Sports Marketing

India’s sporting year that was

December 31, 2011

The biggest sporting moment for India this year

The sands of time are trickling down on the world of sports too. And before we turn the hour glass around to start the year 2012, it would be nice to revisit some of the moments from Indian sport that made 2011 the year that it was.

They spilled on the roads, countless faces painted with national colours, waving the Tricolour, airing slogans as India broke into one large and spontaneous celebration of the conquest of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 on April 2. There have been few more telling demonstrations of outpouring of collective National pride than late that night. That cricket is one of the few refuges for nationalism was cast in stone that night.

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Sports broadcasting: Need to go beyond the international

November 7, 2011

The drive from Jakarta to Sentul was taking longer than usual that Friday evening in July this year, no thanks to the traffic escaping Indonesian the capital. Contrarily, time seemed to fly as our cab driver engaged us in a gripping conversation about the ensuing English Premier League football season. EPL teams like Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea, Aston Villa and Blackburn Rovers had all swung through the region and the cab driver waxed eloquent about these teams and their players with ease and the devotion of a passionate follower.

There cannot be a better example of how the evolution of media technology had brought English football – and many other world class sports events – home to millions of fans in Asia. The synergy and inter-dependence between broadcast media and sport, especially at the international level, has completely altered how we consume what has come to be called sports products from across the globe. All of us love watching a spectacle, irrespective of whether our athletes take part in it or not. And sport does provides great content for TV and earns stupendous revenue from the sale of rights.

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Understanding the ticketing conundrum

February 27, 2011

On Sunday morning, I saw a shocking picture of a man in khakhi swingling his baton to threaten — and not to hit, I hope — a gaggle of hapless but hopeful cricket fans queuing up for ICC Cricket World Cup tickets in Bangalore.

I also read a statement by the International Cricket Council CEO Haroon Lorgat that the frantic rush for the tickets was an indication of the popularity of the 50-over format and the passion fans, especially in India, have for the game.

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My tweets

  • Has been an absolute pleasure watching Sir Vivian Richards the past month. What a human being! Always ready to share his knowledge. #respect: 1 day ago
  • A delightful view of the HPCA Stadium in Dharamshala, as seen from my balcony window last night. :) http://t.co/Dmj4uKpIpB: 5 days ago
  • It has been more than three years now but an eyewitness swears that it was the most emotional bear… wp.me/s2HuHA-1802: 1 week ago
  • Touched. A total stranger walked up to me at breakfast this morning and said he likes the way I speak about sport on radio and TV. #humbled: 1 week ago
  • Now have a Knights of Cricket poster with Sir Everton Weekes, Sir Garfield Sobers, Sir Ian Botham, Sir Richard Hadlee & Sir Vivian Richards.: 1 week ago

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