ITV

Tag: Sony ESPN HD

  • SPN India to broadcast FIFA Futsal World Cup 2016 tomorrow

    SPN India to broadcast FIFA Futsal World Cup 2016 tomorrow

    MUMBAI: The sports cluster of SPN will broadcast the eighth edition of one of the biggest futsal tournament in the world, the FIFA Futsal World Cup 2016.

    The opening game of the tournament between the host country Columbia and Portugal will be simulcast on Sony Six, Sony Six HD and Sony ESPN, Sony ESPN HD at 625 am IST on 11 September.

    With the telecast of the first premier Futsal in July this year, the sports cluster of SPN became forerunners in bringing futsal to the Indian viewers. The league saw legends of football and futsal come together for the first time in a unique and pioneering model. The success of the tournament has led to a considerable spike in the demand for futsal viewing.

    The FIFA Futsal World Cup 2016, is an international championship, organized by FIFA and held every four years, between two football World Cups.

    The reigning champions, Brazil, will defend their title this year with some of their marquee players like Fernandinho and Falcao expected to create futsal magic with their footwork. Up until now, Brazil and Spain have been the only two countries who have claimed the title of Futsal World Cup champions, with Brazil winning five and Spain winning two times.

    SPN sports and distribution president Rajesh Kaul said, “The FIFA Futsal World Cup 2016, is the biggest futsal tournament in the world and we are happy to bring this experience to our Indian football fans. It is a known fact that futsal has massive potential in India. With the broadcast of the FIFA Futsal World Cup 2016, the popularity of the game is expected to further increase considerably. With plenty of football fans lapping up the skills, it won’t be long before futsal becomes the norm of the nation.

    With the acquisition of some of the key European football properties like the UEFA EURO 2016, LaLiga, Serie A etc., we have tried to bring to our audiences unmatched viewing experiences. With the telecast of Premier Futsal and now the FIFA Futsal World Cup 2016, we aim to diversify our football broadcast portfolio to a large extent,” Kaul added.

  • SPN India to broadcast FIFA Futsal World Cup 2016 tomorrow

    SPN India to broadcast FIFA Futsal World Cup 2016 tomorrow

    MUMBAI: The sports cluster of SPN will broadcast the eighth edition of one of the biggest futsal tournament in the world, the FIFA Futsal World Cup 2016.

    The opening game of the tournament between the host country Columbia and Portugal will be simulcast on Sony Six, Sony Six HD and Sony ESPN, Sony ESPN HD at 625 am IST on 11 September.

    With the telecast of the first premier Futsal in July this year, the sports cluster of SPN became forerunners in bringing futsal to the Indian viewers. The league saw legends of football and futsal come together for the first time in a unique and pioneering model. The success of the tournament has led to a considerable spike in the demand for futsal viewing.

    The FIFA Futsal World Cup 2016, is an international championship, organized by FIFA and held every four years, between two football World Cups.

    The reigning champions, Brazil, will defend their title this year with some of their marquee players like Fernandinho and Falcao expected to create futsal magic with their footwork. Up until now, Brazil and Spain have been the only two countries who have claimed the title of Futsal World Cup champions, with Brazil winning five and Spain winning two times.

    SPN sports and distribution president Rajesh Kaul said, “The FIFA Futsal World Cup 2016, is the biggest futsal tournament in the world and we are happy to bring this experience to our Indian football fans. It is a known fact that futsal has massive potential in India. With the broadcast of the FIFA Futsal World Cup 2016, the popularity of the game is expected to further increase considerably. With plenty of football fans lapping up the skills, it won’t be long before futsal becomes the norm of the nation.

    With the acquisition of some of the key European football properties like the UEFA EURO 2016, LaLiga, Serie A etc., we have tried to bring to our audiences unmatched viewing experiences. With the telecast of Premier Futsal and now the FIFA Futsal World Cup 2016, we aim to diversify our football broadcast portfolio to a large extent,” Kaul added.

  • SPN India to broadcast National Football League

    SPN India to broadcast National Football League

    MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) is bringing to its viewers sports leagues from North America — the National Football League (NFL).

    Action begins with the first game of NFL Kick off 2016 Weekend featuring the Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos hosting the Carolina Panthers in a rematch of Super Bowl 50 on Sony Six, Sony Six HD and Sony ESPN, Sony ESPN HD on 9 September, 2016, at 6 am. Three NFL games a week will be telecast live on Sony ESPN and Sony ESPN HD during the 2016 NFL season.

