MxMIndia

Tag: Sony Liv

  • 64 teams from over 2000 schools are set to compete

    Sony Liv to air Siddhartha Basu’s ‘Quizzer Of The Year’

    Remember Siddhartha Basu doing Quiz Time on Doordarshan in the mid-1980s? And various other shows like: Spectrum, The India Quez, The Beanstalk Quiz Summitt, Mastermind India, University Challenge, India’s Child Genius and of course Kaun Banega Crorepati.

    Basu and wife Anita Kaul Basu are now streaming Quizzer Of The Year (QOTY), a nationwide challenge on Sony Liv.

    It started from April 15 with zonal rounds hosted by seasoned quizmasters Joy Bhattacharjya and Col Vembu Shankar. Winning teams will advance to the quarterfinals, semi-finals, finals hosted by Basu, with the ultimate winner being crowned the Quizzer Of The Year.

  • Given the sameness to shows over the last five years, the new 'Daily unscripted content' format merits attention, writes Shailesh Kapoor

    Reality Check

     

     

    By Shailesh Kapoor

     

    Shailesh KapoorThe linear television business in India has been struggling to find its next big idea. The streaming originals marketplace in India is operating more cautiously too, with economic and industry considerations, both global and local, slowing it down. Amid this relatively low-action period, a new format is making its presence felt: Daily unscripted content.

     

    While Bigg Boss and Kaun Banega Crorepati have been around for years as dailies, non-fiction has largely been seen as a weekend content type. GECs rightly expect daily soaps to build loyal weekday audiences. In any case, most non-fiction shows in India are in the broad genre of talent competitions, and they tend to be upto five to 10 times more expensive that fiction shows, making them unviable as a staple proposition.

     

    But the advent of streaming may have changed things a bit. Sony LIV recently launched MasterChef India only for OTT. The show has been around on GECs for years, across two networks, but has never quite found the success it would have hoped to. No surprise, then, that Sony has given up on its ambitions for the show related to mass television.

     

    Shark Tank India is a more recent, and a more obvious, example of a streaming-friendly show failing to deliver on linear TV, despite the network backing it with up aggressive marketing. The third season will follow the MasterChef India template, with daily episode drops on Sony LIV.

     

    JioCinema (earlier Voot) has done two seasons of Bigg Boss OTT. MX Player did its own homegrown variant, produced by Balaji Telefilms, titled Lock Upp, in 2022. Tonight, the first-ever season of Temptation Island India, starts on JioCinema. All these shows are in the daily format.

     

    The weekday-weekend distinction related to fiction and non-fiction seems to have blurred in recent times. It could be a result of many factors: Less compelling fiction content on TV, change in audience habits in the OTT era (such as low appointment viewership), episodic content being more preferred to continuity-driven stories, etc.

     

    While the reasons are a subject of further analysis, daily non-fiction is finding its takers, both at the platform side and the audience side. The new season of Bigg Boss has opened very well from TV standards. The show has original content in the form of interstitials and spin-offs on OTT, which are carefully designed for better monetisation. In what’s increasingly an AVOD-SVOD hybrid environment for original content (compared to 2020-22), monetisation via advertisers has made non-fiction a more relevant option on streaming.

     

    The Indian non-fiction market needed this boost in its thinking. There has been a sense of sameness to the shows over the last five years, with the same formats being rehashed. But formats that were safe bets till before the pandemic have struggled to deliver numbers in recent times, and viewer fatigue is evidently one of the primary reasons.

     

    Daily non-fiction may help GECs and OTT platforms, especially those with a strong AVOD service, find a new business model. It may be just the right time too, given that the web-series (fiction) content on SVOD is beginning to look just a tad jaded. The audience will surely not be complaining if they get a legitimately-different option on the menu.

     

  • Announces the release date of series SCAM 2003: The Telgi Story

    SonyLiv celebrates its anniv with new season of Scam

    By Our Staff

     

    SonyLiv, the OTT/streaming offering from Sony Entertainment Television is celebrating the anniversary of its relaunch by announcing the release date of Scam 2003: The Telgi Story. The series is adapted from the Hindi book ‘Reporter ki Diary’ authored by journalist\news reporter Sanjay Singh, who is credited with breaking the story of the scam back in the time.

    Notes a communique: “Scam 2003 brings the story of the 2003 Stamp Paper Scam by Abdul Karim Telgi. The series promises to be an intriguing watch as it will capture the life of Abdul Karim Telgi, born in Khanapur in Karnataka, and his journey to becoming the mastermind behind one of India’s most ingenious scams spread across 18 states which shook the entire country. It is estimated that the scam value was around Rs. 20,000 crores.”

