MUMBAI, MARCH 11:
Nimbus Sport has raised over Rs 18 crore from television advertising and on-ground sponsorships from its World Series Hockey (WSH) 2012 event.

“We plan to raise Rs 50 crore from TV advertising and on ground sponsorship. That is our target for the first year of WSH 2012, which began on February 29 and ends on April 2. Bridgestone has sponsored the title, while Vodafone, Coca Cola and Pernot Ricard may advertise,” the Nimbus Sport Chief Operating Officer, Mr Yannick Colaco, told PTI.

Mr Colaco added that, “We will achieve our target for the first year, because we have already raised Rs 18 crore and we have still got 45 games over four weeks to raise more money by closing more deals.”

The WSH 2012 is a joint initiative between the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) and Nimbus Sport. With a total prize purse of around $2 million, this will be an annual event with a multi-city franchise-based model. The series of 59 matches featuring 200 players from India and across the world is being televised live across 30 countries.

The company has claimed that viewership ratings of its inaugural Bridgestone World Series Hockey 2012 are on par with the English Premier League cricket series, in the very first week. The TAM ratings are 33 per cent higher than Formula One (F1) and the average ratings for the 9 p.m. game is 25 per cent higher than the English Premier League (EPL), Mr Colaco claimed.

“The very first week ratings have been encouraging and is a clear testimony that hockey is the only sport after cricket that can deliver pan-national viewership. The awareness and buzz around WSH is unprecedented across all touch points, including social media. The response from brands like Bridgestone, Vodafone, Seagram’s Imperial Blue, Coke and others too are encouraging,” he said.