InsideSport: July 2017

Friday 28 July 2017

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Mithali Raj was accorded a grand reception at Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport as the Indian women’s cricket team captain returned home after the ICC women’s world cup heroics in England.

All the railways women cricketers, budding young players, senior cricketers and a host of Mithali’s fans thronged the airport.

There was more to cheer about. The 34-year-old on her way home from the airport stopped to meet the State Chief Minister Chandrasekhar Rao at his camp office. The CM announced a cash award of Rs 1 crore and a 600 square-yard plot at the posh Banjara Hills for the star player. She had been waiting a residential plot that was promised her by the State 11 years ago.

The Chief Minister has also promised a reward for Rs 25 lakh for Mithali’s coach RSR Murthy. Mithali at an impromptu ceremonial felicitation was also presented with a shawl.

“You have played wonderfully in the World Cup. We thought you will surely win the final, too. Unfortunately, we lost by a slender margin. But your team performed well and the whole nation watched your performance. Even I watched the match. You have set a record by scoring the highest number of runs. You are the pride of Telangana Hyderabad city . The government will stand by you,” Rao has told Mithali.

The CM also presented a shawl to her coach and praised him for enabling Mithali to become a world class player.

“It is for the first time that I have been driven to the CM’s camp office from the airport. That in itself is a very happy feeling for me. He (the CM) told me that he had watched the final and what was most amazing was that he knew all my world records and scores. That has given such a personal touch to his appreciation of my game,” Mithali said on her meeting the CM.

“Everyone at the camp office was eager to meet me and hear about the matches. It was a thrilling feeling to be the cynosure of so many top officials of our state. To see that my performance brings so much of joy to so many people is a humbling experience,” she added.

Mithali will also get a Rs 13 lakh reward from her employers Railways, as the Railway Minsiter, Mr Suresh Prabhu, has sanctioned the prize to all the 10 Indian team members, who have been employed with Railways.

Will IPL media rights bid miss August 28 timeline?

IPL media rights bids are to be announced on August 28. The Board of Control of Cricket in the meantime has received a Supreme Court notice, which may stall the process on the scheduled date.

The Supreme Court has issued a notice to the BCCI to submit its response on a petition by Bharatiya Janta Party leader Subramanyam Swamy, who is seeking a court directive for e-auction of the IPL media rights.

The bid process for IPL media rights is scheduled to close on August 28 and the successful bidder in all likelihood were to be announced on the same date. The rights will be granted for a five-year (2018-2022) cycle. August 24 is the last date for buying the bid documents.

Also read: BCCI issues timeline for IPL Media Rights

The Apex Court has also scheduled the next hearing in the matter on August 24.

Swamy had moved the Supreme Court on July 11, seeking e-auction of the IPM media rights to ensure transparency in the process. The bench headed by justice Dipak Misra has asked BCCI to submit its response in two weeks.

“Media rights should be done through an e-auction. The current process is a sham and we want to ensure that e-auction is opted,” said Swamy. An e-auction was sought so that the process could be made more transparent.

The auction process was also delayed last year after the apex court has directed the board to comply with the Lodha panel reforms first.

Porsche planning to enter Formula E circuit

Luxury car brand Porsche is planning to enter the Formula E racing from 2019.

Beginning in 2019, Porsche will compete with a factory team in the Formula E Championship. As a result, the company will with great regret end its involvement in the LMP1 class of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) at the end of the 2017 season. At the same time, Porsche will continue to focus its attention on international GT racing, campaigning the 911 RSR in the GT class of the FIA World Endurance Championship.

The highlight of the World Endurance Championship is the 24 Hours of Le Mans, in addition to the North American IMSA Weather Tech Sports Car Championship and other long-distance endurance classics.

This realignment of motorsport activities for Porsche stems from the direction set out for the company in Porsche Strategy 2025, which will see Porsche develop a combination of pure GT vehicles and fully electric sports cars, such as the first fully electric Porsche model, based upon the Mission E concept car. “Entering Formula E and achieving success in this category are the logical outcomes of our Mission E project. The growing freedom for in-house technology developments makes Formula E attractive to us,” said Michael Steiner, Member of the Executive Board of Porsche AG responsible for Research and Development.

