ITV

Category: Over The Top Services

  • Netflix to touch $1.9 bn ad revenue in Western Europe by 2027

    Netflix to touch $1.9 bn ad revenue in Western Europe by 2027

    Mumbai: Western Europe will generate annual revenues of $1.9 billion for Netflix from advertising by 2027, more than the US and almost as much as North America ($2.1 billion when Canada is included), according to a new report by Ampere Analysis. The study forecasts that an additional $841 million will be earned from ad tier subscription fees in Western Europe ($1 billion in North America).

    Ampere believes that Netflix in Western Europe will experience an increase in average revenue per user (ARPU) as a result of the launch of the ad tier. Specifically, the firm predicts that in 2023, ARPU will be 4.9 per cent higher than without it, rising to 8.6 per cent higher by 2027.

    Western European viewers have the highest price sensitivity among Netflix’s customers, which combined with relatively high advertising rates on a cost per thousand (CPM) basis, makes advertising in the region a strong opportunity for the streaming giant. By 2027, nearly one-fifth (19 per cent) of Western European users will be on the ad tier.

    According to Ampere’s report, 19.3 per cent of Netflix users in this European region will view content via the ad tier by 2027, most of them from the existing customer base. The ad tier will stabilise this saturated region. Ampere predicts a 1.8 per cent increase in subscriber growth (with ad tier) in Western Europe over a subscription-only model. A relatively strong increase in the value of advertising-supported customers will boost the overall revenue gain.

    Globally, Netflix will earn $5.5 billion in annual advertising income by 2027, boosted to $8.5 billion a year by ad tier subscription fees. The launch will see Netflix earn $2.2 billion more by 2027 than it would with purely a subscription-only model, driven by an ARPU uplift combined with a modest increase in the overall subscriber base. Ampere estimates that total customers will be 3.2 per cent higher than without an ad tier.

    Ampere Analysis analyst Ben French said, “Very strong advertising rates for streaming in Western Europe will contribute to a significant uplift in the value per customer for those taking the ad tier. Although the overall boost to subscriptions is predicted to be modest in the region, this increased customer value will see Western Europe exceed the value of the US market by 2027.”

  • Netflix to reach $1bn in ad revenue in APAC by 2027: Ampere Analysis

    Netflix to reach $1bn in ad revenue in APAC by 2027: Ampere Analysis

    Mumbai: According to a new report by Ampere Analysis, the Asia-Pacific will be the strongest growth region for Netflix’s ad tier, with one of the largest increases in revenue and the greatest average revenue per user (ARPU) uplift. High tolerance of advertising in the Asia Pacific will see the region generate nearly one billion dollars in ad revenue by 2027. In addition, $574 million will be generated by ad tier subscription fees.

    Due to relatively low ad rates, Asia-Pacific will earn a higher percentage of its ad-tier revenue from subscriptions (38 per cent vs. 34 per cent in North America and 30 per cent in Western Europe). A rapid rise in subscribers in the region will see overall ad-tier revenue grow quickly.

    Ampere explains that Asian-Pacific viewers are the most positive about advertising, with four in 10 (41 per cent) saying they do not mind ads. The comparative figures are 35 per cent in North America and 24 per cent in Western Europe. Ampere predicts that 22 per cent of users in the region will take the ad tier option. With a 17.6 per cent increase in subscriber growth by 2027, Asia-Pacific will be one of the fastest growing ad income markets.

    Globally, Netflix will earn $5.5 billion in annual ad income by 2027, boosted to $8.5 billion a year by ad tier subscription fees. The launch of an ad tier will see Netflix earn $2.2 billion more by 2027 versus a purely subscription-only model, driven by an Arpu uplift combined with a modest increase in the overall subscriber base. Ampere estimates that total customers will be 3.2 per cent higher than they would have been had Netflix not launched an ad tier.

    Ampere Analysis analyst Ben French said, “Although not as valuable as the US market, Asia will be a particularly strong region for Netflix’s ad model. The high tolerance of advertising will see the strongest uptake of the ad tier, and although rates charged for advertising are lower than in other regions, strong subscriber growth will ensure Asia remains central to the success of Netflix’s new strategy.”

