Gurugram: Havas Play, part of Havas Media Network, has formed a strategic partnership in India with SG Sports, Media and Entertainment (SGSE), an arm of the APL Apollo Group. SGSE, led by tennis legend Mahesh Bhupathi as CEO, aims to enhance the Indian sports and entertainment scene.
SGSE teams compete in various Indian sports events like Global Chess League (Alpine SG Pipers), Ultimate Table Tennis League (Ahmedabad SG Pipers), Super League Kerala (Kochi Pipers), Indian Supercross Racing League (SG Speed Racers), and Madhya Pradesh League (Jabalpur Lions), with the first season starting in June 2024.
Havas Play takes a significant step by collaborating to enhance fandom experiences. Recent successful activations include the Ganga Kinare Music Festival conserving River Ganga, the Maritime 10k Challenge for a cleaner marine ecosystem, and facilitating a strategic partnership between IPL team Lucknow Super Giants and Valvoline as their Official Lubricant Partner.
Havas Play will aid SGSE in launching sports and entertainment IPs covering football, squash, hockey, chess, table tennis & tennis.
Mahesh Bhupathi, CEO, SGSE, said, “We have always had a clear vision on building a comprehensive and sustainable sports and entertainment story and believe it is the right time to do this at scale in India. We look forward to working closely with Havas Play and tapping into their extensive network to make this happen.”
Venkatasubramanian, Chief Operating Officer, Havas Play said, “Embarking on this strategic journey with SGSE, a visionary in the sports and entertainment realm, is a testament to Havas Play’s commitment to elevating meaningful experiences and fostering innovation in the country’s cultural landscape. With Mahesh Bhupathi’s leadership and our shared vision, we’re poised to create immersive fan engagements through premium IPs, reshaping India’s sports and entertainment ecosystem for generations to come.”
SGSE is committed to developing a premium and sustainable sports & entertainment ecosystem in India and has created a robust framework to further this vision, centred on 6 critical pillars:
- Owning Sports Franchisees that will elevate the sports space in India
- Creating Sports Leagues by developing franchise-based leagues of popular sports in association with the national sports federations
- Fantasyproperties that will redefine fantasy sports and create a platform where fans can truly experience the thrill of games and connect with their passion
- Live Entertainmentthat brings the biggest international music stars to India
- Curating Content for enhanced fan and community engagement
- Academies and Talent to empower grassroots sports that will be led by top national coaches. SGSE is enhancing community sports infrastructure nationwide by establishing state-of-the-art facilities led by elite national coaches. These academies will serve as hubs for identifying and nurturing talented young athletes, paving the way for their progression to national and international levels of achievement.