“Porsche is working with alternative, innovative drive concepts. For us, Formula E is the ultimate competitive environment for driving forward the development of high-performance vehicles in areas such as environmental friendliness, efficiency, and sustainability,” Steiner added.

Porsche has already taken the first steps toward developing its own Formula E racing car this year. At the same time, Porsche is increasing its commitment in the GT class. “A diversity of manufacturers and the quality of both WEC and IMSA have led us to strengthen our commitment and concentrate our energies on using the 911 RSR,” added Steiner. “We want to be number one. To do that, we must invest accordingly.”

After four highly successful years, including three victories in a row at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and World Championship titles in both the team and driver classifications in 2015 and 2016, Porsche will be leaving the LMP1 class. Nevertheless, the factory team from Weissach wants to defend the back-to-back World Championship titles one more time. The 2017 season ends on November 18 in Bahrain.

Fritz Enzinger, Vice President in charge of LMP1 and a central figure in the return of Porsche to top-level motorsport in 2014, commented, “Building up the Le Mans team from scratch was a huge challenge. Over the years, we have developed an incredibly successful and professional team. This will be our basis going forward. I am certain that we will maintain our high level in Formula E. Confidence is high, and we are excited to get started.”

Porsche will keep the successful LMP1 team intact, including the factory drivers. Alongside ventures in other racing series and the intensive preparation for Formula E, Porsche is examining other fields of application and development areas.

The world’s first purely electric racing series, Formula E was launched on September 13, 2014. The , which is also responsible for Formula 1, has organized the series to make a statement in favor of electro-mobility and to get more young people excited about motorsport. Unlike most other racing series, the Formula E season begins in the fall and ends in summer. The race venues are specially designed street courses in the heart of major cities worldwide, meaning the sport travels to the spectators and not the other way around. Electro-mobility is already playing an important role in the mobility of tomorrow, especially in urban environments.

At the core of this success is Porsche’s proud racing heritage that boasts some 30,000-plus motorsport wins to date. http://www.fia.com/

FIFA fines Qatar for ‘political displays’

Football’s global governing body FIFA has fined Qatar’s soccer federation after national team players breached rules against political statements by displaying T-shirts of the country’s Emir at a World Cup qualifier.

Bosnia, Serbia and Mexico are among the other countries to face action, penalties and sanctions, according to AP reports.

The FIFA disciplinary had panel imposed a $51,800 fine and reprimanded Qatar’s national football federation. The nation is scheduled to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup finals.

The charges against Qatar related to “displaying a political image” and “political displays” by fans at a 3-2 win over South Korea in Doha, FIFA said. Player Hasan Alhaydos was also fined $5,180 for unsporting unacceptable behavior.

The incidents happened on June 13, when Qatar’s players warmed up for the game wearing white T-shirts with an image of Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani to show their support for him. Fans in the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium also wore and displayed images of the Emir. After Alhaydos scored the opening goal, he took a T-shirt from a spectator and lifted it high in the air.

The players and fans were showing solidarity win Emir as regional political rivals Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates have sought to isolate Qatar.

FIFA rules do not permit political stands and displays of political images in football action.

In other FIFA decisions announced on Thursday, a range of sanctions was imposed on host Bosnia-Herzegovina and Greece after a volatile end to a World Cup qualifier in June. Trouble had flared between players and coaching staff who were charged with offensive behavior after the final whistle of a scoreless draw in Zenica.

Bosnia’s assistant coach Stephane Gilli was handed a six-month suspension for punching a Greece player in the face. Gilli has said on his verified Twitter account this month that his contract has been canceled.

Muhamed Besic, the Everton midfielder, was fined $5,180 and banned for one match. He will miss Bosnia’s August 31 game at Cyprus.

FIFA banned Bosnia from using the Zenica stadium for one match and imposed a fine of $31,150 for a range of charges, including booing the Greek national anthem before the game.

Serbia’s federation was fined $23,400 for fans’ political chants and banners at a home qualifier against Wales.

