ITV

Tag: Rajesh Kaul

  • SPSN signs nine sponsors for India Tour of England

    SPSN signs nine sponsors for India Tour of England

    Mumbai: Sony Pictures Sports Network (SPSN) has wooed an impressive line-up of sponsors for India Tour of England Test series, starting on Wednesday.

    Mahindra & Mahindra, BYJU’S, Pan Bahaar, PharmEasy, Ultratech, Fogg, WhatsApp, Cars24 and MRF Tyres have signed up as co-presenting and associate sponsors.

    Additionally, SPSN has roped Kent RO as a presenting sponsor for its studio show ‘Extraaa Innings’. Other advertisers who have come on board are Policybazaar, Dafa News, Paisabzaar, TVS Tyres, Apollo Pharmacy, Castrol, Accenture, Netmeds, Housing.com, Apple, Tata Motors, Wolf 777 news, 1mg.com and Perfetti Van Melle.

    The series is all set to begin on 4 August and all five Test matches will be aired on Sony Six, Sony Ten 3, and Sony Ten 4 channels and on-demand OTT platform, SonyLIV from 2.30 pm onwards. The English and Hindi feeds will air on Sony Six and Sony Ten 3 channels, respectively, while the Tamil and Telugu regional feeds will be broadcast on Sony Ten 4 channels.

    The English broadcast of ‘Extraaa Innings’ will be presented by former players like Sunil Gavaskar, Shaun Pollock, Sanjay Manjrekar, and Harsha Bhogle along with Alastair Cook, Nasser Hussain and Mike Atherton (on-ground).

    The Hindi broadcast of the studio show will be presented by former cricketers Ashish Nehra, Virender Sehwag, Ajay Jadeja, Ajit Agarkar, Mohammad Kaif and Vivek Razdan along with Arjun Pandit.

    The Tamil commentary box will feature Laxman Sivaramakrishnan, WV Raman, Vidhyut Sivaramakrishnan, TR Arasu and S Seshadri. Telugu commentary will be presented by Venkatapathy Raju, Gnaneshwar Rao, C Venkatesh, Vijay Mahavadi, RJ Hemanth and Sandeep Kumar.

    Sony Pictures Networks India, chief revenue officer, distribution and head – Sports Business, Rajesh Kaul said, “We have received tremendous response from various advertisers across Housing, finance, education, technology sectors and are confident to attract more sponsors as we progress further into the series.”

    To amplify the series, Sony Pictures Sports Network has also launched the #BackOurBoys campaign across its digital assets.

  • SPSN rakes in 61 million impressions in India for Euro 2020

    SPSN rakes in 61 million impressions in India for Euro 2020

    Mumbai: A total of 61 million viewers tuned into Sony Pictures Sports Network (SPSN) to watch the entire coverage of UEFA Euro 2020 from 11 June to 12 July. (TG: CS 2+, All India U+R, the cumulative reach of LIVE matches + wraparound shows + highlights + repeats on SPSN), according to Sony Pictures Network India (SPNI).

    All the matches were well received by the Indian audience, with UEFA Euro 2020 attracting more than three times the viewers of UEFA Euro 2016. The live telecast of the Final of Euro 2020 between Italy and England was watched by 4.7 million viewers (TG: CS 2+, All India U+R), the official broadcaster said in a statement on Wednesday.

    Most of the matches in the tournament were simulcast across eight channels Sony Ten 2 SD, Sony Ten 2 HD, Sony Ten 3 SD, Sony Ten 3 HD, Sony Ten 4 SD, and Sony Ten 4 HD. On average, 4.3 million viewers tuned in to watch each match during Euro 2020 – close to 70 per cent growth compared to Euro 2016 (TG: CS 2+, All India U+R).

    The Hindi feed for live matches was watched by 16.6 million viewers across the country (TG: CS 2+, All India U+R), while the Malayalam and Bengali feeds on Sony SIX were watched by 8.7 million viewers across Kerala and West Bengal (TG: CS 2+, Kerala and WB U+R). The Tamil and Telugu feeds on the recently launched Sony Ten 4 contributed 43 per cent of the ratings for the semi-finals and finals in TN/Pondicherry and AP/Telangana (TG: CS 2+, All India U+R).

