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Tag: Sony SIX

  • Sony Sports to broadcast Friendship Cup UAE 2022 on 5 March

    Sony Sports to broadcast Friendship Cup UAE 2022 on 5 March

    Mumbai: Sony Sports Network is all set to broadcast the Friendship Cup UAE 2022 on 5 March. The tournament comprising seven T10 matches will bring cricket and Bollywood fans together as top Bollywood stars go head-to-head with cricket legends at Sharjah Cricket Stadium.

    All matches will be broadcast live on Sony Six and Sony Six HD channels.

    The Friendship Cup UAE will see cricket legends and Bollywood celebrities divided into India Legends, Bollywood Kings, Pakistan Legends, and World Legends 11. This integration of cricket and Bollywood in the shortest format of cricket will engage viewers as they look forward to watching their favourite stars on the pitch once again.

    While India Legends will see participation from the likes of Mohammad Azharuddin, Mohammad Asaduddin, Saba Karim, and Nayan Mongia; Suniel Shetty, Sohail Khan, and Aftab Shivdasani will be the prominent names playing for Bollywood Kings. Pakistan Legends will have Imran Nazir, Salman Butt, and Yasir Hameed among others and World Legends will feature cricket greats like Tillakaratne Dilshan, Ajantha Mendis, Brendan Taylor, and Abdul Razzak.

  • Sony Sports ropes in five sponsors for ‘The Ashes 2021’

    Sony Sports ropes in five sponsors for ‘The Ashes 2021’

    Mumbai: Sony Pictures Sports Network (SPSN) is set to telecast ‘The Ashes 2021’ live from 8 December. The broadcaster has roped in BYJU’s, Policy Bazaar, Siggnature Elaichi, Bosch Appliances, Dafa News as sponsors.

    The series will be aired on Sony Six (English), Sony Ten 3 (Hindi), and Sony Ten 4 (Tamil and Telugu) channels and livestreamed on its on-demand OTT platform, SonyLIV.

    “The Ashes is the platinum standard of Test cricket and has raised the bar of Test cricket over the years. Sony Sports channels will broadcast the series in four languages for the first time, English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu, so that cricket enthusiasts all over the country can enjoy the matches in their language of choice,” said Sony Pictures Networks India chief revenue officer of distribution and head sports business Rajesh Kaul. “With a galaxy of superstars on both test teams, the much-anticipated series promises to be a tight-knit contest and has garnered a brilliant response from the advertisers as well.”

    The Hindi commentary panel will feature prominent names like Vivek Razdan, Saba Karim, Atish Thukral, Raman Bhanot, Snehal Pradhan, and Reetinder Singh Sodhi. The Tamil commentary panel will have former cricketers and legends Laxman Sivaramakrishnan and Woorkeri Raman along with Vidyut Sivaramakrishnan, T Arasu, S Seshadri, Arun Venugopal, Aarti Sankaran, and Sunil Viswanthan in presence while the Telugu commentary panel will feature Keerthi Viswanadha, Prem Sagar, Vijay Mahavadi, Sudheer Mahavadi, RJ Hemant, Venkatapathy Raju, C Venkatesh, Vijay Mahavadi and Sandeep Kumar.

    The first test match will start on 8 December at 5.30 a.m (IST) at The Gabba, Brisbane. The next test match will be held at Adelaide Oval starting at 9:30 a.m (IST) followed by the third test match on 26 December at the Melbourne Cricket Ground starting at 5 a.m (IST). The fourth test match will be played at Sydney Cricket Ground starting on 5 January 2022 at 5 a.m (IST) followed by the last test match on 14 January at Perth Stadium starting at 8 a.m (IST).

  • Sony Sports to broadcast World Boxing Championships ’21 in India

    Sony Sports to broadcast World Boxing Championships ’21 in India

    Mumbai: Sony Pictures Sports Network (SPSN) has reached an agreement with Protocol Sports Marketing to broadcast the International Boxing Association’s (AIBA) 2021 World Boxing Championships in India and the Indian sub-continent.