FIFA again acted against Mexico for a long-standing problem with its fans chanting gay slurs at opposing teams’ goalkeepers. Fines of 10,000 Swiss francs ($10,400) were imposed for incidents at each of Mexico’s home qualifiers in June against Honduras and the United States. More Information Visit my website https://www.insidesport.co

Indian actress walks ramp for Arsenal jersey launch

Bollywood actress Esha Gupta walked the ramp as English football club Arsenal launched their new team jersey. The two-tone blue design away kit, which starts with a lighter shade and then fades into navy blue towards bottom, is created by club’s partners Puma.

Esha, an Indian film actress and model, is a well know Arsenal fan. She is often spotted during the Gunners’ matches at the Emirates Stadium. Also a good friend of the club defender Hector Bellerin, Esha also interacted with Arsenal supporter on Snapchat, where she was seen supporting the social media platform’s new specs as she spoke with fans in north London.

Gupta, who has been spotted taking in matches at the Emirates Stadium on multiple occasions previously, modeled the new kit at the club’s official store in London, and also addressed the millions of Arsenal fans via the club’s official Snapchat channel.

According to reports, Esha and Hector had dined at London restaurant Vanilla Black in September. Though, reports also suggest that they have not taken this relationship further.

The team will wear the new jerseys for the first time during this week’s tie against Benfica as they get down to action for the Emirates Cup. Arsenal have already played four matches of their pre-season campaign, with mixed results.

The Gunners start their Premier League campaign against Leicester at home on 12 August. Sport Business news Visit my web site https://www.insidesport.co

Boxing Federation floats tender for ‘Pro League’ bids

Now, India can have “its own Professional Boxing League”. The Boxing Federation of India has invited bids for grant for “Professional Boxing League” rights.

The BFI president Ajay Singh had announced last year that the “federation will definitely be launching a boxing league in 2017”.

The tender document has been placed on the federation website.

“The Boxing Federation of India invites bids from organizations to hold a 10 year license for running the Indian Boxing League on their behalf. All the interested parties can download the bid document from our website www.boxingfederation.in,” reads the notice inviting tenders.

“All the interested parties may submit their sealed offers by 1500 hours IST on or before 16 August, 2017 in the prescribed format at Boxing Federation of India, 323, Udyog Vihar, Phase-IV, Gurugram, India. The same will be opened at 1600 hours on 16 August, 2017 at the aforesaid office of the Boxing Federation of India.

“Each organization can submit only one bid. For any queries related to the bid, interested parties may please visit the website www.boxingfederation.in or contact the undersigned (Diretor Adminstration, BFI) on any working day between 1100 hours and 1700 hours till the last date of the query, 4th August 2017. All interested parties should regularly visit our website for any update/modification/alteration/change made in the RFP document or any related document as indicated by the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) from time to time,” the notice further states.

Even as the federation is the official governing body of sport in the country, it does not control the “professional boxers”, who have been participating in various competitions and events.

Professional boxing in the country is on the rise. Indian-origin British businessman Bill Dosanjh and Olympic champion Amir Khan are currently running the eight-team Super Boxing League in India with the matches spread over the weekends.

However, the national body is equipped to allow the participation of the registered amateurs boxers in the league, which will be played under professional rules. This move will pave the way for the likes of Shiva Thapa, Mary Kom, Vikash Krishnan to participate in the proposed professional league and still continue to nurture their Olympic hopes as amateurs. more Information visit My Sport business news Website

Monday 17 July 2017

Smriti Irani in new role as I&B Minister

Following the resignation of Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu, Prime Minister Modi on Tuesday made Smriti Irani the Information and Broadcasting minister (additional charge).

Irani would be the fourth I&B minister of Modi government. Within a span of three years, Modi government has given the country three Union I&B Ministers. Initially, Prakash Javadekar took the charge of the ministry but it was shortly after handed over to Arun Jaitley for a period of two years from 2014-2016. Thereafter, Naidu took over the reins of MIB.

