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Tag: Hero ISL

  • Hero Indian Super League returns to Kolkata after two years

    Hero Indian Super League returns to Kolkata after two years

    Mumbai: Hero Indian Super League 2022-23 returns to Kolkata after a hiatus of two years. With this, fans will yet again witness live football action, cheering for their teams as they grind it out for glory. Star Sports Network, Disney+ Hotstar and Jio TV will carry the show from 7 October 2022, at 7.30 p.m. onwards.

    ATK Mohun Bagan and East Bengal will face each other in the Hero ISL for the first time in front of fans in Kolkata. To celebrate the excitement and passion of football fans across West Bengal, Football Sports Development Limited has unveiled another emotional campaign film for the vociferous football fans of West Bengal.

    The campaign film cinematically highlights the rivalry between fans of ATK Mohun Bagan and East Bengal, as chants of ‘Chol Chol Chol’ echo on the streets of West Bengal. Fans across generations, along with legends of the two clubs, gather on the streets in support of their favourite team by donning their jerseys. The promo film also features Sourav Ganguly as the biggest cheerleader, encouraging the fans of both teams to take Bengal football to greater heights with their support. With the streets filled with the colours of ATK Mohun Bagan and East Bengal, the campaign film symbolises a legendary battle that will take place in this year’s Hero ISL.

  • Hero ISL creates dedicated fan zones for season 7

    Hero ISL creates dedicated fan zones for season 7

    MUMBAI: Football enthusiasts have always gone to great lengths to support their teams in the Hero Indian Super League (ISL). From Kochi to Guwahati, fans have thronged the stadiums to cheer their heroes from the sidelines and the din has grown louder every year. As another exciting season of the Hero ISL gets underway on 20 November on the Star Sports Network and Disney+ Hotstar VIP, the setting will be a lot different with all matches in the tournament being played behind closed doors.

    However, fans need not worry as Hero ISL 2020-21 has come up with an opportunity for them to get closer to the game than ever before. Introducing new technological innovations, Star Sports and FSDL bring forward a series of exciting opportunities for supporters to engage with their favourite clubs and players with an added zeal. In the latest promo released, the broadcaster has showcased a fan wall which gives fans the chance to catch the action live from the comfort of their homes and celebrate important moments with their favourite team and Heroes. To soak in the experience and be a part of the team’s biggest fixtures, fans can register on the dedicated Fan Zone on the Hero ISL website where they can stand a chance to be featured live on the stadium fan walls.

    There will be 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.

    https://www.indiansuperleague.com/fanzone/clubs

    “Fans are an integral part of the Hero ISL which is the first major sporting league to be played in the country during these unprecedented times. With the addition of new teams and all the international partnerships, this season is expected to be more thrilling. Using technology, we will make sure that fans do not miss out on the action while also ensuring that the essence of the game is not lost. The innovative fan walls and an array of additional cameras on the field of play will bring fans closer to the game than ever before. It is our constant endeavour to keep raising the bar by introducing latest technological innovations for an enhanced viewing experience”, said a Star Sports spokesperson.

  • Maruti Suzuki inspires Hero ISL fans to “Be Limitless”

    Maruti Suzuki inspires Hero ISL fans to “Be Limitless”

    MUMBAI: In the world of digital media and endless social scrolling, it has become imperative for the brands to work on out-of-the-box campaigns to gain the attention of their customers. With abundant brand messages flooding the daily view cycle of the people, the brands have been trying to create more inclusive and exciting avenues for their consumers, so their products can have a greater recall factor. Keeping the same in mind, automotive brand Maruti Suzuki created a wonderful experiential campaign during the Hero Indian Super League (ISL) finale in Mumbai.

    Inspiring the Hero ISL fans to “Be Limitless”, Maruti Suzuki Swift used the power of technology to give an experience of a lifetime, to a selected few, by virtually providing them stadium like experience while sitting at home, for the Hero ISL 5 Finale between Bengaluru FC and FC Goa at the Mumbai Football Arena. The fans were connected to the stadium via video calling and they appeared live on the perimeter board along the football field.

