Thursday, April 26, 2012
Thursday, April 19, 2012
IPL 5 ratings soften, 16 matches notch up 3.65 TVR
Insearchindia.com Team
(18 April 2012 11:35 pm)
MUMBAI: The ratings for the fifth season of the Indian Premier League have failed to improve after a softer opening, while it has started eating into the Hindi general entertainment genre.
The first 16 matches of the IPL have registered an average TVR of 3.65 compared to a 4 TVR in the last season of the tourney.
As per data from TAM Sports, the cumulative reach of the matches (C&S, 4+, All India) have dropped to 123 million viewers, from 127 million last time.
The first seven matches of the current IPL season had delivered an average rating of 3.76 TVR which was lower than the 4.63 TVR that it had notched up last year.
Multi Screen Media (MSM) president network sales, licensing and telephony Rohit Gupta declined to comment on whether the channel would manage to achieve growth this year. In the fourth edition of the IPL, MSM had posted an advertising revenue of Rs 9 billion.
For the record, the broadcaster has only six sponsors on board with Vodafone and Idea 3G smart phone as co-presenting sponsors and Cadbury's Dairy Milk, Havells, Pepsi and Tata Photon as associate sponsors.
GroupM CEO South Asia Vikram Sakhuja says that re-calibration of rates is needed. "The IPL is still a very good property and it is maturing. The first week's data was around 10-11 per cent less than last year. The second week's ratings are almost similar to what was managed last year.
Overall, so far the ratings are six to seven per cent lower. I think that the event could manage a similar performance to last year with a possible positive or negative difference of four to five per cent. Even with properties like 'KBC' you see a bit of a drop from one season to the next. What you hope for is that the ratings at least hold steady."
He notes that one good thing about this edition of the IPL is that there have been more close encounters compared to last year. "Both of yesterday's matches went down to the wire. That should help viewership."
More micro-marketing efforts are needed at this stage of the event. "This means building anticipation for daily clashes and better marketing of day to day matches is needed. This effort needs to come from everybody including the broadcaster and franchises," Sakhuja says.
Commune Sports and Entertainment MD Jamie Stewart continues to stay bullish on the IPL. "Although the ratings have dropped, I think the IPL is still a valuable property. Even at the current level, the rating is decent."
Stewart believes the franchises should not have upset the applecart by revamping their teams as that leads to dilution in fan loyalty. "I think the change in teams last year was complete madness as many of the franchises had to start building their fan base right from the scratch," he adds.
Insearchindia.com Team
(18 April 2012 11:35 pm)
MUMBAI: The ratings for the fifth season of the Indian Premier League have failed to improve after a softer opening, while it has started eating into the Hindi general entertainment genre.
The first 16 matches of the IPL have registered an average TVR of 3.65 compared to a 4 TVR in the last season of the tourney.
As per data from TAM Sports, the cumulative reach of the matches (C&S, 4+, All India) have dropped to 123 million viewers, from 127 million last time.
The first seven matches of the current IPL season had delivered an average rating of 3.76 TVR which was lower than the 4.63 TVR that it had notched up last year.
Multi Screen Media (MSM) president network sales, licensing and telephony Rohit Gupta declined to comment on whether the channel would manage to achieve growth this year. In the fourth edition of the IPL, MSM had posted an advertising revenue of Rs 9 billion.
For the record, the broadcaster has only six sponsors on board with Vodafone and Idea 3G smart phone as co-presenting sponsors and Cadbury's Dairy Milk, Havells, Pepsi and Tata Photon as associate sponsors.
GroupM CEO South Asia Vikram Sakhuja says that re-calibration of rates is needed. "The IPL is still a very good property and it is maturing. The first week's data was around 10-11 per cent less than last year. The second week's ratings are almost similar to what was managed last year.
Overall, so far the ratings are six to seven per cent lower. I think that the event could manage a similar performance to last year with a possible positive or negative difference of four to five per cent. Even with properties like 'KBC' you see a bit of a drop from one season to the next. What you hope for is that the ratings at least hold steady."
He notes that one good thing about this edition of the IPL is that there have been more close encounters compared to last year. "Both of yesterday's matches went down to the wire. That should help viewership."
More micro-marketing efforts are needed at this stage of the event. "This means building anticipation for daily clashes and better marketing of day to day matches is needed. This effort needs to come from everybody including the broadcaster and franchises," Sakhuja says.
Commune Sports and Entertainment MD Jamie Stewart continues to stay bullish on the IPL. "Although the ratings have dropped, I think the IPL is still a valuable property. Even at the current level, the rating is decent."
Stewart believes the franchises should not have upset the applecart by revamping their teams as that leads to dilution in fan loyalty. "I think the change in teams last year was complete madness as many of the franchises had to start building their fan base right from the scratch," he adds.
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
ESS launches event management arm in India
Insearchindia.com Team
(17 April 2012 3:15 pm)
MUMBAI: ESPN Star Sports, Asia’s leading sports broadcaster, has announced the launch of its on-ground division ‘Event Management Group’ in India.
The company further announced that PepsiCo India has signed on EMG to manage the on-ground events of its mega football league, Pepsi T20 Football, in India.
As a part of the deal, ESPN Star Sports is producing and showcasing the Pepsi T20 Football tournament in a special eight episode series. The EMG is also managing the School Quiz 2012 where it has roped in HDFC Life as the title sponsor. While on-ground initiatives around the HDFC Life School Quiz 2012 have already started, on-air telecast of the Quiz begins on 1 June.
EMG manages and promotes premier sporting events around Asia. EMG specialises in creating, managing, promoting, consulting, producing and syndicating leading sporting events such as the KIA X Games Asia, KL World 5s and Guinness 9-Ball Tour. With over 1000 events in 11 countries, all events organised by EMG, enjoy regional broadcast across Asia through the ESPN and Star Sports channels.
ESPN Software India Executive Vice President Sanjay Kailash said, "Our Event Management Group has firmly established itself across Asia Pacific with world class products designed to engage and entertain sports fans. It offers an exciting business opportunity in the India market as well. We can bring our deep international experience into play; create tailor made events and offer interesting and innovative marketing solutions using multiple platforms of ESPN Star Sports. I am sure corporates will see lot of value in what EMG has to offer."
Insearchindia.com Team
(17 April 2012 3:15 pm)
MUMBAI: ESPN Star Sports, Asia’s leading sports broadcaster, has announced the launch of its on-ground division ‘Event Management Group’ in India.
The company further announced that PepsiCo India has signed on EMG to manage the on-ground events of its mega football league, Pepsi T20 Football, in India.
As a part of the deal, ESPN Star Sports is producing and showcasing the Pepsi T20 Football tournament in a special eight episode series. The EMG is also managing the School Quiz 2012 where it has roped in HDFC Life as the title sponsor. While on-ground initiatives around the HDFC Life School Quiz 2012 have already started, on-air telecast of the Quiz begins on 1 June.
EMG manages and promotes premier sporting events around Asia. EMG specialises in creating, managing, promoting, consulting, producing and syndicating leading sporting events such as the KIA X Games Asia, KL World 5s and Guinness 9-Ball Tour. With over 1000 events in 11 countries, all events organised by EMG, enjoy regional broadcast across Asia through the ESPN and Star Sports channels.
ESPN Software India Executive Vice President Sanjay Kailash said, "Our Event Management Group has firmly established itself across Asia Pacific with world class products designed to engage and entertain sports fans. It offers an exciting business opportunity in the India market as well. We can bring our deep international experience into play; create tailor made events and offer interesting and innovative marketing solutions using multiple platforms of ESPN Star Sports. I am sure corporates will see lot of value in what EMG has to offer."
Asci partners with TAM to monitor misleading ads
Insearchindia.com Team
(17 April 2012 1:45 pm)
MUMBAI: Asci, India’s advertising industry watchdog, has partnered with TAM Media Research to monitor misleading ads.
The newly created body, National Advertising Monitoring Service (NAMS), will come into affect from 1 May.
It will track and assess newly released ads from 350 TV channels and 10860 newspapers on an average every week.
The Advertising Standards Council of India said Tuesday that the new body would be set up in Baroda.
Await detailed report.
Insearchindia.com Team
(17 April 2012 1:45 pm)
MUMBAI: Asci, India’s advertising industry watchdog, has partnered with TAM Media Research to monitor misleading ads.
The newly created body, National Advertising Monitoring Service (NAMS), will come into affect from 1 May.
It will track and assess newly released ads from 350 TV channels and 10860 newspapers on an average every week.
The Advertising Standards Council of India said Tuesday that the new body would be set up in Baroda.
Await detailed report.
Monday, April 16, 2012
Star, ABP announce divorce, Star News to be ABP News
Insearchindia.com Team
(16 April 2012 5:30 pm)
MUMBAI: Star India and Ananda Bazar Patrika (ABP) Group have officially announced the parting of ways.
Insearchindia.com had earlier reported that the split would be within three months. The discontinuation will come in effect in phases from a period of 2-4 months and the partners will work together to ensure a smooth transition during this period.
Media Content and Communications (MCCS) has announced that after the split, Hindi news channel Star News will be called ABP News, Bengali news channel Star Ananda becomes ABP Ananda and the Marathi news channel Star Majha will be called ABP Majha.
“Both the principle shareholders have agreed to discontinue the Star brand affiliation with the MCCS. Going forward Star wishes to focus on building their brand on their core business that is general entertainment,” the release states.
ABP also said that its core business is news and it wishes to “promote and establish” its own brands in the broadcast news space through its subsidiary company - MCCS.
With the announcement, the eight-year affiliation with Star brand has come to an end.
Insearchindia.com Team
(16 April 2012 5:30 pm)
MUMBAI: Star India and Ananda Bazar Patrika (ABP) Group have officially announced the parting of ways.
Insearchindia.com had earlier reported that the split would be within three months. The discontinuation will come in effect in phases from a period of 2-4 months and the partners will work together to ensure a smooth transition during this period.
Media Content and Communications (MCCS) has announced that after the split, Hindi news channel Star News will be called ABP News, Bengali news channel Star Ananda becomes ABP Ananda and the Marathi news channel Star Majha will be called ABP Majha.
