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Tag: SPN India

  • SPN India renews UEFA Euro Championship rights for Indian subcontinent

    SPN India renews UEFA Euro Championship rights for Indian subcontinent

    MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Network (SPN) India has renewed the media rights deal for the UEFA Euro Championship to telecast in the Indian subcontinent according to Insidesports.co. On the flip side, the broadcaster has lost one of its precious football properties, La Liga, to Facebook. The social media giant bagged the rights for the next four-year cycle.

    The 2020 European Championship edition will be played across 12 European nations between 12 June and 12 July.

    Sony in the earlier UEFA media rights cycle was also the official broadcaster for the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League, which were not the part of the UEFA Euro Championship deal.

    The UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying draw will be held on 2 December 2018 at the Convention Centre Dublin in Dublin, Republic of Ireland.

    Recently, UEFA has also renewed its worldwide master licensing deal with global sports and talent management agency IMG. The extended terms of the agreement will see IMG continue to serve as the exclusive master licensee for UEFA Euro 2020 and other major national team tournaments through to the end of 2022.

    The deal provides Sony Pictures Network with the right to broadcast the UEFA Euro 2020 Championship matches and the Championship Finals. In the previous three-year deal SPN aired 546 UEFA international matches over three years in the run-up to the 2016 finals in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Nepal and Maldives.

    The media right for La Liga was acquired by SPN for $32 million in 2014 till May 2018.

    The Euro Championship games will be played at London, Munich, Rome, Baku, Saint Petersburg, Bucharest, Amsterdam, Dublin, Bilbao, Budapest, Glasgow and Copenhagen. Each city will host three group stage matches and one match in the round of 16 or quarter-finals. London will host the Group Stage matches, a round of 16 game, semi-finals, and final. Munich (Germany), Baku (Azerbaijan), Saint Petersburg (Russia) and Rome (Italy) Group Stage games and the quarter-finals. Copenhagen (Denmark), Bucharest (Romania), Amsterdam (Netherlands), Dublin (Republic of Ireland), Bilbao (Spain), Budapest (Hungary) and Glasgow (Scotland) will host Group stage and the round-of-16 matches.

  • BARC week 27: Sony sports cluster captures all top five slots

    BARC week 27: Sony sports cluster captures all top five slots

    MUMBAI: The 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia continues its strong run for football viewership in India in its fourth week and guided Sony Pictures Network (SPN) India’s sports cluster to obtain all top five positions in the BARC all India ratings.

    The tournament that is being telecast live on Sony Ten 2, Sony Ten 3 and Sony ESPN channels and live streamed on SonyLIV app and website.

    According to BARC, Sony Ten 3 is at the top spot with 149384 impressions (000s) sum, followed by Sony Ten2 with 146283 impressions (000s) sum. Sony Six, Sony Ten1 and Sony ESPN were the other channels in the list in week 27 data.

    According to the broadcaster, the network’s sports channel and Sony LIV’s total cumulative reach of the tournament is 192.7 million viewers for 58 matches which includes the viewership of live matches, wraparound shows, highlights, repeats, surround programming of FIFA World Cup for a TG of All India CS2+.

    If the broadcaster’s live streaming numbers are to be believed, Sony crossed 96 million viewers across India on the sports cluster TV channels. The channel has got most of its live traction from West Bengal with 20.4 million reach followed by Kerala with 16.9 million reach. Rural market has also shown some interest in FIFA and clocked 63.1 million viewers

    According to BARC, top three matches till now were Nigeria versus Argentina, Japan versus Senegal and Korea versus Mexico with 5.1 million, 4.6 million and 4.3 million impressions across India for a TG above 2+.

    SPN India also informed that 47 per cent of the overall viewership is contributed by local language feeds like Hindi, Malayalam, Bengali, Tamil and Telugu.

  • SPN India elevates Aditya Mehta as head – corporate strategy

    SPN India elevates Aditya Mehta as head – corporate strategy

    MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Network (SPN) India has elevated Aditya Mehta as the head – corporate strategy from head of business development.

