Mumbai: MPL Sports, the official kit sponsor of the Indian Cricket Team, and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) today unveiled the official team India jersey for all T20 internationals. Called the One Blue Jersey, it celebrates the indomitable energy and enthusiasm that supporters bring to the game. Most importantly, it pays homage to the legions of fans that span different genders and age groups and transcend geographical borders.
The jersey is styled with a pattern of equilateral triangles—a universal symbol of the blend of energy, spirit, and power—that celebrates the unswerving support of the fans who have stood behind the team through thick and thin. Combined with the petals found in the BCCI’s insignia, the jersey embodies the loyalty and merit that the game demands. The jersey comes in shades of royal blue for a look befitting the champions of the game.
The One Blue Jersey will make its debut on the pitch during the upcoming T20 series against Australia on 20 September. It replaces the Billion Cheers Jersey at all T20 international competitions. Players will continue to sport the Billion Cheers jersey at One Day Internationals.
For Rs 1,999, the jersey will be available for purchase at mplsports.in beginning today, as well as at all major e-commerce and retail outlets. Along with this, over 40 SKUs, including player edition jerseys, training gear, and athleisure wear, will be available.
Mumbai: The longest-running knowledge-based game show Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) is returning to TV screens on 7 August for its fourteenth season. Throughout many seasons, KBC has emerged as the ‘go-to’ property for advertisers when it comes to maximizing brand presence & customer engagement.
“The property is known for its undisputed honesty and credibility aids in achieving the desired objective for an advertiser through the customized solutions we create by understanding their needs,” Sony Pictures Networks India ad sales – network channels Sandeep Mehrotra told Indiantelevision.com. “This benefit certainly attracts clients who keep coming back with every season of KBC.”
Channel to increase ad rates
Mehrotra reveals that the Sony Entertainment Television channel is planning to increase the ad rates on the show by 15-20 per cent for the new season. It sees the return of marquee brands including Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Asian Paints, UltraTech Cement, Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) and Hyundai. Reputed brands like Asian Paints, UltraTech Cement and Hyundai have been associated with KBC for the past five, four and two years, respectively.
The reason brands associate with KBC year after year is because of the show’s legacy and credibility which has helped it build a strong foundation and deliver value when it comes to brand solutions. Throughout the years, clients have seen its business objectives find the right brand solutions through KBC beyond just free commercial time (FCT).
KBC is a much more digitally integrated show as compared to when it first started. The audience can engage with the game show on their smartphones via the Sonyliv app. The ‘KBC Play Along’ feature that combines the right mix of technology and gamification has added a personal engagement factor for the audience, getting them more involved in the game.
“We are looking at creating value propositions for brands who are motivated to expand their reach on both linear and digital mediums, as it would benefit them in achieving their desired business objectives that have been set out,” said Mehrotra.
He further said, “The show enjoys diverse participation from brand partners, season after season. KBC continues to attract positive responses from not only existing sponsors but new ones as well. Owing to the value proposition the show offers, the visibility adds weight to the sponsoring business.”
Focusing on innovation and creativity
This year’s season of KBC has innovated on two fronts, its marketing and programming. It is running a TV campaign that captures the transition of society from an information-scarce environment to an information overload which has created a need for a filter on solicited and unsolicited information that can translate to relevant knowledge.
This messaging has been captured by the dialogue ‘Gyaan jahaan se bhi mile bator lijiye, lekin pehele zara tatol lijiye’ spoken by the show’s host Amitabh Bachchan in their commercials running on TV. The campaign cashes in on the show’s credibility and strengthens KBCs positioning as the leading game show on TV.
The 14th season of KBC also coincides with India’s 75th year of independence and the channel has introduced a special episode that will air on 7 August at 9:00 p.m with special guests to bring alive the theme of India’s independence. Promos of the show aired on TV indicate that Padma Bhushan recipient actor Aamir Khan, Padma Bhushan boxing champion Mary Kom and Padma Shri Sunil Chhetri will be guests on the show. Kargil war veteran major DP Singh and Sena medal gallantry recipient Mitali Madhumita will appear as special guests.
In terms of format changes, this year KBC contestants will win a prize pool of Rs 75 lakh or higher, which is expected to go up to Rs 7.5 crore. Additionally, after the success of the children’s special in the previous season, the current season will witness little geniuses taking the hot seat once again.
“KBC 14 will be an integration of everything that has worked towards KBC’s success in the past and current innovations to the reality game-show format,” concluded Mehrotra.
Mumbai: MX Player has signed five sponsors for the third season of its most-watched web-series Aashram. The sponsors on board include Vimal Elaichi as ‘title sponsor’, Goldiee as ‘co-powered by’ sponsor, Kent Mineral RO, Royal Green and Crax have been onboarded as ‘special partners’.