    Doctors on call, new parents, students who are preparing for exams and differently-abled fans were taken out from the shell of limited possibility to travel to the city of dreams for attending the finale and were presented with the idea of “Be Limitless” through this campaign. The activity maximises eyeballs for the brand’s activation on LIVE TV and gained many praises for its out-of-the-box thinking.

    With the proliferation of hi-speed internet enabling the technology and the brand’s desire to stand out using a clutter breaking integration coming together, this was a prime example of a brand successfully activating its sponsorship with a sporting property.

    Logicserve Digital co-founder and chief executive officer Prasad Shejale noted that this initiative by Maruti stood true to its core proposition, where the brand is offering its customers a first-hand experience of being limitless.

    He said, “This innovative and brilliantly crafted initiative leverages technology keeping the customer at the center of overall brand strategy. Through this initiative, the brand has not only engaged the existing customers but has also penetrated the loyal base of potential customers. The initiative created buzz on social media especially #swift trending on Twitter.”

    He further added, “VR and Mixed Reality are surely here to stay and will continue to grow. This is definitely a great way to give the new gen users what they want. Today’s youth likes to be more at the moment and get a first-hand experience of things. This campaign beautifully aligned the brand’s proposition with the users' expectations using a befitting technology.”

    Mindshare vice-president Ajay Mehta found the idea refreshing for the Indian audience. He said, “It is a smart and cute idea, giving the audience the feel of being in the first row. Given the brand’s take on ‘be limitless’, I feel the campaign was a decent fit and did a good job.”

    Brand-nomics managing director Viren Razdan reflected the same thought. He contended that through this campaign Maruti Suzuki made a brilliant effort to bring the fans closer to a much-celebrated sport. “As Sports marketing true test is in bringing fans close to their passion, the game and the players they follow. Maruti’s act is a brilliant effort in bringing this experience alive – using technology. Bringing armchair sports enthusiasts to the field up close, virtually in the game would truly payoff this association for the brand,” Razdan said.

    Vertoz founder and CEO Ashish Shah commented, “Brand awareness – a top of the funnel process and customer retention – a bottom of the funnel process, form the two extreme ends of the entire customer acquisition funnel. Providing a good customer experience plays a vital role in customer retention. Maruti Suzuki’s new initiative is an excellent example of successful brand integration to fully achieve the above goals. As Maruti Suzuki is providing its customers with a memorable experience, this smart use of technology will go a long way in creating a great brand recall for Maruti Suzuki.”

    Langoor executive creative director Vignesh Iyer praised the idea and also showed excitement towards how the brand is going to take the idea forward. He commented, “Bringing the fans virtually to the stadium via a video call was as simple as it was memorable. It was also a good fit with the ‘limitless’ promise of Maruti Suzuki Swift. Digital enables brands to create meaningful experiences like this, which bring alive their promise in newer, interactive ways.”

    “It will be interesting to see if this is a one-time initiative, or if the brand can build #LimitlessFans as a long-term property with more such experiences and tighter product integration,” he concluded.

    Ethinos Digital Marketing joint managing director Brijesh Munyal also lauded the campaign and shared that he is expecting other brands to follow the trend set by Maruti Suzuki Swift. He said, “Such brand integrations leveraging new age digital technology, even within the digital marketing space, are really exciting and we will see more and more brands using it soon- not only in the automobile industry but other sectors too.”

    The campaign is one fine example of smart marketing that facilitates memorable interactions among consumers. The brand has done a commendable job in associating itself with ‘limitless’ opportunities that its products can bring to the customers.

  • Hero ISL launches new film as race to 2018-19 final heats up

    Hero ISL launches new film as race to 2018-19 final heats up

    MUMBAI: Hero Indian Super League – India’s premier football league is in its concluding stages and as the semi-finals draw nearer, Star Sports has unveiled a new campaign “Who will be the new champion” – signalling the beginning of the action-packed semi-finals and the birth of a new champion.

