Sony Pics Network Expects $163M In Ad Revenue From '16 Indian Premier League

The ninth edition of the Indian Premier League cricket tournament is expected to get Sony Pictures Network, the tournament's official broadcaster, close to Rs 1,100 crore ($163M) "in advertising revenue," according to Urvi Malvania of the Indian BUSINESS STANDARD. SPN Network Sales President Rohit Gupta said that SPN "managed to sell most of the inventory despite hiking ad rates." He said, "The IPL is a mature event. The fluctuation in viewership ratings and reach is minimal. The outlays are huge but so are the returns. We doubled the ad rates for the high-definition feed this year to Rs 1.5-1.75 lakh per 10 seconds and despite this, the interest from advertisers has been growing." He added that "ad rates for the SD feed are up" 15% to Rs 5.5 ($8,189)-5.75 ($8,562) lakh per 10 seconds. SPN will "telecast the tournament on five channels" -- Sony Max, Sony Six, Sony Six HD, Sony ESPN and Sony ESPN HD (BUSINESS STANDARD, 3/9).