Star's Rs 2-bn ad revenue target to take a hit over Virat Kohli's absence

Asia Cup is being held in the United Arab Emirates this year, since India and Pakistan have severed bilateral cricketing ties

The absence of Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli is expected to put a dent in broadcaster Star India’s advertisement revenue projections from the ongoing Asia Cup 2018. Media buyers in the know say that while it is difficult to put a number on how much the impact on the ad sales tally could be, it is quite possible the broadcaster will not be able to make its Rs 2-billion target.

The broadcaster holds the television (TV) and digital media rights to the tournament and was targeting a total of Rs 2.5 billion in ad sales revenues — Rs 2 billion from TV and Rs 500 million from digital ad sales. It had sold 60-70 per cent of its total advertising inventory before the start of the tournament, amounting to around Rs 1.2 billion in ad revenues. The broadcaster was hoping to cash in on the higher spot (last-minute buys) rates to complete its target of Rs 2 billion in TV ad sales.

However, with Kohli missing in action, the spot rates for the remaining 40 per cent inventory will be affected. “There is evidence that when Kohli comes to bat, viewership moves up and when he gets out, it comes down. The fence sitters may have one more reason to stay out because of the news,” says Vineet Sodhani, chief executive officer, Spatial Access, a media audit agency. He explains that while people will still watch the matches in the tournament, especially the India matches, the incremental reach that Kohli brings when he is on the field, will not be achieved. This may give the fence sitters reason to not pay big bucks for the remaining inventory. Existing advertisers however, have no option but to go ahead with their investment, so no advertiser is pulling out of the tournament as such.

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Sponsors on the Asia Cup include Hero, Byju’s, Google, Britannia, Gra-Do, Droom, Coca-Cola, USL, Domino’s, Unimoni, GSK, Dell, Eureka Forbes, MP Birla, UltraTech, Apollo Tyres, Vini Cosmetics, Parle Agro, and Nerolac.

Star India was hoping to make up to Rs 600,000 per 10-second ad spot during the series and anywhere between Rs 1 million and Rs 1.3 million for the India-Pakistan tie.

However, this will need to be revised, and it is more likely to make Rs 400,000 to Rs 450,000 per 10 seconds on an average for the tournament, while the India-Pakistan tie would fetch them Rs 800,000 to Rs 900,000 for 10 seconds. “India is yet to play a single match in the series and its first match is against Hong Kong.

Sprint queen Hima Das: Is she the next big thing in brand endorsements?

Will brands line-up to sign her up or will she go the Dipa Karmakar way?

Last week was crazy. My WhatsApp was inundated with forwards on the FIFA World Cup. All kinds of stats, stories, anecdotes, jokes and footage on England, Belgium, Croatia and France were coming in from friends and acquaintances without too many filters or discretion being exercised. So, in the middle of all that chaos, I almost missed the first message on Hima Das winning a gold medal at the IAAF World U-20 Athletics Championship 2018 in the 400 metres at Tampere in Finland. But then in the space of the next couple of hours I received (I counted) 22 forwards of the video showing Hima Das’s dash to victory and glory. It was as if India had finally found its own hero amongst all the noise and hype of the FIFA being played by everyone else, but us. And, the forwards did not stop. Almost out of nowhere background stories about Hima started to fill up my inbox. Again, I counted. 31 of them over the next 4 hours. Finally, a video of Hima Das on the victory podium started to pour in. A video of the young champion, India’s national anthem playing in the background, and Hima with tears hesitantly rolling down her cheeks. The video actually brought tears to my eyes too. This time the count on the forwards exceeded 50. Overnight, Hima Das had become the darling of the nation, a sensation recognized the very next day by Amul with a hoarding headline that said, “Das pe dus!”.

Not since Dipa Karmakar attained the 4th position in the Women’s Vault Gymnastics event at the Rio Olympics in 2016, had I witnessed such mass adulation and euphoria. There were many similarities in the Dipa-Hima stories. Underprivileged backgrounds. Both from the North East. Almost no formal coaching. No facilities. Just a lot of grit, determination and loads and loads of hardwork. Entirely self-driven, supported by poor families, unsung heroes no one had expected to win on the global stage. So, in all the WhatsApp messages (I am not very active on Twitter, hence did not keep track on that) there was surprise (in fact wonder would be a more appropriate word to use). There was the usual lament about lack of support and encouragement to these emerging heroes and many many hopes that these newly minted champions would make India proud many more times in the future.

Das will soon be back home, I am sure to a hero’s welcome. I am sure the Minister of Sports will escort her to meet the Hon’ble President and the Hon’ble Prime Minister. It is after all the done thing. There will be lots of media coverage. Lots of social media commentary too. More stories will emerge about her impoverished past. A couple of stories on her coach for sure.

