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Tag: Shiva Rajkumar

  • RCB serves sweet Kannada lessons with jilebis in culture-first campaign

    RCB serves sweet Kannada lessons with jilebis in culture-first campaign

    MUMBAI: Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) has bowled fans over with a unique culture campaign that’s as sweet as it is smart. In a bid to make Kannada more accessible to non-native speakers, the team has launched an initiative combining cricket, language, and the irresistible charm of jilebis.

    Long perceived as complex by non-south Indians, Kannada gets a sugary makeover with RCB turning the traditional sweet into a cultural connector. The campaign flips a common online trope about south Indian scripts being confusing by using jilebis shaped like Kannada words—offering fans a delightful way to ‘taste the language’.

    These limited-edition Kannada jilebis are available exclusively at the RCB Bar and Café in Bengaluru from 8 to 11 April. Each pack unlocks a series of beginner-friendly Kannada lessons on RCB’s Youtube channel, featuring popular players like Virat Kohli, Tim David, and Yash Dayal.

    As a bonus, RCB is sponsoring free Kannada classes for 1,000 fans, who can claim or gift the sessions by simply emailing ‘Jilebi Kodi’.

    “As someone who grew up in Bengaluru, it’s really special to see the language being celebrated like this,” said RCB batter Devdutt Padikkal. “It’s not just about Kannada, it’s about making everyone feel at home in the city, and I’m glad to play a small part in helping fans connect more deeply with the city and our team.”

    The campaign has received love from fans across the spectrum for creatively promoting inclusivity and regional identity.

    Kannada actor and cultural icon Shiva Rajkumar shared, “This initiative by RCB is close to my heart. It brings people together, not just to learn Kannada, but to experience the warmth of our city. The campaign is a beautiful way to connect fans with our culture, and I’m excited to be a part of it.”

    RCB COO Rajesh Menon said, “What makes RCB truly special is the unwavering support of our fans – no matter where they come from or what language they speak. This campaign is our tribute to Bengaluru, a city that has embraced people from across the country with open arms. By creating jilebis inspired by the elegance of the Kannada script, we’re inviting everyone to savour the rich culture of our home city – quite literally. It’s a bold and heartfelt gesture to surprise our fans and deepen their connection with the team.”

     

  • Star Sports witnesses a 38 per cent surge in ratings for the first four matches of Pro Kabaddi League Season 10

    Star Sports witnesses a 38 per cent surge in ratings for the first four matches of Pro Kabaddi League Season 10

    Mumbai: Star Sports, the official broadcaster of the Pro Kabaddi League, has notched up strong viewership figures for the opening weekend of the milestone 10th season. According to BARC, 80.1 million viewers tuned in to Star Sports for the first four matches, amassing 2.7 billion minutes of watch time. This underscores the immense popularity of the tournament among passionate fans of the second-biggest sport in the country. Additionally, the broadcaster has witnessed a remarkable growth of 38 per cent in ratings for the opening weekend compared to the last edition, showcasing the enduring appeal of Pro Kabaddi.

    Pro Kabaddi League’s return to its traditional caravan-style format has contributed to its resurgence in popularity and viewership. The tournament has witnessed spectacular performances, with Bengal Warriors commanding an unbeaten run, Gujarat Giants showcasing young raiders who are making their mark, and the return of high-flyer Pawan Sehrawat. Stalwarts like Pardeep Narwal, Maninder Singh, and Siddharth Desai have also left their mark on the league, creating a riveting narrative for fans. During the opening weekend, Gujarat Giants, led by Sultan Fazel Atrachali, won both their games at home against Telugu Titans and Bengaluru Bulls.

    A Star Sports Spokesperson said, “Pro Kabaddi League reflects the rich culture and heritage that flows through this sport in India. Our various regional feeds are customized to their respective states imbibing the values and local hero-building to capture the interest of the fans. We are glad to witness the surge in viewership for the fast-paced game and will continue to drive fandom for the rest of the season. The league generates new stars every season and has garnered support from some of the biggest celebrities, highlighting the promising trajectory of its progress through the years.”

    The marketing campaign, #IndiaKiHarSaansMeinKabaddi, featuring some of the biggest stars from the country including Tiger Shroff, Ballaya, and Sudeep Kichha ignited fervent support from fans, embodying the true essence and warrior spirit of the Pro Kabaddi League. Star Sports also collaborated with superstars across the country, who passionately supported their favorite Kabaddi teams and players. The entertainment quotient was elevated with the involvement of top-notch celebrities such as Hrithik Roshan, Manoj Bajpayee, Vicky Kaushal, Tara Sutaria, Nani, and Shiva Rajkumar as well as top Hollywood Superstar Jason Momoa of Aquaman fame. Star Sports also activated canters in five markets to spark enthusiasm among kids and kabaddi players at local clubs. The season began in grand style with an all-captains press conference on the Akshar River cruise at Ahmedabad.

