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  • Pro Wrestling League rallies on North India viewership

    Pro Wrestling League rallies on North India viewership

    MUMBAI: The third edition of the Pro Wrestling League (PWL) proved to be a hit among the younger viewers while attracting audiences of all age groups. Moreover, 77 per cent of the viewership came from North India for the season.  

    The season saw top wrestlers from 17 countries participate in the league. It also provided a great platform for India’s young and talented players to compete, and learn from, in close quarters with Olympic and world champions. The league was on air from 9 January till 26 January 2018.

    According to Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) all India data, the league garnered a total of 66,444 impressions (000s) sum, out of which 30 per cent of the viewership, or 20,125 impressions (000s) sum, was contributed by Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. North India contributed to 77 per cent of the total viewership. Viewers under 30 made up 55 per cent of the viewership.

    Speaking about the impressive television numbers, ProSportify founder and promoter Kartikeya Sharma said, “Sports like wrestling have not got the attention that mainstream sports get in India. The latest BARC India ratings are proof that there is huge viewership for such sports, especially wrestling, if they are packaged properly.”

    The league was watched by 45 per cent female fans. The age group of 15-21 years contributed to 20 per cent of the total viewership.

    All the Sony Pictures Network channels, which telecast the 18-day league, featuring over 24 Olympians, 10 Rio Olympic medallists, 14 world champions and six continental champions, witnessed exponential growth in viewership during the tournament. Sony Wah, Sony ESPN and ESPN HD aired the league live.

    “Even more heartening for us sports lovers is that people are enthusiastically watching other sports, too, like wrestling, kabaddi, badminton and football. It is not just about cricket any longer in the country and that is very significant as it will eventually help India become a multi-sport viewing nation,” said Sharma.

    “This is a welcome change and we feel proud to be a part of the revolution to create space for sports other than cricket. We are particularly delighted to see a surge of interest among urban and new viewers, adding substantially to the rural and existing fans,” he added.

    India is making the transition from being a single-sport nation to a multi-sport-viewing nation as domestic leagues of sports such as wrestling, kabaddi, badminton and football are creating their own fan base.

    Also read:

    Biopics & sports-based films help popularise sporting culture in India

    IPL 2018: Team sponsorship deals may see an uptick

    IPL 2018 gets a makeover with Star India

  • 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.

    Also Read :

    SPN India to feature in SPE growth in 2018

    Ten Sports: Sony Pictures Networks completes first phase of acquisition

    Sony Pictures-Ten Sports deal cleared by CCI

    Sony to add 10 channels in 2017

     

     

  • Sony to add 10 channels in 2017

    Sony to add 10 channels in 2017

    MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Networks India’s new strategic decision is to add entertaining and engaging channels catering to a variety of viewers to its existing bouquet next year.

    Sony has been working on its plans to expand its portfolio by adding 10 new channels which will include five sports channels. The remainder will be divided between kids, music and infotainment genres. SPN India is awaiting regulatory approval.

    Speaking to Indiantelevision.com, Sony Pictures Networks CEO NP Singh said, “The company expanded its portfolio in 2016. New channels are coming in a few months”. Singh further added, “We are integrating five Ten Sports channels, HD music channel, kids channel and infotainment channel.”

    In the beginning of 2016, Sony added two channels — Sony ESPN and Sony ESPN HD to its sports bouquet in collaboration with ESPN. Later that year, SPN India launched its third movie channel — Sony Wah and also came up with Sony Le Plex, an English movie channel.

    In August 2016, the network announced a deal to acquire Ten Sports Network from Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEE) and its subsidiaries for US$ 385 million. The acquisition added South Asia’s leading sports network to SPN’s portfolio.

    The year seems to have been satisfying for Sony Pictures. Talking about the network’s flagship channel Sony Entertainment Television, Singh said, “The year has been good for the network. We have been able to successfully achieve leadership on weekends. Also, we have seen the audience accepting our fiction shows.” Singh added, “In the next six months, I am sure, we will see a surge in viewership on weekdays too. We climbed up from number six to three, and hope Sony will continue to grow from there.”

    The channel is bringing back the ninth season of one its iconic shows Indian Idol on 24 December.