ARTICLE SOURCE : BS

Fifa World Cup 2018: Five things we learned from pre-quarterfinals

Spain went out after losing a penalty shootout to hosts Russia after 120 minutes in which they completed over 1,000 passes -- a new World Cup record

The Round-of -16 in the FIFA World Cup 2018 finished on Tuesday night and with two days without football before the first of the quarterfinals, here are a few things the past four frantic and entertaining days have taught us, says Xinhua news agency.

1. Passing isn't everything

Spain went out after losing a penalty shootout to hosts Russia after 120 minutes in which they completed over 1,000 passes -- a new World Cup record made in Russia 2018. Yet the only goal the Spanish scored was an own goal following a set piece. Possession at times seemed to be an end in itself, rather than a means to an end. Way too often a Spanish player would check and move horizontally rather than look to move into space, making it easy for a brave but limited Russia side to pack their defence and hang on for a penalty shootout which had a feeling of inevitability about it.

2. Belgium: It pays to be positive

There were 30 seconds left on the clock when Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois caught the ball in his area. Most keepers would have been happy to clutch it to their chest to let a few seconds pass to ensure extra time. Courtois had other thoughts, however, rolling the ball out to Kevin de Bruyne who ran almost the full length of the pitch to start the move which led to Nacer Chadli scoring the goal that beat Japan 3-2. Maybe the Spanish should take note; sometimes speed and speed of thought are important, and it pays to be positive.

3. Mbappe: New world number one?

This World Cup is now without Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo; the two players who have dominated world football for over a decade now. With Messi now 31 and Ronaldo 33, this World Cup could show us who will pick up the torch. Harry Kane's goals and leadership make him a candidate, but for sheer footballing thrills the torch may be headed for France's 19-year-old Kylian M'bappe, who won a penalty in France's 4-3 victory against Argentina and became the first teenager to score twice in a World Cup finals game. It was a breathtaking display of pace and skill that implies he could just be the next great superstar

4. Messi: No man can be an island at the World Cup

Argentina flirted with disaster in the group stage and although hopes were high that they could improve after beating Nigeria in the group stage, it was not to be. An impressive France side made Argentina's weaknesses all too clear and with Messi out of form and surrounded by players who are simply not good enough to win a World Cup, defeat seemed inevitable. A great player can carry a team some of the time, but against the best in the world, reality is going to hit you sooner rather than later.

On display in IPL 2018: The brutal beauty of Mahendra Singh Dhoni

The CSK skipper's knock against KXIP on Sunday night wasn't about answering the brickbats; it was about him and his fans

There are things in sports that genuinely cheer you up. One such is the sight of Mahendra Singh Dhoni swinging through the arc, head down, knees slightly bent, kinetic energy from those baseball-bat-sized arms powering through the ball, and the crowd exploding. It is a thing of brutal beauty. There were many around the world who woke up on Monday morning with that very image still fresh in their minds. The bowler missing, Dhoni pouncing. The ball soaring, the stadium erupting.

In Mohali on Sunday night, a Colosseum-like crowd found itself paying obeisance to a gladiator whose time many thought had come. The willingness to carry on, as admirable as it was, was proving to be too stifling. The performance was no longer backing the obduracy. That still may hold true, but we will leave that for another day.

Instead, this was about celebrating the gifts of a man whose show we have feasted on for 15 years and still cannot seem to feel content. This was about him and his fanatical band of followers, the kind who still look up to him like an eternal demigod. This was about him telling us why he still remains indispensable. This was about him showing us what we have been terribly missing. This, in a boxing sense, was like a seasoned heavyweight fighter absorbing the early blows and then unleashing a savage combination of jabs and hooks to leave his opponent sprawled on the canvas. Well, almost.

The critics have made their peace with Dhoni’s scrappiness. Dhoni is justified in believing that he doesn’t have anything to prove to them, and they don’t bother too much with arraigning him, either. Anyway, this wasn’t about answering the brickbats — Dhoni just doesn’t play his cricket that way. For long, the Indian public has lionised him for his capacity to put on a show, for his mastery that allows him to elevate his game to a whole new level when the chips are down. The performance against Kings XI Punjab was just about the Indian cricket fan. It was Dhoni’s way of thanking thousands of them for sticking by him so loyally, despite his very apparent decline. After all, this is what fandom often triggers; a belief that your heroes can never be spent forces. Acceptance isn’t something that is part of the fan lexicon. And Dhoni on Sunday night competently displayed why it mustn’t be.

