Sony Pictures Sports Network (SPSN) is all set to broadcast Team India’s first cricket series under the new normal as the tour of Australia will commence November 27, 2020 and will be aired live on Sony Ten 1 channels in English, Sony Ten 3 channels in Hindi and Sony Six channels in English, Tamil and Telugu commentary. The tour will be the first international cricket series for Virat Kohli’s team India after a gap of almost nine months and comprises three ODIs, three T2OIs and four Tests.
As per schedule released by Cricket Australia, Sydney and Canberra will host the opening ODIs and T20Is at the Sydney Cricket Ground and Canberra’s Manuka Oval. The much-awaited battle for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy will begin with a day-night encounter at the Adelaide Oval on December 17, followed by Tests at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on December 26, the Sydney Cricket Ground on January 7 and the Gabba on January 15. The Adelaide fixture will be the first day-night Test played between the Australian and Indian men’s teams.
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€
Beginning with the 2017 NBA Conference Finals, viewers will be able to watch NBA games with Hindi in-game commentary on Ten 1, part of the sports cluster of Sony Pictures Networks India. The games will be simulcast in English on Sony Six and Sony Six HD.
“Together with our longstanding partner Sony Six, we are excited to offer Hindi commentary in the upcoming NBA Conference Finals and NBA Finals,†said NBA India’s Managing Director Yannick Colaco. “We are committed to bring more localised offerings to our fans in India, and the inclusion of in-game Hindi commentary allows us to further engage with our Hindi-speaking supporters as we enter into the final stretch of the NBA season.â€
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“The sports cluster of Sony Pictures Networks India is introducing Hindi language feeds for NBA games, an innovation that will cater to fans across the Hindi speaking markets by giving them the choice of the language feed,†said Rajesh Kaul, President, Sports and Distribution Business, Sony Pictures Networks India. “In the past, we have innovated with language feeds across markets for both our international and domestic properties which has been well-received. We are confident that the addition of the Hindi language commentary for NBA games will not only enhance the viewing experience but also increase the fan base of NBA viewers.â€
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 Fanâ€.
Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) has bagged the exclusive rights to the first edition of the Masters Champions League (MCL), a T20 cricket league which will begin on January 28, 2016.
The channel will telecast all the 18 matches of the inaugural edition of the tournament live and exclusive from Dubai and Sharjah to across the Indian sub-continent.
The MCL has also secured, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the current captain of the Indian national cricket team as the brand ambassador. Six teams will take part in the tournament led by an Icon Player and each team has been named after zodiac signs, such as Libra, Gemini, Sagittarius, Virgo, Capricorn and Leo.
The first MCL match has been scheduled with two former teammates, Sourav Ganguly from Libra Legends and Virender Sehwag from Gemini Arabians, leading their teams to play against each other at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium (DICS). Iconic players like Brian Lara, Muttiah Muralitharan, Adam Gilchrist, Paul Collingwood, Brett Lee, Jacques Kallis, Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara among others have also been drafted in the MCL teams . The final match of the MCL will also be staged at the DICS on 13February 2016.
Prasana Krishnan
Said Prasana Krishnan, Business Head, Sony SIX and KIX:  “Most fans have grown up watching these International & Indian legends play and the tournament gives them an opportunity to connect with them again. Viewers of Sony SIX can look  forward to some great cricketing action and we are excited to partner with the Masters Champions League as a result.â€
Added Sam Khan, Chief Executive Director, MCL: “We are delighted that we are partnering with Sony SIX. They have an outstanding reputation as a sports broadcaster and have played an integral role in promoting and growing the game. We are very confident that they will do all that is necessary to do the same for the MCL”
The acquisition of MCL further adds to the network’s line-up of live cricket T20 events which presently include the Vivo Indian Premier League, Karnataka Premier League, Ram Slam T20 Challenge and Caribbean Premier League.
The National Basketball Association (NBA) and Multi Screen Media (MSM) announced a multiyear extension of their partnership that will provide fans with up to 14 live NBA games per week on Sony SIX. The NBA and MSM first announced their partnership during the 2010-11 NBA season.
With the expanded partnership, Sony SIX will broadcast up to two regular-season games per day, in addition to NBA All-Star, the playoffs and The Finals. Sony SIX will also create customized lifestyle-oriented, off-the-court programming that engages Indian youth by bringing together talent from the NBA, Sony Entertainment and Bollywood.
