MxMIndia

Tag: Rajesh Kaul

  • It revisits the Indian cricket team’s victorious campaign of the 1985 B&H World Championship of Cricket

    Sony Pictures launches ‘The Blue Revolution’ to celebrate 1985 win

    By A Correspondent

     

    Sony Pictures Sports Network (SPSN) has announced a 12-part series titled ‘The Blue Revolution’. The series revisits India’s landmark victory in the 1985 B&H World Championship of Cricket which was the first major tournament India won in coloured clothing and established its dominance in cricket across the globe.

     

    The series launches on May 4 and will be aired exclusively on Sony Six and Sony Six HD.

     

    Said Rajesh Kaul, Chief Revenue Officer, Distribution and Head – Sports Business, Sony Pictures Networks India: “The Blue Revolution covers one of the most iconic moments in our sporting history and commemorates the era where India established its supremacy in the world of Cricket. At that time our World Cup winning team had seen a dip in form, however, they answered all their critics as champions do – by winning the 1985 B&H World Championship of Cricket. The celebrations that ensued with Ravi Shastri and the team in the car as well as on the ground are iconic visuals of our rich cricketing heritage and we’re bringing back these memorable games for the Indian cricket fan.”

     

    As a part of the build-up to the marquee episodes and matches, SPSN has organised a series of live interactive chat sessions with some of the Indian cricket legends and heroes of the unbeaten class of ’85 – Ravi Shastri, Roger Binny, Madan Lal and Laxman Sivaramakrishnan. The sessions will be hosted by Rajdeep Sardesai and Joy Bhattacharya, and sports enthusiasts can watch them in conversation live at @SonySportsIndia, the official Facebook page of Sony Pictures Sports Network.

     

     

  • A special offer that continues festive celebrations for small commercial vehicle (SCV) buyers

    Tata Motors unveils ‘India Ki Doosri Diwali’ ad campaign

    By A Correspondent

     

    Extending the festive cheer, Tata Motors has launched its new ‘India ki Doosri Diwali’ campaign, to celebrate the success of its SCV range.

     

    Speaking on the campaign, Rajesh Kaul, Head – Sales & Marketing, Tata Motors said: “At Tata Motors, we always believe in making customer-centric offerings and maximising revenues of our customers. Our SCV range offer superior safety, versatile performance in varied conditions, comfort and cost-effectiveness to its customers. We are glad to offer products that have positively changed lives by helping people start and grow their businesses. The buzz around this campaign has led to an increase in footfall across showrooms. We look forward to a boost in sales of all Tata SCVs owing to the ongoing festive spirits as well as the attractive incentives offered on every SCV purchased in this month.”

     

     

  • The inaugural edition of X1 Racing League will be held in Delhi and Chennai over two weekends

    SPN acquires rights for X1 Racing League

    By A Correspondent

     

    Sony Pictures Networks has acquired the exclusive media rights for the world’s first professional franchise-based motorsport league, X1 Racing League along with the media rights for X1 Racing eSports. The inaugural edition of X1 Racing League will be held in Delhi and Chennai over two weekends – Weekend 1 from November 30 to December 1, 2019 and Weekend 2 from December 7 to 8, 2019. X1 Racing eSports, which kicked off on October 7 and will continue till November 17, 2019, is also being held across six cities – Mumbai, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Pune and Delhi

     

    Said Rajesh Kaul, Chief Revenue Officer, Distribution and Head – Sports Business, Sony Pictures Networks: “Motorsport is a great televised sport and has a niche but dedicated following in India that has been growing steadily over the past few years. We are the official broadcasters of premier international motorsport properties like MotoGP and Formula E and the addition of the X1 Racing League, an Indian motorsport league, to Sony Pictures Networks’ portfolio will give audiences a strong local connect. Adding to this, X1 Racing League and X1 Racing eSports have a unique format that is designed to appeal to our audiences.”

     

    Added Armaan Ebrahim, Co-Founder, X1 Racing: “We are thrilled to have Sony Pictures Networks India Private Limited on board as our broadcast partners. Over the years they have had a great head start in effectively showcasing some of the best in sports from across unique formats. Motorsport and esport are fast-growing niche sectors seeing a brand new level of interest in India. The response so far to the X1 Racing eSports debut season has been highly encouraging and with this partnership with Sony Pictures Networks India Private Limited we have a wonderful opportunity to further fulfill our vision to make motorsport more accessible.”

