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Tag: Football

  • Sony Pictures Sports Network unveils UEFA EURO 2020 fixtures

    Sony Pictures Sports Network unveils UEFA EURO 2020 fixtures

    KOLKATA: With the UEFA EURO 2020 barely a month away, Sony Pictures Sports Network has unveiled the schedule for the biggest football tournament in 2021 gathers pace. The tournament kicks off 11 June 2021 live on Sony TEN 2 and Sony TEN 3 (in Hindi) channels in India.

    Between 11 June and 11 July, there will be 51 games for fans to enjoy and soak up the atmosphere across the 11 host cities across Europe. All 24 teams at the final tournament are guaranteed to play at least three games before the top performers in the group stage move on to the knockout phase – where things get even more exciting. From that point, every game is sudden death: win and teams reach the next round, lose and they are going home.

    While the teams are yet to announce their squads, viewers are already looking forward to some of the biggest names from across the 24 participating nations like Cristiano Ronaldo, Harry Kane, Paul Pogba, Sergio Ramos, Luka Modric, Toni Kros, Bruno Fernandes, Kevin Du Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, Ciro Immobile, Federico Chiesa, Memphis Depay, Georginio Wijnaldum and Matthijs de Ligt.

    The opening round of matches from 11 June 11 to 23 June will feature some thrilling encounters such as England vs Croatia, France vs Germany, Portugal vs Germany, Portugal vs France and many more. Rome’s Stadio Olimpico will host the opening match on June 11, while only two teams will ultimately make it all the way to the July 11 final at London’s Wembley Stadium. The 11 final UEFA EURO 2020 host cities are Amsterdam, Baku, Bucharest, Budapest, Copenhagen, Glasgow, Munich, London, Rome, Seville and Saint Petersburg.

    Portugal –

    The current holders and inaugural UEFA Nations League winners have progressed from the EURO group stage on all seven occasions. Their group looks difficult, but coach Fernando Santos said: “We will prepare well for this EURO and look to go into it with incredible conviction, looking to defend the title.”

    Jersey Colors: Red, Green

    Group stage opponents: France, Germany, Hungary

    France –

    Any fan of flair, attacking football and Gallic genius will surely look no further than reigning world champions France for this competition. History tells us there have only been four occasions when a team has won five matches at a single EURO – France have achieved that feat three times. 

    Jersey Colors: Blue, White, Red

    Group stage opponents: Germany, Hungary, Portugal

    Croatia –

    Croatia’s unmissable red-and-white checked kit makes them the must-support side for the style-conscious fan. The Vatreni will be appearing in their fifth consecutive EURO – a huge achievement for a nation of less than five million citizens. Losing World Cup finalists in 2018, they will be out on the field to make a statement at this year’s UEFA EURO 2020

    Jersey Colors: Red, White

    Group stage opponents: Czech Republic, England, Scotland

    Belgium –

    The top scorers in qualifying with 40 goals in ten matches, Belgium have just one major tournament success in their history – can they add a second 101 years after striking gold at the 1920 Olympic Games? Striker Romelu Lukaku hopes a settled squad can help them, explaining: “If you keep getting better and the team plays together for a long time, it gets easier.”

    Jersey Colors: Red, Yellow

    Group stage opponents: Denmark, Finland, Russia

    England –

    If goals are your thing then England is your pick. The Three Lions are also playing in their tenth EURO, which is the most participations any country has racked up without ever winning the title. With the final scheduled to take place in London, has their time finally come?

    Jersey Colors: White, Blue

    Group stage opponents: Croatia, Czech Republic, Scotland

    Germany –

    Appearing in their 26th consecutive major tournament, the three-time winners have progressed from the EURO group stage on seven occasions – no team has advanced more times – and have the most wins (26) and most goals (72).

    Jersey Colors: White, Black

    Group stage opponents: France, Hungary, Portugal

    Italy –

    The Azzurri are unbeaten in 40 EURO qualifiers, dating back to 2006, so translating that form into silverware is surely the next step for the 2012 runners-up.