  • Sumeer Raina rejoins Nagra as director of sales and marketing

    Sumeer Raina rejoins Nagra as director of sales and marketing

    Mumbai: Kudelski Group’s digital TV division, Nagra, has announced the return of Sumeer Raina as director of sales and marketing.

    In his previous stint with Nagra, he was the marketing director for three years between 2016 and 2019. Raina was brought on board to increase Nagra’s market share at key operators in India and SAARC countries.

    Before rejoining Nagra, Raina worked as director of sales and marketing-India & SAARC at SmarDTV Global, handling profit and loss management. His part involved tasks like strategic planning to drive the sales growth and profitability of new businesses; prospecting, qualifying, and generating new opportunities for new business generation; creating commercial proposals and doing contract negotiations; and contributing to building the company’s market plan for India and SAARC.

    He also liaised with top management on account strategy and development plans—India and overseas—on issues of relevance for the Indian, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka markets.

    His key achievements during his tenure at SmarDTV were setting up a broad organisation from scratch for software development, hardware development, project management, and manufacturing teams in India within a short span of one year.

    During his tenure at Nagra, he received a Star Performer Award for winning the Airtel account for digital security for selling SaaS-based solutions on AWS. He also received the Star Performer Award for his contribution to reviving business in DEN.

    In a quick span of nine months, he brought two new customers on board, DEN and YUPPTV, with substantial revenues in 2017.

    Summer completed a senior executive leadership programme at Harvard Business School in 2018.

  • News9 Plus launches new OTT series ‘Duologue with Barun Das’

    News9 Plus launches new OTT series ‘Duologue with Barun Das’

    Mumbai: The first season of four mini-episodes for TV9 Network’s latest OTT series, Duologue with Barun Das, has been released.

    TV9 Network MD & CEO Barun Das introduces an exchange of ideas not prompted by headline management, but rather to evolve emancipated influencer conversations on the Network’s newly launched OTT video magazine, News9 Plus.

    The show made its debut with “Liger” actor Vijay Devrakonda. Das and Devrakonda discuss not only the Telugu boom in Bollywood but the lives and times of both as they exchange hitherto unknown experiences and perspectives.

    Next in line on Duologue with Barun Das, Das engages with the UK’s former prime minister David Cameron, who made history by becoming the country’s youngest leader in two centuries, forging unrivalled ties with India. Cameron speaks about India’s role in the emerging global order.

    Speaking on the philosophy of Duologue, Das said, “Duologue is a cerebral conversation with a legend or a legend in the making. That’s the profile the show will feature. As the title suggests, it is a two-way interaction where we pose questions to each other as we exchange ideas in a free-flowing manner.”

    He added, “For me to take up this role, the driving force is the need to aggregate great ideas for India’s path to development. I also believe there is room for creating long-lasting and meaningful conversations in a content environment currently dominated by sensationalism.”

    “Barun Das is neither a conventional business leader nor a professional anchor. As a CEO, he has always outperformed the industry. Little known in the public domain is his unique and uncanny ability to slice through conflicting narratives with great ease while stitching loose threads to build meaningful conversations with intelligent minds,” said News9 Plus editor Sandeep Unnithan.

    After watching the show, The Linus Adventures founder and chief evangelist Sunil Lulla said, “Tantalising and intriguing. Duologue opens new voices and new perspectives.”

    “I loved the episode. Barun is so natural. I feel this kind of content can reach a whole new demography… not just rule India but reach the world,” added Chopra Foundation CEO & Seva.Love founder Poonacha Machaiah.

    The show is streaming now on the News9 Plus app, available across the iOS App Store and Google Play Store, as well as on the web.

  • Netflix to lose SVOD revenues in Latin America: Digital TV Research

    Netflix to lose SVOD revenues in Latin America: Digital TV Research

    MUMBAI: Latin American SVOD revenues will reach $8.54 billion by 2027; up from $5.01 billion in 2021. Netflix will account for 41 percent of the 2027 total, down from 72 percent in 2021. Netflix’s revenues will peak at $3.73 billion in 2023.

    Digital TV Research principal analyst Simon Murray said, “Netflix will introduce AVod-SVod tiers [one for Brazil and another pan-regional one for the Spanish-speaking countries] in 2024, with SVOD revenues and Arpus falling slowly as some subscribers convert to cheaper packages.”

