ITV

Category: Over The Top Services

  • Legends League Cricket streaming live across India, US and Australia

    Legends League Cricket streaming live across India, US and Australia

    Mumbai: With the Legends League Cricket (LLC) underway in India, the spectacle of various cricketing legends playing together is set to have a global footprint. The league has secured worldwide broadcast across the US, Australia and India.

    Along with Star Sports, both Disney+ Hotstar and Fancode are live streaming the event simultaneously in the country.

    The league’s broadcast partner in the USA is Willow TV, one of the top sports broadcasters in the country. This league broadcast will undoubtedly provide cricket a huge boost in terms of increasing its popularity, which is already growing in the US.

    Australia has long been a sporting giant with ardent supporters all over the country. Fox Cricket, the league’s official digital streaming partner, and Kayo Sports, their official broadcast partner, will help the league and its fan base grow.

    Retired cricketers assembled to play together in the Sky247.net Legends League Cricket that commenced on 16 September and will conclude on 5 October, 2022. The league stage matches are currently being played in Lucknow and will be followed by Delhi, Cuttack, and Jodhpur.

    “Having Disney+ Hotstar and Fancode sharing broadcasting rights has never happened before, but it feels great that we could do the same as our belief is to reach the maximum number of cricket fans and engage with them and get them closer to the icons of the game. There is a lot of excitement, be it the cricketers themselves or the fans, and we are happy that we are at the centre of this. The primary objective of this league has been to connect with every cricket fan and bring forth a nostalgic factor and bring back the excitement among the fans. Huge Indian and Asian populations in the US and Australia are there to be tapped along with a global footprint, and we are glad that we are able to connect with them and more,” said Legends League Cricket CEO & co-founder Raman Raheja.

  • CCI approves Jio Cinema OTT and Viacom 18 Media merger

    CCI approves Jio Cinema OTT and Viacom 18 Media merger

    Mumbai: The Competition Commission of India (CCI) approved the proposed merger of Jio Cinema OTT and Viacom18 Media on Monday.

    Following an investment by BTS Investment and Reliance Projects & Property Management Services, the CCI announced in a tweet on Monday that it had approved the merger of the Jio Cinema OTT platform with Viacom18 Media.

     

     

    In April, Reliance Industries (RIL) and Viacom18 announced a strategic partnership with Bodhi Tree Systems. According to an agreement signed, Bodhi Tree was obliged to invest Rs 13,500 crore in Viacom18, and Reliance Projects & Property Management Services, a wholly-owned subsidiary of RIL, was informed to invest Rs 1,645 crore in the broadcaster, forming one of India’s largest TV and digital streaming firms. As a result, Reliance’s popular Jio Cinema OTT app was transferred to Viacom18.

    Bodhi Tree Systems (BTS) is a joint venture between James Murdoch’s Lupa Systems and the former chairman of Star India and Disney India Uday Shankar.

    IT support services are provided by Reliance Projects & Property Management Services. Through its portfolio of channels and streaming service Voot, Viacom18 Media engages in the business of offering media and entertainment services.

    Deals that exceed a specific threshold require regulator permission, which keeps an eye on unethical commercial practices in the market.

  • Aha partners with O4 Media to stream exclusive Korean content

    Aha partners with O4 Media to stream exclusive Korean content

    Mumbai: Good news for Korean drama (K Drama) fans! OTT platform aha has partnered with a Hong Kong-based global content distributor O4 media to stream Korean content from Korean Broadcasting System( KBS), including premium crime, drama, and comedy, onto the platform.

    aha’s CEO Ajit Thakur said, “We are among the fastest-growing OTTs in India, with a presence in Telugu and Tamil. Our diverse and differentiated local content has built a strong core fan base with a wide variety our content ranging from fiction, nonfiction, game shows, music, and talent shows original films, live news, kids’ content, and so on. Keeping in mind the evolving preferences of viewers and the popularity of Korean content amongst our audiences, we are now bringing some of the top Korean shows in local languages, enabling our viewers to watch their favourite programs from across the world.”

    Starting the last quarter of this year, 100 hours of Korean content will go live for Telugu consumers adding further value to aha’s exhaustive content library.