Prasana Krishnan
“Our partnership with the NBA has seen basketball become the fastest growing sport in India over the last few years. This clearly indicates that the TV viewing audience for the NBA will continue to rise,†said Sony SIX and KIX Business Head Prasana Krishnan. “The launch of our customized local LIVE NBA wraparound program will also bring sports fans closer to the on-court action.â€
“We are excited to extend our partnership with Sony SIX to continue delivering comprehensive coverage of the NBA to our fans,†said NBA India Managing Director Yannick Colaco. “The popularity of the NBA continues to grow and, through the diversity of NBA programming on Sony SIX, we will continue attracting and engaging with existing and new viewers alike across India.â€
Sony SIX will continue to broadcast daily and weekly NBA highlight shows and integrate daily content from NBA TV, including team previews and recap shows. The daily 30-minute highlight programs will be broadcast in primetime every day of the season. The weekly highlight shows, hosted by a local anchor, will recap all the happenings around the NBA during the past week. For the first time in India, the NBA and Sony SIX will introduce a customized, local live NBA wraparound program every weekend throughout the season, bringing viewers closer to the game. The program will be hosted by a panel of basketball experts that will provide analysis and insight on all of the latest NBA news.
The NBA and Sony SIX will also continue their focus on the development of basketball in India, beginning with the return of NBA Jam – the league’s annual basketball festival – on Oct. 24. With the expanded partnership, more NBA players, legends and dance teams will visit India throughout the year.
World Rugby has announced the appointment of Sony Six as Rugby World Cup 2015 rights holding broadcaster.
In a major boost for the visibility and development of rugby in a market where participation has grown by 33 per cent since 2011, Sony Six and Sont Kix will screen all 48 matches exclusively live along with daily highlights of all the action from rugby’s showcase event.
World Rugby Chief Executive Officer Brett Gosper said: “Rugby is on the rise in India and we are delighted to have secured such a strong platform for Rugby World Cup 2015 to reach new audiences across India and inspire the next generation of players and fans.
“We look forward to working in partnership with Sony Six to showcase Rugby, its character-building values and spirit of entertainment and enjoyment to record audiences within an exciting rugby growth market.â€
Prasana Krishnan
Prasana Krishnan, Business Head, Sony Six and Sont Kix commented: ‘‘The Rugby World Cup is seen as one of the most prestigious competitions in the global sporting calendar and we are proud to have this celebrated event in our bouquet of international content. Rugby as a sport is growing at a consistent clip and with that it’s our primary aim to raise our viewer experience to the next level. The raw nature of the sport will appeal to both our loyal and bench viewers alike.â€
World Rugby Head of Commercial, Broadcast and Marketing Murray Barnett added: “Working with the leading sports broadcaster in India underlines the Rugby World Cups global significance and adds to the record breaking roster of international broadcasters that will be taking the Rugby World Cup to the largest audience ever.â€
Rugby World Cup 2015 kicks off with hosts England versus Fiji at Twickenham on September 18, beginning a six-week event played across 13 iconic venues the length and breadth of England and Cardiff, culminating in the final at Twickenham on October 31.
Cricket rules, you can ask any Kabaddi captain this, and he or she would rue that despite all of the promotional efforts, cricket scores the highest. Thus, Sony Six has put up a noteworthy performance thanks to the airing of the India-Sri Lanka Test series, as per an analysis of TAM Media’s analytical arm – the S Group
As is evident in the above table, Sony Six saw a sharp rise in its viewership in Week 33 leading the channel to gain the leadership position in the genre. The major reason for the leadership was airing of the India-Sri Lanka Test from August 12 to 15. Week 34 saw the channel drop to a close second position in the sports genre as data for only three days of the second Test was available.
The viewership from match airing alone contributes to more than 60% of the viewing on the channel with a GRP of 12 and 10 in Week 33 and Week 34, respectively.
Overall the match was able to reach out to 8.05% & 6.98% of audience in Week 33 and Week 34, respectively.
Sony Kix has acquired the telecast rights to La Liga, the premier division of the Spanish football league system. In what comes one of the most significant developments for the channel in the year, Sony Kix has bagged the exclusive rights to the league following its recent acquisition of the Emirates FA Cup and the SERIE A TIM into its line-up of prime football properties. The broadcaster will exclusively telecast the league across India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and Maldives through the three-year deal.