    Aditya has over 14 years of extensive experience in varied roles across investment banking, venture capital and media and entertainment. His expertise lies in corporate strategy, business-scaling and evaluation, content strategy, operational execution, strategic and financial analysis.

    He has played an instrumental role in the network’s growth and expansion. Besides network expansion, Aditya has worked on some key content acquisition deals such as media rights for Cricket Australia, England & Wales Cricket Board, and other key sports and non-sports rights. Some notable strategic initiatives include the acquisition of Ten Sports from ZEEL, joint venture with BBC, re-entry of ESPN in India and Kids channel foray.

    In his new role, Aditya Mehta will plan and manage the development of business strategy at SPN. Key aspects of the role would also include strategic roadmap for the long-term and implementation of it.

  • SPN India strengthen’s regional presence with six language feeds for FIFA WC

    SPN India strengthen’s regional presence with six language feeds for FIFA WC

    MUMBAI: With the 2018 FIFA World Cup set to kick off on June 15, the official broadcaster Sony Pictures Networks (SPN) India, increased its regional outreach with the addition of Tamil and Telugu live language feeds. This will be the first time that the FIFA World Cup will be telecast in multiple languages in India. 

    The two new languages are in addition to the already announced English, Hindi, Bengali and Malayalam live feeds taking the tally to six languages.

    SPN India president, sports and distribution business Rajesh Kaul, “The telecast of 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia will be done in six languages. It is our endeavor to reach out to every football fan in the country as per our commitment to go beyond to serve best sporting action through our programming initiatives. We have congregated some of the best international football players with great experience to provide incisive insights to our viewers. The live studio show Football Extraaa and the breakfast show Kick-Off will enrich the die-hard football enthusiast’s viewing experience of 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia.”

    Additionally, SPN announced a star-studded panel for Football Extraaa, the pre, mid and post-match live studio show that will be telecast in English and Hindi. The show will feature a list of Indian and international football stars like Sunil Chhetri, Bhaichung Bhutia, Gurpreet Singh, Robin Singh, Luis Garcia, Louis Saha and David James.

    In addition to Football Extraaa, SPN India will also showcase detailed insights for its viewers with a morning dose of football through its breakfast show Kick-Off. The show will satiate the hunger of football enthusiasts with in-depth analyses on the previous night’s game along with forecast for the forthcoming matches of the day.

    The WC will also be aired live on SonyLIV. The digital arm of Sony has launched the #ScreamLoud campaign that cuts across football fans in the country who exhibit their undying passion through a light-hearted film. Fans will have a sore throat which is going to be their constant companion through the football season as they cheer and scream. 

    The film conceptualised by Publicis Ambience and produced by Offroad Films, has been inspired by those fans whose enthusiasm and fervour for the sport sees no limits. Ardent fans of the game can now stream all matches live on their mobile devices and have a truly amazing FIFA experience.

    SPN India head marketing, subscription and content licensing- digital business Abhishek Joshi said, “FIFA is one of the biggest sporting events in the World and the excitement from fans is palpable. While conceptualizing this film, we realised that visual humour and story-telling isn’t being used much in advertising and hence we created a light-hearted film. The story is filmed from the perspective of football die-hards who lose their voices while cheering for their favourite country. This campaign will connect with fans across India and unify them for the love of the game. all types of football fans can enjoy the game on their personal devices anywhere on SonyLIV.”

    Also Read:

    SPN launches first campaign for FIFA WC 2018 Russia

    Sony bets big on 2018 FIFA World Cup

  • Sony opts for interactivity with Salman’s ‘Dus ka Dum’

    Sony opts for interactivity with Salman’s ‘Dus ka Dum’

    MUMBAI: The debut TV show of actor Salman Khan nearly a decade ago, is back with a bang but promises to take the offering up a few notches.  After nine years, he will be back on screen on Sony Entertainment Television (SET) with Dus ka Dum.

    While the initial seasons depended on the entertainment factor, SET EVP and business head Danish Khan said that this time it will be socially-driven. Several heads were put together to decide the right set of questions.

