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Tag: UEFA Champions League

  • Mayank Dayal switches gears, takes the wheel at LA Knight Riders

    Mayank Dayal switches gears, takes the wheel at LA Knight Riders

    MUMBAI: Mayank Dayal, a seasoned sports marketing whiz, has made a cracking move, transitioning from the dusty pitches of the Indian Premier League (IPL) to the sun-kissed shores of Los Angeles. He’s stepped into the role of business head – Los Angeles Knight Riders, a full-time gig with Knight Riders Sports, effective June 2025. This chap knows his onions when it comes to brand building and fan frenzy, having honed his skills across two decades in global sports, media, and entertainment.

    Just five months ago, Dayal was the head of marketing for Gujarat Titans, where he was instrumental in driving brand growth and whipping up fan engagement for the IPL franchise. Before his stint with the Titans, he was a key player at Sony Sports for nearly three years, leading award-winning campaigns for behemoths like the Fifa World Cup, UEFA Champions League, Olympics, and even the WWE. Talk about a versatile player!

    His career journey reads like a thrilling sports documentary. Dayal spent over six years at Sony Pictures Networks India, climbing the ranks to head – marketing, sports, after a four-year stint as associate vice president. Prior to that, he spent a considerable nine years and one month at Viacom18 Media Pvt Ltd, where he held various marketing leadership roles, including senior manager – marketing and director, marketing for channels like Comedy Central and Vh1.

    Dayal’s early innings saw him at Star India Pvt Ltd for nearly three years, where he served as an assistant manager and assistant manager – brand solutions, crafting innovative brand integrations. He also had a four-year, five-month spell as a manager – major accounts at Star News, where he was even awarded “The Best Sales Performer.” His foundational experience includes a brief stint as a trainee – marketing at Bharat Petroleum Co. Ltd and an executive trainee at Linterland – Rural.

    With a deep understanding of audience insights and digital media fandom, Dayal is all set to knock it out of the park for the Los Angeles Knight Riders. It seems his career is always playing on the front foot, driving brand, fan, and revenue growth in the global sports arena.

  • Gabriella Carriere climbs higher at Fremantle with expanded global strategy and new biz brief

    Gabriella Carriere climbs higher at Fremantle with expanded global strategy and new biz brief

    MUMBAI: Fremantle has handed group head of strategy Gabriella Carriere a power-packed promotion, expanding her remit to include new business in addition to her current strategic responsibilities. She now takes charge as group head of strategy and new business, reporting to group COO and CEO continental Europe Andrea Scrosati.

    With the new hat, Carriere will now command Fremantle’s most lucrative growth levers — including sports, branded content and licensing, music rights, live events, and its vast library of IP — all while continuing to lead the company’s global strategy agenda. Reporting into her are director of Fremantle Sport Owain Walbyoff and global head of branded content & sponsorships Gabriella Zamboni.

    Since joining Fremantle in 2022, Carriere has been at the forefront of major moves, from launching the documentaries division to shaping the Fremantle Sports unit, driving branded entertainment, and integrating global M&A footprints.
     

    Scrosati commented: “I am delighted to announce Gabriella’s promotion to Group Head of Strategy and New Business. I have been working with Gabriella for many years and highly admire her analytical and business skills and her innovative approach to define and drive strategy. I have no doubts that in this new expanded role Gabriella will drive even more value for Fremantle and her teams.”

    Carriere added: “I am deeply grateful to Fremantle’s leadership team for their trust in me and for this incredible opportunity. I strongly believe in the growth potential of these areas and in the outstanding team currently driving this forward. I’m excited to collaborate with the Fremantle labels and the talented Fremantle teams to unlock many opportunities across our global footprint. I am proud of our achievements over the last three years and now I look forward to what we can accomplish together going forward.”

    Before Fremantle, Carriere made waves at Sky Italia, where she spearheaded landmark deals for Serie A and the UEFA Champions League, inked game-changing partnerships with Netflix and Disney, and helped launch Sky’s broadband business. Her career roots lie in the energy sector, with senior stints at EDF and Edison across Milan and Paris.

    Now with the full force of Fremantle’s revenue-generating verticals under her belt, Carriere looks set to play a starring role in the company’s next act.

