Sony India to Redesign SET and Address the Content Void

According to multiple executives familiar with the developments, Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI), led by new CEO Gaurav Banerjee, is undergoing a strategic overhaul to revitalize the company, with one of the primary focuses being to revamp Sony Entertainment Television (SET), its flagship Hindi general entertainment channel (GEC).

SET has barely 8% of the market, following competitors such as Star Plus, Colors, and ZeeTV. While SET has a great roster of non-fiction shows like Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC), Shark Tank India, and MasterChef, it lacks a good fiction show, which is a must-see for Hindi GEC viewers. Banerjee, who has over a decade of experience overseeing Hindi and regional entertainment channels, as well as Disney+ Hotstar's entertainment portfolio, is expected to bridge this content gap.

"SPNI's primary issue is content. That is one of the primary reasons Sony's top executives chose him to succeed NP Singh. The company's fortunes in India are in large part dependent on SET's revival," said a high-level media executive on condition of anonymity. As part of its makeover approach, SET has cancelled several failing shows, including Kavya, Jubilee Talkies, and Pukaar, and is airing reruns of those shows alongside new episodes of its successful non-fiction show, Kaun Banega Crorepati.

Banerjee's second aim is to strengthen SAB TV, which held an 18% market share in the pay Hindi GEC market from weeks 34 to 37. To enhance SAB TV, the firm has shifted Shrimad Ramayan from SET to SAB, portraying it as a family entertainment channel while keeping SET as a premium Hindi GEC. SPNI is also looking for organic and inorganic opportunities in regional TV entertainment. Experts believe it is critical to SPNI's future progress.

"Regional entertainment, notably in the South, has driven linear TV growth even while the Hindi market has declined. "SPNI cannot afford to ignore this space," a media expert stated. In sports broadcasting, SPNI intends to concentrate on cost-effective properties in order to prevent the financial losses associated with significant events. It owns rights to cricket boards in England, New Zealand, and Sri Lanka, as well as premier football and tennis properties such as UEFA and Roland Garros. "SPNI will consider bidding for Asian Cricket Council rights only if it makes financial sense," according to a sports specialist.

On the streaming front, SPNI will concentrate on nonfiction content for SonyLIV. It is well-positioned to lead in the nonfiction area with properties including KBC, MasterChef, and Shark Tank.