ITV

Tag: Fifa

  • Eikona dribbles through FIFA 2006

    Eikona dribbles through FIFA 2006

    MUMBAI: The period of roughly a week before the launch of any product, film, program, or event is extremely crucial. The pre-buzz prior to the launch created with multiple touch  points  across  editorial,  advertising,  teasers  /  promos  not  only  build  up curiosity but also pulls the target audience to sample it, at least ones. More so, for a massive global sporting events like FIFA, the communication has to get through boundaries  of Age, Gender  and SEC (Socio Economical  Classification),  Geography etc.

     

    Effectively, FIFA is not a very new phenomenon to India. The roaring success in FIFA 2006 has played a key role in repositioning Soccer as one of the most preferred sporting events among the Indian TV audiences. What made FIFA 2006 bridge with the Indian TV audiences? Amongst many, buzz creation was one of cornerstones towards making FIFA 2006 a success story. Within the construct of FIFA 2006 buzz, PR played a key role in influencing and pushing Indian audiences to take interest, watch and re-watch FIFA telecast.

     

    Click here to read the full report

  • No takers for India-Bangladesh tri series, yet

    No takers for India-Bangladesh tri series, yet

    MUMBAI: With just two days to go for the India –Bangladesh one-day international (ODI) series, the Bangladesh’s official television rights holder, Gazi TV, is yet to get an Indian broadcaster on board according to a report in a daily today.

     

    The report further mentions that Gazi  TV has put a $ 1 million offer for the rights of the three-match ODI series which will be held on 15, 17 & 19 June. The offer was being customised for Star Sports but as of now it has not shown any interest and wants the price to be lowered.

     

    The report quotes Gazi TV CFO Salahuddin Chowdhury saying that it has not received any confirmation from Star. “We don’t want to deprive the Indian fans of live action of the series, unless, something dramatic happens over the next two days, I cannot assure you that the matches will be telecast in India.” 

     

    With FIFA being aired on Sony Six, it is unlikely that the channel from the Multi Screen Media (MSM) kitty would be interested in telecasting the tri-series.

     

    Also, Ten Sports and Neo Sports are currently occupied fighting the big bully Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in court.  It’s safe to assume that they will also not telecast the matches.

     

    However, there could be  some good news for Gazi. India’s state owned broadcaster Doordarshan is open to a revenue-sharing deal.
     

    The three matches will be played at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium at Mirpur.

  • Laureus World Sports announces winners of 2014 awards

    Laureus World Sports announces winners of 2014 awards

    MUMBAI: Three of the most exciting young sports stars of their generation, who have proved world-beaters despite their age, have been honoured at the 2014 Laureus World Sports Awards in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 

     

    Germany’s Sebastian Vettel, the youngest four-time Formula One world champion in history at 26, was named Laureus World Sportsman of the Year, US swimmer Missy Franklin, at 18, became the youngest ever winner of the Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year Award, while Spain’s Marc Márquez received the Laureus Breakthrough of the Year Award, after winning the World MotoGP Championship at just 20 years and 266 days. 

     

    There was double delight for both Germany and Spain when the Awards were announced. Bayern Munich joined Vettel as winners, taking the Laureus World Team of the Year Award, while tennis maestro Rafael Nadal received the Laureus Comeback Award to celebrate, with Márquez, a wonderful night for Spanish sport. 

     

    The Laureus World Sports Awards are the premier honours on the international sporting calendar.   The winners are chosen by the Laureus World Sports Academy, the ultimate sports jury, made up of 46 of the greatest living sportsmen and sportswomen. Proceeds from the Laureus World Sports Awards directly benefit and underpin the work of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation. Since its inception, Laureus has raised €60 million for projects which have improved the lives of millions of young people.  

     

    Sebastian Vettel’s success was particularly satisfying for the young German racer, who had been nominated five times for a Laureus Award, before finally winning. His fourth straight World Championship in 2013 saw him join motor racing legends Juan Manuel Fangio, Michael Schumacher and Alain Prost, who all won at least four times, but he did it more quickly than them – at just 26 years and 116 days. 