    NFL games will be telecast three times a week on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays at 6am IST giving viewers more options in the breakfast viewing category. Apart from this, select games during the season will also be telecast at prime- time.

    The NFL is one of the four major professional sports leagues in North America, and the highest professional level of American football in the world. It consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the National Football Conference (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC).

    Each regular season runs for a period of 17 weeks with each team playing 16 games and having one bye week. At the end of the regular season, six teams from each conference (four division winners and two wild card teams) advance to the playoffs that concludes with the Super Bowl, played between the champions of the NFC and AFC.

    SPN distribution and sports president Rajesh Kaul said, “The sports cluster of SPN possess the broadcast rights of two of the ‘Big 4’ professional sports leagues in America with the NFL and NBA, consequently showcasing the best of American sports leagues to our viewers. We have seen a growing interest amongst urban Indian viewers for American sports it seems set to grow further with the NFL games”.

    He further added, “Breakfast Viewing is a transformational concept initiated and fostered by SPN that has changed the way live sports is consumed by viewers today. At present, we are the only network catering to die-hard sports fans in this segment and are giving our viewers more options in sports consumption owing to the demand for live international content in this time band. There is a significant viewership in the breakfast viewing category for our other content and we are expecting to see a definite growth in viewership for the NFL too.”

  • SPN India to broadcast National Football League

    SPN India to broadcast National Football League

    MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) is bringing to its viewers sports leagues from North America — the National Football League (NFL).

    Action begins with the first game of NFL Kick off 2016 Weekend featuring the Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos hosting the Carolina Panthers in a rematch of Super Bowl 50 on Sony Six, Sony Six HD and Sony ESPN, Sony ESPN HD on 9 September, 2016, at 6 am. Three NFL games a week will be telecast live on Sony ESPN and Sony ESPN HD during the 2016 NFL season.

    NFL games will be telecast three times a week on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays at 6am IST giving viewers more options in the breakfast viewing category. Apart from this, select games during the season will also be telecast at prime- time.

    The NFL is one of the four major professional sports leagues in North America, and the highest professional level of American football in the world. It consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the National Football Conference (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC).

    Each regular season runs for a period of 17 weeks with each team playing 16 games and having one bye week. At the end of the regular season, six teams from each conference (four division winners and two wild card teams) advance to the playoffs that concludes with the Super Bowl, played between the champions of the NFC and AFC.

    SPN distribution and sports president Rajesh Kaul said, “The sports cluster of SPN possess the broadcast rights of two of the ‘Big 4’ professional sports leagues in America with the NFL and NBA, consequently showcasing the best of American sports leagues to our viewers. We have seen a growing interest amongst urban Indian viewers for American sports it seems set to grow further with the NFL games”.

    He further added, “Breakfast Viewing is a transformational concept initiated and fostered by SPN that has changed the way live sports is consumed by viewers today. At present, we are the only network catering to die-hard sports fans in this segment and are giving our viewers more options in sports consumption owing to the demand for live international content in this time band. There is a significant viewership in the breakfast viewing category for our other content and we are expecting to see a definite growth in viewership for the NFL too.”

  • ESPN ropes in Jasdeep Pannu as India TV initiatives head

    ESPN ropes in Jasdeep Pannu as India TV initiatives head

    MUMBAI: Leading global sports network ESPN is slowly but steadily rebuilding itself in the Indian television space, after exiting its 50:50 sports broadcasting joint venture with Star India in 2012.

    Last year, it bounced back into the Indian television ecosystem in a partnership with Sony Pictures Networks (SPN) in an initiative that would see it giving birth to many channels, new program, online initiatives, among other things. At least that’s what MSM India CEO NP Singh and ESPN international Executive vice-president and managing director Russell Wolff had stated at the time of the launch of the new venture.

    January 2016 saw Sony Kix being rebranded as Sony ESPN and Sony ESPN HD, the first of the many channels the two want to launch in India.

    As a first step on the talent front, ESPN has brought in sports television veteran Jasdeep Pannu as head of its TV initiatives in India. Pannu joined the company in July 2016 but has been working in a low key manner since then.

    For the programming vet, it is a home coming of sorts. In an earlier innings with Sony Entertainment Television, according to information available with indiantelevision.com, he was senior vice-president and head of programming for its Max channel. At Max, he led a 150-strong content development and execution team on the IPL to present cricket as an entertainment experience and won multiple awards for best programming. He developed the team from ground-up, enabled disruptive thinking and innovative execution. He was one of the key executives involved in the positioning of the IPL as an inclusive sports event for mass audiences. Expanded audience share among women and younger viewers, increased reach by over 20 million viewers.

