ITV

Tag: sports

  • SPSN onboards 15 advertisers for India’s Sri Lanka tour

    New Delhi: The Men in Blue are all set to return on Sony Pictures Sports Network (SPSN) as the countdown begins for the India tour of Sri Lanka. The much-awaited cricket series with three ODIs and three T20s is all set to begin on 13 July. 

    The series will be aired in India LIVE in four languages: SONY TEN 1 and SONY SIX in English, SONY TEN 3 in Hindi, and on the newly launched SONY TEN 4 in Tamil and Telugu from 1.30 pm as well as live-streamed on its on-demand OTT platform SonyLIV.

    The network has roped in as many as 15 advertisers so far, which includes Byju’s, Pan Bahar, Amazon Prime, 99 acres.com, Cars 24, Oppo, Tata Motors, Raj Niwas, Vimal, Kent, Unacademy, Housing.com, Policy Bazaar, Paisa Bazaar, and Dafa News. “The network is in the process of closing more brands before the start of the first ODI on 13 July,” it said on Wednesday.

    SPSN will be back with its flagship studio show Extraaa Innings in English and Hindi. The LIVE studio show in English will be presented by former players like Sanjay Manjrekar, Ajit Agarkar, and Ajay Jadeja along with Matt Floyd while the Hindi studio show will be presented by former cricketers – Mohammad Kaif, Vivek Razdan, Amit Mishra, Saba Karim along with Arjun Pandit. The Tamil commentary box will feature Laxman Sivaramakrishnan, WV Raman, Vidhyut Sivaramakrishnan, T Arasu, and S Seshadri while the Telugu commentary will be presented by Venkatapathy Raju, Gnaneshwar Rao, C Venkatesh, RJ Hemanth, Sandeep Kuma,r and Vijay Mahavadi.

    Led by former India captain Rahul Dravid who will step in as coach, this will be the first time two senior Indian men’s teams play bilateral series simultaneously. Shikhar Dhawan will captain the young side while Bhuvneshwar Kumar will be the vice-captain in the three-match ODI and T20I series against Sri Lanka.

    Devdutt Padikkal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Nitish Rana, Krishnappa Gowtham, and Chetan Sakariya are likely to receive their maiden Indian cap in ODIs and T20Is and will have the experience of seasoned players like Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav and more by their side as all eyes will be on the performance and future of the Indian Cricket Team.

    SPSN has also launched the #JeetneKiZid campaign that depicts the #HungerToWin or #JeetneKiZid of the Indian Brigade, who are ready to give their all to emerge victorious in Sri Lanka. The campaign calls all Indian cricket fans to show their support and cheer for their home team as the young squad is very determined to emerge victorious in Sri Lanka. 

  • Eurosport and GCN gear up for Tour de France 2021 coverage

    Mumbai: The iconic bike race speeds back onto screens this summer as the crème de la crème of cycling come together to battle for the yellow jersey. Capturing every stage, every sprint and every climb, Discovery-owned broadcaster Eurosport and its Global Cycling Network (GCN) are all set to live-stream 2021 Tour de France for viewers in more than 60 markets across Europe and Asia.

    With total exclusivity in 35 markets, Eurosport and GCN will offer live, on-demand and ad-free coverage of every stage of Le Tour via its digital platforms the Eurosport App and GCN+. For the first time, Discovery’s global streaming service discovery+ will also show all the action via Eurosport with Eurosport 1 also offering live broadcasts of every stage, it said in a statement.

    Eurosport and GCN’s international experts Sir Bradley Wiggins and Alberto Contador will offer LIVE insights to viewers in the UK and Spain respectively. Eurosport and GCN will bring fans closer to their favourite riders with a unique view of the action as its ‘Brad on a Bike’ feature returns for 2021 with Sir Bradley Wiggins and Bernie Eisel reporting live from the heart of the peloton. GCN+ will also offer subscribers exclusive content and original documentaries, both online and via the GCN App.

    Expressing his excitement about the upcoming event, Eurosport’s SVP – content and production, Scott Young said, “With the Grand Départ just days away, we are gearing up for the most comprehensive coverage of the Tour de France anywhere by harnessing the full power of Eurosport, GCN and discovery+ to excite and entertain viewers everywhere.”

    “We are looking forward to having Brad and Bernie back on the bike, offering viewers an innovative and unique insight to life in the peloton, as well as dissecting the drama of each stage through our local analysis and highlights shows. This year, the action does not end at the Champs-Élysées, and with the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 following just a week after we find out who takes home the yellow jersey, there is so much racing and so many stories to look forward to over the coming weeks,” Young added.

    The exclusive coverage begins on 24 June, before stage one begins from the French city, Brest – on 26 June.

