Tag: Vodafone Idea Limited

  • VI joins as  co-presenting sponsor for Dream11 IPL

    VI joins as co-presenting sponsor for Dream11 IPL

    NEW DELHI: The newest brand in the Indian arena, ‘Vi’ from Vodafone Idea Limited, has become the co-presenting sponsor of the upcoming Dream11 IPL 2020, scheduled to commence from 19 September. Vi has acquired the co-sponsorship rights of the live broadcast of T-20 premier league which will be held in Abu Dhabi, UAE and telecast on the Star Sports network. 

    The sponsorship announcement comes close on the heels of the leading telecom operator, Vodafone Idea Limited’s rebranding under a unified brand – Vi. The young, dynamic and vibrant brand will leverage its association with the most popular sporting event IPL, in its 2020 edition, to enhance awareness, build relevance and engage with the audience.

    Brand Vodafone has had a long-standing association with IPL since the beginning of the sporting event in 2008. The partnership helped it build high brand recall and affinity with television viewers and cricket lovers in India with its unique campaigns involving the lovable ZooZoos. Brand Idea has also actively participated in the previous editions of the tournament as sponsor of many teams and created memorable brand activation campaigns. The unified brand in its new avatar Vi will bring unique digital based experiences for Indian audiences this season.

    Vi is built to be strong, ever-dependable, agile, intuitive, and a brand in tune with the needs of the customers, in these ever-changing times. It is designed to help customers move ahead in life, for a better today and a brighter tomorrow. Vi is future ready and is committed to dynamically serve and enable a digital society to progress in life.

    Referring to Vi’s association with Dream11 IPL 2020 as the co-presenting sponsor, Vodafone Idea Limited chief digital transformation & brand officer  Kavita Nair said “Cricket is a religion in India, and Dream11 IPL as the property offers broader engagement with the audience than just as a sport, over a two months’ window. As a company, we have had a very long association with IPL. I am delighted that now, with the launch of Vi, we are carrying this legacy forward. Our association with Dream11 IPL 2020 will provide Vi, instantly connect with millions of viewers, and I am confident that this will not only help build awareness of Vi but also help in building relevance and customer confidence. I am sure Indians will be delighted to see us back on Dream11 IPL, albeit in a new avatar. Vi is vibrant, exciting, and throbs with the spirit of rising India. Soon after the launch of Vi, the excitement will continue for Indian consumers during their favorite T-20 league.”

    “Vodafone & Idea have both associated with Cricket on Star Sports in the past. We are delighted to have them onboard yet again in their new brand identity as Vi, and as the co-presenting sponsor for the broadcast of Dream11 IPL on Star Sports. We believe that the massive reach of the Star Sports network will help them take Vi’s new brand identity and proposition to millions of viewers across India,” said Star Sports CEO Gautam Thakar 

    Sport, like no other genre, has the ability to evoke passion and emotions amongst fans and followers. In a country where cricket has been akin to religion and is followed with passion and fervour, the Dream11 IPL has become one of the biggest sporting platforms designed to appeal to a wide section of consumers, pan-India.

  • Vodafone Idea and Starz launch Lionsgate Play in India

    Vodafone Idea and Starz launch Lionsgate Play in India

    Mumbai: Vodafone Idea Limited, India’s leading telecom operator and STARZPLAY, the international premium subscription platform from STARZ, a Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF.A, LGF.B) company, have joined hands to launch Lionsgate’s premium service Lionsgate Play in India. This partnership will enable Vodafone Idea customers’ access to a broad portfolio of celebrated blockbusters and award-winning feature films from the studio.

    Video is the new growth driver in the digital content consumption today. Vodafone Idea’s partnership with STARZPLAY is a step towards boosting the growth of the digital ecosystem in India. The partnership will capitalize on this huge potential by offering viewers with an array of premium content across genres.

    Lionsgate Play will be available to Vodafone Play and Idea Movies & TV subscribers as a part of this strategic collaboration between the two companies. The offering includes multibillion-dollar global blockbuster franchises The Hunger Games and The Twilight Saga, multiple Academy Award ® winner La La Land and the international breakout hit Wonder, with much of it available in four local languages. The content library will be spread across genres like horror, comedy, drama, action, thriller, documentaries to name a few.

    Following the launch, the offering will boast an illustrious line up of digital premieres of Lionsgate films coming to the service in the first year including Robin Hood, Crank, Sahara, Redcliff, Jersey Shore Attack, Killers, Grudge, Letters to Juliet, American Pyscho 2, Nerve, Facing Ali, Down A Dark Hall  and American Assassin.

    Commenting on the partnership, Avneesh Khosla, Operations Director – Marketing, Vodafone Idea Limited said, “At VIL we strive to bring world class partnerships to our consumers with the singular focus to enrich their experience. With Lionsgate Play we are extremely excited at the prospect of offering premium world class English content to our consumers to enable them to enjoy the best that Hollywood has to offer.”

    “The partnership with Vodafone Idea creates an exciting opportunity to expand the Lionsgate Play offering as a premium service that delivers a vast library of compelling films and a great user experience to all of our shared customers. We are delighted to bring this premium service to India with a leading global platform like Vodafone which has such enormous reach and tremendous distribution expertise. Our partnership is the latest affirmation of the enormous role that telcos are playing in shaping the digital age of content,” said Rohit Jain, Managing Director of Lionsgate South Asia.

  • Vodafone Idea officially starts operation as largest Indian telco

    Vodafone Idea officially starts operation as largest Indian telco

    MUMBAI: The mega Vodafone-Idea merger in the Indian telecom sector finally comes to closure creating India’s largest telecom operator with the most subscribers and revenue share. The new entity stands with a subscriber base of over 408 million and 32.2 per cent pan India revenue market share. However, both the brands will continue to operate independently. The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) approved the merger yesterday.

    The merger has displaced Bharti Airtel from the top spot which has held the spot for the last 15 years. As of July 2018, the company has a user base of 344 million. Now the Indian telecom sector stands with three large players – Vodafone Idea, Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio. Mukesh Ambani-led  Reliance Jio is the third largest telecom operator in the country with 215 million subscribers.

    “Today, we have created India’s leading telecom operator. It is truly a historic moment. And this is much more than just about creating a large business. It is about our vision of empowering and enabling a new India and meeting the aspirations of the youth of our country. The ‘Digital India’, as our Prime Minister describes it, is a monumental nation building opportunity. As Vodafone Idea, we are partnering in this initiative by building a formidable company of international repute, scale and standards,” Aditya Birla Group and Vodafone Idea Ltd chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla commented.

    Kumar Mangalam Birla has been named as the chairman of Vodafone Idea Ltd and Balesh Sharma as the CEO of the combined entity. The new board of directors include six independent directors.

    The merger is expected to generate Rs 140 billion annual synergy, including opex synergies of Rs 84 billion, equivalent to a net present value of approximately Rs 700 billion. The Department of Telecom (DoT) had given a conditional nod for the merger of these companies on 9 July.

    “As India’s leading telecom operator with two popular and loved brands, the company has the scale and resources to ensure sustainable customer choice and introduce new technologies. We are committed to offer both our retail and enterprise customers an excellent experience while fulfilling their evolving digital and connectivity needs via new products, services and solutions. We will offer them more network coverage, more value and more excitement. My team and I look forward to your continuing support and invite you to enjoy the Vodafone Idea experience,” Sharma said.