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Tag: ESPN

  • KKR announces Kaustabh Jha as new Head of Marketing

    KKR announces Kaustabh Jha as new Head of Marketing

    Mumbai: Kolkata Knight Riders announces the appointment of Kaustubh Jha as Head of Marketing. Kaustubh comes with over 10 years of experience in partnerships, content marketing and campaign management. He joins KKR from ESPN, where he was leading brand and content marketing for both ESPN Cricinfo and ESPN.in.

    Venky Mysore CEO & MD, KKR said, “We are delighted to have Kaustubh on board to lead the Marketing & fan building initiatives of the Knight Rider brand, which is not only the leading brand in IPL but through our presence in CPL & other initiatives around the world has genuinely become a global brand”

    Prior to ESPN, Kaustubh was part of Marketing, Business & Consumer Insights team at MTV, Viacom18 Media Pvt. Ltd.

  • Disney’s flagship streaming service to enter market in late 2019

    Disney’s flagship streaming service to enter market in late 2019

    MUMBAI: Walt Disney (Disney) reported strong earnings for the fiscal fourth-quarter topping analysts' expectations. While Media Networks revenue for the quarter increased 9 per cent year-over-year to $6 billion, Studio Entertainment revenues for the quarter increased 50 per cent to $2.2 billion. Along with the financial result, the company also announced that its streaming service set to launch late next year in US market which will be called Disney+.

    “Disney+ will be offering a rich array of original Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars and National Geographic content, along with unprecedented access to our incredible library of film and television content, including all of our new theatrical releases, starting with the 2019 slate,” Disney chairman and CEO Robert A Iger said.

    The content pipeline of the flagship service will also include The Mandalorian, the world's first live action Star Wars series written and produced by Jon Favreau. A rebooted version of Disney’s super hit The High School Musical franchise will be also a part of the content pipeline. Moreover, the service will be the exclusive home of the next season of the popular Star Wars animated series Clone Wars. A live-action Marvel series about Loki starring Tom Hiddleston is also being developed.

    Its other streaming service ESPN+ which was launched six months ago already has more than 1 million subscribers. As of now it owns 60 per cent stake in Hulu also. Disney thinks there's an opportunity to increase investment in the digital platform on the programming side. However, as Comcast and AT&T Time Warner are other two partners in Hulu, it will keep an eye toward being fiscally responsible to the other shareholders.

    While Disney purchased Fox for $71.3 billion in cash and stock, it is confident that the television business that it is buying is very attractive, not just in the US. “If you factor in Star in India and the rest of Asia, and you factor in Europe where they have a substantially greater footprint of channels than we do, which by the way may ultimately end up helping us with content and distribution when it comes to the direct-to-consumer business,” Iger commented.

    Going beyond Wall Street’s projected earnings of $6.94 per share on $58.87 billion in revenue for the full year, Disney reported adjusted earnings of $7.08 per share on $59.43 billion in revenue. While the company is happy with the financial performance in fiscal 2018, they want to remain focused on the successful completion and integration of 21st Century Fox acquisition and the further development of our direct-to-consumer business.

  • SPN India elevates Aditya Mehta as head – corporate strategy

    SPN India elevates Aditya Mehta as head – corporate strategy

    MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Network (SPN) India has elevated Aditya Mehta as the head – corporate strategy from head of business development.

    Aditya has over 14 years of extensive experience in varied roles across investment banking, venture capital and media and entertainment. His expertise lies in corporate strategy, business-scaling and evaluation, content strategy, operational execution, strategic and financial analysis.

    He has played an instrumental role in the network’s growth and expansion. Besides network expansion, Aditya has worked on some key content acquisition deals such as media rights for Cricket Australia, England & Wales Cricket Board, and other key sports and non-sports rights. Some notable strategic initiatives include the acquisition of Ten Sports from ZEEL, joint venture with BBC, re-entry of ESPN in India and Kids channel foray.

    In his new role, Aditya Mehta will plan and manage the development of business strategy at SPN. Key aspects of the role would also include strategic roadmap for the long-term and implementation of it.

  • Andrew Marshall joins HOOQ as general counsel

    Andrew Marshall joins HOOQ as general counsel

    MUMBAI: HOOQ, Asia’s first video-on-demand service, has appointed Andrew Marshall as the new general counsel. Marshall, who will be  based out of the company’s headquarters in Singapore, will bring his legal and regulatory expertise to the streaming platform.

