Tag: Sony SIX

SPNI to broadcast the Supercopa De Espana on Sony Six & Sony Six HD

MUMBAI: The sports cluster of the Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) will broadcast the Supercopa De Espana or the Spanish Cup, to be played between Barcelona and Sevilla. The Spanish Cup will be aired LIVE and exclusive on Sony SIX and Sony SIX HD, on the 15th and 18th of August, at 1:30 am and 2:30 am respectively. The Supercopa de España will be a two-legged football match-up to be played between the champions of2015–16 LaLiga, Barcelona, and the runners-up of the 2015–16 Copa del Rey, Sevilla.

Some of the big names who will battle it out on the field to take their team to victory are Messi, Suarez and Pique from Barcelona and Reyes and Coke from Seville. This is the first time, Sevilla will be playing Barcelona after the latter defeated the former in a thrilling 2-0 win in extra time at the Copa Del Ray finals in May this year. The previous season has been a shaky one for Sevilla and the Supercopa De Espana will be their platform to avenge their defeat against the Spanish giants and come back with a bang this upcoming season.

The first leg of The Spanish Super Cup will take place on August 15 at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium in Seville, followed by the second leg on August 18 at the Camp Nou in Barcelona.

August 12, 2016
SPNI to broadcast the Supercopa De Espana on Sony Six & Sony Six HD

MUMBAI: The sports cluster of the Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) will broadcast the Supercopa De Espana or the Spanish Cup, to be played between Barcelona and Sevilla. The Spanish Cup will be aired LIVE and exclusive on Sony SIX and Sony SIX HD, on the 15th and 18th of August, at 1:30 am and 2:30 am respectively. The Supercopa de España will be a two-legged football match-up to be played between the champions of2015–16 LaLiga, Barcelona, and the runners-up of the 2015–16 Copa del Rey, Sevilla.

Some of the big names who will battle it out on the field to take their team to victory are Messi, Suarez and Pique from Barcelona and Reyes and Coke from Seville. This is the first time, Sevilla will be playing Barcelona after the latter defeated the former in a thrilling 2-0 win in extra time at the Copa Del Ray finals in May this year. The previous season has been a shaky one for Sevilla and the Supercopa De Espana will be their platform to avenge their defeat against the Spanish giants and come back with a bang this upcoming season.

The first leg of The Spanish Super Cup will take place on August 15 at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium in Seville, followed by the second leg on August 18 at the Camp Nou in Barcelona.

August 12, 2016
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.

June 18, 2016
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.

June 18, 2016
SPN acquires the exclusive TV & digital rights for the Indian open world ranking snooker tournament

MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) has acquired the exclusive broadcast and digital rights to telecast the third edition of the Indian Open World Ranking Snooker Tournament, in India and the Indian Sub-Continent.

This year’s tournament being held in Hyderabad from 4 July to 9 July will be telecast live and exclusive on Sony SIX, daily from 1700 hrs to 2000 hrs. In addition to the live coverage, snooker enthusiasts will also be able to live-stream all the matches on Sony LIV.

The Indian Open is a professional ranking snooker tournament and has raised the profile of cue sports in India. India has produced several top ranking players in the past who have contributed to the rising popularity of the sport; namely, Geet Sethi, Pankaj Advani, Aditya Mehta etc. Since its inception in 2013, India Open has seen the participation of leading snooker players from around the world including World Champions Neil Robertson, John Higgins, and Mark Williams as well as current legends Ding Junhui,, Marco Fu, Mark Selby and Stuart Bingham to name a few.

India, as host country, gets a wildcard entry for six snooker players giving the upcoming talent a platform to showcase their skills and rub shoulders with some of the biggest names in the sport. 128 of the world’s top cueists convened to England for the qualifiers on 28th May competing for the coveted prize purse of £ 3,00,000. 64 top international snooker players have qualified for the 3rd Indian Open from the preliminaries that was held in Preston, UK which includes Michael White, Shaun Murphy, Barrie Hawkins, Ricky Walden, Mark Davis etc.

Sony Pictures Networks Sports cluster executive vice president & business head Prasana Krishnan said,“As broadcasters, we showcase a diverse range of content that will appeal to our audiences and we believe that we can help create new fans for some of these sporting events. Driven by consistent performances of leading Indian players, the popularity of cue sports has grown over the years. As an international professional ranking snooker tournament, the Indian Open will feature the best of International and Indian cueists. With the inclusion of cue sports in SPN’s sports portfolio, we are continuing our endeavour to have something for every viewer.”

