SONY SIX set to redefine tennis viewership in India with Champions Tennis League's (CTL) novel format

SONY SIX, India’s premier sports and entertainment channel has acquired the broadcasting rights for Champions Tennis League, a pan-India city-based tennis championship league set to take place from November 17 to November 26, 2014.

The television-friendly format of CTL lends itself to the taste and sensibilities of the Indian audience, who have been generally seen to enjoy watching fast-paced sports like the T20 cricket. The ‘each set is a match’ structure is already being talked about amongst national and international tennis fraternities alike. Also renowned names like Mark Woodforde, Louise Pleming, Luke Jensen and Prakash Amritraj will be seen keeping the viewers engaged with thier quick-witted and insightful commentary on the game. Apart from the pacey and competitive tennis, the tournament will feature after-match parties, fashion shows and interactions with the fans on the rest days; thereby acting as a ‘carnival of tennis’ for both tennis fans and the general match-goers.
Commenting on the development, Mr. Prasana Krishnan, Business Head, SONY SIX said, “The format for CTL is tailor-made for television. The short and exciting structure of the matches will ensure that audiences are entertained and engaged throughout the course of the tournament. Also, with the entry of CTL, the viewership for tennis in our country should finally extend beyond the Grand Slams and select ATP and WTA tournaments.”
With CTL, SONY SIX will further add to its exciting mix of entertainment-based sports programming led by global phenomena such as the NBA, the FIFA, the Pepsi IPL and the Ultimate Fighting Championship among others. The inaugural CTL not only boasts of a first-of-its kind format but will also be the first international tennis tournament to be held in cities like Pune and Chandigarh, which have traditionally not been the bastions for the sport in the country.