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Tag: Cricket

  • Virat Kohli continues association with Audi India

    Mumbai: Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli will continue his association with Audi India, the German luxury automobiles manufacturer announced on Saturday. Kohli has been associated with Audi India since 2015 and has been an integral part of the brand’s marketing and social campaigns.

    “Whether it’s behind the steering wheel or on the pitch with a bat in the hand, performance, consistency, and technique are what define perfection. I have been an Audi fan even before I was formally associated with the brand. Audi cars reflect elegance and sportiness, which resonate perfectly with my personality. I am extremely delighted to continue my association with Audi India and be a part of the brand family. It is safe to say that my relationship with Audi India is more of a test match than just a T20”, said Kohli.

    The Indian skipper has featured extensively in campaigns like #TogetherWithAudi, #MovingForward, and a few product launch campaigns. His continued alliance with the Audi brand includes advertisement campaigns, social media engagement, and event collaborations, said the company.

    “Kohli perfectly embodies the progressive premium image of the brand Audi,” said Audi India head, Balbir Singh Dhillon. “He has been a part of the Audi India family for more than half a decade and is clearly a great fit, as both exemplify brilliant innovation in their performance. We look forward to an even more exciting journey going forward.”

  • BharatPe seals strategic, long term partnership with ICC

    New Delhi: BharatPe on Monday announced that it has entered into a strategic partnership with International Cricket Council (ICC).

    The agreement will ensure BharatPe’s involvement and integration at all ICC events throughout the term, beginning with the final of the ICC World Test Championship between India and New Zealand in Southampton. As a prestigious partner of ICC, BharatPe will promote the association across broadcast and digital platforms, as well as execute in-venue brand activations at all the ICC events it said on Monday.

    These include the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup (India, 2021), ICC Men’s T20 World Cup (Australia, 2022), ICC Women’s World Cup (New Zealand, 2022), ICC U19 Cricket World Cup (West Indies, 2022), ICC Women’s T20 World Cup (South Africa, 2022), ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup (India, 2023) and ICC World Test Championship (2023).

    The partnership will also enable BharatPe to roll out innovative campaigns to connect and engage with millions of cricket fans and shop owners across the country.

    BharatPe’s co-founder and CEO, Ashneer Grover, said, “We believe that cricket is one of the biggest unifiers – that cuts across geographies and/or languages. I am confident that this association will enable us to build a stronger relationship with our existing merchants, as well as engage better with millions of new, small merchants across the length and breadth of India. It is a matter of immense pride for us that BharatPe, a truly Indian company that started its journey just 2.5 years ago, will be representing the nation on global platforms of ICC.”

    According to the company, the partnership is an organic extension to its existing brand strategy centred around cricket. It has its own ‘Team BharatPe’ comprising of eleven Indian cricket stars as its brand ambassadors, namely, Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, KL Rahul, Mohammed Shami, Ravindra Jadeja, Suresh Raina, Shreyas Iyer, Prithvi Shaw, Sanju Samson, Yuzvendra Chahal, and Shubhman Gill.

    ICC, chief commercial officer, Anurag Dahiya, Chief Commercial Officer said, “Our women’s and men’s events provide leading brands an unparalleled, high-reach platform for conversations with very involved and passionate fans. Our commercial partners have greatly benefitted from working with us on our events and 2021-23 presents a unique opportunity with five senior level World Cups taking place, which will set the stage for reaching out to an unprecedented number of cricket fans.”

  • ICC WTC Final: Star Sports launches promotional film with 12 sponsors onboard

    ICC WTC Final: Star Sports launches promotional film with 12 sponsors onboard

    KOLKATA: Cricket fans across the world are eagerly waiting for the India-New Zealand face-off on 18 June to decide the winner of the ICC World Test Championship 2021. In the run-up to the event, the official broadcaster Star Sports has released a promotional film capturing Team India’s journey to the finale and the excitement building among fans around the momentous Test match.