President of the Billiards and Snooker Federation of India and the International Billiards and Snooker Federation Capt P.V.K. Mohan added, “I am very pleased that SONY SIX is partnering with BSFI to cover the event live on all the five days of the tournament during prime time slots. Snooker will be taken to a whole new level with Sony SIX coming on board for the first time since Indian Open started 3 years ago. BSFI in its new partnership with SPN is excited about the prospects that are likely to develop in Cue Sports. The Indian Open is a marquee event which has become very popular with both domestic and international players and is highly rated among the ranking events that take place around the globe. In addition to this, both the International and Indian players have expressed their delight about one of the biggest sports channels of the country telecasting and streaming the event. This will create tremendous awareness and visibility for the tournament as well as the sport.”

The Indian Open World Ranking Snooker Tournament will commence on July 4 and will be telecast live and exclusive on Sony SIX. Live coverage of the matches will also be available to live stream on Sony LIV.

June 13, 2016
SPN acquires the exclusive TV & digital rights for the Indian open world ranking snooker tournament

MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) has acquired the exclusive broadcast and digital rights to telecast the third edition of the Indian Open World Ranking Snooker Tournament, in India and the Indian Sub-Continent.

This year’s tournament being held in Hyderabad from 4 July to 9 July will be telecast live and exclusive on Sony SIX, daily from 1700 hrs to 2000 hrs. In addition to the live coverage, snooker enthusiasts will also be able to live-stream all the matches on Sony LIV.

The Indian Open is a professional ranking snooker tournament and has raised the profile of cue sports in India. India has produced several top ranking players in the past who have contributed to the rising popularity of the sport; namely, Geet Sethi, Pankaj Advani, Aditya Mehta etc. Since its inception in 2013, India Open has seen the participation of leading snooker players from around the world including World Champions Neil Robertson, John Higgins, and Mark Williams as well as current legends Ding Junhui,, Marco Fu, Mark Selby and Stuart Bingham to name a few.

India, as host country, gets a wildcard entry for six snooker players giving the upcoming talent a platform to showcase their skills and rub shoulders with some of the biggest names in the sport. 128 of the world’s top cueists convened to England for the qualifiers on 28th May competing for the coveted prize purse of £ 3,00,000. 64 top international snooker players have qualified for the 3rd Indian Open from the preliminaries that was held in Preston, UK which includes Michael White, Shaun Murphy, Barrie Hawkins, Ricky Walden, Mark Davis etc.

Sony Pictures Networks Sports cluster executive vice president & business head Prasana Krishnan said,“As broadcasters, we showcase a diverse range of content that will appeal to our audiences and we believe that we can help create new fans for some of these sporting events. Driven by consistent performances of leading Indian players, the popularity of cue sports has grown over the years. As an international professional ranking snooker tournament, the Indian Open will feature the best of International and Indian cueists. With the inclusion of cue sports in SPN’s sports portfolio, we are continuing our endeavour to have something for every viewer.”

President of the Billiards and Snooker Federation of India and the International Billiards and Snooker Federation Capt P.V.K. Mohan added, “I am very pleased that SONY SIX is partnering with BSFI to cover the event live on all the five days of the tournament during prime time slots. Snooker will be taken to a whole new level with Sony SIX coming on board for the first time since Indian Open started 3 years ago. BSFI in its new partnership with SPN is excited about the prospects that are likely to develop in Cue Sports. The Indian Open is a marquee event which has become very popular with both domestic and international players and is highly rated among the ranking events that take place around the globe. In addition to this, both the International and Indian players have expressed their delight about one of the biggest sports channels of the country telecasting and streaming the event. This will create tremendous awareness and visibility for the tournament as well as the sport.”

The Indian Open World Ranking Snooker Tournament will commence on July 4 and will be telecast live and exclusive on Sony SIX. Live coverage of the matches will also be available to live stream on Sony LIV.

June 13, 2016
Chennai City FC promoter franchises Premier Futsal’s Chennai

MUMBAI: The promoter of Chennai City FC, has bagged Premier Futsal’s Chennai squad, making it the first franchise to be picked up ahead of the league’s inaugural season.

