MxMIndia

Tag: Sony SIX

  • One of SONY KIX’s flagship offerings would be the Pepsi IPL, which begins from April 8 this year and will be telecast on the channel in English, Tamil & Telugu

    After Six, Sony out with second sports channel – KIX

    By A Correspondent

     

    Multi-Screen Media (MSM) announced the launch of the new sports channel named SONY KIX, which is set to broadcast the best in sports and entertainment in India. The channel is MSM’s second foray in sports after SONY SIX.

     

    As part of its line-up, KIX will air the Pepsi IPL, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), Australian Open Tennis Championship, National Football League (NFL), Rugby World Cup 2015, premier fight sports properties such as Glory World Series and CSI Boxing alongside some marquee events in football and rugby.

     

    NP Singh

    Speaking at the launch of KIX, NP Singh, CEO, MSM commented, “Sports has always been a core focus for us right from our early days. Our entertainment and movie channels such as SET, MAX and PIX have also, over the years, broadcast some of the landmark sports events both in India and internationally. While the resounding success of SIX in less than 3 years was a deciding factor to launch KIX, there was also this need to cater to the clear demand seen in the market for largely, alternative sports programming.  KIX promises to be a great addition to our mix of channels and will go on to complement SIX in more ways than one with exciting and iconic properties such as Pepsi IPL, UFC and NFL among many others.”

     

    One of SONY KIX’s flagship offerings would be the Pepsi IPL, which begins from April 8 this year and will be telecast on the channel in English, Tamil & Telugu. The telecast will be in conjunction with that of SIX and MAX, which will show the tournament in English and Hindi, respectively.

     

    Prasana Krishnan, Business Head, SONY SIX said, “SONY KIX will not only be an extension of our sports portfolio but it also serves as an opportunity for us to expand the sports viewership in the country. We have already acquired and have a very strong portfolio of rights including to some of the major sports hitherto unseen on Indian television. We will continue to build on this and expand our range of offerings. ”

     

  • The TVCs will inspire people to put aside their differences and come together to celebrate their love for the game

    Three more IPL-linked TVCs unveiled

    By A Correspondent

     

    Sony MAX and SIX unveiled their TVC’s for the Pepsi IPL 2015 campaign ‘India ka Tyohaar’.

     

    In addition to the campaign ‘India ka Tyohaar’ launched in February this year, the channel unveiled three more thought provoking TVC’s which will inspire people to put aside their differences and come together to celebrate their love for the game.

     

    The television commercials showcase diverse situations with an underlying theme that Pepsi IPL has the power to break down barriers and unite people to join in the glory of the game. The first commercial seeks to break traditional social norms by depicting a progressive mother-in-law who invites her daughter-in-law to enjoy watching the game of cricket together with the family rather than serving food to the family. The second commercial depicts a rude and elderly shopkeeper touched by a five-year old’s selfless act of kindness. All the commercials are tied with the single thread of love and bonding, despite differences, which is what the IPL is all about.

     

    The TVC’s are conceptualized by ad man Sonal Dabral of DDB Mudra and directed by Anupam Mishra of Crazy Few Films.

     

  • The Open is set to see a series of nail-biting matches between players, who will battle it out to win the illustrious title and a total prize money of USD 275,000

    SONY SIX to broadcast Yonex Sunrise Tournament in India

    By A Correspondent

     

    SONY SIX is set to broadcast the Yonex Sunrise India 2015 from March 24th to March 29th. The tournament will be held at the Siri Fort Indoor Sports Complex in New Delhi and will witness some of India’s finest players including Srikanth Kadambi – the reigning Swiss Open champion, the world number 2 Saina Nehwal, Padma Shri winner P V Sindhu and the Commonwealth Games Gold medallist, Parupalli Kashyap take part in the proceedings.

     

    Apart from the top crop of Indian talent, the tournament will also feature top international badminton talents including Jan O Jorgensen, Dan Lin and the All England Open Championships winner, Carolina Marin. The Open is set to see a series of nail-biting matches between players, who will battle it out to win the illustrious title and a total prize money of USD 275,000.

