MUMBAI: India Cements-owned IPL franchise Chennai Super Kings has earned a revenue of Rs 1.4 billion in the previous edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) and is targeting a 15-20 per cent growth from season 5 of the cash rich league.

According to India Cements Joint President marketing Rakesh Singh, the franchise had clocked revenues of Rs 1.4 billion from sponsorship, ticketing and share of central revenue pool comprising ground sponsorship and broadcast rights.

The team has long-term deals with telco Aircel and lubricants brand Gulf Oil, two of its main sponsors, while Amrapali Group, Reebok, Pepsi, Coromandel King, Hercules, Mansion House, and The Hindu are other sponsors on board.

Speaking to official CSK website, Team owner Gurunath Meiyappan said the team has been getting encouraging response from sponsors due to its on-field performance.

?We are proud that most of our sponsors have been with us for almost all seasons. We are very happy that we are the only team whose principal sponsor, Aircel, has been constant from Season 1 of the Championship,? he said.

?Aircel, Gulf Oil, Life OK, Amrapalli, Washington Apple, TI Cycles, Mansion House, Universal and Reebok are our other sponsors. We also have tie-ups and associations with The Hindu, Caf? Coffee day and Hello FM. Our sponsorship rates have always increased year on year reflecting the success the team has been getting on-field.?

Some of the recent sponsors to come on board are Life OK channel and Washington Apples as the official fruit partner of the team.

However, it?s not just the sponsorship revenue that the franchise is banking on; it is also looking at merchandising, a revenue stream which has largely remained untapped unlike the West where it is a major revenue contributor for major clubs.

CSK plans to launch an entire range of apparel at various price points across 380 outlets in Tamil Nadu and is also opening a store at the Chennai airport soon. Additionally, all Reebok outlets will also be selling its merchandise.

Talking about the franchises marketing plans, Meiyappan said that the franchise began its marketing activities since January starting with the ?Yellow Card? membership. It is currently running a ?Name your Mascot? contest that has seen a huge number of entries.

?We began a focused drive to engage with our fans on Social Media platforms and that has given us stunning success. Our Facebook membership has crossed 1 million currently and we are hoping to make it 2 million by mid-season of IPL 5,? Meiyappan said.

He also revealed that the online ticket sales will begin 18 March.

As far as merchandise is concerned, the franchises is taking the first steps to move from being a sports based to a Lifestyle brand and is focusing on its signature team colour yellow as a first step. The franchise had earned Rs 35 million from merchandise last year.

?Based on wholesale prices, last season Reebok sold Rs 2.5 crores (Rs 25 million) of merchandise and Cool Maal, our official merchandise partner, sold Rs. 1 crore (Rs 10 million) worth of merchandise,? Meiyappan added.

MUMBAI: Life OK, the newly launched Hindi general entertainment channel (GEC) from Star India stable, is launching a new fiction property in the 8.20 pm band.

Amrit Manthan will premiere on 26 February and air every Sunday to Saturday. Named Amrit Manthan, the show will highlight the importance of a strong value system and familial ties than riches and social status.

To accommodate the show, the channel is shifting the 8.20 pm show Smile Please to 10.40 pm. Also, the channel has decided to run Amrit Manthan for 40 minutes in the first week. In order to adjust, 8.40 pm show Tum Dena Saath Mera will take a break for one week.

Amrit Manthan is a royal drama set in Punjab and is based on the story of two sisters, Amrit and Nimrit, who regress from being best friends to the worst of enemies, an animosity that is sparked by a dwindling dynasty, a facade of royal wealth and excessive pride and greed.

Life OK GM Ajit Thakur says, ?Life OK has always prided itself in creating unique and engaging content for the viewers that is also very relatable. In keeping with this promise, Amrit Manthan truly stands out against the various sibling stories on television as this show highlights the ?rivalry? between two sisters a huge contrast to the usual ?bonding? that has formed the crux of many stories. The show also attempts to bring to fore the imbalances of life, highlighting how excessive pride and greed leads to ruined relationships.?

The channel said that Amrit Manthan highlights a very key problem of today?s imbalanced life ? that excessive pride and greed can ruin relationships. It displays the gnawing importance given to wealth and social status by society today.

Amrit Manthan is produced by Rajan Shahi Productions that is known for its production values and story-telling vision.

Life OK runs all the shows everyday with an average episode running time of 20 minutes, unlike other GECs.