ITV

Category: Over The Top Services

  • ShemarooMe presents new web series ‘What The Fafda’

    ShemarooMe presents new web series ‘What The Fafda’

    Mumbai: Comedy lovers, rejoice! Get ready to unleash a wave of laughter with ShemarooMe’s latest original web series, ‘What The Fafda’ premiering on the 14 September 2023. This uproarious comedy promises to be your ultimate ticket to a world filled with hilarity and non-stop fun. ‘What The Fafda’ boasts an ensemble of over 40 artists that reads like a who’s who of the Gujarati entertainment industry, featuring the likes of Pratik Gandhi, Sanjay Goradia, Tiku Talsania, Shraddha Dangar, Niilam Panchal, Ishani Dave, Kushal Mistry, Jayesh More, Jhinal Belani, Manan Dave, Bhamini Oza, Prem Gadhvi, Parth Parmar, Dhruvin Kumar, Viraj Ghelani, and other incredible talents. From quirky characters to laugh-out-loud situations, ‘What the Fafda’ serves up a comedy platter that caters to every palate.

    Created under the banner of Bombay Story House and spearheaded by Rahul Patel, this situational anthology comedy series is on the brink of becoming your newest addiction. The series introduces an unprecedented format in Gujarati comedy, with each episode offering a humorous perspective on the lives of quirky professionals we often encounter in our daily lives, offering a unique glimpse into their world. Every episode promises to whip up hilarious situations, unveiling their eccentricities and delightfully unconventional working styles. Viewers can expect relatable yet riotous scenarios that will compel them to say ‘What The Fafda’ towards the end of each episode. And if that’s not enough to pique your interest, the series features a catchy title track that perfectly encapsulates the show’s essence and will get you grooving.

    Speaking about the excitement surrounding the show’s launch, veteran actor Tiku Talsania expressed his enthusiasm, “During the shoot, the set was filled with young and energetic crew members who knew exactly what they wanted, which is something I appreciate. Everyone has done a fantabulous job, and I am sure the audience will like it as it deviates from the usual ‘baa-bahu’ drama. In a world where comedy has evolved into various forms, including dark humour and biting sarcasm, ShemarooMe and ‘What the Fafda’ team have impressively revived the essence of family-friendly humour that the Gujarati industry is famous for. The viewers will not only enjoy the show but also resonate with its unique concept.”

    Actor Manan Dave shared his experience and said, “The audience can see me in two episodes of ‘What The Fafda’. In one of the episodes, I had the privilege of sharing the screen with Tiku sir, a veteran in the industry, and as a young, aspiring actor, I learned invaluable lessons from him. I would like to thank ShemarooMe for this ambitious project, which brings together 40-plus actors from the industry and beautifully blends the talents of both young and veteran Gujarati actors. The result has been nothing short of impressive; each episode carries a unique message that I believe will strike a chord with the audience. I hope the audience watches the series and shower their love on us.”

    So, mark your calendars, set your reminders, and prepare to laugh your heart out! ‘What The Fafda’ guarantees an unmatched comedy experience, with every episode designed to have you in splits from start to finish. Don’t miss out on this comedy extravaganza – it’s time to say goodbye to stress and hello to hilarity!

  • Five action heroes we’d love to see in the The Expendables 4 dream team

    Five action heroes we’d love to see in the The Expendables 4 dream team

    Mumbai: Track him, find him, kill him! In another action-packed, thrilling adventure The Expendables 4 is coming to Indian theaters on 22 September 2023. Swinging heavily with a star-studded cast like no other, the fourth installment of the cult franchise is stacked with the likes of Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Liam Neeson, Steven Seagal, and even 50 Cent! But this isn’t the first time the franchise has showcased an abundance of A-listers in one movie. The first three installments, namely, The Expendables, The Expendables 2, and The Expendables 3, boast stellar casts with impeccable storylines and can be watched on Lionsgate Play today!

    While The Expendables 4 already has an exhilarating cast, here are a few action heroes that could take things up to a whole new level!

    The Rock

    The Brahma Bull is all fired up and he’s ready to fight! As one of the most popular action heroes, The Rock seems a perfect fit for the indestructible squad of The Expendables. With a physique the size of a mountain, he’s sure to add a ton of firepower and fighting skills.