     

    Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year Missy Franklin was the sensation of the World Championships in Barcelona, becoming the first woman swimmer in history to win six gold medals at a single World Championships – three individual and three relay – at the age of just 18. She continues to refuse prize money and endorsements so that she can maintain her amateur status in college. 

     

    Bayern Munich were presented with the Laureus World Team of the Year Award after becoming the first football club to complete the treble of UEFA Champions League, Bundesliga and German Cup. Six of their players were nominated for the FIFA Player of the Year Award: Philipp Lahm, Thomas Mueller, Manuel Neuer, Franck Ribery, Arjen Robben and Bastian Schweinsteiger. 

     

    Spain’s Marc Márquez was presented with the Laureus Breakthrough of the Year Award after becoming the youngest ever MotoGP world champion, at 20 years 266 days. He also made history by becoming the youngest winner of a Grand Prix, in Austin in April, at 20 years 63 days.  

     

    It was Márquez’ first Laureus Award, but his fellow Spaniard Rafael Nadal secured his third Laureus Statuette, when he won the Laureus World Comeback of the Year Award, returning after a seven-month absence because of injury to win the French Open and US Open Grand Slam titles and regain his No 1 world ranking. 

     

    France’s Marie Bochet, aged 19, won the Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability Award after becoming the first athlete to complete a Grand Slam of all five events at one Alpine Skiing World Championships. 

     

    Britain’s BMX star Jamie Bestwick, now based in the United States, won the Laureus World Action Sportsperson of the Year Award after becoming the only athlete in X Games history to win eight straight gold medals, two more than legends such as Tony Hawk and Shaun White.  

     

    The Laureus World Sports Academy presented two additional discretionary Awards. The Laureus Spirit of Sport Award was won by the Afghanistan Cricket Team, who qualified for the Cricket World Cup for the first time in their history, and the Laureus Sport for Good Award was presented to Magic Bus, the sports-based community project in India.

     

    The Awards Ceremony was held at the Istana Budaya, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and was hosted by British actor Benedict Cumberbatch. Oscar and Grammy winner Jamie Foxx performed to the star-studded audience. German actor Daniel Brühl, who played Niki Lauda in the film Rush, was present along with Chinese supermodel and actress Du Juan.

     

    The members of the Laureus World Sports Academy present were: Giacomo Agostini, Bobby Charlton, Sebastian Coe, Nadia Comaneci, Deng Yaping, Kapil Dev, Mick Doohan, Sean Fitzpatrick, Dawn Fraser, Marvelous Marvin Hagler, Tony Hawk, Michael Johnson, Franz Klammer, Edwin Moses (Chairman), Ilie Nastase, Alexey Nemov, Morné du Plessis, Hugo Porta, Mark Spitz, Daley Thompson and Steve Waugh. 

     

    Other sports guests included: 

     

    Vitor Baia, Robert Baker, Kenny Belaey, Jamie Bestwick, Marie Bochet, Ronald de Boer, Annabelle Bond, Daniel Brühl, Bob Burnquist, Eric Cantona, Fabio Capello, Dan Carter, Lee Chong Wei, David Coulthard, Johan Cruyff, Nicol David, Deng Yaping, Du Juan, Paulo Ferreira, Nacho Figueras, Emerson Fittipaldi, Missy Franklin, Maya Gabeira, Stephanie Gilmore, Ruud Gullit, Lewis Hamilton, Raphael Holzdeppe, Nico Hülkenberg , Philip Köster, Michael Laudrup, Tegla Loroupe, Steve McManaman, Marc Márquez, Felipe Massa, Gaizka Mendieta, Luis Milla, Hidetoshi Nakata, Antonis Nikopolidis, Sophie Pascoe, Nico Rosberg, Sarah Louise Rung, Axel Schulz, Jimmy Spithill, Angelika Timanina, Sebastian Vettel.

     

    Among other guests present were Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, Prime Minister of Malaysia; YB Khairy Jamaluddin Abu Bakar, Malaysia Minister for Youth and Sports; YB Dato’ Seri Mohamed Nazri, Malaysia Minister of Tourism and Culture. 

