ITV

Tag: Nitin Kukreja

  • FICCI Sports Committee to pitch for raise in sports budget allocation to FM

    FICCI Sports Committee to pitch for raise in sports budget allocation to FM

    NEW DELHI: Sports infrastructure is to get industry status in a bid to scale up the availability and accessibility of sporting facilities in the country.

    Making this announcement, Sports Secretary Rajiv Yadav from the Youth Affairs and Sports Ministry said there was a dire need to increase the budgetary support to the Sports Ministry to enable it to enhance the allocation of funds to upgrade up sports development in the country, especially in small towns and district level towns.

    “The Union Government’s budget for sports was a measly Rs 835 crore,” he said.

    The move to give industry status has been hailed by the sporting community and administrators as it will enable corporates to avail of concessional finance for creation of sports infrastructure on a par with international standards.

    Addressing Turf 2015-16, the seventh edition Global Sports Summit organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) with the support of the Ministry, Yadav urged the FICCI Sports Committee to make a strong pitch to the Finance Minister to raise the allocation for sports in the ensuing budget.

    Yadav said that planning for sports required enlargement of the catchment area for spotting and grooming talent. In this context, he said that his ministry was inspired by the sports ‘khel mahakumbh’ organised annually by Gujarat. It had therefore decided to scale up the National School Games beginning from the fiscal year 2016-17.

    Former cricket captain Kapil Dev pointed out that the onus of providing playgrounds in schools rested with the Government and recommended at least 40 per cent of the land for schools should be earmarked for playgrounds. He also underlined to need to reduce customs duties on sporting equipment to enable import and provide top quality sporting gear to sports persons.

    FICCI Sports Committee chairman and Star India president and head – sports Nitin Kukreja said there is a need to first recognise the importance of sport for the country, then nurture the economic opportunity that the various leagues and events have thrown up, and get India to play by providing access to facilities already available and by making sport a compulsory part of school curriculum – and match all of this with an ambition.

    FICCI DG Dr. Arbind Prasad said that for making India a sporting nation, there is a need for parallel sports both for excellence and grassroots development. FICCI, he said has been proactive in suggesting policy formulation and was working closely with the Sports Ministry and the Sports Authority of India on policy interventions to achieve sports objectives. “We should compare the sports budget of our country with other countries which are leading in sports and give financial security to sports persons to bring about a visible change,” he said.

  • Merging I-League & ISL can solve logistical chaos in Indian football calendar: Nitin Kukreja

    Merging I-League & ISL can solve logistical chaos in Indian football calendar: Nitin Kukreja

    MUMBAI: Stakeholders in the growing Indian sports industry unanimously agree that the appetite for football in India is definitely on the rise though there are numerous challenges, which have to be overcome before its full potential can be realised.

     

    At the recently held Star Sports India Football Forum 2015, Star India president sports Nitin Kukreja said that while merging I-League and ISL would solve much of the logistical chaos currently reigning in the Indian football calendar, no concrete progress has been made towards that. He also stressed on the need for schools and colleges to participate in the sport in a structured manner in order to allow a footballing culture to develop on a larger scale, especially in North and West India where the sport does not have much popularity.

     

    Senior professionals from the sports and broadcast industry deliberated on the multiple opportunities in the football sector at the forum titled: “Taking Indian Football Higher, Deeper, Wider,” held in Mumbai on 29 October.

     

    The day-long conference revolved around various Knowledge Sessions such as: Governance & Management – Faster Growth, Higher Visibility, Stronger Management; Maximising Fan Experience- Getting It Right on Air and In Stadia; Internet & Mobile Keys To Experiential Nirvana- Connecting To the Consumer in a Fast Evolving Media Landscape and Corporate Social Opportunity– The Business Potential in Grassroots Outreach.

     

    Established in 2010, the India Football Forum, the flagship property of the SportzPower Knowledge Series (SKS) in partnership with Event Capital, brings together some of the best minds in the industry on one platform to deliberate on the business of football in this market.

     

    Industry stalwarts such as U Sports founder Ronnie Screwvala, DFL Sports Enterprises chief representative Asia Pacific Peter Leible, Future Brands MD & CEO Santosh Desai and Kukreja spoke on the various factors that indicate the rapid strides made by football, and the initiatives required to take it to the next level.

