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Tag: UEFA EURO 2020

  • We add more credibility & variety to our sports line-up every year: Rajesh Kaul

    We add more credibility & variety to our sports line-up every year: Rajesh Kaul

    Mumbai: India loves cricket with 90 per cent of most watched sports broadcasts in the country being live cricket. Sony Sports, a leading sports broadcaster, is going to bring 1800+ hours of live cricket on television screens starting from June till February 2023.

    Sony Sports has recently launched its cricket campaign for the year led by Indian cricketer Smriti Mandhana and actor Pankaj Tripathi. The ‘Non-stop cricket on Sony Sports Network’ kickstarts with the broadcast of the India tour of Ireland and England.  

    In the previous year, the sports broadcaster set new viewership records with its back-to-back programming of marquee sporting events including Olympics Games Tokyo 2020, UEFA EURO 2020, and Copa America.

    Sony Sports, once again, hopes to ride the momentum of its back-to-back cricket calendar comprising India and non-India cricket, women’s cricket and T20i tournaments to garner viewership and attract advertiser attention.

    Leading the sports and distribution verticals for Sony Pictures Networks (SPN) India, Rajesh Kaul is responsible for invigorating the sports business at SPN and the acquisition of marquee sports properties for the network.

    He also drives international sales for the network in collaboration with the digital team to expand SPN’s brand presence and lead across the world. Under his leadership, the SPN distribution has been expanding rapidly.

    Kaul joined the SPN in 2008. He began his career with ICI Paints and thereon moved on to Modi Entertainment Network. He joined ESPN Star Sports in 1997 and sharpened his leadership skills at the organisation for over 11 years. Rajesh played a vital role in creating the success story of ESPN Star Sports, heading their distribution and marketing nationally, and was credited with the successful launch of Star Cricket.

    In conversation with Indiantelevision.com, Sony Pictures Networks India chief revenue officer, distribution and head – sports business Rajesh Kaul speaks about Sony Sports strong sports programming line-up and the business and marketing strategy to maximise eyeballs and revenues.  

    On the diverse line-up of live cricket for the year 2022

    With each passing year we add more credibility and variety to our sports line up and this year the Sony Sports Network will be home to 1800+ hours of cricket. In addition to the marquee India tour of England, which has one historic Test match pending, the team also plays 3 T20i’s and 3 ODI’s in England. This will take place between India playing in Ireland and India playing in Zimbabwe. In addition to this action-packed calendar of Indian men’s cricket, we also have the women’s team touring England and an enviable bilateral cricket calendar featuring England vs New Zealand, Australia vs South Africa, Sri Lanka vs Australia, England vs South Africa, Australia vs England and more along with popular T20i tournaments like the Big Bash League, Pakistan Super League and Women’s Big Bash League. 

    On the amplification strategy of the sports network

    Love for cricket knows no boundaries and this is what we have showcased through this campaign. To that end, we have crafted this ‘Non – Stop Cricket’ campaign featuring a very differentiated star Pankaj Tripathi, India’s most loved actor and Smriti Mandhana, Indian women team’s opening batter. Our sports network has been known for creating thought provoking and meaningful campaigns such as ‘Meri Doosri Country’, ‘Hum Honge Kamyab’, ‘Sona Mana Hai’ amongst others and this campaign, conceptualised through the creative partnership of our inhouse team and Scarecrow M&C Saatchi Advertising Agency, aims to break the clutter by bringing a leading woman cricketer to promote men’s and women’s cricket.

    On beating the viewership records set in 2021

    2021 was a landmark year for Sony Sports Network. In this milestone year, we hosted marquee sporting events such as the Olympics Games Tokyo 2020, UEFA EURO 2020, and Copa America, which helped us attract the highest ever ratings. Viewership impressions on TV for UEFA EURO 2020 were more than double of the previous edition, whereas ratings for Copa America & Olympics Games Tokyo 2020 grew by 59 per cent and 23 per cent respectively (BARC, All India U+R, All Audience, LIVE match Impressions on TV). 