    The show features Kiran Yadnyopavit, known for his contribution to the Marathi film industry, to write and develop the story along with author Sanjay Singh.

    Scam 2003 is produced by Applause entertainment in association with Studio Next. The series is helmed by Hansal Mehta and directed by Tushar Hiranandani.

     

  • With Siddhartha Basu

    Sony LIV announces quizzing extravaganza

    By Our Staff

     

    Sony LIV announces has announced ‘Quizzer Of The Year’ (QOTY), a nationwide quiz challenge. Aimed at students from grades IX to XII (9th to 12th) for the academic year 2023-24, QOTY seeks to engage young minds with passion and curiosity for learning and quizzing. QOTY is helmed by celebrity quizmaster Siddhartha Basu and is co-designed and created together with Anita Kaul Basu and the team at Tree of Knowledge Digital (Digitok).

     

    Said Aman Srivastava – Head of Marketing, SonyLIV: “India’s young population is a vibrant and dynamic demographic with immense potential. They are a tech-savvy generation with a quest for knowledge and personal growth. Quiz challenges as a format provides them a platform to showcase their intelligence and competitive spirit, encouraging them to expand their horizons. With our legacy of talent formats including Shark Tank India and MasterChef India, we are proud to announce Quizzer Of The Year. We are delighted to partner with Mr Basu and are confident that QOTY will become the ultimate destination for young quiz enthusiasts across India.”

     

  • Announcing new shows and subsequent seasons

    Sony LIV & Applause strengthen partnership

    By Our Staff

     

    Sony LIV and Applause Entertainment have unveiled their upcoming slate for 2023 strengthening their  partnership. Two new series ‘Kafas’ (Cage) and ’36 Days’ are lined up along with return of other seasonal shows. ‘Kafas’ produced in association with Madiba Entertainment is a social drama series starring Sharman Joshi, Mona Singh, Vivan Bhathena, Preeti Jhangiani and Mikail Gandhi in lead roles and directed by Sahil Sangha.

     

    The second series ‘36 Days’ produced in association with BBC Studios India is a suspense thriller, directed by Vishal Furia, featuring an ensemble cast including Neha Sharma, Purab Kohli, Shruti Seth, Chandan Roy Sanyal, Amruta Khanvilkar, Sharib Hashmi, Shernaz Patel, Faishal Rashid, Chahat Vig, Kenneth Desai in pivotal roles.

     

    Said Danish Khan, Head – Sony LIV, Sony Entertainment Television and Studio Next:  “We are delighted to strengthen our long running partnership with Applause Entertainment with an exceptional slate of shows in 2023 and beyond.”

     

    Added Sameer Nair, Managing Director, Applause Entertainment: “In our shared mission to captivate and entertain audiences through the power of storytelling we are excited to create for Sony Liv a diverse and captivating mix of new shows and returning favourites.”

     

  • It left a terrific after-taste in the mind, writes Avik Chattopadhyay. And there are lessons in there for brands!

    What a rocket, boys!

     

     

     

    By Avik Chattopadhyay

     

    Avik ChattopadhyayI just finished watching Rocket Boys Season 2 on Sony Liv.

     

    With my 79-year-old mother sitting beside me, wide-eyed, ears perked up not to miss a single dialogue. We had finished Season 1 in one sitting, so taking two sittings to polish off Season 2 was a bit of a let-down, by our own standards of binge-watching.

     

    It left a terrific after-taste… in the mind. Somehow it made me feel better about myself, the society I have grown up in and the ‘nation’ I belong to. Though not a great fan of the very concept of nationhood, this, for a moment made me break free from my self-imposed boundaries, and feel proud…very proud!

     

    What makes this web series work for me? It is definitely dramatic. It is not always factual. It does fall prey to some stereotyping, whether it be the grimacing CIA officials or the underdog Raza. It has taken definite liberties with situations and dialogues, given the very lack of any evidence to prove otherwise. Yet, it is a terrific story!

