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Tag: Uday Sodhi

  • SonyLIV banked on Akamai to leverage ad insertion for India-SA series

    SonyLIV banked on Akamai to leverage ad insertion for India-SA series

    MUMBAI: SonyLIV, which provides multi-screen engagement to users on all devices, leveraged Akamai’s dynamic ad-insertion capabilities during the India-South Africa cricket series held over January and February 2018.

    Akamai Technologies regional VP, media Asia Pacific and Japan Sidharth Pisharoti said, “SonyLIV has a vast library of original content. However, in India, few entertainment options have the capability to attract mass audiences like cricket. While the challenge on the one hand is to keep audiences engaged with a TV-like experience, the equally hard part is ensuring that advertisers see value in leveraging digital platforms to drive views and consequently, revenue through advertisements. With Akamai’s capabilities, we were able to successfully deliver what audiences and advertisers wanted over the course of the India-South Africa series.”

    SonyLIV was the official and exclusive mobile and internet broadcaster for the India tour of South Africa series and delivered it to millions of users seamlessly across a variety of devices. Digital advertisers gained the most through the course of the series with Akamai’s dynamic ad insertion delivering targeted advertisements during the live stream. With this partnership, SonyLIV achieved a near 100 per cent ad fill rate without compromising on the viewing experience for users.

    Commenting on the partnership, SonyLIV EVP and business head Uday Sodhi said, “The India Tour of South Africa series was a huge success for SonyLIV and our audiences had a seamless experience throughout. We partnered with Akamai and leveraged their technology and added it to our already existing capabilities. The series was a huge hit with all the brands we associated with.”

    Pitch Madison’s Advertising Report for 2018 projects advertising spend on digital platforms to reach Rs 11,629 crore in 2018, representing a 19.5 per cent increase over the Rs 9,303 crore spent in 2017. In 2017, the spend on mobile was 78 per cent (Rs 7,256 crore) of the total digital outlay. Video represented 35 per cent (Rs 3,300 crore) of the total spend. This indicates a strong reflection of growing consumer trends in the country. A report by MoMagic Technologies found that 40 per cent of Indians prefer to watch advertisement videos on their mobile phones over other media. Additionally, as per IDC, India is the fastest growing smart phone market globally with a total of 124 million units shipped in 2017.

    Powered by advertising technology expert Yospace, Akamai’s dynamic ad insertion is designed to help content providers offer greater monetisation opportunities through online advertising, while maintaining a TV-like experience for viewers at scale.

    Also Read:

    2017: The year OTTs went regional in India

    Regional OTT content more than just catch-up TV    

    Sports fans power 35-40% of traffic on SonyLiv

  • SonyLIV creates film with IndiaFirst life insurance

    SonyLIV creates film with IndiaFirst life insurance

    MUMBAI: SonyLIV, the premium OTT platform of Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) has crafted a new short film for IndiaFirst Life Insurance. The promotional film titled ‘Tera Mera Pyaar Amar’ is a humorous take on life after death and how the protagonist, who is now a ghost, has made sure he protects his family’s future in his absence.

    The story is about, Amar, who has his life as well as death planned. It is an amusing take on how, if one has prepared for all the certainties of life (and death) then it becomes easier for their loved ones to deal with their death. Through a compelling storyline and relatable characters, the film drives home the insurance company’s core message that life can be full of certainties if we plan, in advance.

    The 11.5 minutes long film stars Namit Das and Sandeepa Dhar in the lead roles, supported by Kabir Sadanand and Kunal Kumar.

    Sony Pictures Networks (SPN) EVP and head of digital business Uday Sodhi says, “At SonyLIV we strive to tell compelling stories that mirror society’s trends. We are very happy to partner with IndiaFirst Life Insurance and help them take their brand message to the masses. We are humbled that brands believe in us and we will continue to create content which will resonate with the new age digital consumer.”

