GECs
Star India renews English Premier League telecast rights till 2019
MUMBAI: Star India has renewed its exclusive broadcast rights for the English Premier League for the next three seasons from 2016-17 to 2018-19.
With this renewal, Star India will continue to broadcast Premier League matches on a live or delayed basis across India on the Star Sports channels, as well as stream all matches on its digital platforms, Hotstar and starsports.com.
Star India will broadcast more than 200 Premier League games live across its Star Sports TV network, and all the 380 games live on its digital platforms.
Star India COO Sanjay Gupta said, “Our partnership with the Premier League is in line with our strategy of promoting and building football as a priority sport in the country. England’s Premier League is the most successful and viewed football league in the world, with millions of fans in India. We have been broadcasting Premier League football for the last 15 years, and this renewal reaffirms our faith in the strength of the competition as the best international football property. With Premier League, Bundesliga and the Indian Super League, we continue to have a portfolio of the best of global and Indian football.”
Premier League executive chairman Richard Scudamore added, “We are very pleased that Star India has again chosen to invest in our broadcasting rights. The popularity of Premier League football has increased significantly in India in recent seasons and the quality of Star’s production, and their promotion of our competition, is a major factor in that. We look forward to working with Star for at least the next three seasons to make all the best Premier League action available to our fans across the country.”
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.
