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  • 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.

  • 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.

  • RuPay becomes title sponsor for Pro Volleyball League

    RuPay becomes title sponsor for Pro Volleyball League

    MUMBAI: RuPay, the flagship product of National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), acquired the title sponsorship rights of India’s newest franchise-based sports league, the Pro Volleyball League, which is set to start on 2 February. 

    Conceived to fulfil the vision of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) of offering a domestic card payment system to all banks and financial institutions in India, RuPay will be the league’s title sponsor that takes off with six franchises from six different cities.

    An initiative of Baseline Ventures and Volleyball Federation of India, the league will now be called the RuPay Pro Volleyball League in its first season. Expressing his delight on this association, RuPay SVP – marketing Kunal Kalawatia said, “RuPay is the preferred card for 60 crore Indians and 1100+ banks issue a RuPay Card today. Like RuPay powering the digital payments initiative, we believe that Pro Volleyball league will bring this sport to the forefront and connect the nation with a common spirit. With RuPay Pro Volley Ball League we want to celebrate the power of a young & healthy India.”

    The inaugural edition of the league will begin with Kochi Blue Spikers taking on U Mumba Volley on 2 February at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium in Kochi.  The six teams that were announced in November 2018 will play each other in a round robin format in the first season that will have 18 matches. 

    Talking about the development, Baseline Ventures co-founder and MD Tuhin Mishra said, “We are delighted to have RuPay come on board as the title sponsor of the league. It is great to see that RuPay has invested in a sport that is fast-paced, exciting and perfectly matched for our young and dynamic nation.  The Pro Volleyball League aims to start a volleyball revolution to match the digital India revolution that RuPay is leading. And to help us in this endeavour, we couldn’t have found better partners than RuPay.”   

    Welcoming RuPay on board, former India international player and Volleyball Federation of India current Secretary General Ramavtar Singh Jakhar said, “We wholeheartedly welcome RuPay on board of PVL. It’s heartening to see such a prestigious brand which is also the pride of our Nation to support a truly grassroot mass sport such as Volleyball. We are sure it will be a great association.” 

    Ahmedabad Defenders is owned by Bonhomie Sports Event Mgmt. Ltd., Kerala's Calicut Heroes is owned by Beacon Sports while the Chennai Spartans is owned by Chennai Spartans Pvt. Ltd. U Mumba Volley is owned by U Sports, who also own a team in the Kabaddi league while Black Hawks Hyderabad is owned by Agile Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. Thomas Muthoot owns the Kochi franchise called the Kochi Blue Spikers.

    All the matches starting from 2 February will be broadcasted live on Sony Six and Sony Ten 3 and will be streamed live on Sony LIV. 

  • Sony Pictures Networks’ sports cluster’s year in review, road ahead

    Sony Pictures Networks’ sports cluster’s year in review, road ahead

    MUMBAI: In the tough two-horse race of Indian sports broadcasting, Sony Pictures Networks has had a slight edge over Star India when it comes to football events, while the latter holds the sway in Indian cricket. Currently, the NP Singh-led network is in charge of premier football properties like La Liga, Serie A, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, FA Cup and UEFA Super Cup. 

    SPN India has also invested in domestic leagues, firmly believing that such products are not only gaining prominence but are bound to witness a formidable growth in the future. One such success story is the Pro Wrestling League (PWL), which will return to SPN for its fourth edition. Besides this, the network will also broadcast the inaugural edition of the Pro Volleyball League that has gained considerable steam of late.

    Multi-sporting destination

    2018 was a successful year for the broadcaster in terms of multi-sporting properties, with big-ticket events like Commonwealth Games, FIFA World Cup, NBA and Asian Games helping it differentiate itself from others.

    “Multi-sports viewing is on the uptake and we will continue to provide our viewers diverse content across different sports categories along with innovative programming initiatives to increase our penetration in both urban and rural markets,” SPN India chief revenue officer and head – sports business Rajesh Kaul said.

    SPN has been the home of La Liga for the past four seasons in India. However, last year Facebook won the media rights for the top tier of Spanish football for the Indian subcontinent for three seasons starting 2018-19. The deal with the social media giant was the first of its kind for La Liga.

    While the 380 matches were to be available for free to people on Facebook in eight countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Maldives, Sri Lanka and Pakistan, Facebook and SPN reached an agreement wherein the broadcaster earned the right to air over 100 games via its sports cluster.

    The deal will allow SPN to broadcast key clashes including the El Clasico and Madrid Derby across its sports channels as well as SonyLIV.

    Record-breaking show

    The headline act for SPN in 2018 was the FIFA World Cup. There was a humungous buzz around the tournament this time as it aired during primetime in India after almost two editions. The broadcaster had four language feeds for the showpiece event, which was telecast on Sony Ten 2 in English, Sony Ten 3 in Hindi and Bengali and Malayalam audio feeds on Sony ESPN.

    A total of 110.5 million viewers in India watched the quadrennial event, according to the broadcaster. The tournament had 64 live matches aired across Sony TEN 2, Sony TEN 3, Sony ESPN channels and their HD versions.

