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Tag: SPN

  • Manuj Arora appointed director, ads at Myntra

    Manuj Arora appointed director, ads at Myntra

    MUMBAI: Manuj Arora has taken on the role of director at Myntra. He moves into this position after nearly seven years with the online fashion retailer, where he previously held the titles of deputy director from April 2020 and associate director for three years starting in April 2022. During his time as associate director, his responsibilities included leading the gift card and strategic alliances businesses, as well as overseeing approximately 50 per cent of Myntra’s advertising business across various product categories.

    Prior to joining Myntra, Arora served as a manager at Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) for two years. His experience also includes a role as associate group head at Reliance Broadcast Network, where he focused on business development through advertising sales and integrated marketing solutions. Earlier in his career, he held positions at Zee Media Corp Ltd (DNA) as an assistant manager in sales and at Colgate Palmolive in customer development.

    In his new role as director at Myntra, Arora will be responsible for Myntra ads, brand partnerships, strategic alliances, and gift cards.

  • Gaurav Banerjee to lead SPNI from August

    Gaurav Banerjee to lead SPNI from August

    MUMBAI: After some amount of speculation about whether Disney Star India head honcho Gaurav Banerjee would be hopping over onto Sony Pictures Networks India as big boss, today the company sent out a release confirming Banerjee (or GB as he is known) as the professional to lead SPNI on or before 26 August, pending regulatory approvals. He succeeds the extremely affable and low profile NP Singh who  successfully headed the M&E major for around 25 years.

    NP is slated to take on the role of non-executive chairman to support the transition until the end of the fiscal year.

    Says GB: “I am deeply honoured to take on the role of MD & CEO at SPNI. Under N.P. Singh’s remarkable leadership, SPNI has achieved tremendous success and innovation in the entertainment industry. I am excited to lead talented teams as we explore new frontiers in original programming, enhance our viewers’ experiences, drive our distribution footprint across India, and significantly boost our revenues. Together, we will set new benchmarks in entertainment and deliver exceptional value to our audiences and stakeholders.

    “Adds NP: “I am immensely proud of the success and innovation SPNI has achieved. I am confident that Gaurav will elevate SPNI’s impressive portfolio to new heights. His visionary approach will undoubtedly continue our legacy of excellence and creativity. I look forward to supporting him and our talented team as we further our impact in content creation, audience engagement, and digital media initiatives. And most importantly, I would like to thank the entire SPNI team for being the fulcrum of our growth and success.

    “Chairman of global television studios  & president & COO of Sony Pictures Entertainment Ravi Ahuja adds: “N.P. Singh’s leadership has been instrumental in shaping SPNI into the powerhouse it is today. I am confident that Gaurav Banerjee, with his proven track record and visionary approach, will continue to drive SPNI’s success. Gaurav’s expertise in content creation and strategic leadership will undoubtedly lead SPNI into an exciting new chapter of growth and achievement. We are thrilled to have him at the helm and look forward to the continued success of SPNI under his leadership.

    “More about GB

    With an illustrious career spanning over two decades, Gaurav Banerjee brings a wealth of experience in content creation and strategic leadership. He previously held the positions of head of content for Hindi entertainment & Disney+ Hotstar and business head for Star Bharat, Hindi & English movies, kids & infotainment, and regional (East). In these roles, Gaurav not only oversaw content curation across multiple languages but also spearheaded original series and films that resonated deeply with diverse audiences, earning him a reputation as an innovative and forward-thinking leader.

    Gaurav’s strategic vision and innovative approach consistently positioned top shows like Anupama, Ghum Hai Kisi Ke Pyaar Mein, and Imlie at the forefront of viewership ratings. He was vital in producing award-winning streaming originals such as the Emmy-nominated Aarya, Special Ops, The Freelancer, and The Night Manager for Disney+ Hotstar.

    Gaurav’s media journey started as an assistant producer and anchor at Aaj Tak. From there he moved to Star News, where he started producing and anchoring prime time news shows. Gaurav holds a master’s degree in filmmaking and TV production from Jamia Milia Islamia University and an undergraduate in history from St Stephens, Delhi.

  • Rohit Gupta moves on from Sony Pictures Networks

    Rohit Gupta moves on from Sony Pictures Networks

    Mumbai: Sony Pictures Networks (SPN) advisor Rohit Gupta has made the decision to leave the organisation entirely. Gupta has worked for SPN since 2002.