    “The format of the show has been changed from two rounds to having three rounds. Our sample size has increased from 5000 people to 1.5 million people and makes the record of the largest survey ever done across the world. The product is premium, the ad rates are also premium. The response of the brands has been quite encouraging,” Khan told Indiantelevision.com.

    The brands on board till now are Kamla Pasand which is the presenting sponsor and Priyagold SuperStar and Syska LED as powered by sponsors.

    The show has been planned for 26 episodes with a focus on urban and semi-urban audience. The runtime is 90 minutes from 8:30 pm on Monday and Tuesday. Millions of Indian citizens will get to test their observation skills and stand a chance to come on air.

    SPN India CEO NP Singh said that Sony’s in-house creative team and Sony Pictures Television, UK have re-envisioned Dus Ka Dum. It will have more second screen engagement, something that didn’t exist a few years ago, and the channel already showed the power of digital during Kaun Banega Crorepati where it got 40 million users registered for KBC Play-Along last year in a span of 10 weeks.

    SET VP-marketing Aman Srivastava told Indiantelevision.com that promotions for the show begin from 31 May on outdoor and print and the launch day print ad on 4 June. In television, promotions will be aired across the Sony 
    network channels and others like Masti, 9XM, Aaj Tak, News18 and India TV.

    The 1.5 million people Khan was talking about were via the SonyLIV app, giving people an opportunity to audition for the show and stand a chance to play the game as a participant on television.

    Big Synergy consultant Siddhartha Basu said, “It is always a pleasure to be associated with the channel, Danish Khan and his team. The registration response was overwhelming and we do hope the nation once again enjoys the much-loved show and star in this brand new outing.” 

    Salman Khan said, “The show marked my debut on television and will always stay close to my heart. I am happy to return with it after nine long years! I feel a lot richer with the experiences shared by the participants on the show and the everlasting love of my fans.”

  • SPN launches first campaign for FIFA WC 2018 Russia

    SPN launches first campaign for FIFA WC 2018 Russia

    MUMBAI: Despite losing several big ticket sporting properties to rivals in India, Sony Pictures Network (SPN) is gung-ho as it gears up to showcase the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia. With just about a month left for the action, it has unveiled a new campaign titled ‘Meri Doosri Country’. The campaign was launched in the presence of India’s football icon and former national football team captain Bhaichung Bhutia.

    Culture Machine is the brain behind it with a creative team of five members. The production house involved in the making was Radhika Produces Films. The campaign is directed by Jigar Fernandes and produced by Radhika Sawhney.

    Telecast will be in four languages: English, Hindi, Bengali and Malayalam. The world feed in English will be on Sony TEN 2 SD & HD channels, the Hindi feed will be aired on Sony TEN 3 SD & HD channels while Bengali and Malayalam feed will be available on Sony ESPN SD channel. Adding to this, a fantastic line-up of renowned international football panellists will hone in on their knowledge and insights to enhance the viewing experience.

    SPN India president, sports and distribution Rajesh Kaul said, “Sony Pictures Network has been associated with FIFA, one of the most prestigious sporting bodies in the world, since the last world cup in 2014. The 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia is definitely one the biggest and most exciting sporting events this year, and we are extremely proud to bring it to the football fans across the Indian subcontinent. Our campaign #MeriDoosriCountry, captures the ethos of how Indian football fans root for their favourite country as if it’s their own. With multiple language feeds and unique programming initiatives, we are committed to giving our audience a truly holistic 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia experience.”

    As seen from the FIFA U-17 World Cup India 2017, football continues to grow by leaps and bounds in India and is the second most viewed sport in the country after cricket. While football viewership is already high in India, FIFA-led events tend to enjoy an increased viewership due to their enormous popularity. The FIFA World Cup is one of the few sporting events that draws in both fans and fringe-viewers to root for their favourite countries, which temporarily become their ‘Doosri Country’ (second country).