     

    Leible, who drew a parallel to the recent period of revival in German football to provide context to the Indian experience, said a similar widespread initiative, with emphasis on clubs doing their bit on the grassroots and academy side of things, could lead to a uniform growth of football in India though “patience” is the key criteria while implementing such programmes.

     

    Screwvala, in conversation with conference chair Ayaz Memon, said that with ISL, the changes are positive in Indian football, but there needs to be an effort to develop the game at the grassroots level to actually help improve the standards of Indian football.

  • Star India rakes in over Rs 100 crore from ISL Season 2 sponsorships

    Star India rakes in over Rs 100 crore from ISL Season 2 sponsorships

    MUMBAI: When the Indian Super League (ISL) launched last year with the ‘Let’s Football’ tag line, it created a significant buzz across the country. With many a ‘firsts’ like having Nicolas Anelka dribbling on Indian ground and Indian spectators getting an opportunity to witness living legends like Luis Garcia, Del Piero and Robert Pires playing in front of their eyes, 410 million people in India echoed ‘Let’s Football’ with Neeta Ambani and Star India CEO Uday Shankar.

     

    That said, the big looming question was: Was football a revenue generating asset for broadcasters? There is virtually no time for a single advertisement in either of the two 45 minutes halves, and in an era where constant partial attention is at its peak, for viewers to stick to same channel during half time break seemed to be an unrealistic proposition.

     

    Nonetheless, as the saying goes, “Where there is a will there is a way!” The second season of ISL, which kicked-off on 3 October on Star Sports, has already brought the broadcaster in excess of Rs 100 crore in revenue from multiple brand sponsorships.

     

    While before the season began, it was speculated that Star Sports head Nitin Kukreja and his team raked in close to Rs 97 crore excluding revenues from digital broadcast from ISL season 2, the figure has now crossed the Rs 100 crore mark.

     

    A source close to the development tells Indiantelevision.com, “The last minute inclusion of Servo as a sponsor has made the Rs 100 crore landmark look possible. The way Star has sold the inventory is an example for the industry. There were so many new avenues that opened up. If we include digital revenues, Star has easily crossed the Rs 100 crore mark.”

     

    Hero Motocorp, as the title sponsor, pays close to Rs 20 crore per year to Star. Apart from that, the channel has Maruti Suzuki, DHL, Pond’s Men, Gatorade, Flipkart, Servo, U Quit I Quit, Hewlett Packard, Puma, Volini, The Muthoot Group, Amul, Manyavar and Imperial Blue as advertisers in its kitty.

     

    DHL, the official partners of Manchester United and Bayern Munchen, has also joined hands with Star India to be the logistics and time partner. As a part of the partnership, DHL gets presence on the screen that shows time on ground.

     

    Speaking to Indiantelevision.com, DHL India country manager and senior vice president R S Subramaniam says, “Last year’s performance and prominence of the league was the main reason behind us joining the league. It is a one year deal that we have signed and we may renew it in the future too.”

        

    Mumbai City FC CEO and CAA Kwan COO Indranil Das Blah adds, “The league has kicked off to a flyer. Once the TV numbers are out, we will have a better understanding of the scenario. Overall, the on-ground interaction has gone up and so has the sponsor’s interest.”

     

    Mumbai City FC also witnessed a 20 per cent growth in terms of revenue generation as per sources.

     

    “Sports no longer is a sport on screen now. It’s all about packaging and Star, first with Pro Kabaddi League and now with ISL, has proved that smart packaging can make every sport lucrative. Revenue generation was never a concern this season. The concern was with expectations. Last year, ISL was a surprise. Now there is a burden of expectation and if the tourney fails to meet expectations, it would be considered as a flying bubble,” a senior media planner says on condition of anonymity.

     

    While it remains to be seen if the tournament will help India in becoming a footballing nation but the revenue created from the sport certainly creates new benchmarks. No doubt proper packaging and smart monetisation can make every sport lucrative.

  • Star Sports pockets Rs 150+ crore in sponsorship for India – SA cricket series

    Star Sports pockets Rs 150+ crore in sponsorship for India – SA cricket series

    MUMBAI: Star India president – sports Nitin Kukreja is a happy man. With three co-presenting sponsors and seven associate sponsors on board for the India – South Africa cricket series, Star Sports has so far pocketed more than Rs 150 crore in sponsorships, even as more deals are being negotiated.

    Beginning 2 October, the Mahatma Gandhi – Nelson Mandela series will have three T20s, five ODIs and four Test matches, which will be played over a span of two months. This in turn offers the channel a huge inventory to generate revenue.

