Category: Over The Top Services

Galaxy Racer and Sunburn brings a blend of music and esports

Mumbai: India’s leading transmedia gaming company, Galaxy Race, has partnered with Asia’s premiere EDM festival, Sunburn, to create a unique blend of music and esports for gamers from across the country as the premier Music Carnival comes on board as the official venue partner of the Valorant India Invitational, which will take place between 18 to 20 November.

Sunburn is one of the largest music festivals in the world, and this association with Galaxy Racer is their very first venture in the esports industry.

This first-of-its-kind partnership will help esports profoundly as it gets influenced by the evolving narrative of pop culture alongside competitive gaming.

This is the first-ever international Valorant tournament that is taking place in the whole of South Asia and India, in which the biggest names from the Valorant world, such as Paper Rex, Team Secret, RRQ, etc., as well as some of the top Indian stars, will be competing under one roof.

According to the 2021 Deloitte’s Digital Media Trends Fall Pulse Survey, 42 per cent of gen-z gamers listened to music other than gaming ones while playing, whereas 22 per cent of the sample size shared music recommendations while gaming with other online gamers, and 11 per cent showed the trend of attending live music concerts inside a gaming world venue.

These statistics are a testament to the significant connection that gaming and music have, making Galaxy Racer’s vision of blending the adrenaline rush of an esports LAN event with the exhilarating and exciting experience of music and setting a strong blueprint for initiating a new chapter in the history of gaming and hosting tournaments in the country.

Speaking of the collaboration, Galaxy Racer chief gaming officer Siddharth Ravishankar said, “Music and gaming are two core components that have an immense influence on gen-z, and since merging them has yielded huge success globally, we wanted to capitalise on the untapped opportunity in India. Having Sunburn as the official venue partner fortifies the Valorant India Invitational, and it further propagates the impact that this tournament can have on Indian gamers. This partnership fulfils our aim of blending premiere Esports events with music festivals, as the goals and vision of both companies align perfectly in dishing out an experience alongside competitive gaming. Fans will have multiple options for attending either just the finals or both the finals and the music festival. We are looking forward to this remarkable blend and hope gamers and music aficionados can equally enjoy the experiences.”

Expressing his thoughts on the collaboration, Spacebound CEO Karan Singh asserted, “Collaborating with Galaxy Racer gives us an opportunity to enter the gaming industry, which is on the rise in India. Music is a part of gaming & esports, and this is just the right synergy for us. We are always on the lookout for unique distribution, and this is one of them to engage our fans with this unique blend.”

November 8, 2022
Vavo Digital announces collaboration with six content creators for LinkedIn

Mumbai: Vavo Digital has initiated a structured initiative to lend a fresh perspective to influencer marketing by exploring the coming-of-age social media platform LinkedIn.

At the onset of this pursuit, Vavo Digital identified and signed up six key influencers. In the upcoming quarter, it aims to onboard 50+ talents on LinkedIn and further boost influencer marketing on this digital platform created especially for professional relationships.

By onboarding personal branding experts Punita Parekh, M. Ayushi, and Shubhangi Madan, chartered accountant Palak Rathi, financial analyst Siddhant Garg, and audit analyst Sanskriti Pandey to facilitate collaborations with brands, the agency envisions assisting brands in reaching out to their target audiences through collaborations with these exclusive talents.

Currently, the influencers onboarded are predominantly in the finance category; however, the agency envisions expanding the portfolio by being more inclusive and acquiring talent across multiple categories like technology, career coaches, HR professionals, marketing, public speakers, and content writers/freelancers.

Commenting on the onboarding of these exclusive talents, Vavo Digital founder and CEO Neha Puri said, “As the first step towards establishing influencer marketing as a practical method on LinkedIn, the platform recently introduced a ‘creator mode’ that provides supplementary features and tools to users once activated. This significantly paved the way for content creators to establish themselves on LinkedIn. As an influencer myself, I view LinkedIn as an apt platform to associate with professional brands and gain a larger outreach. I believe it certainly helps to reach the right set of thriving entrepreneurs, as LinkedIn is home to all top decision makers, and that helps extensively in the appropriate development of emerging brands.”

