ITV

Category: Over The Top Services

  • Mattel & Netflix to premiere animated preschool series ‘Deepa & Anoop’ soon

    Mattel & Netflix to premiere animated preschool series ‘Deepa & Anoop’ soon

    MUMBAI: Toy company Mattel has announced that its new animated children’s series Deepa & Anoop will debut on OTT platform Netflix on 15 August, 2022. Created by Bollywood animator Munjal Shroff (Shortcut Safari), writer Lisa Goldman (Dragon Tales), and producer Heather Kenyon (Doki Adventures), Deepa & Anoop is Mattel television’s first series based on its original intellectual property. The debut season includes 11-30-minute episodes and two 22-minute specials. 

    The music-driven series follows the adventures of seven-year-old Deepa and her best friend Anoop, a half-ton colour-changing baby elephant. The duo, self-appointed “concierges of fun,” makes everything bigger, grander and more wonderful for guests at Mango Manor, the bed and breakfast run by Deepa’s multigenerational family. With a Bollywood number in every episode, Deepa creates music, merriment and mischief while working with the rambunctious Anoop to solve the simplest of problems with the most imaginative of solutions.

    With a focus on the authenticity of Deepa’s Indian heritage, Deepa & Anoop includes 18 original song and dance performances, several of which are presented in the Bollywood tradition. The main cast is voiced by actors of Indian descent, including Pavan Bharaj as Deepa, Veena Sood (The Twilight Zone) as Naani-ji, and Ana Sani (The Magic School Bus) as Mama.

    “While Mattel is well-known for developing entertainment content based on our fan-favourite brands, we’re excited to partner with Netflix to bring audiences a heartwarming, all-new series based on original IP. Later this summer, fans will be delighted as Deepa and her best friend Anoop take on exciting challenges and lead colourful musical numbers that illustrate the importance of friendship. Deepa & Anoop is sure to make an impact on audiences globally” said Mattel Television senior vice-president, GM Fred Soulie. 

    In addition to this original series, Mattel said that it continues to expand its roster of brands well beyond the toy aisle and into the television and film space. More than 30 of its brands—including Barbie, Masters of the Universe, Thomas & Friends, Polly Pocket, Monster High, Fireman Sam, Bob the Builder, and Hot Wheels, to name a few—have come to life in various animated series, movies, specials and digital short-form. Deepa & Anoop, however, marks Mattel’s first-ever animated series based entirely on an original story and original characters.

    “We have been lucky to work alongside best-in-class advisors and consultants during every stage of Deepa & Anoop’s development. We hope that young audiences around the world will find this heartwarming series as authentic as they do relatable. We could not be more proud or excited that Deepa & Anoop is Mattel’s first original series based on an all-new IP,” said Mattel Television senior vice president- creative Christopher Keenan.

    Deepa & Anoop is executive produced by Mattel Television’s Fred Soulie and Christopher Keenan.

  • Netflix to launch cheaper ad-supported plan for early 2023

    Netflix to launch cheaper ad-supported plan for early 2023

    Mumbai: The streaming giant Netflix on Tuesday announced that it is targeting the launch of its ad-supported tier in the early part of 2023, in its letter to shareholders. The lower price advertising-supported offering will complement their existing plans that remain ad-free.

    The global streamer recently announced its deal with Microsoft as a technology & sales partner. “They are investing heavily to expand their multi-billion advertising business into premium television video, and we are thrilled to be working with such a strong global partner,” it said.

    The video-on-demand service is planning to launch its ad-supported tier in a handful of markets where advertising spend is significant. It expects to attract premium cost-per-mile (CPM) from brand advertisers.

    “Our advertising business in a few years will likely look quite different from what it looks like on day one,” it said. “Over time, it is to create a better-than-linear-TV advertisement model that’s more seamless and relevant for consumers, and more effective for our advertising partners. While it will take some time to grow our member base for the ad tier and the associated ad revenues, over the long run, we think advertising can enable substantial incremental membership (through lower prices) and profit growth (through ad revenues).”

