Tamil Nadu is a state where a unique and distinctive culture has flourished for millennia. The Tamil people are blessed with self-belief, dynamism, and a honest sense of pride and belonging. Tamil Nadu also has a special place for Sports in its social and cultural life. Recognising this, Star Sports – India’s leading sports broadcaster – has launched Star Sports Tamil, the country’s first dedicated Tamil sports channel.
A first-of-its-kind regional sports channel, Star Sports Tamil will bring fans across Tamil Nadu closer to their favorite sports and heroes. The channel has a rich calendar of sports – starting with the ICC Champions Trophy 2017, moving into Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL 2.0), VIVO Pro Kabaddi Season 5 and Hero ISL. The channel would provide curated Tamil content localized to Tamil Super Stars – R. Ashwin, M S Dhoni, TNPL Stars, and Stars from Chennaiyin FC.
A 360-degree marketing campaign, #MachiAreYouReady (Buddy, are you ready), has commenced along with the launch of the channel. A tribute to the multi-sport culture of the state, the campaign underlines Tamil pride and is rich with nuances such as the presence of the soil of Tamil Nadu in the TVC. The campaign will be supplemented by comprehensive, high-impact promotions on radio, TV, print, digital, and OOH.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni – Tamil Nadu’s favourite cricketer and Indian sports icon, a Star Sports ambassador, is featuring prominently in the campaign. Thala Dhoni embodies the pride, valour and sportsmanship of the Tamil culture.
A Star India spokesperson said, “Tamil Nadu is a unique market with high affinity to language content and very distinctive viewing habits. Star India’s strong presence in the state has helped us understand the pulse of the Tamil sports fans. Star Sports Tamil is an extension of our belief to give people more relevant regional sports content and celebrate the ‘Tamizh’ culture. This is another resolute step in our constant endeavour to bring fans closer to sports.”
The channel will feature content exclusively packaged with a line-up of eminent Tamilian hosts and commentators from the sports fraternity such as K Srikkanth, L. Sivaramakrishnan, S. Badrinath, S Sriram, S Ramesh, H Badani. Star Sports Tamil will be available on leading DTH/cable operators across Tamil Nadu as well as rest of India. The channel has gone live as of May 28th, 2017.