No content fatigue among viewers, says SonyLiv’s Ranjana Mangla ahead of UEFA Euro 2024 tournament

New Delhi: Positioned as the ‘Universe Ka Sabse Bada Football Festival of 2024,’ the UEFA Euro 2024 tournament will start streaming on SonyLiv and broadcasting on Sony Sports at 11 pm on June 14, 2024.

In the land of cricket, positioning the platform as the home for football is definitely a daunting task, especially with the IPL just ending and the Cricket World Cup ongoing.

But the undeterred SVP and Head of Ad Revenue at SonyLiv, Ranjana Mangla, believes that “content reigns above all.”

Mangla emphasised that a strong content strategy throughout the year is what helps to maintain audience engagement.  

When asked about sports content fatigue among audiences, she argued that “there's no fatigue in the viewer's head; great content is great content.”  

While “today's viewers are shifting from television to OTT, with screen time reaching five to six hours daily, a significant portion of this is spent on entertainment or sports, with diverse preferences across various audience cohorts,” she explained. 

“For football fans, Euro 2024 represents the pinnacle event of the year,"  and therefore, SonyLiv capitalises on this excitement, having consistently offered established tournaments like the Champions League and Europa League throughout the year. 

In March 2024, the network extended its exclusive media rights agreement with the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for three additional seasons, covering up to 2026–2027. 

This deal includes the broadcasting of over 1,600 football matches, featuring the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Conference League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Super Cup, and UEFA Youth League for three seasons.  

Additionally, the network retains rights to the Nations League, Bundesliga, Emirates FA Cup, and Saudi Pro League.

Sony Sports Network now holds the rights to the most popular football events, with the exception of the English Premier League (EPL) and FIFA tournaments. The media rights for the 2026 FIFA World Cup are yet to be sold. 

A month ago, the Sony Sports Network also launched a campaign called ‘Universe Ka Sabse Bada Football Festival of 2024’ featuring its brand ambassador for football, Kartik Aaryan.  

Popular shows like Kaun Banega Crorepati, Taarak Mehta Ka Oolta Chashma, and Gullak, among others, have significantly contributed to the platform’s increased digital viewership. 

Today, it boasts “over 34 million paid subscribers, with a large audience utilising the free tier.”  

When asked about the platform's success, Mangla highlighted, “Our focus is on creating high-quality original content across various genres.”

Along with keeping the audience engaged with good-quality content, it is equally important for the platform to maximise advertisers’ engagement during Euro 2024. 

While traditional pre-show, mid-show, and post-show segments will offer brands exposure during key viewing moments, SonyLive has introduced a unique concept called the “Golden Break.” It is a 60-second break featuring multiple brands, positioned just before the match starts. 

“This will provide advertisers with guaranteed maximum exposure, potentially reaching a highly engaged audience,” said Mangla. 

Euro 2024 matches will be available in six languages: English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Bengali.