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Tag: Li-Ning

  • India’s ace badminton player, Kidambi Srikanth signs a 35-crore 4-year deal with global Chinese brand, Li-Ning

    India’s ace badminton player, Kidambi Srikanth signs a 35-crore 4-year deal with global Chinese brand, Li-Ning

    MUMBAI: India’s ace shuttler, Former World no. 1 Men's badminton player, Kidambi Srikanth signed a 35-crore deal with Asia's premium sports brand, Li-Ning. The deal which is valued at Rs. 35 crores for a period of 4 years, will comprise of sponsorship & equipment supply. India’s only male World No.1 badminton player, Srikanth is also the only Indian badminton player to have won 6 Super Series badminton event which no other Indian badminton player has achieved till now.

    Li Ning Company Limited is one of the leading sports brand companies in China, mainly providing sporting goods including footwear, apparel, equipment and accessories for professional and leisure purposes primarily under the LI-NING brand. 

    Sunlight Sports Pte Ltd is a multi-national exclusive partner of Li-Ning in India, South East Asia, Australia/New Zealand & also manages world renowned brands; McDavid, Shock Doctor, Kason and DHS.

    Mr. Mahender Kapoor, Director, Sunlight Sports Pte Ltd said “Srikanth is among the top Badminton players in the world & already the most accomplished Indian Male Badminton player & a World No1 player. Li Ning stands for quality & consistency and Srikanth fits the bill perfectly. We want to play our part in helping Srikanth achieve a lot more going forward.”

    Kidambi Srikanth ecstatically commented, “I am honored to be the face of Li Ning in India & globally. I love their products & I’m really looking forward to stepping on the court with a renewed vigor to accomplish few more goals that I have set for myself & keep bring laurels for my country.”

    Srikanth is exclusively managed by India’s leading sports marketing firm Baseline Ventures which was instrumental in getting the tie up in place.

    Tuhin Mishra, Managing Director, Baseline Ventures said “We were really impressed with the road map & vision of the brand Li Ning for Srikanth & the team handling Li Ning is completely hands-on & dynamic which is so important for a top athlete like Srikanth. We look forward to a great association over the next 4 years”  

    Li-Ning has been supporting the team China, Indonesia, Singapore and Australia for badminton and was the official sponsor of the Indian contingent at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta. Li-Ning is also currently Team India's official apparel partner till the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo where Srikanth will be one of the foremost Olympic medal contender hopes for India.

  • Wave World Kabaddi League targets north India

    Wave World Kabaddi League targets north India

    MUMBAI: The ancient sport of Kabaddi has caught the attention of broadcasters in India. However, taking the sport to the world is Greymatter Entertainment’s Wave World Kabaddi League (WKL) that is all set to kick off on 9 August at the O2 arena in London.

     

    Indian sports broadcaster Sony Six which has bagged the telecast rights for the league in India is very enthusiastic about it. Sony Six business head Prasana Krishnan says that the channel wants to establish credibility of the sport first on television and then focus on increasing viewership.

     

    Krishnan expects WKL to be popular in the northern belt of India especially in UP and Punjab where the circular styled format of the game is more prevalent. To add to it is the presence of celebrities Akshay Kumar, Sonakshi Sinha and Yo Yo Honey Singh as team owners. “This format has never been seen on TV. The style of kabaddi followed in WKL is more physical, contact driven and fast paced,” he informs. According to industry sources the channel may have bagged the broadcast rights for Rs 35 crore to Rs 50 crore.

     

    Pre and post analysis of the games will be recorded in Hinglish, produced at the venue itself. As reported earlier by indiantelevision.com Greymatter Entertainment (which was awarded the contract to produce the league) has put together a crew of 70 seasoned sports television production professionals from Australia, South Africa, Malaysia, and India to create the HD feed for broadcasters in the US, the UK, Canada, and Asia. 10 to 12 cameras will capture the action and relay it live for various broadcasters in Europe, Asia, the US, Canada, Pakistan and Africa.

     

    WKL follows a travelling format similar to Formula 1 and will be played at 15 international venues with 86 matches over a four month long period. The country where the event is being held will have a live telecast during its prime time. Therefore, when it is in the US, it will be the US prime time and since it is early time for India, there will be a repeat during Indian prime time.

     

    Will the duration create a fatigue problem for viewers? Krishnan brushes away the doubt by saying, “International football leagues too have a similar long format and have done well. It will be travelling from city to city and since it will be telecast over the weekends I am hopeful it will do well.”

     

    As part of the promotions, TVCs featuring Akshay Kumar and Sonakshi Sinha are being played on MSM network channels including English GECs AXN and Sony Pix as well as on the YouTube channels. Social media is not ignored.

     

    Not surprisingly, the marketing campaign is focused towards the northern belt of India with print ads in both vernacular and English newspapers. Radio spots have been bought on stations such as Radio Mirchi, Big FM and My FM. Outdoor hoardings adorn metros like Mumbai and Delhi which will see an increase once the league enters the India phase.

