ITV

Tag: Virender Sehwag

  • DoIt Talent Ventures appoints Murtuza Madraswala as business head

    DoIt Talent Ventures appoints Murtuza Madraswala as business head

    MUMBAI: DoIt Talent Ventures, a talent management firm, has appointed Murtuza Madraswala as the business head, Indiantelevision has learnt. Lead by Dharshana Bhalla and Radha Kapoor Khanna, the company marked its entry into the Indian market in April this year.

    Madraswala was previously working as the head of marketing and PR for Sony Six and Sony ESPN. Having joined Sony in 2012, he played a pivotal role in the company’s FIFA World Cup and Euro campaigns over the years. Madraswala also crafted marketing initiatives for NBA and key cricket tournaments.

    Madraswala joins the company with over two decades of experience in marketing and client servicing. He joined Sony from Amigo Sports where he was GM for marketing and worked on the FIFA business division.

    Sony is not the only broadcaster Murtuza worked has with, he had a four-year stint with then ZEEL-owned Ten Sports.

    In the span of three months, DoIt Talent Ventures has already signed a number of personalities across films and TV like Farhan Akhtar, John Abraham, Lara Dutta, Kajal Aggarwal and Neeraj Pandey.

    When it comes to sporting talent, the brand now works with Virender Sehwag, Mahesh Bhupathi, Geeta Phogat, Ashwini Ponnappa, Robin Singh, Viren Rasquinha and Aparna Popat.

    Dharshana Bhalla is a former CEO of Mates – the entertainment unit of Madison communication, while Radha Kapoor Khanna is founder and executive director of DoIt creations.

    Also read:

    DoIT Ventures launches India’s first integrated talent management firm

  • Virender Sehwag starts new innings with India TV’s sports show

    Virender Sehwag starts new innings with India TV’s sports show

    MUMBAI: Virender Sehwag is all set to start a new innings with India TV’s sports show Cricket Ki Baat will now have him on its expert panel.

    Known to be an ultra-aggressive batsman throughout his illustrious cricketing career, Sehwag has created a similar image for himself off-the-field too. This image is to do with his happy-go-lucky style of cricket commentary and carefree tweets those often create flutter amongst the Twitterati.

    A visually ecstatic Sehwag on beginning of his new innings stated, “I am delighted to associate with India TV as cricket expert. It is everyone’s dream to work for the channel that is led foremost news personality Rajat Sharma.”

    “I have always strived to further India’s pride through my cricket and this wasn’t possible without my fans. I am sure that I will be able to present my viewpoint on the nitty-gritties of the game to each of my fan with utmost honesty. I hope that my innings with India TV will prove to be a very successful and a memorable one,” he added.

    India TV MD Ritu Dhawan said, “We look forward to the fireworks the man is packaged with. We can’t be surer that with him on the panel, we have done the best possible job for our discerning audiences in terms of providing them with lively cricketing opinions.”

    The team behind the show Cricket Ki Baat is very upbeat with Sehwag’s entry on the expert panel and has lined up a flurry of specials with the legendry Cricketer, few of these are expected to be first of its kind on the News Television.

  • Epic launches crowdfunding for Sehwag’s ‘Umeed India’

    MUMBAI: Epic Channel has announced the launch of its new show ‘Umeed India’ to be hosted by ex-cricketer ace Virendra Sehwag.

    The new TV series aims to bring lime-light on the stories of struggle and triumph of these 13 seasoned sportspersons and their training for Tokya 2020 Olympics. Through the help of crowdfunding platform ImpactGuru.com, Epic channel aims to empower these champions and their dreams.

    When Epic Channel launched ‘Umeed India’, hosted by ex-cricketing ace Virender Sehwag, the most inspiring TV series you will see this year, the aim was to bring to the limelight it deserves, the extraordinary stories of 13 seasoned sportspersons who are training for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. The show follows the lives of Freestyle Wrestler Sakshi Malik, Paralympian Swimmer Suyash Jadhav, Shot Put player OP Karhana, Sprinter Dutee Chand, Judo Player Avtar Singh, Wrestler Vinesh Phogat, Rower Dattu Bhokanal among others. In an attempt to go beyond just telling their stories, Epic Channel aims to empower these champ`ions through a crowdfunding initiative. In order to raise funds, Epic Channel has partnered with Impact Guru .