     

    Prasana Krishnan, Business Head, SONY SIX said, “The India Open is undoubtedly the biggest major played in India every year and we are thrilled to come on board as the broadcasting partner for this marque tournament which attracts the best of Indian and international talent year on year. The viewer base for badminton in India has got stronger with every tournament in which our players feature. We expect the viewership to only grow manifold for this tournament considering its iconic status and the conducive telecast hours.”

     

    The tournament currently boasts of the BWF Super Series status, which was given to it in 2011. Super Series is a series of 12 prestigious tournaments played around the world, which also includes the highly coveted All England Open

     

  • The agreement anchors TNA with a major media company in the world's largest wrestling market outside of the United States

    Sony SIX to air TNA content until 2022

    By A Correspondent

     

    TNA Wrestling and Sony SIX have signed a long-term deal that will make Sony SIX the exclusive telecaster for all TNA content until 2022. The agreement anchors TNA with a major media company in the world’s largest wrestling market outside of the United States.

     

    The partnership also includes a commitment to the discovery and development of talent from the Indian subcontinent to join the TNA roster, following in the footsteps of Mahabali Shera – who last year became TNA’s first ever Indian-born superstar.

     

    Sony Six Business Head Prasana Krishna said: “We are extremely thrilled to extend our partnership with TNA. India historically boasts of a rich heritage in wresting and we believe, that through this initiative, we will be taking another step forward in reaching out to our audiences across India.

     

    “The introduction of Shera and more Indian talents will only bolster our special televised capsule of action sports, which will feature the best of action and combat sports. We at Sony SIX look forward to building on this fascinating sport.”

     

    TNA President Dixie Carter added: “India has an incredible cultural heritage with wrestling and we are thrilled to continue this amazing partnership with Sony SIX for years to come.

     

    “As is evident through this long-term deal with Sony SIX, the powerful introduction of Mahabali Shera, and our continued pledge to find and develop Indian talent, together we are committed to growing legions of TNA fans across the Indian subcontinent.”

     

  • The channel will air the Grand Slam exclusively for 5 years starting 2015

    Sony Six bags broadcasting rights for Australian Open

    By A Correspondent

     

    Sony Six is set to telecast the Australian Open – The Grand Slam of Asia-Pacific, in India for a duration of five years. The channel will exclusively telecast all matches of the tournament live from 2015 till 2019.

     

    NP Singh

    The Australian Open will be the channel’s first entry into broadcasting a Grand Slam event, having shown select ATP tournaments earlier.

     

    Commenting on the development, NP Singh, CEO, MSM said, “Over the years, the Australian Open has established itself as one of the most watched tennis Grand Slams across the world. Going by the strong equity that the sport enjoys, we are committed to expand the distribution of the tournament further and thereby strengthen our position in the market.”

     

    Prasana Krishnan

    Prasana Krishnan, EVP & Business Head, Sony SIX commented, “The Australian Open is yet another offering that stands for our diverse sports programming DNA. The tournament is seen as a season opener which sets the context for all tennis competitions that follow during the rest of the calendar year. Needless to say, we are proud to have this prestigious event as part of our bouquet of international sports content.”

     

  • The upcoming edition of the tournament will be played in Equatorial Guinea from 17th January to 8th February 2015

    Sony Six acquires the rights for the Africa Cup of Nations

    By A Correspondent

     

    Sony Six has bagged the rights to air the Africa Cup of Nations 2015 live in South Asia. The tournament is the international football championship of Africa held every two years and organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF). The upcoming edition of the tournament will be played in Equatorial Guinea from 17th January to 8th February 2015.

     

    One of the biggest international tournaments, the Africa Cup of Nations is counted in the same league as the European Championships and the Copa America. This year’s edition will be the first ever to be shown live in India and will feature the star-studded line-ups of teams such as Ghana, Ivory Coast & South Africa. Some of the superstars headlining the Africa Cup of Nations this year include Christian Atsu, Papiss Cisse, Asamoah Gyan (Ghana),Yaya Toure, Kolo Toure, Cheick Tiote, Wilfried Bony (Ivory Coast) and Diafra Sakho (Senegal).

