Moneycontrol Bureau
Star India on Thursday said that it will spend Rs 1,500 crore over the next eight years in developing hockey. The sports broadcaster on Tuesday announced an eight-year broadcast deal with International Hockey Federation (FIH) during which the world sport body will look to host a major event in India each year.
Star India, which runs country’s leading sports network Star Sports, will broadcast key FIH events both in India and throughout the world from January 2015 to December 2022.
“Star India has acquired global media rights for all territories, excluding Argentina. Through its network of international affiliates and other national broadcasters, content will be distributed to over 200 countries, reaching billions of sports fans taking hockey’s global viewing audience to unprecedented levels,” the company said in a release.
In a cricket-crazy nation, where all other sports get overshadowed, the sports broadcaster has chose to spend and promote hockey, which happens to be the country’s national game. The sport has seen a decline over the years. India won the last of its eight Olympic gold medals in the sport back in 1980.
Nitin Kukreja, Head of Sports Business, Star India, said: “We are delighted to be FIH’s global production, host broadcast and distribution partner. Hockey is a priority sport for us and we are thrilled that India will host one key event every year during the eight-year term. The sport has a glorious heritage in India and we believe that it has a tremendous future.”
“Our vision is to entertain and inspire a global movement of hockey fans and players and Star Sports is an industry leader when it comes to significantly increasing the reach and popularity of sport. Not only will Star Sports promote hockey worldwide between Olympic Games’ cycles, which is incredibly important to sustaining interest in hockey, but it will make our sport much more interactive and entertaining,” FIH president Leandro Negre said.
(With inputs from PTI)
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