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Tag: FIFA World Cup 2014

  • Parx wins the ‘Best Use of Social media in Marketing Award’

    Parx wins the ‘Best Use of Social media in Marketing Award’

    MUMBAI: Casual lifestyle apparel brand Parx has bagged the title of ‘Best Use of Social media in Marketing Award’, at the recently concluded Asia Retail Congress 2015.

     

    The award was conferred to them in recognition of its innovative and engaging twitter content during the FIFA World Cup 2014. Asia Retail Congress 2015 is one of the most prestigious single most important global platform to promote world-class retail practices. The focus of award ceremony was to identify and recognize the retail excellences.

     

    Parx’s ground breaking twitter based engagement and contest was divided in to three different phases, to sustain interest and ensure constant follower participation. One of the key objectives was to increase relevant follower base and give them an extra reason to stay awake to watch the match, and simultaneously contribute to the Parx led social media campaign.

     

    Parx brand director Sharad Walia said, “Social Media is indeed a critical platform to directly engage with consumer, however the challenge is immense as every brand is trying their best to grab their attention. This award speaks highly about the team, who not only broke the competition clutter, but also succeeded to achieve the brand’s objective. It’s great to see Asia Retail Congress celebrate excellence in this area and I’m particularly elated to see our brand Parx achieve great success.”

     

    Spanned over one month the insight based, yet creatively developed Soccer ka siddhu contest urged fans to move away from just commenting, and give commentary in the typical Siddhu style.  In the exciting Semis ke Breakers contest, followers were encouraged to tweet breaking news from the semi-final matches. The final leg of the competition was named Soccer ka Mahabharat, wherein the participants had to name a star player resembling a prominent Mahabharat character. This innovative twitter competition not only held the attention of Parx followers, but helped the brand to increase its follower base by a whopping 35 per cent, just within a span of 30 days.

  • 2014 exemplified that the next big thing is mobile

    2014 exemplified that the next big thing is mobile

    It’s been a year of tremendous growth for the digital industry. Digital advertising spends have increased significantly. And while we’ve been talking about mobile as the next big thing for a few years, 2014 saw the thought being well and truly realised. A fair indicator of this were the numerous campaigns run by online shopping merchants, advertising their app over other platforms and even creating deals specific to mobile devices. Another great example is the launch of key services on mobile by the government of Karnataka.

    There was also growth experienced in digital content, where not only were key properties available for viewing exclusively on web and mobile, but we also saw a lot of instances of specialised content being created for web and mobile. FIFA World Cup 2014 on LIV Sports is one example of how a grand event today isn’t just a TV property.

    Talking about LIV Sports, it has been a very successful year for us at Sony with the launch of LIV Sports simultaneously on web and mobile, as an app available on both iOS and Android. Apart from FIFA, LIV Sports also acquired the mobile and internet broadcast rights for the South African RAM SLAM T20 Challenge Series for India, Vijay Amritraj backed Champions Tennis League, the UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying tournament and the Australian Open.

    A huge learning point for us this year has been the increased need to focus on mobile. Increase in mobile internet connectivity and introduction of cheaper smartphones along with a drop in internet surfing charges has led to huge increase in consumption of video content. The consumer today is looking for content on the go, thus, making mobile a key focus. As a result, we launched a number of apps including KBC Play Along, creating a second screen experience allowing viewers to answer questions with the contestants and win prizes. We also have the KBC Official App allowing fans to engage with the show any time they want. We’ve had approximately two million downloads for the KBC suite of apps and over 13 million downloads for both Sony LIV and LIV Sports.

    Keeping this in mind, in 2015 we will continue to innovate and engage our users by establishing our marquee properties in the new media space. We are excited by the opportunity, the overlap of better connectivity and smartphones, is offering entertainment content companies like us. Our aim is to be the leader in the digital video entertainment space. We will strengthen our mobile offerings to consumers and our agenda is to make 2015 the ‘Year of Mobile Entertainment’ and deliver great content through product innovations on SonyLiv.com and LivSports.in.

    (These are purely personal views of Sony Entertainment Network executive vice president and digital head Uday Sodhi and indiantelevision.com does not necessarily subscribe to these views.)