     

    Prasana Krishnan

    Commenting on the acquisition, Prasana Krishnan, Business Head, Sony Six said, “The rights for the Africa Cup of Nations is without doubt a great addition to our exciting bouquet of live sports programming. This only reinforces our position as the home for the top international football tournaments. Furthermore, most of the matches from the tournament are going to be telecast here at prime time, which will only boost its viewership in our region.”

     

  • The 'each set is a match' structure is already being talked about amongst national and international tennis fraternities alike

    Champions Tennis League ready to engage viewers with novel format

    By A Correspondent

     

    Sony Six has acquired the broadcasting rights for Champions Tennis League, a pan-India city-based tennis championship league set to take place from November 17 to November 26, 2014.

     

    The television-friendly format of CTL lends itself to the taste and sensibilities of the Indian audience, who have been generally seen to enjoy watching fast-paced sports like the T20 cricket. The ‘each set is a match’ structure is already being talked about amongst national and international tennis fraternities alike. Also renowned names like Mark Woodforde, Louise Pleming, Luke Jensen and Prakash Amritraj will be seen keeping the viewers engaged with thier quick witted and insightful commentry on the game. Apart from the pacey and competitive tennis, the tournament will feature after-match parties, fashion shows and interactions with the fans on the rest days; thereby acting as a ‘carnival of tennis’ for both tennis fans and the general match-goers.

     

    Commenting on the development, Prasana Krishnan, Business Head, Sony Six said, “The format for CTL is tailor made for television. The short and exciting structure of the matches will ensure that audiences are entertained and engaged throughout the course of the tournament. Also, with the entry of CTL, the viewership for tennis in our country should finally extend beyond the Grand Slams and select ATP and WTA tournaments.”

     

    With CTL, Sony Six will further add to its exciting mix of entertainment-based sports programming led by global phenomena such as the NBA, the FIFA, the Pepsi IPL and the Ultimate Fighting Championship among others. The inaugural CTL not only boasts of a first-of-its kind format but will also be the first international tennis tournament to be held in cities like Pune and Chandigarh, which have traditionally not been the bastions for the sport in the country.

     

  • The TVC marks itself as the first ever tennis super league commercial to be aired on national television

    Inaugural campaign for Champions Tennis League launched

    By A Correspondent

     

    Sony SIX has unveiled its first TVC for their marquee tennis property, The Champions Tennis League. The TVC marks itself as the first ever tennis super league commercial to be aired on national television.

     

    Conceptualized by Havas Worldwide, the commercial is targeted towards sports fans and general audiences alike by igniting the passion for tennis that has been evoked with the element of the tennis ball. Capturing a series of montages of the tennis ball in action, the commercial culminates into the announcement of India’s most exciting all-star tennis league, the Champions Tennis League. Through the commercial, the channel aims to engage with a large spectrum of audience by driving the relevance of the tennis ball in one’s everyday life.

     

    The commercial opens with a quick montage of clips being shown on the tennis ball being put to use. The scenes are supplement with a voiceover narrative of how the tennis ball is being used in India for a wide variety of activities. From being used as an object for amusement in the hands of a juggler in a circus, to being a ball of terror against batsmen playing “gully cricket’ or from being an item of décor used for rickshaws to a vessel for communicating hidden messages of love amongst the youth in the country. The advertisement catches the various aspects of the florescent sphere and how it has made its way into the daily lives of the people. The commercial goes on to depict further instances of the tennis ball in use with a catchy tune that syncs with the jovial feel of the commercial. The commercial ends on a unique note where the ball flies into a house causing disturbance in the house of an elderly man. The man comes out onto his balcony with a presumable rage, blaming the neighbourhood kids for playing cricket all day. At that point the commercial takes an unconventional twist where much to the aged man’s surprise; the kids playing down are holding tennis racquets and are sporting an impish smile. This sync in with the concluding shot of the commercial where the narrative voice over prepares audiences to get ready to witness the best of international tennis superstars compete in India at the Champions Tennis League.