    He followed that with a year or so long stint with Star Sports wherein he worked on integrating the ESPN sports production team into the new post-merger sports network’s team structure. He hired a 150-person team in six weeks – drove the organisational design process obtaining management and HR approvals.

    His last assignment prior to joining ESPN, was with A&E Networks as the EVP and head of content for ten months.

  • ESPN ropes in Jasdeep Pannu as India TV initiatives head

    ESPN ropes in Jasdeep Pannu as India TV initiatives head

    MUMBAI: Leading global sports network ESPN is slowly but steadily rebuilding itself in the Indian television space, after exiting its 50:50 sports broadcasting joint venture with Star India in 2012.

    Last year, it bounced back into the Indian television ecosystem in a partnership with Sony Pictures Networks (SPN) in an initiative that would see it giving birth to many channels, new program, online initiatives, among other things. At least that’s what MSM India CEO NP Singh and ESPN international Executive vice-president and managing director Russell Wolff had stated at the time of the launch of the new venture.

    January 2016 saw Sony Kix being rebranded as Sony ESPN and Sony ESPN HD, the first of the many channels the two want to launch in India.

    As a first step on the talent front, ESPN has brought in sports television veteran Jasdeep Pannu as head of its TV initiatives in India. Pannu joined the company in July 2016 but has been working in a low key manner since then.

    For the programming vet, it is a home coming of sorts. In an earlier innings with Sony Entertainment Television, according to information available with indiantelevision.com, he was senior vice-president and head of programming for its Max channel. At Max, he led a 150-strong content development and execution team on the IPL to present cricket as an entertainment experience and won multiple awards for best programming. He developed the team from ground-up, enabled disruptive thinking and innovative execution. He was one of the key executives involved in the positioning of the IPL as an inclusive sports event for mass audiences. Expanded audience share among women and younger viewers, increased reach by over 20 million viewers.

    He followed that with a year or so long stint with Star Sports wherein he worked on integrating the ESPN sports production team into the new post-merger sports network’s team structure. He hired a 150-person team in six weeks – drove the organisational design process obtaining management and HR approvals.

    His last assignment prior to joining ESPN, was with A&E Networks as the EVP and head of content for ten months.

  • SPN brings stars of football with live wraparound ‘Football Extraa’

    SPN brings stars of football with live wraparound ‘Football Extraa’

    MUMBAI: To make even better one of the biggest international football tournaments in the world – the UEFA Euro 2016 — SPN’s sports cluster is all set to make it truly the biggest experience for the country! 

    With Football Extraa, SPN brings to its viewers some of the iconic football names on a single platform with England and Liverpool football legend Robbie Fowler; Ex-Portugal and Barcelona player Deco; and India’s football team captain Sunil Chhetri.

    Sony Pictures Network CEO NP Singh said, “We started investing heavily in acquiring football rights about five years ago and it was only in 2012 we eventually launched our first sports channel, but our investments started before that when we acquired for UEFA Euro rights, FIFA 14, FIFA 18 and we are in the middle of Euro 2016. Copa America, African Cup of Nations, AFC, The interest in football is growing very fast, youth is following football more than us when we were young. We are very excited that FIFA U-17, will be in India and for the first time India will participate.”       

    ‘Football Extraaa’ is a live wraparound show which features an in-depth analysis of different aspects of the matches that promises to enhance the viewing experience for the Euro 2016. The tournament coverage that started on 10 June 2016 is telecast live and exclusive on Sony Six and Sony ESPN channels as well as SonyLIV.com at prime time slots of 5.30 pm, 8.30 pm and 11.30 pm. 

    Featuring insights from some of the best known players in club and country football, Joe Morrison mediates discussions with expert panellists about the tournament. With technical aspects of the game and interesting trivia on the tournament, ‘Football Extraaa’ not only caters to hard-core football fans, but also garners the interest of football novices. Interviews with football players, features, fan interactions, and Live social media activities, take the interest level of this show several notches higher.

