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Deutscher Cricket Bund (DCB) announces an exciting 2026 season to showcase Germany as the leading European cricket nation, building world-class cricket IP’s

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ESSEN, Germany and MUMBAI, India, June 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — After the tremendous success of the recently concluded ‘5 match T20 International event – ‘Austria Tour of Germany,” DCB is all set to kick off its ambitious domestic set of events for 2026.

German Super League – Berlin edition starts at Mayfeld – next to the iconic OlympiaStadion from the 8th of June.

With a fixture of 43 T10 matches, 10 best clubs from the Berlin region will compete to be crowned champions. Legendary English umpire, Billy Bowden, will be the special guest, and will be officiating the final match.

Mr. Severin Weiss, the president of DCB, said, “In order to have a robust system, we need to have a strong domestic structure. It’s not about just having premier leagues and international contests, but building bottom up. And that’s what our core focus and mission is.” He added that for cricket in Europe and particularly in Germany to flourish, they need to attract more natives to take up the sport. Organizing good quality events, that are properly produced at the domestic level, will ensure they achieve this in the years to come.

The team at DCB is working methodically to achieve the stated mission.

Mr. Dieter Voight – DCB CEO – shed more light on the calendar events and stated, “In 2026, with strong collaboration and support of our regional partners, we have plans to conduct up to 8 domestic tournaments with about 300 matches. Add to this, we have 4 international events, the biggest being the Nordic Cup in August.”

The Nordic cup will see 5 women’s teams battle it out in August. The hosts will be joined by the Nordic national teams of Finland, Sweden, Denmark as well.

Germany will also host two more bilateral events, the next one being against Switzerland women’s in July.

Germany hopes to soon break into the top 30 men’s T20 ICC rankings. They won 4-1 against Austria and hope to continue their dominance on the field.

Donovan Miller has been appointed the head coach. Donovan brings in rich experience of working with English Counties, and top franchise tournaments. Coach along with the captain Musadiq Ahmed, who was sensational with the bat against Austria and was adjudged Man of the series, has the full trust and support of DCB to lead the team to achieve grander cricketing success.

With a robust domestic and international calendar in place, DCB is focussed on marketing the events and positioning German cricket as one of the most serious cricket destinations in Europe.

The important aspect is to reach as many people as possible, includes a strategic multi-media plan, which includes digital marketing as a key corner stone.

Dr. Vignaesh Sankaran, Vice President of the DCB, added: “Live broadcasting is only one part of the equation. Equally important is how we market our events, players, coaches, and sponsors to a wider audience. We do not want to miss this opportunity to grow the game and create value for all our stakeholders. The Austria–Germany international series generated more than five million impressions across all platforms. Together with our partners, SMW Global, we invited German influencer Liz Laz, whose content introduced German cricket to new audiences and significantly expanded our reach.

Germany is among the first European Associate Members to embrace this approach at scale, combining elite cricket with digital storytelling and influencer engagement. Through these efforts, we have achieved over 150% growth in viewership and now attract some of the largest cricket audiences in Europe.

Germany’s reputation for strong governance, professionalism, and high-quality event delivery also makes it an increasingly attractive market for sponsors and commercial partners. We will continue to build on this momentum and further strengthen Germany’s position as a leading cricket market in Europe.”

The Deutschland Cricket Board (DCB) has officially entered into a strategic partnership with SMW Global Media, with a long-term vision for collaboration. SMW Global Media will serve as the exclusive commercial rights partner, overseeing event production, ground branding, and sponsor asset delivery, while also supporting the DCB in developing consistent digital content and event promotion across platforms.

Azhan Ahsan, executive director – SMW Global Media, said, “The aim is to produce clean, high quality broadcasts, in decent budgets, allowing our federation partners the flexibility to produce more matches professionally. Consistent supply will expand the reach and grow commercial values of German cricket organically.” He added, “Germany is perhaps the only country in Europe that can on its own produce good quality cricket in such high volumes. Sponsors and media partners love it when there is a proper structure and a plan. And if we can add further value for all stakeholders by adding some spice on the digital content front, we can fast track brand Germany to newer markets and audiences. We are committed to that.”

The last event was broadcast LIVE worldwide on multiple platforms – FanCode, Action Sports, Unbeaten +, Unbeaten Prime, SportVot, Cricket Lounge TV, and German cricket’s official YouTube channel. It was also covered by all major data and scoring partners including ESPN, and Olympics.com.

About Deutscher Cricket Bund (DCB)

The Deutscher Cricket Bund is the governing body for cricket in Germany and is responsible for the development, promotion and organization of cricket activities across the country, including domestic, youth and international cricket structures.