    The film, voiced over by cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle, is a narrative on the scintillating journey of the Indian cricket team in the lead-up to this landmark event. The skilful Blackcaps (New Zealand team) are equally eager to create history by becoming World Test Champion for the first time ever.

    The channel has roped in 12 sponsors for the mega event, which includes four co-presenting sponsors- Dream 11, Byju’s, Thumbs Up and Car 24 and eight associate sponsors namely Skoda, MRF, Cred, NiyoX, paisabazaar.com, UltraTech Cement, PharmaEasy, and policybazaar.com.

    “The World Test Championship will be a defining moment in Cricket, similar to the 1st ODI World cup in 1975 and the first T20 World Cup in 2007,” Star & Disney India sports head Sanjog Gupta said in a press statement on Thursday. “Over the last eight years, Star India has invested significant resources and effort to boost interest in Test Cricket. We saw the India v England series earlier this year register record viewership, which strengthened our belief in the appeal amongst core fans for the oldest format of the game. So, it’s appropriate that the first-ever ‘World Champion’ in Test Cricket will also be crowned on the network.”

    The key rivalries within the match, bringing some of the biggest names in World Cricket up against each other, could decide the destiny of the game and hence, a place in the record books. It will be an Ultimate Test of contrasting leadership styles between the ever-passionate Virat Kohli, and the calmness personified by Kane Williamson.

    In the bowling department, bragging rights will be up for grabs as Trent Boult and Jasprit Bumrah lead their respective bowling attacks. The fight between the spin and guile of Ravichandran Ashwin and the tenacious experience of Ross Taylor will be an ultimate battle of tactics. Pujara vs Jamieson; Pant vs Watling; Rohit vs Wagner – the list is long and intriguing; and the ultimate Test winner will be decided by these captivating battles within the match.

  • Vivo IPL to recommence in UAE in Sep-October

    Vivo IPL to recommence in UAE in Sep-October

    MUMBAI: The world’s most valued cricket league – the Vivo Indian Premier League (IPL) is set to make a comeback (and continue from where it left off early May) in September-October 2021 in the United Arab Emirates. This was announced by The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah through a press release a short while ago.

    The decision was taken, Shah revealed, because “the monsoon season in India (is still in place) in the months of September-October this year.”

    It may be recalled that the Vivo IPL 2021 had to be aborted following three cricketers getting infected by the novel coronavirus, despite strict bio bubbles being in place. At that time, India had just started reporting global world-record-setting Covid-19 infections as the pandemic’s second wave gathered pace.

    The decision was taken at the special general meeting (SGM) held virtually, where members unanimously agreed to resume the IPL. India is all set to play a five-match test series against England, and it is speculated that the T20 series will commence immediately after the tour ends.

    The BCCI SGM on Saturday further authorised its office bearers to seek an extension of time from the ICC to take an appropriate call on the hosting of ICC T20 World Cup 2021.

    IPL’s comeback is a welcome one for the broadcaster Disney Star India, advertisers, and agencies who were left twiddling their thumbs when a decision was taken to pull down the curtains on the tournament because of the negative Covid-19 sentiments and burgeoning deaths due to the pandemic in India.

    Advertisers – who had signed for the IPL which was to end this month – were given the first right of refusal to their deals with Disney Star India when the tournament’s recommencement dates would be announced.

  • Sony Sports strike a chord with its latest campaign ‘Sirf Sony Pe Dikhega’

    Sony Sports strike a chord with its latest campaign ‘Sirf Sony Pe Dikhega’

    MUMBAI: To highlight all the delightful and adrenaline-pumping offerings that the Sony Sports Pack has on offer, the brand has come out with a new film.

    Aimed at driving the Sony Sports Pack subscription, the latest campaign from Sony Sports highlights the consumer delight that Sony Sports brings about with its diverse offerings throughout the day, all year long. The short video humorously drives in the message that a Sony Sports pack is as essential to a happy family as roti, kapda aur makaan!

