MxMIndia

Tag: Sony Pictures Networks India

  • It was organised by SPN's music cluster channels, Sony MIX and Sony ROX HD and hosted by RJ Salil

    Media honchos sweat it out at ‘Media keSurtaj’

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Grand Finale of the second season of ‘Media KeSurtaj’ was held on Friday at Bungalow 9 in Mumbai. It was organised by SPN’s music cluster channels, Sony MIX and Sony ROX HD and hosted by RJ Salil.

     

    A arkaoke competition amongst media professionals, Media KeSurtaj, brought out hidden singing talent among media agency professionals. The audition rounds were held across Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru in agencies like OMD, Carat, Lodestar, Initiative, Publicis, Madison, ZenithOptimedia and GroupM between March 15 to 24, 2017. Elevated levels of enthusiasm and participation were displayed among all the participants and 180 contestants were shortlisted for Friday’s finale.

     

    The winners were selected in two categories namely, the popular choice and the critics’ choice. Each category had two sub-categories, i.e, Solo & Duet. The video of each participant’s audition is up on display up on the website for an audience poll. The voting closed on April 7, receiving a tremendous response with overall 32000+ votes being registered. The popular choice category winners were selected based on the maximum votes received. The jury for the Critics’ Choice Awards included the masters of the industry including music composer Ajay Singha and singer Ash King, among others.

     

    Ecstatic at the win, the Popular Choice Solo winner, Pankaj Dobhal from ZenithOptimedia, exclaimed: “I had not expected to win a singing competition my entire life. Doing something beyond your daily routine feels great and I would like to thank everyone who voted for me and had faith in my voice.” With all excitement, Critics’ choice Duet winners, Craig Viegas&PrachiKalkar, GroupM said, “Singing has always been our hobby, never knew that it would get us such a big reward. We would like to thank Sony MIX for this initiative and giving us such a great platform to showcase our hidden talents.” Apart from these, Popular choice Duet category winners were Ashish Rane and Neelam Shridhankar from Carat Media and the Critics’ choice Solo category award was bagged by Gaurav Chopra from GroupM.

     

    The winners of the popular choice category won prizes worth Rs 20,000 and the critics’ choice category got an all-expense paid trip to Dubai for two.

     

    Talking about this innovative programme, Neeraj Vyas, Senior EVP and Business Head – Max Cluster and Sony Mix, Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) said, “I feel, for most of us music is an integral part and one of the key drivers in our daily lives. Hence, we decided to use this musical platform to encourage media professionals to showcase their hidden talent while they get a break from their daily routine. We at SPN were elated with the first season of Media KeSurtaj and extremely overwhelmed with the response received in this second season as well and will hopefully expand to new horizons soon.”

     

  • Launches with four homegrown original animated shows to woo Indian kids

    Sony Yay to launch on April 18

    By A Correspondent

     

    Sony Pictures Networks India announced the launch of its much-awaited kid’s entertainment channel – Sony YAY! that will go live on April 18. With the premise of being the ‘Destination for Unlimited Happiness’ for kids, the channel has roped in dancing cinestar Tiger Shroff as its brand ambassador.

     

    With the primary TG of 2-14 years of age, Yay will go live with four original, locally produced, animated shows. A musical comedy titled Guru Aur Bhole on Mon – Fri at 10am, Sab Jholmaal Hai starring a world full of pets on Mon – Fri at 9am, a tale of friendship in Prince Jai Aur Dumdaar Viru on Mon – Fri at 11am and a ghost comedy called Paap-O-Meter on Sat – Sun at 12 noon  will form the key programming mix of the channel at the time of launch.

     

    Said NP Singh, Chief Executive Officer, Sony Pictures Networks (SPN) at a media meet on Thursday: “It goes without saying that the Indian television industry is at an interesting crossroad, with the kids genre being a frontrunner in demanding innovation and freshness. With the launch of Sony YAY!, the network now offers tailormade propositions for every member of the family.“

     

    Added Leena Lele Dutta, Business Head, Sony YAY!: “We are excited to launch Sony YAY! and be the platform that provides children with original Indian content that they can relate to and identify with. We couldn’t be happier to have Tiger Shroff on-board to support our vision of spreading happiness amongst our young audiences through content that is truly sensitized to their needs. We are certain that kids will find an instant connect with our shows…”

     

    The channel will will be aired in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu languages across direct-to-home (DTH) and digital cable platforms starting April 18.

