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Older upscale male gaze turning more to sports
MUMBAI: There is literally no kidding around when it comes to sports viewership. Sports is an ideal platform for Indian advertisers to communicate to the decuision makers in the family. That is because whether it is tennis, cricket or soccer viewers above the age of 35 watch them the most.
TAM has released a survey analysing viewership patterns of sports. The data is for six metros c&s 4+. It has looked at major sporting events. They were this year’s Mens Wimbledon Final, the cricket World Cup Final last year, the Fifa Final in 2002, The Sydney Olympics in 2000, the Euro Final this year. What is revealing is that even the cricket match which had a more even spread among the age groups got 39 per cent of its viewership from the 35+ crowd. The contrast is more glaring with the other events. The Wimbledon, Fifa and Sydney events got over half their viewership from the 35+ bracket.
Other key findings were as follows:
· The Euro final viewership had a skew of 80:20 in favour of the males as compared to the Fifa final that had an almost equal viewership split between male and female viewers
· Although the viewership of Euro ’03 was much lower than the Fifa World Cup, the event did deliver a more upscale profile (70 per cent SEC A/B) as compared to the World Cup (52 per cent SEC A/B).
· Mumbai accounted for 70 per cent of the total viewership for the Men’s Wimbledon final where Roger Federer retained his title.
· More crucially from an advertising perspective is the fact that 50 per cent of viewership for the Wimbledon Men’s final came from SEC-A. For the Sydney Olympics Opening Ceremony 33 per cent of the viewership was from SEC A. Being more mass based the 2003 cricket final had the most viewership from from SEC D and E at 28 per cent.
What is not surprising is that in this cricket mad country the World Cup Final got the highest TVR of 25.2 amoing the surveyed events. While the Fifa Final had a TVR of 7.7 the Euro 2004 final managed just 0.9. Kolkatta had the most viewership for these two sports at over 60 per cent. But what might be of interest to the advertisers contemplating investing monies during the 2004 Olympics is the fact that the viewership of the Opening Ceremony of Sydney 2000 was also uniform across the six metros, albeit with a much smaller viewership base.
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.