    Netflix’s average revenue per member has grown at a five per cent compound annual rate from 2013 to 2021, hence the streamer feels it is the right time to give consumers more choice by offering a lower-priced subscription powered by advertisements.

    The service lost 0.97 million subscribers in April-June quarter less than it had forecasted (-2.0 million), bringing its total members to 220.67 million. Notably, Netflix lost subscribers in the United States-Canada (UCAN), Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) and Latin America (LATAM), however, continued to add paid net additions of 1.1 million subscribers from Asia-Pacific and China (APAC).

    It reported APAC revenues over $900 million up by 23 per cent (excluding foreign exchange) year-on-year. It currently has 33.72 million subscribers in the region. Netflix forecasts paid net additions of 1.0 million in the next quarter.

    The company reported quarterly revenue of Rs 7970 million up by 8.6 per cent YoY. Its operating income stood at Rs 1578 million and net income at Rs 1441 million.

  • Amazon miniTV’s new comedy series ‘Case Toh Banta Hai’ to stream on 29 July

    Amazon miniTV’s new comedy series ‘Case Toh Banta Hai’ to stream on 29 July

    Mumbai: Amazon miniTV, the ad-supported streaming service by Amazon piloted in India, has announced the launch of its new show Case Toh Banta Hai that will begin streaming on 29 July. The platform released the quirky trailer for the show on 18 July.

    Produced by Banijay Asia, the show features actor Riteish Deshmukh, comedian Varun Sharma and influencer Kusha Kapila who play prosecutor, defender and judge in the comedy series. The trio will take popular celebrities including Rohit Shetty, Badshah, Kareena Kapoor, Sara Ali Khan, Karan Johar, Varun Dhawan, Anil Kapoor and more to task by charging them with the most oddball allegations.  

    The show has a stellar supporting cast including Gopal Dutt, Paritosh Tripathi, Monica Murthy, Sanket Bhosle, Sugandha Mishra and Siddharth Sagar.

    Speaking about the concept of the show, Banijay Asia CEO and founder Deepak Dhar said, “India has a great appetite for experimental content which allows us to curate fresh formats that revitalises the existing genres. To helm our original concept of Case Toh Banta Hai, we wanted to bring a combination of faces that were never seen together before, thus, we brought in unique voices from the industry with Riteish Deshmukh, Varun Sharma, Kusha Kapila and a spectrum of talented artists. This is Banijay Asia’s first collaboration with Amazon miniTV, so a snackible content like Case Toh Banta Hai makes for a perfect show to kick start this association.”

    Amazon miniTV has roped in sponsors Noise and Campus Shoes for the show. Banijay Asia has completed filming three-fourth of the series i.e., 12-15 episodes. A new episode of the season will drop every Friday on the miniTV platform native within the Amazon app and Amazon.in website.

  • Locomotive Global Media appoints Kanupriya A Iyer as head of business affairs and senior producer

    Locomotive Global Media appoints Kanupriya A Iyer as head of business affairs and senior producer

    Mumbai: With a focus on developing, producing, and distributing content for India and across the globe, Locomotive Global Media, an international production company based in Mumbai, has strengthened its senior leadership team by appointing Kanupriya A Iyer as head of business affairs and senior producer. Kanupriya’s appointment is with immediate effect.

    In her new role, Kanupriya will work closely with Sunder Aaron to set up and lead Locomotive Global Media’s film division as well as oversee all business operations. Locomotive Global Media is growing rapidly with an ambitious roster of projects in active development. Iyer will be responsible for driving the company’s growth through all aspects of content development and production, which are required to scale up the company’s position and meet its objective to become the leading content production company in India.

    Kanupriya joins Locomotive Global Media from Colour Yellow Productions, where she worked as a co-producer and played a pivotal role in identifying content that matched the brand’s ethos. During her tenure there, she presided over successful releases such as “Tanu Weds Manu Returns,” “Manmarziyaan,” “Newton” and “Tumbbad.” She now brings to LGM her 12 years of experience in the Indian entertainment industry, both as a management executive and a producer. Kanupriya combines her sharp business acumen with a belief that the world can be changed, one film at a time. Her in-depth expertise in content and business development makes Kanupriya a key asset for Locomotive Global Media.

