Would you like a Shaz & Waz cap? How about Shaz & Waz eau de cologne? Or Shaz & Waz cricketing gear? Riding on the popularity of the Shaz & Waz Show, first shown on January 2 during the Indian cricket team's tour of Australia, ESPN Star Sports is drawing up plans to come out with Shaz & Waz merchandise.
ESPN Star Sports officials say plans are on the drawing board and a final announcement will be made shortly. The company is also working on some on-ground and off-ground promos with the two cricketers. Details are under wraps.
On their part, Shaz and Waz are convinced they have struck the right chord with the audience for ESPN Star Sports to take the gamble. "There are 360 degree opportunities," says Ravi 'Shaz' Shastri. "The possibilities are immense," adds Wasim 'Waz' Akram added.
The former cricketers are in Delhi for a golf tournament. Shastri's celebrity management company Showdiff, incidentally, has bagged Akram as a client for global markets. Asked if the two would come together in commercials as Shaz and Waz in the near future, Shastri admits it is possible.
A tea-time show during the India-Australia Test matches, Shaz & Waz was received well by viewers. As many as 9,000 SMS were received during the first show itself.
On the first two days of its launch during the Sydney Test Match on STAR Sports on January 2-3, Shaz & Waz received an average of 3.8 TVRs. The average for the teatime show on the previous days of the Test series was 2.3. Shaz & Waz raised this by 65 per cent. This is the highest for a cricket-related show on ESPN STAR Sports.
It has also been decided by ESPN Star Sports to make Shaz & Waz a regular feature of cricket coverage on its sports channels. There is also a possibility that men could be invited to the show in future. Says Shastri: "if there are some interesting characters in the crowd, why not?" The question is, would that generate such high viewership?
