Latest news with #MathewJoseph
The Hindu
21-07-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Sports.com signs five-year ₹100-crore deal with Super League Kerala for streaming rights
a part of the USA-based SEGG Media Group, has signed a five-year global partnership with Super League Kerala that could increase the football league's viewership in a big way. 'This is a ₹100-crore deal and the contract is for five years. The global live streaming rights are now with Mathew Joseph, the CEO of the Super League Kerala (SLK), told The Hindu on Monday. 'This is also first entry into India, it will become the exclusive OTT platform for the SLK and it will be free of cost. That is what we are more interested in.' Joseph revealed the deal, signed in Dubai, will also help build more content around the SLK which attracted nearly 13 million viewers for its debut season last year. 'They will also help us with content creation around the SLK which they have done globally for many sports…behind the scenes, they create a lot of interesting documentaries,' said Joseph. 'This deal represents a huge leap forward for the SLK. It allows us to amplify our reach across continents while delivering world-class fan engagement and streaming experiences to millions who love Kerala football,' said Firoz Meeran, Director, SLK. 'This is more than a sports rights deal. To enter the Indian market through Kerala, a state with an electrifying football culture and millions of global fans, gives us a high-growth, cash-yielding product to launch the app with force.'
The Hindu
21-07-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Super League Kerala signs five-year Rs 100-crore streaming rights deal with Sports.com
a part of the USA-based SEGG Media Group, has signed a five-year global partnership with Super League Kerala that could increase the football league's viewership in a big way. 'This is a Rs 100-crore deal and the contract is for five years. The global live streaming rights are now with Mathew Joseph, the CEO of the Super League Kerala (SLK), told Sportstar on Monday. 'This is also first entry into India; it will become the exclusive OTT platform for the SLK, and it will be free of cost. That is what we are more interested in,' he added. Joseph revealed that the deal, signed in Dubai, will also help build more content around the SLK, which attracted nearly 13 million viewers for its debut season last year. ALSO READ | VP Suhair set to join Jamshedpur FC ahead of Durand Cup 'They will also help us with content creation around the SLK which they have done globally for many sports…behind the scenes, they create a lot of interesting documentaries,' said Joseph. 'This deal represents a huge leap forward for the SLK. It allows us to amplify our reach across continents while delivering world-class fan engagement and streaming experiences to millions who love Kerala football,' said Firoz Meeran, Director, SLK. 'This is more than a sports rights deal. To enter the Indian market through Kerala, a State with an electrifying football culture and millions of global fans, gives us a high-growth, cash-yielding product to launch the app with force,' Firoz added. Related Topics Super League Kerala
The Hindu
10-07-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
Super League Kerala launches project ‘Gamechanger' to unearth young football talent
The Super League Kerala has decided to cast the net wider in its search for players for the league this season. And it is keen to look at young talent and also intensely at the future. With this in mind, the SLK will launch its project 'Gamechanger', a major state-wide talent scouting programme, which will provide young footballers from Kerala with direct access to the league's professional teams. The trials, in different dates, will be held in Kannur, Malappuram, Thiruvananthapuram and Ernakulam from July 15 to August 6 and players picked from these trials will be invited to teams' pre-season training camps and stand a chance of earning a place in the SLK squads in the coming season. 'There are a lot of hidden gems in Kerala, we want to spot them and get them to play the league. Anybody can come and show their skill at the trials, they need not be State or district-level players.' said SLK Director Feroz Meeran here on Thursday. ALSO READ | Latest FIFA ranking of India - Blue Tigers drop six spots after loss to Hong Kong 'We've structured the trials to ensure every registered player gets the opportunity to perform in front of the scouts.' Each venue will have two-day trials, with the first day assigned for under-23 players (born between Dec. 15 2002 and Dec. 31 2008) while the second day will be open to those born on or before December 2002. 'Each player will be given 30 minutes to show their skill. We also have plans to bring in AI cameras and equipment to assess players,' said Mathew Joseph, the SLK's CEO. 'And players who have performed in one trial could also take part in other trials in different venues.' SLK representatives and scouts from the league's six teams will be watching the players closely. 'I believe around 40% of the talent in the State still remains hidden, we want to bring them out, we want to give them a chance,' said Shaji Kurian, the general secretary of the Kerala Football Association. Interested players are to register in advance and online registration forms will be available on the SLK's official platform. Trials dates and venues: July 15-16: Pariyaram Medical College ground, Kannur. July 22-23: Seethi Haji Stadium, Edvanna, Malappuram. July 29-30: Chandrasekharan Nair Stadium, Thiruvananthapuram. August 5-6: Ernakulam (venue to be announced soon). Related Topics Super League Kerala
New Indian Express
13-06-2025
- Sport
- New Indian Express
A life-changing whistle blows for Kerala's brightest football talents
KOCHI: Twelve young footballers from Kerala are about to live a dream stitched together by sweat, skill, and sheer determination. Selected from a staggering pool of over 3,600 players, these 12 boys — born in 2008 and 2009 — have emerged as the cream of a year-long, state-wide training initiative by Andres Iniesta Scouting in partnership with Super League Kerala (SLK). On Thursday, they flew to Malaysia for an intensive 12-day training stint at the prestigious Villarreal Malaysia Academy — a global-level development centre affiliated to La Liga's Villarreal CF. The journey to the final 12 was no ordinary one, officials said. It began in Kerala's heartlands — Kannur, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Palakkad, Thrissur, Ernakulam and Alappuzha — where thousands of hopefuls turned up for open trials. International scouts from Spain and Argentina, working closely with local coaches, evaluated raw potential, grit, and game sense in wave after wave of young talent. These players then passed through two intensive phases of selection, including performances at the Chakola Gold Trophy, part of the Kerala Football Association's Kerala Youth Development Programme (KYDP). What followed was relentless coaching, close monitoring, and finally, a golden ticket to Malaysia. 'This isn't just training — it's transformation,' said KFA president Navas Meeran. 'These kids will train under UEFA-certified coaches, play friendlies, study the game inside classrooms, and come back with exposure that is almost unmatched. Programmes like these are building a football ecosystem where dreams don't die young,' he added. 'Some of them have never boarded a flight before,' said SLK CEO Mathew Joseph. 'This isn't just about football — it's about opening up new worlds. A professional international facility can completely change how they view their future,' Joseph added. SLK Director Feroz Meeran put it simply: 'We are not just building players. We are building stories that can light up entire communities.' From dusty school fields to a training ground built to European standards, these 12 boys now carry Kerala's hopes — and perhaps their own futures— on their boots.