     

     

  • Lele-Dutta will be spearheading the new channel and will be responsible for developing content and driving the channel's reach

    Yay! LeenaLele Dutta is Business Head for Sony’s kiddie channel

    By A Correspondent

     

    Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) has announced LeenaLele Dutta as Business Head for its upcoming channel in the kids’ entertainment space. With over two decades of experience in the media and entertainment industry, Lele Dutta will be spearheading the new channel and will be responsible for developing content and driving the channel’s reach and connect with its relevant target audience. The new kids channel from SPN will be called Sony YAY and is likely to be launched in mid-April.

     

    Said NP Singh, CEO, Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN)on the appointment: “The kids genre is a new territory for us and has immense potential to grow. With an impressive track record and in-depth understanding of the entertainment industry, we are confident that Leena will play a pivotal role in establishing the business. Under her able leadership, we intend to solidify a significant presence as an outstanding brand in the kids’ entertainment space”.

     

    Added Lele Dutta: “There is a lot to explore in the kids’ entertainment genre. We wish to create a brand that caters to the entertainment needs of Indian kids at the same time giving them experiences that leave lasting impressions on them. We also want to give parents, especially working mothers like me, the confidence to let kids consume our differentiated content in an environment that elevates their happiness.” “YAY! being the quintessential expression of joy and euphoria, has always been synonymous with happiness and excitement; Thus, the name, Sony YAY!”

     

  • Certain other operations and assets will be included in the final phase of the acquisition, subject to certain closing conditions, which is expected to be completed in the next few months

    Sony completes 1st of 2-phase acquisition of Ten Sports

    By A Correspondent

     

    Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) and its affiliates have completed the first phase of a two-phase acquisition of the TEN Sports Network from Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEE) and its subsidiaries, according to communiques received from both networks.

     

    Following the completion of this phase of the acquisition, SPN’s cluster of nine sports channels will now include: Sony SIX and Sony Six HD, Sony ESPN and Sony ESPN HD, TEN 1, TEN 1 HD, TEN 2, TEN 3, and TEN Golf HD.

     

    Certain other operations and assets will be included in the final phase of the acquisition, subject to certain closing conditions, which is expected to be completed in the next few months.

     

    Commented NP Singh, CEO, Sony Pictures Networks India commented: “I am delighted that the teams from SPN and ZEE have completed this core phase of the transaction in good time. SPN is now equipped, better than ever, to offer its viewers premium sporting content with a sports portfolio that includes every major sport and many international as well as domestic leagues. We are now stepping into the integration process to facilitate a seamless transition.”

     

    Added Punit Goenka, Managing Director, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited: “Great job done by the teams from SPN and Zee in facilitating the closure of this phase of the transaction. I am confident that the Ten Sports Network will reach new levels of consumer engagement under the nurturing guidance of SPN. I wish them the best. I’ll be tuning in regularly.”

     

  • Unique second screen experience for fans for the first time in India across any sport

    Sony Pictures acquires broadcast rights for Nexa P1 Powerboat

    By A Correspondent

     

    Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) is the broadcast partner for the inaugural edition of Nexa P1 Powerboat, Indian Grand Prix of the Seas, the global series in powerboat racing being launched from India. This will be the first time globally that powerboat racing will be telecast live, notes a communique. In addition, in a first-of-its-kind across all sports, fans will experience a “second screen”, which will provide personalised content that will elevate the race experience to a whole new level for viewers.

     

    SPN will bring home to millions of fans the thrilling action from the shores of Marine Drive in Mumbai during the race weekend. The telecast repertoire includes nine hours of live programming on SONY ESPN, SONY ESPN HD, SONY Pix, and SONY Pix HD channels commencing on March 3 until March 5, 2017. In addition to this, the event will be live streamed on SonyLIV.

     

    The second screen is a gamified graphics interface to be followed live on an internet-connected device for real-time access to gamified positions, telemetric race data and analytics, in addition to the television broadcast.

     

    Said Prasana Krishnan, EVP and Business Head, Sports Cluster, Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN):“Powerboat racing is one of the latest adventure sports that is gaining momentum all over the world. The inaugural edition of the Nexa P1 Powerboat, Indian Grand Prix of the Seas is a grand scale International lifestyle event that will potentially transform the way marine sports is consumed in India. In addition to this, for the first time, viewers will get to experience the thrills of powerboating with the live telecast of the Nexa P1 Powerboat, Indian Grand Prix of the Seas.”

