ABU members broadcast IFMA World Championships 2024

The 2024 IFMA Senior World Championships is underway from May 31 to June 9 in the historical city of Pratas in Greece.

ABU members in Fiji, Kyrgyzstan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Mauritius and Uzbekistan, among others, are broadcasting the event either live or on a delayed basis. The half an hour daily highlights are also made available on ABU Sports and Entertainment Network – ASEN.

ABU partnered with the International Federation of Muaythai Associations (IFMA) and its marketing partners to distribute the event free to ABU members in Asia. ABU also distributed the event to its members in 2023.

The International Federation of Muaythai Associations (IFMA) has 140 member countries worldwide.

ABU members broadcast 2024 World Judo Championships, Abu Dhabi

Seven ABU members – Afghanistan’s Ariana Television Network (ATN), the Fijian Broadcasting Corporation (FBC), MBC Mauritius, Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV), EMTV Papua New Guinea, Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation (SLRC) and Vanuatu Broadcasting and Television Corporation are broadcasting the event 2024 World Judo Championships 2024 live.

The event is taking place from 19 – 24 May at the Mubadala Arena, Abu Dhabi.

In a message, the Director General of IJF, Vlad Marinescu, said that IJF is thrilled to announce that the Abu Dhabi World Judo Championships is being broadcasted across Asia.

He said, “This has been made possible through our valued partnership with the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union, whose support has been instrumental in bringing this event to a wider audience. We extend our deepest gratitude to ABU for their collaboration and commitment to promoting the sport of Judo.”

ABU Sports Director Cai Yanjiang said, “ABU has a long collaboration with IJF in distributing high-level judo international events across our region. We are really happy to continue to cooperate and to assist the federation in bringing their events to mainstream broadcasters and the vast audience of Asia Pacific countries.”

ABU will distribute 2024 Judo events to Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Fiji, Timor Leste, Laos, Myanmar, Mauritius, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Papua New Guinea, Pakistan, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu.

This is the last major international judo event before the Olympic Games Paris 2024.

ABU’s first Sports Media Conference (SMC) ends on a high note

 

The Sports Media Conference (SMC) concluded successfully after a few days of information-packed sessions which included masterclasses and workshops led by the world’s leading trainers and speakers from the sports broadcasting industry.

The last day was capped by a session called ‘Industry Developments – Revolution of Sports Production through AI’, featuring panellists Dipesh Makwana (Business Development Manager, VIZRT,), Nusrat Akter Lovely, (Regional Manager, Axle AI), Fintan Mc Kiernan (CEO, Ideal System, Singapore) and Hu Yi (General Manager of Migu Marketing Department).

The session, moderated by ABU Secretary General, Ahmed Nadeem, deep dived into the undeniable impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on sports broadcasting, which includes, but is not limited to improved fan engagement, better translation and captioning services, richer metadata, improved facial recognition, and so on. In short, AI helps deliver more engaging, personalised and data-driven content in the sports broadcasting field.

Earlier  in the day, a panel discussion about women’s sports in Asia, and its growth, development, commercialisation and challenges, took place. Key leading figures in the female sports industry Gina Tan (Senior Media Rights Manager, Mediapro, Singapore), Soleen Al Zoubi (Head of Women’s Football, Football Association of Malaysia), Dr Wirdati Radzi, (sports lawyer and sports advisor, Malaysia) and Asniar Litiloly (sports journalist, Radio Republik Indonesia), shared their insights and perspectives.

The past few decades have seen remarkable progress in women’s sports from both players and viewers, but women in sports still struggle with personal and structural barriers, which poses issues in equity and sustainable development. All the panellists agreed that a whole-of-society approach is important to boost women’s participation in sports, and that comes from family support, government help, private sector collaborations, policy changes, and of course, the power of the media to make positive change.

During the launch of SMC which took place on May 15th, the Secretary General said the SMC is not entirely new, but has been rebranded to keep up with industry relevance and standards. He explained that the main purpose of SMC is to bring sports closer to the masses, and make it more accessible as sports events have long been inaccessible and unaffordable to most people.

