ITV

Tag: sponsors

  • Sony Sports announces schedule for India Women’s tour of Australia

    Sony Sports announces schedule for India Women’s tour of Australia

    Mumbai: Sony Sports will begin the live telecast of India Women’s tour of Australia on 21 September on Sony Six, Sony Six HD and livestream on OTT platform, SonyLIV. The series will comprise a three-match ODI series, followed by a one-off pink ball day-night test match, and will conclude with a three-match T20 international series.

    Sony Sports has roped in five sponsors for the series including Byju’s, Airtel, Reckitt, Dafa News, Fantasy Akhada and has many more in the pipeline, said the statement.

    The first ODI match on 21 September will begin at 4:35 a.m, followed by the second ODI on 24 September beginning at 8:45 a.m, and the last ODI on 26 September at 4:35 a.m. Day one of the one-off pink ball day-night test match will begin on 30 September at 11:30 a.m. Day two, day three and day four will air on first, second, and third October, respectively, at the same time – 11:30 a.m. The first T20 international series match will be played on seventh October beginning at 2:10 p.m, followed by a game on ninth September at 1:40 p.m and the final match will be played on tenth September at the same time.

    The upcoming series with the Aussies will have historical significance as team India will be playing their maiden pink-ball day-night Test match at the WACA as a part of the one-off pink-ball day-night Test match. The match will also be the second day-night test with the first pink ball in women’s cricket history after the drawn contest between Australia and England in Sydney in 2017.

    The Australian women’s squad includes Meg Lanning (captain), Rachael Haynes (vice-captain), Darcie Brown, Maitlan Brown, Stella Campbell, Nicola Carey, Hannah Darlington, Ashleigh Gardner, Alyssa Healy, Tahlia McGrath, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Georgia Redmayne, Molly Strano, Annabel Sutherland, Tayla Vlaeminck and Georgia Wareham.

    The India women’s squad for one-off test and ODI series includes Mithali Raj (captain), Harmanpreet Kaur (vice-captain), Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Punam Raut, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Sneh Rana, Yastika Bhatia, Taniya Bhatia (wicket-keeper), Shikha Pandey, Jhulan Goswami, Meghna Singh, Pooja Vastrakar, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Poonam Yadav, Richa Ghosh and Ekta Bisht.

    The India women’s T20I squad includes Harmanpreet Kaur (captain), Smriti Mandhana (vice-captain), Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Sneh Rana, Yastika Bhatia, Shikha Pandey, Meghna Singh, Pooja Vastrakar, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Poonam Yadav, Richa Ghosh (wicket-keeper), Harleen Deol, Arundhati Reddy, Radha Yadav, and Renuka Singh Thakur.

  • KBC returns with a bevy of sponsors for its 13th edition

    KBC returns with a bevy of sponsors for its 13th edition

    Mumbai: Sony Entertainment Television (SET)’s iconic quiz show – ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’ has returned with its 13th season on Monday. The show’s creators have stepped up the game with a bevy of sponsors backing the show hosted by megastar Amitabh Bachchan.

    With the second wave ebbing away, and ad volume returning on TV, the broadcasters are optimistic of a better show than the 2020 edition which was marred by the Covid-induced challenges. First, the show had to be shot in absence of a LIVE audience, and second, the ad rates reeled under the pressure of an economy battered by the pandemic’s first wave. It’s telecast also clashed with the 2020 edition of Indian Premier League (IPL), which had witnessed a record viewership in the pandemic year.

    For the latest edition which began airing on Sony TV on 23 August, the quiz show has on boarded two ‘co-presented by’ sponsors including Cadbury Dairy Milk and BYJU’s and four ‘co-powered by’ sponsors including Hyundai Motor India, Asian Paints Royale Glitz, Ultratech Cement and Zydus Wellness (Complan). Last year, it had only roped two ‘co-powered by’ sponsors and seven ‘associate’ sponsors.

    This year’s ‘associate’ sponsors include CERA, Pharmeasy, IDFC First Bank, LIC of India, Bharat Matrimony, and Reserve Bank of India which has come on board as ‘special partner’. The four sponsors including Asian Paints, Ultratech Cement, IDFC First Bank, LIC of India and Reserve Bank of India were associated with “KBC” for the previous season as well. The audience too has returned to the sets, however, the shooting is happening as per Covid protocols.