     

  • Taking cues from the global campaign, AXN India adapted the international thought 'It's not a game anymore'

    Sherlock Holmes marketing effort creates positive buzz on social platforms

    By A Correspondent

     

    AXN, the channel that hosts shows spanning the genres of reality, entertainment and drama, premiered the BBC drama Sherlock Season 4 in India with an integrated 360-degree marketing campaign.Taking cues from the global campaign, AXN India adapted the international thought ‘It’s not a game anymore’ and created an India-specific, clutter-breaking campaign. The concept was well received by the fans, which in turn garnered quality social media conversations around the campaign tagline and the show.

     

    With an aim to further the Sherlock craze, all marketing elements like on-air promotions, social media buzz, on-ground association, outdoor campaigns, radio spots and PR tools were strategically used to make the premiere a huge success.

     

    The integrated activities began with a month long on-air campaign that included one-of-a-kind association with India’s leading app Uber and buzziest youth hangout joint Social.The first step was for Uber travelers to unlock the Sherlock code on the Uber app.This resulted in top 100 winners of the activity to watch exclusive screening of Sherlock Season 4 episode before the India premiere.

     

    The 3-weeklong collaboration with Social enabled fans to experience Sherlock’s eccentric lifestyle by being part of an exciting treasure hunt across key Social outlets in India. The fans also got photographs clicked at the Sherlock zone created at the venue, which was equipped with Sherlock props, and win exclusive AXN hampers.

     

    AXN also got on board stand-up comedian of EIC fame, Azeem Banatwalla to take viewers through the ‘Sherlock’ voyage. A 5-minute crash course to all the previous episodes coupled with Azeem’s wacky humour,got the more than one million views creating tremendous buzz online.

     

    Saurabh Yagnik, EVP and Business Head, English Cluster, Sony Pictures Networks India said, “AXN is an aspirational brand for the youth so we strategically partnered with other aspirational youth brands – Social and Uber. We were able to engage with our target audience more efficiently and effectively creating a win-win proposition for all. The response from viewers has been phenomenal. We trended on Twitter for over 110 hours during the campaign period. AXN is home to Sherlock and we reinforced our position as the best destination for iconic shows and characters.”

     

    Shobita Kadan, Director – Marketing & Strategy at Impresario (parent company of Social) said, “We were delighted to partner with AXN and provide a platform for the first ever screening of Sherlock for which we share a common audience. Our patrons; true Sherlockians got the opportunity to enjoy the screening well before anyone else in the country. A 360-degree brand experience was curated through various touch points such as a fun treasure hunt, an interactive photo booth and fun giveaways to reinstating the culture-defining Social experience.”

     

     

     

  • Anooj Kapoor has been business head of Sab and Sony Pal. His last day at SPN is today (Jan 31)

    Sab-sob! Anooj Kapoor exits Sony Pictures Networks India. For greener pastures

    By A Correspondent

     

    Anooj Kapoor

    Anooj Kapoor, the business head of Sony’s popular channel Sab and the Sonly Pal, is moving on to pursue independent ventures. Having spent nearly a decade turning around Sab and spearheading it to even cross flagship Sony Entertainment Channel in ratings, Kapoor, an MBA from SP Jain Mumbai,who spent some early years in advertising, is moving on. His last day for punching in his attendance is today (Jan 31).

     

    Said  NP Singh, CEO, Sony Pictures Networks India:“Anooj has played a key role in the curation of Sav as a family humour channel. His contribution has been instrumental in creating a strong viewer base for Sab. As he moves on to embrace a new future, I wish him the best in all his endeavours.” Added Kapoor: “My best memories have been shaped at SPN. As I move on to pursue other dreams, I thank my team at SAB for being one of the best teams anyone can get to work with.”

     

    Kapoor is rumoured to be starting his own production company.

     

  • …Says Neeraj Vyas, SVP and Business Head, on the launch of Sony Rox

    With Rox, we will bring alive sound & video…

     

    By Santosh Jangid

     

    A quick chat with Neeraj Vyas, Senior EVP and Business Head – Hindi Movies & Music Cluster, Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) soon after he unveiled the channel to the media. Excerpts from the interview:

     

    How will Sony Rox be different from the others?

