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Tag: Olympic Games

  • ‘Indians know little about India’s Olympic quest at Rio’ says Tata Salt’s survey

    ‘Indians know little about India’s Olympic quest at Rio’ says Tata Salt’s survey

    MUMBAI: 40 per cent under the age of 30 believe India stands a chance to win an Olympic medal for Cricket; 48 per cent of the people surveyed believe that India has hosted the Olympic Games in New Delhi and 87 per cent of women under 30 years wish to have chosen being an Olympic sportsperson as a career, over being film stars and entrepreneurs — these are some of the findings made by Tata Salt’s ‘Namak Ke Waastey’ survey that was conducted to gauge the Olympic quotient of Indians in the run-up to Rio Olympics 2016.

    The nationwide survey is one of the initiatives under the ‘Namak ke Waastey’, which is aimed at catalysing conversations and generating mass support for Indian Olympians headed to Rio.

    Tata Salt ‘Namak ke Waastey’ survey reveals India’s fascination with its favourite sport with around 40% men and women under the age of 30 believing that India stands a chance to win the medal for cricket, which isn’t even an Olympic sport! On the other hand, only 14% of those surveyed pin their medal hopes on shotput, while boxing and wrestling have secured support from 30% and 40% respondents respectively. Call it the effect of a recently released Bollywood movie or just their new found admiration for the strenuous sport, but wrestling seems to be reigning among Indian women. Almost 60% of women have chosen wrestling as the sport that could get India its Olympic medal.

    The survey however paints a surprisingly different picture when it comes to aspirational career choices. 87% of women and 69% men under 30 years of age would have wished to be an Olympian sportsperson, overriding popular career options such as writer, film star/ rock musician/ rock/pop star and entrepreneur. It is noteworthy to mention that nearly 75% of the total respondents under 30 years chose Olympic sportsperson as an aspirational career if given a choice. These results clearly demonstrate that India is a hotbed of young sports aspirants.

    Speaking on the results of the survey,Tata Chemicals Ltd. (Consumer Products Business) marketing head Sagar Boke said, “The purpose of conducting the Tata Salt ‘Namak ke Waastey’survey, was to gauge the Olympic sentiment among Indians and is an initiative to connect effectively with the audience. The survey findings throw light on various facts that us Indians are ignorant of, from whether Olympics has ever been held in India to cricket being an Olympic sport! Though Indians seems to be ignorant about the Olympic Games and our athletes in general, the surprising and positive highlight of the survey is that if given a choice, maximum number of them want to be Olympic sportspersons. India is indeed brimming with sporting talent, just waiting to be explored. The ‘Namak ke Waastey’ campaign has been crafted with this very purpose in mind – first, to create a genuine platform for the Indian Olympians in general which brings forth their struggle, passion and indomitable spirit thus educating the masses on what goes on behind the scenes and second, to catalyze conversations and bring about unity in our support for them.”

    Finally, the most shocking insight was the answer to the question whether India has ever hosted the Olympic Games, where 48% of the people surveyed answered in the affirmative, stating that they were held in New Delhi. In fact, the only international multi-sport event held in Indian was the 2010 Commonwealth Games whereas in 2015 it was agreed that 2024 is too early for India to bid for hosting the Olympic Games.

    India is sending its largest ever delegation to the Rio Olympics 2016 and in an effort to garner mass support for the Indian athletes, Tata Salt tied up with the India Olympics Association (IOA) as a proud sponsor of the Indian Olympics contingent. The brand is dedicated to generating awareness about less sensational sports and winning mass support for players representing the nation at Rio this year. ‘Namak ke Waastey’ is a step forward in Tata Salt’s journey of augmenting consumer trust over the years, through innovative brand building and distinctive campaigns. While the campaign brings forth their stories of hard work, determination, hope and most of all, the pride of representing India at the Olympics, the objective is to spark the change from indifference to mass support amongst a nation of 1.2 billion people.

  • Discovery appoints Atsushi Saito as Eurosport VP – ad sales

    Discovery appoints Atsushi Saito as Eurosport VP – ad sales

    MUMBAI: Discovery Communications has appointed Atsushi Saito as vice president ad sales for Eurosport

    The announcement was made by Advertiser Partnerships senior vice president and managing director Jonathan Davies, to whom Saito will report.