“Both the principle shareholders have agreed to discontinue the Star brand affiliation with the MCCS. Going forward Star wishes to focus on building their brand on their core business that is general entertainment,” the release states.
ABP also said that its core business is news and it wishes to “promote and establish” its own brands in the broadcast news space through its subsidiary company - MCCS.
With the announcement, the eight-year affiliation with Star brand has come to an end.
Sony's Manisha Sharma to join Colors as non-fiction head
By GAURAV
Insearchindia.com Team
(16 April 2012 4:30 pm)
MUMBAI: Sony Entertainment Television non-fiction head Manisha Sharma has quit the network where she spent nearly eight years.
Sources said Sharma will be joining Colors as non-fiction head, a position that was lying vacant after Siddharth Bahuguna quit.
Sharma played a role in the turnaround of Sony with shows like Kaun Banega Crorpati, Crime Patrol and CID.
Sharma and other officials from Sony and Colors were not available for their comments.
By GAURAV
Insearchindia.com Team
(16 April 2012 4:30 pm)
MUMBAI: Sony Entertainment Television non-fiction head Manisha Sharma has quit the network where she spent nearly eight years.
Sources said Sharma will be joining Colors as non-fiction head, a position that was lying vacant after Siddharth Bahuguna quit.
Sharma played a role in the turnaround of Sony with shows like Kaun Banega Crorpati, Crime Patrol and CID.
Sharma and other officials from Sony and Colors were not available for their comments.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Weak IPL5 ratings cause for concern
Insearchindia.com Team
(14 April 2012 11:37 pm)
MUMBAI: After a spell of success for three consecutive years, the Indian Premier League is getting a harsh reality check. While Max, the official broadcaster, has found it tough to sell to advertisers at last year's rates, the initial ratings are a matter of concern for the long-term growth of the property.
The average rating for the first six matches of the fifth edition of the IPL has hit an all-time low, scoring weaker than last year's which had taken place immediately after a long-drawn World Cup at home that India went on to win. TAM data shows that the average rating stood at 3.76 TVR, a big drop from the 4.63 TVR that the event garnered last year. The third edition of the event had done even better with average rating of 4.99 TVR.
Making matters worse for Max is the fact that the overall reach too has seen a 10 per cent drop to 90 million from 101 million last year. If the ratings continue their downward spiral, it will have huge implications for Max in particular as it had to make do with unsold inventory and lesser sponsors for this season. The channel had made Rs 9 billion in revenues from last season's IPL in spite of average viewership for the tournament falling even as the overall reach increased.
The drop in ratings will certainly put pressure on Max. As it has sold just 65-70 per cent of its commercial time.However, MSM president network sales, licensing and telephony Rohit Gupta says that it is still early for an analysis. "We need to give it another week. We are doing deals."
Industry experts point out that the main reasons for the drop in ratings are Team India's disastrous performance in England and Australia followed by lackluster showing in the four nation Asia Cup with the win over Pakistan being the only talking point coupled with one-sided matches in the IPL.
The mood in the market is that while there were no sky high expectations from the IPL this year, in the same breath it wasn't expected to do this bad.
Percept Jt MD Shailendra Singh reasons that the positioning of the IPL as a "youth" league has gone for a toss what with retired players Adam Gilchrist and Rahul Dravid taking centrestage.
"The IPL has become a veteran league with so many retired players playing in the tournament. The franchises should have promoted the youth faces. The whole purpose of the IPL will be defeated if the youth is not given due recognition," he avers.
GroupM ESP managing partner Hiren Pandit does not agree that the IPL has lost its youth value. He believes that the lack of competitiveness is driving away interest. The Indian team's pathetic form also contributed to the low interest.
Pandit, though, cautions against writing off the IPL as the data is just for the first six matches. "I think it's too early to comment, let's wait for some more matches. But, yes, the ratings have gone down due to lack of good performance from players and the Indian team's performance in the recent tours," he says.
He is also hopeful that a couple of good performances will lift the mood among fans. A case in point is last year's IPL when Chris Gayle took the IPL by storm with his ruthless knocks. Gayle, who remained unsold during the auction, was taken as a replacement player by Royal Challengers Bangalore, which turned out to be a game changer.
Singh feels that the franchises should do more activity round the year to engage fans and the emphasis should be on the sport rather than entertainment. He is quick to add that the right dosage of entertainment is also needed.
Maxus and Motivator South Asia MD Ajit Varghese says though the drop in ratings is a concern, advertisers at the same time will get a value out of their marketing investment's since a rating of 3.76 is not that bad either. He also contends that advertisers who have taken on-air sponsorship this year will gain more as the number of advertisers is less which will result in less clutter.
"We never had high expectations from the IPL this season as ratings have taken a hit due to Indian team's (bad) performance. However the drop in ratings remain a concern," Varghese adds. "Different advertisers have different objectives to get on to the IPL bandwagon. Some might want to use it to launch products, while others do it for impact. Some also might do it to strengthen their leadership position."
A sports marketing expert feels that one reason for lower ratings is a lack of close match endings. "Glamour also is important as the IPL has always been sold as an entertainment property. The fact that 'Houseful' did well at the box office shows that people are not interrupting their schedule to watch matches," the executive says.
Pandit, however, has a contrarian view. "I don't think that (glamour) it will do any wonders for the IPL because at the end of the day it is about the sport, which in itself is an entertainment proposition."
Insearchindia.com Team
(14 April 2012 11:37 pm)
MUMBAI: After a spell of success for three consecutive years, the Indian Premier League is getting a harsh reality check. While Max, the official broadcaster, has found it tough to sell to advertisers at last year's rates, the initial ratings are a matter of concern for the long-term growth of the property.
The average rating for the first six matches of the fifth edition of the IPL has hit an all-time low, scoring weaker than last year's which had taken place immediately after a long-drawn World Cup at home that India went on to win. TAM data shows that the average rating stood at 3.76 TVR, a big drop from the 4.63 TVR that the event garnered last year. The third edition of the event had done even better with average rating of 4.99 TVR.
Making matters worse for Max is the fact that the overall reach too has seen a 10 per cent drop to 90 million from 101 million last year. If the ratings continue their downward spiral, it will have huge implications for Max in particular as it had to make do with unsold inventory and lesser sponsors for this season. The channel had made Rs 9 billion in revenues from last season's IPL in spite of average viewership for the tournament falling even as the overall reach increased.
The drop in ratings will certainly put pressure on Max. As it has sold just 65-70 per cent of its commercial time.However, MSM president network sales, licensing and telephony Rohit Gupta says that it is still early for an analysis. "We need to give it another week. We are doing deals."
Industry experts point out that the main reasons for the drop in ratings are Team India's disastrous performance in England and Australia followed by lackluster showing in the four nation Asia Cup with the win over Pakistan being the only talking point coupled with one-sided matches in the IPL.
The mood in the market is that while there were no sky high expectations from the IPL this year, in the same breath it wasn't expected to do this bad.
Percept Jt MD Shailendra Singh reasons that the positioning of the IPL as a "youth" league has gone for a toss what with retired players Adam Gilchrist and Rahul Dravid taking centrestage.
"The IPL has become a veteran league with so many retired players playing in the tournament. The franchises should have promoted the youth faces. The whole purpose of the IPL will be defeated if the youth is not given due recognition," he avers.
GroupM ESP managing partner Hiren Pandit does not agree that the IPL has lost its youth value. He believes that the lack of competitiveness is driving away interest. The Indian team's pathetic form also contributed to the low interest.
Pandit, though, cautions against writing off the IPL as the data is just for the first six matches. "I think it's too early to comment, let's wait for some more matches. But, yes, the ratings have gone down due to lack of good performance from players and the Indian team's performance in the recent tours," he says.
He is also hopeful that a couple of good performances will lift the mood among fans. A case in point is last year's IPL when Chris Gayle took the IPL by storm with his ruthless knocks. Gayle, who remained unsold during the auction, was taken as a replacement player by Royal Challengers Bangalore, which turned out to be a game changer.
Singh feels that the franchises should do more activity round the year to engage fans and the emphasis should be on the sport rather than entertainment. He is quick to add that the right dosage of entertainment is also needed.
Maxus and Motivator South Asia MD Ajit Varghese says though the drop in ratings is a concern, advertisers at the same time will get a value out of their marketing investment's since a rating of 3.76 is not that bad either. He also contends that advertisers who have taken on-air sponsorship this year will gain more as the number of advertisers is less which will result in less clutter.
"We never had high expectations from the IPL this season as ratings have taken a hit due to Indian team's (bad) performance. However the drop in ratings remain a concern," Varghese adds. "Different advertisers have different objectives to get on to the IPL bandwagon. Some might want to use it to launch products, while others do it for impact. Some also might do it to strengthen their leadership position."
A sports marketing expert feels that one reason for lower ratings is a lack of close match endings. "Glamour also is important as the IPL has always been sold as an entertainment property. The fact that 'Houseful' did well at the box office shows that people are not interrupting their schedule to watch matches," the executive says.
Pandit, however, has a contrarian view. "I don't think that (glamour) it will do any wonders for the IPL because at the end of the day it is about the sport, which in itself is an entertainment proposition."
Digitalisation: Trai tariff order likely next week
Insearchindia.com Team
( 14 April 2012 11:58 pm)
NEW DELHI: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) is issuing its Tariff Order and other related guidelines relating to digitisation next week, almost three weeks after the deadline of 31 March set by the Government.
With the government sticking to its deadline of switching off analogue in the four metros on 30 June, this may create complications as the multi-system operators and cable operators will have to rework their agreements with the broadcasters on the one hand and with the subscribers on the other.
Cable industry sources indicated that the delay in announcement of tariff appeared to have been dictated by the elections to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi slated for 15 April.
The sources also said that many cable operators had not even begun the ground work for converting their analogue systems to digital addressable systems.
Trai had held a day-long meeting earlier this week with stakeholders – first half devoted to broadcasters, and the latter half to MSOs and cable operators – in which it heard the problems being faced by various sections because of delay in announcement of tariff and the reluctance of the government to permit both systems to co-exist for some time after 1 July till all homes had switched over to DAS.
It is expected that there will be a provision of 45 days for final disposal for applications of licences for DAS for cable operators, thus giving them little time to prepare for the change.
