MUMBAI: That Star India is looking to take sports to another level is now well known. The network, which launched eight sports channels including four HD channels since 2013, is keen on taking India from being a cricket nation to a sports nation.
Star India, which had joined hands with Hockey India to promote the sport in 2012 for an initial period of three years, has now extended the same for another three years. As part of the agreement, the telecast rights of Hockey India League and all other international hockey matches hosted by Hockey India in the country will be with Star Sports from 2016 to 2018 inclusive.
The agreement comes on the heels of Star Sports being the global broadcast partner for the International Hockey Federation for the next eight years, starting from January 2015. With the extension to the agreement, Star Sports will also be the host broadcaster of Hockey India League (in India and globally) and the Hockey India International matches (in India and globally) for the period 2016 – 2018.
Star India CEO Uday Shankar said, “The decision to continue our association with Hockey India is in line with our commitment towards development of a multi sports culture in India. Over the last year, the national team has performed phenomenally well winning medals and accolades across the world, making the country proud. We believe in the potential of hockey as a sport and through our association with Hockey India, will work towards popularising the sport and bring the fans back to Hockey. This association signals our commitment towards this transformation, through world class production of all international matches and the vibrant Hockey India League.”
Hockey India president Narinder Dhruv Batra added, “Star Sports is known for its strong content and production quality, which helps increase viewers experience. They understand the target audience’s pulse and they package the entire show accordingly. They are known for creating a complete experience for each tournament and that’s what makes them stand out. We have seen this in our association with them since the inception of the Hockey India League as well as the International tournaments that they have hosted in the past. Keeping this in mind they are the ideal choice and we are happy that we have mutually agreed to continue this association for the next three years.”