    In his new capacity, Saito is tasked to maximise Eurosport’s ad sales efforts in Asia Pacific by providing innovative and bespoke solutions for clients and developing meaningful partnerships.

    Last week Discovery Communications announced its first Olympic Games sub-licensing deal with the BBC, to make Eurosport the exclusive home of the Olympic Games on pay-TV in the UK between 2018 and 2020. The news follows an agreement announced by Discovery Communications and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) last June, which includes exclusive multimedia rights for 50 countries and territories in Europe for the 2018 through the 2024 Olympic Games. With three of these Games to be hosted in Asia, Saito’s proximity to the action will offer a significant market advantage as Discovery look to establish long term partnerships with clients.

    Saito started his media sales career over 16 years ago with Star TV, a subsidiary of News Corp and was last with Turner Japan where he served as CNN Global Advertising Sales director. Under his leadership, Saito quadrupled CNN’s ad sales revenue.

    Davies said, “It is Discovery’s ambition to make the Olympic Games available to more people across Europe than ever before, through leveraging our portfolio of pay-TV, free-to-air and digital services. This combined with our other strategic investments in sports rights provide brands and advertisers a unique opportunity to target their customers through great sporting moments all day, and every day.”

    “Advertisers and brands are evolving into content producers, thinking beyond the ad break to embed themselves in popular culture. With this shift, a top priority for our sales organisation is to provide unique, creative and strategic solutions with the highest level of service. Atsushi’s rich experience, excellent connections and digital acumen will propel Eurosport’s ad sales growth in Asia Pacific,” Davies added.

  • Discovery appoints Atsushi Saito as Eurosport VP – ad sales

    Discovery appoints Atsushi Saito as Eurosport VP – ad sales

    MUMBAI: Discovery Communications has appointed Atsushi Saito as vice president ad sales for Eurosport

    The announcement was made by Advertiser Partnerships senior vice president and managing director Jonathan Davies, to whom Saito will report.

    In his new capacity, Saito is tasked to maximise Eurosport’s ad sales efforts in Asia Pacific by providing innovative and bespoke solutions for clients and developing meaningful partnerships.

    Last week Discovery Communications announced its first Olympic Games sub-licensing deal with the BBC, to make Eurosport the exclusive home of the Olympic Games on pay-TV in the UK between 2018 and 2020. The news follows an agreement announced by Discovery Communications and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) last June, which includes exclusive multimedia rights for 50 countries and territories in Europe for the 2018 through the 2024 Olympic Games. With three of these Games to be hosted in Asia, Saito’s proximity to the action will offer a significant market advantage as Discovery look to establish long term partnerships with clients.

    Saito started his media sales career over 16 years ago with Star TV, a subsidiary of News Corp and was last with Turner Japan where he served as CNN Global Advertising Sales director. Under his leadership, Saito quadrupled CNN’s ad sales revenue.

    Davies said, “It is Discovery’s ambition to make the Olympic Games available to more people across Europe than ever before, through leveraging our portfolio of pay-TV, free-to-air and digital services. This combined with our other strategic investments in sports rights provide brands and advertisers a unique opportunity to target their customers through great sporting moments all day, and every day.”

    “Advertisers and brands are evolving into content producers, thinking beyond the ad break to embed themselves in popular culture. With this shift, a top priority for our sales organisation is to provide unique, creative and strategic solutions with the highest level of service. Atsushi’s rich experience, excellent connections and digital acumen will propel Eurosport’s ad sales growth in Asia Pacific,” Davies added.

  • BBC & Discovery ink long-term Olympic partnership

    BBC & Discovery ink long-term Olympic partnership

    MUMBAI: The BBC and Discovery Communications have inked a long-term Olympic Games agreement in the UK, building on a 30-year partnership between the two global media organisations.

    The deal means that the BBC will sub-license (from Discovery) exclusive free-to-air audio-visual and non-exclusive radio rights to the 2022 and 2024 Olympic Games. In turn, Discovery will sub-license (from the BBC) exclusive pay-TV rights in the UK to the 2018 and 2020 Olympic Games.

    The London 2012 Olympic Games was watched on the BBC by more than 50 million people in the UK, seven million people in the UK accessed the BBC website every day, with 111 million requests for video throughout the Games, and over two million people downloaded the app. It was truly the first digital Olympic Games and the BBC raised the bar in its coverage.