    SPN Sports Cluster EVP business head Prasana Krishnan, “The UEFA EURO 2016 is one of the biggest and most watched international football properties with a global fan following. The extended offering of ‘Football Extraaa’, helmed by some of the most influential names in football, has an engaging format that delivers an unparalleled viewing experience to football fans. The in-depth analyses of the panellists appeals to a broader set of viewers that includes both fans and novices.  It’s been a week since Euro 2016 began and the response for both the tournament and the show has been overwhelmingly positive on our platforms.”

    Sony Six telecasts the English language feed for the tournament while Sony ESPN gives viewers the option of watching these matches in Hindi, Bengali, Malayalam, Tamil or Telugu language feeds. On the digital front, Sony LIV streams the tournament coverage live.

    With the recent acquisition of marquee football properties, like LaLiga, Serie A, UEFA Euro 2016, Copa America Centenario, 2018 FIFA World Cup and the exclusive broadcast and digital rights for the inaugural season of Premier Futsal, the Sports Cluster of SPN continues to reinforce its position as the ‘Home of Football.’

    Adding to all the action and excitement, SPN will be the host broadcaster for FIFA U-17 World Cup which is being hosted by India for the first time.  As a destination for the best sporting content from around the world, the Sports Cluster of SPN has grown into one of India’s fastest growing sports network, with marquee properties like Australian Open and The Rugby World Cup amongst others.

  • SPN brings stars of football with live wraparound ‘Football Extraa’

    SPN brings stars of football with live wraparound ‘Football Extraa’

    MUMBAI: To make even better one of the biggest international football tournaments in the world – the UEFA Euro 2016 — SPN’s sports cluster is all set to make it truly the biggest experience for the country! 

    With Football Extraa, SPN brings to its viewers some of the iconic football names on a single platform with England and Liverpool football legend Robbie Fowler; Ex-Portugal and Barcelona player Deco; and India’s football team captain Sunil Chhetri.

    Sony Pictures Network CEO NP Singh said, “We started investing heavily in acquiring football rights about five years ago and it was only in 2012 we eventually launched our first sports channel, but our investments started before that when we acquired for UEFA Euro rights, FIFA 14, FIFA 18 and we are in the middle of Euro 2016. Copa America, African Cup of Nations, AFC, The interest in football is growing very fast, youth is following football more than us when we were young. We are very excited that FIFA U-17, will be in India and for the first time India will participate.”       

    ‘Football Extraaa’ is a live wraparound show which features an in-depth analysis of different aspects of the matches that promises to enhance the viewing experience for the Euro 2016. The tournament coverage that started on 10 June 2016 is telecast live and exclusive on Sony Six and Sony ESPN channels as well as SonyLIV.com at prime time slots of 5.30 pm, 8.30 pm and 11.30 pm. 

    Featuring insights from some of the best known players in club and country football, Joe Morrison mediates discussions with expert panellists about the tournament. With technical aspects of the game and interesting trivia on the tournament, ‘Football Extraaa’ not only caters to hard-core football fans, but also garners the interest of football novices. Interviews with football players, features, fan interactions, and Live social media activities, take the interest level of this show several notches higher.

    SPN Sports Cluster EVP business head Prasana Krishnan, “The UEFA EURO 2016 is one of the biggest and most watched international football properties with a global fan following. The extended offering of ‘Football Extraaa’, helmed by some of the most influential names in football, has an engaging format that delivers an unparalleled viewing experience to football fans. The in-depth analyses of the panellists appeals to a broader set of viewers that includes both fans and novices.  It’s been a week since Euro 2016 began and the response for both the tournament and the show has been overwhelmingly positive on our platforms.”

    Sony Six telecasts the English language feed for the tournament while Sony ESPN gives viewers the option of watching these matches in Hindi, Bengali, Malayalam, Tamil or Telugu language feeds. On the digital front, Sony LIV streams the tournament coverage live.

    With the recent acquisition of marquee football properties, like LaLiga, Serie A, UEFA Euro 2016, Copa America Centenario, 2018 FIFA World Cup and the exclusive broadcast and digital rights for the inaugural season of Premier Futsal, the Sports Cluster of SPN continues to reinforce its position as the ‘Home of Football.’

    Adding to all the action and excitement, SPN will be the host broadcaster for FIFA U-17 World Cup which is being hosted by India for the first time.  As a destination for the best sporting content from around the world, the Sports Cluster of SPN has grown into one of India’s fastest growing sports network, with marquee properties like Australian Open and The Rugby World Cup amongst others.

