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Tag: Rajah Chaudhry

  • NBA, ACG & BFI launch ACG Jr. NBA program in collaboration with Skechers

    NBA, ACG & BFI launch ACG Jr. NBA program in collaboration with Skechers

    Mumbai: The National Basketball Association (NBA), ACG, and the Basketball Federation of India (BFI), the governing body of basketball in the country, has announced the launch of the ACG Jr. NBA program, a nationwide 3v3 tournament for the top U-14 players across India and the largest school-based basketball program in the country. Skechers, the global performance and lifestyle footwear and apparel brand, will serve as the official kit partner of the program and provide high-quality gear for the participants.

    The ACG Jr. NBA program will feature boys’ and girls’ divisions with teams representing schools from across the country and tip off on Tuesday, 24 September with tournaments in Chennai and Mumbai before visiting Aizawl, Delhi, Kolkata and Ludhiana. The top eight boys’ and girls’ teams from each city will then compete in a league phase within each city that will see the top three boys’ and girls’ teams and one all-star team from each of the boys’ and girls’ divisions advance to the league finals early next year. The dates of the remaining city tournaments and league phases, and the dates and location of the league finals, will be announced at a later date. Schools can register to participate by visiting this link.

    In addition to the ACG Jr. NBA program, the collaboration aims to enhance youth basketball development at the local level, expand elite talent identification nationally, and provide new development opportunities for players, coaches and referees at all levels. The collaboration builds on the prior association between the NBA and ACG that included the launch of ACG-NBA Jump, a nationwide basketball talent search program, and marks the first time BFI will serve as an ACG Jr. NBA partner.

    The announcement was made today at a press conference in Mumbai by BFI president Aadhav Arjuna, NBA Asia strategy head and NBA India country head Rajah Chaudhry, ACG CMO Alex Robertson and Skechers South Asia Pvt Ltd CEO Rahul Vira.  

    The Jr. NBA program has reached more than 14 million youth and 15,000 physical education instructors across 35 cities in India since 2013.  The ACG Jr. NBA program is part of the NBA’s broader basketball development initiatives in India that include NBA Basketball School, a network of tuition-based basketball development programs open to male and female players ages 6-18, and Basketball Without Borders Asia, the NBA and FIBA’s global basketball development and community outreach program that has been held in India twice.  

    NBA Asia strategy head and NBA India country head Rajah Chaudhry, “There is tremendous momentum for basketball and the NBA in India, and our collaboration with ACG, BFI and Skechers will significantly drive participation and improve talent development at the youth level across the country.  Over the past decade, we’ve engaged millions of children through the Jr. NBA program, and we look forward to expanding our development efforts in India alongside our partners and providing more opportunities for boys and girls to play the game and maximize their potential.”

    ACG MD Karan Singh, “Through the ACG Jr. NBA program, we are taking a significant step in empowering the next generation of basketball players in India.  This initiative goes beyond the game – it’s about building character, instilling values, and offering young athletes a platform to grow and shine.  By working with the NBA and BFI, we are committed to creating opportunities for these players to learn from the best and pursue their dreams.  As we launch the largest school-based basketball program in India, we’re excited about the potential we’re unlocking.  This program represents our continued dedication to grassroots development and fostering excellence both on-and-off the court.”

    BFI president Aadhav Arjuna, “Our association with the NBA underlines our joint dedication to nurturing talent and elevating basketball to unprecedented heights nationwide.  The NBA’s efforts to bolster grassroots basketball development in India have been truly commendable.  We’re excited to work closely with the league to inspire and empower generations of basketball enthusiasts, fostering a culture of excellence both on-and-off the court.  Programs like the ACG Jr. NBA will enhance students’ skills and motivation while introducing more children to the game in a fun and interactive environment.  Additionally, it will serve as a hotspot for talent identification and development and help establish a sustainable pipeline of elite-level Indian players.”

    Skechers South Asia Pvt Ltd CEO and country manager Rahul Vira, “As elite professionals like Joel Embiid and Julius Randle compete in Skechers Basketball sneakers in the NBA, we are excited to collaborate with the league to bring our footwear and apparel to the next generation of basketball talent.  We look forward to enhancing the game for the ACG Jr. NBA players through innovative, comfortable, and high-quality gear delivering ‘Comfort That Performs’ on the court.  Together, we aim to create a memorable program that not only inspires but also empowers young athletes to reach their full potential.”

  • LALIGA holds ‘EXTRA TIME’ webinar series in India to discuss the future of sports

    LALIGA holds ‘EXTRA TIME’ webinar series in India to discuss the future of sports

    Mumbai Continuing to build the Indian sports landscape, LALIGA, the world’s largest football ecosystem, successfully concluded its first-ever ‘EXTRA TIME’ webinar series in India. Seeking to engage in conversations related to sports technology and culture, the first of the dual-part webinar series, explored the evolving landscape of sports technology, and its impact in transforming fan engagement in India. Directing the conversation, leaders with experience leading properties such as LALIGA, National Basketball Association (NBA), Major League Baseball (MLB), Dream Sports, and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) graced the occasion as panel members.