    Speaking on the new appointment, Locomotive Global co-founder Sunder Aaron said, “We are delighted to welcome Kanupriya to our leadership team. She is a unique executive talent whose knowledge and expertise in the film business will enable us to immediately make a splash in the feature business. Our ambition is to produce content that has an impact both in India and the globe, and Kanupriya will no doubt help us achieve that and fast.”

    Commenting on her appointment, Locomotive Global Media head-business affairs and senior producer Kanupriya A Iyer said, “I feel a sense of pride as a part of the team at Locomotive Global. The collective ethos of creating world-class content along with building a company with integrity and passion really spoke to me. Sunder is a wonderful leader who encourages unique voices. I’m ready to help add value with my experience in development, production, and distribution to set up clutter-breaking films and television content.”

  • TCH 2022: Experts discuss the secret sauce of OTT storytelling to keep the audience engaged

    TCH 2022: Experts discuss the secret sauce of OTT storytelling to keep the audience engaged

    Mumbai: The craft is constantly changing in OTT space. Every few months, the rules keep changing. The business players are still looking for the secret sauce. They are still trying to figure out and grapple with what kind of content works. How are the tastes of the audience changing? It’s highly dynamic, and to decipher this unique situation, on the sixth edition of Indiantelevision.com’s ‘The Content Hub Summit 2022,’ held in Mumbai, the media and entertainment industry experts shared their insights on the topic, “The legion of OTT content creators: Storytelling has never been on such an exciting journey.”

    The session had the presence of Pratilipi Studios business head Ambesh Tiwari, Sony Pictures Entertainment head – StudioNext Indranil Chakraborty, Roy Kapur Films head-originals Jinesh Shah, ZEE5 chief content officer, Hindi Originals Nimisha Pandey, Warner Bros Discovery head of original content – South Asia Sai Abishek and Juggernaut Productions (OTT) chief executive officer Samar Khan.

    The panel was moderated by Bodhitree Multimedia managing director Mautik Tolia.

    The summit was presented by Viacom18, and co-powered by Applause Entertainment & IN10 Media Network. Aaj Tak Connected Stream was the association partner. Industry partners were Fremantle India, Hill+Knowlton Strategies, One Take Media, Pratilipi, Pocket FM and The Viral Fever. The Indian Motion Pictures Producers’ Association (IMPPA) was our community partner.

    The discussion began with an awareness of these experts’ attempts to break into the mainstream content market. Is it through design that has been attempted to build a specialisation, or any secret sauce, or is it just an accident?

    Khan noted that it was by design; “There is no secret sauce. The sauce is essentially that you really have to work hard and you have to go out there and find new stories because everybody will agree to the fact that it’s becoming difficult to find new stories because so many shows are being made, so you have to go out there and find people and say, “Give me something that is going to be a little different from what is already there, so it’s just the search for new stories that keeps me going.”

    When asked for the insights and secrets of some interesting products coming out like the Swami Nithyananda Show (My Daughter Joined a Cult) and Secrets Of Sinauli, the experts said that we’re maturing in the non-fiction space. 

    Speaking in this context, Abishek commented that viewers are generally looking at consuming good content but also focusing on the storytelling to make it slightly more cinematic than people are used to generally consuming. “We’re attempting to marry entertainment, which has previously been considered niche, and documentary, which has, unfortunately, not been the most popular genre. Oh, it’s boring or it’s too niche or things like that!”

    Continuing the conversation, Pandey expressed her thoughts when asked if there are any unique elements in a show that she looks for as the secret sauce. What are the essential ingredients required to commission a show?

    She mentioned there is no secret sauce available but the four main recipes that must be followed in order to stand out from the crowd are, first and foremost, a realistic real-world setting. Second, a fascinating story without any shortcuts. Third, a real character with different shades, and finally, a strong passion to create the show.

    Discussing ahead with Shah, Tolia highlighted the different formats of story-telling and its dynamics. He asked Shah, What are the lessons learned and challenges encountered during the transition to the long-form format (web-series) from the movie format?

