Global multi-sports arena, familial experiences: Rajesh Kaul on SPNI’s sports strategy

Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) recently acquired the television and digital rights to broadcast and stream all New Zealand-based BlackCaps and White Ferns matches into India and associated territories for the next seven years.

The deal, from May 1, 2024 to April 30, 2031, will include India’s tours of New Zealand in the 2026-27 and 2030-31 summers, as well as all other bilateral Tests, ODIs, and T20Is played in New Zealand during the designated period.

All matches will be telecast and streamed live across SPNI’s sports channels and will be live streamed on Sony LIV, respectively, adding to an SPNI portfolio which already includes agreements with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), and Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC).

In conversation with Adgully, Rajesh Kaul, Chief Revenue Officer - Distribution & International Business and Head - Sports Business, Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI), and Scott Weenink, CEO, New Zealand Cricket, speak at length about the strategic significance of the seven-year partnership between Sony Pictures Networks India and New Zealand Cricket. Kaul further sheds light on SPNI’s sports broadcasting strategy, creating comprehensive and immersive experience for fans, and much more.

Could you provide insights into the strategic significance of the seven-year partnership between Sony Pictures Networks India and New Zealand Cricket, and how it aligns with SPN’s broader sports broadcasting vision?

In our strategic partnership with New Zealand Cricket (NZC), we aim to fortify our position as a premier destination for sports enthusiasts. We are a global multi-sports arena and the premier destination for sports fans. Our broader vision encompasses to strengthen our sports portfolio, not only with cricket offerings but also in Tennis, Football, WWE, Fight sports, motorsports, domestic leagues, and multi-sporting events among others. The seven-year partnership with NZC aligns seamlessly with this vision, enhancing our cricket offerings alongside the England and Wales Cricket Board and Sri Lanka Cricket.

Cricket holds unparalleled significance in India, and NZC's rights provide access to regular, high-quality cricket content. With the current media rights scenario in India, we feel that NZC cricket rights is something that adds significant value to our portfolio which currently comprises England and Wales Cricket Board and Sri Lanka Cricket. The popularity of the New Zealand teams, especially the Black Caps and Silver Ferns, resonates strongly with Indian fans, bolstered by revered players like Kane Williamson and Trent Boult. By incorporating NZC into our cricket portfolio, we ensure around-the-clock engagement for sports enthusiasts, further solidifying our commitment to delivering premium sports content.

Our strategic acquisitions, guided by rational decisions, underscore our dedication to serving sports fans with diverse global and local properties. With marquee events such as the UEFA EUROs and Grand Slam tournaments, alongside the extension of broadcast rights for UEFA Club competitions, we continue to elevate the sports viewing experience. The partnership with NZC exemplifies our unwavering focus on delivering premium sports content, enriching the experience for fans across India.

How does SPN plan to utilize its partnership with New Zealand Cricket to engage and excite Indian cricket enthusiasts through exclusive content or experiences, considering the global popularity of New Zealand Cricket?

Through our partnership with New Zealand Cricket (NZC), we are committed to engaging and exciting Indian cricket enthusiasts through exclusive content and experiences. While Indian cricket undeniably drives viewership, there's a growing interest in high-quality non-India international cricket matches. In addition to broadcasting Team India's series in England, Sri Lanka, and New Zealand, we will showcase thrilling non-India cricket series hosted by these nations.

We’ve observed a significant 20% growth in viewership for non-India cricket on Sony Sports Network in FY23, highlighting the appeal of quality cricket beyond borders. Rivalries like New Zealand vs Australia and the Ashes consistently generate buzz. The recent Ashes hosted in England saw a growth of around 35%.

Our programming initiatives also play an integral role in attracting new audiences. Sony Sports Network broadcasts all the India matches in English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. For an enhanced viewing experience, we have virtual reality sets and augmented reality graphics. Our live studio show for cricket, Extraaa Innings, is an iconic SSN show since 2003. It has a relaxed, conversational manner of cricket coverage, which eases into Indian homes like a member of their family and presents cricket from a unique human-interest angle, which focuses on the emotions rather than over-analysis or microstats. This approach resonates with Indian audiences, making cricket coverage feel like a familial experience.

Given cricket’s immense popularity in India, NZC’s rights further enrich our content offerings, providing around-the-clock entertainment for sports fans. Stars like Kane Williamson and Trent Boult enjoy widespread admiration, adding to the allure of NZC matches. Our iconic campaigns, such as “Love for Cricket Knows no Boundaries” and “Ashes - Platinum Standard of Cricket”, have successfully connected with cricket enthusiasts in the past, and we will continue to engage fans through similar initiatives during NZC series.

Beyond broadcasting matches, does SPN intend to develop supplementary content such as documentaries or player interviews around the New Zealand Cricket team or players, with the acquisition of broadcast rights for all matches played in New Zealand? 

Storytelling has always been at the core of Sony Sports Network. Our legacy programming for Cricket Australia (CA) and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has deeply resonated with fans, earning us a place of pride.

Our partnership with Cricket Australia gave birth to a 4-part documentary series, “Down Underdogs – India’s Greatest Comeback”. This series, rated 9.3 on IMDB, recounts the journey of an inexperienced Indian team that toured Australia amidst a global pandemic and, against all odds, clinched the Test series in 2020-21.