    Jersey Colors: White, Blue

    Group stage opponents: Switzerland, Turkey, Wales

    Netherlands –

    Having failed to make the last EURO and World Cup, it is the Netherlands’ longest absence from major finals since the mid-1980s – when they marked their return by winning EURO ’88. If you believe in fate then the Dutch could deliver for you.

    Jersey Colors: Orange, White

    Group stage opponents: Austria, North Macedonia, Ukraine

    Spain –

    The choice of the purist, the kings of tiki-taka have lost none of their total football philosophy after winning two of the last three EUROs. Could they claim their fourth EURO triumph?

    Jersey Colors: Red, Blue, Yellow

    Group stage opponents: Poland, Slovakia, Sweden

  • FIFCO signs up with sports start-up Corpsport Arena in India

    FIFCO signs up with sports start-up Corpsport Arena in India

    New Delhi: The International Federation of Corporate Football (FIFCO), the world governing body for corporate football, has confirmed  Gurugram-based start-up Corpsport Arena as an exclusive partner in India.

    The association is expected to give a boost to corporate football in the country. Headquartered in Montreal, Canada, FIFCO currently has over 65 country members and 2.5 million players.

    FIFCO founding president Albert Zbily said, “During the day we work in our trades and our jobs, but every once and while, we live out our dreams and play the game we love under the colours we embrace. I am thrilled to have Corpsport Arena as our exclusive partner in India to take our worldwide movement forward.”

    Corpsport Arena founder and CEO Gaurav Saharan said he is driven by the commitment to sportify the landscape of corporate India by providing a platform for competitive sports between organisations across industries. “Our association with FIFCO as an exclusive partner in India would definitely catapult football in Corporate India and it would pave the way for the best team among the corporates to represent India in the upcoming World Corporate Champions Cup to be held in Dubai in October 2021 and many more tournaments going forward,” he added.

    With Corpsport Arena, corporates would have their very own annual sports fiesta to find out the brawniest and brainiest in the corporate world. “There’ll be multisport championships and other services involving fitness, wellness, performance evaluation using sports tech in a big way. We urge corporate India to join us in this sporting journey.”

  • Eurosport India amps up sports fans with docu-series blitz

    Eurosport India amps up sports fans with docu-series blitz

    NEW DELHI: Eurosport and Eurosport HD have rolled out a new campaign of sports documentaries titled 10 weeks 20 documentaries with the aim to enthral audiences with gripping human stories of sports personalities. 

    The campaign, spread across 10 weeks, with two new episodes premiering every weekend, is a step towards Eurosport India establishing itself as the home of world-class sports titles in a wide variety of sporting genres like cricket, golf, tennis, football, and boxing.

    The documentary blitz kickstarted earlier this month with the screening of the Emmy nominated sports docu-series Being Serena that follows pivotal moments in the life of former world No. 1 tennis champion, Serena Williams. 

    Being Serena was followed by What Killed Maradona which takes a deeper look into the extraordinary life of Diego Maradona, piecing together the trail of clues that caused his lonely and premature death in the Argentinian capital. 

    The ongoing Matchday – Inside FC Barcelona, an eight episodic docu-series, that tracks the FC Barcelona squad during the 2018/19 season premiered last weekend.

    Four other documentaries will come to Eurosports in May. 

    Anthony Joshua: The Road to Klitschko follows the IBF World Heavyweight champion over the course of two years as he prepares for the biggest fight of his career.

    Strokes of Genius depicts the legendary rivalry between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, while The Tiger Tales Show uses video and animation to tell new and illuminating stories about Tiger’s incredible impact on golf.

    The Beckham Effect examines the ups and downs of David Beckham’s six-year tenure with the LA Galaxy and its impact on the sports landscape. 

    June is reserved for cricket with two very interesting documentaries releasing one after another. Capturing Cricket: Steve Waugh in India follows the former Australian captain’s journey as he travels across India and captures the country’s obsession with the sport. Bodyline: The Ultimate Test is the story of one of the most well-known but perhaps least understood moments of conflict and controversy in the history of sports: the infamous Bodyline Test cricket series of 1932 and 1933.