    In 2022, we ride on an action-packed cricket calendar with 1800+ hours of cricketing action on our network. Cricket has always been a bestseller in our country and with the new era of Rohit Sharma and Ben Stokes’ captaincy in the upcoming India tour of England, there is a lot to look forward to on Sony Sports Network. Along with cricket, we also have football properties like UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Nations League, Bundesliga and much more. In addition to these we also have WWE and UFC action through the year, Grand Slam tennis action with the recently concluded Roland Garros, as well as domestic leagues like Prime Volleyball League and the upcoming Ultimate Kho Kho tournament.

    On its association with advertisers

    Cricket has always been a major crowd puller and advertisers have always shown interest in various bilateral series, T20 leagues and international tournaments. Our campaign for our cricket calendar which includes India and non-India cricket, women’s cricket and T20i tournaments has attracted the interest of advertisers. Apart from that, team India’s remaining Test against England is seen as an attractive proposition due to its high value. This will be followed by limited overs’ T20i and ODI series which will mark the beginning of a new era of Rohit Sharma and Ben Stokes’ captaincy. Taking into consideration the importance of the series, we have already received a positive response from the advertisers.

  • Sony Sports to air best football moments of 2021 starting 11 Dec

    Sony Sports to air best football moments of 2021 starting 11 Dec

    Mumbai: Sony Pictures Sports Network is airing a series of special programming so that viewers may relive the best footballing moments in the year in UEFA Euro 2020, Copa America 2021, and the ongoing UEFA Champions’ League 2021. The special programming will begin on 11 December and will be aired on Sony Ten 2 channels and will be available for streaming on SonyLIV.

    On 11 December, viewers can tune in to watch the programme “Best of Euro 2020: Unforgettable Moments” from Patrick Schick’s iconic goal to the eight-goal thriller between Spain and Croatia, starting at 7 p.m.

    On 12 December, viewers can watch “Best of Copa America 2021: Unforgettable Moments” from Angel Di Maria’s heart gesture after scoring the winning goal for Argentina to absolutely brilliant goals by Luis Diaz against Brazil and Peru, starting at 7 p.m.

    On 19 December, Sony Sports will telecast the UEFA Champions’ League group stage starting at 7 p.m. It will telecast “Kick Off Year in Review 2021” from 24 December to 27 December at 8 p.m.

    Between 25 to 31 December, Sony Sports will air the “March of The Champions – Argentina’s Triumph: Copa America 2021 Special” at 9 p.m. Between 27-31 December, the channel will air “March of The Champions – Italy’s Triumph: Euro 2020 Special” from 9:30 p.m.  

  • SonyLIV roped in 100+ advertisers for India’s tour of Sri Lanka, Tokyo Olympics

    SonyLIV roped in 100+ advertisers for India’s tour of Sri Lanka, Tokyo Olympics

    Mumbai: OTT platform SonyLIV has seen a three-fold increase in viewership since mid-July, it said on Monday. This growth in viewership has been attributed to a packed sporting calendar including India’s tour of Sri Lanka, and the recently concluded 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

    According to the streaming platform, more than 100 advertisers came on board for India’s tour of Sri Lanka and Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. SonyLIV reported clearing 99 per cent of the total advertising inventory on the back of tremendous support from advertisers.

    Sponsors comprised brands like Maruti Suzuki, LIC, JSW (Jindal Steel), WazirX, Vimal, Swiggy, Betway, Fresh to Home and MPL. Advertisers from various sectors like AMFI, Apple, Tata Motors, RBI, Hindustan Unilever Ltd, Amazon, Herbalife, Visa, Amul, TVS Eurogrip Tyres, NPCI, Accenture, Acer, Dafanews, CoinDCX, Abbott, Cars24, Medibuddy, Bridgestone, Raymond, Yamaha, Fastrack and GoDigit invested in the platform.

    The platform tied up with Google for their organised search results page (OSRP) to enhance consumer engagement. With this collaboration, users searched and watched their favourite team or athlete’s medal-winning performances, world record clips, medal event highlights, comprehensive day-wise India highlights, and more on Google OneBox in the form of SonyLIV VODs.

    The high-octane sports calendar continues to burn with India’s tour of England that started airing on 4 August.