    Delving into topics on innovation, audiovisual content, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and gamification amongst others, the panellists spoke about how tech can help build individual sports awareness and amplify preexisting audience potentials through personalization of content.

    Speaking at a LALIGA Extra Time Webinar, LALIGA head of content & programming Roger Brosel said, “At LALIGA, we have always looked at technology as a means to an end. Our final objective is to have a product with which fans can engage. Technology by itself cannot be the future, it must add something to the story we are already telling at LALIGA. We look at technology to build engagement and immersive experiences alongside the match day experience for fans who do not have the opportunity to travel. Through creativity & tech innovation we are allowing the viewer at home to get closer to the action.”

    Dream Sports chief marketing officer Vikrant Mudaliar, added “Gen-AI is an interesting avenue at the moment. From a Dream11 point of view, we are looking to innovate to seamlessly and frictionlessly provide fantasy sports fans content through reduced touchpoints. This added amount of convenience to stream, chat, gamify, and be provided with tips based on your interest is what we are aiming to do explore.”

    NBA India country head Rajah Chaudhry added, “For the NBA, we look at the technology space under two pillars; personalization and awareness building. We use tech, and in particular AI to build experiences for our fans. Through tech, we can personalize content, allowing fans to engage with the game based on their preferences, while providing access to the NBA like never before through immersive technology – which also allows us to build our existing fanbase in the country.”

    MLB Senior Manager India Ryo Takahashi added “MLB utilizes tech to understand our audience at multiple levels. Through building fan profiles, we are better able to understand our end consumer in terms of platform usage, the behaviour of the consumer, and the changing mindset of the fans. By adapting our offerings to gain an advantage in fan experience, tech allows us to build and scale our offering to new audiences and markets.”

    Aneesh Surender Madani, former – head of global digital partnerships and innovation at IOC & Former Twitter head of sports partnerships, at Asia Pacific, added “There’s a window beyond ‘LIVE’ content which is an area of growth for sports organizations. Fans are keen to learn more about the human stories in addition to the game. This demand is where tech can have a significant role to play. The big opportunity is in enabling athletes to share compelling content across multiple platforms.”

    Exploring the theme of building a sporting culture in India, the second part of the LALIGA Extra Time Webinar series will take place in mid-May alongside leaders from the sports industry in India and Spain.

  • NBA, WNBA, and Dream11 announce a multiyear extension to elevate fantasy basketball gaming in India

    NBA, WNBA, and Dream11 announce a multiyear extension to elevate fantasy basketball gaming in India

    Mumbai: The National Basketball Association (NBA), Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) and Dream11, the fantasy sports platform, today announced a multiyear extension of their existing collaboration that will see Dream11 continue as the official fantasy gaming partner of the NBA and WNBA in the country.  The renewal builds on Dream11 and the NBA’s relationship that began in the 2017-18 season with the launch of the league’s first official fantasy game in India.

    Through the extension, fans in India can compete daily in a variety of public and private NBA and WNBA-themed fantasy games.  Simulating the role of a general manager, fans can construct a virtual team of NBA or WNBA players and accumulate points based on the players’ real-life on-court performances.    

    “With India being one of the fastest growing markets in the world for fantasy gaming, bolstering our presence in this space has been a key focus for us over the last few years,” said NBA India Country head Rajah Chaudhry.  “We have seen a significant increase in fan engagement since the launch of our official fantasy game on Dream11, and as we embark on this continued journey together, we look forward to pushing the boundaries of innovation in fantasy gaming and providing fans with even more exciting ways to connect with the NBA and WNBA.”

    Speaking on the partnership, Dream11 Chief Marketing Officer Vikrant Mudliar said, “Our partners have played a key role in making Dream11 the world’s largest fantasy sports platform.  As we extend our collaboration with the NBA and WNBA, we’re committed to taking the excitement of basketball to new heights for our users.  This association underscores our dedication to the sport while also highlighting the limitless possibilities in the realm of fantasy gaming.  Together we are committed to redefining the way fans engage with basketball and the leagues, creating an immersive and unparalleled experience for users.”

    Fans can play the official NBA and WNBA fantasy games at Dream11.com and on the Dream11 App, which is available for download via the App Store.  

    The 2023-24 NBA season is airing live in India on Sports18-1, Sports18 Khel, JioCinema and NBA League Pass, the league’s premium live game subscription service available via the NBA App.  Fans in India can follow the NBA on Facebook (Facebook.com/NBAIndia), Instagram (@NBAIndia and @NBAStyle_in for everything style related), X (@NBAIndia) and download the NBA App for the latest news, updates, scores, stats, schedules, videos and more.