  • Sony Sports Network sets new benchmark for football broadcasting in India

    Sony Sports Network sets new benchmark for football broadcasting in India

    Mumbai: Sony Sports Network has set new benchmarks in the Indian sports broadcasting landscape, showcasing the immense growth of football viewership across diverse demographics. The growing popularity of European football in India is undeniable, with an increasing fan base eagerly following international tournaments like the Euros. This trend reflects a broader shift in sports preferences among Indian audiences, presenting Sony Sports Network with opportunities to expand its influence in the sports broadcasting landscape.

    From August 2023 to July 2024, the network has delivered an impressive 2,177 hours of live football coverage, the highest among all sports broadcasters in India. Likewise, Sony Sports has also recorded the most viewership for football on Pay Sports channels in India with 63.3 GRPs and an overall reach of 85.7 million among pay sports channels for all Live + Non-Live SOCCER (BARC) for the period from 1 August 2023 to 31 July 2024. (TG: BARC, All India Male 15+ ABC, SOCCER). It also has the highest reach among pay sports channels for all Live + Non-Live SOCCER (BARC) for the period from 1 August 2023 to 31 July 2024 (TG: BARC, All India CS 2+, SOCCER). This staggering amount of airtime showcases the network’s commitment to bringing the beautiful game to millions of fans across the country.

    Sony Sports Network is the exclusive home to a wide array of prestigious football properties. This includes the highly anticipated UEFA EURO 2028, one of the most celebrated tournaments in international football. Similarly, they hold broadcasting rights for the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Europa Conference League, and UEFA Nations League, among others.

    The network also covers the European Qualifiers, UEFA Youth League, international friendlies, the Emirates FA Cup, Bundesliga, Roshn Saudi League, and the DFB Pokal. This vast array of football content ensures that viewers have access to a comprehensive and diverse range of football action, from elite European club competitions to global international fixtures.

    Starting from the 2024/25 season, the UEFA Champions League will adopt a new format that includes 36 clubs competing in a Swiss league system. This change introduces four additional teams, providing more opportunities for clubs to face Europe’s elite.

    Fans can look forward to a continuous flow of European club football from August to May, as the tournament will no longer have a January break. The revamped format will see a remarkable 51 per cent increase in matches, adding over 125 games to the schedule.

    To cater to Indian audiences, the number of early kickoff matches will nearly double, featuring up to 38 such matches per season. The duration for early kickoff slots has also expanded from 12 to 22 days, ensuring both Group and Knockout stages include these popular times.

    For Indian viewers, matches will start at 10:15 PM until Daylight Savings Time, after which they will begin at 11:15 PM. This evolution in the competition promises to enhance the viewing experience and further grow the sport’s popularity.

    Speaking of an oldest football tournament particularly in Asia, the 133rd edition of the Durand Cup has gained its legacy as one of India’s premier tournaments, led by the armed forces. Over the past two years, Sony Sports Network has collaborated closely with the Durand Organizing Committee to elevate the event to new heights. Bollywood actor Kartik Aaryan spearheaded the campaign, while former national team captain Sunil Chhetri, who recently retired, also featured prominently in the promotional film. In a historic moment, the Indian president Droupadi Murmuru, unveiled the trophies and launched the trophy tour, marking the first presidential involvement in 36 years.

    Additionally, Sony Sports Network’s effective marketing strategies, like the appointment of Aaryan as the brand ambassador for the “Universe Ka Sabse Bada Football Festival of 2024” campaign, aims to engage a younger, more affluent audience, expanding the sport’s reach beyond traditional markets like Northeast India, Goa, Kerala, and West Bengal. In this campaign, Aaryan dons the avatar of an alien to symbolize the universal appeal and excitement surrounding the event, emphasizing that UEFA Euro 2024 is not just a football tournament but a global festival that transcends boundaries. His involvement adds a touch of entertainment and relatability, ensuring the campaign resonates with fans across the country.

    The integration of OTT platforms ensures that matches are accessible both on television and online, catering to the evolving consumption habits of modern viewers who prefer streaming content. Although many industry experts have delved that TV is by any day a preferred destination, as viewing sports on a large screen is highly beneficial and entertaining to the viewers especially when watching with family. In addition to high-definition broadcasts, Sony Sports Network has significantly expanded its multilingual commentary offerings. Recognising the diverse linguistic landscape of India, the network provides commentary in multiple regional languages,for marquee tournaments and matches including Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, and Bengali to resonate with a broader audience and make them feel included in the excitement.