Irani, who’s already Union textiles minister, will get additional charge of information and broadcasting. The PMO of India announced it with a following tweet:

#insidesport #sport #news

NIKE & ROLEX releases tributes to Federer

Congratulatory messages for the king of tennis Roger Federer is pouring in non-stop. Now the long standing sponsors of Federer, Nike & Rolex have released congratulatory ads as tribute to the great athlete.Read more Article..https://goo.gl/frrG6c

Saturday 15 July 2017

300% jump for PKL prize money

VIVO Pro kabaddi is on a run to make its stakes go much higher than expected. The biggest non-cricketing sporting league announced a consolidated sum of Rs 8 Crores as the coveted prize money for the 5th edition of PKL, which commences on July 28 in Hyderabad.

This marks a significant and unprecedented increment from Rs 2 crores, which was the prize money scheme for Season 4 of the league in 2016.

“Even before the commencement of its fifth season, VIVO Pro Kabaddi has already traversed significant landmarks, beginning with a ground-breaking sponsorship deal, to record bids at the player auction, and now, a remarkable elevation of the consolidated prize money. The winning sum to be awarded to season 5 champions is at par with renowned leagues, making the PKL trophy a highly coveted one. The ground is now set for a fierce and dynamic 13-weeks of high-octane Kabaddi action,” said Anupam Goswami, League Commissioner, VIVO Pro Kabaddi.

12 teams will clash in 138 exhilarating matches to win the desirable title, set at INR 3 Crores. The runners-up will be awarded Rs 1.8 Crores, while the team that finishes in the third place will win Rs 1.2 Crores. The Most Valuable Player prize, previously awarded to Kabaddi stars like Anup Kumar and Manjeet Chillar, is also receiving a substantial boost this season, with the awardee set to win Rs 15 Lakhs.

The first match of VIVO Pro Kabaddi Season 5 will see Telugu Titans take-on new team, Tamil Thalaivas on July 28 in Hyderabad. Fans can catch the tournament live on Star Sports network and Hotstar.

Rahane launches his signature bat line with CEAT

India’s Test team vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane has launched his own signature bat line named ‘Resolute’ along with CEAT. He announced the launch through his social media accounts on Twitter and Instagram.

Rahane took to twitter to announce the launch and tweeted about how excited he is on his own signature bat line. The tweet posted by the batsman is as follows:

Rahane is known by his nickname ‘Jinx’. This name actually came from Shane Warne when they were teammates at Rajasthan Royals. Now, all the team-mates call him ‘Jinx’ or ‘Ajju’. However, ‘Jinx’ would be the signature on the ‘Resolute’ bat line.

The twitter post which appears to be a branded content, showing CEAT logo on the bat alongwith the hashtag is due to the deal between the right hander and the company.

Last year, CEAT signed a 4-year bat endorsement association with Rahane. As per the deal, the batsman will be seen representing CEAT bat in all the versions of cricket going forward.

CEAT also has tie ups with Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina and Ishan Kishan for bat association.

IPL welcomes back CSK and RR franchises

The Board of Control for Cricket in India has announced that the two former Indian Premier League franchises – Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals – are all set to be back into the League.

Two-time IPL winners CSK and 2008 champions RR were suspended from the IPL for two seasons – 2016 & 2017 – by the Supreme Court following their involvement in spot-fixing scandal that erupted in 2013.

The two franchises have completed the two-year suspension imposed by the Hon’ble Supreme Court appointed Lodha Committee. And will now participate in the Indian Premier League.

Although the two franchises were not allowed to participate for two editions they had to shell out participation fees. While the Super Kings paid Rs 72 crore over the next two years, Royals paid the tune of Rs 56 crore.

The IPL Governing Council was already of the viewpoint of replacing Rising Pune Supergiants and Gujarat Lions after the suspension. That would mean that the number of teams would still remain the same and IPL 2018 wouldn’t see adding extra teams to the tournament. The experiment to play extra two teams had been tried in the 2011 edition of the competition but an increase in the number of games reduced some of the thrill associated with the competition.

“VIVO IPL will be enriched by the return of Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals. Both the teams have enjoyed tremendous on-field success and have a mass following. The loyal fans will again get to see their favourite teams and stars in action from the upcoming season of the VIVO IPL,” said CK Khanna, Acting President of the BCCI.

IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla hoped to build on the close ties the league has with the franchises as it prepares for the next edition.

“It is my privilege to welcome back our franchisees, Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals, into the 11th edition of the IPL. We have had a strong working relationship with Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals and hope that we can continue to build upon the close ties that we have enjoyed in the past, as we move towards the next edition of the league,” Shukla said in a press release.

The IPL 2018 is already slated to be a much bigger event, as VIVO joins as the title sponsor with spending a whopping amount of Rs 2199 crore for the next 5 year. While the BCCI is also renewing all their contracts, the players draft is also expected to display the extravaganza that this game holds.

Gayle interested to own an ISL team

After the smash-hitter Jamaican Chris Gayle announced his undisclosed investment into Indian Gaming Company, IONA entertainment, the West Indian opener has shown interest in Indian Super League.

During the event for IONA entertainment, the player while talking to the reporters expressed his interest in owning an ISL-type team. He also told that he is in discussions with few stakeholders for some commercial ventures.

“I would definitely love to own an Indian Super League kind of team, but what best one can do is to get involved in it while you are active playing cricket,” PTI quoted Gayle as saying.

Gayle said cricket itself is business and all the stakeholders want to raise money as much as possible.

“Business will always come in, once you produce scintillating on-field knocks. People and companies will chase you, but cricket itself is business. Everybody wants to generate as much revenues as possible,” he said.

Gayle also said big names like Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly own teams post-retirement because they want to foray into the world of business.

“If you feel you have enough time to venture into it, so do it even if you are an active and busy player, but if you feel you can’t, you can always foray into this venture post-retirement,” he said.

Asked whether he is tying up with any other commercial ventures, Gayle said, “Definitely. There are a few projects under the table which are actually under discussion as we speak.”

It would be a great gesture from marquee players like him to pick up stakes for owning non-cricket teams, Gayle said.

“As cricketers, you want to do good things for other sports as well, especially when you are associated with big brands. It is a great gesture, for sure,” he said.

Which team can see the cricketer on a football field or what sport can Gayle probably put his money on, we will have to see until the final decision is announced by the marquee player.

Friday 14 July 2017

Bhutia to spearhead talent hunt for Premier Futsal

The former Indian football skipper Bhaichung Bhutia will spearhead the talent hunt programme as he joins the Premier Futsal League. He will join the Premier Futsal as its talent director despite being involved as Advisor with the AIFF, which does not recognise the venture.

The football great will be heading the Indian amateur talent hunt programme.

“Premier Futsal League has emerged as a category defining offering in the Indian sporting landscape since its introduction last year,” Bhutia said as part of the press release.

“It has enabled youngsters in the country to take up the sport and provided a boost to the skill development amongst youth.

“It is a great honour for me to be a part of such a tournament and I hope we can provide an impetus for more and more aspiring talent to be a part of the Premier Futsal platform,” Bhutia added.

Welcoming the former India striker, Premier Futsal League Managing Director Dinesh Raj said, “It is a matter of great pride and honour for us to have a personality of Bhaichung’s stature to be a part of Premier Futsal.”

“We welcome Bhaichung to the Premier Futsal family and look forward to a successful association with him,” he added.

Premier Futsal is endorsed by football legend Luis Figo. Stalwarts such as Ronaldinho and Ryan Giggs were part of the league in 2016. The Brazilian star is expected to play a major role in the upcoming season as well. And he will be there in Mumbai for the announcement on Friday, claimed on Friday, claimed the tweet on official page of Premier Futsal:

Complete makeover in an all-sports arena!

East India premier salon chain, Head Turners has launched a first-of-its kind sports themed salon in Gariahat, Kolkata. The salon braids delightful sporty interiors with beauty and grooming services. Present at the launch of the unisex salon were, Fashion designer Agnimitra Paul, former Miss India Universe Ushoshi Sengupta and model Saachi Bhasin.