     O4 Media founder & managing director Gary Pudney said, “The south is a dynamic part of India, and working with Aha, such a new and fast-growing player in the market, illustrates that they have an acute eye for the content which is highly appealing and engaging for their audience. We see this as just the beginning of a long-lasting relationship.”

  • Paramount+ launches in Italy with originals showcasing female stories and voices

    Paramount+ launches in Italy with originals showcasing female stories and voices

    Mumbai: Paramount+, the global streaming service from Paramount has been launched in Italy. It offers more than 8,000 hours of entertainment.

    Paramount Global rolled out the Blue Carpet and hosted an event at the iconic Cinecittà Studios in Rome to celebrate the Italian launch of Paramount+. Following the event, the service revealed its content slate that features the biggest stars and most compelling stories. Roberto Benigni, Elodie, Greta Scarano and Carlo Verdone are among the Italian stars aligning on Paramount+, alongside global talent including Harrison Ford, Jessica Chastain, Helen Mirren, Sylvester Stallone, Miles Teller and more.

    The streaming service provides a slate for the whole family, spanning new and exclusive Paramount+ originals, shows and movies across every genre from Paramount’s brands and production studios.

    This includes Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Pictures, Showtime and the Smithsonian Channel, offering the best from international exclusive titles and local content.

    Global series that will become available on Paramount+ in Italy include The Offer, based on Oscar-winning producer Albert S. Ruddy’s experiences of making “The Godfather”. Meanwhile, The Man Who Fell To Earth follows a new alien character who arrives on Earth at a turning point in human evolution. Tusla King stars Sylvester Stallone “The General”.

    Additionally, Paramount+ will be the home of films following their theatrical and home entertainment releases, including “Top Gun: Maverick” which will arrive on service in Italy later this year.

    The service is investing in local content and talent, with a line-up of Italian originals, such as the newly announced “Francesco Il Cantinco”. This is an immersive reading of one of the most iconic texts dedicated to love, hosted by Oscar-winning Italian star Roberto Benigni. There will be will a new season of Vita Da Carlo, which sees Italian comedian and actor Carlo Verdone as director and lead of this highly anticipated series around his life.

    “Tonight, we are celebrating the debut of Paramount+, which seamlessly combines Hollywood with Italian storytelling and creativity. Italy has been home to Paramount for many years and now we’re bringing the best Italian – and global – films and series together in one place, on Paramount+,” said Paramount president & CEO (streaming) Tom Ryan.

    “We’re the only streaming service where you’ll see Sylvester Stallone, SpongeBob, Star Trek, South Park and incredible Italian stars like Elodie and Verdone… all in one place. With over 100 years of storytelling experience from our renowned Hollywood studio to our international production hubs – Paramount knows how to make great entertainment for everyone,” said Paramount+ executive vice president- International GM Marco Nobili.

  • Jio Haptik announces exclusive product launch event ‘Hype’ ahead of festive season

    Jio Haptik announces exclusive product launch event ‘Hype’ ahead of festive season

    Mumbai: As the festive season is just around the corner, a conversational commerce company, Jio Haptik, has announced plans to organise its exclusive product launch event, ‘Hype.’ Jio Haptik, through this much-awaited event, will launch new commerce products and features for the upcoming festive sales.

    The event will be held at Taj Santacruz, Mumbai, on 15 September from 4:00 p.m.

    While dealing with an increase in sales and support requests, WhatsApp has emerged as the ideal medium for brands to achieve their goals. This product launch event is aligned with the increasing importance of proactive customer engagement strategies through WhatsApp. The event will witness top industry leaders discuss various WhatsApp campaign strategies to help brands break sales records, especially during the upcoming Diwali and festive season.

    As part of the launch, the products introduced by Jio Haptik will help brands significantly optimise marketing budgets, achieve phenomenal sales, and enhance customer interactions. The product ‘proactive messaging’ will help customer-facing teams to initiate new conversations with users via WhatsApp notifications. The second product, ‘commerce plus,’ will make shopping through conversations easier through search and FAQs on WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram.

