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  • SPN India recognised as one of the best companies for women in India

    SPN India recognised as one of the best companies for women in India

    MUMBAI: Entertainment and sports broadcast network, Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN), has been recognised as one of the best 100 companies for women to work for in India for 2017.

    The award is based on a prestigious study conducted by Working Mother – a global leader on gender equity and Avtar, a pioneer in diversity and inclusion in India. With women comprising 33 per cent of its workforce, the company has undertaken various award-winning initiatives to create a work environment in which they can truly fulfil their potential. Grooming women leaders at various levels and building an equal-opportunity, inclusive culture has one of the key focus areas for SPN.

    The network’s significant progress in this direction has been recognised in the study, making it the only media and entertainment company to be a part of the ranking this year.

    The Working Mother and Avtar Best Companies for Women in India is a one-of-its-kind study to identify, share, showcase and celebrate best practices from India’s best employers to foster women’s career advancement. The top 100 companies were chosen based on performance across seven key policy clusters namely workforce profile, flexible work, women’s recruitment and retention, benefits, paid-time off/parental leave, company culture, safety and security; 360 companies participated in the study, which is India’s largest and most rigorous gender analytics exercise.

    SPN was one of the first organisations in the country to extend maternity, adoption and surrogacy leave to six months well before it became mandated by law. Pregnant women can also avail preferential parking on the office premises. The network has a special provision of a mothers’ room, where a new mother can pump and store milk for her baby, and near-site crèche facilities for employees to avail for their children.

    SPN also priorities women’s safety through practices such as sensitising all employees on prevention of sexual harassment and training women employees on self-defence techniques. SPN CEO NP Singh said, “At SPN, we have an inclusive culture, which delivers fulfilling career experiences and growth opportunities. It is a tribute to our organisation’s culture that we are being recognised as among the top 100 companies for women in India.”

    SPN India CHRO Smriti K. Singh added, “Our people practices are designed to support women employees in the unique challenges they face while balancing and excelling at various roles in and outside the office. Being a part of this list reinforces our standing as an employer of choice.”

  • Sony Networks’ Indian channels cross 1 bn subs globally

    Sony Networks’ Indian channels cross 1 bn subs globally

    MUMBAI: It has crossed the billion subscriber mark making it a time to pop the champagne at Sony Pictures Networks India. The latest Q2 2018 financials (up to 30 September 2017) announced by Sony Corp reveals that there was a spike in its global subscriber base from 793.2 million to 1.206 billion, courtesy its Indian bunch of channels.

    The reason: the additional distribution that its latest acquisition – Ten Sports Network channels – garnered in various global markets. Additionally, it has been further pushing its existing channels on newer platforms globally. Sony Pictures Television’s media networks vertical operates 101 channels with 189 feeds in Asia, Australia and North America and has a total of 1.94 billion subscribers across the world (as of 30 September 2017).

    The 1.206 billion subs for India originating channels means that they account for more than 50 per cent of the total for the megacorp.

    Indian rival Zee Entertainment claims 1.3 billion viewers for its 35 domestic channels and 39 international channels which are available in 173 countries.

  • Sony India acquires Cricket Australia’s subcontinental media rights for six years

    Sony India acquires Cricket Australia’s subcontinental media rights for six years

    MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) has acquired the exclusive media rights for all men’s international matches played in Australia, beginning with the Magellan Ashes Series starting from 22 November to 8 January 2017( five test matches). The term of the deal is six years and will cover multiple Indian tours and visits by Pakistan, South Africa and the Ashes of 2021 – 22.

    Separately, SPN has also acquired the media rights for women’s international cricket played in Australia, beginning with the Commonwealth Bank Ashes later this month, along with the KFC BBL (Big Bash League) and the Rebel WBBL (Women’s Big Bash League).

    SPN will have extensive access to content from Cricket Australia’s archives and some original programming from the newly-created CA Productions team. The agreement for the Indian subcontinent covers a number of countries, including Pakistan and Sri Lanka, and SPN will broadcast Australian cricket via its sports network of 11 channels.

    SPN India CEO, NP Singh said, “SPN is committed to redefining the sports broadcasting landscape in the Indian subcontinent by curating a multi-sport culture. Our sports network comprising of 11 channels will offer something for everyone. Cricket enjoys a high viewership in India and with the acquisition of the media rights of Cricket Australia, we are ensuring that the viewer has continuous cricketing action, all through the year.”

    Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland said, “Sony understands the global value of Australian cricket. We’re also delighted with their support of our national women’s team, and the men’s and women’s Big Bash. Our summer of Big Bash will continue to expand and highlight the excitement and quality of our game. One of Australian cricket’s key strategies is to ensure it has a sustainable approach to investment, so that we can keep growing the game, and the six-year deal with SPN is part of that strategy.”

    SPN India president sports and distribution business Rajesh Kaul said, “Cricket Australia complements our existing portfolio of five International Cricket Boards further positioning us as the premier destination for the sport. The content line-up across the six boards strengthens our position in cricket broadcasting. Cricket fans can look forward to a full season of cricketing sporting action on our network.”

    Cricket Australia executive general manager of broadcasting, digital Media and Commercial Ben Amarflo said, “CA’s Media Rights and Broadcasting team is thrilled to have inked a deal with Sony as the new media rights partner for the subcontinent region, taking in key markets such as India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. We will have numerous tours by India over the next few years, along with Australia playing against other subcontinental cricket teams.”

    “Sony has done an exceptional job growing cricket in India with its ground-breaking broadcasting of the IPL and its widespread coverage of international cricket. To have our international and domestic cricket carried on such a premium sports platform as SPN is important to the continued growth and promotion of Australian and bilateral cricket in the region. We are looking forward to being a part of Sony’s elite cricket stable and it all kicks off next month with the Ashes,” Ben Amarflo added.

  • Sony nets 11 KBC sponsors, ad inventory almost sold out

    Sony nets 11 KBC sponsors, ad inventory almost sold out

    MUMBAI: Five days from now, when Kaun Banegi Crorepati (KBC)  fans tune into the iconic Amitabh Bachchan-hosted long-running millionaire game show)  on Sony Entertainment Television (SET) from 9 pm to 10:30 pm, they will come across quite a few innovations.

    For one, they will notice that KBC in its ninth season has been shortened to just 35 episodes with each one having a duration of between 50-60 minutes of content.  

    Then they will observe that lifelines that are provided to contestants  – when they are stumped by the quiz question put to them by Mr Bachchan – are refreshingly different.

    Instead of phone a friend,  they will be able to video a friend. A new lifeline Jodidaar (companion) has been introduced – wherein the participant can bring along a partner to join him/her on the coveted hot seat. The iconic large-sized cheques are also being replaced with digital currency which will be  transferred directly into the winner’s account via Axis Bank, keeping in mind prime minister Narendra Modi digital financial  transaction directive.

    Of  course, the show will air Monday to Friday of each week. And it’s coming on air three years after it was aired the last time in 2014.

    Produced  by the ever so loveable team of Siddharth ‘Babu’ Basu and Anita Kaul Basu for Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI),  an interesting twist has been introduced in the KBC narrative, which is likely to add a lot of excitement and drama for both participants and viewers.

    A jackpot question, which will make the contestant richer by a mouth-watering Rs 70 million – should he or she answer it correctly after he has gone past the 15 quizzing rounds successfully and won Rs 10 million – has been brought in. This will be an all or nothing deal, wherein the quizzer’s remaining lifelines will terminate. Should the contestant fail to answer the jackpot question, his or her earnings will evaporate from Rs 10 million to Rs 3,40,000.

    Says SET  EVP and business head Danish Khan: “We wanted to make KBC  pacier, with innovations being thrown in so that viewers stay engaged. People don’t have too much patience. They want a lot of action packed into one hour.”

    The  team has also paintstakingly worked on contestant selection. Says Khan: “The aim is to live up to the promise of celebrating the common Indian and his/her exemplary contribution to the society.”

    Bachchan will also invite real-life-heroes in special episodes which are to be aired every Friday. These individuals will not only be given an opportunity to play the game, but also be provided a platform to reach out to the country in support of their cause. Among the contestants who are slated to take part include  Indian women’s cricket heroes Mithali Raj and  Harmanpreet Kaur.

    Sony Pictures Networks India CEO NP Singh points out:   “KBC truly does go beyond the ordinary to touch the lives of people from all walks of life. This show has always exemplified attainment via the power of knowledge.”

    Kaun Banega Crorepati will bring the game closer to  viewers by taking the engagement a notch higher. Jio – which is title sponsoring KBC this year – subscribers can participate daily in the Ghar Baithe Jackpot Jeeto contest and stand a chance to win a Datsun redi-GO car every day. For the first time ever Jio subscribers will have the opportunity to ‘Play Along’ with the on-air game and match their knowledge with the contestants on the hot seat.

