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Tag: NP Singh

  • Six bags rights for Uefa Euro 2016

    Six bags rights for Uefa Euro 2016

     MUMBAI: MultiScreenMedia’s (MSM) sports channel Sony Six has added a feather in its cap in its bid to bag marquee properties that appeal to the youth.

     

    It has won the rights for the Uefa Euro 2016 soccer tourney across the Indian sub-continent. The channel will telecast live all 51 matches of the tournament. Last year’s edition aired on Neo. It has been learnt that Neo had paid around $10 million for it and the MSM deal was a substantial jump.

     

    The Euro, it is worth noting is the third most valuable soccer property behind the soccer World Cup and the English Premier League (EPL). The top European nations take part in it to find out which is the best in soccer. This acquisition is significant for Six as this marks its first entry into international football. The channel has aired the 2014 Fifa WC Qualifiers. The Euro 2016 event is the first successful acquisition of a major professional football competition by the channel.

     

    MSM CEO Man Jit Singh said, “Football has grown immensely in India over the past few years and has found great interest amongst the youth. With the successful acquisition of the Uefa Euro 2016 tournament broadcasting rights, we look forward to attracting viewership to Sony Six by leveraging on the growing popularity of European football in the country.”

     

    MSM COO NP Singh said, “We are delighted to bring one of football’s elite tournaments to the Indian viewers exclusively on Sony Six. As a broadcaster we are always in pursuit of the best of international sport and through our latest acquisition we will take the fans closer to the high impact action that the Uefa Euro 2016 promises to deliver.”

     

    Uefa marketing director Guy-Laurent Epstein said, “We are pleased to welcome Sony Six to the family of broadcasters for the Uefa Euro 2016. Uefa believes that the Sony Six channel and its commitment to high quality programming and sport is an excellent home for Uefa’s flagship national team competition.”

     

    Euro 2016 will be held in France with provisional dates of 10 June – 10 July 2016. For the first time in the tournament’s history, the 2016 finals will be a 24 team tournament, having been expanded from the 16 team format that had been used since 1996. At the finals, it is proposed that teams will be eliminated using a new format of six groups of four, followed by three knockout rounds, followed by the final. France has inherited direct entry into finals.

     

    In terms of other big soccer properties the 2014 World Cup rights are coming up for grabs as well and there would be competition for that as well. MSM president network sales, licensing and telephony Rohit Gupta said that the aim is to acquire marquee properties that appeal to the youth. “We already have the IPL which is the biggest property. We have identified soccer as a sport that we need to have. Euro was a big opportunity. As other properties come along like the World Cup we will evaluate them.”

     

  • MSM ups the ante for promoting IPL

    MUMBAI: With just a month and a half left for cricket’s biggest extravaganza to begin, Max, the official broadcaster of the Indian Premier League (IPL), has embarked on an extensive marketing campaign that is aimed at improving viewer stickiness and increasing the engagement level.

    The theme of the marketing campaign is ‘Sirf Dekhneka Nahi’ which calls upon viewers to celebrate every boundary hit or fall of wicket like they would do in a stadium.

    While executives at Multi Screen Media refused to talk about the extent of marketing spends, sources say the broadcaster has earmarked Rs 220-250 million for the pan-India marketing campaign.

    The marketing spends have gone up by 20-25 per cent over last year, the source added.

    Almost 60 per cent of the marketing budget will be devoted towards television and print, while the remaining 40 per cent will go towards mediums like radio, outdoor, digital and on-ground activations.

    The broadcaster is also evaluating whether or not to advertise during the India-Australia Test series which will air on Star Cricket.

    With dance being the key feature of the campaign, the broadcaster has roped in ace choreographer Farah Khan who would feature in a series of television commercials.

    The campaign drawn from the insight that cricket is not just a game but a passion will see Farah asking viewers to support their favourite team by grooving to the signature IPL tune composed by the music director duo of Vishal and Shekhar.

    MSM COO NP Singh said that the idea behind the campaign is to raise the engagement level around the IPL by engaging cricket fans through various touch-points like television, radio, print, digital and outdoor.

    “It became a passive viewing habit, so we wanted to increase the level of participation among the viewers. Therefore the campaign theme ‘Sirf Dekhneka Nahi‘. The same theme will be used across all our marketing campaign whether it is print, outdoor or digital,” said Singh.

    According to him, dance has a universal appeal and will help the broadcaster in breaking through the barriers of age and language.

    “Dance has a universal appeal and it cuts across all age groups and demographics. The idea is to make IPL successful through this campaign by engaging viewers,” he added.

