Sony Pictures Networks India & Formula E forge three-year media partnership

SPNI will air entire tenth season of Championship races on Sony Sports Network Channels on TV.

Formula E and Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) has announced a new three-year media partnership to air all Formula E races live on Sony Sports Network and Sony LIV across the Indian sub-continent.

SPNI will broadcast all races of the Championship’s tenth season on Sony Sports Network channels on television. Fans will be able to stream all practice sessions live, as well as qualifying and races this season, on SPNI’s OTT platform, Sony LIV.

Sony Sports Network commenced its coverage of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship with the 2024 Hankook Mexico City E-Prix this January. The 2024 Misano E-Prix scheduled on April 13 and April 14 will be broadcast live across Sony Sports Ten 1 and Sony Sports Ten 5 channels as well as livestreamed on Sony LIV.

Sony Pictures Networks India will also broadcast Formula E’s behind-the-scenes series, Unplugged, and closely follow Maserati MSG Racing driver Jehan Daruvala in his first season racing in the championship.

Formula E's tenth racing season will be broadcast live and exclusively across India on the Sony Sports Network, with coverage extending to Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Sony Sports Network has a history with Formula E, having aired its content during the fourth, fifth, and sixth seasons.

To launch the partnership, Sony Sports Network has launched a campaign promoting the Championship spotlighting India’s own Jehan Daruvala from Maserati MSG racing. The campaign, featuring Jehan as “Mumbai Ka Chokra,” aims to localise Formula E and garner audience support with the rallying cry: "The Ride has just begun."

Rajesh Kaul, chief revenue officer- Distribution and International Business and Head - Sports Business, Sony Pictures Networks India, "We are thrilled to announce our multi-year partnership to broadcast all Formula E races live on Sony Sports Network. Formula E enjoys a loyal following among motorsports fans in India and we expect it to grow further with the inclusion of rising star, Jehan Daruvala. Formula E is the future of motorsports racing in the world and we are confident that the strong Indian connection is bound to ensure more love from sports enthusiasts in India.”

Aarti Dabas, chief media officer, Formula E, added, "With enthusiastic, diverse and young sports fanbase, India is an important growth market for us. As such, we are delighted to have teamed up with Sony Sports Network to supercharge this growth. This partnership guarantees that Indian fans will enjoy unparalleled access to Formula E content. This includes live coverage of every race on Sony's linear and digital channels, featuring rookie driver and local favourite Jehan Daruvala and their home-grown team, Mahindra, who have been part of Formula E since the first season.”

Jehan Daruvala, driver, Maserati MSG Racing, “I am excited to be pursuing my Formula E racing career knowing that I have a huge and passionate fanbase following me through Sony Pictures Networks. It is a dream come true to join Maserati MSG Racing, and I am committed to doing my very best for the team and the fans back home, and around the world.”

Following high-octane racing in Rome last year, Formula E will make its mark at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli on April 13-14, 2024. The tenth season of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship will see 11 race teams compete in 16 races across 10 iconic cities including debuts for Misano (Italy) and Shanghai. Alongside these new locations the Championship returns to Mexico City, Diriyah, São Paulo, Monaco, Berlin and Portland before the season finale in London on the weekend of 20 and 21 July 2024.