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Tag: KLO Sports

  • Two Legends League Cricket franchisees acquired by billion dollar Indian businesses

    Two Legends League Cricket franchisees acquired by billion dollar Indian businesses

    Mumbai: Legends League Cricket (LLC) has unveiled two new franchises for its highly anticipated upcoming season, which is to be played across five cities in India from 18 November to 9 December 2023.

    The first franchisee announced by Legends League Cricket is Urbanrisers Hyderabad, owned by the prestigious Urbanrise Group in collaboration with JC Pavan Reddy, who serves as the managing director of Trident Power Pvt Ltd. The consortium has a staggering valuation exceeding $7 Billion and signifies a powerful synergy between sports and corporate excellence.

    The Urbanrise/Alliance Group, South India’s largest real estate developer has taken this strategic move as a part of their broader diversification efforts, which include ventures into battery minerals mining, AI, and age reversal technologies. Notably, their mining subsidiary, “First Lithium,” was recently listed on the Australian Stock Exchange and the organisation is financially supported by leading global financial institutions. JC Pavan Reddy has been dedicated to the development of sports at the grassroots level and his experience as the President for the Andhra Pradesh Olympic Association will provide the Urbanrisers Hyderabad team some valuable insights.

    The second franchisee announced by Legends League Cricket for the upcoming season is the Southern Super Stars. A consortium, with combined net worth that exceeds $2 billion, of cricket enthusiasts, with diverse backgrounds spanning industries such as manufacturing, IT, energy, real estate, hospitality, and media, has taken ownership of the franchise.

    KLO Sports, co-founded by Sanjay Jupudi and Srinadh Chitoori, manages this venture. Along with them Ranjeeth Rathod and Gautam Reddy will play an integral part in venture and help steer the Southern Super Stars towards success with their vision and expertise. Sanjay Jupudi, a seasoned serial entrepreneur, established the US-based IT company Qentelli, serving renowned Fortune 500 clients. Srinadh Chitoori, a third-generation businessman from Vizag, has a diverse business portfolio encompassing automobiles, construction, and real estate. Ranjeeth Rathod, another entrepreneur with vast experience in real estate, hospitality, and investments, adds astute management skills to the group. Gautam Reddy, a Chennai based first generation entrepreneur in the clean energy business who has taken on other entrepreneurship venture in various industries like chemicals, textiles, real estate, F&B etc will enhance the team’s managerial strength.

    On acquiring the Urbanrisers Hyderabad team, Urbanrise and Alliance Group chairman & MD Manoj Namburu said, “As India’s Amritkal has arrived, Indians are showing keen interest in sports –Indian contingent winning 107 medals at the recently concluded Asian games is an excellent testament for growing enthusiasm and investments into sports in India. Cricket is akin to religion in India and people are passionate about the game. The Legends League Cricket franchise is a great platform for our foray into the world of Sports, the stars playing in the league are the best from the world of Cricket. We are extremely happy being part of Legends League Cricket and believe that this would a great addition to our business portfolio.”

    KLO Sports co-founder Sanjay Jupudi commented on the acquisition of the Southern Super Stars, “We are fortunate to have this opportunity to be able to cheer legendary cricketers who have been icons. We are pleased to be part of the opportunity and it is now our endeavour to continue providing cricket fans in India and the world our much-loved cricketers in an exciting format that fans will enjoy and cherish. It all comes together under the legends league cricket with exciting and fierce competition.”

    Legends League Cricket founder & chairman Vivek Khushalani said, “As we welcome these two powerhouses of the Indian Industry into the Legends League Cricket family, I’m filled with joy. Their participation in the upcoming season adds to the richness of our league, and I can confidently say that we will create value for all stakeholders. Their commitment to the sport is in sync with our vision to establish LLC in the masters space, and we are looking forward to a great association with them.”

    Legends League Cricket co-founder & CEO Raman Raheja said, “We started Legends League Cricket on a promise to entertain the audience with exciting matches featuring their favourite legends. We have given our fans an opportunity to re-live those moments on the field. After the success of Franchise season 1, LLC has now signed two big corporate houses as our franchises; and we look forward to creating value for all the franchise and build a very strong business case with LLC.”

    With the addition of these two new franchise partners, Legends League Cricket has diversified its franchisee portfolio. The defending champions, India Capitals is owned by GMR Sports, which also co-owns the IPL team Delhi Capitals. The Gujarat Giants team is owned by Adani Sportline, which also owns the Gujarat Giants team in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) and Pro Kabaddi League (PKL). Bhilwara Kings is owned by The LNJ Bhilwara Group, and Manipal Tigers is owned by Manipal Education and Medical Group.