     

    The Awards were announced in seven categories. The winners are:

     

    Laureus World Sportsman of the Year: Sebastian Vettel

    Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year: Missy Franklin

    Laureus World Team of the Year: Bayern Munich

    Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year: Marc Márquez

    Laureus World Comeback of the Year: Rafael Nadal

    Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability: Marie Bochet

    Laureus World Action Sportsperson of the Year: Jamie Bestwick 

     

    There were two additional Awards: the Laureus Spirit of Sport Award was presented to the Afghanistan Cricket Team and the Laureus Sport for Good Award was presented to Magic Bus, the sports-based community project in India. 

     

    For full biographies of Winners and Nominees go to www.laureus.com

     

    Yayasan Rakyat 1Malaysia (YR1M) is the Corporate Social Responsibility partner of the Laureus World Sports Awards. Laureus and YR1M have announced an innovative tie-up to benefit young people in Malaysia through the use of sport. The global Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, which currently supports more than 140 sports-based community programmes in 34 countries, will be developing projects in Malaysia, in collaboration with YR1M, as an ongoing legacy for the country, following the Laureus World Sports Awards.  

     

    YB Dato’ Seri Mohamed Nazri, Minister of Tourism & Culture of  Malaysia, said: “Kuala Lumpur is honoured to have hosted the prestigious 2014 Laureus World Sports Awards and the city has enjoyed staging this internationally-renowned event and welcoming a plethora of sporting legends to Malaysia. This is a sports-loving country and coupled with international events such as the Monsoon Cup and Formula One Grand Prix, we are delighted that Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, has been able to host this sporting event with such global significance. I am positive this has been an event to remember for all those involved.”

  • We are just focused on creating an identity for ourselves in the space: Prasana Krishnan

    We are just focused on creating an identity for ourselves in the space: Prasana Krishnan

    He is the man with a plan for Multi Screen Media’s (MSM) sports channel Sony Six, and he is ensuring the channel continues to remain at the top of the game in all aspects. 

     

    Ever since he moved to the MSM stable from Neo Sports in early September 2013, Sony Six business head, Prasana Krishnan, has not only endeavored to bring in a wide array of sports which have their own loyal fan base, he has left no stone unturned in acquiring some of the biggest international sports properties such as the European Qualifiers for 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia, The FIFA World Cups of 2014 and 2018, the Australian Open and Total Non-Stop Action (TNA) to name a few.  

     

    Krishnan further opens up on Sony Six’s journey thus far and its strategy to navigate the road ahead in a tete-a-tete with indiantelevision.com’s Sidharth Iyer. Excerpt: 

     

    Q. It’s been six months since you took charge of Sony Six. How has the journey been thus far?  

     

    It’s been a very exciting first six months. The channel is still in its nascent stage and we are trying to create an identity for ourselves to stand out from the competition. The idea is to identify niche areas we want to operate in and figure out how we are going to attain long term growth in this business. 

     

    Q. This is your second stint with a sports broadcaster after being with Neo Sports for over seven years. Is there any change in your role and responsibilities? 

     

    Well, it’s a given that different organisations face different types of challenges, depending on the situation. Like in 2006 when I was with Neo, the market was not this competitive and it was a very different landscape. The market has evolved with time and the competition is now extremely aggressive. With Sony being one of the largest broadcasters in the country, it’s a whole new ball game for me personally. 

     

    Q. Has sports broadcasting changed over the years? 

     

    There have been significant changes in the space over the last few years. Back in the day when I entered this industry, there was no Indian Premiere League (IPL) and no leagues existed; test and ODI cricket were still dominant forms in the sport. A format such as Twenty-20 was unheard of globally. Cable digitisation was many years away and direct-to-home (DTH) was still in an experimental stage.  

     

    So if we really turn back the clock, the last eight years have witnessed a dramatic transformation in the media landscape in terms of distribution, DTH, cable digitisation and regulatory changes. The entire sports landscape too has changed with T-20 becoming a predominant format and leagues emerging not only in cricket but in other forms of sport as well. 

     

    Q. What is Sony Six’s strategy to grow as a sports broadcaster, given the fact that it is a highly competitive business? Is Sony considering launching more sports channels to offer a wider choice to viewers?

     

    We are still in the first year of operations; we’re just 18 months old and trying to get a foothold in the market. So, as far as the idea of new channels is concerned, it’s a bit too early to comment on the same. But Sony Six the brand is clearly focused on a select number of sports, which we believe have latent potential but are underserviced. 