     

     

  • SPN’s broadcast will be on a minimum of two English language linear television channels

    SPN extends broadcast partnership with Aus Open

    By A Correspondent

     

    Tennis Australia and Sony Pictures Networks have announced a three-year extension of their broadcast relationship. SPN was selected as the exclusive television and digital rights holder for India and the subcontinent and will provide more than 200 hours of extensive coverage for each edition of the Australian Open. It will now be the home for Australian Open and all the lead-up events including the Adelaide International ATP 250 event. SPN’s broadcast will be on a minimum of two English language linear television channels, along with streaming of all 16 match courts on SPN’s video on demand service, SonyLIV.

     

    “We are delighted to not just extend but also expand our relationship with Sony Pictures Networks in India from 2020,” Tennis Australia CEO and Australian Open Tournament Director Craig Tiley said, adding: “This year’s Australian Open attracted record audiences in India which saw the key international market rise to our eighth biggest worldwide, and the third in Asia behind Japan and China. Sony Pictures Networks’ commitment to providing their most comprehensive coverage allows us to engage with Indian fans in a deeper and more meaningful way by going beyond the on-court action to tell the story of the Australian Open from all angles,” Tiley said.

     

    Said Rajesh Kaul, Chief Revenue Officer, Distribution and Head – Sports Business, Sony Pictures Networks India: “One of the most coveted titles for any tennis player, the Australian Open has been the most watched Grand Slam in India for the past two years. We are proud to extend our relationship with Tennis Australia and will be providing over 200 hours of live and non-live content for each edition of the Grand Slam for the next three years. Our coverage will include the live matches, studio shows, highlights, build-up thematic shows, Australian Open classics and more along with a dedicated AO section on SonyLIV.”

     

     

  • #SonaManaHai says Sony Pictures Sports Network’s new campaign

    UEFA CL on Sony Ten 2 from today

    By A Campaign

     

    Sony Pictures Sports Network will bring the upcoming season of the UEFA Champions League to Indian audiences from today, September 17, onwards. The matches featuring the best football players in premier clubs from top European leagues, will be telecast on Sony Ten 2. 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.

     

    Said Rajesh Kaul, Chief Revenue Officer, Distribution and Head – Sports Business, Sony Pictures Networks India Private Limited: “Sony Pictures Sports Network are the flagbearers for UEFA Champions League, the best football club tournament in the world, in India. UEFA Champions League is the pinnacle of glory for both the clubs as well as the players and the passionate fans. Our audience can look forward to a more exciting viewing experience through a series of programming initiatives this season including a live studio show with celebrated ex-football players providing expert analysis on our channels. It is #SonaManaHai for all our viewers September 17 onwards.”

     

    Added Neville Bastawalla, Head, Marketing & On-Air Promotions, Sports Channels, Sony Pictures Networks India: “#SonaManaHai urges viewers to stay awake and not miss out on all the exciting action from the best football players and teams in UEFA Champions League. Our campaign speaks to two broad sets of audience, the football fans who are unable to stay awake to watch the matches and fringe viewers who are not very familiar with UEFA Champions League however have a fear of missing out on rewarding experiences. Through this insight, we have created a first of its kind clutter breaking campaign to increase the appeal and viewership of the tournament.  In order to reach out to a wider audience across multiple markets, the on-air film, #SonaManaHai has been rolled out in four languages – English, Hindi, Malayalam and Bengali.”

     

    Said Raghu Bhat, Founder, Director, Scarecrow M&C Saatchi: “When Messi and Salah are scoring, football fans are snoring! UEFA Champion’s League is the greatest and the most discussed football event on earth but matches happen late night. We want this campaign to be the caffeine shot that makes a football fan stay up and watch it live on Sony Pictures Sports Network instead of on YouTube the morning after.”

