Network partnerships

financialexpress.com:

 USA? American football

 UK? Football

 Germany? Fussball

 India? Cricket

One doesn’t need even a second to think before rattling off the names of the most popular spectator sports in these countries. So what was broadcaster Viacom18 thinking when it inked a media rights agreement with the Fédération Internationale de Hockey (International Hockey Federation or FIH)?

For the record, this agreement runs for a four-year cycle (2023-27) and includes all FIH events, except the FIH Nations Cup. Under the partnership, Viacom18 will broadcast and stream the upcoming FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers, the first ever FIH Hockey5s World Cup, the FIH Hockey Pro League, and the 2026 FIH Hockey World Cup on Sports18 and JioCinema.

Hockey fans are optimistic that this partnership will give the sport the much-needed viewership boost. Viewer interest in what is commonly regarded as India’s national sport has waned over the years, and so has advertiser interest. As per a 2022 Ormax Media report, the fan base in India for hockey is 5.8 million, well below cricket at 124.2 million, kabaddi (28.5 million) and football (23.4 million). The 2023 Men’s FIH Hockey World Cup hosted by India drew a total of 11.6 million viewers.

In other words, the sport needs that marketing push to climb the ranks both in viewership and advertising monies. In that sense Viacom18 has its work cut out. What will work in its favour is the fact that the men’s team is ranked third currently, while the national women’s team is placed sixth globally.

The issue really is advertiser interest. GroupM’s Sporting Nation report last year noted that cricket accounted for 85% of India’s sports revenue. The total sports industry spending (including sponsorship, endorsements and media