The franchise has been bought by football aficionado and sports entrepreneur Rohit Ramesh for an undisclosed sum in a long-term agreement with Premier Futsal. Ramesh, as the promoter of the franchise will be responsible for the operation of the team, marketing as well as grassroots development for sustained talent growth.

“I’m delighted to acquire the Chennai franchise of Premier Futsal. It gives me immense pride especially because it’s Chennai, my home city. Futsal is extremely popular across the world and I’m confident that through Premier Futsal, the sport will grow to occupy a prominent place amid Indian sports. We share the organizers long-term vision for this property and look forward to an exciting long-term association ahead,” said Ramesh

The Premier Futsal claims to bring the legends of football and Futsal together.

Led by the ‘Pele of Futsal’, Alessandro Rosa Vieira, known as Falcão, the league will feature over 50 International Futsallers from four continents and 21 countries.

Each franchise will be assigned a marquee international football player, seven international and five Indian Futsallers for their squad to participate in the inaugural season through a player draft scheduled later this month.

Premier Futsal Managing director, Dinesh Raj said, “We are very happy to have Mr. Rohit Ramesh on-board as the owner of our Chennai franchise. Our intention is to develop each team as a club which evokes a culture and values that are distinctive to the city it represents. Therefore we were seeking partners who can make a long-term commitment towards developing their club’s identity while at the same time nurturing future talent. Mr. Ramesh is passionate about sport and football in particular, as evident from his ownership of Chennai City FC, which combined with his technical expertise and business acumen make him the ideal partner for our Chennai franchise.”

Premier Futsal will begin from July 15, 2016, and will be telecast live and exclusive on Sony SIX, SONY ESPN and Sony AATH. Matches will also be available to live stream on Sony LIV.

June 7, 2016
Chennai City FC promoter franchises Premier Futsal’s Chennai

MUMBAI: The promoter of Chennai City FC, has bagged Premier Futsal’s Chennai squad, making it the first franchise to be picked up ahead of the league’s inaugural season.

The franchise has been bought by football aficionado and sports entrepreneur Rohit Ramesh for an undisclosed sum in a long-term agreement with Premier Futsal. Ramesh, as the promoter of the franchise will be responsible for the operation of the team, marketing as well as grassroots development for sustained talent growth.

“I’m delighted to acquire the Chennai franchise of Premier Futsal. It gives me immense pride especially because it’s Chennai, my home city. Futsal is extremely popular across the world and I’m confident that through Premier Futsal, the sport will grow to occupy a prominent place amid Indian sports. We share the organizers long-term vision for this property and look forward to an exciting long-term association ahead,” said Ramesh

The Premier Futsal claims to bring the legends of football and Futsal together.

Led by the ‘Pele of Futsal’, Alessandro Rosa Vieira, known as Falcão, the league will feature over 50 International Futsallers from four continents and 21 countries.

Each franchise will be assigned a marquee international football player, seven international and five Indian Futsallers for their squad to participate in the inaugural season through a player draft scheduled later this month.

Premier Futsal Managing director, Dinesh Raj said, “We are very happy to have Mr. Rohit Ramesh on-board as the owner of our Chennai franchise. Our intention is to develop each team as a club which evokes a culture and values that are distinctive to the city it represents. Therefore we were seeking partners who can make a long-term commitment towards developing their club’s identity while at the same time nurturing future talent. Mr. Ramesh is passionate about sport and football in particular, as evident from his ownership of Chennai City FC, which combined with his technical expertise and business acumen make him the ideal partner for our Chennai franchise.”

Premier Futsal will begin from July 15, 2016, and will be telecast live and exclusive on Sony SIX, SONY ESPN and Sony AATH. Matches will also be available to live stream on Sony LIV.

June 7, 2016
Roopak Saluja’s the 120 Media Collective to operate NBA.com

MUMBAI: National Basketball Association (NBA) and the120 Media Collective has joined hands to operate the customized NBA.com in India to provide comprehensive digital experiences for fans in India.

The announcement was made at a press conference by NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum, the 120 Media Collective founder and CEO Roopak Saluja and NBA India managing director Yannick Colaco.
The geo-targeted NBA.com will offer Indian fans access to video highlights, game recaps, scores, stats, etc. The responsive and mobile first digital destination will also provide extensive localized content, including podcasts hosted by local basketball personalities and a special section dedicated to Sim Bhullar and Satnam Singh, players of NBA.