Aashram 3 is set to begin streaming on 3 June. As per the platform, the show was watched by 160 million unique users in its first season and the second season crossed 50 million views in 17 hours. The series has been consumed by more than 60 million users in the region of Maharashtra and Delhi NCR.
“Aashram is one of our tentpole assets. It has created an immense impact on our users. As India’s largest digital video platform, we are incredibly humbled to see the response that Aashram has received since its launch, and now season three only promises to get bigger and better,” said MX Media chief operating officer Nikhil Gandhi.
“It’s immense popularity and record-breaking views is a significant opportunity for brands to reach out to new audiences across Metro and non-metro users which is unique only to MX Player. We are very pleased with the clients who have grabbed this opportunity to associate with Aashram to get maximum impact of their investments.”
Produced and directed by Prakash Jha, the MX original series by stars an ensemble cast comprising Bobby Deol, Aaditi Pohankar, Chandan Roy Sanyal, Darshan Kumaar, Anupriya Goenka, Esha Gupta, Sachin Shroff, Adhyayan Suman, Tridha Choudhury, Vikram Kochhar, Anuritta K Jha, Rushad Rana, Tanmaay Ranjan, Preeti Sood, Rajeev Siddhartha and Jaya Seal Ghosh.
Mumbai: Viacom18 has completely sold out the inventory for “MTV Roadies: Season 18” in what is to be one of the most “financially healthy” seasons of the long-running show, Viacom18 head of youth, music and English entertainment Anshul Ailawadi told IndianTelevision.com at the launch event.
This season of “Roadies” has onboarded Infinix Smartphones as ‘presenting’ partner and CoinSwitch, Paree Sanitary Pads, Leverage Edu and Lakme Sun Expert as ‘co-powered by’ partner. It has also partnered with Rage Coffee, Wai Wai Noodles, Big Muscle Nutrition, Fly High Institute, Romsons Perfume.
“Outside of sport in India, I don’t know of any entertainment property that has a handset manufacturer, a crypto exchange, a make-up brand, an ed-tech company, and a sanitary pad manufacturer as your ‘presenting’ and ‘powered by’ sponsors,” said Ailwadi. “Then, of course, we have the NBA, Wai Wai Noodles, Rage Coffee and a couple more brands that have partnered with “Roadies.” This is India’s longest-running adventure reality show and for the interest of young people, honestly, there’s no better vehicle for the engagement that we offer.”
This year’s “MTV Roadies” will be hosted in South Africa. “The idea was to scale up the show 10 times and visually when we looked at which country or location was the best candidate, the consensus was that South Africa was the spot,” noted Ailwadi. “The kind of landscape and opportunities that it offers are very rare.”
The fresh season of “Roadies” will witness 20 new contestants who will be paired in a new ‘Buddy pairs’ format. The troop will hit the road and create pit stops across destinations where the contestants will unravel clues for their next task and destination. The new format will also see contestants and Sonu Sood come together over bonding sessions and camp fire huddles.
When queried about the format changes, Ailawadi said, “Let me answer that in another way by telling you what has not changed? The only thing that has not changed is the fact that the DNA of the show is about an adventure and a journey. Everything else has changed. This season has a new host, new location and new format. The show is still about pushing yourself and doing things you never thought you were capable of doing while inspiring your peers. That’s the gist of it. There are several innovations this season but you must watch the show to know more.”
To promote the new season, Viacom18 will broadcast the entire first episode of the show on five channels including MTV, MTV Beats, Colors Infinity, Comedy Central and Vh1 as well as roadblock 15 network channels to drive tune-ins. They have also launched a 360-degree marketing campaign across TV, digital, radio and outdoor.
“We’ve done a campaign with Sonu Sood, who is known for taking migrant workers to their homes during Covid-19, in partnership with metros in Delhi, Bangalore and Bombay that will broadcast a public service announcement voiced by Sonu Sood,” shared Ailawadi.
Mumbai: The Season 18 of Infinix Smartphones MTV Roadies is set to premiere on 8 April starting at 7 pm. The show will be on air thrice a week from Friday to Sunday on MTV. It will also stream on Voot.
The show is shot in South Africa and will be hosted by actor Sonu Sood. CoinSwitch, Paree Sanitary Pads, Leverage Edu and Lakme Sun Expert have come on board as ‘co-powered by’ sponsors. The show has been produced by PipPip media private limited.
“At MTV, we have always delivered unprecedented, clutter-breaking experiences to our young audiences leading with the pop-culture phenomenon that is Roadies,” said Viacom18 head of youth, music and English entertainment Anshul Ailawadi.
“With the new season, fans will get to see the classic, enduring passion to become a Roadie, but with innovation in format, South African locales, with superstar host Sonu Sood. We will also be airing the show thrice a week for the first time, giving fans more entertainment and adventure. We are confident that MTV Roadies Journey in South Africa will break new ground in the realm of adventure reality shows.”
