The match, which takes place at the Sydney Cricket ground on Thursday will see Australia and India face-off in a fight to book a berth in the finals.
The excitement for the India-Australia semi-final in the ongoing Cricket World Cup has resulted in Fox SportsAustralia providing a Hindi feed for its viewers for the first time ever in the history of Australian broadcasting. The match, which takes place at the Sydney Cricket ground on Thursday will see Australia and India face-off in a fight to book a berth in the finals. "The Hindi feed will be broadcast through Fox Sports Australia, Channel 503; it will run as an option on our Red Button Active service that will run on the channel. This will give over 300,000 expat Indians the chance to hear the match through a full Hindi coverage. I have had the opportunity to view the Hindi coverage in recent weeks and I think Aussie viewers will also enjoy the option of flicking over and experiencing the colour and excitement of the true Indian Cricket World Cup experience. Even if they can't fully understand the language I'm sure they will enjoy the experience," says Matty Weiss, executive producer - Fox Sports. Weiss adds, "At Fox Sports we are always looking to change the game. We like to offer our viewers a wide and innovative coverage of the events we cover. With India being the most popular cricket nation in the world taking on Australia on home soil the expectations for this match are huge. We have worked with the ICC to allow us to provide the Hindi feed of the match from Star India." The match is one of the most looked forward to matches of the tournament given the rivalry that exists between the two nations on the field. The social media buzz created in the run up to the match is testimony to the anticipation for it. Advertisers have also lapped up the opportunity to gain visibility among the throngs of viewers who are sure to tune into the match. New Zealand have made it to the finals of the 2015 World Cup implying that the second semifinal will be key. Given this interest in India's clash with Australia, advertiser interest is at its peak. Rates for India's semi-final match are already in the range of Rs 20-22 lakh for a 10-seconds for last-minute advertisers. Star is believed to be going all out to capitalise on this viewer frenzy for the semi-finals. P M Balakrishna, chief operating officer, Allied Media, part of the Percept Group, says, "This match is very critical since it will ensure whether India remains to defend its title. So yes, those wanting to make their presence felt in the tournament will have to pay the price for it." If one goes by the current asking rate the increase in ad rates per 10-seconds for India's semi-final match is over 30 per cent. If India does make it to the finals then the ad rates are expected to soar to over Rs 25 lakh per 10 seconds for last-minute advertisers. This will surpass the 2011 finals' rate when the India-Sri Lanka tie attracted rates to the tune of Rs 23 to 24 lakh per 10 seconds for last minute advertisers.
Source: Business-standard.com
