Category: Over The Top Services

Mumbai: MAXHUB, an interactive and collaborative solution brand has recently introduced a wide array of advanced displays and video conferencing devices to unlock the power of unified communication devices and provide a seamless meeting experience. The cutting-edge technology solutions will benefit all sizes of conference rooms and will create smarter virtual interactions thereby further increasing the effectiveness and productivity of corporate meetings in offices. The newly launched series of products includes BM35, BM21, and UC M40.

MAXHUB has introduced all the products, keeping various aspects in mind such as portability and practicality. These are sets of powerful audio devices, built for better meetings. One of the most useful products, BM35 optimizes to keep human voices clear. Capturing every utterance in perfect detail, the BM35 empowers any team. sound quality also ensures exceptional listening experiences when playing music or videos. The BM35 is proof that big things really can come in small packages. This compact powerhouse combines exceptional immersive sound. The 360° omnidirectional audio algorithms capture voices up to six meters away, so everyone in the meeting can make their voices heard.

On the other hand, BM21 360° bluetooth speakerphone is a well-rounded performer that supports every important conference call anytime, anywhere. Its voice pickup range ensures you are heard clearly in your flexible seats. The built-in high-performance dynamic speakers bring a crystal-clear voice experience. Built-in high-performance large dynamic speakers, with intelligent noise reduction and echo cancellation algorithms, and PZM structure design bring you a high-quality voice experience.

The UC M40’s four-lens 360° super wide-angle camera captures every participant’s face directly, without fisheye distortion. It can be seen and heard by the all-in-one conference camera that tracks every face or follows every word in small to medium-sized spaces. Small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, the UC M40 combines 4-lens precision with intelligent speaker tracking for a true 360° immersive experience naturally.

CVTE India & SAARC Region executive director Avinash Johri said, “The future of the corporate world is definitely going to be based on a hybrid model. We created these series to be very engaging because corporations build on active virtual meetings. Therefore, companies are looking for improved methods of collaboration when it comes to creating engaging and successful meetings, and more nowadays. We hope to achieve great growth in India by providing our consumers with incredible values.”

Every industry has been significantly impacted by the pandemic. Video Conferencing cameras and display devices have made concepts like hybrid learning, and social distancing easier to implement. Therefore, the post-pandemic era has encouraged everyone to use innovative better solutions and make the environment professional for every individual.

Mumbai: 2023 started with a huge setback for Disney+ Hotstar after it lost the digital rights of IPL 2023 to Viacom18. The news of HBO leaving the platform further triggered consumers, some of whom are demanding refunds or threatening to quit the platform altogether.  

Amidst news of a dipping subscriber base, YouGov data shows not all hope is lost for Disney+ Hotstar and most consumers are likely to continue with the platform.

At present, seven in ten (69 per cent) of the surveyed respondents said either they or someone in their family has a Disney+ Hotstar subscription.

Of those who are subscribed to the platform (either own or shared), a majority (58 per cent) said they will continue their subscription and stream other content on the platform. Residents in South India were more likely to say this (at 63 per cent) as compared to other regions of the country.

Under a fifth of all respondents (18 per cent) said they will not renew their subscription this year. The remaining may either not take a new subscription (eight per cent) or continue with a shared subscription (five per cent).

One in ten (10 per cent) are unclear about their decision.

When asked about the types of content they will consume on Disney+ Hotstar in the absence of IPL & HBO shows, Hotstar Specials emerged as the most popular choice of subscribers/ shared subscribers and a majority (63 per cent) said they will consume this content on the platform.  

After Hotstar Specials, nearly half are keen to watch films released on the platform- either after their theatrical release (49 per cent) or the ones exclusively releasing on Hotstar (46 per cent).

Sports highlights (36 per cent), regional films (31 per cent), documentaries (29 per cent), Star TV content (27 per cent) and global TV shows (21 per cent) are some of the other types of content that people may consume on the streaming platform.  

Less than five per cent of the current subscribers said they will switch to other platforms in the absence of IPL & HBO content, which is a very small percentage compared to the ones who will continue with the platform.

Commenting on this, YouGov India general manager Deepa Bhatia said, “YouGov data shows that although Hotstar might see some churn, the absence of popular content like live sports and international shows might not have a major impact on the brand’s overall health.  There is a strong resonance among urban Indians towards original content on the platform- be it web series or films. Disney+ Hotstar may benefit from understanding the current needs and preferences of consumers and work towards a content strategy to retain and grow their subscriber base.”