“Infinix is a premium smartphone brand, and like MTV Roadies, embodies the spirit of ‘Ab Rukna Nahi’ with its contemporary and innovative tech,” said Infinix Mobiles CEO Anish Kapoor.
“With both MTV and Infinix Smartphones catering to the young audience, through this partnership, we aim to reach out and connect with the youth of India. As a forward-looking company, we are sure this new season in a new format will be a thrilling journey offering unmatched adventure and excitement,” Kapoor added.
The first episode of the season will be simulcast across 19 channels along with a content roadblock on 15 channels across the Viacom18 network.
Mumbai: Streaming major Disney+ Hotstar has roped in 13 sponsors for the 15th edition of the Tata IPL 2022. Dream11 has come onboard as the ‘co-presenting’ sponsor, with Tata and Cred as the ‘co-powered by’ sponsors. Swiggy, Pristyn Care, Zepto, Ather Energy, Niyo, Parle Agro, Spotify, Livspace, L’Oreal and Spinny have been signed-on as associate sponsors.
Tata IPL is scheduled to commence on 26 March and the tournament will be broadcast live on Disney+ Hotstar and the Star Sports Network.
“In the next few weeks, the entire nation will be gripped by T20 fever with the commencement of Tata IPL,” said Disney Star head – ad sales Nitin Bawankule. “There is heightened interest from advertisers across categories for the upcoming season of Tata IPL owing to the addition of new teams and rejig in the pre-existing squads, thus an opportunity for them to reach out to a new set of audiences. The advertiser sentiment is extremely positive, all key features including Super 4s, Super 6s, Fall of Wickets and Milestones have sold out on our platform already. We look forward to delivering an impactful T20 season for our advertisers.”
“Disney+ Hotstar presents brands with the opportunity to reach highly engaged, affluent audiences across India through its sharp targeting options on live sports, an industry first. The platform has a host of innovative advertising and branded content solutions for businesses to reach out to, engage with their audiences more effectively, and tell their brand stories on live cricket like never before,” said the statement.
Mumbai: The RuPay Prime Volleyball League has onboarded as many as 13 sponsors for the inaugural season starting 5 February.
Apart from edtech major Byju’s, fintech company Cred and sports news website Dafa News that have come on board as associate sponsors, the league has also tied up with food platform EatFit, Amul Kool, and paint products manufacturing company Nippon Paint.
The first edition of the RuPay Prime Volleyball League is all set to kick off in Hyderabad. As the athletes prepare to set the stage on fire, the league is looking to attract millions of viewers from around the country during the course of the competition. Global Card payment network RuPay has associated with the league as the Title Sponsor, meanwhile Online Gaming leaders A23 are on board as “Powered By” Sponsors in a multi-year deal. Sports, fitness, and lifestyle brand Cosco and Indian Hospital Chain Apollo Hospitals have been associated as the Official Partners of the league.
Social media platform ShareChat, and short video app Moj have come on board as the Official Content Partners of the RuPay Prime Volleyball League powered by A23, while the competition will be broadcast on SONY TEN 1, SONY TEN 2 (Malayalam), SONY TEN 3 (Hindi) and SONY TEN 4 (Tamil and Telugu) and SONY LIV from 5 February 2022 to 27 February 2022.
Baseline Ventures co-founder & MD Tuhin Mishra said, “We are overwhelmed by the interest the tournament has received from a wide range of sectors and we are certain that all the sponsors will have a massive impact in taking the RuPay Prime Volleyball League to all corners of our country. We hope to build a long-lasting partnership with each one of our partners.”
RuPay Prime Volleyball League CEO Joy Bhattacharya said, “As the tournament begins its new journey, the support from all the sponsors is vital for the success of the competition. All the partners are massively successful in their respective sectors and we couldn’t have asked for a better line-up of sponsors.”
The League is exclusively marketed by Baseline Ventures and Piston Des Sports has managed the registration of all Indian and International players.
The competition will witness seven franchises – Calicut Heroes, Kochi Blue Spikers, Ahmedabad Defenders, Hyderabad Black Hawks, Chennai Blitz, Bengaluru Torpedoes, and Kolkata Thunderbolts – fight it out for the coveted trophy. The Hyderabad Black Hawks will be up against the Kochi Blue Spikers in the opening match of the tournament at the Gachibowli Indoor Stadium in Hyderabad on 5 February 2022.
Mumbai: Sony Sports Network will broadcast the year’s first Grand Slam Event the Australian Open 2022 starting 17 January on Sony Six, Sony Ten 2, Sony Ten 3 and Sony Ten 4 as well as on OTT platform – Sonyliv.
