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Tag: Rajesh Kaul

  • Sony Pictures Networks India acquires exclusive TV & digital rights for US Open 2022

    Sony Pictures Networks India acquires exclusive TV & digital rights for US Open 2022

    Mumbai: Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) on Thursday announced that it has acquired the broadcasting rights of the US Open starting August 2022. The broadcaster has signed a three-year deal to get the exclusive media rights (TV and digital) of the global sporting event between 2022-24. The matches will also be available to livestream on SPN’s premium OTT platform, SonyLIV.

    SPN’s sports channels will air US Open 2022 across the Indian subcontinent, including Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, and Maldives.

    This year’s final Grand Slam, the US Open 2022, is scheduled to take place between 29 August and 11 September.

    Sony Pictures Networks India hopes to replicate its success for the US Open and offer a seamless viewing experience of the hard courts of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Centre.

    Sony Pictures Networks India chief revenue officer, distribution and head – sports business Rajesh Kaul said, “We are pleased to acquire the media rights for the US Open, the final stop of the tennis Grand Slam calendar, which makes us the premier destination for tennis fans in India and the subcontinent. For the first time in its history of broadcast in India, the US Open will be broadcast in four languages on our network. As the Home of Tennis, we have been and will continue to serve the growing tennis fanbase in India.”

    Adding to this, USTA chief commercial officer Kirsten Corio commented, “Having a broadcast partner committed to becoming a home for tennis in their region is central to growing fan engagement with the game and is what makes Sony Pictures Networks India a perfect partner for the US Open. We’re excited to work alongside them to deliver the US Open across the Indian subcontinent to our fans there for the next three years.”

    The channel will broadcast live coverage of the 142nd edition of the prestigious tournament starting 29 August at 7:30 p.m.

    For the first time in India, SPN will telecast the marquee tournament in four languages across SONY SIX, SONY TEN 2 (English), SONY TEN 3 (Hindi), and SONY TEN 4 (Tamil & Telugu) channels, beginning with the single’s quarterfinal matches on 6 September 2022 onwards.

    The Grand Slam will be covered live by Sony Sports’ flagship LIVE studio show for tennis, Extraaa Serve.

    Hosted by Suhail Chandhok, the show will feature Indian tennis legend Vijay Amritraj, former India number one tennis player Somdev Devvarman and India Davis Cupper Purav Raja.

    Former India Davis Cupper & Asian Gold medalist Gaurav Natekar, Manish Batavia, and Atish Thukral will provide Hindi commentary beginning with the quarterfinals. India Davis Cupper Jeevan Neduncheziyan, Srinivasan Sheshadri, and Arun Venugopal will be joining them in the studio for Tamil commentary along with India Davis Cupper Vishnu Vardhan, Sandeep Kumar, and former India number one Rishika Sunkara for Telugu commentary.

    Indian tennis legend Vijay Amritraj said, “I am delighted to be working with Sony Sports channels again after many years for a Grand Slam event in India. I have great memories of the US Open, having played it in the 70s and the 80s and having been in two quarterfinals. My wins over Rod Laver in 1973 and Bjorn Borg in 1974 are still firmly etched in my mind. I am really looking forward to covering the final Grand Slam of the year for tennis fans on Sony Sports channels.”

  • “Future of Ultimate Kho Kho looks very promising”: Sony Pictures Networks India’s Rajesh Kaul

    “Future of Ultimate Kho Kho looks very promising”: Sony Pictures Networks India’s Rajesh Kaul

    Mumbai: Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) commenced airing the inaugural edition of Ultimate Kho Kho on 14 August. The final takes place on 4 September. The broadcaster has a five-year deal for the event. SPNI chief revenue officer, distribution and head of sports business Rajesh Kaul is optimistic about the future of the league.

    Speaking with Indiantelevision.com, he said, “All leagues in their nascent years have taken time to grow, and this would also stand true for the Ultimate Kho Kho. That being said, the feedback for the league so far in its first couple of weeks has been great and its future looks very promising.”