This wasn’t so much about Dhoni rolling back the years as it was about him exhibiting what he can do when he’s afforded time at the crease. Dhoni is no longer the furious sprinter of his youth, he is now the canny middle-distance runner who knows exactly when to make his move. He perhaps left it too late in Mohali, but he was clearly hampered — in addition to a back problem — by Ravindra Jadeja’s sluggishness at the other end. Even then, this was a calculated assault that would have culminated in an unlikely win on another day. (more)

Pay gap ensures women cricketers don't receive support men take for granted

On this Women's Day, the incomplete tale of Hamida Banu's life and Dutee Chand's continuing struggle should motivate us to recover, cherish and protect the histories of women in Indian sport.

According to the new set of contracts, the likes of Karun Nair and Jayant Yadav are set to earn a retainer amount of Rs 1 crore for the next year – double of what skipper Mithali Raj will make for leading the women’s team, despite neither of the men having represented India for about a year now. It is not about who brings in more money; rather, the exaggerated gap only ensures women cricketers in India cannot hope to receive the kind of support the men take for granted. On this Women’s Day, the incomplete tale of Hamida Banu’s life and Dutee Chand’s continuing struggle should motivate us to recover, cherish and protect the histories of women in Indian sport. Only then can we expect to afford the respect our female athletes deserve, argues this sports writer.

In Anthony Quinn’s breezy novel, Half of the Human Race, a suffragette falls in love with a cricketer only to discover the politics he espouses is at odds with her beliefs. Eventually, through a series of woeful events, he comes to reassess his world-view and appreciate the struggle which made and remade his love Sito in costruzione was the struggle for women’s suffrage which led to the establishment of Women’s Day, although the day has come to occupy a broader movement now. As the call for gender equity gathers a wider footprint in mainstream culture, it was a worthy reminder by the BCCI on Wednesday that its employees will not be treated at par anytime soon.

According to the new set of contracts, the likes of Karun Nair and Jayant Yadav are set to earn a retainer amount of Rs 1 crore for the next year – double of what skipper Mithali Raj will make for leading the women’s team, despite neither of the men having represented India for about a year now. It is not about who brings in more money; rather, the exaggerated gap only ensures women cricketers in India cannot hope to receive the kind of support the men take for granted.Of course, it used to be worse. Diana Edulji—now a member of the Committee of Administrators (CoA) overseeing the BCCI’s administration—and her teammates were asked to pay Rs 10,000 each for participation in the 1982 Cricket World Cup in New Zealand, despite women’s cricket in India attracting huge crowds in the 1970s.

While gains have been made, it is rather unfair for a team which finished runner-up at last year’s World Cup to not be appraised fairly.The cricketers aside, there have been other women have given Indian sport much to cheer about in recent months. Even as the hurdles continue to spring up as if they have a life of their own, the country’s female athletes are setting standards not touched ever before.

While P. V. Sindhu breaks newer ground in badminton, lesser lights have enchanted in no less measure. In 2017, 19-year-old Aditi Ashok delivered a stellar campaign on the elite Ladies’ Professional Golf Tour (LPGA). The Bengaluru-teenager has given ample proof to show that she belongs among the best.Young stars seem to be leading the way lately. It was only earlier this week that 16-year-old Manu Bhaker grabbed headlines when she reigned champion in the women’s 10m air pistol event at the World Cup in Mexico, becoming the third-youngest shooter ever to win gold at that level.

Kohli snatches ICC top spot from A B de Villiers, surpasses Sachin's points

Kohli scored 263 runs in the series and has reached 889 points, which is the best ever by an India batsman

Indian captain Virat Kohli on Monday returned to the top of the ICC ODI rankings for batsmen after logging career-high rating points, going past the iconic Sachin Tendulkar in the process.

Kohli has moved back to the top within 10 days of losing it to South Africa batsman AB de Villiers after the rankings were updated following India's 2-1 home series win over against New Zealand.

The 28-year-old Delhi batsman, who scored 263 runs in the series, has reached 889 points, which is the best ever by an India batsman.

"The previous highest points tally of 887 was managed by Sachin Tendulkar in 1998 and by Kohli earlier this year," the ICC said in a statement.

India opener Rohit Sharma's 174 runs in the series has seen him reach a career-high rating of 799 points, even though he remains in seventh position.

Former captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has risen one place to 11th in the latest rankings.

The list for bowlers continues to be led by Pakistan pace bowler Hasan Ali while India fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah has reached a career-best third after finishing with six wickets in the series against New Zealand. (more)

ICC Champions Trophy: Top 8 memorable India vs Pakistan matches

Ahead of the Champions Trophy clash, we look at India-Pakistan ODI matches in ICC tournaments

The most awaited contest in the ICC Champions Trophy, 2017, will be the one between arch-rivals India and Pakistan -- on Sunday, June 4, at Edgbaston, Birmingham. The match is sure to refresh the age-old rivalry followed closely over decades, and it promises to be one of the highlights of the tournament.