    IndiaFirst Life Insurance director of sales and marketing Rushabh Gandhi adds, “The exponential growth of digital media has changed the way our audience consumes content. Earlier the shelf life of short films was limited to tele-films and film festivals but now smartphones and apps have revolutionised our lives, giving us access to a plethora of content on-the-go. Players like SonyLIV create path-breaking content that helps reach a wider target audience and we are delighted to be associated with this interesting short film – Tera Mera Pyar Amar. This association is close to our heart as the storyline is in-line with IndiaFirst Life brand messaging”

  • SonyLIV adds 7 new channels from SPI

    SonyLIV adds 7 new channels from SPI

    MUMBAI: SonyLIV will be adding seven channels from SPI’s bouquet by the end of February. The distribution deal will include international movie channel Filmbox Art House, 24-hour martial arts channel Fightbox, and sports and lifestyle channel Fast&Funbox. In addition, Docubox will present documentary films while clothing design and trends are the focus of Fashionbox. Independent international music videos are showcased on 360TuneBox, and millennials will be catered to with gaming and eSports channel Gametoon.

    Sony Pictures Network India EVP and head digital business Uday Sodhi said that this association will bring to the audiences content from different genres. It will add to the existing channels like Sony SET HD, Sony MAX HD, Sony SAB HD, Sony BBC Earth, Sony MIX etc. He said, “SonyLIV premium users can now enjoy non-stop entertainment around sports, fashion, lifestyle, interactive gaming, music, movies and more.”

    SPI’s head of distribution for MENA, Turkey, APAC, Russia, CIS, Baltics, Bulgaria and Ex-Yugo – Murat Muratoglu said, “As SPI is committed to expanding its distribution footprint in Asia we are excited to deliver top quality television programming to viewers in India thanks to the recent launch of our worldwide channels on SonyLIV.”

    SonyLIV content is available to stream online, on Android and iOS mobile devices, on web and m-web.

    Also Read:

    Uday Sodhi bets long on short films on SonyLiv

    LoveBytes 2: SonyLiv’s Sodhi says prime focus is youth issues; international Aus matches after Diwali

    SonyLiv partners Pocket Aces, brings Filter Copy & Gobble originals

    Regional OTT content more than just catch-up TV    

  • ‘Porus’ viewership soldiers on

    ‘Porus’ viewership soldiers on

    MUMBAI: Sony’s magnum opus Porus has been the talk of the town–first for being the first show wherein the IP is with the creator and later for its not-so-spectacular viewership. In fact, rumour mills were abuzz that the show would struggle to shrug off its sluggish start and build on its viewership. Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) data for the show, however, paints a different picture.

    According to the data, the ratings (U+R) of the show are significantly higher than the ratings of the channel’s prime time daily soap Rishta Likhenge Hum Naya (Rishta Likhenge) and another prime-time show Vighnaharta Ganesh. While Porus is aired at 8.30 pm, Vighnaharta Ganesh precedes it at 8 pm, whereas Rishta Likhenge is shown at 9 pm on weekdays.

    Porus’ launch week bagged it 3.6 million impressions in week 48 of 2017’s BARC data. The second week saw a drop of 0.6 million impressions. After 10 weeks of being on air, the latest ratings of week 5 for 2018 show Porus at a consistent 3.3 million impressions.

    On the flip side, the week 48 of Vighnaharta Ganesh garnered 3.4 million impressions and Rishta Likhenge got 1.9 million impressions. There was no impact of Porus on Vighnaharta Ganesh’s ratings that was apparent in week 49, whereas Rishta lost 0.1 million impressions from week 48.

    Swastik Productions founder Siddharth Kumar Tewary says, “Porus has been consistent in its ratings since its launch and this was our plan to be consistent in the beginning and then grow slowly. We held on to our ratings from the beginning to now. The first episode was a one-hour content and now we are showing 22 minutes content.” He says that comparing the current 3.3 million figure with the initial 3.6 million one shows that the show has actually grown. “We have made Porus with a huge amount of conviction. People have really appreciated us for keeping the promise of giving them differentiated concept and the way of storytelling,” he adds.

    “Porus is a premium product. We have been happy with the viewership we have got and we are expecting it to grow up by 20 percent from February onwards,” said Sony Entertainment Television EVP and business head Danish Khan. During the ten weeks, the highest impressions that Vighnaharta Ganesh holds is 3.8 million impressions, Porus has 3.6 million impressions, and Rishta has 2.1 million impressions.

    SonyLiv EVP & digital business head Uday Sodhi says, “Porus is very popular and among the best performing shows like Taarak Mehta, Yeh Un Dinon Ki Baat Hai and Super Dancer on SonyLiv. The scale and impact of the show is amazing. It is perfect for digital audiences and it is able to capture the scale & the size fruitfully. We are seeing significant consumption of the show on SonyLiv. There is a huge jump in the month of January over December. The viewership of Porus has grown 30 per cent in January as compared to December.” 

