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Tag: FIH

  • FIH signs four year partnership with Indian broadcaster Viacom18

    FIH signs four year partnership with Indian broadcaster Viacom18

    Mumbai: The International Hockey Federation (FIH) announced that it has signed a major media rights agreement with Indian broadcaster Viacom18. This agreement runs for a four year cycle (2023-2027) and includes all FIH events, except the FIH Nations Cup.

    Thanks to this partnership, the numerous Indian hockey fans will be able to watch on Viacom18 channels the upcoming FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers, the first ever FIH Hockey5s World Cup, the FIH Hockey Pro League, the 2026 FIH Hockey World Cup and many more events!

    With India being such a historic powerhouse of global hockey, this agreement is a great asset to boost the popularity of the game in the country even further.

    Matches will be available on OTT platform JioCinema and Viacom18’s linear channels network Sports18.

    Viacom18 Sports head of strategy, partnerships & acquisitions Hursh Shrivastava said, “Hockey has been one of the most loved, followed and storied sports in India. The recent success of the Indian Men’s and Women’s National Team bodes well for the continuous growth of Hockey, and we are excited to bring unbridled access to millions of sports fans in India. The addition of world-class Hockey coverage reiterates our commitment to provide fans all-inclusive offerings of globally-acclaimed sports events.”

    Commenting on the agreement, FIH president Tayyab Ikram said: “As we’re enhancing our commercial and broadcast approach, this agreement with Viacom18 is a major step forward. It’s great support to be partnering with such a strong broadcaster in a country where hockey is so fundamentally and historically anchored, and where we continuously want to develop the game. On behalf of FIH, I would like to thank Viacom18 for joining our efforts to promote hockey in India even further.”

    #HockeyEquals

    #HockeyInvites

  • AHF teams up with JSW Foundation for women’s empowerment

    AHF teams up with JSW Foundation for women’s empowerment

    Mumbai: With a vision to revolutionise hockey by empowering young and aspiring women in India and the rest of Asia, the Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) announces a unique partnership with JSW Foundation, the social development arm of the JSW Group – one of India’s leading business houses with a rich legacy of empowering rural communities to enrich their lives over the past three decades.

    “This is an important milestone in our endeavour to bring more women into the sport of hockey. This association with JSW Foundation promises to inspire change by empowering aspiring women who wish to get into the sport of hockey, not just as players but also as umpires, technical officials among many other roles. This initiative embodies FIH’s ‘Equally Amazing’ motto. With their vast knowledge and experience in social development, I believe this association with JSW Foundation will prove to be vital across India and Asian countries,” expressed  FIH president Dato Tayyab Ikram.

    Speaking about this unique partnership with the Asian Hockey Federation, JSW Foundation chairperson Sangita Jindal reaches out to over 1 million individuals annually across the country, through various interventions. With this program, today, I believe that at the JSW Foundation, we are not merely starting a program; We are igniting a movement—a movement aimed at rewriting the narrative of women’s empowerment and leadership in sports. Our mission is clear: to champion gender equality, to empower women in the world of hockey across India and 30 Asian Countries, and to redefine what’s possible both on and off the field.”

    While JSW Foundation’s focus areas range from education, health and nutrition, skill development, environment and water, art, and heritage; sports has been one of the strong focus points for JSW Foundation who believe that sport has the power to eliminate social discrimination and gender biases. Through JSW Sports, they promote sporting excellence and run multiple programs and platforms to aid India’s vision of achieving the status of a global powerhouse in sports. Their robust sports ecosystem has paved the way for 17 of the 107 medals at the recent Hangzhou Asian Games.

    AHF president Fumio Ogura welcomed the JSW Foundation and called them, ‘champions of change.’ He said, “JSW Group has been at the forefront of ringing in a new era of sports in India with their ambitious JSW Sports initiative that supports several leading athletes in the country and have successfully created an ecosystem that promises to contribute to India’s vision of becoming a global sporting powerhouse. We, at AHF, are privileged to receive their generous support in our efforts to bring more women into the sport. With their reach across India, through their several community-based initiatives, we believe we can take hockey far and wide in India as well as in rest of Asia.”

