ITV

Category: Over The Top Services

  • Vikas Boni appointed Crunchyroll’s India lead for global distribution & partnerships

    Vikas Boni appointed Crunchyroll’s India lead for global distribution & partnerships

    MUMBAI: Vikas Boni has taken on the role of senior director and India lead for global distribution & partnerships at Crunchyroll, the world’s leading destination for anime and fandom. Based in Mumbai,  Boni’s mandate is to shape the next phase of growth for Crunchyroll in the region. He commenced his new role in July 2025.

    With over 16 years of experience across the media and digital landscape, Boni specialises in building high-impact partnerships, driving revenue growth, and leading content-driven businesses at scale.

    Prior to joining Crunchyroll, he served as business head & chief operating officer at Stars N Stripes, an award-winning digital marketing agency, from April 2023 to June 2025. In this capacity, he was responsible for developing and implementing the agency’s go-to-market strategy, aiming for a tenfold expansion within five years. His responsibilities included managing the agency’s overall profit and loss and establishing four distinct growth services: Studio SNS (branded content division), Social Circle (social media management), Shortcuts (short video content and tech solutions), and In The Air (creator platform).

    Boni also held significant leadership positions at Viacom18 Media Pvt Ltd  for over 13 years. His roles there included vice president and head of content licensing & partnerships for JioTV & JioTV+, where he led content licensing, acquisition, and partnerships to enhance the content portfolio and drive value for Jio Platforms Ltd.

    He also served as vice president and head of partnerships for Voot Select & Voot Shots, leading global partnerships for Voot and launching the short-form video product Voot Shots. Additionally, he was vice president and head of MTV Beats, business planning & content partnerships (YME), overseeing business planning and strategic partnerships for Viacom18’s Youth, Music & English Entertainment cluster. He played a pivotal role in launching and scaling youth-focused platforms like MTV Beats, MTV Indies, and Voot Shots.

    He began his career as an assistant manager in the strategy group at TAM Media Research from December 2007 to March 2010. Boni holds an MBA in marketing and a BE in information technology from the University of Mumbai.

  • Dream11 elevates Yash Mehta to director of product marketing content

    Dream11 elevates Yash Mehta to director of product marketing content

    MUMBAI: Dream11 has announced the promotion of Yash Mehta to director of product marketing content, effective July 2025. In his new role, Mehta will spearhead the product content division, focusing on orchestrating innovative product marketing campaigns to significantly boost feature and platform adoption, engagement, and retention. 

    Dream11 highlighted that Mehta’s team has already contributed to increased product usage through interactive and data-informed content strategies. He will now be responsible for leading content performance across various channels, including push notifications, banners, emails, and static web pages, while developing user-centric, data-driven creative solutions and spearheading innovative interactive intellectual properties to enhance user adoption and retention. 

    Prior to this promotion, Mehta served as senior manager, product marketing | content at Dream11 from August 2023.  In that capacity, he was instrumental in maintaining and growing product marketing channel click-through rates (CTRs), including 3.5 per cent for push notifications, 20 per cent for stories, seven per cent for banners, 30 per cent for app inbox, 16 per cent for in-apps, and a 52 per cent email open rate. He also led a team of five on adoption, engagement, and retention initiatives through interactive content strategies. 

    Mehta’s nearly decade-long experience in content strategy and campaign orchestration includes stints at MTV India, National Basketball Association (NBA), and Ozy Media. He previously held roles such as integrated marketing associate at Ozy Media and production trainee, digital and social content publishing at the NBA. His career began as a social media executive at Merry Men in April 2011. 

    He holds a master’s degree in integrated marketing and digital marketing from NYU School of Professional Studies, graduating in June 2018. He also earned a master of business administration (MBA) from Lala Lajpatrai Institute Of Management and a bachelor of commerce (B.Com.) in marketing from H.R. College of Commerce & Economics.

  • Applause Entertainment hits a hat-trick with streaming blockbusters in 2025

    Applause Entertainment hits a hat-trick with streaming blockbusters in 2025

    MUMBAI: It’s applause all the way for Applause Entertainment, the Aditya Birla Group-backed content powerhouse, as it scores three back-to-back streaming hits in the first half of the year. With Black Warrant on Netflix, Criminal Justice: A Family Matter on JioHotstar, and The Hunt: The Rajiv Gandhi Assassination Case on Sony LIV, the studio has cemented its grip on India’s OTT throne.