“We are excited to be partnering with one of the world’s leading sports properties to engage deeply with Indian audiences,” said Saluja. “NBA.com lies at the core of The 120 Media Collective’s engagement strategy and will be supported by robust distribution to ensure our content is seen and shared where the audience already is.”

The portal will also feature personalized settings for fans to follow their favorite NBA teams and players, NBA FIT corner with instructional basketball content, and supreme courts showcasing the best basketball courts across the country. Through the digital destination, fans will be able to access NBA league pass, the league’s digital package offering a full season of live NBA games and rich archive of NBA content.

“The popularity of basketball in India has never been stronger, and our newly redesigned digital destination will provide Indian fans with instant access to NBA news and content,” said Tatum. “We are committed to the growth of basketball in India, and we will continue working with our partners to introduce new ways for fans to experience the NBA.”

“The 120 Media Collective’s expertise in innovative content creation makes them an ideal partner to produce locally relevant content to engage our fans,” said Colaco. “Our new partnership will help us grow our expansive digital presence in India by providing our digitally savvy fans with a way to connect with their favorite teams and players.”

Along with the customized NBA.com in India, the NBA features 19 international online destinations. The digital destination in India will continue to introduce new features in the coming months.

The league opened its office in Mumbai, India in 2011. As part of its commitment to grow basketball in India, the league has hosted touring basketball events, grassroots development and talent search programs. Broadcast partner SONY SIX, India’s premier sports and entertainment channel, televises 14 NBA games per week.

Since 2006, more than 30 current and former NBA and WNBA players have visited India with the league, including Satnam Singh, Sim Bhullar, Muggsy Bogues, Chris Bosh, Bruce Bowen, Swin Cash, Tamika Catchings, Pau Gasol, Robert Horry, Dwight Howard, Briann January, Jason Richardson and Brian Shaw. Fans can follow the NBA on Facebook and Twitter.

April 28, 2016
Roopak Saluja’s the 120 Media Collective to operate NBA.com

MUMBAI: National Basketball Association (NBA) and the120 Media Collective has joined hands to operate the customized NBA.com in India to provide comprehensive digital experiences for fans in India.

The announcement was made at a press conference by NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum, the 120 Media Collective founder and CEO Roopak Saluja and NBA India managing director Yannick Colaco.
The geo-targeted NBA.com will offer Indian fans access to video highlights, game recaps, scores, stats, etc. The responsive and mobile first digital destination will also provide extensive localized content, including podcasts hosted by local basketball personalities and a special section dedicated to Sim Bhullar and Satnam Singh, players of NBA.

“We are excited to be partnering with one of the world’s leading sports properties to engage deeply with Indian audiences,” said Saluja. “NBA.com lies at the core of The 120 Media Collective’s engagement strategy and will be supported by robust distribution to ensure our content is seen and shared where the audience already is.”

The portal will also feature personalized settings for fans to follow their favorite NBA teams and players, NBA FIT corner with instructional basketball content, and supreme courts showcasing the best basketball courts across the country. Through the digital destination, fans will be able to access NBA league pass, the league’s digital package offering a full season of live NBA games and rich archive of NBA content.

“The popularity of basketball in India has never been stronger, and our newly redesigned digital destination will provide Indian fans with instant access to NBA news and content,” said Tatum. “We are committed to the growth of basketball in India, and we will continue working with our partners to introduce new ways for fans to experience the NBA.”

“The 120 Media Collective’s expertise in innovative content creation makes them an ideal partner to produce locally relevant content to engage our fans,” said Colaco. “Our new partnership will help us grow our expansive digital presence in India by providing our digitally savvy fans with a way to connect with their favorite teams and players.”

Along with the customized NBA.com in India, the NBA features 19 international online destinations. The digital destination in India will continue to introduce new features in the coming months.

The league opened its office in Mumbai, India in 2011. As part of its commitment to grow basketball in India, the league has hosted touring basketball events, grassroots development and talent search programs. Broadcast partner SONY SIX, India’s premier sports and entertainment channel, televises 14 NBA games per week.

Since 2006, more than 30 current and former NBA and WNBA players have visited India with the league, including Satnam Singh, Sim Bhullar, Muggsy Bogues, Chris Bosh, Bruce Bowen, Swin Cash, Tamika Catchings, Pau Gasol, Robert Horry, Dwight Howard, Briann January, Jason Richardson and Brian Shaw. Fans can follow the NBA on Facebook and Twitter.

April 28, 2016