ESPN Software India appoints Aloke Malik as MD for South Asia

Asia’s leading sports content provider ESPN STAR Sports (ESS) today announced the appointment of Aloke Malik as the Managing Director of its India operations, ESPN Software India (ESI).

Aloke joins ESI from Idea Cellular where he was the Chief Operating Officer of the company’s East Operations. Having worked with leading local and multi-national companies such as ITC Limited, Pepsi, Reliance Retail, Madura Garments & Idea Cellular across India, Aloke brings over 23 years of rich industry experience in general management, marketing, sales & distribution across a wide range of industries and consumer groups and has worked in diverse international markets such as Russia and Bangladesh.

On this occasion, Manu Sawhney, Managing Director ESPN STAR Sports, Asia said: “Over the years ESPN STAR Sports has played a pivotal role in growing the pay-TV industry in India and, today on the back of the most comprehensive and compelling content line-up and engaging sports programming across platforms, it is well placed to further strengthen its leadership position in the sub-continent. Sports broadcasting has come of age in India and with the rapid growth of technology, there are many new opportunities for growth to be explored and exploited today. Aloke’s extensive experience across industries and his astute market knowledge will help ESPN STAR Sports further reinforce the strong relationship it shares with sports fans across the sub-continent and broaden its business in the market.”

Aloke will head the management of ESI, which oversees the distribution, sales and marketing of its multi-media brands including ESPN, STAR Sports, STAR Cricket, espnstar.com, mobile ESPN and Event Management Group for the South Asia region covering India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Pakistan and Maldives. Aloke will be based in ESI’s Gurgaon Headquarters and will report to Manu Sawhney.

Said Aloke Malik on his appointment: “The media industry in India today is at the most important juncture and ESPN STAR Sports as a pioneer in sports broadcasting, has been the major force in the industry’s growth in the country. I am very proud to be a part of this exciting organization which has the most iconic media brands in India today in ESPN, STAR Sports and STAR Cricket and I look forward to further build on ESI’s leadership position.”

Aloke, an IIM Kolkata alumni is a golf enthusiast and moves to New Delhi with his wife and their two daughters.

ESPN STAR Sports India, has an enviable content line-up today that includes some of the best sports events across the globe, such as the top cricket rights for premium International Cricket Council events under which it will showcase the upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup from February to April 2011, the successful Airtel Champions League Twenty20 as well as international and domestic cricket from Cricket Australia and the England & Wales Cricket Board; Grand Slam tennis events including the season-opening Grand Slam of the Asia/Pacific in the Australian Open along with the iconic Wimbledon Championship and the Roland Garros (French Open); top quality football in Barclays Premier League; premium motorsports events in Formula 1 and MotoGP; the Golf Majors such as The Masters, US Open and The Open Championship, in addition to the highly-anticipated London 2012 Olympic Games.