Sign up for afaqs! Newsletters
Zenga gets IPL mobile rights till 2013
Zenga has partnered with Group M's Matrix for ad sales in India
TMT Investment Pte Ltd, the company which owns the Internet and mobile license for the DLF Indian Premier League (IPL), has entered into a deal with Delhi based Zenga Entertainment for the mobile rights of the tournament up to 2013. TMT retains the development of the official IPL website, www.iplt20.com.
Through its technology platform, Zenga will broadcast the IPL games live on mobile. Matrix, a WPP company, is handling the ad sales for the mobile broadcast in India.
Speaking to afaqs!, Hiren Pandit, managing partner, ESP (entertainment, sports and partnerships), Group M (also a part of WPP), says, “Matrix will monetise the broadcast through streaming ads – similar to television. Once the technology becomes more comfortable, we may introduce interactivity.” ESP provides consultancy to the Deccan Chronicle, which owns the Deccan Chargers team.
There are three price points for the service. For a flat fee of Rs 150, subscribers can watch all 159 matches, or they can watch each match for Rs 10, or they can choose to follow all the matches of a single team for Rs 50. There will be no extra GPRS charges.
Shabir Momin, partner, Zenga, informs afaqs! that the company will be streaming IPL 2009 across the world except in some parts of the UK, Ireland and Africa.
“This is our own streaming technology which can be viewed even on a 2G network, so you don’t need 3G connectivity,” he says.
The company is also offering another application, called CrickZenga, through which users can get a live scorecard. They have also tied up with EA Games for an official IPL mobile game.
Zenga is also developing ringtones and wallpapers for IPL as part of the deal.