While India-Pakistan Cricket matches had been more common in earlier years of this decade, things have changed in the past few years, and India-Pak clashes on cricket field have become few and far in between. Matches in marquee ICC tournaments have an added significance, given the prize that any team wins is much bigger. While India has never lost a match to Pakistan in World Cup tournaments, it has been beated in two of the three times the two teams have met in Champions Trophy tournaments.

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India-Pakistan Cricket has been known to stop traffic, give people racing heartbeats and force students to skip studies even during exams. Fans expect Sunday's match to be nothing short of great, despite Indian captain Virat Kohli playing down the importance of this clash and branding it as 'any other match'. Even as we wonder if India will begin its defence of the Champions Trophy title on a successful note, let's take a look at earlier memorable India-Pakistan matches in World Cup and Champions Trophy tournaments.

1. 1992 World Cup

This was during the 1992 World Cup at SCG in Sydney that these two nations from the Indian sub-continent played together in a World Cup match for the first time. (more)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

IPL 10 eliminator: KKR beats Hyderabad by 7 wickets, will face MI next

As Duckworth-Lewis method came into play, KKR had to chase 48 in six overs

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) captain Gautam Gambhir led from the front to knock defending champions Sunrisers Hyderabad out of the Indian Premier League (IPL) with a seven-wicket win and made to Qualifier 2 in a rain-interrupted eliminator clash at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Thursday.

KKR will take on Mumbai Indians on Friday at the same venue.

Chasing 48 to win in six overs after rain and wet outfield ate up a large chunk of playing time, forcing Duckworth-Lewis method to come into play, Gambhir steadied the ship after KKR were 12/3 at one stage with an unbeaten 19-ball 32.

Ishank Jaggi, playing his first match, was not out on five.

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At the start, Chris Lynn was on the money right away, smacking Bhuvneshwar Kumar for a six in the first ball he faced.

But the second ball saw the destructive Australian get out after replays showed Lynn had edged to wicketkeeper Naman OJha off a Bhuveshwar near-yorker.

Yusuf Pathan, promoted up the order to score at a brisk pace, lasted just one delivery before he was run out. Robin Uthappa did not last long too, holing out to Shikhar Dhawan at deep mid wicket off Chris Jordan's bowling.

Earlier, KKR rode on a superlative show by their bowlers to restrict Sunrisers Hyderabad to 128/7 in 20 overs. Read more

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500 test matches… and a heap of mediocrity

India goes into its 500th Test match today against a combative but not frightening New Zealand XI. The national expectation is that Virat Kohli and his lads will win, making it India’s 130th Test victory. A cooperative pitch is expected to play its part: it’s not called “home advantage” for nothing. In Indian cricket at least, ‘atithi devo bhavah‘ – the Upanishadic principle that says the guest is God – is blithely ignored. It’s more like ‘Ashwin devo bhavah’, in homage to India’s sharpest spin bowler.(more)

India's sports sponsorship market touches Rs 5,190 crore

The Indian sports sponsorship market grew 12 per cent in 2015 to touch a size of Rs 5,190 crore, according to aKPMG report titled The Business of Sports. The potential value of the sports infrastructure market in the country is Rs 80,000 crore, says the report.(more)

BCCI calls for bids for IPL media rights

One of the most anticipated media rights battles has started with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announcing an open bid for the rights to the cash rich annual twenty-twenty tournament, the Vivo Indian Premier league (IPL). Broadcasters, OTT players, mobile video platforms and marketing agencies have one month to buy the tender and submit their respective bids.(more)

ICC presents Test Championship mace to Pakistan

The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Wednesday presented the Test Championship mace to Pakistan for being the top-ranked team in the traditional format of the game.(more)

French minister urges sanctions against Russia, England at Euro 2016

French minister urges sanctions against Russia, England at Euro 2016

Clashes break out in the stands after the Euro 2016 Group B soccer match between England and Russia at the Velodrome stadium in Marseille, France

France Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve has called to introduce sanctions against England and Russia after both sets of fans clashed after their Euro 2016 group phase match.

The match ended 1-1 at the Stade Velodrome in Marseille. The fans clashed after the match, injuring at least 35 people, reports Tass.

European football's governing body UEFA later started investigations against Russia for crowd disturbances, setting off of fireworks and making racist insults and is expected to impose a heavy sanction.

"I welcome the UEFA decision to impose sanctions on the teams whose pseudo fans have committed crimes. There should be no clemency towards them fromsports federations and sports bodies," Cazeneuve said on Sunday. Read more.