Pankaj Killa, Partner, Head Turners, said, “We believe that there is no alternative to beauty and grooming services as they are the smoothest and most instantaneous ways to uplift an individual, both inside and out. I want all my guests to come and enjoy the differential salon-experience, even if it is a simple haircut. Each time a customer visits the salon, it should be a euphoric affair, transporting them to a paradisiacal world. Whether you visit a beauty salon for a rejuvenating facial or some other hair or beauty treatments we believe it will help you appreciate, applaud and savour your life.”

Brand Development Manager, Yash Killa, said, “Sports has inveigled the fashion and beauty industry to a substantial extent. Sports stars are champions not only in their respective genre of sports but they are pagan symbols of the fashion industry too, patronising various fashion campaigns and some even own their idiosyncratic fashion labels.”

The interiors, true to its theme are complete with pieces that will take you right into the world of sports. Whether you like Beckham or Dhoni, ace hairstylists will get you all those fancy hair spikes, sharp razor undercuts, Classic Black curtains, Fauxhawks, Quiffs, and Mohawks.

People can also watch all their favourite sports channels here and never fear about missing out on a match, since the salon offers live screening while offering their services.

Spread over 2200 sq. ft., the salon boasts of a special recreation area with indoor games like chess, dart, ludo and others has been created to keep customers entertained while waiting to be serviced.

First official partner for Beijing 2022 Olympics announced

Beijing 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games has named Bank of China as the first official partner. A signing ceremony took place in the organisation’s headquarters in the Chinese capital.

Cai Qi, the President of the Beijing 2022 Organising Committee, was joined by Tian Guoli, the chairman of the Bank of China’s Board of Directors, at the ceremony.

The company was also a sponsor at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

As part of the relationship, the Bank of China will provide all pre-Games and Games-time banking services and will offer its “international, diversified and professional networks” to support the country’s winter sports development, insidethegames.biz has reported.

“Beijing 2022 will be a milestone event in China’s history, and is of far-reaching significance to exhibiting China’s image, promoting the country’s development and upgrading the national spirit,” said Chen Jining, the acting Mayor of Beijing and Executive President of Beijing 2022.

“Chinese President Xi Jinping has said on many occasions that China will host a fantastic, extraordinary and excellent Olympic Winter Games in a green, sharing, open and clean manner.

“The marketing programme guarantees the success of Beijing 2022.

“It offers a broad stage for enterprises to promote their brands and sharpen their competitive edge.

“Since the marketing programme was launched in February this year, Beijing 2022 has been seeking an official banking partner based upon openness, fairness and justness.

“The Bank of China beats other competitors and becomes our first official partner.”

“Bank of China will provide the highest-international-standard, the most comprehensive and reliable Winter Olympic Games financial services and supporting measures in order to promote national fitness and winter sports,” said Tian Guoli, president of Bank of China.

The marketing period for the sponsoring enterprises of Beijing 2022 runs across two Olympiads (2017-2024), covering multiple international sports events administered by the International Olympic Committee and International Paralympic Committee including Pyeongchang 2018, Tokyo 2020, Beijing 2022, and the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2024.

Cricket Australia’s trouble to intensify, media rights in jeopardy

With the Cricket Australia and Australia Cricketers Association row reaching no point of conclusion, the broadcast partners are starting to feel the pinch. As per the reports, the major host broadcaster for Australia, Channel Nine, is already pushing the board to break the ice and reach a common ground with ACA.

The channel has been the sole broadcaster of Australia’s home cricket internationals since 1979. It currently holds the rights for home Tests, ODIs and T20Is under a five-year, $500m deal struck in 2013. The arrangement is set to expire after the 2017-18 summer. CA’s fortunes are heavily tied to this home broadcast deal. No doubt, Channel Nine being associated with the board for 38 years wishes to renew the deal for ‘all forms of cricket’ by the end of 2017 – but in the current circumstances board knows, they won’t risk.

On the other hand, Network Ten, which holds the current rights for the Big Bash, the deal amounting to $100m for 5 years, is also to be renewed.

