telecast I-League ’17 from 7 Jan

    MUMBAI: With the U-17 World Cup coming up next year, both ISL and the I-League would be the major sporting platforms to engage audience with the game. With the third season of Hero Indian Super League already under way, and being widely followed, it will be interesting to see how the next season of the I- League pans out.

    The 10th season of I-League starts on the 7 January, 2017. The premier football league in the country has undergone a few changes since the advent of the Indian Super League. With talks of a merger with ISL going on since a few months now, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) has said that this might be the last year of the I-League.

    Bengaluru FC, the team which recently reached the finals of the AFC Cup, are the defending champions of the I-League. With Salgaocar FC and Sporting Clube de Goa pulling out of the mix, the AIFF had called for entries to new clubs into the top-tier directly via bids. In 2013, Bengaluru FC and Mumbai Tigers got their direct entries into the I-League, and it has been a terrific journey for the Blues since.

    Meanwhile, two new teams, Minerva Punjab FC and Chennai City FC, had their bids approved and are all set to be a part of the league commencing 7 January. This comes as a welcome news as Punjab, as a state, will make its debut into the game this season.

    Ten Network will be telecasting the I-league in India. Joining hands with the AIFF and IMG- Reliance, the Network — owned by Sony Pictures Network, will be telecasting 75 matches in each season. With the ISL bringing new excitement to the game in the country, the I-League would like to tap into new audience for the next season.

  • Ten Network to telecast I-League ’17 from 7 Jan

    Ten Network to telecast I-League ’17 from 7 Jan

    MUMBAI: With the U-17 World Cup coming up next year, both ISL and the I-League would be the major sporting platforms to engage audience with the game. With the third season of Hero Indian Super League already under way, and being widely followed, it will be interesting to see how the next season of the I- League pans out.

    The 10th season of I-League starts on the 7 January, 2017. The premier football league in the country has undergone a few changes since the advent of the Indian Super League. With talks of a merger with ISL going on since a few months now, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) has said that this might be the last year of the I-League.

    Bengaluru FC, the team which recently reached the finals of the AFC Cup, are the defending champions of the I-League. With Salgaocar FC and Sporting Clube de Goa pulling out of the mix, the AIFF had called for entries to new clubs into the top-tier directly via bids. In 2013, Bengaluru FC and Mumbai Tigers got their direct entries into the I-League, and it has been a terrific journey for the Blues since.

    Meanwhile, two new teams, Minerva Punjab FC and Chennai City FC, had their bids approved and are all set to be a part of the league commencing 7 January. This comes as a welcome news as Punjab, as a state, will make its debut into the game this season.

    Ten Network will be telecasting the I-league in India. Joining hands with the AIFF and IMG- Reliance, the Network — owned by Sony Pictures Network, will be telecasting 75 matches in each season. With the ISL bringing new excitement to the game in the country, the I-League would like to tap into new audience for the next season.

  • Ten Sports Network renews I-League broadcasting contract

    Ten Sports Network renews I-League broadcasting contract

    MUMBAI: Ten Sports Network has renewed the broadcasting contract of I-League for an additional one year. The broadcaster had the rights for 10 years since the inception of the league. The entire rights of India football is with IMG Reliance and the broadcaster’s deal is with the company.   

     

    The league was officially launched today in Kolkata in the presence of players from all nine competing clubs, along with All India Football Federation (AIFF) general secretary Kushal Das and representative from Hero Motocorp.

     

    This season will have two debutants in the I-League namely DSK Shivajians FC and Aizawl FC. With the addition of these two clubs, the battle for the ultimate glory in Indian football will be fought between nine clubs. The Hero I-League 2015-16 kicks off on the back of some solid showing by the Indian players in the recently concluded SAFF Championship 2015-16 and the Hero Indian Super League 2015.

     

    The first match of the Hero I-League 2015-16 season will see defending champions Mohun Bagan take on Aizawl FC in Kolkata on 9 January, 2016.

     

    Touting this Hero I-League season as the most competitive and promising, Das said, “We’ve witnessed an enthralling Hero I-League last season, which kept us captivated till the final whistle on 31 May, 2015. Definitely the teams will try to push their limits this season too and strive hard to win the silverware. Champions Mohun Bagan can’t show any signs of complacency as all eight teams will play out of their skins to dethrone them.”

     

    Hero MotoCorp chairman MD and CEO Pawal Munjal added, “This will be the second year of our association with the I-League and after the exemplary show last season, we are all eagerly looking forward to the upcoming season which kicks off in three days. Over the years we have continued to support various sporting events in the country and it gives us immense pleasure to be associated with both the Hero ISL as well as the Hero I-League. Football is fast emerging as one of the most popular sports among youngsters in the country and we are indeed happy to support the game. After the grand conclusion of the Hero ISL season 2, it is now time for Hero I-League to take centre stage.”

     

    Over the next five months, fans will get to witness 72 high-octane matches across six cities in the country. Traditional rivals Mohan Bagan and East Bengal will lock horns on 23 January, 2016 amidst the ever-so-passionate Kolkata fans. The return leg between these two Indian Football power houses will be played on 2 April, 2016.