At Vavo Digital, we are so pleased to have onboarded a talented set of independent content creators like Punita Parekh, M. Ayushi and Shubhangi Madan, Palak Rathi, Siddhant Garg, and Sanskriti Pandey from varied genres. We look forward to expanding the roaster and executing impactful campaigns for our brands. We aim to not only enhance the brand’s visibility but also create more engagement with the audience,” she added.

November 8, 2022
Amazon launches Prime Video mobile edition at Rs 599 per year

Mumbai: Prime Video has launched its mobile edition at Rs 599 per year. This single-user, mobile-only video annual plan offers everyone access to high-quality entertainment exclusively on their mobile devices and will now be available to all customers in India.

Created especially for a mobile-first country like India, Prime Video mobile edition is a major step towards making premium entertainment across languages as ubiquitous as smartphones in the country.

With this move, Prime Video is expanding the accessibility of its mobile edition, which launched last year as a telco-partnered product in collaboration with Bharti Airtel.

Customers who want to enjoy the complete Prime Video experience, including multi-user access, streaming across devices including smart TVs, and the ability to enjoy content in HD/UHD in addition to having access to all Prime benefits, including free fast delivery on Amazon.in, ad-free music with Prime Music, Prime Reading, and other Prime benefits, can continue to sign up for or upgrade to Prime plans for Rs 1,499 annually.

Prime Video mobile edition provides standard definition (SD) quality streaming to customers, giving them a chance to explore and watch Prime Video’s rich catalogue of Indian and international movies, Amazon Originals, LIVE cricket, including the eagerly-awaited upcoming India vs. New Zealand Men’s Cricket Series in November 2022, and much more on their mobile devices, all for Rs 599 per year.

Talking about the launch, Prime Video India vice president Gaurav Gandhi said, “Over the last six years, we have seen a huge growth for Prime Video in India. With viewers from 99 per cent of the country’s pin codes, the service has become the preferred destination for premium content. Guided by our mission of making high-quality entertainment even more accessible across the country, we are excited to launch Prime Video Mobile Edition’s annual plan. This worldwide-first innovation saw an incredible response from Indian consumers when we launched it via a telecom association last year, and building on that success, we are extending its access, with it now being made available directly for subscription through Prime Video’s app and website.”

Adding to it, Prime Video international vice president Kelly Day commented, “India is one of our fastest-growing and most engaged locales worldwide. Our success in the country can be attributed to innovations that are focused on creating an exceptional entertainment experience for customers. In fact, India is turning into an innovation hub for Prime Video. An initiative like Prime Video Mobile Edition, which had its genesis in India, is now being rolled out across multiple countries in Latin America and Southeast Asia. We are confident that the new Prime Video Mobile Edition annual plan will further help accelerate the growth of our India business and give an even larger customer base access to the high-quality content on the service. With this launch, we look forward to entertaining every Indian with our popular on-demand entertainment content and live sports.”

November 7, 2022
Tiki empowers its creators to make a difference through Tiki meetup

Mumbai: The popular short video-entertainment platform Tiki has launched a community-led social initiative – Tiki Meetup. It is a pro-social good initiative driven by its creators, where local creators organize meet-ups in their regions to give back to the society.

Following last year’s success, 800 plus creators organize more than 2000 charity meetups in over 100 cities across the country.

Tiki encourages and supports local talent and its creators are further extending the support to the underprivileged.

The initiative aims to instill a sense of awareness and responsibility among creators to support the underprivileged by organizing offline meetups and discovering their power to make a difference.

