ITV

Tag: Willow TV

  • Star Sports Hindi feed goes global in a historic first for ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup

    Star Sports Hindi feed goes global in a historic first for ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup

    Mumbai: Star Sports, the official broadcaster of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, is thrilled to announce the global expansion of its Hindi feed for the marquee tournament. Fans in the United States, Canada, Australia, and the Middle East can now savour uninterrupted coverage of all the thrilling action in Hindi. This marks the first-ever occasion where the ICC Men’s CWC is being broadcast in Hindi within these regions, accessible through both linear and digital platforms, catering to the vibrant Indian diaspora. This milestone underscores the profound significance of cultural pride -‘Hindi Mein Baat Hai, Kyunki Hindi Mein Jazbaat Hai.’ (The language brings out all the emotions)

    The coverage of ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 in Hindi will be available on:

    •    ESPN+ (USA/Canada)
    •    Willow TV (USA/Canada)
    •    Fox Sports / Kayo (Australia)
    •    Starzplay (Middle East)
    •    CricLife Max (Middle East)

    The Hindi coverage on these platforms will also include Star Sports’ pre-match show ‘Cricket Live’, India’s most watched cricket show.

    John Lasker, senior vice president of ESPN+, said, “Anchored by ESPNcricinfo, the leading digital destination for cricket news and information around the world, ESPN has a long history covering top-level international cricket for fans in the U.S. Presenting the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 in both English and Hindi on ESPN+ is part of our continued commitment to growing an established audience of cricket fans in the States and around the world.”

    Fox Sports managing director Steve Crawley said, “We know there is a large and passionate Australian Indian cricket community so to be able to provide the Hindi feed, powered by an expert team of commentators, during the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 for all Indian matches plus the semi-finals and final on FOX SPORTS gives fans more choice and more ways to enjoy the action, and that’s good for cricket and good for fans.”

    Disney Star head- sports Sanjog Gupta said, ‘’The global response to Disney Star’s Hindi coverage for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 has been tremendous as we take the excitement of the tournament to hearts and homes of millions worldwide and deepen their engagement. The coverage in Hindi, in addition to the World Feed, not only makes it more accessible to the Indian diaspora but more importantly, galvanises the sense of belonging and deep emotional connection with Indian Cricket. The Hindi feed, with India-focussed storylines, distinctly Indian perspectives on non-India narratives, unique visuals including customised graphics and powered by an incredible line-up of talent, will significantly bolster the unifying experience of watching Cricket for Indians worldwide and hopefully deepen the sense of pride in being an Indian Cricket fan.”

    This illustrious panel of commentators includes iconic Indian cricketing figures such as Sunil Gavaskar, a 1983 World Cup winner, former India Head Coach Ravi Shastri, and members of the 2011 World Cup-winning side – Gautam Gambhir, Harbhajan Singh, and Piyush Chawla. Adding to the wealth of expertise are former India cricketers Mohammad Kaif, Irfan Pathan, and Sanjay Manjrekar, renowned for their tactical acumen in the sport. The roster also features former India women’s captain Mithali Raj, along with South Africa’s spin wizard Imran Tahir, former India cricketer Deep Dasgupta, domestic veteran Amol Muzumdar, and cricket presenter Jatin Sapru, all of whom will lend their voices and effervescent charm to the StarCast.

    Irfan Pathan, T20 World Cup winner who is part of Star Sports “StarCast” for World Cup said, “Cricket has a unique way of uniting people, and with the Hindi feed reaching Indian fans across the globe, we are not just witnessing a tournament; we are celebrating the spirit of cricket in a language that resonates with emotions. It’s a fantastic initiative that ensures every passionate Indian fan, regardless of their location, can experience the magic of the World Cup in a language that feels like home.”

    India’s Cricket World Cup Winner, Harbhajan Singh, said, “I am proud to be part of StarCast’s Hindi feed that is engaging with fans overseas during the ongoing ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup. This allows our extended family outside our country to revel the thrilling action in their preferred language.”

    India’s Cricket World Cup Winner, Gautam Gambhir, said, “I’m excited to see fans from all corners of the world coming together to celebrate this great sport in the language they love. With the Hindi feed now available globally, we are breaking barriers and ensuring that cricket enthusiasts from diverse backgrounds can enjoy all the action from the tournament together with the rest of India.”

  • Legends League Cricket streaming live across India, US and Australia

    Legends League Cricket streaming live across India, US and Australia

    Mumbai: With the Legends League Cricket (LLC) underway in India, the spectacle of various cricketing legends playing together is set to have a global footprint. The league has secured worldwide broadcast across the US, Australia and India.

    Along with Star Sports, both Disney+ Hotstar and Fancode are live streaming the event simultaneously in the country.

    The league’s broadcast partner in the USA is Willow TV, one of the top sports broadcasters in the country. This league broadcast will undoubtedly provide cricket a huge boost in terms of increasing its popularity, which is already growing in the US.

    Australia has long been a sporting giant with ardent supporters all over the country. Fox Cricket, the league’s official digital streaming partner, and Kayo Sports, their official broadcast partner, will help the league and its fan base grow.

    Retired cricketers assembled to play together in the Sky247.net Legends League Cricket that commenced on 16 September and will conclude on 5 October, 2022. The league stage matches are currently being played in Lucknow and will be followed by Delhi, Cuttack, and Jodhpur.

    “Having Disney+ Hotstar and Fancode sharing broadcasting rights has never happened before, but it feels great that we could do the same as our belief is to reach the maximum number of cricket fans and engage with them and get them closer to the icons of the game. There is a lot of excitement, be it the cricketers themselves or the fans, and we are happy that we are at the centre of this. The primary objective of this league has been to connect with every cricket fan and bring forth a nostalgic factor and bring back the excitement among the fans. Huge Indian and Asian populations in the US and Australia are there to be tapped along with a global footprint, and we are glad that we are able to connect with them and more,” said Legends League Cricket CEO & co-founder Raman Raheja.

  • Willow TV acquires exclusive US media rights for IPL ’17

    MUMBAI: Willow TV, the primary broadcaster for cricket in North America, has acquired the exclusive media rights in the United States for the VIVO IPL 2017 Twenty20 tournament.

    The IPL (Indian Premier League) is the world’s leading professional cricket tournament, with record-breaking fan attendance and multimedia consumption. Willow previously broadcast the IPL in 2014, at the time setting cricket viewership records in the United States.

    “Willow is delighted to bring exclusive live coverage of the VIVO IPL 2017 to our viewers across television and digital platforms,” said Willow CEO Vijay Srinivasan. “Viewer interest for cricket in the US stands at unparalleled levels, as over 1.4 million households watched the ICC World Twenty20 on Willow in 2016. We look to continue to set new all-time high ratings this year. The IPL is the crown jewel of professional Twenty20 tournaments, and cricket fans in the US are in for a treat when the tournament kicks off on 5 April.”

    The 10th season of the VIVO IPL 2017 starts on 5 April with the defending champions Sunrisers Hyderabad against last year’s runner up Royal Challengers Bangalore. The tournament features 60 matches, played over 47 days in multiple venues across India. Willow will provide live coverage of all 60 matches, culminating with the final on 21 May.

    Willow, which is part of Times Internet (India’s largest diversified digital group), is one of the fastest growing sports networks in the U.S, and the only channel that is dedicated solely to cricket. The channel, along with its “TV Everywhere” service, is distributed by the largest satellite, cable, IPTV and OTT platforms in a variety of subscription packages.