    The main differentiator is that we will more than anything else bring alive sound and video quality as we have a partnership with Dolby. Dolby has a very stringent benchmarks that you need to comply with and we are very proud to say that we have adhered to all those benchmarks and we are actually merging the workflow of Dolby with Sony and the output that you see is a result of that. So it’s a huge step up for the whole music industry. That’s the first differentiator. The day-parting is another differentiator, the fact that we have deals with all the music labels is another differentiation. You pick up any channel, you will not find that. All the specials that we are doing – the Gigs in your town or School of Rocks which tells you about small things about music. We are also looking at doing interviews with musicians, we will also be doing music reviews. So a lot happening in the next six-eight months.

     

    ‘Mix for SD households, Rox for HD’

     

    Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) launched its second Hindi music channel Sony Rox HD which will cater to young music enthusiasts.  The channel showcases new Hindi film music in high definition visual format of 1080i resolution and enhanced by Dolby Audio. Served through a day-parted playout with unique programming initiatives, the tagline of the channel is ‘Music Melody Madhoshi’. Some of the specials on Sony Rox HD include Rox School of Music which educate the audience about the A to Z of making music, Rox Recommends which showcases the coolest hits every week, Gigs in your Town which unroll musical events around you and Rox Original Artist of the Month where there will be a new indie artist every month on the channel.

     

    Speaking about the launch, NP Singh, CEO, Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) said,“There were 15 channels when we ventured into the music genre five years back. We wanted to create the most music-centered destination on Indian television and Sony Mix went beyond our expectations on that count. Building on this gratifying experience, we decided to launch Sony Rox HD. And now, with this launch, we are geared to take a leadership position in the broadcast of music entertainment by curating an incredible experience for music lovers. While Mix will cater to SD (Standard Definition) households, Rox HD shall set itself as the premium contemporary music channel for youth in HD (High Definition) households.”

     

    Added Pankaj Kedia, Senior Director, Emerging Markets, Dolby Laboratories  on the association with Sony Rox: “Great sound is essential for a complete cinematic entertainment experience and Dolby is excited to work with Sony Rox HD to unveil a dynamic audio experience for consumers.”

     

    Why a new channel when you already have one in Sony Mix?

    That would have disturbed the existing existence of Sony Mix. Sony Mix caters to a large section of people between the age group of 14 to 40 years whereas this is clearly for the youth in the age group of 14 to 25 years. You cannot dilute what a brand stands for and you have to only add to that. Mix has its own status, it’s a GEC kind of a channel and it caters to a large segment of the audience.

     

    Tell us more about the association with Dolby?

    It’s an understanding of two companies which adhere to quality so its more a marketing relationship where both the brands will benefit from the quality standards that each of us share with each other.

     

    What would be the promotion strategy for the channel?

    Luckily we are a network of 22 channels so we don’t have to look beyond that. The promos are already airing on the channels. We have a very large digital presence and we are the first ones to go live on Facebook for a channel launch. I don’t think anybody has done it. We are launching the channel live across all our network channel’s Facebook pages. So digital is taken care of. We have twitter handle where we get feedback, also on print. Outdoor is something we don’t do because it doesn’t  really work beyond a point. The strength of our network is our biggest platform.

     

    On a personal level, how important is music to you?

    Music is the only thing I live for. It ticks me like nothing else does. I start my day with music and I end my day with music. People normally watch TV before going to sleep, I listen to music.

     

  • 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.”

     

     

  • Latest step in the collaboration between Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) and ESPN across both TV and digital

    ESPN unveils local multi-sport digital products for India

    By A Correspondent

     

    In line with its long-term collaboration with Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN), ESPN has introduced an exciting new mobile-first multi-sport digital offering in India with the launch of the ESPN.in website and the ESPN app.

     

    With an emerging multi-sport landscape in India, the new site and app will further reinforce ESPN’s market leadership, authority and expertise in digital media, bringing an elegant, lively and more personal sports experience to Indian and subcontinent fans across mobiles, tablets and computers. ESPN.in site and app will also be carrying rights video content for sporting events from SONY LIV, SPN’s digital streaming platform, and SPN’s new SONY ESPN sports channels. India is the first market outside the United States to see the launch of a localized edition of ESPN’s signature app.

     

    From mainstream sports in India and the subcontinent, to the best of ESPN’s comprehensive coverage of global sports that interest South Asian fans, ESPN.in and the ESPN app will bring fans closer to the games, leagues and athletes they love via world-class digital products.

     

    Both the site and app will offer the best cricket coverage (powered by ESPNcricinfo), but also give fans a one-stop destination for world-class news, features and videos across sports currently underserved by any digital offering in the region, such as football, hockey, badminton, tennis, Formula 1, kabaddi and more.