    Commenting on the setting of a new benchmark, SPNI chief revenue officer, distribution and head – sports business, Rajesh Kaul said, “We at Sony Pictures Sports Network are delighted with the reception UEFA Euro 2020 has received in the Indian subcontinent. For the past three weeks, the country has enjoyed the international football extravaganza presented by the Sony Sports networks, making our channels among the top watched in the sports genre. Our aim is to provide our viewers with the best multi-sport events and the viewership numbers for this tournament prove that there is a demand for quality international sporting content in India. With the ongoing Olympics Games and upcoming India tour of England 2021, sports fans have a lot to look forward to on our network.”

  • Sony Pictures Networks India bags broadcast rights of Abu Dhabi T10

    Sony Pictures Networks India bags broadcast rights of Abu Dhabi T10

    MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) has returned as the official broadcast partner for the second edition of Abu Dhabi T10. The tournament is slated to take place at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium from 28 January to 6 February 2021.

     All 29 Abu Dhabi T10 matches will be telecast live on Sony Six in English and 27 matches on Sony Ten 3 in Hindi and will be livestreamed on its on-demand OTT platform SonyLIV which will allow viewers to watch the tournament on their mobile phones, bumping potential viewership numbers for the event.

    This year’s Abu Dhabi T10 will feature eight teams: Maratha Arabians, Bangla Tigers, Delhi Bulls, Northern Warriors, Deccan Gladiators, Qalandars, Team Abu Dhabi and Pune Devils that will face each other in 29 action-packed matches across 10 days. The star-studded line-up of international cricket talent features West Indian icons like Chris Gayle, Andre Russell, Dwayne Bravo, English stars Alex Hales and Sam Billings, along with lethal South Africans Imran Tahir and Chris Morris. With more experienced international stars coming into the league, fans can expect not just more entertainment on the field but also a higher level of cricket.

    To drum up the excitement for the tournament, Sony Sports has launched the campaign Cricket Ka Naya Avatar – Tod Phod Cricket where the entire game is of Powerplay and fans can look forward to ten overs of power packed entertainment at its best.

    YouTube Links for the Campaign Film:

    Sony Pictures Networks India  distribution and head – sports business chief revenue officer Rajesh Kaul said, “Cricket has always been India’s passion and we are excited to partner with this innovative, fast paced format in the Abu Dhabi T10 once again. Abu Dhabi T10 has grown from strength to strength and cricket lovers can look forward to some of the biggest names in the game producing power-packed performances this season."

    In addition to its massive subscriber base, Sony Pictures Networks India brings broadcast expertise and strong credentials to its part of the deal. The network is the premier destination for cricket in India, with rights to four international cricket boards – England and Wales Cricket Board, Cricket Australia, Sri Lanka Cricket and Cricket Ireland. It is also the official broadcaster of the ongoing India tour of Australia and the Big Bash League.

    T10 Sports Management chairman Shaji Ul Mulk said, “The Abu Dhabi T10 has become increasingly popular in the last few years and it's only fitting that Indian cricket fans get a chance to watch engaging cricket through Sony Pictures Networks India. The matches last for only 90 minutes and each game is guaranteed to have a lot of drama and entertainment. India will witness Abu Dhabi T10 becoming the next big thing in cricket over the next few years.”

    Abu Dhabi Cricket CEO Matthew Boucher said, “Global viewership in priority tourism source markets is a key driver behind our five-year 2019-2023 agreement to be the host destination of the Abu Dhabi T10. In this digital age, we are thrilled to offer cricket fans the best of the sport – and the best of Abu Dhabi – through Sony Pictures Networks, which has a massive audience base in India.”

    Abu Dhabi T10 is the world’s only ten-over cricket tournament officially sanctioned by the International Cricket Council (ICC) and licensed by the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB). Abu Dhabi T10 is a UAE product that has grown into a globally accepted cricket format. Matches have a 10-over-a-side format and duration of 45 minutes a side totalling 90 minutes of play. The tournament is played over ten days, with a round robin followed by semi-finals and the final. The Abu Dhabi T10 tournament is a short, high energy format loved by global audiences and international cricket stars alike.

