Tag: Sri Lanka

SET Network to telecast all the Matches during ICC Cricket World Cup 2007

This World Cup, don’t miss any of the matches: catch the Group stage matches on MAX, SAB & PIX. All Super Eight matches, Semis & Finals to be simulcast on MAX and SAB, in English and Hindi respectively.

MUMBAI: This summer, viewers can get set for a grand cricketing feast from the 13th March to 28th April 07 as the SET Network announces the schedule for the telecast of the biggest event of the cricketing calendar in the last 4 years – The ICC Cricket World Cup 2007. Viewers will get to enjoy all 51 matches, as the SET Network will bring a world class feed of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 Live across its 3 channels – MAX, SAB and PIX.

MAX will continue to blend the excitement of cricket with its inimitable dose of entertainment – “extraaa innings”. All the matches of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 will be telecast live. The coverage starts with “extraaa innings” from 5pm onwards on all match days on MAX and SAB.

Kunal Dasgupta, CEO, SET India Private Limited said, “MAX has always garnered an unprecedented television viewership during Cricket tournaments. For the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 we have made every effort to provide the viewers with unique access to live world class coverage and also ensuring that not a single match will be missed.”

Rohit Gupta, Executive Vice President, Ad Sales & Revenue Management, SET India Private Limited said, “ICC Cricket World Cup is the biggest Television Event which happens once every 4 years and reaches out to nearly 80% of the C&S audience. And to make it even bigger this time around we will show almost all the matches on SAB in Hindi as well. Thus the platform for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 matches will be far bigger as we cater to a much larger and varied audience. It’s a huge value add for the advertisers since previously we only had 12 matches on SAB and now we will be airing all the matches. We are sure of a far greater reach with a bigger platform for ratings and viewership.”

The upcoming cricket tournament in 2007 will feature 16 teams allocated into four groups of four. Within each group, the teams will play each other in a round-robin format and the top two teams will advance to the “Super Eight” round. The telecast schedule includes all group stage matches to air on MAX, SAB & PIX while the Super Eight Series matches and will be aired on MAX and simulcast in Hindi on SAB.

Reliance & Nokia are the co-presenters for the broadcast of ICC Cricket World Cup 2007. Hero Honda, Maruti, ITC Foods, Pepsi, Videocon, LG and Aditya Birla Group are the associate sponsors.

Schedule for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007

Date	Max	Sab	Pix
13th March	West Indies v Pakistan
14th March	Australia v Scotland	Kenya v Canada
15th March	Sri Lanka v Bermuda	Zimbabwe v Ireland
16th March	England v New Zealand	South Africa v The Netherlands
17th March	India v Bangladesh	India v Bangladesh	Pakistan v Ireland
18th March	Australia v The Netherlands	England v Canada
19th March	India v Bermuda	India v Bermuda	West Indies v Zimbabwe
20th March	New Zealand v Kenya	South Africa v Scotland
21st March	Sri Lanka v Bangladesh	Zimbabwe v Pakistan
22nd March	New Zealand v Canada	Scotland v The Netherlands
23rd March	India v Sri Lanka	India v Sri Lanka	West Indies v Ireland
24th March	Australia v South Africa	England v Kenya
25th March	Bermuda v Bangladesh

SECOND STAGE – SUPER EIGHT SERIES. Matches to be simulcast on Max and Sab.

