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Brands flock to Ten Sports for UEFA Champions League finale
MUMBAI: Even though football is not considered to be a revenue generating game for broadcasters due to its limited scope to append advertisements, Ten Sports has managed to attract as many as fifteen brands across categories for the finale of the UEFA Champions League.
The much-touted finale will be played between Spanish La Liga Champions Barcelona FC and Italian SerieA triumphant Juventus in Olympiastadion Stadium, Berlin on 6 June.
Brands like Micromax, Xolo, Amul, Vini Cosmetics, L’Oreal – Garnier Men, Adidas, TVS Motors, Parle Agro, Amity University, Nissan, Sharda University, Accenture, Park Avenue, Urban Ladder and TVS Tyres are already on board.
Ten Sports senior vice president and marketing head Prasenjit Basu informs Indiantelevision.com that apart from these, many more brands have shown keen interestin associating with the final. “However, I doubt we can accommodate all of them with limited inventory left,” he says.
A media planner, who closely deals with the sports fraternity adds, “Football is not considered as a high revenue generating sport as there are not much room to showcase advertisements because of the continuous nature of the sport. However, in a match of such magnitude, the prime time begins 20 minutes before the match, which otherwise is always two minutes before kick off. And subsequently a huge number of brands get associated with the event to grab eyeballs.”
The UEFA Champions League final is one of the greatest matches in club football history and with the 2013 final drawing a record of 360 million television viewers globally, it comes as no surprise that multiple brands are vying for an ad spoton it even if it means paying a premium.
Given the high demand, Ten Sports is said to be charging as much as Rs2 – 2.75 lakh for a 10 second slot in the final. The premium rates are also owing to the sport’sgrowing viewership in India.
A media expert opines, “It’s a battle between defense and attack. Juventus will defend while Messi, Suarez and Neymar will try their level best to score for Barcelona, which makes the final a highly interesting one. So the ad rates going up is normal for such an event because everyone will try to buy a spot and grab eyeballs.”
Talking about the network’s special plans for the finale, Ten Sports CEO Rajesh Sethi says, “Ten Sports Network and Zee Network channels are being used extensively to promote the events along with digital platforms with a two pronged approach, which is content and activation led. This also includes activities like Play With The Pro -Taking the route of gamification ahead and collaborating with our panelist and an ardent gamer; Dubsmash videos; partnering with Twitter for ‘Periscope’ live mobile video broadcasting platform to take viewers at behind the scenes of the show before it goes on air; Social TVto exploit the twitter data in real time to showcase fan sentiments around the match and Missed Call Service, which allows the audience to receive our tweets in real time via SMS.”
Additionally, the channel has also created special programming where fans could get an opportunity to relive the glorious moments of the contestants from this season in ‘Road to Glory.’
In a recent deal with UEFA, Ten Sports acquired the broadcast rights of both Champions League and Europa League for a period of three years till 2018 for the Indian subcontinent, which includes India, Pakistan, Sri-Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives and Afghanistan. The channel will broadcast these properties across all its platforms including premium HD offerings and live streaming of matches on tensports.com.
Backing the most vital game of the UEFA Champions League with extensive marketing and promotional activities, Ten Sportswill be rolling out its marquee activation – #MidnightFootballParty to capture fan frenzy related to the finale between Barcelona FC and Juventus.
Throwing light on the marketing plan, Basu says, “As the two European giants fight for the biggest crown in the continent, we will be deploying our marquee activation #MidnightFootballParty to capture on fan enthusiasm. Our prima objective is to co-create content with our fans and present it during the telecast of finals. The football fans will be treated to a lot of activities and viewers to refreshed content during the studio show.”
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