     

    The Hero I-League 2015-16 champions will receive a whopping prize amount of Rs 1 crore. It may be recalled that the previous season’s champions pocketed Rs 70 lakh in prize money. The teams finishing second and third will win Rs 60 lakh and Rs 40 lakh respectively. Additionally, winners of every game will win Rs 50,000. As if this was not enough, travel subsidy has been raised to Rs 45 lakh with the match day subsidy hiked to Rs 1 lakh.

     

    The Hero I-League 2015-16 will be telecast live across the Ten Sports Network.

  • ‘ISL and I-League will complement, not threaten each other:’ AIFF’s Kushal Das

    ‘ISL and I-League will complement, not threaten each other:’ AIFF’s Kushal Das

    MUMBAI: The Rs 700 crore deal between All India Football Federation (AIFF) and IMG-Reliance, signed after the contract termination between AIFF and Zee Sport, gave IMG-Reliance the opportunity of kick-starting a new football league in India namely the Indian Super League (ISL).

     

    The 15-year deal between AIFF and IMG-Reliance signed in 2010 will subsequently conclude in 2025. The deal gave IMG-Reliance exclusive commercial rights to sponsorship, advertising, broadcasting, merchandising, video, franchising, and rights to create a new football league.

     

    Naysayers termed the emergence of ISL as a threat to traditional I-League but Television Audience Measurement (TAM) ratings for the 2014 -15 season sang a completely different tune.

     

    I-League, which was telecast on Zee’s Ten Sports and Ten Action, garnered 79 TVTs in 2014-15 season which is 13 per cent more than 70 TVTs of the 2013-14 season. In terms of TVRs, the league registered 11 per cent growth in the current seasons.

     

    Speaking exclusively to Indiantelevision.com AIFF general secretary Kushal Das says, “I-League’s growth this year is really encouraging and it proves what I have always been saying that both ISL and I-League will complement each other and there is no chance of one posing threat over other. This year the growth has been because of various reasons. Infrastructure played a vital role, quality of matches were good and the players wanted to leave a mark so that they could have a bigger opportunity and that’s where ISL helped. Overall, it has been a very positive year for the League.”

     

    The conclusion of 2014-15 season also marked an end to the 10 year broadcasting deal with Ten Sports. The league had no advertiser on board in the current season. When asked if the network will bid again for the asset Ten Sports CEO Rajesh Sethi says, “I-League is an organised mechanism, which reflects the national interest. In England we have English Premier League and this edition of I-League has been a major encouragement. The interest level was high, we witnessed 20000 attendance in the final and football is more widespread across the nation now. So it’s no longer Bengal, Kerela and Goa… it’s all over the country. ISL at a macro level has increased the pie of football and all these factors make I-League an interesting prospect. Hence we will be of course going for it and see how things are.”

     

    Football viewership in India was descending at a brisk pace till ISL came into picture. While in 2012 it was 137 GVTs, in 2013 it dropped to 127 GVTs. However, the emergence of ISL in 2014 heaped it up to a mammoth 215 GVTs, which is only second to cricket. Not only GVTs, in terms of cumulative reach, football in India reached to mammoth 637 million viewers, which forced advertisers to pay attention to the sport.

     

    “The only way for football in India is upwards. The sport will witness a 360 degree growth. After the success of ISL, advertisers are looking at the sport with a different vision. I don’t know if I–League singlehandedly can turn out to be a highly revenue generating asset for broadcaster but overall if bundled properly, it may turn out to be an interesting prospect. However, having said that I feel that football will witness a holistic growth,” asserts a senior media planning expert.

     

    It now remains to be seen which channel becomes the screen for I-League and if both the leagues can ensure prosperity at the same time. Overall after the 1950s, it’s the first time that football is becoming a prime force in the sports fraternity.

  • Calcutta Football League continues to score high with football fans

    Calcutta Football League continues to score high with football fans

    MUMBAI: The Calcutta Football League (CFL) organized by the Indian Football Association (IFA) which is associated with the All India Football Federation is one of the oldest football leagues in the world. The first CFL was played under the banner of the IFA in 1898.

     

    CFL 2014 opened to an unprecedented response of 27.5 lakh television viewers across the first week and continued gaining further momentum in week#2 when 32.2 lakh viewers hooked on to their television sets (CS 4+, WB market).Over the period of the first three weeks the league saw a total of 55 lakh viewers tuning in from all over India. In 2013, the league got average 37 TVT’s per match and in 2014, it has now got average 52 TVT’s per match indicating over 40% increase in viewership (CS M 25+ AB, WB market). These numbers clearly indicate the popularity of football as a sport and, it also signals a strong affinity of the masses towards domestic football.

     

    CFL 2014 is being telecast ‘Live’ on Jalsha Movies of STAR network. Iconic teams like East Bengal, Mohun Bagan and Mohemmedan Sporting Club along with several other teams are showcasing their talent in this coveted league. These matches are being played at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan and Barasat Stadium and with the participation of star players like Ranty Martins, Katsumi, Piere Boya and Shilton Pal, the league ensures it is never short of excitement.

