20 million viewers globally expected to tune in for three games between Northern and Southern Hemispheres’ best sides
Paris, February 04, 2016
Paris – Thursday, 4 February, 2016
Tata Communications, a leading provider of A New World of Communications™, today announces that it will be the Official Broadcast Partner as the top rugby union teams of the Northern and Southern Hemispheres clash in three matches in France and Hong Kong. This builds on Tata Communications’ expertise in live sports broadcasting and content delivery – the company is also the Official Connectivity Provider of Formula 1®.
“In the same way as we harness our superfast fibre network to enable F1® to reach its fans worldwide, regardless of race location, we will use our sports broadcasting and content delivery expertise to bring these historic rugby matches to people’s living rooms.”
-Brian Morris, Vice President & General Manager, Global Media and Entertainment services, Tata Communication
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The video feeds of the three matches will be distributed live in high-definition to broadcasters, including Setanta Sports, Eurosport Australia and l’Equipe 21, using Tata Communications’ Video Connect service. Video Connect enables broadcasters to deliver live video feeds from anywhere in the world over Tata Communications’ IP network, with connectivity to over 240 countries and territories. Underpinned by the world’s largest wholly-owned subsea fibre network, it ensures a seamless, high-quality viewing experience for sports fans. “Up to 20 million rugby fans across 100 countries are expected to tune in for these games, featuring some of the biggest names in the sport, so there is no room for error,” says Brian Morris, Vice President & General Manager, Global Media and Entertainment services, Tata Communications. “In the same way as we harness our superfast fibre network to enable F1® to reach its fans worldwide, regardless of race location, we will use our sports broadcasting and content delivery expertise to bring these historic rugby matches to people’s living rooms.” In the first match, taking place on February 5th in Toulon, France, the reigning European champions RC Toulon will face The Sharks from South Africa, one of the top teams in the Super Rugby, the pre-eminent professional rugby union competition in the Southern Hemisphere. The second match, taking place in Hong Kong on February 6th, will be a clash between five-time French champions Racing 92, and the reigning Super Rugby champions, New Zealand’s Highlanders. This match will see Dan Carter, World Rugby Player of the Year and one of the greatest fly-halfs of all time, lead his new French side against a squad that includes six All Blacks players, as they battle it out for the 2016 Natixis Cup. In the third match, taking place on February 11th in Toulouse, France, The Sharks will face Stade Toulousain, 19-time French champions and an institution of European rugby, with the winning side taking home the Hemispheres Cup. “There are 10,000 kilometres and several time zones between the match locations, so we need a partner with the reach and capability in both Europe and Asia to distribute these matches internationally, says Phillipe Spanghero, Director of SL Events, which organises the matches. “Working with Tata Communications will enable us to deliver a brilliant viewing experience for fans, as the best teams of the Northern and Southern Hemispheres battle it out on the pitch.”
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Tata Communications was the Official Connectivity Provider of Formula 1® between 2012 and 2019. Tata Communications was also the Official Managed Connectivity Supplier to Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport, and Official Digital Transformation Partner to ROKiT Williams Racing until the end of the 2019 season.
About Tata CommunicationsTata Communications Limited (CIN no: L64200MH1986PLC039266) along with its subsidiaries (Tata Communications) is a leading global provider of A New World of Communications™. With a leadership position in emerging markets, Tata Communications leverages its advanced solutions capabilities and domain expertise across its global and pan-India network to deliver managed solutions to multi-national enterprises, service providers and Indian consumers. The Tata Communications global network includes one of the most advanced and largest submarine cable networks and a Tier-1 IP network with connectivity to over 240 countries and territories across 400 PoPs, as well as nearly 1 million square feet of data centre and collocation space worldwide. Tata Communications’ depth and breadth of reach in emerging markets includes leadership in Indian enterprise data services and leadership in global international voice. Tata Communications Limited is listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange of India. https://www.tatacommunications.com Forward-looking and cautionary statementsCertain words and statements in this release concerning Tata Communications and its prospects, and other statements, including those relating to Tata Communications’ expected financial position, business strategy, the future development of Tata Communications’ operations, and the general economy in India, are forward-looking statements. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, including financial, regulatory and environmental, as well as those relating to industry growth and trend projections, which may cause actual results, performance or achievements of Tata Communications, or industry results, to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The important factors that could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from such forward-looking statements include, among others, failure to increase the volume of traffic on Tata Communications’ network; failure to develop new products and services that meet customer demands and generate acceptable margins; failure to successfully complete commercial testing of new technology and information systems to support new products and services, including voice transmission services; failure to stabilize or reduce the rate of price compression on certain of the company’s communications services; failure to integrate strategic acquisitions and changes in government policies or regulations of India and, in particular, changes relating to the administration of Tata Communications’ industry; and, in general, the economic, business and credit conditions in India. Additional factors that could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from such forward-looking statements, many of which are not in Tata Communications’ control, include, but are not limited to, those risk factors discussed in Tata Communications Limited’s Annual Reports. The Annual Reports of Tata Communications Limited are available at www.tatacommunications.com. Tata Communications is under no obligation to, and expressly disclaims any obligation to, update or alter its forward-looking statements. www.tatacommunications.com | @tata_comm © 2017 Tata Communications Ltd. All rights reserved. TATA COMMUNICATIONS and TATA are trademarks of Tata Sons Limited in certain countries. |