    The 2021 AIBA World Boxing Championships are being held in Belgrade, Serbia from 25 October to 6 November. The matches will be telecasted live across Sony Six channels and livestreamed on SonyLIV.

    This tournament will see India with their largest contingent at the tournament to date, with 13 boxers competing in all 13 weight classes. The 13-member Indian contingent at Belgrade for the tournament will feature top boxers like Asian medal-winners Deepak Kumar (51 kg), Shiva Thapa (63.5 kg), and Sanjeet (92 kg). 

    The remaining ten in the squad are newly crowned national champions, eager to make a mark on the international stage and make the country proud in the boxing arena. These boxers are accompanied by the experienced coaching staff, which includes high-performance director Santiago Nieva and newly appointed head coach Narender Rana with former Commonwealth Games silver-medalist L Devendro Singh.

    The AIBA World Championship brings together the best boxers from around the world to compete in a tournament steeped with history and prestige. The 2021 edition will feature current Olympic medalists and AIBA world champions like Arlen Lopez, Julio La Cruz as well as Lazaro Alvarez.

  • Sony Sports announces schedule for India Women’s tour of Australia

    Sony Sports announces schedule for India Women’s tour of Australia

    Mumbai: Sony Sports will begin the live telecast of India Women’s tour of Australia on 21 September on Sony Six, Sony Six HD and livestream on OTT platform, SonyLIV. The series will comprise a three-match ODI series, followed by a one-off pink ball day-night test match, and will conclude with a three-match T20 international series.

    Sony Sports has roped in five sponsors for the series including Byju’s, Airtel, Reckitt, Dafa News, Fantasy Akhada and has many more in the pipeline, said the statement.

    The first ODI match on 21 September will begin at 4:35 a.m, followed by the second ODI on 24 September beginning at 8:45 a.m, and the last ODI on 26 September at 4:35 a.m. Day one of the one-off pink ball day-night test match will begin on 30 September at 11:30 a.m. Day two, day three and day four will air on first, second, and third October, respectively, at the same time – 11:30 a.m. The first T20 international series match will be played on seventh October beginning at 2:10 p.m, followed by a game on ninth September at 1:40 p.m and the final match will be played on tenth September at the same time.

    The upcoming series with the Aussies will have historical significance as team India will be playing their maiden pink-ball day-night Test match at the WACA as a part of the one-off pink-ball day-night Test match. The match will also be the second day-night test with the first pink ball in women’s cricket history after the drawn contest between Australia and England in Sydney in 2017.

    The Australian women’s squad includes Meg Lanning (captain), Rachael Haynes (vice-captain), Darcie Brown, Maitlan Brown, Stella Campbell, Nicola Carey, Hannah Darlington, Ashleigh Gardner, Alyssa Healy, Tahlia McGrath, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Georgia Redmayne, Molly Strano, Annabel Sutherland, Tayla Vlaeminck and Georgia Wareham.

    The India women’s squad for one-off test and ODI series includes Mithali Raj (captain), Harmanpreet Kaur (vice-captain), Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Punam Raut, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Sneh Rana, Yastika Bhatia, Taniya Bhatia (wicket-keeper), Shikha Pandey, Jhulan Goswami, Meghna Singh, Pooja Vastrakar, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Poonam Yadav, Richa Ghosh and Ekta Bisht.

    The India women’s T20I squad includes Harmanpreet Kaur (captain), Smriti Mandhana (vice-captain), Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Sneh Rana, Yastika Bhatia, Shikha Pandey, Meghna Singh, Pooja Vastrakar, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Poonam Yadav, Richa Ghosh (wicket-keeper), Harleen Deol, Arundhati Reddy, Radha Yadav, and Renuka Singh Thakur.

