STAR ropes in 11 brand partners for IPL 2018 on both TV, digital platforms

Anil Jayaraj, executive vice-president and head for ad sales, STAR Sports, believes this has been the key driver for attracting brands

STAR India has attracted 11 brands for its telecast of the Vivo IPL 2018 (IPL). After the network's winning bid of the annual T20 for Rs 163.5 billion to telecast for five years, this is the first time the IPL will be available on the same network on TV and digital.

Anil Jayaraj, executive vice-president and head for ad sales, STAR Sports, believes this has been the key driver for attracting brands.

He says, “Having both TV and digital platforms means brands for the first time have the opportunity to leverage the power of multi-screen. This allows brands to combine the power of mass reach and targeted performance. We’ve gone to market with a combined proposition but have been fluid in that if a brand wants to lean more heavily on either platform we’ve adapted. We’ve not come across a single brand yet that has refrained from either platform.”

Some of the brands that have signed on the property include IPL regulars like Vivo (also the title on-ground sponsor), Kent and Parle. Newcomers include Elica Kitchens, Dream11, Polycab Wires and Coca-Cola.

The global beverage giant has been a known brand in the past but had dialled back on cricket sponsorships in the recent past. However, it has started investing in cricket tournaments since last year.

“IPL has always lived up to its promise of being the most impactful media property and this year, there is the added attraction of the return of two popular teams. We are seeing good traction with our clients. STAR has developed a very strong marketing plan and created a lot of innovative opportunities for advertisers across their broadcast and digital platforms,” says C V L Srinivas, CEO of GroupM South Asia.

Last year, Sony Pictures Network India (SPN) had roped in nine brands on TV while Hotstar had close to 10 brands associating with the property on the digital platform. While SPN earned around Rs 13 billion from ad-sales in IPL 2017, industry estimates peg Hotstar’s ad-sales revenues in the Rs 1.8 to Rs 2 billion range last year. Experts say it is too early to say how much STAR India would make from this year’s telecast of the tournament. However, market estimates say STAR India will be looking at Rs 20 billion in ad-sales revenue.

STAR India has extended the engagement duration on the IPL to six month, starting with the IPL player retention process (televised for the first time this year) in January, followed by the player auctions at the end of January. In the run-up to the tournament, the network will be airing programmes around the teams and their preparation for IPL 2018, all monetisable assets on TV and digital.

चैंपियंस ट्रॉफी में होगा ड्रोन कैमरे का इस्तेमाल, बल्ले पर लगेगी चिप

1 जून से शुरू हो रहा चैंपियंस ट्रॉफी का सफर इस बार कुछ खास होगा. टूर्नामेंट के दौरान हाई टेक्नोलॉजी का उपयोग किया जाएगा. जिसमें ड्रोन कैमरे के अलावा बल्ले में माइक्रोचिप भी लगी होगी. यह पहली बार होगा कि चैंपियंस ट्रॉफी में इस तरह के बल्ले का इस्तेमाल किया जाएगा. इसकी शुरुआत चैंपियंस ट्रॉफी के पहले मुकाबले इंग्लैंड और बांग्लादेश के बीच भी होगा.

मीडिया रिपोर्ट्स के मुताबिक, बल्लेबाजों के बल्ले में जो चिप होगी, उससे उनके रिएक्शन टाइम को नोट किया जाएगा. रिपोर्ट्स की मानें तो हर टीम के 3 बल्लेबाज इस प्रकार के बल्ले का इस्तेमाल करेंगे. अभी तक इस प्रकार का बैट सिर्फ बेसबॉल में इस्तेमाल किया जाता था. चैंपियंस ट्रॉफी के पहले मैच में इंग्लैंड की ओर से जेसन रॉय, एलेक्स हेल्स और बेन स्टोक्स इस बल्ले का इस्तेमाल कर सकते हैं.

इस बल्ले के जरिये बल्लेबाजों का डाटा रिकॉर्ड किया जाएगा, जिससे बल्लेबाजों की मूवमेंट, शॉट का तरीका और रफ्तार पर नजर रखी जाएगी. वहीं ड्रोन कैमरे का इस्तेमाल पिच की रिपोर्ट और उसे समझने के अलावा ग्राउंड पर बारीकी से नजर रखने में मदद मिलेगी.