    Indiantelevision.com received confirmation of the news from a Sony Picture Networks source.

    In July 2021, he assumed the advisory role and advised senior management on industry trends and developments. He was working closely with the CEO on various industry issues.

    Gupta was previously in charge of SPN’s revenue streams from sales and international business.

    He previously held key leadership positions with Xerox.

  • Sony Sports showcases untold stories of WWE superstars in new campaign

    Sony Sports showcases untold stories of WWE superstars in new campaign

    Mumbai: Sony Sports Networks has launched a new campaign called ‘WWE Superstars with Rana Daggubati’ that showcases the untold stories and heroics of WWE superstars. 

    Produced and conceptualised by Sony Sports Networks, the campaign will feature stories of ten WWE superstars narrated by South actor Rana Daggubati in English, Tamil and Telugu. These include Undertaker, John Cena, Drew McIntyre, Roman Reigns, Randy Orton, Bianca Belair, Seth Rollins, Charlotte Flair, Big E, and Becky Lynch.

    The campaign is centered on the insight that there is a ‘Hero in all of us.’ While fans in India have always appreciated the WWE heroes, their lesser-known side depicted in the ten short films will further inspire the viewers.

    “The epic journeys of these WWE Superstars in the ring and beyond are too big not to be shared with our viewers,” said Sony Pictures Networks India SVP & head of marketing & on-air promotions, sports channels, Neville Bastawalla. “We embarked on a mission to bring alive inspiring stories of 10 WWE Superstars. And who best to narrate them, than our very own Mahabali, Rana Daggubati, who happens to be a big WWE fan. I am sure that viewers will get an inside look into their perseverance that will inspire them to bring out the hero in them.”

    “I have been following WWE since childhood and I am a big fan. We only see the success of our favourite superstars but rarely know the struggles and hurdles they have overcome to be where they are today. I hope these films show our viewers another side of these WWE Superstars and inspire them to never give up in the face of adversity,” added the South superstar and face of the campaign Rana Daggubati.

  • SPSN to air Indian Women’s pink ball test & T20I in four languages

    SPSN to air Indian Women’s pink ball test & T20I in four languages

    Mumbai: Sony Pictures Sports Network (SPSN) is geared up to cheer for the #SuperWomenInBlue during their ongoing series against Australia. To ensure that viewers feel closer to the action and enjoy the one-off pink ball day-night test match and three T20I matches, the channel will broadcast the matches in four languages – Sony Six channel in English, Sony Ten 3 channel in Hindi, and Sony Ten 4 channel in Tamil and Telugu from 30 September. The matches will also be live-streamed on SonyLiv.

    The series has raised interest amongst viewers as it will be the first time that the Indian Women’s team will play a day-night pink ball test. In order to boost Indian Women’s Cricket and ensure a wider reach for the game, Sony Sports has announced the return of “Extraaa Innings” studio show, featuring former cricketers like Saba Karim, Nooshin Al-Khadeer, Vivek Razdan, and WV Raman as well as ace commentator Raman Bhanot along with prominent presenter Atish Thukral, said the statement.

    To further amplify the excitement the channel has launched the #SuperWomenInBlue campaign which calls out to every Indian cricket fan to support the Indian Women’s cricket team and cheer for them.

    “2021 has been a year of outstanding achievements for Indian athletes and we have witnessed Indian women raising the bar at the global stage on multiple occasions. All eyes will now be on the Indian women’s cricket team as they prepare to play their first-ever historic pink ball day-night Test against Australia in their backyard,” said Sony Pictures Networks India chief revenue office – distribution and head of sports business Rajesh Kaul. “As the official broadcaster, we are delighted to announce the language feeds for the series as we aim to reach a wider audience and provide unparalleled viewing experience as the entire nation gears to support the Women in Blue at this historic tour.”

  • SC adjourns NTO 2.0 hearing to 18 August

    SC adjourns NTO 2.0 hearing to 18 August

    Mumbai: The Supreme Court on Friday adjourned the hearing in a matter pertaining to the New Tariff Order (NTO 2.0) to 18 August.

    Last month, The Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF) and several leading broadcasters had filed a petition in the Supreme Court against the Bombay high court verdict dated 30 June, which had upheld the constitutionality of the NTO 2.0. The amended NTO 2.0, passed by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) in January 2020, was challenged by broadcasters in the Bombay HC.

