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Tag: STAR Sports

  • A 360-degree marketing campaign, #MachiAreYouReady (Buddy, are you ready), has commenced along with the launch of the channel

    Tamil sports channel launched by Star Sports

    By A Correspondent

     

    Star Sports, leading sports broadcaster has launched Star Sports Tamil, the country’s first dedicated Tamil sports channel.

     

    A first-of-its-kind regional sports channel, Star Sports Tamil will bring fans across Tamil Nadu closer to their favorite sports and heroes. The channel has a rich calendar of sports – starting with the ICC Champions Trophy 2017, moving into Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL 2.0), Vivo Pro Kabaddi Season 5 and Hero ISL. The channel would provide curated Tamil content localised to Tamil Super Stars – R. Ashwin, M S Dhoni, TNPL Stars, and Stars from Chennaiyin FC.

     

    A 360-degree marketing campaign, #MachiAreYouReady (Buddy, are you ready), has commenced along with the launch of the channel. A tribute to the multi-sport culture of the state, the campaign underlines Tamil pride and is rich with nuances such as the presence of the soil of Tamil Nadu in the TVC. The campaign will be supplemented by comprehensive, high-impact promotions on radio, TV, print, digital, and OOH.

     

    Said a Star India spokesperson: “Tamil Nadu is a unique market with high affinity to language content and very distinctive viewing habits. Star India’s strong presence in the state has helped us understand the pulse of the Tamil sports fans. Star Sports Tamil is an extension of our belief to give people more relevant regional sports content and celebrate the ‘Tamizh’ culture. This is another resolute step in our constant endeavour to bring fans closer to sports.”

     

  • Underlining the sentiment of unity and national pride, Matrabhasha showcases Cricket as the language that unifies India

    Matrabhasha seeks to unite Indian cricket fans

    By A Correspondent

     

    We don’t know if the Indian cricket board will pull of the Champions Trophy, but assuming Virat Kohli & Co to take to the field to defend the title, Star Sports, the official broadcaster of the ICC Champions Trophy 2017, has plans to gear up to support Team India with its recently released film Matrabhasha.

     

    Underlining the sentiment of unity and national pride, Matrabhasha showcases cricket as the language that unifies India. The chant “India! India!” that punctuates the film represents our collective national fervour for the sport.

     

    Said an unnamed Star India spokesperson: “The film Matrabhasha, captures the very essence of cricket – a thrilling, action-packed sport that inspires millions as a common language – unifying all. With Team India set to defend its title at the ICC Champions Trophy 2017, cricket fans all over the country will unite yet again and extend their unwavering support to the team & their heroes. We are extremely thrilled with the response to the campaign so far and our coverage will also ensure that we take the viewer experience to the next level!”

     

    This TVC builds on the successful ‘World Cup wali feeling’ and ‘Har Koi Dekhega’ filmsand is part of the campaign launched by Star Sports for the ICC Champions Trophy 2017.

     

    Now one only hopes India does participate in CL2017.

     

  • The TVC triggers the same feeling of euphoria that the fans experienced when India won the ICC World Cup after a 28-year long wait

    Star Sports unveils campaign promoting ICC Champions Trophy’17

     

     

    The tournament is a few months away and the Indian team has some cricketing fixtures scheduled before plus the Indian Premier League (IPL), but Star Sports has kicked off its campaign for the ICC Champions Trophy ’17 with a TVC created by the channel’s internal creative team.

     

    The film opens with the photo of former Indian captain, MS Dhoni, posing with the ICC World Cup trophy in front of the Gateway of India. The film moves in reverse, starting from the celebrations being done by the fans and the players just after India won the ICC World Cup in 2011 to the iconic shot of ICC World Cup 2011 – MSD’s winning six in the final at Wankhede Stadium. The film ends with a voiceover along with the shot of current Indian captain, Virat Kohli.

     

    The TVC attempts to trigger the same feeling of euphoria that the fans experienced when India won the ICC World Cup after a 28-yearlong wait, notes a communique.

     

  • The network promises to take Rio Olympic viewing to a notch higher

    Star India’s 50-day countdown to Rio begins!

    By A Correspondent

     

    The countdown to the biggest multi-sport event, the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, has begun. Forty-nine days to go. August 5 is the date when all the action begins at Brazil and this time the world will witness the biggest ever Olympic contingent from India.

     

    To make the viewing experience of these games even better, Star India is expanding its coverage by dedicating eight channels on a 24×7 basis, broadcasted in two languages – English and Hindi. Star Sports and Hotstar, together, will broadcast 3000-plus hours of live content from the Olympics, facilitating fans to catch every medal live.

