Ranjana Mangla on SonyLIV’s sports strategy to create a sustainable audience base

The 17th edition of the European Championships, also known as the EURO, has been streaming on SonyLIV and broadcast on Sony Sports since June 14, 2024. This tournament is a pivotal part of Sony Pictures Networks India’s (SPNI) ambition to establish itself as the ‘Home of Football’ in India. Earlier in March 2024, the network renewed its exclusive media rights deal with the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for another three seasons until 2026-2027. Under this agreement, Sony will air over 1,600 football matches, including the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League, UEFA Super Cup, and UEFA Youth League. Additionally, the network holds rights to the Nations League, Bundesliga, Emirates FA Cup, and Saudi Pro League.

In an exclusive video interaction with Adgully, Ranjana Mangla, Senior Vice-President & Head of Ad Revenue, SonyLIV, shares insights into SonyLIV’s strategy for the EURO Championship and delves deeper into their marketing strategy surrounding premium sports in India.

How does partnering with premier football properties like the EURO championship align with SonyLIV’s overall strategy in India? Could you share the key factors that led to the decision to collaborate with the EURO championship?

I will take a step back before beginning our partnership with EURO. Football has been at the core of SonyLIV’s sports strategy for nearly a decade. Our football audience has been loyal and growing at a massive rate. We have a compelling reason to partner with many championships like Saudi, Durand Cup, and obviously EURO. As part of our overall strategy, it is two-fold for us. One is what we do for our advertisement-led strategy, the concentrated viewership during the EURO championship creates a valuable advertising opportunity for brands targeting the football audience. The other is for our audience packages, the EURO championship increases app sampling, attracting new users and building a sustainable audience base.

This approach has really helped us create a sustainable audience for our platform, enabling us to offer sophisticated ads to potential partners.

How significant is the EURO championship in boosting SonyLIV’s presence in the Indian market?

The EURO championship brings a concentrated audience for 30-40 days. This period significantly increases overall app usage and helps us acquire new viewers who may not have explored SonyLIV before. Consistent investment in premier properties like the EURO championship fuels our audience growth strategy.

What specific audience segments are you targeting with this collaboration, and how do you plan to engage them?

While football remains a male-dominated sport (80% male viewership), the female fanbase is growing.

Targeting Advertisers: The male audience segment is crucial for advertisers in categories like auto, BFSI, insurance, and beverages.

Geographic Focus: We target pockets where football is particularly popular, like West Bengal. However, football’s appeal is expanding across India.

Engaging Young Viewers: Football is a great way to connect with younger demographics, especially those who may not be interested in cricket. There’s a loyal football fanbase (around 40%) who doesn’t watch cricket, making them a valuable audience segment.

Accessibility: Football’s simplicity (just needing a ball and space) makes it attractive compared to some perceived “premium” sports in India.

In a competitive OTT market in India, how does SonyLIV plan to differentiate itself with sports content? Are there any other unique partnerships or exclusive rights that SonyLIV holds which provide a competitive edge?

Sports remains an important cluster for us and will continue to be so. Besides football, tennis is also a significant part of our sports offering, with events occurring year-round. This focus on premium sports in India helps us build our subscriber base and differentiate ourselves in a competitive OTT market. Additionally, SonyLIV holds exclusive rights to various other sports properties, giving us a competitive edge.

These are edited excerpts. For the complete interview watch below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhmXL53VLUQ