Indian streamer SonyLIV is betting big on authentic storytelling and strategic sports programming as it unveils its expansive 2025 content slate, headlined by “,” a drama inspired by the formation of Kashmir’s first professional soccer team.
Speaking to Variety, Danish Khan, business head of SonyLIV and Studio Next, describes the Mahesh Mathai-directed series as “one show we are extremely excited about” and “one of those shows that defines us, like ‘Scam’ or ‘Rocket Boys.’”
“It’s the kind of show that we want to do. It fits so much into our brand philosophy,” Khan says. “It’s a show about hope and you’ll see Kashmir like never before.”
The series, produced by Killian Kerwin’s Jaya Entertainment alongside Oshun Entertainment, stars Manav Kaul and Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub in the story of two men who built the region’s first professional soccer club.
SonyLIV’s 2025 slate spans multiple languages with 25 original series across Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, and Bengali. The Hindi-language lineup includes the highly anticipated “Scam 2010: The Subrata Roy Saga,” which will be directed by Hansal Mehta, continuing the franchise’s examination of India’s biggest alleged financial misdemeanor cases.
Other major Hindi titles include “Maharani” Season 4, which moves the action from Bihar to Delhi while focusing on the next generation taking center stage, and “Freedom at Midnight” Season 2, the concluding season that will explore Kashmir’s integration and the division of Punjab and Bengal.
The streamer is also doubling down on content in other languages, with Telugu-language standout “Maya Sabha” becoming “the highest viewed Telugu web series in India” with eight million reach, according to Khan. Following that success, SonyLIV will launch “Brinda” Season 2 starring Trisha Krishnan and “Black & White” from director Praveen Sattaru.
Khan emphasizes that SonyLIV’s commissioning philosophy remains unchanged: “Cerebral content for the top, affluent, educated people in India.” He stresses the platform’s focus on “authenticated, extremely rigorously written” content that prioritizes authenticity over big-name casting.
“We generally don’t look at big faces, but we look at casting which looks like the part,” Khan explains. “We choose topics which are slightly cerebral in nature.”
Crucially, SonyLIV is maintaining its controlled budget approach. “When show after show is profitable, the unit economy is working. It gives us enough legroom to experiment with new concepts,” Khan says. “When the budget goes up, we will go the safer route, because your chances of experimenting goes down.”
The platform is poised for significant expansion, having gradually moved to 42 countries with a recent B2C app launch in the U.S. after previously being limited to distribution through Sling due to existing deals. Khan reveals the streamer has been waiting for this content slate to begin its marketing push in North America, which will start Sept. 15. SonyLIV is also eyeing aggressive distribution on Amazon Prime Video Channels and YouTube as subscription services outside India.
Sports programming remains a key driver, with the ongoing Asia Cup cricket tournament expected to provide massive reach expansion. “Since SonyLIV relaunch in 2020, we never had a big cricket tournament,” Khan says. “For the first time, we’ll get an opportunity to reach out, expand our reach.”
While rival JioStar has rights to the Indian Premiere League and some major tournaments, last year Sony snagged a cricket rights broadcast deal stretching eight years with the Asian Cricket Council.
SonyLIV’s sports portfolio also includes UEFA Champions League, Europa League, Bundesliga, ATP tennis, French Open, and Australian Open, alongside cricket bilaterals with England, New Zealand, and Sri Lanka.
In unscripted content, “Shark Tank India” enters its fifth season, which Khan calls “the most profitable singular show in India today” and praises for its “extremely high virality.”
SonyLIV is also developing two homegrown reality IPs – one in the comedy/humor space and another in broad reality, with the comedy show expected to launch within two to three quarters.
Looking ahead, Khan indicates plans to expand into the Marathi and Bengali-language markets after consolidating current regional operations, with Punjabi identified as a future target.
Complete SonyLIV 2025 Slate:
Hindi-language Originals:
“Real Kashmir Football Club” – Inspired by true events about the remarkable story of two men who built Kashmir’s first professional soccer club. Produced by Jaya Entertainment and Oshun Entertainment; Showrunner: Mahesh Mathai. Cast: Manav Kaul, Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub.
“Dynasty – Moh Nishtha Satta” – Political drama starring Raveena Tandon alongside Ronit Roy, Prakash Belawadi, Talat Aziz, Zeyn Shaw, Gurfateh Pirzada. Showrunner & Dir: Sahil Sangha; Produced by Mumbai Wallahs; Creator: Nandan Singh.
“Scam 2010: The Subrata Roy Saga” – The next chapter in the popular franchise, revisiting one of the country’s most controversial business stories. Dir: Hansal Mehta; Produced by Applause Entertainment; Showrunner: Hansal Mehta.
“Summer of 76” – A coming-of-age drama set during the post-independence Emergency. Dir: Sudhir Mishra; Produced by Studio Next & Cine Raas Entertainment; Showrunner: Sudhir Mishra. Cast: Vishal Vashishtha, Isha Talwar.