     

    If you look at basketball, it is one of those sports with the largest infrastructure facilities; schools encourage it, participation on ground level is very high and yet its potential hasn’t been tapped.

     

    So, along with NBA in India, we are much focused to try and grow that sport in the country and we already have encouraging numbers to support our drive. We’ve found the number of people who sampled basketball this season have grown seven to eight fold that of the previous season.  

     

    Fight sports is one more focus area which other broadcasters have shied away from. India is traditionally known for its fight sports such as boxing and wrestling and the country has continually shone in the same at the Asian Games as well as the Olympics. So, what we have done is focused on fight sports as a category and included a daily programming block called ‘Action Ka Blockbuster’. TNA has grown by over 170 per cent in the past month and half. TNA ratings have peaked at 384 TVTs which is its highest ever rating in the past one year; Kurt Angle’s episodes have always rated the best amongst all so far. We have a mixed bag of fight sports including wrestling, boxing and mixed martial arts so the idea is if these sports interest you as a viewer, then Sony Six is the destination for you. 

     

    Additionally, we have some of the largest properties including the IPL, FIFA World Cups of 2014 and 2018, and the Australian Open beginning next year. So what we have done is assembled very high profile marquee properties and other sports where we see a lot of development potential. Our positioning is such that apart from IPL, we are the home of football in India, so anytime you see famous footballers, they are all on Sony Six. Plus we focus on national sides and not club football so every time there is a major event in this sport, you can view it exclusively on Sony Six. 

     

    Q. How would you describe competition from rival sports broadcasters? 

     

    It is an intensively competitive market but everyone has their own brand and identity, and the Indian market is big enough to accommodate multiple players, so it’s not necessary to take the competition head on in case of each and every property. Speaking of identity, Ten Sports has its own identity where it is focused more on international cricket while Star Sports is dominant in a variety of sports. We are just focused on creating an identity for ourselves in the space. 

     

    Q. Ten Sports acquires the rights for matches hosted by boards of other countries. Do you intend getting into that space? If so, what will be your strategy for entry?

     

    We will look at it on a case-by-case basis instead of running in all directions to pin down whatever cricket telecast rights we can acquire. We have our core focus areas in place and we are positioning ourselves as the home of international football, along with basketball and fight sports. We have a good mix of quality content on offer. So, we just don’t want to go hammer and tongs in acquiring cricket properties just for the heck of it. However, when an opportunity presents itself, we will certainly take it up.

     

    Q. What kind of numbers are you generating in terms of viewership and who are your viewers really? 

     

    Sports viewership sees a lot of fluctuating numbers primarily based on the event that is being telecast at that point in time. But what we have noticed is that our profile is younger than the competition and that’s our view, and we do believe that numbers are supporting that because of the nature of sports we have identified and picked. 

     

    The India vs New Zealand series has averaged 2.6 million TVTs with a peak TVT of 3.0 million TVTs for the third ODI.  49 million viewers have seen the ODI series on Six, this figure is far better than any other series in the recent past. With cricket, Six’s average TVTs have grown exponentially to a career high 459 average TVTs in Week 4 2013. It’s the first time Six became the no.1 sports channel in a non-IPL week. The channel’s share grew to 60 per cent from average seven per cent in the past four weeks.

     

    Our reach and distribution has never been a cause for concern as we are part of a large network like Sony and are also ably distributed by The OneAlliance Group. The channel is pretty much available across the country to whoever needs it. But absolute numbers will always vary, because if you look at IPL, the numbers could well be in excess of 200 million viewers. So there really can’t be a fix on the viewers. 

     

    Q. How big is the advertising market for sports broadcasting? What is your share within the same? Which categories of advertisers spend the most on advertising on your channel? Are there any new emerging spenders?

     

    The share of the advertising pie varies a lot depending upon the number of big events in a particular year, so if you get a year where you have the FIFA World Cup or Cricket World Cup, the amount of money pumped in at that point in time is significant. 

     

    We are definitely a major player in the sports market on account of IPL, but in absolute and not IPL-related areas, we are still in an early stage and yet to get to our first big event which will be the FIFA World Cup 2014. 