    This announcement ensures that the BBC will continue to be the free-to-air home of the best action from the Olympic Games until 2024, bringing the moments that unite the nation on TV and radio. Additionally, the BBC’s package of rights is supplemented by digital rights to the content it broadcasts on TV.

    This agreement marks the first Olympic Games sub-licensing deal by Discovery and reinforces Eurosport as the home of the Olympic Games across Europe, ensuring that every event is available to fans across all screens. The news follows an agreement announced by Discovery Communications and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) last June, which includes exclusive multimedia rights for 50 countries and territories in Europe for the 2018 through the 2024 Olympic Games. The rights for the UK were included for only 2022 and 2024, as these rights had already been secured by the BBC in the UK.

    BBC director-general Tony Hall said, “The BBC prides itself on bringing the biggest sporting moments to the public. For many, the BBC has been their stadium for Olympic coverage. It is an event that unites the nation like no other. I’m delighted that through our new partnership with Discovery, the BBC will continue to carry the torch for great sporting coverage right through to the 2024 Games. While the BBC has had to take some tough financial decisions, this partnership underlines our commitment to making world-class sport available to all.”

    Discovery Communications president and CEO David Zaslav added, “Discovery is a passionate and committed partner of the Olympic Movement. Today’s agreement is a win for UK sports fans and marks an exciting new chapter in Discovery and the BBC’s partnership on major sporting events. For 30 years, our two organisations have chartered new frontiers with co-production partnerships in factual and natural history programming. Now we join together once again to bring the most compelling stories of human ambition, sacrifice and achievement to people across the UK.”

    IOC Television and Marketing Services MD Timo Lumme said, “We are delighted our partners Discovery / Eurosport and the BBC are collaborating on this long term agreement which is great news for viewers in the UK. By sharing the rights, viewers will benefit from the BBC’s rich Olympic heritage and Discovery’s innovative approach to storytelling. Together, they will make the Olympic Games as accessible and engaging as possible.”

    BBC Sport director Barbara Slater said, “We are very pleased that the BBC will continue to bring free-to-air Olympic Games coverage to audiences through to 2024, extending our relationship with the event which began in 1928 and reinforcing the BBC’s long-term commitment to major sporting events. The Olympic Games is one of the nation’s most treasured sporting events and this is an extensive package of rights that ensures we can offer ‘the best of the Games’, across TV, radio, online and digital, maximising the reach and impact of the BBC. This ground-breaking partnership also shows how the BBC can collaborate and work with others to continue to bring the very best in sport to licence fee payers.”

    Discovery Networks International president JB Perrette said, “Since the announcement of our partnership with the IOC, it has been Discovery’s goal to engage and entertain local audiences in Europe with the ultimate Olympic Games experience across all screens. To realise this ambition, we will leverage our portfolio of pay-TV, free-to-air and digital services, and collaborate with the very best partners who share this vision – the BBC partnership embodies this perfectly.”

  • BBC & Discovery ink long-term Olympic partnership

    BBC & Discovery ink long-term Olympic partnership

    MUMBAI: The BBC and Discovery Communications have inked a long-term Olympic Games agreement in the UK, building on a 30-year partnership between the two global media organisations.

    The deal means that the BBC will sub-license (from Discovery) exclusive free-to-air audio-visual and non-exclusive radio rights to the 2022 and 2024 Olympic Games. In turn, Discovery will sub-license (from the BBC) exclusive pay-TV rights in the UK to the 2018 and 2020 Olympic Games.

    The London 2012 Olympic Games was watched on the BBC by more than 50 million people in the UK, seven million people in the UK accessed the BBC website every day, with 111 million requests for video throughout the Games, and over two million people downloaded the app. It was truly the first digital Olympic Games and the BBC raised the bar in its coverage.

    This announcement ensures that the BBC will continue to be the free-to-air home of the best action from the Olympic Games until 2024, bringing the moments that unite the nation on TV and radio. Additionally, the BBC’s package of rights is supplemented by digital rights to the content it broadcasts on TV.

    This agreement marks the first Olympic Games sub-licensing deal by Discovery and reinforces Eurosport as the home of the Olympic Games across Europe, ensuring that every event is available to fans across all screens. The news follows an agreement announced by Discovery Communications and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) last June, which includes exclusive multimedia rights for 50 countries and territories in Europe for the 2018 through the 2024 Olympic Games. The rights for the UK were included for only 2022 and 2024, as these rights had already been secured by the BBC in the UK.