Mumbai: Prodapt, the fastest-growing specialized player in the connectedness industry, has elevated Harsha Kumar to chief executive officer (CEO). Kumar takes over from founder and CEO Vedant Jhaver, who will serve as the chairman of Prodapt.

As president over the last seven years, Kumar has played important roles in helping define growth strategies, delivering strong results through deep customer relationships, scaling practice areas, developing leadership talent, and building a strong operations organization for future growth.

As Prodapt is poised to strengthen its position as a category leader, Kumar will lead strategy, oversee business operations, and steer people & delivery excellence towards greater heights.

Before joining Prodapt, Kumar held several leadership positions in the technology services industry, and has successfully incubated and scaled several businesses that have grown to become large divisions. He also co-founded a software product company prior to that.  He holds degrees from the Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi, and the University of Maryland, College Park.

Congratulating Kumar on his new role, Jhaver said, “Kumar has been a big strength and partner to me over these years. His discipline and focus on execution have been critical to Prodapt’s leadership position in the Connectedness vertical. Kumar has built a reputation for being a dynamic and passionate leader with the highest levels of integrity and discipline in executing our strategy. With Kumar at the helm, Prodapt will continue to break new ground and solve our customers’ complex business challenges.”

On the appointment to this new role, Kumar commented, “I am honoured that the Prodapt Board has chosen me as the next CEO of Prodapt. We have a fantastic team at Prodapt and a proven strategy. I am excited to work closely with the leadership team and accelerate our company’s success with guidance from the Board and Jhaver. In the coming years, Prodapt will be the default partner of choice in the Connectedness industry and shape the way people, enterprises, and machines engage with each other.”

Prodapt provides technology services and consulting to clients across every layer of the Connectedness vertical, including the largest communications, media, and technology firms around the world. With over 6,000 technology and domain experts across 30+ countries, the company continues to grow its workforce rapidly across five continents.

Mumbai: Kolkata headquartered film production company, Surinder Films, has acquired Addatimes, the first Bengali on-demand OTT platform of the country. Surinder Films is one of the leading and revered production houses of Kolkata with which the audience associates quality, novelty and entertainment. Surinder Films has produced over 100 Bengali films and has now become one of the most prominent names in the field of content production; producing more than 6000 hours of television content across all the leading TV channels. Addatimes, which was launched in 2016, was the first platform to create original web series, short films, Bengali video songs, short love stories, detective movies, thrillers & suspense dramas & comedy series for the Bengali audience.

“We have been in the business of Bengali film production, distribution and content creation for both regional & national channels. In today’s context we found that the OTT Platforms have immense growth potential and it is the right time to invest on it. Thus, we decided to acquire Addatimes, the first Bengali and one of the well known OTT platforms. Here, we would be creating, as well as acquiring content of varied genres keeping in mind the audience interest. We already have an interesting line up of big-ticket Bengali Movies & a host of Web Series’ which we would start streaming soon. We look forward to a creatively exciting journey ahead”, said Surinder Films Pvt Ltd director Nispal Singh.

The first web series after acquisition to be streamed on Addatimes will be, Amriter Sandhane – The Banaras Chapter, from 14 April, 2023, celebrating the occasion of Poila Boishak (Bengali New Year). This 8-episode series is a mythological thriller set in the holy city of Varanasi. The star cast of Amriter Sandhane – The Banaras Chapter includes Chandan Roy Sanyal, Sauraseni Maitra & Debasish Mondal amongst others and it is directed by Abhinandan Dutta. Following this there will be a rib-tickling series, Gentlemen, starring Joy Sengupta, Mir Afsar Ali, Rudranil Ghosh & Madhurima Basak in the lead, which is directed by Korak Murmu. Gentlemen will be streaming from May, 2023.

This apart, Addatimes would also digitally premiere some mega feature films like Mitin Mashi, Sagardwipey Jawker Dhan & Magic and many more in the coming months. New films like Love Marriage, Bhootpori, Ardhangini, Paakhi, Tarakar Mrityu & Tenida will be digitally premiered in Addatimes post their theatrical releases.

“We plan to release between 15 -18 original contents a year, to begin with. As far as the films are concerned, there will be more than one release per month”, added Singh.

Addatimes will be available on Play store, App Store, Android TV, Fire TV and Samsung TV. The subscription plans are 799 INR for single screen for 1 year and 1199 INR for 2 screens for a year. For international viewers, the subscription comes at $ 49.99 for double screen per year.

