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Tag: Anil Jayaraj

  • Anil Jayaraj joins Jio Home Digital Services as president

    Anil Jayaraj joins Jio Home Digital Services as president

    Mumbai: Jio has appointed Anil Jayaraj as the president of its Jio Home Digital Services division. Jayaraj previously served as CEO of Viacom18 Sports and brings with him a wealth of experience, spanning over 30 years in marketing, sales, and business development.

    His career trajectory includes significant stints at industry-leading organisations like Star Sports, Castrol, Pidilite, and BP, where he honed his advertising sales and revenue generation skills.

    Jayaraj will report to managing director Pankaj Pawar and is expected to drive the growth of Jio Home Digital Services, a key segment in Reliance Jio’s overall business strategy. His expertise in the sports and entertainment domains, particularly his success in driving revenue for major sporting events like the Indian Premier League (IPL) during his time at Star Sports, will likely be invaluable as Jio continues to strengthen its presence in digital services and home entertainment.

  • IPL 2023 hit 449 million overall viewership on Viacom18 says CEO Anil Jayaraj

    IPL 2023 hit 449 million overall viewership on Viacom18 says CEO Anil Jayaraj

    Mumbai: As a testament to the resounding success of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023, Viacom18 CEO Anil Jayaraj revealed that the tournament garnered a record-breaking 449 million viewers overall including 120 million connected TV consumers on its platform while speaking at the RCB Innovation Lab’s Leaders Meet India in Bengaluru last month.

    Advocating for an AI and digital driven future for sports broadcasting in India, Jayaraj stated, “There is nothing of the scale of IPL anywhere in the world. The paid TV universe in this country is expected to be about 100 million so for us to pick 120 million users on connected TV was quite remarkable in year one. Technology is going to make a major change as far as the digital landscape goes. Digital is where the innovation seems to be happening, especially in India with the number of mobile connections, 4G phones, data, and the pure behaviour around linear viewing interactively. The use of technologies like AI will dramatically change our production of content and automation.”

    RCB Innovation Lab’s Leaders Meet India brought together influential leaders from various sectors of sports industry to discuss and explore the dynamics of leadership in the ever-evolving landscape of sports.

    With a significant emphasis on promoting women’s sports, Anil Jayaraj dived into the Women’s Premier League’s (WPL) phenomenal interest among viewers, advertisers, and investors. “What we have seen significantly is that the interest (of WPL), the crowd enthusiasm was phenomenal. The key thing for us was also the quality of production that BCCI put out. For advertisers, it gives them an opportunity to target a very different demographic and that makes a lot of difference from a financial sort of sense for somebody like us who is investing,” he said.

    Jayaraj also touched upon the growing prominence of consuming various sports other than cricket and he hopes that the upcoming Paris Olympics will change that narrative. “The Indian market is predominantly an advertising market. India is very much, on the track of consuming multiple sports but out of the top 100 broadcast or stream programs in the country, 92 happen to be cricket. Hopefully, if we start seeing a lot more Indian athletes win, things will certainly change. That is why we are extremely hopeful of the Olympics. We believe that this is possibly going to be our best-ever performance as a country and I am sure that will be quite a breakthrough.”

    Jayaraj pointed out that Indian sports viewing habits are almost entirely live as 99% of the viewership is online and just 1% happens to be around, highlights, non-live content, and documentaries. However, he was bullish about the growing market of sports documentaries and docu-series in India and predicted that it will become quite big over the next four or five years.

    RCB Innovation Lab’s Leaders Meet India concluded on 30 November.

  • Viacom18 opens their innings as the new home of Indian cricket with three-match ODI series against Australia

    Viacom18 opens their innings as the new home of Indian cricket with three-match ODI series against Australia

    Mumbai: After securing exclusive media rights for BCCI international and domestic matches, Viacom18 has announced its plans for the three-ODI series between India and Australia starting 22 September.

    The first international series in the rights cycle will be presented on JioCinema in 11 languages for free. On linear/ offline TV, the series will be aired live on Colors Tamil (Tamil), Colors Bangla Cinema (Bengali), Colors Kannada Cinema (Kannada), Colors Cineplex Superhits (Hindi), Sports18 – 1 SD, Sports18 – 1 HD (English).

    The series is of great significance for both sides as they will look to find momentum leading up to the 50-over World Cup. The expert panel for the series across languages will include Suresh Raina, Kedar Jadhav, Aakash Chopra, Nikhil Chopra, Amit Mishra, Anirudha Srikkanth, Abhinav Mukund, Hanuma Vihari, Venkatpathy Raju, Sarandeep Singh, Reetinder Singh Sodhi, Rahul Sharma, VRV Singh, Kiran More, Sheldon Jackson, Bhargav Bhatt, Jatin Paranjpe, Shreevats Goswami, VA Jagadeesh among others.

