Neeraj Vyas quits as business head of Sony Pictures Networks India with new CEO set to join

Neeraj Vyas, business head for Sony Entertainment Television, Sony SAB, PAL, and Sony MAX movie cluster, will leave the company on 31 August 31, Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) announced on Monday.

The development comes a little over a month after the company said Gaurav Banerjee would be its next managing director and chief executive. Banerjee is set to take on the role this month. He comes to Sony from Disney Star, where he served as head of content for Hindi entertainment and Disney+ Hotstar, and business head for Star Bharat, Hindi and English movies, kids and infotainment, and regional (east). He will succeed NP Singh, who announced in May that he would step down after a 25-year tenure with Sony.

Sony said Vyas has been instrumental in shaping several key businesses at SPNI, including the flagship general entertainment channels (GECs), Sony Entertainment Television, Sony SAB, Sony PAL, and the Hindi movies cluster.

Entrepreneurship beckons

Vyas has decided to begin his entrepreneurial journey, Sony said. His stint at SPNI began in sales for Sony Entertainment Television (SET), and he served as national sales head for the channel in 2005. Five years later, he was appointed executive vice president for Sony MIX, the network's Hindi music channel. 

In 2011, he took on the responsibility for Sony MAX, followed by Sony SAB and Sony PAL in 2017, and Sony Entertainment Television in 2023. Under his leadership, Sony SAB was repositioned as a premium entertainment brand, with a new programming line-up and content strategy.

Also read | Picture imperfect: Why Gaurav Banerjee has an arduous job at Sony

Singh said in a statement, "Neeraj Vyas’s journey with Sony Pictures Networks India has been remarkable. His vision and leadership have been pivotal in transforming our entertainment channels into market leaders. Neeraj has an innate ability to understand the pulse of the audience and create content that resonates deeply with viewers.”

Vyas said, "My time at Sony Pictures Networks India has been an incredible journey filled with learning, growth, and countless memorable moments. As I move on to explore new entrepreneurial ventures, I carry with me the invaluable experiences and relationships built over the years. I am excited for what lies ahead and remain confident that the teams at SPNI will continue to achieve great heights.”

In July, SPNI announced that two senior leaders, general counsel Ashok Nambissan and chief financial officer Nitin Nadkarni, were retiring.

Sony’s Tata Play setback

Last week Mint reported that Tata Play, India’s largest direct-to-home (DTH) television service provider, has decided to remove all TV channels of Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) from the plans of nearly 10 million subscribers. The removal began with one million subscribers on 1 August and will continue for the next 10 days, Harit Nagpal, its managing director and CEO, told Mint.

The DTH operator said it was doing so because of the channels’ low viewership but SPNI termed the move "arbitrary" and "retaliatory”.

Also read: Why Harit Nagpal of Tata Play loves field visits

Nagpal said while about 40-50% of Tata Play’s customers subscribe to Sony channels, only 25% actually watch them, according to viewership data. He said, “Without return path data, it’s challenging to identify the 75% of subscribers who pay but don’t watch these channels. As a customer-centric company, we decided to remove these channels to reduce the monthly DTH bills of these subscribers. “Those who want to continue watching Sony channels can subscribe again via our app or call centre, or by sending a text message. The reactivation is almost instantaneous.”

An SPNI spokesperson said in response to Mint’s queries, "SPNI has recently become aware of Tata Play's decision to remove Sony channels from nearly 10 million subscribers’ bouquets. This decision appears to have been made without notifying SPNI or considering subscriber preferences. We believe this is retaliation for exercising our audit rights on Tata Play's subscriber management system, where we've noted and communicated several discrepancies over the past years.”