Big brands bet on World Cup fever in India, where cricket is ‘religion’

Agencies
June 28, 2019

Bengaluru, Jun 28: Indian advertisers are on track to spend more than USD 400 million during this year’s ICC Cricket World Cup, looking to cash in on a mania that is smashing viewing records in the world’s biggest market for the sport.

About 1.5 billion people are expected to watch the tournament worldwide, more than 15 times the audience for the Super Bowl of American football.

From ride-hailing firm Uber to tech giant Samsung Electronics and snacks maker Mondelez, companies are banking on television, radio and online campaigns, as well as live fan events, to woo cricket-mad consumers.

“We might have different religions, but cricket is the biggest one,” said Shashi Kumar, a 34-year-old in the technology hub of Bengaluru, who said the game unites the country and brings people together.

The surge in advertisement spending during the six-week tournament that runs until July 14 could boost consumer demand and help India’s economy run out its slowest period of growth in four years, analysts say.

“Brands would not like to lose the opportunity to capitalise on this frenzy,” said Vinita Pachisia, senior vice-president at media agency Carat India, part of the Dentsu Aegis Network.

Although a niche sport with just 10 participating countries, versus 79 in the FIFA soccer championship, cricket’s popularity in the Indian subcontinent means companies allot about half of their marketing budget to the World Cup. Sponsors and media buyers say they expect more than 800 million Indians to watch this year, but there are no official projections. Four years ago, 635 million watched, mainly on television, as online streaming was in its infancy in India.

The much-anticipated match between arch rivals India and Pakistan on June 16 prompted 206 million fans to tune in to official broadcaster Star network, a unit of Walt Disney Co, to watch India win.

Star’s streaming platform, Hotstar, said the 15.6 million concurrent users for the match was its highest tally for a one-day international game.

‘World cup mania’

The matches start later in India’s day and run through prime time, while the return to a round-robin format cuts the chances of an early knockout of favorites Australia, India and New Zealand.

They are also being broadcast in six more Indian languages this year, as well as Hindi and English.

Greater television and internet access and India’s success under captain Virat Kohli have helped push spot advertising rates up by 40 per cent to 60 per cent from four years ago, media buyers say.

They estimate this year’s advertising spend of more than USD 400 million will be nearly double of 2015.

Smartphone maker Samsung Electronics Co, which is giving away Amazon Echo devices with high-end TV sets, said it doubled sales of big-screen TV sets in the month before the tournament began on May 30, versus last year.

Uber Technologies Inc, which operates in eight World Cup countries, ran a contest offering tickets to the games in Britain as prizes, while Mondelez International Inc, maker of Cadbury’s chocolates, launched a special variety.

The “World Cup Mania” sale of Amazon.Com Inc’s rival Flipkart, a unit of Walmart, offers discounts on televisions, and its digital payments unit Phone Pe is running promotions online.

“We want to reach the next 250 million Indians who are on the internet, but not using digital payments yet,” said the unit’s chief executive, Sameer Nigam.

Spot TV advertising slots for the June 16 match cost up to 2.5 million rupees (USD 36,000), versus a package for all games ranging between 1 million and 1.5 million rupees, media buyers say.

Some companies are also sponsoring fanzones.

A thousand fans watched the India-Pakistan match at a brew pub in Bengaluru, in an event sponsored by Bira 91, a recent entrant to the beer market, backed by US-based Sequoia Capital.

“We wanted to pick up a sport which had very very wide appeal to Indian consumers and there is nothing comparable to cricket,” said Chief Executive Ankur Jain.

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News Network
November 21,2024

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Prominent NRI community leader SM Syed Khalilur Rehman, fondly known as CA Khalil, passed away in Dubai on Thursday at the age of 86 after a brief illness.

Khalil had been admitted to Aster Hospital in Mankhool on Tuesday after experiencing severe leg weakness. Despite the best efforts of the medical team, he succumbed to a double heart attack that worsened his condition, his son Rais Ahmed confirmed.

The news of his passing has sent waves of grief across communities, particularly in his hometown of Bhatkal, Karnataka, where he was a celebrated figure. Tributes have been pouring in on social media, highlighting his significant contributions to international trade, social service, and education.

A Legacy of Leadership and Service

A chartered accountant by profession, Khalil was a founding member of the Dubai chapter of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), where he served as chairman from 1987 to 1994. His illustrious career included key leadership roles, such as general manager of Khaleej Times, group executive director of the Ilyas and Mustafa Galadari Group, and vice-chairman of the Jashanmal Group of Companies.

He also chaired Maadhyama Communications and Sahil Online, a web-based news platform, and was a director and trustee of several media companies and charitable organisations in Dubai and India.