  • Tata Motors to plant a tree on sale of every commercial vehicle

    Tata Motors to plant a tree on sale of every commercial vehicle

    Mumbai: Tata Motors, along with its channel partners, has launched the ‘Go Green’ initiative in line with its commitment to environmental sustainability. Under this initiative, Tata Motors, in association with an NGO, will plant a sapling for the sale of every new commercial vehicle and for every new customer who gets their vehicle serviced at the company’s dealer workshop and Tata authorised service station. The company will nurture the sapling and bestow the customer with a certificate and a link with the geotagged location of the plantation, thereby allowing the customer to monitor its status.

    The initiative will ensure the best health of these newly-planted saplings, which will include a variety of diverse species of fruit-bearing, medicinal and native trees. The plantation will be spread across various locations in over 10 states of the country, thereby adding to the green cover of the country.

    Tata Motors VP- sales and marketing, commercial vehicle business unit Rajesh Kaul said, “Environment sustainability is at the core of what we do at Tata Motors, its energy efficient manufacturing practices and environment friendly product offerings are a testament to this. We are pleased to announce this collaboration with SankalpTaru where we are actively engaging with the large base of consumers that the company caters to, in tree plantation drives. Tata Motors will continue to stay abreast of evolving needs in the best interest of future generations, constantly devising unique, sustainable, and future-ready solutions to tackle pressing problems.”

    Tata Motors, as one of the leading companies in the country, is uniquely positioned to create sustainable positive environmental impact. The company is constantly advancing environmental innovation and systematically reducing environmental impact, by assessing its footprint across the whole lifecycle and value chain of its products. The recently launched state-of-art BS6 product range assures significantly reduced tail-pipe emissions and attests to the company’s commitment towards climate resilience. Tata Motors is actively working towards a low-carbon strategy and has been leading the charge of environment-friendly alternate fuel mobility in the country. As a ‘Future Ready’ responsible corporate and a signatory of the RE100 initiative, Tata Motors aims to source 100 per cent renewable electricity by 2030.

  • SPN acquires exclusive global media rights for Sri Lanka Cricket

    SPN acquires exclusive global media rights for Sri Lanka Cricket

    KOLKATA: Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) has acquired the exclusive global media rights for Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), with the exception of terrestrial, digital and radio rights for the territory of Sri Lanka which has been retained by SLC, for a period of three years starting 1 July 2020.

    The agreement provides SPN exclusive TV and digital rights to air all 92 days of LIVE cricket comprising 10 Test Matches, 24 ODIs and 18 T20Is sanctioned by the ICC and conducted by SLC between the senior men’s national cricket team of Sri Lanka and visiting ICC member national cricket teams along with access to Sri Lanka Cricket’s archival content. The deal also include rights to broadcast India touring Sri Lanka to play six T20Is and three ODIs with one of the series scheduled for July 2021 that will feature three T20Is while the date for the other series is yet to be announced.

    Sri Lanka Cricket is home to some of the best cricketers in the world such as Angelo Mathews, Lasith Malinga, Dimuth Karunaratne and Kusal Perera to name a few and the current Sri Lankan cricket team is ranked in the top five in the world as per ICC Test rankings.

    With the acquisition of Sri Lanka Cricket, SPN now holds broadcast rights of England and Wales Cricket Board, Cricket Australia and Cricket Ireland and has over 375 days of International, Big Bash T20 league, England Domestic Live cricket till FY 2022-23 which includes 31 days of India cricket.  

     “Sony Pictures Networks India is the premier destination for the best of international cricket, and we are excited about continuing our partnership with Sri Lanka Cricket. The acquisition of the exclusive global TV and digital rights of Sri Lanka Cricket strengthens our cricket portfolio. Our extended partnership with Sri Lanka Cricket adds 92 days of live cricket, including two India tours to Sri Lanka, to our robust cricket calendar,” SPN Sports Business and Distribution chief revenue officer Rajesh Kaul said. 

