Rainshine Entertainment’s CM Studios and Lightstream has bagged silver in the ‘Best Branded Content of the Year’ category for the docuseries, Hoop Nation at Digital Re-Invent 2020, the ‘OTT & Digital Marketing Awards’ organised by Promax India on 27 February 2020. The leading industry event aims to support and recognise outstanding digital entertainment in India across categories.
Conceptualised and produced by CM Studios and Lightstream, Hoop Nation is a unique four-part lyrical docu-series done in collaboration with the National Basketball Association (NBA) and Uber. It takes viewers through powerful human stories from diverse terrains and communities in India, stories where basketball has played an integral role.
Commenting on the achievement, CM Studios and Lightstream CEO Anuraag Srivastava said, “We are overjoyed with the appreciation for Hoop Nation and are honoured to receive this award. The primary objective of the NBA’s docu-series was to create more resonance for basketball in India. We identified inspiring stories that cut across demographics and told them through music. That’s where hip-hop came in; a genre that originated specifically to tell the stories of the under dogs. We collaborated with four popular hip-hop artists, creating a series that marries the sub-cultures of basketball. This award is a testament to our capabilities, and we look forward to creating more impactful branded content this year.”
Unfolding the sub-cultures of basketball, artists such as Kaam Bhaari, Spitfire, Symphonic Movement and Dee MC have crafted a compelling narrative to flow along with the visuals. Unlike a traditional documentary, the artists sing the story, intercut with interviews with the individuals who feature in the series.
“We wanted to strike a chord by engaging with people across the country and creating awareness about basketball being more than just a sport. CM Studios helped us translate this into a reality with Hoop Nation. The docu-series is a window into the lives of people and communities from Sikkim, Chennai, Dharamshala, and Ludhiana, who have pushed boundaries to play the sport they love, making it an expression of struggle, nostalgia, pride and hope. It’s an incredible honor for the NBA and the entire team who worked on this to be recognized and awarded this prize,” added NBA India MD Rajesh Sethi.
Since the launch, the docu-series has received a total viewership of 26.3 million and a reach of 55 million. The videos have also garnered over 21 million views and 4.1 million views on Facebook and YouTube respectively.
Uber India Interim marketing director Sanjay Gupta mentioned, “Hoop Nation is a heartfelt series of people, overcoming all kinds of trials and their rather challenging destinies. Inspiring stories of them being able to breakthrough and transform their circumstances. We were extremely excited to partner with these stories, and our brand philosophy of #MoveForward made for a seamless fit. This is a well-deserved win.”