For more information, please visit https://www.cricket.de/

About SMW Global Media

SMW Global Media is an international full-service sports agency that serves some of the major leagues, federations, teams and broadcasters in the world. With a global reach, they have been involved in projects in over 41 countries, annually distributing, selling and producing thousands of hours of live sports and work with over 100 broadcast partners. Their four core areas of expertise include Rights Management, Production Services, Streaming Solutions and Sponsorships. For more information, please visit, smwglobalmedia.com

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2996851/DCB_Crew.jpg
Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2996850/DCB_x_SMW_Logo.jpg

 

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CSTS and Borussia Dortmund Partner to Bring ‘EMMA’ and Football Culture Closer to Chinese Fans

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HONG KONG and BEIJING, June 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — CSTS Enterprises (“CSTS”) today announced a strategic collaboration with legendary German Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund (BVB) aimed at deepening football culture, youth engagement, and fan experiences across Mainland China.

Through its Generation C initiative, CSTS will work closely with Borussia Dortmund to deliver a series of football-driven events, community initiatives, and digital activations, anchored by the club’s iconic mascot, “EMMA”.

Bringing BVB and EMMA Closer to Chinese Fans
As one of the most popular European football clubs in China, Borussia Dortmund has built a strong connection with Chinese supporters over the past decade. EMMA, the club’s beloved mascot, has emerged as a recognisable and engaging figure among supporters through regular appearances at football festivals, retail activations, charity events, and youth programmes.

Under the collaboration, CSTS will spotlight EMMA across a curated programme of fan-focused initiatives designed to connect more deeply with local audiences. These will include:

Football events and matchday experiencesYouth training and grassroots football initiativesCommunity and charity outreach programmesTravel and sports-themed activations linked to global football culture

Expanding Fan Engagement Through Asia Tour Activations
As part of the partnership, CSTS will support a range of initiatives tied to Borussia Dortmund’s upcoming Asia Tour aimed at expanding access, engagement, and visibility for fans in the region. Key components include:

Asia Tour Content and Fan Engagement: Creation of exclusive behind-the-scenes and fan-focused content following Borussia Dortmund throughout the tour.Match Ticket Allocation and Promotions: Distribution of match tickets to enable broader fan participation in selected markets.Regional Sponsorship Visibility: CSTS and Generation C branding featured across selected tour activations and promotional campaigns.Player Meet-and-Greet Events: Fan engagement events in key cities across China, including Guangzhou, Nanjing, and Chengdu, featuring Borussia Dortmund legends and former World Cup and Champions League Champions.

Driving Community Impact and Youth Development
The collaboration emphasises grassroots football and community impact. EMMA will make physical appearances at CSTS activations, including youth football experiences and welfare institute visits to inspire young players and fans.

The partnership reflects CSTS’s commitment to meaningful football experiences and supports Borussia Dortmund’s Asian fan engagement strategy across grassroots development, digital innovation, and community outreach – creating lasting value for fans, young athletes, and communities across China.

Further announcements on specific event dates, activations and initiatives in coming weeks.

About CSTS Enterprises
CSTS Enterprises is an integrated media, entertainment, sports, and travel technology group. The company develops and partners with intellectual properties and brands to deliver compelling experiences that connect with local and regional audiences across the world. In addition to its own initiatives, including Generation C and PremierX, it collaborates with international IPs such as the FIFA World Cup, Formula 1, and Waterbomb.

CSTS integrates experiential marketing, tourism, data, and technology to deliver connected audience experiences. The company engages consumers across physical events and digital channels, working with clients to execute at scale across markets, turning complex activations into co-ordinated, measurable outcomes.

About Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund (BVB) is one of the most iconic and successful football clubs in Germany. With over 80,000 spectators on average, BVB offers a vibrant matchday experience in Signal Iduna Park, featuring the iconic “Yellow Wall”—Europe’s largest standing terrace. Founded in 1909, the club is built on a tradition of “True Love,” focusing on passionate fan engagement, high-energy football, and community unity. Driven by a 50+1 fan-ownership policy, Borussia Dortmund is dedicated to affordable ticket prices, authentic fan experiences, and a strong, accessible partnership model.

 

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SOURCE CSTS Enterprises

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50% More Efficient: iQIYI Emerging Film Project “None Shall Escape” Charts a New Path for AI Film Production With NadouPro

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BEIJING, June 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — On June 9, iQIYI, China’s leading online entertainment platform, launched “None Shall Escape” on iQIYI and iQIYI International, a psychological thriller under the platform’s Emerging Film Project initiative. The film is among the first feature films produced with the support of NadouPro, iQIYI’s AI platform built for professional film and television production, which helped the production achieve a nearly 50% improvement in overall shot production efficiency.