Themed “The Rise of Sports in Asia,” the Sports Media Conference (SMC) is a flagship event organised by ABU, gathering sports field players, media and experts to push for sports broadcasting excellence across the Asia-Pacific region. The three-day event took place at the Royale Chulan, Kuala Lumpur, from 14th May to 16th May.

ABU Secretary-General welcomes attendees to Sports Media Conference (SMC)

ABU Secretary-General, Ahmed Nadeem, this morning welcomed VIPs, international and local delegates, trainers, speakers and members of the media to the Sports Media Conference (SMC) that is taking place at the Royale Chulan, Kuala Lumpur, from 14th May to 16th May.

Nadeem said the SMC is not entirely new but has been rebranded to keep up with industry relevance and standards. He said that the main purpose of SMC is to bring sports to the people and make it more accessible as sports events have long been unaffordable to most people.

“Sports is one of the few activities that brings people together regardless of culture, ethnicity and background,” Nadeem said, and added that SMC attendees can benefit from the variety of content available at the conference, which consists of workshops, masterclasses and other expert-led sessions.

Nadeem also expressed his appreciation at seeing the participants and to the sport and broadcasting industries for lending their support to the conference, saying: “With more partners, we can work together and learn from each other and share our experiences.”

Lorraine Yuen (ABU Sports Group Chairperson) also spoke at the opening session, applauding the rise of sports in Asia. Meanwhile, Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Mohamad Norza Zakaria (President of Olympic Council of Malaysia) discussed the evolution of eSports in Asia and the importance of human collaboration with machines. He predicts that immersive technology will revolutionise sports broadcasting and emphasised the importance of media partnerships in elevating sports, fostering growth, and promoting unity.

Themed “The Rise of Sports in Asia,” the Sports Media Conference (SMC) is a premiere event organised by the ABU that gathers sports field players, media and experts to push for sports broadcasting excellence across the Asia-Pacific region.

 

ABU’s Sports Media Conference (SMC) kicks off with a workshop and masterclass on sports storytelling

Sports reporting, like all types of reporting, is an art that requires the right skills. In that spirit, the much-anticipated Sports Media Conference (SMC), taking place from May 14th to May 16th, kicked off today with two sessions on sports storytelling.

Darryl Gibson led a workshop titled “Sports News Reporting on Multisport Events,” moderated by ABU’s Project Manager Amir Khaidar. Darryl has had an illustrious career in sports reporting, including serving as an editor at eight Olympic Games, the 2002 FIFA World Cup in Japan and Korea, and several other major events such as the Asian Games, the Paralympic Games, the Nordic World Cup, and the Special Olympics.

Darryl emphasised that sports reporters must be strategic in their reporting, using their journalistic sense to decide which athletes deserve a platform and voice.

Darryl explained that a good sports reporter is not a fan or a public relations practitioner but a specialist in a particular sport or group of sports. He noted that being a retired athlete can help someone become a good sports reporter, but not necessarily so. Darryl also stated that a good sports reporter should not focus solely on sport execution and strategy but should have a strong grasp of news instinct, understanding what readers and audiences want to know, which usually includes facts about who won, what happened, and insights into the personalities of coaches and referees.

Meanwhile, a masterclass also kicked off the conference, moderated by Hakim Amir, Sports General Manager, Sports Media & Distributor, Malaysia. The masterclass featured ABU’s Head of TV, ABU Programming, Hanizah Hamzah, and Paul Kennedy, Sports Producer at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).

Speaking from Sydney via live video, Paul shared personal anecdotes about his expertise and success in making sports documentaries, highlighting that good documentaries require personal engagement with the audience.

Attendees of the masterclass were treated to a viewing of the ABC documentary “Bradman and Tendulkar,” which compares the career paths of two of cricket’s greatest players, Sir Don Bradman and Sachin Tendulkar, from their early lives to their greatest moments, uncovering striking similarities. “Bradman and Tendulkar” won the TV Sports category at the ABU Prizes 2023, a competition celebrating broadcast excellence across radio, television, and digital media.