    BBC director-general Tony Hall said, “The BBC prides itself on bringing the biggest sporting moments to the public. For many, the BBC has been their stadium for Olympic coverage. It is an event that unites the nation like no other. I’m delighted that through our new partnership with Discovery, the BBC will continue to carry the torch for great sporting coverage right through to the 2024 Games. While the BBC has had to take some tough financial decisions, this partnership underlines our commitment to making world-class sport available to all.”

    Discovery Communications president and CEO David Zaslav added, “Discovery is a passionate and committed partner of the Olympic Movement. Today’s agreement is a win for UK sports fans and marks an exciting new chapter in Discovery and the BBC’s partnership on major sporting events. For 30 years, our two organisations have chartered new frontiers with co-production partnerships in factual and natural history programming. Now we join together once again to bring the most compelling stories of human ambition, sacrifice and achievement to people across the UK.”

    IOC Television and Marketing Services MD Timo Lumme said, “We are delighted our partners Discovery / Eurosport and the BBC are collaborating on this long term agreement which is great news for viewers in the UK. By sharing the rights, viewers will benefit from the BBC’s rich Olympic heritage and Discovery’s innovative approach to storytelling. Together, they will make the Olympic Games as accessible and engaging as possible.”

    BBC Sport director Barbara Slater said, “We are very pleased that the BBC will continue to bring free-to-air Olympic Games coverage to audiences through to 2024, extending our relationship with the event which began in 1928 and reinforcing the BBC’s long-term commitment to major sporting events. The Olympic Games is one of the nation’s most treasured sporting events and this is an extensive package of rights that ensures we can offer ‘the best of the Games’, across TV, radio, online and digital, maximising the reach and impact of the BBC. This ground-breaking partnership also shows how the BBC can collaborate and work with others to continue to bring the very best in sport to licence fee payers.”

    Discovery Networks International president JB Perrette said, “Since the announcement of our partnership with the IOC, it has been Discovery’s goal to engage and entertain local audiences in Europe with the ultimate Olympic Games experience across all screens. To realise this ambition, we will leverage our portfolio of pay-TV, free-to-air and digital services, and collaborate with the very best partners who share this vision – the BBC partnership embodies this perfectly.”

  • IOC proposes Olympic OTT channel, plans to firm up by Dec

    IOC proposes Olympic OTT channel, plans to firm up by Dec

    NEW DELHI: An Olympic television channel is to commence telecast from next year as an OTT service.

     

    The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has said it will present Olympic sports 24 hours per day to make the Olympic Games more attractive for young people.

     

    According to IOC president Thomas Bach, the channel will show a mixture of live sports, stories about athletes and volunteers, news and background information.

     

    During the Olympic Games in London in 2012, the IOC had reached out to young people via mobile apps. Following the launch of the global channel in English, collaborations with domestic TV channels in the local language should be possible, Bach said.

     

    Bach told German media that the Olympic Channel is being set up in Madrid with around 120 employees and will show a mixture of live sports, back stories of athletes and volunteers, and background information.

     

    A meeting of the IOC’s Executive Board in Montreux, Switzerland, recommended that an all-year Olympics TV Channel be set up.

     

    The IOC has recommended that the proposal be put before the full IOC membership, which is meeting on 8 and 9 December in Monaco for approval.

     

    An IOC statement said it would be contacting “all the relevant stakeholders” over the next few months to gather their opinions and further develop the concept prior to making a decision in December.

     

    The aim of the plan is to appeal to some of the four billion viewers who watch the Olympics when the event takes place, and to help focus viewers on the less popular sports, which tend not to get coverage in between the main Olympics coverage.

     

    One report from the meeting recently of Olympic Games leaders and supporters in Switzerland was that the IOC would act as the moderator or facilitator of the channel, but its national sports federations, national committees as well as broadcasters and sponsors would participate. 

  • India requests IOC to retain wrestling in the category of core sports in Olympic Games

    India requests IOC to retain wrestling in the category of core sports in Olympic Games

    NEW DELHI: The Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has requested full membership of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to take up the matter of wrestling at the 125th session of IOC at Buenos Aires (Argentina) and take a decision to retain Wrestling in the category of core sports in Olympic Games.