'Sachin: A Billion Dreams': Informative, inspirational (IANS Review, Rating: ***)

Film: "Sachin: A Billion Dreams"; Director: James Erskine; Cast: Sachin Tendulkar, Anjali Tendulkar, Ajit Tendulkar, Sara Tendulkar, Mayuresh Pem, Mayur More; Rating: ***

"Sachin: A Billion Dreams" is a biopic that gives a holistic view of Sachin Tendulkar's life, who is revered as "the God" of cricket by his fans.

Structurally, the film is designed as a documentary. While the film encapsulates the life of the master blaster right from his birth till date, it also gives an insight into the socio-economic situation of the country, making it feel like heavy-duty stuff.

Also Read : Want my children to be judged as individuals: Sachin Tendulkar

This may not be the first documentary on Tendulkar, but probably it is the only one endorsed by him. So, you have him as the narrator sharing his personal moments along with his views and fears in a sincere and heartfelt manner.

While the film tells us of his growth as a cricketer which is common knowledge, it also reveals his personal life bringing to the fore his close-knit family and friends. How he got the name Sachin, how he met his wife, got married and how he spends his free moments, are a few of the interesting nuggets shared. So apart from Sachin you actually get to see his family and friends. Read more

क्रिकेट जगत में क्रांतिकारी परिवर्तन लाने वाले इंडियन प्रीमियर लीग के 10वें साल में कई बदलावों की दरकार महसूस होती है

क्रिकेट जगत में क्रांतिकारी परिवर्तन लाने वाले इंडियन प्रीमियर लीग के 10वें साल में कई बदलावों की दरकार महसूस होती है

पिछले साल इंडियन प्रीमियर लीग (आईपीएल) शुरू होने से पहले ट्वेंटी-20 क्रिकेट के इस टूर्नामेंट को बेहद सख्त इम्तिहान माना जा रहा था। ऐसा मानना गलत भी नहीं था क्योंकि मार्च के आखिरी दिनों में जब यह टूर्नामेंट शुरू हुआ था, उस समय भारत के खिलाडिय़ों को एक के बाद एक दिग्गज अंतरराष्टï्रीय टीमों के खिलाफ बीस-बीस ओवरों के मुकाबले खेलते हुए तीन महीने हो चुके थे। उन तीन महीनों में भारत ने ऑस्ट्रेलिया और श्रीलंका को टी-20 मुकाबलों में धूल चटाई और बांग्लादेश में टी-20 एशिया कप में खिताबी जीत भी दर्ज की। उसके बाद भी उन्हें आराम नहीं मिला और टी-20 विश्व कप में सभी से दो-दो हाथ करते हुए टीम सेमीफाइनल तक पहुंचने में कामयाब रही। उसके बावजूद आईपीएल बेहद मनोरंजक एवं रोमांचक रहा।

उस आईपीएल की खास बात यह थी कि उच्चतम न्यायालय की तरफ से नियुक्त न्यायमूर्ति आर एम लोढ़ा समिति की सिफारिशें आने के बाद वह पहला आईपीएल टूर्नामेंट था। खास बात यह भी थी कि उस टूर्नामेंट से ठीक पहले चेन्नई सुपरकिंग्स और राजस्थान रॉयल्स की दिग्गज टीमों को टूर्नामेंट से बाहर कर दिया गया था। उनकी जगह दो नई टीमों राइजिंग पुणे सुपरजाइंट्स और गुजरात लॉयंस को शामिल किया गया था। ऐसी सूरत में 2016 के टूर्नामेंट की कामयाबी को लेकर चिंताएं होना लाजिमी था। चिंता उस समय बढ़ भी गई, जब उसे शुरुआत में टेलीविजन पर उतने दर्शक नहीं मिले, जितने उससे पिछले सालों में मिलते आए थे।

लेकिन दो हफ्ते के भीतर ही इस टी-20 लीग का खुमार एक बार फिर पूरे मुल्क पर चढ़ गया और टीवी रेटिंग एक बार फिर चढऩे लगीं। टूर्नामेंट खत्म होने पर पता चला कि लीग के दर्शकों की संख्या साल भर पहले के आंकड़े से तकरीबन 88 फीसदी बढ़कर 36.12 करोड़ तक पहुंच गई थी। टूर्नामेंट के पहले साल यानी 2008 के संस्करण में दर्शकों की संख्या से तुलना करें तो 2016 में तकरीबन ढाई गुना दर्शक आईपीएल को हासिल हुए थे। दर्शकों के साथ ही विज्ञापन से होने वाली कमाई के मामले में भी प्रदर्शन बहुत शानदार रहा। पिछले साल आईपीएल को प्रायोजकों के विज्ञापनों ने तकरीबन 1,100 करोड़ रुपये की आय हासिल हुई थी। इन आकंड़ों ने एक बार फिर साबित कर दिया कि आईपीएल अपने रास्ते में आने वाली तमाम बाधाओं से पार पाने में कामयाब रहा है। Read More

Ashwin and Virat Kohli honoured in BCCI Awards 2017

Virat Kohli with team mates during the BCCI Annual awards in Bengaluru

Kohli won the Polly Umrigar award for best international player of 2015/16, becoming the first player to get the award three times.

