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Tag: Charu Sharma

  • Pro Kabaddi League season 2 to kick-start on 18 July

    Pro Kabaddi League season 2 to kick-start on 18 July

    MUMBAI: Pro Kabaddi League, which was a grand success in 2014, will be back with its second season on 18 July, 2015 with the opening leg to be held at National Sports Club of India (NSCI) in Mumbai.

     

    The season opener will pit the two finalists of last year, as host team U Mumba take on reigning Champions Jaipur Pink Panthers.

     

    The league promoted by Mashal Sports and Star India with the backing of the Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India and International Kabaddi Federation, will feature 60 games played across 37 days in eight cities.

     

    Following the same ‘caravan style’ format like in the first season, the league will be played at each franchise city for a duration of four days, where the home team will play four of the visiting franchises. All seven visiting franchises will play a set of away games in each city.

     

    After the opening leg in Mumbai, the league will move on to the Netaji Indoor Stadium, Kolkata, followed by the home of current champions, Jaipur Pink Panthers at Sawai Mangsingh Stadium in Jaipur. The Indoor Stadium at the Patliputra Sports Complex, Patna will be the venue for the culmination to the first half of PKL season 2.

     

    Hyderabad, the new home of the Telugu Titans, will play host to the second half of the league with the caravan arriving at the Gachibowli Indoor Stadium on 4 August. Moving on from Hyderabad, the league will be played in at Thyagaraj Indoor Stadium in the capital city and move onto the Kanteerava Indoor Stadium in Bangalore before culminating at the Balewadi Sports Complex in Pune.

     

    For the grand finale, the play offs will return to NSCI Mumbai, with the semi-finals scheduled for 21 August and the finals and play-offs scheduled for 23 August.

     

    For the entire schedule click here

  • Star India eyes big revenue from Pro Kabaddi League 2

    Star India eyes big revenue from Pro Kabaddi League 2

    MUMBAI: Kabaddi – a sport, predominantly known as villagers’ entertainment, successfully garnered cumulative reach of 435 million and managed to change popular perception when it made its debut in 2014. Star India’s Pro Kabaddi League became an avenue that has the potential to generate enormous revenue.

    While in the first edition, Star Sports was the title sponsor of the league instead of a brand, given the high ratings; it is unlikely that the second edition will see a similar occurrence. According to sources close to the development, in the first week of June, Star India will formally announce the sponsors and date of the tournament.

    So far, 2015 has been an action packed calendar for sports with the ICC Cricket World Cup, followed by the Indian Premier League (IPL). The entire sports loving fraternity is buoyed, which is a positive for broadcasters and organisers. However, an issue they might have to contend with is advertisers’ fatigue since multiple brands have spent heavily on the two cricket tournaments.        

    Pro Kabaddi League is a Mashal Sports initiative, which was initially a joint venture between quizmaster and commentator Charu Sharma and industrialist Anand Mahindra. However, Star India, in April 2015, acquired 74 per cent stake in Mashal Sports.

    Speaking about the second edition of the tournament, Sharma tells Indiantelevision.com, “It is going to be bigger and better than last year. The previous edition ended even before people got into it. While they wanted tickets, the stadiums were full. Pro Kabaddi League is an exhibition of athleticism and action. People liked the innovation because of the raw nature of the sport. This year, I am sure Star will back it with aggressive and accurate promotion, which will apprise the viewer of each and every minor occurrence. I am sure we are going to have an exquisite extravaganza this year.”

    A senior executive from the media fraternity is of the opinion that the ad rates for a 10 second slot during the tournament will be somewhere between Rs 75,000 – 80,000.

    Madison Media COO Dinesh Singh Rathod says, “Last year, it delivered the ratings and hence brands, who missed out on it or probably were unsure will aggressively forge for it. I see the sport as a good medium for promotions and subsequently won’t be surprise if there are brands galore in this edition.”

    The sports rules and regulations were twisted and turned to make the format interestingly elite says entrepreneur and franchisee owner Ronnie Screwvala. “When Charu introduced me to the facts and figures associated with the sport, I was surprised to know the number of players across the country who actively play Kabaddi and hence I was quite sure that the sport will work on television but for that it was necessary to make few changes and the federation (International Kabaddi Federation) was immensely cooperative. Mat came in, the sport from muddy outdoor land went indoor, the raider instead of chanting ‘kabaddi kabaddi’ without break of breath were given a time span to ensure fair judgment as it is impossible to make out for the referee if the raider broke the breath in an indoor stadium that is packed. So all this subtle changes made Kabaddi what it is,” Screwvala tells indiantelevision.com in an exclusive chat.

