The newly launched Prime Volleyball League is set to feature on Indian screens after it was formally launched on Wednesday. The league currently has six official teams Calicut Heroes, Kochi Blue Spikers, Ahmedabad Defenders, Hyderabad Black Hawks, Chennai Blitz and Bengaluru Torpedoes.
The league will follow a different business model than what is seen in other franchise tournaments like IPL and ISL in the nation. Here the franchise owners are also stakeholders in the holding organization of the league. This is a new move similar to that followed in America with the NBA (National Basketball Association).
According to reports, the Prime Volleyball League will be broadcasted by Sony Pictures Network. The league is sponsored by fantasy game company A23 and the marketing is done by Baseline Ventures.
“We have already seen the quality of talent in the country; our endeavour is to provide this talent the right kind of platform to grow. This kind of structure, where franchises are committed for the long term gives the game an opportunity to grow in a sustained manner, and that is the best thing possible for Indian volleyball,” said Joy Bhattacharya, CEO, Prime Volleyball League.
“There is a huge appetite for volleyball in India and in fact it was among the most watched sports during the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 on our network, even though there was no Indian participation. The success of the league the last time around, combined with the high-octane action of the sport makes the Prime Volleyball League a great addition to the sports portfolio of Sony Pictures Networks India. We are keen to work closely with the stakeholders of the league to build both the league and the sport with viewers in India,” said Neville Bastawalla , SVP and Marketing Head at Sony Pictures Networks India.