Mumbai: The BCCI is all set to conduct an e-auction today for Team India’s home matches during the 2023-28 cycle.
The BCCI has decided to sell digital and TV rights separately. The collective base price for TV and digital has been pegged at Rs 45 crore per match. According to media reports, the BCCI is expecting a minimum of Rs 60 crore per match from the media rights auction.
The reserve price for digital is higher at Rs 25 crore per match, while it is Rs 20 crore per match for TV. In both IPL and ICC media rights auctions, digital valuation went marginally over TV.
The three bidders, Disney Star, Viacom18, and Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI), are hoping to once again relax their financial restraints.
Disney Star was once more in the thick of things when the ICC (International Cricket Council) later auctioned off its rights for four years, purchasing the rights for $3.03 billion.
After that, it made the decision to keep solely the digital rights and sublicensed the TV rights for almost $1.4 billion to Zee Entertainment Enterprises.
Mumbai: Get ready to step into the extraordinary world of Hip-hop dance and intense drama like never before, as Sony LIV announces its new Tamil original show SOS – Straight Outta Sunnambu Kaalvai. The show is helmed by award winning and acclaimed Tamil filmmaker Mari Selvaraj, written and directed by Suriya Raj and produced by Tuhin Menon under the banner of Asiaville studios. It promises to be a rollercoaster ride of emotions, breaking barriers and journey of fiery passion.
The story of Straight Outta Sunnambu Kaalvai revolves around the struggles of two generations of HipHop dance groups to build a dance studio in Sunnambu Kaalvai.
Mari Selvaraj, showrunner of SOS, “Exploring the most favourite genre of dance combined with heart wrenching drama, SOS unravels an extraordinary narrative. With hip-hop taking the center stage in the hearts of youth, this show promises a dance revolution and the journey of passion, resilience, and self-discovery. I am thrilled to bring this unique inspiring tale to viewers.”
Mumbai: Indian media and entertainment industry veteran Ashish Golwalkar has left Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) after a seven year stint. A company spokesperson confirmed the development.
He joined in December 2015 as senior VP and creative director of content before heading programming at SPNI’s flagship channel, SET, in April 2018. In his latest role, he was heading content at both SET and the digital business, which is SonyLIV.
Prior to this, he had stints in WWIL, Zee Entertainment, and Disney-Star. He was with ZEEl for over 11 years. He has over 20 years of experience spanning sales and marketing, content syndication, brand management, and content creation. He wrote and co-wrote multiple award-winning non-scripted formats in various genres across Zeel, Disney-FoxStar, and Sony Pictures. He has built content teams at Zeel and Star Plus.
Mumbai: Sony YAY! is all set to extend its three-pronged approach of entertaining, experiencing, and exploring with its array of offerings this festive season. This Diwali, the channel welcomed its audiences into their Happyverse – a unique world that brings happiness to the audience at every touchpoint.
Sony YAY! further strengthens its leadership position as it promises to entertain its young audiences while satiating their need for variety through content that is wholesome and engaging. The channel expands its breadth of content with the launch of its iconic shows in new avatars.
Sony Pictures Networks India Kids’ Genre business head Leena Lele Dutta said, “Since its inception, we have curated a world for our young audiences that they can call their own. We are very excited to introduce Happyverse – a world filled with endless fun, friendship, and excitement that gives them an opportunity to be their unapologetic selves. It is their undaunting love for Sony YAY! and the characters that keeps us motivated to keep doing something new and exciting consistently.”
Oggy and the Cockroaches: Next Gen has introduced a new character, Piya, whose friendship with Oggy will take audiences on a rib-tickling joyride. Taarak Mehta Kka Chhota Chashmah has returned to the screens with a brand new season of complete family entertainment.
Furthermore, after becoming one of the top five shows in the slot within the first week of its release, Naruto is returning with the ninja’s journey ahead. Sony YAY! is set to delight Naruto fans with the opportunity to own Naruto merchandise, which will be available in a variety of apparel, home décor, and consumer electronics.
The channel experiments with new formats with a variety of new shows, including PaJaMa, a homegrown slapstick comedy, and Sergent Keroro, a popular and funny Japanese manga series. The celebration will continue with the release of Magoo, as well as the most popular twin cats, Honey and Bunny, who will take audiences on an endless joy ride.