    Besides players and the innovations in the format, celebrities also played a vital role in the success of the tournament.  All eight franchises had a celebrity connect and names like Amitabh Bachchan and Aamir Khan were spotted sidelines screaming ‘Kabaddi ek Kabaddi do,’ which in turn drove their fan base to the sport.

    It now remains to be seen how many brands go aggressively to use Pro Kabaddi League as a platform to grab eyeballs and whether the sport turns out to be a productive asset for the Rupert Murdoch owned Star Sports.

  • Pro Kabaddi League season 2 pushed to July

    Pro Kabaddi League season 2 pushed to July

    MUMBAI: The Pro Kabaddi League was a surprise package last year wherein the sport managed to grab eyeballs on television and heavy presence of audience at the stadiums too.

     

    While the first edition of the league was held from 26 July to 31 August 2014, League promoter Anand Mahindra had said on the day of the finale, “We are very happy with the response for the League and Kabaddi and so will be back as early as March 2015.”

     

    However, now official sources have confirmed to Indiantelevision.com that the second edition of the League will not be kicked off in March but during the same window period as last year, i.e July to August 2015.

     

    The reason for the shift in schedule is being attributed to the evident clash with this year’s biggest sporting spectacle, the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015.

     

    Official broadcaster of the World Cup, Star Sports is also the broadcast partner for the Pro Kabaddi League. With Star Sports having its hands completely tied up with the Cricket World Cup, the League’s second season will now only kick off in the July to August 2015 period.

     

    Pro Kabaddi League was conceptualised by Mahindra and commentator Charu Sharma through their venture Mashal Sports. Sharma, known for his knowledge of the game, will also be seen playing the role of a cricket commentator during this edition of the World Cup.

     

    The last maiden season of the league was won by Abhishek Bachchan owned Jaipur Pink Panthers, which defeated Ronnie Screwvala owned U Mumba. Sources also confirmed that the second edition will not see any additional franchises taking part.

  • Star India’s bet with Pro Kabaddi League gets a thumbs up

    Star India’s bet with Pro Kabaddi League gets a thumbs up

    MUMBAI: Fans and advertisers who until now were most familiar with boundaries and record breaking centuries scored by cricketers in India are learning how to tackle a new game-Kabaddi which slowly yet steadily is raiding the hearts of many.

     

    During the 37 day Pro Kabaddi League (PKL), a massive 435 million viewers tuned in to catch the action which is almost triple the number of people who watched FIFA World Cup 2014 in India.  When compared to the glitzy Indian Premiere League (IPL) which garnered 552 million viewers, Kabaddi undoubtedly has become India’s second most favourite sport after cricket for now. (Source: CS4+; Extrapolated from TAM panel).

     

    A record 86.4 million people tuned in during the finale between Jaipur Pink Panthers and U-Mumba or three fourth of an average Indian Premier League match where the Abhishek Bachchan owned Jaipur Pink Panthers were crowned winners of the first season. Star has compared this number to global events like the FIFA World Cup, WWE Wrestlemania and Hockey World Cup and the Wimbledon Men’s final which recorded 24.6 million, 32.2 million, 10.4 million and 6.1 million respectively.

     

    When asked what contributed to the contact sports success, Star India president sports Nitin Kukreja says, “To bring viewers closer to the game, we aired the action on prime time. We also invested a lot for building an entire facility for the matches in most cities where the league travelled, simply because of the lack of infrastructure for the game in India.”

     

    According to Star India, one out of every four Indian TV viewers was watching the finale coverage between 8 pm and 10:30 pm on 31 August (All numbers are based on TAM panel reach using standard extrapolation estimates). Star says the ratings of 3.7 TVR in male 15+ABC TG is higher than most movie premiers and equivalent to top sporting events like IPL.

     

    While women came in full gear to the stadiums to watch the matches, they also accounted for over 39 per cent of all viewership and children 22 per cent which has also broken the stereotype that this was only a male dominated sport.

     

    On social media the league recorded a whopping 2.3 billion plus impressions during its successful run. Over 90 per cent comments and reactions noted on social media with regards to the league had a positive tone. Both 29 August and 31 August (series culmination day) generated the most ever daily conversations for the Star Sports Twitter handle with more than 25,000 tweets coming in each day. Kukreja informs that approximately 25 per cent of the total conversations happening on social media were initiated by women. “Never before has the Indian woman been so receptive to any other full contact sport,” he says.