    Speaking about his new role, Andrew said, “HOOQ presents an exciting opportunity, given the brand’s commitment to evolve in response to consumers’ needs and the promising growth of the industry overall.  I look forward to working closely with the management team to provide strategic, effective advice that will help HOOQ achieve its ambitions.”

    Marshall has got 20 years of experience in legal, regulatory, and public policy, and has worked with leading media companies like ESPN, STAR Sports and The Walt Disney Company.  This wealth of experience has fostered his deep understanding of the regulatory landscape for media and entertainment, protection and exploitation of intellectual property, and evolving disruptive technologies in Asia Pacific.

    He has served Disney as the regional counsel for all lines of business in Australia, New Zealand and South-East Asia with a focus on content licensing, including theatrical distribution, studio marketing, and home entertainment.  He has provided legal and business development support at Eleven Sports. 

    With deep experience in both technology and media companies, Andrew also has a unique perspective on evolving disruptive technologies in the media industry.

    Also Read :

    BBC Studios, HOOQ India sign content deal for three British dramas

    Hooq to maintain its Hollywood focus in India

    Zulfiqar Khan joins Hooq India as MD

  • ESPN’s “The Last Train to Russia” to premier on SONY TEN 2 channels

    ESPN’s “The Last Train to Russia” to premier on SONY TEN 2 channels

    MUMBAI: The venue of the 2018 FIFA World Cup has a train that travels all over its territory, from St. Petersburg to Siberia. Russia can be traversed onboard the carriages of the Trans-Siberian railway, a network of railways connecting Moscow with the Russian Far East, also known as the longest railway line in the world. In an unprecedented global initiative, leading up to the 2018 FIFA World Cup, ESPN and Sony Pictures Sports Network presents The Last Train to Russia – a 12-episode series that explores the country of Russia through the eyes of ESPN international soccer reporter Martín Ainstein and his visits to the 11 World Cup host cities. The daily series will premiere on SONY TEN 2 SD and HD channels on June 1, 2018 at 9 P.M.

    The series captures the culture, the people, the food and the mores via Ainstein’s journey onboard the Trans-Siberian railway beginning in St. Petersburg; snaking through the country to cities as far east as Ekaterinburg; Sochi on the west; and concluding with two episodes on Moscow. 

    “The 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia is the most anticipated tournament in the world, and as the official broadcaster, we are committed to offering our viewers a unique experience. Our build up to the World Cup has focused on giving our viewers in depth information on the teams, past winners, and the path taken by each team to qualify for the World Cup,” said Rajesh Kaul, President, Sports & Distribution, Sony Pictures Networks India. “The Last Train to Russia is an exclusive series by ESPN that gives viewers a taste of Russia and the host cities with a sagacious narrative of the greatest show on earth.” 

    “We are excited to present The Last Train to Russia, the first in our comprehensive global news and information coverage of the World Cup in Russia,” said Jasdeep Pannu, Head of ESPN India Television Initiatives. “Russia is a country with rich culture and unique traditions. We expect that through Martin’s style of storytelling, we are able to offer a sense-of-place experience to World Cup fans in India.”

    Ainstein added: “Traveling through the largest country in the world allowed me to get to know the real Russia: a rich, diverse, and ever-changing country. On the train, you begin to understand the country’s history and the lifestyle of its people by sharing and exchanging experiences. It was a fascinating journey.”

    Ainstein’s reporting for this series lasted for six weeks as he traversed the vast country, one train station at a time. The ESPN international soccer reporter captures the traditions and historic centers of each of the 11 World cup cities in Russia, including the stadiums where the matches will be played.

  • ESPNcricinfo’s 80% consumption from mobile devices

    ESPNcricinfo’s 80% consumption from mobile devices

    MUMBAI: For 25 years, Indian viewers have grown fond of the name ESPN. ESPNcricinfo completed its silver jubilee in India and launched its annual ritual of creating a new dish – this time the Googly Gujiya.

    India’s favourite festive snack, gujiya, has been re-imagined by Zorawar Kalra’s Massive Restaurants as a celebration of cricket fandom and the sense of auspiciousness and euphoria that grips hundreds of millions of Indians each season. The new imagining of the Indian favourite also reflects a shared philosophy of ESPN India and Zorawar Kalra – accentuating the local while embracing the global.

    ESPN VP and head India and South Asia Ramesh Kumar said, “In the last two to three years we have seen a huge audience coming online and consuming content on ESPNcricinfo. Almost 80 per cent of the consumption happens on mobile platform. Indian cricket and live cricket is the primary driver of ESPNcricinfo.”

