ITV

Tag: Champions Tennis League

  • Multi Screen Media Network acquires exclusive broadcast rights of the ATP World Tour

    Multi Screen Media Network acquires exclusive broadcast rights of the ATP World Tour

    MUMBAI: Multi Screen Media Network has announced that it has acquired the exclusive rights to broadcast tournaments as part of the global Elite – Men’s Professional Tennis Circuit; the ATP World Tour, for the next 5 years commencing January 2016.

     

    As part of the rights package, the network will air the live telecast of ATP’s premium tier events, the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 events and the ATP World Tour 500 events alongside the prestigious season-ending Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. In addition to the live telecast, the channel will broadcast the highlights and the news service which will include player interviews around the series of tournaments.

     

    The ATP World Tour is therefore yet another addition to the network’s line-up of live tennis events which presently includes the Australian Open and the Champions Tennis League.

     

    Speaking on the new development MSM CEO NP Singh said, “Sports in India have a strong cultural significance and a way of unifying viewership across audiences.  Tennis is a high-consumption sport and the ATP reflects the best of men’s tennis globally. Our association with ATP is a strategic step in the direction of firmly establishing our commitment to tennis which is recognized as one of the most followed sports in the world.”

     

    Sony SIX and KIX business head Prasana Krishnan asserted, “The ATP World Tour will feature the world’s best tennis players on our network throughout the year. Our fans can now look forward to the world’s top ranked players in men’s professional tennis. This is a valued addition to our line-up of major tennis events on our network, making it the one-stop TV destination for tennis enthusiasts.”

     

    Commenting on the deal ATP Media CEO Mark Webster, “We are delighted that MSM has acquired the rights to the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 and 500 events along with our season finale, the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. We are certain that MSM will provide the passion and superb production values required to showcase the finest male tennis players competing at the world’s most exciting venues.”

     

    The ATP tournaments determine player rankings as well as the seeding for the Grand Slam tournaments. The men’s tennis season concludes each year with the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals which is now considered the biggest tournament outside of the four Majors and often determines the year-end No. 1 Emirates ATP Ranking. The event is notable for some outstanding matches in the sport’s history due to its unique round-robin format.

  • LIV Sports bags exclusive rights for Australian Open 2015

    LIV Sports bags exclusive rights for Australian Open 2015

    MUMBAI: Multi Screen Media (MSM) has announced that LIV Sports, its digital sports entertainment destination – www.LIVSports.in – holds the mobile and internet broadcast rights of Australian Open 2015.

     

    LIV Sports will offer both live and video-on-demand content, with rich and informative statistics and analysis. The Australian Open is scheduled to be held between 19 January and 1 February 2015.

     

    The live coverage of the Australian Open will be available on LivSports.in on the web and mobile and the LivSports Mobile App for iOS and Android.

     

    Sony Entertainment Network executive VP and digital head Uday Sodhi commented, “We are extremely pleased to bring all the action from the Australian Open to Indian viewers. The content on LIV Sports is designed to cater to the ardent tennis fans as well as to engage other viewers with a highly immersive experience. Since our inception as the official mobile and internet broadcaster for the 2014 FIFA World CupTM Brazil, LIV Sports has been committed to keep every cross section of our consumers actively engaged through high-quality interactive sports content with informative data and analytics.”

     

    In addition to the Australian Open, LIV Sports also holds the web and mobile broadcasting rights to properties like Champions Tennis League, UEFA Euro 2016 Qualifiers, FIFA Club World Cup, NBA, TNA and domestic T20 cricket competitions like the Carribean Premier League and RamSlam T20 Challenge.    

  • Aircel Chennai Open gears up for its 20th edition. Mind It!

    Aircel Chennai Open gears up for its 20th edition. Mind It!

    Mumbai: The year saw many sports being launched in the country, reconfirming the belief that sports bug has bitten the country.

    While India saw two new tennis leagues, Champions Tennis League and the International Premier Tennis League, being introduced, the Aircel Chennai Open slated to begin from 5 to 11 January 2015, will be in its 20th edition.

