Leading broadcaster Sony said the sports segment remained its biggest focus area, adding that it expects 15-20 percent jump in IPL 2016 advertisement revenue.
"Sports is the biggest focus for us," Sony Pictures Network India Executive VP and Business Head (Sports) Prasana Krishnan told PTI.
Currently, sports accounts for 25-30 percent of the total revenue for Sony and the company is aiming to increase it to 35-40 percent in the near term, officials said.
Krishnan said the broadcaster has been taking active interest in non-cricket sports since 2012.
"Non-cricket viewership has reached 30-35 percent and it is the fastest growing," he said.
Though revenue is yet to follow the trend, Krishnan hoped it will, but added that cricket remained the biggest revenue churner among all sports.
Krishnan said the level of investment in non-cricket sports is happening in a big way in the local leagues and tournaments in the recent years.
"Sony will focus on four pillars of non-cricket sports -- football, tennis, basketball and fight sports.
"Sony has already acquired several football broadcasting rights, including of FIFA. In tennis, out of 27 big tournaments, 24 will be broadcast by Sony. In basketball, we are working closely with National Basketball Association (NBA) at grass-root level in India," he said.
Asked whether two IPL teams being replaced and uncertainty over matches in Mumbai will have any financial impact on Sony, Krishnan replied in the negative.
"All advertisement inventory for all 60 IPL matches has been sold, so Mumbai uncertainty is not going to hurt us as a broadcaster," he said.
"We are looking at 15-20 percent jump in advertisement revenue in the 2016 edition of IPL," Krishnan added.
This year, Sony is aiming for an advertisement revenue of around Rs 1,200 crore, company officials had said earlier.
IPL 2016 is the ninth edition of IPL broadcast for Sony and it is optimistic about bagging the rights once again when the contract comes to an end next year.
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