The government has allayed fears of any shortage of digital set top boxes. While a total of ten million STBs are required for the first phase, Delhi needs 3.3 million of which 700,000 had been installed. Another one million are in stock and orders have been placed for 2.8 million.
The STBs, says the government, would cost less than Rs 1000 and could be had on rent for as low as Rs 30 a month.
The must-carry clause for Doordarshan and Parliamentary channels would continue even after digitisation.
After the four metros, the target date for completely digitising cable sector in cities with population of more than one million was 30 March 2013, all urban areas by 30 September 2014, and the whole country by 31 December 2014.
Insearchindia.com Team
( 14 April 2012 11:58 pm)
NEW DELHI: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) is issuing its Tariff Order and other related guidelines relating to digitisation next week, almost three weeks after the deadline of 31 March set by the Government.
With the government sticking to its deadline of switching off analogue in the four metros on 30 June, this may create complications as the multi-system operators and cable operators will have to rework their agreements with the broadcasters on the one hand and with the subscribers on the other.
Cable industry sources indicated that the delay in announcement of tariff appeared to have been dictated by the elections to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi slated for 15 April.
The sources also said that many cable operators had not even begun the ground work for converting their analogue systems to digital addressable systems.
Trai had held a day-long meeting earlier this week with stakeholders – first half devoted to broadcasters, and the latter half to MSOs and cable operators – in which it heard the problems being faced by various sections because of delay in announcement of tariff and the reluctance of the government to permit both systems to co-exist for some time after 1 July till all homes had switched over to DAS.
It is expected that there will be a provision of 45 days for final disposal for applications of licences for DAS for cable operators, thus giving them little time to prepare for the change.
The government has allayed fears of any shortage of digital set top boxes. While a total of ten million STBs are required for the first phase, Delhi needs 3.3 million of which 700,000 had been installed. Another one million are in stock and orders have been placed for 2.8 million.
The STBs, says the government, would cost less than Rs 1000 and could be had on rent for as low as Rs 30 a month.
The must-carry clause for Doordarshan and Parliamentary channels would continue even after digitisation.
After the four metros, the target date for completely digitising cable sector in cities with population of more than one million was 30 March 2013, all urban areas by 30 September 2014, and the whole country by 31 December 2014.
India has 44.2 mn DTH subs, 825 channels: Trai
Insearchindia.com Team
(14 April 2012 11:00 pm)
MUMBAI: India has 44.21 million private DTH subscribers as of 31 December 2011, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India said in its quarterly report.
The total number of registered subscribers is from the six private direct-to-home operators - Dish TV, Tata Sky, Airtel Digital TV, Videocon D2H, Reliance Digital TV and Sun Direct.
Digital cable TV, however, is growing slowly in the Cas (conditional access system) notified areas.
Cable TV operators have marginally increased the seeding of set-top boxes (STBs) in the Cas areas of Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai during this period.
According to Trai, the total number of STBs installed increased to 853,737 in the quarter ended December 2011, as compared to 819,960 STBs in the previous quarter.
Trai has also released the data on the number of TV channels in India till 31 December 2011. There are a total of 825 private satellite TV channels permitted by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry, out of which 163 channels are pay, as per the sector watchdog's report based on the data received from 25 broadcasters and distributors across the country.
The maximum number of channels being carried by any of the reported multi-system operator (MSO) in digital mode is 277. In analogue form, however, the maximum number of channels being carried by any of the reported MSOs is 100 channels.
Trai also said that the number of private FM radio stations in operation remained at 245 till the end of Dec 2011.
Insearchindia.com Team
(14 April 2012 11:00 pm)
MUMBAI: India has 44.21 million private DTH subscribers as of 31 December 2011, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India said in its quarterly report.
The total number of registered subscribers is from the six private direct-to-home operators - Dish TV, Tata Sky, Airtel Digital TV, Videocon D2H, Reliance Digital TV and Sun Direct.
Digital cable TV, however, is growing slowly in the Cas (conditional access system) notified areas.
Cable TV operators have marginally increased the seeding of set-top boxes (STBs) in the Cas areas of Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai during this period.
According to Trai, the total number of STBs installed increased to 853,737 in the quarter ended December 2011, as compared to 819,960 STBs in the previous quarter.
Trai has also released the data on the number of TV channels in India till 31 December 2011. There are a total of 825 private satellite TV channels permitted by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry, out of which 163 channels are pay, as per the sector watchdog's report based on the data received from 25 broadcasters and distributors across the country.
The maximum number of channels being carried by any of the reported multi-system operator (MSO) in digital mode is 277. In analogue form, however, the maximum number of channels being carried by any of the reported MSOs is 100 channels.
Trai also said that the number of private FM radio stations in operation remained at 245 till the end of Dec 2011.
Thursday, April 12, 2012
IPL online ratings grows by 56%
Insearchindia.com Team
( 12 April 2012 9:47 pm)
MUMBAI: The IPL ratings might have fallen beyond expectations on television, but the response to online streaming of the matches has a different story to tell altogether.
The tournament's viewership on official YouTube channel and Indiatimes' IPL channel has seen an upward swing registering a 56 per cent growth over last year with the first week of the tournament, including the opening ceremony, recording 13.7 million views, as against 8.8 million views last year, according to Times Internet, the digital rights holder of IPL.
In contrast, the television viewership of the first six matches of IPL went down 12 per cent garnering average viewership of 3.76 TVR, compared to 4.63 TVR last year.
Coming to online viewership, New Delhi and Bangalore lead the viewership with 14 per cent each, with Mumbai coming in a close second at 13 per cent.
Among the matches registering maximum online views include the ones played on 10 April between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kolkata Knight Riders, and Delhi Daredevils and Chennai Super Kings. The day saw a total of 2.15 million views on the site, which included 0.7 million unique visitors.
Almost 0.6 million viewers have enjoyed the match action on their mobiles over the last seven days on Apalya mobile TV platform across Airtel, Idea and Vodafone which is double the traffic registered last year, Times Internet said.
Times Internet Ltd CEO Rishi Khiani said, “Last year, we delivered a superior viewing experience and garnered significant audiences. This year, our emphasis is on higher interactivity and our strong social focus has paid off right at the start, becoming a sign of things to come over the season.”
Google India head of media sales Praveen Sharma said, "We’re really excited to see the continuous growth in online viewer ship of IPL. This is the third year of our association with live streaming of IPL and the viewer ship numbers clearly indicate the distributed media consumption pattern of the Indian consumers."
Earlier, Times Internet had roped in Coca-Cola, Samsung and Maruti as premium sponsors while Kotak Mahindra Bank, Hero Honda, Citi Bank, E Bay, and Karbonn Mobiles and Hindustan Unilever had come on board as associate sponsors.
While premium sponsors are paying between Rs 35 to Rs 50 million, the associate sponsors have forked out between Rs 15 to Rs 30 million.
Insearchindia.com Team
( 12 April 2012 9:47 pm)
MUMBAI: The IPL ratings might have fallen beyond expectations on television, but the response to online streaming of the matches has a different story to tell altogether.
The tournament's viewership on official YouTube channel and Indiatimes' IPL channel has seen an upward swing registering a 56 per cent growth over last year with the first week of the tournament, including the opening ceremony, recording 13.7 million views, as against 8.8 million views last year, according to Times Internet, the digital rights holder of IPL.
In contrast, the television viewership of the first six matches of IPL went down 12 per cent garnering average viewership of 3.76 TVR, compared to 4.63 TVR last year.
Coming to online viewership, New Delhi and Bangalore lead the viewership with 14 per cent each, with Mumbai coming in a close second at 13 per cent.
Among the matches registering maximum online views include the ones played on 10 April between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kolkata Knight Riders, and Delhi Daredevils and Chennai Super Kings. The day saw a total of 2.15 million views on the site, which included 0.7 million unique visitors.
Almost 0.6 million viewers have enjoyed the match action on their mobiles over the last seven days on Apalya mobile TV platform across Airtel, Idea and Vodafone which is double the traffic registered last year, Times Internet said.
Times Internet Ltd CEO Rishi Khiani said, “Last year, we delivered a superior viewing experience and garnered significant audiences. This year, our emphasis is on higher interactivity and our strong social focus has paid off right at the start, becoming a sign of things to come over the season.”
Google India head of media sales Praveen Sharma said, "We’re really excited to see the continuous growth in online viewer ship of IPL. This is the third year of our association with live streaming of IPL and the viewer ship numbers clearly indicate the distributed media consumption pattern of the Indian consumers."
Earlier, Times Internet had roped in Coca-Cola, Samsung and Maruti as premium sponsors while Kotak Mahindra Bank, Hero Honda, Citi Bank, E Bay, and Karbonn Mobiles and Hindustan Unilever had come on board as associate sponsors.
While premium sponsors are paying between Rs 35 to Rs 50 million, the associate sponsors have forked out between Rs 15 to Rs 30 million.
Bollywood takes IPL head on
By ASHISH
Insearchindia.com Team
(12 April 2012 6:57 pm)
MUMBAI: Bollywood is refusing to take evasive action from the mighty attack of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Having learnt the hard way with films falling right, left and centre in the last four seasons of the IPL, Bollywood has decided to take the most popular and extensive annual cricketing event head on by releasing 24 films.
Of the 24, ten are big-ticket films from banners like Viacom 18, Reliance Motion Pictures, Yash Raj Films, UTV Spot Boy, Nadiadwala Grandsons and Ram Gopal Varma’s RGV Films.
The first film released on 5 April is Sajid Nadiadwala’s Housefull 2. This is to be followed by Kumar Mangat and Viacom 18’s Bittoo Boss (13 April), Life Ki Toh Lag Gayi and John Abraham’s Vicky Donor (20 April), Venus Records and Tapes’ Priyadarshan-directed Tezz (27 April), Mukesh Bhatt’s Jannat 2 (4 May), BVG Films, DAR Motion Pictures and Reliance Entertainment’s Karisma Kapur-starrer Dangerous Ishq (11 May) and Ram Gopal Varma’s Department, YRF’s Ishaqzaade and UTV Spotboy and Anurag Kashyap’s Love Suv Te Chicken Khurana (all on 18 May).