    KBC, like earlier years, has managed to appeal to a wide array of sponsors even before the show has gone on air. Which speaks volumes for its pedigree.

    11 of them, including Vivo, Jio, Ching’s, Datsun, Raymond, Axis Bank, Akash Tutorial, Big Bazar and Quick Heal have signed on the dotted line.

    “The complete inventory has been sold out. This is one of the best seasons we have had so far because we have been completely sold out before the start of the show,” says SPNI network sales president Rohit Gupta.

    Gupta revealed that only five per cent of the air time has been kept aside for advertisers wanting to get on board as the season progresses and the show gathers momentum and grows its viewership.

    “We might sell this during the Diwali  festive season to get a higher premium,” he says.

    Gupta refused to go into detail about the amount of revenues and the ad rates that have been pegged this year.

    Says he:  “Comparing  this season and the last one would be unfair as this time the number of episodes is different. But you can say that the ad rates have gone up by 15-20 per cent this year.”

    According to industry experts, Gupta and his  sales team have priced a 10 second TV spot at ₹3.5 lakh to start with, which is a growth of 20 per cent over what it was when KBC went  on air in the last season.

    Says Singh:“The new avatar you are seeing for KBC  has been guided by audience insights. The show truly does go beyond the ordinary to touch the lives of people from all walks of life. It  has always exemplified attainment via the power of knowledge.”

    Adds Big Synergy creative producer Siddharth Basu: “The huge number of registrations for a crack at the hot seat is one pointer to the enormous anticipation for the show. Along with much-loved features of the classic format, viewers can look forward to expect the unexpected this season, a turbo-charged version, with novel features, engaging contestants, and vibrant conduct by the host who’s the most – Amitabh Bachchan.”

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  • Hat-trick: Sony Pictures Distribution among best Indian media companies

    MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Networks Distribution India Pvt. Ltd. (SPND), the distribution arm and wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN), has been ranked as one of the best company to work for in the media industry by the Great Place to Work® Institute, for 2017. Sony Pictures Networks Distribution has been recognized as INDIA’s GREAT MID – SIZE WORKPLACES 2017 and ranked at the 5th position, amongst the TOP 50 companies. SPND is the only media company to be featured on this list for the third time in a row. This award was presented by the global research organisation – Great Place To Work® Institute, India in association with Mint.

    The Great Place to Work® Institute is a firm that assists organisations to identify, create and sustain great workplaces through the development of high-trust cultures. In its 14th edition, India’s Best Companies to Work For study attracted participation from 219 organisations, ranging across industries, including a 7% participation from the media industry alone. This study was done with the most rigorous, credible and comprehensive methodologies to identify organizations in achievement of their goals.

    Sony Pictures Networks Distribution India Pvt. Ltd. undertook the Trust Index Survey & Culture Audit People Practices assessment – a two lens model that measure employees’ perception and assesses management practices. Once again SPND surpassed the average industry percentage of positive responses measured through five parameters – credibility, respect, fairness, pride and camaraderie and raised the bar of their people practices over last year

    According to the Institute’s research, a Great Place to Work® is one where the company’s framework is employee-centric and inculcates a sense of trust, pride and camaraderie amongst the employees. It is an indisputable fact today that creating a great workplace is an integral part of an organisation’s strategy. SPND believes in empowering its employees to achieve dynamic results which comes with the commitment towards the social, economic and intellectual growth of its diverse employees in an evolving ecosystem.

    Sony Pictures Networks India CEO NP Singh: “Every organization is shaped by its employees and for us to be recognised as a Great Place To Work is as best as it can get. This award is of immense significance to us as it resonates with our goal to Go-Beyond the ordinary and script the future that we want to belong to. Our values are co-shared by our employees and it reflects in our performance as well. I am extremely humbled by our employees’ commitment to our goals and determination to excel in every sphere.”

    SPNI president – distribution and sports business Rajesh Kaul: “Being among the great places to work in India for a third time in a row is both, an honour and a responsibility. Our endeavour has always been to make Sony Pictures Networks Distribution an organization which nurtures employees as family and expresses its care for them not only via friendly policies but also by fulfilling their career expectations. We are privileged to receive this award and will continue to go-beyond in our endeavour to excel our own standards.”

