Bluesport Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. on Monday, January 30, announced that Viacom18 has bought the media rights for the first season of the Premier Handball League (PHL). In India, the network will air this league on its sports channels namely Sports 18-1 HD & SD and Sports 18 Khel along with the OTT platform JioCinema.
The inaugural season of the Premier Handball League will take place from June 8 to June 25, 2023. India has been recognized by the International Handball Federation as the next big destination for the sport. To boost popularity, Viacom18 will air the matches in prime time slot from 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm.
The Premier Handball League is India’s first professional handball league, associated with South Asian Handball Federation and supported by the Asian Handball Federation and the International Handball Federation. The first season will feature six teams, with each team consisting of 17 players (14 Indian and three foreign). The competition will consist of 30 round-robin matches and three knockout matches, with each team playing a minimum of 10 matches.
“India is growing exponentially as a sporting nation. Handball has a very strong presence in the country, especially at the grassroots level. Our thought behind the Premier Handball League was to help utilise the popularity of the sport by giving it a platform that will amplify sports traction in India,” said Abhinav Banthia, President, Bluesport Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.
Dr. Anandeshwar Pandey, Secretary General, South Asian Handball Federation said, “The Premier Handball League will provide the much-needed push Indian Handball has needed for years. It will also help to direct the spotlight on Handball not only in India, but all of South Asia, which I am sure will help boost participation and popularity of the sport.”
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