Date	Match
27th March	D2 v A1 (West Indies v Australia)
28th March	A2 v B1 (South Africa v Sri Lanka)
29th March	D2 v C1 (West Indies v New Zealand)
30th March	D1 v C2 (Pakistan v England)
31st March	A1 v B2 (Australia v India)
1st April	D2 v B1 (West Indies v Sri Lanka)
2nd April	B2 v C1 (India v New Zealand)
3rd April	D1 v A2 (Pakistan v South Africa)
4th April	C2 v B1 (England v Sri Lanka)
7th April	B2 v A2 (India v South Africa)
8th April	A1 v C2 (Australia v England)
9th April	D1 v C1 (Pakistan v New Zealand)
10th April	D2 v A2 (West Indies v South Africa)
11th April	C2 v B2 (England v India)
12th April	B1 v C1 (Sri Lanka v New Zealand)
13th April	A1 v D1 (Australia v Pakistan)
14th April	A2 v C1 (South Africa v New Zealand)
15th April	B2 v D1 (India v Pakistan)
16th April	A1 v B1 (Australia v Sri Lanka)
17th April	A2 v C2 (South Africa v England)
18th April	D1 v B1 (Pakistan v Sri Lanka)
19th April	D2 v B2 (West Indies v India)
20th April	A1 v C1 (Australia v New Zealand)
21st April	D2 v C2 (West Indies v England)
24th April	Semi Final 1: 2 v 3
25th April	Semi Final 2: 1 v 4
28th April	Final

January 10, 2007

ESPN Star Sports wins broadcast rights to Uefa Euro 2008

MUMBAI: ESPN Star Sports has won exclusive broadcast and internet rights for the Indian subcontinent for the 2008 European Football Championship (Uefa Euro 2008).

The territories that are covered in the deal are India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan and the Maldives. With this acquisition, ESPN Star Sports will be broadcasting all 31 matches from the tournament live and exclusive.

Uefa Euro 2008 is the most prestigious tournament in the football calendar after the World Cup. The competition will feature the top 16 national teams from Europe and will be held in Austria and Switzerland in June, 2008. In addition to its live coverage of matches, ESPN Star Sports will be producing exclusive pre-game, post-game, and halftime shows around Uefa Euro 2008 as well as other localised content designed to broaden the base of football viewers in the Indian subcontinent. This commitment to broadcast Uefa Euro 2008 continues the 14-year association between ESS and Uefa which goes back to the inaugural season of the Uefa Champions League in 1992/3.

Commenting on the acquisition, ESS managing director Jamie Davis said: “I am delighted that the Uefa European Championship is returning to our networks in 2008. The fact that we are working directly with Uefa for the first time affirms their confidence in our efforts to deliver the best football programming to South Asian fans.”

“We have expanded the football-watching audience in India through concentrated marketing efforts and programming initiatives such as the introduction of Hindi commentary. Viewers can expect an exciting presentation and fresh innovations for Uefa Euro 2008.” Davis added.

Uefa director of marketing and media rights Philippe Le Floc’h said: “ESPN Star Sports is one of the most experienced sports broadcasters in the Indian subcontinent. We are excited to work again with ESPN Star Sports whose expertise and market position will further enhance the Uefa European Championship brand in the Indian subcontinent.”

This latest acquisition follows the recent three-year extension of rights for the English Premier League for the Indian subcontinent. ESS football coverage also includes the Spanish Primera Liga and the English FA Cup. ESS also annually produces over 1,000 hours of original football programming, including Nokia Football Crazy, Football Focus, Goals, Tiger FC Locker Room, Here We Go, First Edition and Football Extra.

December 8, 2006
Al Jazeera International to showcase Asia Pacific programme ‘101 East’

MUMBAI: Al Jazeera International, the proposed 24-hour English-language news and current affairs channel, has announced that the news anchor Teymoor Nabili will present its flagship Asia-Pacific current affairs show, 101 East.

Earlier this year Nabili was announced as also being the channel’s principal male news anchor in Kuala Lumpur alongside Veronica Pedrosa formerly of CNN International.

Broadcast from Kuala Lumpur, one of four regional broadcast centres strategically placed around the world in Doha, London and Washington DC, 101 East will be the region’s definitive discussion show for a local and global audience. Topical and authoritative, according to an official release, 101 East will often beat local broadcasters to local stories. From Mongolia to Australia, China to Indonesia, 101 East will report and reflect on major issues from health and wealth, politics and religion.