    Reflecting Jindal’s views and deep-rooted passion for sports, JSW Sports and Inspire Institute of Sport founder Parth Jindal said, “The JSW Women’s Empowerment and Youth Leadership Program is a reflection of our commitment to fostering leadership, gender equality, and diversity, not just in hockey but in society as a whole. It’s about empowering the women who are not just representing a team but also representing hope, inspiration, and the future of Indian sports.

    “When Tayyab Ikram spoke to us regarding this event and the launch of the JSW Women’s Empowerment and Youth Leadership Program, we didn’t have to think twice. At JSW, we have always been a Group that focuses on development and growth.

    I’d like to express my gratitude to everyone here and the Asian Hockey Federation for this partnership.”

  • FIH, DAZN renew deal for 2019-22

    FIH, DAZN renew deal for 2019-22

    MUMBAI: The International Hockey Federation (FIH) has renewed its media rights agreement with DAZN for a period of four years (2019-2022) in Austria, Germany and Switzerland, according to Insidesport. FIH and DAZN first entered into a media rights agreement back in 2017. DAZN is a subscription video streaming service owned by Perform Group.

    The rights include all FIH Pro League matches, the Olympic qualifiers and the Hockey World Cups 2022 – both men and women.

    FIH CEO Thierry Weil said, “FIH is delighted to extend its working relationship with DAZN. This partnership will help us to increase the exposure of hockey. In particular, it will contribute to promote FIH’s brand-new competition, the FIH Pro League, our global home and away league involving many of the world’s best hockey teams.”

    DAZN DACH EVP Thomas de Buhr said, “The multisport approach has been part of DAZN’s core DNA right from the start. For fans of smaller sports, often in the shadow of major sports, it’s nice to know that DAZN is home to all sports fans. Field hockey has been an integral part of DAZN since 2017 and we look forward to accompanying the German national teams on their way to the Olympics 2020 and beyond.”

    The service is dedicated to sports, offering live and on-demand streaming of events from various properties. It was first launched in Austria, Germany, Japan, and Switzerland in August 2016, and in Canada the following year. It was launched in the United States and Italy in 2018.

  • World Cup TV coverage reaches a record 194 countries!

    World Cup TV coverage reaches a record 194 countries!

    MUMBAI: Thanks to media rights agreements signed by the International Hockey Federation (FIH) with over thirty broadcast partners worldwide, the TV coverage of the upcoming Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup Bhubaneswar 2018 will reach no less than 194 countries.

    This represents an increase of almost 150% compared to the last edition of the men’s flagship event in 2014!

    Furthermore, the games will be shown by over 30 broadcasters, which is twice more than four years ago.

    In territories where no media rights agreement is in place, the matches will be streamed on the FIH YouTube channel.

    The host broadcasting operations will be delivered by Indian TV company Star Sports.

    FIH CEO Thierry Weil said: “It is our will and mission to bring hockey to the attention of always more people. The great increase of countries where it will be possible to watch the Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup Bhubaneswar 2018 on TV will enable many more fans to follow the action! This will give hockey more exposure than ever before.”

    The Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup Bhubaneswar 2018 will kick off on 28 November and end on 16 December. This will be the fourteenth edition of the Men’s World Cup, which is played every four years.

    The full list of broadcasters showing the games is available here.

    For all information regarding the Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup Bhubaneswar 2018, including the full schedule, teams, news and more, click here.

  • Star Sports on a route to ‘glocalise’ Hockey

    Star Sports on a route to ‘glocalise’ Hockey

    MUMBAI: It wasn’t very long ago when the News Corp-owned media and entertainment leader, Star Network, committed to invest Rs 20,000 crore in building up the sports business in India. So while the investment was intended to fuel the expansion of sports coverage in the country, there were plans of building exciting new leagues including the Indian Super League (ISL) in football, the Hockey India League (HIL) and the Indian Badminton League (IBL) as well over the next few years.

     

    Star India head of sports business Nitin Kukreja says: “Well, we at Star believe to put money where our mouth is.”

     

    In a strategic announcement today, Star has pledged to push the envelope for the promotion of Hockey – India’s national sport – with an unprecedented investment of over Rs 1,500 crore over the next eight years. This is a never seen before commitment to Hockey, which would see Hockey India, International Hockey Federation (FIH) and Star India embark upon a journey to promote the game.