    According to a media planner, the entire sponsorship basket for “KBC 13” is covered within a window for Rs 30-60 crore, with the ad rates ranging from Rs 3 to 4.5 lakh per 10 seconds. The show has also roped in Acko General Insurance as ‘co-presented by’ and Asian Paints Royale Glitz as ‘décor partner’ for KBC Play Along, a game where viewers can also participate in the game show via OTT platform SonyLIV.

    The streaming platform SonyLIV is also exploring deals with advertisers for the show by offering custom packages and engagement initiatives such as KBC Play Along. “The CPM rates vary depending on the targeting, category, size of investment one may choose, ranging from Rs 180-240”, said Zenith, senior vice president – digital transformation, Rashmi Sehgal.

    “SonyLIV has one of the most dynamic non-fiction reality line-ups and this ensures a keen interest from advertisers for a partnership. Their unique proposition of marrying the show with digital engagement properties like Play Along make it appealing. This has attracted advertisers, across FMCG to digital first brands, to help them reach more than 100 million digital natives,” she added.

    The latest data from Broadcast Audience Research Council (Barc) also indicates an uptick in the ad volume on Television. According to its latest report, the ad volumes for July 2021 registered a 14 per cent growth over July 2020. As many as 869 new advertisers chose Television in July 2021, re-affirming their trust in the medium.

    The expectations are also bolstered by the massive vaccination drive across the country, which is also likely to boost consumer sentiments. While there are still apprehensions of another Covid wave, the advertisers have expressed confidence of a ‘stronger festive season’ in 2021.

    However, similar to last year, the current edition of the quiz show will also end up competing with IPL, which is set to resume on 19 September. As many as 30 matches are still to be played in the current season, which was suspended mid-way in May. The cricket league will be followed by the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in October.

    “Post Covid, the ratings and performance of impact shows have increased dramatically and KBC should be riding on top of it to attract many sponsors,” said DCMN India, head of media and growth, Mohit Gyanchandani. “KBC has always been a top choice for sponsors in terms of impact and lands exactly on the touch point to deliver fresh content and high ratings to the advertiser. This season has made some small changes in the overall format which would make it more fun and interesting to watch.”

  • Sony TV ropes in 12 sponsors for KBC 13

    Sony TV ropes in 12 sponsors for KBC 13

    Mumbai: Sony Pictures Networks India has announced the 13th season of “Kaun Banega Crorepati” (KBC), starting 23 August. Produced by StudioNEXT and hosted by Amitabh Bachchan, the show will air on Sony Entertainment Television, every weekday at 9 p.m. 

    The show has roped in BYJU’s and Cadbury Dairy Milk as ‘co-presenting’ sponsor, Hyundai Motor India, Asian Paints Royale Glitz, Ultratech Cement, and Zydus Wellness (Complan) as ‘co-powered by’ sponsor and CERA, Pharmeasy, IDFC First Bank, LIC of India, Bharat Matrimony as associate sponsors. The Reserve Bank of India has come on board as a ‘special’ partner.

    “For a show like KBC that has followed a certain creative pattern, it was time for us to break the mold and approach it differently. While digital auditions replaced the regular audition process, it didn’t deter the volume of entries. In fact, the ease of digital audition encouraged a lot more aspirants, based in the remotest areas possible to participate. We are happy with the spiritedness of each contestant, and we are hopeful that they fulfil their KBC journey,” said Sony Entertainment Television, head of content and digital business, Ashish Golwalkar. “While we did introduce AR (Augmented Reality) in the previous seasons, this year, the use of AR is far more superior and immersive. From refurbishing the entire set with the play of lights to the graphical elements and LED panels, India is the only country to host the format with the inclusion of such refined technological detailing. With distinct modifications to the game this season, we look forward to rewarding gameplay and promise an enhanced viewing experience to the audience.”