    If we talk about one particular challenge that stands out, it would definitely be cricket’s dominant viewership. Cricket receives extensive media coverage across all platforms, including television, print, and digital media. Major cricket events dominate sports news and attract a significant portion of advertising revenue, often leaving little room for other sports. With cricket’s extensive reach and established fan base, football often competes for limited viewing slots and advertising revenue. This competition makes it difficult for football events to secure the same level of attention and financial backing.

    Despite these shortcomings, the viewership figures are a clear indicator of the increasing appetite for football in India, transcending traditional boundaries and attracting a wide range of viewers. The network’s ability to captivate such a large audience highlights the effectiveness of its content strategy and its understanding of the evolving sports preferences of Indian audiences. By offering the maximum number of live football hours, boasting the largest bouquet of football properties and achieving the highest cumulative reach, it is no doubt that Sony Sports Network has set a new standard for sports broadcasting in India. 

  • Electronic Arts and Skyesports tie-up to bring EA SPORTS FC Mobile Campus Tour

    Electronic Arts and Skyesports tie-up to bring EA SPORTS FC Mobile Campus Tour

    Mumbai: Electronic Arts (EA) has tied up with Skyesports for its legendary mobile football game, EA SPORTS FC™ Mobile, bringing the title to colleges across the country in an exciting campus tour. The EA SPORTS FC™  Mobile Campus Tour will happen at six colleges in as many different cities of the country in November and December 2023.

    The EA SPORTS FC™  Mobile Campus Tour will take over one college for a full day with an interactive booth featuring EA SPORTS FC™  Mobile grassroot competitive matches, giveaways, and meet-and-greets with some of the most renowned gaming content creators in the country including Ungraduate Gamer, Kaztro, Doctor Gaming, Tanvee, and Karan Shinde.

    EA SPORTS FC™ Mobile  provides an unrivaled authentic football experience on mobile devices and features more than 15,000 fully licensed players across over 650 teams and over 30 leagues – including the UEFA Champions League, Premier League, LALIGA EA SPORTS, Bundesliga, and many more. True Player Personality is at the core of bringing this authenticity to life in-game, reflecting player characteristics with distinct strengths and weaknesses that diversify gameplay and team building.

    The EA SPORTS FC Mobile Campus Tour will land in six different colleges across as many different cities. The complete list of cities and colleges will be announced on Skyesports’ Instagram handle soon. Students can attend to participate in giveaways while showing off their skills in EA SPORTS FC™ Mobile.

    Commenting on the association with EA, Skyesports’ founder and CEO Shiva Nandy, said, “We are absolutely thrilled to partner with EA for the FC Mobile Campus Tour. At Skyesports, we’re dedicated to nurturing the gaming culture at its roots, and this collaboration allows us to bring the exhilaration of  EA SPORTS FC™ Mobile directly to college campuses. We’re excited to witness students from six diverse cities engage in the FC Mobile Campus Tour, showcasing their skills, participating in giveaways, and meeting their favorite gaming influencers. This partnership is about fostering community, celebrating talent, and igniting the passion for EA SPORTS FC™ Mobile among the current generation of gamers.”

  • HBO Max and HBO end 2021 with ~73.8 million subscribers globally

    HBO Max and HBO end 2021 with ~73.8 million subscribers globally

    Mumbai: HBO Max and HBO have ended 2021 with ~73.8 million subscribers across the globe, WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar announced on Wednesday ahead of the company’s fourth quarter earnings call.

    It has added 4.4 million subscribers in the fourth quarter beating its July 2021 forecast to end the year with 70-73 million subscribers. In October 2019, at an investor day event, the company was projected to reach 75-90 million subscribers by the end of 2025. However, it achieved that goal almost four years early, noted Kilar.

    “To say that this is a remarkable result would be an understatement,” said Kilar. “This performance is beyond what had been our best laid plans at the start of 2021.”

    After the service launched in the US in 2020, it was launched in 45 more countries in 2021. HBO Max is expected to arrive in India in 2022. HBO Max is distributed as an app across devices such as Apple TV, Amazon Firestick, Google Chromecast, Roku and a host of smart TVs. WarnerMedia has also launched an ad-supported version of HBO Max which offers the service to consumers at a lower price.