     

     

  • The extended partnership with UFC will help SPN to build on the popularity of combat sports in the Indian subcontinent

    SPN retains exclusive media rights of UFC until 2023

    By A Correspondent

     

    Sony Pictures Networks has retained the exclusive media rights for the premier mixed martial arts promotion, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) till 2023. The extended partnership with UFC will help SPN to build on the popularity of combat sports in the Indian subcontinent.

     

    Said Rajesh Kaul, Chief Revenue Officer, Distribution and Head – Sports Business, Sony Pictures Networks India: “UFC is the gold standard for the sport of MMA across the globe and features the highest level of talent in their roster. Over the past few years, we have seen a steady growth in consumption of the sport and around 100 million viewers watched UFC on Indian television in 2018. UFC has garnered a dedicated fan base over the past few years and is one of the most watched fight sports properties in India. To meet the growing demand for UFC content, we will telecast both live events and non-live content on the SONY TEN 2 channels.”

     

     

  • Cricket legends Sunil Gavaskar and Sir Vivian Richards will share the screen on Extraaa Innings for the #Furious&Fast series

    Sony announces commentators for upcoming India tour of West Indies

    By A Correspondent

     

    Sony Pictures Sports Network (SPSN), the official broadcaster of the India tour of West Indies, has announced programming initiatives to increase engagement with audiences across India. The India tour of West Indies will also mark the start of the ICC World Test Championship for both teams.

     

    SPSN’s live wrap-around show, Extraaa Innings, will return for the India tour of West Indies featuring Sir Vivian Richards, Sunil Gavaskar, Graeme Swann, Murali Kartik, Darren Ganga and Ian Bishop in English, and Ashish Nehra, Ajay Jadeja, Mohammad Kaif and Vivek Razdan along with presenters Gaurav Kapur and Arjun Pandit in Hindi. Extraaa Innings will also make an appearance in the breakfast segment with the post-match analysis for the ODI and Test series. In addition to this, SPSN will be airing ‘Cricket Talk’, a show that will provide previews for the Test format and reviews after the T20I and ODI formats.

     

    Said Rajesh Kaul, Chief Revenue Officer, Distribution and Head – Sports Business, Sony Pictures Networks India: “This monsoon, Indian viewers can watch #MoreCricket and thrilling action on Sony Pictures Sports Network with The Ashes and India tour of West Indies. A robust programming line-up has been created for the India tour of West Indies along with the legendary Sir Vivian Richards and Sunil Gavaskar reuniting in the studio along with other exceptional panelists. The India tour of West Indies will also mark the start of the ICC World Test Championship for both teams. With brilliant performances expected from both the highly skilled teams, the India tour of West Indies is going to be unmissable for every cricket lover in the nation.”

     

     

  • Starting August 1, 2019 Sony Pictures Sports Network will air the two Tests, and three each of ODIs and T20Is

    #MoreCricket. Sony Sports launches campaign on Windies tour & Ashes

    By A Correspondent

     

    Sony Pictures Sports Network (SPSN) launched its campaign, #MoreCricket, for the upcoming India tour of West Indies and the Ashes. With over 275 days of live cricket this financial year, the sports network will serve offer cricket across three channels. The India-WI series in the Caribbean islands and the US starts August 3 to September 3, 2019 and the England and Australia rivalry will be revived from August 1 to September 16, 2019.

     

    Said Rajesh Kaul, Chief Revenue Officer, Distribution and Head – Sports Business, Sony Pictures Networks India: “Our campaign, #MoreCricket captures the sentiments of every Indian this monsoon. India has an insatiable appetite for cricket and starting August this year, our viewers can catch the top teams and players in the world in two of the most exciting cricket series on Sony Pictures Sports Network. With over 275 days of live cricket on our network this financial year, we will deliver on our commitment to showcase the best of cricket from around the world starting with the exciting India tour of West Indies and the hard-fought Ashes. This will be followed by multiple series hosted by Cricket Australia, Sri Lanka Cricket, Pakistan Cricket Board and Cricket South Africa which includes amongst others the New Zealand tour of Australia, England tour of South Africa and Australia tour of South Africa.”

     

     

  • The #RishtaPakkaSamjho campaign has been launched with Amitabh Bachchan

    Sony launches consumer education campaign with Amitabh Bachchan

    By A Correspondent

     

    Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) has launched a consumer education campaign, related to the new MRP way of TV channel subscriptions provided by DTH / cable operators. The #RishtaPakkaSamjho campaign has been launched with actor Amitabh Bachchan.