    SPN senior VP marketing and OAP Kedar Teny told Indiantelevision.com, “If you look at the data, four markets that obviously consume football are English speaking markets from the North East, South and Goa. Hindi is only to bring in new viewership from Hindi speaking markets (HSM). The sports genre isn’t strong in the HSM, but the campaign is nudging you to be a part of the party.”

    “We have been holding the rights for all the premium football tournaments and known as the home of football. The campaign will be on all 31 channels of SPN. The feel and look of the stadium will be done in VR to enhance the viewers’ experience,” Kaul added.

    The #MeriDoosriCountry campaign film has been inspired by countless Indian fans who exhibit their undying passion by adopting their favourite football team once every four years during the World Cup. The film showcases snapshots of fans cheering and flaunting their support for their ‘Doosri Country’ by wearing the team jerseys, waving their team flags and even painting their faces with their team colours.

    The master brand campaign highlights the passion and excitement with which Indian fans support their favourite teams at this mega-event. The brand campaign also explains what really happens to the football fans in India when the World Cup kicks in and how we pledge loyalty of another country. The film was shot across the country, especially in football-crazy states like Goa, Kerala and West Bengal.

    The campaign will entail a 360-degree approach, including augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) technologies. It will also be spread across TV, digital, print, and radio.

    Indian Football team former captain Bhaichung Bhutia said, “The 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia is one the most awaited tournaments for all of us and I am excited to show my support for the #MeriDoosriCountry campaign. The film gives Indian audience a sense of belonging to one of the most significant sporting events in the world. While I am confident that we will see our football team in the World Cup one day, Meri Doosri country will be Argentina this year.”

    Also Read :

    Sony to be ahead of the curve in regional penetration: Kedar Teny

    SonyLIV aims to provide comprehensive CWG coverage

  • BCCI sweetens the pot for bidders of India rights

    BCCI sweetens the pot for bidders of India rights

    MUMBAI: In a move that seems to be aimed at luring big spenders from the broadcasting industry, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) CEO Rahul Johri, at an event in Mumbai, announced that a detailed calendar of the Indian cricket team’s touring programme from 2019 to 2023 would be made available to the public. The announcement could come as a big relief for broadcasters that are planning to bid for the upcoming BCCI rights on 27 March 2018.

    Johri said, “There is a four-year FTP (future tours programme) cycle that we follow. The BCCI has negotiated the FTP cycle for the Indian team from 2019 to 2023. For the first time, five years in advance, you’ll have a day-date wise calender of the Indian team’s programme.”

    Dsport is not bidding for the rights in the upcoming online auction while Star India and Sony have their hands full with other leagues and tournament rights.

    Recently, the BCCI also introduced central contracts for Indian cricketers. Two new categories were introduced: category A+ introduced for senior men and category C for senior women.

    Speaking about the decision, Johri said: “We are proud that the Indian cricket team is the best in the world in all the formats. The women’s team reached the final of the World Cup, the U-19 team won the World Cup. So, we have to give them the best infrastructure and the best support.”

    He added that the best part about the central contracts, which were announced earlier this week, was the focus on domestic cricket because that is the bedrock of the Indian cricket. “Until now, the domestic players would get the actual compensation after one-and-a-half-years. What has been done now is the match fee of the domestic cricketers has been raised from Rs 10,000 to Rs 35,000 per day. And they get the match fee after playing the games. Domestic players’ earnings are not dependent on the number of games team India plays. That is where the change will come,” he added. 

    Also Read :

    Dsport not in the running for BCCI’s media rights

    IPL gets 34 major brands on board this season

    Mumbai Indians gets Goibibo as principal sponsor for IPL 2018

  • Dsport not in the running for BCCI’s media rights

    Dsport not in the running for BCCI’s media rights

    MUMBAI: With just two weeks remaining for the BCCI rights to be out for grabs, the interest from broadcasters seems to have waned.

    According to a source at Discovery Communications, Dsport has not picked up the invitation to tender (ITT), which means the newest broadcast is likely not bidding. In an interview to Mint in December 2017, Discovery Communication India SVP and GM Karan Bajaj said that the network would focus on cricket on Dsport, after the launch of Discovery Jeet (launched on 12 February 2018).