    At the beginning of 2021, the company had taken the controversial decision to release its slate of films under Warner Bros. Pictures simultaneously in theatres and HBO Max ignoring the theatrical window completely. This meant that the movie studio’s 18 films were available on the streaming service at the same time as their theatrical release. “We took a thoughtful risk (and some understandable heat), and it has worked,” remarked Kilar.

    Impressive content launches by the company include ‘Judas and the Black Messiah’, ‘Mare of Easttown’, ‘Friends Reunion’, ‘The White Lotus’, ‘The Suicide Squad’, ‘Dune’, ‘Succession’, ‘The Matrix Resurrections’ and ‘Return of Hogwarts’.

    The service also launched its live sports offering by picking up the rights to UEFA Champions League in Brazil and Mexico.

  • UEFA tournaments return on Sony Pictures Sports Network in India

    UEFA tournaments return on Sony Pictures Sports Network in India

    MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Sports Network (SPSN), the official broadcaster of UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League in India, is all set to broadcast the return of top-tier European football tournaments. With UEFA all set to restart their season, the finest clubs across Europe are back in action to be crowned as Champions of Europe. Football fans can catch the biggest Europeans teams battle for the ultimate football throne, LIVE, from 5 August  2020 only on SONY TEN 1 and SONY TEN 2 channels and the quarter-final stages for the Champions League matches will be aired with Hindi commentary on SONY TEN 3 channels.

    The matches from the quarter finals to the finals will be played as a straight knockout tournament in Portugal and Germany respectively. Apart from football fans, the UEFA Champions League has also attracted a lot of interest from brands with Amul, Vivo, Philips One Blade, Kia Motors and Apple already on board for the restart of the season with many more to follow.

    UEFA Champions League and Europa League are an annual football competition and home to some of the best football clubs such as Juventus FC, Real Madrid CF, Barcelona FC and Manchester United, Liverpool FC, Bayern Munich among many others.

    The resumption of 2019/20 UEFA Champions League will start with the remaining Round of 16 second-leg matches and will have Manchester City take on Real Madrid; Barcelona face Napoli; Bayern Munich welcome Chelsea to the Allianz Arena and Juventus host Lyon for the four pending spots in the quarter-finals. Clubs such as Atalanta BC, Paris Saint-Germain FC, RB Leipzig and Atlético Madrid have already paved their ways into the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

    Viewers can watch all the round of 16 clashes live on SONY TEN 1 and SONY TEN 2 channels and the quarter-final stages on SONY TEN 2 channels in English and SONY TEN 3 channels in Hindi.

    Sony Pictures Networks India Sports Business distribution and head chief revenue officer Rajesh Kaul said, “It is our privilege to be the premier destination for maximum live global sporting events in India whether it is cricket or football. Sony Pictures Sports Network is home to the best footballing clubs in Europe with UEFA Champions League and Europa League. Football followers in India have felt the absence of these two tournaments and we are excited to bring back the LIVE coverage of both these competitions in what will now be a power-pack fortnight of the best European footballing action, along with Hindi commentary, for the last leg of the Champions League games”

  • Adidas reveals official match ball for UEFA Champions League knockout stages

    Adidas reveals official match ball for UEFA Champions League knockout stages

    MUMBAI: Global sportswear giant Adidas reveals Finale Istanbul, the Official Match Ball for the 2019/20 UEFA Champions League knockout stages in India.

    Drawing its inspiration from the host city, where East and West merge, the intricate design features a hand-drawn artistic interpretation of a map of Istanbul, which uniquely bridges the two continents of Europe and Asia.

    The 2019/20 UEFA Champions League Final takes place in Istanbul on 30 May 2020. The Adidas Finale Istanbul Pro will be available to purchase online, in Adidas retail stores and selected retailers from today.

    The Official Match Ball of the final has been designed to highlight the famous stars of the UEFA Champions League. Nodding to Istanbul’s deep culture of art, the carefully placed white stars contrast to a hand-printed artwork of a map of the city which can be followed and adorns the rest of the ball.

    Fusing art and football, Adidas designers looked to more traditional methods to bring the map pattern to life. The ball features the latest Adidas performance technology to help ensure Europe’s top can perform at their best during the UEFA Champions League Final.

    Offering the same high-performance structure and panels as recent iterations of the iconic star ball, an outer texture coating gives a secure grip and complete control while the panels are thermally bonded, with more sustainable glue, to provide a seamless surface for an improved first touch. 

    Equally distributed colour and the star formation are arranged across the ball to ensure peak performance and enhance aerobatic stability.

