MUMBAI: US sports broadcaster ESPN will shut down its three year old 3D channel by the end of this year.
There is a lack of viewer interest in watching 3D content at home. ESPN 3D‘s audience ratings were below Nielsen‘s measurable threshold.
ESPN spokesperson Katina Arnold said in a tweet, “ESPN 3D was great at home but due to low adoption of 3D to home, we are discontinuing to focus on other products for fans and affiliates.”
MUMBAI: Star Sports has launched a digital campaign to engage cricket fans on-line for the on-going ICC Champions Trophy 2013. An extension of the main marketing campaign, this digital initiative is built around the main promotional theme – ‘Zor Lagao, Champions Banao‘. The channel has launched a microsite http://cheercam.starsports.com inviting people to show support for their favourite team and wish them all the best for ICC Champions Trophy 2013. Select cheers or entries with most views or shares online will be aired on-air during the pre/post programming show ‘Cricket Live‘.
Cricket aficionados can cheer for their favourite team using the CheerCam application which allows them to express their feelings in as expressive a way as possible. The more different one‘s cheer is, the more traction he or she will generate in the digital universe. The CheerCam application aggregates cheers across different social platforms like Facebook Posts, Likes, Shares, Tweets etc.
Users can also share their cheers on their individual Facebook walls, invite their friends to participate
and also tweet about it. The campaign will have extensions of the “Zor Lagao” theme on the Facebook page – www.facebook.com/starsportsindia, where fans can go and record/upload/share/write their cheers for their country. On Twitter, fans can cheer for their teams using the twitter hash-tag #ZorLagao.
ESPN Software India COO Vijay Rajput said, “The campaign is based on the powerful insight that there is a symbiotic relationship between a spectator/fan & a player and that the spectator is as much part of the game as the player. The idea here is to inspire fans to support their favourite team who further gain strength when millions of fans express their support in the most vociferous way. We believe that fans should do their part – “Zor Lagao” and fervently hope that their favourite team comes back victorious from the ICC Champions Trophy 2013 – “Champions Banao.”
This campaign will have on-air support on the entire Star network. As had been reported earlier by Indiantelevision.com Star Cricket and Star Cricket HD will showcase all the 15 matches of the event with English commentary while STAR Sports 2 will showcase all matches with Hindi commentary. Besides, the sports broadcaster will also showcase four of the six kick-off matches live before the start of the main tournament. India takes on Sri Lanka on 1 June while India Australia kick-off match is scheduled for 4 June.
MUMBAI: It was a spat, which was in the works for almost six months. But now it has been resolved – amicably, at least if one goes by a press release issued by ESPN Star Sports (ESS).
Though details are not available on what the terms are ESS has signed a multi-year agreement with Airtel Digital TV to enable distribution of its channels Star Cricket, Star Sports, Star Sports 2, ESPN, Star Cricket HD and ESPN HD on the latter’s DTH platform.
In late 2012, Airtel had yanked ESPN and Star Cricket HD channels from its platform citing prohibitive pricing of the two channels. Then on 22 March, the sports network deactivated the channels on its DTH and IPTV platforms due to Bharti Telemedia and Bharti Airtel’s “non-signing of agreements and breach of statutory obligations.”
MUMBAI: OTT subscription service Netflix has published a report called Long Term View. The report says that the evolution to Internet TV apps is already starting. It notes that existing networks, such as ESPN and HBO that offer amazing apps will get more viewing than in the past, and be more valuable. Existing networks that fail to develop first-class apps will lose viewing and revenue.
“Apps that provide on-demand viewing are critical because people don‘t love the linear TV experience where channels present programmes at particular times on non-portable screens with complicated remote controls. Finding good things to watch isn‘t easy or enjoyable. In addition to Netflix, most of the world‘s leading linear TV networks are moving into Internet TV,” Netflix says.
It has given the examples of HBO and ESPN. ESPN, Netflix notes will keep improving their app to try to stay ahead of MLB.tv, which it says is another terrific Internet TV sports app.