    Keanu Reeves

    With a wide range of fan-favorite cult classics to his name, Keanu Reeves comes with a heavy resume of amazing action and smooth fighting. Playing beloved characters like Neo and John Wick, Keanu has repeatedly displayed a propensity for success in the action genre.

    Henry Cavill

    Who better to add to the squad than the Man Of Steel himself? The charming, witty, and incredibly jacked Henry Cavill would be an extraordinary addition, especially considering his role in Mission Impossible – Fallout, playing a formidable foe.

    Tom Cruise

    Speaking of Mission Impossible, we have the legendary Tom Cruise. Needing no further elaborations after the enormously successful six Mission Impossible films, when you have Tom Cruise on your team, nothing is impossible.

    Daniel Craig

    The name’s Bond, James Bond! With his immense experience playing the world’s greatest spy, and a creative detective in Knives Out, Daniel Craig is someone who will add class and stealth to the Expendables, making them a dangerous combination.

    Catch the first three installments of The Expendables on Lionsgate Play today.

  • ‘Tumse Na Ho Payega’ to premiere on 29 Sep on Disney+ Hotstar

    ‘Tumse Na Ho Payega’ to premiere on 29 Sep on Disney+ Hotstar

    Mumbai: We all have had that one judgemental person in our lives who has constantly doubted our efforts and made us wonder – ke log kya kahenge? “Tumse Na Ho Payega”, Disney+ Hotstar’s upcoming film is a fun light-hearted take on the modern-day challenges faced by today’s youth, and their dilemma in standing up to these ‘rules’ laid by the society we live in, to instead follow their own path and dreams will release on 29 September exclusively on Disney+ Hotstar.

    “Tumse Na Ho Payega” is a fresh and satirical approach to convey to the youth of India – “Find the courage to follow your heart and define your own success” and bringing this story to life is the talented ensemble cast of Ishwak Singh, Mahima Makwana, Gaurav Pandey, Amala Akkineni, Gurpreet Saini, Parmeet Sethi and Meghna Malik.

    Producer and writer Nitesh Tiwari, said, “Tumse Na Ho Payega was written with the intention to bring the story of every youngster in a middle-class household to screen. Whether it is the grind of a corporate job or chasing your childhood love or your lifelong dream of starting something of your own, “Tumse Na Ho Payega” is that relatable story! We are all so excited to share this journey with viewers across the world on Disney+ Hotstar and hope it inspires and entertains our audience at the same time.”

    “In a society where we are made to believe that the lines on the palm of your hand dictate your future, “Tumse Na Ho Payega” is a sincere attempt to convey that only you can define your success. Sometimes that could mean defying the rules set by society, ignoring those who don’t believe in you and listening to that inner voice that says, “Go for it!”, to chase that dream with all you’ve got. It’s what fueled our own pursuit in telling this story albeit with a little humour. We can’t wait for you to experience this film which at some point will relate with your own personal growth journey.” said director Abhishek Sinha.

    Standing up to society’s ‘log kya kahenge’ attitude are a group of young friends in the movie led by two talented actors Ishwak Singh and Gaurav Pandey.

    “Tumse Na Ho Payega is a story that I relate to a lot, I feel like it’s my story and I’m sure whoever watches it would feel the same. It’s a light-hearted fun film with dollops of humor and a very strong theme that remains at the heart of it all: to follow one’s dreams and not succumb to societal pressure. I think there comes a time in our lives where we feel that what we’re doing is not our true calling, but we ended up doing it because someone else decided what’s best for us. But then there’s a moment when you tell yourself that I need to get out of this rut and do what I believe in and more importantly what makes you happy. It’s the most difficult thing to come out and say I want to quit my job and pursue my passion. With nobody by your side, you’re wondering where to go and what to do. That’s the long road that my character Gaurav takes and in that journey which is nothing short of a wacky roller coaster ride, finds himself, his true calling and all that matters to him,” said actor Ishwak Singh.

    Actor Gaurav Pandey said, “One of the reasons I fell in love with the story is its relatability factor. It’s a fresh and fun take on how to have faith in yourself and stand up to anyone who says “Tumse Na Ho Payega”. Also, it’s a story about igniting passion and connecting with what you believe in. To put in the effort and never be demotivated with the challenges you face in life.”

