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Tag: Sony Pictures Entertainment

  • Ruhee Das appointed marketing director at Sony Pictures Entertainment

    Ruhee Das appointed marketing director at Sony Pictures Entertainment

    MUMBAI:  Ruhee Das, a prominent figure in the Indian media and entertainment sector, has been named marketing director at Sony Pictures Entertainment, effective June 2025. This promotion comes after a distinguished tenure of six years and ten months as marketing lead at Sony Pictures Television.

    In her previous role as marketing lead, Das was instrumental in promoting Hollywood films and TV series from Sony Pictures across a diverse range of content platforms, including Amazon Prime Video, iTunes, Google Play, Sony LIV, and various television channels like Colors Infinity and &Flix. Her responsibilities encompassed ideating, planning, strategising, and executing comprehensive marketing campaigns across digital, on-air, on-ground, outdoor, and print mediums. She also focused on building strong press coverage for Sony titles, securing talent interviews, and driving performance marketing for Sony Pictures Entertainment India’s social media presence. Furthermore, Das oversaw the content monetisation of Sony Pictures’ movies and TV shows on YouTube.

    Before her extensive career at Sony, Das held key marketing positions at Viacom18 Media Private Ltd for nearly four years. As marketing lead – consumer products from April 2017 to September 2018, she spearheaded the marketing efforts to extend popular brands such as MTV, Colors, and Nickelodeon into consumer products, overseeing successful BTL and ATL campaigns and 360-degree marketing strategies. Prior to this, she served as assistant manager (marketing) – consumer products at Viacom18, focusing on MTV Consumer Products.

    Her earlier experience includes a year as senior officer – revenue at Bennett Coleman and Co. Ltd. (The Times Group), where she was responsible for revenue generation through media sales and brand integration for the TV channel Romedy Now. She also held marketing roles at Propellum and Godrej & Boyce Mfg. Co. Ltd., and completed internships at Abbott and Business Standard.

    Das’s wealth of experience in content marketing, social media, and business strategy positions her to drive significant growth for Sony Pictures Entertainment in the South Asian market.

  • Sony’s India reboot: fresh faces, big bucks and a bold digital bet

    Sony’s India reboot: fresh faces, big bucks and a bold digital bet

    MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is doubling down on India, rebooting its strategy under new leadership and betting big on digital, cricket and content to reclaim lost ground in the subcontinent’s fast-evolving media landscape.

    Speaking at SPE’s annual presentation, chief executive Ravi Ahuja described India as a “tremendous opportunity” amid the country’s strong economic and population growth. The rejig came more than a year after the collapse of Sony’s much-hyped merger with Zee Entertainment.

    At the heart of the reshuffle is Gaurav Banerjee, former Star India top content boss, now managing director and chief executive of Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI)— Culver Max Entertainment.

    Banerjee’s mandate: fix the fiction, fire up streaming, and sharpen Sony’s distribution game.

    SPNI, which runs 27 TV channels and the SonyLiv platform, reported Rs 839 crore in profit on Rs 6,510 crore revenue in FY24. The company is now funnelling fresh investments into digital, particularly SonyLiv, as part of a broader growth revival.

    “We are rebuilding and reorienting our growth strategy, including investment in digital and our Sony LIV streaming platform,” said Ahuja. “We recently secured exclusive media rights for all Asian Cricket Council (ACC) tournaments from 2024 to 2031, which we anticipate will boost viewership and enhance Sony LIV.”

    The sticker price:  $170 million. It also shelled out $200–250 million for the England and Wales Cricket Board rights, sub-licensing the digital India tour rights to JioHotstar but retaining TV control. But there’s a wrinkle: the upcoming Asia Cup in September may be under threat due to rising India–Pakistan tensions post the Pahalgam terror strike.

    Meanwhile, Sony Entertainment Television (SET) is in revamp mode. The channel, battling ratings pressure in fiction, is reloading its primetime slate with a rebooted Bade Achhe Lagte Hain, mythologicals like Prithviraj Chauhan and Shirdi Wale Sai Baba, and the upcoming thriller Aami Dakini. Tentpoles like Kaun Banega Crorepati, Shark Tank India and Indian Idol continue to anchor the lineup. SET also remains a YouTube juggernaut, with 184 million subscribers—ranking fourth globally.