As per the various Australian reports, CA hopes to net $900m for the next media rights cycle deal: about $120m a year from the international Test, ODIs and T20Is, and the other $60m a year for the Big Bash. The governing body is optimistic that competition between the commercial networks and pay-TV would help it net that sort of amount.
However, media companies ready to bid are a worry lot now. They are of the opinion that if the settlement is not reached in due time, they will have no product to broadcast. But this will have much bigger repercussions for the governing body, which will lose the bidders interest, jeopardizing the long-standing relations and revenue sources.

CA’s problem doesn’t end with home rights deals. As per the information with insidesport.co, the board’s rights deal for the territory of Indian Sub-Continent is up for renewal by end of July 2017, but there has been no official word from the governing body on the same. Currently, Star Sports hold the rights for Indian sub-continent valued at $212 million for 5 years. Moreover the reduced competitiveness in the market in form of TEN SPORTS acquisition by SONY further puts CA at disadvantage.

There is another threat looming for CA and that may turn out to be nail in the coffin. If Australian players continue to hold their fort and refuses to tour for forthcoming Bangladesh, India & Ashes series, Cricket Australia may get embroiled in legal issues with the host boards.

Australia is due to play Test matches in Bangladesh in August and then ODIs in India in October and following it is Ashes series. Although the Ashes are not scheduled to start until November 23, England are due to fly to Australia at the end of October. Unless matters in Australia are resolved by then, it is entirely possible the ECB will take the decision to cancel the tour and recoup what costs they can. The consequences – legal and financial – would be enormous.

CA is also understood to be feeling the heat from its commercial partners, who have lost the rights to market themselves using the cricketers’ images as the players have signed their intellectual property over to The Players’ Brand, controlled by the ACA.

Key sponsors KFC and Toyota are wary about failure of administrators and players to come to a speedy resolution. Big Bash League title sponsor KFC, which pays around $3-$4M each year to Cricket Australia, is of the opinion that the uncontracted players now will be on the lookout for new endorsement deals with corporate rivals. The first one came in the form of Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc signing a sponsorship contract with an Audi dealership.

The board is also facing a battle of re-signing key corporate backers in a number of sponsorship categories: they have already lost their Victoria Bitter sponsorship; the Commonwealth Bank has, according to Fairfax, cut their deal from $13m to $4m; and KFC’s lucrative deal will expire at the end of 2018.

CA can ill afford the crisis scenario of having major sponsors pulling out or walk away from the Australian cricket.

With pressure from all the corners, Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland has finally taken the first step to get into negotiations with the Australian Cricket Association. However, the talks could not yield much result. With days passing by to reach a common resolution point, CA’s trouble is sure to intensify.

IMG wins IPL bid, Dhoni backed Rhiti sports losers

The IPL bids for the event management were opened in New Delhi and the lucrative game attracted as many as four bidders. Highly likely was IMG, the other three being Wizcraft, Group of 4 and to everyone’s surprise was Dhoni backed Rhiti sports. But it was the IMG who won the bids for the next 5 years of IPL.

While the amount remains undisclosed, the commercials are also yet to be finalised. Having been conceptualised and executed the tournament for the last 10 years, IMG was always thought to be the favourite.

According to reports, IMG net a total of Rs43 crore for the first season, while the amount was reduced to Rs33 crore for the overseas edition in South Africa. But after Lalit Modi was dethroned as the IPL chairman, the deal was renegotiated and the amount was fixed somewhere to be around Rs27 crore a year.

IMG emerged as a clear winner outbidding Rhiti Sports, known to be owned by the manager of Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

Rhiti’s bid was a surprise for everyone but its past record shows the firm has been associated with a few teams in different leagues, including Chennai Super Kings, in marketing their properties.

Among those present when the bids were opened were IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla, acting BCCI secretary Amitabh Choudhary, treasurer Anirudh Chaudhry and CEO Rahul Johri.

Thursday 13 July 2017

Gayle puts money in an Indian gaming company

The Jamaican smash-hitter and great cricketer Chris Gayle has invested an undisclosed amount in a Bengaluru-based virtual reality gaming start-up IONA Entertainment.

