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Six bags rights for Uefa Euro 2016
MUMBAI: MultiScreenMedia’s (MSM) sports channel Sony Six has added a feather in its cap in its bid to bag marquee properties that appeal to the youth.
It has won the rights for the Uefa Euro 2016 soccer tourney across the Indian sub-continent. The channel will telecast live all 51 matches of the tournament. Last year’s edition aired on Neo. It has been learnt that Neo had paid around $10 million for it and the MSM deal was a substantial jump.
The Euro, it is worth noting is the third most valuable soccer property behind the soccer World Cup and the English Premier League (EPL). The top European nations take part in it to find out which is the best in soccer. This acquisition is significant for Six as this marks its first entry into international football. The channel has aired the 2014 Fifa WC Qualifiers. The Euro 2016 event is the first successful acquisition of a major professional football competition by the channel.
MSM CEO Man Jit Singh said, “Football has grown immensely in India over the past few years and has found great interest amongst the youth. With the successful acquisition of the Uefa Euro 2016 tournament broadcasting rights, we look forward to attracting viewership to Sony Six by leveraging on the growing popularity of European football in the country.”
MSM COO NP Singh said, “We are delighted to bring one of football’s elite tournaments to the Indian viewers exclusively on Sony Six. As a broadcaster we are always in pursuit of the best of international sport and through our latest acquisition we will take the fans closer to the high impact action that the Uefa Euro 2016 promises to deliver.”
Uefa marketing director Guy-Laurent Epstein said, “We are pleased to welcome Sony Six to the family of broadcasters for the Uefa Euro 2016. Uefa believes that the Sony Six channel and its commitment to high quality programming and sport is an excellent home for Uefa’s flagship national team competition.”
Euro 2016 will be held in France with provisional dates of 10 June – 10 July 2016. For the first time in the tournament’s history, the 2016 finals will be a 24 team tournament, having been expanded from the 16 team format that had been used since 1996. At the finals, it is proposed that teams will be eliminated using a new format of six groups of four, followed by three knockout rounds, followed by the final. France has inherited direct entry into finals.
In terms of other big soccer properties the 2014 World Cup rights are coming up for grabs as well and there would be competition for that as well. MSM president network sales, licensing and telephony Rohit Gupta said that the aim is to acquire marquee properties that appeal to the youth. “We already have the IPL which is the biggest property. We have identified soccer as a sport that we need to have. Euro was a big opportunity. As other properties come along like the World Cup we will evaluate them.”
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.
