The Indian broadcasting baron, Viacom18 has renewed the media rights agreement for the upcoming edition of the Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT), the Indian top table tennis league.
UTT 2024 will be hosted in Chennai from August 22 to September 7, with free streaming on JioCinema and broadcasting on the Sports18 Network.
With this agreement, UTT and Viacom18 will begin their second year of partnership. The franchise-based competition, in its fifth season, will include 17 days of elite action, with JioCinema and Sports18 bringing highly energetic matches in English and Hindi.
UTT was founded in 2017 and promoted by Niraj Bajaj and Vita Dani under the aegis of the Table Tennis Federation of India. The competition has played an important role in the development of Indian table tennis, leading to the country’s unprecedented qualifying for the Paris 2024 Olympics.
UTT Co-Promoters Niraj Bajaj and Vita Dani, said, “Our partnership with Viacom18 highlights our mutual dedication to expanding table tennis in India. With their mandate for the Paris 2024, Viacom18 will showcase our top Indian paddlers as they compete on the biggest stage. The transition to UTT 2024 following the Olympics will be seamless. Viacom18’s extensive reach and commitment to sports streaming and broadcasting will ensure that the excitement of UTT 2024 is felt in every corner of the country.”
Last season, the league had a cumulative viewership of nearly 33 million across 18 days on JioCinema and the Sports18 Network. This year, UTT will have eight teams for the first time, with the inclusion of the Ahmedabad SG Pipers and the Jaipur Patriots. The remaining six teams this year are the PBG Bengaluru Smashers, Dabang Delhi TTC, U Mumba TT, Goa Challengers, Puneri Paltan Table Tennis, and Chennai Lions.
UTT expands Viacom18’s existing wide sporting portfolio, which includes world-class events such as the forthcoming Olympic Games Paris 2024, BCCI Cricket, Diamond League, Women’s Premier League (WPL), Indian Super League (ISL), National Basketball Association (NBA), LaLiga, Serie A, Ligue 1, ATP and BWF events.
Viacom18 Sports Head of Strategy, Acquisitions, & Partnerships Hursh Shrivastava, said, “We are thrilled to continue our partnership with Ultimate Table Tennis. The league has captivated the audience by putting high-quality competition and fine performances by Indian and international star paddlers on the centre stage. We are particularly delighted to present the best Indian paddlers such as Sharath Kamal, Harmeet Desai, Manav Thakkar, Manika Batra and Sreeja Akula who will be returning from their Olympic rendezvous as they throw their hat in the ring for UTT 2024.”
The UTT 2024 will feature 48 premier paddlers, which involves top Indian players Achanta Sharath Kamal, Manika Batra, Sathiyan Gnanasekaran, and Sreeja Akula, as well as 16 global stars such as World No. 9 Bernadette Szocs, World No. 16 Nina Mittelham, and Nigeria’s ace player Quadri Aruna. The Player Draft will be held in Mumbai on July 10.