  • Tokyo Olympics reached 69 million TV viewers in the opening week

    Tokyo Olympics reached 69 million TV viewers in the opening week

    Mumbai: The Tokyo Olympics 2020 television broadcast was viewed by 69 million viewers and clocked 5.8 billion viewing minutes, according to data provided by Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) India. (India 2+/Live Events Only/ Share% of viewing mins)

    Assam/NE (27.7 per cent), Maharashtra/Goa (11.5 per cent), Tamil Nadu/Puducherry (8.8 per cent), Uttar Pradesh/Uttarakhand (6.3 per cent), and Kerala (5.8 per cent) were the top regions contributing to the viewership for the Tokyo Olympics. (India 2+/Live Events Only/ Share% of viewing mins)

    The Olympic games were broadcast on Sony Pictures Networks India TV channels Sony Six, Sony Ten 2, Sony Ten 3, Sony Ten 4 and their HD channels. Prasar Bharati’s sports channel DD Sports also broadcast the event.

    The previous Rio Olympic games pulled in 191 million viewers, according to BARC data for that period. Star India was the official broadcaster for the 2016 games. (India 4+/cable and satellite homes/urban market)

    The Indian contingent for the Olympics made a strong showing by bringing home seven medals including one gold, two silver and four bronze. The athletes that won medals at the recently concluded games included Neeraj Chopra, Saikhom Mirabai Chanu, Ravi Kumar Dhahiya, PV Sindhu, Lovlina Borgohain, and Bajrang Punia and the men’s hockey team.

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

    SPSN rakes in 61 million impressions in India for Euro 2020

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Sony Pictures Networks India bags broadcast rights of Abu Dhabi T10

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

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

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

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

    YouTube Links for the Campaign Film:

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

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

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

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

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

  • SPSN launches campaign for the upcoming Australia tour of England

    SPSN launches campaign for the upcoming Australia tour of England

    KOLKATA: Sony Pictures Sports Network (SPSN) is all set to honour the ‘Real Fans’ of cricket with their new campaign for upcoming Australia tour of England. It has launched two campaign films that feature Real fans vs Fake fans in real-life situations only to realise that in order to be a Real Fan it is important to watch and follow great cricket and cricketers no matter which team is playing.

    The series will be aired live and exclusive on SONY SIX and SONY TEN 3 (Hindi) channels from 4 September 2020.

    Cricket fans are already excited for the faceoff between Australia and England. This will be Australia’s first series in a new era of cricket during the pandemic.

    “Asli Fans Ke Liye is our in-house campaign for the upcoming Australia tour of England that honors Real Fans, who are passionate about great cricket and cricketers no matter which team they play for and follow ball-by-ball play purely for the love of the sport. The campaign is a shout-out to all the Real Fans of cricket whose die-hard love for cricket knows no boundaries. They not only support their own country but also go beyond boundaries to genuinely embrace the sport. The upcoming Australia tour of England features two great cricketing nations who share one of the fiercest rivalries in cricket today and a Real Fan will definitely not miss watching this high-octane series,” SPN sports business head-marketing and on-air promotions Neville Bastawalla said.

    The first film showcases Fake Fans following Jonny Bairstow’s cooking and David Warners’ foot-tapping videos that are garnering maximum views on their social media platform while Real Fans are actually following their heroes especially when they are playing their innings and making history on the pitch.

    The second film is a shoot-based film set in an office where a group of colleagues are watching a LIVE match in play. The film opens with a Fake Fan, giving his pseudo expert advice, which is factually incorrect and leads to his colleague, a Real Fan, correcting him on the match playing out on TV between England and Australia. The film ends with the Real Fan educating the fake fan on one of the fiercest rivalries in cricket today and the real drama that unfolds when England and Australia play against each other.

    India is a cricket-frenzy nation and “Asli Fans Ke Liye” is a light-hearted perspective on the emotions of Real Cricket Fans who follow the sport for the love of the game. The campaign films have been rolled out in English and Hindi languages, encouraging Indian fans across the country to tune-in to SONY
    SIX channels in English and SONY TEN 3 channels in Hindi, for the high octane drama between England and Australia on the field.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • Sony Pictures Sports Network brings more cricket and excitement to fans across India this monsoon

    Sony Pictures Sports Network brings more cricket and excitement to fans across India this monsoon

    Sony Pictures Sports Network (SPSN) launches its campaign, #MoreCricket, for the upcoming high-octane cricket series, India tour of West Indies and The Ashes. With over 275 days of live cricket this financial year, the sports network will serve fans ‘more cricket’ on SONY SIX, SONY TEN 1 and SONY TEN 3 channels. In their first appearance after the Cricket World Cup, India will take on West Indies in the Caribbean islands and USA from August 3 to September 3, 2019 and the historic rivalry between England and Australia will be revived for The Ashes from August 1 to September 16, 2019.