    Get ready to feel a rollercoaster of emotions as Gaurav breaks free from the pressures of society and inspires you too, with “Tumse Na Ho Payega” streaming on Disney+ Hotstar, 29 September onwards!

  • Viacom18 opens their innings as the new home of Indian cricket with three-match ODI series against Australia

    Viacom18 opens their innings as the new home of Indian cricket with three-match ODI series against Australia

    Mumbai: After securing exclusive media rights for BCCI international and domestic matches, Viacom18 has announced its plans for the three-ODI series between India and Australia starting 22 September.

    The first international series in the rights cycle will be presented on JioCinema in 11 languages for free. On linear/ offline TV, the series will be aired live on Colors Tamil (Tamil), Colors Bangla Cinema (Bengali), Colors Kannada Cinema (Kannada), Colors Cineplex Superhits (Hindi), Sports18 – 1 SD, Sports18 – 1 HD (English).

    The series is of great significance for both sides as they will look to find momentum leading up to the 50-over World Cup. The expert panel for the series across languages will include Suresh Raina, Kedar Jadhav, Aakash Chopra, Nikhil Chopra, Amit Mishra, Anirudha Srikkanth, Abhinav Mukund, Hanuma Vihari, Venkatpathy Raju, Sarandeep Singh, Reetinder Singh Sodhi, Rahul Sharma, VRV Singh, Kiran More, Sheldon Jackson, Bhargav Bhatt, Jatin Paranjpe, Shreevats Goswami, VA Jagadeesh among others.

    After shattering all records, and establishing unprecedented levels of engagement, viewership, and concurrency during the TATA IPL 2023, JioCinema will offer viewers their favourite sport in a never-seen-before presentation for free. Viewers will be able to watch the limited-overs action in English, Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Bengali, Bhojpuri, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam.

    “The 3-match ODI series between India and Australia will give viewers a peek into inarguably the new home of Indian cricket and with that responsibility, we will continue to bring the paradigm shift in the way sports is consumed,” said Viacom18 – Sports CEO Anil Jayaraj. “It is our constant endeavour to offer fans what they love the most in never-seen-before ways and digital allows us to continuously push the envelope and combined with linear/ offline TV, we will deliver BCCI events on an unparalleled scale.”

    To enhance the live-viewing experience, the series will be streamed in 4K on JioCinema and fans will be offered the popular predict and win fan engagement contest Jeeto Dhan Dhana Dhan. Introduced first during the 2023 TATA IPL, Jeeto Dhan Dhana Dhan was a runaway success as tens of thousands won exciting prizes including over 60 contestants driving away a premium hatchback. The contest also brought out stirring stories of how winning the car changed fortunes for many from India’s heartlands.

  • Criteo unveils commerce Max DSP and next-gen retailer monetization suite

    Criteo unveils commerce Max DSP and next-gen retailer monetization suite

    Mumbai: Criteo (Nasdaq: CRTO), the commerce media company, today announced the general availability of its self-service demand-side platform (DSP), Commerce Max, giving brands and agencies a single point of entry to retail media inventory onsite and across premium publishers offsite. Complementing Commerce Max, Criteo is also expanding its retailer monetization solution suite, offering retailers the means to tap previously unattainable demand by paving the way for the integration of marketplace and in-store monetization technologies.

    Retail media has proven extremely successful for retailers looking to grow additional revenue streams and brands and agencies looking to engage consumers actively in a buying mindset. Until now, however, fragmentation across the industry has held retailers, brands and agencies back from reaching their full potential with retail media.

    “Our focus is enabling all commerce-driven companies to buy and sell audiences engaged in shopping. The process has to be frictionless, and it has to solve for fragmentation,” said Criteo CEO Megan Clarken. “With today’s launch, we’re equipping our clients with the right tools to cut through and connect in a more unified retail media ecosystem that ultimately creates more unity across the broader advertising marketplace.”