     

    Prasana Krishnan

    Commenting on the launch of the TVC, Prasana Krishnan, Business Head, Sony SIX, said, ‘‘Through the years, the tennis ball has come to be synonymous with a host of activities like cricket, lagori and juggling amongst many other outdoor activities. It presents an autonomous manifestation of sportiness. What we have tried to do through this TVC is not only show the versatility of the ball but connect it to its fundamental use, which lies in the game of tennis, highlighting the first ever international tennis league to be hosted in India.”

     

    Vivek Rao, Executive Creative Director, said, ‘The team came up with a script that had a simple, wonderful insight. In India a Tennis Ball has been omnipresent in our lives since our childhood for reasons other than the game of tennis. Finally here’s a reason to see it for what it’s really meant for – Tennis! And the Champions Tennis League has the right pros to make it a must watch tennis league. The “extreme slow motion” treatment recommended by director Nitesh Tiwari was to ensure that the hero very clearly was the Tennis Ball.”

     

    The TVC will be aired across various English, Hindi and regional news, movies and entertainment channels and will be promoted on various digital spaces.

     

  • The channel will air the National Football League over 4 years across the Indian subcontinent

    Sony Six bags rights to broadcast National Football League

    By A Correspondent

     

    SONY SIX has acquired the broadcasting rights to National Football League (NFL). The announcement follows a multiyear television partnership between the National Football League (NFL) and Multi Screen Media (MSM), making SONY SIX the NFL’s broadcast partner across the Indian Subcontinent. The partnership includes television rights to live regular season games, playoff games and most significantly to the tournament’s paramount sporting event, the Super Bowl.

     

    Prasana Krishnan

    On acquisition of the sport, Prasana Krishnan, Business Head, SONY SIX said, “We are extremely thrilled and excited about this partnership, as we look to deliver on providing the audiences an opportunity to experience the best of American football. The raw nature of the sport promises audiences a combination of high speed action and thrill. This acquisition brings us a step closer in reiterating our efforts in providing quality sports content to our viewers that greatly adds value to our channel as well as to our existing comprehensive bouquet and line-up of sporting events”.

     

    The programming will be themed around educational vignettes, highlight shows and NFL’s trademark pre-season documentary series ‘Hard Knocks’. SONY SIX and the NFL will work collaboratively on unique initiatives that engage Indian audiences as a means to grow the fan base and increase knowledge and awareness of the NFL through media.

     

  • The league will witness national and international tennis talent with each team having top ATP and WTA players, captained by a Tennis legend

    Sony Six bags Champions Tennis League mandate

    By A Correspondent

     

    Sony SIX has bagged the exclusive broadcasting rights for Champions Tennis League. The inaugural league will take place between the 17th to 26th November and will be held in six cities in India. The league will witness national and international tennis talent with each team having top ATP and WTA players, captained by a Tennis legend.

     

    The Champions Tennis League will feature six city based teams, who will play 12 matches over an 8-day period, with the matches kick-starting from November 17. The teams will be structured into two groups, each having three sides each, where they would play each other in a home and away format. The top team in each half play each other in the 13th match on the 10th day for the inaugural Champions Tennis League trophy.

     

    Each team in the Champions Tennis league will feature one male and one female international player ranked amongst the top 25 in the ATP and WTA rankings. Each of the six teams will also have an international legend as their playing captain, apart from a noted top ranked Indian male tennis player. Two juniors, aged under 21 will also be a part of the team, selected by the All India Tennis Association, in order to give them exposure and the experience of playing with some of the best players in the world. All the games will be featured live and exclusive on Sony SIX and Sony SIX HD.

     

    The Champions Tennis League, together with Sony Six will travel the country bringing excitement and entertainment in a spectacle of such magnitude that has never been seen before for tennis in India.