     

    The new ESPN.in and ESPN app brings Indian and subcontinent fans a clean, dynamic presentation for ESPN’s content and storytelling, including scores, news, video, features, stats and more. Additionally, they will feature LIVE streaming video content of select sporting events in collaboration with SONY LIV.

     

    Ramesh Kumar, Vice President, Head of ESPN India and South Asia said: “ESPN has a strong connection with fans in India and around the world because we are fans ourselves, driven by a similar obsession for sports. The launch of our multi-sport products showcases our digital leadership and offers sports fans outstanding news, features and video experiences around top sports of interest to Indian fans. They also provide the perfect complement to our television collaboration with Sony Pictures Networks India as well as reinforce ESPN’s signature ‘Game around the Game’ analysis across platforms.”

     

    Uday Sodhi, Executive Vice President & Head, Digital Business, Sony Pictures Networks India said: “Sony LIV has been instrumental in bringing the best of entertainment to the digital millennials. Sports is an integral part of our offering. Together with ESPN, we are geared to increase our offering manifold.”

     

  • The change in the distribution subsidiary’s name does not affect or impact its business with customers and stakeholders in any way

    MSMMD rebranded to SPN Distribution

    By A Correspondent

     

    MSM Media Distribution (MSMMD), the distribution arm and wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) has announced a change in its name and will now be called Sony Pictures Networks Distribution India Pvt. Ltd. The name change reflects SPN’s broader vision and is part of the alignment process to its parent company Sony Pictures Networks India. The new name is effective immediately. The change in the distribution subsidiary’s name does not affect or impact its business with customers and stakeholders in any way.

     

    With its core focus on distributing a wide array of world class television channels, spanning across different genres and languages through multiple content delivery platforms, Sony Pictures Networks Distribution Pvt. Ltd reaches out to over 120 million households in over 9000 towns in India. The company also distributes the TV Today Network channels India Today, Aaj Tak and Tez.

     

  • The campaign implores every Indian in every corner of the world to build an empowered India

    IPL’s new thematic for Season 9 – ‘Ek India Happywala’

    By A Correspondent

     

    Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) unveiled the new campaign for Season 9 of VIVO IPL. The campaign, ‘Ek India Happywala’ implores every Indian in every corner of the world to build an empowered India – a nation that respects differences in its cultural fabric but at the same time rises above those differences to create an atmosphere of dignity and harmony.

     

    NP Singh, CEO, Sony Pictures Networks India said: “At the outset, let me start with a note of thanks; not only to all sports fans and enthusiasts for giving VIVO IPL the crowning status of an iconic brand but also to BCCI for giving us an opportunity to partner with them, in the journey of relaying the best of cricket to our viewers.”

     

    “With the launch of IPL, BCCI roped in the best cricketers from cricket-playing nations, created city-teams within India and thus defined a new playing field for T20 cricket. As the exclusive Television broadcaster of IPL, Sony suffused dollops of entertainment to increase the viewership of the game. So from being a largely male-dominated viewership in 2008, today VIVO IPL is a family activity, enjoyed as much by women and children.”

     

    “Over the last 9 years, we have extensively promoted IPL, not only on television but across other mediums like print, outdoor and digital. Our marketing campaigns have become cultural mnemonics in household conversations. Right from ‘Ek Desh. Ek Junoon’ in 2009 to ‘India Ka Tyohaar ‘ in 2015, our message was clear – Lets spread the cheer. And now, “Ek India Happywala’ is our earnest attempt to engage viewers in conversations that will spread the cheer to our children, because it is our children who will inherit this world from us.”

     

    “From programming content to contribution to society, we want to make ‘Ek India Happywala’ our call to action. So, at Sony Pictures Networks India, our CSR initiatives will be cascaded under the aegis of ‘Ek India Happywala’. This is our way of ensuring that the ethos of the campaign stays alive much after VIVO IPL Season 9 is over.”

     

    “All-in-all, IPL has been an enjoyable, learning experience. It’s been driven internally in our network with great passion and commitment. For us, it has germinated memories; both big and small. We are looking forward to serving the viewers during Season 9 and 10 of VIVO IPL, and yes, many years, after that as well.”

     

    VIVO IPL 2016 will be aired in Hindi on Sony MAX and Sony SIX. In addition, Sony SIX will also carry Tamil, Telugu and Bengali language feeds. Sony SIX HD as well as the SONY ESPN cluster of channels will air the English language feed of VIVO IPL.