Opines UTV Motion Pictures CEO Siddharth Roy Kapoor, “The IPL has now become a regular part of the annual calendar and producers and distributors have realised that movie releases and cricket can co-exist since audiences watching cricket don’t stop going to cinema. Hence, we are seeing many big-ticket releases during the IPL. The general opinion is that if a film is good, it will run despite the IPL happening concurrently.”
Last year the only big-ticket films to release during the IPL were Dum Maro Dum and Thank You. Incidentally, both proved duds at the box office while a string of smaller productions like Shor In The City, Chalo Dilli, I Am, Love Ka The End, Ragini MMS, Stanley Ka Dabba and Pyar Ka Punchnama managed to find a release window during the IPL.
Industry officials expect the first quarter of this fiscal to be better in terms of revenue than the previous year due to a stronger lineup of films.
Explains producer Mukesh Bhatt, “The IPL has lost its shine. Now we are confident to take it head on. After lying low for four years in a row, Bollywood has decided to release many ‘A’ ticket films. Both cricket and films are a religion in India. People who are aficionados of cricket will see the IPL while those who love films will definitely go to see a film. All said and done, our revenue during the IPL tournament is poised for a big jump.”
Will not the IPL harm his upcoming film Jannat 2? “When IPL came for the first time, we were not afraid to release our film Jannat, then why should we be afraid this time? We are sure that our film will captivate the audience. We will storm the theatres, whatever be the match. Jannat 2 will prove to be a match-winning venture,” he says.
Exhibitors are also unanimous with the view that the IPL can't scare away big movies from releasing. Says Cinemax India CEO Sunil Punjabi, “April to June has traditionally been the best movie months till IPL hit us. This is the period that is large on entertainment time since kids and teens have holidays. Last year we saw a shift in cinema consumption trends. This year too, it is going to be the same. This shift in consumption is showing signs of the movie market maturing to take on any challenge."
So will IPL matches be screened in multiplexes? "The screening rights of IPL are being held back by the BCCI. Hence, like last year, there won't be screenings in multiplexes unless the rights are released," avers Punjabi.
It is not just Bollywood but also foreign films like James Cameron's Titanic (3D), Men in Black-3 and The Avengers that are opening up their release pipeline during the IPL.
"Bollywood has realised that it can't stay shut for 45 days in a year without the release of big movies. They will have to bat along with the IPL and prove that they can score even in a tough wicket. That is why we are seeing more number of big releases this year," says a media analyst.
Film producers, however, are weary of releasing their big-ticket movies during crunch matches. Which is why Yash Raj Films has decided to release Ishaqzaade, a story about love brewing in a small town burning with hatred, on 11 May and not a week later as was originally planned.
"With Ferrari ki Sawaari moving to a later date and the IPL crunch matches kicking in from 18 May, this shift will give Ishaqzaade a better window for release," YRF says. Vidhu Vinod Chopra's Ferrari Ki Sawaari was to release on 11 May but has been delayed.
"These kind of shuffles and strategies will take place, but the bigger truth is that Bollywood has woken up to the challenge," says the head of a film production company who did not want his name to be revealed.
By ASHISH
Insearchindia.com Team
(12 April 2012 6:57 pm)
MUMBAI: Bollywood is refusing to take evasive action from the mighty attack of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Having learnt the hard way with films falling right, left and centre in the last four seasons of the IPL, Bollywood has decided to take the most popular and extensive annual cricketing event head on by releasing 24 films.
Of the 24, ten are big-ticket films from banners like Viacom 18, Reliance Motion Pictures, Yash Raj Films, UTV Spot Boy, Nadiadwala Grandsons and Ram Gopal Varma’s RGV Films.
The first film released on 5 April is Sajid Nadiadwala’s Housefull 2. This is to be followed by Kumar Mangat and Viacom 18’s Bittoo Boss (13 April), Life Ki Toh Lag Gayi and John Abraham’s Vicky Donor (20 April), Venus Records and Tapes’ Priyadarshan-directed Tezz (27 April), Mukesh Bhatt’s Jannat 2 (4 May), BVG Films, DAR Motion Pictures and Reliance Entertainment’s Karisma Kapur-starrer Dangerous Ishq (11 May) and Ram Gopal Varma’s Department, YRF’s Ishaqzaade and UTV Spotboy and Anurag Kashyap’s Love Suv Te Chicken Khurana (all on 18 May).
Opines UTV Motion Pictures CEO Siddharth Roy Kapoor, “The IPL has now become a regular part of the annual calendar and producers and distributors have realised that movie releases and cricket can co-exist since audiences watching cricket don’t stop going to cinema. Hence, we are seeing many big-ticket releases during the IPL. The general opinion is that if a film is good, it will run despite the IPL happening concurrently.”
Last year the only big-ticket films to release during the IPL were Dum Maro Dum and Thank You. Incidentally, both proved duds at the box office while a string of smaller productions like Shor In The City, Chalo Dilli, I Am, Love Ka The End, Ragini MMS, Stanley Ka Dabba and Pyar Ka Punchnama managed to find a release window during the IPL.
Industry officials expect the first quarter of this fiscal to be better in terms of revenue than the previous year due to a stronger lineup of films.
Explains producer Mukesh Bhatt, “The IPL has lost its shine. Now we are confident to take it head on. After lying low for four years in a row, Bollywood has decided to release many ‘A’ ticket films. Both cricket and films are a religion in India. People who are aficionados of cricket will see the IPL while those who love films will definitely go to see a film. All said and done, our revenue during the IPL tournament is poised for a big jump.”
Will not the IPL harm his upcoming film Jannat 2? “When IPL came for the first time, we were not afraid to release our film Jannat, then why should we be afraid this time? We are sure that our film will captivate the audience. We will storm the theatres, whatever be the match. Jannat 2 will prove to be a match-winning venture,” he says.
Exhibitors are also unanimous with the view that the IPL can't scare away big movies from releasing. Says Cinemax India CEO Sunil Punjabi, “April to June has traditionally been the best movie months till IPL hit us. This is the period that is large on entertainment time since kids and teens have holidays. Last year we saw a shift in cinema consumption trends. This year too, it is going to be the same. This shift in consumption is showing signs of the movie market maturing to take on any challenge."
So will IPL matches be screened in multiplexes? "The screening rights of IPL are being held back by the BCCI. Hence, like last year, there won't be screenings in multiplexes unless the rights are released," avers Punjabi.
It is not just Bollywood but also foreign films like James Cameron's Titanic (3D), Men in Black-3 and The Avengers that are opening up their release pipeline during the IPL.
"Bollywood has realised that it can't stay shut for 45 days in a year without the release of big movies. They will have to bat along with the IPL and prove that they can score even in a tough wicket. That is why we are seeing more number of big releases this year," says a media analyst.
Film producers, however, are weary of releasing their big-ticket movies during crunch matches. Which is why Yash Raj Films has decided to release Ishaqzaade, a story about love brewing in a small town burning with hatred, on 11 May and not a week later as was originally planned.
"With Ferrari ki Sawaari moving to a later date and the IPL crunch matches kicking in from 18 May, this shift will give Ishaqzaade a better window for release," YRF says. Vidhu Vinod Chopra's Ferrari Ki Sawaari was to release on 11 May but has been delayed.
"These kind of shuffles and strategies will take place, but the bigger truth is that Bollywood has woken up to the challenge," says the head of a film production company who did not want his name to be revealed.
Turner to close down Imagine TV
Insearchindia.com Team
(12 April 2012 12:15 pm)
MUMBAI: Turner Broadcasting System Asia Pacific has decided to shut down its Hindi general entertainment channel Imagine TV.
Turner found it unviable to compete in the cash-guzzling Hindi GEC space where its channel was consistently on the bottom part of the ratings ladder.
Turner International managing director- South Asia Siddharth Jain said, “Imagine TV has not performed and grown as per expectations. While some programmes delivered satisfactory ratings, overall the channel was unable to achieve the ratings consistency needed to sustain the business and support continued investment. As a result, Turner made the carefully considered decision to cease operations of the channel."
He added that Turner will try to make this as smooth a transition as possible for the employees.
Imagine TV was launched as NDTV Imagine in January 2008. Later, in December 2009, Turner Asia Pacific Ventures, a wholly owned subsidiary of Turner Broadcasting System, acquired 92 per cent stake in NDTV Imagine. Turner later renamed the channel as Imagine TV following its complete acquisition in February 2010.
Jain added that the company remains committed to future investments and long-term participation in India. He also stressed that the company will continue to explore expansion opportunities in the Indian media and entertainment industry.
Turner operates HBO, CNN, Cartoon Network, Pogo, Warner Bros, Turner Classic Movies and Boomerang in India.
Insearchindia.com Team
(12 April 2012 12:15 pm)
MUMBAI: Turner Broadcasting System Asia Pacific has decided to shut down its Hindi general entertainment channel Imagine TV.
Turner found it unviable to compete in the cash-guzzling Hindi GEC space where its channel was consistently on the bottom part of the ratings ladder.
Turner International managing director- South Asia Siddharth Jain said, “Imagine TV has not performed and grown as per expectations. While some programmes delivered satisfactory ratings, overall the channel was unable to achieve the ratings consistency needed to sustain the business and support continued investment. As a result, Turner made the carefully considered decision to cease operations of the channel."
He added that Turner will try to make this as smooth a transition as possible for the employees.
Imagine TV was launched as NDTV Imagine in January 2008. Later, in December 2009, Turner Asia Pacific Ventures, a wholly owned subsidiary of Turner Broadcasting System, acquired 92 per cent stake in NDTV Imagine. Turner later renamed the channel as Imagine TV following its complete acquisition in February 2010.
Jain added that the company remains committed to future investments and long-term participation in India. He also stressed that the company will continue to explore expansion opportunities in the Indian media and entertainment industry.
Turner operates HBO, CNN, Cartoon Network, Pogo, Warner Bros, Turner Classic Movies and Boomerang in India.
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Sony Pictures to acquire 30% stake in Maa Network
Insearchindia.com Team
(UPDATED 11 April 2012 11:00 pm)
(9 April 2012 12:50 pm)
MUMBAI: Marking its foray into the southern language space, Sony Pictures Television has agreed to acquire a 30 per cent stake in Maa Television Network.