    Driving Commerce at Scale

    Commerce Max entered market testing in 2022 with leading consumer electronics retailer, Best Buy, and the world’s foremost media investment company, GroupM, as exclusive Alpha partner. Over this period, Commerce Max enrolled 10 retailers including Best Buy, Macy’s and Shipt. Retailers who have completed campaigns have more than doubled conversion rates on average when running both onsite and offsite advertising through the platform.

    Industry Praise for Commerce Max

    “Through Criteo we now have one point of entry to a pivotal retail media network, all within a single platform – Commerce Max – that applies the same KPIs to retail media as those we use for our programmatic buys,” said Unilever club team shopper marketing lead Billy Dyer following another successful test with GroupM and Unilever in which the brand’s conversion rate rose by over 400 per cent.

    “Combining onsite and offsite targeting enables us to focus media spend across a broader part of the shopper funnel while finding the most suitable audiences wherever they are.”

    “Shipt is known for having a unique member community that is loyal to our platform, and when coupled with Criteo’s onsite and offsite products and enhanced personalization features in our full-funnel offering, advertisers have found it to drive an ever greater return for their ad spend,” said Shipt VP, CPG partnerships David Young.

    “We’re excited to be at the forefront of the rollout of the Commerce Max platform, starting with its initial testing phase and now its general availability,” said Mark Heitke, Director of Ad Products and Audience Strategy at Best Buy Ads. “The platform offers a variety of onsite and offsite capabilities, giving our brand partners even more options to reach our audiences in meaningful ways.”

    Now in general availability, brands and agencies across the globe can use Commerce Max to access data and inventory across multiple retailers and marketplaces, finding valuable audiences on these sites and extending these audiences offsite. This is underpinned by closed-loop measurement, enabling advertisers to quickly and efficiently determine the effectiveness of campaigns and optimize accordingly.

    Criteo is a leader and one of the first to bring digital measurement standards to retail media with Commerce Max. Criteo’s partnership with Integral Ad Science allows brands and agencies to measure viewability and invalid traffic on a retailer’s site across all ad formats, including native and sponsored products by 2024.     

    A Unified Approach for Retailers

    The second component of today’s launch is the unveiling of Criteo’s retailer monetization solution suite. This suite marks the next phase in the development of Criteo’s core monetization technology, Commerce Yield, which will not only provide retailers and marketplaces with a complete media toolset but also serve commerce companies such as automakers, movie theatres, transportation services, airlines and more.

    Commerce Yield combines Criteo’s former Retail Media Platform with several solutions derived from recent strategic acquisitions, including

    Commerce Yield Marketplace: Through Criteo’s strategic acquisition of Mabaya, Commerce Yield Marketplace will help monetization officers integrate marketplace tactics and formats.

    Commerce Yield In-Store: The powerful union of Brandcrush and Criteo’s in-store monetization technology, providing advertisers access to a wider range of offline inventory.

    Commerce Yield Insights: Previously called Gradient, a cutting-edge suite of insight and data tools which provides digital-shelf insights to support enterprise-level retail media buys.

    Criteo’s leadership team will unveil more details during a hosted event today, 12 September at 12p.m. Eastern Time. To watch the broadcast, click here.

  • ZEE5 Intelligence Monitor launches new report on Quick Delivery Services (QDS)

    ZEE5 Intelligence Monitor launches new report on Quick Delivery Services (QDS)

    Mumbai: ZEE5, India’s largest home-grown video streaming platform and multilingual storyteller for entertainment seekers, has unveiled the new edition of its intelligence monitor which signifies key trends and insights within the Quick Delivery Services (QDS) segment. This comprehensive research highlights the emergence of Quick Delivery Service (QDS) apps as a revolutionary force in the consumer landscape, reshaping buying trends across both metro and non-metro regions with last-mile access to everyday goods and services. Additionally, it sheds light on the growing preference of today’s women for QDS apps.

    ZEE5’s Intelligence Monitor on the Quick Delivery Service segment offers valuable insights for marketers and businesses, paving way for pioneering initiatives to target potential audiences and navigate this dynamic industry. The report further suggests that the ratio of metro users as compared to non-metro users of QDS apps stand at 53:47, which is drastically evolving in the post-pandemic era. The QDS ecosystem is witnessing phenomenal rise in demand on the back of emergence of individual consumers as a user category.

