MAM
ESS sells 80% of its ad inventory for T20 WC, ropes in 8 sponsors
NEW DELHI/MUMBAI: Sports broadcaster ESPN Star Sports has sold 80 per cent ad inventory for the upcoming ICC Twenty20 World Cup, a top company official revealed.
The broadcaster has signed up eight broadcast sponsors which includes Reliance Communications and Havells as joint presenting sponsor besides Tata Teleservices, Tata Motors, Pepsico, Hyundai Motors, Nokia, and Pernod Ricard as associate sponsors.
Of the eight sponsors, four have bought sponsorship for the entire cricket season on ESS which includes the on-going India-New Zealand series and the upcoming tournaments like Champions League Twenty20, India-England and the India-Australia series.
The broadcaster is though selling the high-profile India-Pakistan series separately since the Indian cricket board is yet to finalise the itinerary. The series is most likely to be scheduled in December in between the split tour of India-England series which will begin in November and stretch all the way till January.
ESS is eyeing two more sponsors, one joint presenting and associate sponsor each. The sponsors will consumer 80 per cent of total ad inventory.
It has also managed to rope in 10-12 spot buyers who will consume the remaining 20 per cent inventory.
“We expect to close a few more within the next two weeks for a sellout. We are leveraging all platforms including the digital media,” ESPN Software India MD Aloke Malik told Indiantelevision.com on the sidelines of a press event to announce the coverage plan for the tournament.
While Malik refused to divulge details about revenue target, sources say that ESS was eyeing Rs 2.4 billion from the T20 WC which is an almost 50 per cent jump from what it earned two years back when the event was held in West Indies.
However, not everyone is as enthusiastic as ESS is. According to an executive from a media agency the clients this year have been a bit cautious while spending on big properties due to a gloomy economic climate.
“I would be surprised if they earn Rs 240 crores (Rs 2.4 billion) as I don‘t think the advertisers have the same apetite for cricket this year. You should also understand properties like T20 World Cup have the risk factor attached to it since we don‘t know how India will perform,” the executive stated.
An independent assessment would, however, be tough to calculate as ESS has done an annual deal with some of its sponsors for the cricket calendar.
Meanwhile, ESS said that Star Sports and Star Cicket HD will showcase live in India all the 27 matches during the event from 18 September to 7 October. Anticipating a lot of interest, ESPN STAR Sports will additionally telecast the India-Pakistan warm-up match scheduled for 17 September.
The sports broadcaster has also planned a simulcast of all India matches, semi-finals and the final with Hindi commentary on its ESPN channel. All matches of the championship will also be streamed on espnstar.com with a five minute delay.
Malik claimed that ESS has sold the syndication rights of ICC World Twenty20 to 218 territories across the world.
ESS has lined up a star studded panel of 18 commentators for this marquee event. ESS’s presentation will feature experts from nine of the twelve participating countries.
In India, ESS’s presentation team will include stars like Sourav Ganguly, Sanjay Manjrekar, Nasser Hussain, Wasim Akram, Ramiz Raja, Tony Greig, Ian Chappell, Mark Waugh, Russell Arnold, Ian Bishop, Pommie Mbangwa, Damien Fleming, Simon Doull, David Lloyd, Harsha Bhogle and Alan Wilkins. ESS’s Jatin Sapru will be the in-studio host along with former English cricketer Dermot Reeve playing the role of an analyst.
The broadcaster will use 27 cameras including super slomo and ultra slomo will be used in every match to give the best viewing experience from the three venues in Sri Lanka.
ESS will also feature a new Touch Screen cricket presentation tool in its analysis shows around the live coverage. This will bring in a new dimension to the way the game is analysed and presented so that the fans can get a fresh perspective of the game.
Buying family medical insurance online in India has become a common option for individuals who want to secure health coverage for multiple family members under a single policy. However, many buyers are unsure about the exact steps involved in selecting and purchasing the right plan online.
In this guide, you will know the step-by-step process of buying family medical insurance online in India, along with the key factors to review before purchasing a suitable policy.
Step 1: Assess Your Family’s Healthcare Needs
Before buying online health insurance, check the healthcare needs of all family members. Check age, existing illnesses, regular medicines, and the likely need for hospital care later. This helps in selecting a suitable sum insured, policy type, and level of cover. It also reduces the chance of buying a plan that appears suitable but does not meet actual medical needs.
Step 2: Visit the Insurance Company’s Official Website
After understanding the family’s needs, visit the insurer’s official website and read the plan details carefully. Use the official platform to review eligibility, policy wording, waiting periods, cover details, exclusions, and renewal terms.
This step gives a clearer understanding of how the policy works before payment is made. It also helps avoid confusion caused by incomplete summaries on other pages.
Step 3: Compare Available Family Health Insurance Plans
A family medical insurance policy should be compared on factors beyond the premium. Review the sum insured, hospital network, room rent limits, pre- and post-hospitalisation cover, daycare treatment coverage, and waiting periods. It is also important to check treatment sub-limits and specific policy conditions.
Careful comparison helps determine whether a plan provides balanced coverage and whether its terms are suitable for the healthcare needs of the entire family.
Step 4: Choose the Right Policy and Start the Online Purchase
Once the options have been compared, select the policy that best fits the family’s medical needs and budget. Before starting the application, review the covered members, policy term, benefits, and main conditions again. This is an important stage because errors here can lead to the wrong cover amount, an unsuitable variant, or missing details that create problems during policy use.
Step 5: Calculate the Premium Using an Online Calculator
Use the online premium calculator before making the final choice. Enter the correct details, including age, city, number of insured members, and selected cover amount. The result helps in understanding the expected premium and whether the policy fits the annual budget. This step is useful because it allows cost and coverage to be reviewed together, instead of choosing a plan only because the premium looks lower.
Step 6: Fill in Personal and Medical Details
When filling in the proposal form, provide accurate details for each insured member. This includes name, date of birth, contact details, medical history, ongoing treatment, and previous insurance information if required.
Every answer should be complete and truthful. Incorrect or missing details can create difficulty later. Before you submit the form, read every section again and correct any mistakes.
Step 7: Make Payment Through the Secure Payment Gateway
After checking the form, go to the payment page and complete the transaction through the secure payment gateway. Review the premium, policy term, and entered details once more before confirming payment.
After the transaction is completed, save the receipt, reference number, or confirmation message carefully. Keeping this record is useful if you need to track the purchase or follow up on policy issuance later.
Step 8: Download and Keep Your Policy Document Safely
Once the policy is issued, download the policy document, schedule, and any related papers without delay. Read them carefully to confirm member names, policy period, sum insured, and major terms. Save a digital copy in a secure folder and keep a printed copy if needed. Proper record keeping makes future renewals, document checks, and policy servicing easier and more organised when information is required quickly.
Conclusion
Buying health cover online becomes easier when you handle each step with attention. From checking your family’s needs to reading the final document, every stage helps you make an informed choice. A careful approach can reduce mistakes, improve your understanding of policy terms, and help you choose coverage that matches your household’s medical needs, financial capacity, and long-term healthcare planning in a reliable way for your family over the long term.