SPT has entered into a strategic alliance with Maa Television Network that would give it a stake in the regional broadcaster that operates four Telugu-language channels.
The alliance would enable SPT or any of its affiliates to acquire the stake on signing the "Definitive Agreement" and subject to obtaining necessary approvals.
The majority shareholders of Maa Television Network and SPT have signed a Letter of Interest (LOI) to this effect. N Prasad, K Chiranjeevi, Nagarjuna Akkineni and Allu Arvind, the four main promoters of Maa Television Network Limited, together control about 95 per cent of the company’s equity capital at present.
Multi Screen Media CEO Manjit Singh says, "An alliance between SPT and Maa TV will provide strategic opportunities for both the companies, as well as great viewing for television audiences in India."
Sources say N Prasad holds the majority with around 60 per cent stake. The network has turned profitable and its revenues are estimated at around Rs 1.8 billion.
Maa TV Network launched its flagship Telugu general entertainment channel Maa TV in 2002. Maa Music came up in 2008, followed by Maa Movies and Maa Juniors (kids channel) in 2011. Maa Juniors ceased in January 2012 and Maa Gold, a GEC focussing on the youth, replaced it on 4 February.
Maa Television Network chairman N Prasad says, "With Sony as a strategic partner on board, Telugu viewers can expect more and more quality programmes and family viewing from our network of channels."
Sony had evaluated Maa in 2008 but withdrew due to the global downturn. When it expressed its interests in regional expansion, it looked at ETV but found the valuation too high.
"Maa Network has become stronger since Sony last looked at it in 2008. It has more channels and is profitable. It has built a strong movie library and has surged in ratings. Maa Gold, the newly launched channel, has to pick up but it has a low-cost model, airing game shows, some repeats of serials from Maa TV and dubbed content," says a source.
The valuation will be finalised after the due diligence is over. "This shouldn't be a problem. Sony had examined the books of Maa TV Network earlier. They have to just update it," the source adds.
In 2009, Sony Pictures Television International acquired Bengali movie channel, Channel 8.
Insearchindia.com Team
(UPDATED 11 April 2012 11:00 pm)
(9 April 2012 12:50 pm)
MUMBAI: Marking its foray into the southern language space, Sony Pictures Television has agreed to acquire a 30 per cent stake in Maa Television Network.
SPT has entered into a strategic alliance with Maa Television Network that would give it a stake in the regional broadcaster that operates four Telugu-language channels.
The alliance would enable SPT or any of its affiliates to acquire the stake on signing the "Definitive Agreement" and subject to obtaining necessary approvals.
The majority shareholders of Maa Television Network and SPT have signed a Letter of Interest (LOI) to this effect. N Prasad, K Chiranjeevi, Nagarjuna Akkineni and Allu Arvind, the four main promoters of Maa Television Network Limited, together control about 95 per cent of the company’s equity capital at present.
Multi Screen Media CEO Manjit Singh says, "An alliance between SPT and Maa TV will provide strategic opportunities for both the companies, as well as great viewing for television audiences in India."
Sources say N Prasad holds the majority with around 60 per cent stake. The network has turned profitable and its revenues are estimated at around Rs 1.8 billion.
Maa TV Network launched its flagship Telugu general entertainment channel Maa TV in 2002. Maa Music came up in 2008, followed by Maa Movies and Maa Juniors (kids channel) in 2011. Maa Juniors ceased in January 2012 and Maa Gold, a GEC focussing on the youth, replaced it on 4 February.
Maa Television Network chairman N Prasad says, "With Sony as a strategic partner on board, Telugu viewers can expect more and more quality programmes and family viewing from our network of channels."
Sony had evaluated Maa in 2008 but withdrew due to the global downturn. When it expressed its interests in regional expansion, it looked at ETV but found the valuation too high.
"Maa Network has become stronger since Sony last looked at it in 2008. It has more channels and is profitable. It has built a strong movie library and has surged in ratings. Maa Gold, the newly launched channel, has to pick up but it has a low-cost model, airing game shows, some repeats of serials from Maa TV and dubbed content," says a source.
The valuation will be finalised after the due diligence is over. "This shouldn't be a problem. Sony had examined the books of Maa TV Network earlier. They have to just update it," the source adds.
In 2009, Sony Pictures Television International acquired Bengali movie channel, Channel 8.
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Disney, Mumbai Indians launch ‘Mickey Cricket’ merchandise
Insearchindia.com Team
(5 April 2012 10:21 pm)
MUMBAI: Disney and IPL franchise Mumbai Indians have kicked off their one year relationship with the launch of Mickey Cricket.
The limited edition merchandise range includes apparel and accessories, footwear, stationary, home and toys, all featuring Disney’s Fab Five in fun cricketing attire.
The merchandise range is created for kids aged 4-14 and will be available at shopping destinations across the nation, including Reliance Trends and Hyper City, and also online at www.shopatdisney.in and www.mumbaiindians.com.
Walt Disney Company (India) VP, consumer products and retail Roshini Bakshi said, “Creating memorable experiences for kids and families is at the heart of everything we do at Disney. India is a cricket crazy nation and the popularity of Mumbai Indians is unmatched. We are excited to bring our India fans this amazing opportunity to experience the most celebrated sport in the country with their favourite
characters Mickey and friends in fun clothing avatar”.
The focus will be in the Western part of the market.
"We also expect some orders to come from other parts of the country where there are fans of Mumbai Indians residing. Already stores have placed orders wroth Rs 140 million," Bakshi said.
Disney's consumer products business has seen double-digit growth over the past few years. The business has been helped by products from the 'Cars' film franchise as well as Hannah Montana.
"We are talking to other IPL franchises. Mumbai Indians are trying to build a 360 degree brand, extending it beyond the cricket field. This year this tie up is a key focus area for us. We want to make the connection between Mickey and Indian kids stronger. That is why we have launched Mickey Cricket," Bakshi said.
Mickey cricket merchandise price points range from Rs 50-Rs 2000.
Mumbai Indians owner Nita Ambani said, "We hope to make the Season V of IPL special for our young Mumbai Indians fans with the launch of this exciting Mickey and friends merchandise. We are very excited about this tie-up with Disney and hope to surprise our fans with more exciting offerings in the future".
Disney will also run a consumer promotion 'Scratch it!' during the IPL season to offer an opportunity for fans to meet Mumbai Indians players, win free tickets to Mumbai Indians matches and take ‘Mickey Cricket’ merchandise home.
Insearchindia.com Team
(5 April 2012 10:21 pm)
MUMBAI: Disney and IPL franchise Mumbai Indians have kicked off their one year relationship with the launch of Mickey Cricket.
The limited edition merchandise range includes apparel and accessories, footwear, stationary, home and toys, all featuring Disney’s Fab Five in fun cricketing attire.
The merchandise range is created for kids aged 4-14 and will be available at shopping destinations across the nation, including Reliance Trends and Hyper City, and also online at www.shopatdisney.in and www.mumbaiindians.com.
Walt Disney Company (India) VP, consumer products and retail Roshini Bakshi said, “Creating memorable experiences for kids and families is at the heart of everything we do at Disney. India is a cricket crazy nation and the popularity of Mumbai Indians is unmatched. We are excited to bring our India fans this amazing opportunity to experience the most celebrated sport in the country with their favourite
characters Mickey and friends in fun clothing avatar”.
The focus will be in the Western part of the market.
"We also expect some orders to come from other parts of the country where there are fans of Mumbai Indians residing. Already stores have placed orders wroth Rs 140 million," Bakshi said.
Disney's consumer products business has seen double-digit growth over the past few years. The business has been helped by products from the 'Cars' film franchise as well as Hannah Montana.
"We are talking to other IPL franchises. Mumbai Indians are trying to build a 360 degree brand, extending it beyond the cricket field. This year this tie up is a key focus area for us. We want to make the connection between Mickey and Indian kids stronger. That is why we have launched Mickey Cricket," Bakshi said.
Mickey cricket merchandise price points range from Rs 50-Rs 2000.
Mumbai Indians owner Nita Ambani said, "We hope to make the Season V of IPL special for our young Mumbai Indians fans with the launch of this exciting Mickey and friends merchandise. We are very excited about this tie-up with Disney and hope to surprise our fans with more exciting offerings in the future".
Disney will also run a consumer promotion 'Scratch it!' during the IPL season to offer an opportunity for fans to meet Mumbai Indians players, win free tickets to Mumbai Indians matches and take ‘Mickey Cricket’ merchandise home.
English movie channels bet on 11 pm slot during IPL
By ASHWIN
Insearchindia.com Team
(5 April 2012 7:05 pm)
MUMBAI: English movie channels are once again gunning for
the 11 pm slot during the Indian Premier league (IPL), targeting men and youth with action and horror titles as they expect a spillover from IPL audiences to the genre.
The lineup this year will see bigger titles and higher marketing spends across the English movie channels at the late hour band, as viewership for the 9 pm slot gets impacted with the Indian Premier League (IPL) matches. The window gets open at 11 pm when the IPL matches end.
Pix, the channel which made remarkable progress last year after it had access to the library of parent company Sony Pictures Entertainment, is upping the ante this year.
Says Pix business head Sunder Aaron, "We are doubling our marketing budget for Pix Premier League. The good news for us is that ratings during 11 pm have not fallen. The titles we are showing this year are bigger."
Pix will air movies like 'Salt', 'Hannibal' and 'Resident Evil'. The channel from the Multi Screen Media (MSM) stable is also doing cross-promotional schemes with Max.
"Since IPL matches are going to be on our sister channel Max, we can do a lot more in terms of marketing compared to competition. We are giving our viewers the chance to win DLF IPL match tickets daily. Viewers watching our film every night can answer a question asked during it and stand a chance to win tickets to the next IPL match," says Aaron.
Star Movies will have 'Superstar League Adventures’ that will showcase blockbusters every night at 11 pm after an IPL match. The initiative will telecast films of stars like Will Smith, Johnny Depp, Nicholas Cage and Harrison Ford.
The broadcaster has also created a contest on its Facebook fan page. People have to answer two questions every day – one based on the movie and another on cricket. Winners will be given goodies.
