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Tag: Vijay Rajput

  • Media veteran Vijay Rajput retires, Ruchir Jain to succeed him at Discovery

    Media veteran Vijay Rajput retires, Ruchir Jain to succeed him at Discovery

    Mumbai: Eurosport’s SVP – affiliate sales and business head and media industry veteran Vijay Rajput on Friday announced his decision to move on from Discovery and retire on 31 December. 

    Ruchir Jain, who has been heading finance at Discovery- South Asia for over three years, will take over from Rajput to lead the distribution and Eurosport business.  

    “We at Discovery Inc would like to thank our supremely talented leader Vijay Rajput as he has decided to retire from the organisation. Vijay’s stellar contribution over the years has helped us in being at the pinnacle of factual broadcasting in India,” stated Discovery Inc managing director – South Asia Megha Tata. “Although it is hard to say goodbye, we once again thank him for inspiring us and wish him the absolute best for the next phase of his life.”

    “Elated about Ruchir taking up the role where he designs the next chapter of growth ahead,” Tata further said.

    Rajput’s career that spread over 39 years, kicked off at Discovery over seven years back where he was instrumental in the setup and driving year-on-year growth of the network in India. His endeavors included that of the network establishing itself in sports broadcast while laying extraordinary spotlight towards speeding up Discovery’s main goal of staying the best real-life entertainment network in the country.

  • Eurosport India acquires Hero Futsal Club Championship broadcasting rights

    Eurosport India acquires Hero Futsal Club Championship broadcasting rights

    Mumbai: Eurosport India has bagged the broadcasting rights for the inaugural season of the Hero Futsal Club Championship 2021-22. The tournament will take place in Delhi between 5 and 13 November at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium.

    The Hero Futsal Club Championship is a national level Futsal tournament in India. The 2021-22 Tournament to be played in a round-robin format will feature a total of 16 teams, divided into four groups. The highest-placed team from each group will make it to the semi-final to be played in a knockout format amongst the four teams on 12 November. Winners will be decided on 13 November during the grand finale.

    This will be Eurosport India’s third association with AIFF this year, after the FIFA friendly matches of India against Oman and UAE and the SAFF Championship 2021. 

    “It’s great to have Eurosport as our broadcast partners for the inaugural edition of the Hero Futsal Club Championship 2021-22. We have already been part of a fruitful partnership with EuroSport previously, and hope that this collaboration will continue going forward as well,” said AIFF Leagues CEO Sunando Dhar.

    Discovery Inc senior vice president – affiliate sales and product distribution Asia – India sales and distribution and Eurosport India head Vijay Rajput added, “We continued our partnership with AIFF by acquiring broadcast rights for the inaugural edition of the Hero Futsal Club Championship 2021-22. It is one of the fastest growing sports around the world and we are glad to play a pivotal role in this initiative by AIFF to bring Futsal to the Indian fans.”

  • Eurosports India records 53% growth in reach for Tokyo Paralympics

    Eurosports India records 53% growth in reach for Tokyo Paralympics

    Mumbai: Eurosport India has recorded a 53 per cent growth in reach and 37 per cent increase in the time spent for Tokyo 2020 Summer Paralympic Games. The sports channel from the Discovery stable, saw a rise in viewership and reach for the weeks of 30-35, 2021, as per the latest data released by BARC, which was a result of their marquee global properties including Moto GP and All Elite Wrestling, alongside the Paralympic Games. Eurosport India was the only TV partner for the Paralympics in the SAARC region.

    The Paralympic Games alone helped the channel scale 60 per cent of its total gain during a period when live sports viewership dropped by 11 per cent across the sector (week 35, 2021). A 360-degree approach with an equally robust digital push saw Eurosport India achieving an additional reach of over 22 million with over 24 million impressions on social media during the 13-day long quadrennial sporting event. The Paralympics witnessed the best ever finish by team India, with 19 medals including a record-breaking five gold medals.

    Speaking about the development, Discovery Inc senior VP of affiliate sales and product distribution for Asia – India sales & distribution and Eurosport India head Vijay Rajput said, “It has been a short journey for Eurosport in India, and we are very happy that in our own signature way we have certainly proven that our varied sports content beyond cricket is gradually creating its niche amongst passionate sports fans of India.”