    SPNI director – HR Hema Malhotra: “Great minds make SPND a Great Place to Work where our employees are the biggest asset of our organization, coupled with effective leadership, compelling employer brand and a high-performance culture. Our initiatives around learning and development, wellbeing, diversity and Inclusion are progressive and note-worthy, which are some of the tools to engage, motivate and retain employees. All this coupled with employee friendly practices create agility through innovation and help the organisation Go-beyond the ordinary.”

  • Sony Pictures IMS acquires majority stake in ad network Httpool

    MUMBAI: IMS Internet Media Services (IMS), a subsidiary of Sony Pictures Television Networks and one of the largest digital ad sales and media buying companies in Latin America, has announced it has reached an agreement to acquire a majority stake in Httpool, an international cross channel ad network, with a presence in Central and Eastern Europe and Asia.

    Subject to regulatory approval, the deal will create one of the largest digital marketing and ad sales companies in the industry, with a combined operation supporting more than 6000 agencies and brands worldwide, and exclusively representing Twitter, LinkedIn, Spotify and more than 5000 global and local publishers across 30 countries in Latin America, Central and Eastern Europe, and the Asia Pacific regions.

    This alliance includes acquisition of Httpool India that was founded in 2010 and has offices in Mumbai & Delhi, working with over 300 brands and executing over 2500 campaigns annually, across all channels of digital advertising. This partnership with IMS will give Httpool India access to a diverse range of products and technologies from enriched markets, as well as knowledge sharing of best practices, that will not only expand their portfolio but also help in their endeavor to change the dynamics of Indian digital advertising.

    “This acquisition will enable IMS to develop some of the highest-potential geographies across Europe and Asia, and create a truly global company. IMS and Httpool together can offer an end-to-end solution in digital marketing campaign delivery, helping partners with our deep knowledge of local markets, and empowering local publishers, advertisers and 1000s of digital professionals and entrepreneurs,” said IMS CEO Gastón Taratuta.

    “With the coming together of IMS and Httpool, we enhance our digital offerings to include superior services for ad targeting and delivery. Moreover, this allows SPN to augment its service offerings to an already robust list of advertisers. This initiative will go a long way in helping us grow our digital business,” said Sony Pictures Network India CEO NP Singh.

    “We have always been committed to providing cutting edge technology and media products along with exceptional services with access to best practices, and joining the Sony-IMS family enables us in taking this ambition forward. Integration of Sony’s eminent presence in the country and Httpool’s expertise will further elevate the digital advertising experience for all our partners and provide us with a platform to create a greater impact in an exhaustive market like India. This association will not only help Httpool India to showcase our expertise but also fuel our growth to help expand our proprietary solutions across the market,” added Httpool India MD Sunny Nagpal.

    “Httpool and its team established an amazing international position, developed complementary ad technologies and share the same entrepreneurial values as IMS. By joining forces, the two groups can make a lasting impact on the broader digital ecosystem through continuous innovation, openness, creativity and partnerships,” Taratuta added.

  • Only India still has 70:30 ad-to-distribution rev, says Sony’s Neeraj Vyas

    MUMBAI: On 13 June, Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI)’s comedy channel Sony Sab unveiled its latest identity. It has roped in the Bollywood hearthrob Varun Dhawan as its brand ambassador.

    The ‘re-energised’ channel will see a new line-up of comedy shows, lively packaging and vibrant visuals aimed at providing an enriching and revitalised visual experience to its audience. The channel has relaunched with new shows but, by August 2017, the channel has planned to launch an exciting line-up for its viewers.

    The positioning of the channel as a family channel will remain the same as assured by the network but, going forward, the network has planned to expand the prime time.

    Talking to Indiantelevision.com about extending the prime time and launching afternoon band, SPNI Sab and Max cluster senior EVP and head Neeraj Vyas said that it’s a learning phase right now. He also said that a channel dropped by 50 GRPs in the last six months, but refused to name the channel.

    “(However,) Star (India) seems to be getting it right with the help of its huge base. But, I don’t think it’s working for many other people (channels). So, we will wait and watch, because the critical mass audience in the afternoon band is not significant. Also, women are not my primary TG right now. To get them to watch television in the afternoon is difficult. To experiment now may not be the right thing to do, but you never know. We might come up with something like a weekend afternoon,” Vyas added.