     

     

    Said Rajesh Kaul, Chief Revenue Officer, Distribution and Head – Sports, SPN: “The 45-seconder TV spot talks to the Sony Network viewers, urging them to choose from SPN’s ‘Happy India’ pack, wherein the channel bouquets are simply packaged to allow consumer to choose the best channel combinations (across genres) at the lowest possible price points.”

     

     

  • SPN to show all races of ABB FIA Formula E Championship for further two seasons

    SPN extends TV & digital rights partnership with ABB FIA Formula E Championship

    By A Correspondent

     

    Sony Pictures Network India (SPN) will continue to broadcast each round of the ABB FIA Formula E Championship for a further two seasons across the Indian sub-continent – including India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

     

    Said Rajesh Kaul, Chief Revenue Officer Distribution and Head – Sports, Sony Pictures Networks India: “We are thrilled to extend our partnership with ABB FIA Formula E after the positive response and viewership we have seen over the past year. This series is especially exciting given the innovation and the potential it has for the future. At SPN, we are focused on providing a multi-sport viewing culture and the ABB FIA Formula E Championship further strengthens our vast portfolio.”

     

     

  • The deal also includes exclusive live-streaming of the action on SPN’s OTT platform, SonyLIV

    SPN retains UEFA broadcast rights till 2021

    By A Correspondent

     

    Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) has retained the broadcast rights to the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and UEFA Europe League in the Indian subcontinent until 2020-21. The rights cover the broadcast of 138 matches in the UEFA Champions League and 205 matches in the UEFA Europa League across the sports channels of SPN. The deal, which commences in the current season (2018-19) also includes exclusive live-streaming of the action on SPN’s OTT platform, SonyLIV.

     

    The Sony Ten Sports channels have been the official broadcaster of the UEFA tournaments for over a decade and will continue its endeavour to be the one-stop destination for the football loving audiences of India. This is in addition to broadcasting Serie A and LaLiga on SPN.

     

    Said Rajesh Kaul, Chief Revenue Officer, Distribution and Head – Sports, Sony Pictures Networks: “We are delighted to continue our partnership with UEFA. It’s a well-known fact that Europe is the home to the best football leagues in the world and the UEFA Champions League features the top clubs and best players from across the world. We are proud to have played our part in building and popularising the tournament in the region and it is not surprising that the viewership has doubled during the 2017-18 season. Along with the fans, we are also excited to continue our journey with this marquee property for the next three seasons.”

     

    Added Guy-Laurent Epstein, UEFA Director of Marketing: “UEFA is once again delighted to extend its longstanding partnership with Sony Pictures Networks across the Indian subcontinent.  SPN has been a valued UEFA partner for many years, proving itself as a leader in the broadcast of football content in this passionate and growing market.  This deal will ensure comprehensive exposure of the UEFA club competitions across SPN’s various platforms in the region.”

     

     

  • With this deal, over 100 selected matches will be telecast on SPN’s sports channels

    SPN partners with Facebook to telecast LaLiga in India 

    By A Correspondent

     

    Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) has partnered with Facebook to telecast the Spanish top division football league, LaLiga, on TV in India this season. With this deal, over 100 selected matches will be telecast on SPN;s sports channels, including the key clashes, El Clasico and Madrid Derby. All matches will still be available for free on Facebook.

     

    Said Rajesh Kaul, Chief Revenue Officer Distribution and Head – Sports, Sony Pictures Networks India said: “We have been committed to LaLiga for the past four years and we are excited to continue our partnership with one of the best football leagues in the world. This confirms our commitment to be the premier football destination for all viewers. TV is one of the strongest mediums in India and through this association, Indian audiences will continue to enjoy the LaLiga experience.”

     

    Added Joyee Biswas, Head of APAC Sports Partnerships, Facebook: “We’re excited to team with Sony Pictures Networks India to give fans in India even more ways to watch LaLiga this season. This partnership demonstrates our commitment to collaborating with broadcasters as we continue to explore a variety of different live sports business models.”