  • SPNI acquires broadcast rights for 2021 MEIJI YASUDA J1 LEAGUE

    New Delhi: Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) has acquired the exclusive television & digital rights for the 29th season of Japan Professional Football League – MEIJI YASUDA J1 LEAGUE, till December 2021.

    The broadcast territories will include India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Afghanistan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The matches will be aired LIVE on SONY TEN 2 channels in India and livestreamed on SonyLIV, SPN’s OTT streaming platform.

    Football is the second most popular sport in Japan and that can be witnessed through the lens of the Japan Professional Football Association who manages their professional football league – MEIJI YASUDA J1 LEAGUE. The 29th season began in the month of February with 20 clubs participating in the league.

    The league has made improvement in competitiveness through events such as the Fuji Xerox Super Cup and YBC Levain Cup which helped the country in nurturing great football talents like Shinji Kagawa, Takumi Minamino, Yuto Nagatomo and many more. These players can now be seen playing for some of the biggest teams across Europe.

    MEIJI YASUDA J1 LEAGUE is the top division of MEIJI YASUDA J. LEAGUE and also one of the most successful leagues in Asian club football. The league has been home to some of the most exciting players from across Europe such as Diego Forlan, Lukas Podolski, Hulk, Jorginho and Andreas Iniesta among others, said the network in a statement on Thursday.

  • IOA ropes in MPL Sports Foundation as Principal Partner for Tokyo Olympics

    New Delhi: Indian Olympic Association (IOA) on Thursday roped in MPL Sports Foundation, the community initiative of esports platform Mobile Premier League (MPL), as its principal partner for the upcoming global sports events.

    As part of the association, the foundation became the Principal Partner for the Indian contingent at the upcoming Tokyo 2020 Olympics as well as the 2022 Commonwealth Games and Asian Games. Further, sports and athleisure brand MPL Sports was also named the official kit partner for the Indian contingents for both the 2022 events.

    “India has the potential to become a global sports superpower. One of our goals with MPL Sports Foundation is to democratise opportunities in sports and esports for our vastly talented youth. We are honored to partner with IOA and hope that this will be a long-standing association. We look forward to working together to develop the future of sports in India,” said Mobile Premier League (MPL)co-founder and CEO, Sai Srinivas.

    The partnership comes on the heels of the announcement of the first ever Olympic Virtual Series (OVS), organised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), ahead of the Tokyo Olympics. Esports will also be a medal event at the 2022 Asian Games. 

    MPL Sports Foundation aims to raise awareness and transform the sports and esports landscape in India, by identifying athletes from all walks of life and providing them a platform to develop and showcase their skills, it said in a statement on Thursday.

  • discovery+ unveils special content line-up for sports fans

    New Delhi: With the sporting action on a pause, fans are scrambling for ways to enjoy their favourite sports. Streaming platform discovery+ on Wednesday, unveiled its new content line-up with a host of gripping documentaries to keep the fans engaged, as they wait for the real action. 

    “We assure you these come mighty close to catching that feeling on screen whilst giving an understanding into what really goes on behind the scenes in professional sports,” said the platform on Wednesday.

    For the cricket lovers, discovery+ has a wide array of series and documentaries based on the widely popular sport. This includes Capturing Cricket: Steve Waugh in India and Bodyline: The Ultimate Test to All Access the Contenders, Forged in Fire: Cricket’s Greatest Rivalry and Two Nations One Obsession: Australia vs India. 

    Viewers can explore the world of football with Lionel Messi – the Greatest, Maradona The Greatest Ever, Pele: The Last Show, Manchester United For The Glory, What Killed Maradona, The End of the Storm, Messi Cirque or Aaron Hernandez.

    If Tennis is your favourite sport, Being Serena and Strokes of Genius would be your best bet. Being Serena shines light upon the life of America’s professional tennis player, Serena Williams. It focuses on how she takes on pregnancy and motherhood while still being the most dominant player on the court.

    For all ardent motorsport fans, discovery+ is offering MotoGP, Top Gear America, Chasing Classic Cars, James May: Cars of the People to quench your thirst for all thing’s cars.

  • PUMA Motorsport signs cricketer Yuvraj Singh as face of the brand in India

    New Delhi: Global sports brand PUMA on Wednesday extended its partnership with former Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh. He will now be seen in a new avatar as the face of PUMA Motorsport in India, showcasing his passion for fast cars and sports-inspired fashion.

    With this, Yuvraj also joins the brand’s global league of legends like Thierry Henry, Boris Becker and Usain Bolt. The World Cup-winning champion has been associated with the brand for over a decade.

    One of the most flamboyant cricketers on and off the field, Yuvraj has been living up to his reputation of being stylish, not just in his sense of fashion, but also the range of mean machines that adorn his garage. An ardent fan of Formula One driver, Max Verstappen, Yuvraj keenly follows Scuderia Ferrari Formula1 team, it said in a statement on Wednesday.