     

    Speaking at a press conference, Nitin Kukreja, CEO, Star Sports, said, “Star Sports has been at the forefront of establishing a multi-sport culture in India. While cricket continues to reach new heights, Indian sports fans have already shown their love for kabaddi and football. The Olympics are the pinnacle of a multi-sport event, and as India prepares to send its largest ever contingent, Star Sports is leaving no stone unturned to provide the most comprehensive access to Indian sports fans.”

     

    Since, ‘digital’ is the buzzword these, how can Hotstar, Star’s video sharing platform be behind! It will roll out the coverage of Olympics with 14 live feeds consistently and up to 36 concurrent feeds at peak on the Olympics video player, available to users on demand through the event. “While Hotstar is covering Olympics for the first time, we are excited that we are bringing an all-round coverage of the Olympics for the Indian digital user that will be the best in the word. Like in our coverage of other sporting events, our focus will be not just making every moment of the Olympics available to the fans but also provide them the ability to create personalised, interactive experiences that allow them to follow and watch what is of unique interest to them,” said Ajit Mohan, CEO, Hotstar.

     

    Apart from live feeds, it will introduce an interactive, data rich Olympic player on the web where users will have the option to switch between the 14 live feeds, have access to day-wise listing of events and medals tally, and the ability to personalise the experience by following specific countries and sports disciplines.

     

    Star Sports, on the other hand, has set up an elite panel of international and Indian Olympians as well as sports experts who will share analyse and connect with viewers as live action unfolds. The eminent panel includes Ian Thorpe, Prakash Pafukone, Anjali Bhagwat, Viren Rasquinha and Rehan Poncha. Paula Malai Ali will be the presenter in English and Divya Jaitley will be the presenter in Hindi.

     

  • With Star Sports snapping up sports properties in the last few years and also developing their own, industry observers feel that they are ready to break the bank when the IPL rights come up for bidding in 2017

    Sony-ESPN deal to heat up sports broadcasting industry

    By Soumalya Santikari

     

    Sports fans across India are overjoyed following the Sony-ESPN deal. When the American sports broadcaster decided to end its 18-year-old joint venture with STAR in South East Asia, viewers were sad that they will no longer more be able to watch cult shows such as ‘SportsCenter’ or some of the top sportscasters associated with the channel.

     

    After its split with STAR, ESPN had a clause which stated they wouldn’t be able to re-enter the Indian market for a period of three years in sports broadcasting. They were present in the digital medium with ESPNCricinfo and their move to collaborate with MSM (Sony Pictures Networks) did take industry observers by surprise.

     

    Prasana Krishnan

    Speaking to Economictimes.com, Prasana Krishnan, EVP & Business Head for Sports, Sony Pictures Networks India (earlier MSM Network) said that the ESPN deal is in complete sync with the aggressive growth strategy earmarked for the sports channels.

     

    “Sports is a very important vertical for us and we have been investing aggressively in this area. Our portfolio now includes some of the biggest events and leagues and we have been setting new benchmarks in sports coverage. ESPN shares similar values and is an acknowledged leader, both, in India and worldwide.

     

    “So this combination of Sony Pictures and ESPN promises to set new benchmarks and enhance the viewership experiences of sports fans,” he said.

     

    Prasana, however, declined to comment on the creative or editorial collaborations with ESPN. He said they are yet to take a call on the programmes they can source from ESPN’s library and other global offerings.

     

    With Star Sports snapping up sports properties in the last few years and also developing their own, industry observers feel that they are ready to break the bank when the IPL rights come up for bidding in 2017.

     

    Regarding bidding of sports properties, Prasana didn’t reveal the commecial agreement between Sony and ESPN.

     

    But the biggest benefit for Sony in this deal will be their digital properties as they would get access to some top-quality sports programmes and Prasana outlined his plans.

     

    “In collaboration with us, ESPN will launch a co-branded localised multisport website and app, which will provide coverage of cricket, football, tennis, the NBA, badminton, field hockey and more. SONY LIV will also benefit from the collaboration, increasing its current sports offerings significantly. ESPNcricinfo will complement and cross-promote the new digital properties and sports channels.”

     

    Analysts also feel that ESPN’s return won’t necessarily mean that bidding rights for sports properties will hit the roof.