    Interested bidders had to pick up the tender documents upon payment of Rs 6.80 lakh ($10,000).The last date for picking up the ITT was till 5 pm on 5 March 2018. The last date for submission of bids is 10 am on 27 March. The online auction will start at 2 pm the same day.

    Sony Pictures Network (SPN) India’s dependence has come down after having the rights of seven cricket boards out of the top 10 – Cricket Australia, England and Wales Cricket Board, Pakistan Cricket Board, Sri Lanka Cricket, Cricket South Africa, Cricket West Indies and Zimbabwe Cricket Board. 

    With IPL rights in its kitty, Star India also might skip the BCCI rights. It also has the rights of New Zealand Cricket for the next three years starting from 2017 end.

    The BCCI rights are being awarded for a five-year period beginning from April 2018 till March 2023. Interested parties can bid for three packages—global television rights plus rest of the world digital rights, digital rights for the Indian subcontinent and a global consolidated rights bid.

    For digital rights, players like Facebook, Twitter, Reliance Jio, Amazon Prime, Hotstar and Sony Liv will play a crucial role if they have picked up the documents. In the IPL media rights auction, Facebook, Reliance Jio and Airtel had bid over Rs 3000 crore each for the digital rights alone. 

    Though we don’t see the IPL frenzy for the upcoming rights, in the world of sports, spontaneity is everything and everyone is waiting for a surprise on 27 March 2018.

    Also Read :

    The year of big switch in sports broadcasting

    BCCI invites bids for e-auction of India rights

    Star and BCCI pull out all stops to make the VIVO IPL 2018 Retention event – an unprecedented success

     

  • ISL piggybacks on EPL’s popularity to gain viewership

    ISL piggybacks on EPL’s popularity to gain viewership

    MUMBAI: Football is attempting to kick up a storm in India. Though it has to withstand the might of cricket in the country, the staunch supporters aren’t backing off.

    India’s successful hosting of the FIFA U-17 world cup has already delivered a massive attendance in the history of the tournament. As per Star Sports India Football Forum (IFF) 2017 data the event was witnessed by 1,347,143 spectators at the six host venues across the country, with average attendance at 25,906. But more than anything else, the WC U-17 has been about the youth getting connected on the ground and in the digital arena. 

    Sony Pictures Network India EVP & business head, Prasana Krishnan said, “The role of broadcasters in India moved away from being a broadcaster to an incubator. We need to expand the market, a country of 1.3 billion people can’t be serviced by a single sport and few select content that is available.”

    Football is also expanding in India through the Indian Super League (ISL), which is believed to have given the sport the impetus it desperately needed. 

    English Premier League (EPL) is the most watched football league in the world in the current scenario. According to ESP Properties senior business director Subhamoy Das,  there is a wide open area for ISL here. Says he, “45 per cent of the EPL audience tuned into ISL 2017-18, the remaining 55 per cent of the EPL viewers is the opportunity for ISL to win over.”

    Broadcast Audience Research Council business head- television Rohit Sarma feels that there is a huge vacuum to fill for Indian broadcasters for sports viewership. He said, “While globally sports contributes 9 per cent of total TV viewership, in India the contribution is currently 3 per cent. This shows that there is immense headroom for growth in this genre on TV. In India, ISL contributes to 60 per cent of the total viewership in football.”

    The digital numbers in terms of viewership in India for football are growing at 3x rate growing from 9 billion minutes in 2014 to 23 billion minutes in 2017 on digital platforms. “In Indian sports context, out of the overall population of 1.324 billion, sports consumption on TV is 741 million and in-stadium attendance is around 4 million,” Das added.

    According to Local Organising Committee tournament director Javier Ceppi, the three building blocks for developing a sport are participation, incentivisation and commercialisation.

    In India, the participation of kids for football is drastically less than that of the UK. According to All India Football Federation, 3.4 million kids play organised football in the UK as compared to a meagre 4000 in India. We have a coach per two lakh people in India and one coach per 55 thousand in the UK.