Nabili is winner of best news presenter/anchor at the Asian TV Awards in 2005, he has also received awards from the UK Royal Television Society, for coverage of the Utah Olympic bribery scandal, and from the New York Awards, for reporting on economic development in Malaysia.

Al Jazeera International director news & programmes Steve Clark said, “101 East will complement our broad range of programmes to bring viewers around the world the latest on the Asia Pacific region from within, reversing the flow of information with Asia calling the shots. Local viewers will be surprised at the uncensored coverage.”

Nabili brings 17 years of experience to Al Jazeera International: writing, producing, reporting and anchoring in television, radio and print. He joined Al Jazeera International from CNBC Asia in Singapore, where he has been anchor since 2001. Previous roles include news anchor for BBC Television in London, and anchor for European Business News.

Reporting highlights include covering the September 11th terrorist attack on New York City for Channel 4 News and the 2004 tsunami in Sri Lanka for CNBC. Interview highlights include the Malaysia Prime Ministers Mahathir Mohammed and Ahmad Abdullah Badawi, Philippines President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf, Singapore Prime Ministers Goh Chok Tong and Lee Hsien Loong.

As a commissioning house Al Jazeera International’s programmes will include material gathered from freelancers and independent companies all across the globe through a unique commissioning site: www.ajicommissioning.net

October 30, 2006
BCCI tells ICC to keep off its players

MUMBAI: “Stay away from our players.” That was the message that the Indian cricket board today shot off to the International Cricket Council (ICC), with which it is currently at loggerheads over the Members’ Participation Agreement (MPA).

“It has been made clear to the ICC that they cannot deal directly with the Indian players. They have to come through the Board,” BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah was quoted as saying by the Press Trust of India News Service.

Shah, who was speaking from Ahmedabad, claimed it was not the BCCI alone, but the cricket boards of Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Bangladesh as well who were against the ICC’s dealing directly with players.

“Not only me (BCCI), but Sri Lanka Cricket, Pakistan Cricket Board and Bangladesh Cricket Board, have said at the recent ICC meeting that on any issue related to the players, the ICC has to approach the boards first,” Shah told PTI.

Shah’s riposte was in reaction to comments made yesterday by ICC general manager – Cricket, David Richardson, who said, “While the ICC is required to deal directly with the Indian board on player issues, I’ve always enjoyed a good relationship with the Indian captain Rahul Dravid and several of their leading players and, should the BCCI permit, I’d welcome an opportunity to answer any queries they may have.”

India, which hosts the ICC’s Champions Trophy from Saturday, won the right to hold the 2011 World Cup jointly with neighbors Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

The ICC has given the BCCI till next Monday (9 October) to notify it of any and all difficulties it has with the MPA. About the deadline, Shah had earlier said that the board would “meet that date”.

However, today he took on a more belligerent tone when he said, “Are they going to hang us otherwise?” Shah told PTI the BCCI had already sent a reply to the ICC detailing its stand on the MPA.

October 7, 2006
Faceoff over MPA: BCCI rebuffs ICC’s threat of losing ’11 World Cup

MUMBAI: The ICC proposes, the BCCI disposes. A day after ICC president Percy Sonn warned the Indian cricket board that it “could not continue as one of the joint hosts of the 2011 World Cup” if it refused to play ball, the BCCI gave it a curt rebuff.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India vice-president Lalit Modi was quoted by Agence France Presse news service as saying: “We are not forced to play ICC events. Only if conditions suit us, we will play. The MPA (ICC’s Members’ Participation Agreement) in its existing form affects BCCI’s commercial interests, gives ICC the right to change agreements unilaterally and affects the players’ interests. The MPA would affect the BCCI and the players’ interests for a period ranging from six to nine months. We are very unhappy with the way the MPA has been drafted.”
“I think we made it very clear that we will not be able to sign the document in its current form,” BCCI treasurer N Srinivasan told Hindustan Times.