    Celebrating the thrill and action of football, Adidas also announced an interesting initiative for fans across the country. The buyer of the Adidas Finale Istanbul Pro ball gets a chance to enter an exciting raffle draw. The lucky winner of the draw will stand a chance to win an all-expense-paid trip to watch the UEFA Champions League final in Istanbul along with his/her partner.

  • On-ground initiatives for Australian Open help Sony garner more eyeballs

    On-ground initiatives for Australian Open help Sony garner more eyeballs

    MUMBAI: Sony has recently upped its focus on the marketing for sports content. Along with traditional marketing, the on-ground campaigns of the Sony Pictures Sports Network for the first grand slam of the year – Australian Open, has been highly successful.

    Speaking to indiantelevision.com, Sony Pictures Sports Network chief marketing officer Neville Bastawalla said: “We screened Australian Open live matches from 8 am till the end of the day for the entire two weeks across all Social outlets (23 outlets) in five cities – Mumbai, Delhi, Pune, Bangalore & Chandigarh that garnered over 2 lakh footfalls across the venues.”

    The broadcaster for the first time in the history had also televised the Australian grand slam matches live in Hindi commentary as an initiative to garner more eyeballs. “The implementation of NTO impacted the viewership of almost all Tennis grand slams last year. However, this year’s Australian Open has continued to be the most-watched grand slam in India with 4.2 million viewers tuning in to watch the first week’s action on TV,” Bastawalla said.

    It had also tied up with INOX to host a screening of final of Australian Open 2020 for 206 kids from 3 NGO’s – NAATA Foundation, Robin Hood Army & Salam Balak Trust. This was done to create property awareness within the children and masses.

    As the grand slam began, the broadcaster had onboard Lenovo India, Life Insurance Corporation of India, Tourism Australia and Trivago NV as sponsors for the game. However, SPSN roped more sponsors such as Apple India, HDFC Life Insurance Company, Kia Motors India, Play Games24x7, SBI Life Insurance, Tata Motors, Wipro Enterprises by the end of the tournament.

    After hit on-ground promotions for Australian Open, the broadcaster is also planning similar initiatives for upcoming sporting events in 2020. Bastawalla said, “We are coordinating contests to give away Australian team signed cricket bats with on-ground partner during Australia tour of South Africa and will also have autographed bats of top international cricket teams on display at strategic locations.”

    The Australia tour of South Africa is scheduled between 21 February and 7 March, both teams to lock horns for three One Day International and T20 matches each.

    The next important event SPSN is gearing up for is UEFA: Champions League – Round of 16. It has already released a TVC that would be streamed across digital platforms. “Our focus is pan-India for UEFA Champions League and the markets — West Bengal, Kerala, North East, and Goa — wherein football is most-watched are a part of that,” Bastawalla opined.

  • Post NTO 2.0 Sony launches new subscription TV campaign

    Post NTO 2.0 Sony launches new subscription TV campaign

    MUMBAI:  Sports has been one of the main drivers for the Sony Pictures Network India’s (SPNI’s) channels. With the new pricing regulations under NTO 2.0 becoming a reality, SPNI has launched a new campaign encouraging viewers to subscribe to its channels.

    The common thread it is harping on in the campaign is the plethora of sports content it has lined up for 2020.  Sony Pictures Sports Network’s  (SPSN’s) channels Sony Six, Ten Sports, ESPN has 200 plus  days of cricket,  700 plus  live football matches, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) bouts, UEFA Champions League, UFC, ATP World Tour, Olympic Games Tokyo  2020, India Tour of Australia and UEFA Euro 2020.

    Conceptualised and created by Scarecrow M&C Saatchi,  the “Fully Loaded”  campaign (as it has been christened) currently has two TVCs which are slated to be played out on Sony’s various channels and on various digital platforms.

    The two spots (49 seconds and 44 seconds duration) feature your ordinary Indian Joe viewer who is absorbed in watching the sports telecasts on SPSN but is disturbed by his daughter (whose battery operated toy car refuses to work) in one and then by his dog chewing his shoe in the other. He then chooses to put in the batteries from his TV remote into his daughter’s toy automobile in the first spot. In the second, he takes away his shoe and instead gives his dog the TV remote to chew on.  In both the spots, he continues watching the action on the telly, happy that he will not be disturbed and that his channel will not be changed. A voice-over then talks about all the tournaments that SPSN will be bringing to its viewers in 2020, ending with the tag line – “Always leave it on.”