    The process started from an organic place, so the challenge was different from the television writers & film writers. As an OTT writer, we took some training sessions from experienced writers, show runners, and creators from across the world to help put a process together. It is the alignment of all the cooks (writers, show runners, and creators) that helped us in making this sauce, said Shah.

    Watch the complete session on the link below: 

  • The global online video streaming industry is expected to reach $1.6 bn by 2027: Study

    The global online video streaming industry is expected to reach $1.6 bn by 2027: Study

    Mumbai:  A new study has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com’s collection titled “Online Video Platform Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2022-2027.” In 2021, the market for online video platforms reached a size of $792 million. Looking ahead, ResearchAndMarkets.com projects that the market will grow at a CAGR of 12.59 per cent from 2021 to 2027, reaching $1.6 billion. 

    The company stated that it is continuously tracking and evaluating the direct as well as indirect influence of the pandemic on various end use industries while keeping in mind the uncertainties of Covid-19. These observations are cited in the study as a significant market contributor.

    An online video platform (OVP) enables a user to stream video content and upload self-produced material over the cloud or the internet. It is primarily used to achieve and manage the uninterrupted delivery of content to an audience around the world.

    At present, a significant amount of OVP viewership is generated through devices such as smartphones and tablets that use a dynamic HTML player, allowing the viewers to access live or pre-uploaded material at any point of time. OVPs are also extensively being used by brands to create a market presence worldwide and provide information to their customers in an interactive manner.

    The increase in internet penetration rate as well as the usage of smartphones, smart televisions (TVs), tablets and personal computers (PCs), along with the rising expenditure on online advertisements, are the key factors driving the market’s growth.

    Furthermore, the inclination of the market leaders to utilise online videos as a medium for content marketing and stakeholder communication is also driving the demand for OVPs. The shift of consumer viewership from conventional video platforms such as cable television (TV) to OVPs has positively influenced the market growth.

    Additionally, the ever-growing popularity and continuously increasing global viewership of market players such as YouTube, Dalet Digital Media Systems USA Inc, MediaMelon, and Limelight Networks are also contributing to the market’s growth.

  • Ravi Shastri brings forth FanCode’s ‘fan-first’ proposition in its new campaign for the India tour of West Indies

    Ravi Shastri brings forth FanCode’s ‘fan-first’ proposition in its new campaign for the India tour of West Indies

    Mumbai: From 22 July 2022 digital sports destination FanCode will stream the Indian cricket team’s tour of the West Indies. In the just launched campaign, FanCode highlights the fan-first features it will introduce to empower fans in customising their match-experience through a series of fun banter between former cricketer Ravi Shastri and digital content creator Ashish Chanchlani.

    Shastri was recently announced as the brand ambassador for FanCode where he mentioned, “I’m elated to join FanCode in this journey of democratising sports for fans in India.” Chanchlani has now joined the bandwagon to promote the brand’s first India tour on the platform and its fan-first proposition.

    The collaboration showcases Chanchlani’s rise from a leading digital content creator to becoming a brand endorser of a mainstream digital sports brand. Right from fans getting to choose their commentator from a wide list of experts calling the game; interactive overlays enhancing the match-viewing experience by providing real-time stats; availing any match or player related data while watching the game, without having to switch the screen; to choosing any replays or highlights on-demand; the campaign sees Chanchlani taking a dig at Shastri’s digital-savviness by highlighting these features.

    Chanchlani said, “My entire career is a testament of the power of digital in India. FanCode as a homegrown brand is empowering sports fans by exploring the full potential of digital and resonates strongly with me. It’s a pleasure to collaborate with the legend himself in the fun campaign, and look forward to supporting FanCode’s digital transformation in sports broadcast.”

    Speaking about the first campaign, FanCode co-founder Yannick Colaco said, “The India tour of West Indies will change the way fans consume sports and will set a new benchmark for sports fan experiences. With this campaign, we want to introduce our fan-first proposition to a larger audience through a light-hearted narrative, and the unique pairing of Ravi Shastri and Ashish Chanchlani will help us in just that. Their reach and influence is phenomenal, and they both connect with fans across the spectrum in the country.”