    A source close to the development informs Indiantelevision.com that the three co-presenting sponsors for the series namely PayTM, Raymond and Lava have paid approximately Rs 20 crore each. On the other hand, the seven associate sponsors – Maruti Suzuki, Airtel, Idea, Intex Led TV, Hero, Pernod, and OLX have shelled out approximately Rs 13 crore each, taking the total amount that Star India has earned in sponsorship to Rs 151 crore. Moreover, the broadcaster is in final stages of negotiations with a few more brands for the India – South Africa series.

    In terms of ad rates, the 10 second slot during T-20 matches has been priced between Rs 2.5 – 3 lakhs. ODIs and Tests have been priced at Rs 1 lakh and Rs 70 thousand respectively, the source adds.

    This is PayTM’s first series in the four years title sponsor deal, which it earned by outbidding Micromax. PayTM sealed the deal for Rs 203.28 crore, which is to be paid over the four year term. Maxus in association with GroupM ESP properties was instrumental in cracking the deal for PayTM.

    Speaking to Indiantelevision.com, Maxus managing partner Navin Khemka says, “We could not have asked for a better series to kickstart the deal. It’s bang in the middle of the festive season, a period where brands spend maximum. The success or failure of the cricket series will be decided by the quality of cricket played on the field.”

    CAA Kwan COO Indranil Das Blah is of the opinion that the series will spell success for BCCI and broadcaster Star Sports. “India VS South Africa is a marquee contest and hence advertisers and sponsors will show interest in the initial stages but the annual fate will depend on the performance. The festive season is when brands unveil a lot of new launches, so timing-wise, it cannot be better,” he says.

    Another media planner with condition of anonymity adds, “To me, the Rs 20 crore figure seems inflated. I think Rs 13 – 14 crore is what they are getting and that’s a good bet. If the series starts well, the numbers will be delightful for Star. The ad rates are realistic and can go much higher for last moment entrants if the series gets poised.”

  • Star Sports Pro Kabaddi League signs Allu Arjun as brand ambassador

    Star Sports Pro Kabaddi League signs Allu Arjun as brand ambassador

    MUMBAI: Star Sports Pro Kabaddi League, which opened to packed stadiums through its first leg in Mumbai, has now set its sight on the south. In a move to captivate the southern market, it has roped in Telugu cinema’s reigning star Allu Arjun as its brand ambassador in the two Telugu states namely Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

     

    The actor, who has won multiple awards for his work, will promote the sport and the league for the millions of Kabaddi enthusiasts in the Telugu speaking states. The Gachibowli Indoor Stadium in Hyderabad will host the eight city franchise league from 4-7 August 2015. 

     

    Talking about the development, Star Sports head Nitin Kukreja said, “At Star, we are committed to reinvent the great Indian sport of Kabaddi and set it in today’s context. The task is to make the game relevant and aspirational for the millions of young and passionate fans across India. Allu Arjun is an actor par excellence and a youth icon with following that cuts across all sections of the society. We believe he is the apt ambassador of the sport in this geography and are confident that this association will further the sport of Kabaddi in the region.”

     

    This season of Star Sports Pro Kabaddi has created a place of pride for the National Anthem. Every day during the league, eminent personalities, local musicians and bands sing the anthem in a manner that captures the essence of the entire country. One of India’s biggest superstar, Amitabh Bachchan sang the National Anthem on 18 July followed by Sunidhi Chauhan on the second day in Mumbai and Saurav Ganguly on the opening day in Kolkata. Arjun will be performing the National Anthem on Day 1 when Hyderabad hosts its first ever Kabaddi game on 4 August.

     

    Speaking on the occasion, Arjun said, “Kabaddi is a true Indian sport and Star Sports Pro Kabaddi has helped the game gain its due recognition in the country. I am truly honoured and proud to be singing the National Anthem at the start of the Hyderabad leg of Star Sports Pro Kabaddi. Being a physical fitness enthusiast, I am excited to associate with the league and will help promote the great Indian sport across the region.”

     

    Star Sports Pro Kabaddi is being broadcast in five languages- Kannada, Telugu and Marathi along with English and Hindi, across eight channels of the Star network as well as on Hotstar. The league is currently on air in Telugu on Maa Movies.