    The film conceptualised by the in-house creative team at Star Sports, features fan favourites Sunil Chhetri, Ferran Corominas, Bartholomew Ogbeche, and Modou Sougou, among others, showcases the rampant sentiment amongst dedicated young fans as their favourite teams contend for supremacy.

    Continuing the popular home and away format for the semi-finals, the team finishing first on the table will look to book a place in the final with ties on 7 and 8 March, whereas the other semi-final on 9 and 12 March will be a battle between the teams finishing 2nd and 3rd. The league stages conclude on 3 March but Bengaluru FC, FC Goa, Mumbai City FC, and NorthEast United FC having already sealed their semi-finals berth and with NorthEast United FC securing their first ever semi-finals spot.

    The final of Hero Indian Super League season 2018-19 will be held in Mumbai on Sunday, 17 March. This is the second time that the city of Mumbai has been handed the rights to host the Hero ISL final after the inaugural edition in 2014, between Kerala Blasters and Atletico de Kolkata (now ATK) was held at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.

  • Hero ISL helps create positive image among consumers: Amul MD RS Sodhi

    Hero ISL helps create positive image among consumers: Amul MD RS Sodhi

    MUMBAI: We’re halfway through the fifth edition of Hero Indian Super League (Hero ISL) and for now, Bengaluru FC leads the table to capture the coveted crown. Hero ISL has helped bring football to the mainstream and aided the popularity of the sport at the grassroots level.

    Season 5 kicked off on 29 September 2018 with six different languages- English, Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, Bengali and Kannada.  While five languages are on the Star Sports network, the Kannada feed will air on the newly launched Colors Kannada Cinema. On the digital front, the league is also live streamed on Hotstar and Jio TV.

    This year, the league is being backed by Hero, DHL, Bisleri, Maruti Suzuki Arena, Dream11, Zeven, Nivia and Imperial Blue.

    With football becoming a prime sporting choice for a growing number of Indians, brands have realised the need to step in early in the game. Amul – probably the most ‘Indian’ brand there has ever been- has teamed up with the league for the last four years. The brand, which is famous for its catchy, witty and ironic campaigns with the Amul Girl, has been looking to cash in on the enthusiasm inside the stadiums. Indiantelevision.com caught up with Amul MD RS Sodhi to discuss his iconic brand’s collaboration with the league.

    Excerpts:

    The Hero ISL has become a powerful sporting property that brands want to piggyback on. Not many people thought this would be the case with football in India. What are your thoughts on it?

    The football culture of India has been an active sub-culture in its initial days which has grown over the last two decades significantly among the youngsters. This can be attributed to their exposure to international football events such as EPL, Bundesliga, La Liga, Euro Cup and the World Cup. Also, during this period, Indian football at school and district level leagues have increased, thereby adding to more interest among youngsters.

    Five years back when Hero ISL began, this generation was in between the age of 20 -30 years. It was a moment of awakening among Indians for we were able to see and appreciate this sporting culture in its vibrancy. A new format wherein this generation celebrated international footballers they grew up admiring and appreciating the raw tenacity and skill of Indian football. Many Indian brands saw the potential of the event and its ability to engage with the youth of India both on-ground and on-air through TV and digital.

    How does a brand further tap into the Hero ISL audience, which is young, affluent, informed and passionate?

    Hero ISL as an event has been well received among the youth of India and therefore a new media for brands to engage. However, as Amul, we are very careful to have meaningful engagement with them. For example, as a food brand we focussed on identifying moments where as a brand, we could address the needs of our consumers inside the stadium. We realised that the high levels of enthusiasm inside the stadium can tire our consumers. So we decided to nourish the energetic and health conscious youngsters with our milk, beverages and ice creams. We had our teams present in every match selling our range of beverages and ice cream. This gave the brand a positive image among our consumers as we were able to attend to their needs inside the stadium in every match. In addition, we were also reaching out to the audience across the country with our communication campaigns on TV.

    Grassroots football development appears to have got a boost with the Hero ISL. How can the football administrators build on this?

