 "Sony looks for playing fields beyond IPL")
In 2013, when Prasana Krishnan moved to Sony Pictures Network India (SPN; then called Multi Screen Media India or MSM India), he had a clear strategy for the network’s comparatively new sports cluster. At the time, SPN had one flagship sports channel and used the Sony Max channel as the primary telecast medium for the annual twenty-20 tournament the Indian Premier League (IPL). Krishnan’s plan of action was simple — explore sports beyond cricket, exploit the scale India has to offer and build a multi-sport cluster.
Three years thence, the sports cluster at SPN is the fastest growing entity within the network, says Krishnan without getting into specifics, and the effort to have a 12-month calendar for programming is taking shape.
“The IPL undoubtedly gives reach and scale to the sports cluster. But, we can’t have a two-month strategy. To be a viable option for the network and the advertisers, we need to have a year-long calendar and that is where we have identified sports like football, contact sports (fights sports, kabaddi etc) and basketball as focus areas,” says Krishnan, executive vice-president and business head of sports cluster at SPN.
He adds that there is an appetite for different sports in the country. “For example, the million or million-and-a-half people who follow the NFL (National Football League) finally got to watch it on our network. It’s important to address the niche audiences along with the mass. We feel that is the way to exploit the full potential of sports in the country, especially now that people are open to sample games beyond cricket.”
Last year, the network announced a joint venture with Disney’s ESPN to launch multiple sports channels in the country, starting with Sony ESPN and Sony ESPN HD. With this, the network has included in its portfolio, tournaments like the NFL and various ATP events in tennis. It also has a robust line-up of international football events including UEFA Euro 2016; 2018 FIFA World Cup La Liga BBVA; Serie A TIM; Emirates FA Cup; UEFA European Qualifiers for 2018 WC; and FIFA Futsal World Cup 2016. The emergence of domestic leagues has also given sports networks in the country a chance to expand.
Uday Shankar’s Star India has been going the whole hog marketing domestic leagues like the Hero Indian Super League and Pro Kabaddi League, both partly promoted/owned by the network, SPN put its bet on the World Kabaddi League, Champions Tennis League and the Pro Wrestling League.
Both the wrestling league and the kabaddi tournament have either been deferred for a year, or been cancelled. Either way, the future of these leagues looks bleak. “Domestic leagues are just finding their footing in the country. As broadcasters, we need to see them as start-ups and with any start-up, there is the case of hits and misses. Some will prosper, some will not. It’s a chance we have to take. Yes, some have not been as successful as we would have wanted, but then that’s the business. I am more optimistic about Futsal, though,” says Krishnan.
Premier Futsal kicks off this July. SPN has the media rights to the tournament for five years. The network’s sports cluster will be using the ongoing Euro 2016 to market and promote the tournament. Futsal is an indoor format of football with five players on each side.
N P Singh, CEO of Sony Pictures Networks India said at the time of signing: “We are investing heavily in sports and building a strong sports entertainment portfolio. Besides cricket, basketball, tennis and fight sports, SPN’s comprehensive sports portfolio includes some of the best international football properties. With the introduction of Premier Futsal, we are bringing to our viewers a game of deft skills and international marquee talent. Premier Futsal will be highly action-packed and very entertaining.”
Basketball has been an area of focus as well at SPN. While the network airs National Basketball Association (NBA) games around the year, it has taken the on-ground route to popularise the game. It supports NBA’s efforts at the grass-root level with events such as NBA Jam (a college-level multi-city basketball tournament).
Yannick Colaco, managing director of NBA India, says: “NBA’s partnership with Sony SIX has been phenomenal. Viewership of the NBA has increased rapidly in the past few seasons due to their commitment to bring two live games per day and other compelling localised NBA programmes to the fans. In the current season, around 65 million fans tuned in to watch NBA games on Sony Six, which indicates the increasing demand for the NBA and we expect viewership to increase by double-digit figures moving forward.”
Similarly, with wrestling, the network joined hands with Ultimate Fighting Championship and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, participating in the on-ground initiatives apart from broadcasting key fights and programming around the sports.
According to Krishnan, while the portfolio looks diverse and packed right now, he and his team are now set to explore the potential of cue sports like billiards and snooker.
