According to a press release by Ultimate Kho Kho, Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) has sealed an exclusive multi-year TV & Digital broadcast deal with 'Ultimate Kho Kho' – India’s first professional Kho Kho league and empowered their commitment in the direction of bringing fast paced “edge of the seat action” to their viewers in the Indian subcontinent.
The league is scheduled to kick-start in 2021 with an objective to captivate audiences and sports fans as Sony Pictures Networks India and Ultimate Kho Kho will present this home-grown sport in its brand new avatar through the lenses of sports technology and innovations, guaranteeing high-octane matches exclusively across SPNI’s sports channels and their OTT platform SonyLIV .
Amit Burman, Dabur Group Chairman and Promoter of the Ultimate Kho Kho said, “Ultimate Kho Kho will bring back the oldest sport packaged in a modern avatar coupled with a new format and a dazzling television product that has the potential to not only revolutionise the sport but also create a unique experience for the audience—something that no one has ever witnessed before.”
The iconic Indian sport of Kho Kho enjoys huge popularity across India due to its simple rules and high-pace format.
Rajesh Kaul, Chief Revenue Officer, Distribution and Head – Sports Business, Sony Pictures Networks India, in a statement, said: “At Sony Pictures Networks, our focus has always been to promote a multi-sport culture in India and Ultimate Kho Kho is a great addition to our sports portfolio. Kho Kho is an extremely popular traditional Indian sport popular across India and we are happy to be on-board and showcase Ultimate Kho Kho to our viewers.”
The league will feature teams comprising men and under-18 from all states across India that are registered with Kho Kho Federation of India.
Player drafts are scheduled for mid-year this year and team owners will be presented with a bank of over 150 Indian players based on their performance and statistics in National and the recent high performance training camp held in February 2021.
Tenzing Niyogi, Chief Executive Officer – Ultimate Kho Kho also stated: “For a sport to be packaged as a brand, it needs to have ‘an edge of the seat’ format, where every minute is a spectacle. Ultimate Kho Kho has been envisioned as an intersection where the passion for a popular homegrown sport meets new age technologies & state of the art formats. We aim to create new champions, celebrate the pride for the sport and take Kho Kho to newer commercial heights.
With Sony Pictures Networks India as our partner, our endeavour is to deliver a compelling product that will attract not only the fancy of the viewers but become a platform for the brands to connect with consumers.”
Airing in English and Hindi with regional commentary on the cards, Ultimate Kho Kho will be broadcasted across four dedicated sports channels. SPNI has been delivering a variety of sports to its audiences through its four dedicated sports channels with broadcast rights for the top sports properties like Australia, England, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe , Ireland cricket , WWE, UFC, Impact Wrestling, Australian Open, UEFA Champions League, Europa League, Nations League & Euro 2020, Serie A, Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, FA Cup among others.
