'If India had won, it would have been a bonus'

Despite India’s dismal performance at the Hockey World Cup, sponsors of the event are not complaining. They say they had factored in a modest performance by India.

India had earlier hosted the Hockey World Cup in 1982 in Mumbai. At that time, the tournament was won by arch rival Pakistan, while India had to settle for the fifth spot. But India’s hopes for a semi-final berth during this event, too, have been dashed with two straight league-match defeats at the hands of Australia and Spain. It is now expected to get to fifth place.

“Well, it would have been an added bonus had India won all its league matches. But, we had factored this when associating with the World Cup. We are not surprised at the outcome,” says Anil Dua, senior vice-president, sales & marketing, Hero Honda Motors, the title sponsors.

On-air sponsors for the Hockey World Cup included Hero Honda, MTS (telecom brand promoted by Sistema Shyam), Coca-Cola, Nokia, Musli Power, TVS Srichakra Tyres and Seagram’s, according to Joy Chakraborty, chief revenue officer, Zee Entertainment Enterpises Ltd (ZEEL), which controls Ten Sports, the channel with the telecast rights of the World Cup this year.

There are allied sponsors such as Steel Authority of India (SAIL), the presenting sponsor, and Coca-Cola India and Reebok, the beverage and apparel sponsors, respectively. “There is a lot of ground-level interest in the game since it is played as well as actively followed in certain states in the north and west of India. That is what counts. We are satisfied with our association with the Hockey World Cup,” says a Coca-Cola spokesperson.

“When advertisers make a commitment to a sport, they take into account every factor — viewership, interest level, etc. We have found high interest in the tournament at the stadium. We are not complaining,” concurs Subhinder Singh Prem, managing director, Reebok India.

The ad rates, too, are cheaper compared to that of cricket. Booking 10-second spots across the tournament, say media agency sources, cost advertisers between Rs 45,000 and Rs 50,000 —nothing compared to what cricket attracts, which is anywhere between Rs 2 lakh to 3 lakh per 10 seconds for a one-day match featuring India. The third edition of the Indian Premier League cricket tournament will be even more expensive, with the going rate between Rs 4 lakh to 4.5 lakh per 10 seconds.

Hockey, it appears, is a safer bet.