MxMIndia

Tag: Sony Pictures

  • The campaign revolves around one of Indian cricket’s biggest fan – Sudhir Kumar Chaudhary

    Sony Pictures promotes CWG 2018 via ‘Rang De Tiranga’ campaign

    By A Correspondent

     

    With just a little over a month to go for the Commonwealth Games 2018, Sony Pictures Sports Network (SPSN) has launched a promotional campaign titled ‘Rang De Tiranga’. The games will be shown live on SPSN from April 4, 2018.

     

    The campaign revolves around one of Indian cricket’s biggest fan – Sudhir Kumar Chaudhary. He is shown as the face of SPSN’s rallying cry ‘Rang De Tiranga’ that asks fans to show their support for the tricolour and the Indian athletes. Said Rajesh Kaul, President, Sports and Distribution Business, Sony Pictures Networks India: “This is the first major multi-sport event on SPSN and with great pride we announce the ‘Rang De Tiranga’ campaign for the decorated Commonwealth Games 2018. With a premium sporting event like CWG, SPSN takes forward its pioneering objective to develop a multi-sport culture in India. Historically, Indian athletes have always performed well at these games and have brought honour to the nation. Competing against top athletes, and coming back home with medals is a phenomenal achievement, not just for them, but also for the sporting environment of India. Through this campaign, we would like to encourage the fans across country to cheer for our athletes.”

     

     

  • Premium SPE Films to be available to Zee subscribers in India

    Sony Pictures partners Zee for movie content deal. No, not its own channels…

     

     

    Zee Entertainment Enterprises and Sony Pictures Television (SPT) announced that they have entered into a first pay features deal bringing a range of premium films to Indian audiences. It may be noted that Sony Pictures Networks operates in India with a slew of channels, but then this is what business is all about and, as they say, it’s all about the money, honey.

     

    The new pay one deal marks the first between SPT and Zee Entertainment in India and includes such Sony Pictures Entertainment blockbusters as Spider-Man: Homecoming, Blade Runner 2049, Baby Driver, The Emoji Movie and Life among others.

     

    “We are very excited about this new partnership with Zee in India. Given the recent box office success of films like Spider-Man: Homecoming, we are confident that Indian audiences will be thrilled to know that they can soon enjoy experiencing this and many more of our premium films on Zee. From our franchise films to our big blockbusters and critically acclaimed films, we look forward to working together with Zee to entertain what is a very important and fast-growing market,” said Ken Lo, senior vice president, international distribution, Asia Pacific, SPT.

     

    “It is our endeavour to become a formidable player within the English entertainment space in India, and this deal with SPT, will help us become the number one choice for movie lovers,” said Aparna Bhosle, Business Cluster Head – Premium & FTA GEC Channels, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL).

  • SPN appoints global sporting legend, Sachin Tendulkar as Ambassador for Sports

    Sony Pictures rebrands sports bouquet with Sachin Tendulkar as brand ambassador

    By A Correspondent

     

    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.”

     

    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.”

     

  • Launches the new VIVO IPL marketing campaign “10 saal aapke naam” on a celebratory note

    Sony Pictures pays tributes to fans in the tenth season of VIVO IPL

    By A Correspondent

     

    Sony Max, Sony Six and SONY ESPN, the official television broadcasters of the Indian Premiere League (VIVO IPL) have unveiled a new campaign titled “10 saal aapke naam” to coincide with the tenth edition of the tournament and the network’s association with it.

     

    The series of six ad films with the key message “10 saal aapke naam” encapsulate the fervor and madness of the fans across gender, generations and geographies.

     

    The creative agency continues to be DDB Mudra and the films have been directed by Hemant Bhandari of Chrome Pictures Media. For the anthem the broadcaster has roped in music composer duo, Salim-Sulaiman and singer Benny Dayal.

     

    Said Neeraj Vyas, Senior EVP & Business Head, Sony Max cluster at SPN: “Over the last nine years we have seen the tournament grow in terms of stature, viewership and the buzz that it creates and hence it was only logical to make the tenth year a grand celebration. The marketing campaign borrows from real life insights on how viewers engage and involve themselves with the game. We believe that the fans are instrumental in making this tournament the mega blockbuster that it is and that is why this year’s campaign is an ode to the Vivo IPL Fan”.