    Through crowdfunding, Epic Channel aims to empower these athletes to perform at their highest skill level at international sporting events – this will be the largest online fundraiser in India. While there are many factors which affect a country’s performance at the Olympics, funding is a crucial one. Athletes incur various expenses, from sporting equipment, training and nutrition to travel and boarding for various international competitions to improve their world ranking. Most athletes have to spend from their savings, which forces them into doing jobs along with the training, leading to some dropping out of the sport altogether due to lack of funds.

    The campaign is hoping to raise funds from people across the country, corporates, celebrities, HNIs, and even the Indian diaspora situated across the world. This fundraiser will be facilitated through ImpactGuru.com from around the world for domestic and international donors. For the convenience of donors, the website will provide various payment options to Indian and foreign donors. They will be able to either contribute to a common pool or fund individual athletes, as per their preference.

    Through the crowdfunding platform, donors can also create Support Fundraisers – which are micro pages that let them raise funds through their family, friends and other social networks. All Indian donors will receive 80G tax exemption certificates from Impact Guru Foundation. Donors from the US will also receive US tax benefits from GlobalGiving, Impact Guru’s strategic partner.

    While expressing his concerns and highlighting the struggles that athletes endure, Virender Sehwag averred, “I hope through the show we can bring to light an athlete’s daily struggles and the facilities they are offered and the dearth of it. While shooting, what I also noticed was that these athletes are given a diet stipend of Rs. 600, which is appalling because they are training for Olympics and need much more support than what they are being offered. Umeed India is an effort to bring fans, communities, and even the corporate world together to empower the athletes and even help raise funds so that they can achieve their goals.”

    Sharing his views on the crowdfunding campaign, Akul Tripathi, Programming Head, Epic Channel said, “As a show, ‘Umeed India’ aims to bring to light the struggles and triumphs of our sportspersons. They are the pride of our country and it is unfortunate that, at times, some very basic necessities are not made available to them at the correct time. The crowdfunding campaign in association with ImpactGuru.com is our attempt at connecting the people of the country directly with their sporting talent.”

    Talking about how crowdfunding will help these athletes, Piyush Jain, Co-founder and Trustee of Impact Guru said, “Crowdfunding is a powerful tool for change. If we, as a country of 1.3 billion people, stand with our athletes and support them, it will motivate them even more to bring home gold medals in the next Olympics. Impact Guru is thrilled to be partnering with Epic Channel’s Umeed India TV series, hosted by Sehwag, to launch the largest and most ambitious crowdfunding campaign in Indian history.”

    The campaign will be announced by Virender Sehwag during the show and donations can be made on impactguru.com.

  • PKL 5 advertisers grow three-fold, sponsorships rise 320%

    MUMBAI: Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) sponsorship revenue, in the fifth year, rose 320 per cent in 2017 and there was three times increase in the number of advertisers, Star India EVP and head – ad sales Anil Jayaraj said at the Mumbai event announcing the PKL 5. Star India owns the on-ground sponsorship and broadcast rights for Vivo PKL.

    Mashal Sports, the pioneers of Vivo Pro Kabaddi, and Star Sports, India’s leading sports broadcaster, began the countdown to the much-anticipated Season 5 of the league, with the unveiling of the new format and fixtures for the season. The league’s four new teams have been supported by JSW Sports and Adani Wilmar.

    The increase in sponsorship revenue and advertisers, Jayaraj said, was owing to spurt in viewership. “Season 4 of PKL witnessed higher ratings than IPL in three states — Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, that is 41 per cent as compared to IPL’s 21 per cent (as per Star’s internal analysis),” Star India EVP and head – marketing Shubhranshu Singh said.

    Jayaraj added:  “Around 50 per cent of our existing advertisers have advertised at least in one of the previous seasons, and 90 per cent realised that competition gained and as a result decided to advertise.” Looking at the sponsors from PKL 1, Fevicol was the first brand to be associated with PKL. In the second season PKL got some traction, and nine brands came on board.