     

    It is not just the story of Bhabha, Sarabhai, Kalam and Ramanna. It is the story of a nation, just a decade young, trying to find its own feet and posture. It is the story of a nation that was carefully crafted, through a constitution, to be a lighthouse for the rest of the colonial world to admire and emulate. The India created in 1947 was more than a nation state. It was an idea whose time had come [to quote from Victor Hugo] of what a post-war, post-colonial, modern country should be like… diverse, inclusive, democratic, open, inquisitive, industrious, ambitious, assertive [not arrogant, mind you] and non-aligned. If a country of 300 million people of unending diversity could consciously choose be this in the 1940s, so could every new nation that followed.

     

    This exactly is the story of Rocket Boys [RB]. Each protagonist stands for a certain value or weakness of the new India. Each character is a certain shade of grey. Apart from the CIA that has been depicted in dark black, all others are shades of grey… from light as in Sarabhai to very dark as in Mathur. Nehru is vulnerable. Shastri is indecisive. Mrs Gandhi is fragile. Everyone has weaknesses. Nobody dons a masked suit with a cape and flies off to save a young India from the evil Pakistan and the hawkish US. They are just as commonplace we are. Just that circumstances made them be in places and hold positions that required of them to direct and define a legacy.

     

    This is what makes RB so endearing.

    And a terrific lesson for brands. Three clear inspirations can be taken by any brand manager from the Rocket Boys.

     

    Endless Engagement

    This is the first quality of any successful marketing campaign today. It has to build quick bonding and then carry the target segment through an immersive journey. RB is as racy as any thriller you have seen. It is a bit like Tom Clancy and K N Panikkar rolled into one. Right from the start it is a roller coaster ride of adventure, intrigue and crime without the Mumbai underworld. The only reference to ‘Bhai’ is how Bhabha addressed Nehru.

     

    Relatable Relevance

    The timing is perfect. So are the characterisations, or most of them. As we are entering into our ‘Amritkaal’ it is always good for the younger generation to know a bit about the early ‘Samudra Manthan’. The youth need to get a glimpse into how things of utmost import happened before issues like regionalism, religion and right[eous] ownership became the narrative.

     

    This is an era much before appeasement and invasions. This was an era of nurturing, questioning, scientific temper and a greater sense of bonhomie. This was an era that saw the subtle but sure transition from the Prime Minister being addressed as ‘Bhai’ to ‘Mrs Gandhi’. RB allows the young Indian to connect the dots and process the journey we have undertaken as a nation and where we stand today.

     

    And it has been deliberately made in English to cater to a wider audience across India and even overseas. Making it in Hindi would have restricted its viewership and national appeal.

     

    Inspiring Candour

    The tone of voice through the webseries is charmingly disarming. There are the obvious moments of high-sounding statements, but they are exceptions. The state of the nation has been shown in a truthful manner. There is no unnecessary bravado. There is no superhero. Every character has a fair share of strengths and weaknesses.

     

    Relationships have been sensitively depicted and nurtured, though a few characters like that of Kamla Chowdhry have been shown in a single dimension. But then doing otherwise might have digressed from the core narrative of how India became a nuclear power. There has been controversy around the fictional character of Raza Mehdi and how a stalwart like Meghnad Saha has been virtually ignored. But then, nobody’s perfect. Just like our nation is not. The characters grow and develop through the 16 episodes almost symbolic of the way the young nation slowly found its feet, reconciled with harsh realities, recalibrated after adversities yet relentless in its greater pursuit of creating a new world order… fearless, forthcoming and friendly with all!

     

    For the entire team that created Rocket Boys, there could not have been a better tribute to a still unsure, bit confused but totally committed 75-year-young nation!

     

  • The first half of 2022 has seen its fair share of hits and misses on the streaming front. Shailesh Kapoor picks five Indian originals that made a mark in H1/2022

    2022 So Far: The Best of Indian Streaming

     

     

     

    By Shailesh Kapoor

     

    Shailesh Kapoor2022 is more than halfway through, and even as the pandemic lurks around, the year has a semblance of normalcy to it, something we have not felt since 2019. The entertainment narrative in the pandemic years was largely centered around streaming (direct-to-OTT) content. This year, the conversation has shifted significantly to theatrical films, with the release of some big blockbusters, especially in Telugu, Tamil and Kannada languages.

     

    But streaming content continues to build a wider audience base, and is now a flourishing parallel industry that’s hard to not take notice of. The first half of the year has seen its fair share of hits and misses on the streaming front. Here’s my choice of five Indian streaming originals that made a mark in Jan-Jun 2022:

     

    5. A Thursday (Disney+ Hotstar)

    There haven’t been too many direct-to-OTT films that have made a mark this year, as the best content has been released theatrically first. But the Feb 2022 Hotstar thriller A Thursday, headlined by Yami Gautam Dhar, got the audience attention like no other film could. With an estimated viewership of 25.5 Mn, it is the most-watched streaming original film in India this year, ahead of the more-hyped Gehraiyaan. The thriller, with a very relevant message in the last act, may end up being the biggest direct-to-OTT film of the year too, given that streamers are now shifting their focus firmly to series than films.

