ITV

Tag: Kartikeya Sharma

  • Pro Wrestling League rallies on North India viewership

    Pro Wrestling League rallies on North India viewership

    MUMBAI: The third edition of the Pro Wrestling League (PWL) proved to be a hit among the younger viewers while attracting audiences of all age groups. Moreover, 77 per cent of the viewership came from North India for the season.  

    The season saw top wrestlers from 17 countries participate in the league. It also provided a great platform for India’s young and talented players to compete, and learn from, in close quarters with Olympic and world champions. The league was on air from 9 January till 26 January 2018.

    According to Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) all India data, the league garnered a total of 66,444 impressions (000s) sum, out of which 30 per cent of the viewership, or 20,125 impressions (000s) sum, was contributed by Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. North India contributed to 77 per cent of the total viewership. Viewers under 30 made up 55 per cent of the viewership.

    Speaking about the impressive television numbers, ProSportify founder and promoter Kartikeya Sharma said, “Sports like wrestling have not got the attention that mainstream sports get in India. The latest BARC India ratings are proof that there is huge viewership for such sports, especially wrestling, if they are packaged properly.”

    The league was watched by 45 per cent female fans. The age group of 15-21 years contributed to 20 per cent of the total viewership.

    All the Sony Pictures Network channels, which telecast the 18-day league, featuring over 24 Olympians, 10 Rio Olympic medallists, 14 world champions and six continental champions, witnessed exponential growth in viewership during the tournament. Sony Wah, Sony ESPN and ESPN HD aired the league live.

    “Even more heartening for us sports lovers is that people are enthusiastically watching other sports, too, like wrestling, kabaddi, badminton and football. It is not just about cricket any longer in the country and that is very significant as it will eventually help India become a multi-sport viewing nation,” said Sharma.

    “This is a welcome change and we feel proud to be a part of the revolution to create space for sports other than cricket. We are particularly delighted to see a surge of interest among urban and new viewers, adding substantially to the rural and existing fans,” he added.

    India is making the transition from being a single-sport nation to a multi-sport-viewing nation as domestic leagues of sports such as wrestling, kabaddi, badminton and football are creating their own fan base.

    Also read:

    Biopics & sports-based films help popularise sporting culture in India

    IPL 2018: Team sponsorship deals may see an uptick

    IPL 2018 gets a makeover with Star India

  • Budweiser urges ‘Let Your Sound Be Seen’ in new ad

    Budweiser urges ‘Let Your Sound Be Seen’ in new ad

    MUMBAI: Budweiser Experiences today announced the launch of its first ever TVC in India ‘Let Your Sound be Seen’. Budweiser Experiences believes in unlocking freedom for fans through music and this year the brand took a step further in shaping the electronic music culture in the country.

    This TVC marks the third milestone in the brand’s larger-than-life music campaign. Budweiser Experiences kick started its 2017 music campaign by activating a completely new occasion- Halloween across India, a one of a kind experiential urging consumer to come forth and “Join the Fearless”. This was followed by launching BUDx, India’s first electronic music lab in New Delhi where electronic music creators, curators and consumers gathered for three days of workshops, masterclasses, panels and events done in collaboration with Boiler Room.  

    The TVC developed by creative agency Wieden and Kennedy, is a 45-second film that captures the brand philosophy and is a war cry for the youth to express their true self through music.

    The film is a testament to the young and bold, those who live by their own beat and aren’t afraid to show it to the world. It’s about a young woman who is free to live life on her own terms. Music is her expression for freedom and uses that expression for amping up the energy around her.   

    ABInBev, India marketing director Kartikeya Sharma says, “2017 has been a fantastic year for Budweiser Experiences, as we brought to life never-seen before music and cultural experiences like Halloween and BUDx in India. Our first made-in-India TVC captures how music provides real freedom to today’s millennials and inspires them to live life on their own terms. Budweiser Experiences will continue its agenda of effective storytelling and impactful story-doing in the coming year as well.”