    In a letter written to all the IOC members, Sports Secretary P K Deb has said that Wrestling, which combines Freestyle (Men and Women) and Greco-Roman events, goes back to the inaugural modern Olympics held in Athens in 1886 and has been a core sport from the first Olympics onwards. It was a part of the ancient Olympics too. The exclusion of the discipline from the core sports of Olympics is against tradition which is so much a part of Olympics.

    The letter said, in modern times, wrestling has immense popularity and fan following world-wide. Its popularity can be gauged from the fact that 71 countries participated in wrestling events in the London Olympic 2012, to full houses. The letter said the decision of the executive board of IOC not to include Wrestling in the core sports for 2020 Olympics will severely affect the sustenance of the game in future.

    The letter said, India believes that the decision to exclude the sport of wrestling from the 25 core sports needs to be reconsidered particularly in view of the fact that wrestling has got not only universal appeal, but is also very affordable.

    The letter has been written in the context of the decision of the Executive Board (EB) of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) at its meeting held on 12 February 2013 recommending that wrestling governed by the International Federation of Associated Wrestling (FILA), be not included in the list of core sports for the 2020 Olympics. The Executive Board of IOC at its meeting held at St. Petersburg (Russia) on 20 May 2013 recommended that baseball / softball, squash and wrestling be proposed to the 125th session of IOC for possible inclusion as an additional sport in the Olympic Programme for 2020 Olympic Games. The full IOC membership will meet for the 125th session in Buenos Aires, Argentina from 7th to 10th September 2013 and will vote on which of the three sports to add to the programme of the Games for 2020 Olympics in addition to the 25 core sports.

  • IMG Worldwide acquires US-based Catalyst Public Relations

    MUMBAI: Global sports, fashion and media company IMG Worldwide has announced the acquisition of Catalyst Public Relations, the US based communications firm that specialises in developing consumer-facing integrated marketing programmes focussed on three core platforms — sports, entertainment and active lifestyle.

    The company will operate as Catalyst at this moment and will become a part of IMG‘s consulting business, headed by IMG Consulting senior VP, global MD David Abrutynr . Financial details of this strategic transaction are not disclosed.

    IMG chairman, CEO Mike Dolan said, “The acquisition of Catalyst is a perfect fit for IMG‘s client-oriented businesses. They have a long history of success in working across all the major US Sports Properties as well as global properties such as the Olympic Games and Fifa World Cup and boast a strong base of corporate clients. Their expertise in Public Relations, Content Development & Digital and Social media services will significantly enhance our ability to fully service the sports and entertainment agency needs of our clients here in the U.S. and in all of our key international markets”.

    IMG‘s Sports and Entertainment Group president George Pyne said, “This acquisition is part of an ongoing plan to further expand our portfolio of key marketing services we can provide our Consulting clients around the world. We plan to integrate their capabilities into our global Consulting practice that includes our fast growing PR services in the UK and expand these Communications services into key markets in Europe, Middle East, South America and Asia. They will also be able to work with other IMG Divisions where these types of corporate partner communication services are needed.”

    With the acquisition, Catalyst‘s current management team of Bret Werner, Bill Holtz and Ted Fragulis will all join IMG, as will their staff of full-time employees in their New York, Charlotte and Los Angeles offices. Werner will continue in his role as Managing Partner for the business and will report to David Abrutyn. Holtz and Fragulis will continue to work with Werner in managing the business.

    Catalyst managing partner Bret Werner said, “We‘ve enjoyed a strong and productive working relationship with IMG for many years. The ability to join IMG Consulting and continue with our current client service model as well as expand our traditional PR and digital expertise globally provides us with the opportunity to evolve and grow well into the future.”

  • Sportscasters disappointed with hockey loss, brand endorses see opportunity from Olympic wins

    MUMBAI: With India winning six medals at the recently concluded Olympic Games in London, the question is what impact will it have on viewership of those sports. Industry experts feel that it will depend on the visibility of those sports as well as if they are TV friendly in the first place.

    On the brand endorsement front, there is a mixed reward system going to emerge depending on the visibility and personality of the sports persons.

    Sports Broadcasting

    Zeel CEO Sports Business Atul Pande says that shooting in which India won two medals is not a television friendly sport.