    After a legal tussle that lasted over a year, TRAI had managed to get a green signal from the court on 30 June on the implementation of the amended NTO 2.0. The division bench of the HC had stated that the challenge to the constitutional validity of the 2020 rules and regulations of TRAI does not hold any water. At the same time, it termed one of the twin conditions “arbitrary”, according to which the maximum retail price of an a-la-carte channel could not be more than one-third the maximum rate of a channel in the bouquet.

    The judgment was passed on the petitions filed by several broadcasters under the umbrella of the Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF) including ZEE Entertainment, Star India, TV18, and Sony Pictures Network India (SPN) who had challenged the NTO 2.0 terming it “arbitrary and in violation of their fundamental right”.

    The NTO 2.0 prescribed linkage between a-la-carte price and bouquet and reduced the price cap on the subscription fees for pay channels.

  • 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 announces key leadership changes

    Sony Pictures Networks India announces key leadership changes

    Mumbai: As Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) gears up to embrace its Vision 3.0, the company on Monday revamped its organisational structure, making several leadership changes. These changes are effective immediately.

    Rohit Gupta has transitioned from his role as chief revenue officer – ad sales and international business and taken on the responsibility of being SPN’s advisor to the management and the board. In this new role, Rohit will be advising senior management on industry trends, developments and work closely with the CEO on various industry issues that could positively impact the company’s strategy and growth.

    Rajesh Kaul, in addition to his existing role as the chief revenue officer – distribution and business head – sports, will take on the charge of international sales and will work in collaboration with the digital team to expand SPN’s brand presence and reach across the world. The current international sales head Neeraj Arora will now be reporting directly to Kaul.

    Sandeep Mehrotra has been appointed head – ad sales, network channels. With an illustrious career, spanning over two and a half decades, Mehrotra has a proven record in driving revenues and delivering efficiencies to clients and businesses. Within SPN, he has moved multiple channels, regions and ranks and has invested his time in curating long-term client relationships with a unifocal thought of creating business solutions. In his new role, Sandeep will directly report to the CEO.

    Danish Khan, business head – Sony Entertainment Television, digital business, and StudioNext will take additional charge of network channels licensing. This alignment will enable an end-to-end view of opportunities at play between channels and digital and thereby enable us in taking decisions, best suited for the network’s growth.

    Tushar Shah, business head, English, factual entertainment & Sony Aath, takes on an additional role of the newly created position of chief marketing officer (CMO) for SPN. His expanded role will include taking the corporate brand to the consumer and furthering its reach besides managing his existing channel portfolio.

    Aditya Mehta, in addition to his current role of corporate strategy and business development, will spearhead the formation of data analytics CoE to strengthen SPN’s approach to being a data-driven organisation. He would also be responsible for business monetisation which will leverage the power of data and act as a bridge between digital & linear revenue opportunities.

    Nitin Nadkarni, chief finance officer (CFO) will take additional charge of the broadcast operations and network engineering (BONE) department. BONE head Kingshuk Bhattacharya will now report to Nadkarni.

    Speaking on the latest announcement, SPN, managing director & CEO, N.P. Singh said, “SPN has embarked on Vision 3.0 to create a future-ready organisation based on a culture powered by corporate values and a management structure backed by an operating model that accelerates growth. All leadership changes announced today are reflective of that evolutionary intent.

    SPN, CHRO, Manu Wadhwa, added, “The organisation remodeling is a result of our constant focus to strengthen our talent and leadership capabilities and will ensure that we stay ahead of the curve in a dynamic media and entertainment industry.”

  • SPSN onboards 15 advertisers for India’s Sri Lanka tour

    New Delhi: The Men in Blue are all set to return on Sony Pictures Sports Network (SPSN) as the countdown begins for the India tour of Sri Lanka. The much-awaited cricket series with three ODIs and three T20s is all set to begin on 13 July. 

    The series will be aired in India LIVE in four languages: SONY TEN 1 and SONY SIX in English, SONY TEN 3 in Hindi, and on the newly launched SONY TEN 4 in Tamil and Telugu from 1.30 pm as well as live-streamed on its on-demand OTT platform SonyLIV.