    Key highlights of the QDS report:

    ·         66 per cent of consumers use QDS apps every week, whereas 54 per cent of women engage with QDS apps every week

    ·         1 out of 2 consumers rank convenience as the top reason for using QDS apps

    ·         79 per cent of non-metro respondents have tried a QDS app; whereas 61 per cent of non-metro respondents are regular users

    ·         38 per cent of users find comfort in shopping from the privacy of their homes

    ·         59 per cent of users make personal care purchases on QDS platforms

    ·         44 per cent of consumers use QDS apps to pick and drop packages within the city

    ·         78 per cent of respondents have tried a QDS app

    ·         56 per cent of respondents display high loyalty to QDS apps

    On the release of the ZEE5 Intelligence Monitor QDS report, ZEE Entertainment Enterprises Limited chief operations officer – revenue Rajiv Bakshi said, “The appeal of doorstep delivery is the main draw for QDS apps, but trust and privacy also play a role. Women users benefit uniquely from time-saving, and QDS apps are on the verge of nationwide adoption, especially among non-metro users. ZEE5 Intelligence Monitor – Quick Delivery Services (QDS) is the latest edition undertaken to identify trends, map behaviours and deliver actionable insights into consumer’s attitudes towards products and services across categories. In the digital age, QDS apps empower women and promise future innovations for businesses. This report, with its data depth and creative capabilities, offers QDS players a great opportunity to communicate their value effectively.”

    The report suggests that India’s digital evolution is taking a new turn, with next-gen consumers as well as non-metro users embracing Quick Delivery Service (QDS) apps. This trend underscores the importance of customization for regional success such as specialized product categories and localized delivery strategies, which strongly resonate among diverse preferences, offering an edge in this dynamic landscape. Innovations in the QDS ecosystem, empowering small brands and reshaping grocery shopping among smaller town consumers driven primarily by convenience and time-saving opportunities.

    ZEE5 Intelligence Monitor is a pioneering effort to bring industry-specific consumer insights based on research conducted by one of India’s largest entertainment platforms, ZEE5. Aimed at aiding business leaders and marketers in their decision making, in addition to tracking consumption and buying habits, this research also provides an insider view on factors that influence consumers’ purchase decision process. The report also showcases varied point of view and nuanced perspectives from leading brands and experts from the broader marketing ecosystem.

     

  • Prime Video announces Barbie and Meg 2: The Trench premiere on OTT

    Prime Video announces Barbie and Meg 2: The Trench premiere on OTT

    Mumbai: Prime Video, India’s most loved entertainment destination, is bringing a double treat for movie lovers across India with the premiere of global blockbusters, Barbie and Meg 2: The Trench. Launching within a few weeks of their theatrical release, both the movies will be available to rent on Prime Video, for Rs 499 each. In addition to Barbie and Meg 2: The Trench, Prime Video Store offers customers the opportunity to rent and watch a vast selection of movies from around the world.

    Barbie is a story about Barbies in the Barbieland, one of which is a stereotypical Barbie, played by Margot Robbie. When her so-called perfect days suddenly crumble down, she starts experiencing an existential crisis and starts to think of death out of the blue. In order to comprehend herself and learn her actual purpose, she must journey to the human world. Ken, played by Ryan Gosling, her kinda-sorta lover, joins along for the voyage. Directed by Greta Gerwig and written along with Noah Baumbach, Barbie became a cultural phenomenon upon release, and one of the biggest box-office successes of the year. Barbie is now available to rent on Prime Video.

    A sequel to the 2018 film, The Meg, Meg 2: The Trench follows Jonas Taylor (Jason Statham) who has been involved in fighting environmental crime while also assisting Mana One in investigating a deeper portion of the Mariana Trench where the Megalodon was discovered. When a hostile mining operation threatens their goal and pushes them into a high-stakes struggle for survival, a group of scientists must outrun and outswim the monstrous Megalodons. Directed by Ben Wheatley from a screenplay by Jon Hoeber, Erich Hoeber, and Dean Georgaris, Meg 2: The Trench, is based on the 1999 novel The Trench by Steve Alten, and was a global box-office success upon release. Viewers can rent this action-adventure on Prime Video from 18 September onwards.