    Porus has successfully travelled to Sri Lanka with a new name Digvijaya. The buyer for the 260-episode series is Maharaja Television (MTV) and the show will be dubbed in Sinhala. Earlier, Porus was acquired by Workpoint Entertainment of Thailand for exclusive TV and non-exclusive digital rights.

     

    Weeks

    VIGHNAHARTA GANESH

    PORUS

    RISHTA LIKHENGE HUM NAYA

    Week 48

    3.4 million Impressions

    3.6 million Impressions

    1.9 million Impressions

    Week 49

    3.4 million Impressions

    3.0 million Impressions

    1.8 million Impressions

    Week 50

    3.6 million Impressions

    3.3 million Impressions

    1.9 million Impressions

    Week 51

    3.3 million Impressions

    2.8 million Impressions

    1.7 million Impressions

    Week 52

    3.8 million Impressions

    3.1 million Impressions

    1.7 million Impressions

    Week 1

    3.3 million Impressions

    3.1 million Impressions

    1.7 million Impressions

    Week 2

    3.8  million Impressions

    3.4 million Impressions

    2.1  million Impressions

    Week 3

    3.8 million Impressions

    3.2 million Impressions

    1.8 million Impressions

    Week 4

    3.3 million Impressions

    3.0 million Impressions

    1.7 million Impressions

    Week 5

    3.4 million Impressions

    3.3 million Impressions

    1.8 million Impressions

     

    Also Read :

    ‘Porus’ launched as ‘Digvijaya’ in Sri Lanka

    Thai broadcaster Workpoint acquires TV rights for Porus

    ‘Porus’ will alter the economics of the ecosystem, says SET’s Danish Khan 

  • SonyLIV celebrates 5 glorious years

    SonyLIV celebrates 5 glorious years

    MUMBAI: SonyLIV, launched in January 2013, completes 5 years this month. The launch of SonyLIV set the tone for the OTT industry in India. Over the last 5 years, SonyLIV has grown with the digital ecosystem and garnered key insights on the rise of video content, engaging mobile experience, power of choice to the consumer, transformation in payment mechanisms, data science and machine learning to better understand consumer behaviour better. As a brand, it has also paved the path for other national and international players to enter this category in India.

    Aligned to its vision of transforming the video-on-demand space with edgy, relatable, and top-notch content, SonyLIV has many first to its credit. Through the journey of 5 years, SonyLIV has not only introduced new content formats like original web-series, including those in regional languages but also established a presence in top Indian metros.

    Sony Pictures Networks (SPN) EVP and head-digital business Uday Sodhi said, “We take immense pride in the fact that we introduced OTT to India. Over the 5 years, we have learned, grown and been a vital part in building the digital ecosystem in our country. Post the launch of SonyLIV, we have seen a number of home-grown players enter the field along with some international heavyweights. The presence of all these players has further helped increase awareness about OTT as a platform among Indians and created a competitive environment that is beneficial to the industry as a whole. On our 5th anniversary, we would like to thank our viewers, advertisers and partners for being part of this remarkable journey and take this opportunity to reaffirm our commitment towards providing great content and a supreme digital viewing experience. We LIV to Entertain and we will continue to entertain.”

    SonyLIV also went beyond the ordinary entertainment and became the first OTT player to have over 4000 hours of food content and over 3000+ live matches and 4000+ hours of football action among other content. The brand has some of the best cricket properties and presently are the exclusive internet and mobile broadcaster for the India Tour of South Africa. SonyLIV has also enriched viewer experience by launching many contextual short films that not only entertain but also mirror trends in society.

    SonyLIV is home to the widest range of sporting properties including cricket, football, tennis, WWE, UFC, basketball and much more.

    The future for SonyLIV is towards more regional content acquisition and curation to cater to the rural audiences, which is where the next wave of consumption is estimated. SonyLIV is also building an app environment for lower bandwidth consumption. SonyLIV is taking strict measure and working closely with all partners to ensure no ad frauds happen while also ensuring brand safety.