A Champion for Education and Philanthropy

Khalil’s impact extended far beyond his professional achievements. As president and general secretary of Anjuman Hami-e-Muslimeen, he played a pivotal role in the development of educational institutions, including schools and colleges in Bhatkal and surrounding areas. His dedication to social upliftment earned him recognition from the Government of Karnataka, which honoured him with a prestigious award for his philanthropic contributions.

A Life Celebrated

The Bhatkal Muslim Khaleej Council (BMKC) recently released a documentary celebrating Khalil’s remarkable life and service to the community—a testament to his enduring legacy.

CA Khalil is survived by his family and countless admirers across the globe. His passing marks the end of an era for Indian expatriates in the UAE and beyond, leaving behind a legacy of leadership, generosity, and commitment to community service.

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News Network
November 22,2024

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Bengaluru, Nov 22: For the second day running, the Karnataka BJP on Friday staged a statewide protest condemning the government’s alleged move to notify land of farmers as Waqf property.

The BJP staged a protest before the offices of Deputy Commissioners at district headquarters.

The BJP leaders are vehemently demanding that the state government cancel a 1974 Gazette notification in this regard.

The agitators are also demanding scrapping of the Waqf Board and the resignation of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Minister for Waqf and Housing Zameer Ahmad Khan.

The BJP MLAs, MLCs, MPs gathered in the premises of Freedom Park and staged a protest under the leadership of Leader of Opposition R. Ashoka and slammed the state government.

MLA T.S. Srivatsa led the protest in Mysuru and hundreds of party workers and farmers staged the protest under the leadership of former MP Pratap Simha in Kodagu.

Former MP Sumalatha Ambareesh led the agitation in Mandya.

This was the first time that Sumalatha took part in the party’s programme after the Lok Sabha elections.

State President B.Y. Vijayendra claimed, “The Congress government in Karnataka is issuing notices to farmers claiming the ownership of their lands to the Waqf Board and pushing them on the streets overnight.”

In the first week of December, three teams formed by the BJP will travel across the state and record the grievances of farmers.

“The state government is attempting to snatch away the lands belonging to temples as well,” Vijayendra alleged and added that the teams would comprise all senior leaders of the BJP.

Meanwhile, the police have taken Sri Ram Sena chief Pramod Muthalik into custody while staging a protest march to the office of Zameer Ahmad Khan in Bengaluru.

Muthalik along with Hindutva activists was planning to lay siege to Zameer’s office over the Waqf row.

The police stopped Muthalik and requested him to submit the memorandum by reaching the minister’s office in a vehicle. However, Muthalik refused to go with the police and continued his footmarch. The police took him into custody following arguments.

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News Network
November 17,2024

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An Israeli airstrike on the office of Syria’s Baath party in Lebanon’s capital Beirut has killed the Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah's Media Relations Officer, Mohammad Afif, reports say.

Lebanon's National News Agency (NNA) reported that the Israeli raid struck the Ba'ath party’s building in central Beirut district of Ras Al-Naba'a on Sunday, adding that the strike was an attempt to assassinate the leader of the resistance media front.

According to Baath Secretary-General Ali Hijazi, Afif was having a meeting in the Baath Party headquarters when Israel carried out the attack.

"Afif did not fight with weapons and did not lead a military unit in Hezbollah. Rather, he led a media unit," he said.

Reuters, Sky News, Al Jazeera and a number of Henrew-language media reported that Afif was killed in the Israeli strike.

However, Hezbollah has not yet confirmed Afif’s death or whether he was present at the site or not.

Earlier, the Lebanese Health Ministry said at least one person was killed and three others injured after an Israeli strike targeted a central district in Beirut.

Lebanon's al-Mayadeen television network reported that five people were killed in the attack.

The latest development came after Afif said Hezbollah was behind the Caesarea operation and targeting Netanyahu’s home during a speech at the Ghobeiry area in the southern suburbs of Beirut on October 22.

This was the second assassination attempt on Afif in the last two months, after he survived an attack on the Hezbollah media relations office several weeks ago.

Israel launched a ground assault and massive air campaign against Lebanon in late September after a year of exchanging fire across the Lebanese border in parallel with the Gaza war.

At least 3,287 people have been killed in Israeli strikes in Lebanon over the past year, with the vast majority in the past seven weeks. Another 14,222 have been wounded, mostly women and children.

In response to the ongoing aggression, the Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah has been staging hundreds of retaliatory strikes against the occupied Palestinian territories and the Israeli forces trying to advance on southern Lebanese areas.

The movement has vowed to sustain its strikes until the regime ends the escalation.

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