    Wieden and Kennedy Delhi creative director Jonathan George adds, “Our task was to make an international brand feel approachable to the Indian millennial via the passion point of music. Hence, we showed a house party that makes you wish you were there, combining a modern vibe with the spontaneity of the Indian scene. We wanted to give a message that through music, anyone and everyone can show their true selves. Getting the music right was equally crucial, and Jungle’s ‘Busy Earnin’ gave us the perfect texture of old-school synth and energetic dance music.”

    Budweiser Experience’s multi touch-point music campaign has been rolled out across all platforms of media like print, electronic, outdoor and digital medium.

  • iTV Network launches regional channel India News Gujarat

    iTV Network launches regional channel India News Gujarat

    MUMBAI: News broadcaster iTV Network has expanded further into the regional news space with the launch of a dedicated channel for Gujarat – India News Gujarat on 4 December 2017.

    The channel being formally inaugurated in Gandhinagar, India News Gujarat will seek answers to burning questions and highlight matters that concern Gujaratis across the globe.

    iTV Network’s existing regional channel offering includes India News Haryana, India News Uttar Pradesh-Uttarakhand, India News Rajasthan, India News Madhya Pradesh-Chhattisgarh and India News Punjab, which reiterate the network’s strong foothold in the regional news market.

    The channel will focus on well-researched, high-impact content aimed at striking a true chord that captures the imagination of the Gujarati community. The channel will maintain brand India News’ emphasis on current subjects, concerns and trends with entertainment elements thrown in an infotainment platter aimed at accentuating the uniqueness of Gujaratis.

    Being launched ahead of the highly-anticipated Gujarat Elections, 2017, the Gujarat Debate will be a programme to watch out for.

    Speaking about the new venture, iTV Network founder and promoter Kartikeya Sharma, said, “Regional and local concerns often get subsumed in national broadcasting formats. We strongly believe regional programming must be given the due space and promotion it deserves. The launch of India News Gujarat is our response to the need for credible providers of regional news services in the state. Gujarat is a vibrant, development-oriented state and our new channel seeks to capture its diversity and plurality in the inimitable India News format, characterised by crisp reportage and engaging presentation.”

  • iTV’s new exec Sandeep Amar: We’ll launch video-first, multi-platform content properties

    iTV’s new exec Sandeep Amar: We’ll launch video-first, multi-platform content properties

    MUMBAI: Sandeep Amar, a senior leader in the Indian digital space, has joined iTV Network as the CEO of iTV – digital.

    In his new role, Amar, with two decades of experience, will focus on building the digital assets for iTV Network and launch multiple new projects, he will be reporting directly to iTV founder and promoter Kartikeya Sharma.

    Before joining iTV, Amar was the CEO of Indian Express Digital, prior to which he worked as the CEO for India.com, a ZEEL and Penske Media JV. Indian Express Digital and India.com properties reached leadership positions during his tenure.

    Earlier, he also worked for Audiences, Times Internet Limited., Citigroup, Times Business Solutions, Zee Telefilms and The Times of India.

    A six sigma black belt and alumnus of FMS, Delhi, Amar has been an avid blogger and speaker in digital space and considered as a thought leader in digital space in the country.

    Sharma said, “We are happy to have Sandeep (Amar) on board at a time when the group is promoting several new-edge media solutions and working feverishly towards making information available in formats that will appeal to today’s tech-savvy consumers.”

    Amar said, “We will be launching multiple projects including video-first properties, strong multi-platform digital video content properties, powerful native platforms and future tech projects in AI and Machine Learning. The key is to focus on building the future of digital publishing businesses as the metrics and environment are changing dynamically, the future is mobile, vernacular, video and strong product vision backed by future tech.”

  • Budweiser campaign unveils premium sparkling water

    MUMBAI: Budweiser, in its 10th year in India, has announced its latest campaign that reiterates the brand’s aggressive plans to grow in the market by building on the brand’s legacy. 

    Developed by New York based creative agency Anomaly, the campaign is a bold and unapologetic narrative of the brand’s legendary story – Budweiser is brewed on its own terms for people who live life on their own terms. The 25-second film derives its genesis from the brand’s core principles of freedom, ambition and authenticity.