     Aircel remains the title sponsor till 2016, the platinum sponsors include Government of Tamil Nadu, Indian Bank, United India Assurance, Murugappa Group and Indian Overseas Bank. The official partners are FedEx, Ricoh, KGS , FIAT, The Hindu, Hyatt Regency, TATA water Plus, Billroth Hospitals, Air Asia, Wilson, Reliance Footprint, and Chennai Live FM. Tennishub.in will be ‘Official Merchandise Partner’ of the tournament.

    Star Sports had bagged the broadcast deal for three years for the Open till 2016. Fans can watch the live telecast of group stage, quarterfinals, semifinals and finals of the open on its channels and live streaming will also be available on starsports.com.

    The tournament, which first began in 1996 and owned by IMG and organised by IMG Reliance, has set a budget of Rs 12 crore. The title sponsor provides 42 per cent of the revenue which is five crore, the other sponsors bring in 37 per cent of the revenue amounting Rs 4.5 crore, the broadcast partner brings in 17 per cent of the revenue share, which is close to two crore while the ticket revenue is pegged close to Rs 50 lakh.

    For this year’s edition the assembly of talent includes four top-25 players and three 2014 ATP World Tour Award winners who will be participating. These include world number four and defending Singles champion Stan Wawrinka, Feliciano Lopez, Roberto Bautista Agut, and former Champion Janko Tipsarevic, returning to competitive tennis after surgery and granted a wild card. India’s Somdev Devvarman and Ramkumar Ramanathan have been granted wild cards

    The tickets of the tournament have been priced at Rs 5,000, 3,000 and 1,500 on the tournaments official ticketing partner, bookmyshow.com.

    Speaking about the three tennis league in India, GroupM ESP national director entertainment sports and live events Vinit Karnik says, “The Champions Tennis League may need some improvement, while the IPTL has created a mark in terms of visibility because of the big stars . Tennis is still considered to be a premium sport. Therefore, one needs to build affinity for the sport, since the affinity levels are low because there are not many people playing the sport. Therefore consistency, in terms of ratings, viewership and followers will not be there for the three leagues.  But these three are trying to create enough buzz that at least the urban youth start playing tennis.” he concludes.

     

  • Sony Six gets set to redefine tennis viewership in the country

    Sony Six gets set to redefine tennis viewership in the country

    MUMBAI: Kabaddi, Football and now Tennis. India’s sports landscape is set to grow with the upcoming Champions Tennis League which will be telecast on Indian sports channel Sony Six. The league follows a pan-India city-based format and will take place from 17 November to 26 November 2014.

    Commenting on the development Sony Six business head Prasana Krishnan said, “The format for CTL is tailor made for television. The short structure of the matches will ensure that audiences are entertained and engaged throughout the course of the tournament. Also, with the entry of CTL, the viewership for tennis in our country should finally extend beyond the Grand Slams and select ATP and WTA tournaments.”

    The format of CTL lends itself to the taste of the Indian audience, who have been generally seen to enjoy watching fast-paced sports like the T20 cricket. Famous names like Mark Woodforde, Louise Pleming, Luke Jensen and Prakash Amritraj will be seen keeping the viewers engaged with thier witted and insightful commentry. The tournament will also feature after-match parties, fashion shows and interactions with the fans on the rest days; thereby acting as a ‘carnival of tennis’ for both fans and the general match-goers.

    With CTL now, Six will see an added sports property to its portfolio such as the NBA, the FIFA, the Pepsi IPL and the Ultimate Fighting Championship etc. The inaugural season of the league will also be held in cities like Pune and Chandigarh, which have traditionally not been the bastions for the sport in the country. Teams will feature male and female players with international rankings and each of the six teams will also have an international legend as their playing captain, apart from a noted Indian male tennis player, plus a top ranked junior Indian girl and boy from each city.

  • LIV Sports bags exclusive rights for the Champions Tennis League

    LIV Sports bags exclusive rights for the Champions Tennis League

    MUMBAI: Multi Screen Media (MSM) has announced that its digital sports entertainment destination www.LIVSports.in holds the mobile and internet broadcast rights of the Champions Tennis League (CTL) for India.

     

    The league has been conceptualised by Vijay Amritraj and All India Tennis Association (AITA). Viewers will be able to watch the live telecast of the league and catch video-on-demand highlights on LIV Sports.