    The marketing budget for the IPL has gone up vis-?-vis last year. However, Singh refused to talk about it.

    “Like every year, we will pull out all stops to promote the IPL. We will use all our network channels to push the marketing campaign. This time our network is much bigger than last year,” Singh asserted.

    Max’s creative agency JWT has created a series of three short films, three dance instruction videos and one big grand film featuring the choreographer.

    The three short films will showcase women, working professionals and families celebrating the IPL together with Farah Khan teaching them the signature dance steps. These campaign films will lead to the grand film which will highlight how IPL binds cricket with dance and celebration.

    Singh feels that the IPL ratings are still holding strong at an average of 3.5 TVR compared to an all-time high of 5.51 TVR that it achieved in 2010 when the tournament returned to India.

    “My belief is that the IPL ratings have stabilised at a strong 3.5 TVR level, despite the fact that the number of matches have gone up. My feeling is that the ratings this year will be better than last year. The marketing campaign that we have launched will help us attract viewers to watch the IPL,” he averred.

    IPL’s format coupled with the presence of a galaxy of cricket stars both Indian and foreign is what will deliver ratings for IPL, believes Singh.

    MSM EVP and Business Head of Max Neeraj Vyas revealed that the broadcaster will go for large-scale activations on digital medium. The strategy is to go viral as the campaign lends itself to the digital medium.

    “While television will be the main stay of the campaign, we will also have activations on mobile and internet as song and dance lends itself to this medium. For example we will ask users to upload videos as to how they will celebrate when a boundary is hit or a wicket falls,” he says.

    MSM SVP and marketing & communications head of Max Gaurav Seth said the thought behind the campaign is to make viewers excited about the IPL which would lead to greater stickiness.

    “The message is not to just sit at home and watch it passively. What we are saying is like you celebrate in the stadium when a boundary is hit, why not do that at home,” Seth elaborated.

    Seth said that the brief given to the agency was to create a campaign that reflects India’s passion for the game. He also feels that unlike cricket IPL is more of a family phenomenon and therefore the campaigns are designed in a manner that it appeals to each member of the family.

    “The campaign is designed in such a way that it showcases IPL as the ultimate sports and entertainment property in India. Tell me one property that delivers that so much value to advertisers and viewers,” Seth maintained.

    For the record, MSM has roped in three sponsors for season 6 of IPL. Vodafone and Pepsi have come on board as co-presenting sponsors, while Tata DoCoMo is going to be an associate sponsor. MSM is looking at two co-presenting and eight associate sponsors.

    The IPL this year will be simulcast on Max, which has been the home of IPL for the last year five years, and sports entertainment channel Six. The IPL will be available on a High Definition (HD) feed in English and a Standard Definition feed in Hindi on Six and a SD feed on Max.

    Featuring nine teams and 76 games, the IPL will be held from 3 April to 26 May.

  • Sony narrows gap with genre leader Star Plus

    Sony narrows gap with genre leader Star Plus

    MUMBAI: The folks at Sony Entertainment Television (Set) are popping the bubbly. Reason: for the second week in a row, the lead channel in the Multiscreen Media (MSM) stable has held on its second spot in the Hindi GEC pecking order. And not just that: it has chomped away another seven GRPs from the entire GEC pie, coming very close to snatching leadership from numero uno Star Plus with its ratings figure of 235.

    As per TAM data (C&S, 4+, HSM) provided by Hindi GECs, Set is just eight GRPs away from Star Plus riding on the back of its leading fiction property Bade Achhe Lagte Hain, that garnered 4.8 TVR (last week 4.2 TVR).

    Set is also banking upon its crime-based fiction shows – Crime Patrol that saw an increase in viewership to 4.1 TVR (last week 3.8 TVR) and C.I.D which garners an average of 3.5-plus TVR.

    Sony sees an opportunity to occupy the leadership chair with the soon-to-launch Amitabh Bachchan anchored show Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC).

    Says Anita Nayyar, who is joining Havas Media back as the India and South Asia CEO, “Historically, Sony has not been very consistent when it comes to ratings. But the channel has been doing consistently well since the past one year or so. Its shows like Bade Achhe Lagte hain have been doing well for them. The launch of KBC could be a gainer for Sony to some extent and could see it achieving new peaks. It will be a very close contender for the No.1 position.”

    And that will be some achievement for team Set – including Sneha Rajani, COO NP Singh, CEO ManJit Singh and president Rohit Gupta.

    Aegis Media CEO South Asia Ashish Bhasin does not expect Star India to take things lying down and allow SET to go ahead of it. Says he: “I am sure that Star Plus will come with something to fight and retain its position.”