  • Tata Sky demos 4K TV with FIFA World Cup quarter-final match

    Tata Sky demos 4K TV with FIFA World Cup quarter-final match

    MUMBAI: The era of India being a country that lags behind the more developed nations is gone. Indian  DTH operators in the country are waking up, ancticipating  future desires of Indian TV viewers. Which is why one of the oldest and largest DTH operators Tata Sky, is keeping itself and its subscribers up to date with the  introduction of its 4k Ultra HD service.

     

    The first quarter of 2015 will see Tata Sky roll out its set top boxes (STBs) for its 4k Ultra HD service. The STBs are being made by Technicolor and are based on the high efficiency video coding (HEVC) format that 4k uses the world over. However, prices of the STB are not yet known as the DTH operator wants to reveal it closer to the commercial launch date.

     

    At a demonstration event in Mumbai, Tata Sky along with Sony Six unveiled the 4k UHD service with a live uninterrupted broadcast of the France versus Germany FIFA World Cup 2014 quarter final. The FIFA 4k signal rights had been bought by Sony Six while the cost of acquisition and transmission was split 50:50 by the broadcaster and the operator. The telecast took place live via satellite transmission.  

     

    Indiantelevision.com readers will note that Videocon d2h had previewed its 4K service on 3 July 2014 too, a day before Tata Sky..

     

    Even though most industry professionals  claim that it is too early to launch 4k Ultra HD in India, Tata Sky chief commercial officer Vikram Mehra feels otherwise. “When we launched HD in 2010, people doubted us saying it won’t work. As you keep enhancing TV experience, the viewer will appreciate it. So, Ultra HD is our endeavour in that area. A technology becomes popular when mainline pay-TV adopts it.”

     

    Mehra feels that movies and sports will be the initial drivers for 4k technology and talks with broadcasters have already commenced. In three to four years, he expects it to be the way of life for most Indian TV viewers. Even though currently there is a lack of 4K content, he feels that it isn’t too far away. “We will make a product that makes sense to the customer. Customers will not buy STBs to adorn their homes. They will buy it for content,” he says.

     

    Sony Six business head Prasana Krishnan feels that more sporting events should be produced in 4K soon, probably in the next year or so. “4K is the future of broadcasting, specially sports. We saw technology move from SD to HD and now HD has become standard. 4K is next,” he says. Krishnan is aware that a full-fledged 4K channel can’t be expected very soon. Big sporting events will have 4K production on crucial days such as the finals, while the run up matches will be in HD and SD.

     

    The 4K screening of the FIFA World Cup 2014 quarter finals that took place in Mumbai yesterday, 4 July saw the Sony Six logo being superimposed on the FIFA feed on an 84 inch Sony television set that is soon to be launched in India and across the world. 4K screens give four times the clarity as compared to an HD feed.

     

    Mehra  was not willing to venture any guesstimates about how much uptake the Tata Sky 4K service will have when it launches next year as he feels making futuristic statements is of no use. However, the fact that the DTH operator is confident about its prospects is clear from the contract that it has signed with Technicolor, according to which deliveries of 4K set top boxes in “volume” are expected to commence in early 2015.

     

    Adds Mehra: “We started active service in 2007 and today we have 2.9million people paying Rs 45 each for them. Close to 65 per cent of our STBs sold today are HD. This from our total subscriber base of 13.5 million.” It is pertinent to note that Tata Sky, since late last year, has stopped buying any more SD boxes.

  • FIFA to be watched on around 6 billion screens worldwide, with TV accounting for less than half

    FIFA to be watched on around 6 billion screens worldwide, with TV accounting for less than half

    NEW DELHI: Smartphones, tablets or PCs account for more than half (57 per cent) of the viewing platforms as opposed to conventional TV screens for ardent fans of FIFA World Cup 2014.

     

    The new trend of watching the favourite sports on personal devices, though, does not undermine the importance of traditional broadcasting methods. Connected devices are playing a crucial role in evolving viewing habits for big-events, according to a report published on the official website of research firm Ovum.

     

    The World Cup is expected to have a combined reach of broadcast TV and streaming options available on up to 5.9 billion screens worldwide, estimates research firm Ovum.

     

    “Devices capable of streaming live and on-demand video – of which there are now 4.7 billion – are providing additional viewing opportunities outside the appointment viewing taking place in people’s living rooms,” said Ovum senior analyst Ted Hall in a statement. “With the likes of tablets providing the convenience and flexibility to consume content whenever and wherever, fans are able to watch more of the tournament than ever before.”