    The event has triggered conversation among brands, football associations, clubs, schools and parents regarding football in different contexts. This is a positive outlook as a country with a young growing population. Our country needs the youth to be physically active and they should be motivated to plan and pursue a career in sports.

    This has led to setting up of football academies by Pune FC for example and many other clubs and football associations will definitely take up such initiatives. This will help our youth to build a healthy lifestyle and alternate career opportunities where they will be more passionate.

    Do you thing the emergence of Hero ISL is among one of the key reasons behind the improved performances of the Indian national team in the last few years?

    It would not be fair to attribute the success of the Indian national team to Hero ISL alone, for our team has been playing really well. But we can definitely say that their exposure to playing in Hero ISL with international players of repute and experience would have helped them to improve their game plans and strategies. At the same time, there has been an increase among fans of the sport across age groups and genders which are motivational for our team. They follow the team as they travel from championship to championship and stand by them. All of these are positives which I am sure would be helping our team to help stay confident and perform to their best abilities in every game they play.

    CMOs of some of the most reputed brands have expressed their satisfaction over their association with top football leagues in the world (Barclays and the Premier League, Santander and La Liga). How can Indian marketers/brands help fuel a similar integration at scale?

    I believe for any brand to truly see results, they should invest in these events and not look at it purely as an advertising campaign. At Amul, we have been associated with the event for the last 4 years and have supported this initiative. We believe milk is the world’s original energy drink and associating with Hero ISL has helped to strengthen this communication among the youngsters of India. So, for Indian brands, it would be wise if they continue to pursue sporting events with similar mindsets and in the days to come they will see the results.

  • Hero ISL an ideal platform to educate the youth about hydration: Bisleri’s Anjana Ghosh

    Hero ISL an ideal platform to educate the youth about hydration: Bisleri’s Anjana Ghosh

    MUMBAI: With the Hero Indian Super League (Hero ISL) is set to kick off on 29 September 2018, a national campaign titled #FanBannaPadega has been rolled out by the organisers to drum up enthusiasm ahead of the fifth edition. The essence of the campaign puts football fans at the heart of the experience and their role in helping Indian football grow.
    Season five of the league will be broadcast in six different languages – English, Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, Bengali and Kannada. On the digital, front the league will also be live streamed on Hotstar and Jio TV.
    Through the years, the Hero ISL has attracted a steady stream of advertises. This year, the league is being backed by Hero, DHL, Bisleri, Maruti Suzuki, Dream11, Zeven, Nivia and Imperial Blue.
    Bisleri international marketing director Anjana Ghosh said, “The younger generation decides what the trends are. Events such as Hero ISL have been able to capture this new found interest in football and made it more relatable by showcasing Indian talent along with foreign. Now, that younger generation is increasingly realizing the importance of active lifestyle, Bisleri would like to emphasize the importance of water for leading a healthy lifestyle.”
    Hydration as a subject is often neglected in India. Associating with Hero ISL gives Bisleri an ideal platform to connect with the youth, educate them about the importance of right hydration, hydrate the players on ground and in turn let the consumers know that they care for their health.
    “Hero ISL is a new platform for Indian footballers where they compete with International players, and, it is truly a delight to watch our national players do so well and gain recognition worldwide. A lot of young adults, the millennials, are coming forward and showing their support to this sport. So we believe this is the right platform for Bisleri. Here water matters and that works very well with our product”, she added.
    From marathons to cricket, Bisleri has always aligned itself with sporting events. The brand has made its presence felt on the ground, in both large scale and smaller local events as well.
    “We see a very natural fit with sports since the right kind of hydration is essential for an intense sport like football. Popularity of football is only set to rise and hence such associations will be fruitful in the long run”, she concluded.
    India is an emerging football-loving nation, with loyalties divided at marquee global leagues/championships, but Hero ISL gives them the opportunity to come together to celebrate India’s footballing revolution. Thus, the campaign for season five is a call out to all football fans at large to come together for Indian football – #FanBannaPadega.