    “Being home to Olympics in Europe, adding the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games to our SAARC roster was a well-thought strategy and we are delighted to see the results which also prove that we are rightly reading the passionate sports fan’s choices. It is a matter of privilege and pride that Eurosport India was able to support them in this journey by bringing their untold stories of triumph to our viewers,” Rajput added.

  • IMPACT Wrestling Expands Indian Broadcast Footprint with DSPORT

    IMPACT Wrestling Expands Indian Broadcast Footprint with DSPORT

    MUMBAI: IMPACT Wrestling, a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment Inc and one of the world’s largest professional wrestling organisations, announced today a new television distribution deal with Discovery India, expanding its audience reach in this important region of the world. As part of the agreement, Discovery will broadcast 12 monthly IMPACT Plus specials on DSPORT and DSPORT HD across Indian subcontinent. The exclusive deal will include monthly specials from IMPACT Wrestling’s IMPACT Plus service, including Sacrifice from February and Lockdown in March.

    “IMPACT Wrestling has always maintained a strong presence in India and the Indian sub-continent where our passionate fan base continues to grow,” said Anthem Sports & Entertainment CCO and IMPACT Wrestling president Ed Nordholm.

    “With our volume of events increasing over the last two years, there has been more demand for exclusive and original IMPACT Wrestling content in the market. We are excited to be partnering with Discovery India to launch our monthly IMPACT Plus specials on DSPORT and look forward to continued international growth and expansion opportunities,” he added

    “We are delighted to partner with Impact Wrestling in our attempt to showcase the best possible professional wrestling action for discerning fans in India,” said Discovery SVP affiliate sales and head of sports business – South Asia Vijay Rajput. “Wrestling as a sport continues to show positive uptake in the country and we are eager to grow it as a focus area in our programming mix.”

    IMPACT Wrestling is renowned for its world-class roster of athletes, led by IMPACT World Champion Tessa Blanchard, UFC Hall of Famer Ken Shamrock and legends Rob Van Dam and Rhino, high-flying X-Division stars such as Rich Swann and TJP, former NFL player Moose, Sami Callihan, Eddie Edwards, and Michael Elgin, plus the Knockouts, including Champion Jordynne Grace, Taya Valkyrie, Rosemary and Tenille Dashwood.

  • DSport to telecast Davis Cup world group qualifier between India and Croatia

    DSport to telecast Davis Cup world group qualifier between India and Croatia

    MUMBAI: Discovery India’s sports channel DSport will broadcast Davis Cup World Group Qualifier between India and Croatia live, which is scheduled to play on 06-07 March 2020 from 7:30 pm onwards.

    India now faces world number two Croatia for the qualifiers after routing Pakistan 4-0 in November last year. The Indian team includes Prajnesh Gunneswaran, Sumit Nagal and Ramkumar Ramanthan for singles. Leander Paes, Rohan Bopanna and Divij Sharan will represent India in doubles.

    Discovery – South Asia senior vice president – affiliate sales and head of sports business, Vijay Rajput said: “Tennis fans across the country will be rooting for the national team in this important tie as India tries to make it to the World Group stage.”

    This is the seventh time in as many years that the Indian team has made it to the qualifier stage of the elite team competition but is yet to make it to the world group.

  • DSport to broadcast Pakistan Super League from 20 February

    DSport to broadcast Pakistan Super League from 20 February

    MUMBAI: DSPORT, a premium sports channel from the house of Discovery India, will broadcast the fifth season of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) LIVE for cricket fans in India.  PSL, in its fifth edition, is scheduled to be played from February 20 March 22, 2020. All the matches will be played at key time slots of 2:30 PM IST and 7:30 PM IST respectively.

    Vivian Richards, Legendary West Indian Cricketer and Mentor of PSL Defending Champions, Quetta Gladiators, said, “I am looking forward to PSL as this is the first major T20 league of the year in a heavy cricket season which culminates with World T20 later in Australia this year. Consistent high-quality contests in leagues such as PSL where players from across the world play help them to prepare better for global tournaments.”