    Following the resounding success of its inaugural season, the second edition of Legends League Cricket promises even more excitement than the last season. With a total number of 19 thrilling matches on the cards, fans can eagerly anticipate a cricketing spectacle like no other. The franchisee season with a pool of more than 200 players, will be played across five cities in India – Ranchi, Dehradun, Jammu, Vizag, and Surat.

  • “Future of Ultimate Kho Kho looks very promising”: Sony Pictures Networks India’s Rajesh Kaul

    “Future of Ultimate Kho Kho looks very promising”: Sony Pictures Networks India’s Rajesh Kaul

    Mumbai: Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) commenced airing the inaugural edition of Ultimate Kho Kho on 14 August. The final takes place on 4 September. The broadcaster has a five-year deal for the event. SPNI chief revenue officer, distribution and head of sports business Rajesh Kaul is optimistic about the future of the league.

    Speaking with Indiantelevision.com, he said, “All leagues in their nascent years have taken time to grow, and this would also stand true for the Ultimate Kho Kho. That being said, the feedback for the league so far in its first couple of weeks has been great and its future looks very promising.”

    He further added that Kho Kho is one of those sports that has pan-India appeal driven by the fact that it is indigenous to the country. “In our research, a lot of young audiences were playing the game, and the older audiences remembered the game with a lot of nostalgia and fondness. It’s a sport that is widely played in schools by both boys and girls. The fact that the sport doesn’t require any expensive equipment adds to its appeal across all economic sections in society.”

    The broadcaster is leaving no stone unturned to ensure that the league gains traction with viewers. There are five language feeds. He noted that Kho Kho is one of the few sports in the country that attracts high interest in both the Hindi-speaking markets as well as the South. “For the first season, we have gone all out with five language feeds – English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and Marathi. We also have six teams from across the country that are already garnering a following across the country: Mumbai Khiladis, Chennai Quickguns, Telugu Yoddhas, Gujarat Giants, Odisha Juggernauts, and Rajasthan Warriors.”

    On the sponsorship front, he noted that season one was never going to be about sponsors. “Our efforts are targeted towards putting up a fantastic product which does justice to the sport and attracts viewers. This in turn will lead to sponsors’ interest in the upcoming seasons of Ultimate Kho Kho. It should be mentioned though that in its inaugural year, Ultimate Kho Kho has attracted interest from and brought on board corporates like Adani Group, GMR Group, Capri Global, and KLO Sports, along with Singing Sensation Badshah and the Odisha government in collaboration with steel manufacturer ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India to own teams in the league.”

    When asked if Sony would look at taking a stake at some point in a sports league, he said that while the broadcaster is continuously on the lookout for opportunities that might emerge, the primary focus in any partnership is to ensure the best coverage of the sport on our sports channels. “At this point, we are working with our various content partners and leagues that share our vision to provide Indians with the best live coverage of sporting action from India and around the world to our viewers.”

  • Sony Sports Network & SonyLIV to air Ultimate Kho Kho inaugural season from 14 August

    Sony Sports Network & SonyLIV to air Ultimate Kho Kho inaugural season from 14 August

    Mumbai: The opening season of Ultimate Kho Kho will roll out on Sunday, 14 August 2022 in Pune, where six teams will engage in action that will culminate with the title clash on 4 September 2022. India’s first-ever franchise-based professional Kho-Kho league will host its matches at the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex, Pune.

    Promoted by Dabur India chairman Amit Burman in collaboration with the Kho Kho Federation of India (KKFI), the league aims to revolutionise this indigenous sport with a modern twist both on-air & on-ground.  

    34 matches will be played with two matches per day in Season 1, during the league stage. The knockout matches will be played in a playoff format which will consist of a qualifier and eliminator matches. The live broadcast will begin at 7 pm (IST) and continue until 10 pm (IST) on each match day. The revamped format of Ultimate Kho Kho aims to be exciting and engaging for not only the Kho Kho players but also sports enthusiasts and viewers.

    Sony Sports Network will air the event in Hindi (SonyTEN 3), English (SonyTEN 1), Tamil, and Telugu (SonyTEN 4) and be available on SonyLIV.

    The inaugural season will witness six teams in the shape and form of Chennai Quick Guns (KLO Sports), Gujarat Giants (Adani Sportsline), Mumbai Khiladis (Badshah & Punit Balan), Odisha Juggernauts (Government of Odisha), Rajasthan Warriors (Capri Global) and Telugu Yoddhas (GMR Sports) competing for the inaugural season over 21 days. 

    Ultimate Kho Kho CEO Tenzing Niyogi said, “We would like to thank all our Six Team Owners and Sony Sports Network, who have shown their support and faith in our vision as Ultimate Kho Kho. Our objective has always been to transform Kho Kho and bring forth the new avatar in front of the masses of India to make our country a multisport nation.”