    Commenting on his association with PUMA, Yuvraj Singh said, “I share a long and fruitful relationship with PUMA, it’s like family. They have supported me through every point of my career—highs as well as lows. I am excited to continue working with the brand, blending my love for fast cars and style through PUMA’s motorsport–inspired collection.”

    Globally, PUMA is associated with Scuderia Ferrari, Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team, Aston Martin Red Bull Racing, BMW M Motorsport and Porche Motorsport. With India being one of the biggest markets for PUMA motorsport, the brand looks to capitalise on the growing demand for streetstyle products inspired by performance gear.

    Puma India & Southeast Asia managing director Abhishek Ganguly said, “PUMA and Yuvraj share a deep emotional bond that only grew stronger over the years. His relentless courage and indomitable attitude perfectly embodies the spirit of our brand. Whether it’s his sporting exuberance or his sense of style, he has always been a role model of innumerable Indians. We cannot be happier about our continued relationship with Yuvraj. His love for F1, fast cars and orientation towards sports-inspired fashion makes him a perfect fit to represent our motorsport collection in India.”

    The brand’s track-to-street collection is transforming the race line into an eye-catching street style assortment conquering the field of motorsport. PUMA Motorsport collection is available at all PUMA stores and on puma.com.

  • TCM Sports Management appoints Sudip Roy as EVP – New Business

    New Delhi: TCM Sports Management, a full service sports marketing and management company has appointed Sudip Roy as executive vice president – New Business.

    Roy will be responsible for developing revenue strategies for the new business verticals -Digital platforms, Branded content opportunities in sports, New IPs & Sports events, Media partnership – agencies & media owners, said the company on Monday.

    “Sudip is an accomplished business leader with over two-decades of diversified experience across genres & verticals in the media industry. A keen planner with proven abilities in devising strategies to develop new business, enhance advertising revenues, expand networks and media sales for business excellence. He will play the lead role in developing the new revenue streams for TCM,” said TCM, CEO, Basant Dhawan.

    TCM holds exclusive ground rights across various cricket stadia in India and globally. Outside India, TCM holds the exclusive Naming, Sponsorship, In stadia rights across New Zealand cricket, Cricket West Indies & Asia Cup tournaments (Asian Cricket Council). Besides this, TCM has on-ground partnerships with cricket boards of South Africa, Bangladesh, England and Australia.

    Sudip Roy, said “With advertising/ground sponsorship rights across different state associations & various International boards, TCM is also poised for growth in the new Business verticals which includes Digital media sales, News IP’s & Tournaments in India, Branded content opportunities. It’s been an exciting journey for me in the broadcast industry so far, and I look forward to working with the team to develop & lead the sponsorship & revenue strategies for the TCM’s new Business verticals.”

    Roy comes with an experience of over two decades in sales and marketing roles, with specific emphasis towards strategic planning, business development, advertising sales and customer relationship management, across leading media houses.

    Prior to joining TCM he was executive vice president with Network 18 Media & Investments Ltd., where he headed the revenue function of Hindi cluster during different phases of his six-year tenure.

    Before Network 18, Sudip worked with Neo sports and Neo Prime channels as Senior Vice President & Revenue Head. He also worked in various leadership positions at ABP News Network for 8 years and Zee Network for seven years.

  • KKR’s head of marketing Kaustubh Jha moves on

    New Delhi : Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) head of marketing, Kaustubh Jha has moved on after over two years stint with the Indian Premiere League (IPL) team.

    “Last week marked the end of my 2.5 years journey at Kolkata Knight Riders,” Jha announced the move in a LinkedIn post. “It’s been a thrilling journey building and scaling the business globally and building the team. As I move into the next phase of my career, I’d like to thank everyone at the #KolkataKnightRiders family. It’s been a great journey with the depth and width of experience, exposure and learning.”

    A brand and marketing strategist with experience in providing brand solutions through integrated marketing, Jha had joined the actor Shah Rukh Khan and Juhi Chawla backed team in November 2018 after moving on from ESPN where he spent around three years. Jha has previously worked with MTV India and Lodestar Universal as media planner and buyer.

  • Sponsors jittery, as Covid casts a shadow over Tokyo Olympic 2020

    New Delhi: As the countdown begins for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, brands sponsoring the mega sports event are treading cautiously. The growing public opinion against the games has compelled brands to reconsider their move to go full throttle with their gaming-linked advertising.

    Some Japanese corporates that are sponsoring the international event have even hired consulting firms to advise, whether to proceed with Olympic-themed marketing plans or limit their association with an event that could damage their brands, reported Financial Times. Consultants include Britain’s Kantar Group and Japan-based firms, Macromill Inc and Intage Holdings, as per the report.