“Maharani” Season 4 – Huma Qureshi returns as Rani Bharti in this gripping political saga with the action moving from Bihar to Delhi. Dir: Puneet Prakash; Produced by Kangra Talkies Pvt. Ltd.; Showrunner: Subhash Kapoor. Cast: Shweta Basu Prasad, Amit Sial, Vineet Kumar, Kani Kusruti.
“Civil Lines” – A modern-day love story tested by social expectations. Dir: Nipun Dharmadhikari; Produced by Rose Audio Visuals; Creator: Durgesh Singh. Cast: Varun Sharma, Shivani Raghuvanshi, Anurag Kashyap, Renuka Shahane, Yashpal Sharma.
“Freedom At Midnight” Season 2 – The acclaimed historical drama continues, uncovering more untold stories from India’s independence. Based on the book by Dominique Lapierre & Larry Collins; Produced by StudioNext; Showrunner: Nikkhil Advani.
“Gullak” Season 5 – The beloved Mishra family returns with another season of humor and heart. Produced by The Viral Fever; Showrunner: Shreyansh Pandey.
“Undekhi” Season 4 – The crime thriller returns, diving deeper into crime and power struggles. Produced by Applause Entertainment; Director: Ashish R Shukla.
“13th – Some Lessons Aren’t Taught in Classrooms” – A layered exploration of unconventional life lessons. Dir: Nishil Sheth; Showrunner & Producer: Abhishek Dhandharia; Written & Created By: Sameer Mishra. Cast: Gagan Dev Riar, Paresh Pahuja, Girija Oak.
Other Language Originals:
“Jazz City” (Bengali) – A period drama set around a jazz club during the 1970-71 Bangladesh Liberation War. Showrunner & Dir: Soumik Sen; Produced by Cherrypix. Cast: Arifin Shuvoo, Sauraseni Maitra.
“Manvat Murders” Season 2 (Marathi) – A darker, more chilling return of the investigative thriller. Produced by AGPPL; Director: Ashish Bende.
“The Madras Mystery – Fall of a Superstar” (Tamil) – A 1940s scandal-driven period thriller. Showrunner: Vijay; Dir: Sooriyaprathap; Produced by D Studios. Cast: Nazriya Nazim, Natty, Shanthnu Bhagyaraj, Nasser, YG Mahendran.
“Sethurajan IPS” (Tamil) – Prabhudeva makes his streaming debut as a cop tackling a politically sensitive murder case. Dir: Rafiq Ismail; Produced by Turmeric Media.
“Kuttram Purindhavan – The Guilty One” (Tamil) – A tense crime thriller. Dir: Selvamani; Produced by Aquabulls/Happy Unicorn. Cast: Pasupathy, Vidaarth, Lakshmipriyaa Chandramouli.
“Theevinai Pottru” (Tamil) – A rural murder mystery. Dir: Sathish Raja Dharmar; Produced by Yaazhi Films. Cast: Sathyaraj, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Kalaiyarasan, Bhagyaraj, Vidaarth, Sshivada, Sruthi Hariharan.
“Free Love” (Tamil) – A bold exploration of love and choices. Dir: Abbas Ahmed; Produced by Escape Artists Motion Pictures. Cast: Mirnalini Ravi, Teejay Arunasalam, Roshan Rahoof.
“Blindfold” (Malayalam) – Drama starring Arjun Radhakrishnan, Lijomol, Lukman Avaran, Anurag Arora, Munish Sharma. Dir: Anzarulla; Produced by Offside Studios.
“Undertrial” (Malayalam) – Dir: Anzarulla; Produced by Offside Studios.
“Eyes” (Malayalam) – A gripping drama. Dir: Manu Asokan; Produced by Dreamkatchers Productions. Cast: Nikhila Vimal, Dev Mohan, Kani Kusruti, Saniya Iyappan.
“Unfair” (Malayalam) – A thought-provoking narrative. Dir: P. R. Arun; Produced by Theatre of Dreams. Cast: Gayathrie Shankar, Anarkali Marakkar, Meenakshi Jayan, Riya Jithu, Harish Uthaman, Adil Ibrahim.
“Black & White” (Telugu) – A high-stakes drama. Dir: Praveen Sattaru; Produced by North Star Entertainment. Cast: Jagapathi Babu, Aamani, Varsha Bollama.
“Brinda” Season 2 (Telugu) – Trisha Krishnan returns in the sequel. Dir: Surya Vangala; Showrunner: Surya Vangala. Cast: Ravindra Vijay.
Unscripted:
“Million Dollar Listing India” Season 2 – High-stakes real estate deals and rule-breaking brokers. Produced by Banijay Asia.
“MasterChef India” – Culinary brilliance and kitchen drama return. Produced by Endemol Shine India.
“Shark Tank India” Season – Business reality show with new pitches. Produced by Studio Next.
Sports Programming:
“Asia Cup 2025” – cricket
“UEFA Champions League & UEFA Europa League” – soccer
“The Australian Open” – Grand Slam tennis
“UFC” – fight action
“England tour of New Zealand” – cricket
“India tour of New Zealand” – cricket
