Mahua's bengali channels to air Brazilian Football League

The Mahua Group has understood that in Bengal you can gain viewership and good TRP's with football. The groups latest acquisition are the regional Indian telecast rights of the Brazilian Football League from sports marketing company Total Sports Asia.

The deal brings the Brazilian Football League, distributed by Globo TV Sports and Total Sports Asia, to India for the first time. The Brazilian league will be aired on Mahuaa Bangla (Bengali general entertainment channel) and Mahuaa Khobor (Bengali news channel).

Mahuaa Media CEO Yubaraj Bhattacharya said, "This is a milestone in Mahuaa's long-term plans to expand football viewership in West Bengal. We believe 'Brasileirao 2011' will draw massive interest from the football fans around the state, as a flagship event of magical Brazilian football. This demonstrates our commitment to support major football events in West Bengal ever since the inception of the channel."

Total Sports Asia MD South Asia Suvrangsu Mukherjee said, "TSA has in the past partnered with leading broadcasters in the country to broadcast the World Cup and European Cup qualifiers of the Italian and Spanish national teams and other leading football events like the Copa Libertadores. The Brazilian Football League increases our football offering for broadcasters in India and we're trying our best to maximize coverage so that world class football reaches out to the length and breadth of the country."

Brazilian Football League's current season kicked-off on May 21 and will run until the last week of December. Two games per week - Saturdays & Sundays - will be broadcasted along with the 30 minutes weekly highlights show 'Footbrazil'. The show covers Brazilian football exclusively and includes, behind the scenes, training, exclusive interviews, goals of the round, player profiles and other curiosities.

Following in the footsteps of the English Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga and Serie A, the Brazilian Football League will hope to captivate viewers with its exciting brand of football. The trickery, the dribbling, the passing, the rhythmic flow, all these factors make the Brazilian Football League a treat to watch. To add to this excitement, an average of three goals per match is scored.

The Brazilian Football League boasts of teams like Sao Paulo, Santos, Flamengo, Gremio, Corinthians, Internacional, Cruizero, etc. A number of leading footballers like Neymar, Ronaldinho, and many more ply their trade in the Brazilian Football League, while many future stars play in the league.

But for me a question remains. With another league set to be aired into Bengali homes how will it help in the growth of football in India? Surely Bengalis have a special fascination for Brazilian and Argentinian football, but local football is set to take another hit.

Bengali TV channel Mahua Bangla to show I-League

There is good and bad news for Indian football fans who try to follow their respective clubs in the ongoing I-League on television. Finally there will be ensured coverage until the end of the I-League in May 2011, but it will be on Bengali TV channel Mahua Bangla and they will only follow the progress of the three Kolkata sides East Bengal Club, Mohun Bagan AC and Chirag United SC in their respective home and away matches.

Mahua Bangla is said to have paid around Rs 120 Million (12 Crores) for the rights for the remainder of the 2010/11 I-League season. The channel will start their coverage of the I-League on Sunday, February 6 with the Mohun Bagan vs. East Bengal derby. The match is set to kickoff at 15.30 IST at the Saltlake Stadium.

An AIFF source told agencies, "Mahua Media Private Limited has bagged the right to telecast the remaining 14 round I-League matches involving the three Kolkata sides from sponsors IMG-Reliance."

It is a good step that a channel has come forward to show India's top football league, but sadly it once more is only a regional Bengali TV channel and not a pan-Indian sports broadcaster. And that would have been the need of the hour to ensure national coverage.

From what I gather the focus of IMG-Reliance together with the All India Football Federation is on the next season and have everything in place before the start of the 2011/12 I-League, which will also be fully professional under the AFC Club Licencing Criteria.