  • Eurosport India to broadcast India’s FIFA friendly matches

    Eurosport India to broadcast India’s FIFA friendly matches

    KOLKATA: Eurosport and Eurosport HD India have bagged the broadcasting rights for the upcoming FIFA friendly matches of team India.

    The Indian national team is currently in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and will be playing two matches in the upcoming FIFA international friendlies on 25 and 29 March, where they take on Oman and the host country, UAE. The Indian side will be back in action after almost 16 months.

    Eurosport India head & Discovery Inc affiliate sales and product distribution, Asia – India sales & distribution SVP Vijay Rajput said, “We are extremely delighted to have an opportunity to bring the fans close to the Indian national football team as they take on national duty after a long time. The Indian National Football team has been making giant progress and we can surely look forward to two thrilling, action filled matches coming our way.”

    All India Football Federation (AIFF) general secretary Kushal Das said, “I am happy to announce that we have associated with Eurosport India as the official broadcaster for the upcoming FIFA international friendly matches of Team India. They are one of the most promising broadcasters and we look forward to performing well and giving the audience spectacular matches in the coming days.”

    Schedule:

    India vs Oman – 25 March 2021, Maktoom Bin Rashid Stadium – 19:15 Hrs (7:15 pm) IST on Eurosport HD

    India vs UAE – 29 March 2021, Zabeel Stadium – 21:45 Hrs (9:45 pm) IST on Eurosport and Eurosport HD

  • Sony Pictures Sports Network launches teaser campaign for UEFA Euro 2020

    Sony Pictures Sports Network launches teaser campaign for UEFA Euro 2020

    KOLKATA: Sony Pictures Sports Network (SPSN) is set to broadcast Europe’s biggest football tournament, UEFA Euro 2020, live on Sony Ten 2 and Sony Ten 3 (in Hindi) channels starting 11 June 2021 in India. Ahead of the football fiesta, SPSN has rolled out a teaser campaign with its #MeriDoosriCountry films to bring fans closer to their teams leading to UEFA Euro 2020.

    Meri Doosri Country will give the audiences a chance to exhibit their undying passion for football, as they start supporting their favourite team from Europe at the UEFA Euro’s this June. Through its signature campaign, SPSN aims to draw in the attention of both fans and fringe-viewers to root for their favourite countries with the same passion and intensity as they would support their own country.

    This campaign will complement the network’s campaign for the FIFA World Cup 2018 and will act as a signature campaign for all international country football tournaments on the network. To build up interest for the launch of the campaign, SPSN has released four teaser films encapsulating the same fervour, team rivalry and fan banter in a quirky and funny way. The four films were conceptualised and created in-house by SPSN’s marketing team.

    Film 1: France vs Portugal

    The film explores the story of two friends who showcase the chance of their favorite team winning the Euro trophy through the size of the Dosa they order.

    Film 2: Netherland vs Germany

    This film highlights the rivalry among middle-aged men as the Netherland supporter tries to leave the Germany supporter behind in a quest to win the trophy at the upcoming UEFA Euro 2020.

    Film 3: Spain vs Italy

    The film features an endearing Bengali couple and goes on to tell a story of how they influence their new born baby in supporting the two different clubs they support.

    Film 4: England vs Croatia

    The film takes us through the football rivalry between two youngsters as they show how best their team can win matches by scoring the goal from farther away.

    As one of the most celebrated and largest football events, UEFA Euro’s has established itself as one of world football's most exciting competitions. The 2021 edition of the UEFA Euro marks the 60th anniversary of this competition and will feature 24 teams from across Europe. Fans will get to watch some of the best footballers in the world like Cristiano Ronaldo, Antoine Griezmann, Harry Kane, Toni Kroos, Paul Pogba, Kylian Mbappè to name a few compete for the coveted title. Rome's Stadio Olimpico will host the opening match on June 11, while England's national stadium Wembley will stage both semi-finals and the final.