  • Dream11 aims to increase user base with Hero ISL season 5: Vikrant Mudaliar

    Dream11 aims to increase user base with Hero ISL season 5: Vikrant Mudaliar

    MUMBAI: Hero Indian Super League (Hero ISL) season five is just around the corner and Dream11 being the official fantasy football partner and home to more than four crore fantasy sports fans is looking to capitalise on the championship’s buzz to expand its user base.

    Looking at the increase in the number of users playing fantasy football on the platform, the company felt partnering with the Hero ISL was an ideal opportunity to deepen fan engagement

    The fifth edition of the Hero ISL is set to kick off on 29 September 2018 with broadcast in six different languages English, Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, Bengali and Kannada. On the digital front, the league will also be live streamed on Hotstar and Jio TV. 

    Dream11 CMO Vikrant Mudaliar said, “Fantasy sports enjoys a symbiotic relationship with real-life sports and we firmly believe in growing with sports leagues by partnering with them. Globally, almost all major sports leagues are using fantasy sports as their primary tool of fan engagement and in India we have taken the lead to partner with some of the sports leagues like Hero ISL to provide great fan experience.”

    According to Mudaliar, Hero ISL has helped bring football to the mainstream and aided the popularity of the sport at the grassroots level. It is good to see another sport taking the lead for a change in a cricket focused country. 

    Mudaliar believes that the whole experience of consuming the sport can be made more enriching by offering fans experiences which cater to their lifestyle and living experiences. Right from the commute to the stadium to the food delivery at home to the sports merchandise being bought by the ardent fans – it is all a part of the overall sports experience.

    These are all opportunities and touch point for brands to get involved in a sports fan’s life and provide them with an enriching, immersive experience. He also believes in working with sports leagues to drive sports promotion and awareness.

    For Dream11, associating and partnering with sports leagues and platforms is a natural fitment. It enjoys a close relationship with real-life sports and therefore sports leagues become the natural choice for association. It also provides sports leagues an opportunity to deepen their fans’ engagement with the sport.

    “We can together dip into each other’s expertise offering a great product + market fit to cater to a loyal fan base and provide incremental connect for the users,” he concluded.

  • Hero ISL reports viewership of 429 million across the nation

    Hero ISL reports viewership of 429 million across the nation

    MUMBAI: Hero Indian Super League (ISL), a joint venture by IMG-Reliance and Star India has created history in India with a record- breaking reach on television, in stadia and digital.  

    As per the TAM data, an aggregate of 429 million viewers from across the nation tuned in to watch the inaugural season of Hero ISL live on their televisions screens, making it the second most-watched sport in the country after cricket. Over 1.5 million fans watched it on ground, in-stadia, making it the fourth most attended football league in the world. Stadia were packed close to full capacity with attendance averaging about 26,000 fans per match. 

    The league cut across demographic boundaries and captured the imagination of a diverse fanbase, with women and children accounting for 57 per cent of the 429 million viewers.

    The Hero ISL was telecast live on eight channels in five different languages cross the Star India network. The league was also aired on starsports.com which had more than 32 million visits recorded during the tournament, surpassing the online audience even for the FIFA World Cup 2014. Across web, mobile and app, starsports.com recorded over 17 million online video views through the course of the tournament. The final match played between Kerala Blasters FC & Atletico de Kolkata recorded 1.6 million online visits. 

    Talking about the league’s success, Star India CEO Uday Shankar said, “Launched with the aim of helping football take root among the country’s masses, the Hero ISL was backed by an aggressive broadcast plan to bring an unparalleled football experience to the viewers. Our intent was to awaken the passion of football and create the birth of a footballing nation. The resultant success of the Hero ISL justifies it as the right platform for tapping the passion for the sport that exists in India. As we gear for a bigger and better second edition, I would like to thank our partners IMG- Reliance, AIFF, all the club owners and more than 400 million fans for making this dream a reality.”