    He, however, cautions that long term trends should be borne in mind before coming to any conclusions. Says he: “I don’t think that the data should be seen on week to week basis. The ranking of Star Plus, Sony, Colors and Zee TV will keep varying depending on one or two programmes that will be a hit for few weeks. In long term if somebody is falling behind, it will have an effect, but if in one week one channel is ahead and in the second week the other is ahead it won’t make much of a difference in the long run.”

    While for the second week in a row SET has gained, Star Plus has shaved 11 GRPs to end with 243 GRPs this week. Its leading fiction shows like Diya Aur Bati Hum and Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai have seen a slight dip in viewership.

    Colors on its part is at the No 3 spot with 228 GRPs, gaining some 14 GRPs. In the week ended 28 July, Colors‘ fiction show on child marriage Balika Vadhu has rated 4.3 TVR (last week 3.8). Its other fiction properties like Kairi, Sasural Simar Ka and Madhubala have also seen growths in viewership.

    Zee TV, meanwhile, added a GRP to close the week with 222 GRPs. Its flagship dancing reality show DID lil Masters continues to garner good numbers. The Saturday episode of the show registered 5 TVR (last week 4.4) while the Sunday episode clocked 4.7 TVR (last week 3.9).

    The second GEC from Sony Entertainment Network bouquet Sab added three GRPs to clock 132 GRPs while Life OK from the Star Network bouquet added six GRPs to record 107 GRPs. Sahara One with 42 GRPs (last week 41) remains at the bottom of the ladder.

  • SET India acquires slate of Bollywood titles from Eros

    SET India acquires slate of Bollywood titles from Eros

    MUMBAI: Sony Entertainment Television has acquired the global satellite rights for a package of films, including blockbuster hit Lage Raho Munnabhai, from leading Bollywood media and entertainment major Eros International.

    The deal gives Sony retain exclusive broadcasting rights to the original version of a slate of titles for five years and includes recent films like Salaam-e-Ishq as well as upcoming releases like Namastey London.

    Sunil Lulla, the director and president for India at Eros International, was quoted in an official statement as saying: “We have a strong relationship with all the leading Indian television networks and are delighted that Eros’ content will now be showcased on Sony Entertainment Television. It is one of the leading channels in India with a global footprint. We also regularly partner with Sony to market and promote our films through its extensive television network.”

    Said Set India CEO Kunal Dasgupta, “Eros is a major player within the Indian film sector and Bollywood films are a critical part of our programming mix. We are delighted to have secured this deal with Eros with whom we have enjoyed a great working relationship for several years.”

    Queried as to the number of titles in the package, Set India COO NP Singh said they comprised some 15-16 movies.

  • Sony beefs up 10 to 11 band with new soaps

    Sony beefs up 10 to 11 band with new soaps

    MUMBAI: Two new shows Durgesh Nandini and Jeete Hain Jiske Liye from the Sony stable will hit the small screen starting 5 February. The two soaps have been clubbed in the 10 to 11 pm band and will air from Monday to Thursday.

    While Durgesh Nandini replaces the recently concluded reality television series Bigg Boss slotted from 10 to 10:30 pm. The 10:30 to 11 pm slot was reserved for repeats of various shows on the channel. This slot will now air Jeete Hain Jiske Liye.

    According to the recently released TAM data for the last six months (15 July ’06 to 13 Jan ’07) – Sony is facing a long, hard climb at number three with its relative channel share at 12 to 13 per cent compared to Star Plus now at 40 per cent relative share and Zee hovering around 23 (Hindi GEC / TG CS 4+/ HSM Market).

    The two shows have been positioned to compete with Star’s K-sagas, especially the predominant players Star’s Kahaani Ghar Ghar Ki and Kyunki Saas Bhi Bahu Thi that airs within the same time band.

    Sony Entertainment Television chief creative director Sandiip Sikcand said, “It’s clear that Indian audiences will watch shows that bring out their best emotions. So Durgesh Nandini has a subtle tone of humour while Jeete Hain Jiske Liye is more intense. But both are essentially stories of women with grit and determination.”

    While the channel claims that its immediate focus is to spruce up this band, it has also revealed that it is planning to beef up its 9 to 10 prime time slot with new programming. Without giving out details, the channel is all set to look at a sitcom and even a game show.

    Sony Entertainment Television COO NP Singh says, “Around March-April 2006, we decided to take stock of our programming and come up with a healthy mix of fiction and non fiction programming. Reality series like Fear Factor, Jhalak Dikhla Jaa and Bigg Boss were results of that. While a third season of Indian Idols is already on the cards, we also wanted to get back to daily soaps.”