     

    “The idea is to look at sports other than Cricket and try and bring a change in the sporting landscape. For the transformation in any sport to really come about it requires time, investment, innovations, ideas and the coming together of the ecosystem,” adds Kukreja.

     

    The sports broadcaster is set to create a new global benchmark in Hockey broadcasting with the telecast of the second edition of HIL. Showcasing ‘The New Face of Hockey’, Star Sports’ has invested over Rs 100 crore in the promotion (Rs 50 crore) and production (Rs 50 crore) of the second edition of HIL which starts on 25 January, 8 pm onwards.

     

    Such a big investment hasn’t been made earlier by a broadcaster in any local league, the exception being the Indian Premiere League (IPL). However, Star Sports intends to showcase Hockey like it has never been experienced before whether in India or globally.

     

    Kukreja says: “In terms of making the right noise around the second edition of HIL, we are already getting a good response from advertisers. We already have Micromax, Dr. Ortho and Denver Deos as our sponsors and we are in final stages of discussions with other advertisers. We will certainly be having lot of spot buyers once the tournament kicks-off.”

     

    Star Sports’ wants the HIL broadcast to be an immersive, engaging and pleasurable viewing experience for the Indian hockey fan. The idea is to take the consumer closer to the game and make them understand the game better. Star Sports has hired International Management Group (IMG) to produce the second edition of HIL. Israel-based specialised sports agency Prometheus has been entrusted with the responsibility of developing cutting edge graphics suitable for Hockey broadcast. The broadcaster will use as many as 20 cameras for the very first time in the history of the sport for each and every match during the league – covering every piece of action on the Astroturf.

     

    “It gives us immense pleasure to be the home for the 2018 Hockey World Cup telecast. We will surely push the envelope in match coverage as well as get into in-depth pre and post match analysis to engage the consumer better,” expounds Kukreja.

    Additionally, the viewing experience will get batter because Star Sports is treating HIL at par with international cricket. The league will be showcased not only in English on Star Sports 1 and Star Sports HD1, but will also be showcased in Hindi on Star Sports 3. Starsports.com will stream all matches live of the tournament for Hockey loving fans across the world.

     

    Star Sports has erected a world class set for pre and post shows of the league. The studio team in English will be led by former BBC presenter Michael Absalom; while in Hindi, Star Sports has roped Vidya Malvade (of Chak De India fame) as the lead anchor.

     

    The channel’s experts and sports commentary team comprises some of the most eminent names of Hockey. English studio team: Michael Absalom (anchor), Viren Rasquinha and A.B Subbaiah (experts); English commentary team: Ashley Morrison, Adrian D’souza and Amar Aiyama (lead); Sandeep Somesh, Ashish Ballal and Solomon Casoojee (experts); Hindi studio team: Vidya Malvade (anchor), Harender Singh, Tahir Zaman (experts) and Hindi commentary team: Sunil Taneja, Ravikant Singh and Mohit Gang (lead); Salman Akbar and Sameer Dad (experts).

     

    “We are investing time and money in the hockey commentators to make them TV compatible,” says Kukreja, and further adds, “The Indian Hockey loving fan has always missed out on the kind of telecast quality that is generally experienced only in Cricket; well all that is about to change with this path breaking production standards that we have adopted for the very first time ever in the game of Hockey.”

     

    Just looking at this edition of HIL, this will be the first time that 30 out of the 34 matches will be played at 8 pm which is the prime time viewing. The six teams that will be featuring in the tournament are: Dabur Mumbai Magicians, Jaypee Punjab Warriors, Ranchi Rhinos, Delhi Waveriders, Kalinga Lancers and Uttar Pradesh Wizards.

     

    Kukreja further adds that nearly 70 per cent of the viewership comes from the Hindi Speaking Markets (HSMs) and the time spent (which generally shows the strength of the content) on the Hindi channel (Star Sports 3) is about 40 per cent higher, thus clearly indicating a higher stickiness quotient among these markets.

     

    Star Sports along with IMG and Prometheus has already rolled out team specific music videos with peppy tunes and eye popping visuals capturing the essence of the cities the teams belong to. It is not just grabbing the attention of viewers, but is also creating the right noise with the tournament just a couple of days away.