    After shattering all records, and establishing unprecedented levels of engagement, viewership, and concurrency during the TATA IPL 2023, JioCinema will offer viewers their favourite sport in a never-seen-before presentation for free. Viewers will be able to watch the limited-overs action in English, Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Bengali, Bhojpuri, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam.

    “The 3-match ODI series between India and Australia will give viewers a peek into inarguably the new home of Indian cricket and with that responsibility, we will continue to bring the paradigm shift in the way sports is consumed,” said Viacom18 – Sports CEO Anil Jayaraj. “It is our constant endeavour to offer fans what they love the most in never-seen-before ways and digital allows us to continuously push the envelope and combined with linear/ offline TV, we will deliver BCCI events on an unparalleled scale.”

    To enhance the live-viewing experience, the series will be streamed in 4K on JioCinema and fans will be offered the popular predict and win fan engagement contest Jeeto Dhan Dhana Dhan. Introduced first during the 2023 TATA IPL, Jeeto Dhan Dhana Dhan was a runaway success as tens of thousands won exciting prizes including over 60 contestants driving away a premium hatchback. The contest also brought out stirring stories of how winning the car changed fortunes for many from India’s heartlands.

  • Viacom18 secures exclusive media rights for BCCI international and domestic matches

    Viacom18 secures exclusive media rights for BCCI international and domestic matches

    Mumbai: Viacom18 secured exclusive media rights for the BCCI international and domestic matches for September 2023-March 2028. The network won both the Indian sub-continent and global television and digital rights for the next five years for a cumulative figure of Rs 5,963 crore. The rights were secured through the BCCI’s Invitation to Tender E-Auction process held on 31 August.

    “We are elated about winning the exclusive media rights to BCCI international and domestic matches, and excited at the opportunity to serve fans the best of India cricket across both digital and TV,” said Viacom18 Sports CEO Anil Jayaraj. “We would also like to thank the BCCI for conducting a transparent and efficient e-auction process.”

    “Live sports consumption in India has sharply pivoted towards digital, and winning the global digital rights will help us further fuel this ascendancy,” Jayaraj added. “Additionally, winning the broadcast rights is an extension of our strategy as we will continue to serve quality and affordable content to all viewers as they continue to migrate from linear TV to digital screens. The landmark rights, therefore, come with a great responsibility of enhancing viewers’ experience of Indian cricket like never before.”

    The addition of BCCI international and domestic cricket includes International Men’s, Women’s matches, and domestic first-class competitions like the Ranji Trophy, Duleep Trophy, Deodhar Trophy, and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, among others and makes Viacom18 the leading sports network in the country. The network’s portfolio includes global sports properties like TATA IPL, TATA WPL, Olympics 2024, SA20, Major League Cricket (MLC), Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT), NBA, Diamond League, World Athletics Championships Budapest 2023, MotoGP, LALIGA, Ligue1, Serie A, BGIS (E-Sports), Abu Dhabi T10, FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, and top BWF events.

    Viewers can continue to watch their preferred sports by downloading JioCinema (iOS & Android). For the latest updates, news, scores, and videos, fans can follow Sports18 on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.

  • Viacom18 & Cricket South Africa announce long-term partnership

    Viacom18 & Cricket South Africa announce long-term partnership

    Mumbai: Viacom18 Sports, India’s newest sports network, today announced a seven-year partnership with Cricket South Africa (CSA) for exclusive digital and TV rights for all international cricket from 2024–2031. As part of the association, Viacom18 will present all senior men’s international and senior women’s international competitions played in South Africa. CSA’s previous broadcast partner was Disney Star.

    Viacom18’s portfolio includes the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, starting 20 November ending 18 December. All matches will be exclusively aired live on JioCinema and pay-TV channels Sports18 (1 SD and HD).

    The Cricket South Africa partnership deepens Viacom18’s commitment to present world-class cricket action from South Africa after they recently announced a 10-year partnership with SA20, South Africa’s newly-launched premier cricket league. Cricket South Africa and Viacom18 will work closely to enhance the showcase of international cricket from South Africa to the passionate fanbase in India.

    India and South Africa, the parties states, have a history of producing incredible contests, which have been complemented by mutual admiration, whether it was for India being the first nation to play against Proteas after apartheid or for touring the Rainbow Nation at the height of Omicron in December 2021.