“The HBO Go app makes HBO‘s films and series much more accessible than on HBO‘s linear channel. The BBC iPlayer app in the UK provides a rich and popular on-demand interface for a wide range of BBC programming. The other major linear networks are not far behind,” according to Netflix.
Netflix adds that while Internet TV is only a very small per cent of video viewing today, the expectation is that it will grow every year because:
Netflix goes on to note that eventually, as linear TV is viewed less, the spectrum it now uses on cable and fibre will be reallocated to expanding data transmission. Satellite TV subscribers will be fewer, and mostly be in places where high-speed Internet (cable or fibre) is not available. The importance of high-speed Internet will increase.
It cites examples of this transformation taking place in different nations. “In the UK, for example, the BBC is already starting to programme more for its iPlayer app than for its linear channels, given the large and growing viewing on the iPlayer. For most existing networks, this economic transition will occur through TV Everywhere. If a consumer continues to subscribe to linear TV from a multi-channel video programme distributor (MVPD), they get a password to use the Internet apps for the networks they subscribe to on linear.”
The key to avoid cord cutting for networks, according to Netflix, is to keep their prime-time programming behind the authentication wall. It proposes that same consumer who today finds it worthwhile to pay for a linear TV package will likely pay for a ‘linear plus apps‘ package. Netflix further says that Internet TV apps will improve just like the mobile phone over the next 20 years.
In addition to creating opportunity for linear networks, the emergence of Internet TV also enables new apps like Netflix, YouTube, MLB.tv, and iTunes to build large scale direct-to-consumer services that are independent of the traditional MVPD bundle. Netflix notes that while it competes for entertainment time with traditional networks, the scope of such time is quite large. Consumer time devoted to web browsing and video games, for instance, has expanded hugely over the last two decades without a corresponding diminution of TV viewing.
MUMBAI: As part of its strategy to go beyond 140 characters, micro-blogging site Twitter has tied up with BBC America to offer the first in-Tweet branded video synced to entertainment TV series.
This news comes after reports that Twitter was in talks with NBCUniversal and Viacom for content. Twitter has also launched a music service.
Twitter already has partnerships with Time Warner‘s TBS, sports broadcaster ESPN and the Weather Channel.
MUMBAI: ESPN Software India has issued a public notice informing Airtel digital TV subscribers that ESPN, Star Sports and Star Cricket channels will be de-activated from the platform due to non-signing of agreement and breach of statutory obligations by ESPN Software India.
The notice says that the three channels will also be de-activated from Airtel‘s IPTV platform. The channels will be de-activated in 21 days after the expiry of the notice, which was issued on 1 March.
Last year, Airtel digital TV had de-activated ESPN and Star Cricket HD channels from its platform citing prohibitive prices of the two channels.
MUMBAI: A federal jury in Manhattan has awarded Dish Network $4.9 million in its disputes with ESPN for breach of
contract.
The 10-member jury unanimously decided that ESPN was liable for breaching a 2005 licensing agreement by allowing rivals to pay lower rates for its Spanish channel ESPN Deportes without extending the same offer to Dish.
The award was, however, less than the $152 million that Dish had sought from ESPN.
“We are gratified that the jury rejected all but one of Dish‘s claims and all but $4.8 million of the more than $153 million in damages they were seeking,” ESPN said in a statement.
The Walt Disney affiliate also said that it had not yet decided whether or not it will appeal the case.
MUMBAI: Digital media company Affle has partnered with India Today Group to exclusively power all video and rich media advertising for the India Today Group through its recently launched rich media and video ad network – ‘Ripple‘.
As a part of this partnership, the India Today Group would employ Affle‘s ‘Ripple‘ ad network to serve all video ads on its online properties and to serve video and rich media ads across India Today Group‘s properties on the iPad/Tablet platforms.
The announcement comes close to Affle‘s declaration of similar partnerships with Yahoo! and ESPN Cricinfo for rich media and mobile advertising in India.
Commenting on the partnership, Affle Co-founder and CEO Anuj Kumar said, “We have experienced tremendous growth on the Ripple network since its launch in August 2012. Our technology innovations for engaging media experiences are delivering great returns for top publishers and advertiser partners and we are very pleased to welcome the India Today Group as a partner for Ripple.