     

    MAA TV chairman N Prasad said, “Season one of the Star Sports Pro Kabaddi successfully established Kabaddi in the mainstream, breaking it out of its hinterland niche and transforming it into a sport enjoyed just as much by an urban audience. We are happy to partner with Star Sports to broaden Kabaddi’s appeal even further by taking it closer to fans in Telugu States. We believe Kabaddi, being an aspirational contact sport, has a lot of potential and is set to become very popular.”

     

    The Indian game of Kabaddi is also being telecast to a huge global audience in over 100 countries, including viewers in the United States, United Kingdom, Middle East and Latin America. It also has commentary from the field of play, a never seen before phenomena in Indian sports, actively engaging their role on camera.

  • Swachh Bharat, National Anthem, Amitabh Bachchan to dominate Pro Kabaddi 2 marketing blitzkrieg

    Swachh Bharat, National Anthem, Amitabh Bachchan to dominate Pro Kabaddi 2 marketing blitzkrieg

    MUMBAI: Bollywood’s quintessential superstar Amitabh Bachchan is emerging as the flag bearer of Star Sports’ Pro Kabaddi League season 2 marketing blitzkrieg. It all began with Bachchan composing and singing the anthem song ‘Le Panga’ for the league. Star India converted the entire recording studio voyage to a television commercial (TVC) and is telecasting it across its network.

     

    However, Bachchan’s contribution to the marketing campaign of Pro Kabaddi League season 2 is not just limited to the anthem that he composed and sung. This year, the tournament has integrated with many national awareness initiatives and special importance has been given to the Indian National Anthem. Bachchan will mark the beginning of Pro Kabaddi League season 2 not by lighting lamp but by crooning the National Anthem of the country.

     

    “Every match will start with the Indian National Anthem and we are delighted to announce that in the first match MrBachchan will sing the national anthem and mark the opening of the tournament. Kabaddi is a homegrown sport and pride and honour is deeply associated with the sport,” said Star Sports head NitinKukreja.

     

    Speaking to Indiantelevision.com Pro Kabaddi initiator and Mashal Sports director Charu Sharma said, “Last year also we wanted to have renowned singers on board to start matches by singing National Anthem, but it wasn’t possible and we played the instrumental version of it. This year, we will have many significant dignitaries and Amitabh Bachchan is one of them. To start with him was pre-planned and his personality is one of the reasons behind it.”

     

    International Kabaddi Federation president Janardhan Singh Ghelot opined, “For every Indian whenever the national anthem is sung in a sports event, it’s a matter of pride and honour and Kabaddi is a sport with pride and honour enthralled in it throughout. So the National Anthem is the best way to kickstart the league. Kabaddi always made India proud but no one was aware of the achievements of Indian Kabaddi players. Thanks to Mashal Sports, Charu Sharma, Nitin Kukreja, Star India Team and all their initiatives that the sport and the players got global recognition. The day Kabaddi will find a spot in Olympics, my dreams will turn true.”

     

    According to a source close to the development, Star India is said to have paid Bachchan approximately Rs 2.5 crore for the ‘Le Panga’ campaign. However, the source also informed that Bachchan did not charge for the National Anthem appearance.

     

    The tournament also stretched its arm to shake hands with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Swachh Bharat’ campaign. In a silent support to the campaign last year, Star in one of its TVCs opposed throwing waste on the roads in a creative way. “This year, we are actively part of it. We decided to join the campaign and push it actively. We need a cleaner India, we need to stop throwing waste in the middle of the road. There are waste paper baskets to throw garbage and so we decided to talk about it more this year. We will talk about the campaign across every medium,” added Sharma.

     

    The tournament’s last year record may emerge as the biggest challenge this year. If Pro Kabaddi League 2 fails to garner more than 435 million viewers, will it affect the brand value and pose a question mark over the sustainability? Terming last year’s record as a compliment rather than a challenge, Sharma said, “I don’t take it as a challenge. Last year the tournament was over before people got into it. This year, people are waiting for it so I expect it to grow bigger and better.”

  • Mumbai to host Barclays Premier League live for 24,000 fans

    Mumbai to host Barclays Premier League live for 24,000 fans

    MUMBAI: While the country is caught up in frenzy with domestic football, fans have another reason to cheer. The Premier League and sponsor Barclays will host their second international fan park event on 13 and14 December in Mumbai. Barclays Premier League is offering fans in India the opportunity to watch live matches broadcast on a giant 380-square-ftscreen, meet legends of the league and get up close with the iconic league trophy.