    “Sri Lanka Cricket is delighted to partner with Sony Pictures Networks India and continue the long-standing relationship, which has given immense benefits to both parties. Sri Lanka Cricket is truly excited and looking forward to continue working with Sony Pictures Networks India on the future tour program,” Sri Lanka Cricket president Shammi Silva said.

  • UEFA tournaments return on Sony Pictures Sports Network in India

    UEFA tournaments return on Sony Pictures Sports Network in India

    MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Sports Network (SPSN), the official broadcaster of UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League in India, is all set to broadcast the return of top-tier European football tournaments. With UEFA all set to restart their season, the finest clubs across Europe are back in action to be crowned as Champions of Europe. Football fans can catch the biggest Europeans teams battle for the ultimate football throne, LIVE, from 5 August  2020 only on SONY TEN 1 and SONY TEN 2 channels and the quarter-final stages for the Champions League matches will be aired with Hindi commentary on SONY TEN 3 channels.

    The matches from the quarter finals to the finals will be played as a straight knockout tournament in Portugal and Germany respectively. Apart from football fans, the UEFA Champions League has also attracted a lot of interest from brands with Amul, Vivo, Philips One Blade, Kia Motors and Apple already on board for the restart of the season with many more to follow.

    UEFA Champions League and Europa League are an annual football competition and home to some of the best football clubs such as Juventus FC, Real Madrid CF, Barcelona FC and Manchester United, Liverpool FC, Bayern Munich among many others.

    The resumption of 2019/20 UEFA Champions League will start with the remaining Round of 16 second-leg matches and will have Manchester City take on Real Madrid; Barcelona face Napoli; Bayern Munich welcome Chelsea to the Allianz Arena and Juventus host Lyon for the four pending spots in the quarter-finals. Clubs such as Atalanta BC, Paris Saint-Germain FC, RB Leipzig and Atlético Madrid have already paved their ways into the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

    Viewers can watch all the round of 16 clashes live on SONY TEN 1 and SONY TEN 2 channels and the quarter-final stages on SONY TEN 2 channels in English and SONY TEN 3 channels in Hindi.

    Sony Pictures Networks India Sports Business distribution and head chief revenue officer Rajesh Kaul said, “It is our privilege to be the premier destination for maximum live global sporting events in India whether it is cricket or football. Sony Pictures Sports Network is home to the best footballing clubs in Europe with UEFA Champions League and Europa League. Football followers in India have felt the absence of these two tournaments and we are excited to bring back the LIVE coverage of both these competitions in what will now be a power-pack fortnight of the best European footballing action, along with Hindi commentary, for the last leg of the Champions League games”

  • Sony SIX channels to air West Indies Tour of England 2020 from 8 July

    Sony SIX channels to air West Indies Tour of England 2020 from 8 July

    KOLKATA: Sony Pictures Sports Network (SPSN)  announces the return of LIVE cricket action after 120+ days, with the West Indies Tour of England 2020. As cricket finally makes a comeback with West Indies taking on England, viewers can watch the series unfold live and exclusive on SONY SIX channels from 8 July 2020 at 3:30 pm. The first Test will be played at The Rose Bowl, Southampton on 8 July followed by the second and third Test at Old Trafford, Manchester on 16 July and 24 July 2020.

    The cricket fever will be a notch higher among fans as they celebrate the return of LIVE cricket with a nail-biting clash between West Indies and England for the Wisden Trophy. West Indies will look to defend the Wisden Trophy on English soil as the historic series will witness some of the major transformations in cricketing history due to the new regulations within the sport such as empty stands and ban on the use of saliva for shining the ball among others.

    As a build up to test series, the sports network hosted cricketing greats such as Nasser Hussain, Michael Atherton and Ian Bishop along with Joe Root, current captain of the England Cricket Team who talked about the resumption of LIVE cricket with the upcoming series, the new normal and more on Sony Ten Pit Stop on the network’s official Facebook page.

    The much-anticipated series is seeing a definite upswing in advertiser interest and has attracted brands like My11Circle , Skoda, ITC deodorants as co-presenting sponsors as well as Byju’s, Dafa News, Bharti Airtel, Cars 24, Infiniti Retail (Croma) and Policy Bazaar as associate sponsors. In addition to this, Maruti Suzuki & Mobile Premier League (MPL) have done spot buys on the series.