    “The marketing objective of these two ad films is to massify the sports that are aired on Sony’s sports channels and make the Sony offering appealing to viewers,” says Scarecrow M&C Saatchi founder Raghu Bhatt. “The perception is that Sony has international sports. Viewers don't know the details of the sports, but the different events can also appeal to the Indian sports fan. We also want to convince viewers that Sony’s sports channels are worth the money they are paying. ” 

    The spots were produced by Danny Lobo of Ensemble Productions with Alok Kulkarni as director and Kevin Crasta came on as the director of photography. Sheldon Rebello, responsible for the art direction, spruced up a bungalow Retreat Villa in Mumbai’s Madh Island. The films were edited by Paromita Ghosh. 

    Bhatt reveals that only the first stage of the Fully Loaded campaign has been flagged off. “We have planned a lot of activation and communication going forward for specific events in 2020,” he says.

    “The “Always leave it on” campaign primarily appeals to all sort of audiences, regular Indian sports fans running in millions as well as fence-sitters,” explains  Sony Pictures Sports Network’s chief marketing officer Neville Bastawalla. “It beautifully demonstrates the #fullyloaded offerings of Sony Sports and also showcases the entertainment quotient. It will be extended on-ground through strategic partnerships and associations.”

    Bastawalla is extremely excited about the Always On campaign as well as the spots that ran during the final of the Austrlian Open which focused on the UEFA Champions League (UCL): Round of 16. 

    Says he: “The UEFA Champions League ad film captures the camaraderie between father and son who both share a common love for football and do want to miss out on any of UCL matches even though it is late at night.”

    Clearly, with so much sport on the network, the spots could do well in clearing some confusion amongst TV viewers and possibly prompt them to subscribe.  

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCRDpZeLaG8&feature=youtu.be

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suJBSuvsSoE&feature=youtu.be 

     

  • UEFA Champions League returns to SONY TEN 2 channels on 17 September

    UEFA Champions League returns to SONY TEN 2 channels on 17 September

    MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Sports Network will bring the upcoming season of the most prestigious football club competition in the world, the UEFA Champions League to Indian audiences 17th September 2019 onwards. The matches featuring the best football players in premier clubs from top European leagues, will be telecast only on SONY TEN 2 channels. SPSN also recently launched its campaign for the mega tournament, #SonaManaHai, which captures the sentiments of all Indian football fans and preps them for the upcoming season.

    As the world’s biggest football club tournament, UEFA Champions League is contested by the top-division European clubs vying to be crowned the kings of Europe. Last year, fans went through an emotional roller coaster during matches that featured Liverpool FC, Barcelona FC, Manchester City FC, AFC Ajax and Real Madrid CF amongst others and this year will prove to be no less. The biggest footballing rivalries in the world like Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo and Sergio Ramos vs Mohamed Salah and more, along with football greats returning to their former home grounds can be found only in UEFA Champions League on Sony Pictures Sports Network in India.

    Among the most followed football club competitions, UEFA Champions League is enjoyed equally by hardcore football fans and fringe viewers. #SonaManaHai is a light-hearted tongue in cheek approach that captures the sentiments of football fans who are excited about the UEFA Champions League but regret missing the matches due to the late-night timings. The campaign has been rolled out in four languages: English, Hindi, Malayalam and Bengali to encourage Indian audiences from across the country to tune-in to SONY TEN 2 channels for the best footballing action in the world. 

    The #SonaManaHai campaign film opens with Raj Kumar Rastogi (essayed by internet star Gopal Dutt) walking into the office and asking a colleague about the results of the previous night's UEFA Champion's League match. The colleague is amazed that Rastogi didn't watch the match as he went to bed early. The film showcases different characters of society, including a canteen boy and railway announcer amongst others expressing their shock and disappointment on Rastogi sleeping through the matches. Rastogi wakes up in a sweat realizing this was a dream and realizes ‘Sona Mana Hai’ when the world's biggest football club tournament is on!

    To engage viewers, SPSN will also have a host of panelists for their live studio show who will provide extensive pre, mid and post-match analyses for every matchday. The guest panelists, who will appear in a rotation, include former football players and now renowned football pundits Ashely Westwood, Mark Seagraves and Terry Phelan for the first three matchdays.