STAR Sports 2 & STAR Cricket all prepared for Champions Trophy 2013

Leading sports channels STAR Sports 2 and STAR Cricket announced a slew of production and programming initiatives which are set to redefine consumer viewing experience of the upcoming live coverage of all the matches of the ICC Champions Trophy 2013. STAR Sports 2 will broadcast the event in Hindi while STAR Cricket & STAR Cricket HD will showcase the tournament with English commentary.  Live coverage will start on May 30, and will continue the action till the grand Finale on June 23.

The channels will add telecast innovations like UltraCam and StarCam 360 within the live program taking cricket viewing to a whole new level. Moreover, for the first time, STAR Cricket HD will broadcast the ICC Champions Trophy 2013 with Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound technology. The HD picture quality and Dolby Digital sound will transport cricket fans straight to the ring-side of live and compelling cricket action.

The network has put in place a star-studded commentary panel with representation from all the participating countries. The list of commentators include cricketing superstars like Sourav Ganguly, Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, Navjot Singh Sidhu, Sanjay Manjrekar, Arun Lal and Akash Chopra (India); Nasser Hussain and Michael Atherton (England); Shane Warne and Tom Moody (Australia); Michael Holding (West Indies); Ramiz Raja and Wasim Akram (Pakistan); Russell Arnold (Sri Lanka); Pommie Mbangwa (Zimbabwe) and Simon Doull (New Zealand).

Seasoned analysts like Harsha Bhogle and Jatin Sapru will undertake the hosting duties for the English and Hindi telecast of this blockbuster event.

In an attempt to infuse the telecast with freshness, the channels will be adding exciting innovations like UltraCam and StarCam 360 within the live telecast. UltraCam will bring to viewers super-slow,  sharper and nuanced imagery. StarCam 360 will give viewers never-seen-before 360-degree camera angles and panoramic views of key match moments. STAR Cricket and STAR Sports 2 intends to make StarCam 360 a regular feature in international cricket going forward by introducing this technology in the biggest cricket tournament of the year.

Besides showcasing the live action, the channels have also planned detailed and exhaustive wrap -around elements which will analyze the game in the minutest detail for the avid cricket fan. The central wrap-around show has been rechristened as ‘Cricket Live’. Cricket Live will contain various innovative segments and features such as ‘Masterclass’, ‘Faceoff’, ‘Down the Memory Lane’ and ‘In the Nets’.

The ‘Face-off’ segment will see each commentator arguing for his national team’s strengths. In ‘Masterclass’, commentators will coach the viewer and give tips on how to improve their understanding of the game. ‘In the Nets’ will give detailed coverage of how players get ready for the game while commentators will relive their memories/ experiences of previous English tours in ‘Down the Memory Lane’.

Speaking on the occasion, Vijay Rajput, Chief Operating Officer, ESPN Software India Pvt Ltd, said, “The ICC Champions Trophy is a true test of cricketing excellence with the top eight ODI teams going head to head to be crowned - Champions. There is no room for error as a defeat can cost a team dearly. We will leave no stone unturned to make this tournament an unprecedented viewing experience and are working with the ICC to deliver a world-class telecast for viewers worldwide. With a range of special programming, on-air enhancements, brand new camera angles, state-of-the-art graphics along with a high quality team of analysts comprising some of the great names of international cricket we intend to take the fan engagement to a newer level by redefining the way international cricket has been showcased till date.”

Broadcast schedule of ICC Champions Trophy 2013