  • SPN acquires exclusive broadcast and digital rights for 2016 Copa America Centenario in India

    SPN acquires exclusive broadcast and digital rights for 2016 Copa America Centenario in India

    MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) has acquired the exclusive broadcast and digital rights to telecast the 2016 edition of Copa America Centenario in India and the Indian sub-continent (Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka). This year’s tournament being held in the United States of America from June 3 to June 26 will be telecast live and exclusive on Sony ESPN and Sony ESPN HD channels.

    As part of the rights package, the network will air all 32 matches of the tournament played across 10 venues in the United States. In addition to the live coverage, Sony ESPN channels will also broadcast the highlights of matches during the tournament. On the digital front, consumers will be able to livestream all the matches on Sony LIV.

    The Copa América Centenario is a historical once-in-a-lifetime event celebrating 100 years of the Copa América and is a special edition between the usual four-year cycles of the Copa América tournaments. For the first time since its inception, the tournament will be held outside of South America and feature the top star players from North, South and Central America, as well as the Caribbean like Lionel Messi (Argentina), Luis Suarez (Uruguay) Javier Hernandez (Mexico) and James Rodriguez (Colombia) to name a few.

    The Copa América Centenario is anticipated to make history with some of the biggest encounters in football. Top international teams like Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Columbia, and more will face off each other on the field, all playing for the coveted trophy specially designed for the tournament.

    Sony sports cluster executive VP and business head Prasana Krishnan said, “This summer promises sports history in the making with the Copa América Centenario, a once in a lifetime event which sports fans will not want to miss. The acquisition of the exclusive broadcast and digital rights to telecast the 2016 edition of Copa América Centenario in India and the Indian Sub-Continent re-validates the SONY Sports cluster’s leadership in being the destination for football fans.”

    “Copa América Centenario, South America’s most prestigious international competition, alongside UEFA EURO 2016, Europe’s biggest tournament on our network will undoubtedly capture the interest of every football fan. During the event, viewers will see the currently ranked top ten International teams with some of the world’s greatest football players in an amazing line-up of matches from both Copa America Centenario and UEFA EURO 2016 on the Sony sports cluster”, he added.

    Customarily contested by the 10 CONMEBOL (the South American football confederation) nations and two outside invitees, the 2016 Copa América will have 10 South American national teams joined by six 

  • SPN acquires exclusive broadcast and digital rights for 2016 Copa America Centenario in India

    SPN acquires exclusive broadcast and digital rights for 2016 Copa America Centenario in India

    MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) has acquired the exclusive broadcast and digital rights to telecast the 2016 edition of Copa America Centenario in India and the Indian sub-continent (Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka). This year’s tournament being held in the United States of America from June 3 to June 26 will be telecast live and exclusive on Sony ESPN and Sony ESPN HD channels.

    As part of the rights package, the network will air all 32 matches of the tournament played across 10 venues in the United States. In addition to the live coverage, Sony ESPN channels will also broadcast the highlights of matches during the tournament. On the digital front, consumers will be able to livestream all the matches on Sony LIV.

    The Copa América Centenario is a historical once-in-a-lifetime event celebrating 100 years of the Copa América and is a special edition between the usual four-year cycles of the Copa América tournaments. For the first time since its inception, the tournament will be held outside of South America and feature the top star players from North, South and Central America, as well as the Caribbean like Lionel Messi (Argentina), Luis Suarez (Uruguay) Javier Hernandez (Mexico) and James Rodriguez (Colombia) to name a few.

    The Copa América Centenario is anticipated to make history with some of the biggest encounters in football. Top international teams like Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Columbia, and more will face off each other on the field, all playing for the coveted trophy specially designed for the tournament.

    Sony sports cluster executive VP and business head Prasana Krishnan said, “This summer promises sports history in the making with the Copa América Centenario, a once in a lifetime event which sports fans will not want to miss. The acquisition of the exclusive broadcast and digital rights to telecast the 2016 edition of Copa América Centenario in India and the Indian Sub-Continent re-validates the SONY Sports cluster’s leadership in being the destination for football fans.”

    “Copa América Centenario, South America’s most prestigious international competition, alongside UEFA EURO 2016, Europe’s biggest tournament on our network will undoubtedly capture the interest of every football fan. During the event, viewers will see the currently ranked top ten International teams with some of the world’s greatest football players in an amazing line-up of matches from both Copa America Centenario and UEFA EURO 2016 on the Sony sports cluster”, he added.

    Customarily contested by the 10 CONMEBOL (the South American football confederation) nations and two outside invitees, the 2016 Copa América will have 10 South American national teams joined by six