    Speaking about the distribution investment, SPNI CEO NP Singh said, “We have made investment in distribution in the last couple of years. In fact, in the last couple of months, we have made investments across major DPOs — and, all that will impact the reach of the channel.” “This repositioning and relaunch will also help to build the reach,” he added.

    Prodded about the ratio of distribution and ad revenue, Vyas informed “It’s too early to talk about that, particularly, and the television ecosystem at large. We are the only country which still has 70:30 ratio of advertising-to-distribution revenue. Everything needs to be digitised, and there has to be a subscriber management system. Not only for Sab TV but I think, for everyone, the ratio should be reversed.”

  • Sony to rebrand Ten Sports channels next month

    MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Network India is all set to rebrand five Ten sports channels acquired from Zee last year.

    Confirming the news to Indiantelevision.com, SPNI CEO NP Singh said that channels will be rebranded next month.

    In February, the network completed the first phase of a two-phase acquisition of the Ten Sports Network from Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL).

    Singh had remarked, “SPN is now equipped, better than ever, to offer its viewers premium sporting content with a sports portfolio that includes every major sport and many international as well as domestic leagues. We are now stepping into the integration process to facilitate a seamless transition.” And, ZEEL MD Punit Goenka had said, “I am confident that the TEN Sports Network will reach new levels of consumer engagement under the nurturing guidance of SPN. I wish them the best. I’ll be tuning in regularly.”

    Now, the SPN’s cluster of nine sports channels includes: Sony Six, Sony Six HD, Sony ESPN, Sony ESPN HD, Ten 1, Ten 1 HD, Ten 2, Ten 3, and Ten Golf HD

    In August 2016, the network announced a deal to acquire Ten Sports Network from ZEEL for US$ 385 million. The acquisition added South Asia’s leading sports network to SPN’s portfolio.

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  • Sony only media & broadcast co. among Aon’s best employers’ list in India, employee engagement up at 81%

    MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Networks (SPN), India’s leading media conglomerate has been selected to join the elite list of Aon Best Employers India in the 2017 edition. SPN is the only media and broadcast network to be featured amongst this year’s top 19 companies across various industries. The Best Employers Study by Aon is one of the most prominent annual workplace studies covering over 800,000 employees across 6,400 global organisations.

    Sony Pictures Networks (SPN), India’s leading media conglomerate has been selected to join the elite list of Aon Best Employers India in the 2017 edition. SPN is the only media and broadcast network to be featured amongst this year’s top 19 companies across various industries.

    The Best Employers Study by Aon is one of the most prominent annual workplace studies covering over 800,000 employees across 6,400 global organizations. This study aims to get insights into companies that are creating real competitive advantage via their people practices, explores what makes a workplace of choice and identifies the best employers across regions.

    Based on the principles of measuring the people environment through the lens of ‘Intent-Design-Experience’, The Best Employer Study measures and recognizes employer excellence to learn and share best practices across companies and industries.

    Sony Pictures Networks (SPN) is honoured to receive this recognition and feature in this year’s list of Best Employers. The award was presented by Sandeep Chaudhary, CEO, Aon India to Smriti Krishna Singh, CHRO, SPN.

    The evaluation process involved rigorous assessment of each participant organization on critical aspects of organizational health and an independent selection by a very distinguished jury, comprising of eminent industry stalwarts like Ms. Chanda Kocchar, MD & CEO, ICICI Bank Ltd, Prof. Vasanthi Srinivasan, Professor IIM-Bangalore, Mr. Leo Puri, MD, UTI Asset Management Company, Dr. Omkar Goswami, Founder & Chairman, CERG Advisory and Mr. Sanjiv Mehta, CEO & MD, Hindustan Unilever Ltd.

    At SPN, employee engagement stacks up at 81%, placing SPN in the top quartile of companies in India. The company places significant emphasis on values and culture and fosters an environment of transparency and empowerment. Incentivizing innovation, fostering high potential talent through focused development programs and driving a culture of creativity are some noteworthy initiatives that SPN implements to engage, motivate and retain its employees.

    NP Singh, CEO, Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN): “This recognition of our unique workplace and exceptional people practices is a matter of immense pride for all of us. This win is also a testament to the confidence our employees have in the organization. The experience we deliver, the strength and equity of our brand and the primary reason for our current and future success is because of our people. I am confident that with such an engaged team, there is no limit to what we can achieve together.”