Iona, which currently has one 70,000 square-feet gaming venue at Virginia Mall in Bengaluru, had raised an initial round of funding from Singapore-based Vestasia, and now West Indies cricketer Chris Gayle has also decided to invest in it. The cricketer is also the brand ambassador for IONA.

Iona Entertainment has chalked out Rs 200 crore expansion plan which will involve opening of 36 gaming zones across metros as well as tier-II and III cities in India and five in the overseas markets.

“Such facilities combine entertainment, gaming, sports and adventure with technology and creative design giving every member of the family an enthralling and everlasting experience,” The Hindu has quoted Gayle as saying.
He also said India is his top priority in terms of investment destinations and wanted to invest as many businesses as possible.

The company plans to start five more centres in India soon and has identified two international locations. “We will start five additional centres in India soon and the overall plan is to have 36 centres across the country,” said one of the founders of IONA entertainment.

The flagship properties, which will be opened in the metros, will offer dedicated virtual reality zone, simulation gaming, robotic cinemas, UV lit bowling, 3D click art museum, augmented reality as well as outdoor sports like Futsal, multi-sports pitches, cricket pitches, rock climbing arena and kids playing area.

F1 drives into social media with Snapchat

Formula 1 has announced a new partnership with the social media network Snap Inc., the American social media company that owns social video-sharing platform Snapchat.

The deal will result in coverage of Formula 1 races on Snapchat’s curated editorial platform, Discover.

The agreement kicks off in this weekend’s British Grand Prix at Silverstone.

F1 chiefs did not specify what type of content will be published, but said it will use ‘Our Stories’, one of three types of content on the Discover platform, to feature content from Snapchat users.

After Silverstone, the deal includes the races in Singapore, Japan, USA, Mexico, Brazil and Abu Dhabi, as per motorsport.com.

“This is the first step towards expanding our social media strategy,” said F1’s head of digital Frank Arthofer in a press release statement.

“Right from the start, we have said we want to work with partners to bring fans closer to the amazing show that is Formula 1, an incredible mix of technology and individual talent – and Snap fits that bill.

“We need to continue to bring new fans to the sport – by reaching out to them on social media platforms with behind the scenes, fun and engaging content.

“Snap’s platform is one of the most popular among ‘millennials’, a sector we are particularly keen on attracting, as it represents the future of our sport.”

Under the Ecclestone regime, Formula One was a restricted sport. Any and all pictures, video, and information released out to the world were carefully curated, filtered, and packaged. Everything that could be was monetized and carefully controlled. That business model was becoming less and less compatible with the fast-paced InstaSnapFaceTube social media world.

With Liberty Media’s purchase of Formula One, the walls are starting to come down. Formula One’s social media footprint expanded and this new deal with Snapchat is something that would have been unheard of last year.

African media pockets rights of four Olympic editions

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has awarded the broadcast rights to the next four editions of the Olympic Games in South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa.

The committee confirmed that DStv SuperSport, Econet Media and SABC have all pocketed rights to next year’s Winter Games in PyeongChang, as well as Tokyo 2020, Beijing 2022 and the 2024 Summer Games, which will be held in either Paris or Los Angeles.

DStv SuperSport has picked up pay-TV rights in South Africa as well as 42 countries and territories across Sub-Saharan Africa.

Econet Media has acquired free-to-air and pay-TV rights in Sub-Saharan Africa, while public broadcaster SABC will provide free-to-air coverage in South Africa.

Econet Media and SABC have both committees to airing at least 200 hours of live or same-day coverage from each edition of the Summer Games, and daily highlights from the winter editions.

Econet Media and DStv SuperSport will also collaborate with the IOC on the development of the Olympic Channel, the committee’s over-the-top (OTT) streaming service, including the production of localised content and linear distribution across the region.

“We are delighted to be working with DStv SuperSport, Econet Media and SABC to be able to bring Olympic fans more coverage than ever before,” IOC president Thomas Bach said in a statement.

“I have visited many countries across Africa and have witnessed first-hand the important role that sport and the Olympic Games play on the African continent.

“The IOC redistributes 90 per cent of the revenue derived from its commercial agreements to support the development of sport around the world, including in Africa,” he added.