     

    In terms of production values, the global best-in-class production teams were put together from other full contact sports with the aim of offering an unadulterated viewing experience to the sports fans through live coverage of the games. This effort was supported by International Management Group (IMG), Prometheus and Alston Elliot. Along with using as many as 15 cameras to cover every piece of action during the league, the sport was analysed in terms of statistics to boost the perception of the game being a serious sport and make it more engaging for the viewers.

     

    Kukreja informs that their marketing efforts were focused on creating a shift in perception to make Kabaddi relevant and aspirational to the urban youth. In order to create awareness and a sense of excitement around the league, they planned the promotion through an aggressive marketing campaign with the backing of the Star India network.

     

    “Our strategy was to indulge in a 360 degree marketing plan and also promote PKL through outdoors, on-ground activities and radio. The TV campaigns portrayed Kabaddi like never before and were conceptualised to achieve a perception shift from Kabaddi being a poor man’s game to it being a cool sport,” he says. 

     

    The on-air effort was complemented by a strong on-ground activation which got consumers across the eight franchise cities to experience the sport. These eight cities were Jaipur, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Delhi, Pune, Vizag, Kolkata, and Patna. Bollywood celebrities like Salman Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, Priyanka Chopra, Ajay Devgn and Anupam Kher added the glamour quotient to the league.

     

    In November 2013, Star had committed an investment of Rs 20,000 crore to help grow a multi sports culture in India. And for Star India CEO Uday Shankar, PKL is a signal of their commitment to foster the same.

     

    Indian businessman Anand G.Mahindra who set the vision for the game and is a co promoter of Mashal Sports along with popular commentator Charu Sharma said, “Charu and I feel humbled that our conviction in the potential and the popularity of the game has been vindicated.” In fact, looking at the success of the game, Mahindra also announced the second edition of the league that will kick off in March 2015.

     

    While advertisers played a wait and watch game during this maiden season, Kukreja says that the interest from advertisers kept building up as the tournament’s reach and popularity exponentially increased week after week.  He says, “While we continue working towards building Pro Kabaddi as a premium property, we’re confident that there will be a rush from the advertisers in the next season.”

     

    According to Group M ESP national director- entertainment sports and live events Vinit Karnik, while the industry was unsure initially, the league has performed above expectations and broken the perception that Kabaddi is a rural game. “Advertiser interest in the league has definitely increased, thanks to the surprise packaging of the game. The property should combine the on ground and on air packages together for the next season,” he opines.

  • When Kabaddi turned Pink!

    When Kabaddi turned Pink!

    Pink is the new colour of Kabaddi. The colour, associated with sensitivity, tenderness and femininity is definitely in stark contrast to the indigenous game which has its origins dating to the pre historic times. On 31 August,  when Jaipur Pink Panthers clawed U-Mumba during a nail biting finale of the Star Sports Pro Kabaddi League, the highly agile and contact sport was covered in Pink and announced its presence on the world stage.

     

    The Star Sports Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) which spanned 37 days and 60 matches, finally culminated at the National Sports Complex of India, Mumbai, the very same venue where the seeds of the game were first sown. While the Abhishek Bachchan-owned Jaipur Pink Panthers lifted the coveted trophy, the Ronnie Screwvala-owned U-Mumba team had to be content with the second spot.

     

    While many, including advertisers were skeptical whether the league would be able to generate audience’s interest both at the stadiums and on TV, the results are all out for the world to see. Not just male audiences, but women and children lapped up the game as they came in full gear supporting their respective teams with flags and merchandise. Families from Patna to Vizag, filled the stadiums with not just their presence but also their loud chants, enthusiasm, glee and even disappointment when their teams had to bid farewell. People connected to every raid taken by the 24 year old Jaipur Pink Panthers’ captain Maninder Singh. Players like him and U-Mumba captain Anup Kumar have a new-found fan base now. The last time when such enthusiasm was showcased was probably at the Wankhede stadium for India’s first love-Cricket.

     

    During the opening night 66 million Indians tuned in to watch the games on Star Sports and Star Gold claims the channel. On the micro blogging site Twitter, Star said it had generated conversations that were trending for nearly two days.