     

    Among recent results in the United States, ESPN’s broadcast of the Group G opener between the U.S. and Ghana on 16 June averaged a 6.3 rating and nearly 11.1 million viewers, making it the network’s most-watched men’s football game so far. The match also helped to establish a new record for the WatchESPN app, which was host to 1.4 million viewers and 62.4 million minutes viewed for the contest.

     

    If there’s anything lacking, innovation-wise, for the 2014 iteration of the tournament, it’s the limited access to games in the 4K/Ultra HD format, Ovum noted. FIFA and Sony will produce three matches in the format, though most access will be limited to small screenings, and, as of this writing, none of those games will be offered live via 4K in the U.S.

     

    “4K technology is far from ready for home viewing, with holes in the transmission part of the ecosystem meaning that it will be some time before audiences of any significant scale will be watching UHDTV content in their living rooms,” Hall said.

     

    But the 4K ecosystem is expected to be much more evolved by the 2018 World Cup. On the display side, more than 20 per cent of connected flat panel TVs will be 4K-capable, Cisco Systems predicted in its latest Visual Networking Index Global IP Traffic Forecast. 

  • 36% Indians Predict Brazil Will Win 2014 FIFA World Cup

    36% Indians Predict Brazil Will Win 2014 FIFA World Cup

    MUMBAI: A plurality of Indians (36%) expect host country Brazil to be victorious in the final game of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, according to a new online study by global research company Ipsos.

     

    While considerably fewer Indians predict football world cup winner will be Germany (10%), Argentina (8%), Spain (7%), Italy (4%), United States and Australia (both 3%), England/ Portugal/ Russia/ Belgium/ France all at 2%, and 1% who chose each of Mexico/ South Korea/ Croatia/ Switzerland/ Colombia and Japan.

     

    As for the runner-up, Indians choose Brazil (13%), Spain (12%), Germany (12%), Argentina (10%), France (6%), Italy (6%), England (4%), Portugal (3%), Australia (3%), United States/ Belgium/ Mexico/ Chile at 2% and Uruguay/ Netherlands/ Colombia/ Japan/ Russia and South Korea all at 1%.
    “Football fever has gripped India with 2014 FIFA World Cup soccer event underway in Brazil. Ipsos study indicates that more than 65 percent Indians have heard the buzz around the global mega sporting event,” said Biswarup Banerjee, Head Marketing Communications, Ipsos India.

     

    A large majority (78%) of global respondents have heard at least something about the upcoming World Cup in Brazil with 46% indicating they’ve heard something ( “a great deal” (22%), “a fair amount” (24%)) compared with 54% who have not heard much or anything (“a little bit” (32%) and “not heard anything at all” (22%)).

     

    Those from Brazil (69%), the host country, are most likely to say they have heard “a great deal,” followed by those from Mexico (53%), Argentina (44%), Indonesia (43%), Belgium (34%), Saudi Arabia (32%), France (30%) and India (29%). One quarter or fewer are aware of the games from these countries: South Africa (26%), South Korea (23%), China (21%), Spain (19%), Poland (17%), Turkey (17%), Italy (15%), Japan (15%), Great Britain (13%), Egypt (12%), Germany (9%), Romania (8%), the United States (7%), Hungary (7%), Australia (6%), Sweden (6%), Canada (6%) and Russia (5%).

     

    The Ipsos poll was conducted in May among 19,032 respondents in 26 countries, including: Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Egypt, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Poland, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Turkey and the United States.

     

  • DTH ops latch onto the FIFA juggernaut

    DTH ops latch onto the FIFA juggernaut

    MUMBAI: The world is in the grip of football fever and India isn’t far behind, though it is traditionally a cricket-crazy country where an Indian Premiere League would score any day higher than a FIFA in terms of fan frenzy.

     

    As aficionados prepare to settle down in front of the idiot box, popcorn and coke in tow, DTH operators are doing all they can to woo customers with special services and what not during the World Cup.

     

    A strategy adopted by almost all DTH operators is to offer Sony Six free for the entire duration of FIFA to all new subscribers taking a connection between June and the FIFA finale. While Tata Sky, Sun Direct and Airtel DTH are offering the channel free-of-charge to all their new subscribers, Dish TV is offering it only to its new subscribers and also to Zing subscribers. “FIFA viewing pockets are West Bengal, Odisha, Kerala and urban cities. So when compared to cricket, it isn’t as big an event in India,” says Dish TV CEO RC Venkateish.