    He further added that Kho Kho is one of those sports that has pan-India appeal driven by the fact that it is indigenous to the country. “In our research, a lot of young audiences were playing the game, and the older audiences remembered the game with a lot of nostalgia and fondness. It’s a sport that is widely played in schools by both boys and girls. The fact that the sport doesn’t require any expensive equipment adds to its appeal across all economic sections in society.”

    The broadcaster is leaving no stone unturned to ensure that the league gains traction with viewers. There are five language feeds. He noted that Kho Kho is one of the few sports in the country that attracts high interest in both the Hindi-speaking markets as well as the South. “For the first season, we have gone all out with five language feeds – English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and Marathi. We also have six teams from across the country that are already garnering a following across the country: Mumbai Khiladis, Chennai Quickguns, Telugu Yoddhas, Gujarat Giants, Odisha Juggernauts, and Rajasthan Warriors.”

    On the sponsorship front, he noted that season one was never going to be about sponsors. “Our efforts are targeted towards putting up a fantastic product which does justice to the sport and attracts viewers. This in turn will lead to sponsors’ interest in the upcoming seasons of Ultimate Kho Kho. It should be mentioned though that in its inaugural year, Ultimate Kho Kho has attracted interest from and brought on board corporates like Adani Group, GMR Group, Capri Global, and KLO Sports, along with Singing Sensation Badshah and the Odisha government in collaboration with steel manufacturer ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India to own teams in the league.”

    When asked if Sony would look at taking a stake at some point in a sports league, he said that while the broadcaster is continuously on the lookout for opportunities that might emerge, the primary focus in any partnership is to ensure the best coverage of the sport on our sports channels. “At this point, we are working with our various content partners and leagues that share our vision to provide Indians with the best live coverage of sporting action from India and around the world to our viewers.”

  • We add more credibility & variety to our sports line-up every year: Rajesh Kaul

    We add more credibility & variety to our sports line-up every year: Rajesh Kaul

    Mumbai: India loves cricket with 90 per cent of most watched sports broadcasts in the country being live cricket. Sony Sports, a leading sports broadcaster, is going to bring 1800+ hours of live cricket on television screens starting from June till February 2023.

    Sony Sports has recently launched its cricket campaign for the year led by Indian cricketer Smriti Mandhana and actor Pankaj Tripathi. The ‘Non-stop cricket on Sony Sports Network’ kickstarts with the broadcast of the India tour of Ireland and England.  

    In the previous year, the sports broadcaster set new viewership records with its back-to-back programming of marquee sporting events including Olympics Games Tokyo 2020, UEFA EURO 2020, and Copa America.

    Sony Sports, once again, hopes to ride the momentum of its back-to-back cricket calendar comprising India and non-India cricket, women’s cricket and T20i tournaments to garner viewership and attract advertiser attention.

    Leading the sports and distribution verticals for Sony Pictures Networks (SPN) India, Rajesh Kaul is responsible for invigorating the sports business at SPN and the acquisition of marquee sports properties for the network.

    He also drives international sales for the network in collaboration with the digital team to expand SPN’s brand presence and lead across the world. Under his leadership, the SPN distribution has been expanding rapidly.

    Kaul joined the SPN in 2008. He began his career with ICI Paints and thereon moved on to Modi Entertainment Network. He joined ESPN Star Sports in 1997 and sharpened his leadership skills at the organisation for over 11 years. Rajesh played a vital role in creating the success story of ESPN Star Sports, heading their distribution and marketing nationally, and was credited with the successful launch of Star Cricket.

    In conversation with Indiantelevision.com, Sony Pictures Networks India chief revenue officer, distribution and head – sports business Rajesh Kaul speaks about Sony Sports strong sports programming line-up and the business and marketing strategy to maximise eyeballs and revenues.  

    On the diverse line-up of live cricket for the year 2022

    With each passing year we add more credibility and variety to our sports line up and this year the Sony Sports Network will be home to 1800+ hours of cricket. In addition to the marquee India tour of England, which has one historic Test match pending, the team also plays 3 T20i’s and 3 ODI’s in England. This will take place between India playing in Ireland and India playing in Zimbabwe. In addition to this action-packed calendar of Indian men’s cricket, we also have the women’s team touring England and an enviable bilateral cricket calendar featuring England vs New Zealand, Australia vs South Africa, Sri Lanka vs Australia, England vs South Africa, Australia vs England and more along with popular T20i tournaments like the Big Bash League, Pakistan Super League and Women’s Big Bash League. 