India, which hosts the ICC’s Champions Trophy from Saturday, won the right to hold the 2011 World Cup jointly with neighbours Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

“Six months ago we circulated the MPA for our events from 2007-2015 to our members for comment and over the subsequent months we have had extensive and fruitful negotiations with many of our members that have helped us develop the contents of the agreement to suit our mutual needs. It is thus very disappointing that the BCCI has only recently been able to review the agreement and raise its concerns,” said Mr Sonn.

“The new MPA is significantly more flexible that the agreements that regulate participation in ICC events through to 2007. In particular, the MPA addresses all areas of concern raised by Indian players ahead of previous ICC events and provides more scope for players and boards to maintain their own interests.
The ICC has given the BCCI till next Monday (9 October) to notify it of any and all difficulties it has with the MPA.

About the deadline, BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah told AFP. “We have been given a deadline till Monday to inform the ICC of our objections and we will meet that date. As of now we are not in a position to sign the MPA.”

That some sort of a compromise will be reached is almost a given considering that without India’s participation the value of the media rights for major ICC events during the eight-year period starting at the end of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 would get devalued by as much as 70 per cent.

“We have been delighted with the interest shown in the next package of rights by broadcasters and media rights agencies from all over the world,” ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed has said.

That will most certainly be a hollow statement unless the Indian board agrees to come to the party.

October 5, 2006
Worldspace inks cricket rights deal with Espn Star Sports

MUMBAI: Worldspace Satellite Radio has signed an exclusive broadcast license agreement with Espn Star Sports to provide subscribers with live audio coverage of cricket, further enhancing its content offering and providing consumers with a truly unique listening experience.

Under terms of the agreement, Play, the Worldspace -branded all sports channel for South Asia and the Middle East, will have exclusive broadcasting rights throughout South Asia for 12 tours and over 200 days of cricket comprising both test matches and one-day internationals.

Three of the 12 tours include India — Worldspace Satellite Radio’s primary market in the Asia region. Coverage begins 19 November, 2006 with India’s tour of South Africa, and runs through February 2008, with conclusion of the India-Sri Lanka-Australia Triangular Series in Australia, informs an official release.

“The exclusive acquisition of these premier cricket internationals is another demonstration of Worldspace’s continued commitment to providing the best in audio entertainment for our listeners,” said Alexander Brown, co-chief operating officer, Worldspace.

Subscribers will have “ball-by-ball,” real-time coverage of all matches as well as a host of ancillary programming surrounding each match. The coverage will feature matches with the national teams from India, Australia, England, New Zealand, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka, and the West Indies, and will also include the biennial Australia-England test series, “The Ashes.” Broadcasts can be received in countries covered by the Worldspace AsiaStar satellite’s West Beam and include: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bahrain, Qatar, and UAE.

September 26, 2006
WWE Summer Slam on Ten Sports

The biggest WWE event of the year so far explodes on to TV screens when Ten Sports airs Summer Slam 2006 at 1100 IST on Sunday.

This years Summer Slam takes place in Boston and the highlight of the evening will be when hometown boy John Cena challenges WWE Champion Edge for his title.

But before that there will be plenty of other enthralling action which is set to get underway with the continuing bitter feud between Rey Mysterio and Chavo Guerrero.

As well as the WWE Championship being on the line there will be two other titles up for grabs including the ECW World Title with the champion Big Show facing the daunting challenge of Sabu.

World Heavyweight Champion King Booker also faces a serious threat to his title when he squares up to the virtually unstoppable Batista.

And of course there will be the much awaited match up between D-Generation and The McMahons made up of WWE Chairman Vince and his son Shane.

Other matches on the bill include Randy Orton against Hulk Hogan and Rick Flair and Mickey Foley going head to head in an ‘I Quit” match.

With such a line up there is bound to be incredible action and controversy and it is all on Ten Sports.