    Globally, SPE posted sales of $9.9 billion and operating income of $774 million despite the Hollywood strike denting series output and SPNI dragging on profits.

    Sony may have dropped its  Zee alliance, but with a rejigged team, fresh IP, and digital firepower, its India innings appears to be just getting into super scoring mode. With both Ahuja and Banerjee  fresh at the crease and gradually getting their shots right, SET might well hit it out of the park this time.

  • Sony Pictures snags Levine, Hartbeat’s Ex-CEO, for strategic push

    Sony Pictures snags Levine, Hartbeat’s Ex-CEO, for strategic push

    MUMBAI:  Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) has recruited  Jay Levine, former CEO of Kevin Hart’s Hartbeat media company, to serve as executive vice president, chief strategy officer and business operations. Levine will report directly to SPE president and CEO, Ravi Ahuja, and will spearhead the company’s strategic growth initiatives, including mergers and acquisitions.

    Levine, who joined Hartbeat in early 2024, made a splash by producing the Emmy-nominated Greatest Roast of All Time: Tom Brady for Netflix and “Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist” for Peacock. He also renegotiated key partnerships with industry giants like Netflix, NBCUniversal, and Sirius XM.

    Prior to Hartbeat, Levine spent over a decade at Warner Bros. and WarnerMedia, where he held various senior leadership roles, including leading business operations and strategy for the WarnerMedia Studios and Networks group. His extensive background also includes stints at Disney and ESPN.

    Ahuja lauded Levine’s “deep expertise and great reputation,” adding that his “collaborative spirit” would be invaluable for Sony’s growth. Levine, in response, expressed his eagerness to “advance the company’s opportunities for expansion and growth given the evolving media landscape.”

    This move signals Sony Pictures’ aggressive pursuit of growth and innovation in the increasingly competitive entertainment industry.

  • Tania Missad takes the helm as EVP, insights & strategy at Sony Pictures

    Tania Missad takes the helm as EVP, insights & strategy at Sony Pictures

    MUMBAI: Hollywood just got a little more data-savvy, and Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is leading the charge. Tania Missad, an industry veteran with a stellar track record spanning Warner Bros, Mattel, J&J, and P&G, has stepped into her new role at Sony Pictures Entertainment as executive vice president – insights, strategy & analytics.

    Missad now spearheads the TV production insights & audience strategy teams for US & International TV productions, kids, game shows, and unscripted TV divisions. But this isn’t just another promotion—it’s a game-changing integration of Sony’s data solutions team with its TV production division, putting data, machine learning, and business intelligence at the core of decision-making.

    Under Missad’s leadership, her team will leverage advanced analytics, data science, large language models (LLMs), neural networks (NNs), business intelligence visualisation, and data hygiene management. Missad expressed her enthusiasm for the role, stating, “Excited to continue to lead the amazing TV production insights & audience strategy teams for our US & Int’l TV productions, kids, game shows & unscripted TV divisions. This newly expanded remit involves joining our data solutions organisation with our TV Production team, which is a game-changer for audience centricity & data-informed strategy at SPE.”

    Missad’s role isn’t confined to one corner of Sony Pictures. She will collaborate with multiple key divisions, including worldwide TV distribution & home entertainment, The Fandom Network, IT, and MPG/Features. This cross-functional integration will ensure Sony’s storytelling strategy aligns with evolving audience behaviour and cutting-edge analytics.

    With a career spanning top entertainment and consumer brands, Missad has become a leader in audience insights and data-driven strategy. Before joining Sony, she was at Warner Bros. Discovery as global head of corporate research, managing data science and consumer insights for major franchises like Harry Potter and DC. She previously held leadership roles at Mattel, Johnson & Johnson, and P&G, shaping strategies for brands like Barbie and Neutrogena.

    Missad’s strength lies in blending qualitative research, data modelling, and business intelligence. At WarnerMedia, she led insights for HBO Max Kids and Warner Bros. Animation, fusing analytics with storytelling. Now, at Sony, she aims to redefine entertainment through audience-driven, strategic innovation. 