Sony Sports has onboarded advertisers like Lenovo, Amul, Kia Motors, and LIC as sponsors. Other advertisers like Skoda, Total Oil, Ford, Go Mechanic, Mercedes, Dafa News, Fairplay News, 1X News, Netmed and Apple will also be a part of the telecast.
Sony Sports’ Live studio show ‘Extraa Serve’ will be hosted by Arpit Sharma and Sarthak Lal and will provide in-depth insight into the action at Melbourne Park. Former tennis players like Somdev Devvarman, Purav Raja and Gaurav Natekar are set to feature as expert panelists on the show along with on-ground reporter Adriano Del Monte. The Hindi commentary on Sony Ten 3 channel will be provided by Manish Batavia, Atish Thukral, and Gaurav Natekar.
This year, the world’s top player Ash Barty will attempt to become the first local player to win an Australian Open singles title in 44 years while defending champion Naomi Osaka is expected to return and target a fifth career major singles title.
Rafael Nadal, tied with Djokovic at 20 career major singles titles, will also be competing for the first time since August and will hope to end Djokovic’s streak at the Australian Open 2022.
The Grand Slam tournament will see participation from top Indian players like Rohan Bopanna and Sania Mirza. The mixed doubles pair will be playing this year’s tournament.
This edition of the Grand Slam will also witness the 100th anniversary of the women’s competition at the Australian Open. To honor this feat, there will be a historic change in the schedule of the tournament. Both women’s semi-final matches will be moving to the night session.
“Australian Open is the first and most competitive tennis Grand Slam of the calendar year as it sees participation from the best tennis players from across the globe,” said Sony Pictures Networks India chief revenue officer of distribution and head – sports business Rajesh Kaul. “There is already a lot of talk about the tournament amongst the advertisers as we have received tremendous response from various sectors like tech, automobile, FMCG and more. We aim to showcase and bring real-time action from the courts and this year with our Hindi and English feeds along with our studio show, ‘Extraa Serve’ that will also take the tournament to a wider audience in India.”
Mumbai: Hercules, the bicycle brand from the stable of TI Cycles of India has announced its partnership up with Dabang Delhi Kabaddi Club for the Pro Kabaddi League Season 8 as an associate sponsor. The domestic league returned to the field on 22 December after two years.
“As a sport, Kabaddi involves working as a team, coming together, challenging together, fighting together and winning together, all of which fits into the brand vision of Hercules, that of helping India’s youth explore the power of togetherness,” said the brand in a statement.
Through this association, Hercules Cycles aim to reach out to the fans of The Eagles, as the members of the club are fondly addressed, as well as the larger game to encourage the tireless pursuit of dreams.
TI Cycles of India president KK Paul said, “Hercules has always been the bicycle of choice for young boys who wish to discover their spirit of adventure and exploring together with their friends through cycling. In a similar manner, the sport of Kabaddi emphasises team spirit, agility, and focuses on making one’s physique healthier and stronger. With this association, we are on a journey to support that inspiration to pursue their dreams with determination, passion, and swag, relentlessly.”
According to the head of operations and team manager Omkar Prabhu, Dabang Delhi embodies strength, agility, teamwork, and determination, and in a similar manner, TI Cycles are targeted towards adventurous youngsters who choose to explore and embrace the spirit of adventure. With this association, we seek to embark on a journey that inspires the young generation to pursue their dreams and achieve goals with relentless enthusiasm, he added.
Mumbai: Star Sports, the official media rights partner for vivo Pro Kabaddi League, has roped in eight sponsors and many more key advertisers ahead of the commencement of the league.
The eight on-boarded sponsors include vivo, Tata Motors Commercial Vehicles, A23, Dream11, Mfine, Byju’s, Officer’s Choice, and Parimatch News. New advertisers like Mfine, A23, Parimatch News, Winzo, GSK, and Luminous among others have also partnered with the broadcaster.
Season 8 of vivo Pro Kabaddi League is all set to begin from 22 December, and for the first time will be played at a single venue, Sheraton Grand Bengaluru Whitefield Hotel and Convention Center.
“We are delighted with the response that we have received from brands across categories,” said a Star Sports spokesperson. “The recently launched campaign- ‘Jo Bhidega Woh Badega’ has created a stir of excitement amongst fans and advertisers alike for the return of PKL after two years. The overall reception from advertisers is a testament to the brand value of India’s homegrown sport. We have solidified our position as a broadcaster that provides advertisers with customized creative solutions to drive high engagement and are confident that the interest among advertisers will only continue to grow with each passing year.”
The new format will feature triple headers) on the first four days in the opening week. Bengaluru Bulls will square off with U Mumba in the opening match. The ‘Southern Derby’ between Tamil Thalaivas and Telugu Titans will be the second match followed by UP Yoddha squaring off with defending champions Bengal Warriors in the final match of the day.