     

    “Apart from cricket, no broadcaster has really paid any significant amount to acquire rights of sports properties. The two most most successful sports after cricket last year were ISL & Pro Kabaddi League, both in which Star has a stake. However, It will be important for Sony to create smartly packaged content…the ESPN tie-up will definitely help achieve the same,” Jigar Rambhia- Maxus Client Leader – ESP (Entertainment Sports and Partnerships) said.

     

    It would be interesting to see how the most aggressive player in this space – Star Sports – reacts to the entry of its previous partner. But till then, the sports broadcasting industry can only anticipate how the two giants battle it out for supremacy.

     

    Source:The Economic Times

    Copyright © 2015, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

    Licensed to republish

     

  • To ensure that the country at large is given a grand invitation for the second season, Star Sports has roped in superstar Amitabh Bachchan

    Amitabh Bachchan lends his voice to Kabaddi league

    By A Correspondent

     

    Come July 18 and the country will be treated to the fast-paced action of Star Sports Pro Kabaddi. The best of Indian and global Kabaddi talent will take centrestage at NSCI, Mumbai where the caravan style league commences. To ensure that the country at large is given a grand invitation for the second season, Star Sports has roped in superstar Amitabh Bachchan.

     

    Star Sports’ marketing blitzkrieg for the upcoming league reaches another level as the iconic film actor with an inimitable voice takes to the mike as well as composes for the latest commercial of Star Sports Pro Kabaddi.

     

    Uday Shankar, CEO, Star India, said, “Star has a deep and abiding commitment to growing the sport of Kabaddi. The inaugural season introduced the sport in an aspirational and cool avatar. We are delighted to partner with Mr. Amitabh Bachchan for the second season of Star Sports Pro Kabaddi, to help galvanize the sport across the nation.”

     

    The promotional film for Star Sports Pro Kabaddi, takes forward the #LePanga narrative in the form of a peppy, energetic and fast paced song composed and sung by Amitabh Bachchan. The underlying visuals have superlative game and in action portraits of the heroes of the sport.  What better booster than the baritone the country adores? This was the thought that motivated the very words of the film penned by India’s leading adman Piyush Pandey from Ogilvy.

     

    Highlighting the concept, Piyush Pandey, said, “The idea was to combine the martial energy of the great India sport with the great Indian tradition of ‘Veer Ras,’ one of the nine emotions or ‘Navrasas’ of our culture. With a sense of fun and fire, that is how I wrote this song. Thereafter Mr. Bachchan took over. He composed the music, sang the song and created a legendary track.”

     

    Star Sports Pro Kabaddi starts July 18 with the action live on Star Sports 2 and Star Sports HD2 in English; Star Sports 3, Star Sports HD3 and Star Gold in Hindi; Maa Movies in Telugu; Suvarna Plus in Kannada and Star Pravah in Marathi.

     

  • Campaign to focus on the message of overcoming seemingly impossible odds and invoking wilful action

    Star Sports unveils ‘Le Panga’ campaign to promote Pro-Kabaddi League

    By A Correspondent

     

    Star Sports has launched the marketing campaign for Star Sports Pro Kabaddi, titled Le Panga (#LePanga). The campaign created to inspire people to overcome personal limitations and barriers, endearingly portrays life situations where the protagonist(s) go through a transformational change on exposure to Kabaddi.

     

    Talking about the campaign a Star Sports Spokesperson said, “As a sport, Kabaddi is unique in the nature of the challenge undertaken by the players. A raider is alone and almost always faced with insurmountable odds with the defenders waiting to pounce on him and use their collective physical might to overpower the raider and stop him from accomplishing his objective. The campaign, #LePanga, cites real life situations as in the sport that people can relate to.”

     

    The first film of the series, marking the debut of well-known radio jockey Malishka as Inspector Laxmi Peter, went on air during the third ODI between India and Bangladesh.

     

    The ad-film, full of Bollywoodesque drama, revolves around an ambitious female police officer, Inspector Laxmi Peter who can only be described as ‘the unlucky one’. The idea centres on Laxmi Peter getting inspired to change while watching a Pro-Kabaddi League match, having resigned herself to her fate. Inspector Laxmi Peter, in the climax, manages to finally capture the group of criminals and her elusive target Rakka all her on own.

     

    The advertisement has been styled to include all major elements of a Bollywood film – the flashback to her childhood where she expresses her dream of becoming a police officer, the scenes where Rakka escapes her grasp after a chase and the climax where she ultimately overcomes her limitations to accomplish her goals, inspired by Kabaddi. The storyline highlights the many attractions of the Star Sports Pro Kabaddi League and builds towards the excitement of watching the sport.