     

    Additionally, Tata Sky and Videocon d2h have timed the launch of two of their services to coincide with the beginning of FIFA. Tata Sky has launched its TV Everywhere application for desktops and laptops, which was hitherto only available on Android and iOS smartphones. Furthermore, Sony Six is the new addition to the list of channels available on the app that would be available to subscribers at the same cost of Rs 60 per month. Tata Sky COO Vikram Mehra says, “The service launch has been timed just before the football World Cup to ensure that the home laptop doubles as the second TV at home, thus allowing youngsters to watch late night football matches on their laptops and headphones without disturbing their entire family.”

     

    Whereas, Videocon d2h has recently launched its earphone service through which, viewers can connect to radio frequency remotes and watch TV. “We have been working on this proposition for our consumers for quite some time. As per extensive research done by us, the typical Indian male consumer likes to watch content late night. Mostly consumption is of sports and movies. Given that in a typical Indian household, television is in the bedroom, volume becomes an issue. With a huge following for the World Cup in India and its late night timing, it coincided well with our plans,” says Videocon d2h CEO Anil Khera. Special product offerings will be provided for headphone remote-enabled set top boxes.

     

    Even Sun Direct’s existing customers, who take a recharge of six months or more, can watch Sony Six free during the FIFA period. Those who don’t have Sony Six in their packs can avail the FIFA add-on for a special price of Rs 39 for the duration of the World Cup or buy Sony Six at Rs 30 per month. A mix of above the line (ATL), below the line (BTL), digital and PR activities have been planned close to the beginning of the World Cup. ATL is through radio, TV and focus on Kerala; BTL is through posters, leaflets and wobblers; while other activities are through SMS, OBD and blogs. The operator has already received nearly 40,000 requests for Sony Six.

     

    Dish TV and its second brand Zing are banking not just on Sony Six but also on Sony Aath which will be providing commentary in Bangla. Says Dish TV VP marketing Anjali Malhotra, ”Zing caters to a larger language customer base. Sony Aath is already available in all base packs of Zing as well on Dish TV in the north. With Sony Six available to consumers free of any extra fee during FIFA, it will help people buy Zing and watch it.”

     

    The operator has also rolled out an intense marketing campaign across West Bengal involving print, outdoor and radio mediums.

  • Nat Geo kicks off the Football Fever!

    Nat Geo kicks off the Football Fever!

    MUMBAI: Gearing up for FIFA World Cup 2014, National Geographic Channel brings the best of the sport through a slew of special shows starting Friday, June 13th. The shows will deliver the most exciting possible combination of facts and fun from the world and history of Football.

    The first series- My Beautiful Game premiers on Friday 13thJune, 2014 at 9pm IST and will air every following Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 9pm. The brand new series brings together the best of the beautiful game including the top goals, most talented players, the best saves, the best stadiums and the worst own goals. Featured in the series are the most popular faces from the world of football and entertainment, from David Beckham to Robert Di Matteo to Glee star Mathew Morrison. The series will be followed by a documentary capturing Football’s best moments in the 80s and a reclusive peek into the factory of world’s most popular game- EA Sports FIFA on a special episode of Megafactories.

    Debarpita Banerjee, Vice President, Marketing and Communication, NGC Networks and FOX International Channels, said, “With the onset of Football season, this is the time to celebrate the world’s most beautiful game. At Nat Geo, we want to give that extra kick to the football fanatics in the country by bringing to them the best of football and everything that surrounds the sport. Right from the biggest players to the craziest moments in the history of Football, these special features will ensure the football freaks get enough and more of their favorite game this season.”

    Nat Geo Football Fever kicks off with My Beautiful Game premiering on Friday, June 13th, at 9 pm on National Geographic Channel.

  • Sony Six gets ready to score with FIFA World Cup

    Sony Six gets ready to score with FIFA World Cup

    MUMBAI: The lead-up to the FIFA World Cup 2014 has official broadcaster Sony Six sweating bullets to ensure that the extravaganza lives up to its name and all the fan frenzy around it. The ball was already set rolling a while ago when the channel launched its “Live the Magic” campaign, featuring Bollywood actor and football enthusiast John Abraham. The TVC captured the essence of Brazil, the venue of the FIFA, through its beaches, narrow streets, colourful houses and music.

