With its CSR theme of ‘Ek India Happywala’, Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) has reached out to the interiors of drought hit Maharashtra to address the issue of potable water.
As a part of this project, SPN reached out to over 180 drought-hit villages across Maharashtra. Water tankers were sent to the interior regions of Maharashtra to provide access to safe drinking water in over 180 villages and reached out to over 85,000 people. With this initiative, SPN provided each of the drought affected villages with over 12,000 litres of potable water. This project was activated across districts like Latur, Wardha, Amravati, Dhule, Jalna, Beed, Osmanabad and Nanded.
Said Rajkumar Bidawatka, Head – CSR, Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN):
“At Sony Pictures Networks, we are always striving to build a better society through our corporate social responsibility programme. The main goal of this project was to contribute towards building a better life for people by creating access to a basic necessity such as water. This initiative is a step forward in our endeavor to support and help build a sustainable society.”
“You cannot take out mass from ‘mass media’, because then there will be no media left”, said Uday Shankar, President of 21st Century Fox and former chairman and CEO of Star India at “TV Ka Dum”, a daylong conclave organised by India TV in Mumbai last weekend.
Participating in a panel debate with Raj Nayak, COO of Viacom-18 and N P Singh, CEO of Sony Pictures Networks, Shankar said: “Television shows are made to get ratings, because the viewers are the ultimate arbiters. TV shows are not made for private viewing. Whether TV shows, newspapers or films, unless the masses read or watch them, you cannot judge their popularity,” adding: “Ratings are only the output to judge the content that is produced. Ratings is the sum of how many number of people watched a particular show. No astrologer can predict the ratings of a show. Producers are interested only in what viewers would like to watch or know, whether it is horror, comedy or love story.”
Uday Shankar
On the issue of why more and more TV shows based on superstition and horror are being produced, Shankar said: “There are serious TV shows too, like Satyamev Jayate, but to cater to a nation of 125 crore people, you cannot have a single size boot. One has to make shows according to the size of the foot of different types of people.”
Reasoned Shankar: “If a car or bicycle manufacturer can want more and more people to buy vehicles,  then why not a TV producer can want more and more people to watch the show. There is nothing wrong in it.†On naysayers, Shankar said: “Some vested interests, including some politicians, do not like to watch certain TV shows. My answer is: if the people of our country have become more conscious and they are asking questions from those in power, it is not because of consciousness spread by the political class. TV programmes, whether entertainment or news, have spread awareness among the people.”
Raj Nayak
Said Viacom18 COO Raj Nayak: “My question is why do those who raise objections watch TV programmes that are negative? If some TV shows get good numbers it is because they are in demand. But one should also know that people watch shows like Satyamev Jayate, Balika Vadhu, Shakti (on transgenders), Udaan (on bonded labour). These shows entertain and also try to bring about social changes,†adding: “The Star Plus show Saathiya was on women empowerment, and shows like these educate people. Shows are made to care to different tastes of viewers. If more people watch the TV show Naagin, let me say, television did not create Naagin. Already there were four Bollywood films on Naagin.
Nayak added: “Television and cinema reflect what is happening in society, they reflect what people want. Whenever we launch a new show, we never look at the TRP. No channel makes shows after watching TRPs. Shows are made only when there is good content. TRP is only a byproduct. Of course, at the end of day, the channels want TRPs because, after all, we have to run our company.”
NP Singh
And this is what NP Singh, CEO of Sony Pictures Networks, said: “I agree that television is an important medium for creating social impact. Our shows did create a positive impact on society. Kaun Banega Crorepati is a very powerful and successful format, and its success was a given. It is a vehicle to create a positive and social change impact.
We showcased stories of small town people whose work inspire others. That is why we decided that we will show the life journey of KBC participants so that it can inspire viewers.”
Asked by hosts Maniesh Paul and Charul Malik as to why TV shows are pulled off the air abruptly by GEC networks, Shankar replied: ” It’s natural that when viewers do not like a show, it is pulled off the air. What can we do? We are not running an autocratic regime where shows will continue to run by government diktat, even if viewers like it or not. Here you have to respect the wishes of the people. For us, shows are a commercial enterprise. If viewers do not watch the show, how can we sell it (to advertisers)?
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.â€
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.â€
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.â€
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.â€
Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) and the NBA announced that beginning the 2017-18 NBA season, NBA games will be broadcast with Hindi commentary every weekend on Sony Ten 3 and Sony Ten 3 HD, a package of close to 100 NBA games including the regular season and playoffs. The games will continue to be simulcast with English commentary on Sony Six and Sony Six HD.