Through a specially curated on-ground initiative called “Oggy’s Tour of India,” the channel now extends the experience beyond television and across the length and breadth of the country. This festive season, audiences across the country will be able to meet their favourite toons up close and personal thanks to this extensive on-ground property.
Mumbai : Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) has rebranded all its network channels to be more aligned with Sony’s global ethos.
Sony’s networks exist at the crossroads of technology and entertainment, and the logos reflect that the new branding colors are vibrant, inspiring, and reminiscent of a brilliant light spectrum.
The logo’s curve is inspired by the swing of the Sony-S, and the dominant background is synonymous with the Sony brand.
Sony has created a visual thread that connects the diverse family of Sony’s networks and reflects the 360-degree entertainment experience with this uniform shape and associative color play.
SPNI managing director & CEO N.P Singh said, “The power of the Sony brand and its values have driven our work ethics so far, and today, it reflects in our channel-brand architecture as well.”
“The work that we started three years ago has now reached fruition. We are creating a powerful unified entertainment conglomerate with a broader appeal by refocusing our existing channel portfolio in its latest look and feel,” he adds.
Mumbai: South Asian broadcaster Asian Television Network International (ATN) has acquired the Canadian distribution rights for two more TV channels from Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) namely Sony YAY! and Sony PAL.
Sony YAY! is India’s go-to kids channel for non-stop Kids entertainment! Its vision is to be a part of kids’ everyday lives through various endeavours. A channel targeted at kids aged between two–14 years, Sony YAY! is here to set new standards and benchmarks in kids’ entertainment genre with its unique, fresh and relatable content.
Sony PAL is the general entertainment channel (GEC) from the SPN stable. The channel showcases stories and characters which forms an instant bond with its viewers. With the tagline “Yeh Pal Humara Hai,” which means this moment is ours, Sony PAL aims to bring positivity through its content offerings which inspires its viewers.
ATN CEO and president Dr Shan Chandrasekar said,“We are very proud of our long association with Sony Pictures Networks, a world leader in Entertainment. We are delighted to launch our first children’s channel across Canada along with another popular General Entertainment Channel from the network. With the massive growth in South Asian population across Canada, these channels will attract a large loyal audience.”
ATN already has a long-lasting association with Sony Pictures Networks India and distributes five channels across Canada namely Set HD, Sony SAB, Sony MAX, Sony MAX2, and Sony AATH. Sony YAY! and Sony PAL will be launched on 13 September on Telus Optik TV in Western Canada, and soon after in other parts of the country through licensed distributors.
Sony Entertainment Television senior vice president of international business America Jaideep Janakiram said, “We are ecstatic to announce our launch in Canada with Sony YAY! and Sony PAL. Our partnership with ATN goes a long way and will further help in taking our channels to the right audiences. The consumption of Indian content has surged amongst the South Asian diaspora in recent years and the launch of both these channels in Canada will fill in the gap of audiences with our compelling content.”
Mumbai: Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) commenced airing the inaugural edition of Ultimate Kho Kho on 14 August. The final takes place on 4 September. The broadcaster has a five-year deal for the event. SPNI chief revenue officer, distribution and head of sports business Rajesh Kaul is optimistic about the future of the league.
Speaking with Indiantelevision.com, he said, “All leagues in their nascent years have taken time to grow, and this would also stand true for the Ultimate Kho Kho. That being said, the feedback for the league so far in its first couple of weeks has been great and its future looks very promising.”
He further added that Kho Kho is one of those sports that has pan-India appeal driven by the fact that it is indigenous to the country. “In our research, a lot of young audiences were playing the game, and the older audiences remembered the game with a lot of nostalgia and fondness. It’s a sport that is widely played in schools by both boys and girls. The fact that the sport doesn’t require any expensive equipment adds to its appeal across all economic sections in society.”
The broadcaster is leaving no stone unturned to ensure that the league gains traction with viewers. There are five language feeds. He noted that Kho Kho is one of the few sports in the country that attracts high interest in both the Hindi-speaking markets as well as the South. “For the first season, we have gone all out with five language feeds – English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and Marathi. We also have six teams from across the country that are already garnering a following across the country: Mumbai Khiladis, Chennai Quickguns, Telugu Yoddhas, Gujarat Giants, Odisha Juggernauts, and Rajasthan Warriors.”