    PKL has also roped in film and sports personalities such as Virender Sehwag, Shikhar Dhawan, Saina Nehwal, and Amitabh and Abhishek Bachchan to spike PKL’s visibility.

    With only four years of play, PKL is the second most popular sports after IPL in India. Overall, around Rs 47 crore (Rs 470 million) was invested on over 260 players for the fifth season. “The sponsors investing in sports these days get 15x RoI (returns on investment),” Jayaraj said.

    There was a 12 per cent increase in consideration for sponsorships from 59 per cent after PKL 4, Jayaraj informed. Brand such as Flipkart, Bajaj, TVS, Amazon India, Castrol Active, Gionee, Coca Cola and SBI, among other are associated with PKL 5. “And, I’m expecting a total of around 24 brands to be on board for this season,” Jayaraj added.

    The challenge Star India faced in the beginning was how to revive the ancient Indian sport. “Kabaddi World Cup got a viewership of 114 million which consumed around 11 billion minutes of TV,” Singh said. PKL is no doubt on the growth path.

    The on-ground sponsorship in kabaddi grew by 13 per cent year-on-year in 2016 and that cricket’s contribution in the overall sports revenue fell. “Around 61% of 2016’s on-ground sponsorship was contributed by three deals, one of which is Vivo’s title sponsor deal with Pro Kabaddi,” said media investment management company Group M business head – entertainment, sports & live events Vinit Karnik. On-ground sponsorship in 2015 and 2016 for cricket were Rs 529.5 crore (Rs 5295 million) and Rs 562.7 crore, respectively, and that for kabaddi were Rs 48.0 crore and Rs 122.0 crore, respectively.

    Vivo Pro Kabaddi Season 5 will begin on 28 July in Hyderabad and will travel across 12 host cities, culminating in Chennai with the ultimate battle of Kabaddi supremacy taking place on 28 October. The first match will see Rahul Chaudhari-led Telugu Titans clash with Tamil Thalaivas, which boasts of marquee player, Ajay Thakur.

    The 12 teams have been divided into two zones of six teams each, where each of them will be playing 15 intra-zone and seven inter-zone matches, prior to the play-offs. The play-offs stage will comprise three qualifiers and two eliminators scheduled to take place in Mumbai and Chennai.

    Vivo Pro Kabaddi league commissioner Anupam Goswami said, “For Season 5, our goal was to create a high-impact tournament which evokes euphoric sentiment among fans for their favourite teams. Strong contenders will be seen clashing in the action-packed 3 months of the league. The longer duration of the league, in addition to 12 teams battling in 138 matches, will give fans an exciting season of kabaddi to cheer for.”

    International Kabaddi Federation CEO Deoraj Chaturvedi said, “It is our foremost priority to tirelessly work towards nurturing and developing an evocative and engaging Kabaddi culture in India. The International Kabaddi Federation worked with Mashal Sports to create a dynamic schedule for Vivo  Pro Kabaddi Season 5 which will thrill the audiences. We are proud to see that the league, which is uniquely driven by innovation, has grown into one of the biggest in Indian sports.”

    Team sponsors are also gung-ho, and are investing in training. U Mumba, for example, has started a training academy in Kerala to develop talent. “We will train 50 boys each year and will also be venturing into E-sports,” U Mumba CEO Supratik Sen said.

    Click here for detailed schedule

  • 92.7 Big FM ropes in Sehwag, Ayaz & RJ Abhimanyu

    MUMBAI: 92.7 Big FM is known to provide thematic content during the 20-20 cricket match series, thereby becoming the most popular radio destination during the cricket extravaganza.

    This year the radio station is all set to ride the 20-20 cricket wave yet again, with two exclusive segments. The radio station has roped in celebrated cricket analyst Ayaz Memon to co-host ‘BIG Cricket League’ with sports RJ Abhimanyu. The duo will present a star player’s biopic every week from Monday-Thursday 8pm-9pm from 3rd April to 26th May for its listeners across HSMs. Leveraging the cricket fever, 92.7 BIG FM is collaborating with legendary cricketer Virender Sehwag for the third time to bring match analysis to a cricket crazy nation during the morning show across the network.