    Star India president sports Nitin Kukreja said: “We are delighted to welcome the event to India. This is a fantastic opportunity for BPL fans to enjoy the game together and interact with legends like Robbie Fowler and Peter Schmeichel. Having events as the BPL live alongside the Hero ISL will help bring more and more fans closer to the beautiful game.”

    Barclays Premier League live will take place at the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) grounds at Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) on the weekend of 13 to 14 December.  The event is a free, interactive experience designed for fans of all ages. Having a capacity for 12,000 supporters each day, admissions will be on a first-come, first-served basis.

     

    Speaking on the occasion Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore said: “We are particularly looking forward to coming to India as interest in football is at an all-time high. Mumbai will provide a spectacular setting as we work with our partner Star Sports to bring the league Barclays Premier League to our Indian fans.”

     

    The local opening times and live matches to be shown are:

     

    Saturday 13 December – Barclays Premier League Live opens at 2:30pm and closes at 10:30pm

    •    7pm – Indian Super League semi-final (screen 2)
    •    8 30pm – Chelsea v Hull City(screen 1)
    •    8 30pm – Leicester City v Manchester City(screen 2)

    Sunday 14 December – Barclays Premier League Live opens at 1pm and closes at 9pm

    •    4pm – Arsenal v Newcastle United (replay, screen 1)
    •    7pm – Manchester United v Liverpool (screen 1)
    •    7pm – Indian Super League semi-final (screen 2)

     

    Barclays India CEO and country head Jaideep Khanna said: “Football as a sport and the Barclays Premier League in particular, is fast gaining popularity in India. We want football fans of all ages to experience the league up close through BPL live. We are delighted to be bringing our clients, colleagues and football fans closer to the league”

     

    Fans can take part in a number of activities at BPL Live including:

    •    The live match zone – the main arena where fans will watch the live Barclays Premier League matches on a giant screen.
    •    The Trophy Zone – fans will be able to get up close to the Barclays Premier League Trophy.
    •    The club zone – supporters will be able to learn more about the 20 Barclays Premier League clubs, and through green screen technology, will be able to picture themselves lifting the Barclays

    Premier League Trophy decorated with the ribbons of their favourite club.

    •    The Screening Zone – supporters will experience the noise and excitement of a match day before learning all about the winning teams and captains of the Premier League in this exclusive film.
    •    The Pitch Zone – there will be a mini-football pitch where Barclays Premier League clubs will be conducting skills sessions with local football teams, and there will also be the chance for young fans to have a game of football run by Premier League community coaches.

    •    The Skills Zone – there are three football skills pods for supporters to test their accuracy, close control and shooting power.
    Robbie Fowler and Peter Schmeichel will be in attendance to offer the crowds their pre- and post-match insight on the live matches. The premier league legends will also take part in autograph-signing sessions and interact with fans.

     

    All of the action will be overseen by John Dykes, the lead anchor for Premier League Productions worldwide, who will keep the crowds entertained in between the matches. Premier League clubs and official partners will be present at the fan park with interactive games and the opportunity for fans to meet club mascots.

     

  • Star Sports acquires rights to telecast International Premier Tennis League

    Star Sports acquires rights to telecast International Premier Tennis League

    MUMBAI: Moving ahead with the philosophy of fostering a multi-sport culture in India Star Sports has acquired the rights to telecast the International Premier Tennis League (IPTL). Matches will be telecast live on Star Sports, Star Sports HD and starsports.com. Indiantelevision.com was the first to report the development earlier

    Commenting on the acquisition, Star India president sports Nitin Kukreja said “The IPTL is an unprecedented opportunity for sports fans across India to experience the game played by its legends. This is the first time India will play host to some of the biggest names in tennis, and we at Star Sports are extremely proud to be associated with this league. We’re confident that the league will take the game of tennis to much greater heights and further accelerate its development and adoption”

    IPTL will be played in typically indoor stadiums across four Asian countries – Philippines, Singapore, India and UAE from 28 November to 13 December 2014. The India leg of the IPTL that is scheduled to be held in Delhi would be witness to Tennis greats like Roger Federer, who would be playing in India for the first time, besides Novak Djokovic, Jo Wilfried Tsonga, Tomas Berdych, Goran Ivanisevic and Pete Sampras

    Speaking on the announcement, IPTL founder and MD Mahesh Bhupathi said, “Given Star Sports’s network strength and their commitment to growing sport in the country, our decision to partner with them was an easy one. We’re confident that the IPTL’s quicker and more exciting format, bundled with Star Sports’ strength in packaging and promotion will lend greatly to delivering a great viewing experience to sports fans, and attracting new ones to the game!”
    The IPTL is slated to kick start from November 28, 2014. The league is being organized by the 12-time doubles and mixed doubles Grand Slam Champion and winner of 52 ATP doubles titles Mahesh Bhupathi.