“None Shall Escape” centers on a young medical student who travels alone to a secluded Western-style manor in search of her missing twin sister. What begins as a desperate search turns into a psychological ordeal as she unravels the estate’s dark secrets, navigating the line between reason and madness to survive.

Rethinking the Visual Effects Workflow

NadouPro’s workspace addresses one of the most persistent pain points in large-scale productions: managing massive visual effects shots across teams. Through a project management feature purpose-built for professional workflows, it gives teams a centralized, scalable environment for shot tracking and scene management.

“NadouPro connects to many different large-model tools, allowing us to run the same prompt across models and identify which performed best for each shot type. The project management interface also allowed our team to organize shots, track progress, and communicate in real time, something other AI tools we had used simply could not offer,” said Yu ZHANG, Visual Effects Director of “None Shall Escape”, who is part of a seasoned visual effects team with experience across multiple major drama series and film projects.

From Concept to Screen

Leveraging NadouPro, the production team handled conceptual art design and shot generation for multiple visual effects sequences, while also applying the platform to enhance live-action footage through effects refinement, prop replacement, and atmosphere augmentation. For one of the film’s most AI-intensive sequence – depicting human cells mutating under an experimental drug – NadouPro compressed what would have been nearly a month of atmosphere development under a traditional workflow into under one week, saving approximately three weeks overall.

For another scene requiring post-war smoke and haze around the manor exterior, the traditional approach would have demanded extensive particle simulation and compositing, with frame-by-frame work covering smoke dynamics, light matching, and camera tracking. With NadouPro, the team imported the live-action footage directly into the platform and, drawing on its integrated large-model tools, rapidly generated multiple stylistic variants that closely replicated real on-set conditions.

Post-production Director Xingsheng HAN noted that integrating NadouPro into the visual effects pipeline improved overall shot production efficiency by nearly 50%. For him, AI is not a replacement for human creativity but a tool that frees production teams from repetitive work, allowing them to redirect their energy toward the creative process itself. “Even without AI, experienced visual effects professionals could produce these shots”, he said. “The real question is how we draw on existing production expertise to complete long-form projects more efficiently and to a higher standard.”

NadouPro’s Rapid Adoption and Global Expansion

“None Shall Escape” is among the first feature films completed with the support of NadouPro, marking a step forward in iQIYI’s continued progress toward an industrialized AI workflow for feature film production.

Since opening for commercial use on April 20, NadouPro has onboarded more than 10,000 active creators and supported over 100 iQIYI original productions in under one month, reflecting strong early adoption across the industry. As NadouPro continues to roll out new features and expand internationally, these milestones further demonstrate the platform’s capabilities to support professional long-form content creation.

CONTACT: iQIYI Press, press@qiyi.com

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SOURCE iQIYI Inc.

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Maritime Silk Road documentary wins silver Telly Award

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HAIKOU, China, June 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — A news report from chinadaily.com.cn

The Chinese documentary Silk Road Sunken Treasures won the Silver Award in the General Documentary (Short Form) category for television at the 47th Telly Awards — one of the longest-running and most prestigious honors in international film and video production. It stood out from more than 13,000 entries submitted from over 50 countries.

The documentary — produced by CGTN under China Media Group — used compelling deep-sea footage and rigorous academic interpretations to bring the story of a milestone Chinese deep-sea archaeology discovery to a global audience.

The film presents the discovery and investigation of shipwreck sites on the northwestern slope of the South China Sea. The judges said it makes these findings accessible and emotionally resonant for viewers worldwide and marks a significant step in telling just what deep-sea archaeology is all about beyond the specialist research community.

From 2023 to 2024 — under the coordination of the National Cultural Heritage Administration — archaeological teams conducted systematic and groundbreaking surveys of two shipwreck sites located at a depth of about 1,500 meters southeast of Sanya.

The project involved 70 days of offshore operations and 63 dives by the crewed submersible Shenhai Yongshi — successfully recovering 928 cultural relics.

Archaeological research confirmed that both vessels were ancient trading ships dating to the Hongzhi and Zhengde periods of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

The total estimated number of artifacts at the sites exceeds 100,000 pieces — making it one of the most significant underwater archaeological discoveries in the world in recent years and providing vivid evidence of the commercial vitality of the ancient Maritime Silk Road.

A spokesperson for the Hainan Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology said the shipwreck sites on the northwestern slope of the South China Sea represented a marine cultural heritage site of both local and global significance, bearing witness to Hainan’s deep-rooted maritime civilization.

Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2996898/image1.jpg

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/maritime-silk-road-documentary-wins-silver-telly-award-302798888.html

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