Movies Now, however, is staying away from a theme centring around cricket. It will air horror and suspense films like 'The Exorcist' to build a consumer connect.
Says Times Television Network CEO English channels Ajay Trigunayat, "We have come out with the 'Atmos-Fear' theme. Our aim is to build a consumer connect."
HBO will launch the fourth season of 'Hollywood Premiere League (HPL)on 16 April, showing films under this brand from 11:15 pm onwards every night. Building a momentum, the two-month long festival will offer blockbusters soon after the IPL matches get over.
HPL will showcase films like 'Clash Of The Titans', 'Speedy Singhs', 'No Strings Attached' and 'Jonah Hex'. Dove has come in as the title sponsor, Make my Trip as the presenting sponsor and Coke and Colgate as associate sponsors.
HPL will be promoted across various English TV channels. Outdoor campaigns and radio promotions will be carried out in Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore. HBO will also use multi-faceted social media and digital medium to promote the property.
The initiative will also have interactivity, both on-air and online. On-air, HBO has introduced the six-week long watch-and-win HPL Master Blaster Contest, where the participants can win the latest iPad. The contest is being promoted on air and is integrated with the broadcaster's social media community.
HPL was announced in the social media domain beginning of the month, highlighting the on-air promotions ahead of its fourth edition roll-out. Facebook users will be able to create their own HPL Dream-Team through an user integrated application.
Along the with Dream-Team application, fans can create their own cheerleaders to support the Dream –Team. Additionally, the user has options to, ‘brush up your cricket lingos’ and ‘tweet the name of your favourite movie'.
The on-air properties include 'HPL- Matches Of The Week' - a ready menu of the matches of the week for viewers and 'HPL Memories'- capturing the most memorable moments from HPL movies.
By ASHWIN
Insearchindia.com Team
(5 April 2012 7:05 pm)
MUMBAI: English movie channels are once again gunning for
the 11 pm slot during the Indian Premier league (IPL), targeting men and youth with action and horror titles as they expect a spillover from IPL audiences to the genre.
The lineup this year will see bigger titles and higher marketing spends across the English movie channels at the late hour band, as viewership for the 9 pm slot gets impacted with the Indian Premier League (IPL) matches. The window gets open at 11 pm when the IPL matches end.
Pix, the channel which made remarkable progress last year after it had access to the library of parent company Sony Pictures Entertainment, is upping the ante this year.
Says Pix business head Sunder Aaron, "We are doubling our marketing budget for Pix Premier League. The good news for us is that ratings during 11 pm have not fallen. The titles we are showing this year are bigger."
Pix will air movies like 'Salt', 'Hannibal' and 'Resident Evil'. The channel from the Multi Screen Media (MSM) stable is also doing cross-promotional schemes with Max.
"Since IPL matches are going to be on our sister channel Max, we can do a lot more in terms of marketing compared to competition. We are giving our viewers the chance to win DLF IPL match tickets daily. Viewers watching our film every night can answer a question asked during it and stand a chance to win tickets to the next IPL match," says Aaron.
Star Movies will have 'Superstar League Adventures’ that will showcase blockbusters every night at 11 pm after an IPL match. The initiative will telecast films of stars like Will Smith, Johnny Depp, Nicholas Cage and Harrison Ford.
The broadcaster has also created a contest on its Facebook fan page. People have to answer two questions every day – one based on the movie and another on cricket. Winners will be given goodies.
Movies Now, however, is staying away from a theme centring around cricket. It will air horror and suspense films like 'The Exorcist' to build a consumer connect.
Says Times Television Network CEO English channels Ajay Trigunayat, "We have come out with the 'Atmos-Fear' theme. Our aim is to build a consumer connect."
HBO will launch the fourth season of 'Hollywood Premiere League (HPL)on 16 April, showing films under this brand from 11:15 pm onwards every night. Building a momentum, the two-month long festival will offer blockbusters soon after the IPL matches get over.
HPL will showcase films like 'Clash Of The Titans', 'Speedy Singhs', 'No Strings Attached' and 'Jonah Hex'. Dove has come in as the title sponsor, Make my Trip as the presenting sponsor and Coke and Colgate as associate sponsors.
HPL will be promoted across various English TV channels. Outdoor campaigns and radio promotions will be carried out in Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore. HBO will also use multi-faceted social media and digital medium to promote the property.
The initiative will also have interactivity, both on-air and online. On-air, HBO has introduced the six-week long watch-and-win HPL Master Blaster Contest, where the participants can win the latest iPad. The contest is being promoted on air and is integrated with the broadcaster's social media community.
HPL was announced in the social media domain beginning of the month, highlighting the on-air promotions ahead of its fourth edition roll-out. Facebook users will be able to create their own HPL Dream-Team through an user integrated application.
Along the with Dream-Team application, fans can create their own cheerleaders to support the Dream –Team. Additionally, the user has options to, ‘brush up your cricket lingos’ and ‘tweet the name of your favourite movie'.
The on-air properties include 'HPL- Matches Of The Week' - a ready menu of the matches of the week for viewers and 'HPL Memories'- capturing the most memorable moments from HPL movies.
MSM to launch sports channel Six on 7 April
Insearchindia.com Team
(5 April 2012 2:34pm)
MUMBAI: Multi Screen Media (MSM) will launch Six, a sports entertainment channel and the sixth channel in the MSM network bouquet, on 7 April.
Six's driver property will be UFC Mixed Martial Arts and the best of the first 4 seasons of IPL. The channel will also show soccer, badminton and basketball.
The channel will target youth and provide a mix of entertainment and sports.
The channel has already signed a partnership with Ultimate Fighting Championship to broadcast UFC programming in India and the rest of the subcontinent. MSM’s new sports channel will deliver the Mixed Martial Arts property to Indian fans by airing live UFC events, taped specials, and exciting bouts from the vast UFC library.
Six's viewers will have access to a wide array of sporting content on sonysix.com.
MSM CEO Man Jit Singh said, "We are excited to launch our new Premium Sports Entertainment channel – Six. The channel will launch with the key driver property being UFC Mixed Martial Arts and the best of the first four seasons of the DLF IPL. This latest offering from our bouquet reiterates our commitment to bring the best in every genre to young audiences. Six is aimed at the informed and empowered youth of the country who are enthusiastic to adopt new sports. We are confident that Six will be the Premier Sports channel and stand out by fulfilling its promise to cater to the twin passions of the country – Sports and Entertainment."
MSM COO NP Singh said, "Six will skew younger catering to India's appetite for Indian and the counterpart International Sports leagues. Six will provide a platform for Indian athletes to showcase their talent and will fuel India's aspirations to excel globally. We will invest in new Sports... Sports that the new-age "India on the move" youth want to watch and follow."
Insearchindia.com Team
(5 April 2012 2:34pm)
MUMBAI: Multi Screen Media (MSM) will launch Six, a sports entertainment channel and the sixth channel in the MSM network bouquet, on 7 April.
Six's driver property will be UFC Mixed Martial Arts and the best of the first 4 seasons of IPL. The channel will also show soccer, badminton and basketball.
The channel will target youth and provide a mix of entertainment and sports.
The channel has already signed a partnership with Ultimate Fighting Championship to broadcast UFC programming in India and the rest of the subcontinent. MSM’s new sports channel will deliver the Mixed Martial Arts property to Indian fans by airing live UFC events, taped specials, and exciting bouts from the vast UFC library.
Six's viewers will have access to a wide array of sporting content on sonysix.com.
MSM CEO Man Jit Singh said, "We are excited to launch our new Premium Sports Entertainment channel – Six. The channel will launch with the key driver property being UFC Mixed Martial Arts and the best of the first four seasons of the DLF IPL. This latest offering from our bouquet reiterates our commitment to bring the best in every genre to young audiences. Six is aimed at the informed and empowered youth of the country who are enthusiastic to adopt new sports. We are confident that Six will be the Premier Sports channel and stand out by fulfilling its promise to cater to the twin passions of the country – Sports and Entertainment."
MSM COO NP Singh said, "Six will skew younger catering to India's appetite for Indian and the counterpart International Sports leagues. Six will provide a platform for Indian athletes to showcase their talent and will fuel India's aspirations to excel globally. We will invest in new Sports... Sports that the new-age "India on the move" youth want to watch and follow."
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Chennai Super Kings launches IPL 5 merchandise
(4 April 2012 10:10am)
MUMBAI: IPL franchisee from the south Chennai Super Kings is geared up for the fifth season of IPL with the launch of a new range of merchandise that has been designed to incorporate the team spirit and vigour for the upcoming season.
The new range includes T-shirts, caps & accessories, key chains and a variety of home, office products ranging from Rs 200- Rs 2500. The team has also launched exclusive silk ties starting Rs 2500.
India Cements executive president TS Raghupathy said, “We have launched an exciting new range of merchandise for our fans and supporters. The collection will be available both nationally and internationally. We have around 380 outlets in Tamil Nadu for the distribution of the same. Reebok as always would help us to reach out to fans along with other multiple stores. We have tied up with Café Coffee Day, Univercell for the distribution of our merchandise.
To enhance their reach across the globe, CSK tied up with Ingene Entertainment, a Los Angeles based company for promoting the brand, design and distribution of official merchandise worldwide outside India.
"In partnership with Ingene, we’re formally launching our official International store www.ShopSuperKings.comwhich will be exclusively targeted at our global fan-base in USA, Canada, UK, Europe, South Africa, Asia Pacific and other countries," said Raghupathy.
The CSK mascot is named ‘Super Singam’ and the franchisee has launched a new video- ‘Chennai Super Kings Ku raise your hands’. The team has retained all its old sponsors and added new sponsors like Usha, Life OK and Washington Apples.
(4 April 2012 10:10am)
MUMBAI: IPL franchisee from the south Chennai Super Kings is geared up for the fifth season of IPL with the launch of a new range of merchandise that has been designed to incorporate the team spirit and vigour for the upcoming season.
The new range includes T-shirts, caps & accessories, key chains and a variety of home, office products ranging from Rs 200- Rs 2500. The team has also launched exclusive silk ties starting Rs 2500.
