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Tag: Virat Kohli

  • Gareth Bale backs Virat Kohli’s social network startup Sport Convo

    Gareth Bale backs Virat Kohli’s social network startup Sport Convo

    MUMBAI: Virat Kohli smartly took the social media route to announce that Real Madrid star Walesman Gerath Bale has joined him to back the social network startup Sport Convo.

     

    Kohli tweeted, “I’ve just had an interesting convo.” This led to a flurry of messages from fans asking what was he talking about. And speculation was rife as to whom he had spoken to.

     

    After the buzz touched new heights, Kohli revealed to his fans (known as Viratians) the interesting conversation he had was in relation to someone special joining him in backing his business venture Sport Convo. He however did not reveal the name. Instead, he gave his fans a clue and interestingly attached a picture of a heart.

     

    Speculations were drawn that Anushka Sharma or the likes of Sachin Tendulkar might have joined him to back the social network startup Sport Convo. Then the Delhite started giving clues for his fans to guess. Clues were only accessible to fans who were signed into the platform. This initiative got many people to sign  

     

    After signing one could hear a voice saying, “Namaste it’s a pleasure to be backing Sport Convo. Looking forward to having a convo with you all soon,” in a foreign accent.

     

    That put an end to speculations surrounding Sharma and Tendulkar. AB Devilliers, Kevin Pieterson, Roger Federer, Cristiano Ronaldo were all among the names that were being thrown around on social media.

     

    One didn’t need to wait long for Kohli to reveal who it was. And to most fans it came as a real surprise. In fact, it was Real Madrid star Bale. It all makes sense now as his famous celebration is the heart.

     

    “Quite an interesting story really, I have been a fan of cricket for ages and started following Virat Kohli, we got talking over social and he mentioned this idea called Sport Convo that he was starting, he sent me more detail on it and I instantly really liked it,” said Bale.

     

    “Sport Convo was particularly attractive to me as my belief is sport benefits greatly from social media.It provides fans with the opportunity to showcase their opinions and passion for the game. Also allowing me to communicate with my fans quickly and efficiently, which is important as a professional cricketer I am always on the go. Sport Convo stood out for me and delivers all of this and beyond and that’s why I opted to back this business venture,” said Kohli.

     

    He further added, “As you may know I’m a Real Madrid fan and it’s good to be working with Gareth Bale now on Sport Convo. There is a lot of mutual respect between us and I’m glad to have him onboard.”

     

    Sport Convo CEO and co-founder Vishal Patel said, “Everyone involved in the business are sports fans. We have built and will continue to build a platform where sports fans can consume sport content and interact with content and fellow fans in a highly unique way. And we hope to become a place where all sports fans come to consume all things sport. We as a startup are extremely lucky to have two amazing backers. I can reveal at this stage we are now also in discussions with other personalities, both within the sport and in other industries… so watch this space.”

     

    On Facebook, Kohli put up a competition for two lucky winners to win an autographed cap from both Bale and himself. The winner will be announced within the Sport Convo platform on 29 December, 2015.

  • ‘What’s Wrogn With Virat?’ asks exclusive video on hotstar!

    ‘What’s Wrogn With Virat?’ asks exclusive video on hotstar!

    MUMBAI: Using exclusive content to drive interest, engagement and conversations amongst the digitally active, premium young audiences on mobile, India’s largest digital content platform, hotstar, has now added an exclusive video with Indian cricket superstar Virat Kohli and cricket lovers.

     

    The video is now live and available exclusively to the users of hotstar, which has raced to over 25 million downloads within just over 7 months of its launch.

     

    Cheekily entitled What’s Wrogn With Virat?, the video offers several never-seen-before, humorous and heartwarming takes on India’s batting sensation and heartthrob of the nation, Virat Kohli.  It begins with  young cricket fans sharing their opinions on a variety of topics like what they feel is wrong with Virat, their take on his aggressive play on the field, Virat as a captain, who between Dhoni and Virat is the better captain, the position Virat should bat on, the strategy the Indian team should adopt, and more. Even as the youngsters freely speak their minds, they are blissfully unaware that Virat himself is watching them from the adjacent room, and reacting to each comment as only he can. Emotions hit the roof when, to the surprise and shock of the young cricket fans, Virat suddenly appears in front of them while they are in mid-sentence!

