New Delhi: Prasar Bharati, India’s public broadcaster, has announced an exciting line-up of international sporting events to be telecast on Doordarshan. The T20 World Cup, scheduled to start on June 2nd, will be the first major event aired on the DD Free Dish platform. The tournament, held in the West Indies and USA, marks the beginning of a series of high-profile sports broadcasts.
The announcement was made by CEO Prasar Bharati, Gaurav Dwivedi, during a media interaction in New Delhi. The event also saw the launch of a special anthem titled ‘Jazba’ for the T20 World Cup, sung by Sukhwinder Singh, along with a promo for the event narrated by famed storyteller Neelesh Misra. The anthem and promo were unveiled by Sanjay Jaju, Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, and Navneet Kumar Sehgal, Chairman of Prasar Bharati.
Extensive Coverage of Global Sporting Events
Following the T20 World Cup, Doordarshan will cover a plethora of significant global sporting events. This includes the Paris Olympic Games (26th July – 11th August 2024), Paris Paralympic Games (28th August – 8th September 2024), and various international cricket series. Cricket fans can look forward to the India vs. Zimbabwe series (6th July – 11th July 2024) and the India vs. Sri Lanka series (27th July – 7th August 2024). Additionally, Doordarshan will broadcast the finals of the French Open (8th & 9th June 2024) and Wimbledon (13th & 14th July 2024).
Strategic Partnerships and Sports Content Expansion
Doordarshan has forged partnerships with leading global sports bodies, including the NBA and PGTA, to bring a diverse range of sports content to Indian audiences. The NBA 2K League, a popular e-sports event, is already being telecast on DD Sports. Prasar Bharati is also in advanced stages of negotiations with various sports organizations to further expand its sports offerings.
Commitment to Comprehensive Sports Coverage
Shri Gaurav Dwivedi highlighted Doordarshan’s extensive efforts in producing and telecasting various national multi-sporting events over the past year. These included the Khelo India University Games, Khelo India Youth Games, National Games, the inaugural Khelo India Para Games, and the Khelo India Winter Games. Doordarshan’s coverage was not limited to DD Sports but was also shared with leading private channels like Star Sports, Jio Cinema, and Sony Network.
In a significant achievement, Doordarshan produced the world feed for the cricket matches at the Hangzhou Asian Games in China. The feed, which included both men’s and women’s matches, was broadcast in numerous Asian countries, showcasing Doordarshan’s capability in international sports broadcasting.
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Diverse Language Broadcasts
Doordarshan also catered to regional audiences by providing commentary in multiple languages. For the Indian Cricket Team’s tour of the West Indies in August 2023, matches were broadcast in English, Hindi, Bhojpuri, Tamil, Telugu, Bengali, and Kannada, ensuring that cricket fans across the country could enjoy the matches in their preferred language.
Future Endeavors
As Doordarshan gears up to telecast the T20 World Cup, Prasar Bharati remains committed to expanding its sports coverage and forming new partnerships. With an exciting array of events lined up, sports enthusiasts in India have much to look forward to.
Prasar Bharati’s CEO, Gaurav Dwivedi, emphasized the importance of media collaboration in their journey ahead, acknowledging the role of print, digital, and electronic media as valued stakeholders in promoting and popularizing sports content across the nation.