    Each IPTL match will consist of five sets played by different players that will include men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles, mixed doubles and former Champions singles. Each game won counts as one point for the team points total and the team that wins the most games overall across the five sets wins the match. The IPTL matches will feature live entertainment, a running shot clock and many more features to ’Break the Code’ of the traditional etiquette of tennis to attract a new audience to the sport across the world.

    Tournament Schedule

    Players List

  • Fox Sports and Star Sports sign 7 year extension of F1 agreement

    Fox Sports and Star Sports sign 7 year extension of F1 agreement

    MUMBAI: Fox Sports and Star Sports will continue their exclusive broadcast of the FIA Formula One World Championship for another 7 years in Asia*, from 2016 till the 2022 season. The multi-territory deal with Formula One Management (FOM) provides Fox Sports with exclusive broadcast rights (cable and satellite and terrestrial) and multi-media rights to more countries in Asia than before, including Japan.

     

    With the new agreement, Fox Sports and Star Sports will continue with live coverage of every Formula 1 practice, qualifying and race, which includes studio presentation and on-site presence for key races, all in standard-definition and high-definition, broadcasting from the new state-of-the-art studios in India, Japan, Singapore and Taiwan.

     

    In addition, fans can choose to enjoy races with the various ‘second screen’ options, like through the RaceMateLiveapp, which provides live drivers’ and pit-lane views, as well as multiple camera feeds and race statistics, or Fox Sports Play at www.foxplayasia.com or via the iOS and android apps, for live or on-demand action.

     

    Subscribers to Fox Sports mobile may also follow the action streamed live to their mobile phones.  Extensive highlights are also available on the 24/7 sports news channel, Fox Sports News. 

     

    Viewers in Indonesia, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Thailand will also be able to access commentary in Bahasa Indonesia, Bahasa Malaysia, Cantonese, Mandarin and Thai respectively, in addition to English.

     

    “This seven-year agreement for Formula 1 racing in Asia is in line with Fox Sports’ long-term strategy of continually investing in the property, to provide our viewers and clients with the best-in-class F1 experience. Equally important, it assures us as well our affiliate partners a long term horizon”, said Fox International channels Asia-Pacific and Middle East president Zubin Gandevia.

     

    “We are thrilled to continue with the exclusive broadcast of the FIA Formula One World Championship and bring the highest class of auto racing to our viewers. This long-term association is in line with our aim of showcasing the best of global sporting events to create a multi-sport culture in India, and we’re confident that this exciting championship will fuel the growth of motor sports viewing in the country”, said Star India president sports Nitin Kukreja.

     

    Formula One group CEO Bernie Ecclestone commented: “I am delighted we have managed to continue our successful relationship. With its on-going commitment to top quality coverage and production, I feel that Fox Sports, together with Star Sports in India, will more than do justice to Formula 1 racing and continue to grow its fan base throughout Asia”.

     

    The broadcast deal will help excite F1 fans, as they will witness the enthralling battles among drivers like Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg, Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel, as well as among future stars, for seven more years, with the Fox Sports network. This latest contract renewal also follows the recent announcement of another long-term broadcast deal for The Championships, Wimbledon, which adds to the list of sports content available on the all-new Fox Sports network.

     

    *territories include Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, East Timor, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Nepal, New Caledonia, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, North Korea, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.

  • “Hero ISL will be equivalent to the Barclays Premier League”: Nitin Kukreja

    “Hero ISL will be equivalent to the Barclays Premier League”: Nitin Kukreja

     

    Try naming some of the sports played in India and one will be able to count them on one’s fingers. Cricket will top the list leading to clichés such as ‘India is a cricket obsessed nation’ or ‘cricket is a religion in India’.

     

    Ironically, India’s National Sports Developmental Bill 2013 recognises 66 sports in the country.  

     

    Off late, we are witnessing a rousing appetite for emerging sports from the birth of leagues like the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL), World Kabaddi League and the upcoming Hero Indian Super League (ISL).