Rajesh Kaul
“We are committed in channeling our efforts towards expanding NBA’s fan base in the country and strengthening our reach,†said Rajesh Kaul, President, Sports and Distribution Business, SPN, adding: “We have seen a consistent increase in viewership over the years for NBA and to keep up this momentum we are continuing our initiative of the Hindi language commentary. A special panel of expert commentators has been engaged to deliver expert analysis in Hindi for each play.â€
Yannick Colaco
“Along with our partners, Sony Pictures Networks, we are excited to offer Hindi in-game commentary through the 2017-18 season,†said Yannick Colaco, Managing Director, NBA India. “As a part of our commitment to popularize the game of basketball in India, we will continue to offer more localized programming to engage with a wider audience.â€
In a country where cricket rules more than any other sport, Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) announced Sachin Tendulkar as its Ambassador for Sports, as it grouped its sports brands together under the business vertical – Sony Pictures Sports Network (SPSN).
With the addition of two new HD channels, SONY TEN 2 HD and SONY TEN 3 HD, the network now has 11 channels in its fold.
Interestingly, the contract for the tournament that got the the broadcast network into the big league in sports a decade back is now up for renewal.
Said NP Singh, CEO, Sony Pictures Networks India: “Our corporate philosophy of Go-Beyond encourages us to be brave, curious, insightful and visionary in everything we do. It takes leaders to Go-Beyond at every step of the game because leaders just don’t prepare for the future, they create it. And, it is the leader-mindset that has taken us from a single sports channel in 2012 to 11 dedicated sports channels in a span of five years. Currently, we are among the largest sports broadcasters in the Indian subcontinent.â€
Added Rajesh Kaul, President, Sports and Distribution, Sony Pictures Networks: “At Sony Pictures Networks, we are committed to providing an unparalleled sports viewing experience with the best leagues, best athletes and the best of sport entertainment. We are in a unique position with over 11, 000 hours of live content this year that has given us the opportunity to create channel destinations for different sports. Each of our 11 channels will project a distinct content line-up from our expansive portfolio of domestic and national sporting properties.â€
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…â€
The channel will will be aired in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu languages across direct-to-home (DTH) and digital cable platforms starting April 18.
Sony Pictures Networks (SPN) announces the acquisition of the broadcast and digital rights of the fourth edition of the Bangladesh Premier League 2016. The tournament which is said to be the biggest cricket extravaganza in Bangladesh, commenced on November 4 and will be telecast on Sony Six and Sony SIix HD as well as streamed live on SonyLIV app and website. The on-air broadcastrights include the telecast of 43 live matches of the tournament in the Indian sub-continent. Along with streaming, SonyLIV will also be providing fans with a lot of exclusive Video-On-Demand (VOD) content like highlights, best sixes, best catches, fielding and more.
Said Rajesh Kaul, President, Distribution and Sports Business, Sony Pictures Network: “Sony Pictures Networks India has been in the forefront of bringing and popularising theT20 league format of cricket. Following our previous offerings of Indian Premier League, Caribbean Premier League, South African T20 league and Karnataka Premier League, we are pleased to announce the addition of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) to our T20 cricket portfolio. The BPL line-up is particularly impressive with International cricketers like Chris Gayle, Thisara Perera, Andre Russell, Dwayne Bravo and more that our viewers can look forward to.â€
The top four teams from the group stage will qualify for the knockout stage which includes the semi-finals, the eliminator and the final match. The semi-finals of BPL 2016 will take place on December 8 while the final will be played on December 9 in Dhaka.
Sony Mix, the Hindi music channel from Sony Pictures Networks (SPN), announced ‘The Dhun Project’ to start its fifth anniversary celebrations…
To celebrate its five-year journey, ‘The Dhun Project’ has been initiated, to pay tribute to musicians in India and aims to give back to India’s rich musical heritage by raising funds to empower musicians and educate across levels.
As part of the project, a lyrical composition has been curated to serve as ‘The Dhun Project’ anthem. Eleven captains of the advertising and media industry will star in a music video for the anthem. These being: CVL Srinivas (Group M), Vikram Sakhuja (Madison), Shashi Sinha (Lodestar), Sandip Tarkas (Future Group), Amin Lakhani (Mindshare), Anupriya Acharya (Publicis Meida), Shuchi Singhal (Idea Cellular), Harish Shriyan (OMD), Sonal Dabral (DDB Mudra), Rohit Gupta (SPN) and Neeraj Vyas (SPN)
Speaking about the initiative, NP Singh, CEO, Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN), said, “Music is a terrific medium of empowerment. We, at Sony Pictures Networks, are proud to espouse an art that aligns with and supports our business. With ‘The Dhun Project’ we want to encourage talented musicians, to help them further contribute to music in India and inspire society with the melodies they create that harmoniously unite us.â€
“In a span of five years, Sony Mix has risen to become one of India’s leading music channels. This achievement is solely the people’s endorsement of our vision- to be the most music-centred destination on Indian television. On the occasion of our channel’s fifth anniversary, this is our way of giving back to music, by empowering its creators, curators and everyone associated with the art in India,†added NeerajVyas, Senior EVP and Business Head- Max Cluster and Sony Mix, Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN).