    While Durgesh Nandini is a comedy/drama loosely based on Bankim Chandra Chatterjee’s novel, SET India CEO Kunal Dasgupta revealed that Jeete Hai Jiske Liye has been adapted from an international telenovella. Both of them have women as their main protagonists. No surprises there. But Jeete Hain Jiske Liye star cast includes Renuka Shahane who will make a return to television after a five-year gap. Her popularity among television viewers should prove to be a huge factor in roping viewership for the show.

    Talking about bringing back some of the old shows in an attempt to garner viewership Singh says, “We believe that old brands which we have invested in and have been successful should be revived and made best use of. We decided to go back to shows like Boogie Woogie, CID, Aahaat and now Karamchand.”

    Sony made cricket and entertainment synonymous and the network is all geared up for World Cup 2007. While Max, Sab and Pix will air matches and shows around it , the channel is determined to keep Set cricket free and provide more entertainment for those taking a break from the game.

  • Sony set to launch ‘Bigg Boss’ on 3 November

    Sony set to launch ‘Bigg Boss’ on 3 November

    MUMBAI: Sony is ready to roll on its its big ticket property for the latter of half of 2006 – Bigg Boss, the Indianised version of the international format Big Brother.

    Can a show that has a highly voyeuristic core with a lot of negative machinations at play work in the Indian context? Most certainly, asserts Sony chief creative director Sandiip Sikcand. The reality show will have all the elements and more that make saas-bahu weepies such a rage in India, avers Sikcand, giving his reasoning on why he expects the concept to replicate the success it has enjoyed in territories like the UK.

    Bigg Boss launches Friday, 3 November, with the unveiling of the 13 celebrity participants. It will have a 12-week run, with telecast running from Monday through to Friday.

    On Fridays, Bigg Boss will run the elimination episode, where as the Monday to Thursday episodes will be packed with the regular drama and reality content. Significantly, Sony has opted for the 10 pm slot (Monday to Thursday) at a time when an interesting fight is going on between Star Plus and Zee TV in that time band. Bigg Boss will be confronting Star Plus’ Kahaani Ghar Ghar Ki, which airs from Monday to Thursday and Zee TV’s newly launched show Ghar Ki Lakshmi Betiyann.

    The Friday episodes are slotted for 9 pm. On Friday, Bigg Boss will be attacking Star Plus’ Baa, Baho and Baby and Zee TV’s Sa Re Ga Ma Pa L’il Champs’.

    Bigg Boss, the real life soap will have 13 celebrities confined inside a specially designed house where every single point in the house is within view of a video camera. The housemates will be watched by 28 cameras.

    They will not be permitted any contact with the outside world: no TV, radio, telephone, internet, not even writing materials. The public is invited to vote to evict one of the contestants. The last remaining is the winner who bags Rs 500000/-. The ‘Bigg Boss’, an omnipresent voice will be watching all the moves of the housemates. And the popular ‘Circuit’ of Munnabhai MBBS – Arshad Warsi – will be anchoring the show.

    The repeat telecast will be aired in the afternoons. Bigg Boss is regarded as Sony’s next big offering after Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahi and Indian Idol. Set India COO NP Singh believes that Bigg Boss, the format show that has successfully attracted millions of viewers over multiple seasons in some of the countries will change television viewing in India too.

    The channel is also planning a multiple season run for Bigg Boss. This time, they have roped in celebrities primarily because curiosity and obsession about the stars have exploded in the country, explains Sikcand.

    The channel has already started marketing this property through a 360 degree campaign. This would be the first time that the channel will be creating mobisodes for the format show. The users can access 30-second to 90-second clips, but Singh refused to divulge as to which telecom operator, the channel had inked a deal with.

    Internet will be yet another medium through which the channel will exhibit its property. A mircosite will be created, through which the streaming of the show will be offered and the mobile episodes will also be accessed, informs Singh.

    It remains to be seen if Bigg Boss brings in the big audiences that will help propel Sony back into the ratings reckoning.

  • Max goes the Extraaa mile for Champions Trophy

    Max goes the Extraaa mile for Champions Trophy

    MUMBAI: Cricket weds entertainment! With the Champions trophy in cricket kicking off in less than a month’s time on 7 October 2006, Max is adding more muscle to its wrap around show Extraaa Innings.

