We're thrilled to see tremendous interest among advertisers for AG: Sandeep Mehrotra

Ahead of the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou 2022, Sony Sports Network, the official broadcasters, has initiated the most extensive campaign ever witnessed in the history of the Asian Games within India. Their objective is to ensure that the message – “Iss Baar Sau Paar, Phir se, Hum Hongey Kamyab” – resonates throughout every corner of the country. Sony Sports Network has garnered substantial support from a notable line-up of influential and iconic individuals, including Union Minister of Sports Anurag Thakur, Chief of Defence Staff Lt Gen Anil Chauhan, as well as Chiefs of the tri-services Gen Manoj Pandey, Admiral Radhakrishnan Hari Kumar, and Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari, all of whom are strongly backing the Indian athletes as they strive for top honours at this prestigious multi-sporting event.

Recognising the strength of collective ambition, this campaign shines a spotlight on the often-overlooked heroes of Indian sports – those individuals who have tirelessly devoted themselves to their respective fields and are on the verge of representing the nation at this esteemed multi-sport event. Prominent figures from across the country have joined Sony Sports Network’s mission and conveyed their messages of encouragement to the participating athletes, urging them to reach new heights in this edition of the quadrennial extravaganza. These notable influencers include Amitabh Bachchan, Sudha Murty, Aamir Khan, Hema Malini, Madhuri Dixit, Aditya Roy Kapoor, John Abraham, Abhishek Bachchan, Kapil Sharma, Mirabai Chanu, Zaheer Khan, Anju Bobby George, Raja Randhir Singh, and many others.

Additionally, an all-star line-up of Indian sports journalists, representing publications such as Dainik Jagran, Dainik Bhaskar, Rajasthan Patrika, The Telegraph, Deccan Chronicle, Dinakaran, Lokmat, Eenadu, Gujarat Samachar, Sandesh, Asomya Pratidin, Sportskeeda, along with RJs from Radio City and Radio One, as well as representatives from leading news channels Aaj Tak and NDTV 24X7, have also joined Sony Sports Network in their endeavour.

In conversation with Adgully, Sandeep Mehrotra, Head of Ad Sales, Network Channels, Sony Pictures Networks India, speaks at length about the advertisers interest and much more…

How has the advertiser interest been for the 19th Asian Games campaign compared to previous sporting events? Could you highlight some of the key brands that have come onboard for this prestigious multi-sporting event?

We are thrilled to witness a tremendous response for the upcoming 19th Asian Games with advertiser interest from across categories like Automobiles, BFSI, Beverage, consumer durables and FMCG. This has been possible due to the pan-India reach that these multi-sporting events command. Also, at Sony, customer retention is at the core of our strategy, hence a lot of the advertisers with us are repeat customers with new advertisers being added on every event. To name a few brands, we have Hyundai, JSW, LIC, Limca Sportz, Paisabazaar, Ultratech, Amul, SBI, Panasonic, Parle Products and RBI on board.

What unique selling propositions have you offered to attract advertisers to this campaign? In terms of ad placements and scheduling, what strategies are in place to ensure a seamless viewing experience for the audience?

Our endeavour has always been to deliver value to our partners, so while on the one hand, we have innovations such as Split Screen and contextual advertising options on LIVE broadcast, on the other hand we have gone out and created exclusive co-branded content series for brands, with Asian Games athletes. Sports fans/ viewers are extremely driven and like to interact, so we are also utilising our social media handles to amplify the reach our advertisers’ campaigns and to drive engagement by posting co-branded promos and branded segment onto our handles.