    The network has roped in as many as 15 advertisers so far, which includes Byju’s, Pan Bahar, Amazon Prime, 99 acres.com, Cars 24, Oppo, Tata Motors, Raj Niwas, Vimal, Kent, Unacademy, Housing.com, Policy Bazaar, Paisa Bazaar, and Dafa News. “The network is in the process of closing more brands before the start of the first ODI on 13 July,” it said on Wednesday.

    SPSN will be back with its flagship studio show Extraaa Innings in English and Hindi. The LIVE studio show in English will be presented by former players like Sanjay Manjrekar, Ajit Agarkar, and Ajay Jadeja along with Matt Floyd while the Hindi studio show will be presented by former cricketers – Mohammad Kaif, Vivek Razdan, Amit Mishra, Saba Karim along with Arjun Pandit. The Tamil commentary box will feature Laxman Sivaramakrishnan, WV Raman, Vidhyut Sivaramakrishnan, T Arasu, and S Seshadri while the Telugu commentary will be presented by Venkatapathy Raju, Gnaneshwar Rao, C Venkatesh, RJ Hemanth, Sandeep Kuma,r and Vijay Mahavadi.

    Led by former India captain Rahul Dravid who will step in as coach, this will be the first time two senior Indian men’s teams play bilateral series simultaneously. Shikhar Dhawan will captain the young side while Bhuvneshwar Kumar will be the vice-captain in the three-match ODI and T20I series against Sri Lanka.

    Devdutt Padikkal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Nitish Rana, Krishnappa Gowtham, and Chetan Sakariya are likely to receive their maiden Indian cap in ODIs and T20Is and will have the experience of seasoned players like Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav and more by their side as all eyes will be on the performance and future of the Indian Cricket Team.

    SPSN has also launched the #JeetneKiZid campaign that depicts the #HungerToWin or #JeetneKiZid of the Indian Brigade, who are ready to give their all to emerge victorious in Sri Lanka. The campaign calls all Indian cricket fans to show their support and cheer for their home team as the young squad is very determined to emerge victorious in Sri Lanka. 

  • 63rd Grammy Awards to stream in India exclusively on SonyLIV

    63rd Grammy Awards to stream in India exclusively on SonyLIV

    KOLKATA: From grooving to their foot-tapping tracks to finding respite in those soothing melodies or gazing at their mind-blowing music videos, musicians have kept us entertained round the year. And now, it’s time to celebrate their work and honour them at one of the most prestigious music award ceremonies ever. 

    Music industry’s biggest night, the 63rd Grammy Awards presented by The Recording Academy will stream on Monday, 15 March 5:30 am IST, exclusively on SonyLIV. Signifying the epitome in music, the award ceremony will be hosted by comedian Trevor Noah. SonyLIV’s transmission of the 63rd Annual Grammy  Awards is co-presented by Black & White.

    The annual presentation ceremony will not only showcase the world’s most prominent artists competing in various categories but will also feature captivating performances by spectacular names across pop, classical, jazz, rap, R&B, and rock music genres. Grammy’s top nominees include Beyoncé (nine), Dua Lipa (six), Roddy Ricch (six), Taylor Swift (six), Brittany Howard (five), John Beasley (four), Justin Bieber (four), Phoebe Bridgers (four), DaBaby (four), Billie Eilish (four), David Frost (four), and Megan Thee Stallion (four).

    While we just can’t wait to know who all will take the Grammy home, but the biggest and brightest names like Black Pumas, Cardi B, Brandi Carlile, DaBaby, Doja Cat, Mickey Guyton, Haim, Brittany Howard, Miranda Lambert, Lil Baby, Chris Martin, John Mayer and Post Malone will be taking the centre stage at the celebrated awards night.

    Sony Pictures Networks India digital programming and new initiatives head Amogh Dusad said: “Grammys are the most renowned and coveted awards within the music industry.  We’re sure that music aficionados in India will be excited as SonyLIV exclusively streams the award night in India.”

    Taking India to the international awards are Neha Mahajan and Anoushka Shankar. Mahajan has been credited for the song Mi Sangre, which is one of the tracks of Ricky Martin's album, Pausa, that has been nominated in the Best Latin Pop or Urban Album category. Whereas sitar player Anoushka Shankar's album Love Letters has been nominated in the Best Global Music Album category. For the album Love Letters, singer Shilpa Rao has collaborated with Anoushka.

    Below is the list of nominations under the much-anticipated category – Record of the Year and Song of the Year.