     

    The youngsters’ candid opinions and Virat’s reactions to them, and then the speakers’ own reactions when Virat walks on to the set, are what the video builds up to. The best part, of course, is the answer to the question in everyone’s mind: How will Virat react to their feedback, and how he will interact with them.

     

    To know, watch  What’s Wrogn With Virat, live now, exclusively on hotstar, the fastest grown digital content platform with a truly rich and compelling content library of over 50,000 hours from sports, TV shows,  movies, events and more in seven languages

     

    hotstar is the destination of choice for marketers and brand custodians seeking to reach its large and premium, digitally enabled and active young audiences across India. Film producers are increasingly looking at hotstar as a preferred choice for digital-first promotional content premieres for the young, upwardly mobile and discerning audiences of hotstar.

     

  • BCCI congratulates Indian Team on Test series win against Sri Lanka

    BCCI congratulates Indian Team on Test series win against Sri Lanka

    MUMBAI: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has congratulated the Indian Cricket Team on winning the three-match Test series against Sri Lanka.

     

    BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya said, “On behalf of everyone in Indian cricket I would like to congratulate the Indian Cricket Team on their 2-1 Test series win in Sri Lanka. The magnitude of this brilliant win can be ascertained by the fact that the series win in Sri Lanka has come after 22 years. The team and management have made their way in the cricketing history books.”

     

    “I also congratulate Mr. Virat Kohli for this victory. Mr. Kohli has been exceptional in his role as captain of the Indian cricket team. He is doing an excellent job in building a new team and leading from the front,” added Dalmiya.

     

    BCCI Honorary secretary Anurag Thakur said, “My hearty congratulations to the Indian Cricket team on the Test series win in Sri Lanka. A special kudos to Mr. Virat Kohli on winning his first series as India’s Test captain and I hope this is the first of many for the captain and his young team. The boys can be very proud of what they have achieved and I am confident they will now strive for doing it on a consistent basis.

     

    “The challenge for us is to create sustained success and to ensure that Team India’s performances keep on improving in the upcoming season. We believe we are putting in place the foundations to move in the right direction. We are committed to doing everything we can to achieve continuous improvement,” Thakur added.

  • Virat Kohli’s Sport Convo aims to be star-backed platform; eyes more partnerships

    Virat Kohli’s Sport Convo aims to be star-backed platform; eyes more partnerships

    MUMBAI: Whether it’s a professional sport or a business venture, the competitive spirit is one thing that’s common to both. The breed of sportspersons turning entrepreneurs is growing formidably and one such player who is becoming a force to reckon with is Virat Kohli – because for this dapper current Indian test captain, scoring centuries at a brisk rate is just not enough!

    Kohli’s Sport Convo, a multiplatform sports social media hub where fans can connect and “convo” about sport, has gathered momentum amongst fans. Kohli stepped into the venture early when it was still in its concept stage and today he couldn’t be happier.

    In an exclusive interaction with Indiantelevision.com, Kohli, who dons the dual hats of a player and an entrepreneur, says, “I am looking forward to the launch in the next month. The guys have been really hard at work to create a product that we can all be proud of. I am looking forward to supporting this business and see it grow.”

    With a vision to make Sport Convo the premier place where sport fans consume sports, Sport Convo managing director and founder Vishal Patel is upbeat about the venture and its progress so far.

    What’s more, the company is also in advanced talks with a few sports stars to invest in the venture. Patel says, “We have been approached by a number of major sports stars across the sport to potentially join Virat Kohli in investing in Sport Convo. We are in advanced discussions with a couple of stars and will make a formal announcement once things are finalised. We believe we will attract a minimum of three other major global personalities to back Sport Convo in the way Virat has. We look forward to making some major announcements soon.” 