    As the first choice of entertainment for everyone, Prime Video offers an incredible selection of movies and TV shows from India and around the world. In addition, its video entertainment marketplace further expands the choice and selection for customers. Through Prime Video Channels, Prime members can purchase add-on subscriptions to an ever-increasing array of streaming services and enjoy their content on Prime Video itself. Movie rentals on Prime Video is an extension of its entertainment marketplace offering, and provides Prime members, as well as, anyone who is not yet a Prime member an at-home, theater-like early access to the latest and popular Indian and Hollywood films, including titles beyond the ones available with Prime subscription.

    The rental destination can be accessed via the Storetab on primevideo.com and the Prime Video app on Android smartphones, smart TVs, connected STBs and Fire TV stick. Customers get a 48-hour window to complete the film once playback is initiated. Customers can start watching the film within 30 days of the transaction date.

  • Apple TV+ is now available on Tata Play Binge

    Apple TV+ is now available on Tata Play Binge

    Mumbai: Starting 12 September, your OTT entertainment gets a major upgrade with Apple TV+ coming to Tata Play Binge. Tata Play Binge subscribers will get access to Apple TV+’s award-winning original series and films, in addition to 26+ other apps that are already a part of the aggregated platform.

    Commenting on the partnership, Tata Play chief commercial and content officer Pallavi Puri said, “This collaboration with Apple TV+ is a testament to our commitment to bring to our viewers the very best of content in the world. Apple TV+ features premium, high-quality series and films that are available across devices for all kinds of viewers.”

    “We couldn’t be more excited that Tata Play Binge subscribers in India will be able to enjoy the acclaimed series and movies on Apple TV+,” said Apple Entertainment Services & Beats vice president Oliver Schusser. “Apple TV+ is home to incredible shows and films from the world’s best storytellers, and we’re so glad that Tata Play Binge customers can watch on the Apple TV app across all their favorite devices, including the Tata Play Binge+ Set Top Box.”

    Apple TV+ is home to award-winning and critically acclaimed series such as Ted Lasso, Shrinking, Silo, Hijack, Foundation, Tehran, Servant, Platonic, Severance, The Morning Show, Bad Sisters, Slow Horses, Prehistoric Planet, and many more, as well as Apple Original Films like Academy Award winners CODA and The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse, Ghosted, and the recently premiered The Beanie Bubble. New series titles coming soon to Apple TV+ include Lessons in Chemistry, starring and executive produced by Brie Larson; The Changeling, based on the acclaimed bestselling book of the same name, starring and executive produced by Academy Award nominee LaKeith Stanfield; The Super Models, directed by Academy Award winner Roger Ross Williams and Larissa Bills, spotlighting the remarkable careers of global icons Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista and Christy Turlington; alongside highly anticipated returning seasons of Foundation, The Morning Show, Invasion, The Afterparty, Swagger and Physical, among others.

    Apple Original Films set to make their global debut on Apple TV+ soon include Killers of the Flower Moon, the upcoming film starring Academy Award winners Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro, as well as newcomer Lily Gladstone, from Academy Award-winning director Martin Scorsese; the star-studded spy thriller Argylle, with Henry Cavill, Sam Rockwell, Bryce Dallas Howard, Bryan Cranston, Catherine O’Hara, John Cena, Dua Lipa, Ariana DeBose, and Samuel L. Jackson; historical action epic Napoleon from acclaimed director Ridley Scott and starring Joaquin Phoenix; a highly anticipated Formula One racing feature starring Brad Pitt from Joseph Kosinski, Jerry Bruckheimer Films and Plan B Entertainment, and many more.

  • ShareChat breaks Janmashtami’s wishing record!

    ShareChat breaks Janmashtami’s wishing record!

    Mumbai: In a remarkable feat of unity and celebration, ShareChat, India’s leading social media platform, has set a new record for the maximum number of wishes shared online garnering a place in the India Book of Records. On the occasion of Janmashtami, ShareChat users shared 21.7 million wishes and set a spectacular record-breaking achievement that has captured the trend of how Indian festivals are celebrated.

    ShareChat’s Janmashtami celebrations were a huge success, with over 800 million views generated on overall Janmashtami content. 26 per cent of all shares happened in the morning hours seven – nine a.m. slot, suggesting that people were eager to start their Janmashtami celebrations early.

