MUMBAI: The upcoming ‘Road Safety World Series’ – a cricket league featuring legends who have retired from international cricket – is all set to kick off here from March 7, with the final on March 22.
The opening game of the tournament will take place between India Legends and West India Legends at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Sri Lanka, Australia, and South Africa make up the remaining three teams in the series.
A total of 11 matches will be played, wherein Wankhede Stadium will host two games, and MCA Stadium in Pune will host four and DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai another four. The final will take place at the Brabourne Stadium on March 22.
PMG, founded by Sunil Gavaskar in 1985, and which today is a JV between the batting great, the directors of Madison World and SelVel Advertising, is organising the Road Safety World Series, which has also got official sanction from the Board of Control for Cricket in India.
Viacom18, which holds the broadcast rights to the World Series for five years, is “pumping up the volume” on the series.
Nina Elavia Jaipuria, head, Hindi Mass Entertainment, Viacom18, told Afaqs: “We are going to use our network of 30 channels and an additional 30 channels of other broadcasters to promote the tournament. It is Sachin Tendulkar playing again after 2013 and we are sure that fans would love it. In fact, we are hearing that the first match at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai to be played between India and the West Indies is already sold out. This tells us about the buzz around it.”
Edu-tech firm Unacademy has associated with the tournament as its presenting sponsor while the Road Safety department of the Government of Maharashtra is a partner too.
“We are not only the broadcaster of the tournament but a partner too and we will work closely to offer wholesome entertainment to the audience through on ground and off ground innovations like fanzones, technology-driven innovations and digital, social media activities for the fans to engage,” Rohan Lavsi, head, Colors Cineplex, Viacom18, told the media website. All the matches will be telecast live on Colors Cineplex while Jio TV and Voot will live stream too.
“Cricket helps in getting new viewers on the channel who then stay on after the tournament is over and sample other content pieces which are premiered on the channel. The reason for us to do this is to get that new set of people on board and then launch television premieres of marquee movies around the cricket tournament,” Lavsi points out.
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