    The event will be facilitated by leading CX and growth leaders –  Jio Mobility platforms & products manager Satinder Singh, Jio Mart director of product management Archit Shrivastava, Netmeds chief communications officer Bruce Schwack and many more.

    Sharing his views on the event launch, Haptik CEO and co-founder Aakrit Vaish said, “Messaging as a medium is now helping brands accomplish sales via direct customer conversations at scale. As the world’s largest WhatsApp chatbot provider, our exclusive features will help enterprises proactively sell their products to customers, digitise the end-to-end shopping experience, and meet enormous demand during the festive season. Also, our solution shall significantly increase brand discovery through newer channels like ads, SMS, and Instagram to help brands build a true-omnichannel strategy.”

    Commenting on the occasion, Netmeds chief communications officer Bruce Schwack said, “We have been using Haptik for two years now, and from the outset, we have been impressed not only with their technology, but also with their sharp focus on how the technology could help us achieve our business objectives. We’ve already experienced the tremendous advantage Haptik gives us in managing and reducing friction on the CS side, and now the new WhatsApp commerce feature promises to help us convert browsers into customers. Any tool that helps us retain existing customers and on-board new ones gets a big thumbs up from me. So, don’t put your fork down, the best is yet to come!”

  • Sony LIV to premiere ‘Chhalle Mundiyan’ on 23 September

    Sony LIV to premiere ‘Chhalle Mundiyan’ on 23 September

    Mumbai: Sony LIV has announced the exclusive premiere of “Chhalle Mundiyan” on Sony LIV on 23 September. The direct-to-OTT rom-com film is directed by Sunil Puri and will release as part of Sony LIV’s efforts to enhance its regional content library.

    “Chhalle Mundiyan” stars Ammy Virk, Mandy Thakar, and also features Kulwinder Billa, Karamjit Anmol, Soniya Kaur, BN Sharma, Banninder Bunny, and Nisha Bano in prominent roles. The film is directed by debutante Sunil Puri and produced by Guramritpal Singh and Gurjitpal Singh.

    Commenting on the movie, actor Ammy Virk said, “The drama of confusion, chaos, hope and love will be relatable for the audience. Pammi’s character is strong with many layers attached to it, making it an interesting watch. I’m glad I was able to be a part of it and work with such an amazing crew. I’m looking forward to its release on SonyLIV on 23 September.”

    Set against the backdrop of Punjab, “Chhalle Mundiyan” traces the life of Jassi (Mandy Thakar) and foreign returned Pammi (Ammy Virk) with a Caucasian woman and a child of his friend.

    Actor Mandy Thakar added, “This is my first OTT original, and I am super excited to be part of it. OTT as a format gives wide reach and opportunity for actors as well as the content. The film “Chhalle Mundiyan” undoubtedly is a family entertainer and a quirky watch. I hope the viewers will love the romantic comedy of errors wholeheartedly and continue showering their love and support to us.”

  • MIB secretary Apurva Chandra visits Tata Play’s technology centre

    MIB secretary Apurva Chandra visits Tata Play’s technology centre

    Mumbai: Ministry Information & Broadcasting (MIB ) secretary Apurva Chandra has visited Tata Play’s technology center in New Delhi to explore how Tata Play is leveraging technology and providing benefits to the end consumers.

    While exploring various ideas about technology that can benefit the customers, Chandra spent a considerable time understanding the complexities of a content distribution platform and steps Tata Play is taking to boost Make in India efforts for manufacturing set-top-boxes.

    During his visit, the Tata Play team demonstrated to Chandra the complete satellite communication and direct-to-home (DTH) delivery workflow and discussed other topics of mutual interest.

    Last year, Tata Play launched the first batch of Make-in-India set-top boxes in association with Technicolor Home and Flextronics. Earlier, Tata Play’s managing director & CEO Harit Nagpal had said that the India made set-top boxes would help generate employment and serve Indian consumers better.

    Tata Play has invested in advanced digital infrastructure and partnered with global leaders to provide superior technology. The company has a pan-India footprint of 23 million connections.