    Each show didn’t just top viewing charts, they trended, triggered conversations, and won over both audiences and critics alike.

    As the studio preps to blow out eight candles this August, its track record is already worthy of a standing ovation. With 55+ titles under its belt, spanning scam sagas (Scam 1992), courtroom thrillers (Criminal Justice), political dramas (Tanaav), and now real-crime docuseries (Black Warrant) Applause is proving to be more than just prolific. It’s relentlessly fearless.

    And the curtain isn’t falling anytime soon. Applause’s future slate includes fresh seasons, original films, documentaries, and the much-anticipated Hansal Mehta-directed Gandhi series. All signs point to a studio scripting a legacy with ambition, artistic risk, and audience obsession at its core.

    Reflecting on the studio’s recent successes, Applause Entertainment managing director, Sameer Nair. “At Applause, our job is to keep telling stories – ambitious, audacious, disruptive, and rooted in their imagined reality. The medium may change but strong storytelling always finds its way to audiences. Black Warrant with Vikramaditya Motwane, Criminal Justice with Rohan Sippy, and The Hunt with Nagesh Kukunoor, each tackle very different worlds, yet they’ve all struck a chord. That’s the thrill of this game; not just chasing hits but working with diverse creators to build a body of work that entertains audiences and creates memories. For us, it’s about staying curious, taking creative risks, and constantly raising the bar.”  

    In a content landscape crowded with noise, Applause isn’t just creating content, it’s creating conversation. And in 2025, it’s clearly got everyone talking.
     

  • Suniel Shetty returns, Jackie Shroff joins the mayhem in Hunter Season 2

    Suniel Shetty returns, Jackie Shroff joins the mayhem in Hunter Season 2

    MUMBAI: The streets of Mumbai are set to rumble again, and this time, there’s twice the firepower. Amazon MX Player, Amazon’s free streaming service, has just dropped the high-octane teaser for Hunter Season 2, reuniting fans with Suniel Shetty’s brooding cop Vikram Sinha and introducing Jackie Shroff in a role that’s as unpredictable as it is powerful.

    Directed by Prince Dhiman and Alok Batra, and produced by Yoodlee Films (the film division of Saregama India), the new season promises a bigger, bolder, and bloodier ride through the murky alleys of crime and vengeance, this time with international stakes and a villain who’s all charm, chaos, and calculated menace.

    From Mumbai to Thailand, the teaser teases a wild chase high on drama, heavy on action, and packed with the kind of Bollywood masala that fans crave. Also starring Anusha Dandekar and Barkha Bisht, Season 2 of Hunter picks up where the first left off: Vikram Sinha is back, but this mission is deeply personal, and the shadows are darker than ever.

    In typical MX Player style, Hunter S2 will stream for free, making it easily accessible across the Amazon shopping app, Prime Video, Fire TV, Smart TVs, Airtel Xstream, and the MX Player app.

    Get ready for fists, fury, and full-blown face-offs because Vikram Sinha’s not just chasing justice, he’s outrunning his past.

  • Bharath C.S. takes the helm as content director at Kuku TV

    Bharath C.S. takes the helm as content director at Kuku TV

    BENGALURU: Bharath C.S.., a seasoned creative director with over two decades of experience in content creation and digital production, has been appointed as the new content director for micro drama at Kuku TV. The move, effective June 2025, sees Bharath bringing his extensive background from industry giants like Amazon and various top television networks to the burgeoning micro-drama segment.

    With a career spanning leadership roles at Amazon, Culture Machine, Udaya TV, Zee TV, ETV, and UTV, Bharath has consistently delivered high-impact content across television, digital, and over-the-top (OTT) platforms.

    During his tenure at Amazon, he was instrumental in spearheading the MPAM automation tool, which significantly enhanced content delivery speed and precision. His impressive portfolio includes producing over 500 television shows (both fiction and non-fiction), more than 1,000 television commercials, and over 100,000 digital assets.

    At Culture Machine, he successfully established regional digital channels, tapping into the unique cultural landscape of south India and boosting engagement for Tamil and Telugu audiences.

