MUMBAI: Nirmal, India?s leading real estate company, has teamed up with Bhaichung Bhutia Football Schools (BBFS), India?s leading youth development initiative, to launch University Football League (UFL).

UFL is a first-of-its-kind league which will not only provide a platform to young talented footballers to showcase their skills, but also provide a career path to the best players.

Through this platform possibilities will be explored of identifying talented individuals who can be given the opportunity to play professional football as well as explore professional careers in other spheres of the football industry, thus promoting human capital development in the sport.

The initiative also act as a natural extension and an integral part of ?NDTV-Nirmal Marks for Sports Campaign? to provide opportunities to students excelling in sports who are committed to obtaining a college education.

Speaking on the occasion, Nirmal Chairman and MD Dharmesh Jain said, ?Brand Nirmal has always been associated with sports initiatives. In India, football is best enjoyed as a spectator?s game, in stadiums or on television. The ever increasing fan following has inspired the country to become one of the frontline football playing nations in the world. Hence we are proud to introduce with University Football League (UFL) and Bhaichung Bhutia, to make football the next big sport in India.?

BBFS MD Bhaichung Bhutia said, ?We are truly excited to partner with Nirmal to launch UFL with International Standards in India. One of the major challenges that Indian football is facing today is lack of adequate human capital at all levels of the game. This scenario is seriously hampering the development of this beautiful game.

"However, with the intervention of various sports organizations as well as the public and private sector, there is a chance that this situation may change for the better, definitely in the long run, if not in the immediate future. With the launch of UFL, we look forward to encourage and motivate young talented footballers in India.? This university league will be modeled with the prevailing international university sports league like in USA and UK."

UFL will be played in 11-a-side format in full-size football fields under FIFA regulations. The first edition will be restricted to five major cities namely Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Bangalore and Kochi. In the subsequent years the editions will cover other regions and will be scaled up such that it is accessible to every interested college team in India.

Italian sports brand Diadora is UFL?s partner and this will be the global brand?s first major activation in the Indian market.

MUMBAI: The Premier League said it has awarded Super Sports Media Group the exclusive live audio visual broadcast rights for all 380 English Premier League matches per season for seasons 2013/14-2018/19 in mainland China and Macau.

"We have worked with Super Sports Media Group for the last two years and are extremely pleased to extend our partnership until 2019," said Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore.

Super Sports Media Group board member Jianguang Li said: "The Premier League has developed a profound understanding of the sports broadcasting market in China and we are very pleased to have formed this long-term partnership with them. This agreement demonstrates the Premier League?s strong commitment towards China and Chinese football fans. It will further increase the Premier League?s profile in China and give them the opportunity to make it one of their fastest growing markets."

Recently, the Premier League has awarded rights to NBC Sports Group in USA, Sportsnet & TSN in Canada, International Media Content Ltd. (IMC) in Caribbean, SuperSport in South Africa, Nigeria, and Sub-Saharan Africa and BSkyB and BT in UK.

MUMBAI: Sony Entertainment Network, USA, has concluded a VoD agreement with Splendid Film, a subsidiary of Splendid Medien.

The licensing deal will allow Sony Entertainment Network?s VoD platform to show classic films such as Traffic and Gangs of New York, as well as more recent films including The Expendables and SeeFood from Splendid?s film catalogue.

Sony Entertainment Network customers can watch and download the Splendid titles individually at any time. The video-on-demand range can be accessed using various devices including PSP (PlayStation Portable), Bravia, Xperia mobile, Sony Tablet, PlayStation 3 or PC.

Enteractive, another subsidiary of Splendid Medien, is handling technical provision of the titles for the VoD platform.

?Marketing of programmes via internet platforms is becoming increasingly significant. In the Sony Entertainment Network, we have gained another very important partner for broadcasting our programmes," commented Splendid Medien CEO Andreas R. Klein.

MUMBAI: SMC Entertainment Group, an entertainment and brand management company, has stitched slew of licensing agreements in the US for The Jungle Book TV series.

SMC had acquired licensing rights of the first season of the series for North America from DQ Entertainment.

The Jungle Book is scheduled to debut on 11 June on Disney XD in the US.

SMC has signed a slate of new US licensees, including Phase 4 Films as the property?s home entertainment and digital distribution partner; Isaac Morris as its master apparel partner; Komar for children?s sleepwear; Insights Editions for Young Readers Book series; Seasons USA for Halloween costumes; Nanco-Nancy Sales for amusement plush and novelties; Pacific Play Tents for children?s play tents; Barnes & Noble for ebooks; United States Playing Card Company for customised playing cards, and My Idol Pops for figural lollypops.

"The new animated series for The Jungle Book has ignited interest from the licensing and merchandising community because it combines the best of both worlds. You have the incredible legacy of The Jungle Book delivered in a fresh, colorful and engaging series that entertains children and evokes treasured memories for their parents and grandparents. The property?s association with Disney is the icing on the cake," said SMC SVP Licensing Lisa Streff.

In addition to The Jungle Book television series, Phase 4 will release a bonus 1-hour holiday special in 2012. SMC is also developing a strategy to roll the series out across a multitude of digital platforms. Additionally, a dedicated website for The Jungle Book is in development.

SMC acquired all North American home entertainment, licensing and merchandising rights, and promotional rights for The Jungle Book CGI-animated television series plus the one-hour telefilm from DQE, the producers and rights holders of the series. In addition, SMC has also acquired The Jungle Book toy rights for Benelux, Australia and New Zealand and licensing and merchandising rights for South Africa.

Targeting consumer products, which focus on boys in the 4-7 age group as well as parents with children from infancy to 8 years of age, SMC will be representing The Jungle Book at the 2012 International Licensing Show.

The company is seeking partnerships to develop a comprehensive consumer products? campaign across categories including Toy, ELA?s, Publishing, Games & Puzzles, Gaming/Interactive, Apparel, Footwear, Accessories, Back to School, Party Good, Food & Beverage, Arts & Crafts, Home Furnishings, and more.

MUMBAI: Al Jazeera?s sports channels, beIN Sports USA 1 and 2, is set to hit American TV homes beginning 1 August, said beIN Sports USA MD Youssef Mohammad Al-Obaidly.

beIN Sports will offer exclusive coverage of La Liga BBVA from Spain, Serie A from Italy and Ligue 1 from France.

Backed by the resources of Qatar Media Corporation and the global expertise of Mediapro, beIN Sports aims to provide unmatched experience to soccer fanatics in the USA.

?We are very proud to bring to the American community a new way of watching sports, a better way, where all platforms come together to provide a truly customized and totally unprecedented depth of interactive experience to the viewer," Al-Obaidly said.

The channel is being developed in partnership with Imagina US and has already secured two major deals with service providers.

"We are working together with Imagina US as our partner, and we are already in the last stages of negotiation with different providers, having secured two major deals so far that will bring the channel to subscribers? homes on August 1," he added.

Veteran American English-language soccer commentator Phil Schoen has joined beIN Sports USA. Schoen is expected to continue as the English-language voice of La Liga in the USA, when beIN Sports USA launches.