    Big Cricket League will see Ayaz Memon presenting biopics of iconic players every week and bringing alive interesting facts of the lives of famous cricketers like MS Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Zaheer Khan, Gautam Gambhir and Murali Vijay that will be focusing on their childhood, family background, education and more. Spread over a period of eight weeks, this cricket season will see the flamboyant Virender Sehwag offer exclusive pre and post match analysis.

    Sehwag said, “This is my third year with 92.7 BIG FM for the 20-20 cricket series and it gives me immense pleasure to be associated with them yet again. I feel privileged to connect with all the cricket enthusiasts off the field. Cricket has always been my passion and I am humbled to be doing what I love through this unique offering.”

    Memon, said “This is a great platform through which listeners can acquire information and insights about their favorite players. Cricket is a religion in our country and fans want to know everything about their heroes. BIG Cricket League will provide the audience with just what they are looking for.”

    Spokesperson from 92.7 BIG FM said, “92.7 BIG FM has always catered to the various entertainment needs of its listeners through a plethora of distinctive content formats. Cricket is one sport that is celebrated largely in the country.”

    92.7 BIG FM will further drive engagement by conducting daily musical contests for the listeners largely segregated under two categories, BIG 4 and BIG6. In the BIG 4 contest, the listeners will have to identify one common thing between 4 consecutive songs played in an hour. The BIG 6 will have an RJ play a 15-sec mash-up of 6 songs, wherein the listeners will have to identify all 6 songs. This light-hearted segment will make the content more interactive, providing listeners a chance to win exciting prices.

  • Viu Originals to feature two new shows by Vikram Bhatt & Culture Machine

    Viu Originals to feature two new shows by Vikram Bhatt & Culture Machine

    MUMBAI: Bollywood director, producer and auteur Vikram Bhatt is all set to launch two new premium shows on Viu, the OTT video on demand entertainment service of Vuclip. The shows commissioned by the platform will be co-produced by Bhatt and digital media company Culture Machine. The two new shows are slated to be released exclusively on Viu in the first quarter of 2017.

    “With an auteur par excellence like Vikram Bhatt presenting the soon to be launched shows, subscribers of Viu should be in for a visual treat come 2017,” said Vuclip India country head Vishal Maheshwari.

    The first of the untitled shows falls under the urban thriller genre with supernatural elements, while the other show is based on the life of a reigning Bollywood star who overcomes odds to achieve superstardom, offering viewers an inside view of the world of glamour, elusive love and scandalous controversies that are associated with it.

    A veteran of four movies shot in 3D, Bhatt will be using a new filming technology for one of these shows.

    “Always exciting to work on projects for a digital audience. The creative challenge is to hold on to their attention and make them want for more”, said Bhatt. “The allure of the paranormal that plays on in your minds and the vicarious thrill of knowing what it is like to lead the life of a Bollywood star are sure to glue the audience to their laptop or mobile screens.”

    He further added, “The star cast will be announced in the next ten days. What you can expect is very strong characterizations of the female protagonists”.

    Cricketer Virender Sehwag’s micro series Viru ke Funde and cricket humorist Vikram Sathaye’s chat show What the Duck are originals which have had a successful run on Viu.

  • Viu Originals to feature two new shows by Vikram Bhatt & Culture Machine

    Viu Originals to feature two new shows by Vikram Bhatt & Culture Machine

    MUMBAI: Bollywood director, producer and auteur Vikram Bhatt is all set to launch two new premium shows on Viu, the OTT video on demand entertainment service of Vuclip. The shows commissioned by the platform will be co-produced by Bhatt and digital media company Culture Machine. The two new shows are slated to be released exclusively on Viu in the first quarter of 2017.

    “With an auteur par excellence like Vikram Bhatt presenting the soon to be launched shows, subscribers of Viu should be in for a visual treat come 2017,” said Vuclip India country head Vishal Maheshwari.

    The first of the untitled shows falls under the urban thriller genre with supernatural elements, while the other show is based on the life of a reigning Bollywood star who overcomes odds to achieve superstardom, offering viewers an inside view of the world of glamour, elusive love and scandalous controversies that are associated with it.