Tiki creators come up with innovative ways to organise the meetups and reach out to the people in need to help them in various ways. Creators have taken initiatives like distributing food, organising cleanup and plantation drives, and distributing hygiene kits in the desolated areas. These initiatives have made a great impact on the lives of more than 1 lakh people in cities like – Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru and Lucknow among others.

On the launch of the initiative, Tiki CEO Ian Goh said, “Today, social work is not exclusive or limited to just social work organizations. At Tiki, we are aiming to bring that change via our creators to discover the power to make a difference in their community. Over 30 representatives have been chosen to lead meetups in their hometowns, who are known as Tiki City Ambassadors. With their own team, they have impacted the lives of more than 1 lakh people in a span of one year. This positive outcome motivates us to keep driving change and we are hopeful to connect with more people across the length and breadth of the country this year as well withTiki Meetups.”

Tiki Delhi ambassador Barkha Shah said, “I always wanted to help those in need in my community, but I wasn’t able to due to the lack of resources. When I joined Tiki, not only my talent was appreciated but my desire to organize charity events came true. Tiki supported us in extending a helping hand to help those in need. Along with my team, I have organized more than 50 meetups, where we have helped people by distributing food, stationery, clothes, etc. People have now started referring to us as ‘Tiki Wale’, which shows how a social media platform is not just a medium of entertainment but also a gateway for people to give back to our communities.”

November 7, 2022
John Wick series The Continental to launch on Prime Video internationally

Mumbai: Amazon’s OTT platform, Prime Video will launch the series, ‘The Continental’. This is a special event series based on the action movie franchise John Wick. The prequel is produced by Lionsgate Television, and will be exclusively available to Prime Video members worldwide excluding the US, Middle East and Israel next year.

‘The Continental’ is told from the perspective of the hotel manager, portrayed by Ian McShane in the film franchise – a young Winston Scott, played by Colin Woodell (The Flight Attendant). Throughout the series, viewers will follow Winston through the underworld of 70’s New York, where he will battle demons from his past as he attempts to seize control of the iconic hotel – a hotel that serves as a meeting point for the world’s most dangerous criminals.

Woodell is joined by Mel Gibson (Braveheart), as Cormac; Ayomide Adegun (The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes), who will portray a young Charon (based on the character portrayed by Lance Reddick); Ben Robson (Vikings) as Frankie; Hubert Point-Du Jour (Dr. Death) as Miles; Jessica Allain (The Laundromat) playing Lou; Mishel Prada (Vida) as KD; Nhung Kate (The Housemaid) as Yen; and Peter Greene (Training Day), who dons the fedora of Uncle Charlie (based on the tight-lipped body disposal expert).

“The John Wick films have created one of the most immersive, detailed and enjoyable universes we’ve seen on screen in the last decade. We are extremely proud to play a part in continuing to build that universe, offering viewers an insight into the origins of the infamous Continental Hotel and its incredible characters” said Prime Video director of content acquisition Chris Mansolillo.

“We’re delighted to partner with Prime Video, which is always a world-class home for our properties. The Continental promises to be one of the major streaming events of 2023, and it will be a perfect fit for Prime Video’s global audience as the John Wick franchise continues to grow. This deal wouldn’t have been possible without Agapy Kapouranis and Chase Brisbin and their talented counterparts at Prime Video, who crafted a multifaceted agreement that reflects today’s evolving marketplace,” said Lionsgate president of worldwide television distribution Jim Packer.

The John Wick films have grossed nearly $600 million worldwide to date, with each film outperforming its predecessor. John Wick: Chapter Four is scheduled for theatrical release worldwide on 24 March, 2023.

November 7, 2022
Prime Video launches ‘Taking Guard: India’s Quest for Kiwi Glory’

Mumbai: Prime Video is all set to broadcast India men’s tour of New Zealand beginning from 18 to 30 November. Ahead of the tournament in New Zealand, the OTT platform has also launched a 6-part mini-series Taking Guard: India’s Quest for Kiwi Glory.