    “While majority of the Euro 2020 advertisers continued their association, we boarded more than 100 advertisers. We are grateful to our partners who continue to extend support to all our sporting events. With sports consumption on the rise, we are confident of onboarding new brands for the India-England series”, said SonyLIV, senior vice president and head of ad revenue, Ranjana Mangla.

    “The association with Sony and SonyLIV has been truly outstanding – working with a team that is as passionate as JSW with regards to the Olympics has truly been a pleasure and is something we at the JSW Group hope to do again in the very near future”, said JSW Cement, JSW Paints managing director and JSW Sports and IIS founder, Parth Jindal.

    “Our association with SonyLIV as the co-presenting sponsor for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games has been very fruitful as it enabled us to connect with sports enthusiasts across the country.  For the first time in India, SonyLIV’ s coverage with 20 LIVE streams, has given the viewers a chance to watch their favourite sport and not miss any action. India has already won multiple medals and our association with ‘Tokyo 2020, India’s Top Moments’ and ‘Top Athletes’ segments helped achieve the desired engagement for the brand.  We look forward to the forthcoming sporting events on the platform”, said Maruti Suzuki executive director Shashank Srivastava.

    “Our partnership with SonyLIV India to co-present for the Euro 2020 and India Vs Sri Lanka cricket series through our #IndiakaBitcoinExchange campaign not only helped us land the right knowledge on crypto but also bust the misconceptions around crypto investments. It helped us stay true to our vision to make crypto mainstream in India”, said WazirX, chief executive officer WazirX, Nishcal Shetty.

  • UEFA partners with AVIWEST for Euro 2020 coverage across Europe

    UEFA partners with AVIWEST for Euro 2020 coverage across Europe

    Mumbai: Live video contribution solutions provider AVIWEST was appointed by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) to support selected off-venue events, including official team training and press conferences from Europe’s biggest football show — UEFA Euro 2020 — using a bonded cellular ecosystem.

    UEFA leveraged AVIWEST’s PRO380 bonded cellular field units, StreamHub transceiver, and manager unified management platform to address its mobility, flexibility, and reliability challenges. AVIWEST also provided UEFA with SIM cards and data, and accompanied their broadcast team throughout all stages of the project, including expeditions across Europe, team training, installations, and follow-ups with a 24/7 support service.

    The AVIWEST PRO3 Series enabled UEFA’s host broadcast team to securely provide live high-quality feeds over aggregated cellular networks. They were also able to use IP networks to send first-class images from the field.

    “The AVIWEST Manager offers greater flexibility, efficiency, and simplicity than other systems on the market, so it was the perfect match for UEFA’s remote live video production requirements,” said AVIWEST’s area sales manager Alexandre Augereau. “We are proud of the support that our team of experts provided to UEFA. During the event, they worked together closely to streamline UEFA’s workflows and help them to reach their goals.”

  • 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.”

  • EURO 2020 Finals break viewership records in UK

    EURO 2020 Finals break viewership records in UK

    New Delhi: The Sunday-night high-octane clash between Italy and England in UEFA Euro 2020 was watched by over 31 million viewers in the United Kingdom, setting a record for the highest viewership ratings in British broadcasting history.

    According to the BARB figures shared by overnights. tv, an average of 29.85 million watched the entire match which was broadcast on both BBC and ITV. The viewership peaked at 30.95 million during the extra time, when both the teams were trying hard to up their score from 1-1 at London’s Wembley Stadium.

    The game went down to the wire and ended with England facing a painful penalty shootout exit, dashing hopes of millions of English fans who were hoping to see the trophy come home for the first time since 1966. However, Italy reigned over the game and clinched the trophy continuing its 34-match winning streak in the game.

    According to BBC, the combined viewership on both BBC One and ITV made the final match one of the biggest TV events in the UK since the funeral of princess Diana in 1997.

    In Italy, the game was broadcast on Radiotelevisione italiana (Rai), the national public broadcasting company of Italy. According to Rai, throughout the match an average of 18 million people tuned in, representing a 73.7 per cent market share, reported Variety.