    Max executive VP and business head Albert Almeida notes that Max turned cricket into an entertainment property. This way it was able to hook in women and kids as well. This time he says that the Extraaa Innings content has been beefed up. For starters, in addition to the hosts Mandira Bedi and Charu Sharma, whom Max calls the first couple of cricket it has roped in television stars Rohit Roy and Shonali Nagrani as well. Roy will co-present various segments of Extraaa Innings. Nagrani will be the roving reporter. “Having said that Extraaa Innings will continue to be a judicious mix of serious cricketing action for the hardcore cricket buff and wholesome entertainment for the family,” Almeida adds.

    They will be joined by many experts on the game including former English opening batsman Geoffrey Boycott, former Indian cricket coach John Wright who will provide an insider’s touch, Navjot Singh Sidhu, who should add spice to the show, Barry Richards and Ian Chappell. On each match day Eztraaa Innings starts at 12:30 PM There will be a two-hour pre show, a show during the lunch break and a one-hour post show.

    A dual feed: Sony COO NP Singh says that this time around there will also be a Hindi feed on Sab. Three India matches, the semi finals and final will be aired on Sab. Maninder Singh, Atul Wassan and Saba Karim are among the commentators for this feed. The aim is to reach out better to places in the North like UP.

    Almeida says that Extraaa Innings haws been beefed keeping in mind factors like Indians increasingly becoming technologically savvy, they see cricketers as celebrities who do other things (like Sachin has his own restaurant).

    Max will organise a talent hunt using Extraaa Innings to promote it. The hunt looks for a roving reporter who will join the team to cover World Cup in the West Indies next year. There is also an interactive game Predict 2 Win, which allows fans to win prizes. The Gully Cricket initiative has been turned into a mobile game, which can be played by visiting the mobile portal 2525. Then the mascot of Max the tiger Deewana will now be a part of Extraaa Innings. There will be Deewana’s countdown of her game, his ratings of the game, players etc. Then there is also a Max Makeover.

    Here one will see fashion experts comment on the style quotient of the players.

    Of course features that were there before will return.
    These include Q&A. Here fans get to ask questions to the panel through SMS. Then there is Voice of India.

    Here Max’s expert panel will ask the audience to voice their opinion on issues. Answers can be sent through SMS or the internet. Message Board is a platform where viewers can send in goodwill messages to the Indian team through SMS. Another section India On tour offers a sneak peak into the daily routine of the Indian team. This will take them behind the scenes to the nets, practice matches etc.

    The DTH Plan: Sony CEO Kunal Dasgupta says that Max is talking to both DTH platforms Tata Sky and Dish TV regarding putting in interactive features. One feature will allow viewers the option to choose one of four angles to watch the match. Max also plans to offer highlight packages.

  • Sony firms up 10 pm slot with new thriller ‘Akela’, 2 more shows to follow

    Sony firms up 10 pm slot with new thriller ‘Akela’, 2 more shows to follow

    MUMBAI: After launching the one-hour weekly drama Vaidehi in the 10 pm slot on Mondays, Sony Entertainment Television (SET) India will now launch a thriller cum drama – Akela – on Tuesday at 10 pm.Akela, which will launch on 4 July as an hourly show, will soon be followed by two new shows at 10 pm slotted for Wednesday and Thursday. With these, the new programme launches at Sony, which began with the Friday lineup revamp, will culminate.

    SET India COO NP Singh said, “We have always taken pride in giving our viewers very distinctive and innovative programming that makes for wholesome family entertainment. With Akela, we are dealing with supernatural along with drama, an entire new genre that will throw new insights on the topic that has never been dealt with on television. The show comes from Fireworks and BP Singh, who have given successful thrillers like CID and Aahat, only reiterates our faith and confidence in the project. With Akela, we plan to take suspense dramas and thrillers to a different level.”

    Producer director BP Singh added, “Akela will be a soap with a difference. We are trying to break new grounds with a combination of soap and supernatural element. We have done popular thrillers in the past, but with Akela we are attempting to move into other areas.”

    Sony has tied up with cinema halls where Akela trailers will run along with movie trailers like Krissh. The channel has unleashed a 360 degree multimedia campaign comprising print, television, outdoor and internet. “The print campaign for Akela will begin on 4 July. The campaign will also have an extensive outdoor presence via railway stations, bus backs, bus shelters and malls. We have also tied up with radio and cable channels for cross promotion,” said SET India senior vice president and programming head Anupama Mondloi.

    Akela stars Sudhanshu Pandey, Sumeet Raghvan, Ashka Goradia, Pankaj Dheer, Mihir Misra, MAhii Vij, Nandita Puri, Navni Parihar and Viju Khote amongst others.