Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI), as part of its initiative to take the FIFA World Cup to the regional audience, will telecast live feeds in six Indian languages including Telugu, said Prasanna Krishnan, SPNI head of sports content. Football ratings have been on the rise in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, with about 49 million viewers having watched the sport in last year, he added.
“Telugu commentators are not former footballers, but professionals capable of handling the job. There will be a compete package including insights, breakfast show, and kick-off show to meet the expectations of the fans,” Mr. Krishnan said.
As India could not qualify for the World Cup, a campaign called ‘Meri Doosra Country’ has been launched in all 160 nations that have not qualified for this World Cup, he said.
During the 2014 World Cup, for the first time there was Bengali commentary, he said, adding that the viewership in Bengal rose significantly due to that.
“The universal appeal of the sport ensures 15-20 times more than the normal viewership of football. We are confident of a record in this regard,” the official said.
“This year, for the first time in football, we are introducing the unique concept of playing along while watching the game through comments, predictions and interactive posts. In Telugu speaking States, we are targetting about 50 million viewers this time. We want Hyderabad to be among the top five cities in terms of World Cup viewership,” Mr. Krishnan said.