  • Sony to add 10 channels in 2017

    Sony to add 10 channels in 2017

    MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Networks India’s new strategic decision is to add entertaining and engaging channels catering to a variety of viewers to its existing bouquet next year.

    Sony has been working on its plans to expand its portfolio by adding 10 new channels which will include five sports channels. The remainder will be divided between kids, music and infotainment genres. SPN India is awaiting regulatory approval.

    Speaking to Indiantelevision.com, Sony Pictures Networks CEO NP Singh said, “The company expanded its portfolio in 2016. New channels are coming in a few months”. Singh further added, “We are integrating five Ten Sports channels, HD music channel, kids channel and infotainment channel.”

    In the beginning of 2016, Sony added two channels — Sony ESPN and Sony ESPN HD to its sports bouquet in collaboration with ESPN. Later that year, SPN India launched its third movie channel — Sony Wah and also came up with Sony Le Plex, an English movie channel.

    In August 2016, the network announced a deal to acquire Ten Sports Network from Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEE) and its subsidiaries for US$ 385 million. The acquisition added South Asia’s leading sports network to SPN’s portfolio.

    The year seems to have been satisfying for Sony Pictures. Talking about the network’s flagship channel Sony Entertainment Television, Singh said, “The year has been good for the network. We have been able to successfully achieve leadership on weekends. Also, we have seen the audience accepting our fiction shows.” Singh added, “In the next six months, I am sure, we will see a surge in viewership on weekdays too. We climbed up from number six to three, and hope Sony will continue to grow from there.”

    The channel is bringing back the ninth season of one its iconic shows Indian Idol on 24 December.

  • Sony brings ESPN Films’ iconic sports documentaries

    Sony brings ESPN Films’ iconic sports documentaries

    MUMBAI: ESPN Films, known for producing award-winning sports films and documentaries, has tied up with Sony Pictures Network (SPN) to bring some compelling sports stories to India. The initiative starts 27 November 2016 on Sony ESPN and Sony ESPN HD channels.

    The series will debut in India with `The Two Escobars’. Directed by the Zimbalists, it tells the tale of two men named Escobar — Andrés, the captain and poster child of Colombia’s national team, and Pablo, the infamous drug baron who pioneered the phenomenon known in the underworld as `narco-soccer’.

    Appearing for the first time in India, the critically-acclaimed, Emmy and Peabody Award-winning series of documentaries bring to viewers a thoughtful and innovative examination of the sports world, its characters, events and intersections with society at large where stories are told by filmmakers in partnership with ESPN.

    With topics ranging from Nelson Mandela’s embrace of the 1995 Rugby World Cup as a force for racial unity, to the rise and fall of Pablo and Andres Escobar during the “Narco-Soccer” era in Colombia, to the bravado and foolhardy courage of Muhammad Ali in his twilight years, fighting to hold on to greatness, the range and poignancy of stories are timeless and should appeal to Indian viewers who love great storytelling.

    Addressing the media here on Tuesday at a special screening of one such film, ESPN India and South Asia head and vice president Ramesh Kumar said, “Part of what has always distinguished ESPN is that we do not only cover the games, we cover the ‘game around the game’ and we do it as storytellers. These films go beyond sports and engage viewers with compelling, often unknown or previously unseen, narratives that capture the power, emotion and poignancy of sports in our lives.”

    Often credited with revitalizing and revolutionizing the art of sports documentary, ESPN Films projects are brought to life by a roster of gifted filmmakers collaborating with ESPN. Among those who have created films for the series are Jeff & Michael Zimbalist, Clifford Bestall, Albert Maysles, Barry Levinson, Bradley Kaplan, Brett Ratner, Spike Jonze, John Singleton, Brian Koppleman, Michael Rappaport, Daniel Gordon, Alex Gibney, Eric Drath, Ezra Edelman and many more.

    Commenting on the launch, SPN India Sports Cluster Business Head and EVP Prasana Krishnan said, “Some of the most inspiring stories in the world have come from sports. We are showcasing a collection of award-winning ESPN Films documentary series for the first time in India that is sure to appeal to both die-hard sports fans as well as people who don’t know much about sports. The ESPN films are a differentiated offering from Sony ESPN channels that comprise legendary human interest stories that will give our viewers an opportunity to relive some of the greatest moments in the history of sports.”