    The partnership will cover all international cricket from South Africa, including the Mahatma Gandhi-Nelson Mandela Series between India and South Africa. The deal includes other series like the Basil D’Oliveira against England and tours from Sri Lanka, Pakistan, the West Indies, Australia, and Bangladesh.

    “South Africa is one of the most competitive and formidable teams across formats in world cricket, and this partnership will offer some great contests to the cricket-loving fans in India. The association with Cricket South Africa is a testament to our pursuit to offer fans an unrivalled, high-quality broadcast experience of some of the best cricket action in primetime,” said Viacom18 Sports CEO Anil Jayaraj.

    CSA CEO Pholetsi Moseki said, “CSA is pleased to partner with a broadcaster of Viacom18’s stature. This is an affirmation of our intention to beam to our waiting fans the flavour of cricket that South Africa has in store, which is always exhilarating and entertaining. This partnership is the beginning of a journey that will offer the thrill of watching cricket, brought to you by a broadcaster that values the viewer experience as supreme.”

    The addition of the Cricket South Africa rights strengthens Viacom18’s portfolio of sporting events, including the Indian Premier League, SA20, FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, NBA, Diamond League, LaLiga, Serie A, Ligue 1, and top ATP and BWF events.

  • Viacom18, Jio to offer unmatched reach & ad opportunities for IPL: Anil Jayaraj

    Viacom18, Jio to offer unmatched reach & ad opportunities for IPL: Anil Jayaraj

    Mumbai: Viacom18’s strategic partnership with Jio will offer unmatched targeting and personalisation opportunities for the Indian Premier League (IPL). In a letter addressed to staff, Viacom18 CEO sports Anil Jayaraj said, “We will be able to offer a compelling proposition to advertisers with better reach and targeting than any other rival & legacy platforms in the country.”  

    Recently, Viacom18 bagged the exclusive rights to digitally stream the Indian Premier League (IPL) matches in the Indian sub-continent for the 2023-2027 seasons. This also includes the special digital package of 18 games. The value of the combined digital rights stood at Rs 23,758 crore, more than the TV broadcast rights at Rs 23,575 crore.

    Viacom18 has also won the television as well as digital rights to three of the five international territories including Asia, Canada, Australia, the Caribbean Islands, Israel, New Zealand, South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa, and the UK and Europe.

    “The focus on bidding for digital rights comprehensively comes from the core belief that our company is committed to building world-class digital platforms of the future,” said Jayaraj.

    He further added, “Our partnership with Jio gives us unparalleled access and reach to each and every Indian. Not only will we be able to build the most successful streaming company in the country, we will also, along with our other businesses, build India’s most profitable digital media and entertainment brand.”

    In just ten months, Viacom18 sports has built a formidable line-up of sports programming. It has acquired the rights to FIFA World Cup, La Liga, Serie A and Ligue 1 in the Indian subcontinent. It will offer badminton, tennis and NBA on its channels. With its acquisition of IPL digital rights, it will be able to offer the most high-profile cricket league to audiences globally.

    “Viacom18 will take India’s biggest sporting event IPL to every nook and corner of the country and make it available to every Indian consumer, something that even television has failed to do,” asserts Jayaraj.

    Viacom18 currently operates the channels Sports18 SD and HD and Sports18 Khel that is available on Free DTH platform DD Free Dish. Its sports content is also available on its streaming service Voot and Voot Select. Paramount Global’s streaming service Paramount+ is expected to launch in India in 2023 in partnership with Viacom18, in which Paramount Global is a stakeholder.

    Bodhi Tree Media, backed by James Murdoch and ex-Star Uday Shankar, are investors in Viacom18.

  • Sports18 secures broadcast rights to Diamond League until 2024

    Sports18 secures broadcast rights to Diamond League until 2024

    Mumbai: Sports18 on Thursday announced that it will broadcast the Wanda Diamond League live on the channel for the time period until 2024.

    The partnership will begin with the live coverage of Doha Diamond League meeting on 13 May. The series will also be available on Voot.

    The Diamond League is an annual series of elite track and field series sitting in the top tier of the World Athletics one-day meeting competitions. The 2022 Diamond League comprises 13 meetings, starting with the Doha event leading up to the two-day Diamond League Final in Zurich on 7 and 8 September.

    “The Diamond League series is not just a competition of the most elite athletes in the world but also a breeding ground for the future stars,” says Viacom18 Sports CEO Anil Jayaraj. “The addition of live athletics coverage reiterates our commitment to provide fans a comprehensive array of world-class sports events.”

