ITV

Tag: Cricketainment

  • Entertainers Cricket League opens bids for two new teams after blockbuster debut

    Entertainers Cricket League opens bids for two new teams after blockbuster debut

    Mumbai: Following the massive success of its inaugural season, the Entertainers Cricket League (ECL) is expanding by adding two new franchise teams for the upcoming second season. This expansion presents an exciting opportunity for investors to be part of one of the fastest-growing leagues in the country, as the tender process is now officially open. Prospective team owners must register by 25 October 2024, with the auction set for 6 November 2024.  

    The ECL captivated a fan base of over 700 million across digital platforms during its debut season, blending cricket with entertainment and bringing together social media superstars, entertainers, and fans from around the world. The league’s fast-paced T10 format, held at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium from 13-22 September 2024, achieved impressive metrics, including 506,000 peak concurrent viewers on YouTube, 20.56 million TV viewers, and 600 million minutes of watch time.  

    ECL founder, Himanshu Chandnani expressed his excitement about the league’s growth: “The incredible response from fans, sponsors, and entertainers during the first season made it clear that ECL is more than just a cricket league—it’s a movement. By introducing two new teams, we’re giving even more stakeholders a chance to be part of this revolutionary format. The growth potential of ECL is massive, and this expansion offers a rare opportunity to tap into an audience that spans across sports and entertainment alike.”  

    Key Details for Expansion and Tender Process  

    – Registration Deadline: 25 October 2024  

    – Registration Fee: Rs 51,000 + GST, with bidding starting at Rs 3 crore  

    – Auction Date: 6 November 2024  

    – Tender Guidelines: Available upon request  

    – Contact for Information: contact@eclt10.in  

    The ECL aims to expand to eight teams, welcoming business leaders, celebrities, sports enthusiasts, and social media icons to participate in its growth. The two new franchises will help balance the league, create more matches, and provide opportunities for entertainers and cricket enthusiasts. The winning bidders will also have the opportunity to choose their team’s city, adding a personalized touch to their franchise.  

    The league’s inaugural season saw six teams—Haryanvi Hunters, Lucknow Lions, Punjab Veers, Dynamic Delhi, Bangalore Bashers, and Mumbai Disruptors—compete for the championship. The final match concluded with Elvish Yadav’s Haryanvi Hunters defeating Anurag Dwivedi’s Lucknow Lions by eight wickets, solidifying the league’s reputation for delivering thrilling moments in cricketainment.  

  • Big FM brings Cricketainment to radio

    Big FM brings Cricketainment to radio

    MUMBAI: With cricket fever gripping the nation, radio has decided to jump onto the bandwagon as well. Big FM today announced two new shows based on cricket in the run up to the World Cup.

    The FM has on board cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle and actor Shekhar Suman hosting two news shows on cricket.

    ‘Big Googly’ hosted by Shekhar Suman is a funny take on everything to do with cricket- the sponsors, the locker room brawls, the hits and near misses. The show to be aired during drive time in the evenings will keep listeners entertained with all the gossip around cricket and World Cup.

    Says Shekhar Suman, “Cricket has always been about entertainment and this show is about viewing the game in a lighter vein.” For good measure he also adds, “Thank God for radio, or it would have been someone in noodle straps who would be doing the show.”

    Cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle is not new to the medium. He started his career on AIR, Hyderabad before moving to television.

    On what Big Cricket expert would feature Bhogle pointed out that, “The whole question of cricketainment being debated today is quite strange. Cricket has always been all about entertainment. Until such time as we can have ball by ball commentary on private FM, radio will do a great job of providing analysis and updates on the matches.”

    Big Cricket Expert hosted by Bhogle will include a pre match show on the days of the match. He will also present a ‘Breakfast Show’ with post match analysis the following day.

    Big FM also plans to get in celebrities to give their take on the World Cup and its players.

    Speaking on this celebrity mix for ‘cricketainment’, Big FM national programming head Manav Dhanda said, “Cricket is believed to be a purists game for a lot of people in our country and therefore we have the best in the business to talk about the serious side of cricket- the matches et al. Shekhar Suman clearly brings in the fun element with his own brand of humour.”

    Big Googly and Big Cricket Expert are both national properties and will be aired across all the 12 Big FM stations operating across the country. The FM has also planned a series of a contests and interactive features around the two shows.