EPL to get a better shot at wooing fans in India

The Barclay's English Premier League (EPL), which engages 1.48 million Indian fans on social media every week (the highest in a country), is set to get even closer to its Indian fans.

It has struck a non-commercial partnership with the indigenous football tournament league, the Indian Super League (ISL). While it will help the ISL put processes in place before the first edition rolls out, the EPL will get a shot at a prolonged engagement with Indian fans through ISL. The ISL, promoted by a joint-venture between Star India and IMG Reliance (a Reliance Industries company), will kick off in September, 2014.

Jeff Slack, senior vice-president, IMG, Global Football Development, says, ''The ability to leverage the EPL's experience in creating a successful league model for both players and fans will be of tremendous value to ISL as it continues to grow the sport in India. There are five main pillars of the partnership - governance, which includes anti-doping and anti-corruption policies, commercial guidance, referee training, stadium arrangement and promoting healthy competition among the clubs and players."

Slack stresses that the tie-up is to ensure that it contributes to a strong foundation for football in India. The EPL, after all, runs one of the most successful and popular leagues in the world, and its officials can advise on best-practices.

The EPL will get the chance to reach deeper into a fan-base that is one of its largest. It runs a grassroots football project called Premier Skills. Richard Scudamore, CEO, Premier League, says, "Having earlier this year signed a mutual co-operation agreement with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), we are very pleased to also enter into this partnership with the ISL. We hope to continue to make a real contribution to all levels of Indian football."

The EPL has grown popular over the past three-four years, with the spike in the overall viewership of football in the country. In 2013, the game reached 155 million Indian television viewers. Despite the time-lag in the telecast of EPL matches that requires Indian viewers to stay up late, the EPL has a viewership of 53 TVT (television viewership in thousands) across 216 matches (The first five matches of the on-going FIFA World Cup got 1,300 TVTs, pointing at viewership that will only grow).

Slack, who has worked closely with the EPL, does not rule out the possibilities of friendly matches between the clubs of both the leagues in the future. "The possibilities for such a collaboration are endless. The clubs from the EPL are aware of the kind of support they have from Indian fans. They are eager to get a feel of the passion in India. While the conversation when charting the association was never 'You give me this and I shall do this for you', there definitely is scope to expand the presence of brand EPL through this alliance," says Slack. The ISL and the EPL will also cross-promote football coverage on Star India's platforms. Both the tournaments will be aired on the broadcaster's sports network, Star Sports, which comprises four standard-definition and two high-definition channels.

Nita M Ambani, member of the Reliance Industries board, says, "Partnering with the EPL brings credence to ISL and to our vision of popularising the sport. The alliance presents an opportunity of partnership and cross-promotions between the ISL partners and EPL clubs."