    The film juxtaposes two neighbouring families – The sporty Gupta Family, which is led by the renowned actor Ranvir Shorey and the not-so-sporty Mehta Family, which is led by the accomplished actor, Deven Bhojani- and the difference Sony Sports brings about in their lives.

    Through a series of quirky slice-of-life situations, the contrast between the Gupta Family, which has subscribed to Sony Sports Channels and the Mehta Family which hasn’t taken the subscription is brought to the fore.

    Where the Gupta family always has something to look forward to & celebrate together, the Mehta Family is shown to have a drab existence, always wondering at the source of their neighbours’ constant merry making.

    The film concludes with Guptaji excitedly reciting the fully-loaded product offerings of Sony Sports which keep his family enthralled, all day long, namely: WWE, UEFA Champions League, Euro 2020, Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, India tour of SL, India tour of England, and more! Finally, he recommends his neighbour, Mehtaji to subscribe to Sony Sports Channels as well, for the non-stop, year-long LIVE sporting entertainment.

  • IPL 2021 set to resume, come September

    IPL 2021 set to resume, come September

    Kolkata: In what could be good news to many in business, Indian Premier League (IPL 2021) is likely to resume on 18 or 19 September in UAE, as per media reports.

    The final game may be played on 9 or 10 October. The three-week window will see many power packed matches if played with as many as 10 double header matches.

    The league was postponed earlier this month after the bio bubble security was breached. Four team members, including staffers tested positive for the COVID-19 infection even as the number of cases started picking up across India. Moreover, it was also called out for being ‘tone deaf’ in the middle of an ongoing pandemic crisis.

    “The BCCI has spoken to all the stakeholders and the likely start could be between September 18th to 20th. Since September 18 is a Saturday and 19 a Sunday, it is more likely that you would want to re-start it on a weekend date,” a BCCI official was quoted in a PTI report.

    It would be a big relief for the advertising industry as well with huge amounts of money committed to the IPL sports calendar.

    As per reports, BCCI will not ask the England Cricket Board to change dates for the India-England series. After the last match, players will be flown to UAE in a chaterd flight in a bio bubble transfer.

  • Brands respond with optimism, as pandemic throws up new challenges

    Brands respond with optimism, as pandemic throws up new challenges

    KOLKATA: The absence of live sports during the pandemic has not only been felt by fans, but by brands and advertisers alike. Even when the games returned, they remained restricted to empty stadiums with players inside a bio-bubble. Despite the challenges, sport is not losing its charm even during these uncertain times, especially cricket.

    So it was no surprise, when the much-awaited Indian Premier League (IPL) broke all viewership records after its return last September. The 13th edition of the cash-rich league breathed life into the distressed advertising sector which was hit hard by the extended lockdowns. Eventually when the tournament returned this year in April, the hopes were high. But they came crashing down, when the league had to be suspended midway amid the worsening situation in the country, battling it’s worst ever health crisis.

    While the Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) is still looking for another window to finish the rest of the tournaments, advertisers remain optimistic. If the next window is in September later this year, the consumer sentiment will be at its peak, opined DDB Mudra Group Integrated Media country head, managing partner Rammohan Sundaram. The chances of reaching out to a bigger audience will increase as more people are expected to watch. So, it would be more positive for business compared to March, Sundaram added.

    He was speaking at ‘Brands and live sports in the pandemic times’ organised by Indiantelevision.com, moderated by founder, CEO and editor-in-chief Anil Wanvari and attended by Havas Media Group India CEO Mohit Joshi, upGrad India CEO, Arjun Mohan, Mobile Premier League (MPL) corporate development, investors relation SVP Joe Wadakethalakal and DDB Mudra Group Integrated Media country head, managing partner Rammohan Sundaram.

    “It was the right decision to not run IPL 2021 that time, as it would have appeared very tone-deaf,” said upGrad India CEO Arjun Mohan. “By the time it returns, the mood of the nation will change. upGrad can look forward to creating campaigns around it.”

    “Keeping aside the economic situation and the mood of the country in the pandemic, I think the big breach was in regards to the bubble which should not have ideally happened. IPL is not ready to handle the pandemic situation in India,” Sundaram added.