     

    Sony Entertainment Network executive vice president and head digital Uday Sodhi commented that the network was excited to bring the CTL, which has been designed to ignite the passion for tennis and inculcate a love for the sport. “LIV Sports started as the official mobile and internet broadcaster for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil and then moved on to bagging the exclusive web and mobile rights for the ongoing qualifying matches for the 15th European Championship – Euro 2016, for India. It was conceived to offer quality sports-entertainment content that is mass inclusive and not designed to cater only to ardent sports fans”, he added.

     

    The CTL teams made up of the world’s top 25 ranked male and female players will be structured into two groups, each having three teams each, where they would play each other in a home and away format. The teams topping their respective group will play each other in the grand finale for the prize money of Rs 1 crore. The runner-up will receive Rs 50 lakhs. Each of the six teams will also have an international legend as their playing captain, apart from a noted Indian male tennis player, plus a top ranked junior Indian girl and boy from each city.

     

    The CTL will feature six city based teams, who will play 12 matches over a 10-day period from 17 November to 26 November 2014. Each of the six official CTL teams from Chennai, Bangalore, Pune, Delhi, Chandigarh and Mumbai comprises of Indian and International marquee players, including local youngsters handpicked by AITA. Some notable players to participate in India include Martina Hingis, Venus Williams, Somdev Dewarman and David Ferrer among others.

  • Champions Tennis League to be beamed to American viewers via Tennis channel

    Champions Tennis League to be beamed to American viewers via Tennis channel

    NEW DELHI: Champions Tennis League has entered into an exclusive broadcasting tie-up with one of America’s sports-oriented digital cable and satellite television networks, Tennis Channel. Tennis Channel will broadcast all Champions Tennis League matches from 17 to 26 November to 35 million Tennis Channel homes across the United States.

     
    With live tournaments, one-on-one interviews, game analysis and skills instruction, the channel is a 24 hour television-based multimedia destination dedicated to the professional sport and passionate lifestyle of tennis.

     
    Tennis Channel senior vice-president TIR David Egdes said, “We look forward to highlighting the exciting team competition from the six cities across India, as well as seeing the current and former stars on each team, and the young Indian players who will be possible future stars on the ATP tour. We are also excited to introduce our audience to some of the extraordinary personalities and rich history emanating from the various CTL cities”.

     

    Second Serve CEO Arjun Rao said, “This is the first time an Indian tennis event of this scale and size will be broadcast, with minimal delay, to the large tennis diaspora across the US. This is a huge step forward in our bid to become a globally watched League with some of the most competitive players in the world in our fold. We are thrilled to be working with Tennis Channel and we are sure we will benefit from their expertise and experience in the world of tennis.”

  • Sony Six bags Champions Tennis League broadcast rights

    Sony Six bags Champions Tennis League broadcast rights

    MUMBAI: Sony Six has bagged the exclusive broadcasting rights of Champions Tennis League. The inaugural league will take place between 17 to 26 November and will be held in six cities in India.

     

    The league formed of six teams will witness national and international tennis talent with each team having top ATP and WTA players, captained by a tennis legend. Each team in the Champions Tennis league will feature one male and one female international player ranked amongst the top 25 in the ATP and WTA rankings. Each team will also have an international legend as their playing captain, apart from a noted top ranked Indian male tennis player. Two juniors, aged under 21 will also be a part of the team, selected by the All India Tennis Association, in order to give them exposure and the experience of playing with some of the best players in the world.

     

    MSM India CEO NP Singh said, “Introduction of Champions Tennis League will help redefine the Indian tennis market paradigm. This will be a landmark event that will put India on the global map of tennis, featuring some of the world’s greatest tennis stars playing right here in our country. We are excited about this partnership and believe that the tournament will be a perfect blend of tennis and entertainment that has never been seen in India.”

     

    Sony Six EVP and business head Prasana Krishnan added, “We are delighted to have Champions Tennis League on board as this acquisition signifies yet another endeavour by Sony Six into bringing diverse sports offerings to the viewers. Champions Tennis league will be a treat for viewers as they will get to see the best of tennis action where International players and our National talent share the court. We believe that the league will not only give a fantastic viewing experience to the viewers but also help young Indian talent to perform on a grand stage.”

