Star Network recorded record breaking 36.9 crore viewers tuning into first 19 matches of IPL 2023.
The 'Believe Ambassador' army of Star Sports includes some of the famous cricketers like Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, KL Rahul, and Shreyas Iyer. Star Sports has expanded its roster of talent from two ambassadors in 2017 to six now with Virat Kohli continuing his association with the company.
The broadcaster will continue to create iconic campaigns with Kohli and co-develop new properties such as Indian Sports Honors, which leverage the Cricketer’s popularity towards the cause of sport.
"The ‘Believe Ambassadors’ represent different parts of the country as well as different IPL Teams. Star Sports will work closely with the Cricketers to develop new campaigns and properties to grow the popularity of the sport and drive fandom, especially amongst youngsters," stated the release from Star Sports.
Meanwhile, Rishabh Pant, who is currently recovering from injuries he suffered in a car accident in December last year, said that he was happy to join Star Sports as its ‘Believe Ambassador’.
“I’m happy to announce that I am joining Star Sports as its ‘Believe Ambassador’. The association allows me to grow the popularity of the game, especially amongst youngsters. Cricket has the power to bring joy, enrich lives and teach youngsters the right life lessons. A young boy from Roorkee had the belief that he would represent and earn laurels for his country. Through my association with Star Sports, I would like to inspire young Indians to believe that no matter where you come from, you can achieve your dreams through hard work. Just Believe!," said Indian cricketer Rishabh Pant.
Sanjog Gupta, Head - Sports, Disney Star's head of sports, welcomed Rishabh Pant as one of the latest additions to the 'Believe Ambassador' team.
“We are thrilled to have Rishabh Pant join us as a 'Believe Ambassador’. As a young, dynamic player with tremendous potential, Rishabh embodies the spirit of the game, our brand values, and is a great addition to our expanding roster of cricketing heroes. We see each of these associations as an investment in the future of the sport. We always select Cricketers based on their potential to be ‘icons’ as well as proponents of the ‘Believe’ philosophy. Our aim is to build a diverse group of 'Believe ambassadors' who can inspire the next generation of cricket fans and players across the country,” he said.
Star network registered a record breaking 36.9 crore viewers tuning in to the Live broadcast of the first 19 matches. The broadcaster has also clocked an astounding 11,350 crore (113.5 billion) minutes of watch time and seen a growth of ~25% in match TVR in comparison to the last edition.
(Economic Times inputs)