  • Keith Le Goy named chairman of Sony Pictures Television

    Keith Le Goy named chairman of Sony Pictures Television

    MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) has announced the promotion of Keith Le Goy to chairman of Sony Pictures Television (SPT). In his expanded role, Le Goy will oversee all domestic and international television production, including the game show division and Game Show Network (GSN). He will continue to report directly to Ravi Ahuja, who was appointed president and CEO of SPE earlier this month.

    Le Goy previously led the studio’s combined television and home entertainment distribution and marketing divisions, in addition to overseeing SPE’s cable networks in Latin America and Europe. His tenure has been marked by notable achievements, such as securing landmark distribution deals for Seinfeld and major film output agreements with Netflix and Disney in the United States.

    Under his leadership, SPE achieved record-breaking global revenue for its digital home entertainment business in 2024, while its anime streaming service Crunchyroll reached 15 million paying subscribers. Le Goy also spearheaded the launch of innovative projects like SPE’s in-car entertainment service, Ridevu, and the Sony Pictures Core app for PS5 and PS4 consoles.

    Commenting on the appointment, Ravi Ahuja said: “Keith has a remarkable track record at SPE, excelling in both distribution and the businesses he has led. He is strategic, growth-focused, and an outstanding colleague. I look forward to collaborating with him in this new role.”

    Le Goy expressed his enthusiasm for the promotion, stating: “It is a privilege to lead the television group at such a transformative time for the industry. With Ravi’s support and our incredible teams, SPT is well positioned to build on its rich legacy in this dynamic marketplace. I am energised by the opportunities ahead.”

    Le Goy joined Sony in 1999 after serving as vice president of sales for Europe at Disney. Throughout his career, he has championed innovative distribution models, emphasised local-language productions in Latin America, and played a key role in expanding SPE’s global footprint.

    Sony Pictures Television is behind some of the world’s most popular programmes, including Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy!, The Boys, Cobra Kai, The Last of Us, Outlander, Shark Tank, 90-Day Fiancé, and Twisted Metal. The division’s diverse portfolio continues to cement its position as a leader in premium entertainment.
     

  • Sony Pix celebrates 100 years of Columbia Pictures with ‘Century of Cinema’

    Sony Pix celebrates 100 years of Columbia Pictures with ‘Century of Cinema’

    Mumbai: Sony Pix is commemorating a century of Columbia Pictures’ cinematic excellence with its special campaign, ‘Century of Cinema’. This initiative offers viewers not only a curated selection of top Sony Pictures Entertainment films but also an opportunity to win a once-in-a-lifetime trip to the iconic Columbia Pictures Aquaverse with an interactive contest.

    From 16 November 2024, viewers can tune in to Sony Pix at 7:00 pm for four consecutive weekends to participate in a unique interactive contest. By scanning a QR code displayed on the screen or Instagram account, viewers will be transported to a microsite. Once on the microsite, participants can collect character cards inspired by famous characters from Sony Pictures Entertainment movies. Each card possesses unique points and abilities. The user with the highest score at the end of the contest will be the lucky winner of the grand prize: a dream vacation to Columbia Pictures Aquaverse.

    To make this celebration even more special, Sony Pix will screen a lineup of iconic films, including Taxi Driver (1976), Anaconda (1997), Godzilla (1998), Spider-Man 2 (2004), 2012 (2009), Captain Phillips (2013), Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) and Uncharted (2022).

  • Crunchyroll to release ‘Solo Leveling -ReAwakening’ in Indian theaters

    Crunchyroll to release ‘Solo Leveling -ReAwakening’ in Indian theaters

    Mumbai: Crunchyroll has acquired the India theatrical rights for Solo Leveling – ReAwakening, a film featuring a recap of the first season and a sneak peek of the first two episodes of the upcoming second season.

    Solo Leveling – ReAwakening will be released in India by Crunchyroll and Sony Pictures Entertainment on 6 December 2024. The anime, adapted from Chugong’s web novel, first debuted on Crunchyroll in January 2024, with season two set to release in January 2025.

    Set in a world where ‘gates’ connect to another dimension, people with superhuman powers, called ‘hunters’, conquer dungeons for a living. Sung Jinwoo, the weakest hunter, discovers a hidden dungeon and takes on a quest that allows him to level up, changing his fate.