Building on the success of “Down Underdogs”, Sony Sports Network embarked on another journey, this time leading up to India’s tour of England in 2022. We crafted a four-part documentary series, “Architects In White”, chronicling India’s previous tour to England and the challenges faced by the Men in Blue. Enriched with insights from former players and journalists from both England and India, the series featured unseen archive footage, bringing fans closer to the riveting rivalry.

Our goal is to offer a comprehensive and immersive experience for fans. Our commitment to engaging cricket fans through iconic campaigns, such as “Love for Cricket Knows no Boundaries” and “Ashes - Platinum Standard of Cricket”, will extend to the NZC series. Furthermore, with our expertise in broadcasting, including multi-language coverage and innovative features like virtual reality sets and augmented reality graphics, we aim to enhance the viewing experience for audiences. Our live studio show, Extraaa Innings, an iconic SSN show since 2003 is renowned for its relaxed and conversational approach, will continue to offer unique perspectives on cricket, emphasizing emotions over microstats.

What are SPN’s strategies for commercial monetization through advertising or other avenues in light of its long-term partnership with New Zealand Cricket, and how does SPN plan to capitalize on this opportunity?

This deal brings to India after a television hiatus, world class cricket from one of the most beloved teams in India after our national team. Advertisers will surely see the value in this proposition. We also have two big India series being played in New Zealand in the 2026-27 and 2030-31 summers which will attract both sponsors and viewers.

Biggest challenge facing smaller ICC full members is navigating the increasing creep from domestic T20 leagues: Scott Weenink, CEO, New Zealand Cricket

What inspired you to pursue a career in sports management, particularly in cricket?

I was a keen participant in sports, played for Wellington at both cricket and rugby, and was later awarded Blues for both sports at Oxford University in the UK. I’ve also enjoyed an extensive business career in a variety of capacities.

I love sports and cricket in particular, and I also love the business of sports. When this opportunity arose I was immediately interested – it seemed like an ideal role.

New Zealand Cricket has seen considerable success in recent years. What strategies do you attribute to this success, and how do you plan to maintain or build upon it?

It’s true, we’ve come a long way over the past decade. There’s been a lot of time and energy put into developing successful systems at both community and high-performance level - and that’s led to consistency in terms of performance.

We have a relatively strong relationship with our regions, we have great alignment in terms of our de-centralized high-performance programmes, and we try to use our small size to maximum advantage – we can adapt, adjust and be nimble in the face of any situation or set of circumstances.

Cricket has undergone significant changes in recent years, from rule adjustments to format innovations. How does New Zealand Cricket adapt to these changes while preserving the essence of the sport?

It’s no secret that probably the biggest challenge facing smaller ICC full members is navigating the increasing creep from domestic T20 leagues into the bilateral calendar.

The flipside of this is that we have a New Zealand public that relates strongly to our national men’s and women’s teams - that’s who they support, and that’s who they want to watch. The level of interest here (in NZ) in overseas domestic T20 leagues is, frankly, minimal.

I don’t think there’s a silver bullet for this issue, but neither do I think it’s as ominous for international cricket as some people like to suggest. There’s room for both and I think we’ll eventually find a good balance.

Women’s cricket has been gaining momentum globally. How does New Zealand Cricket support and promote gender equality within the sport, both on and off the field?

We support and promote it enthusiastically. Cricket is now comfortably the highest-paying female team sport in New Zealand, at both domestic and international level. Engaging with women and girls, giving them ownership of the game, and investing in their future is a huge priority for NZC.

Sustainability and environmental concerns have become increasingly important across all industries. How does New Zealand Cricket integrate sustainability practices into its operations and events?

We’re currently working on our sustainability programme in terms of preserving our natural environment, reducing our carbon footprint, and decreasing our dependence on non-renewable energies. While there are some things that we simply cannot avoid, we’re finding there are a range of mitigations possible.

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted sports globally. How has New Zealand Cricket navigated these challenges, and what long-term impacts do you foresee for the sport?

It was a difficult time for everyone and in the context of people losing their lives and loved ones, sport very much had to take a back seat – and we accept that.

We had several lockdowns in NZ and strict restrictions at the border, which disrupted both our domestic competitions and national teams.

Our priority during that period was to preserve the community game and make sure it survived – because that’s the lifeblood of our game, and it’s also where our next high-performance players are coming from.

We ensured the same funding envelope was maintained for the community game throughout the Covid crisis.

In an ever-evolving media landscape, how does New Zealand Cricket engage with fans and attract new audiences, both domestically and internationally?

The media industry in New Zealand is facing a difficult time, there’s no doubt about that. Just over the past few months, there have been organisational closures and a serious number of redundancies – which shows how much pressure our MSM is under.

We want to support the media all we can – they are the storytellers of our game, they bring it to life and they provide the scrutiny that serves it so well. We welcome this. We feel very privileged the media are interested, for better or for worse. And we’re doing everything in our power to help in terms of access, content, and the exchange of information.

Having said that, we also accept that, these days, we need to take on some of that role ourselves; and the storytelling in particular. With social media now providing such a strong connection to fans, we’re investing more and more in our digital capacity so that we can do that.