    On 20 December 2014, the Hero ISL finale, held at DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai, had about 37,000 fans in attendance. The crowning of the first Hero ISL league champion was also watched by 57 million viewers, 2.4x of the reach of 2014 FIFA World Cup final, culminating the over two months long league. The final, with an average TVT of 1418 among M 15+ ABC, registered as the highest rated match of the tournament, 11 per cent higher than the opening match of the tournament. In the social media front, Hero ISL created a total of 2.2 million conversations with more than 275,000 unique authors, generating 11 billion potential impressions. #ISLfinal trended at #2 worldwide on Twitter, and Atletico de Kolkata at #1 in India on Facebook on the day of the finale.

     

    According to IMG-Reliance Chairperson Nita M Ambani, the success of Hero ISL is a realisation of the dream of a billion including Indians to experience and embrace the beauty of football. She said, “The beautiful game has successfully captured the imagination of people of India and we have experienced the joy of watching the birth of a footballing nation. Hero ISL has been geared towards one overarching objective— to develop football across the country in a systematic and holistic manner, and its success will spur the development of Indian football. I extend my gratitude to the people of India for their love and support.”

     

  • Hero ISL to air in 23 different languages across the world

    Hero ISL to air in 23 different languages across the world

    MUMBAI: The Hero Indian Super League is all set for the global audience and expand its reach across five continents in 18 different languages, other than the five languages that the football league will be aired in India.

    The global distribution of the league paves the way for making the Hero ISL the first Indian football event to be broadcast globally at such a large scale. Apart from a broadcast plan for Indian viewers, the league will also have a global broadcast footprint. This, together with the reach over the internet, promises to deliver the league over the next 70 days and 61 games to sports fans around the globe.

    Through the European broadcaster Eurosport, the league will be telecast widely in continental Europe. Football fans in the UK will be able to catch the action on Star Gold, which is readily accessible to all TV viewers as part of base packs in that country. Besides, the league will also be telecast in Canada, United States, Middle East, North Africa, South Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, Indian Sub-Continent, South East Asia and Australia, through other broadcasters such as ATN, Fox Sports, OSN and Supersport among others.

    Star India chief operating officer Sanjay Gupta said, “We are extremely delighted to take the Hero ISL to a global audience. The league is a collaborative effort by IMG-Reliance and Star India that brings together the best of international footballing talent, and we are confident that sports fans across the world will enjoy watching the arrival of India on the global footballing scene,”

    The latest agreement further expands the league’s reach to cover nearly three quarters of a global audience. The detailed list of international territories and broadcasters is as follows:

     

     

    This league is being telecast live on eight channels of the Star network: Star Sports 2 (English), Star Sports 3 (Hindi), Star Sports HD 2 (English), Star Gold (Hindi), Star Utsav (Hindi), Asianet Movies (Malayalam), Jalsha Movies (Bengali) and Suvarna Plus (Kannada). Furthermore, it would also be aired live on www.starsports.com.

    The star studded international line up of the Hero ISL consists of the likes of World Cup Winners like Alessandro Del Piero, Joan Capdevila, Marco Materazzi and members of the famous Arsenal ‘Invincibles’ team Robert Pires and Freddie Ljungberg. Thanks to the agreement, footballing fans across the world will be able to relive some of the magic of these legends of the sport.

  • Hrithik Roshan set to replace Salman Khan as FC Pune City co owner

    Hrithik Roshan set to replace Salman Khan as FC Pune City co owner

    MUMBAI:  With three days to go for the inaugural season of the Hero Indian Super League (ISL), Salman Khan tweeted that he is not a co owner of any ISL team.  He said that his friends Dheeraj and Kapil Wadhawan had asked him to be the partner for the team. He further stated the reason for the same was because of his endorsement contract with Suzuki and Thums Up which conflicted with the league sponsors. Bollywood actor Hrithik Roshan is set to replace him as the new co owner.

     

    He further went on to tweet that he supported Nita Ambani’s vision in the football grassroots programme and would work wholeheartedly in supporting it. According to him, by creating the ISL, IMG Reliance and Star have put in place an important building block to put Indian football on the global football map.