    The India tour of West Indies is scheduled from 22 July 22 – 7 August. Three ODIs and Five T20Is will be played. ODIs start at 7 p.m. and T20Is start at 8 p.m. While FanCode is curating a digital-first live-streaming experience across the FanCode app (Android, iOS, TV) and www.fancode.com, it has partnered with DD Sports to make the tour accessible to the TV viewing audience across the country.

  • Tata Play Binge brings bengali entertainment by onboarding hoichoi

    Tata Play Binge brings bengali entertainment by onboarding hoichoi

    Mumbai: Diversifying its content offerings, content distribution platform Tata Play (formerly known as Tata Sky) has added its 13th OTT platform, Hoichoi, to Tata Play Binge. The integration carries forward Binge’s objective of providing users access to content from across all OTT platforms in multiple languages, as well as easing the process of content discovery. With the incorporation of SVF Entertainment, owned and maintained by Hoichoi, users will have access to a library of movie titles and 100+ original series in Bengali. Enabling a wider audience appeal, the key shows are also dubbed and presented in Hindi. The content bouquet can be enjoyed with subtitles through large-screen connected devices—Tata Play Binge+ Android Set Top Box and Tata Play edition of the Amazon FireTV Stick—along with the Tata Play Binge mobile app and the website.

    Tata Play chief commercial and content officer Pallavi Puri said, “Entertainment in the digital age is breaking barriers of language and borders, leading to a widened horizon for content discovery. This allows viewers to choose their titles based on storylines and not restrict themselves to a particular language or region. With this partnership, we aim to take Hoichoi’s vast Bengali movie and original series collection to the whole of India and diversify the watch preferences of the viewers. “

    Hoichoi co-founder Vishnu Mohta said, “As a brand, Hoichoi always aims to provide quality entertainment across the nation and globe and to as many people as possible. This partnership with Tata Play Binge takes us a step closer to that goal. With this collaboration, we can reach a wider audience and have our content on a platform that traverses language barriers, and we are glad to be doing this.”

    Hoichoi has shows and movies across genres, like Eken Babu, Hello!, Rekka, Mandaar, Indu, Haami, Tiktiki, Srikanto, Mon2 Pilot, Feludar Goyendagiri, “Byomkesh,” “Cheeni,” “Dwitiyo Purush,” “Tasher Ghawr,” “Refugee,” and many more.

    Hoichoi joins 12 OTT platforms on Binge – Disney+ Hotstar, ZEE5, SonyLIV, Voot Select, SunNxt, Hungama Play, Eros Now, ShemarooMe, Voot Kids, CuriosityStream, EPIC ON and DocuBay. 

  • Loco becomes the first Indian streaming platform to broadcast FIFA Pinnacle events

    Loco becomes the first Indian streaming platform to broadcast FIFA Pinnacle events

    Mumbai: Game streaming platform Loco on Friday has signed a broadcast agreement with FIFA, football’s international governing body to bring the centrepiece of the FIFA esports experience – FIFAe World Cup 2022, FIFAe Club World Cup 2022 and FIFAe Nations Cup 2022 to fans across India.

    Loco becomes the first and only Indian based game streaming platform to team up with FIFAe. It will localise the streams and broadcast the live streams for the three tournaments, which are set to be aired between 14 and 30 July.

    Loco has also recently signed exclusive streaming deals with other top publishers and game titles in the country, as well as international entrants to the Indian market, holding its position strong as the country’s leading game streaming platform.

    Commenting on the collaboration, Loco founders Anirudh Pandita and Ashwin Suresh said, “eSports has become the most watched category in India, after Indian cricket, and we are really happy to partner with one of the most prestigious organisations in the world, FIFA, to bring together an innovative new category of esports, FIFAe. It is a landmark year because we have the Indian team competing in the FIFAe Nations Cup and we hope they will inspire a generation of new gamers! Loco has broken viewership records with many popular game titles with innovative categories finding a suitable home on the platform, we are confident that we will provide fans an unforgettable experience with FIFAe.”