Mumbai: OTTplay, India’s first AI-powered OTT subscription, recommendation, and  content discovery platform, celebrated the achievements of changemakers in the entertainment industry at the inaugural of OTTplay Changemakers Awards presented by Real Fruit Juices & Beverage. The awards recognise prominent individuals and organisations in the entertainment industry that strive to make a positive impact on the world.

The award ceremony was a triumph witnessed on 26 March 2023, at the exquisite JW Marriott in Juhu, Mumbai. 

The evening was a star-studded celebration full of elegance, glamour, and glitz. The award ceremony  recognised 31 influential, creative, and innovative figures across 30 categories in the entertainment  industry. The ceremony celebrated not only the artistic excellence of actors but also honoured trendsetters from regional cinema, business leaders, content creators, and tech enablers. 

The award recipients represented a diverse range of talent, from actors and influencers to writers and  directors. The night’s winners included:

• Changemaker of the Year Award: Guneet Monga 
• Gamechanger of the Year Award – Male: Rishabh Shetty 
• Pathbreaking Performance Award: Rajkumar Rao 
• Entertainer of the Decade Award: Sunny Leone 
• Most Promising Star of the year Award: Sayani Gupta  
• Breaking Barriers in Cinema: Swastika Mukherjee 
• All-rounder of the year: Priyamani  
• Inspiring Filmmaker of the Year: Basil Joseph  

“The primary objective of OTT play and the OTT ecosystem as a whole is to ensure that language is not a  barrier. Cinema has no language; it’s sans borders, language and a lot of other barriers. What OTT play is attempting to do is bring content from all platforms, all languages, and all regions and recommend to the  user content which can be consumed in any language as long as you have a taste for Cinema or Shows or  anything creative,” elucidated OTTplay CEO and co-founder Avinash Mudaliar. 

The glitzy evening created a thundering statement, collecting over 300 footprints and showcasing some  of the trendiest celebrity red-carpet styles. The event, which took the internet by storm, was also heavily  reported by the media. Actor Ritwik Dhanjani stepped into the shoes of the host, who dazzled audiences  with his humour and charisma. 

OTTplay transitions from a content discovery engine that curates content from over 60 Indian and  international OTTs to a streaming platform that allows audiences to access their favourite content from 16 different OTT platforms with a single subscription. The premium subscription platform, OTTplay.

Premium, which includes the availability of over 20,000 shows, web series, and movies from 16 different OTTs at an affordable price, is truly standing tall to its claim, ‘Mazey karo multiply’.

Mumbai: The upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 starts at end of this week, arriving at a prescient time in India’s media history.

The close to two-month long tournament (IPL ends May 28) comes at a time when the form book points to a growing convergence between 4G mobile broadband connectivity, connected TV (CTV) penetration and fibre broadband adoption. At the same time, the well monetized 110 mil.

Strong pay-TV universe is under pressure from free satellite TV growth, the ubiquity and affordability of SVOD in urban markets and for the first time ever, a free IPL – the biggest driver of SVOD scale and pay-TV growth in recent years will be streamed free to millions of mobile broadband users and CTV households starting 31 March.

Macro challenges, ad demand and IPL economics. There are real macro headwinds. Domestic demand has been robust but started to weaken after Feb. 2023 while external demand has materially slowed with global macro issues expected to have an impact throughout 2023. Our channel checks indicate that total ad investment in IPL 2023 falls within a wide range between US$490-600 million with MPA analysis of committed spends indicating a total number of US$550 mil. Ad budgets are under pressure but many are being reallocated for the event. Demand is broadbased, especially on digital but pitches and campaigns have been messy and noisy with advertisers often confused about reach and targeting. Nonetheless, there have been some important wins in recent weeks as brand appreciation of Jio Cinema’s targeting capabilities have grown.

The US$550 million number across digital and pay-TV is marginally flat Y/Y and represents a steep loss against annualized 2023-27 IPL rights fees of US$1.2 billion.

Subscription fees are expected to be very modest this year because of challenges on pay-TV distribution and the lack of a subscription fee on digital. Viacom18, owned by Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) in partnership with Bodhi Tree Systems with Paramount having a minority, has exclusive online rights to the IPL for the 2023-27 period at US$3.1 billion Disney’s Star India won the pay-TV rights for US$3.1 billion over the same period but lost the online rights that helped it build customer scale and SVOD monetization on Disney+ Hotstar.