    Bharath’s appointment is expected to bolster Kuku TV’s strategic and creative output in the rapidly evolving digital content space, particularly in the creation of concise, impactful narratives

  • Kavitha Jaubin to look after aha Tamil & Telugu content & strategy

    Kavitha Jaubin to look after aha Tamil & Telugu content & strategy

    MUMBAI: Hyderabad-based OTT aha has upped the ante in its Telugu content game. In March 2025. it expanded senior vice-president – content & strategy (aha Tamil) Kavitha Jaubin’s role to cover aha’s Telugu programming as well. 

    The industry veteran took to LinkedIn to share the news, calling it a “new chapter with renewed energy and vision.”

    Known for her sharp storytelling instincts and deep roots in southern entertainment, she’s expected to shape aha Telugu’s creative and strategic direction as it competes in an increasingly crowded OTT battleground.

    With over two decades in content across TV, radio, and streaming, Jaubin has worn many hats—from writer-director at Star Vijay, to producer under K. Balachander’s Minbinbangal banner, and later content head across four southern languages at Sun TV Network. Her tenure at Sun saw her drive content and brand integrations for multiple genres, including kids and GECs.

    At aha, she first joined in 2022 to lead content for the Tamil arm before rising to a dual-language SVP role earlier this year. Her promotion signals the platform’s intent to double down on premium, culturally resonant Telugu storytelling.

    Hashtag  #ahaTelugu just got a whole lot more ambitious.

  • Prime Video strikes deal with France Télévisions as streamers forge unlikely alliances

    Prime Video strikes deal with France Télévisions as streamers forge unlikely alliances

    PARIS: Streaming is making for some unlikely bedfellows. After Netflix’s recent tie-up to carry TF1’s linear channels in France, Amazon Prime Video has now inked a landmark pact with France Télévisions. The move brings the public broadcaster’s full arsenal of content—France 2, France 3, France 4, France 5 and France Info—onto Prime Video in France, available to all subscribers.

    The partnership opens up access to preview and replay programming, exclusive content and marquee events including the Tour de France, Women’s Euro, Women’s Rugby World Cup, plus drama, docs, entertainment, kids shows and rolling news.

    “With this unprecedented distribution method, our group is taking a historic step toward strengthening the visibility of its public service offering,” said France Télévisions president & CEO  Delphine Ernotte Cunci. “It allows audiences to rediscover the richness of france.tv in new digital environments.”

    “Following Max, Paramount+, Ciné+OCS, Universal+ and MGM+, alongside 43 additional channels, we are delighted to have reached this agreement and to be able to make France Télévisions’ extensive catalog available to all our Prime customers in France,” added Prime Video France general manager Christophe Deguine. “We are constantly looking for new ways to expand the quality content offering to our customers and confirm Prime Video as the number one entertainment destination

    As streamers across the globe cosy up to traditional broadcasters, eyes now turn to India. Netflix is already showing Sony’s evergreen cop drama CID.; JioHotstar is the home of HBO, Peacock and other global players. 

    Could a wider wave of streamer-broadcaster tie-ups be on the cards with Netflix, JioHotstar, Z5, SonyLiv  or Prime? Watch this space.

  • Samsung TV Plus adds B4U’s blockbuster channels to its Fast lineup

    Samsung TV Plus adds B4U’s blockbuster channels to its Fast lineup

    MUMBAI: Samsung TV Plus, India’s top free ad-supported streaming television (Fast) service, has amped up its entertainment play by onboarding four of B4U Network’s most popular channels — B4U Movies, B4U Music, B4U Kadak and B4U Bhojpuri.

    The tie-up boosts Samsung TV Plus’s tally to over 125 Fast channels, adding heft to its bid to dominate the connected TV (CTV) landscape. The platform continues to court the country’s digital-first viewers with a curated smorgasbord of films, music, and regional hits — all at zero cost.
     
    “Our mission is to deliver unmatched access and exceptional value to both our audiences and advertisers on the Samsung TV Plus platform. By introducing new Fast Channels from the house of B4U, we aim to enhance access to the latest from the world of entertainment. This collaboration with B4U underscores our dedication to this vision,” said Samsung TV Plus India head of partnerships Kunal Mehta.