    In India, the official broadcaster Sony Pictures Sports Network (SPSN) made the most of the football fever that has swept the country over the last few weeks. While the latest viewership numbers are yet to come in, the previous data showed that the 19 June match between Portugal vs Germany was among the most-watched matches in the tournament. The defending champion Portugal led by Cristiano Ronaldo was defeated by 4-2 in the match in the group stage.

  • adidas pledges 1% of global net sales from football to Common Goal charity

    adidas pledges 1% of global net sales from football to Common Goal charity

    MUMBAI: Global Sportswear brand adidas announced a long-term partnership with the charity, Common Goal to help drive lasting social change for under-served communities, creating a better and more inclusive future through football. Based on a shared ambition to maximise the sport’s contribution towards a more equitable and inclusive world, adidas has pledged one per cent of its global net sales from footballs to the charity until 2023.

    Common Goal was launched in 2017 when a single player, Juan Mata of Manchester United and Spain, committed to pledge one per cent of his salary to a collective fund that invests in high-impact community organizations that use football to empower young people. The collective has grown to almost 200 players and managers, including Serge Gnabry, Pernille Harder, Paulo Dybala, Timo Werner, Casey Stoney MBE and Jurgen Klopp. To date, over €3M has been generated by the movement and invested in football-based charities that support the United Nations Global Goals.

    The organisation will then work with adidas Football Collective – the brand’s purpose platform in football. Together they will use the game to support and grow football communities around the world to accelerate and measure a promise to fight racism and discrimination, power gender equality, foster mental well-being, and promote LGBTQ+ inclusion.

    Common Goal CEO and co-founder Jürgen Griesbeck said: “This partnership with adidas represents a shift in the football industry. Social impact has moved to a high priority for football stakeholders. adidas has shown its leadership by investing in Common Goal and together we can scale and accelerate football’s contribution towards the Global Goals. We believe that anything is possible if we work together as one team.”

    In the initial three-year period of the partnership, adidas and Common Goal will support grassroots community organizations across the globe, via a network of 140 high-impact football NGO’s in 90 countries. The aim is to directly impact 90,000 lives through a series of projects and strategic focuses on removing inequality, improving access, and working towards greater gender parity.

    adidas director for Communities and Culture Gonzalo Calvo said: “At adidas, we are committed to creating change through football. We cannot do this alone, however, and therefore look to individuals and organizations with a shared commitment to action, such as Common Goal. This is a team effort, and it was important to announce this partnership and our ambitions for it during the most collaborative and inclusive football tournament in European history. This is just the start.”

    Manchester United player and adidas athlete, Juan Mata, co-founded Common Goal in 2017, helping to mobilise a movement that has grown to now include well over 200 members and fellow professionals. He said of today’s announcement: “I’ve been a part of the adidas family for many years and with Common Goal from the very beginning, so this collaboration is very special. This partnership will help us to use football as a force for good and come together to try and tackle social issues as one. This is really only the start. For me, team play is the most important thing and through solidarity, empathy and effort, I believe that anyone can reach their goals. Our ambition is to make Common Goal the biggest football club in the world, where everyone is welcome.”

    This partnership announcement is the final chapter in adidas’ UEFA EURO 2020 campaign and long-term commitment to inspiring a movement of people to see – and push towards – a more positive and inclusive world through sport.

    To join adidas and Common Goal at the starting line, fans can purchase a football at www.adidas.co.uk/balls for their one per cent to be contributed toward social change causes.

  • PCCW’s Now TV partners with VO for ‘Watch Party’ feature

    PCCW’s Now TV partners with VO for ‘Watch Party’ feature

    Mumbai: Viaccess-Orca (VO), a global tech solutions company, announced Friday that Hong Kong-based PCCW Media is using its VO Secure Player to offer an innovative ‘Watch Party’ feature for its Now TV subscribers.

    During the ongoing UEFA Euro 2020 football matches, sports fans can watch live matches while simultaneously interacting with their Watch Party group through video chat, the tech company said in a statement.

    VO Secure Player assures accurate and real-time synchronization of live video across multiple connected devices allowing users to hear comments and see reactions from their Watch Party group, it added.