FMCG budgets are expected to be largely split between TV and digital though budgets from RIL-owned companies (i.e. retail, FMCG) will clearly move towards Jio Cinema, which is the platform that will stream the IPL. Sectors such as auto have moved over a large chunk of ad dollars to Jio Cinema while new economy categories (i.e. gaming) have moved over entire budgets.

Jio Cinema’s digital promise, targeting and models: Jio Cinema has promised advertisers that this year’s IPL will have a reach of 400 million and a concurrent user base of 100 million.

Having hired a large part of Disney+ Hotstar technical and engineering teams, we suspect that Jio Cinema will be successfully built for mobile broadband scale and concurrency. Streaming to mobile devices has already started to scale with Jio Cinema’s live streaming of key events such as Women’s IPL cricket and last year’s FIFA World Cup. Based on our discussions with agencies, the level of targeting available on mobile is a first and is highly evolved.

In total, Jio Cinema has roped in 500 advertisers for the 2023 IPL. Conquering CTV will be a challenge given distributor fragmentation and a significant level of customization required. MPA estimates the total CTV TAM in India at 70 million. We forecast that Jio Cinema IPL 2023 penetration of this base will reach 20-30 mil., driving CPMs and enhancing the consumer bond with multi-camera angles, 12 languages, 4K resolution, live statistics and more.

Jio Cinema will likely charge subscription fees for IPL 2024 using annual passes and dynamic pricing. In the interim, the company is expected to launch SVOD in 2H 2023, leveraging partnerships with Paramount+, Viacom18’s premium local content (including new originals) and new content and services from potential partners such as Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), including HBO, and NBCU.

The merger and platform integration between Jio Cinema and Voot, which had 6 million subs at end-2022, is also expected to take place after June this year.

Star and the TV universe: IPL incumbent rights holder Star has struggle to withstand Jio’s onslaught as well as a challenging macroeconomic environment. As a result, pay-TV ad sales will more than halve Y/Y to US$200-220 million for the IPL 2023 edition with a downside case stretching to below US$200 mil., according to our discussions with agencies.

Subscription fees, always regarded as an allocation, have historically been in the US$120-150 mil. range but are expected to be significantly impacted in 2023, because of the impact of NTO regulations, noisy disputes with Reliance-owned cable MSOs over Star Sports channel fee increases and additional complications over Star’s decision to broadcast 12 important IPL matches over its FTA channel Star Utsav.

Also clouding agency and advertiser minds has been the drop in IPL TV viewership with reach falling last year to 229 million versus a year earlier 267 million. A depletion of Star India resources over the past few months, including the departure of the head of Sports ad sales, has not helped matters.

Mumbai:  Author and political analyst Mithun Vijay Kumar has sent a legal notice to Netflix asking the streaming giant to remove one of the episodes of its popular show Big Bang Theory. In the first episode of season two, the character Raj Koothrapalli, played by Kunal Nayyar, uses derogatory remarks against Bollywood actress Madhuri Dixit.

Kumar stated in the legal notice that Raj Koothrapalli’s remarks are not only offensive but also defamatory. The notice states that such content can have a negative impact on society, particularly in perpetuating harmful stereotypes against women. He further states that the content promotes sexism and misogyny which is not acceptable in any form.

The legal notice sent to Netflix’s office in Mumbai demands the episode’s immediate removal and failure to do so would result in legal action for promoting discrimination against women. If Netflix fails to respond or does not comply with the demands made in the legal notice, Mithun Vijay Kumar has stated that he will take further legal action against the streaming giant.

Speaking about the matter, Mithun Vijay Kumar said, “It is important to hold companies like Netflix accountable for their actions and to ensure that they are sensitive to the cultural values and sentiments of the communities they serve. I strongly believe that streaming service providers have a responsibility to carefully curate the content that they offer on their platforms. It is their duty to ensure that the material they present does not include derogatory, offensive, or defamatory content.I was deeply troubled by the use of a derogatory term in one of the shows on Netflix – Big Bang Theory. This term was used in reference to the acclaimed actress Madhuri Dixit, and it was not only offensive and deeply hurtful but also showed a lack of regard for her dignity.

I strongly believe that streaming service providers must take such issues seriously and act quickly to address any instances of offensive or defamatory content. Furthermore, streaming service providers should be proactive in preventing such content from being streamed. This can be achieved through clear guidelines and rigorous screening processes for all the content published. Ultimately, streaming services have a significant influence over the content that is consumed by millions of individuals, and with this influence comes a responsibility to ensure that the content they offer is respectful, inclusive, and free from harmful stereotypes. I hope that this incident will serve as a wake-up call to all streaming services providers to work towards creating a more equitable and respectful media landscape.”

