SonyLIV is India's third-largest AVOD streaming platform by active CTV users after JioHotstar and YouTube CTV. It is operated by Sony Pictures Networks India and carries the Sony Entertainment Television library, ICC cricket co-rights (shared with JioHotstar), and a substantial South Indian content catalogue. For CTV advertisers, SonyLIV's value is specific: it reaches a cricket-adjacent audience beyond IPL, indexes strongly in South India, and offers direct-deal access at CPMs meaningfully below JioHotstar.
Content and audience profile
SonyLIV's CTV audience is built around three content pillars. Cricket: SonyLIV holds co-rights to ICC tournaments (World Cup, Champions Trophy, bilateral series) alongside JioHotstar — live cricket on SonyLIV reaches a highly engaged sports audience. Sony Entertainment Television: SAB TV, Sony SAB, and the SET catalogue drives repeat viewership from Marathi and Hindi-speaking households. South Indian content: SonyLIV has a strong Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada content catalogue, making it the strongest AVOD platform for South India CTV reach after YouTube CTV. The platform indexes above average for metros and Tier-1 cities in South India.
Buying route and deal structure
SonyLIV CTV advertising is bought via direct deal — there is no programmatic self-serve access. Buying route: Sony Pictures Networks India ad sales team or a registered digital agency. Minimum deal sizes are typically Rs 3–5 lakh for standard campaigns. IPL-equivalent cricket packages (ICC events) have higher minimums of Rs 10–20 lakh. SonyLIV uses SSAI on its CTV inventory, which means third-party client-side verification pixels (IAS, DoubleVerify) cannot fire. Impression and completion data comes from SonyLIV's server-side reporting.
Ad formats available
Standard pre-roll (15 and 30 seconds, non-skippable) is the primary format. Mid-roll is available for long-form content and live sports — completion rates run 72–82% for mid-roll during live matches. L-banner and lower-third overlays are available during live cricket events as premium add-ons. Pause ads are available on the platform. Custom branded content integrations (sponsorship of a series, branded segments within a show) are available for large-budget advertisers.
CPM benchmarks (2025-26)
SonyLIV standard pre-roll: Rs 80–200 CPM depending on audience targeting, content adjacency, and deal volume. ICC cricket live pre-roll: Rs 200–350 CPM. Mid-roll premium: 15–20% above pre-roll equivalent. L-banner during live cricket: negotiated as package. SonyLIV CPMs sit between JioHotstar (Rs 150–350 standard) and YouTube CTV (Rs 30–120 TrueView) — it is the mid-tier premium option for sports and South India audience depth.
When to include SonyLIV
SonyLIV is most valuable for: campaigns targeting cricket audiences during ICC events (complementary to JioHotstar for cricket reach), campaigns with a South India audience objective (strongest AVOD platform for Tamil/Telugu/Kannada audiences), and campaigns where JioHotstar minimum spends are too high but direct-deal premium AVOD is required. For campaigns with no South India or cricket component, YouTube CTV and JioHotstar cover the primary CTV audience more efficiently.