    Reach and Watch-time Data for 2+U+R (TV + OOH)
    Ratings on India Urban M15+ AB

  • ICC World Cup 2023 nears 60 bn minutes of viewership; 22% growth over the last edition

    ICC World Cup 2023 nears 60 bn minutes of viewership; 22% growth over the last edition

    Mumbai: Star Sports, the official broadcaster of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, has witnessed significant growth in viewership for the first 11 matches of ICC CWC 2023 – including two matches played by the Men in Blue- vs Australia and Afghanistan. The tournament has clocked more than 59 billion minutes of watch-time (viewership), a growth of 22 per cent compared to the 2019 edition. Additionally, the consumption among premium audiences witnessed remarkable growth with audiences in NCCS A witnessing a growth of 40% and NCCS B growing by 24%. Live broadcast for the first 11 matches of the tournament has been watched by 268 million viewers with 96 million young working professionals (aged 22-40) tuning in, which is five per cent higher than the 2019 edition. The peak live concurrency for the tournament is 56 million viewers, registered during the India v Australia match in Chennai on October 8.

    Star Sports has been producing 11 feeds for ICC Men’s CWC 2023, which includes feeds in 9 different languages (English, Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada & Malayalam) and two additional vertical feeds (Max View) for Disney+ Hotstar. The overall broadcast of the tournament has been enriched by offering a range of non-live programming shows. ‘Follow the Blues,’ ‘Game Plan,’ ‘Match Point’ and ‘Cheeky Singles’ served in-depth analyses and captivating build-up to the tournament, allowing fans to dive deeper into the world of cricket. The broadcaster also launched a fan-centric campaign, stoking the dreams of millions with the aspiration of India winning the coveted World Cup trophy again. A star-studded list of top celebrities such as Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar, Ravi Teja, Shiva Rajkumar, Tiger Shroff, Kriti Sanon, Kangana Ranaut, and many more, shared their love and admiration for the sport and their favorite Indian Cricketers on Cricket Live, India’s most-watched Cricket Show. As the excitement continues to build, India is set to face New Zealand on 22 October 2023, followed by India vs England on 29 October 2023.

    All BARC Data for 2+U+R

  • Regulatory hurdles prompt Star to telecast IPL’s Kannada feed on Star Suvarna Plus

    Regulatory hurdles prompt Star to telecast IPL’s Kannada feed on Star Suvarna Plus

    MUMBAI: Star India’s attempts at securing an exclusive sports channel for its Kannada viewers is unlikely to see the light of day this season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The launch of Star Sports 1 Kannada has presumably been put on hold due to regulatory hurdles and, instead, the Kannada feed of the IPL 2018 matches will be broadcast on Star Suvarna Plus.

    Star India had applied for a name and logo change application to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) to launch Star Sports 1 Kannada in place of Channel V. Since the approval has not yet been granted, the broadcaster has announced that Star Suvarna Plus as the destination for the Kannada coverage of matches. The planned date to launch Star Sports 1 Kannada was 16 November 2017.

    Channel V started as a pure-play music channel before switching to general entertainment and then back to music. As the channel was searching for its identity, its audience slowly and steadily shifted to other channels and platforms. In a public notice dated 26 October 2017, Star India informed viewers that Channel V would continue to remain available in its current form to all viewers across all addressable platforms (DAS, DTH, IPTV and HITS). Moreover, at an event in Delhi in January this year, Star India MD Sanjay Gupta declined to comment on the status of Star Sports 1 Kannada and added that it was still at the planning stage.

    Star India will broadcast live matches of IPL 2018 in six languages—Hindi, English, Tamil, Telugu, Bengali and Kannada. The league will also be streamed live in the languages on Hotstar.

    To build the excitement, Star India has launched a TVC featuring Kannada movie star Shiva Rajkumar.

    Commenting on his association with the IPL, Rajkumar said, “I’ve always been a cricket enthusiast and enjoyed playing and watching cricket right from my childhood. Vivo IPL has been one of the tournaments I look forward to every year. I’m excited about my association with Star India for Vivo IPL 2018 and looking forward to enjoying the best of cricketing action for the first time in my mother tongue.”

    The eleventh edition of Vivo IPL starts on Saturday, 7 April 2018, with defending champions Mumbai Indians taking on Chennai Super Kings.

    Also Read :

    IPL 2018 gets a makeover with Star India

    Star ushers in IPL’s new era with a bang

    India set to roar in unision with the launch of the VIVO IPL 11 #BESTvsBEST Anthem

    Star India roars with IPL’s second national campaign