     

  • Ropes in Suniel Shetty and other fitness trainers such as Mickey Mehta, YasimKarachiwala, Ramona Braganza, Shivoham and others to share their fitness secrets

    SonyLIV unveils health & wellness content platform, LIV FIT

     

     

    SonyLIV has announced the launch of LIV FIT, a health and wellness segment on its OTT platform. From Suniel Shetty and his team of trainers to Mickey Mehta, Nawaz Modi Singhania, Yasim Karachiwala, Ramona Braganza and Satya, the attempt will be to ensure enhanced engagement with viewers that is also likely to augment and sustain their interest in meeting their diet and exercise goals.

     

    Said Uday Sodhi, EVP and Head – Digital Business, Sony Pictures Networks India Pvt Ltd: “With a keen understanding on the health situation and the need for it and health and wellness having emerged as  the most sought-after subjects for content consumption in India, we at SonyLIV decided to introduce  LIV FIT, to fill the gap with content that comes from the most reliable sources.With the best of health and fitness gurus on board, we are certain that LIV FIT will be a great hit with our users and will make a tangible impact on their lives.”

     

  • Fights to be broadcast on SONY ESPN and SONY ESPN HD channels

    Sony Pictures acquires onair and digital broadcast rights of Super Fight League

    By A Correspondent

     

    India’s first mixed martial arts promotion, the Super Fight League –which is promoted by British business magnate and sports enthusiast Bill Dosanjh and British professional boxing sensation and two-time world champion Amir Khan announced Sony Pictures Network India (SPN) as the official broadcast partner for the first ever MMA league to be hosted in India January 20 to February 25, 2017.

     

    The franchisee based league that will feature eight teams, being organised in association with the All India Martial Arts Association (AIMMAA). SPN also has the broadcast rights for the league across Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Afghanistan and Maldives.

     

    Said Bill Dosanjh, CEO and Principal Founder, Super Fight League: “Sony ESPN is the channel that is synonymous for bringing MMA to the television sets of the Indian audience. We at Super Fight League are really excited about Sony Pictures Networks India coming on board as the broadcast partners for the inaugural edition of the league. Having Sony as the broadcast partner will help us in our endeavor to reach the maximum variety of audience and make Super Fight League a household name for MMA in India.”

     

    Added Rajesh Kaul, President, Distribution and Sports Business, Sony Pictures Network: “Having been a forerunner in popularizing MMA, the sports cluster of Sony Pictures Networks India is the premier destination for viewing mixed martial arts. We are pleased to announce the expansion of our MMA portfolio with the addition of the Super Fight League which is India’s first mixed martial arts league on our network.”

     

  • Sony Pictures painted select potholes in Mumbai with a 3D image of a ferocious shark ready to launch an attack

    Sony Pictures draws attention to pothole menace with unique painting

    By A Correspondent

     

    Given the grief commuters go through because of potholes every monsoon and because rains leave the city roads completely ravaged leading to a number of road accidents, Sony Pictures Entertainment’s came up with a unique idea to attract the attention of the authorities, citizens and the media to the biggest civic issue that concerns us all.

     

    For its upcoming adventure thriller Shallows that premiers today (Sep 16), Sony Pictures painted select potholes in Mumbai with a 3D image of a ferocious shark ready to launch an attack.

     

    Commenting on this, Divya Pathak, Director – Marketing, Sony Pictures Entertainment, India, said, “We wanted to do something meaningful as a part of the promotion plan for our next release, The Shallows. In the rush of our daily lives, we tend to ignore the poor conditions of our city roads. We hope that through this campaign, we are able to catch enough eyeballs and draw attention to this problem of potholes which are as dangerous as Sharks.”

     

  • Sony Pictures launches Sony Le Plex HD for discerning English movie-watching audiences (+Video interview with EVP & Business Head Saurabh Yagnik)

    Sony gives a ‘Plex’ experience

     

    By Anuka Roy

     

    Video Interview by Santosh Jangid

    On Tuesday August 23, Sony Le Plex HD, a Hollywood movie channel from Sony Pictures Networks India Private Limited, was launched. The channel will cater to audiences who seek entertainment not just from mainstream Hollywood movies but beyond.