Themed “The Rise of Sports in Asia,” the Sports Media Conference (SMC) is a premiere event organised by the ABU that gathers sports reporters and experts to push for sports broadcasting excellence across the Asia-Pacific region.

Full line-up of speakers at ABU’s Sports Media Conference confirmed

 

The full batch of speakers for ABU’s upcoming Sports Media Conference (SMC) has been confirmed. The event is jam-packed with experts from across the sports industry.

The experts include Darryl Gibson (former editor and chief sub editor, Olympics News Services) and Paul Kennedy (sports producer, ABC Australia) who will lead a workshop called ‘Sports News Reporting on Multisport events’.

Other experts include Min Joo Kim (media and broadcasting manager at K-League), Nicholas John (head of sports, Astro Malaysia) and Roberto Nitti (head of media sales at Inter Milan FC). They will speak at a session on sports leagues and clubs which will be moderated by Datuk Stuart Ramalingam, the CEO of Malaysian Football League.

There will also be a session on women in sports that will feature an all-female panellist: Gina Tan (senior media rights manager, Mediapro Asia), Soleen Al Zoubi (head of women’s football, Football Association of Malaysia), Dr. Wirdati Mohd Radzi (sports lawyer, Zahir Khailani Advocates & Solicitors), and Asniar (sports journalist, Radio Republic of Indonesia).

The last day will comprise a session on the revolution of sports production through artificial intelligence (AI) and will feature the following speakers: Dipesh Makwana (business development manager, VIZRT), Fintan Mc Kiernan (CEO, Southeast Asia Ideal System), Sam Bogoch (CEO, Axel.ai), and Hu Yi (general manager, China Mobile Migu).

Sports Media Conference (SMC) is a premiere event that brings ABU members, media professionals in the field of sports media and industry. The three-day conference provides a forum for discussion, sharing experiences and networking opportunities in sports media, including broadcast, digital media, marketing, and content creation. It will take place on April 14 to 16, 2024, at Royale Chulan, Kuala Lumpur.

For the full line-up of SMC speakers, click here.

ABU Sports Director delivers keynote speech on sport technology at ZGC Forum

 

The Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) Sports Director Cai Yanjiang attended ZGC Forum, a state-level platform for global sci-tech innovation exchanges and cooperation, that took place 26 to 28 April, where he gave a speech on technology in sports broadcasting.

Cai was invited by the organiser Asian Electronic Sports Federation (AESF), who is also a long-time partner of ABU. The theme of the forum was the impact of digital innovation on the sports industry. Cai gave a keynote speech titled ‘Sports Broadcast Enhancement with Digital Empowerment’ which highlighted ABU’s role in sports broadcasting, and the advanced digital invention and tools driving it.

Also at the forum were the French Ligue-1 team (a French professional league for men’s association football clubs) and the French Chamber of Commerce in China. American volleyball veteran Lang Ping who coached national teams from the US and China also attended the forum.

Responding to Cai’s keynote speech, many from the audience said they were interested to know more about ABU and its role in the international sports stage. They also said they were keen on future partnerships and collaborations with ABU and members.

Sebastian Lau, the Director General of AESF, expressed his appreciation for ABU’s attendance, and said that the organisation had brought to the forum a few perspectives from broadcasters, and envisioned a future with more digital technology to further improve broadcast sports content and events.

PTV Corporation acquires rights for ICC events in Pakistan

The Pakistan Television (PTV) Corporation has secured non-exclusive rights for six men’s and women’s International Cricket Council (ICC) events in Pakistan from 2024 to 2025.

The non-exclusive rights include digital rights for events such as the Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, Women’s T20 World Cup 2024, U-19 Women’s T20 World Cup 2025, Men’s Champions Trophy 2025, World Test Championship Final 2025 and Women’s World Cup 2025.

PTV managing director Sayyed Mubashar Tauqir Shah said: “Securing the rights to ICC world events for another two years represents a significant milestone for PTVC. We are thrilled to bring ICC World Cups to the homes of millions of fans across Pakistan. This underpins our unwavering commitment to delivering premium sports content and engaging with cricket fans across the country.”