    A veteran of four movies shot in 3D, Bhatt will be using a new filming technology for one of these shows.

    “Always exciting to work on projects for a digital audience. The creative challenge is to hold on to their attention and make them want for more”, said Bhatt. “The allure of the paranormal that plays on in your minds and the vicarious thrill of knowing what it is like to lead the life of a Bollywood star are sure to glue the audience to their laptop or mobile screens.”

    He further added, “The star cast will be announced in the next ten days. What you can expect is very strong characterizations of the female protagonists”.

    Cricketer Virender Sehwag’s micro series Viru ke Funde and cricket humorist Vikram Sathaye’s chat show What the Duck are originals which have had a successful run on Viu.

  • Viu forays into micro originals with ‘Viru Ke Funde’

    Viu forays into micro originals with ‘Viru Ke Funde’

    MUMBAI: Vuclip, a PCCW Media Company and the leading premium video on demand (VOD) service for emerging markets, has today announced the launch of ‘Viru ke Funde’, a fifteen episode web series that will be streamed on Vuclip’s OTT Video on Demand Service – Viu.

    Virender Sehwag will play the central character in the show and will be seen doling out advice to his group of friends on issues such as weight loss, managing stress, dodging telemarketers and the taxman as well as ways to win an argument with your better half and learning to cope with your mother-in-law’s taunts among others.

    The show was conceptualized based on Vuclip’s research insight that 60% of India’s digital audiences show the propensity to consume cricket focused comedy genre content which ties well with Sehwag’s raw, earthy and ‘in your face’ humor which has made him a Twitter sensation with over 7.5 million followers.

    The first five episodes of the show have been released today on Viu, with one new episode scheduled to be released every day for the next ten days until 2 December 2016.

    With a run time of about two minutes per episode, the show marks the advent of ‘Micro Originals’ – short form snackable video content aimed at entertaining the mobile audience ‘on the go.’ This effort also underscores Viu’s differentiated short form content strategy.

    Vuclip India country head Vishal Maheshwari said, “Viu is a celebration of fandom and a video destination that knows its viewers’ entertainment quotient. Much like our first original show ‘What the Duck,’ this series too will enable fans of Virender Sehwag to see him in his off-field personality which they have grown to like. ‘Viru Ke Funde’ is an exciting addition to our catalog of originals for our viewers.”

    Sehwag said, “Life is all about keeping things simple. See the Ball, Hit the Ball! Viru ke Funde is about sharing what I have learned in life and cricket with my real friends, making the experience all the more ‘FUN.’ I am delighted to partner with Viu which has given me a platform to engage with my fans through the digital medium. I hope the show will give you as much thrill as my batting did.”

    Links to the first five episodes of ‘Viru Ke Funde’

    Promo – https://www.viu.com/en/media/1139615025?containerId=playlist-24122189

    Funda #1: How to Win an Argument with your Wife

    https://www.viu.com/en/media/1139341106?containerId=playlist-24122189

    Funda #2: How to behave in a 5 Star Hotel

    https://www.viu.com/en/media/1139341134?containerId=playlist-24122189

    Funda #3: How To Increase Facebook Likes 

    https://www.viu.com/en/media/1139341139?containerId=playlist-24122189

    Funda #4: How To Manage Stress

    https://www.viu.com/en/media/1139341149?containerId=playlist-24122189

    Funda #5: How To Lose Weight

    https://www.viu.com/en/media/1139341137?containerId=playlist-24122189

  • Viu forays into micro originals with ‘Viru Ke Funde’

    Viu forays into micro originals with ‘Viru Ke Funde’

    MUMBAI: Vuclip, a PCCW Media Company and the leading premium video on demand (VOD) service for emerging markets, has today announced the launch of ‘Viru ke Funde’, a fifteen episode web series that will be streamed on Vuclip’s OTT Video on Demand Service – Viu.

    Virender Sehwag will play the central character in the show and will be seen doling out advice to his group of friends on issues such as weight loss, managing stress, dodging telemarketers and the taxman as well as ways to win an argument with your better half and learning to cope with your mother-in-law’s taunts among others.