    Havas Media Group India CEO Mohit Joshi also agreed it was a good decision to take off IPL while bio bubble security was already broken. However, he noted that IPL is a very big component of P&L, it builds a strategy for the entire year. Overall, the sports genre is itself important for the agency.

    Mohan also agreed that any brand that is advertising in India cannot ignore sports. Fundamentally, the way upGrad looks at live sports is the reach and width it offers, so it prefers Cricket. The brand has tried multiple other sports too like the English Premier League (EPL) which has very loyal committed fans.

    However, the scale of those sports does not give many reasons for the brand to invest now. When a brand’s objective is to achieve reach through various campaigns, cricket qualifies for now. He also noted that Kabaddi may reach there in the future.

    Mobile Premier League (MPL) corporate development, investors relation SVP Joe Wadakethalakal shared the increasing interest among the e-sports platform to engage with sports that have the broadest reach. So it focuses primarily on cricket for brand-building activities. It also finds value in international cricket if team India is involved.

    Joshi said that he has been fortunate enough to have clients who go beyond Cricket. For example, Tata Motors associated with Kabaddi for its trucks. However, ROI and investment were very different indeed. But even brands invest in other sports, the spends are largely skewed towards cricket.

    “We are planning to launch a sports marketing division. There is a holistic approach that one needs to take to understand what sporting events can deliver,” Sundaram added.

    However, all the experts agreed that brands should be agile in these uncertain times. Rather than planning for the entire year, the agencies and brands should look at a month or even for two weeks. “One has to be short-term focused with a long-term strategy,” Joshi summed up.

  • How brands are looking at live sports in pandemic times

    How brands are looking at live sports in pandemic times

    KOLKATA: The pandemic has brought live sports to a standstill across the world for a brief period. Despite the re-start of major sporting events, most tournaments continued to be played in empty stadiums.

    The broadcasters relied on the use of augmented reality, virtual reality to sustain the viewer’s attention. But, the tectonic shift in the way a game is being played impacted big brands along with franchises, players, athletes, federations who depend on sports for better reach and higher recall. Many had to tweak their advertising strategies to adapt to the changing times.

    Amid all this, came the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). One of the biggest sporting extravaganzas returned to the home-country after more than a year. But, as the game was beginning to catch momentum, the ferocious second wave of the pandemic compelled the Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) to suspend it mid-way, leaving the advertisers in a quandary.

    In India, larger spends on sports revolve around Cricket given the fandom of the game across the country. After an unusual year, the entire industry was looking forward to 2021 with big-ticket tournaments in pipeline. But with the IPL 2021 suspended indefinitely, the eyes are now on the upcoming tournaments in the sports calendar.

    At this critical juncture, Indiantelevision.com is organising a virtual panel discussion to deliberate on ‘Brands and live sports in the pandemic times’ on 21 May (Friday) at 3 pm. The roundtable is part of the Television Boardroom series.

    The esteemed panel includes speakers from brands and advertising agencies: Havas Media Group India CEO Mohit Joshi, DDB Mudra Group Integrated Media country head, managing partner Rajmohan Sundaram, upGrad India CEO, Arjun Mohan and Mobile Premier League (MPL) corporate development, investors relation SVP Joe Wadakethalakal. The panel discussion will be moderated by Indiantelevision.com founder, CEO & editor-in-chief Anil Wanvari.

    The virtual session will begin at 3:00 pm on Friday and will be live-streamed on YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter. 

    Join us for an insightful discussion! 

  • IPL suspension may hit Disney+ subscribers’ growth, ad revenue, says top exec

    IPL suspension may hit Disney+ subscribers’ growth, ad revenue, says top exec

    KOLKATA: When the Board of Cricket Council of India (BCCI)’s announced on 4 May, that it is indefinitely suspending the Indian Premier League (IPL) mid-way, the decision was backed by advertisers and broadcasters alike. The health and safety of players and staff was indeed paramount in  wake of the current Covid crisis in the country.