This mini-series is part of Prime Video’s special programming initiative around the upcoming series that starts on 18 November with the first T20I and concludes with the last ODI on 30 November.

The series explores India’s fabled rivalry with the Kiwis, going back to 1967, through archival match footage, sound bytes and graphics. The documentary moves seamlessly through varied themes chronicling India’s tour to New Zealand over the years. Former greats of the game, who lend their voice in telling this riveting story include Ravi Shastri, Ajit Agarkar, Danny Morrison, Simon Doull and Ian Smith. Harsha Bhogle, who has not only witnessed this rivalry from close quarters but has been the voice narrating the highs and lows from some of these matches from the commentary box, also talks about his experience.

“At Prime Video we are committed to super-serving our customers in India, providing on-demand access to the best in entertainment across formats, genres and language,” said Prime Video India head of sports Chaitanya Divan.

He added, “We are now excited to bring them the best in live sports and provide a new viewing experience of the much anticipated bi-lateral tour this November, between the two titans of the cricketing world – India and New Zealand.”

“Indians have a huge appetite for cricket and we are excited to present the new exclusive mini-series Taking Guard before India’s highly-anticipated tour to New Zealand in a few weeks. Featuring insights and analysis from cricketing legends, Taking Guard casts the spotlight on the rivalry between the two countries, which barely sees any baring of the teeth, snarling or heated moments on the field but is full of intense competition and peppered with mutual respect. We are excited and look forward to this contest between two terrific and evenly-matched sides and will announce a few more initiatives for cricket fans in the coming weeks as the action moves from Australia to New Zealand.” Divan added further.

November 7, 2022
Revenant Esports signs Cybeart as its official gaming chair partner

Mumbai: Revenant Esports has signed the gaming merchandise company Cybeart as its official gaming chair partner for the upcoming season.

Throughout this partnership, Cybeart will design customised chairs exclusively for tournaments, as well as for Revenant’s bootcamp and numerous gaming rosters and creators.

Speaking of this partnership, Revenant Esports founder and CEO Rohit Jagasia said, “We are delighted to be associated with a brand like Cybeart that has made a name for itself due to their superior quality products and creativity. Gaming chair sponsorships are essential for gamers or creators of any esports organisation as it is one of the fundamental products associated with their craft. This association is going to enhance the gaming experience of our gamers and creators. We are looking forward to teaming up with Cybeart and aiding the growth of both brands in our respective capacities and countries.”

An exclusive partnership with a renowned esports organisation will make Cybeart’s vision of making a huge impact in the Indian gaming community a reality. This is one of Cybeart’s many exclusive partnerships.

With a licencing agreement with Warner Bros. Consumer Products (WBCP), the company has previously launched a variety of gaming chairs featuring characters from DC Comics, Mortal Kombat, and The Batman 2022 movie.

Cybeart founder and CEO Krutik Patel added, “Being a gamer and living abroad for the past few years, I have been closely monitoring the gaming ecosystem in foreign regions and also the currently booming Indian Esports Industry. I’ve always had the urge to introduce the brand to my own country and bring a change to how esports is perceived in India. With both brands working towards the same goal, we are thrilled to partner with one of the leading esports organisations, Revenant Esports, as part of our vision to revolutionise the Indian gaming industry.”

November 5, 2022
Ajit Mohan takes over Snap’s APAC operations

Mumbai: As reported by Indiantelevision.com on 3 November, Meta India country leader Ajit Mohan had quit and was reportedly set to join Snap. In a LinkedIn post, Mohan has confirmed joining the APAC team of Snap.

His LinkedIn post reads, “After almost 4 years leading Meta (Facebook) in India, I am stepping down from my role. I am grateful to the company for the amazing opportunity to lead its efforts in one of its most important countries and I am absolutely proud of the work the team and I have done to create impact for people, creators and businesses around the country. “

He goes on, “When I took on this role, my objective was to build a team and a company that would be a valuable ally to India and play a useful role in fuelling its economic and social transformation. This is exactly what we have managed to do in the last four years.”