    Solo Leveling is animated by A-1 Pictures with motion graphics by Production I.G, directed by Shunsuke Nakashige, and features music by Hiroyuki Sawano and Tomorrow x Together, with character design by Tomoko Sudo and monster design by Hirotaka Tokuda.

  • Ravi Ahuja to replace Tony Vinciquerra as president & CEO at Sony Pictures Entertainment

    Ravi Ahuja to replace Tony Vinciquerra as president & CEO at Sony Pictures Entertainment

    MUMBAI: Now here is another executive of Indian descent taking on the top leadership position in a global company. Ravi Ahuja, who was Sony Pictures Entertainment’s (SPE’s) chairman of global television studios and SPE president & COO will take over as the company’s president & CEO effective 2 January 2025. He will replace SPE’s current CEO  Tony Vinciquerra who will remain in an advisory role for SPE as non-executive chairman until the end of December 2025.

    Ahuja will report to Sony group chairman &  CEO Kenichiro Yoshida and Sony group  president, COO &  CFO Hiroki Totoki. The announcement was made Sony Group Corp and  SPE today.

    “The extraordinary turnaround at SPE over the last 10 years would not have been possible without Tony’s deep experience and expertise in the entertainment space, his strategic vision and his outstanding leadership,” said Yoshida. “Under Tony’s watch, SPE became a critically important part of our efforts to maximize the value of our IP and find synergies across all our entertainment and technology businesses, and it remains a key driver in Sony group’s ongoing corporate strategies to lean further into the creative and entertainment spaces. I want to thank Tony for his years of dedication and leadership at SPE, and for his invaluable support across the group companies during his successful career at Sony.”

    Yoshida continued, “Since joining SPE in 2021, Ravi has been at the center of Tony’s leadership team, navigating the unprecedented challenges of today’s media and entertainment environment and positioning SPE for further growth. Ravi brings with him years of experience from his time at some of the world’s most successful entertainment companies, and we look forward to working more closely with him in his new role as president & CEO of SPE.”

    Vinciquerra joined SPE in June 2017, and has led the company’s dramatic turnaround with five consecutive years of increasing profit by strengthening of SPE’s film slate, reimagining SPE’s television businesses, and with aggressive M&A in key growth areas, such as anime with the acquisition of Crunchyroll in 2021.

    Vinciquerra’s strategic decisions to divest most of SPE’s international cable networks as that market began to deteriorate, and to not jump into the overcrowded streaming space with a general entertainment streaming service, has kept SPE profitable during a time of unprecedented industry change.

    In recent years, Vinciquerra led SPE through some of the entertainment industry’s most challenging events such as the COVID-19 epidemic and the historic combined SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes of 2023, events which brought television and film production to a standstill. Despite these unprecedented events, SPE remains in a
    very strong and competitive position among its industry peers.

    “When I stepped into this role seven and a half years ago, I would’ve never imagined the extraordinary industry disruption and opportunity we’d face,” said Vinciquerra. “I’m filled with immense gratitude for this exceptional company and its profound legacy in Hollywood history. I’m consistently inspired by my brilliant and resolute colleagues. Together, against the odds, we achieved remarkable success and have consistently proven that this is a community built on passion and resilience. Thank you for making these past seven and half years the most gratifying of my career. My sincere appreciation goes to Kazuo Hirai for offering me this opportunity in 2017, and to Kenichiro Yoshida and Hiroki Totoki for their leadership and unwavering trust and support over the years. I have the utmost confidence that SPE will continue to thrive in the years ahead and know that Ravi is the right leader to take SPE forward.”

    Ravi Ahuja joined SPE in 2021 to oversee all production businesses for Sony Pictures Television (SPT) and the studio’s India business as chairman of global television studios. SPT and its production companies produce several award-winning and acclaimed television series including The Crown, The Boys, Gen V, Cobra Kai, Better Call Saul, The Last of Us, Outlander, For All Mankind, The Night Agent, Twisted Metal, The Wheel of Time, S.W.A.T., The Good Doctor, Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy!, Shark Tank, American Idol, So You Think You Can Dance, 90 Day Fiancé, Octonauts, SuperKitties, and many more.