India Cements executive president TS Raghupathy said, “We have launched an exciting new range of merchandise for our fans and supporters. The collection will be available both nationally and internationally. We have around 380 outlets in Tamil Nadu for the distribution of the same. Reebok as always would help us to reach out to fans along with other multiple stores. We have tied up with Café Coffee Day, Univercell for the distribution of our merchandise.
To enhance their reach across the globe, CSK tied up with Ingene Entertainment, a Los Angeles based company for promoting the brand, design and distribution of official merchandise worldwide outside India.
"In partnership with Ingene, we’re formally launching our official International store www.ShopSuperKings.comwhich will be exclusively targeted at our global fan-base in USA, Canada, UK, Europe, South Africa, Asia Pacific and other countries," said Raghupathy.
The CSK mascot is named ‘Super Singam’ and the franchisee has launched a new video- ‘Chennai Super Kings Ku raise your hands’. The team has retained all its old sponsors and added new sponsors like Usha, Life OK and Washington Apples.
NGC launches action-themed shows with IPL in mind
Insearchindia.com Team
(4 April 2012 6:05 pm)
MUMBAI: National Geographic Channel will have shows around the action theme this month. Every day at 3 pm and 11 pm, viewers can watch the Deadly Ninjas, Lethal Samurai, Polar bears on prowl, and legendary fighter Bruce Lee pack in the real punches.
From the clash of the Spartans with the Ninjas to the techniques that the king of Kung fu used, to making martial art one of the most fascinating combination of art and science - the programming lineup will give viewers access to relentless action, before, after and in between the battles on the cricket field.
Built for the Kill, which airs from 23 April Monday-Friday at 3 pm, will focus on brutal predators, in the animal kingdom, as they go for the kill. Bruce Lee lives airs from 16- 20 April at 10 pm. This is a documentary about the Martial Arts’ instructor.
'The Deadliest Warrior' airs from Monday - Friday at 11 pm. Warriors from Spartans to Attila the Hun - they will be pitted against each other for the coveted title of the Deadliest Warrior.
NGC Network India and Fox International Channels VP marketing, communication Debarpita Banerjee said, “Viewer interest is at the heart of everything we do. This April, Nat Geo will amplify the action on the cricket field by bringing the best of combat on television. The power- packed programming will give viewers their fill of exciting content, before and after they cheer for their favourite teams in cricket.”
Insearchindia.com Team
(4 April 2012 6:05 pm)
MUMBAI: National Geographic Channel will have shows around the action theme this month. Every day at 3 pm and 11 pm, viewers can watch the Deadly Ninjas, Lethal Samurai, Polar bears on prowl, and legendary fighter Bruce Lee pack in the real punches.
From the clash of the Spartans with the Ninjas to the techniques that the king of Kung fu used, to making martial art one of the most fascinating combination of art and science - the programming lineup will give viewers access to relentless action, before, after and in between the battles on the cricket field.
Built for the Kill, which airs from 23 April Monday-Friday at 3 pm, will focus on brutal predators, in the animal kingdom, as they go for the kill. Bruce Lee lives airs from 16- 20 April at 10 pm. This is a documentary about the Martial Arts’ instructor.
'The Deadliest Warrior' airs from Monday - Friday at 11 pm. Warriors from Spartans to Attila the Hun - they will be pitted against each other for the coveted title of the Deadliest Warrior.
NGC Network India and Fox International Channels VP marketing, communication Debarpita Banerjee said, “Viewer interest is at the heart of everything we do. This April, Nat Geo will amplify the action on the cricket field by bringing the best of combat on television. The power- packed programming will give viewers their fill of exciting content, before and after they cheer for their favourite teams in cricket.”
MSM Discovery expands IPL HD feed on DTH, cable
Insearchindia.com Team
( 4 April 2012 4:22 pm)
MUMBAI: MSM Discovery, the exclusive distribution partner of Multi Screen Media, has signed up Dish TV, Airtel Digital TV and multi system operator Hathway Cable & Datacom for airing of the fifth edition of IPL in high-definition (HD) format.
MSM Discovery has also renewed its HD feed deal with Tata Sky and Sun Direct, the only two DTH operators who had aired the HD feed in the previous season of the Indian Premier League.
MSM Discovery president Rajesh Kaul said, "We will have the IPL HD feed on the main DTH subscribers. Tata Sky and Sun Direct have renewed the deal as they have found value in it. We have also got three other DTH operators in, which gives us a huge reach."
Dish TV CEO RC Venkateish told Insearchindia.com that the deal has been signed and the IPL HD feed will be available on Max HD to all the HD subscribers, free of cost.
"We are in talk with other DTH operators like Videocon d2h," Kaul said.
Hathway Cable & Datacom has bundled the channel with other HD channels in its bouquet. The services are available in Mumbai, New Delhi, Bangalore and Hyderabad.
“The Max HD is a precursor and we will also have HD feed of Sony Entertainment Television and the upcoming sports channel from the MSM bouquet,” Hathway MD and CEO K Jayaraman said.
Hathway customers can buy HD set-top box with 12-18 HD channels and 225 SD channels for Rs 6,666 in the first year. Meanwhile, bundled with broadband at 2 mbps speed the price is Rs 8,888 and for 5 mbps speed it is at Rs 9,999.
"MSOs realise that digitisation is round the corner and will have to compete with DTH. HD service becomes essential in such a scenario where they can tap their premium subscribers," said Kaul.
IndusInd Media & Communications Ltd, which operates its cable TV business under Incablenet brand, is in talks with MSM Discovery. "Our contract with TheOneAlliance (brand of MSM Discovery) expires on 30 April. We are in talks and this also includes the HD feed," said IMCL chief executive officer Nagesh Chabria.
Insearchindia.com Team
( 4 April 2012 4:22 pm)
MUMBAI: MSM Discovery, the exclusive distribution partner of Multi Screen Media, has signed up Dish TV, Airtel Digital TV and multi system operator Hathway Cable & Datacom for airing of the fifth edition of IPL in high-definition (HD) format.
MSM Discovery has also renewed its HD feed deal with Tata Sky and Sun Direct, the only two DTH operators who had aired the HD feed in the previous season of the Indian Premier League.
MSM Discovery president Rajesh Kaul said, "We will have the IPL HD feed on the main DTH subscribers. Tata Sky and Sun Direct have renewed the deal as they have found value in it. We have also got three other DTH operators in, which gives us a huge reach."
Dish TV CEO RC Venkateish told Insearchindia.com that the deal has been signed and the IPL HD feed will be available on Max HD to all the HD subscribers, free of cost.
"We are in talk with other DTH operators like Videocon d2h," Kaul said.
Hathway Cable & Datacom has bundled the channel with other HD channels in its bouquet. The services are available in Mumbai, New Delhi, Bangalore and Hyderabad.
“The Max HD is a precursor and we will also have HD feed of Sony Entertainment Television and the upcoming sports channel from the MSM bouquet,” Hathway MD and CEO K Jayaraman said.
Hathway customers can buy HD set-top box with 12-18 HD channels and 225 SD channels for Rs 6,666 in the first year. Meanwhile, bundled with broadband at 2 mbps speed the price is Rs 8,888 and for 5 mbps speed it is at Rs 9,999.
"MSOs realise that digitisation is round the corner and will have to compete with DTH. HD service becomes essential in such a scenario where they can tap their premium subscribers," said Kaul.
IndusInd Media & Communications Ltd, which operates its cable TV business under Incablenet brand, is in talks with MSM Discovery. "Our contract with TheOneAlliance (brand of MSM Discovery) expires on 30 April. We are in talks and this also includes the HD feed," said IMCL chief executive officer Nagesh Chabria.
IMCL sets foot in Kolkata, acquires two cable networks
Insearchindia.com Team
( 4 April 2012 10:40 pm)
MUMBAI: IndusInd Media and Communications Ltd, the media subsidiary company of Hinduja Ventures Ltd, is setting foot in Kolkata through the acquisition route, ahead of the government's digitisation mandate.
IMCL has picked up 51 per cent stake in two cable networks - Hooghly-based Advanced Multisystem Broadband Communications (AMBC) and Skyvision. With this, the Hinduja-owned multi-system operator (MSO) will have operations in three out of the four metros that fall under the first phase of digitisation.
"We have acquired 51 per cent stake in AMBC and Skyvision as we want to service Kolkata in the digitisation phase. We will be expanding in the other main cities of West Bengal," IMCL chief executive officer Nagesh Chabria told Insearchindia.com.
IMCL is also planning to acquire around 30,000 primary points that will give it access directly to the customer homes. "We plan to invest around Rs 1 billion over one year in that market. We intend to invest Rs 200 million in primary point acquisition and an almost similar amount in network and upgradation. We are looking at ordering 350,000 set-top boxes. This will include demand for second TV and our expansion into the city. We are also confident to recover whatever base AMBC has lost in the past year," said Chabria.
IMCL is setting up a digital head-end in the central part of Kolkata as it plans to expand in the metro, adding to its strong base in Mumbai and Delhi. AMBC already has a head-end that services Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA) which falls under the digitisation belt.
Kolkata is a low ARPU (average revenue per user) market. IMCL's strategy will be to test the Kolkata market before it decides to pump in big investments. The MSO already has a licence to operate in Kolkata.
Sources say smaller cable networks are willing to forego stake, allowing the bigger MSOs to fund the digitisation. This also offers a growth opportunity for these networks who are starved of capital to expand.
A media analyst expressed doubts over IMCL's ambitious target of deploying 350,000 STBs in that market over a period of one year. "The investment of Rs 1 billion and 350,000 STBs sounds too high at this stage. All will depend on how that market responds," he said.
The big-tier MSOs have taken the acquisition route to have a presence in Kolkata ahead of digitisation. In Kolkata, Hathway has a presence through its joint venture company, Gujarat Telelinks Pvt Ltd (GTPL), which acquired a 51 per cent stake in Kolkata Cable and Broadband Pariseva. Den Networks chief operating officer Mohammad Ghulam Azhar had earlier told Insearchindia.com that it has acquired a small cable network in Kolkata.
Insearchindia.com Team
( 4 April 2012 10:40 pm)
MUMBAI: IndusInd Media and Communications Ltd, the media subsidiary company of Hinduja Ventures Ltd, is setting foot in Kolkata through the acquisition route, ahead of the government's digitisation mandate.
