Behind The Scenes

ESPN Emerging Technology opens first international office in Bangalore

From left to right – Ismail Nadaf, Krishna Chaitanya, Joseph Chelliah, Murugan Muthusamy, Sarita Kumari, Manu Lakshme, Priyanka Ben and Gopi Pandurangan

Last month, ESPN’s Emerging Technology opened its first international office in Bangalore, India.

The office will be led by former Bristol, Conn. resident Gopi Pandurangan, Director of Emerging Technology, and housed in the ESPN Digital Bangalore (formerly Cricinfo) building in Bangalore.

The expansion has several important functions for the Emerging Technology team. For one, it will provide for greater access to international sports data from Cricket, Rugby and Soccer as ESPN continues to build a single, all-inclusive, global source of sports data for the company. Ultimately, this collection of data will allow for increased international sports coverage, quicker access to sports data and improved data consistency across platforms.

The team is also excited to take advantage of the time difference between Bristol and Bangalore, nine and-a-half hours, which will allow for around-the-clock production and support.

Front Row spoke to Gopi Pandurangan about his transition from Connecticut to Bangalore and how he believes his team will be able to better serve fans in this new location.

Why is it so important to be closer to international sports like cricket and rugby right now?
After soccer, cricket is the next favorite sport across the world and has huge fan base in South Asia. Asia and Europe are very promising markets for ESPN and there is a lot of room for international growth. In Bangalore, we do get a huge pool of local talent who can bring the local cultural flavors to the discussion to enrich the products offered by ESPN locally.

What was it like transitioning from Bristol to Bangalore?
This isn’t much of a difference at work except for minor cultural changes because we are linked to Bristol very well. Outside of work, the commute is much tougher. It takes me 60 minutes to travel a 10-kilometer (6.2-mile) distance. Most importantly, the weather is sub-tropical throughout the year (60F to 95F) with no snow.

How will the 24/7 cycle of production better serve sports fans?
With the time difference between Bristol and Bangalore and the fact that we are connected to our network, the production team in Bristol will get off-hours support and development turnover from the Bristol team. Our domestic sports teams will get support and development in Bristol during daytime hours, and international sports will have support and development throughout the night.

From Left to Right - Krishna Chaitanya, Joseph Chelliah, Ismail Nadaf, Gopi Pandurangan, Jay Devassy (Bristol Team), Murugan Muthusamy, Manu Lakshme, Sarita Kumari, Priyanka Ben
Back to top button