    Disney+ is likely to introduce similar tiers in 2024. The platform is expected to follow its US example by converting its current subscription tier to AVOD-SVOD and charging more for SVOD-only. This will push up average revenue per user (ARPU).

    Latin America will have 139 million gross SVOD subscriptions by 2027; up from 75 million end-2021. Seven US-based platforms (Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Star+, Paramount+, Apple TV+ and HBO) will account for 90 percent of the region’s paying SVOD subscriptions by end of 2027.

  • Proposed 28% GST on online gaming could lead to decline in active users: ASSOCHAM & EY Report

    Proposed 28% GST on online gaming could lead to decline in active users: ASSOCHAM & EY Report

    MUMBAI: According to a joint report by Assocham and EY, titled ‘GST on Online Skill-Based Gaming’, GST Council’s Group of Ministers (GoMs) are examining the GST on online gaming. One of the considerations by GoM is recommending a levy of 28 percent Goods and Services Tax (GST) on the complete contest entry amount including the prize pool, which can have an adverse effect on the industry. Levy of GST on the contest entry amount would increase the tax burden on the nascent industry by 10 to 20 times. The industry currently pays GST at the rate of 18 percent on the platform fee or the Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR) earned directly by the gaming operators.

    The report estimates that the industry contributes more than Rs 2,200 crore of GST in 2022 and the winnings from online games are subject to income tax, which also contribute a significant amount to the exchequer.

    The report has also listed out the unique features that set online skill-based gaming apart from games of chance. It entails technology solutions that are provided by operators to enable user-interface as well as build a gaming ecosystem and act as facilitators. The fee charged is a fixed consideration and is not dependent on outcome. Its success is also dependent on the superior knowledge of the user and engagement with the game, making skill the predominant element.

    The report notes that the proposed levy of tax at 28 percent from 18 percent, along with 30 percent income tax on winnings, takes the rate of taxation on online gaming between 45-50 percent. With the GST tax proposal leading to higher taxation, it could lead to a decline in active users and discourage domestic gaming industries.

    According to recent industry estimates, there are 500 gaming companies in the country, which have provided employment to thousands of people and have also seen an inflow of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) worth $2.7 billion. However, they are likely to be impacted by high taxations and would open doors for offshore operators. The report states: “This sector could also help in facilitating the government’s vision for the Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming and Comic (AVGC) sector and encourage the domestic players rather than driving users to foreign companies/ offshore platforms; thereby enhancing government’s revenue collection.”

    Assocham secretary general Deepak Sood said, “The Assocham-EY report on the impact of GST on online skill-based gaming is quite revelatory. The growth of the online gaming industry comes as no surprise as it’s largely youth-driven and has been fuelled by the increasing usage of internet and smartphones, especially during the pandemic. India is expected to become one of the world’s leading markets in the gaming industry, which also bodes well in terms of a robust digital economy GDP as well as an employment-generator. Therefore, any step that the government takes to strengthen the sector through an optimal tax structure is welcome.”

    The report asserts that the right tax structure can have a positive impact on the industry and drive tax revenues. “The crystallisation of the GST valuation mechanism could be a catalyst in enabling ease of doing business and spur growth of this rising sector,” it concludes.

  • Disney+ Hotstar, Swiggy come together to give consumers a ‘House of the Dragon’ experience

    Disney+ Hotstar, Swiggy come together to give consumers a ‘House of the Dragon’ experience

    Mumbai: With House of the Dragon streaming on OTT platform Disney+ Hotstar, the company has partnered with food ordering and delivery platform Swiggy.

    They are giving consumers a House of the Dragon experience on the order of a meal. The collaboration between the two has turned the Swiggy rider into a dragon, with a tag line on the top of the order ‘Fire will reign, hunger will not. Our dragon rider is on the way!’ The dragons will deliver food pan India until 29 August, 2022.