     

    The channel has programming properties like Le Premiere, wherein one can enjoy a premiere every week. One can watch 52 premieres in the 52 weeks of the year.

     

    With a plethora of English movie channels in existence and some networks offering multiple channels, what was the reason behind launching it now? Said Saurabh Yagnik, EVP and Business Head, English Cluster, Sony Pictures Networks India: “We feel the business proposition and the time is right. It is good that competition is also launched. I do not think we make our moves purely by competitive.”

     

    “In terms of marketing it is about, the focus is on bringing alive the product. But we are not just about great movies; we are about the total experience which we call the Le Plex experience. The Le Plex proposition leverages highly on bringing alive the plex elements in the programme of the channel and we believe that brands cannot be driven by product alone, you need to have a community that backs it together and that is what differentiates the brand. The whole focus will be on creating community which helps build this brand,” said Yagnik about the marketing strategy.

     

    The channel will showcase movies in different slots. In its Le Premiere slot, the channel will showcase Indian television premieres of movies like Spotlight (Academy Award winner for – Best Motion Picture and Best Original Screenplay for 2016), Ex Machina, Foxcatcher and Straight Outta Compton, amongst others. The Magicians slot will showcase the movies and the magic that happens behind the camera of critically acclaimed movies such as The Inglourious Basterds, Schindler’s List, Taxi Driver, Gladiator, Philadelphia and many more. Speaking about how they chose the content and the concept of putting movies in different slots, Yagnik said, “There were a lot of focus groups that we did across key markets. We did a qualitative and quantitative work. We looked at various other data points. Then we based our strategy on that.”

     

    Writer and Director Zoya Akhtar is the Community Ambassador for the channel. Available in High Definition (HD), Sony Le Plex HD launched yesterday (Aug 23) across direct-to-home (DTH) and digital cable platforms. The channel will be promoted across various channels of Sony Pictures Networks, DTH platform, coupled with print, a digital and social media presence to engage with audiences at different touchpoints.

     

  • The tie-up will enable Box TV to offer premium titles on its video streaming service

    BoxTV inks deals with Sony Pictures Television and Disney UTV

    By A Correspondent

     

    BoxTV has announced content agreement with Sony Pictures Television and Disney UTV to offer premium titles on its video streaming service. Launched by Times Internet, BoxTV is a premium video service that offers movies, TV shows, short films, documentaries and much more, which users can watch on a regular web browser or through the device of their choice.

     

    To this end, BoxTV has also partnered with UTV Motion Pictures, Shemaroo Entertainment Rajshri Entertainment and Everymedia Technologies for Bollywood and Regional content in addition to their agreements with major International studios; Sony Pictures Television, Disney UTV and Celestial Entertainment for premium Hollywood content.

     

    Angel Orengo, Executive Vice President, Distribution, Asia Pacific from Sony pictures Television said, “We are happy to offer some of our premium titles on BoxTV’s on demand service. The Indian digital media industry has grown rapidly in the last few years and we support their efforts to launch this service and another exciting medium for content consumption in this evolving digital landscape.”

     

    “We are excited to offer some of our best content from ABC Studios, Disney UTV Pixar, Disney UTV and Disney UTV Studios to the consumer at one destination. We believe that Box TV will be a great platform for us to showcase our wide breadth of entertaining and world class content,” said Amrita Pandey, Executive Director – Syndication, International Distribution & Disney UTV Media Distribution, Studios, Disney UTV. Satyan Gajwani, CEO of Times Internet Ltd, said, “We are very excited about the agreements we have forged with premium International studios. BoxTV is a one-stop source for all video entertainment and we strive to consistently deliver greater value to our customers by bringing the best anytime, anywhere entertainment on multiple platforms. With these partnerships, we provide our users access to a vast content library of popular choices to watch.”

     

    The service will be available across iPhone, iPad, Android phones and tablets; Kindle Fire, EvoTV, Woxi Pod and Roku. Apps for Windows 8, J2ME and Blackberry platforms are currently in the pipeline.