Making an unusual move, Life OK, Star India's new general entertainment channel will become one of the sponsors of last year's IPL champion – Chennai Super Kings (CSK).
The fledgling channel launched late last year is hoping to stand out in the cluttered GEC space through this sponsorship deal. It is aiming to get the ‘right' kind of visibility by being seen on the non-playing hand of the CSK team's jersey during the tournament.
According to Mr Ajit Thakur, GM, Life OK, “When India Cements offered this sponsorship, we saw it as an opportunity. It may not be the regular stuff that a GEC channel does. Life OK is being seen on the jersey of the CSK team during the tournament.”
Considering most GEC channels compete with Set Max, IPL's official broadcaster during the season, this is the first time that a competitor channel is using the IPL as a platform to grab eyeballs.
“We are riding on cricket icons like Dhoni through this sponsorship deal. This will make sure that people see our brand through the CSK team,” added Mr. Thakur.
CSK already has other big sponsors like Aircel and Gulf Oil. This is the first time it has got a GEC channel on board.
Life OK would also be launching two of its biggest shows right in the middle of the IPL season. Later this month, it will telecast ‘Aasman Se Age', a fictional show with non fictional elements in it, as well as a crime show ‘Crime Alert'.
Mr Thakur stressed that IPL no longer affected the viewership of entertainment channels. He said, “TRPs of a GEC channel are no longer declining today. Initially the channels were caught off-guard with the IPL but today most of them are building their programmes around it.''
Source: The Hindu Business Line