     

    No one but Star India, businessman Anand Mahindra and promoter Charu Sharma could have augured the path that Kabaddi has taken today. When Star India COO Sanjay Gupta earlier said that the sport would fit their objective of transforming the sports landscape in India, he was right. India seems to have found its second sport.

     

    The league proves that with a balanced mix of corporate backing, government support, telecast backing combined with international quality production values and celebrity endorsement, a lost game can draw renewed crowds to the stadium or tune in their TV sets. Therefore, it’s hardly a surprise that restaurants, bars and lounges had their customers asking for Kabaddi to witness the performance of 96 of the world’s best Kabaddi players. A few parents who complained that their kids were turning into couch potatoes are smiling, since their kids are now in the open playing the game.

     

    This has been driven by celebrities/owners of teams including Aamir Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, Shahrukh Khan, Sachin Tendulkar and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan who pledged their support to the games by being present at the venue.

     

    All in all, we eagerly wait to wear our favourite T-shirts at the next edition of the league beginning in March 2015 (hope the advertisers are listening!).

  • Kabaddi gets a new life with ‘Pro Kabaddi League’

    Kabaddi gets a new life with ‘Pro Kabaddi League’

    MUMBAI: After various leagues around cricket, hockey, badminton, football and tennis, it was time for Kabbadi to make a foray. Not missing the opportunity to bring back the rustic Indian sport to the limelight, Mashal Sports and the International Kabaddi Federation (IKF) launched the Pro Kabaddi League at the National Sports Club of India today.

     

    The sport has progressed from being a loved Indian game to the international platform. The League aims to extend its reach further to the international arena by bringing Indian and international players along with acclaimed Indian personalities and sports authorities on the same platform.

     

    The official website www.prokabaddi.com will be a repository of information on all things related to Pro Kabaddi as well as Kabaddi in general while Star Sports will be the official broadcast partner for the League, the matches of which will be held on a ‘home and away’ format with daily, LIVE, prime-time coverage.

     

    Star India COO Sanjay Gupta said: “Our association with Kabaddi is in line with our stated objective of transforming the sports landscape and enabling the growth of a multi-sport culture in India. Pro Kabaddi will build an ecosystem that can potentially take this game to the next level. We plan to offer an immersive and engaging experience for the Kabaddi viewers.”

     

    Mashal Sports co-promoter Anand Mahindra, who will play a key role in taking Kabaddi to another level, tweeted: “Had asked you about supporting indigenous sport, specifically Kabaddi. Well proud to be a co-promoter of #ProKabaddi league we launched today.”

     

    During the launch of the league, he also stated: “A vibrant, professional sports league can bring about a transformational change for the sport and its players. Pro Kabaddi is our attempt at bringing this change to our very own, extremely popular sport of Kabaddi. The modern, international, competitive form of the quintessentially Indian sport is already extremely popular across the world and with good television coverage and passionate team owners; Kabaddi’s massive following has the potential to make it the next big thing in sport.”

    Mashal Sports MD and well known commentator, compere and quizmaster Charu Sharma, who is the force behind conceptualising and organising the league recalled how he was pleasantly shocked to see the power, passion and reach of Kabaddi while commentating during the 2006 Doha Asian Games. “I just knew, instinctively then, and more surely now, that modern, international Kabaddi has all the ingredients required to make it a major, visible force in the world of sport. I am truly grateful to the many visionaries who have made Pro Kabaddi possible,” he remarked.

     

    World Sport Group (WSG) is the official commercial and event partners of the Pro Kabaddi League that has seen significant franchisee interest. Already pledging their support as team owners are leading entrepreneurs such as Ronnie Screwvala, Rajesh Shah (Mukand Group) and Kishore Biyani. Advanced discussions are on with other corporate giants such as the GMR Group and Murugappa Group. Even Shah Rukh Khan is known to be interested in it.

     

    The league has been organised in association with International Kabaddi Federation, Asian Kabaddi Federation and Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India.

     

    All Pro Kabaddi League matches will be played on a specially developed mat in state of the art indoor stadiums across eight cities. Top Kabaddi players from across India and the globe will participate in a show of intense competition and sporting camaraderie. A 10-minute exhibition match between top players in an ‘arena-within-an-arena’ at the NSCI Indoor Stadium, Mumbai spectacularly showcased the fresh, exciting and international face of Kabaddi. 