On the sponsorship front, he noted that season one was never going to be about sponsors. “Our efforts are targeted towards putting up a fantastic product which does justice to the sport and attracts viewers. This in turn will lead to sponsors’ interest in the upcoming seasons of Ultimate Kho Kho. It should be mentioned though that in its inaugural year, Ultimate Kho Kho has attracted interest from and brought on board corporates like Adani Group, GMR Group, Capri Global, and KLO Sports, along with Singing Sensation Badshah and the Odisha government in collaboration with steel manufacturer ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India to own teams in the league.”
When asked if Sony would look at taking a stake at some point in a sports league, he said that while the broadcaster is continuously on the lookout for opportunities that might emerge, the primary focus in any partnership is to ensure the best coverage of the sport on our sports channels. “At this point, we are working with our various content partners and leagues that share our vision to provide Indians with the best live coverage of sporting action from India and around the world to our viewers.”
Mumbai: Two decades ago, when audiences wanted to consume entertainment in a video format, they had only two options – TV and cinema. Today, the modes of delivering video content have grown multi-fold. Content production, too, has seen a democratization with new technologies that have enabled every individual to become a creator. This has radically changed the dynamic of content consumption which is also affecting TV.
At the sixth edition of Viacom18 presents The Content Hub Summit 2022 organized by Indiantelevision.com held recently, panellists discussed the topic ‘Mastering a New TV Language’ to get ahead of changing TV viewing habits and develop content to suit the audience preferences.
The session was chaired by media and entertainment advisor Mansi Darbar and was joined by Fremantle India Television Productions managing director Aradhana Bhola, The Q programming head Ashutosh Barve, Endemol Shine India chief operating officer Gourav Gokhale, Sony Pictures Networks India business head – Sony SAB, PAL and Hindi movies cluster Neeraj Vyas, Dreamiyata Entertainment actor and producer Ravi Dubey, Atrangii founder Vibhu Agarwal, Beyond Dreams Group founder and managing director Yash A Patnaik.
The discussion began by trying to understand what has essentially changed with the audience contrasting the 90s to the 2020s.
Sony Pictures Networks’ Neeraj Vyas, who is a broadcast industry veteran with over 25 years of experience, observed, “Today, TV still has 60 per cent of penetration but there’s a variety of alternatives for video consumption. The environment is a lot more competitive with emerging formats like long-form, short-form, video-on-demand etc.”
He contrasted the current state of TV to the transformation of cinemas post the 80-90s. He said, “The movies of the 80s and 90s were very similar. The movie industry had fallen into a rut until multiplexes opened up, where you could have different shows all screening at the same time. This choice infused a freshness in the movie business with new stories like ‘Lagaan’ and ‘Dil Chahta Hai’.”
“TV is being tested with the variety of alternatives that are available. We need to balance between the TV ratings reality and finding out what the consumer actually wants,” he added.
Fremantle India’s Aradhana Bhola, behind shows like Indian Idol, India’s Got Talent, said that “The biggest change has been the pattern of consumption on TV. There used to be a culture of co-viewing on TV where more than one viewer was in front on a TV set. Now, co-viewing has turned into individual viewing with personal devices such as iPads and smartphones.”
TV producer Yash A Patnaik candidly said that he is as old as the TV industry in India. He is the producer behind the shows Veera for StarPlus, Sadda Haq for Channel V, Ishq Me Marjawan for Colors, Kuch Rang Pyaar Ke Aise Bhi for Sony Pictures Networks and Raksha Bandhan for Dangal.
He noted that content has more of a voice today as compared to platforms. Earlier, the success of a show was dictated by how many episodes of content it aired. But, now, shows have different buyers for different formats and different audience cohorts.
Endemol Shine India’s Gourav Gokhale agreed. “Philosophically speaking, technology has made us impatient,” he stated. “People want to see a finite series for the immediate gratification. The expected size of a show has come down as audiences want the climax to come earlier. Also, audiences are consuming content at any time, anywhere, whether during their lunch break or during their commute.”
He remarked that the nature of TV content being 24-minute long shows airing at 9 p.m in the night needs to be reassessed.