IMCL has picked up 51 per cent stake in two cable networks - Hooghly-based Advanced Multisystem Broadband Communications (AMBC) and Skyvision. With this, the Hinduja-owned multi-system operator (MSO) will have operations in three out of the four metros that fall under the first phase of digitisation.
"We have acquired 51 per cent stake in AMBC and Skyvision as we want to service Kolkata in the digitisation phase. We will be expanding in the other main cities of West Bengal," IMCL chief executive officer Nagesh Chabria told Insearchindia.com.
IMCL is also planning to acquire around 30,000 primary points that will give it access directly to the customer homes. "We plan to invest around Rs 1 billion over one year in that market. We intend to invest Rs 200 million in primary point acquisition and an almost similar amount in network and upgradation. We are looking at ordering 350,000 set-top boxes. This will include demand for second TV and our expansion into the city. We are also confident to recover whatever base AMBC has lost in the past year," said Chabria.
IMCL is setting up a digital head-end in the central part of Kolkata as it plans to expand in the metro, adding to its strong base in Mumbai and Delhi. AMBC already has a head-end that services Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA) which falls under the digitisation belt.
Kolkata is a low ARPU (average revenue per user) market. IMCL's strategy will be to test the Kolkata market before it decides to pump in big investments. The MSO already has a licence to operate in Kolkata.
Sources say smaller cable networks are willing to forego stake, allowing the bigger MSOs to fund the digitisation. This also offers a growth opportunity for these networks who are starved of capital to expand.
A media analyst expressed doubts over IMCL's ambitious target of deploying 350,000 STBs in that market over a period of one year. "The investment of Rs 1 billion and 350,000 STBs sounds too high at this stage. All will depend on how that market responds," he said.
The big-tier MSOs have taken the acquisition route to have a presence in Kolkata ahead of digitisation. In Kolkata, Hathway has a presence through its joint venture company, Gujarat Telelinks Pvt Ltd (GTPL), which acquired a 51 per cent stake in Kolkata Cable and Broadband Pariseva. Den Networks chief operating officer Mohammad Ghulam Azhar had earlier told Insearchindia.com that it has acquired a small cable network in Kolkata.
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Star TV bags BCCI rights for Rs 38.51 bn
Insearchindia.com Team
(UPDATED 2 April 2012 10:50 pm)
(2 April 2012 3:35 pm)
MUMBAI: News Corp’s India affiliate, Star TV, has bagged the BCCI media rights for international cricket played in India for a whopping Rs 38.51 billion, surprising all who expected the joint venture entity, ESPN Star Sports, to bid.
Star India bet higher than the only rival bidder Multi Screen Media (formerly Sony Entertainment Television India) for the six-year broadcast and digital rights till 2018. MSM, IPL’s official broadcast rights holder, bid Rs 37 billion to back up its plans to launch a sports channel.
Star will cough up Rs 401.154 million per match, a huge increase compared to Rs 312.50 million that Nimbus Communications was paying for every match when its contract was prematurely terminated by the BCCI last year for non-payment of broadcast rights fee.
According to sources in the BCCI, only five companies had bought the bidding documents with only MSM and Star placing their bids before the marketing committee that had met in Chennai to open the bids. The ones who bought bid documents include Zee, ESPN Software India, and Times Internet, which intended to bid only for the digital rights.
The contract between BCCI and Star TV will cover a total of 96 matches which includes visit by teams like Australia, England, South Africa and Sri Lanka. It also includes domestic events like Ranji Trophy, Duleep Trophy and the Irani Trophy.
The most interesting part of the bidding was that ESS, which operates Star Sports, Star Cricket and ESPN, did not submit the bid even though it bought the tender documents.
“I am glad to announce that Star TV won the bid for six years. The total bid amount is about Rs 3,851 crores (Rs 38.51 billion) for the six year period covering 96 matches. The BCCI is very happy that the BCCI rights are fully evaluated and now I think fully priced,” BCCI president N Srinivasan said, announcing the winning bid.
Star TV India CEO Uday Shankar said the broadcaster would work with ESS to jointly develop the content. “BCCI is a great property and we are overjoyed to have an opportunity to develop it further. It was decided amongst ESPN Star Sports, ESPN and Star that Star would bid for the rights and if Star were to win the rights it would be exploited in collaboration with ESS,” Shankar said in a statement.
For ESS, which has platforms across television, Internet and mobile medium, the BCCI media rights will come as a booster shot. With the India rights expected to be housed under it, ESS can boast of having rights for three of the top four cricket boards which includes Australia and England excluding South Africa, which is owned by Ten Sports. It also holds the global rights for ICC events till 2015 besides Champions League Twenty20 commercial rights till 2017.
Commenting on the deal, ESPN Star Sports MD Manu Sawhney said, "ESS is very pleased that STAR has secured the BCCI rights for the period 2012 to 2018. It was decided by the ESPN STAR Sports (ESS) Board that the most preferred way for these rights is for STAR to bid with the understanding that should they win, they would utilize these rights in partnership with ESPN STAR Sports. We look forward to continue to enhance fans’ engagement with the game.”
The BCCI had clubbed the digital with the TV broadcast rights, setting a floor price of Rs 322.5 million (Rs 312.5 million plus Rs 10 million for new media rights) per international game for category A and Rs 340 million (Rs 330 million plus 10 million for new media rights) per game for category B.
The new media rights, which were not part of the earlier rights package with Nimbus, had failed to draw attention as it was highly priced. The BCCI had twice floated tenders fixing base price at Rs 30 and Rs 20 million respectively.
India's FTP at home for the period is as follows:
Year
Team
No of Match
2012 New Zealand 3 Tests
2012-2013 England 4 Tests, 1T20, 7 ODIs
2013 Australia 4 Tests, 7ODIs, 1 T20
2014 West Indies 3 Tests, 5 ODIs, 1 T20
2015 South Africa 3 Tests, 7 ODIs, 2 T20s
2015 Sri Lanka 3 Tests
2016 New Zealand 3 Tests, 5 ODIs, 1 T20
2016 England 4 Tests, 7 ODIs, 1 T20
2017 Australia 4 Tests, 7 ODIs, 2 T20s
2018 Sri Lanka 3 Tests, 5 ODIs, 2 T20s
Insearchindia.com Team
(UPDATED 2 April 2012 10:50 pm)
(2 April 2012 3:35 pm)
MUMBAI: News Corp’s India affiliate, Star TV, has bagged the BCCI media rights for international cricket played in India for a whopping Rs 38.51 billion, surprising all who expected the joint venture entity, ESPN Star Sports, to bid.
Star India bet higher than the only rival bidder Multi Screen Media (formerly Sony Entertainment Television India) for the six-year broadcast and digital rights till 2018. MSM, IPL’s official broadcast rights holder, bid Rs 37 billion to back up its plans to launch a sports channel.
Star will cough up Rs 401.154 million per match, a huge increase compared to Rs 312.50 million that Nimbus Communications was paying for every match when its contract was prematurely terminated by the BCCI last year for non-payment of broadcast rights fee.
According to sources in the BCCI, only five companies had bought the bidding documents with only MSM and Star placing their bids before the marketing committee that had met in Chennai to open the bids. The ones who bought bid documents include Zee, ESPN Software India, and Times Internet, which intended to bid only for the digital rights.
The contract between BCCI and Star TV will cover a total of 96 matches which includes visit by teams like Australia, England, South Africa and Sri Lanka. It also includes domestic events like Ranji Trophy, Duleep Trophy and the Irani Trophy.
The most interesting part of the bidding was that ESS, which operates Star Sports, Star Cricket and ESPN, did not submit the bid even though it bought the tender documents.
“I am glad to announce that Star TV won the bid for six years. The total bid amount is about Rs 3,851 crores (Rs 38.51 billion) for the six year period covering 96 matches. The BCCI is very happy that the BCCI rights are fully evaluated and now I think fully priced,” BCCI president N Srinivasan said, announcing the winning bid.
Star TV India CEO Uday Shankar said the broadcaster would work with ESS to jointly develop the content. “BCCI is a great property and we are overjoyed to have an opportunity to develop it further. It was decided amongst ESPN Star Sports, ESPN and Star that Star would bid for the rights and if Star were to win the rights it would be exploited in collaboration with ESS,” Shankar said in a statement.
For ESS, which has platforms across television, Internet and mobile medium, the BCCI media rights will come as a booster shot. With the India rights expected to be housed under it, ESS can boast of having rights for three of the top four cricket boards which includes Australia and England excluding South Africa, which is owned by Ten Sports. It also holds the global rights for ICC events till 2015 besides Champions League Twenty20 commercial rights till 2017.
Commenting on the deal, ESPN Star Sports MD Manu Sawhney said, "ESS is very pleased that STAR has secured the BCCI rights for the period 2012 to 2018. It was decided by the ESPN STAR Sports (ESS) Board that the most preferred way for these rights is for STAR to bid with the understanding that should they win, they would utilize these rights in partnership with ESPN STAR Sports. We look forward to continue to enhance fans’ engagement with the game.”
The BCCI had clubbed the digital with the TV broadcast rights, setting a floor price of Rs 322.5 million (Rs 312.5 million plus Rs 10 million for new media rights) per international game for category A and Rs 340 million (Rs 330 million plus 10 million for new media rights) per game for category B.
The new media rights, which were not part of the earlier rights package with Nimbus, had failed to draw attention as it was highly priced. The BCCI had twice floated tenders fixing base price at Rs 30 and Rs 20 million respectively.
India's FTP at home for the period is as follows:
Year
Team
No of Match
2012 New Zealand 3 Tests
2012-2013 England 4 Tests, 1T20, 7 ODIs
2013 Australia 4 Tests, 7ODIs, 1 T20
2014 West Indies 3 Tests, 5 ODIs, 1 T20
2015 South Africa 3 Tests, 7 ODIs, 2 T20s
2015 Sri Lanka 3 Tests
2016 New Zealand 3 Tests, 5 ODIs, 1 T20
2016 England 4 Tests, 7 ODIs, 1 T20
2017 Australia 4 Tests, 7 ODIs, 2 T20s
2018 Sri Lanka 3 Tests, 5 ODIs, 2 T20s
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