    ESPN Films was launched in March 2008 and has been an industry leader in documentary filmmaking since its inception, producing more than 100 documentaries that have showcased some of the most compelling stories in sports.

    Speaking to indiantelevision.com, ESPN India Television Initiatives Head Jasdeep Pannu said, “Times are changing in India and sports is becoming extremely relevant. Also, this is the kind of content that you will not find anywhere in the world. The content appeals to sports fans as well those passionate about films.”

    Pointing out that to promote and market these films campaigns are being run on Sony’s in-house TV channels, Pannu said. “We are also cross promoting the films on our regular channels on digital media like ESPN.com, cricinfo, etc.”

    Films like `The 16th Man’, `Muhammad and Lary’, `Maradona’, `The Real Rocky’, `Into the Wind’, `Little Master’ and `Unmatched’ are among the few productions that will be telecasted on Sony ESPN and Sony ESPN HD every Sunday noon.

  • Sony brings ESPN Films’ iconic sports documentaries

    Sony brings ESPN Films’ iconic sports documentaries

    MUMBAI: ESPN Films, known for producing award-winning sports films and documentaries, has tied up with Sony Pictures Network (SPN) to bring some compelling sports stories to India. The initiative starts 27 November 2016 on Sony ESPN and Sony ESPN HD channels.

    The series will debut in India with `The Two Escobars’. Directed by the Zimbalists, it tells the tale of two men named Escobar — Andrés, the captain and poster child of Colombia’s national team, and Pablo, the infamous drug baron who pioneered the phenomenon known in the underworld as `narco-soccer’.

    Appearing for the first time in India, the critically-acclaimed, Emmy and Peabody Award-winning series of documentaries bring to viewers a thoughtful and innovative examination of the sports world, its characters, events and intersections with society at large where stories are told by filmmakers in partnership with ESPN.

    With topics ranging from Nelson Mandela’s embrace of the 1995 Rugby World Cup as a force for racial unity, to the rise and fall of Pablo and Andres Escobar during the “Narco-Soccer” era in Colombia, to the bravado and foolhardy courage of Muhammad Ali in his twilight years, fighting to hold on to greatness, the range and poignancy of stories are timeless and should appeal to Indian viewers who love great storytelling.

    Addressing the media here on Tuesday at a special screening of one such film, ESPN India and South Asia head and vice president Ramesh Kumar said, “Part of what has always distinguished ESPN is that we do not only cover the games, we cover the ‘game around the game’ and we do it as storytellers. These films go beyond sports and engage viewers with compelling, often unknown or previously unseen, narratives that capture the power, emotion and poignancy of sports in our lives.”

    Often credited with revitalizing and revolutionizing the art of sports documentary, ESPN Films projects are brought to life by a roster of gifted filmmakers collaborating with ESPN. Among those who have created films for the series are Jeff & Michael Zimbalist, Clifford Bestall, Albert Maysles, Barry Levinson, Bradley Kaplan, Brett Ratner, Spike Jonze, John Singleton, Brian Koppleman, Michael Rappaport, Daniel Gordon, Alex Gibney, Eric Drath, Ezra Edelman and many more.

    Commenting on the launch, SPN India Sports Cluster Business Head and EVP Prasana Krishnan said, “Some of the most inspiring stories in the world have come from sports. We are showcasing a collection of award-winning ESPN Films documentary series for the first time in India that is sure to appeal to both die-hard sports fans as well as people who don’t know much about sports. The ESPN films are a differentiated offering from Sony ESPN channels that comprise legendary human interest stories that will give our viewers an opportunity to relive some of the greatest moments in the history of sports.”

    ESPN Films was launched in March 2008 and has been an industry leader in documentary filmmaking since its inception, producing more than 100 documentaries that have showcased some of the most compelling stories in sports.

    Speaking to indiantelevision.com, ESPN India Television Initiatives Head Jasdeep Pannu said, “Times are changing in India and sports is becoming extremely relevant. Also, this is the kind of content that you will not find anywhere in the world. The content appeals to sports fans as well those passionate about films.”

    Pointing out that to promote and market these films campaigns are being run on Sony’s in-house TV channels, Pannu said. “We are also cross promoting the films on our regular channels on digital media like ESPN.com, cricinfo, etc.”

