iWorld
Pro Cricket League Season 1 announces Sony Liv as official streaming partner
Mumbai: The highly anticipated first season of the Pro Cricket League is set to take place from 18 October to 27 October 2024, at the Shahid Vijay Singh Pathik Sports Complex, and it has just been announced that Sony Liv will be the official streaming partner for the tournament. Featuring thrilling matches with international cricketing stars such as Thisara Perera, Pawan Negi, Phil Mustard, Dilshan Munaweera, Shahbaz Nadeem, Manpreet Gony, Bipul Sharma, Robin Bist, Mahesh Rawat, Vikas Tokas, and Navin Stewart, this partnership promises to provide fans with a premier viewing experience.
Sony Liv will deliver exclusive live coverage, allowing cricket fans to enjoy the action from the comfort of their homes. Viewers will be able to stream every match live, capturing every ball, wicket, and boundary in real time.
Pro Cricket League commissioner Chetan Sharma voiced his excitement, saying, “We believe our tournament holds the potential to offer something new and exciting in terms of cricketing action. Our sincere appreciation goes out to Sony Liv for their invaluable role in elevating this competition.”
Pro Cricket League managing director & founder Sachin Gupta shared his enthusiasm for the partnership: “We are thrilled to partner with Sony Liv, a name synonymous with quality sports streaming in India. With our streaming partner’s vast reach, we are confident this season will be bigger and better than ever.”
Executive director Ganesh Sharma added, “This collaboration ensures live updates of the Pro Cricket League reach homes and devices across India and beyond, making it a staple for cricket enthusiasts. We also see this as an opportunity to showcase the electrifying action that the tournament will bring in the days ahead.”
Sony Liv’s wide reach and high-quality streaming service will ensure that the excitement of the Pro Cricket League extends globally, expanding its audience beyond traditional boundaries. Fans can expect a seamless viewing experience across multiple devices, ensuring they won’t miss a moment of the action.
With Sony Liv on board, the Pro Cricket League promises to be an unmissable event for all cricket fans.
iWorld
Anirudh Ravichander and Universal Music India join forces to take South India’s sound to the world
The composer behind 13 billion streams launches Albuquerque Records with UMI as its exclusive global partner
MUMBAI: Universal Music India has struck an exclusive partnership with Albuquerque Records, the freshly minted independent label of singer-composer Anirudh Ravichander, in a deal that bets big on South India’s booming pop and hip-hop scene going global.
The arrangement, announced on 17 March, will see Universal Music India handle future pop and hip-hop releases by Anirudh himself, as well as artists signed to the new label. A first release is already in the pipeline for April, featuring Anirudh.
The numbers behind the man are hard to ignore. Debuting in 2012 with the viral sensation “Why This Kolaveri Di”, Anirudh has since clocked over 13 billion audio streams across more than 770 tracks, cementing his position as the No.1 South Indian artist on Spotify by total streams. His fingerprints are all over some of the Tamil film industry’s biggest musical moments, from Hukum and Vaathi Coming to Arabic Kuthu and the A23 Theme.
But Albuquerque Records is a different beast. Built for the non-film space, it is designed to nurture independent talent and champion the next wave of Indian pop voices. “Universal Music India’s leadership in pop and hip-hop made them the natural partner,” said Anirudh. “I’m excited to take independent voices to audiences around the world.”
Universal Music India’s chairman and CEO Devraj Sanyal was equally effusive. “Anirudh represents the future of Indian music, bold, original, and with enormous potential,” he said. “Identifying transformative talent is our superpower, and this partnership reflects that belief.”
Sanujeet Bhujabal, managing director of Universal Music India, framed the deal as more than a distribution play. “Albuquerque Records represents Anirudh’s bold artistic vision in the world of pop and hip-hop,” he said. “True to his legacy of innovation, this partnership is set to establish yet another landmark creative space, this time for the emerging world of iPop and beyond.”
For Universal Music India, the deal deepens a long-running push into South India’s four key language markets: Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada and Telugu. The label already has regional imprints, film partnerships with Maddock Films and Excel Entertainment, and a growing non-film roster. Landing Anirudh, arguably the south’s most bankable music brand, is a statement of intent. South Indian music has the streams. Now it is coming for the world.