    The audience of EPL and ISL are very different. EPL is watched by 4-30 years old and ISL attracts 22-50 years old. ISL season 2 and 3 was also watched by 45 per cent females.

    The data provided by ESP Properties pointed out that as per Facebook audience insights, states like Maharashtra, Gujarat, UP, Punjab, Rajasthan and few more can potentially drive up cumulative interest levels towards ISL by 19 per cent.

    Commercialisation in India works well, with around 40 brands regularly investing in sports which includes DHL, Amul, Bisleri, Apollo Tyres and many more.

    La Liga country manager India Jose Antonio Cachaza is working to make the tournament popular in the country. He said, “We are here to bring a La Liga team to India. Indian football fans now don’t just support FC Barcelona or Real Madrid, but also other clubs of La Liga. Our motive is to get it to the number one league in Asia, by investing a lot in grassroots tournament, NGO programmes and academic activities to improve the quality. The main income in La Liga is from the TV rights.”

    Also read:

    Hero ISL S4 opening game saw 59% viewership growth

    DHL renews partnership with Hero ISL

    Mumbai City FC’s sponsorship amount up by 50 %

  • SPN India to telecast Real Madrid vs Barcelona at 4:30 pm

    SPN India to telecast Real Madrid vs Barcelona at 4:30 pm

    MUMBAI: Less than two weeks to Christmas and Sony Pictures Sports Network (SPSN) launches its “Christmas Comes Early” campaign as a build-up to the biggest football clash of the year, El Clasico.

    On December 23, El Clasico, LaLiga’s biggest derby played between rivals Real Madrid and Barcelona at the legendary Santiago Bernabeu stadium, will be telecast live and exclusive on Sony TEN 1 and Sony TEN 2 channels at 4:30 PM.

    SPSN has designed and launched the ‘Christmas comes Early’ promotional campaign that delivers the message that the biggest game in football, for the first time ever, will be telecast at 4:30 PM India time. The on-air campaign comprises two 30 second films that amplify the essence of El Clasico being telecast at a suitable India viewing time for football fans. And since the match takes place just two days before Christmas, the films showcase young children making a wish to Santa Claus to make El Clasico happen earlier as their creative vehicle.

    FILM 1: PEMYANG’S WISH

    Pemyang, a small girl in Shillong makes a wish to Santa to make the El Clasico derby happen early during her playtime, so she is able to watch her favourite player Messi, play against Ronaldo. Santa, in return, grants her wish saying that, “Christmas comes early this year, Real Madrid vs Barcelona, the greatest football match on Earth, El Clasico, will happen on Saturday,23 December, 4:30 PM, Live & Exclusive on SONY TEN 1, SONY TEN 2 & SonyLIV App.”

    https://www.facebook.com/SPNSportsIndia/videos/1574078529344260/

    FILM 2: JOJO V/S PINGU

    Two friends – JoJo and Pingu, who live in different apartments in the same building, make a wish to Santa to make the El Clasico match happen early so they are able to watch the match together and see their favourite superstars Ronaldo & Messi, respectively, play against each other. Santa, in return, grants their wish saying that, “Christmas comes early this year, Real Madrid vs Barcelona, the greatest football match on Earth, El Clasico, will happen on Saturday, December 23, 4:30 PM, Live & Exclusive on SONY TEN 1, SONY TEN 2 & SonyLIV App.”

    https://www.facebook.com/SPNSportsIndia/videos/1573393852746061/

    SPN India president, sports and distribution business, Rajesh Kaul said, “For the first time, our network will telecast the biggest football game of the season between two of the most followed clubs, Real Madrid and Barcelona at primetime that further promises to add to the growth of LaLiga in India. The Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo battle is one of the fiercest rivalry in modern day sports and last season of, the El Clasico was seen by over four million viewers making it the highest watched international club football game.”

    As an extension to the on-air campaign, SPSN is launching a digital campaign with #ElClacisoIST. The campaign will see Santa engaging football enthusiasts through various digital contests on

    Film Credits:

    Agency: Indigenous Brands Creative Director: Promit Moulik