MUMBAI: Pro Kabaddi League season 2 has just got bigger. Star India, the official broadcaster of the league will telecast the sport in five languages across eight channels. With this, Star India aims to take the traditional Indian sport closer to fans across the country. The language feed is in sync with Star’s effort to nurture and grow the sport, which witnessed spectacular success in its inaugural season.
The second season of Star Sports Pro Kabaddi League, which kicks off on 18 July 2015, will be telecast in English, Hindi, Telugu, Kannada and Marathi across the Star network. The English feed will be carried by Star Sports 2 and Star Sports HD2, the Hindi feed by Star Sports 3, Star Sports HD3 and Star Gold. Recently acquired Maa Movies will broadcast the Telugu-language feed while one can enjoy Kabaddi in Kannada on Suvarna Plus. Star Pravah will broadcast Star Sports Pro Kabaddi League matches in Marathi on Sundays only.
Star India spokesperson said, “Season one of the Star Sports PKL saw us successfully establish Kabaddi in the mainstream, breaking it out of its hinterland niche and transforming it into a sport enjoyed just as much by an urban audience. We want to build on this success in the second season and broaden Kabaddi’s appeal even further by taking it closer to fans in different parts of the country. This move is further sign of our commitment to the growth of Kabaddi and our broader goal of fostering a multi-sport culture in India.”
Built along the lines of a franchise model featuring eight teams from all corners of the country, Pro Kabaddi League enjoyed a phenomenally successful inaugural season last year. The League, which repackaged Kabaddi into a modern sport, produced modern heroes, created new team affiliations and was watched by over 435 million viewers nationwide. That made it the second most watched sport in the country, with the season-finale alone recording a reach of 86.4 million. It witnessed meteoric rise across social media, recording a whopping 2.3 billion plus impressions.