    The campaign, #MoreCricket captures the story of every Indian cricket fan, who loves to watch India cricket but is also no stranger to The Ashes. Four great teams are going to play in two rocking series and make the monsoons even more exciting for audiences across the country. The 40-second on-air promo showcases a cricket fan bored with the channels assigned in his pack. The cricket fan in him gets excited when he learns about the two upcoming smashing cricket series on Sony Pictures Sports Network. The film derives a similarity between a cricket fan and a peacock as both are going to be massively excited this monsoon. The campaign will have television, radio, print, digital and social media rollout.

    India’s tour of West Indies & The 2019 Ashes – This monsoon only of the Sony Pictures Sports Network: https://youtu.be/fW9DdJ2piGA

    India tour of West Indies, comprising 3 T20Is, 3 ODIs and 2 Tests, will be played across five scenic venues in Florida, USA and in West Indies from August 3 to September 3, 2019. The 60-second on-air film, featuring Mahesh Manjrekar, takes on an amusing approach embodying every Indians undying love for cricket. Expectations will be high from the Indian team, but the prowess of the hosts’ is not to be underestimated. The Men from the Caribbean have shown many flashes of brilliance which they will use to halt the Indian juggernaut. With fast bowling and furious batting from both teams, the India tour of West Indies is going to be an unmissable series for viewers.

    India’s tour of West Indies 2019 – A Furious & Fast Cricket Series!: https://youtu.be/KmrpBxboWTM  

    The 2019 Ashes series will be played in England from August 1 to September 16, 2019 at iconic venues like Lord’s, The Oval, Old Trafford, Edgbaston and Headingley. Narrated by actor Vijay Raaz, the 55-second promo film for The Ashes highlights the long and intense history of the rivalry between England and Australia. Australia are the defending Urn holders as they drubbed the English side 4-0 in 2017-18 series. The intensity of the rivalry makes all the players come in with their strongest performances as The Ashes is considered as one of the most important titles in their careers. With the crest and troughs in their current form, none of the teams are a clear winner but the advantage is with the English as they take on the mighty Australians. While the Aussies have not won an Ashes away series since 2001, with the return of Steve Smith and David Warner, the team from down under is a formidable one.

    The Ashes 2019 – The Platinum Standard of Test Cricket: https://youtu.be/vmwX3HyegJc

    Comments:

    Rajesh Kaul, Chief Revenue Officer, Distribution and Head – Sports Business, Sony Pictures Networks India:

    “Our campaign, #MoreCricket captures the sentiments of every Indian this monsoon. India has an insatiable appetite for cricket and starting August this year, our viewers can catch the top teams and players in the world in two of the most exciting cricket series on Sony Pictures Sports Network. With over 275 days of live cricket on our network this financial year, we will deliver on our commitment to showcase the best of cricket from around the world starting with the exciting India tour of West Indies and the hard-fought Ashes. This will be followed by multiple series hosted by Cricket Australia, Sri Lanka Cricket, Pakistan Cricket Board and Cricket South Africa which includes amongst others the New Zealand tour of Australia, England tour of South Africa and Australia tour of South Africa.”

    The stakes for all the teams in the highly anticipated series are upped as both are a part of the inaugural edition of the ICC World Test Championship. Fans can catch #MoreCricket live and exclusive on SONY SIX, SONY TEN 1 and SONY TEN 3 channels August 1, 2019 onwards.

    The Ashes will be telecast live and exclusive on SONY SIX channels from August 1 to September 16, 2019. Audiences can watch the India tour of West Indies on SONY TEN 1 (English) and SONY TEN 3 (Hindi) channels from August 3 to September 3, 2019.