    B4U, a stalwart in Indian broadcasting with reach across more than 100 countries, brings to the table a rich trove of Hindi cinema, chart-topping music and vibrant regional fare.

    “Connected TV (CTV) has emerged as a significant force in the Indian media landscape, revolutionizing how audiences consume content,” said B4U chief revenue officer Johnson Jain.“In line with this, our approach has pivoted on reaching a broader and more diverse audience base. We are delighted to announce our collaboration with Samsung TV Plus, bringing our curated set of channels to their platform. Through this partnership, we aim to engage viewers with high-quality entertainment — featuring top-tier movies and the best in music — delivered seamlessly on a premium CTV experience.”

    As the race to capture eyeballs in India’s connected homes intensifies, the Samsung-B4U alliance serves up a potent mix of nostalgia, pop culture and mass appeal — positioning the Fast service as a go-to destination for free, high-quality entertainment.

  • Panchayat season 4 breaks records worldwide, Prime Video confirms season 5 for 2026

    Panchayat season 4 breaks records worldwide, Prime Video confirms season 5 for 2026

    MUMBAI: Panchayat has done it again only bigger, sharper, and more global than ever. The rural drama returned to Prime Video with season 4 on 24 June, and within days, shattered all previous franchise records, earning its highest-ever opening week.

    From trending in over 42 countries to clocking streams in 180+ nations and 95 per cent of India’s pin codes, Panchayat is no longer just small-town storytelling, it’s a full-blown global phenomenon with an Indian accent.

    The show anchored by its powerhouse cast including Jitendra Kumar, Neena Gupta, Raghubir Yadav, Faisal Malik, Sanvikaa, Chandan Roy, and others—struck a nostalgic, satirical chord once again, proving that real storytelling doesn’t need frills, just a filter-less view of rural India.

    The fan-favourite series from TVF hit the Top 10 charts on Prime Video in the USA, UK, Canada, UAE, and Australia on launch day alone. In India, it promptly claimed the #1 trending spot and made its way into living rooms across nearly every corner of the country—from bustling metros to the most remote districts.

    Since its debut in 2018, Panchayat has been more than just entertainment, it’s been a cultural mirror. Season 2 bagged the first-ever Best Web Series (OTT) Award at the 54th International Film Festival of India in 2023. Each season has built steadily on the last, but season 4 has truly pushed the envelope in terms of reach and resonance.

    “We are absolutely delighted with the phenomenal response to Panchayat Season 4, which has further elevated the series’ stature and set new benchmarks for authentic storytelling,” said Prime Video India director & head – content licensing, Manish Menghani. “The season’s exceptional viewership across India and in over 180 countries within its launch week is a testament to its universal appeal and deep cultural resonance. With its heartfelt narrative and relatable characters, Panchayat has evolved into a global phenomenon, transcending borders and touching audiences with its warmth, simplicity, and authenticity. This milestone not only reflects the enduring love for the series but also reinforces the growing global appetite for rooted, Indian stories. We’re excited to share that work has already begun on Season 5, and we look forward to continuing the journey of Phulera and its beloved characters.”

    “It has been a truly extraordinary journey collaborating with Prime Video to bring Panchayat to life and witness its incredible growth over the years,” said The Viral Fever (TVF) president, Vijay Koshy. “This series holds a special place in our hearts, as it beautifully captures the charm, humor, and nuances of rural India, celebrating the power of simple, human storytelling. Panchayat reflects the shared vision and values we hold with Prime Video: to tell meaningful, relatable stories that resonate with audiences across geographies. We are deeply grateful for the overwhelming love season 4 has received—not just from viewers across India, but from audiences around the world. A heartfelt thank you to the incredible cast and crew whose passion and dedication made this journey possible, and to the fans whose unwavering support continues to inspire us. We’re excited for what lies ahead and look forward to bringing season 5 to audiences in 2026.”

    Whether it’s the deadpan delivery of Abhishek Tripathi, the wisdom of Manju Devi, or the bureaucratic chaos of Phulera, Panchayat continues to thrive on a rare blend of wit, heart, and hyperlocal relatability.