Engineer urged everyone to know and respect the contributions made by Pataudi to Indian cricket, saying that the Tiger was "still a world-class player despite losing one eye".

Watch : Airbus showcases a concept car that can fly

Ashwin wins the CK Nayudu award for his performance in the West Indies in 2016. He picked up 17 wickets in four Tests, including a haul of 7/83 in North Sound.

Ajinkiya Rahane with wife during the BCCI Annual awards in Bengaluru

Sharmila Tagore with daughter Saba pose during the BCCI Annual awards in Bengaluru

More pics Click here

धोनी के इस्तीफे की वजह यह तो नहीं!

Breaking News : प्रशंसक, पूर्व खिलाड़ी और क्रिकेट से जुड़े तमाम लोग महेंद्र सिंह धोनी के उस हालिया फैसले पर हैरान रह गए, जब सभी प्रारूपों में भारत के सबसे सफल कप्तान ने सीमित ओवरों के खेल में भारत की कप्तानी छोड़ दी। लोगों ने हैरानी भरी प्रतिक्रिया देते हुए कहा कि धोनी से ऐसा क्यों किया? वहीं दूसरे लोग इस सवाल को दूसरे नजरिये से भी पूछ रहे हैं कि आखिर धोनी को ऐसा क्यों नहीं करना चाहिए था? दशक भर से देश की कप्तानी संभाल रहे धोनी का यही अंदाज रहा है कि उन्होंने निजी हितों पर टीम को ही हमेशा तरजीह दी है। निश्चित रूप से इस पहलू ने अहम भूमिका निभाई हो लेकिन पूरी कहानी यहीं खत्म नहीं हो जाती।

व्यावसायिक हितों जैसे शब्द की व्याख्या करते हुए लोढ़ा समिति की रिपोर्ट में दर्शाया गया, 'डी टीम का कप्तान है। साथ ही वह खेल प्रबंधन एजेंसी में सह-मालिक भी है, जो टीम के अन्य सदस्यों से जुड़े अनुबंधों को देखती है। डी हितों के टकराव से प्रभावित है।' रिपोर्ट में आगे कहा गया, 'इस मामले में जब असंदिग्ध साख वाले तमाम क्रिकेटरों से पड़ताल की गई कि कि आखिर हितों के टकराव की क्या स्थिति हो सकती है तो वे हैरान रह गए कि किसी हित टकराव वाली स्थिति के लिए कोई गलत काम जरूरी नहीं है। समिति ने संज्ञान लिया कि किसी पद पर बैठा व्यक्ति खेल में ईमानदारी का अवमूल्यन कर सकता है और ऐसे हालात इन आरोपों के लिहाज से उसे संवेदनशील बना सकते हैं।' अगर धोनी इस्तीफा नहीं देते तो वे इस प्रकार के परिदृश्य के काफी करीब नजर आते क्योंकि उन्हें 6 जनवरी को आगामी एकदिवसीय और टी 20 शृंखलाओं के लिए चयनकर्ताओं की बैठक में सक्रिय भूमिका निभानी पड़ती।

धोनी अपने बचपन के दोस्त अरुण पांडेय के साथ मिलकर रिति स्‍पोर्ट्स मैनेजमेंट नाम की एजेंसी चलाते हैं, जो खुद धोनी सहित दर्जन भर मशहूर शख्सियतों के विज्ञापन अनुबंधों का काम देखती है। इसके साथ के एल राहुल, भुवनेश्वर कुमार, प्रज्ञान ओझा और मोहित शर्मा जैसे खिलाड़ी जुड़े हुए हैं। इनमें राहुल और भुवनेश्वर एकदिवसीय क्रिकेट टीम का हिस्सा भी हैं। साथ ही धोनी लंबे समय से ऐसी टीम के कप्तान भी रहे हैं, जिसमें नियमित रूप से रवींद्र जाडेजा और सुरेश रैना की मौजूदगी रही। यह तथ्य भी किसी से छिपा नहीं रहा कि ये दोनों खिलाड़ी भी उस समय रिति स्पोट्र्स मैनेजमेंट के साथ थे। रैना ने जहां वर्ष 2015 में रिति के साथ अपना करार खत्म कर लिया, वहीं जडेजा ने पिछले साल अक्टूबर में ही रिति को अलविदा कह दिया। Read more

