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Hindi commentary simulcast delivers well for ESS
MUMBAI: Sportscaster ESPN Star Sports‘ strategy of introducing Hindi commentary simulcast has found favour with cricket fans as it contributed 40 per cent of the overall ratings for the recently concluded India-Australia Test series.
According to Tam data provided by ESS, the television broadcast of the recently concluded India-Australia Test series has delivered average rating of 2.05 TVR, which the broadcaster claims, is the highest average rating for a Test series played by India in the past four years. The test series delivered a reach of 92.8 million.
The India-Australia series 2013 has delivered almost 50 per cent higher ratings as compared to the previous India-Australia series played in Australia in the year 2011/12 which averaged 1.37 TVR.
The four test series also delivered 22 per cent higher ratings than the India-England test series played earlier this season which delivered an average of 1.68 TVR. The TV ratings peaked at 3.2 TVR on the eventful third day of the fourth test match when Cheteshwar Pujara made a quick fire 82 in India‘s pursuit for victory.
ESPN Software India COO Vijay Rajput states, “We are extremely delighted with the results. Our approach to the presentation of Indian cricket has been a game changer in many ways. The introduction of Hindi commentary feed has done well and so has our strong web offering through starsports.com which allows consumers to get in the game online.
He adds. Our aggressive marketing campaigns through the season which focussed on new and upcoming heroes of team India in transition culminating with the ‘Asli Test Baaki Hai‘ campaign for the India Australia series struck a chord with fans across the country.
“Our aim is to take the viewership of this game to a completely new level – be it through our compelling campaigns, quality of talent, look and feel of the presentation, multi-platform delivery or through promoting it across the entire Star network.”
MAM
Gurpreet Singh named President of DishTV Alumni Network
Former Dish TV executive to lead community building and collaboration.
MUMBAI: Back to the dish, but this time it’s about connections, not channels Gurpreet Singh is returning to familiar territory with a new mandate that swaps subscribers for relationships. Singh has been appointed President of the DishTV Alumni Network, a move aimed at strengthening ties among former employees and building a more engaged professional community around the Dish TV ecosystem. The initiative reflects a growing trend among large organisations to formalise alumni networks as platforms for collaboration, mentorship and business opportunities.
The appointment draws on Singh’s deep-rooted history with Dish TV, where he held multiple leadership roles over nearly a decade. As National Business Head between June 2019 and September 2020, he oversaw profit and loss as well as operations, managing revenues of Rs 6,000 crore and leading a team of around 1,250 employees across the country. His tenure included working alongside two regional business heads and 16 circle heads, underscoring the scale of operations he handled.
Prior to that, Singh served as Executive Vice President and National Head for Sales and Revenue from 2016 to 2019, and earlier as Senior Vice President and National Head for Sales and Revenue. He also briefly led international operations as Country Head for Sri Lanka, further expanding his exposure across markets.
His broader career spans leadership roles across telecom and consumer businesses, including a stint as Chief Operating Officer at Bharti Airtel’s Malawi operations, senior leadership roles at Reliance Communications, and earlier positions at Hindustan Sanitaryware and Kodak India, where he spent over a decade.
In his new role, Singh is expected to focus on reconnecting former employees, fostering collaboration, and building a structured alumni ecosystem that leverages shared experience and industry networks. As companies increasingly recognise the long-term value of their extended workforce, the DishTV Alumni Network appears set to turn nostalgia into a strategic asset, one connection at a time.