    Commenting on the occasion, EMEA, VP and general manager South Asia & Australia/New Zealand Charles Classen said, “At ESPN, we celebrate sport. We understand that sports, and the passions of fans, are acutely local and powerfully global. The fervour for cricket in India is unique to the nation. Yet, there are also enormously passionate followers of global sport, from Manchester United to Roger Federer and LeBron James. To truly serve fans, you must be both local and global. That’s what differentiates ESPN and helps us connect with the sport fans at all levels. Googly Gujiya reflects that same balance of local and global.”

    When asked about the FIFA WC 2018 on ESPN, Kumar said, “ESPN has a huge presence in Russia and with FIFA World Cup 2018 Russia is just around the corner, we are planning a huge coverage. We at ESPNcricinfo after 25 years are in the continuous process of evolution in terms of pushing the envelope and how we present our content to the audience.”

    Kumar also pointed that, in terms of ad revenue, ESPNcricinfo grew by 35 per cent in 2017.

    “Our global expertise, technology, innovation-led approach and understanding of sports fans globally helps us create the best possible experience for fans locally, on whatever device or screen they use. As we celebrate the cricket season and the silver anniversary of ESPNcricinfo, we wanted to find a creative way for that to come alive off screen as well. We are excited about introducing ‘Googly Gujiya’, a unique Indian festive snack with a contemporary twist. We are proud to partner with Massive Restaurants, known for their unique Indian dishes with international accents and for their innovative stints in the food and hospitality industry,” Kumar added.

    Speaking on the collaboration, Massive Restaurants founder and managing director Zorawar Kalra said, “Massive Restaurants is pleased to collaborate with ESPN for this initiative. We wanted to create a dish that is Indian at heart but has a global appeal, something that represents Indian tradition but with a contemporary twist. Gujiya is an Indian snack that is notable across all cultures and made during festivals and celebratory occasions. We have reinvented the traditional gujiya by making it savoury and used ingredients that are loved internationally. We are very excited to watch the entire sports fraternity, fans and food fanatics enjoy our ‘Googly Gujiyas’ while cheering for their favourite team, celebrating victories and having a good time in general.”

    The evolution of gujiya also reflects how the sport of cricket has evolved in 25 years since ESPNcricinfo first established its leadership in covering the sport. The advent of the IPL, Australia’s Big Bash, England’s Vitality T20 Blast and other domestic competitions, mixed with the growth of the international calendar, is a testimony to the evolving landscape. Players are now crisscrossing the world to play for teams at home and abroad. These changing dynamics of cricket seeded the idea of starting a new tradition in a country that is so passionate about the game.

    ESPNcricinfo web and app curates the most relevant content for fans across all geographies based on their unique needs and interests.

    Apart from the 10 international editions catering to all major cricket playing countries, users can also use the personalise feature to receive latest news and scores of their favourite team right at the top. This ensures that all fans irrespective of their location receive the most appealing content on the site and on the app.

  • UFC enters into distribution deal with ESPN

    UFC enters into distribution deal with ESPN

    MUMBAI: UFC and ESPN have entered into a distribution agreement this month according to reports. As a result of this deal, ESPN and its subscription-based broadband service, ESPN+, will offer mixed martial arts fans a new array of UFC matches and special programming under a new rights deal unveiled on Tuesday.

    ESPN+ will exclusively stream 15 live UFC events under the title of “UFC on ESPN+ Fight Night”. Each will deliver a full card of 12 UFC bouts.

    ESPN will make available an array of UFC content across its cable networks and digital outlets, including an exclusive 30-minute special on its linear networks previewing upcoming bouts and breaking down match ups leading up to each UFC pay per view event, along with hundreds of hours of UFC library programming and re-airs of current UFC PPV events.

    ESPN+ was launched on 12 April at $4.99 (Rs 336) per month with a mix of content, including select games from MLB, NHL and out-of-market MLS games.

    “I couldn’t be more excited to partner with The Walt Disney Company and ESPN on an agreement that will continue to grow our sport. UFC has always done deals with the right partners at the right time and this one is no exception,” said UFC president Dana White.

    Fox signed a seven-year television deal with UFC in 2011 and, late last year, put in a roughly $200 million bid to secure those rights.

    “We will now have the ability to deliver fights to our young fan base wherever they are and whenever they want it. UFC’s fan base is among the youngest in US professional sports, with a median age of 40 and an audience comprising 40 per cent millennials,” White added.