    With India being a cricket frenzy country, the love for the sport transcends all boundaries and fans across the country will be cheering for their favorite cricketers during this exciting contest between the two countries. The series will also witness some of the best international cricketers from both the teams back in action. While England will look to bank on players like Joe Root, Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes among others, the young West Indies squad will look to gain motivation from their senior squad members like Jason Holder, Roston Chase and Kemar Roach among others.

    Sony Pictures Networks India distribution chief revenue officer and sports business head Rajesh Kaul said :

    “After over 120 days of no live cricket in the world, our audiences can celebrate the return of Live Cricket that resumes exclusively on Sony Pictures Sports Network with the West Indies Tour of England test series. Indians have an insatiable appetite for cricket and fans across the country will get to watch some of the top talent in the world of cricket like Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Jason Holder and more back in action. We have received a great response from advertisers for the upcoming West Indies Tour of England Test series and have My11Circle, Skoda, ITC deodorants as co-presenting sponsors. Byju’s, Dafa News, Bharti Airtel , Cars 24 , Infiniti Retail (Croma) and Policy Bazaar are on board as associate sponsors and Maruti Suzuki & Mobile Premier League (MPL) have done spot buys on the series.”

  • SPSN launches ‘The Blue Revolution’ to re-run historic 1985 cricket matches

    SPSN launches ‘The Blue Revolution’ to re-run historic 1985 cricket matches

    MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Sports Network (SPSN) will showcase the best moments from the historical 1985 B&H World Championship of cricket tournament that had the Indian cricket team donning the blue jersey, in the series ‘The Blue Revolution’.

    The 12-part series revisits India’s landmark victory in the 1985 B&H World Championship of Cricket, the first major tournament India won in coloured clothing and established its dominance in cricket across the globe. The series launches from 4 May at 8.30 pm and will be aired on SONY SIX and SONY SIX HD channels.

    SPSN dives into the historical archives to revisit the victorious campaign of the 1985 B&H World Championship of Cricket in ‘The Blue Revolution’ and will showcase how India marked its dominance in cricket, ultimately giving rise to the term ‘Men in Blue’.

    Sony Pictures Networks India chief revenue officer, distribution and head – sports business Rajesh Kaul says: “The Blue Revolution covers one of the most iconic moments in our sporting history and commemorates the era where India established its supremacy in the world of Cricket. At that time our World Cup winning team had seen a dip in form, however, they answered all their critics as champions do – by winning the 1985 B&H World Championship of Cricket.”

    “The celebrations that ensued with Ravi Shastri and the team in the car as well as on the ground are iconic visuals of our rich cricketing heritage and we are bringing back these memorable games for the Indian cricket fan,” Kaul adds.

    As a part of the build-up to the marquee episodes and matches, SPSN has organised a series of live interactive chat sessions with some of the Indian cricket legends and heroes of the unbeaten class of ’85 – Ravi Shastri, Roger Binny, Madan Lal and Laxman Sivaramakrishnan.

    The sessions will be hosted by Rajdeep Sardesai and Joy Bhattacharya. TV Today Network consulting editor Rajdeep Sardesai says, “I remember getting up at 5 am in the morning to watch the Indian cricket team perform at the B&H World Championship of Cricket in 1985. Winning the World Cup in 1983 was unexpected but we really proved that we are the best team in the world in 1985.”

    “The Blue Revolution series is a must-watch for all for its historical and nostalgic value. I am really looking forward to reliving those moments with some of the heroes of the team who were a part of this landmark endeavour on the official Facebook page of Sony Sports,” says Sardesai.

    The World Championship of Cricket was a ‘mini’ World Cup played between seven teams: India, Australia, England, Pakistan, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and West Indies. Before touching down in Australia in 1985, the Indian team had lost three series on the bounce and were one of the least favourites to win the tournament, even after the heroic 1983 World Cup finals win over West Indies.

    Led by the astute Sunil Gavaskar, the Indian team donned the Blue Jersey for the first time and went on to beat all teams in the series and eventually winning the finals against arch-rivals Pakistan. Since then, only one colour has been associated with the Indian cricket team and this built the foundation for the ‘The Blue Revolution’.