    The league boasts of swashbuckling cricketers from across the world. The long list of international cricketers participating in the league is led by Kieron Pollard, Fabian Allen, Darren Sammy, Lendl Simmons (West Indies), Dale Steyn, Imran Tahir, Colin Ingram (South Africa), Jason Roy, Moeen Ali, Alex Hales, Chris Jordan (England), Chris Lynn, Shane Watson, Ben Cutting (Australia) and all the leading cricketers from Pakistan including Shahid Afridi, Mohammad Hafeez, Imad Wasim, Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman and Hasan Ali.

    “The presence of international stars will ensure each and every match will offer high quality contest – a core proposition to engage cricket aficionados in the country,” said, Discovery – South Asia senior vice president – Affiliate sales and Sports business head Vijay Rajput said, “We are working towards aggregating marquee properties across variety of sports with  an aim to engage passionate fan communities.”

    The first match will be played between the defending champions Quetta Gladiators and Islamabad United on February 20, 2020. Other franchises who will be seen in action include the likes of last season’s runner-up Peshawar Zalmi; Lahore Qalandars; Karachi Kings and Multan Sultans.

  • Vijay Rajput to head DSPORT channel

    Vijay Rajput to head DSPORT channel

    MUMBAI: Discovery has expanded the role of Vijay Rajput, currently serving as SVP – affiliate sales & product distribution, with an additional responsibility of heading its sports business in South Asia. Rajput is a media industry veteran having more than three decades of experience, majority of which has been in leadership roles. Prior to Discovery, he was the chief operating officer at India’s leading sports broadcaster ESPN STAR Sports.

    Speaking on the occasion, Discovery – South Asia  managing director Megha Tata said, “We are yet to actualise the full potential of our sports business in India. This year, Vijay will lead efforts to ensure that DSPORT channel gets its rightful due in the sports broadcast arena.”

    Rajput said, “We are reviewing DSPORT’s content strategy at the moment, as we aim to make it a more holistic multi-sport offering which will connect with passionate fan communities in a more engaging manner.”

    Keeping in view the aggressive outlook of the sports vertical, Discovery is currently expanding its in- house sports-focused team. The company has also ended its relationship with third-party service provider Lex Sportel, bringing all services in-house, effective 14 February 2020.

  • Discovery India announces new organisational structure

    Discovery India announces new organisational structure

    MUMBAI: Discovery Communications India has made organizational changes which will help intensify focus in key strategic areas. The erstwhile division of roles basis mass and premium networks has been done away with; the new structure has distinct verticals for content development and marketing to drive deeper focus and offer greater leverage across the 13 network channels. A dedicated vertical for digital has also been created.

    The company announced that Issac John will take on the role of Business Head for Digital with singular focus to build a strong D2C presence via Digital Product offerings. Sai Abishek will lead the content vertical for factual & lifestyle entertainment while Vednarayan Sirdeshpande will take over Marketing portfolio for the network including factual, lifestyle & kids as well as trade.|

    Speaking on the occasion, Discovery Communications India Managing Director – South Asia Megha Tata said, “We have made select changes in our org structure in light of the opportunities available in the evolving media landscape. The sharper focus on functional areas will help us become more potent, more agile.”

    Discovery Communications India’s leadership team led by Megha Tata includes: –

    Vijay Rajput, Sr Vice President – Affiliate Sales & Product Distribution
    Vikram Tanna, VP, Head of Advertising Sales and Business Head of Regional Clusters
    Ruchir Jain, Senior Director – Finance
    Gaurav Garg, Senior Director – Consumer Insights and Research
    Issac John, Director- Digital Business
    Uttam Pal Singh, Channel Head – Discovery Kids
    Sai Abishek, Director, Content- Factual & Lifestyle Entertainment
    Vednarayan Sirdeshpande, Director-Marketing 
    Ruchi Kuthiala, Director – Director- People & Culture
    Mansha Shukla, Director – Legal Affairs
    Sameer Bajaj, Director – Corporate Communications & External Affairs
    Praveen Chaudhary, Associate Director – Strategy

  • Jeet storms the market with big debut week reach

    Jeet storms the market with big debut week reach

    MUMBAI: After entertaining the Indian audience for more than 20 years with world-class documentaries on food, science and survival, Discovery Communications India (DCIN) has entered the Hindi general entertainment category (GEC) with a bang thanks to Discovery Jeet. The channel, which launched on 12 February 2018, has backed up the rave reviews for its differentiated content with phenomenal reach.