    Based on George R.R. Martin’s book “Fire and Blood,” the 10-episode series is a story about the House of Targaryen, set 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones. Directed by Miguel Sapochnik, Clare Kilner, Geeta Vasant Patel and Greg Yaitanes, the series has been executive produced by George R. R. Martin, Ryan Condal, and Miguel Sapochnik, along with Sara Hess, Jocelyn Diaz, Vince Gerardis and Ron Schmidt. Actors like Paddy Considine, Matt Smith, Olivia Cooke, Emma D’Arcy, Steve Toussaint, Eve Best, Sonoya Mizuno, Fabien Frankel, and Rhys Ifans bring to life several characters from Martin’s book.

  • Eros Investments partners with Stability Ai

    Eros Investments partners with Stability Ai

    Mumbai: Eros Investments and Stability Ai announced a strategic partnership to form a joint venture for the South Asian geography.

    Stability Ai is dedicated to designing and implementing solutions in various sectors of life that are accessible to all through collective intelligence and augmented technology.

    Their solutions affect a range of sectors, from entertainment to business, health, and other social initiatives.

    Eros Investments chairman Kishore Lulla said, “Emad and the fabulous team at Stability.ai have developed this visionary technology with the capability of super-computing that is amongst the top 10 in the world. Users now have an opportunity for creative expression at a pace that didn’t exist before.”

    He further added, “We also plan to deploy this technology across Eros Investment’s affiliate company, Eros Now, which has access to a registered community of over 200 million users. In addition to this, there are use cases for the technology across the metaverse and the creator economy for mass adoption. Deep AI technology will be the future of product differentiation, and we are excited to lead this revolution.”

    Eros Investments will use Stability Ai’s “Stable Diffusion” model, which includes open-source image generation, to manifest ideas and dreams as flawless art pieces using words.

    Stability Ai battles the norm set by big tech companies by using this form of image generation to challenge the barriers that prevent people from accessing artificial intelligence and its benefits.

    Eros and Stability are working to bring this technology that was only privileged to a few, to every Indian to reflect their creativity and imagination.

    Eros Investments intends to use this technology for its subsidiary Xfinite, which has access to a 12,000+ movie asset library, to launch generative NFT and make the tool available to creators for self-expression on Mzaalo, Xfinite’s watch to earn blockchain platform.

    Satbility.ai founder & chief executive officer Emad Mostaquesaid, “India is a fascinating digital market with over 600+ million users and immense creative capability across users. Our vision for this technology is to provide the base layer to the sectors of entertainment, education, healthcare and others and to allow for innovation by the users and peers from business. Eros is the perfect partner for this technology as premium experiences at mass adoption and innovation is core to their ethos of the group. This partnership will help transform not only how we deliver personalization to consumers but also re-orient our lifestyle between the offline and online world.”

    Deep Ai technology and its applications extend far beyond the realm of entertainment, and this joint venture will concentrate on three key areas of collaboration with industry sectors and other partners.

    Generative Meta-Humans: This technology’s evolution is suited to developing 3D rendering of individual avatars, with use cases in immersive AR/VR content, gaming, and the Metaverse. This collaboration will enable the creation of fictional content as well as dynamic individual identities on a daily basis.

    Education: This sector will be a stepping stone in the transformation, with each child learning at their own pace in the language of their choice. For progressive learning at scale, the AI model will allow each student to customise content based on their adoption of the materials.

    Healthcare: This AI model will be tailored to each individual, allowing them to identify their current health vitals, methods for improvement, and track them on a regular basis.

  • ACT Fibernet launches its OTT aggregator platform YuppTV scope

    ACT Fibernet launches its OTT aggregator platform YuppTV scope

    Mumbai: Non-telco internet service provider (ISP) ACT Fibernet announced the launch of its OTT aggregator platform, YuppTV Scope. It will offer its users a range of OTT applications such as ZEE5, SonyLIV, and Voot Select.

    YuppTV scope provides users with a single-subscription OTT streaming platform with a large selection of live TV channels, eliminating the time-consuming task of accessing and managing multiple apps on their devices.

    Customers will receive 400+ live channels, 1000+ TV shows, 500+ originals, and 10,000+ movies as part of this package.

    YuppTV founder and CEO Uday Reddy said, “We are excited to partner with ACT Fibernet to launch YuppTv Scope, our single-subscription OTT streaming platform for ACT broadband users. YuppTV Scope offers a unique differentiation by bringing a traditional TV experience to the platform, which we are sure will be enjoyed by platform users. At YuppTV, we look at revolutionising content consumption in the country and ushering in the era of OTT, through this tech-driven content curation platform YuppTV Scope.”