     

    So while we have made a string of acquisitions in the past few months, we are yet to prove our mettle with the first big event to be hosted and telecast exclusively on Sony Six. Advertising on sports channels is generally very male-skewed; apart from FMCGs, banking and financial services, telecom has always been prevalent, so also automobile and insurance.

     

    Though there are subtle differences between advertiser profiles on GECs and sports channels, the big brands are always present across categories and it’s just a question of where they apportion a higher portion of their expenses. 

     

    Q. Sony spends thousands of crores on the broadcast of IPL on Max as well as Six, so what do you think of Star Sports jumping into the fray and bagging the online streaming rights for IPL by spending just a few hundred crores?

     

    See the rights for IPL that Starsports.com has acquired are not for live streaming; they were with Indiatimes for the past three years, and YouTube was doing the telecast along with Indiatimes so the product itself is not new. Instead of YouTube, Starsports.com has now partnered Indiatimes. There is no fundamental shift at ground level, but because it is Starsports.com that has come into the fray, it is being looked at as a big development.

     

    YouTube as a platform would have been even more formidable with its reach and availability, and an even bigger threat. Our focus is the television broadcast of IPL, and I believe we have been doing a good job of that year after year. From the viewers’ perspective, they will still be coming onto Set Max and Sony Six to catch all the live action and we really don’t see a problem in that sense.

     

    What is the way forward for Sony Six? 

     

    The future is certainly quite bright. As I mentioned, we have our focus areas in place and we are going in a particular direction with a set plan. We are trying to carve out a niche identity, and we have a fairly robust and youthful audience in terms of viewership because of the kind of content we have on offer. The focus will now be on the execution and monetisation of plans already in place.

  • Sony Six: gunning for pole position

    Sony Six: gunning for pole position

    MUMBAI: If you saw the 2013 film Rush about the fierce rivalry between 70s Formula One racing drivers James Hunt and Niki Lauda, Sony Six seems to be getting into the fast lane too now along with arch rival Star Sports.

     

    Not only does the channel have a diverse sports bouquet on offer, it boasts some of the biggest international sporting properties including The Pepsi Indian Premiere League (IPL), UEFA EURO 2016, Qualifiers for UEFA EURO 2016, European Qualifiers for 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia, Total Non-Stop Action (TNA), The Australian Open Tennis Championship, The NBA, The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) as well as The Indian Open Super Series and The India Open Grand Prix Gold in badminton.

    Yes, arch rival Star Sports has some hot cricket properties featuring India’s official team and other niche Indian sports tournaments, but the idea at Sony Six is to stand out from the competition and break the clutter by bringing in a wide array of sports which have their own loyal fan base.

     

    Says Sony Six business head Prasana Krishnan: “We believe in picking up sports that have a lot of latent potential – like basketball – as we really believe that in terms of infrastructure, it’s easily available all over the country and will slowly gain popularity.”

     

    As for content like UFC and TNA, he reasons that traditionally, the country has always had an active fight sports culture, with some of the best international performances emanating from this sphere.

     

    Sony Six has a full programming slate with a good mix of sports and is also making a statement in terms of content acquisition with back-to-back announcements of global sporting properties.

     

    Speaking of the rights’ acquisition of the FIFA World Cup 2014 and 2018, Krishnan expounds: “If we look at the trend in ratings, every time there is a big event like a EURO or FIFA, we see tremendous growth in interest for football in the country. So, keeping that aspect in mind, football is really an area that has not been explored to its full potential thus far.”

     

    Sony Six is looking to position itself as the home for international football for the next five years. “So be it whichever country that is playing like France, Germany, Argentina or Spain. Every time any of these countries play, the viewers get an opportunity to see their favorite stars and it helps build the brand and audience base further,” adds Krishnan.

     

    Besides, the channel has big plans for a 360 degree marketing campaign to promote FIFA comprising outdoor, print, digital, radio and television. “Six will be the main platform for the on-air promotion and we will also use the whole Sony network to spread the awareness. It’s too early to elaborate on the product as it is still six months away, but we will surely make it viral,” explains Krishnan.

     

    Kicking off Sony Six’s events’ calendar is the channel’s very first live international sporting event – India’s tour of New Zealand starting this Sunday, with five ODIs and two test matches.

