Star Sports and Hockey India Finalise Agreement for 2016 to 2018

Hockey India today finalised the telecast rights with Star Sports for the years 2016-2018. This means that the telecast of Hockey India League and other International Hockey tournaments hosted by Hockey India in India would be telecast by the Star Sports network.

Star Sports and Hockey India had earlier finalised the deal for 3 years in 2012.

The news couldn’t have come at a better time for Star Sports, who are also the global broadcast partner of International Hockey Federation starting January 2015. This means that Star Sports will now be the official global broadcaster of almost all the matches of Indian Hockey Team.

Dr. Narinder Batra, President of Hockey India said, “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”.

Uday Shankar, CEO, Star India, also had a few words to say about this association.

“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.”