     

    Star India is one of the broadcasters aiding the growth of a multi-sport ecosystem in India. After the success of the PKL, it is gearing to make the ISL a roaring success too. Leading the sports division is Star India president sports Nitin Kukreja who joined the group in August 2007. With earlier stints at Pricewaterhouse Coopers and Morgan Stanley, the young executive talks about how the broadcaster plans to reach out to multiple sports fans in India and the strategy ahead of India’s footballing movement exclusively to indiantelevision.com’s Herman Gomes.

     

    Excerpts:

     

    Which are the sports Star is looking at experimenting with in the next five years?

    Over the past year, we have invested in sports like kabaddi, hockey, badminton and football, apart from cricket. Whichever sport we invest in, our objective is to make the game relevant and exciting even for the un-introduced population, thereby attracting viewers and eventually helping the entire sports ecosystem of the country.

     

    For the first time we have a TV network which is the promoter of the upcoming Hero Indian Super League. Is the league based on the Japanese J league model where the teams were named after their home city and emphasis was laid on the grassroots development programme?

    Football is a universal language that cuts across culture, race, religion and economic might. Being a prime provider of sports content to the sports fans in India, it was natural for us to become one of the promoters of the Hero ISL. We have gone a step ahead, as for the first time in the history of football, we’ll telecast the matches live with commentary in five different languages – English, Hindi, Malayalam, Kannada and Bengali.

     

    The Hero ISL is conceptualised jointly by IMG-Reliance and Star India. We’re also fortunate to have the support of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) that reaffirms the commitment of the governing body to develop and promote the game in the country. With the league, India has joined the world of football and Star Sports is attempting to reach each and every sport lover in the country in his own language.

     

    Grassroots development is one of the most important aspects in the agenda for the Hero ISL. The mandate for winning a city team in this league was not just based on the highest financial bid, but also on the bidders’ proposal of a sound plan for developing football in the catchment area they wished to bid for.

    What are the factors that offer huge consumption potential for the businesses of sports in India?

     

    Our country is one of the youngest in the world and statistics show that over 50 per cent of India’s population is aged less than 25 years. In fact, India is set to be the youngest country in the world by 2020. It is this segment that provides a huge potential for the business of sports in India. For far too long, we have been a single-sport country. At Star, our efforts are aimed at inspiring people to make sports an integral part of their daily lives. We believe sports is more than getting people to watch TV, it is about shaping a culture where sports can thrive and talent can be honed.

     

    We realised that there is a growing appetite from Indian sports fans for cricket and other kinds of sports. We want to address this need and offer the best of cricket, international sports as well as domestic and global leagues that will give birth to a new sporting nation.

    The success of Star Sports Pro Kabaddi League indicates that the appetite of sports fans in India has grown beyond the boundaries of just cricket. However, all of sports constitute just four per cent of the total TV viewership in our country, which is substantially below general entertainment and news. Of this, almost 3.5 per cent is contributed by cricket. While cricket remains central to our business, Star is making significant investments to increase the fan following for non-cricket sports in India. The passion with which the Indian youth connects with different sports is the key to this business.

     

    How many viewers are you planning to reach out to, during the League?

    The Hero ISL will be the first sporting event in the country to be backed by a never seen before ubiquitous broadcast plan, with a potential to reach around 85 per cent of India’s television audience. This ambitious plan is expected to herald an unparalleled reach for any content, in the history of Indian television. Spanning over eight channels in the sports and general entertainment categories, the Hero ISL will be televised in five languages: 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). Through this, we would engage more viewers in non-English speaking regions of our nation and present the game in the language that the fans speak.

     

    Which are the international agencies that you have got on board to provide better production values for the ISL?

     

    While there are millions of football lovers in our country, the popularity for international tournaments and European leagues has been predominant. We plan to change this with the Hero ISL, which will be a world-class product equivalent to European leagues like the Barclays Premier League.

     

    In our commitment to showcase a truly global league, we have partnered premier international agencies such as IMG for the live programming of the matches, Argentina-based 4HUMANS to put forth superlative graphics design and the UK-based AE Graphics for its execution.
     

    While Star invested in the infrastructure for the Pro Kabaddi League, how much will you be investing in infrastructure in different cities for the Hero ISL?

     

    We are investing heavily in the sport, not just monetarily but by putting in sincere and significant efforts as well. Our investments go beyond infrastructure building, whereby we’re working towards grassroots development for the sport that will help putting India on the global map for football.