     

    On the announcement of the acquisition, NP Singh, CEO, MSM India said, “Introduction of Champions Tennis League will help redefine the Indian tennis market paradigm. This will be a landmark event that will put India on the global map of tennis, featuring some of the world’s greatest tennis stars playing right here in our country. We are excited about this partnership and believe that the tournament will be a perfect blend of tennis and entertainment that has never been seen in India.”

     

    Sony Six EVP & Business Head Prasana Krishnan said “We are delighted to have Champions Tennis League on board as this acquisition signifies yet another endeavour by Sony SIX into bringing diverse sports offerings to the viewers. Champions Tennis league will be a treat for viewers as they will get to see the best of tennis action where International players and our National talent share the court. We believe that the league will not only give a fantastic viewing experience to the viewers but also help young Indian talent to perform on a grand stage.”

     

    The Champions Tennis League will start on the 17th of November and the finals will be held on the 26th of November 2014.

     

  • Sony SIX has exclusively brought on board Bollywood star John Abraham to leverage the build-up to the big extravaganza

    Sony SIX urges fans to ‘Live the Magic’

    By a correspondent

     

    Sony SIX has announced its new marketing campaign for 2014 FIFA World Cupâ„¢ called ‘Live the Magic’. The marketing campaign sees the star studded support of John Abraham in a whole new football avatar encouraging viewers to join in the party to catch the ultimate footballing extravaganza on SIX. The inspiration of the campaign has been drawn from the global obsession of viewers assembling to catch the most anticipated international tournament in the world of football. The term ‘Live the Magic’ was coined to ignite the fervour and the passion for football fanatics, as well as to call out to non-sport enthusiast to join the party.

     

    The campaign is shot with the idea of replicating the carnival atmosphere surrounding Brazil. The opening scene shows John Abraham donning the avatar of Brazil’s beloved and sensational strikerNeymar Jr. exiting onto the town street. He is joined by fellow town football fans donning the avatar of Portugal’s superstar- Cristiano Ronaldo, Argentina’s footballing Maestro – Messi and France’s lightning bolt – Ribery. The film takes on from here where the characters mosey through town and arejoined by their entourage and ensemble of sports fans replicating the feel of the Brazil’s trademark carnival parade. Showcasing colours from several popular international teams, the film emits a grandeur experience signifying an important message on how viewers come together to celebrate and watch the sport of football. The commercial exudes Brazil in its beach, narrow streets, music and carnival-like atmosphere.

     

    This intent of the campaign emanates from the channel’s endeavour to capture sports enthusiasts and urge non-sports viewers to come together and enjoy the international football extravaganza. Further the campaign aligns itself to the channels continued commitment of bringing in high quality sports content for viewers across the nation.

     

     

  • The open air bus has been designed to capture the imagination of the citizens with a host of entertaining and unique activities

    Sony’s Bulaava Express takes off on a nationwide tour

    By a correspondent

     

    It was a Sunday of a different kind for Sony MAX and Sony SIX as it invited Mumbaikars to hop on in its ‘Bulaava Express’. The unique open air bus has been designed to capture the imagination of the citizens with a host of entertaining and unique activities. Be it the impromptu ‘buckram ka chukrum’ which quizzed people on their knowledge of the tournament or ‘Bulaava Bahana’ which mandated fans to confess which bulaava they have used to watch the Pepsi IPL, the activities left the audiences wanting more.

     

    Vaishali Sharma, VP-Marketing said, “Bulaava Express is the perfect initiative to get the people excited about the tournament. Cricket fans were exuberant about being a part of this activity. The overwhelming response and enthusiasm of the crowd has encouraged us to take the fun and excitement to more locations.”

     

    ‘Bulaava Express’, an open air bus will tour the country across 13 cities like Delhi, Kolkata, Bangalore, Lucknow, Chandigarh, Jaipur, Chennai, Nashik, Indore, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Nagpur between April & May creating euphoria for Pepsi IPL 2014. Sony MAX & Sony SIX have created this unique initiative especially for the followers of Pepsi IPL.