     

  • Through the World Cup, SI innovated to help Star Sports deliver the highest engagement among brands on digital platforms

    Sportz Interactive executes multiple innovations at Cricket WC 2015

    By A Correspondent

     

    Sports solutions company, Sportz Interactive (SI) recently showcased an exciting array of digital innovations for Star Sports India (SS) on their digital platforms during the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015.

     

    Through the World Cup, SI innovated to help Star Sports deliver the highest engagement among brands on digital platforms. The activations ranged from serious to fun aiming to cater to every kind of cricket fan – while the trivia buff played #QUIZSTER, the stats fanatic took to collecting Star Cards; on the other hand, the India and Pakistan cricket fans were enthusiastic about tweeting for their respective teams in a digital tug-of-war that was extended to an offline experience as well.

     

    Arvind Iyengar, CEO, Sportz Interactive, added, “Partnering with Star Sports to revolutionize the fan experience on digital has been an incredible experience. On social media, we have been able to drive a high volume of conversations and excite fans around the world through unique innovations and engaging content.”

     

  • After kabaddi, Star may be considering having a championship league for 'seven stones'

    Star Sports to consider Lagori/Pitto league

    By A Correspondent

     

    After the stupendous success of the kabaddi league, Star Sports is considering having a championship on the seven stones game that is very popular across the country. So goes the cooler conversation in media circles.

     

    Lagori, dikori, lagoori, lingocha or pitto is widely played in many parts of India. According to Wikipedia, it’s a game played between two teams in an unlimited area involving a ball and a pile of flat stones. A member of one team (the seekers) throws a soft ball at a pile of stones to knock them over. The seekers then try to restore the pile of stones while the opposing team (the hitters) throws the ball at them. If the ball touches a seeker, he is out and his team continues without him. But a team member can always safeguard himself by touching the opposite team member before the ball hits him.

     

    Meanwhile, it is learnt that Sony Six is also planning a similar tournament. Click here to read the rest of this report.

     

  • The morning and working hour timings of World Cup matches have made millions of sport lovers follow the action on dedicated websites, apps and social media

    More ads go digital as ICC World Cup action shifts to sites, apps

    By Vijaya Rathore & Ravi Teja Sharma

     

    The morning and working hour timings of matches in the ongoing cricket World Cup have made millions of sport lovers follow the action on dedicated websites, apps and social media, prompting several big and small brands to latch on to digital advertising like never before.

     

    Brands across industries, including Lufthansa, Accenture, Tissot and Hero are looking to catch the on-the-move consumer on a variety of platforms including official broadcaster Star India’s starsports.com, social media sites, cricket portals and apps such as Hotstar.

     

    “Some of our clients have looked at digital very seriously. Hero, for instance, has bet heavily on digital and it is really doing well for the brand,” said Praseed Prasad, national director for digital trading at media buying firm GroupM India. Another client of his, Pepsi Lays, has chosen to do more on the digital side and only advertise on television during select matches in the World Cup this year.

     

    A spokesperson for Star India says they have seen an exponential growth in consumption online. This World Cup, Star has got around 35-40 advertisers, including Lufthansa, Accenture, CarTrade, Tissot and Hero for its online platforms, with about 20% of those exclusively on the digital medium. “Revenues from digital will be significant this time,” the person said.

     

    Hero is the co-presenting sponsor of the World Cup 2015 digital. “The medium has seen exponential growth in terms of traffic,” a Hero MotoCorp spokesperson said. It is the lead sponsor on the property with branding/inventory in terms of video inventory, logo presence, banner ads, special sections such as replay and match insights, and has also launched a dedicated app, Hero Super Skipper, the spokesperson said. “This association is a strategic move, owing to a perceptible shift in viewership patterns in favour of digital medium.” The India-Pakistan match at the beginning of the tournament, for example, got over 25 million views on Star’s digital platforms, the highest in the world for a single game.

     

    Firms such as DishTV have created fresh campaigns around the World Cup. “Most digital campaigns are either in the form of graphics or extension of TV campaigns but we created one especially for the digital medium and that has helped us reach the young consumers, the millennials,” said Salil Kapoor, COO of DishTV.

     

    He said the interactive nature of the digital space helps consumers to make purchases by routing them to the firm’s call centres if they wish to. Also, a television ad campaign costs at least 3-4 times more than a digital campaign, Kapoor said. DishTV has shot a campaign with brand ambassador Shah Rukh Khan to promote their HD channels during this world cup.