Mumbai: aha, one of the fastest growing local OTT platforms, recently announced that it will invest over Rs 1000 crore over the next three years to expand into newer genres and languages as well as to finance its ambitions of becoming a complete regional entertainment platform. In line with these plans, aha has announced changes in its leadership today. Ajit Thakur, the current chief executive officer (CEO), has been elevated to the board of directors of aha and will be driving its future-facing initiatives, including aha Studio. Ravikant Sabnavis, an industry veteran, will be taking charge as the new CEO with immediate effect.   

Welcoming the new CEO, aha promoter Ramu Rao Jupally said, “We are delighted to have Sabnavis on board as the new CEO. aha will surely benefit from his rich experience, which spans many industries. Sabnavis is passionate about fostering the growth of homegrown businesses in India, encouraging new ventures, and nurturing emerging talent. We are confident that Sabnavis’s unparalleled pedigree and exemplary leadership will propel aha to its next growth phase.”

Commenting on Thakur’s elevation to the board, aha promoter Allu Aravind said, ” Thakur has been with aha since the inception of the company. He has managed to build aha into a brand that has captured the hearts of the Telugu-speaking audience and extended its presence into Tamil. In recognition, we are elevating him to the board of directors. In his new role, he’ll continue to guide aha and focus on building newer initiatives, including aha Studio.”

Sabnavis has over 30 years of experience and has honed his skills across organisations in diverse industries, including Star TV, Kingfisher Airlines, Force India Formula One Team, United Breweries, Heinz India, and ConAgra Foods. Sabnavis presently holds concurrent roles as a Charter Member of TiE – Mumbai and a member of the Startups & Entrepreneurship sub-committee of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Western Regional Council.

aha CEO Ravikant Sabnavis said, “The aha team and I would like to create a truly experiential entertainment platform that every family member can enjoy, ranging from shows & daily series to movies, games, news, and very soon Metaverse. At aha, we are on a mission to redefine how people experience entertainment and tell the stories from Deep India to the rest of the world through diverse and unexplored genres.”

Mumbai: Over the past decades, Hungama has remained committed to its purpose of providing exciting and immersive entertainment to its users through its services, Hungama Play and Hungama Music. Hungama Play curated video entertainment content including Movies, Hungama Originals, live shows, comedy clips, Bollywood Hungama news and more. Hungama Music provided users with a multilingual and multi-genre library of songs, music videos among a slew of other features.

Bringing together its diverse set of offerings ranging from latest songs, blockbuster movies, binge-worthy original TV shows, hit music videos and popular podcasts, Hungama Digital Media merges Hungama Play and Hungama Music into a unified platform in its all in one app – Hungama. Furthermore, Hungama Play will be known as ‘Hungama Video’ on all social media platforms.

The app enables users to get instant access to the biggest blockbuster movies from Hollywood, Bollywood and regional Indian languages, across genres and Hungama Originals with brand new stories, ground-breaking shows across different genres featuring unique storylines. Catering to TV enthusiasts, the app provides a great selection of English, Hindi and regional television shows and critically acclaimed BBC content. Taking the user experience a notch higher, the app ensures ease of toggling between video and music.

The users have access to a bouquet of offerings that includes personalised recommendations wherein, daily 6 personalised playlists based on listening habits called Daily Doses will be especially curated, from Indian and International artists in genres that the audiences love and in languages preferred by them. A library of over 3 Cr songs and music videos will be available. Among the assorted features, online radio with live and on-demand channels has been created for the users. Furthermore, ensuring the users get every word right and sing their hearts out loud, dynamic lyrics will be available at one’s fingertips. For seamless in car audio streaming, the app is integrated with Apple Car Play and Android Auto.

Speaking about the combined app, Hungama Digital Media CEO Siddhartha Roy said, “With the all-new combined app, our endeavour at Hungama is to curate a one-stop destination for users and enhance the viewer experience. Users now possess the power at their fingertips under one unified platform, leaving behind the hassles of switching between apps. The rapid change in consumption patterns coupled with the influx of new technologies has been a determining factor in creating an all-inclusive immersive experience for the users. We look forward to expanding our digital footprint and reaching a wider set of audience, providing them with entertainment across categories.”