    On the amplification strategy of the sports network

    Love for cricket knows no boundaries and this is what we have showcased through this campaign. To that end, we have crafted this ‘Non – Stop Cricket’ campaign featuring a very differentiated star Pankaj Tripathi, India’s most loved actor and Smriti Mandhana, Indian women team’s opening batter. Our sports network has been known for creating thought provoking and meaningful campaigns such as ‘Meri Doosri Country’, ‘Hum Honge Kamyab’, ‘Sona Mana Hai’ amongst others and this campaign, conceptualised through the creative partnership of our inhouse team and Scarecrow M&C Saatchi Advertising Agency, aims to break the clutter by bringing a leading woman cricketer to promote men’s and women’s cricket.

    On beating the viewership records set in 2021

    2021 was a landmark year for Sony Sports Network. In this milestone year, we hosted marquee sporting events such as the Olympics Games Tokyo 2020, UEFA EURO 2020, and Copa America, which helped us attract the highest ever ratings. Viewership impressions on TV for UEFA EURO 2020 were more than double of the previous edition, whereas ratings for Copa America & Olympics Games Tokyo 2020 grew by 59 per cent and 23 per cent respectively (BARC, All India U+R, All Audience, LIVE match Impressions on TV). 

    In 2022, we ride on an action-packed cricket calendar with 1800+ hours of cricketing action on our network. Cricket has always been a bestseller in our country and with the new era of Rohit Sharma and Ben Stokes’ captaincy in the upcoming India tour of England, there is a lot to look forward to on Sony Sports Network. Along with cricket, we also have football properties like UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Nations League, Bundesliga and much more. In addition to these we also have WWE and UFC action through the year, Grand Slam tennis action with the recently concluded Roland Garros, as well as domestic leagues like Prime Volleyball League and the upcoming Ultimate Kho Kho tournament.

    On its association with advertisers

    Cricket has always been a major crowd puller and advertisers have always shown interest in various bilateral series, T20 leagues and international tournaments. Our campaign for our cricket calendar which includes India and non-India cricket, women’s cricket and T20i tournaments has attracted the interest of advertisers. Apart from that, team India’s remaining Test against England is seen as an attractive proposition due to its high value. This will be followed by limited overs’ T20i and ODI series which will mark the beginning of a new era of Rohit Sharma and Ben Stokes’ captaincy. Taking into consideration the importance of the series, we have already received a positive response from the advertisers.

  • Sony records 41 million TV viewers for PVL maiden season

    Sony records 41 million TV viewers for PVL maiden season

    Mumbai: The inaugural season of RuPay Prime Volleyball League (PVL) reached 41 million television viewers across 24 games, according to data shared by broadcaster Sony Sports Network. The season concluded when Kolkata Thunderbolts defeated Ahmedabad Defenders on 27 February.

    Seven teams including the Ahmedabad Defenders, Bengaluru Torpedoes, Calicut Heroes, Chennai Blitz, Hyderabad Black Hawks, Kochi Blue Spikers and Kolkata Thunderbolts participated in the month-long competition that took place in Hyderabad.

    The matches were broadcast by Sony Sports Network and SonyLIV in India, while Willow TV telecast the matches internationally in the US. The league was also streamed live on Facebook outside the Indian subcontinent.

    “The first season of RuPay Prime Volleyball League has had a successful start with the tournament being live telecast in five languages and attracting a host of advertisers in its inaugural edition,” said Sony Pictures Networks India chief revenue officer distribution and head – sports business Rajesh Kaul. “In spite of clashing with multiple sporting events taking place at the same time, the league managed to hold its own with 41 million viewers. With a large number of volleyball fans in the country and the appealing format of the league, it has the potential to attract more fans & grow even more.”  