    Also Read:

    Uday Sodhi bets long on short films on SonyLiv

    LoveBytes 2: SonyLiv’s Sodhi says prime focus is youth issues; international Aus matches after Diwali

    SonyLiv partners Pocket Aces, brings Filter Copy & Gobble originals

    Regional OTT content more than just catch-up TV    

  • Sports fans power 35-40% of traffic on SonyLiv

    Sports fans power 35-40% of traffic on SonyLiv

    MUMBAI: Contrary to popular opinion, SonyLiv is attracting a significant quantum of viewership courtesy its base of hardcore sports fans. Despite a concerted effort to provide entertainment across genres, sporting events have managed to pull in the eyeballs for the over-the-top (OTT) player in spite of the fickle nature of the audience.

    At present, more than a third of SonyLiv’s traffic is garnered by its sporting properties. Sony Pictures Network EVP and head of digital business Uday Sodhi says, “35 to 40 per cent of our traffic is from hardcore sports followers. This shoots up during large sporting events and then the share gets bigger. Time spent varies from 25 minutes to 40 minutes for sports.”

    Cricket is undoubtedly the first choice of Indians and that is reflective on SonyLiv, too. After cricket, football and WWE grab the attention of consumers the most. Big Bash League is one of the best T20 leagues outside India and it is getting more popular in India. Sodhi expects people to slowly warm up to this long-term property.

    Going forward, the OTT platform will bet big on sports events. Talking about future plans, Sodhi says, “We run three sports television brands in India – Sony Six, Sony ESPN and Ten Sports. With these three brands, we have a strong sports network and we sport it in a big way on digital, therefore we are a large sports player on digital. The network is currently running India vs South Africa cricket series, Big Bash and from Monday will air Australian Open.”

    The channel does a complete 360-degree coverage around sports that includes sports live, VOD, analysis and programming. “From our perspective, sports are a big part of SonyLiv and we will continue to get more and more rights for our users,” he adds. He also states that Sony’s digital platform is profitable.

    On the entertainment front, SonyLiv released a short film ‘Ek Nayi Shuruaat’ in the new year. The platform is keen to syndicate short films from third parties. It is also giving the final touch to three Hindi web originals that will launch in February and March.

    Sodhi expects more OTT players to join the fray in 2018 with focus on the regional market but he does not think consolidation will take place in the near future. Rather, the improvement in bandwidth will increase consumption on screen with increased adoption of Chromecast, Apple TV and regional media devices.

    Also Read :

    Uday Sodhi bets long on short films on SonyLiv

    LoveBytes 2: SonyLiv’s Sodhi says prime focus is youth issues; international Aus matches after Diwali

    SonyLiv partners Pocket Aces, brings Filter Copy & Gobble originals

    Regional OTT content more than just catch-up TV

  • Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) acquires exclusive telecast rights of Tata Open Maharashtra 2018

    Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) acquires exclusive telecast rights of Tata Open Maharashtra 2018

    MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) has acquired the exclusive telecast rights for Tata Open Maharashtra 2018, part of the ATP World Tour 250 series of the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) World Tour, taking place in in Pune from January 1 to January 6, 2018. The deal will cover television and digital broadcast in eight countries; India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and Maldives.

    The Tata Open Maharashtra 2018 will feature top names including world number six and fourteen, Marin Cilic and Kevin Anderson respectively and Spanish player Roberto Agut amongst others. The tournament will also feature Indian entrants Yuki Bhambri, Arjun Kadhe and Ramkumar Ramanathan. The tournament is to be played at the Shree Chhatrapati Shivaji Sports Complex in Balewadi, Pune.

    Comments:

    Mr. Rajesh Kaul, President, Sports and Distribution Business, Sony Pictures Networks India

    “We are proud to be the official broadcast partners of India’s premier ATP event, which is also the biggest tennis tournament in South Asia. The Tata Open Maharashtra will feature top ranked International and Indian players on our network. This is a valued addition to our line-up of major tennis events in January starting with Hopman Cup, Brisbane International 2018, Sydney International 2018 and Qatar ExxonMobil Open 2018 leading up to the first grand slam of the calendar year, Australian Open 2018, making our sports network the one stop TV destination for tennis enthusiasts.”

    Mr. Uday Sodhi, Executive Vice President and Head, Digital Business, Sony Pictures Network India

    “We are delighted to stream South Asia’s biggest tennis tournament, Tata Open Maharashtra 2018, part of the ATP World Tour 250 series. Consumers can stream live or catch up on the highlights of the matches exclusively on SonyLIV. This further strengthens our commitment to provide diversified sports offerings to our viewers.”

