Tag: Sajith Sivanandan

Disney Star to add Indian sign language and audio descriptive feeds for ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024

Mumbai: On the occasion of Global Accessibility Awareness Day, Disney Star in association with India Signing Hands (ISH), announces the availability of an Indian Sign Language (ISL) feed for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, starting 2 June. This will be applicable for 10 matches including the India matches, semi-finals and finals. The company will also support an audio descriptive feed, along with the ISL feed on Disney+ Hotstar and Star Sports Network. This is the first time that the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup will be broadcast with sign language and descriptive commentary making cricket more immersive for its deaf, hard-of-hearing and visually impaired users. With this, Disney+ Hotstar also becomes the first OTT platform to make ISL available for LIVE cricket.

Commenting on Disney Star’s initiative, government of India minister of Information & Broadcasting and Youth Affairs & Sports Anurag Singh Thakur said, “I commend Star Sports and Disney+ Hotstar for introducing Indian Sign Language and Audio Descriptive commentary during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024. The Government of India is committed to creating an inclusive society and I strongly believe that this initiative will enhance the viewing experience for millions of differently abled sports enthusiasts.”

Disney+ Hotstar India head Sajith Sivanandan said, “We are thrilled to embrace accessibility features making the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup available to more fans of the sport. This underscores our commitment to promote inclusivity and serve all users. With these enhancements, we aim to ensure that the excitement of cricket knows no bounds.”

Disney Star head – Sports Sanjog Gupta said, “The descriptive and Indian sign language feeds on Star Sports during Tata IPL 2024 were met with an overwhelming response. Disney Star is extending this endeavour to make cricket fandom and experiences more inclusive by introducing, for the first time ever, these feeds on the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. Our mission of serving sports fans is powered by such pioneering initiatives which seek to remove barriers of access and engagement for fans from all walks of life. The initiative also serves to present a more inclusive picture of India’s favourite sport and is of immense pride for the sporting fraternity.”

India Signing Hands (ISH News) founder and CEO Alok Kejriwal said, “This feed has fostered the love of cricket into so many differently-abled individuals during IPL. With Disney Star continuing this initiative for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 at a larger scale with both Star Sports Network and Disney+ Hotstar supporting this feed, I am confident that it will open doors to the exciting world of cricket to many more people from the Deaf and Visually Impaired communities. This collaboration is really close to my heart since it makes the sport truly accessible and inclusive.”

The ISL feed will provide a comprehensive ball-by-ball update through the presence of a translator on the live stream. The audio descriptive feed will be complemented by voice-over technology for specific pages, which can render text and images into a speech output, enabling our visually impaired users to easily navigate through the Disney+ Hotstar app.

According to the World Health Organization, with an estimated 63 million community of deaf and 40 million community of visually impaired individuals in India, the need for inclusive entertainment is undeniable. After successfully introducing these features for the 2024 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Star Sports Network, Disney Star will make it available for all the India matches along with the semi-finals and finals of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup on both Disney+ Hotstar and Star Sports Network, giving its users the freedom to watch on either of the platforms, at the comfort of their homes or on-the-go.

Starting 2 June, tune in to Disney+ Hotstar to watch the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 LIVE and free on mobile. The tournament will also be broadcast LIVE on Star Sports Network.

May 16, 2024
Disney+ Hotstar offers free mobile viewing for ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024

Mumbai: Disney+ Hotstar announced today that the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 will be available to stream ‘Free on Mobile’ for those using the Disney+ Hotstar app. This move underscores the streaming platform’s continued commitment towards making sports more accessible to diverse audiences. The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup is the growth vehicle for the sport, of fast-paced, high-energy cricket, evoking profound pride within the global sports community.

Commenting on this, Disney+ Hotstar India head Sajith Sivanandan said, “By offering the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 for free on mobile, we aim to make the game of cricket more accessible, reach a wider audience across the country and ensure that none of the sporting action is missed. No sport works as a better catalyst than cricket in bringing people together. Last year’s Asia Cup and ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, where we offered both tournaments for free on mobile, allowed us to serve newer audience segments helping us to significantly expand viewership.”

During the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, streamed free on mobile via the Disney+ Hotstar app, concurrency records were broken five times, with the highest record of 5.9 cr peak concurrency witnessed during the finals between Team India and Team Australia. For the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, Disney+ Hotstar in collaboration with the ICC, introduced MaxView, offering users the option to stream matches on the go in vertical mode. With the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, the platform will once again have an array of features to elevate the cricket-watching experience.

The first match will take place between the USA and Canada on June 2, 2024, at 6:00 AM IST. The ninth edition of the tournament will be hosted by the West Indies and the USA, with the event featuring 20 teams competing across 55 games for the right to be crowned ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 champions.