    The layout of the site indicates that Sport Convo will not be limited to cricket and hence there is a wide possibility of more stars from across the sports fraternity wearing Sport Convo merchandises and promoting the venture. When queried as to whether the company was planning to rope in more stars, Patel says, “We are a multiple sport platform. We are a star backed platform rather than a star led platform. We want our functionality, content and unique ways of creating content to be at the fore of the product. However, should sport stars want to the join the platform they would be welcomed.”

    Speaking of Kohli’s role in the business, Patel says, “We have worked with him and his team from the early stages of product development. He is a shareholder of the business and an ambassador of the brand. His presence has played a vital role in giving us real exposure and it has been brilliant for us so far.”

    Kholi has been spotted sporting Sport Convo caps and T-shirts on his various public appearances, which helps in the brand’s publicity and exposure.

    “He even wore our T-shirt in Dwayne Bravo’s music video Chalo Chalo, which was a great surprise to us. So to have someone like Virat enthused and motivated to see his investment succeed is excellent for a startup business like us,” Patel says.

    Additionally, Gareth Bale and Alex Hales have also been seen wearing our snapbacks, which are now available to buy at www.convostore.com.

    It was the growth of technology and the spurt of multiple online platforms that triggered Patel to come up with a venture like Sport Convo, where fans can have conversation on various sporting moments. “I have always been passionate about the tech industry and I also am a huge fan of sports. I wanted to combine both my passions to create a hub for sport where fans like me can consume sport in a unique way, and that’s how Sport Convo came into existence,” Patel informs. 

    The yet to launch platform has already roped in 24.7K followers on Twitter and has 5000+ likes on Facebook. “Considering the fact that we have not yet formally launched our platform, we are truly humbled with the kind of social media following that we have received. As of now, we have a more than 30K social media followers, which also includes some sports stars. Some notable sports stars, who have started following us organically are Real Madrid’s most expensive soccer star Gareth Bale as well as England and Essex cricketer Ravi Bopara,” Patel informs.

    Sport Convo’s Beta version, which was launched sometime back, now has more than 15K pre-registered users. Expressing delight, Patel says, “We are glad to say that we had over 15K pre-registrants and another 6K evincing interest in our merchandise.”

    Sport Convo’s Android and iOS apps are slated to launch by end September. “At that point the network will be open to everybody where they can register on the site or download the app. From September to the end of October, we will have a number of updates of functionality that we hope will excite users,” adds Patel.

    At the outset, majority of the marketing strategies will reverberate around social media. “We are in discussions with a number of third party companies including major broadcasters and telecom companies for partnerships. Since our global headquarters are in London, we will be setting up a office in India to handle marketing efforts for the region. We have not hired a marketing agency in India,” informs Patel. 

    Sport Convo will have multiple revenue generating features within the app. Additionally, the venture will also be open to traditional means of advertisement. “Unlike many tech companies, we are endeavoring to build a brand and eventually launch a lifestyle fashion brand backed by social network. This would prove to be a highly unique revenue model for a tech business like us,” says Patel.

    While merchandising will be a major source of revenue, it will not be the only source. Patel says, “Merchandising will be one of the revenue sources but we will not be fully dependent on it. We are implementing some highly unique features, which we believe will provide a strong revenue stream.”

  • Virat Kohli gets into overdrive with social media venture Sport Convo

    Virat Kohli gets into overdrive with social media venture Sport Convo

    MUMBAI: Cricketers today are also proving to be smart businessmen, whether it’s the Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni or the cricket sensation Virat Kohli.
     
    When he’s not busy hitting boundaries and sixes on field, he’s busy eyeing business ventures that catch his fancy. Kohli, who invested in the social media start-up Sport Convo last year, is of the opinion that sport benefits greatly from social media, which is one of the reasons why he invested in the London-based company. What’s more, Sport Convo, which aims to bridge the gap between sports stars and fans, has got off to a good start.

    The ICC World Cup 2015 and the on-going Indian Premier League (IPL) raked in numerous impressions on social media platforms  like Twitter and Facebook, where fans discussed various important moments that changed the course of the game. With social media proliferation, niche websites such as Social Convo, catering to specific fields are likely to crop up sooner rather than later.
     