    “We are absolutely delighted seeing our global premier track and field series accessible to the fans in India through Sports18,” says Diamond League AG CEO Petr Stastny. “Our competitions feature the world’s best female and male athletes throughout the entire season, including reigning Olympic champions and a host of Olympic and World medallists.”

    The Doha meet will see numerous Olympic champions plying their trade at the Qatar Sports Club, including Swedish pole vault star Mondo Duplantis, Canadian 200m champion Andre De Grasse, joint high jump champions Gianmarco Tamberi from Italy and homegrown hero Mutaz Barshim from Qatar.

    Sports18’s portfolio of sporting events includes the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, NBA, LaLiga, Serie A, Ligue 1, and top ATP and BWF events.

  • Viacom18 unveils its new sports channel ‘Sports18’

    Viacom18 unveils its new sports channel ‘Sports18’

    Mumbai: Viacom18 on Friday announced the launch of Sports18, the network’s dedicated sports broadcasting channel. The pay-TV channel, available in SD and HD, will offer fans the ‘best-in-class’ sports content in India, the network said.

    “Sports18 will be the new home to the world’s most premium sports properties, including the Fifa World Cup Qatar 2022, NBA, LaLiga, Ligue 1, Serie A, Abu Dhabi T10, and top ATP & BWF events. Apart from premier picks from the world of football, basketball, tennis, cricket and badminton, the channel will provide fans access to top programming covering international sports news, magazine and highlights shows,” said the media company in a statement.

    “We are pleased to launch a dedicated sports channel for an audience across demographics and geographies,” stated Viacom18 Sports CEO Anil Jayaraj. “Sports18 will strive to be India’s most-coveted broadcast network by providing fans easy access to a comprehensive bouquet of international and premier sports content.”

    As the LaLiga, Ligue1, Serie A, and the NBA come to the business end of their seasons, fans will be able to experience all the events on Sports18. “Viewers can continue to watch their preferred sports by downloading Viacom18’s premium video-on-demand platform Voot (iOS & Android) and JioTV (iOS & Android),” the statement added.

    Effective 6 p.m on 15 April, the channel will be available on leading DTH service providers across the country.

  • Viacom18 appoints Anil Jayaraj as CEO, sports

    Viacom18 appoints Anil Jayaraj as CEO, sports

    Mumbai: Viacom18 on Thursday announced the appointment of Anil Jayaraj as CEO – sports. He will be leading the media company’s foray into acquisition, broadcasting, and monetisation of sports properties. 

    In his most recent role, Jayaraj was with Star Sports as executive vice president responsible for ad sales, global syndication and cross-screen offer design and measurement. He led his team to deliver business performance across multiple sporting events including Indian Premier League, Cricket World Cup, Pro Kabaddi League, and Indian Super League.

    Previously, he worked at Pidilite Industries as chief marketing officer. Prior to that, he was at BP/Castrol for 16 years in sales and marketing roles based in the UK and India. Jayaraj has been a passionate follower of sports since childhood. He works as a mentor with various start-ups during his free time and conducts sessions/guest lectures on business and marketing at various B-Schools.

    Welcoming Jayaraj on board, Network18 chairman Adil Zainulbhai said, “As a leading media and entertainment network in India, Viacom18 has been dialing up its offerings to tap into whitespaces across platforms. We believe that sports is an important category in our promise to deliver wholesome entertainment to our over 800 million viewers across demographics and geographies. With his rich experience in identifying and building sporting events into high-value sportainment phenomena, Anil is aptly poised to lead our newest sports vertical.”  

    “Sporting events in India have evolved beyond just one or two games with increasing fandom amongst audiences towards newer competitive sports. This democratisation has created an unmatched opportunity for sportainment and I am excited to build Viacom18 network’s foray into sports as a category,” stated Jayaraj.

  • Star Sports EVP-ad sales Anil Jayaraj moves on

    Star Sports EVP-ad sales Anil Jayaraj moves on

    Mumbai: Star Sports executive vice president-ad sales Anil Jayaraj has quit the organisation after a stint of over six years.

    Jayaraj will be replaced by Star Sports SVP and national advertising sales head Anoop Govindan, according to media reports. Govindan has been associated with Star for over eight years.

    Jayaraj, who joined Star in 2015, is currently serving his notice period and will be with the organisation till September. Under him, Star Sports ad revenue jumped from under Rs 1000 crore per annum in 2015 to Rs 3000 crore plus in 2021 across sports like cricket, kabaddi, tennis, F1, football, and badminton.

    Jayaraj has previously worked with companies like Pidilite industries, BP and Castrol. His next move is not yet known.