     

    “Our portfolio for the current year is quite extensive, starting off with India’s tour of New Zealand, followed by FIFA, then European Central Qualifiers and the Australian Open. Thus, if you see in terms of competition, we certainly consider ourselves among the top sports broadcasters in the country. And all this in just under a year,” says Krishnan.

     

    At just 10 per cent, consumption of other sports vis-?-vis cricket is very marginal, leaving a wide space for other sports to build on their following.

     

    “The Indian market is huge and the way it’s structured is enormous; there is certainly potential in this country for various sports beyond cricket, and we as a channel would like to cash in on this opportunity,” stresses Krishnan.

     

    Are there any plans to infiltrate Hindi speaking markets (HSMs)? “Well, we certainly have a lot of plans in the pipeline as we want to penetrate into that market as well and I know it has been a recent trend for running simulcast of events with Hindi and English commentary. But if you just go back in time, Sony has already tried and tested this proposition during last year’s IPL. So if things work well, I really don’t see any problem in doing so. We have taken the rights for multiple languages’ broadcast as well,” concludes Krishnan.

  • Dhoni named brand ambassador to promote BPL

    Dhoni named brand ambassador to promote BPL

    NEW DELHI: Indian skipper M S Dhoni has been appointed brand ambassador to promote Barclays Premier League football (BPL) in India by Star Sports.

    A keen football enthusiast and a Manchester United fan, Dhoni will invite all sports fans to ‘Join the Game‘ in a clutter breaking integrated marketing campaign which will be launched early next week. The campaign will have a strong on-air and digital media thrust.

    This announcement comes on the back of the sports broadcaster announcing the launch of Hindi commentary for the first time on BPL. The Hindi commentary will be in addition to the English commentary and will be available for over 100 live matches across the season.

    Speaking on the occasion, ESPN Software India COO Vijay Rajput said, “We are delighted to have MS Dhoni come on board as the brand ambassador for BPL in the country. We are targeting to expand the fan base of BPL in India by leveraging the iconic power and fan following of MS Dhoni to attract cricket fans to sample BPL – Duniya ka sabse bada league. We want these fans to sample matches of BPL through the eyes of their biggest hero. The core campaign idea is ‘Join the Game‘. The launch of BPL in Hindi is in line with our overall strategy of pushing multi-lingual content. We believe that if you want people to consume a lot of content, you should offer it to them in their language of comfort.”

    The BPL campaign will build on Dhoni‘s love for football. He will invite sports fans in India to ‘Join the Game‘. The campaign has interesting renditions of how Dhoni is always missing from action and is glued to the TV sets watching BPL every weekend while his family and friends run around looking for him.

    Speaking on the association, Dhoni said, “I am an avid BPL fan and I just played out a real situation in front of the camera. If I am not busy with cricket, I am always busy with BPL during week-ends. Football is extremely exciting and very close to my heart. I was a goal keeper during my school days. Even today, I play football as a warm up game ahead of key cricket matches.”

    “I feel that Indian sports fans should consume different types of sports. I want them to be passionate about Cricket as they are, but at the same time one needs to give healthy respect for other disciplines as well. It is critical to spread the message of overall sports development and promotion in the country. This Star Sports initiative to provide football commentary now in Hindi will go a long way in making football exciting to watch and comprehend for new audiences across the nation. Similar efforts should be done to promote other sports as well,” India‘s captain added.

    Star Sports has aggressive production plans for non-live programming on this season of BPL in Hindi. The support of non-live programming through the season will play a key role in educating consumers about the league. The broadcaster plans to showcase highlight shows, weekly show based on ‘goals‘; and a weekly magazine show which will review and preview the latest developments from BPL. The sports channel has started off non-live programming with a six episode build-up show ‘Superstar Football‘ which focuses on multiple facets of the league – famous owners, top clubs, top players etc.

    In football, Star Sports channels hold broadcast rights for Barclays Premier League, Spanish La Liga, Italian Serie A, the English FA Cup and England international matches and AFC Events. Star Sports has recently showcased FIFA Confederations Cup 2013.