    The WNBA Draft will be held on Monday, April 15, and the WNBA’s 28 seasons tip-off on Tuesday, 14 May 2024.  Live games will be available on WNBA League Pass, the league’s premium live game subscription service available via the WNBA App.  Through the WNBA App’s around-the-clock women’s basketball coverage, featuring the latest news and biggest stories, real-time notifications, social style vertical videos and customizable viewing options, users can stay connected with the WNBA and women’s basketball in a new way.  Classic WNBA programming, including documentaries, game highlights and public service announcements can also be viewed on Doordarshan (DD) Sports.  Fans in India can follow the WNBA on Facebook (Facebook.com/WNBA), Instagram (@WNBA), and X (@WNBA). 

  • Basketball beyond borders: NBA’s 2024 blueprint for India: Rajah Chaudhry

    Basketball beyond borders: NBA’s 2024 blueprint for India: Rajah Chaudhry

    Mumbai: The 2022-23 NBA season was the league’s most-watched ever in India.  A record 111M plus fans consumed some form of NBA, WNBA or G League content on our broadcast partners Viacom18 and Prasar Bharati. Our localized social media channels also continued to grow, generating +100 per cent impressions and +210 per cent engagement last season as compared to 2021-22.

    We concluded the 10th edition of the Reliance Foundation Jr. NBA program a few months ago, which saw participation from close to 7000 kids and 600+ schools.  Overall, our grassroots programs have now reached over 11 million kids in India and our youth development programs have produced 20 U.S. high school and college scholarships for male and female players/prospects from India, including 3 Division 1 school scholarships.  

    We produced a variety of original, localized content to engage fans including This is Basketball starring NBA Brand Ambassador for India Ranveer Singh, which showcases the diversity of the basketball community in India.  On the gaming front, through our association with Loco to stream NBA 2K League games in India, we’ve witnessed an encouraging year-over-year increase in viewership.  The total views for the last season reached 3.8M plus, registering a 3.7x growth in unique live viewers compared to the previous year.  Additionally, with India being one of the fastest growing markets in the world for fantasy gaming, bolstering our presence in this space has been a key focus for us over the last few years.  Our extended association with Dream11 for them to continue as an official fantasy gaming partner of the NBA and WNBA in the country is a step in this direction.

    We’re also witnessing a growing demand for NBA-branded products in India.  To expand our reach, presence, and distribution across the country this year, we recently announced a multiyear collaboration with Bhaane, for them to launch and operate NBAStore.in.  The online store offers the most comprehensive selection of official NBA merchandise ever available in the country.  We also expanded our existing merchandising partnership with Suditi that will see them create and distribute more officially licensed NBA fanwear in India, available through ShopTheArena.com and at select offline and online retail channels across the country.

    Overall, we know there’s a lot more to do, but we’re proud of the progress we’ve made so far and excited about the future of basketball and the NBA in India.

    What can be expected from the League in the upcoming year

    The 2023-24 NBA season promises to be an exciting one for everyone.  We recently concluded our inaugural In-Season Tournament, a new annual competition that’s been introduced to provide all 30 teams with another opportunity to win, engage fans in a new way and drive additional interest in the early portion of the regular-season schedule.  And the response we’ve received has been truly encouraging.  

    From an Indian standpoint, all our endeavors, be it grassroots initiatives, expanding the availability of NBA games and programming, bolstering our presence in the lifestyle space or delivering authentic experiences, are centered on fostering basketball’s growth in the country, and adapting to what our fans need and want.  We will continue to prioritize this in 2024.

    We strongly believe it is important to get kids playing and learning from sport at a young age, and we are seeing more and more youth interested in playing basketball.  Hence, our youth basketball development programs have been and will continue to be critical to our long-term growth in India.  We will continue to bolster the structured pathway we’ve built for young boys and girls in India over the last decade to learn the game and maximize their potential.  Additionally, as with all our international basketball development programming, we are constantly evaluating how we can best support aspiring players and their needs in the regions where they play.  Therefore, we will be expanding our elite basketball development efforts in India from a single residential academy to a scalable model that focuses on providing NBA-trained coaching and development opportunities that will reach a wider group of players across the country.  We will share more information as those plans are finalized.

    We are also transforming the way fans experience the NBA, offering them multiple touchpoints to connect with the brand. Therefore, going beyond live games, we will continue producing a variety of original, localized content, expanding our presence in the esports and fantasy gaming space, and bolstering our merchandising efforts, to offer a multifaceted and immersive NBA experience.

    Lastly, we’re also looking to continue building a community of fans who connect and share their passion for the sport both on and off the court, and grow NBA Style, our lifestyle-focused Instagram platform which showcases the many ways that the league and its players influence and are influenced by music, fashion, art and entertainment.  

    It’s been a great start to the season, and we have an exciting calendar of initiatives that we’ll announce in the coming months. Our aim is to continue growing basketball in the country and pushing the boundaries of fans engagement through 2024 and beyond.