    The broadcaster, which had managed to attract more than 40 advertisers on television, is estimated to have pocketed close to Rs 200 crore in advertising revenue. The 2014 edition had fetched the network Rs 100 crore in ad revenue.

    70 million viewers across India tuned in to watch the World Cup on SPN’s OTT SonyLIV. The average time spent per viewer was 15-16 minutes per match.

    “Sports’ viewing as a trend is becoming participative and we saw an opportunity to launch interactive engagement for our viewers in both entertainment and sports. Second screen engagement and interactivity is moving to the forefront and we will continue with his trend as it gives viewers deeper insights and a more immersive experience. While TV is still the preferred choice for sports viewing, we have observed trends of a growing user base on digital platforms for sports viewing in 2018 and we see it strengthening its position further in 2019,” Kaul added.

    Cricket rights play

    When it comes to cricket, SPN currently holds the broadcast rights for eight boards – Cricket Australia, England and Wales Cricket Board, Pakistan Cricket Board, Sri Lanka Cricket, Cricket South Africa, Cricket West Indies, Cricket Ireland and Zimbabwe Cricket Board. 

    It had acquired exclusive media rights from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) for the Indian subcontinent for a period of five years from 2018 through 2022. This agreement with ECB gives SPN the rights to both televise and digitally broadcast within the Indian subcontinent, men’s and women’s international matches, including Test matches, T20 Internationals and ODIs, played in England.

    SPNI also acquired the media rights for T10 Cricket League for three years (2018-20) for the Indian sub-continent and Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The broadcaster also had the rights for T10 Cricket League in 2017.

    The broadcaster currently has 10 channels in its sports bouquet after the network pulled the plug on Sony Ten Golf HD in the wake of TRAI’s new tariff order.

    The Prasar Bharati problem

    In October, MIB proposed to amend the Sports Act 2007 to offer ‘sports events of national importance’ on Prasar Bharati-owned free-to-air Doordarshan Network, an extended reach via private direct to home and cable TV Networks.

    The move to amend the Sports Act 2007 has been necessitated due to a Supreme Court verdict which held that the public broadcaster Doordarshan cannot air events of national importance on private distribution platforms.

    In the same month, MIB issued a notice for receiving feedback/comments from general public/stakeholders on the draft bill, 2018. The deadline for submitting the feedback was 15 January 2019, but there is no update on the date extension. The earlier deadline was 31 December 2018.

    This may result in a preference change of the consumer, thereby pushing them to unsubscribe private sports network channels. This will also give the distribution platforms an opportunity to negotiate harder with the sports broadcasters.

    A move of this nature could adversely impact the revenues of sports broadcasters, throwing the entire ecosystem into a tizzy.

    Challenges in 2019

    India’s historic win over Australia ensured that SPN kicked off 2019 to a rather glorious start. With the immensely popular Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni delivering match-winning knocks, SPN is likely to have posted big viewership numbers on its channels as well as OTT. However, the remainder of the year isn’t going to produce a lot of fireworks for the broadcaster especially when it comes to Indian cricket. Barring India’s tour to the West Indies, SPN does not have a lot to offer to Indian fans. Rival Star India, with the rights to the IPL and the World Cup, is bound to be the home of India’s cricket-crazy public in 2019.

  • FIFA WC 2018 creates record of 250 mn Indian viewers

    FIFA WC 2018 creates record of 250 mn Indian viewers

    MUMBAI: The 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia has broken viewership barriers with over 250 million viewers tuning in to the tournament in India. Telecast on Sony Ten 2, Sony Ten 3 and Sony ESPN channels and live streamed on SonyLIV app and website, it garnered over 250 million viewers across 64 matches played until the end of the tournament.

    According to the broadcaster’s report, repeats, surround programming, highlights and wrap around shows of FIFA World Cup 2018 have reached out to 254 million viewers this year.

    The 64 live matches of the FIFA WC 2018 have been watched by 110.5 million viewers across India on the Sony Pictures Networks. The top markets for the live matches were West Bengal with 22.2 million viwers, Kerala with 17.8 million, Maharashtra and Goa with 12.8 million and lastly Assam/North East and Sikkim with 11.4 million.

    The 2018 FIFA World Cup final match was watched by 51.2 million viewers, one of the highest for any FIFA World Cup match till date. Coming to the local language feeds which include Hindi, Malayalam, Bengali,Tamil and Telugu, they have reached out to 70.7 million viewers which is nearly 66 per cent of the overall tournament reach.

    The regional commentary also received viewership of 9.7 million in Kerala while West Bengal reached out to 10.7 million. There were 40.7 million viewers across India for regional commentary.  

    The 2018 FIFA World Cup also received 47 per fent of viewership from females, the highest till date.

  • 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia continues to deliver with over 117 million viewers tuning in to the greatest show on earth on Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN)

    2018 FIFA World Cup Russia continues to deliver with over 117 million viewers tuning in to the greatest show on earth on Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN)

    MUMBAI: The 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia continues to surpass expectations for football viewership in India in its second week. The tournament that was telecast live on SONY TEN 2, SONY TEN 3 and SONY ESPN channels and live streamed on SonyLIV app & website, garnered over 117 million viewers across 26 matches played in the first nine days of the tournament.