     

    “We believe that we have done our bit in the promotion of the sport and it’s now time that the entire ecosystem comes together and make the sport even bigger and reach a wider fan base. I really don’t see a reason why can’t India regain its glory in the sport that brought in loads of medals and recognition on the global platform,” Kukreja concludes.   

     

    Star India is certainly betting big on promoting the sports culture in the country. Now it’s only a matter of a couple of days to see how the viewers respond to this big gamble played out by the broadcaster. Play on!

  • The Hero Hockey Junior World Cup to showcase the hottest young talent our sport has to offer: Leandro Negre

    The Hero Hockey Junior World Cup to showcase the hottest young talent our sport has to offer: Leandro Negre

    MUMBAI: The president of the International Hockey Federation (FIH) Leandro Negre feels the Hero Hockey Junior World Cup is the perfect platform for the most talented young players in the world to make a name for themselves and also leave a big impression on those who are watching in the stands or following the action on television or on the live stream.

    He says, “Of course, if India were to win the tournament the impact would be huge, but with so many great hockey nations competing it is really difficult to predict who will lift the trophy.”

    The fact that the event is being hosted in India is an added bonus for Leandro as he is extremely fond of India, not just in terms of a Hockey destination but also as a country. “I am really looking forward to visiting the country again. I love everything about coming to India, I am always made to feel extremely welcome here. Hockey events in India are always very special, and the atmosphere when the home team are in action is something that has to be seen to be believed. It is a real privilege to experience it.”

    Talking about Indian Hockey, he feels India holds a very special place in world hockey and there is abundant talent in the country to become a world class side

    Speaking on the topic of India’s promising young brigade making the transition from junior to senior hockey he said, “India has always been strong at the junior level. However, it is not always easy to make the transition from junior to senior hockey. This is not something which is unique to India but applies to every hockey playing nation in the world. That said, the India men’s team is very talented and looks to have a fine crop of young talent coming through the ranks. I think it’s really important that India gets behind the team during the Hero Junior World Cup as fan support can really make a big difference. The future looks bright for Indian hockey.”

    Leandro believes that currently hockey is going through a very exciting phase globally. The development of complementary formats such as Hockey 5s – a faster, higher scoring, action packed format played between teams of only five players – are particularly attractive to youth and non-traditional hockey audiences. As a part of it’s new strategy, the FIH is keen to entertain and inspire a global movement of hockey fans and players, by attracting more people to play, support and love the game of hockey.

    To Leandro, the success of the first edition of the Hero Hockey India League is a step in the right direction to grow the game, and he is greatly looking forward to seeing it return in 2014. “It is the kind of event that hockey needs, a professional tournament that shines a light on hockey’s superstars and appeals to fans all around the world. It has had a significant impact on the worldwide exposure of the game.”

    But before HHIL, India will also play host to the Hero Hockey World League Finals in January next year. So whichever way one looks at it, there is a lot of Live action hockey in store for fans in India in the coming months, and many more occasions for Mr. Leandro Negre to visit a country that is almost like a second home to him.

  • Hero to be the title sponsor for Hockey Junior World Cup

    Hero to be the title sponsor for Hockey Junior World Cup

    MUMBAI: Hero Motocorp today announced its association with the Hockey Junior World Cup. Hero will be the title sponsors of the tournament that will see the participation of 16 of the finest junior (under 21yrs) international teams of the world as they fight it out for the title at the famous Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium in New Delhi. The tournament will go on from 6 to 15 December, 2013.

     

    Hero Motocorp is an FIH (International Hockey Federation) partner and the title sponsor for all FIH events taking place in India till the end of 2015.

     

    Hero MotoCorp MD & CEO Pawan Munjal said, “It is a privilege to be associated with the Hockey Junior World Cup. This is also in keeping with our long-term commitment to promote Hockey in the country. Youth plays a pivotal role towards building world-class teams and we hope our support can help drive the growth of hockey in India and around the world. I wish all the participating teams the very best and look forward to seeing some great performance from these future stars of world hockey.”