Photos : India beat England by an innings and 36 runs

India take very little time to pick remaining four England wickets, and register a comprehensive innings and 36-run win over the visitors in the fourth Test at the Wankhede

The visitors failed to apply themselves and collapsed within the first 30 minute’s of the fifth and final day.

Ashwin picked another ten-wicket haul in Tests, and also took five wickets in an innings for the 24th time.

The series win is India’s fifth on the trot, under Kohli. The skipper’s incredible run with the bat, and as captain, continues.

The action will now shift to Chennai where India will play for 4-0 scoreline, and England will eye pride

Virat Kohli celebrates the wicket of England batsman Jonny Bairstow

See more pics Click Here

Kohli: 'Team performances key to India's success'

His fast bowlers have been in and out of the team due to injuries, but Virat Kohli has said he was not bothered by it due to the good performances by his replacement bowlers. 

India’s captain Virat Kohli has underlined his team’s principle in compartmentalising roles for a common goal. He has said batsmen or bowlers have had a template to follow to complement the relevant efforts of others to chalk out Test victories.

Ahead of the fourth Test in Mumbai, Kohli elaborated on how his bowlers have been effective in Tests in the past year, a marked change from a lacklustre bowling effort during the tour of Australia in 2014-15, when Kohli had taken over captaincy.

Read: As always, dry pitch awaits teams at Wankhede

India, under Kohli, has won 12 of the 18 Tests it has played since the Australia tour, and lost just one, against Sri Lanka in Galle.

“I think one area that [fast bowlers] have worked really hard on is the consistency bit, and understanding that you don’t necessarily have to come at the batsman all the time. It’s important to have patience in particular sessions and for that you need to get fitter. You need to get fitter to keep bowling those lines – those fourth, fifth stump lines,” Kohli said.

Mohammed Shami doubtful for Mumbai Test

“I think it’s been a process that they’ve followed. It’s a routine that they’ve been a part of where they get physically stronger, they get mentally stronger to keep bowling in those areas. They’re not desperate to come in and pick up five wickets. They’re pretty happy playing their roles and as a captain, I think that’s the most important thing as a team, when people are willing to play their roles and not get desperate or selfish at any stage of the game. I think that’s been a key factor for us to get the results that we wanted and come back from difficult situations,” he added.

Read: Rahane ruled out for fourth and fifth Tests

His fast bowlers have been in and out of the team due to injuries, but Kohli has said he was not bothered by it due to the good performances by his replacement bowlers.

“Whoever has stepped in has given match-winning performances. The two times Bhuvi (Bhuvneshwar Kumar) has come in, in St. Lucia once, and in Kolkata once, he has picked up five wickets and became a match-winner for us. I’m not worried at all because the guys sitting outside are waiting for opportunities, which is I think a great sign for the team and that’s why whoever has played at any stage has given those performances for us because they’re pretty keen to step on to the field and grab the opportunity with both hands,” Kohli said.(more)

Rahane out of Test series, Manish Pandey called up

Ind vs Eng: Manish replaces Rahane, Shardul called in as Shami’s backup

Manish Pandey, the Karnataka batsman, has been called up to the Indian Test team as a replacement for Ajinkya Rahane for the fourth Test to be played in Mumbai starting Thursday (December 8).

Rahane was hit on the hand while practicing in the nets on Wednesday and the blow resulted in an avulsion fracture on the right index finger. The Mumbai middle-order batsman and India Test vice-captain has been ruled out of the remainder of the Test series against England. 

BCCI confirmed the news through a media release, saying: "Ajinkya Rahane sustained an avulsion fracture on his right index finger and has been ruled out for the remaining two Test matches of the Paytm series 2016 against England. A ball stuck Rahane during the practice session today." 

Rahane has not had the best of series thus far, with a top score of 26 in five innings so far, but his injury will still come as a big blow for the Indian side which has already suffered some injury setbacks. 