The first leg of the project involves Sony Mix’s contribution of rupees 10 lakh towards helping a musician who needs medical support. The Dhun ambassador for this year, is Roshan Ali, a dholak player..
Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN), will broadcast the highly anticipated MMA event of the year, UFC 200. The event will be telecast live on 10th July 2016, at 07:30 hrs on Sony SIX, Sony SIX HD, SONY ESPN and SONY ESPN HD. The biggest fight card of the year, UFC 200 will also be available for live streaming on SonyLIV. The repeat of the entire fight event will be telecast on the same day at1600hrs across all channels.
UFC 200 marks the return of The Beast, Brock Lesnar, to the UFC Octagon who will be facing off Mark Hunt in the headlining fight. UFC 200 will also feature some of the biggest superstars of MMA, all on one fight card that promises to entice the growing fan-base of UFC in India. Also featuring on the fight card will be Women’s Bantamweight Champion, Miesha Tate, defending her title against Amanda Nunes and veteran featherweight fighter, Jose Aldo facing Frankie Edgar for the Interim Featherweight Title.
The UFC 200 event in India will be promoted by superstar Salman Khan. The actor plays the role of an MMA fighter in his upcoming movie, Sultan, and fights UFC’s Welterweight fighter, Tyron Woodley in the film. The actor also features in the promo for UFC 200 on the SPN channels, where he introduces Brock Lesnar’s return to the UFC Octagon.
Sony Pictures Networks (SPN) has announced a re-alignment of key management portfolios. In the re-aligned organizational structure SPN’s International business gets consolidated within the network’s sales and syndication business, and also its sports business gets more closely aligned to the distribution business.
Consequently, Rohit Gupta’s role gets expanded to President, Network Sales & International Business, Sony Pictures Networks while Neeraj Arora, Business Head for SPN’s International business will now report to Rohit Gupta. Other elevations include, Rajesh Kaul whose role has been expanded to President, Distribution and Sports, Sony Pictures Networks and Prasana Krishnan, Business Head for SPN Sports business will now report into Rajesh Kaul.
NP Singh, CEO, Sony Pictures Networks commented: “This realignment is configured to further our global business ambitions. It allows us to maximize complimentary synergies existing within the network and augment SPN’s consideration as a partner-of-choice by brands and businesses, alike.â€
Rohit Gupta and Rajesh Kaul have been with SPN for 14 years and 8 years respectively.
Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN), the official broadcasters of UEFA EURO 2016, one of the biggest and most watched International tournaments of the world, has launched an innovative campaign urging sports fans to shift focus to football since its ‘Time to switchâ€.
The campaign strikes a chord and echoes the sentiments of the footy fans. “Time to Switch’ has a universal appeal and presents elements of football in daily occurrences The campaign inspires the millions of the country to embrace another iconic event fuelled by the call to action to switch from whichever sport they are watching to football.
Viewers will get to see some of the biggest names in International football including Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal), Harry Kane (England), Andres Iniesta (Spain), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden) and Gareth Bale (Wales) aiming to lead their national teams to European glory. Viewers are also looking forward to the debut of Paul Pogba (France), David Alaba (Austria), and Dele Alli (England) in the tournament. Fans will also have their eyes on Spain who are seeking to become the first country to win three consecutive European Championship titles this year. Along with this, the glamour quotient for the tournament is high with the international celebrities in attendance.
The UEFA EURO 2016 will also attract viewers with the telecast of the matches during prime time at 6 30pm, 9:30pm and 12:30am (IST). On the digital front, Sony LIV will live stream all the matches.
Murtuza Madraswala
Murtuza Madraswala, Assistant Vice-President, Marketing, SONY Sports Cluster said, “The ‘Time to Switch’ is an all-inclusive campaign that resonates with sports aficionados and amplifies the excitement for EUFA EURO 2016. The campaign films showcase how football has transcended into the lives of people across different demographics. At the core of it, our message to the viewer is – Gear up for the biggest International football tournament of 2016 this summer on our network. The UEFA EURO 2016 along with the other marquee football properties in SPN’s existing portfolio acknowledges SPN’s leadership in sports broadcasting.â€
The campaign kick-starts with two short 15 second films The Wall & The Red Card that showcase the switch to football.
“You cannot take out mass from ‘mass media’, because then there will be no media left”, said Uday Shankar, President of 21st Century Fox and former chairman and CEO of Star India at “TV Ka Dum”, a daylong conclave organised by India TV in Mumbai last weekend.
Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN), the official broadcasters of UEFA EURO 2016, one of the biggest and most watched International tournaments of the world, has launched an innovative campaign urging sports fans to shift focus to football since its ‘Time to switchâ€.