MUMBAI: ESPN Digital Media, which operates popular sports websites like espncricinfo.com, espnsoccernet.com, espnf1.com, and espn.com, has tied up with leading telecom brand Idea to launch a new initiative, Dream Fields. The aim: to engage fans, players, parents, and local administrators to present their concerns and issues regarding the cricket playing spaces in the cities in India.
The collaboration between ESPN‘s cricket website ESPNcricinfo and Idea will span content and advertising in India. As part of the collaboration, ESPNcricinfo has conceived and created Idea Dream Fields, a dedicated editorial repository within the website espncricinfo.com. The editorial repository will also feature content gathered from the public via social media.
ESPNcricinfo.com editor Sambit Bal said, "Driving through Indian cities you would never know that cricket is India’s number one sport. You wouldn’t spot too many kids playing cricket because there is simply no space to play. It is not a big surprise that Indian cities are producing less and less national cricketers: playing cricket has become such an ordeal. For Indian cricket to stay strong we need to ensure apart from being cricket-watching country, India is also cricket-playing country. This initiative is a small step towards raising awareness about an issue that is vital to the future of Indian cricket.”
Idea, which has been a major sponsor of all cricket tournaments in India, enables them to target passionate cricket fans with a consistent and multi-faceted presence.
Idea Cellular CMO Sashi Shankar said, “Idea cellular has always taken a lead to address the growing concerns of the society through mobile telephony. Cricket is a national craze and we have always supported the game, we do hope that through Idea Dream Fields, we can play our small role in addressing a concern that looms the game- lack of space to play it freely. With Idea Dream Fields, we would like to create more and more awareness about this issue and thereby contribute in our own way to the nation’s most loved game.”
ESPN digital media India senior director Ramesh Kumar siad, “Expanding our collaboration with Idea Cellular to create Idea Dream Fields allows us to stay true to our duty of serving fans by providing a forum for the discussion of this important and complex topic. The nature and scope of this collaboration enables IDEA Cellular to engage fans in a comprehensive and credible manner and demonstrates ESPNcricinfo’s ability to connect brands to cricket fans at all levels of the game.”