    While existing customers can visit actcorp.in/yupptvscope, enter their registered mobile number or user ID, and generate an OTP to subscribe and add to their bill, new customers can contact the sales representative at the time of booking and request an add-on to their bill.

    Furthermore, new customers who book their connection online can add YuppTV Scope at the time of booking.

    YuppTV Scope provides users with a single-subscription OTT streaming platform that includes SonyLIV, ZEE5, Voot Select, and YuppTV—with an extensive bouquet of live TV channels, eliminating the time-consuming task of accessing and managing multiple apps on their devices.

    The platform provides a highly curated experience with personalised recommendations based on viewership patterns, which are manually curated by a team of experts while also utilising AI and ML capabilities.

    YuppTV Scope simplifies content discovery even further by eliminating the need to access multiple apps to find appropriate content from device types such as Smart TVs, PCs, mobile phones, tablets, and streaming media players.

    In the coming weeks, YuppTV Scope will add two more premium OTT partners to the subscription package.

    Atria Convergence Technology marketing head Ravi Karthik said, “Today, the OTT market boasts 55+ video entertainment apps and is still growing. With so many choices, Indian OTT customers are finding it difficult to subscribe to multiple video services separately. Thus, OTT aggregation services are becoming more popular in the country. With Yuppscope, we aim to satisfy the rising consumer demand for original content and offer a hassle-free experience of subscribing to many platforms with a single click.”

    “We are excited to launch a platform that is fast and provides the best entertainment in the form of a simple monthly subscription with a single sign-up for accessing multiple streaming services,” he added.

  • Airwaive signs strategic partnership with Shaurrya Teleservices to expand 5G broadband network in India

    Airwaive signs strategic partnership with Shaurrya Teleservices to expand 5G broadband network in India

    Mumbai: Airwaive on Wednesday announced an international strategic partnership with Shaurrya Teleservices (STS) to jointly develop 5G wireless networks in India to help telecommunications operators spearhead 5G technology across the country. As India prepares to develop next-gen 5G services, the country’s local Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are in a race to build and deploy 5G infrastructure to bring better and more affordable connectivity to their customers.

    Airwaive’s platform is a marketplace for property owners to make their properties available for rent to wireless and IoT operators, giving them seamless services along with rental revenue. This also enables ISPs to identify and create new wireless access points to reach underserved markets. Airwaive has invested years of development in proprietary tools which streamline an ISP’s network planning and site acquisition, allowing wireless ISPs to realise tangible savings in both budget and time to market.

    As part of the partnership, STS’ management, with decades of experience, will provide access to tools, channels, and market insights to showcase Airwaive’s technology and platform to operators across the country. Airwaive will work with STS to offer a seamless path to Airwaive’s advanced 5G network platform and continue to support its customers and business partners in the country. This joint collaboration will unlock the full potential of 5G infrastructure, bridge the digital divide, and bring affordable Internet services to the massive population of India while also giving an opportunity for everyone to make their properties available to ISPs for an additional source of revenue.

    The key to a successful 5G implementation is the ability of wireless and IoT operators to use new models to build networks, which now require four times more cell sites than the total number of sites built in the last 25 years of mobility. This quick rise in the number of cell sites needed for 5G highlights the necessity of 5G wireless network solutions like Airwaive for this ever-growing market.

    “Shaurrya Teleservices (STS) intends to build an infrastructure of trust (IOT) for the successful implementation of the internet of things in India on a build, operate, and lease model. STS understands the need for reliable infrastructure, understands the health concerns of the people of India and is committed to social responsibility by building green infrastructure. Our partnership with Airwaive is very exciting as this gives us a chance to launch a very unique, globally accepted technology in India, which will give everyone an opportunity to participate in the growth of 5G networks and web3,” said STS CEO Mahesh Choudhary.

    5G will bring tremendous opportunities for wireless operators in India, not just for mobile phones but for the next generation of IoT services and fixed wireless. With 5G and fixed wireless, speeds are now fast enough to have broadband Internet connectivity into homes throughout India,” said Airwaive CEO Jeff Yee.