    Since joining SPE, Ahuja has also overseen SPE’s M&A activities, including the acquisitions of award-winning nonfiction entertainment company Industrial Media, leading UK production company Bad Wolf and VFX company, Pixomondo, as well as the sale of GSN Games to Scopely. 

    Prior to joining SPE, Ahuja was president of business Operations &  CFO of Walt Disney Television. Prior to that he was in positions of increasing authority, including CFO, at the Fox Networks group, and Virgin Entertainment group.

    “It is my privilege and honor to take the helm at SPE,” said Ahuja. “This is a special place — an iconic studio with an extraordinary 100-year history of storytelling. Thanks to Tony’s remarkable leadership, we have leading businesses with clear strategies and are set up for even greater success in the years to come. I am energized by the opportunities ahead and am lucky to work alongside thousands of talented colleagues around the world at SPE and at our Sony sister companies. I am grateful for Tony’s mentorship, guidance and friendship through the decades, and I thank Yoshida-san and Totoki-san for entrusting me with this important role.”

    Ahuja’s ascendancy to the top role at SPE comes at a time when there has been a change in leadership at Sony Pictures Networks India with NP Singh stepping down as CEO after a long successful stint and Star India executive Gaurav Banerjee taking up the role.

     

  • Nachiket Pantvaidya appointed as general manager, Sony Pictures International Productions – India

    Nachiket Pantvaidya appointed as general manager, Sony Pictures International Productions – India

    Mumbai: Sony Pictures Entertainment announced that veteran executive Nachiket Pantvaidya has been appointed as general manager of Sony Pictures International Productions (SPIP), India.

    In this role, Nachiket will oversee local Indian production while working alongside Shony Panjikaran (general manager and head of Sony Pictures Releasing International, India).

    Sony Pictures International Production EVP, creative production and head Shebnem Askin said, “Sanford Panitch and I are so pleased to have Nachiket join the Sony Pictures International Productions to lead our local Indian production. These are exciting times as we take a step to make and release our biggest local slate for the Indian market in the next two years. We are most excited as Nachiket brings along not only rich industry experience but also new energy and dynamic execution skills to lead SPIP to a prime position.”

    Commenting on his appointment, Nachiket Pantvaidya said, “I am pleased to lead and nurture our creative and business forces to ensure that we best serve our movie audiences, especially in these dynamic times where the creative and business parameters for movie making in India are being redefined. We are aiming to scale our output to not only match audience expectations, but also to ensure that the right cohorts get to see the movie of their choice on the distribution medium of their choice. I hope to partner fruitfully with the players in the market and with Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) and optimize SPIP’s strength going ahead.”

    In his earlier assignments, Nachiket was group CEO, Balaji Telefilms, business head of Sony Entertainment Television. He was also the business head of Star Plus and held several roles in the Star TV network, including head of Star Pravah and managing director of Fox Television Studios. An IIM-Ahmedabad alumnus, he has also held key management roles in BBC and Disney.

    As he takes up this new assignment, he will continue to perform his duties as CEO, Sony Entertainment Talent Ventures in parallel.

  • Disha Patani joins 250 plus Anime fans in Mumbai for “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba -To the Hashira Training” advance screening

    Disha Patani joins 250 plus Anime fans in Mumbai for “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba -To the Hashira Training” advance screening

    Mumbai: Aniplex Inc, Crunchyroll and Sony Pictures Entertainment hosted the special advance fan screening in Mumbai for the highly anticipated blockbuster, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba -To the Hashira Training. Bollywood star and anime superfan, Disha Patani, joined by a host of anime enthusiasts and influencers, graced the event.

    Set to hit the theaters in India on 22 February, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba -To the Hashira Training- will allow fans to revisit the gripping finale of the Swordsmith Village Arc while getting a sneak peek at the highly anticipated Hashira Training Arc in one extra-sized blockbuster experience.

    Disha Patani, an anime superfan, has frequently showcased her affection for the genre on her social media platforms. The actor graced the Mumbai screening, which saw over 250 fans in attendance, including dedicated cosplay artists and influencers who contributed to the vibrant atmosphere of the event. The overwhelming outpour of love from fans made the occasion truly unforgettable.