     

    “The Junior World Cup is an extremely important event for FIH”, said International Hockey Federation CEO Kelly Fairweather. “It puts the spotlight on the future stars of the game, providing some of the finest young talents in the world with the perfect opportunity to make a name for them in a world class sporting environment. We are delighted to have Hero Motorcorp as a Global Partner and the Title Sponsor for the Junior World Cup and other upcoming FIH Major Events in India, including the World League Finals in January,” he added.

     

    The tournament features four pools, each of which contains four teams ahead of the quarter-finals, semi-finals, classification and medal matches. Pool A will feature Germany, Pakistan, Belgium and Egypt, while Australia, Spain, Argentina and France are competing in Pool B. Netherlands, Korea, India and Canada will challenge each other in Pool C with England, New Zealand, South Africa and Malaysia going head to head in Pool D.

     

    The Indian team led by Manpreet Singh will open its campaign against the Netherlands, a team that will almost certainly be targeting the title. Playing under home conditions, Indian hockey’s young guns will compete against other top contenders like Germany, Australia and Spain.

  • Genesis Burson-Marsteller and WordsWork Announce Strategic Partnership

    Genesis Burson-Marsteller and WordsWork Announce Strategic Partnership

    New Delhi:- Genesis Burson-Marsteller (GBM), leader in integrated communications, specializing in public relations, public affairs, crisis communications and digital marketing, today announced its strategic partnership with WordsWork, a young specialty communications advisory firm. Headquartered in New Delhi, WordsWork will now become one of the preferred partner’s in Genesis Burson-Marsteller’s integrated communications and public relations services.

    This partnership illustrates GB-M’s commitment to strengthening its expertise in the Sports and Luxury sectors. Both companies will now combine their individual strengths of in-depth knowledge, network and experience to offer a compelling solution to existing and upcoming sports and luxury clients in India.

    Speaking on the occasion, Prema Sagar, Principal & Founder of Genesis Burson-Marsteller said, “It’s a delight to be working with a young and dynamic firm that defines itself so well in the sports and luxury communications space. The segment is niche and growing, and our joint focus will be to leverage their expertise with the scale of execution and pan-India network that Genesis Burson-Marsteller can provide. This partnership is mutually beneficial and both Genesis B-M and WordsWork’s clients can take advantage of our collective expertise and creative capabilities.”

    Commenting on the development, Neha Mathur Rastogi, Founder, WordsWork said “We are very proud to be chosen as preferred partners of one of India’s most respected strategic integrated communication consultancies. Together with Genesis B-M’s global resources and our shared passion for the art of communication, we will bring reach, scale, and a wide range of integrated services for our clients adding much needed value to these sunrise sectors.”

    Founded by Neha Mathur Rastogi in 2009, WordsWork has over the years specialized in sports and lifestyle & luxury sectors, providing a full range of communication services with an emphasis on public relations, content marketing and event management. Key clients to showcase this strength include IWC Watches, FIH (International Hockey Federation); Laureus World Sports foundation among many others.

  • FIH announces enhanced TV exposure for hockey World Cups

    FIH announces enhanced TV exposure for hockey World Cups

    MUMBAI: Hockey’s governing body FIH has announced that the recently held hockey World Cups generates strong TV exposure.

    The BDO Hockey World Cup Men, played in Monchengladbach, Germany early September, generated a television audience of 645 million viewers worldwide. This FIH states is a record for hockey and an increase of 50 per cent compared to the Samsung Champions Trophy for men. In India the events aired on Ten Sports.

    The German based company IFM International Sportanalysen recently presented these figures to the FIH.
    The men’s hockey World Cup saw 3,512 broadcasts across 77 TV channels globally. There were 266 live broadcasts and 645 million cumulated audience. There was a sponsoring value of EUR 2,416,573 from 233 hours of screen time for BDO as title sponsor (calculated at 10 per cent of advertising spot rate)

    For the women’s World Cup which took place from 27 September – 8 October 2006 there were 2,597 broadcasts across 78 TV channels worldwide. There were 225 live broadcasts and a 380 million cumulated audience. The sponsoring value of EUR 1,330,935 from 96 hours of screen time for Samsung as title sponsor (calculated at 10 per cent of advertising spot rate).