The Q India is changing the language on TV by bringing popular digital formats to TV. Ashutosh Barve said that while consumption of content has changed over the years, the core TV programming has not. “It is the same five per cent of shows that are doing well, today, as they did years ago. The bulk of consumption on TV remains the same.”
However, “there are all sorts of formats making inroads from digital on to TV and we’re leading the charge,” he added.
“The measurement reality of our country is not accurately reflecting the viewing reality of the TV audience as there has been a log of change in the last five years,” said Vyas.
Vyas, who manages six channels under Sony Pictures Networks including Hindi GEC Sony SAB, said that in the future he does not see Sony SAB being just a channel but a differentiated brand that is available across platforms. “
Vibhu Agarwal, who founded OTT platform Ullu and Hindi general entertainment channel Atrangii, said there’s an audience for all kinds of content formats. “When I watch on digital, discovery is a big problem, and by the time I settle on a piece of content, my dinner is finished!” he candidly shared. Highlighting that even with the emergence of digital media, traditional media such as print, radio and TV continue to see robust consumption. “Why did I, as a digital player, choose to launch a TV channel? Because people are just as interested in TV long-format series as much as they are interested in a finite web series.”
Bhola affirmed that content producers are scrutinising which broadcast partner, target audience and genre/format works best to showcase their talent and story. She said that it’s the nature of the idea and duration of the series that dictates which platform it is made available on.
Actor and producer Ravi Dubey recalled that the pioneering shows on TV arrived much before there was any research to back them up. He stated “As a creative person in the industry, I still believe in backing shows based purely on gut instinct.”
Mumbai: Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) has bagged the exclusive media rights to broadcast Roland-Garros between 2022-24. The deal spanning over three years provides SPN with exclusive TV and digital rights of Roland-Garros.
The broadcaster will televise the French Open on its sports channels across India and the subcontinent including, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and Maldives, and will also be available to live-stream on their premium OTT platform, SonyLiv.
The upcoming edition of the Grand Slam tournament is scheduled to be played between 22 May and 5 June. Sony Sports Network witnessed a viewership of 22 million for the previous Grand Slam, the Australian Open, the highest recorded viewership in recent years.
“Following the successful broadcast of the Australian Open over the past years on our network, we are delighted to acquire the media rights of the prestigious Roland-Garros,” said SPNI chief revenue officer for distribution and head – sports business Rajesh Kaul. “The pedigree of the French Open will help us cater to the steadily growing tennis fanbase in India. With this acquisition, we reiterate our goal to position Sony Sports Network as the home to marquee global sports events.”
“We are delighted with the signing of this Sony Pictures Networks India contract,” said French Tennis Federation president Gilles Moretton. “This new agreement ensures maximum exposure in India and its subcontinent. It means our tournament will be celebrated in this part of the world where tennis fans and Roland-Garros fans are increasingly numerous.”
Mumbai: Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) has acquired the exclusive media rights to broadcast Davis Cup tie between India and Denmark on 4 and 5 March.
As part of the deal signed with the All India Tennis Association, SPNI will broadcast the tournament on Sony Ten 2 channels across India and the subcontinent including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka as well as live-stream the tournament on their OTT platform, SonyLIV.
The Davis Cup World Group play-off tie between India and Denmark will be played at Delhi Gymkhana Club’s grass court. Under the leadership of captain Rohit Rajpal and mentorship of coach Zeeshan Ali, the Indian team comprises Ramkumar Ramanathan, Yuki Bhambri, Prajnesh Gunneswaran, Rohan Bopanna and Divij Sharan. Denmark will feature Mikael Torpegaard, Johannes Ingildsen, Christian Sigsgaard and Elmer Møller.
The Davis Cup matches are scheduled to start from 4 March, with a 15-minute opening ceremony, followed by the final day of the Indian leg on 5 March.
“We are pleased to acquire the media rights of the highly anticipated Davis Cup Tie between India and Denmark,” said SPNI chief revenue officer distribution and head – sports business Rajesh Kaul. “With India being the host for the tournament, tennis fans in India are looking forward to watching Team India serve up Denmark with the home ground advantage. Our viewers will get to cheer on top Indian players like Rohit Rajpal, Ramkumar Ramanathan, Yuki Bhambri, Prajnesh Gunneswaran, Rohan Bopanna and Divij Sharan who will be playing for their country.”