    The league managed to reach 84 million fans across India, along with over five million engagement from audiences around the world through various digital platforms, said the statement. The social channels through which the league was promoted included Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

    The regional audience was also reached through social media platform Sharechat and its short video platform Moj. In total, the videos distributed across social media platforms garnered over 43 million views.

    “We were confident that we would get decent numbers on television, but the digital numbers are just unprecedented,” said Baseline Ventures managing director Tuhin Mishra. “The athleticism and high adrenaline action have really captured a substantial fan base among younger viewers, and that reflects in the huge number of videos consumed online. It’s a great sign for the league and the sport of volleyball. The viewership of the RuPay Prime Volleyball also reflected gender inclusivity with 43 per cent of the viewers being female.”

    Spectators from 27 different countries engaged with and viewed the Prime Volleyball League during the first season, shared the company.

     

  • Sony Sports acquires exclusive broadcast rights for 2022 Asian Games

    Sony Sports acquires exclusive broadcast rights for 2022 Asian Games

    Mumbai: Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) has acquired exclusive media rights for the 2022 Asian Games from November 2021 to September 2023. The media network will broadcast the 19th edition of the Asian Games on its sports channels across India and the subcontinent including Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Afghanistan, Bhutan and Maldives. The games will also be available to watch on its OTT platform, SonyLIV.

    The 2022 Asian Games will take place from 10 September to 25 September, in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China and five co-host cities. The multi-sporting event will feature 40 sports with a total of 61 disciplines including Olympic sports like swimming, archery, athletics, badminton, equestrian, fencing, football, hockey, judo, kabaddi, and much more.

    E-sports and breakdancing will debut in the 2022 Asian Games as full medal sports after being approved by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) this year, while cricket will be back at Asian Games in T20 format.

    For the first time ever, more than 300 athletes from Oceania countries have been given the chance to compete at this year’s edition of the Asian Games. The Oceania athletes, including those from Australia and New Zealand, will be allowed to compete in five sports: triathlon, athletics, wushu, roller skating, and weightlifting.

    “The 2022 Asian Games is expected to be one of the biggest multi-sporting events in Asia this year and we are pleased to bag the exclusive media rights for India and the subcontinent,” said SPNI chief revenue officer distribution and head sports business Rajesh Kaul.

    “The 19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022 Organising Committee (HAGOC) would like to congratulate the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) on the signing of an agreement with Sony Pictures Networks India for broadcasting rights to the 19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022, in India,” said Hangzhou city vice mayor and HAPGOC deputy secretary-general Chen Weiqiang. “This is the first signing of a rights-holding broadcaster for Hangzhou 2022 and marks the beginning of a new phase in the distribution of such rights for the event.”

  • Sony Sports to telecast docuseries ‘Down Underdogs’ starting 14 January

    Sony Sports to telecast docuseries ‘Down Underdogs’ starting 14 January

    Mumbai: Sony Sports Network has produced a special docuseries titled “Down Underdogs – India’s Greatest Comeback” that will premiere on 14 January and telecast daily until 17 January.

    The docuseries will be telecast on Sony Six and Sony Ten 4 in English and Sony Ten 3 in Hindi. It will also be aired on Sony Max HD, Sony SAB HD and Sony Pix channels and streaming on the OTT platform SonyLIV. The broadcaster has partnered with Byju’s Classes, Skoda and Dafa News for the docuseries.

    The launch of the four-part docuseries will be in Hindi and English followed by a Tamil and Telugu broadcast on a later date. The series captures team India’s historic Test series win against Australia at The Gabba in 2020-21.

    “Down Underdogs – India’s Greatest Comeback” has been entirely produced in-house amidst some extremely challenging Covid-19 scenarios. Interviews with players and commentators located in England and Australia were conducted via local partnerships and remote production technology.

    The series will showcase current players like Mohammed Siraj and Hanuma Vihari along with prominent personalities like Sunil Gavaskar, Michael Clarke, Jason Gillespie, Sanjay Manjrekar, Lisa Sthalekar, Nick Knight, and Isa Guha.

    Apart from the world-class cricketing insights, a team of raconteurs like Rajdeep Sardesai, Harsha Bhogle, Ayaz Memon, Joy Bhattacharjya and Gaurav Kapur will help navigate through the incredible subplots and storylines in the series.