  • New York Comic Con 2022: Prime Video announces programming block and consumer experience

    New York Comic Con 2022: Prime Video announces programming block and consumer experience

    Mumbai: Amazon’s OTT platform Prime Video has announced its programming block and consumer experience for this year’s New York Comic Con, which takes place next month from 6-9 October. The lineup will feature live, in-person panels from returning and new series, including The Legend of Vox Machina, Good Omens, The Wheel of Time, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, and The Peripheral.

    The panels will offer fans a chance to hear directly from some of their favourite Prime Video talent through moderated Q&As, as well as the opportunity to be among the first to see exclusive first looks and never-before-seen footage from a stellar lineup of Prime Video titles. The panels will also be livestreamed at www.thepopverse.com, prior to being made available for Vod playback to ReedPop members and digital ticket holders.

    Prime Video panels at New York Comic Con:

    The Legend of Vox Machina

    The executive producers and cast of The Legend of Vox Machina will offer a sneak peek of what’s to come in the animated series’ highly anticipated second season. Based on the characters and adventures of Critical Role’s first live-streamed tabletop role-playing game campaign, this fantasy adventure quickly grew into an animated sensation. After saving the realm from evil and destruction at the hands of the most terrifying power couple in Exandria, Vox Machina is faced with saving the world once again—this time, from a sinister group of dragons known as the Chroma Conclave.

    Good Omens

    In 2019, Aziraphale and Crowley helped save the world from the apocalypse. Next year, they’ll return to solve a mystery that takes in all of heaven and hell. It’s time for a celebration of all things Good Omens, and some of the creators and cast will return to New York Comic Con for a fan Q&A.

    The Wheel of Time and The Lord of The Rings: The Rings of Power

    Prime Video presents a programming block for fantasy fans. The Wheel of Time and The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power take to New York Comic Con’s Empire Stage for back-to-back panels with series talent from each show.

    The Wheel of Time: Following their season-long adventure that culminated in a showdown with The Dark One and the shocking reveal of The Dragon Reborn’s identity, the cast and creative team behind The Wheel of Time will assemble in New York for their first in-person Comic Con. Join series stars and showrunner Rafe Judkins as they reflect back on their season one journey, both on and off screen, as well as drop a few hints of what audiences can anticipate from the hotly anticipated second season.

    The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power: The cast of the series welcomes all fans at New York Comic Con to join them for a panel discussion about the first seven episodes of this critically acclaimed show. Beginning in a time of relative peace, The Rings of Power follows an ensemble cast of characters. They confront the reemergence of evil in middle-earth. From the darkest depths of the misty mountains, to the forests of Lindon, to the island kingdom of Númenor, to the furthest reaches of the map, these kingdoms and characters will carve out legacies that live on long after they are gone.

    The Peripheral

    Fans can also immerse themselves in the world of The Peripheral. The series stars Chloë Grace Moretz, Jack Reynor, Gary Carr, T’Nia Miller, and JJ Feild, as well as executive producers Lisa Joy and Jonathan Nolan, creator and showrunner Scott B. Smith, and director Vincenzo Natali, as they give fans a first look at sci-fi thriller The Peripheral. The series centres on Flynne Fisher (Moretz), a woman trying to hold together the pieces of her broken family in a forgotten corner of tomorrow’s America. Flynne is smart, ambitious, and doomed. She has no future until the future comes calling for her. The Peripheral is based on William Gibson’s best-selling novel of the same name, and gives viewers a hallucinatory glimpse into the fate of mankind – and what lies beyond.

    Prime Video consumer experience: Fans can also visit the New York Comic Con show floor to experience Forever Fab, a 3D print shop storefront inspired by the upcoming Prime Video original sci-fi series The Peripheral. Forever Fab invites attendees to step into the world of 2032 and see the future printed before their eyes, only to find that the future may have something else in store for them.

  • Eros Investments and Xfinite partner with Calvin Cheng to launch XelebX

    Eros Investments and Xfinite partner with Calvin Cheng to launch XelebX

    Mumbai: Eros Investments and Xfinite have partnered with veteran entertainment and tech entrepreneur Calvin Cheng to launch XelebX, a web 3.0 members-only celebrity fan club.

