ESPNcricinfo’s “On The Road” Hits the Highway with Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza for IPL Season

Media Brief

Bangalore, 26 April 2017:

ESPNcricinfo, the go-to digital destination for all things cricket, announced a season-long collaboration with Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza for their digital cricket travel show ‘On the Road’. Maruti Suzuki, which is also an official sponsor for the 10th season of Indian Premiere League (IPL) is sponsoring the exciting new season on ESPNcricinfo.com.

On the Road, a travel and features video series, explores the sights, sounds and buzz of the IPL as hosts Melinda Farrell and Arya Yuyutsu get behind the wheel of a brand new Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza and embark on a journey to India’s IPL destinations, including Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Pune, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Rajkot.

The series highlights many of the “Must Try” aspects of each location, giving fans a look at the distinct culture, sights, people, food and traveler insights. From interacting with the local communities to trying out local cuisines, ESPNcricinfo’s ‘On the Road’ is a fun and entertaining repository for information that IPL fans can use when travelling to any of these locations to experience the game.

Join Melinda and Arya on their journey where they rejoice with the Kings IX chant created by Axar Patel for the fans; and their interesting conversations with Manan Vohra on KXIP’s fearless style of cricket and Rishab Pant (Delhi Daredevils) on his U-19 World cup experience, the quickfire 50 which accelerated his career and Virender Sehwag and Adam Gilchrist being his cricketing idols.

On her show, Melinda also speaks with Gujarat Lions' team owner Keshav Bansal on his new-found love for the IPL and how he would love to go on as a team owner, past this second and final year of the Gujarat Lions' IPL tenure.

Jasdeep Pannu, Head of ESPN India TV Initiatives, said, “We are thrilled to work with Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, it is a brand that fits perfectly with ‘On The Road’, the unique show that discovers the country in style and showcases the rich culture, sights and sounds of India. Like millions of fans, Melinda and Arya are cricket enthusiasts and love travel. They are taking fans with them as they witness India and its cricketing glory against the backdrop of some of its most vibrant cities and celebrated cricket destinations. It gives fans a unique perspective on IPL 2017, going beyond the game.”

Speaking on the collaboration, Sanjeev Handa, Vice President, Marketing - Maruti Suzuki India Limited, said “At Maruti Suzuki we have always been firm believers in driving best associations for our brands. This year we are collaborating with ESPN Cricinfo’s sports travel show ‘On The Road’ to present the sporty and glamorous persona of Vitara Brezza, matching with the IPL positioning. We certainly look forward to building this collaboration in the digital space into a much bigger entity in the coming days."

Gopa Kumar, Vice President, Isobar India, said, “On the Road" is a perfect fit to match the sporty & glamorous Vitara Brezza and IPL is a perfect platform to be present on as this is India Biggest Sporting Extravaganza. It is heartening to see market leaders like Maruti Suzuki and ESPN Cricinfo team up and drive this partnership. We are always on the lookout for partnerships that open up endless possibilities in the digital space for MSIL. We look forward to many such associations and collaborations in the near future.”

The weekly series along with other ESPNcricinfo IPL offerings was launched on the 22nd of April 2017; a total of eight episodes will be rolled out over the span of the season and will be accessible on http://www.espncricinfo.com/ontheroad.

For more information please contact:

Ankit Chothani

Email: Ankit.Chothani@edelman.com

MOB: +91 9833370569