SonyLIV, the digital streaming platform of Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI), has over 40,000 hours of content across eight languages and clocked a paid subscriber base of 33.3 million globally including distributor partnership, said, NP Singh, Managing Director and CEO, SPNI, at Sony’s annual corporate strategy day presentation, 2023 in Tokyo on Thursday, when he was called up on stage to join Yoshida and Sony COO and CFO Totoki Hiroki to give a glimpse of the future.
He has articulated that Sony as the only media company with a profitable digital operation and quoted that SonyLIV’s paid subscriber base had surged from 700,000 in early 2020, on the back of a string of hits, now commanding an annual average revenue per user (ARPU) of ₹573.
“Sony Research India is actively collaborating with Sony Pictures Releasing India to develop AI models, such as video analytics, recommendation engines and speech recognition,” said, Singh. He hailed other developments in the country, including Sony Talent Ventures and the Hero project initiated by Sony Interactive Entertainment that is grooming game development talent.
On merger of SPNI with Zee, Singh said, “The deal has now waited some 18 months for regulatory approval, but is still keenly anticipated. “Upon closing [the merger] will enable us to expand our kind of content creation and strengthen connection with diverse communities within India,”.
“India is a global economic powerhouse and an opportunity destination for artists, content creators, game developers, studios, platforms and technology companies. Our efforts in India are aligned with Sony’s purpose of filling the world with emotion and we strive to push the boundaries and go beyond what is expected,” added Singh.
Sharing the plans in Sports broadcasting space, Singh, added, “SPNI has made significant investments in sports including key cricket properties, UEFA (an annual club association football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations and contested by top-division European clubs) tournaments, World Wrestling Entertainment and Grand Slam Tennis, to name a few.”