    Watch the LIVE and EXCLUSIVE coverage of the tournament beginning at 5:00 P.M. on January 1, 2018 on SONY TEN 2 and SONY TEN 2 HD channels. Viewers on the go can also live stream the matches on the SonyLIV App and website.

    Schedule for the next week:

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  • SonyLIV shows the love for football

    SonyLIV shows the love for football

    MUMBAI: Every football fan in India understands the hurdles that fans of the sport must put up with. Taking a cue from this, SonyLIV, the OTT platform of Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) has designed and created a new TVC that addresses the challenges of India’s ardent football fans.

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    Conceptualised by Publicis Ambience, the film speaks about the fans and how their love for the game scores over their attachment to individual leagues, clubs or players.

    SonyLIV is the biggest platform for all major football championships like UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, La Liga, Serie A, Ligue 1 and the upcoming FIFA world cup Russia 2018 and much more. With over 3000+ live matches and 4000+ hours of football sporting action, SonyLIV is the biggest virtual arena for all viewing football. 

    SPN EVP and head of digital business Uday Sodhi says, “With the growing football following in the country, we at SonyLIV believe that it’s about time that fans are informed about a legitimate and versatile online platform that will enable viewership access to their favourite games.  This consumer insight is what led us to create a first of its kind unique campaign which is a dedication to the fans. We are certain our consumers will see merit in it.”

    Publicis Ambience chief operating officer Paritosh Srivastava adds, “In India, football is considered as the minority sport as it is dominated by cricket. Through this TVC, SonyLIV engages with the fans and celebrates their undying passion for the sport.”

  • SonyLIV partners Fabform Mediaworks for curated comic content

    SonyLIV partners Fabform Mediaworks for curated comic content

    MUMBAI: Consumption of content on-the-go has shown an upward trend. People across the country are scouting for content which entertains as well as evokes thought. To keep up with the trend and the demands of the viewer, SonyLIV has associated with Fabform Mediaworks.

    This association gives SonyLIV users access to all the comic content curated by Fabform Mediaworks. With this, the platform will now have five more interesting shows for its viewers to consume. The shows range from Vlogs on beauty to peeks into celebrity lives, from career choices and lives of modern women to reality shows on love and relationships.

    SonyLIV EVP and head-digital business Uday Sodhi said, “Videos from Fabform Mediaworks are extremely popular among the youth due to their engaging content. Through this partnership, we are looking at exploring different genres and staying true to SonyLIV’s constant endeavour to enhance viewer experience by delivering top-notch content.”

    The first show that premieres on the platform is House of Connections. This show is a reality show about finding that one special connection with whom the celebrity contestant can strike a chord instantly. This show will bring to screen faces like Pearl Puri, Pooja Banerjee and Pooja Mishra.

  • SonyLIV shows how hate converts to love in ‘Black Coffee’

    SonyLIV shows how hate converts to love in ‘Black Coffee’

    MUMBAI: Can you fall in love with someone you have always detested? They say, don’t get too personal at work, but what happens when business leads you to your true love?

    Addressing the complexities of love and taking on the concept of attraction, SonyLIV, brings to the small screen Black Coffee; a seven-episode web series by Beyond Originals.

    The series is about love changing perceptions and breaking boundaries. The series is centred around a bestselling novelist, Dhruv Narang (Param Singh) and Hemal Shah (Harshita Gaur), two individuals who are leading their lives with fixed notions about love. The story underlines the bittersweet romance of the lead couple, their constant clashes and their journey from hate to love.

    SonyLIV, EVP and head – digital business Uday Sodhi, said, “At SonyLIV, it is our constant endeavour to deliver content that not just entertains but also evokes emotions. We are happy to associate with Beyond Originals to bring entertaining yet relatable stories to the small screen. Keeping our brand ethos ‘We LIV to entertain’ in mind, we will continue to curate content that enhances viewer experience and establishes a connect with them.”

    Beyond Originals Founder Yash Patnaik said, “Black Coffee is the first of Beyond Originals’ offering of digital content. Our previous series with Sony Kuchh Rang Pyar Ke Aise Bhi was well-received and appreciated by the viewers. I am hoping that Black Coffee continues to spread love and be appreciated.”