    “It’s the 21st year of my association with Kaun Banega Crorepati and I can never get enough of this show,” said Amitabh Bachchan. “It was probably for the first time, last season, that the studio audience wasn’t a part of the show and we saw a major change in the lifelines as well. I, for one, truly missed them and their energy… it’s infectious! I am happy that the studio audience is back this season with a newfound vigour and so is the lifeline – Audience Poll. It’s an enriching experience for me, each year, to be surrounded by contestants from all walks of life and I look forward to engaging and fulfilling gameplay. These contestants inspire me in every way,” Bachchan said.

    “It’s the 21st year of India’s longest-running show, and it’s heartening to know that KBC remains such a strong family favourite, that it still resonates with viewers across the social spectrum, and from all age groups,” said Siddhartha Basu, consultant for KBC season 13. “Each season, we’ve seen participants coming on to the hot seat from across the country, with varied levels of education and occupations, each with a distinct dream and story. Among a host of reasons that drive them, a key one is the search for ‘sammaan’ or respect. And they win that respect along with what can be life-changing amounts of winnings through a knowledge game. Gyan or knowledge is what provides a level playing field in our society, and viewers can now look forward to an exciting and entertaining new season of the show with a signature offering of gyan, dhan, and sammaan.”

    Fans of KBC may also log on to SonyLIV to participate in the gameshow via KBC Play Along, starting from 23 August, said the channel.

  • Brands serenade Indian Olympic winners with bonanzas

    Brands serenade Indian Olympic winners with bonanzas

    MUMBAI: First came the free pizzas for a lifetime, then the free cement to build their dream homes and now free healthcare services. Brands are pulling out all the stops and sparing no effort to woo the Olympic medallists from India.

    In a country where Cricket attracts majority of the brand endorsements, the latest celebrations of other sports like wrestling, weight-lifting, fencing is undoubtedly laud-worthy. But, it also raises questions on why such endorsements and support continue to remain limited to athletes when they rise to fame, and not when they are slogging hard to claim that hard-earned victory?

    At this year’s Tokyo Olympics, it began with India’s first medallist – the 26 years old weightlifter Saikhom Mirabai Chanu who clinched the silver medal in women’s 59 kg category on the second day of the international sports event. Post the win, the ecstatic medallist shared her wish to celebrate her victory with a pizza. Within hours, the pizza brand, Dominoes jumped into the fray with a lifetime offer of free Dominos pizzas for the champion. The smart and quick marketing tactic may have brought the brand into limelight and brought a smile to Chanu’s face, but it also led netizens to ask if the brand really intended to celebrate the weight-lifter’s achievements, or cash in on the moment.

    As a special reward to India’s medal winners at the ongoing Games, cements brand, Shree Cements also announced that the company will offer free cement to the medallists ‘in order to help them build their dream homes’. India has so far clinched two medals at the Olympics, including a silver medal by weightlifter Mirabai Chanu and bronze medal by shuttler P.V. Sindhu in the women’s singles badminton.

     “India’s athletes are competing at the highest level of sporting prowess and making us proud,” said Shree Cements Ltd, managing director, H M Bangur. “As both an Indian and a sports enthusiast, I feel that it is important to give back a little something for all that they are doing.”

    The latest in the line-up of brands offering gift hampers to our Olympians is multi-speciality healthcare provider Glamyo Health. The healthcare brand has gone a step ahead and announced free healthcare services to all 127 Indian athletes competing in the Tokyo Olympics 2020.

    The brand with a network of over 200 hospitals across nine cities including Delhi, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Mumbai, declared that the athletes may avail any surgical treatment from the bouquet of 50 + surgeries free of cost for life. These include surgeries related to Sports Orthopaedics, Proctology, Urology, Laparoscopy, Vascular, Ophthalmology etc.

    Regular and timely medical services are important for sportspersons who slog day in and day out to perfect their moves, and this could undeniably prove to be one useful goodie bag to a practising athlete.

    “Sports people have a demanding schedule and when they require such treatments, it needs to be handled with utmost care keeping in mind their sports career. Glamyo Health is humbled and proud to be doing its bit for our heroes making India proud at the global stage,” said Glamyo Health co-founder Dr Preet.