    Smriti K. Singh, CHRO, Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN): “We are in the business of entertainment and our people play a critical role in delivering value to viewers, advertisers and distributors. The engagement of our people has a direct correlation to their passion, innovation and creativity and that in turn has a direct impact on our business. Our people give us our competitive advantage and our talent practices and culture are geared towards maintaining and growing this advantage giving us the best team in the industry. We will continue in our efforts to create fulfilling career experiences for our employees that place them at the very heart of our business.”

  • 2-14 age-group is highly under-indexed, avers Sony Yay! business head Leena Lele Dutta

    Leena Lele Dutta had been hired in 2007 to establish the content distribution and licensing division of Sony Pictures Television in India in 2007 and expand the footprint thereafter into the south Asian markets. It’s been more than nine years Dutta has been a part of growing Sony family.  Currently, Dutta is heading the Sony Pictures Network India’s CEO N P Singh’s brainchild new kids channel — Sony Yay! In conversation with Indiantelevision.com’s Sonam Saini, Dutta shared her experience of shifting from B2B to B2C.

    Excerpts:

    You have been with Sony Pictures Television for over nine years. How has been the shift from content distribution arm to heading a kids channel? What are the challenges you are facing?

    My earlier role with SPE back in 2007 was to set up the content distribution arm for India and that included licensing of various Hollywood movies the studio produced and acquire across its four main studios. Not only the movie piece but also the television shows which are actually produced there and syndicated here in the network.

    The first year was invested in establishing the content arm and figuring out the role because, prior to that, I was a hardcore ad sales person. This is was the new channel but, in seven years, the market has also evolved.

    Being the country manager, I was responsible for monetisation of the existing content, and here it is the other way round. Here, it is the health of the overall business, here it is more of a B2C business. Here your clients are 2-14-year-old kids who are there across the length and breadth of the country. A kids channel was the missing link in the network.

    It is a mindset evolution. What made is easier is the transition within the Sony family. The kids channel, NP’s (N.P Singh) brainchild, wanted to get somebody on board, and here I am.

    Where did you see scope for a kids channel?

    A lot of scope existed in the space. With our four desi shows, we are very confident of making a mark. More similar shows are coming in October, and being the only channel that caters 100 per cent desi content, we will definitely have a well-known presence by the end of first year for Sony Yay!.

    We also want Sony Yay!, as the brand name stands for happiness, to spread happiness and contentment among the kids.

    The same thing will reflect in our marketing strategies. We will have lots of mall activities, theme park activities which resonate with Yay! We will also have CSR activity which will give Yay! moments to kids. These measures will co-exist with our content offering.  We would be pursuing school contract programme after summer breaks.

    How big is the kids genre in India market?

    The category is the third largest after Hindi general entertainment channels and Hindi movies channels. Accordig to the new BARC system, the 2-14 age group (*) is phenomenally huge. The biggest challenge this category has right now is that it’s highly under-indexed. 

    A lot of advertisers are looking to invest in the kids category — to focus on the 2-14 age-group. However, they are completely discounting the parents who are watching the content as well. In the coming months, we hope to engage with parents more in consuming our channel and not only expand the category. We also have significant play in the area where it is seen more seriously than just a kids channel.

    What will Sony Yay!’s strategy going forward?

    The strategy is very clear, we wanted to be the most preferred brand among the kids. We want people to know what Sony Yay! stands for.  Our partnership with Tiger Shroff has worked tremendously well. We have got a huge response from the kids and their mothers. The launch campaign has been talked about.

    Our colleagues in the industry have observed quite a movement in this category. Whatever we are doing including our content and marketing initiatives, we are here for the long haul. From day one, a lot of investment and efforts have been put into the new channel to make a mark and shake the category.

    At the press conference, you had mentioned that the IPs remain with the channel. Is there a chance that you might sell/licence rights to OTT players?

    Those are the primary revenue models we will consider. We will also consider the licensing and merchandising model as well. That’s the benefit of owning the IPs, and not sharing. There is a strategy of monetisation going ahead with the characters, but we are not going to roll it out in the immediate future.

    What are challenges you faced while distributing the channel?

    Luckily, our distribution team has been phenomenal as we stand today we are present in almost 90 per cent of all digital homes. We have been fairly well distributed — in fact, some major MSOs are willing to carry us in top five of the kids genre, which helped boost our ranking.

     

    (* Sony has helped rectify the BARC India category figures to GRP 582)  

     

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