    Key Viewership Highlights for the first nine days of the tournament:

    The total cumulative reach of the event on our network is 117.3 million viewers. (BARC, All India, CS2+, LIVE matches + wraparound shows + highlights + repeats + surround programming of FIFA World Cup, SPN Sports Network, SonlyLIV)
    99.3 million viewers watched the World Cup on TV and over 18 million viewers live streamed it on SonyLIV 
    Top markets in terms of reach for LIVE matches on TV
    West Bengal – 14.8 mn
    Kerala – 14.5 mn
    North East – 8.4 mn
    Maharashtra – 7.1 mn
    Female viewership has contributed to 46% of the reach of the tournament (BARC, All India, CS2+, LIVE matches, SPN Sports Network)
    Local language feeds (Hindi + Malayalam + Bengali + Tamil + Telugu) have contributed to 46% of the overall viewership (BARC, All India, CS2+, LIVE matches, SPN Sports Network)
    Regional commentary: 6.8 million viewers in Kerala sampling Malayalam commentary and 5.4 million viewers in West Bengal sampling Bengali commentary
    Interest runs high for the tournament in rural markets, with 41% of the total reach coming from rural India (BARC, All India, CS2+, LIVE matches, SPN Sports Network)
    The Germany vs Mexico match telecast on June 17 at 8.30 pm is the most watched match of the tournament so far with 7 million impressions (BARC, All India, CS2+, SPN Sports Network)
    Average viewership for prime-time games (8.30 pm and 9.30 pm) has been 4.8 million impressions
    TVS: Each viewer has spent an average of 145 mins on the tournament in the first nine days.

  • Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) to telecast the India Tour of Ireland 2018 live and exclusive on SONY SIX and SONY TEN 3 channels

    Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) to telecast the India Tour of Ireland 2018 live and exclusive on SONY SIX and SONY TEN 3 channels

    MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) has announced that it has acquired the exclusive media rights to telecast the 2018 India Tour of Ireland that comprises two T20Is to be played on June 27 and June 29, 2018, in Malahide, Ireland.

    The matches will be broadcasted at 8:30 PM IST with English commentary on SONY SIX channels and Hindi commentary on SONY TEN 3 channels. Live coverage of the matches will begin with the sports network’s flagship studio show, Extraaa Innings, with a pre-match (7:30 PM), mid-match (10:00 PM) and post-match (12:15 AM) segments on both match days. The panel for Ireland hosts an impressive line-up of experts that includes Sunil Gavaskar, Ajay Jadeja, Alan Wilkins, Niall O’Brien, Deep Dasgupta, Murali Kartik, John Kenny and Anjum Chopra.

    SPN’s cricket portfolio comprises seven major international cricket boards – Cricket Australia, England and Wales Cricket Board, Pakistan Cricket Board, Sri Lanka Cricket, Cricket South Africa, Cricket West Indies and Zimbabwe Cricket Board.  

  • Raw and Smackdown now available live in hindi

    Raw and Smackdown now available live in hindi

    MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Sports Network (SPSN) and WWE (NYSE: WWE) today announced that WWE’s flagship TV programs Raw and SmackDown will air with live Hindi commentary for the first time beginning tomorrow on SONY TEN 3.

    Fans can tune into SONY TEN 3 to hear the new announce team of Fahad Sheikh and Sandeep Iyer calling the action live in Hindi. SONY TEN 1 will continue to air Raw and SmackDown live with English language commentary. 

    WrestleMania 33 was the first WWE special event to air with live Hindi commentary. Since then, all WWE special events have aired with live Hindi commentary on WWE Network. Last June, Sony Pictures Networks India and WWE launched WWE Sunday Dhamaal, a weekly show in Hindi featuring the best of Raw and SmackDown plus exclusive features and interviews.  

  • Sony Ten 1 & Sony Ten 3 to broadcast India’s first SA tour in 3 years

    Sony Ten 1 & Sony Ten 3 to broadcast India’s first SA tour in 3 years

    MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Sports Networks  will broadcast India’s tour of South Africa with the first test match commencing on 5 January 2018.

    The tour that comprises three tests, six ODIs and three T20s will be played across five scenic venues in South Africa. The  series  will  be  telecast  on  Sony  Ten  1  channels  with  English commentary and on Sony Ten 3 channels with Hindi commentary.

    Viewers can also look forward to the return of Extraaa Innings, the network’s flagship live studio show, during the series. Some of the panellists and commentators that have been confirmed for the upcoming tour include Sanjay Manjrekar, Ajay Jadeja, RP Singh, Murali Kartik, Harsha Bhogle and Jonty Rhodes.

    India’s tour of South Africa marks the return of the Indian team to South Africa after a gap of three years. The Indian team has an opportunity to create history if it does win the series in South Africa; a first in twenty-five years.