    While all of these special gestures of honouring the sportspersons who make the country proud need to be encouraged, one hopes brands and companies start investing in other sports and athletes as well for the longer term. One gets to hear innumerable tales of struggles and hardships on their way to the top- to get even basic equipment, let alone world-class, with lack of facilities and training in the country. No doubt, things are looking up gradually, but India still has a long way to go to match global standards of infrastructure

    Hence its time brands and marketers took their commitment to sports a notch higher and got serious about investing in emerging sporting talents in the country by way of long-term commitments, as against indulging in moment marketing riding on their success bandwagon and grandiose gestures, when the athlete’s struggle is done and dusted with.

    This would ensure better credibility for the brand, as well as assuring the country’s struggling sportspersons a sponsorship when they need it the most.

  • SPSN signs nine sponsors for India Tour of England

    SPSN signs nine sponsors for India Tour of England

    Mumbai: Sony Pictures Sports Network (SPSN) has wooed an impressive line-up of sponsors for India Tour of England Test series, starting on Wednesday.

    Mahindra & Mahindra, BYJU’S, Pan Bahaar, PharmEasy, Ultratech, Fogg, WhatsApp, Cars24 and MRF Tyres have signed up as co-presenting and associate sponsors.

    Additionally, SPSN has roped Kent RO as a presenting sponsor for its studio show ‘Extraaa Innings’. Other advertisers who have come on board are Policybazaar, Dafa News, Paisabzaar, TVS Tyres, Apollo Pharmacy, Castrol, Accenture, Netmeds, Housing.com, Apple, Tata Motors, Wolf 777 news, 1mg.com and Perfetti Van Melle.

    The series is all set to begin on 4 August and all five Test matches will be aired on Sony Six, Sony Ten 3, and Sony Ten 4 channels and on-demand OTT platform, SonyLIV from 2.30 pm onwards. The English and Hindi feeds will air on Sony Six and Sony Ten 3 channels, respectively, while the Tamil and Telugu regional feeds will be broadcast on Sony Ten 4 channels.

    The English broadcast of ‘Extraaa Innings’ will be presented by former players like Sunil Gavaskar, Shaun Pollock, Sanjay Manjrekar, and Harsha Bhogle along with Alastair Cook, Nasser Hussain and Mike Atherton (on-ground).

    The Hindi broadcast of the studio show will be presented by former cricketers Ashish Nehra, Virender Sehwag, Ajay Jadeja, Ajit Agarkar, Mohammad Kaif and Vivek Razdan along with Arjun Pandit.

    The Tamil commentary box will feature Laxman Sivaramakrishnan, WV Raman, Vidhyut Sivaramakrishnan, TR Arasu and S Seshadri. Telugu commentary will be presented by Venkatapathy Raju, Gnaneshwar Rao, C Venkatesh, Vijay Mahavadi, RJ Hemanth and Sandeep Kumar.

    Sony Pictures Networks India, chief revenue officer, distribution and head – Sports Business, Rajesh Kaul said, “We have received tremendous response from various advertisers across Housing, finance, education, technology sectors and are confident to attract more sponsors as we progress further into the series.”

    To amplify the series, Sony Pictures Sports Network has also launched the #BackOurBoys campaign across its digital assets.

  • US sports market to grow at 4% to touch $73.5 billion in 2019: PwC

    US sports market to grow at 4% to touch $73.5 billion in 2019: PwC

    MUMBAI: Even as India’s sports industry is on a growth path with broadcasters like Star India, Multi Screen Media and others promoting games like kabbadi, football, wrestling et al, the sports industry in North America has been one of the biggest revenue generators as a business. With North America’s sports market revenue crossing $60 billion in 2015, everyone from broadcasters, sports agencies and sponsors want a slice of the pie.

    So, what does the future hold for the sports industry in North America? How much more value will sports create? And will demand meet a sufficient supply? Let’s have a look. 

    According to a PricewaterhouseCooper (PwC) report titled ‘At the Gate and Beyond: An Outlook for sports Market in North America through 2019,’ the sports market in North America will grow at a compound annual rate of four per cent across four segments analysed, from $60.5 billion in 2014 to touch $73.5 billion in 2019. 

    This year’s edition of report revitalises five-year revenue forecasts through 2019 with four key segment of the North American sports market namely gate revenues, media rights, sponsorship, and merchandising.   

    Gate revenues are primary market ticket sales for live sports events. The adoption of dynamic pricing for single game tickets has changed. With an increase on media rights revenue over gate revenue, it will make selling broadcast rights more important than selling tickets for the live events and making media rights the biggest contributor to gross sports revenue. 