     

    The league has invested in stadium refurbishment in the eight identified venues to create a platform to groom young footballing talent in the country. These include Salt Lake Stadium (Kolkata), Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (Chennai), Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (Delhi), Fatorda Stadium (Goa), Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (Kochi), DY Patil Stadium (Mumbai), Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium (Delhi) and Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex (Pune).
     

     In how many years do you see the franchise teams breaking even?

     

    It is too early to talk about that. All our efforts at this point in time are pointed towards building it as a premium property. But given that the game has such an enormous potential we’re confident that the league will enthrall sports fans and be commercially successful as well.

    Many football experts and club owners in India are of the opinion that the Hero ISL will affect the I-League and lead to it becoming an inconsequential format. What are your thoughts?

     

    We’re glad that I-League exists today, as having multiple properties that support the game only help the overall sports ecosystem in a country. However, the Hero ISL is an entirely different property with a well-differentiated offering.

    Some I-League clubs have joined our property; team owners from Salgaocar, Dempo and Shillong Lajong FC co-own teams in the Hero Indian Super League. This really benefits Indian football as a whole in the long run.

     

    How has starsports.com been performing and how will you utilise the platform during the Hero ISL?

    All matches of the Hero ISL will be telecast live on starsports.com. Over a short span of time, the traction on starsports.com has grown significantly and we are expecting a steep growth in online traffic for all our upcoming football properties. The website is currently approaching a 100 per cent growth already over last year’s football subscription numbers, with almost 70 per cent of the traffic coming from the age group 18 – 24.

    Besides live telecast of all Hero ISL matches, starsports.com will also present video on demand content, match highlights and full match replays. Our reach on football this season is touching 25 per cent of the entire core football watching audience on TV.

     

    What is more exciting for a football fan is that Starsports.com offers all matches of the Barclays Premier League, Spanish La Liga , Italian Serie A and the Hero ISL offering a wide variety of content to the viewers.

     

    While advertisers missed the bus for the Pro Kabaddi League how many advertisers have you got on board for the ISL besides Hero Motocorp? Are you looking at providing a combined on ground and on air package for advertisers?

     

    There are no preset benchmarks for the game of football in India and we intend to set them right at an unprecedented scale and vision to serve our product. Our focus has been on building the Hero ISL as a premium property and we’ll continue with that approach. For the first season of the league, we are offering package deals for brand visibility, both, on-ground as well as on air. With Hero Motocorp being signed as the title sponsor, there is a lot of buzz and anticipation around the associate sponsorships. We’ll announce the names of the associate sponsors as well soon.

     

    What was the ad revenue from the Pro Kabaddi league?

    Firstly, we did not sell Pro Kabaddi to advertisers, simply because we treated it as a start-up in its investment phase, like any other new business. Star Sports was the title sponsor for the league. However, the advertiser interest kept mounting as the league progressed and got an unprecedented, rather historic response from people across the country.

    Don’t you think two Kabaddi leagues will cause a viewer fatigue?

     

    Cricket has demonstrated that the fans just cannot have enough of the sport that they love. We are used to seeing cricket, tournament after tournament, all year long. The recently concluded Pro Kabaddi League indicates the mass acceptance of Kabaddi as an engaging sport and there is no way that having two Kabaddi leagues will create a viewer fatigue of sorts. In fact, the two leagues are different from each other in terms of their formats and the game-play, which overall makes Kabaddi even more interesting. It only increases the exposure and penetration that the game deserves.

    Are you looking at building new leagues in India for volleyball and basket ball?

    Following the overwhelming success of Pro Kabaddi League, we are currently focused on repeating the act with the Hero ISL. As of now, we don’t want to divulge the details of properties in the pipeline. Being the leading sports network in India, we have continually worked for the betterment of sports, and we’ll take up any opportunity that is aligned with this objective. Rest assured, we will keep you abreast with any further developments.

    Do you now see India becoming a multi sports nation soon?
    The appetite of the Indian sports fans has been steadily increasing and there is an increasing acceptance of non-cricket sports. However, the nation is still far away from being known as a multi-sports nation today.

    At Star, we believe that India with its 1.2 billion population should not be a single-sport nation. Hence, we’re putting forth and reintroducing other sports like kabaddi, football, hockey, badminton, etc. to revolutionise the sporting landscape in the country. We are sowing the seeds to spawn a multi-sport culture, and our vision will definitely translate into reality.