    The Olympic Games have evolved into one of the biggest marketing extravaganzas in recent times, allowing brands to reach out to global audiences across different platforms. The opportunity remains a lucrative one, despite all the uncertainties this time. Over 60 Japanese companies have together paid more than three billion $ to sponsor the Games this year. Sponsors have paid another $200 million to extend contracts after the Olympics were postponed last year, as per media reports.

    There are 15 global giants with exclusive marketing rights under the Olympic Partners program, the highest level of Olympic sponsorship and each one is looking to make the most of the opportunity.

    While a decision to cancel the games could be a hefty one, conducting the games amid the pandemic will not be easy either. Japan is battling a fresh surge of infections and it has left people disgruntled over the decision to go ahead with the event. There are imminent concerns about the event might trigger a potential health crisis, with local media calling for scrapping the event entirely.

    If local polls are to be believed, most Japanese are now rooting for the postponement of the games yet again, fearing invasion by any new coronavirus variants that could put pressure on an already burdened healthcare system. With just two months left for the games, the country is also scrambling to ramp up its vaccination drive.

    If the event goes ahead as per plan, the ongoing pandemic could make sure the event is a diminished one this year. There may not be any on-site brand events and big product launches may be muted, the engagement with the audience will be mostly online. The absence of enthusiastic fans in the stadiums will be felt quite evidently.

    Toyota, the official mobility partner, has already expressed concerns over athletes becoming the target of people’s frustration over the event. However, Samsung, the communications partner, has recently gone ahead with the launch of its Galaxy S21 Olympics Games edition of smartphones.

    For broadcast, NBCUniversal has announced its plans to broadcast 7,000 hours of Olympics coverage across NBC, USA, CNBC, NBCSN, and Peacock, among other properties. The US broadcaster will air live coverage of some events in 4K HDR. “We are going to deliver the most comprehensive – and accessible – coverage for any sports event in history,” the network said in a statement.In India, Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) has the broadcast rights for the event. 

    While the opportunity to associate with the games is a lucrative one, it remains to be seen how brands are going to pivot to the changing realities and capitalise on it amid the pandemic. 

    The 2020 Tokyo Olympics are scheduled to be held from 23 July to 8 August.

  • PE firm CVC Capital proposes to buy out ATP, WTA tennis tours

    MUMBAI: Changes may be afoot as far as broadcasting rights of professional male and female tennis calendars are concerned if reports emerging over the past two days are to be believed. Sky News first reported that Luxembourg headquartered private equity firm CVC Capital Partners is in unconfirmed talks with the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) and the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) to buy a 15 per cent stake into a new entity One Tennis which will combine their two itineraries. It is willing to serve a cool $600 million for the privilege of managing the broadcasting rights to the two tours, as well as selling data rights to gambling companies.

    CVC Capital has discussed leaving the running of the two sports to the two associations; all it wants is that the women and men’s tournaments should have a unified calendar (meaning female and male tennis players should play at the same competitions) – just like they do in the Grand Slam championships – Wimbledon, the US Open, and the Australian Open, and the French Open. The latter four contests are ruled by a different governing body.

    The private equity firm believes it can extract greater value than both ATP and WTA are doing currently by glamourising the tours, upping prize money, improving broadcast production quality, and setting up a global digital platform for tennis fans.

    Reuters reported on 8 June that the two associations had issued a joint statement which said that they are “continually looking for ways to bring the sport closer together to provide an enhanced experience for fans, players and tournaments.”

    CVC Capital is no stranger to managing sports; it had been the owner of the F1 from 2006 to 2017 when it sold it to John Malone’s Liberty Media. Over that period, it squeezed out billions of dollars in revenue from the racing sport; in the process, it helped turn around its fortunes. CVC Capital has recently invested in the six nations Rugby and the International Volleyball Federation.

    CVC is proposing that ATP Media (ATP’s existing sales and broadcasting arm) will be absorbed into the new entity with the former’s CEO Mark Webster leading One Tennis. Most of the broadcast rights to the ATP Tours for India lie with the ATP’s tennistv.com, with rights to the ATP 250s being shared by it with Discovery. Prior to Discovery, Sony Pictures Sports Network was the rights holder from 2015 to 2020. Hardcore tennis fans can watch matches online at tennistv.com with the annual subscription package running at $119.9.

    But apparently, a lot more could be done to popularise tennis and the tours among younger audiences, commentators and critics have averred. Tennis has alienated young tennis buffs as they have been drawn to other sports that have more excitement and entertainment. Statistics have shown that the tennis fan is beginning to age and to get back in the game, the sports need a rejuvenation.

    The ATP and WTA boards are expected to meet later this month on the proposal. Their decision will make it clear whether they believe that CVC Capital can be that white knight – who will inject some life into the sport.