    The Indian cricketer, who has more than 30 million fans on social media platforms, will be using his fan base to promote the venture. Catering to a niche, the sport-specific social media – Sport Convo’s website promises exciting gifts for fans who register in the initial stages. Additionally, Kohli also tweeted that one lucky fan will receive a bat signed by him.



    Kohli was quoted in media reports as saying, “Sport Convo was particularly attractive to me as my belief is sport benefits greatly from social media. It provides fans with the opportunity to showcase their opinion and passion for the game. It also allows me to communicate with my fans quickly and efficiently, which is important because as a professional cricketer, I am always on the go. Sport Convo stood out for me and delivers all of this and beyond and that’s why I opted to back this business venture.”
     
    The website also has a ‘Shop’ link, signifying that Sport Convo will not just be limited to conversation but will also venture into the merchandising business. Currently the website only features one product – a ‘Convo’ branded cap, which can be purchased anytime soon. Kohli has been spotted wearing a similar cap on numerous occasions.
     
    Apart from Kohli, the venture has also roped in England hard-hitting batsman Alex Hales, who would be endorsing the brand. Hales will be sporting the Sport Convo’s logo on his bat.
     
    Sports Convo is also looking at roping in more sports stars on board and the conversation will not be restricted to cricket.

    So far the company, founded by Vishal Patel, Amrit Johal, Praveen Reddy and Jasneel Nagi, is a sports star driven social media platform, which will also have an e-store for fans to buy products promoted by their sports heroes.
     

    Observers believe that the merchandising business which the site has flagged off might well explode into a lucrative one. However, they doubt whether enough fans will get on to the social media platform to chat and connect with each other because of the growth and growth of Facebook. Another social media platform in the US fanbase.com recently announced that it would shut because it had not managed to crack a business model to monetise on the 15 million sports lovers who were logging on every month.

    A sports journo however begs to differ. “Fanbase.com was founded by two young entrepreneurs with investors. They did not have any sports person backing them online to drive conversation. SportConvo however has Virat with his feet firmly entrenched in the venture. And he is driving it through his social following, posting videos, tweets and doling out give aways. I can only see it being a winner all the way in every way.”

    It now remains to be seen if the briskly scoring Kohli succeeds to drive enough fans to Sports Convo and turn it into a resounding success.

     

     

     

     

  • Royal Challengers Bangalore launches anthem for IPL season 8

    Royal Challengers Bangalore launches anthem for IPL season 8

    MUMBAI: It’s that time of the year again! While the cricket fans are all geared up for this season’s IPL, the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) fans have something special to look forward to besides the game. RCB drums up excitement and quite literally puts a voice in your head through the launch of its latest RCB anthem!

     

    Bold and catchy, the tune promises to elevate and set the mood just right for the game. It is an anthem that needs to be sung loudly, vociferously, from the heart and with attitude. Just the way RCB play their game. Composed by Chennai born New Zealander, Mikey McCleary with lyrics from Sonal Dabral, Chairman and Chief Creative Officer of DDB Mudra Group, the anthem is inspired and borrows from the bold spirit which embodies Gen-Y’s ‘never say die’ spirit that team RCB live and play by.

     

    With an impressive repertoire of films like Shaitan, Shanghai, Nautanki Saala and Shaadi Ke Side Effects under his belt, McCleary adds his magical touch to the RCB anthem as well promising to make it one of the most hummable tunes of the season for young and old alike.

     

    The new anthem unlike most, is not only about the game but is an inspiring hymn for the youth to be bold and put their heart and soul into whatever they want to achieve in life. The words are meant to inspire young Indians to be unafraid to be different, not be afraid to challenge the norm, to be bold and willing to take a chance, to make your own track, not just following the well-trodden path. These are also the values that bind the RCB team together – their bold and confident spirit which is echoed by the new anthem. Be it Chris Gayle, Virat Kohli or the young sensation Sarfaraz Khan, it is all about making a bold move in life and being extremely passionate about the game.

