MAM
Celkon Mobile Cup trophy unveiled in West Indies
BENGALURU: Cricket, cricket and more cricket… Cricket lovers have never had it so good as this summer…. Starting with the scam tainted IPL Season 6, Indian cricket lovers saw team India winning the ICC world Cup Championship in the UK a few days ago on Star Cricket. Now Indian cricket fans are gearing up for another trophy: The Celkon Mobile Cup trophy – though of a smaller magnitude with just three teams – India, Sri Lanka and the West Indies face off starting tomorrow on Ten Cricket.
The Celkon Mobile Cup Trophy was unveiled in Jamaica by Celkon Mobiles ED Murali in presence of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) officials and all three team captains M S Dhoni, Angelo Mathews and Dwayne Bravo at a glittering ceremony.
Celkon Mobiles is the title sponsor for the tri-nation series which will be played in Jamaica and Trinidad from 28 June to 11 July 2013.
Speaking on the occasion Murali said, “Celkon Mobile Cup is something to watch out for and we are proud to be associated with tri-nation series as the title sponsor. In India Cricket is much more than just a sport that represents the passion and spirit that India truly stands for it’s a culture that connects youth beyond boundaries. We are proud to be associated with this game and are elated to continue our patronage and support for the game.”
He further added, “The sponsorship addresses our commitment towards building a brand that echoes the pulse of the younger generation. We sincerely hope that the event will be a truly memorable experience for all cricket fans.”
The television coverage of the entire series is being produced by Ten Sport and the broadcast TV partner in India will be Ten Cricket, The event will also be broadcast globally.
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Celkon Mobile Cup Schedule
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Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad
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Sabina Park, Jamaica
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Friday, July 5 – West Indies v India
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Friday, June 28 – West Indies v Sri Lanka
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Sunday, July 7 – West Indies v Sri Lanka
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Sunday, June 30 – West Indies v India
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Tuesday, July 9 – Sri Lanka v India
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Tuesday July 2 – India v Sri Lanka
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Thursday, July 11 – Final (1st place v 2nd place)
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MAM
Microdrama Specialist COL Group International Builds Out With Narativ, Rock Networks & BlingWood Deals
MUMBAI: Microdrama powerhouse COL Group International is building out its distribution network, with its CEO saying vertical video is about to enter its “next competitive chapter.”
The microdrama arm of publicly-listed Chinese company COL Group appointed Narativ Media as its official distributor in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and CIS regions and Africa, and a struck new content deal with a new Dubai-based microdrama platform.
The deals were unveiled this morning at MIP London, and also included Rock Networks as its exclusive Southeast Asia telco distribution partner for its app, FlareFlow. MIP London is now into its second day at the Savoy Hotel and adjoining IET London complex.
The deals come soon after COL appointed Harbour Rights to represent its titles in Europe and Latin America, as we reported yesterday in our extended feature on microdrama distribution.
COL’s Singapore-based microdrama unit says its “coordinated global distribution architecture and significantly expanded international content slate” would help to scale its catalogue to more than 1,700 microdrama titles worldwide. These hail from South Korea, Japan, Africa, the Middle East, Southeast Asia and the UK and roll out across Sereal+, FlareFlow and 17K.
A deal with Dubai-based BlingWood, which recently launched as an OTT platform, will expand COL’s access to Middle Eastern and Indian microdramas, and includes a broader pipeline of Indian series from storytelling platform Pratilipi, Korean titles from BeLive Studios and British reality-led formats from Tattle TV — the UK’s first dedicated microdrama app, including titles such as Dog Dates.
“Microdrama is entering its next competitive chapter, where quality, retention and monetization standards are increasingly shaped by data and operational discipline,” said Timothy Oh, General Manager of COL Group International.
“As pioneers in both China and the U.S., scaling some of the world’s leading platforms in this space, we understand what it truly takes to win sustainably. Our role is not simply to offer catalogue volume, but to help partners select, position and scale the right content for their platform and audience. By bringing together a broad, constantly refreshed slate from across regions, we enable smarter curation, clearer differentiation and long-term growth for serious industry players.”
Narativ deal
COL and UAE-based Narativ described their deal as a “strategic expansion of premium vertical content distribution across high-growth emerging markets,” and comes as the microdrama continues to boom financially. The growth of the medium will be among the key topics of conversation today at MIP London, where COL chief Oh will be speaking.
The pact extends beyond content representation and is being billed as part of a more “structured micro-drama distribution infrastructure.”
Narativ will spearhead market development, platform alliances, broadcaster relationships and digital monetization frameworks across the MENA and CIS regions and Africa, where they have identified “rapid mobile-first consumption growth and strong demand for short-form, high-engagement storytelling formats.”
“Micro-dramas are reshaping global viewing habits, particularly across mobile-first markets like MENA, Africa and CIS,” said Manjyot Sandhu, CEO and co-founder of Narativ. “Our appointment as official distributor for COL Group in these territories reflects Narativ’s strategy to build sustainable distribution architecture.
“A key pillar of the collaboration includes integration with FlareFlow, enabling strategic telco partnerships, bundled carrier offerings, and alternative monetization pathways designed to accelerate scale across mobile ecosystems and OTT platforms.”
Oh added: “We are building more than a content slate – we are building the global infrastructure for microdrama. With hundreds of new titles launching every quarter, scale and regional strength are critical. Narativ with its deep foothold in MENA, Africa CIS and other key markets makes them a natural strategic partner as we expand FlareFlow and bring microdrama to new platforms, telcos and audiences.
Narativ, which is joint venture Sandhu operates with Copyright Capital, manages around 7,000 hours of content and has a digital network spanning 150 million subscribers across 21 language.
COL Group has emerged as one of the biggest microdrama platforms, running platforms such as FlareFow. It is also a part-owner of ReelShort.