    ShareChat also saw a number of live broadcasts of Janmashtami celebrations from different temples like the Krishna Temple, Mathura and Vrindavan, Hare Krishna Hill, Bangalore, Iskcon Temples across India, Dwarkadhish Temple, Gujarat and Guruvayur Temple, Kerala. These live sessions garnered over two million views. Additionally, ShareChat users spent over 19 million minutes engaging in heart-warming discussions and captivating stories on ShareChat live audio chatrooms on Janmashtami.

    ShareChat & Moj senior director, content strategy and operations Shashank Shekhar said, “ShareChat is the beating heart of India’s celebrations, where tradition meets the digital age. We are thrilled to have set a record for the maximum number of wishes shared on a festival online. Our platform’s position to bring people together, ignite conversations, and spread festive joy has been demonstrated in this spectacular achievement.”

    India Book of Records – operations manager Sugata Das said, “Festival celebrations have seen a transformational shift in the digital era. Most festivals are now celebrated online with wishes being shared digitally. This is a remarkable achievement and a testament to ShareChat’s popularity as a platform for people to connect with each other and celebrate their culture and traditions. We congratulate ShareChat and its users on this achievement.”

    The top three languages users that interacted with Janmashtami content on ShareChat were Hindi, Marathi, and Rajasthani. Janmashtami wishes content on ShareChat received 336.8 million views, suggesting that people were not only eager to share their greetings with each other but also loved consuming the devotional content on this auspicious occasion.

  • Ease Live IBC launch enables sports fans to interact on all devices – including connected TVs

    Ease Live IBC launch enables sports fans to interact on all devices – including connected TVs

    Mumbai: Ease Live (an Evertz company), the interactive sports experts, today announced that it has developed the capability for its interactive platform to provide perfectly synced interactive experiences on Connected TVs, on top of its existing ability to enable TV viewers to interact with the action on mobiles, PCs and tablets. In addition, IBC will also see Ease Live (IBC: 1. B79) launch and demonstrate a new soccer pack that is integrated with leading sports data providers, and includes templates and functionality designed specifically for operators with soccer rights.

    A hand holding a phone and watching a football game on a televisionDescription automatically generated

    As an industry first, Ease Live recently launched connected TV interactivity for a major US regional sports network, which enabled fans to engage with interactive baseball overlays on Apple TV, Roku, Fire TV and Google TV as well as mobile devices.

    “That the Ease Live platform now enables sports video to be interactive on all connected screens is a huge step forward in engaging the audiences across the screens,” said OTT Advisors & managing partner Chris Wagner. “It’s really a game changer for broadcasters and operators with sports rights looking to drive fan engagement while also unlocking new ad inventory and monetization opportunities.”

    Ease Live is a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solution embraced by sports leagues, broadcasters, and content providers globally. This interactive graphics platform gives leagues and media companies streaming live sports and other live events the necessary tools to create, build, and provide interactivity to millions of fans and other viewers across multiple platforms in real time. The platform delivers edge-rendered graphic overlays, adding interactive experiences to existing TV, Over-The-Top (OTT) services and apps. With Ease Live, sports fans can interact with in-game statistics, participate in watch parties, polls, trivia, access instant replays and gaming – all without leaving the event.

    Ease Live has enabled streaming service operators to boost viewing duration and engagement by over 50 per cent through interactivity synced to the TV and accessed via PCs, tablets and mobile. The result is that Ease Live helps its customers create exciting new advertising inventory and monetization opportunities.

    “Interactivity on mobile and tablets drives sports fan engagement and lengthens duration of viewing, leading to increased revenue opportunities,” said Ease Live CEO Kjetil Horneland. “The new Connected TV interactivity we’re launching at IBC enables sports leagues, broadcasters and OTT service providers to make all of this possible on the primary screen in the home, the Connected TV, and control the experience through the TV remote. In addition, we are launching a new Soccer pack, that is pre-integrated with feeds from leading sports data providers. By combining ease of launch with device universality and packs for all major sports, Ease Live enables broadcasters and operators to get interactive quickly on all connected devices, while fans can get closer to the action through interacting however they choose, with the sport they love.”