    Adding to it, Sony Six business head Prasana Krishnan has drawn up a comprehensive marketing blueprint for the mother of all tourneys. “Sony Six has chosen to target 10 -12 cities. TVCs and ads will be placed in 10 newspapers, including publications by the ABP group. The TVCs will be aired on 30 different channels (regional, GECs and news) in India. We are also running radio campaigns in 50 cities.”

    That apart, the channel has tied up with Hard Rock Cafe as part of its on-ground activations. “This is to ensure that groups of people can come together and view the game. As part of our mall activities, we will have DJs, along with various contests and flash mobs enthralling audiences in shopping centres,” says Krishnan.

    Apart from Hard Rock, other popular sports bars too will showcase the matches on giant screens. The manager of a Malad (in the western part of Mumabi)-based sports bar and grill said, “We will have two projectors and four TV sets lined up for customers to enjoy the game. A third projector will be used during important matches or when crowds swell up.”

    A la competitors Tensports.com and starsports.com, the MSM group too has launched a digital sports entertainment destination called LIVsports.in. Fans can watch live matches here, captured from four different camera angles, complete with timelines, statistics, a match centre, heat maps and analyses. There are also fun activities like “Mohit Bana Messi – Jersyfy Me” and “Pehchan Kaun?” apart from the LIV sports football fantasy league.

    Says MSM executive vice-president, new media, business development and digital/syndication Nitesh Kripalani: “We are giving consumers two options – either watch the LIVE HD quality match by paying a small fee; or watch the 5-minute delayed match for free. All other content like stats, analysis and engagements are available for free to users across devices.”

     Kripalani adds that the  "the response (to the website) has been extremely positive with the campaign breaking; the numbers are more than quadrupling per day. More than 90 per cent visitors are from India; primarily Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore”. LIVsports.in has already signed up with Amity University, Gionee Mobile and Jabong.com and discussions are underway to get other brands on board.

    As for advertisers for the World Cup, Hero MotoCorp is already on board as presenting sponsor and Xolo Mobile and Microsoft as powered by sponsors. During the recently concluded IPL, Sony Six sold 10 second ad spots for Rs 4.5 to Rs 5 lakh, while the final IPL match had advertising ratesat  Rs 18 lakh to Rs 20 lakh fo a 10 second spot (media planners, however, pegged this at Rs 14 lakh to Rs 16 lakh). For FIFA, it is selling 10-seconders for between Rs 2 lakh and  Rs 2.50 lakh.

    Coming to the game itself, Sony Six is seeking to leverage the viewers it gained during the IPL and increase the overall  viewership base. “During the 2010 World Cup, the reach numbers were 65 million, but during this World Cup, we expect the numbers to touch 125 million in India, as trends show an increase in football viewership in India,” says a confident Krishnan.

    With 32 nations battling it out on the football field, fans in India will not have to worry about international timing clashes as Sony Six will broadcast 24 games out of 64 matches live during the prime time slot of 9:30 pm.

    Sony Six will also air two new shows on all match days: a wrap of the day at prime time titled ‘Cafe Rio’ and a live breakfast show called ‘Football Extraaa’. Popular names from national and international football like Peter Crouch, Robbie Fowler, Peter Shilton, Mikael Silvestre, Ellyse Perry, and Sunil Chhetri will grace the shows along with Abraham, dissecting and analysing the matches.

    ‘Cafe Rio’ will be telecast at 8pm and will lead up to the beginning of the match at 9.30pm; it will be a blend of sports and entertainment and will also focus on trivia about victorious teams, historical venues and players.

    ‘Football Extraaa’ will be a daily morning show for viewers to relive the fun and excitement of the previous day’s matches. It will be aired between 8am and 9am and will be in an interactive format where viewers can dial in and share their perspective or ask questions.

    What’s more, Sony Six plans to have live commentary in Bengali. As reported earlier by indiantelevision.com, Sony Aath will broadcast live the World Cup with Bengali commentary. Aath will telecast 56 matches in Bengali. The channel aims to expand its reach through this specialized offer to its ‘Bong’ audiences.