     

    Ogilvy & Mather executive chairman and creative director South Asia Piyush Panday said: “Kabaddi is the ultimate combination of power, agility and tactics. It is one of India’s unique treasures and I am glad that we are able to present it an international stage in such an exciting format.”

     

    The matches will be preceded by a player auction, where each of the teams will get equal opportunity to build their squads. Almost 100 players will be auctioned, out of which 72 players will be Indian and the rest will be international players from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Canada, England, Indonesia, Italy, Islamic Republic of Iran, Japan, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Turkmenistan, United States of America, Vietnam and Zimbabwe.

     

    The League is set to take the sport to a new level of prominence and ensure that stars such as Navneet Gautam, Rakesh Kumar, Ajay Thakur and Rajaguru are bound to become the new sporting heroes.

     

    Matches will be played as per the current international rules and regulations of the IKF. The Federation is also seriously considering making some small but significant changes to the game, to enhance its appeal on television. 

     

    Pro Kabaddi League, will have robust marketing strategies. Each franchisee will not only have their team colours and star players but also create their own fan following with innovative media outreach strategies. Sports enthusiasts, in India and across the world, can keep track of the matches, scores, and players as well as participate in the game through social media platforms such as the league’s website www.prokabaddi.com, Twitter handle @prokabaddi and Facebook page Pro Kabaddi.

  • Max gears up for the cricket World Cup

    Max gears up for the cricket World Cup

    MUMBAI: With seven weeks to go before the biggest sports event of the year the cricket World Cup kicks off Max is gearing up to create buzz around the event.

    Speaking to Indiantelevision.com Max business head Sneha Rajani says that Extraaa Innings the wrap around show kicks off at 5 pm on each match day. Since matches get over in the wee hours of the morning the pre show will start with a review of the previous match with the expert panel.

    It will then go on to previewing the upcoming match. This time around some matches will also air on the English movie channel Pix in case Max and Sab cannot accomodate them. Besides the first couple of Extraaa Innings Charu Sharma and Mandira Bedi the channel has commentators like Geoffrey Boycott, former Indian cricket coach John Wright who will provide an insider’s touch, Barry Richards and Ian Chappell. Max is also in the process of finding someone to send to the West Indies to join its commentary team with its Host Ka Dost hunt.

    Max has kicked off promotional activity for the World Cup with an on air campaign. The message is that one world will be converging in the West Indies to watch the event.

    The campaign is feel good and light in the spirit of the Caribbean which is known for its relaxed, fun atmosphere. From Friday a series of countdown spots will air to build anticipation. Rajani adds that no cricketers have been used. There will be calypso music to give viewers a feel of the upcoming event.

    On the ground the channel will conduct a roadshow next month. A van will visit 150 cities in a bid to get fans to express their support for the boys in blue. The winning placard will be sent to the Indian team. Rajani conceedes that the fact that matches finish late might impact viewing particularly for the non India games. The hope is that the matches will be involving enough so that viewers do not mind going to bed late even if the likes of Saurav and Sachin are not involved.

    The World Cup will be used to push Indian Idol 3 which is expected to kick off sometime in the May – June period on Sony. It will also push Max’s blockbusters which will kick off from May. Key shows on Sony and Sab will also be pushed.

  • Priyanka Chopra & Charu Sharma battle it out on ‘Hearbeat’

    ~ Catch the celebrities on the pulsating game show on Star One – Heart Beat, Monday to Thursday at 9.30 pm ~

     

    Mumbai, June 19 to 21, 2006: The thrill continues on HEART BEAT… Dil Thhaam Ke Khelo… as this week’s episodes that will air from Monday, June 19 to 21, 2006 will see Bollywood sensation Priyanka Chopra (June 19 & 20) & the intellectual commentator Charu Sharma (June 20 & 21), as they fight with their racing heartbeats while trying to find answers to the mind-boggling questions on the show!

    Heart Beat – Dil Thhaam ke Khelo does not ask the contestant to compete against a ticking timer, but his or her own heart beat. The calmer the player is, the easier it is to win. Imagine yourself isolated in a sealed booth…No audience, no host and not a soul in sight!

    However, there is help in the room – a reclining chair, a food and beverage bar, plasma screens, a music player with a song list, a soothing water fountain and a fishbowl.

    Will Priyanka Chopra create magic on Heart Beat? Will Charu Sharma prove his mettle on the show? Tune-in to Heart Beat on Star One every Monday to Thursday at 9.30 p.m. & play this game with your favourite celebrities!