GECs
Sony YAY! adds Naruto to its licensing & merchandising portfolio in India
Mumbai: Sony YAY!, India’s kid’s entertainment brand, has established a licensing and merchandising portfolio, in the last six years. With a toonverse of over 120 characters, the brand offers its partners value-based additions that help brands resonate with the spirit of this generation.
The channel’s dynamic toonverse comprises of an eclectic mix of homegrown and acquired toons, such as cat duo Honey Bunny, Oggy, from Oggy and the cockroaches, the super boy Kicko with his super car from Kicko Superspeedo and many more. 2022 also saw Sony YAY! introduce Naruto, for the first time ever on television. Adding another feather to its cap, the channel has now also bagged the title of being the first master licensee for the anime in India. In its first Direct-To-Etailor partnership with The Souled Store, the Naruto product line has already broken records with the biggest first day sale. As a part of this partnership, The Souled Store already offers a wide range of categories of official Naruto merchandise, spanning across apparels, accessories, footwear, and personal care. Not just this, very soon the fans of Naruto will also be able to avail the merchandise across many more categories which include – home furnishings, consumer electronics, toys, crockery and much more.
With brand partnerships like these, Sony YAY! endeavours to use its expertise of understanding audiences and equity of its characters to consistently bridge the gap between brands and their target group. By lending its characters and expertise in communication, Sony YAY! always works towards partnerships that echo the spirit of the new generation, with each association bringing a unique value addition. These partnerships range from promotional licensing with Honey and Bunny on Dabur milkshake and frappe packs, to experiential mobile games with Zapak and App On, customised apparels with Best Seller, or even funky home furnishings with comfy bean bags.
Sony YAY! business head Leena Lele Dutta said, “At Sony YAY!, we believe in creating an ecosystem of characters that will lend themselves to not just engaging with kids, but also help in expanding the width of the business. While we already have the licensing rights for our homegrown IP’s, we have also obtained the licensing rights for our acquired content which will help us to stay committed to our promise of always bringing fans closer to the characters that they love.”
The Souled Store co-founder & director Harsh La said, “This was an opportunity we simply couldn’t miss and we jumped at the chance to partner with Sony YAY!, the leading kids’ entertainment brand. We were thrilled to offer anime enthusiasts the official Naruto merchandise that they had been yearning for. Our collaboration has proved to be a resounding success, with sales skyrocketing from day one. We look forward to uncovering many more opportunities for collaboration with Sony YAY! in the future.”
MUMBAI: Lights, camera… connection because this time, the game isn’t just about winning, it’s about who’s with you. Sony Pictures Networks India is gearing up to launch a new reality game show, Tum Ho Naa, expanding its unscripted slate with a format that promises both emotion and engagement.
The show will premiere soon on Sony Entertainment Television and stream on Sony LIV, with Rajeev Khandelwal stepping in as host. Known for his measured screen presence and selective choices, Khandelwal’s return to television adds a layer of familiarity and credibility to the upcoming format.
While specific details of the gameplay remain under wraps, the positioning suggests a reality format that leans as much on emotional resonance as it does on competition, an increasingly popular blend in Indian television, where audiences are gravitating towards content that offers both stakes and storytelling.
Khandelwal, reflecting on his return, noted that his choices have often been guided by instinct rather than convention, describing Tum Ho Naa as a project that feels “close to the heart”. His association also signals Sony’s continued focus on anchoring new formats with recognisable faces who bring both relatability and depth.
The launch comes at a time when broadcasters are doubling down on original non-fiction formats to drive appointment viewing, even as digital platforms expand parallel reach. By placing the show across both linear television and OTT, Sony appears to be aiming for a dual-audience strategy capturing traditional viewers while engaging digital-first consumers.
As the countdown to premiere begins, Tum Ho Naa positions itself not just as another game show, but as a reminder that sometimes, the biggest prize on screen isn’t the jackpot, it’s the journey shared along the way.