    According to Chrome DM data on 13 February 2018, Jeet secured high launch numbers with a Day Two OTS of 87.1 per cent across urban Hindi-speaking markets. The channel’s OTS was around 20 percentage points higher than the recent debut of Arnab Goswami led-Republic, which stood at 66.9 per cent during its launch in Week 20 of 2017. Chrome Data analytics and media CEO and founder Pankaj Krishna said, “Discovery Jeet has made an unprecedented distribution debut in the history of Indian television. With the Naaptol tie-up and multiple landing pages, Jeet has had a phenomenal launch.”

    RANK

    LAUNCH WEEK

    CHANNELS

    HSM (%)

    1

    WK-06, 2018

    Discovery Jeet

    87.1*

    2

    Wk-20, 2017

    Republic TV

    66.9%

    3

    Wk-10,2015

    &TV  

    64.2%

    4

    Wk-26, 2014

    Zindagi

    59.1%

    Source Chrome Track 2.0, 9 am, 13-02.2018

    *Excluding Rural data; Rural data to be released once the weekly rural data is compiled

    The channel is also available in the base pack of all the direct-to-home (DTH) channels, which means that even if a consumer purchases a pack with the minimum number of GECs, Discovery Jeet will be a part of the pack. This only ensures that the channel reaches most households across India. The channel is available in standard as well as high-definition feed, reaching 120 million households during the launch.

    Moreover, DCIN, which launched the channel with distribution to more than 100 million households in the country, has signed on Netflix as the exclusive global OTT platform. With Jeet, DCIN is aiming to break the clutter in the Hindi GEC arena riding on purpose-driven entertainment content that is available in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. The network, however, does not intend to add more regional languages anytime soon. Jeet has launched with five hours of programming daily out of which three hours is bespoke, ground-up original programming built on the thesis of the underdog winning.

    Broadcasters have been actively using landing pages to garner trials and, thereby, viewership for years with the idea being that higher the accessibility, greater the chances that the channel would attract trials and, therefore, repeat viewing. 

    “We have tied up with home-shopping channel Naaptol, which is a popular landing page on most MSOs. Naaptol shows two hours of snippety Jeet content everyday between its own content,” said Discovery Networks Asia Pacific senior VP and head affiliate sales Vijay Rajput.

    Earlier this week, C&S Medianet announced that it had supported Dish TV India Ltd, Videocon D2H Ltd and Siti Cable Network Ltd and successfully brought to conclusion the interconnection agreement with DCIN. With the conclusion of the arrangement, Jeet has been prominently placed on all the three platforms. 

    On the comparison with Colors, Discovery Communications India senior VP and GM (South Asia) Karan Bajaj said that there were parallels to be drawn but the approaches were different. “While Colors was launched with a clear strategy to be number one in the space, Discovery Jeet made an entry into the market with a clear focus on the quality of the content. Our thesis has revolved around quality.” He added that were no concerns with how things turned out with Epic since the emphasis has been on content quality. Jeet’s shows follow the daily soap format so the focus is on engaging the viewer on a day-to-day basis.

    Also Read :

    Discovery Jeet gears up for Feb 12 launch

    Not relying on movies to garner Jeet’s viewership: Karan Bajaj

    Discovery launching Hindi GEC in Q4, re-brands ID as Discovery Jeet

  • Discovery JEET rewrites history with a reach of 140 million plus on the launch day

    Discovery JEET rewrites history with a reach of 140 million plus on the launch day

    MUMBAI: Discovery JEET, the new entertainment channel from Discovery India, with meaningful content spanning biopics, historicals, crime and comedy was launched on February 12 with a reach of 140 million across India. Discovery Communication India has tied-up with leading MSOs and DTH players to ensure that Discovery JEET is available in base pack with a top 10 EPG position.

    Speaking on the occasion, Vijay Rajput, SVP & Head – Affiliate Sales, Discovery Communications India, said, “We are delighted with the overwhelming support that we have received from the cable fraternity. We thank all the affiliate partners in helping us rewrite history. It is a matter of pride that Discovery JEET has launched with a reach of 140 million plus – a feat never achieved before in the annals of TV history in India.”