MUMBAI: With two days to go for one of the biggest international tournaments to be hosted on its home soil, Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) has announced its programming initiatives for the FIFA U-17 World Cup 2017 India designed to enhance the viewing experience.
The sports cluster of the network is all set to telecast the 22-day tournament in three language feeds – English, Hindi and Bengali on SONY TEN 2, SONY TEN 3 & SONY ESPN channels.
SPN has also given footy fans another reason to look forward to the tournament with the return of its flagship studio show, Football Extraaa. The live studio show will be hosted by Seema Jaswal, TV presenter and known sports enthusiast, and will feature expert international panellists, Luis García, former Spanish professional footballer (ex-Barcelona and ex-Liverpool player), Stuart Pearce, former English national U-21 team manager and David Moyes, former Everton and Manchester United coach. The experts will share the screen space with Indian stalwarts like Padma Shri Bhaichung Bhutia, former captain - Indian football team, Sunil Chettri, current captain to the Indian football team and Renedy Singh, former Indian footballer.
Football Extraaa will be aired during the course of the tournament with a pre–show at 4:15 pm followed by a mid-show and post-show. The studio show will serve not only football enthusiasts with match analyses and insights, statistics and interesting trivia but also appeal to bench viewers alike. The show was first telecast during one of the biggest international football tournaments of 2016, UEFA EURO 2016.
SPN India president sports and distribution business Rajesh Kaul said, “The FIFA U-17 World Cup 2017 India, one of the most anticipated events of the year, is set to transform India’s sports landscape. As official broadcasters of the tournament, we are committed to reaching out to a wider audience and enhancing the viewing experience.”
“We are bringing back, Football Extraaa, our flagship show for the tournament which presents some of the biggest names in international and Indian football on a single platform. With in-depth analyses and renowned football experts’ comments, we promise to provide an unparalleled sports viewing experience that appeals to our audience, both football fans and bench viewers, in the Indian sub-continent,” he added.
With the sports cluster providing local language feeds and bringing back Football Extraaa, sports enthusiasts across India can expect an enhanced viewing experience to watch the future stars of football in action and cheer for their favorites. The coveted tournament will have 24 teams playing across six venues in India and fans will witness some of the best talent from around the world in the under-17 category.
The tournament will take place between 6 October and 28 October, 2017 in English on SONY TEN 2, SONY TEN 2 HD, SONY ESPN & SONY ESPN HD channels. For Hindi and Bengali language feeds, tune in to SONY TEN 3 & SONY TEN 3 HD channels.