    Local TV rights in Major League Baseball (MLB), National Basketball Federation (NBA) and National Hockey League (NHL) will likely contribute to the overall sector growth with more than 35 per cent of current deals set to expire over the next five years, albeit on a smaller scale than the national rights deals entered by the major pro leagues, athletic conferences and other sanctioning bodies that are predominately driving industry-wide growth. 

    As far as gate revenues are concerned, leagues will have to find ways to bring in the crowds to stadiums. To maintain gate revenues, leagues are coming up with different innovations like rewards, fan (loyalty) rewards program and point systems. And in areas where past generations of rewards programs failed, new innovations will allow clubs to more efficiently track fan activities, understand fan preferences, and disseminate benefits to fans. 

    There will be many hurdles for sports leagues in terms of media ratings, as the popularity of live sports is in demand. There would be an increase in budgets of various sports cable networks for live programming for the viewers, battle over subscriber fees and bidding wars over desirable content. The rise in the compound rate is derived from subscriber base and as long as it stays strong, there might be an increase in the compound annual rate and vice versa. While media rights are projected to become the industry’s largest segment by 2018, its pace of growth is expected to slow towards the end of the five-year period. 

    As per the report, even with strong segment fundamentals, such as long term deals, higher renewal rates, and enhanced inventory yields, sponsorship is expected to be surpassed in size by media rights in 2015. The net effect of new inventory will depend on future economic conditions and the industry’s ability to expand sponsor rosters, while maintaining value proposition to existing partners. Approximately 40 per cent of major pro league teams are currently either without a deal or with existing deals set to expire in the next five years. 

    The report also suggests notable measures, which pro leagues should consider such as to expand retail shops and improve sale results of their representative merchandise, which are in-house operations of the retail business. Another measure would include positioning of official team store locations outside the stadium, arena or ballpark. 

    PwC also advised, “As consumer and advertisers continue to migrate toward internet-connected devices and second-screen activity, it is more likely the traditional pay-TV model will have transformed (e.g. smaller channel packages, reduced rates) by the next deal cycle of major sports property rights. As a result, the next deal cycle, currently outside the outlook period, is unlikely to realize the same rights-fee premiums as were applied during the current cycle as cable providers sought to secure ports content in support of the overall pay-TV package model.” 

    The cyclic nature of sports is a reflection of more stadiums being built, more television contracts being signed and advertising taking a major role in globalization of sports. It shows significance growth prospects for the future.

    With Indian broadcasters, sports enthusiasts and aspiring entrepreneurs now waking up to the potential of the sports telecast and marketing business, a few lessons could be learnt from the west in order to extract the maximum from the various sports that are played in India.

  • IPL 8: Kings XI Punjab tops sponsorship list with 20 partners

    IPL 8: Kings XI Punjab tops sponsorship list with 20 partners

    MUMBAI: Ready and upbeat to enter the Indian Premier League (IPL) season 8, Kings XI Punjab has roped in 20 sponsors and partners.

     

    Tata Motors Prima is the official title sponsor for IPL season 8. HTC, Manforce, ACC, Royal Stag, Pan Parag – Mouth Freshener and DCB Bank are all official principal sponsors, while Kingfisher, Britannia and Woo are the official good times partner, official goodness partner and official matchmaking app respectively.

     

    Kings XI Punjab’s association with Pepsi as the official beverage partner continues. TYKA is the official kitting partner, whereas Homeland Heights is the official luxury homes partner. The team has roped in CashUrDrive, Bookmyshow and Kyazoonga as official outdoor partner and official ticketing partners respectively.

     

    Sport & Beyond and T10 Sports are the official merchandise partners. BlippAR is the official augmented reality partner and Best Deal TV has come on board as the official TV shopping partner.

     

    Kings XI Punjab COO Fraser Castellino said, “We are really happy to welcome all of our sponsors who have renewed their association with us since last season and extend a special welcome to the new partners joining us this year. We stand committed to delivering a solid on-ground performance and hope this will help all of our partners benefit from their association with Kings XI Punjab.”

