Sony Pictures Networks acquires exclusive broadcast rights of Ballon d’Or

Sony Pictures Networks (SPN) has acquired exclusive rights to broadcast the prestigious football award – 2022 Ballon d'Or, in the Indian subcontinent, including India, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Maldives, and Sri Lanka and non-exclusive rights in Pakistan. The broadcaster will telecast the Ballon d'Or ceremony LIVE on SONY TEN 2 channels on 17th October 2022 from 10:20 PM IST. The awards will also be live-streamed on SPN's on-demand OTT platform SonyLIV.

Ballon d'Or is an annual football award hosted by France Football that honours top football players across various European clubs. Considered amongst the top football awards, Ballon d'Or has played a significant role in recognizing the greatest football players across the world. The award, which roots back to 1956, has seen some great players rise to fame, from Stanley Matthews to Lionel Messi. In 2018, the marquee award started honouring top women football players, and Ada Hegerberg became the first female footballer to receive the Ballon d'Or.

The 66th edition of the marquee awards will go down in history as it will be the first time the results will be announced based on season and not year. With seven-time winner Lionel Messi out of the race, the 2022 Ballon d'Or will see a new winner as top football players gear up for the night. While the nominees were announced this year on 12th August, fans are rooting for Real Madrid star Karim Benzema to steal the show and win the coveted award. Other players cutting close in the race include Bayern Munich's Sadio Mane and FC Barcelona's Robert Lewandowski. In the women's category, Barcelona and Spain's midfielder Alexia Putellas leads the nominee list as a fan favourite, followed by Chelsea's Sam Kerr and Arsenal's Beth Mead.