Their pace spearhead, Mohammed Shami is a doubt for the Test, too, and a back-up in the form of Mumbai pacer Shardul Thakur has been called up. Shami has been suffering from a sore knee and a call on whether he can play in Mumbai will be taken on the eve of the Test.

"Mumbai medium pacer Shardul Thakur has been called as back up for India pacer Mohammed Shami, who is nursing a sore knee. The BCCI medical team is closely monitoring his progress and a decision on his participation will be taken before the start of the fourth Test match," the BCCI release said. 

Read more related Articles:

Confident India ready to wrap up series against England

India aim to extend winning run in fourth Test vs England (Preview)

India-England Test match in Chennai in balance post Jayalalithaa's death

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It's a good to have contagious winning habit: Virat Kohli

It's a good to have contagious winning habit: Virat Kohli

Winning is "contagious" and Indian Test captain Virat Kohli feels that it is a "good habit" that his boys can create in order to become a formidable Test team anywhere in the world.

India trounced West Indies by an innings and 92 runs well inside four days in the first cricket Test of the four-match series.

"We want to create winning habits, good habits. And you know, winning is contagious. If we learn to win Test matches, then we'll learn how to win Tests everywhere. We will learn how to play in different situations and we will know exactly what to do when a certain situation is going a certain way," Kohli told mediapersons after a thumping victory against the hosts.

"We want to be consistent side, we need to set ourselves goals and look to execute that rather than looking at the opposition which I think this team is willing to do," said Kohli after the win.

"That for me is a very pleasing thing as a captain and for the team as well. Everyone understands the way we want to play on the field - where we need to bat, how we need to bowl, etc. We need to be comfortable with what the team requires and I think that's the most important for this team going forward."
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IPL viewership on Hotstar doubles in 2016

STAR India’s online video streaming platform Hotstar has more than double its reach (unique viewers) for IPL in the past one year. For all the games played until the play-offs (between April 9 and May 22), 80 million people used the service, compared with 35 million a year ago.

The cash-rich Twenty20 tournament came under STAR India’s digital ambit in 2014 when it was made available on starsports.com. Last year, Hotstar was introduced, helping viewers see the tournament on the new app.

The network seems to be on track to achieve the target of reaching100 million IPL viewers this year. “We have seen the adoption of Hotstar as primary screen increase significantly among the urban affluent youth. At 80 million (unique) viewers before the play-offs, I expect the platform to add another 15 to 20 million in reach over the last leg of the tournament,” says Ajit Mohan, CEO, Hotstar, STAR India.

Total IPL watch time on the app has gone up by 60 per cent over 2015. The key to increasing the reach, according to Mohan, lies in the data-rich experience. Additionally, the application streams live scorecard and analysis before and after the match, as well as between the innings.Read more.

Movies & cricket serious business for Apple CEO Tim Cook's future India plans

Apple chief Executive Officer Tim Cook's visit to India, mixing plenty of leisure with work, has set off comparisons with other tech giants.

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg's trips to the country in 2014 and 2015 lasted for about two days. Microsoft chief Satya Nadella will come at the end of this month only for a day, the same as the duration of his previous official visit in November 2015.

Google's Sundar Pichai was in the country for two days last year. Bill Gates' first visit as the CEO of Microsoft in 1997 was short - barely two days.

Apart from limiting the number of days in an official visit to two or three, CEOs of large multinational corporations have mostly stuck to business on such trips - meeting business and political leaders, interacting with students on college campuses, and doing big-ticket launches.

Perhaps, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos was a little out of the box as he went on a road show in a supply truck wearing a sherwani and waving a $2-billion note (that's the investment committed in the India market so far) in Bengaluru in September 2014. Bezos also spent almost a week in the country. But while onlookers may wonder how Cook had the time to experience even cricket and Bollywood, travelling thousands of kilometres within the country, those in the know pointed out it was more about business than just fun for the American tech giant executives.

If Apple is to stay in India, surely cricket and Bollywood cannot be ignored, seems to have been the thought behind Cook's just-concluded visit.

"He came to India with a very serious road map. Bollywood and cricket were surely on his mind for future business prospects," said film-maker Mukesh Bhatt, who was one of the people to interact with Cook when he was in Mumbai.

He said Cook spoke to everyone on the sets of Raaz Reboot, a film produced by brothers Mahesh Bhatt and Mukesh Bhatt, with humility and like an ordinary man. "He was moved to see that Apple devices were being used in the shoot."

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