    ABInBev India  marketing director Kartikeya Sharma said; “Budweiser has remained authentic to its roots, and innovative at the same time to create the best brand experience for our audience. After 10 years of being present in the Indian market, we feel the time is right to expand our outreach while we aim to push the envelope on elevating the brand experience.”

    He further added, “Budweiser’s legacy is not only about creating perfection and attention to detail in a bottle but also about how the brand has been an intrinsic part of global culture from music to sports. In India, Budweiser’s vision is to drive and shape the electronic music culture with homegrown and international artists who are brewed the hard way.”

    Since its launch in the country in 2007, Budweiser’s communication was led by digital media supported by on-ground experiential.  This is Budweiser’s first multi touch point campaign that has been rolled out on all platforms of media like print, electronic, outdoor and digital medium.

  • India News launches Punjabi channel, will showcase Punjabiyat

    MUMBAI: One of India’s leading media house, iTV Network, has launched India News Punjab in Chandigarh. Formally inaugurated by by the state chief minister Capt. Amarinder Singh, India News Punjab is iTV Network’s first news channel in the regional language.

    India News Punjab will showcase current events, news, happenings, sports, art, culture, heritage of Punjab and special programming for farmers.

    iTV Network founder & promoter Kartikeya Sharma said, “It’s our first foray into the Punjab region, market is highly cluttered, we will bring revolution by streamlining regional news in Punjabi. We are committed to airing relevant and impactful regional content in Punjabi, allowing us to reach out to Punjabi Diaspora settled across the globe. The channel will showcase the true spirit of Punjabiyat in all its myriad moods.”

    With three national news channels, four regional news channels, two newspapers and a number of leading digital assets, iTV Network claims to be India’s fastest growing news network.

    India News, a leading national Hindi News Channel of the network, has emerged as a leader in the most competitive genre. NewsX, the national English news channel, has been a trendsetter in the English news genre with its crisp format, direct reportage, pointed debates, trending hash tags and engaging mix of stories.

    NewsX HD is a commercial-free news channel and is built for delivering a multiscreen experience on a single screen to the multitasking high profile urban viewers of India. It offers non-stop commercial-free premier news content, including the biggest buzz on the most popular social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest and Instagram while getting additional feeds like weather, stock indices, etc – all in a seamless experience on one screen.

    In a short span of time, India News UP & Uttarakhand, India News Rajasthan, India News Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh and India News Haryana have further strengthened the channel’s dominance in these Hindi speaking regions.

    The Sunday Guardian is the finest Sunday newspaper by the network that is sought after by country’s discerning readers for its engaging content and innovative format.

    The group also publishes Aaj Samaj, a popular Hindi newspaper that caters to the informed readers in Delhi National Capital Region, Punjab and Haryana. With its innovative approach, extensive research and unbiased outlook, it has managed to stand out in the cluttered news landscape.

  • NewsX hires Times’ former exec Kukian as COO, to oversee entertainment & sports too

    MUMBAI: iTV Network, one of the fastest growing news networks, has appointed Ashit Kukian as the NewsX COO and iTV CRO – regionals, entertainment & sports businesses.

    In this new role, his responsibilities will include providing leadership and strategic direction to create new revenue generation opportunities in the market for iTV Network.

    iTV Network founder & promoter Kartikeya Sharma said, “Ashit is a seasoned and trusted leader who consistently delivers results. Ashit, with his in-depth understanding of the advertising ecosystem, shall be a great asset to leverage the revenue opportunities.”

    iTV Network CEO Varun Kohli said, “Ashit will bring his rich experience and expertise in growing iTV Network, and taking it to the next level. His understanding of the market will be of immense value to our network.”

    Kukian said, “What’s more exciting is the group is providing me an opportunity to handle new initiatives that have been planned for the near future.”

    Kukian was the president – revenue for Times Network. A part of the leadership team, Kukian strengthened the networks’ efforts in meeting its aggressive growth targets.

    Prior to joining the Times Network, Kukian was the president and COO at Radio City.

