New Delhi: Power Sportz, the world’s first Live Digital Sports channel headquartered in India, has received the award in the “Best Sports Media and News Platform 2022 — India” category for its cutting-edge organization and coverage of the Global Power Cricket League (GPCL) T20 tournament, currently underway in the national capital.
The APAC Business Awards 2022 recognizes business excellence in the Asia-Pacific region and comes at an opportune time for Power Sportz, who are the official organizers of the GPCL T20 Cricket League — an unrivalled T20 tournament, with several big names from the English county circuit, South Africa, Australia and Sri Lankan domestic tournaments competing for the glittering trophy at the Yamuna Sports Complex cricket stadium here.
The GPCL Global Power Cricket League, which is being hosted in India as part of the NRI Festival, is being seen as a ray of hope by many cricketers globally to further their careers in lucrative leagues across the world.
Stalwarts like Ian Bell, Kirk Edwards, Callum Ferguson, Munaf Patel, Narsingh Deonarine and Robert Frylink, among others, are lending the much-needed inspiration and energy to the younger crop of players from across the world, and, together as a team, giving it the flavour a mini-World Cup.
Eight teams — Indian Sapphires, English Reds, Scottish Mulberries, and American Indigos in Pool A, and Australian Golds, South African Emeralds, Sri Lankan Violets, and Irish Olives in Pool B — are vying for the glittering trophy that has been the cynosure of all eyes ever since it was brought into the Yamuna Sports Complex Cricket ground.
“Being told that you are appreciated is one of the simplest and most uplifting things you can hear,” said Kanthi D. Suresh, founder of Power Sportz, on the sidelines of the award ceremony. “Creating Intellectual Properties is not something new, but a property worthy of attention is a validation of the struggles overcome,” she added.
Power Sportz is not only India’s first Live Digital Sports News Channel, it is also the world’s first Live Digital Sports Channel. Launched in 2018, it has enjoyed the first-mover advantage, and with its multiple live-streaming technology, it is now taking giant strides in creation of on-ground sports properties across multiple sports.
The sports sector in India — comprising media rights, apparel, sports nutrition, sports equipment, among others — as an industry is likely to grow five times to reach a value of USD100 billion by 2027 from USD27 billion in 2020.
The global sports market is expected to grow from USD354.96 billion in 2021 to USD501.43 billion in 2022 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 41.3 per cent. The growth is mainly due to the companies rearranging their operations and recovering from the Covid-19 impact, which had earlier led to restrictive containment measures involving social distancing, remote working, and the closure of commercial activities that resulted in operational challenges. The market is expected to reach USD707.84 billion in 2026 at a CAGR of nine per cent.
The Global Over-the-Top/OTT market was valued at USD45.1 billion in 2021, and it is expected to reach a value of USD123.67 billion by 2028, at a CAGR of 15.5 per cent over the forecast period 2022-2028.
The combination of Sports and OTT is assessed to be having a bright future. Through the power of OTT, brands are able to engage with a wider audience on a global scale, with fans of all age groups, gender and other characteristics. By investing in an OTT platform, sports brands can tap into a global market that is projected to reach a value of USD86.80 billion by 2026, and cater to fans across the globe.
–IANS