    Sony Pictures Networks India sports channels marketing & on-air promotions head Neville Bastawalla said: “After the FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro is the biggest and the most exciting football extravaganza in the world with rich and colourful history. For a tournament in which India does not participate, we aimed to build vested interest among the Indian viewers who support their favourite European team with the same passion and intensity with which they support their own country. Our teaser films, which are an extension of #MeriDoosriCountry will bring out the rivalries of different fans across demographics and bring alive the emotions of these millions of Indian viewers who will be voicing their support for one of the countries participating in UEFA Euro 2020.”

  • RIL completes acquisition of IMG Reliance

    RIL completes acquisition of IMG Reliance

    New Delhi: Reliance Industries has completed the acquisition of shares of IMG Reliance from IMG Singapore Pte Ltd. Going forward, IMG R is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Reliance Industries.

    The holding of the company along with IMG-R in Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL) is 65 per cent and FSDL has become a subsidiary of the RIL.

    The company informed the development in a BSE listing. The sports ambition of Mukesh Ambani continues to grow as IMG Reliance will be soon rebranded.

    Previously, IMG and Reliance had joined hands to build a platform to help market sports, fashion and media and entertainment in India.

    Reliance has paid not more than Rs 52.08 crore for the acquisition. IMG-Reliance  had a turnover of Rs 181.70 crore  with net profit at Rs 16.35 crore in FY 2020, Rs 195.55 Crore with net profit at Rs 19.25 crore in FY 2019, and Rs 158.26 crore with net profit at Rs 15.82 crore respectively.

  • ISL 20-21 opening week clocks 8% growth in viewing minutes

    ISL 20-21 opening week clocks 8% growth in viewing minutes

    NEW DELHI: The craze for football is getting bigger and bigger in India with every passing edition of Hero ISL. This year, the championship is into its seventh season and is the first major sporting league playing in the country since the pandemic started.

    Hero ISL returned on 20 November in a new 11 team avatar, raising the competition a notch higher. The live action is telecast and live streamed in 82 territories across the world through five partners across TV and digital platforms.

    Official broadcasting partner Star Network is exclusively bringing ISL matches in India on Star Sports 1 SD & HD, Star Sports 2 SD & HD (English); Star Sports Hindi 1 SD & HD, Star Sports 3, Star Gold 2 (Hindi), Asianet Plus, Asianet Movies (Malayalam); Star Sports Bangla; Star Sports Kannada; Star Sports Tamil; Star Sports Telugu and Star Sports Marathi. Online streaming will be available on Disney+ Hotstar VIP and JioTV.  

    In the latest, Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) has stated that the opening week of ISL clocked eight per cent more viewing minutes in comparison to last year. In 2019, ISL garnered 3.16 billion minutes while in 2020, it garnered 3.42 billion minutes.

     

     

    Another report from the broadcaster also noted that the tournament clocked a 16 per cent spike in viewership in the opening week (first eight matches), as compared to the previous season. The growth is universally seen across markets – HSM 18 per cent, south 14 per cent.

    Not to mention that the highly-anticipated Kolkata Derby between SC East Bengal and ATK Mohun Bagan on 27 November recorded the highest viewership for the legendary rivalry match.

    The matches are taking place in a closed door setup and several technological innovations have been introduced to ensure a higher engagement with the audiences.

    "We are thrilled to deliver a blockbuster opening week of the ISL 2020-21. After a successful IPL 2020, we laid emphasis on an enhanced viewing experience for football by stressing on product innovations, improved story-telling, and fan engagement. We hope to maintain the momentum and build on the gains in viewership in Week 1. ISL 2020-21 has also set the precedence for other sporting events to resume in India by following the highest safety standards," Star India sports head Sanjog Gupta had said in an official release.

    Some of the sponsors for this year include Hero MotoCorp, Byju’s, Dream11, Himalaya Drug, Apollo Tyres, Nivea and others. 