These acquisitions strengthen the network’s current portfolio of live football programming which already boasts of a strong line-up of marquee properties including the UEFA EURO 2016, Qualifiers for UEFA EURO 2016, European Qualifiers for 2018 FIFA World Cup™, 2018 FIFA World Cup™ and COPA America 2015. The stellar array of prime content will enable fans to experience the most diverse offering including the highest club and international football every weekend.
Prasana Krishnan
Speaking on the development, Prasana Krishnan, Business Head, Sony Six and Sony Kix said, “We are extremely thrilled to be associated with this pre-eminent league and this move opens up a bold new chapter in our operations as we go on to spearhead the football-led genre in our industry. The extended offering of matches coupled with holistic recaps of the league, will position our network as the premier destination for unparalleled football viewing experience.â€
Commenting on this new partnership, Javier Tebas, President of La Liga, said, “We are extremely happy to start this association with MSM and proud to announce the Sony sports channels as our new home for the upcoming seasons in this region. MSM has been known for its aggressive and innovative marketing and the differentiated treatment of sports coverage on its network and we are looking forward to joining hands with them to bring the LaLiga matches to fans in the region.â€
La Liga, the elite division in professional Spanish league football, kicks-off the 2015 season on the weekend of 23rd August 2015. This will be the 85th season of the top-tier Spanish football league, featuring some of the best teams and players in international football.
Sony Six has acquired the exclusive broadcasting rights to the Sri Lanka vs India test series. The series to be held in Sri Lanka, will take place between August 12, 2015 and September 1, 2015. The 20 day tour includes three test matches to be held in the cities of Galle, Colombo and Kandy and will be shown live and exclusive on Sony Six.
Prasana Krishnan
Commenting on the acquisition of the series, Prasana Krishnan, Business Head, Sony Six and SONY KIX said‎, “We are delighted to partner Sri Lanka Cricket Board as the official broadcaster of the series. The fixture between the two Asian giants is one of the most sought after and keenly followed contests in cricket and we are proud to be bringing it live to our viewers. And it will be interesting to watch how the Indian squad fares under Virat’s aggressive style of leadership.â€
Sidath Wettimuny, Chairman of Sri Lanka Cricket said, “Sony Six has established itself as one of the most exciting sports channels in the industry and we are thrilled to be associated with them for this test series. The channel’s track record in showcasing premier sporting properties further cemented our decision in making them our broadcaster partner in bringing the high-quality sporting action. Through this deal, we believe we will be able to expand and reach out to a wider and newer audience.â€
SONY SIX has announced the launch of the Hindi feed for their premier wrestling entertainment property – Total Non-stop Action (TNA). Starting 6th June, 2015, every weekend at 9pm, the channel will air 2 hours of the best of wrestling entertainment in Hindi across India. The announcement comes as a major development in response to the growing popularity of Mahabali Shera, the first-ever Indian wrestler on TNA. This announcement also marks a significant investment by SONY SIX towards the growth of wrestling programming across the Indian market.
The televised show hours will be encapsulated under the branding ‘Shera ki Kahaani’ that will feature India’s very own Mahabali Shera aka Amanpreet Singh and follow his storyline right from his entry in TNA, a major step forward towards bolstering Shera’s following in the country. The development follows the recent announcement of TNA and Sony SIX having signed a long-term deal that will make the channel the exclusive home for all TNA-based content until 2022.
To garner viewer interest, the channel has initiated an on-air campaign, including promos inviting viewers to catch his story exclusively on SONY SIX. Through this initiative, the channel aims at expanding their current programming reach amongst the vast Hindi-speaking population which also follows combat sports keenly.
Prasana Krishnan
Speaking on the announcement, Prasana Krishnan, Business Head, SONY SIX and SONY KIX commented, ‘‘We are really excited to announce the launch of an alternative language feed for TNA as with this initiative we move into the next phase of expanding the popularity of TNA in India. This endeavour aligns with our commitment to constantly innovate and offer localized content to appeal to the taste of our Indian viewers. Shera’s introduction has managed to further Brand TNA in the country, and now with the launch of local feed, we aim to further expand the sampling of the sport amongst the mass viewership demographic in India.â€