ABOUT TEN SPORTS: Only launched in April 2002, Taj TV’s Ten Sports is watched by more viewers than any other sports channel in the sub-continent and is available in more than 50 million cable/ satellite households worldwide. Ten Sports is the world’s biggest producers of cricket. The Channel broadcasts cricket from Sharjah, the West Indies, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Morocco throughout the Indian sub-continent and Asia, as well as in Europe and the Middle East. Other cricket properties broadcast by Ten Sports in certain territories include internationals from India, the World Cup 2003 and the ICC Champions Trophy 2004.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON TEN SPORTS PROGRAMMES, CONTACT:

Murtuza Madraswala – Taj Television India Pvt Ltd, 403 Manish Commercial Complex, Dr. A.B. Road, Mumbai, India. Tel no: +91 22 6662 3101; Fax no: +91 22 6662 629; Email: murtuzam@tajtv.com or visit www.tensports.com

September 3, 2006
Sony sets out IPO plans; seeks controlling stake in Ten Sports

MUMBAI: Sony Entertainment Television (SET) India is stepping up plans for an initial public offering (IPO). The company is looking at a period after the cricket World Cup gets over in April 2007, a source close to the development says.

The merchant bankers are yet to be appointed but the IPO plan is being actively pursued. “The board has approved an IPO plan, but subject to the capital market and other related conditions,” the source adds.

Sony is also in active negotiations to buy a controlling stake in Ten Sports. SET India already has the rights to distribute the sports channel in India. “The negotiations are on to acquire a majority stake. But nothing has been finalised yet,” the source says.

Ten Sports, it is learnt, is willing to part with a 50 per cent stake. No agreement has been reached on the valuation, the source says. It is worth noting here that a report put out by CNBC TV18 yesterday had said “the deal is believed to be worth between $ 55-60 million.”If this report proves correct, it would mean that Ten Sports has been valued at between $110 million to $120 million.

When contacted, Taj Television Ltd CEO Chris McDonald said the company was in talks with several companies for strategic partnerships. “There is no deal at this stage,” he added. On being queried whether the company was willing to part with controlling stake, he refused to comment on specific details. Dubai-based Taj Networks owns and operates Ten Sports.

SET India CEO Kunal Dasgupta denied that anything definite on Ten Sports or the IPO had been decided at this stage.

Zee Telefilms Ltd. (ZTL), which was in negotiations over a year back, has not resumed talks, a source in the company said. ZTL plans to bid for cricket rights like the ICC which will come up for grabs rather than buy a stake in Ten Sports, he says. Another reason that ZTL dropped any acquisition strategy in regards to Ten Sports is that the channel is already locked into a five-year distribution deal with the rival SET-Discovery One Alliance, the source adds. ZTL in any case runs Zee Sports, which is in the hunt for acquiring cricket properties to provide strength to the channel.

Taj Entertainment has mandated Ambit Corporate Finance to find a strategic investor. With Harish Thawani’s Nimbus preparing to launch a sports channel, analysts say the acquisition price would continue to be high with more broadcasters chasing cricket properties.

Ten Sports would require capital infusion even as the cricket properties it currently holds (Sri Lanka, West Indies and Pakistan boards) come up for renewal. By doing a distribution deal with Sony, it will be assured subscription revenues on a guaranteed basis.

“The buying into Ten Sports would be seen as a good time before the IPO,” a market analyst said.

SET India has also conducted a restructuring exercise which is seen as a precursor to a public float. The company recently acquired sister company SET Singapore. Though it had obtained clearance from the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) for this purpose a few years back, it had deferred this process as the proposed restructuring transaction would have attracted capital gains tax.

“Sony is keeping everything ready for the right time to hit the market,” the source says.

