By ASHWIN PINTO
Indiantelevision.com Team

(5 February 2010 3:30 pm)

MUMBAI: With the Hockey World Cup kicking off on 28 February, official broadcaster Ten Sports has roped in three sponsors.

Ten Sports has roped in Hero Honda as the title sponsor while Nokia and MTS Mobile are associate sponsors, according to Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (Zeel) chief revenue officer Joy Chakraborthy.

Ten Sports, acquired recently by Zeel, aims to have at least eight sponsors. While not revealing any revenue figures, he says that spots have gone for Rs 35,000 per 10-second on an average.

Hero Honda is also the on-ground title sponsor for the event. In terms of marketing activities, Zee Sports CEO Atul Pande notes that spots featuring Virendra Sehwag, Priyanka Chopra and shooting champion Rathore are airing. The tagline is Phir Dil De Hockey Ko. It is a call to sports fans to support the national sport. It has an emotional connect and was conceived by Hero Honda.

One spot sees Sehwag saying that he will be sitting in the stands and cheering the team and chewing his fingernails in nervous anticipation.

In addition Zee will be supporting a couple of local hockey tournaments in Delhi and the North. There will be outdoor activity across 13 cities in the form of hoardings. This will serve as a call to action. Print in the form of syndicated columns and ads and radio also form a part of the campaign.

Zee will also be doing a 13-city road show which starts a week before the World Cup kicks off. This will be in the form of canter activity in cities like Pune, Patna and Chandigarh. A goal will be mounted on a canter and people have to kick the ball in the goal. Goodies will be handed out to winners. The broadcaster has also come out with a hockey shaped banner on the Noida tollway.