    In June 2022, history was made when India qualified for the FIFAe Nations Cup 2022. This achievement by the Indian eFootball team of Charanjot Singh, Siddh Chandarana and Saransh Jain, who led India as the country beat Korea Republic and Malaysia in the playoffs, has led to massive excitement both among FIFA fans as well as the wider esports community in the country. To further accelerate awareness in the Indian gaming community and with fans beyond the existing FIFAe community, Loco will be hosting multiple watch parties with the country’s top game streamers.

    The current season of FIFAe, will aggregate all FIFAe competitions under one event, while preserving their respective identities. The three-week long FIFAe finals that kicked-off from 14 July, will go on till 17 July, with the FIFAe World Cup which focuses on the best individual players from across the globe. The qualifiers will battle it out for ultimate fame, and the world’s biggest individual prize in FIFA esports – a whopping prize pool of four crore rupees.

    The second tournament commencing from 20-23 July, will host the FIFAe Club World Cup, which brings together the best clubs in the world to showcase their game-play and compete before a global audience, for a prize pool of Rs 2.4 crore.

    This year’s events will close with the prestigious FIFAe Nations Cup, which will run from 27-30 July. Teams will represent their nation and compete against each other for a total prize pool of Rs 3.2 crore.

  • Viacom18 Studios partners with HeyHey! to launch NFTs

    Viacom18 Studios partners with HeyHey! to launch NFTs

    Mumbai:  Motion picture studio Viacom18 Studios has collaborated with HeyHey!, an online platform powering experiential engagement between celebs, influencers, creators and brands globally via new-age tech – to venture into the Web3 space. In line with this, the film studio has launched its first-ever NFT project called the “Shabaash Mithu.” This is an NFT collection. HeyHey! is its technology partner.

    “Shabaash Mithu” stars Taapsee Pannu in the lead role. It is directed by Srijit Mukherji and produced by Viacom18 Studios. The film is based on the life of the former Indian cricket team captain, Mithali Raj, who is considered one of the greatest female cricketers in the Indian squad. The film chronicles the ups and downs and moments of glory in her life. Intending to provide fans and audiences with a holistic experience of this film that transcends beyond the movie screens, Viacom18 Studios is foraying into the Web3 world. For this, the media company has partnered with HeyHey! to launch its “Shabaash Mithu” collection of NFTs and, in turn, build a thriving Web3 community of movie fans.

    NFT holders including audiences and enthusiasts will be allowed to claim their free NFTs that will allow them to be a part of the “Shabaash Mithu” NFT film club and enjoy several benefits alongside the updates they will be receiving on the same. The other set of NFTs that consumers can purchase will give buyers exclusive access to unlock offline experiences.

    While talking about the partnership with HeyHey! and the NFT collection launch, Viacom18 Studios COO Ajit Andhare said, “Good storytelling makes for an immersive experience, and we are taking it one step further by layering digitally forward engagement avenues. Our partnership with HeyHey! to launch an NFT collection for “Shabaash Mithu” is a unique collaboration that will appeal to cricket enthusiasts and the digitally savvy audiences.”

    HeyHey! Founder and CEO Caleb Franklin mentioned, “NFT is the future of experiencing experiential engagement in the virtual world and has opened an infinite number of opportunities in building brand value. We are delighted to collaborate with Viacom18 Studios, and we believe that we will empower the fan base by providing a personalised and premium experience with our new-age Web 3.0 technology. Our technology experts have dedicated themselves to making the launch a success, and we believe that it will bring triumph for both HeyHey! and Viacom18 Studios in building a unison community.”

    Previously, HeyHey! had partnered with actress Sunny Leone for her “I Dream Of Sunny” NFT collection and The Olive Group of Restaurants’ “Oliverse” to mint NFTs for them. Besides that, the platform said that it is on the verge of signing artists, production houses and brands to empower them to create their fanverses – thereby building a strong track record for itself in the dramatically growing Web3 space.