    “Badminton could see some viewership growth with Saina Nehwal. However viewership thus far for it has been low. Some sports are TV friendly. Other sports are not as visually appealing as like tennis.”

    In terms of boxing, he doesn‘t think that the sport will get a viewership push unless an Indian league for it comes up like the IPL in cricket. For this to happen though, the stakeholders have to adopt the right business model.

    “Wrestling is more of a rural sport. It has bigger appeal in the smaller towns, so I am not sure if it will get viewership across the country,” avers Pande.

    Calling the performance of the Indian hockey team abominable, he feels that in the short term the sport will take a hit in terms of viewership. “We even lost to weak teams like Belgium. I don‘t know what the long term impact will be but in the short term there will be an impact. So local leagues could be affected.”

    Nimbus Sport COO Yannick Colaco says interest in medal winning sports has to be converted to a fan following which needs product and a marketing push from the respective federations.

    “In sports like wrestling, there is no product. Also showing the product in television is one part of the business. You need to get viewers to come in by having a marketing plan. That is what our focus has rested on in World Series hockey apart from just having the product,” he quips.

    Neo Sports broadcast COO Prasana Krishnan says that product shortfall is an issue. “Are there international events in boxing, shooting, wrestling that feature Indians regularly that can be shown? You need a product that airs for eight months a year. Then a broadcaster can build it up. That is what we have been doing with badminton for the past five years. Badminton has seen a slow and steady growth which will continue. But Saina winning a medal will not suddenly make a dramatic difference to viewership. In these sports there are not dramatic success stories. It is not like cricket which is more evolved.”

    Multi Screen Media (MSM) president network sales, licensing and telephony Rohit Gupta says that India‘s performance in international events will determine if sports that India won medals in will show viewership growth. “It is too early to say what the impact will be. An Olympics event that happens once in four years is not enough to judge a sports popularity. For Six whether or not we take properties in these sports will depend on what is available and at what price.”

    GroupM ESP managing partner Hiren Pandit feels that the lack of visibility of Olympic sport will hurt their growth in the long run. “When was the last time you saw an event in shooting and wrestling apart from the Olympics? There needs to be more of a push given to these sports by sports broadcasters and also by news channels. The noise level has to be increased. Otherwise it will just be a once in four years phenomena.”

    If more events in shooting were to happen and be covered and India were to perform, viewership will be there but it may not be very high. As regards hockey, he says that while an event like World Series Hockey (WSH) has brought in value, the quality of play by Indians will determine interest. He too sees an increase in viewership for badminton but it will be a slow buildup.

    Brand Endorsement

    According to Pandit, the issue of visibility applies to the brand endorsement field as well. “After winning the Gold medal four years ago there was some hype created for Abhinav Bindra and then he disappeared. You need to stay in the limelight over a period of time for brands to approach you. This is why cricketers and film stars fare well. It is about being in the public eye.”

    Pandit feels that wrestlers will get associated with rural brands due to the profile of that sport. “But it is unlikely that any top end brand will form that association. With Mary Kom, I am not sure about the brand fit. What is it that she stands for? What are her attributes? There has to be a brand fit. The brand endorsement business is not one dimensional,” he says.

    He is optimistic about the brand endorsement prospects of Saina Nehwal who is more visible. “Saina will benefit as she is well covered in the media also. Badminton events happen more frequently. At the end of the day people have to know the sportsperson. That sportsperson‘s brand attributes have to built and be consistent over time”.

    Kwan COO Indranil Das Blah feels that the viewership impact for shooting and wrestling will be negligible. “That is because international events do not air. Also no big events take place in India. Badminton will benefit. It is on an upswing after Saina Nehwal appeared. Boxing is a contact sport. It is quick and fun to watch. So there could be a positive viewer impact here. Boxing and badminton have a firmer base compared to the other two sports.”

    In terms of brand endorsements, he sees Nehwal as benefitting the most. “Her price was Rs 10 million earlier. It will go up but it will not be a huge increase. She has five to six brands and I expect her to get two more deals within a month. Brands that are youth and women centric are looking at her. The key though is that these athletes should not get too greedy. That was a lesson learnt from the previous games. Athletes should focus on the long term when doing deals and build visibility over time rather than just focussing on money in the short term. They should focus on PR and image building. I see the shooters getting limited deals. It might come down to appearances over the next couple of months and that might be it unless they find a way to sustain visibility.”