    With the use of NFTs and fan tokens, the alliance will introduce over 200 million existing followers of global influencers and celebrities linked to the Eros ecosystem and its group companies to the new metaverse.

    Only NFT members will be able to access XelebX. They will have access to a number of advantages, such as exclusive access to virtual meet-ups with influencers, exclusive material, virtual backstage passes, and celebrity NFT collectibles.

    Speaking on this partnership, Eros Investments chairman Kishore Lulla said, “Over five decades, Eros has built one of the largest media and entertainment businesses, enthralling millions of fans and launching some of the biggest stars in India. One of the key reasons for our success is our ability to embrace change—from film to TV to the Internet and now web 3.0 and the readiness to lead it from the front. The metaverse and the immersive Internet are the technological tides that will carry us forward for the next 50 years. Eros is committed to being at the forefront of its adoption.”

    Furthermore, XelebX will introduce fan tokens that measure an influencer’s popularity and can be traded on significant exchanges, enabling holders from various fandoms to freely trade and swap value. As a result, influencers and celebrities will be able to work together and expand their fan bases in a manner that is naturally compatible with web 3.0 interoperability and composability. Xfinite’s Mad Influence, a well-known influencer marketing business, has joined XelebX.

    Xfinite CEO Swaneet Singh said, “With Xfinite, Eros has already gained invaluable experience in media built upon virtual assets and the blockchain. XelebX is the next natural innovation to bring the global community of entertainment fans into the metaverse and unlock immersive interaction with the influencers they follow.”

    Calvin Cheng added, “Web 3 is all about community building. Other platforms have tried this in the past. They built the tech but struggled to build the community—the key to web 3’s success. We already have the tech expertise and an amazing community of hundreds of millions of fans. We will now onboard them into the metaverse using the latest digital asset and web 3 technologies.”

     

  • ISL’s FC Goa dedicates home jersey to the return of fans to the stadium for 2022-23 season

    ISL’s FC Goa dedicates home jersey to the return of fans to the stadium for 2022-23 season

    Mumbai: FC Goa, which takes part in the ISL, dedicates its official home jersey for the 2022-23 season to the fans of the club. They finally have the opportunity to return to the stadium to watch their players play at the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Fatorda.

    The FC Goa home jersey for the 2022–23 season predominantly features a striped pattern of two different shades of the club’s bright orange. A series of wavy lines of a lighter shade runs across the stripes, forming a secondary pattern.

    This wavy pattern is symbolic of the fans, who form an Ocean of Orange every time the team takes to the field at Fatorda. Football and the waves of the ocean are intrinsic parts of the fabric of Goan society, and the jersey is a representation of the same.

    As the stars of FC Goa don the new home jersey, they will be representing the whole of Goa in their quest for success and silverware. To complete the look, the collar and sleeves of the FC Goa 2022-2023 home jersey also feature trim in red and white.

    A deeper meaning behind the jersey: The club added that the 2022-23 season is one of great importance to Indian football, as fans will return to the stands for the first time since Covid-19 first struck the country over two years ago. In a bid to minimise the damage caused by the virus, the last two editions of the Hero Indian Super League—2020–21 and 2021–22—were held completely behind closed doors, with the teams having to follow strict safety regulations within bio-bubbles.

    All of that will change this time around, as the country has since moved on to a state of normalcy. With the Gaurs’ faithful looking forward to turning up to their favourite team’s matches in large numbers, FC Goa have also acknowledged their presence in their new home jersey.

    “We feel excited about playing in front of our fans once again. They have been with us through thick and thin, and have always been our biggest source of motivation. The last time we played with fans cheering us from the sidelines, we won the Hero ISL Shield. Their support was an important reason for us lifting the Durand Cup as well, last year in Kolkata.

    “It feels nice to know that we have included an aspect of the fans in our new home shirts. The pattern looks good, of course, but it has also given the shirt an even greater meaning. Every time we wear the shirt, we will now be reminded of their presence and support as we look to challenge for the Hero ISL Trophy,” FC Goa captain, Brandon Fernandes, said.

    The FC Goa home jersey for the 2022–23 season will soon be available for purchase at shop.fcgoa.in.