     

     

    4. Gullak S3 (Sony LIV)

    Gullak is a partnership between a platform (Sony LIV) and a producer (TVF) who are both recognized for some excellent work in the streaming space over the last few years. The show revels in its simplicity and the ‘aam aadmi’ connect, making it stand out in a category that’s still driven by a predominantly cosmopolitan outlook. There has been amazing consistency across the three seasons of the show, in terms of character portrayal, the quality of humor, and the overall tonality of the show itself. One hopes the fourth season is round the corner, because the show’s growing fanbase is eagerly anticipating it.

     

     

    3. Suzhal: The Vortex (Amazon Prime Video)

    Created by Pushkar-Gayathri, of Vikram Vedha fame, crime thriller Suzhal has managed to find an audience outside its native (Tamil) market, despite the setting of the story setting being rooted in the local culture. The streaming category has made the language barrier a lesser factor over the last two years, and we can expect more shows like Suzhal to break through in the Hindi market in the coming months.

     

     

    2. Rocket Boys (Sony LIV)

    Rocket Boys, a biopic that traces the life of Homi Bhabha and Vikram Sarabhai, is a masterful recreation of an important chapter in modern Indian history. But it’s not the historical significance that makes the show so delightful to watch. Rocket Boys, created by Abhay Pannu, has an irresistible vibe, as it seamlessly blends humor with drama, romance with history, and irreverence with a sense of responsibility. Imaginative casting is one of the show’s strengths, and Jim Sarbh as Bhabha is particularly outstanding.

     

     

    1. Panchayat S2 (Amazon Prime Video)

    Panchayat is the second TVF show on this list. TVF’s strong presence on any Indian streaming list is a given, given the consistency of their offering over a few years now. Unlike Gullak, which has a more homely and next-door vibe, Panchayat has a certain cinematic quality to it, despite its simple, almost innocent, imagery. You can sense that this show is going to only get bigger and more ambitious with each season, because it’s uniquely wry style of giving social commentary is some sort of an acquired taste.

     

  • SonyLIV’s campaign celebrates the passion Indians have brought to the game of cricket

    Sony LIV gets India-England cricket series into focus with #Epic70daybattle

    By A Correspondent

     

    Sony LIV has launched its ad campaign for the India tour of England titled, #Epic70daybattle. The film focusses on the game of cricket and how we have sent our best men to England for this 70-day long tour.This film has been conceptualised by Publicis Ambience and the creative minds at SonyLIV.

     

    Said Abhishek Joshi – Head Marketing, Subscription and Content Licensing of Digital Business at Sony Pictures Network India (SPNI): “After the success of our FIFA film which was the only Indian brand that featured on the YouTube global list of best soccer films that were created for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, this film on cricket is a completely different take on advertising. We created a campaign that will connect with all cricket fans across the nation and bring them closer to the sport. The campaign focusses on the game of cricket and the passion it evokes. Team India will bring to the fore their incredible and different styles and add value to the game. With India tour of England, we are extending our promise of a seamless viewing experience while maximizing audience reach across mobile and personal screens.”

     

     

  • The film is a humorous take on life after death and how the protagonist makes sure he protects his family’s future

    Sony LIV crafts a short film in association with IndiaFirst Life Insurance

    By A Correspondent

     

    Sony LIV has crafted a new short film for India First Life Insurance. The promotional film titled ‘Tera Mera Pyaar Amar’ is said to be a humorous take on life after death and how the protagonist makes sure he protects his family’s future in his absence.

     

    Said Uday Sodhi, EVP and Head-Digital Business, Sony Pictures Networks (SPN): “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.”

     

    Added Rushabh Gandhi, Director- Sales & Marketing, IndiaFirst Life Insurance: “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.”

     

     

  • Publicis communications has crafted the campaign around the line 'Jahaan Fan Dikhe, bol do"

    Publicis Communications conceptualises Sony LIV’s sports campaign

    By A Correspondent

     

    Sonyliv, the OTT platform from Sony Pictures Network has released a 360-degree campaign for the upcoming cricket series of India.

