Friday, November 20, 2009

ESS launches ESPN NEWS on Singtel platform in Singapore

Insearchindia.com Team

(19 November 2009 11:20 pm)



MUMBAI: ESPN Star Sports (ESS) has announced the launch of ESPN NEWS, the sports news channel dedicated to Asian sports fans, on SingTel’s Mio TV platform in Singapore.

ESS is also interested to get the channel to India and has applied to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for its clearance.

Consisting of highlights, scores, updates and sports information, ESPN NEWS will provide real-time sports news.



The new channel will deliver content from local, regional and international sporting events.

ESS MD Manu Sawhney commented, “As Asia’s leading sports broadcaster, the launch of ESPN NEWS, the first 24/7 sports news channel dedicated to Asian sports fans, is a defining moment for us and I’m delighted to share this with our valued partner SingTel.”

The channel’s layout features four main data streams - a ‘video window’ carrying all the sports action and highlights; a ‘bottom line’ graphic streaming results and upcoming fixtures, a ‘top line’ graphic which provides a continuous update of news, and the ‘sideline’ graphic which will provide the latest standings, rankings and statistics from the professional leagues around the world.




“We are excited about welcoming ESPN NEWS as the first of several ESS channels that will be coming onto the Mio TV platform. Mio TV is fast gaining traction as a serious player in the sports broadcasting arena, and we are certain that the synergy that comes out of this partnership will ensure an excellent experience for all sports fans in Singapore,” said Singtel VP (Mio TV) Tim Carmichael.

Currently launched with an English voice-over, ESPN NEWS will also be available in Cantonese and Bahasa Melayu at a later date.

The channel is currently available free to all Mio TV subscribers till 17 December, and subsequently will be available at no additional cost to those who sign up for the Barclays Premier League 2010/11 with 'ESPN STAR Sports Channels Early Bird' offer. It will also be available on an a la carte basis at $8.90.

ESPN NEWS is already available in Myanmar, the Philippines, Cambodia and Vietnam and will be rolled out across other markets in the region in the coming months.

Saturday, November 14, 2009


Sony Pictures' 2012 set to break box-office records
By inserachindia.com Team
(13 November 2009 6:55 pm)


MUMBAI: Sony Pictures' 2012, the biggest-ever Hollywood release in India that opened today in English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu is all set to break box-office records. In its opening day, the film grossed Rs. 56 million.

With a total of 676 prints in 716 screens across the country, 2012 is already creating records of sorts with theaters in cities such as Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore, Delhi NCR, Indore, Nagpur, Jaipur, Gwalior, Hyderabad, seeing full houses throughout the day.

Cinemas like Inox, Gold, Fame, Citypride and Mangala in Pune and PVR and Inox Garuda in Bangalore have reported a full house for three days from Friday to Sunday.


Comments Sony Pictures India managing director Kercy Daruwala, "While it is too early for hard numbers, judging from the good response, we are expecting the film to be one of the top-grossing Hollywood films of all time in the country following the steps of other blockbusters from our studio such as the Spider-Man series and Bond series.

"The huge marketing campaign around the film and the major human interest in the doomsday concept seem to be the cause of this scale of response from the audience."