     

    Digital adoption by brands is on the rise with large companies now allocating significant spends to this medium. “From about 2-3% of a large company’s marketing budget, digital is now in double digits,” says Ahmed Naqvi, CEO at digital and social media agency Gozoop.

     

    Source:The Economic Times

    Copyright © 2015, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd.

    All Rights Reserved, Licensed to republish

     

  • India's dismal performance in the recently concluded tri-nation series Down Under has left advertisers uncertain

    Weekend blues: Less than 10 days to go & Star Sports doesn’t have lead sponsor for the World Cup!

    By John Sarkar

     

    India’s dismal performance in the recently concluded tri-nation series Down Under has left advertisers uncertain. With less than 10 days left for the ICC Cricket World Cup, Star Sports, which will broadcast the tournament, has not yet found a lead sponsor.

     

    With 90% of TV viewers in the country having watched the previous edition of the World Cup, advertisers expected that the flagship tournament of ODI cricket would garner millions of eyeballs. But India’s poor form, lack of star players, the waning appeal of ODIs, non-primetime telecast and the impending IPL has made advertisers play safe. They would rather prefer to sit on the fence and wait for the right moment.

     

    “We will look at it match by match. Depending on India’s performance, we will decide whether to buy on-air advertising slots or not. We don’t want to put all our eggs in one basket. The IPL starts right after the World Cup and the return on investment for it doesn’t depend on a single team’s performance, like it does on India’s in the World Cup,” said a senior executive with one of the world’s largest FMCG firms.

     

    According to people familiar with the matter, most on-ground sponsors (commercial partners) of the World Cup, such as PepsiCo India and Hyundai India, have not yet bought on-air advertising spots. When contacted, spokespersons from PepsiCo India and Hyundai India declined to comment.

     

    However, a Star Sports spokesperson said that on-ground sponsors too have plans which include on-air, digital, activations, screenings, though he refused to divulge any names.

     

    Lead sponsorship for all feeds and languages is being offered at around Rs 60 crore, the associate sponsorship for over Rs 40 crore for all feeds and over Rs 20 crore each for English and Hindi feeds, and about Rs 10 crore for HD feed.

     

    “We already have confirmations for over 80% of our inventory for the opening match of India vs Pakistan, with many more confirmations to be closed over the next 10 days. Considering the response, we might have to drop at least 20 to 30 spots in the very first match. We are almost sold out for the top 13 games (all India plus knockout games) and are in the process of closing the balance,” said the Star Sports spokesperson.

     

    Market experts say not everyone is sitting on the fence though. Many first-time World Cup sponsors, including Nestle, Marico, Yepme, Paytm and Raymonds, have signed up. A lot of advertisers are eyeing digital feeds that allow online streaming and is more affordable than TV ads. But media buying experts said on the condition of anonymity that a significant amount of total ad inventory is still sitting idle.

     

    Source:The Economic Times

    Copyright © 2015, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

    Licensed to republish

     

  • Star Sports acquires rights to telecast IPTL

    Star Sports acquires rights to telecast IPTL

    By A Correspondent

     

    Moving ahead with the philosophy of fostering a multi-sport culture in India, STAR Sports has acquired the rights to telecast the International Premier Tennis League (IPTL). The acquisition of IPTL rights is in line with the STAR Sports objective of fulfilling India’s growing appetite for non-cricketing sports such as Tennis, Hockey, Badminton and Kabaddi.

     

    The IPTL is slated to kick start from November 28, 2014. It is a key marquee event that will bring together current champions, tennis legends and upcoming talent in a format that’s never been seen before. The league is being organized by the 12-time doubles and mixed doubles Grand Slam Champion and winner of 52 ATP doubles titles – Mahesh Bhupathi with an intention to fulfill the increasing demand for top-level tennis in Asia.

     

    IPTL will be played in typically indoor stadiums across four Asian countries – Philippines, Singapore, India and UAE from November 28, 2014 to December 13, 2014. The India leg of the IPTL that is scheduled to be held in Delhi would be witness to Tennis greats like Roger Federer, who would be playing in India for the first time, besides Novak Djokovic, Jo Wilfried Tsonga, Tomas Berdych, Goran Ivanisevic and Pete Sampras.

     

    “The International Premier Tennis League is an unprecedented opportunity for sports fans across India to experience the game played by its legends. This is the first time India will play host to some of the biggest names in tennis, and we at Star Sports are extremely proud to be associated with this league. We’re confident that the league will take the game of tennis to much greater heights and further accelerate its development and adoption,” said Nitin Kukreja, President – Sports, Star India.