     

    Sony Six is also playing wait and watch to see how both local and international markets react to television’s new found sport. The broadcaster wants to monetise once the league comes to India after the first two rounds are held abroad. The channel for now has ads from companies such as the Wave group which is the title sponsor. An industry source says that a 10 second slot during prime time can cost anywhere between Rs 15000 to Rs 20000.

     

    Sources peg the title sponsor price to be approximately Rs one crore to Rs two crore. Sonalika International is the official partner and Li Ning Company is the official apparel partner.

     

    As to what Six has learnt from the ongoing Pro Kabaddi League Krishnan says, “The games have definitely been able to receive traction. Though the game is the same, the two can’t be compared as the rules, arena and the format are different”. He further goes on to add that findings have shown that the Star Sports Pro Kabaddi league seems to be a following a pattern wherein it is seen to receive maximum traction from west India as compared to Sony Six’s expectation from WKL to do well in the north.

     

    The WKL is a privately owned company of Punjab deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal (he also serves as the president), and has Pargat Singh as commissioner with Raman Raheja serving as the CEO.  It is slated to travel across six countries  beginning in the UK, the US, India, Pakistan, Canada and UAE –  and has eight franchisee teams battling for  a purse of Rs 4 crore. The cities that the league matches will be held in include:  London, Birmingham, Dubai, New York, Sacramento, Stockton, Toronto, Vancouver, Delhi, Bathinda, Jalandhar, Ludhiana and Mohali.

  • WKL announces Li Ning as apparel partner

    WKL announces Li Ning as apparel partner

    MUMBAI: World Kabaddi League has found its apparel partner with Li Ning Company which will now be the official apparel partner for its opening edition. The company will provide a wide range of clothing for the games related personnel, including the team kits.

     

    World Kabaddi League CEO Raman Raheja said, “It’s a matter of pride for World Kabaddi League to announce Li Ning Company as the official Apparel Partner for league. They are known for their professional approach & expertise in making apparel and sports equipment as per international standards. We believe Li Ning will join our efforts and share the vision of delivering best game in World Kabaddi League.  We hope this will be long and fruitful partnership.”

     

    Li-Ning India business head Ram Malhotra commented “World Kabaddi League provides athletes, from across the globe, with a unique and professional platform to showcase their talent and sportsmanship and to promote Kabaddi on an international scale. This is something that resonates with Li Ning because as a brand, we are continuously seeking to establish strong relationships with world – class athletes across all sports and to support initiatives aimed at popularizing various sports. We are excited to be a part of an initiative that brings together Kabaddi champions and enthusiasts alike, on a global scale, to share and revel in their passion for Kabaddi.”

     

    In the international arena, Li Ning Company has been a strategic partner of NBA, ATP and other top international event organizers and institutions offering its equipment and services to several eminent athletes like Shaquille O’Neal, Ivan Ljubicic, Jose Calderon, Asafa Powell, Yelena Isinbayeva, Andreas Thorkildsen, Marin Cilic, Ivo Karlovic to name a few.

     

    World Kabaddi League is slated to kick start on August 9. With 94 matches and matches scheduled across 3 continents in UK, US, Canada, Dubai and India; the WKL will follow F1 format. WKL will present the sport to its fans in a completely new avatar by adding more action-oriented elements. The maiden Indian contact sport which has committed fan following across the globe will soon be pegged amongst the most followed game amongst enthusiasts. WKL will be played in Circle style which is the most popular kabaddi format followed across 26 countries globally.

     

    WKL aims to become the go-to brand when it comes to sports entertainment or delivering value to its partners and sponsors. WKL as a brand embodies strength, power, agility, tactic, entertainment, masculinity and aggression. It promises to take the indigenous Indian sport to the world and redefining it for the Indian audience.

  • GroupM agrees to acquire majority stake in Filmworks China

    MUMBAI: WPP has announced that its wholly-owned operating company GroupM, WPP’s global media investment management arm, has agreed to acquire Filmworks China, an entertainment marketing agency in China, subject to regulatory approval.

    Founded in 2010, Filmworks’ service offering includes marketing of entertainment media properties, merchandise licensing, tie-in promotion, product placement and celebrity endorsements. It has a blue-chip client list that includes Electronics Arts, DreamWorks, TCL Television, Li Ning and Yili Group.

    Filmworks’ unaudited revenues for the year ended 31 December 2011 were approximately RMB 12 million, with gross assets at the same date of approximately RMB 11 million.

    This investment continues WPP’s strategy of developing its services in fast-growing and important markets and sectors. WPP has been committed to the Greater China region for over 20 years. Greater China remains one of the fastest growth markets for the company and is currently WPP’s third largest market with revenues of $1.3 billion and 14,500 people (including associates).