    Kripalani believes that the FIFA  football action telecast during prime time will not have an impact on general entertainment channels like the IPL did, pointing out that "even if there is, it will likely be seen in Kerala or Bengal that have a large football base.”

    It may be too early to foretell such an effect but all we can say is relax and get set to cheer your best team as the game unfolds in Brazil.

  • World Cup fever kicks off with MOVIES NOW

    World Cup fever kicks off with MOVIES NOW

    MUMBAI: As the kick-off to the greatest sporting event of the year FIFA World Cup 2014 is around the corner, it’s time to relive the glorious moments of one of the most iconic matches ever – FIFA WORLD CUP 2006 Finale Film. Get ready to be spellbound all over again as the two super teams Italy and France fight for the cup, on the World Cup special on MOVIES NOW.

     

    To warm you up for the FIFA World Cup this year, MOVIES NOW airs the most thrilling and the best football finale of World Cup match of the decade on Thursday, 12th June and a repeat telecast on Sunday, 13th July at 9 PM. The adrenaline rush was palpable throughout the 90 odd minutes with both the giants scoring a goal each within the first 20 minutes turning the Olympiastadion in Berlin into a fireball ready to explode with excitement.

     

    Other than the two nations fighting mighty hard, fans remember the finale as the send-off match of French wonder player Zinadine Zidane. His infamous head-butt, post a verbal duel with Italian scorer Marco Materazzi went down in the archives of football history. But the controversial exchange could not take away from the excitement as the match came to a simmering end with Italy scoring over their nemesis in a down-to-the-wire penalty shootout to sweep the championship cup away.

     

    Catch all the exhilaration of the two strong teams take each other heads on, this 12th June and 13th July, 9 PM only on MOVIES NOW!

  • 2014 FIFA World Cup commentary to get sweeter in Bengali!

    2014 FIFA World Cup commentary to get sweeter in Bengali!

    MUMBAI: As the countdown for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil begins, Indian fans, especially the ‘bong’ football enthusiasts are in for a special language treat.

     

    While Sony Six is the official broadcast partner for the World Cup, Multi Screen Media (MSM) has also decided to telecast the matches on its Bengali channel Aath. That apart, Aath viewers will be in for a Bengali live commentary treat for the matches telecast on the channel. “This is for the first time that we will be having a Bengali live commentary for a sporting event of this scale,” confirmed MSM India CEO NP Singh to indiantelevision.com.

     

    Singh also informed that a studio will be set up for the same. “56 of the 64 matches will be aired on Aath and have Bengali commentary,” he added.

     

    This eastern most state of India is known to have a mass fan base which is crazy and enthusiastic about football.

     

    According to BPN Lintas Media group Kolkata executive vice president Mahesh Motwani, “This move will definitely help increase viewership numbers for the channel as Bengal is the Mecca of football in India. The kind of domain knowledge about football that exists here is large and not found elsewhere. I feel that having commentary in the local language during the FIFA World Cup will help increase eyeballs to a large extent.”

     

    Of the other major plans around the big game, Sony Six aims at tapping into the prime time slot featuring the live games from the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The channel will exclusively broadcast nearly 38 per cent of the total live games in the prime time slot of 9.30pm across the Indian subcontinent (24 games in the 9.30pm time slot out of the total 64 matches). The telecast which will begin at 8pm with one of a kind studio show, (leading up to the match kick off at 9.30pm) will have popular anchors and guests providing interesting and unique insights about the players and the tournament. The 9:30pm slot will showcase some of the most exciting match-ups of the group stages including Germany vs Portugal. Viewers can also catch some of their favourite teams including Spain, England, Uruguay, Netherlands and few of the most exciting knock out stage games in the same slot.

     

    In a nation where prime time slot is dominated by soap operas, will creating a prime time band for football help increase viewership? Said Singh, “Well, India is a nation where prime time is a slot for entertainment, and that is what we are providing. But, this is entertainment of a different kind. Also the reason for creating a studio show before the match is to get the viewers in the 8:30pm time band on the channel, who then stick to it for the match.” 

     

    The network is setting up a studio for the Bengali live commentary. “The work is in full force. We will announce more details soon,” he added.

     

    Sony Six had recently launched an Indian promo video featuring Bollywood actor John Abraham where he is seen watching the football matches on a large screen with many other football fans and viewers.