Sony Sports Network ropes in Pankaj Tripathi for India football campaign

MUMBAI: Indian football is getting ready to kick off a party of its own, and Pankaj Tripathi has been handed the invitation list. Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) has teamed up with actor Pankaj Tripathi for ‘India Ki Sabse Badi Party’, a campaign built around India’s upcoming international fixtures against Panama, Brazil and Uruguay.

The campaign begins ahead of India’s match against Panama on September 25, followed by the much-anticipated clash with five-time world champions Brazil in Kolkata on October 3 and the Uruguay fixture on October 6.

While the Brazil encounter takes centre stage in the campaign, SPNI is positioning all three matches as part of a wider celebration of Indian football’s international window.

The campaign’s 65-second hero film uses Tripathi’s trademark humour and storytelling to set up a mysterious invitation to a grand party on October 3. The reason for the gathering is gradually revealed as India’s meeting with Brazil takes centre stage.

The campaign will be released in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada, giving the football build-up a multi-language spin.

SPNI is also extending the campaign beyond the main film with ‘India Ki Sabse Badi Party x Fan Edition’. The series features Tripathi alongside fans from across India, with the films capturing their excitement around the three fixtures in local languages.

Then comes ‘Tripathi Ji Ki Tuition’, a short-form series in which the actor takes entertaining lessons on football. The broadcaster is also planning a social-first campaign featuring Tripathi in an interaction with India footballers, including captain Gurpreet Singh Sandhu.

Rajesh Kaul, Chief Revenue Officer and Business Head, Sports and International, Sony Pictures Networks India, said the fixtures against Panama, Brazil and Uruguay represented a landmark moment for Indian football and called for a campaign matching their scale.

Kaul said Tripathi’s broad appeal and ability to connect with audiences made him a natural fit for the campaign, adding that SPNI wanted to take the excitement beyond the core football audience.

Tripathi said football had a unique ability to bring people together and described the energy around the three matches as infectious. He added that the campaign aimed to celebrate that passion in an entertaining and relatable way.

The campaign arrives as SPNI prepares to take the three matches to viewers across its sports network. India’s fixtures against Panama, Brazil and Uruguay will be broadcast live and exclusively on Sony Sports Network, Sony AATH and Sony LIV, beginning September 25.

With Tripathi playing host, SPNI is turning the football build-up into something closer to a national house party with Brazil, Uruguay and Panama providing the guest list.