Viacom18 bags Premier Handball League rights

Viacom 18, the Indian sports and entertainment network, has secured multi-platform domestic rights to the inaugural season of India’s Premier Handball League.

The competition will be covered by Viacom18 during primetime on the JioCinema streaming service and the Sports 18-1 and Sports 18 Khel channels.

It will run for the first time from June 8 to 25, with the debut season PHL featuring six franchise teams playing a total of 33 matches. The tournament is backed by the Asian Handball Federation and the International Handball Federation.

Abhinav Banthia, the president of the Bluesport Entertainment promotional company which is behind the PHL, said: “We are glad to onboard Viacom18 as the official broadcast partner, as we believe they will help us package this competition ingeniously so that this unique league becomes relatable for fans.”

Anandeshwar Pandey, secretary general of the South Asian Handball Federation, added: “The Premier Handball League has all the necessary elements to be a highly successful competition, especially now that they have announced Viacom18 as a broadcast partner. I am sure the league will grow rapidly as it is set to produce the star athletes of tomorrow for Indian fans to support.”

Earlier this month, Viacom18 was also announced as the exclusive domestic rightsholder for the first five seasons of the Women’s Indian Premier League Twenty20 cricket tournament. Sportcal