     

  • India vs Australia semi final match smashes record on Twitter

    India vs Australia semi final match smashes record on Twitter

    MUMBAI: India’s defeat in the semi final match against Australia in the ICC Cricket World Cup may have been disappointing for Indians but the energy set the social media arena on fire.

     

    The India – Australia semi final match recorded the highest number of live Twitter impressions on the platform compared to all ICC Cricket World Cup matches. It garnered close to 161. 4 million Twitter impressions. The previous highest match was the India versus Pakistan match, which accounted for 118.3 million Twitter impressions.

     

    The top tweets per minute (TPM) moments were:

    1) Australia winning by 95 runs

    2) M.S Dhoni being run out for 65

    3) James Faulkner dismissing Rohit Sharma leaving India with 232/9

    4) Aaron Finch being dismissed for 81, Australia was 233/4

    5) David Warner being dismissed too, Australia was 15/1

     

    The top three mentioned India players were M.S.Dhoni, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. On the other hand, Steve Smith, Aaron Finch and Mitchell Johnson were the top three players for Australia.

     

    A group MEC report, which analysed the India versus Pakistan and the semi final match against Australia shared some highlights too. It said the chatter around the India-Pak match on 15 February was 0.7 million. On the other hand, the India-Australia semi final match had a chatter of 0.9 million. (All the chatter has been gathered across Twitter, Facebook, other forums and blogs). The report also highlighted that the top two hashtags were #ShameOnTimesNow and #DareToBeDhoni.

     

  • Kohli, De Villiers, Gayle, Dhoni & McCullum are Top 5 batsmen on social media: TO THE NEW

    Kohli, De Villiers, Gayle, Dhoni & McCullum are Top 5 batsmen on social media: TO THE NEW

    MUMBAI: Off late the ICC Cricket World Cup has been the most talked about event on digital platforms, with most official broadcasters providing live online and mobile streaming and users consuming digital content on the go.

     

    For millennial population, who have been born in 21st century, social media has emerged as the most preferred channel to consume cricket content.

     

    According to TO THE NEW Digital’s holistic metric called Social Impact Index, the top five batsmen on social media have been Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, MS Dhoni, Chris Gayle and Brendan McCullum. 

     

    Kohli got 44 per cent of his positive mentions for his century against Pakistan on 15 February, 2015. His negative mentions saw another spike around 3 March, 2015 on his abusive remarks to the journalist. His Net Sentiment Score is +6 per cent, which would have been better if not for this incident. Kohli has lost his mentions mostly to the other performers in the batting lineup namely Shikhar Dhawan, who has won some hearts on social media with his mentions increasing 1,224 times on 22 February, 2015.

     

    About 56 per cent of the mentions can be owed to AB De Villiers’ fiery innings of 162 against West Indies on 27 February,  2015. De Villiers has the Highest Net Sentiment Score of +42 per cent amongst all the players till now in CWC15.

     

    Gayle’s stand out performance of the first ever Double ton in CWC15 was very well greeted by the social media audience. Gaylestorm received a whopping 78.56 per cent of his positive mentions for the innings on 24 February, 2015. Gayle has continued to impress his followers with his witty tweets and fierce batting attributing to a Net Sentiment score of +37 per cent.

     

    Dhoni has been Social Media’s favorite throughout CWC 15 and unlike others who received mentions basis their performances, Dhoni was the most talked about captain on the day of Cricket World Cup 2015 opening ceremony. Dhoni has also received good mentions during all the India matches and a Net Sentiment score of +8 per cent that can be attributed to his excellent captaincy throughout CWC15.

     

    McCullum has been the most impactful player in the tournament for New Zealand with his brief but thunderous contributions with the bat which is quite evident from his Net Sentiment score of +12 per cent.

  • Star India’s ‘Mauka’ mania inspires creative videos

    Star India’s ‘Mauka’ mania inspires creative videos

    India qualified to the semi-finals of ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 in sublime fashion. In the semi-final, India will face host nation Australia and pundits predict an evenly poised match.

     

    The voyage of team India in this edition of ICC Cricket World Cup was well complimented by Star India’s creative innovation ‘Mauka’ and as India readies itself for the important bout against the Kangaroos, Indiantelevision.com lists various ‘Mauka’ moments that brought smile to thousands of faces.