    “We take immense pride to bring back to life one of the most historic memories of Indian Test cricket through Down Underdogs – India’s Greatest Comeback,” said Sony Pictures Networks India chief revenue officer, distribution and head – sports business Rajesh Kaul. “The series is an aide-mémoire to all Indian cricket fans who had an unflinching belief in the team despite all odds and more so as an exemplary story to inspire generations to come.”

    “India’s win in Australia early last year will go down as one of the greatest wins in Indian cricket history,” said former Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar. “To pick themselves up after the dismissal with their lowest ever test score of 36 and then to beat a rampant home team is a tribute to the determination shown by the players and the leadership roles played by the captain Rahane, coach Ravi Shastri and his support group.

    “India’s Greatest Comeback will invite viewers to revisit Team India’s amazing comeback leading to the series win,” said former Australian cricketer Michael Clarke. “India picked an attack that worked. Different bowlers – not everyone bowls the same, different tactics, different skills, different weapons, so the credit goes to India for their execution but also Australia might have taken for granted their success in the first test.”

  • SPNI to broadcast Legends League Cricket in India

    SPNI to broadcast Legends League Cricket in India

    Mumbai: Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) has partnered with Legends League Cricket to broadcast all the matches of the league to be played in January 2022. The matches will be aired on Sony Ten 1 and Sony Ten 3 channels as well as live-streamed on the OTT platform, SonyLIV.

    The league will be held at the Al Amerat Cricket Stadium in Muscat, Oman and will be joined by former cricketers from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Australia, England, among other cricket nations divided into three teams representing India, Asia, and the rest of the world.

    League Cricket has announced that Shoaib Akhtar, Shahid Afridi, Sanath Jayasuriya, Muttiah Muralitharan, Chaminda Vaas, Romesh Kaluwitharana, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Azhar Mahmood, Upul Tharanga, Misbah-ul-Haq, Mohammed Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Mohammed Yousuf, Umar Gul, Younis Khan, and Asghar Afghan will be playing for Asia Lions.

    The league has roped in actor Amitabh Bachchan to be its ambassador and former India head coach Ravi Shastri as its commissioner looking after the cricketing aspect.

    “We are extremely happy to announce this partnership with Sony Pictures Networks India,” said Legends League Cricket CEO Raman Raheja. “We wish to walk a long mile with them and ensure viewers are treated with a very competitive and entertaining form of cricket.” 

    “It’s a very exciting partnership to get into and having these stalwarts on the ground playing competitive cricket will definitely engage our viewers across India,” said SPNI chief revenue officer for distribution and head of sports business Rajesh Kaul. “With the Legends League Cricket, we will present our viewers a great viewing experience of watching these legends in action on our sports channels.”

  • Sony Sports launches campaign for Prime Volleyball League

    Sony Sports launches campaign for Prime Volleyball League

    Mumbai: Sony Pictures Sports Network has launched the campaign called ‘Prime Volleyball Jahaan, Public Wahaan’ ahead of the upcoming Prime Volleyball League that will begin airing from 5 February 2022. The league will be aired on Sony Ten 1, Sony Ten 3 (Hindi) and Sony Ten 4 (Tamil and Telugu).

    The league has roped in Rupay as title sponsor and A23 as ‘powered by’ sponsor. 

    The campaign film is available in four languages – English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu across Sony Sports channels. It is based on the premise that every Indian has either grown up playing or watching volleyball at some stage of their life. Wherever volleyball is played, it attracts and engages an audience across demographics is the core insight that drives the campaign.

    The film is conceptualised by Sony Pictures Sports Network and executed in synergy with the sports marketing firm, Baseline Ventures, who are the co-owners and are exclusively marketing the league.

    “Sony Sports has always endeavoured to bring the best sporting properties to viewers in the country,” said Sony Pictures Networks India chief revenue officer for distribution and head of sports business Rajesh Kaul. “This film truly captures the sentiments of all Indian fans who have played the sport or watched the game in their community at some point in their life.”