     

    Kings XI Punjab will play its first match on 10 April, 2015 against Rajasthan Royals at MCA International Stadium, Pune.

  • Amrita TVs short snippet Thattu Kada crosses 500 days of telecast

    Amrita TVs short snippet Thattu Kada crosses 500 days of telecast

    MUMBAI: BENGALURU: Malayalam GEC and news satellite FTA channel Amrita TV announced that its one to three minute snippets’ program on fast food eateries ‘Thattu Kada’ has completed 500 days. The show is aired seven times daily towards the end of each news bulletin.

     

    “Not everyone has the time to watch a 30 minute episode on eateries,” says a source at Amrita TV to www.indiantelevision.com. “Our focus has been on low cost, on variety, on hygienic places and food. We’ve had calls from across the country from people asking us for the location of a food joint in their area that has been aired by us,” informed the source.

     

    “Each snippet is produced by our various bureaus’ across the country, and we air Thattu Kada all days of the week, including Sundays’,” the source added further. “Since a snippet is a part of the news, we have not brought on separate sponsors’ for the show as yet.”

     

    The channels says that over 500 eateries have been aired on Amrita TV with a new joint being featured every day of the week. Fanning out in all districts of Kerala as well as Delhi ,Chennai, Bangalore ,Mumbai, Hyderabad, UP, Bihar, Chattisgarh, Uttarakhand , Gujarat and Assam, Amrita TV news reporters have discovered and highlighted unknown food joints which dish out culinary delights at affordable prices.

     

    The channel says that in an era where eating out has become a burden, the popularity of Amrita TV’s ‘Thattu Kada’ is a testimony of the common man’s preference for food which is cooked in front of one’s own eyes, served piping hot without any cosmetic frills, and at a value-for-money tariff.

  • Champions League Twenty20 2013: A Preview

    Champions League Twenty20 2013: A Preview

    MUMBAI: The coming weeks are going to be a treat for cricket lovers as they have many reasons to cheer. Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid will be playing their last internationl T20 matches. Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai Indians, Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad will be competing against giants from the countries of Australia, South Africa, West Indies, Pakistan, New Zealand and Sri Lanka.

    The Rajasthan Royals and Mumbai Indians will fight for the top two spots in Group A to qualify for the semis, whereas Chennai Super Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad will compete in Group B.

    Six on air sponsors have already been signed – Karbonn Mobile and Tata Docomo have come on board as co-presenting sponsors while Airtel Broadband, Pernod Ricard, Bharat Business Channel (Videocon D2H),  Panasonic and Toshiba India have been roped in as associate sponsors.

    On ground sponsors include – Karbonn Mobiles, Panasonic, Britannia, Panasonic TV and Jaypee cements. This is the second year in a row that Karbonn Mobile has associated itself with CLT20. Previous sponsors include Nokia and Bharti Airtel.

    The total prize money is the same as the previous year as $6 million out of which the winning team will receive $2.5 million. ESPN Star Sports bought the global broadcast rights for CLT20 in 2008 at a whopping $900 million for the next ten years.

    A musical anthem Ragad Ragad has been created as part of the marketing campaign for this edition which is currently running on electronic and digital media. Prasoon Joshi has written the lyrics for it and the track performed by Mika Singh, who will also be performing at the opening ceremony on 21 September in Jaipur.

    CLT20 will also have bilingual commentary in both English and Hindi. Star Sports and Star Cricket HD will be in English while Star Cricket will have it in Hindi. Additionally, this year the first and the final matches will be telecast on Star Gold as well with Hindi commentary.  “We have also invested heavily on building strong Karbonn Smart CLT20 centric programming in the run-up to the league,” says ESPN Software India COO Vijay Rajput.

    Commentators who will be giving viewers an ear-gasmic experience include Harsha Bhogle,  Sanjay Manjrekar, Wasim Akram, Simon Doull, Alan Wilkins, Ravi Shastri, Sunil Gavaskar, Ian Bishop, Pommie Mbangwa, Laxman Sivaramakrishnan, Kapil Dev, Sanjay Bangar, Ayaz Memon, Deep Dasgupta, Murali Karthik, Aakash Chopra and Arun Lal.

    The action has already begun on ESPN Star Sports channels but the real deal is yet to begin.