    But it also left media and advertising professionals guessing the impact that the suspension of one of the biggest cricket tournaments could have on the businesses, especially IPL’s official broadcaster – Star India.

    According to a top Disney executive, there could be an immediate effect on Disney+ subscriber addition guidance for the next two quarters. Despite lesser revenue with a low ARPU, Disney+Hotstar contributes significantly to the overall subscriber base of The Walt Disney Co’s biggest streaming bet since Disney’s entry in India last year merging with existing Hotstar service.

    While Disney+ paid subscribers have reached 103.6 million subscribers, Disney+Hotstar has nearly crossed around 34.5 million subscribers, which accounts for one-third of the overall base.

    The company spokespersons in the earnings call revealed that they expect “fewer net subscribers’ addition in the second half of the year given the Covid-related suspension of the IPL season and the decision to move the Star+ Latin America launch to the fourth quarter.” After the launch of Disney+Hotstar in India, the network had taken the tournament entirely behind the paywall for the first time.

    Other than millions of viewers who tune in to TV or OTT platforms to watch one of the biggest cricket spectacles, numerous brands also line up for quick reach and brand recall. Disney+Hotstar had roped in 14 sponsors for IPL 2021 and was expected to rake in higher ad revenue this year. But with the recent turn of events, IPL suspension could hit the advertising revenue too. “You could see a decrease in the ARPU and the subscribers in India if that plays out like we just said,” Christine McCarthy said during the earnings call.

    The 14th edition of the IPL was suspended after the bio-secure bubble was invaded by the Covid-19 and several players and team staff contracted the disease. The fate of the tournament now hangs in balance, as BCCI now faces the challenge of finding a suitable window to play the rest of the matches this year. BCCI president Sourav Ganguly has already made it clear that there is no option, but to play the remainder of the season outside India.

    “About half of the 60 IPL matches that were expected to be played this season have already taken place. So you’re looking at the back half, 30 games to be played. So sure, if they were able to successfully relocate the tournament, we would hopefully see an impact, especially on advertising,” McCarthy replied while asked if rescheduling of IPL would change the outlook for the second half of the financial year.

    With the second wave of Covid-19 ravaging the country, and a third wave likely, it remains to be seen how BCCI will navigate through the pandemic and schedule the remaining matches in a Cricket-packed year. The big-ticket events like ICC T20 World Cup are also scheduled for October-November 2021.

    “The big issue is going to be when in the quarter and if it overlaps into q4, or if it goes into the first fiscal quarter, which starts for us and the beginning of October. So it would have an impact on it, it just depends on when it would come in. Let’s hope they can relocate it,” McCarthy added further.

  • IPL 2021: MI-CSK game becomes the most-watched midseason match

    IPL 2021: MI-CSK game becomes the most-watched midseason match

    KOLKATA: What does India love to watch? Cricket, especially the Indian Premier League (IPL) which continues to remain top of the chart. Despite being suspended mid-way due to a surge in Covid-19 cases, the 14th edition of the league managed to create new viewership records.

    With 11.2 billion minutes, the MI-CSK game on … became the most-watched IPL mid-season match ever (in BARC history). This match also became the most-watched match of the entire season. This is in addition to IPL 2021 surpassing the overall reach of 367 million versus 357 million in 2020.

    Mumbai Indians (MI) had pulled off a nail-biting win, which was also their fourth victory of the season as they beat table-toppers Chennai Super Kings (CSK) by four wickets at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi.

    The growth in numbers is a testament to the faithful fan following that IPL enjoys and the continuous effort by Star and Disney to innovate and grow the league each year.

    Star India network garnered a cumulative reach of 352 million in the first 26 matches of IPL 2021 compared to 349 million in the corresponding number of matches in IPL 2020 (Source – BARC TG: 2+U+R).

    The opening match between defending champions Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore also received a tremendous response, bigger than opening matches of all other IPL editions held previously other than Dream11 IPL 2020 and 42 per cent higher than the edition in 2019.