     

    As is the trend nowadays, after every India match Star launches a ‘Mauka’ video, the world also partakes in the Mauka Mania and creates a piece of its own. We take this opportunity to scan through the non Star India ‘Mauka’ videos made during the course of the tournament.

    Take a look:

     

     

    Bangladesh indeed is flying high as they stunned England to secure their berth in the quarter finals of ICC World Cup 2015. But their opponent in the quarter final was none other than the defending champions: India, who is so far undisputed in the tournament.

     

    The video features a giant monster decimating representatives of nations, which Bangladesh has defeated so far in the championship while the Indian astronaut hides himself to escape the demolition. The humorous piece with Rise of Tigers slogan depicts Bangladesh’s emergence in the tournament.

     

     

    This video shows an India supporter witnessing disappointing moments during the India VS Bangladesh match in 2007 World Cup with crackers in his hand, which India had lost. 

     

     

    The renowned online netwrok “The Viral Fever” came up with its version of the ‘Mauka’ video.

     

    The video was launched before India Vs West Indies match. It depicts India’s formidable performance and claims “Is Baar Sab Ki Phodenge,” which implies that in this World Cup, team India will spoil every opponent’s celebration.   

     

     

    This video from ITV 2.0 Productions goes beneath the boughs to depict a different scenario. It showcases circumstances where India lost all of its group matches and the opponents are participating in a joint celebration. But unfortunately for them the celebration turns out to be a flop show because the crackers were too bad to burst, and while they anxiously try to find what is wrong with the fireworks, they discover they are a low quality China made products. In the next scene, the video shows PM Narendra Modi cracking a deal with his Chinese counterpart. The moral of the video is that while the entire world planned and plotted against India, India refuses to hold back and keeps prospering.

     

     

    The same group came up with another one of a kind, all girl ‘Mauka’ piece, right before the India Vs Bangladesh match. The video shows how every team that has qualified for the quarter finals is pampering Bangladesh. The moral of the video is that if Bangladesh knocks India out of the tournament, then other teams will escape the demolition India has been offering so far to opponents.

  • OgilvyOne launches 5 Star’s Ramesh Suresh cricket videos on Vine

    OgilvyOne launches 5 Star’s Ramesh Suresh cricket videos on Vine

    MUMBAI: After delighting unsuspecting movie-goers in PVR Cinemas and commentating live for the India-South Africa match, Ramesh and Suresh, who feature in the ad for Cadburys 5 Star, have a new job up their sleeves.

     

    Responding to requests made by Cadbury 5 Star fans, OgilvyOne made the duo India’s unofficial cricket coaches, who were on a mission to teach everyone, including our boys in blue, a thing or two about cricket.

     

    All through the day, the brothers kept eating Cadbury 5 Star, kept getting lost and giving coaching tips to the teams, umpires, audience and their fans. Understanding youthful demands of constant entertainment, the brand decided to leverage Vine by creating real time video content.

     

    With 20 Vine videos that ranged from fielding instructions, to dealing with sledging, from a booty shake celebration to a special message to Virat Kohli, they found a way to make the match even more enjoyable.

     

    OgilvyOne senior creative director worldwide George Kovoor said, “This is the first time a brand has used Vine to create real time video content during an event as big as the Cricket World Cup. It is also one of a series of social media innovations and ideas that Cadbury 5 Star created to start conversations during the World Cup and amplify the promise of Jo Khaaye Kho Jaaye.”

     

    Twitter:

     

    · Impressions: 526K

     

    · Tweets: 4375

     

    · Mentions: 2029

     

    · RTs: 2080

     

    · Favorites: 1031

     

    Vine:

     

    · Loops: 86,561

     

    · Top Vines:

     

    o   Running Between the wickets:

     

    o   Victory Dance:

     

    o   Umpire:

     

    Facebook:

     

    · Reach: 1,987,200

     

    · Views: 50,884

     

    · Likes: 53,725

     

    · Comments: 290