    Films like `The 16th Man’, `Muhammad and Lary’, `Maradona’, `The Real Rocky’, `Into the Wind’, `Little Master’ and `Unmatched’ are among the few productions that will be telecasted on Sony ESPN and Sony ESPN HD every Sunday noon.

  • Sony Pictures to telecast UFC 205 live in New York City

    Sony Pictures to telecast UFC 205 live in New York City

    MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Networks (SPN)’s sports cluster is all set to broadcast UFC 205 live. With its explosive line- up of fights, the event will take place at Madison Square Garden.

    Headlined by the UFC Lightweight Championship between Eddie Alvarez and Conor McGregor, the league will be simulcast live on 13 November at 08:30 pm on Sony Six, SONY ESPN and SONY ESPN HD. It will also be available for live streaming on the Sony Liv app and website.

    UFC 205 will kick off with the Bantamweight bout between former champion Miesha Tate and Raquel Pennington and will end with Conor McGregor attempting to be the first fighter to hold two championship titles in two different categories in UFC history with his fight against Eddie Alvarez in the Lightweight bout.

    Main Fight Card:

    · Eddie Alvarez v/s Conor McGregor – Lightweight Title

    Both these fighters have been involved in a constant war of words as both of them prepare for the biggest bout in UFC. Alvarez went on to predict that his fight with McGregor will end in a similar fashion as UFC 196, where the latter lost brutally to Nate Diaz. However, the Irish mixed martial artist, who is known to have a very sharp tongue retaliated saying that the upcoming fight will be Alvarez’s last.

    · Tyron Woodley v/s Stephen Thomson – Welterweight Title

    The state of the UFC welterweight title chase appears to be relatively clear-cut heading into UFC 205, as reigning champion, Tyron Woodley will take on Stephen Thomson in the Welterweight bout, which is just one of the many reasons why the UFC debut event in New York is a blockbuster

    · Joanna Jedrzejczyk v/s Karolina Kowalkiewicz -Strawweight Title

    The two Polish contenders will battle it out in the Octagon with Joanna Jedrzejczyk heading into her fourth title defense against Karolina Kowalkiewicz at UFC 205 and will be defending her title on the biggest stage possible

    · Chris Weidman v/s Yoel Romero – Middleweight Category

    Former Champion Chris Weidman was perhaps the most active of all fighters on the UFC roster and he will be facing Yoel Romero in the Middleweight bout

    · Kelvin Gastelum v/s Donald Cerrone – Welterweight Category

    Cerrone will look to move up in the Welterweight rankings as he faces Kelvin Gastelum, the former The Ultimate Fighter winner, in UFC 205

    · Miesha Tate v/s Raquel Pennington – Bantamweight Category

    This fight is extremely important for Pennington as it represents both the greatest challenge and opportunity of her personal life. The bout marks Tate’s return to action after being usurped as the division’s champion. She’ll hope to put the one-sided thrashing behind her and get back to turning in the kind of performance that allowed her to win five straight prior to the recent defeat.

  • Sony Pictures to telecast UFC 205 live in New York City

    Sony Pictures to telecast UFC 205 live in New York City

    MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Networks (SPN)’s sports cluster is all set to broadcast UFC 205 live. With its explosive line- up of fights, the event will take place at Madison Square Garden.

    Headlined by the UFC Lightweight Championship between Eddie Alvarez and Conor McGregor, the league will be simulcast live on 13 November at 08:30 pm on Sony Six, SONY ESPN and SONY ESPN HD. It will also be available for live streaming on the Sony Liv app and website.

    UFC 205 will kick off with the Bantamweight bout between former champion Miesha Tate and Raquel Pennington and will end with Conor McGregor attempting to be the first fighter to hold two championship titles in two different categories in UFC history with his fight against Eddie Alvarez in the Lightweight bout.

    Main Fight Card:

    · Eddie Alvarez v/s Conor McGregor – Lightweight Title

    Both these fighters have been involved in a constant war of words as both of them prepare for the biggest bout in UFC. Alvarez went on to predict that his fight with McGregor will end in a similar fashion as UFC 196, where the latter lost brutally to Nate Diaz. However, the Irish mixed martial artist, who is known to have a very sharp tongue retaliated saying that the upcoming fight will be Alvarez’s last.