     

    “CFL is the oldest football leagues in the world. Being played in the city of Kolkata – a city that eats, drinks and lives football – the tournament will never lose its charm and will only rise in terms of the popularity in the coming years. Each year the league enjoys a tremendous response and similarly, this year too, there has been a considerable spike in the viewership numbers,” said Mr. Kevin Vaz, Business Head – Star Jalsha and Jalsha Movies.

     

    Having started on August 10, 2014, currently, this month long league is in the deciding stages and the last match would be played on September 12, 2014.

  • Indian Super League signs partnership with English Premier League

    Indian Super League signs partnership with English Premier League

    MUMBAI: The Indian Super League (ISL) has entered into a strategic partnership with the English Premier League (EPL) – the world’s most popular and successful football league, to bring its best practices to India under the exchange programme.

     

    The Co-operation Agreement between the Indian Super League, co-promoted by IMG-Reliance, the joint venture between IMG and Reliance Industries, Star India with support from All India Football Federation (AIFF) – and the English Premier League will allow ISL to leverage the league’s expertise in nurturing and growing a high quality football competition.

     

    The recently appointed Board of Director at RIL Nita M. Ambani said, “Partnering with Premier League brings credence to Indian Super League and to our vision of popularising the sport in India. I am confident that the tie-up will immensely help in nurturing and establishing Indian Super League with good governance and best practices. The alliance also presents a great opportunity of partnership and cross promotions between the ISL League Partners and Premier League Clubs.” 

     

    England’s Premier League is the most watched continuous annual global sporting event in the world. Last season, 13.9 million fans attended matches with record average stadium occupancy of 95.9 per cent. Across nine months, 380 matches are viewed in 175 countries with coverage available in more than 650 million homes.

     

    Star India CEO Uday Shankar added, “The partnership puts belief in Stars Sports philosophy of `Believe’. From a game that hobbled about on the fringes of Indian sports, there’s promise that this partnership will lift and reinvigorate football. Star strongly believes in creating local heroes, inspiring Indians to believe greatness is possible through sport and together we can create a world where sports comes first. The partnership with PL is going to help us achieve just that. Through this tie-up Star India will cross promote coverage of the Indian Super League and the Premier League to the growing base of Indian football followers.”
     

    The Indian Super League, set to kick off in September 2014, will receive strategic support, advice and assistance from the Premier League to further the development of the league and its clubs. The EPL will also assist in establishing club governance, shaping the brand, fan engagement, defining anti-corruption and anti-doping policies for the ISL, as well as joint promotion of the ISL and Premier League football in India.

     

    EPL chief executive officer Richard Scudamore said, “Having earlier this year signed a mutual co-operation agreement with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), we are very pleased to also enter into this partnership with the ISL. This will see both organisations work together and share knowledge in several key areas including player development, refereeing, marketing and promotion.”

     

    He added, “We know from our broadcast partner Star India, and our work with the AIFF on our long-established grassroots football project Premier Skills that we run in several locations across India, that the popularity of football, and the Premier League, is growing. There is a further opportunity to develop the sport as a result of that increased interest and we hope to continue to make a real contribution to all levels of Indian football.”
     

    The co-operation between the Indian Super League and the Premier League lends credence to the Indian Super League’s mission to engage the 200 million-plus Indian football fan base by showcasing a quality football offering with international standards of governance and an unparalleled viewing experience.

     

    ISL is an unrivalled football championship, aiming to foster local talent and feature international stars, making the game one of the country’s flagship sports and India, a name to reckon within the global arena. ISL will feature eight franchises from Bangalore, Delhi, Goa, Guwahati, Kochi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Pune.
    India is the Premier League’s number one market in terms of social media engagement, with an average reach of 1.48m Indian fans every week.

     

    IMG, Global Football Development senior vice president Jeff Slack informed, “Pairing the Premier League, an established best-in-class football organisation, with the Indian Super League is a dream arrangement for football fans in India.  The ability to leverage the Premier League’s experience in creating a successful league model for both players and fans will be a tremendous value to the Indian Super League as it continues to grow the sport in India.”
     

    Through the alliance, Indian Super League will help Premier League and its clubs in staging football matches and assist in other business development initiatives in India. This will encourage exchange programmes and partnership building between clubs of the two leagues. Indian Super League and the Premier League will also cross-promote football coverage on Star India’s platform to the growing Indian fan base.

     

    “The AIFF is extremely pleased to be a part of the strategic partnership between the English Premier League and the Indian Super League. This is an outstanding opportunity for the Indian Super League to build from the very best in the business when it comes to running a highly successful league. The EPL is revered around the world and by learning from the practitioners who have made it so successful; the Indian Super League will develop and grow in the right way, ensuring benefits not only for the league itself but also for the wider Indian football ecosystem in the longer term,” concluded AIFF president Praful Patel.