Watch the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 live and free on mobile starting June 2 on Disney+ Hotstar. The tournament will also be broadcast live on Star Sports Network

May 8, 2024
Disney+ Hotstar breaks their own record for 4th time this tournament with 5.3 Cr peak concurrent viewers

Mumbai: Disney+ Hotstar creates history yet again with a record-breaking peak concurrency of 5.3 crore viewers during the semi-final match between India and New Zealand of ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023. Virat Kohli registered his 50th ODI century in the semi-final match surpassing Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 49 centuries in ODI format. The outstanding Indian team stands undefeated in the tournament and is now only a match away from the coveted trophy.

Let’s take a look at Team India’s performance in the ICC Cricket Men’s World Cup 2023 so far:

● Team India defeated Sri Lanka and South Africa by bowling them out with a double-digit score

● Rohit Sharma ‘The Hitman’ becomes the top player with 51 sixes in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup after Chris Gayle

● Virat Kohli ‘King Kohli’ is the top scorer with 711 runs in ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup surpassing Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 673 runs

● Mohammad Shami becomes the first Indian bowler to take 7 wickets in one match in ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023

Commenting on this, Disney+ Hotstar India head Sajith Sivanandan said, “It’s not just Team India breaking records with their 10th straight win at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023. Indian fans are also tuning into Disney+ Hotstar in unprecedented numbers. Their incredible passion has led us to shatter the peak concurrency record four times during this tournament, setting new benchmarks in live sports streaming. The 5.3 cr concurrent viewers for India’s semifinal against New Zealand exceeds the combined population of Australia and New Zealand by more than 1.5 times! This milestone is not just a triumph of technology but a testament to our viewers’ unwavering support. With the final just around the corner, we look forward to bringing the nation together to witness the making of sporting history.”

Disney+ Hotstar, in collaboration with the International Cricket Council (ICC), recently added MaxView – a technological innovation that allows cricket fans to watch the game in vertical mode (9X14 portrait view) for the very first time in the history of streaming cricket. This feature facilitates a one-handed viewing experience, aligning with the way most users consume content. MaxView is a brand new, bespoke opt-in feature. Other surrounding features, such as the Live feed tab, Scorecard tab, have also been made available in vertical mode, along with vertical ad formats.

Following the success of the Asia Cup 2023 and the ongoing ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, Disney+ Hotstar recently announced that Pro Kabaddi League Season 10, will be made accessible to all mobile users without the need to subscribe.

November 16, 2023
Disney+ Hotstar registers 4.4 crores concurrent viewers during IND vs SA ICC Men’s Cricket

Mumbai: Disney+ Hotstar created yet another historic record of 4.4 crores concurrent viewers in the world of cricket streaming propelled by Virat Kohli’s sublime 49th one-day century during India’s ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 match against South Africa at the Eden Gardens on Sunday. Kohli lifted Sachin Tendulkar on his shoulders when India won the 2011 World Cup, today Kohli stands equal to the Master blaster with his century. For Disney+ Hotstar, this marks the highest peak concurrency number achieved across all formats of cricket, breaking their own recent concurrency record of 4.3 crore viewers created during the India Vs. New Zealand match earlier in this tournament. The platform previously set the global streaming record for cricket at 3.5 crore concurrent viewers during the India vs Pakistan match on 14 Oct 2023, making this the second time Disney+ Hotstar has surpassed its own standards of success during the run of the ongoing tournament.

Commenting on this, Hotstar India head Sajith Sivanandan said, “Our users have consistently lifted us to new heights in cricket streaming during the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023. We cannot thank them enough for their commitment and passion that have enabled us to redefine milestones in live streaming. Surpassing our own record with 4.4 Cr concurrent viewers tuning in for the India vs South Africa match, we are now eagerly looking forward to seeing where their unwavering support and fandom takes us as we head towards the tournament’s finale.”

Disney+ Hotstar in collaboration with International Cricket Council (ICC), recently added MaxView – a technological innovation that allows cricket fans to watch the game in vertical mode (9X14 portrait view) for the very first time in the history of streaming cricket. This feature facilitates a one-handed viewing experience, aligning with the way most users consume content. MaxView is a brand new, bespoke opt-in feature. Other surrounding features, such as the Live feed tab, Scorecard tab, have also been made available in vertical mode, along with vertical ad formats.

November 6, 2023
Disney+ Hotstar hits 4.3 crore peak viewers in Cricket World Cup 2023

Mumbai: Disney+ Hotstar achieved a ground-breaking milestone in the world of cricket streaming by recording a peak concurrency of 4.3 crore viewers during the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 match between India and New Zealand on Oct 22, 2023. This represents the highest peak concurrency number achieved across all formats of cricket, breaking their own recent concurrency record of 3.5 crore viewers that was created during the India Vs. Pakistan match earlier in this tournament. Moreover, the epic on-ground cricket battle between India and New Zealand also crossed the earlier concurrency of 2.5 crore viewers, clocked during their clash at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019 semi-finals.