    The show was conceptualized based on Vuclip’s research insight that 60% of India’s digital audiences show the propensity to consume cricket focused comedy genre content which ties well with Sehwag’s raw, earthy and ‘in your face’ humor which has made him a Twitter sensation with over 7.5 million followers.

    The first five episodes of the show have been released today on Viu, with one new episode scheduled to be released every day for the next ten days until 2 December 2016.

    With a run time of about two minutes per episode, the show marks the advent of ‘Micro Originals’ – short form snackable video content aimed at entertaining the mobile audience ‘on the go.’ This effort also underscores Viu’s differentiated short form content strategy.

    Vuclip India country head Vishal Maheshwari said, “Viu is a celebration of fandom and a video destination that knows its viewers’ entertainment quotient. Much like our first original show ‘What the Duck,’ this series too will enable fans of Virender Sehwag to see him in his off-field personality which they have grown to like. ‘Viru Ke Funde’ is an exciting addition to our catalog of originals for our viewers.”

    Sehwag said, “Life is all about keeping things simple. See the Ball, Hit the Ball! Viru ke Funde is about sharing what I have learned in life and cricket with my real friends, making the experience all the more ‘FUN.’ I am delighted to partner with Viu which has given me a platform to engage with my fans through the digital medium. I hope the show will give you as much thrill as my batting did.”

    Links to the first five episodes of ‘Viru Ke Funde’

    Promo – https://www.viu.com/en/media/1139615025?containerId=playlist-24122189

    Funda #1: How to Win an Argument with your Wife

    https://www.viu.com/en/media/1139341106?containerId=playlist-24122189

    Funda #2: How to behave in a 5 Star Hotel

    https://www.viu.com/en/media/1139341134?containerId=playlist-24122189

    Funda #3: How To Increase Facebook Likes 

    https://www.viu.com/en/media/1139341139?containerId=playlist-24122189

    Funda #4: How To Manage Stress

    https://www.viu.com/en/media/1139341149?containerId=playlist-24122189

    Funda #5: How To Lose Weight

    https://www.viu.com/en/media/1139341137?containerId=playlist-24122189

  • Kings XI Punjab, 92.7 Big FM continue partnership

    Kings XI Punjab, 92.7 Big FM continue partnership

    MUMBAI: With cricket fever soaring, 92.7 BIG FM, extended its support to Kings XI Punjab and announced its partnership with the team once again. By virtue of this association, 92.7 BIG FM will provide listeners with live match updates and exciting trivia, together with hosting innovative contests for cricket aficionados. The contests will run on 92.7 BIG FM every day, giving listeners a chance to win match tickets, exclusive merchandise and a grand opportunity to meet players and RJs. Furthermore, listeners will be treated to exclusive match analysis by former Indian opener and cricket expert Virender Sehwag.

    On the association, 92.7 BIG FM spokesperson said, “We at 92.7 BIG FM wanted to be a part of this big cricket celebration by engaging our listeners and ardent cricket fans. With ace cricketer Virender Sehwag sharing in depth match analysis and interesting moments from his previous IPL stints, we hope to augment the experience for our listener like never before. We are glad to be associated with Kings XI Punjab, and extend our full support to the team. We wish them all the very best for the tournament.”

    With the commencement of IPL 2016, 92.7 BIG FM will start on-ground, digital and on-air contests for cricket enthusiasts and listeners alike. With its on-ground activity ‘BIG Ticket Counter’, fans with the loudest cheer will be eligible for the contest, wherein one lucky winner will win match passes. For on-air participation, listeners can call and register themselves, following which they would be asked questions related to songs and matches. Listeners who provide correct answers will stand a chance to win exclusive Kings XI Punjab merchandise, meet and greet with players, and a grand opportunity to watch matches in VIP lounges with the RJs. Apart from the contests, audiences can tune-in to listen to cricket expert Virender Sehwag, who will share his experiences and memories of playing in the IPL, along with his own match analyses.

    The new association will witness a robust multi-media promotional plan across key markets, which includes a 360-degree marketing campaign. The radio network aims to engage with viewers and trade partners locally and nationally through multiple platforms.