    Kukian, a Bachelor of Science from Mumbai University, invested 13 years at the Times Group managing various important roles. In his last assignment at the group, he was part of the core team that launched Zoom.

  • iTV Network elevates Varun Kohli as CEO

    MUMBAI: Varun Kohli has been elevated to the post of chief executive officer (CEO) of iTV Network. Prior to this promotion, he was India News CEO.

    In his new role, Kohli will be handling India News, NewsX, NewsX HD and digital assets and will be instrumental for providing strategic direction, leading teams and strengthening revenues for the organisations.

    iTV Network founder and promoter Kartikeya Sharma said, “We are delighted to elevate Varun as the CEO of iTV Network. This elevation is in line with our commitment to growth. His skills and wide experience will surely help iTV Network reach the next level of growth. Over the course of time, Varun has played a more central role in the leadership of the company and with his elevation to CEO, iTV Network; he will take on an even wider role. His strong track record of delivering growth and understanding of industry will help our continued success, moving forward.”

    “I’m humbled by the new role. iTV network is a young and dynamic organization which has witnessed tremendous growth in the recent years and I am privileged to be a part of this journey. My focus will be to lead iTV Network to the next level of growth and tap newer opportunities in the ever-expanding news space,” added Kohli.

    With a professional experience spanning over 23 years, Kohli is a seasoned sales specialist and is credited with creating sustainable business development and management strategies that have increased top and bottom lines and enhanced efficiency in organisations.

    Prior to joining iTV network, Kohli was the head of sales for IBN7. His career includes leadership stints at Amar Ujala, Bennett, Coleman & Company Ltd., Deccan Chronicle, Dainik Bhaskar, Hindustan Times and Indian Express.

  • Sony brings month-long Pro-Wrestling League S2 on 15 December

    Sony brings month-long Pro-Wrestling League S2 on 15 December

    MUMBAI: The biggest olympic league in the world and much acclaimed Pro Wrestling League (PWL), in association with Wrestling Federation of India, launched last year, is back in Season 2 with “Double Dhamaka”. World’s biggest Olympic sports league and the longest running Live TV show surpassed the television presence of many televised leagues and garnered millions of eyeballs.

    The Second season of the league is set to kick-start from December 15, 2016. PWL today announced numerous additions in the second season featuring eight teams instead of six with an increase in players’ pool to 80 from the initial draft of 54. From 18 days, the multi-city league moves on to a month-long second edition of PWL.

    Wrestling Federation of India president Brijbhushan Sharan Singh, emphasized,“While local ‘Dangals’ enjoyed unprecedented live spectators, data suggests that on TV, wrestling emerged as the most watched Olympic sport for Indian audience in the last 12 months.” He added, “PWL had direct impact on recent Olympic medalist Sakshi Malik, as she got an opportunity to study, share & compete alongside the best wrestlers in the world during PWL.”

    ProSportify founder & promoter Kartikeya Sharma, reiterated,“We’ve created a friendly format for TV viewing sports fans whilst keeping the ethos, mat rules and rich tradition of the game intact. Additionally, our three innovations worked heavily in PWL’s favour. Essentially, converting an individual sport into a Team Game with boys & girls representing the same team. Secondly, introduction of ‘Toss’& subsequently ‘Player Blocking’ added a sense of suspense, excitement & drama in the competitive fast-paced game”.

    Sony Pictures Network president- Sports & Distribution, Rajesh Kaul, said, “At Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN), we are committed to bringing the best of International sports as well as supporting domestic sports leagues. Given India’s affinity towards wrestling which is ingrained in our culture, the PWL garnered impressive viewership in its inaugural year on our network and earned the distinction of being one of the top three domestic leagues in India.”

    PWL was launched with the aim to provide international platform to the deserving talent across India to compete with worlds best wrestlers in India. The most watched Olympic sport league in India also reached out to newer pockets and increased players fan following. Internationally the league has established as the most successful league, as a result we will now feature over 40 international wrestlers as compared to 24 last year. With this PWL becomes the biggest league with maximum Olympians playing in India.