Commenting on this, Disney+ Hotstar India head Sajith Sivanandan said, “We want to thank our users who flocked to Disney+ Hotstar for the thrilling game between India vs New Zealand, and helped us reset the world record for concurrent viewers for a live streaming event. We served 4.3 crore concurrent viewers (43 Million) at its peak during the match – a historical high and easily surpassed the 3.5 crore number (35 Million) previously set for the India vs Pakistan match in the same tournament. As the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 enters its business end and as it grabs the attention of India increasingly, we will continue to strive towards bringing these memorable moments to our users’ screens.”

Tune in to Disney+ Hotstar to watch the upcoming ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 lice and free on mobile. The tournament will also be broadcast live on Star Sports Network

October 23, 2023
Disney+ Hotstar breaks records with 3.5 crore viewers during India Vs Pakistan ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023

Mumbai: Disney+ Hotstar achieved an unprecedented milestone in the world of cricket streaming by recording a historic concurrent viewership of 3.5 crore during the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 match between India and Pakistan. This is the highest peak concurrency number achieved across all formats of cricket. The clash of titans on 14 Oct marked a watershed moment for the platform and for digital sports viewership across the country. Asia Cup 2023 has already garnered an overwhelming response from fans, with 2.8 crore viewers for the India vs Pakistan match and 2.1 crore viewers for India vs Sri Lanka.

Disney+ Hotstar India head Sajith Sivanandan said, “We would like to thank all the fans who tuned-in to watch the India-Pakistan match on Disney+ Hotstar. Your love for the game is what made it possible for Disney+ Hotstar to break all the previous records across all cricket formats and hit a peak concurrency number of 3.5 crore viewers. As the cricketing rivalries continue, we’ll continue to honour our commitment towards delivering an unmatched viewing experience to all our users. We look forward to many more such experiences as the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup unfolds.”

Tune in to Disney+ Hotstar to watch the upcoming ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 live and free on mobile. The tournament will also be broadcast live on Star Sports.

October 14, 2023
Sajith Sivanandan becomes EVP & head of Disney+ Hotstar

Mumbai: Disney’s international content and operations group has appointed Sajith Sivanandan as executive vice president and head of Disney+ Hotstar.

Sivanandan, who joins Disney+ Hotstar from Google, will start in October and report to Disney’s international content and operations group chairman Rebecca Campbell and Disney Star president K Madhavan.

Sivanandan will be in charge of Disney+ Hotstar’s overall business operations in India, with direct responsibility for defining the streaming service’s strategic business priorities and charting a product roadmap for the streaming service’s continued and exponential growth in the coming years.

He will also collaborate closely with local leadership in international markets, as well as the Disney+ team in the United States, to drive the continued growth of Disney+ Hotstar, which has become India’s leading streaming service due to its unrivalled scale, innovation, and breadth of content.

Speaking on the appointment, Campbell said, “I am delighted to have Sajith join our executive team and lead the innovative team at Disney+ Hotstar. His deep experience in the region, combined with his strong leadership and business management skills, will greatly benefit Disney+ Hotstar as the platform embarks on its next phase of growth.”

Adding to this, Madhavan said, “After witnessing rapid growth in recent years, the OTT market in India has entered a transformational phase which calls for an ingenious approach to the manner in which we innovate for growth. Sajith’s wealth of experience that he has gained over the years makes him the best person to lead Disney+ Hotstar on this journey.”

“Disney and Star are brands with an incredibly rich history of innovation, user focus, and storytelling, and Disney+ Hotstar brings those attributes together flawlessly. The opportunity to come back home to where I started my career and to work alongside a very talented team to serve Disney+ Hotstar users in India and in emerging countries is one that is both a privilege and an honour,” added Sivanandan.

Sivanandan is an accomplished professional with extensive experience in strategic business and leadership roles in global markets.

He has been with Google for over 14 years, most recently as managing director and business head of Google Pay and Next Billion User Initiatives for the APAC region.

Prior to that, he led Google Pay in India, where he was responsible for starting from scratch, defining and designing the overall strategy and growth for the service in the country.

Sivanandan began his professional career in 1996 with Star TV in India, where he managed Channel V’s North India market.

He attended St. Columba’s School in Delhi and attended Hindu College at Delhi University.

He has two master’s degrees in management, one in marketing from the Fore School of Management in New Delhi and the other in finance from the Asian Institute of Management in Manila.

August 23, 2022