    · Tyron Woodley v/s Stephen Thomson – Welterweight Title

    The state of the UFC welterweight title chase appears to be relatively clear-cut heading into UFC 205, as reigning champion, Tyron Woodley will take on Stephen Thomson in the Welterweight bout, which is just one of the many reasons why the UFC debut event in New York is a blockbuster

    · Joanna Jedrzejczyk v/s Karolina Kowalkiewicz -Strawweight Title

    The two Polish contenders will battle it out in the Octagon with Joanna Jedrzejczyk heading into her fourth title defense against Karolina Kowalkiewicz at UFC 205 and will be defending her title on the biggest stage possible

    · Chris Weidman v/s Yoel Romero – Middleweight Category

    Former Champion Chris Weidman was perhaps the most active of all fighters on the UFC roster and he will be facing Yoel Romero in the Middleweight bout

    · Kelvin Gastelum v/s Donald Cerrone – Welterweight Category

    Cerrone will look to move up in the Welterweight rankings as he faces Kelvin Gastelum, the former The Ultimate Fighter winner, in UFC 205

    · Miesha Tate v/s Raquel Pennington – Bantamweight Category

    This fight is extremely important for Pennington as it represents both the greatest challenge and opportunity of her personal life. The bout marks Tate’s return to action after being usurped as the division’s champion. She’ll hope to put the one-sided thrashing behind her and get back to turning in the kind of performance that allowed her to win five straight prior to the recent defeat.

  • SPN India to telecast UFC 204 live in Indian sub-continent

    SPN India to telecast UFC 204 live in Indian sub-continent

    MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Networks (SPN) is all set to broadcast the highly anticipated UFC 204 event in theIndian sub-continent. The volatile fight card will see current Middleweight Champion, Michael Bisping take on Dan Hendersonin the Middleweight bout.

    The fight will be telecast live on 9 October at 07:30 pm on Sony Six, Sony Six HD, Sony ESPN and Sony ESPN HD. UFC 204 will also be available for live streaming on SonyLIV.

    The fight card also features more high profile fights as well. Brazilian mixed martial artist Vitor Belfort will take on four time world champion, Gegard Mousasi in the Middleweight bout and Ovince Saint Preux will face Jimi Manuwa inthe Light Heavyweight division. With so much tension in the ring, UFC 204 is slated to showcase some of the most explosive face-offs the Octagon will ever see.

    Michael Bisping is the first British mixed martial arts fighter to win a UFC championship which was at UFC 199. Bisping faced his present day UFC 204 opponent, Dan Henderson, a former Olympic wrestler, for the first time back in 2009 and was defeated in a brutal knockout in the second round. At UFC 204, Bisping looks to defend his title as he seeks revenge against Henderson.Henderson, on the other hand is going to give this fight his all as this may be the very last time he enters the Octagon as a fighter given his announcement of his retirement.

  • SPN India to telecast UFC 204 live in Indian sub-continent

    SPN India to telecast UFC 204 live in Indian sub-continent

    MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Networks (SPN) is all set to broadcast the highly anticipated UFC 204 event in theIndian sub-continent. The volatile fight card will see current Middleweight Champion, Michael Bisping take on Dan Hendersonin the Middleweight bout.

    The fight will be telecast live on 9 October at 07:30 pm on Sony Six, Sony Six HD, Sony ESPN and Sony ESPN HD. UFC 204 will also be available for live streaming on SonyLIV.

    The fight card also features more high profile fights as well. Brazilian mixed martial artist Vitor Belfort will take on four time world champion, Gegard Mousasi in the Middleweight bout and Ovince Saint Preux will face Jimi Manuwa inthe Light Heavyweight division. With so much tension in the ring, UFC 204 is slated to showcase some of the most explosive face-offs the Octagon will ever see.

    Michael Bisping is the first British mixed martial arts fighter to win a UFC championship which was at UFC 199. Bisping faced his present day UFC 204 opponent, Dan Henderson, a former Olympic wrestler, for the first time back in 2009 and was defeated in a brutal knockout in the second round. At UFC 204, Bisping looks to defend his title as he seeks revenge against Henderson.Henderson, on the other hand is going to give this fight his all as this may be the very last time he enters the Octagon as a fighter given his announcement of his retirement.