    As development on season 5 kicks off, one thing’s clear: in the age of high-stakes thrillers and big-budget spectacles, Panchayat is the quiet revolution that just won’t stop trending.

  • HT Labs inks bold MoU with The Doers Company

    HT Labs inks bold MoU with The Doers Company

    MUMBAI: HT Labs, the innovation and product arm of HT Media, is going global. In a high-powered move blending startups, strategy, and smart cities, the company has signed a strategic MoU with The Doers Company, Europe’s leading innovation platform behind flagship events like Reflect Festival and the upcoming Doers Summit.

    The deal, signed at Dubai Silicon Oasis (DSO) under the patronage of the Dubai Integrated Economic Zones Authority (DIEZ), sets the stage for a three-nation innovation corridor spanning India, Cyprus, and the UAE—with OTTplay, India’s first AI-powered OTT aggregator, at its core.

    What’s on the menu? Access to European innovation networks, cross-border pilots, founder-investor matchmaking, and a high-impact launchpad via Cyprus into Europe and Dubai for media-tech experiments in smart city infrastructure.

    The timing is razor-sharp. It follows a wave of diplomatic activity, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Cyprus and a tech-heavy Cypriot delegation’s Dubai mission—featuring chief scientist of Cyprus, Demetris Skourides, who has become a key catalyst in this three-way partnership.

    Commenting on the partnership, Skourides remarked,

    “I would like to thank Mr. Avinash for his trust in our ecosystem and look forward to further profiling how Cyprus and other investors can benefit from bidirectional value creation. Such collaborations are the foundational pillars that build the future.”

    Dubai Silicon Oasis deputy director general Badr Buhannad said,

    “Dubai Silicon Oasis was envisioned as a smart, future-ready hub for innovation, talent, and entrepreneurship. Hosting the Doers Summit in partnership with The Doers Company aligns perfectly with Dubai’s Economic Agenda D33 to position the city among the world’s leading digital and economic centres. The Summit reinforces our mission to attract forward-looking ventures and connect European and Middle Eastern innovators—accelerating cross-border collaboration in support of the UAE’s vision for digital economy growth and global competitiveness.”

    HT Labs co-founder & CEO Avinash Mudaliar added, “At HT Labs, this isn’t just an expansion—it’s a strategic leap into the future. Dubai Silicon Oasis offers the ideal launchpad to take India’s most disruptive, AI-driven innovations to the world. At the core of our work is TaaS—Technology-as-a-Service—delivering scalable, AI-powered solutions across video, apps, web, and content systems that boost engagement, unlock new revenue, and enable global growth.With our strong focus on intelligent, tech-first solutions, we see immense potential to co-create platforms that resonate globally.

    What truly elevates this journey is the camaraderie we’ve built—especially with visionaries like Demetris Skourides, chief scientist of Cyprus. His insights and spirit of collaboration have made him not just a strategic ally, but a trusted friend in our cross-border mission.

    With OTTplay leading our media-tech push, we’re excited to align with DSO’s smart city vision and deliver transformative experiences in entertainment and data intelligence. This marks a defining chapter in building globally relevant platforms from India.”

    Also speaking on the occasion, The Doers Company & managing partner, zero one hundred, Dusan Duffek said, “With a young, tech-savvy population and a booming innovation ecosystem, Indian startups such as OTTplay etc. offer some of the most exciting investment opportunities globally. Similarly, startups from Europe and the Middle East are now building some of the most consequential technologies, which will have an impact not only regionally, but globally. We believe now is the time to build bridges, not borders, and connect this energy with global capital and strategic partners”.

    The Doers Company co-founder & CEO Stylianos Lambrou added, “We see a significant opportunity in India. With our growing presence in Greece, Cyprus, and now Dubai, we’re uniquely positioned to bridge the gap, providing Indian startups & companies with access to Europe, and offering European startups and companies a pathway into India. The strong relationship between my country and India gives us a powerful advantage, enabling us to amplify our impact across both regions.”

    With Cyprus positioning itself as a European gateway for Indian tech and Dubai doubling down on its digital infrastructure bets, the deal is more than just a handshake—it’s a multi-regional runway for talent, capital, and innovation to flow freely.

    Call it a soft-power play or a smart power shift—either way, HT Labs is now officially in the global game.

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