  • Hero ISL shoots up 16 per cent in viewership

    Hero ISL shoots up 16 per cent in viewership

    MUMBAI: Football fever is going strong in India with the seventh edition of the Hero ISL currently underway. As the first major live sporting league played in the country post the onset of Covid2019, the Hero ISL has logged a significant growth trajectory with a 16 per cent spike in viewership in the opening week (first eight matches), as compared to the previous season. The growth is universally seen across markets – HSM 18 per cent, south 14 per cent.

    Hero ISL returned on 20 November in a new 11 team avatar, raising the competition a notch higher. The highly-anticipated Kolkata Derby between SC East Bengal and ATK Mohun Bagan debuted on 27 November and recorded the highest viewership for the legendary rivalry match. In fact, it’s 10X the viewership this fixture garnered in the Hero I-League in January 2020 at an all-India level.

    “We are thrilled to deliver a blockbuster opening week of the Hero ISL 2020-21. After a successful Dream11 IPL 2020, we laid emphasis on an enhanced viewing experience for football by stressing on product innovations, improved story-telling and fan engagement. We hope to maintain the momentum and build on the gains in viewership in Week 1. Hero ISL 2020-21 has also set the precedence for other sporting events to resume in India by following the highest safety standards,” Star India head sports Sanjog Gupta said.

    Acknowledging fandom across the globe, Hero ISL 2020-21 is being live broadcast in 83 countries across TV and digital platforms. Star India, the official broadcast partner in India, airs the tournament in seven languages and fans can also catch the action live on Disney+ Hotstar VIP and JioTV.

    Star Sports and FSDL introduced a series of exciting technological innovations this year to give fans the opportunity to engage with their favourite clubs and players from the comfort of their homes. The addition of a dedicated live Fan Wall raises the excitement a notch higher to help viewers celebrate important moments with their favourite team and heroes. The two LED screens feature fans from the home team and the away team, thus amplifying the rivalry virtually to enhance the viewing experience.

  • Brands pay tribute to ‘The God’ Diego Maradona on Twitter

    Brands pay tribute to ‘The God’ Diego Maradona on Twitter

    NEW DELHI: The sad demise of legendary Argentina football player and manager Diego Maradona has left his fans heartbroken. Popularly known as 'El Dios' or 'The God', Maradona in his international career with Argentina earned 91 caps and scored 34 goals. He is best known for the ‘Hand of God’ goal, and leading his country to victory in the 1986 FIFA World Cup.

    At the peak of his career in the late ‘80s, Maradona also endorsed some of the top brands like Puma and Coca Cola. He breathed his last on Wednesday evening following a cardiac arrest. A number of brands, clubs, and celebs took to social media to pay their condolences on the passing of the maestro.

    Puma

     

     

    Greenply Plywood

     

     

    Mobile Premier League

     

     

    ATK Mohun Bagan FC

     

     

    Chennai Super Kings

     

     

    Chennaiyin FC

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    Delhi Capitals

     

     

    Fox Football

     

     

    Sony Sports

     

     

    Sourav Ganguly

     

     

    Narendra Modi

     

     

    Robbie Fowler

     

     

    Virat Kohli

     

     

  • Bigger and bolder, ISL 2020 kicks off today

    Bigger and bolder, ISL 2020 kicks off today

    New Delhi: The seventh season of Hero Indian Super League kicks off today and fans are counting down the minutes till their favourite teams descend on the field to fight it out for the much-coveted trophy.

    The first match will take place between Kerala Blasters FC and ATK Mohun Bagan at GMC Bambolim stadium. The 2020-21 season features 115 games amongst 11 teams, with the inclusion of Kolkata giants ATK Mohun Bagan and SC East Bengal.

    The matches will be telecast and live streamed in 82 territories across the world through five partners across TV and digital platforms.