    Follow Tellychakkar for the consumer facing news & entertainment

  • Sony Pictures Networks India extents broadcast partnership with WWE by 5 yrs

    Sony Pictures Networks India extents broadcast partnership with WWE by 5 yrs

    MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) have announced a five-year extension agreement to broadcast weekly wrestling matches, buttressing the fact that wrestling is one of the most-watched non-cricket sports in India.

    An official press release said: “With an expanded a broadcast agreement that will deliver WWE’s weekly flagship programming and localised content in India and the Indian subcontinent, making SPN the exclusive home to WWE in-ring content across its television and digital platforms.”

    As part of the agreement, SPN will have the rights to air Raw, SmackDown, NXT as well as WWE pay-per-view specials live on its sports and digital platforms in English, Hindi and regional languages.

    The expanded partnership also provides SPN the rights to WWE Network which hosts thousands of hours of content to be made available to audiences in India exclusively through SonyLIV, SPN’s OTT platform.

    For the first time, SPN will curate content from WWE’s extensive video library which includes live events, iconic matches, interviews with legends, reality shows, documentaries, on its own platforms.

    Sony Pictures Networks India head sports and chief revenue officer distribution Rajesh Kaul says, “WWE has been consistently ranking in the top three properties across all sports networks in India, dominating the sports entertainment space. We are delighted to extend our partnership with WWE in a first of its kind deal that will give us increased exposure to valuable content and reach out to a broader viewer base across India on multiple platforms.”

    WWE executive vice-president James Rosenstock says, “India is a strategically important market for WWE and Sony Pictures Networks has been an extraordinary partner in helping to grow our fanbase in the region, making it one of the most-watched sports properties. The expanded partnership gives our passionate fans new opportunities to engage with the WWE brand.”

    The agreement comes at a time when WWE’s popularity in India continues to grow. WWE is one of the most-watched sports properties in India, and India ranks number one for WWE YouTube consumption and #1 in WWE Facebook followers.

    In addition, WWE has been actively recruiting elite athletes and performers from the country. Last year, WWE hosted its largest try out in history, where more than 70 top athletes from India showcased their abilities in Mumbai. Four Indian recruits were selected to begin training at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida, US.

  • Sony Pictures Networks signs multi-year deal with Extreme E

    Sony Pictures Networks signs multi-year deal with Extreme E

    MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) and Extreme E have signed a four-year broadcast partnership for the electric SUV off-road motorsport series, set to begin its inaugural season in 2021.

    According to a press statement, the goal is to highlight the impact of human interference and climate change while raising awareness, driving sustainability and inspiring action. The broadcast partnership with SPN will ensure that millions across the Indian sub-continent can catch the action as it unfolds.

    Extreme E is a class of auto racing that only uses electric vehicles to race off-road in extremely remote parts of the world using electric SUVs. The event will have world-class drivers and teams will compete across Extreme E’s five-race odyssey to some of the most remarkable, remote locations on the planet.

    Sony Pictures Networks chief revenue officer, distribution and head – sports business, Rajesh Kaul said: “Extreme E holds a unique appeal for our viewers with its fast-paced action, high entertainment quotient and focus on important global issues. The tour aims to take electric SUVs to the most remote and extreme locations on the planet to raise awareness about the damage caused by climate change.”

    He further added that the inaugural season will showcase five-event sets across some of the most breathtaking locations in the world.

    Extreme E’s chief marketing officer, Ali Russell said: “It is fantastic we are able to announce this broadcast partnership between Sony Pictures Networks India and Extreme E – comprehensively covering one of our most important territories.”

    “This commitment to televise high-end, revolutionary sports-entertainment across the sub-continent on this scale is so exciting and significant to us, having announced our partnership with Nepal to host Extreme E in its very first season,” Russel said.

    Viewers across the globe will be introduced to some of the most extreme locations as the racers drive through the sandbars in the Artic, the Amazonian rainforests of Brazil, the deserts of Saudi Arabia, the rising oceans of Senegal and the Himalayan glaciers of Nepal, points out the press statement.