    “Volleyball is a growing sport which provides high octane engagement and entertainment,” said Prime Volleyball League chief executive officer Joy Bhattacharya. “Indians have historically been fond of the sport as they have a lot of their childhood memories attached with it. We aim to revitalize the energy of the sport by showcasing the true talent of the country to the audience.”

    The league will feature seven teams – Calicut Heroes, Kochi Blue Spikers, Ahmedabad Defenders, Hyderabad Black Hawks, Chennai Blitz, Bengaluru Torpedoes and the Kolkata Thunderbolts. Ashwal Rai, Karthik A, Deepesh Kumar Sinha and Jerome Vinith are some of the prominent players in the tournament. While the schedule for the tournament is yet to be announced, the league will comprise 24 games.

  • Sony Sports to telecast Lanka Premier League starting Dec 5

    Sony Sports to telecast Lanka Premier League starting Dec 5

    Mumbai: Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) has returned as a broadcast partner for the second edition of the Lanka Premier League (LPL). The broadcast network has signed an agreement with the official franchise and broadcast holder of LPL – the IPG Group. 

    The agreement between Sony Pictures Networks India and the IPG Group includes the television and digital transmission of the LPL, which is set to be played between 5 December and 23 December.

    All Lanka Premier League matches will be telecasted live between Sony Six and Sony Ten channels and livestreamed on its on-demand OTT platform, SonyLIV.

    ‘The appetite for cricket in India is huge and our aim is to bring the best of international cricketing action to our fans in India. With the onboarding of the Lanka Premier League, we want to provide our viewers with some high-energy T20 cricket throughout December,” said SPNI chief revenue officer of distribution and head of sports business Rajesh Kaul.

    The LPL will witness a host of cricketing stars such as West Indies legend Chris Gayle, former India fast bowler Irfan Pathan, former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi, and former South Africa captain Faf du Plessis in action. The competition will also see Sri Lanka T20 stars such as Charith Asalanka and Wanindu Hasaranga showing their mettle. Asalanka scored 231 runs in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, while Hasaranga picked up 16 wickets in the tournament.

    “We are ecstatic to welcome Sony Pictures Network as a broadcast partner to the Lanka Premier League once again,” said Dubai-based production giant IPG founder and chief executive officer Anil Mohan. “We are confident that Sony will achieve an even higher reach in terms of the audience in the upcoming season and we look forward to a long and fruitful association.”

  • SPSN to air Indian Women’s pink ball test & T20I in four languages

    SPSN to air Indian Women’s pink ball test & T20I in four languages

    Mumbai: Sony Pictures Sports Network (SPSN) is geared up to cheer for the #SuperWomenInBlue during their ongoing series against Australia. To ensure that viewers feel closer to the action and enjoy the one-off pink ball day-night test match and three T20I matches, the channel will broadcast the matches in four languages – Sony Six channel in English, Sony Ten 3 channel in Hindi, and Sony Ten 4 channel in Tamil and Telugu from 30 September. The matches will also be live-streamed on SonyLiv.

    The series has raised interest amongst viewers as it will be the first time that the Indian Women’s team will play a day-night pink ball test. In order to boost Indian Women’s Cricket and ensure a wider reach for the game, Sony Sports has announced the return of “Extraaa Innings” studio show, featuring former cricketers like Saba Karim, Nooshin Al-Khadeer, Vivek Razdan, and WV Raman as well as ace commentator Raman Bhanot along with prominent presenter Atish Thukral, said the statement.

    To further amplify the excitement the channel has launched the #SuperWomenInBlue campaign which calls out to every Indian cricket fan to support the Indian Women’s cricket team and cheer for them.

    “2021 has been a year of outstanding achievements for Indian athletes and we have witnessed Indian women raising the bar at the global stage on multiple occasions. All eyes will now be on the Indian women’s cricket team as they prepare to play their first-ever historic pink ball day-night Test against Australia in their backyard,” said Sony Pictures Networks India chief revenue office – distribution and head of sports business Rajesh Kaul. “As the official broadcaster, we are delighted to announce the language feeds for the series as we aim to reach a wider audience and provide unparalleled viewing experience as the entire nation gears to support the Women in Blue at this historic tour.”