SET India had obtained clearance from the FIPB to acquire 100 per cent shares of SET Singapore through a share swap transaction. According to the proposal, one share of SET India would be exchanged for 16 shares of SET Singapore. Post-restructuring, 60.65 per cent of the SET India equity would be with the Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) entities, 19.83 per cent with non-resident Indians and overseas corporate bodies, 7.68 per cent with foreign institutional investors and 11.84 per cent with Indian shareholders.

Taj Television is 100 per cent owned by Bukhatir Investments Limited, a UAE-based conglomerate with interests in banking, construction, real estate, trading, information technology, sports and broadcasting. Ten Sports is a sports channel which broadcasts in the Middle East, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Maldives, Bhutan and Hong Kong.

August 30, 2006
Star donates US$1.1 million to UNICEF’s Tsunami Fund

MUMBAI: Unicef has received a donation of US$1.1 million (HK$8.6 million) from Star for its tsunami recovery projects in Sri Lanka and Indonesia. The donation will address the educational, developmental and health care needs of the children affected by the Indian Ocean tsunami.

The donation cheque was presented by Star CEO Michelle Guthrie to Dr Robert Fung, chairman of the Hong Kong Committee of Unicef, and Charlie Young, ambassador of Hong Kong Committee for Unicef. At the event, Young also shared her experience of her visit to Sri Lanka shortly after the Indian Ocean tsunami, informs an official release.

Disaster relief funds from around the world have been instrumental in providing children and families in Sri Lanka and Indonesia with basic necessities after the tsunami destroyed their ways of life in December 2004. Today, children are still depending on assistance in the areas of education, development and health care.

In order to address these, US$550,000 of Star’s donation will be used for the School Reconstruction Programme in Ampara, Sri Lanka and US$560,000 for the Comprehensive Early Childhood Development and Health Care Provision Programme for children in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam (Aceh) Province, Indonesia, the release further adds.

Says Guthrie, “We are honoured that today’s donation will play a part in helping children in two of the worst hit areas to gradually put their traumas behind them. Our sincere hope is that by working together with Unicef through their tsunami recovery projects, the children will be able to lead fulfilling lives and look towards a brighter future.”

Fung adds, “With the generous support of Star, I am sure that Unicef’s recovery projects in Sri Lanka and Indonesia will be very successful, achieving Unicef’s aim to help affected countries to ‘Build Back Better’”.

August 22, 2006
Star donates US$1.1 million to UNICEF’s Tsunami Fund

MUMBAI: Unicef has received a donation of US$1.1 million (HK$8.6 million) from Star for its tsunami recovery projects in Sri Lanka and Indonesia. The donation will address the educational, developmental and health care needs of the children affected by the Indian Ocean tsunami.

The donation cheque was presented by Star CEO Michelle Guthrie to Dr Robert Fung, chairman of the Hong Kong Committee of Unicef, and Charlie Young, ambassador of Hong Kong Committee for Unicef. At the event, Young also shared her experience of her visit to Sri Lanka shortly after the Indian Ocean tsunami, informs an official release.

Disaster relief funds from around the world have been instrumental in providing children and families in Sri Lanka and Indonesia with basic necessities after the tsunami destroyed their ways of life in December 2004. Today, children are still depending on assistance in the areas of education, development and health care.

In order to address these, US$550,000 of Star’s donation will be used for the School Reconstruction Programme in Ampara, Sri Lanka and US$560,000 for the Comprehensive Early Childhood Development and Health Care Provision Programme for children in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam (Aceh) Province, Indonesia, the release further adds.

Says Guthrie, “We are honoured that today’s donation will play a part in helping children in two of the worst hit areas to gradually put their traumas behind them. Our sincere hope is that by working together with Unicef through their tsunami recovery projects, the children will be able to lead fulfilling lives and look towards a brighter future.”

Fung adds, “With the generous support of Star, I am sure that Unicef’s recovery projects in Sri Lanka and Indonesia will be very successful, achieving Unicef’s aim to help affected countries to ‘Build Back Better’”.

August 22, 2006