  • EA Sports, Fifa extend licensing deal till 2022

    EA Sports, Fifa extend licensing deal till 2022

    MUMBAI: EA Sports, a division of Electronic Arts and soccer‘s governing body Fifa have announced an extension of their existing licensing agreement until 31 December 2022.

    Under the terms of the agreement, EA Sports maintains exclusive rights to release Fifa-branded action and management videogames. In addition, EA Sports also holds exclusive rights to release the official Fifa World Cup videogame, as well as retaining its status as a presenting partner of the Fifa Interactive World Cup.

    EA Sports executive VP and head Andrew Wilson said, “EA Sports released the first Fifa-branded football game in 1993, and 20 years later our partnership with FIFA continues to be very strong. Our franchise has become the benchmark for quality and innovation in the sports videogame genre, and we look forward to many more years of connecting with consumers around the world with our games carrying the prestigious Fifa name.”

    Fifa secretary general Jérôme Valcke said, “Our relationship with EA Sports is of high importance to Fifa. The Fifa videogames are a key experiential component in our work to communicate the Fifa brand and its values all over the world. This is highlighted by the 2.5 million football fans that have competed in this year‘s Fifa Interactive World Cup, which is just one example of the power of our partnership with EA”.

  • Argentine soccer star Messi is Turkish Airlines’ global brand ambassador

    MUMBAI: International soccer star Leo Messi was named Global Brand Ambassador for Turkish Airlines after signing the agreement in September 2012.

    The FC Barcelona forward joins the ranks of Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant and professional tennis player Caroline Wozniacki who have been brand ambassadors since 2011 and 2010 respectively.

    Messi said, “I would like to thank to Turkish Airlines because it’s a great honor for me to be the brand ambassador of such a fast growing among the world’s biggest and Europe’s Best Airline company. I believe that by joining with a global network company such as Turkish Airlines, we will set to sign many more successful projects. As an Argentinian, I am happy Turkish Airlines is having another destination Buenos Aires from Istanbul.”

    Turkish Airlines Member of the Board, Ismail Gercek said, “We have held the title of Europe’s Best Airline now for two consecutive years and it makes perfect sense that we align ourselves with the best and most recognizable sports figures in the word. Signing a global sports star like Messi only solidifies our leading position as one of the world’s fastest growing airlines flying to a record number of countries across the globe.”

    In September 2012, Messi shot a commercial for the airline with Kobe Bryant. In the airlines’ latest commercial, the duo –competes to win the attention of a young boy. The latest commercial was a collaborative effort among producers, actors and crew members from Turkey, the Netherlands, Spain and the US. Shot partly at Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport and partly in other countries abroad, the commercial will air worldwide late this year.

    In working with Leo Messi, Turkish Airlines will maintain a global focus promoting its award-winning service. Having been named Fifa Best Player in the last three seasons and currently being a finalist for this year’s Fifa player of the year, Messi’s visibility and worldwide popularity will be instrumental in helping Turkish Airlines reach new heights on a global scale.

    Aside from this recent announcement, Turkish Airlines has reached several milestones in recent months including adding the 200th aircraft to its growing fleet and flying to 92 countries, more than any other airline in the world.

  • John Abraham, Bhaichung in special programming on FIFA on IBN

    John Abraham, Bhaichung in special programming on FIFA on IBN

    NEW DELHI: The 19th FIFA World Cup will see special exclusive pre-tournament programming on CNN-IBN and IBN7 to capture the excitement leading up to the greatest sporting extravaganza.

    The varied programming includes The Beautiful Game on CNN-IBN which starts on 31 May and GOAL on IBN7 from 1 June. This special series will provide a 360 degree perspective of the key events leading up to the tournament by football expert and the country’s foremost football journalist Novy Kapadia. The programming will also feature an interview with celebrated footballer Bhaichung Bhutia and Bollywood star and football enthusiast John Abraham.

    The pre-tournament programming with Novy Kapadia will include a series of half hour specials on CNN-IBN and IBN7 which will have a detailed analysis of the strengths and weakness of different teams, their preparedness for as well as their chances at the World Cup. The show will also take a close look at players to watch out for and team rivalries. The programming on CNN-IBN will be telecast on weekdays from 31 May till 10 June at 10.30 pm and on IBN7 on weekdays from 1 June till 10 June at 6.30 pm.