     

    Second Serve chairman and managing director Vijay Amritraj said, “I am delighted that The Champions Tennis League in its inaugural edition will be seen on Sony Six and Sony Six HD. This would be first time that an event of this nature with top international players, men and women along with some wonderful legends will be seen in six cities across India. I am also proud to say that our Indian Davis cup players will be alongside the international players, along with two Indian youngsters, a boy and a girl; who will be on the team to practice and gain experience traveling with these top players. It will be a spectacular 10 days for sports and tennis lovers across the country.”

     

    The six teams will play 12 matches over an eight day period, with the matches kick-starting from 17 November. The teams will be structured into two groups, each having three sides each, where they would play each other in a home and away format. The top team in each half play each other in the 13 match on the 10 day for the inaugural Champions Tennis league trophy.

     

    All the games will be featured live and exclusive on Sony Six and Sony Six HD.

  • Sony Six banks on FIFA finale to reach viewership target

    Sony Six banks on FIFA finale to reach viewership target

    MUMBAI: This Sunday, 13 July, the biggest sporting event FIFA 2014 World Cup will crown its ultimate champions: Germany or Argentina. Sony Six, which bet big on FIFA to churn out viewership claims that the game has garnered them good TVTs.

     

    The World Cup has also been a money spinner in terms of ad rates for the games. It can be noted that for the initial matches the ad rate for a ten second slot was selling for Rs 2 lakh to Rs 2.5 lakh. But now the figure has doubled. “The ad rates for a 10 second slot for the last four matches were sold for Rs 5 lakh ,” says MSM president Rohit Gupta. But according to some media planners the sum quoted is too high and marketers would end up paying between Rs 3.5 lakh to Rs 4 lakh.

     

    Sony Six business head Prasana Krishnan says, “The football story in India has been pretty good for our channel. It has been a driver for growth in terms of viewership. The singular prime time slot of telecasting games at 9:30 pm has paid well.”

     

    For the audiences in CS male 15+ years category, Sony Six had 605 TVTs, Sony Aath had 209 TVTs, Sony Pix had 85 TVTs and combined the three channels had a combined total of 899 TVTs. For the West Bengal market, (CS male 15+ years) Six had 218 TVTs, Aath had 203 TVTs, Pix had 27 TVTs and the combined TVTs were 448. According to the channel, its TG mostly lies in the CS 15+ category.

     

    In terms of reach (in 000s), for CS 4+ years at an all India level, Six had a reach of 43,968; Aath 9,816; Pix 5,350 and combined reach of 50,184. Though Krishnan had expected Six’s reach to be 125 million during this FIFA World Cup, he is yet optimistic about the final. “The World Cup is not yet over, we expect the total number to increase,” he says. Giving viewers a local flavor through Bengali commentary on Aath and the resultant viewership numbers is validation of their strategy being a success, Krishnan added.

     

    According to TAM data sourced from the channel for week 16 to week 26 (13 April to 5 July 2014) Six has been placed number one for 11 weeks now. Krishnan adds “It is a pointer for the future. In the next five years many international titles like UEFA Euro 2016 and FIFA World Cup 2018 will help our channel immensely. The time zone for FIFA will be more favorable this time for our telecast to the Indian audiences as FIFA will be held in Russia.”

    The male and female ratio in terms of viewership for this FIFA World cup has been 67 per cent and 33 per cent respectively. Compared to the FIFA World Cup 2010, female viewership has grown.

    When questioned which has been the best performing market for Sony Six so far Krishnan says, “No prizes for guessing. It has been West Bengal followed by Kerala, Mumbai, Chennai and Assam.”

    But what is Six’s strategy once FIFA ends? “We have a few properties lined up already. The Caribbean Premier League took off on 11 July and later in the year we will be focusing on World Kabaddi League and Champions Tennis League while NBA JAM is set to hit the ground in September 2014,” Krishnan says proudly.

     

    It seems like the channel is all set for the year. Meanwhile, it’s time to relax and enjoy the finale of FIFA World Cup 2014.