By ASHWIN PINTO
Indiantelevision.com Team

(18 August 2010 8:25 pm)

MUMBAI: Keeping in mind the interest in the German team following the World Cup, Neo Sports has decided to up its marketing activities for the Bundesliga league this year.

Neo Sports will be spending Rs 40-60 million in promoting the league. The channel will broadcast live action from the league from 21 August till mid-May 2011.

The league offers timings that are India friendly with some matches starting at 7:30 pm and 9:30 pm.

"We are spending between Rs 40-60 million to promote the league. The peg of the campaign is that viewers can watch the giant killers in action. After all, if they want to watch the German team that did well in the World Cup, then this is the only place to do it," said Neo Sports Broadcast VP marketing Ashish Bahl.

Neo's research showed that audiences wanted to know where they could watch the likes of Podolski again. That is where the peg of the campaign came from, Bahl added.

The channel is doing activation on print, television, Iinternet and social media in the form of Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. It is also considering on-ground activation.

Neo Sports is planning contests wherein fans can travel to Germany next year to watch the Bundesliga final. The channel will also run consumer promotions and dole out merchandise to winners.

"The reach of the Bundesliga league has doubled in a year's time," said Bahl.