He confirms, “Am also excited to share that I am going to lead the Asia Pacific region for Snap and be a part of the company’s executive team. Can’t wait to get started!”

Mohan had joined Meta (the erstwhile Facebook) as the managing director for the India market in January 2019. He was preceded by Umang Bedi who quit in October 2017.

Prior to Meta, Mohan was CEO of Star India’s (now Disney Star’s) video streaming service Hotstar for four years.

November 4, 2022
Urban Indians are most likely to notice endorsements of mobile phones and clothes on social media

Mumbai: Among the various categories of products and services endorsed by social media influencers, YouGov’s new research found that urban Indians are “a lot likely” to notice endorsements for mobile phones (46 per cent) and clothes (45 per cent).

In comparison to this, each of the 38 per cent think they are a little likely to notice such endorsements, while 12 per cent and 14 per cent, respectively, think they are not at all influenced by such testimonials.

25- to 34-year-olds are most likely among the different age groups to notice mobile phone endorsements by social media influencers (53 per cent); those in the age group of 35 to 44 years are most likely to take notice of endorsements for clothes (at 54 per cent).

When it comes to groceries and food items, 39 per cent urban Indians claim they get influenced a lot by influencer endorsements, while for 37 per cent the influence is a little.

For other categories, such as tech devices, media streaming services, healthcare products, out-of-home entertainment, cosmetics, air travel, and financial investments, the influence is more likely to be little than a lot.

Data shows there is some polarity visible for categories such as video games and tickets for sporting events. While 24 per cent of urban Indians say they are very likely to notice such endorsements for each of the categories, just as many (28 per cent each) say they do not get influenced at all.

Gambling and bookmaking services are the only categories where 42 per cent respondents are more likely to say they do not get influenced at all than the respective 31 per cent and 16 per cent say they get a little or a lot.

November 4, 2022
Sudhir Chaudhary’s ‘Black and White’ gets highest concurrent views on YouTube

Mumbai: Aaj Tak’s Black and White, hosted by Sudhir Chaudhary, has been ranked as the number one show in the 9 p.m. band ever since it started rolling. The show has been witnessing the highest concurrent views on YouTube.

The show has held attention ever since it started in July 2022. It has been breaking all records for the past two months on the 9 p.m. prime time band on YouTube, making Aaj Tak rank number one every day on the digital platform YouTube and leaving the competitors behind by a considerable margin.

Aaj Tak has been marking an average of 74.3K daily live concurrent users (weekdays, 9-10 p.m.) on YouTube Live in the period from 19 July to 31 October 2022, where Aaj Tak has nearly twice the total live concurrent users.

Sudhir Chaudhary’s show on Aaj Tak caters to the audience’s news requirement with every topic, making it ‘Black and White,’ logical, retaining the true essence of the story, and specially curated for a deeper insight.

Aaj Tak’s Black and White show with Sudhir Chaudhary has covered sensitive updates around various topics through in-depth analysis of national and international news. Uncovering well-researched data and underlying facts, Chaudhary also presented the Hijab Row with deep research. Black and White also covered the Russian-Ukraine war, enhancing the audience’s insights into the topics and providing a window to think through facts and data.

Followed by crucial topics of national interest like the NIA PFI Issue, Congress president elections, and an RSS story on the controversy surrounding the film AdiPurush, including an exclusive interview of the director and writer.

With their social campaign “Mera Swabhimaan,” which highlights the lives of blue-collar employees and the issues they face, the host aims to initiate a revolution that talks about the basic human code of conduct and establishes a place of pride in society for the hardworking daily wage earners.

Chaudhary’s Black and White has successfully emerged as one of the most promising prime-time shows. Taking over prime time with the most concurrent live views on YouTube and continuing the dominance in news space.

November 3, 2022