    In addition to the live events and content included in the ESPN+ subscription, fight fans will be able to purchase and watch the UFC’s own streaming offering, UFC Fight Pass, for a separate cost, via the ESPN outlet.

    Also Read :

    Former ESPN president joins rival Perform Group

    FuboTV raises $75 million from Fox, AMC Networks and Sky

  • Former ESPN president joins rival Perform Group

    Former ESPN president joins rival Perform Group

    MUMBAI: The former president of ESPN, John Skipper, has been hired as the executive chairman of sports media company Perform Group. Skipper left ESPN in December 2017.

    Less than six months after his departure from ESPN, Skipper will soon be competing against his former long-time employer. Skipper was with ESPN for over 20 years and was president for six.

    The Perform Group is based in London with offices around the world. Perform currently owns and manages 10 D2C properties worldwide that reach more than 170 million fans per month with Goal.com being its largest property with nearly 100 million users per month as well as other strategic, long-term partnerships with the NFL, FIBA, WTA and CONMEBOL.

    “Perform Group’s platform and expertise, coupled with its success in launching subscription services in Germany, Japan and Canada, provides a model we intend to replicate around the world,” Skipper has said.

    Skipper’s appointment stated that he would oversee all of Perform’s operations and strategy but both his statement and that of Simon Denyer, the founder and chief executive of Perform, implied that Skipper would be focusing on DAZN.

    Recently, Perform Group and NBA have announced a multi-year partnership that will see Perform manage the league’s official websites in more than 15 international markets, including Argentina, Australia, Canada, India, Japan, Mexico and Spain.

    DAZN, pronounced ‘Da Zone,’ has been compared to Netflix. Available in five countries—Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Japan and Canada—DAZN gives sports fans access to thousands of live sports events for a monthly subscription fee, usually around $20 (Rs 1345).

    Perform has not yet announced which countries will be next as part of that global rollout but it is unlikely that Skipper will soon be engaged in bidding wars against his former company. Most American sports rights are unavailable to be bought for several years.

    Also Read :

    NBA, Perform announce multi-year digital media deal

    Mairu Gupta and the art of building the NBA in India

    Social media most significant for snackable content: NBA India MD

  • ESPN bets big on apps for India

    ESPN bets big on apps for India

    MUMBAI: With increasing preference for sports on digital platforms, ESPN is working towards tapping this demand with more content.

    The broadcaster, which has been present here for over quarter of a century, owns two digital properties — ESPNcricinfo, a cricket content platform, and a co-branded multi-sport content offering ESPN.in, with its joint venture partner Sony Pictures Networks India that was launched 15 months earlier.

    For ESPN, digital video consumption has been growing at 150 per cent, while mobile video demand has been growing even more dramatically, at a rate as high as 350 per cent.

    “We believe that India is a mobile-first market and data confirms that. Almost 78 per cent of all our traffic is either on the mobile web or the app. We also believe that, over time, people are shifting from mobile web towards apps,” ESPN International executive vice-president and managing director Russell Wolff has said.

    He said the company has been producing more videos for mobile and digital platforms, given the growing interest in digital content.

  • FIFA U-17 WC ’17: Delhi football fest a curtain-raiser

    FIFA U-17 WC ’17: Delhi football fest a curtain-raiser

    NEW DELHI: A function under Mission 11 Million (MXIM) programme was held as a curtain-raiser in Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium in the capital over the weekend for FIFA Under-17 World Cup 2017, to be telecast on Sony TV channels, with the objective of promoting football in India, especially among children and youth.

    Indians can watch live coverage of the entire tournament on Sony Six and Sony ESPN, while fans can also go to SonyLiv.com to enjoy FIFA U-17 World Cup 2017 live streaming online for free.

    The trophy for FIFA Under-17 World Cup 2017 to be held in India from 6 to 28 October 2017 was also displayed at the stadium in the presence of the sports secretary Injeti Srinivas and tournament director FIFA U-17 World Cup Javier Ceppi.

    MXIM is the joint programme of FIFA, AIFF and youth affairs and sports ministry to promote football among 11 million school children in India. Around 7000 school students of Delhi held a march past and gave a cultural performance on the theme of sports, especially football. A football festival was also held in which around 1000 school students were taught football techniques to mark the occasion.

    Fans in the United States can watch all the matches on Fox Sports in English and online streaming service will be available on Fox Soccer 2GO. NBC Universo or En Vivo Extra will have live action in Spanish in the US. The United Kingdom viewers can see the live action from India on TV sets through Eurosport while they have options to watch live stream matches via Eurosport Player.

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