    For Mary Kom, he notes that her win comes towards the end of her career which will affect the deals she gets. “Brands prefer youth. If the win had happened four years back, it would have been better. Having said that, companies who are targetting women and the East part of the country are interested. She will get two to three deals in the short term possibly in the form of appearances. Long term though, the prospects are limited as she does not have another Olympics appearance in her.”

    Blah believes Sushil Kumar is an interesting case as he is the only person to have won two individual Olympic medals. “He will do well. Also he will take part in the Olympics again. However, the other winner Vijay Kumar is not well known. He also doesn‘t speak well and you need to have personality to succeed in the brand endorsement game. Besides, he is the army and there are restrictions. So I don‘t see him getting any deals”. He feels that Kom and Sushil Kumar will get deals in the region of Rs 4 million.

    As regards hockey, he feels that the national pride and emotional connect has been eroded. “This will have a big impact on viewership. People are pissed off at the sport. I don‘t see hockey players getting brand endorsements for the next three years. There has also been negativity surrounding the sport with the politics. I wouldn‘t advise clients to touch the sport with a bargepole.”

    Alchemist Talent Solutions MD Manish Porwal sees the sportspersons as getting short term deals resulting from tactical opportunities in the coming 15-30 days. The exception to this is Saina Nehwal who would have gotten deals irrespective of what happened in the Olympics.

    “The sportspersons won‘t get deals that last for four years till the next Olympics. An aberration may happen like Bindra who got a lucrative deal with Samsung in 2008. Companies however will mostly use sportspersons for tactical opportunities. For instance if a campaign script demands a strong woman, then they might use Mary Kom. It is not that a company will sign her up and then look to create a script.”

    He adds that an endorsement bottleneck is created for the sportspersons who have excelled in non-spectator sports like shooting. “That is because people know the name but they do not know the face. If a company uses all six medal winners in a campaign, then that is a different issue. I would call the money that the sportspersons get as a moral fee rather than an endorsement fee in the true sense. A cricketer or a film star has a reach of lakhs if not crores of people. Boxing, on the other hand, may see a few more thousand people viewing it as a result of Mary Kom‘s medal but that is not going to get reflected in the ratings.”

    He also says that sportspersons who excel in non spectator sports become bigger than the sport itself.

  • McDonald’s extends Olympic Games partnership through to 2020

    McDonald’s extends Olympic Games partnership through to 2020

    MUMBAI: The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and McDonald‘s Corporation have announced that McDonald’s has extended its global sponsorship agreement until 2020.

    The announcement was made at the first ever Winter Youth Olympic Games in Innsbruck, Austria, in the presence of IOC president Jacques Rogge and McDonald’s president, COO Don Thompson.

    IOC president Rogge said, “We are delighted that McDonald’s, our long-time and valued Olympic Partner for more than 35 years, is continuing its ongoing commitment not only to help fund the Olympic Games but also to support the Olympic Movement around the world and ultimately the athletes themselves.”

    IOC COO Don Thompson said: “We share the Olympic ideals of teamwork, excellence and being your best. Those ideals are at the heart of what McDonald’s stands for and how we’ve brought the Games to life. Feeding the athletes is a tradition we are extremely proud of, and we look forward to continuing our role in helping to make the Games possible.”

    As a Top Sponsor and Official Restaurant of the Olympic Games, the agreement with the Olympic Movement includes sponsorship of the National Olympic Committees and their Olympic teams for the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games, Rio 2016 Olympic Games, PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games and the 2020 Olympic Games, for which the host city has yet to be elected.

    The agreement also includes the Youth Olympic Games (YOG): the current Innsbruck 2012 Winter YOG, Nanjing 2014 YOG, Lillehammer 2016 Winter YOG and the 2018 YOG and 2020 Winter YOG, for which the host cities have yet to be elected.

    IOC marketing commission chairman Gerhard Heiberg said, “We are very pleased to continue our long-standing relationship with McDonald’s, and we appreciate the quality menu that McDonald’s delivers at the Olympics as the Official Restaurant of the Games. We believe that the long-term agreements we have in place with leading companies are a testament to the continued strength and appeal of the Olympic Games as a global marketing platform for sport”.