“In recent months top advertisers like Samsung, Nokia, Microsoft, Maruti Suzuki, adidas, Coca Cola, Hyundai have partnered with us to deliver cutting edge ad experiences across our network and we believe that our leading advertisers would also welcome the addition of a top & highly reputed publisher partner like the India Today Group on Ripple.”
India Today Group CEO Ashish Bagga said, “Over the years the India Today group has built some very solid digital assets for its top properties including India Today, Business Today, Aaj Tak, Cosmopolitan and many others. We are seeing tremendous growth on video consumption on these digital properties with an increasing consumption skew on mobile devices and are thus very pleased to partner with an industry leader like Affle to integrate their truly innovative advertising technologies and benefit from their well established partnerships on the Ripple ad network business.”
MUMBAI: The two-wheeler giant Hero MotoCorp signed a multi-year deal with Hockey India to take title sponsorship of its ambitious franchise-based league, Hockey India League (HIL).
With this sponsorship, the tournament will be called Hero Hockey India League and underlines Hero MotoCorp’s support for the game.
Hero MotoCorp was the Title Sponsor of the 2012 Olympics Qualifier Tournament – ‘Hero FIH Road to London 2012’, which was won by the Indian Men’s team, thereby securing a berth in the 2012 Olympic Games. In 2010, Hero was also the Title Sponsor of the men’s, FIH World Cup held in New Delhi.
Announcing this here today, Hockey India secretary and HIL chairman Narinder Batra said, “We are delighted to have Hero MotoCorp as the Title Sponsor of the Hockey India League. Hero Group and particularly its MD & CEO Pawan Munjal have always been great well-wishers of Indian Hockey and they have supported many initiatives of Hockey India in the past few years.”
Hero MotoCorp MD & CEO Pawan Munjal said, “Hockey holds a special place in our hearts and we are pleased to partner with Hockey India League. I am sure that the initiative taken by Hockey India to start this league will go a long way in developing the game and bring back its old glory.”
The inaugural Hero Hockey India League will be held from 14 January to 10 February 2013 involving 120 leading players. The HIL will feature a total of 34 matches.
ESPN Star Sports is the global broadcast rights partner for HIL till 2017.
The league will involve five teams Delhi Waveriders, Jaypee Punjab Warriors, Uttar Pradesh Wizards, Mumbai Magicians and Ranchi Rhinos will compete in the inaugural season at five venues – Delhi, Jalandhar, Lucknow, Mumbai and Ranchi respectively.
MUMBAI: India‘s battering at the hands of English team notwithstanding, sports broadcaster ESPN Star Sports has almost sold out its ad inventory for the upcoming India-Pakistan series.
The sports broadcaster has roped in nine sponsors, including four joint presenting and five associate sponsors, for the two T20s and three ODIs.
The joint presenting sponsors include Havell’s, Celikon Impex, Hero Moto Corp, and Micromax LED TV, while the associate sponsors are Coca Cola, Vodafone, Karbonn Tablets, Cadbury and Pidilite.
ESPN Software India EVP Ad Sales Sanjay Kailash said, “We started off with a target to have four joint presenting sponsor and six associate sponsors. As of now, we have signed four joint presenting and five associate. There are multiple spot buyers as well.”
ESS was asking for 800,000 per 10 second spot for the ODIs and a mind-boggling Rs 900,000-1 million for T20s. Advertisers say the price is too steep even from an India-Pakistan series point of view.
ESS, however, claims it has achieved whatever internal revenue targets it had set. “We have monetised India Pakistan ODIs at a rate which is double as compared to the historical industry average. Even rates for India Pakistan T20 are double than the most sought after T20 tournament in the country,” Kailash said. In all, we are sitting pretty having achieved our targets. There is a minuscule inventory which is yet to be sold but we are confident that the same will be done in the next two days.”
The two arch rivals are engaging in a bi-lateral series after a gap of more than five years. The two teams last time locked horns in ICC Twenty20 World Cup in Sri Lanka this year.