    “Live sports streaming is a competitive market, and it is critical for service providers to stay on top of emerging trends to drive better viewer engagement,” said PCCW Media’s head of technology Belinda Chan. “With VO Secure Player, we can confidently bring our new Watch Party feature to subscribers, offering them a one-of-a-kind viewing experience. The VO’ Secure Player also enables real-time synchronization of premium content across all connected devices in the Watch Party group for a seamless experience.”

    “Now TV sets a great example of how a media entertainment company can deliver exceptional social experiences to viewers via innovative technology to enhance overall viewing experience during this challenging pandemic period,” said VO’s APAC-VP of sales Dokyung Lee. “The VO Secure Player plays a pivotal role in Now TV’s Watch Party feature, and we are delighted to accompany Now TV on this journey to bring a unique, seamless viewing experience to sports fans.”

  • Mola TV & Harmonic join hands to stream UEFA Euro 2020 in UHD HDR

    Mola TV & Harmonic join hands to stream UEFA Euro 2020 in UHD HDR

    Mumbai: Harmonic (NASDAQ: HLIT) today announced that Mola TV, Indonesian entertainment network, is using Harmonic’s VOS®360 cloud streaming SaaS for the first-ever live UHD HDR streaming of UEFA Euro 2020 football matches in Indonesia.

    Harmonic’s VOS360 platform ensures the highest level of service reliability and real-time scaling for Mola TV’s streaming service, simplifying the live streaming workflow from source to screen, the company said in a statement.

    Supported by a DevOps team providing 24/7 monitoring and assistance, the Harmonic cloud-based platform provides high availability and reliability that is a must for live sports streaming, it added.

    “We are enormously proud that, for the first time, our viewers can watch live, high-profile sports events in UHD HDR,” said Mola TV’s CEO CP Lee. “Mola TV has always relied on Harmonic cloud streaming solutions for its sports streaming services. As we bring more high-profile sports events such as the UEFA and EPL, Harmonic’s VOS360 SaaS will be instrumental in ensuring the best possible streaming experience for our subscribers.”

    “UHD HDR is a game changer in the live sports streaming environment, where video quality can easily determine the success of a service,” said Tony Berthaud, vice president of sales and video services, APAC, at Harmonic. “Harmonic’s VOS360 platform ensures Mola TV can securely deliver crystal-clear UHD HDR video to a large variety of devices. This assurance is crucial for operators streaming high-demand events like the UEFA Euro Championship.”

  • Over 48 million viewers tuned into SPSN to watch UEFA EURO 2020

    Over 48 million viewers tuned into SPSN to watch UEFA EURO 2020

    New Delhi: The UEFA EURO 2020 continues to captivate sports fans across the country. The sporting extravaganza has been watched by as many as 48 million viewers on its official broadcaster Sony Pictures Sports Network (SPSN), the network announced on Friday.

    The viewership figures are for the network’s entire coverage of the first 36 matches of the tournament from 11 to 25 June.

    According to the data (Source: TG: CS 2+, All India U+R) shared by the network, Portugal vs Germany on 19 June (Saturday) was the most watched match of the week in the tournament with ten million viewers. The defending champion Portugal led by Cristiano Ronaldo was defeated by 4-2 in the match in the group stage despite the ace player’s goal and an assist. This group was also touted by fans as ‘Group of death’ with current world champion France in it.

    The second most watched match this week was Italy vs Wales on 20 June (Sunday) which clocked 8.1 million viewers. Italy completed their Group A fixtures defeating Wales by 1-0, continuing its winning streak in the tournament.

    The regional feed of the network was also watched by fans with equal enthusiasm. The Hindi feed for Live matches was been watched by 14 million viewers across the country (TG: CS 2+, All India U+R). While the Malayalam and Bengali feed on SONY SIX channels were watched by seven million viewers across Kerala and West Bengal (TG: CS 2+, Kerala and WB U+R).

    The UEFA EURO 2020 is being telecast by SPSN in six languages across India: English, Hindi, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam. The tournament is LIVE on Sony Ten 2, Sony Ten 3, Sony Six and Sony Ten 4 channels and is also being livestreamed on SonyLIV.