    Official broadcasting partner Star Network will exclusively air ISL matches in India on Star Sports 1 SD & HD, Star Sports 2 SD & HD (English); Star Sports Hindi 1 SD & HD, Star Sports 3, Star Gold 2 (Hindi), Asianet Plus, Asianet Movies (Malayalam); Star Sports Bangla; Star Sports Kannada; Star Sports Tamil; Star Sports Telugu and Star Sports Marathi. Online streaming will be available on Disney+ Hotstar VIP and JioTV.  

    In addition to international markets, including USA and Australia, fans across continental Europe, Central Asia, Far East, South East Asia, and Asia Pacific can also tune in to enjoy India’s premier football league live.

    The organising committee and broadcasters are leaving no stone unturned to reach out to the audiences and connect with them. They began with a massive campaign ‘Let’s Football: Football will be back’ – a firm promise in the age of uncertainties, courtesy Covid2019.

    The film showcased the love of the players for the game and how audiences wanted this format of live sports to return. This year, the matches will be played behind closed doors. In order to step up the engagement, the organisers have created dedicated fan zones. They have installed two LED screens that will feature fans from the home team and the away team, thus amplifying the rivalry virtually in a bid to enhance the viewing experience. Along with this enhanced audio for the game, an additional mix of cameras and further access to the players through pre-and-post-match shows will ensure that fans remain close to all the action even beyond the field. A few select followers will also get the opportunity to interact with experts and special guests during the pre and post-match shows.

    Carefully targeted content curation in the form of glimpses of practice sessions, player interactions, team interactions and great goals have been deployed to maximise viewer engagement. This content is amplified via social handles of ISL, Star Sports, individual teams, and players. The trend hashtags such as #LetsFootball #isl have already gone viral with people keenly following them.

    If we examine Google trends, there has been a steady uptick in search activity around ISL, clearly indicating the love for the game among the Indian audience.

    And not just fans, but brands too are showing the league some love. Sponsors for this year include Hero MotoCorp, Byju’s, Dream11, Himalaya Drug, Apollo Tyres, Nivea and others. The Premier League, the wealthiest and most-watched football league in the world, has come onboard as strategic partner. This, perhaps, is the biggest vote of confidence the homegrown ISL could ask for with regards to its prospects as a global player of the future.

    The league has grown in leaps and bounds since the time it was launched by Reliance, AIFF, and Star India. It has started attracting international investors. The City Football group plonked down top dollar to acquire a 65 per cent stake in the Mumbai FC in November 2019. Then in mid-August 2020, ISL franchise Hyderabad FC struck a two-year partnership with German Bundesliga giant Borussia Dortmund (BVB), the twelfth richest football team in the world. The Hero ISL has also became the first league from south Asia to be inducted into the prestigious World Leagues Forum, which includes professional football leagues like La Liga, Bundesliga and Premier League, to name a few.

    At a business level, ISL is creating the right platform that football needs in order to grow in India. As per BARC reports, Hero ISL 6 had recorded a 51 per cent growth in viewership, with 28 billion minutes consumed, 168 million live match reach, 213 million video views and over 75 million interactions achieved. The brand is a hit across mediums, with the last season being aired on more than 20 TV channels, and clocking 19 million views on Disney+Hotstar.

    Since the launch, the organisers have stood for not just creating a league, but expanding the culture of football throughout the country. This has been a predominant theme in ISL’s advertising campaigns through the years. One step at a time, that are big strides nonetheless, it is focusing on creating an ecosystem for the game to thrive in. Initially, the idea was to create a platform, which was followed by bringing in the audiences to sample the game and make sure they stay on. Next came creating equity for the league with long standing partnerships and sponsorships. Earlier, football fever in India was only restricted to big ticket global events.

    But the ISL has now become an annual ritual for football lovers and the community is booming with every new instalment. It has created a podium where the domestic players can come forward and shine.

    ISL 2014: 

    ISL 2015: 

    ISL 2016: 

    ISL 2017: 

    ISL 2018: 

    ISL 2019: 

    The ISL has always believed in playing offense. With the support of its sponsors and loyal viewers, it is only a matter of time before it drives India past the goal line and puts us well and truly on the world map of football.