     

    Publicis Communications has crafted the campaign around the line ‘Jahaan Fan Dikhe, Bol Do’. The thought behind the campaign comes from the fact that a fan of the game cannot but help share with his fan friends, any piece of news concerning the sport they love and the team they love.

     

    Said Uday Sodhi, EVP and Head – Digital Business, SonyLIV said: “By making India’s international cricket tour available to SonyLIV audiences we intend to reinforce our credentials as the online destination for fans to enjoy an ultimate cricketing experience. ‘Jahaan Fan Dikhe Bol Do’ fuels the passion that rages within each fan while celebrating this sport. The campaign urges cricket fans to spread the cheer and unite in the rallying cry of superior sporting action.”

     

    Added Paritosh Srivastava, Chief Operating Officer, Publicis Communications: “Indian cricket being available on SonyLiv is a huge opportunity. The idea is to maximise this in terms of attracting fans to our platform. Tough part was to come up with an idea on cricket that is fresh and unseen. We believe that ‘Jahan fan dikhe bol do’ captures the true spirit of the Indian fan and does justice to the religion cricket is on our country. The idea has the potential to make the fans the evangelists of the brand.”

     

    Said Jigar Fernandes, Head of Creative, Publicis Communications: “The insight here is that when a fan gets any news about his team, he cannot help but share it with his gang. For Indian cricket fans, the news that cricket is now on SonyLiv is big. All this campaign does is nudge these fans to go out and spread the word.”

     

  • The brand will be handled by the agency's Mumbai office

    Publicis Worldwide wins SonyLIV’s creative mandate

    By A Correspondent

     

    SonyLIV from Sony Pictures Networks has assigned its creative mandate to Publicis Worldwide. The account was won following a multi-agency pitch. The brand will be handled by the agency’s Mumbai office.

     

    Sony LIV is a premium video-on-demand (VOD) service by Sony Pictures Networks’ (SPN) providing multi-screen engagement to users across platforms. Launched in January 2013, SonyLIV enables users to discover 21 years of rich archival and original content from the network channels of SPN.

     

    Uday Sodhi
    Paritosh Srivastava

    Commenting on Publicis winning the SonyLIV creative mandate, Uday Sodhi, Executive Vice-President and Head, Digital Business, Sony Pictures Networks India, said, “During the last three years, a lot of effort has gone behind building brand SonyLIV. In Publicis we saw the right creative partner who could help us with their strategic insights. With their expertise we hope to drive impactful campaigns and create meaningful conversations around our brand.”

     

    Expressing their view on the account win, Paritosh Srivastava, COO, Publicis Ambience said, “We are excited and proud to be associated with a brand like SonyLIV. In this digital era, with the growing audience, video-on-demand is the future of entertainment. SonyLIV has been one of the early entrants in the OTT space and we aim to cohesively work with the brand team to realize the grand ambitions.”

     

     

  • Mobile Video traffic in India is poised to grow exponentially in the next three years

    Sony LIV launches its movie subscription service

    By A Correspondent

     

    Sony LIV has announced its foray into the movies subscription service with blockbuster movie content. With this initiative, Sony LIV continues to expand its content offerings from catch-up content to sports, to music to original exclusive series and now, to the movies subscription service.

     

    India, besides its large market size, is among the countries with the fastest smartphone growth in Asia. Mobile Video traffic in India is poised to grow exponentially in the next three years and Sony LIV, the first Video on demand service by a broadcaster in India, is seeking to bolster its foothold in the online video space. Globally, SVOD is poised to become the largest revenue source in 2020, overtaking OTT advertising. But in India the market is at a nascent stage with a huge growth potential in future. (Source: Digital TV Research)

     

    Sony LIV will let consumers stream all mega blockbuster movies at a very nominal price. The service will be accessible to consumers through its website or via the Sony LIV app available on Google Playstore (for Android users) and Appstore for (iOS users). With the latest and a vast range of movies from across the genres, users can pay for the subscription through multiple e-payment options such as credit card, debit card, Internet banking and direct billing services.

     

    Uday Sodhi, EVP and Head -Digital Business said, “The movie subscription service is a convenient and affordable way for film lovers to enjoy their favorite blockbuster hits on their preferred digital devices. We have a wide assortment of cinematic treats on offer that users can access in a single click. The different subscription models ensure that they pay as per their consumption levels. The move is targeted towards making the digital platform the only destination that consumers need to turn to in order to fulfill the entire spectrum of their entertainment needs.”