Entertainment - India;Sony Pix eyes new show merchandising sales

Pradipta Mukherjee

In order to create newer revenue earning options, English movie channel Sony Pix, will soon introduce merchandise for its new show ‘Chicks on Flicks’ as well as for its other original programming content. The channel, launched in 2006 in India, is also reworking its website in order to add its original content and shows online, build a community of online users, add viewer reviews and blogs, in order to attract online advertisements. Merchandise, too, will be available for online purchase.

Currently around 50 per cent of the channel’s revenues are from advertisements and the remaining from cable subscriptions.

Speaking to Business Standard, Sunder Aaron, business head of Sony Pix, said, “We are looking at newer revenue earning options. Our thrust areas will be merchandising of our original programming content which will also be made available online so that viewers can see it at a later date too. Also, we intend to build an online community of Sony Pix loyalists. They can chat, blog, as well as leave programme reviews on our websites.”

Currently, about 20 per cent of the content aired on Sony Pix is its original programming perceived and shot in India. The remaining 80 per cent of its content is English movies for which it acquires broadcasting rights from studios like Universal, MGM and Sony.

The company will launch ‘Chicks on Flicks’ from November 7. The 30-minute weekly show will provide reviews of English movies released that week as well as DVD reviews.

Sony Pix intends to make ‘Chicks on Flicks’ available online, so that people who may miss the show can still look up the website for movie and DVD reviews before deciding on booking them.

Similarly, Sony Pix will introduce merchandise like t-shirts and stationery of ‘Chicks on Flicks’ which will be retailed.

Sony Pix also plans to produce short feature films, in the line of ‘HBO Originals’.

“We are talking to people currently and will leverage Sony’s group companies for promotions and theatrical release of the movie. Things will be finalised in another six months,” Aaron informed.

Among other original content, Sony Pix will introduce the second leg of ‘Gateway’, the one-hour reality series. This one too is expected to be available online as well as bring in merchandising revenues for the company.