    Additionally CNN-IBN’s award winning sports anchor Meha Bhardwaj in a special show will be seen in conversation with Captain of the Indian football team, Bhaichung Bhutia and actor and football aficionado John Abraham to be telecast on June 5 at 7.30 pm on CNN-IBN. This special will focus on players & teams to look out for at the world cup and the future of Indian football.

    Talking about the pre-tournament programming line-up for the FIFA World Cup 2010, Rajdeep Sardesai, Editor-In-Chief, IBN18 Network said, “Football has a massive fan following in India and we want our viewers to get the best of the game’s biggest event. We are happy to have on board Novy Kapadia, country’s foremost football journalist, as part of our special pre-tournament programming line-up. The depth of experience which Novy Kapadia brings with him will provide viewers with rare insights into both the game as well as the world’s greatest sporting event, the FIFA World Cup 2010.”

    Ashutosh, Managing Editor, IBN7, said, “The extensive pre-event programming will cover all the key aspects that football fans would like to learn about before the actual tournament. From player profiles to the venues and team rivalries, we will provide our viewers with all the information and the behind the scenes action they desire before the FIFA World Cup 2010.”

  • BBC’s ‘Panorama’ to expose unsavoury deals at Fifa

    MUMBAI: A British football chief has revealed how a Fifa VP asked him to pay Football Association money into his own personal bank account.

    The former chairman of the Scottish FA, John McBeth, has told UK pubcaster the BBC’s show Panorama that a top Fifa executive Jack Warner asked him to make the match fee cheque payable to him personally, following an international match in Edinburgh.

    It is one of a series of suspect dealings involving Fifa. Panorama asks why Fifa’s ethics committee – run by Lord Sebastian Coe – is not taking action.

    Other questions about foul play directed at world football’s governing body include:

    Why a FIFA official, branded a liar by an American judge, is now Fifa General Secretary; why no-one has been prosecuted after falsifying documents in the same case – a crime punishable by up to five years in prison; and why a Fifa executive committee member was allowed to pay his national team players only £500 each for their participation in the World Cup, despite securing lucrative sponsorship deals – and then blacklisted them from the national team when they complained.

    Panorama asked Lord Coe why the ethics committee was not looking into these issues. He declined to answer or give any details of his job, referring all queries to Fifa, the body he is supposed to be monitoring.

    McBeth first expressed concerns about corruption in Fifa after being chosen to fill Britain’s post on the Fifa executive committee in May this year. He pointed the finger at football officials in Africa and the Caribbean – but was dropped just days before starting his new job amid accusations of bigotry and racism from Vice-President Warner.

    However, he is adamant that this was a merely a smokescreen and that he was sailing far too close to the truth for some Fifa members. McBeth says, “There are one or two people on that executive committee that I wouldn’t trust as far as I could throw. I was talking about the football people that I’ve met and dealt with in Africa and the Caribbean. It was football people I was talking about. I wasn’t talking about the nation. I’m not a racist bigot and I think it probably says more about Jack and him trying to deflect away the criticism that I was making of corruption.”

    Speaking for the first time on the subject, McBeth has revealed how Warner, who represents Fifa in North and Central America and the Caribbean, asked him to pay a match fee directly into his personal account.

    Previously, Warner was found guilty by Fifa’s ethics committee of touting thousands of World Cup tickets through his family travel company in Trinidad. Yet he escaped with nothing more than a slap on the wrist. He was also accused of “ripping off” Trinidad and Tobago’s players following last year’s World Cup.

    The Panorama investigation has also found that some of Fifa’s actions in relation to a sponsorship deal amounted to criminal activity, punishable by up to five years in prison in Fifa’s home nation, Switzerland.

    FIFA attempted to drop its sponsor MasterCard and replace it with Visa, contrary to a long-standing agreement, and was taken to court in New York by MasterCard, where the judge condemned its actions.The man who led FIFA’s marketing team, Jerome Valcke, admitted lying to both MasterCard and Visa.

    The BBC adds that despite the serious nature of the case, Lord Coe’s ethics committee has took no action. And when Panorama asked Lord Coe why he was not looking into this case he declined to talk. Warner and Valcke also declined to comment.