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Category: Over The Top Services

  • Prime Video to stream live cricket in India starting 1 January 2022

    Prime Video to stream live cricket in India starting 1 January 2022

    Mumbai: Amazon Prime Video has entered the live cricket streaming play starting 1 January 2022 with a test series between New Zealand and Bangladesh. In November, Prime Video secured the exclusive live cricket rights from New Zealand Cricket, the governing body for professional cricket in New Zealand.

    As a part of the multi-year deal, international men’s and women’s cricket matches played in New Zealand – across ODI, T20, and tests – will be available exclusively on Prime Video.

    Prime members will be able to exclusively stream the series between the Indian and New Zealand Women’s Cricket Teams in February 2022, as well as, the Indian and New Zealand Men’s Cricket Teams presently scheduled for November 2022. This is in addition to matches that are presently scheduled to be played between the Men’s teams as a part of Bangladesh’s tour of New Zealand in January 2022, South Africa’s tour in February 2022, Australia’s tour in March 2022, and Netherland’s tour in March/ April 2022.

    “Cricket is undoubtedly the most loved sport in India and our collaboration with New Zealand Cricket underlines our commitment to give our customers what they want. The upcoming series will be Prime Video’s first foray into live cricket in India,” said Prime Video India country head Gaurav Gandhi. “The New Zealand cricket -team has built a reputation of being one of the finest in the game and undoubtedly cricket fans in India will be delighted experiencing the exciting sporting action live exclusively on Amazon Prime Video. We are excited to start our live cricket journey in 2022 – an action-packed year that will see both Indian women’s and men’s teams tour New Zealand.  Today is truly Day 1 of our sports journey.”

    “Starting January 2022, New Zealand cricket has a new home in India – Amazon Prime Video – and we are looking forward to bringing New Zeland’s summer game to our fans and cricket lovers in India as they catch us live on the service,” said the captain of the New Zealand national team Kane Williamson. “India’s love for cricket and entertainment is well-known around the world. I am thrilled that Prime Video will be exclusively streaming all the exciting on-field action to our fans in India.”

    “The passion and love of the Indian cricket fan is quite unmatched! The country and cricket fans have a very special place in our hearts,” said the captain of the New Zealand Women’s cricket team Sophie Devine. “With a new, exclusive home on Amazon Prime Video, we hope to engage and delight viewers across the country. I am excited to play against the Indian Women’s Cricket team this summer. They are a worthy opponent, and I can bet it will be an intense cricketing season between our teams.”

    “It’s a very exciting time for cricket broadcasting as we move into live cricket being streamed exclusively on a service as widely followed as Amazon Prime Video in India,” said New Zealand Cricket chief executive David White. “Cricket is followed closely in India and our association with Amazon Prime Video will help us extend our reach and connect with fans and followers in the country. We are delighted that the viewers in India will be able to watch all the tours coming up in 2022 live on Prime Video, and look forward to offering all the on-pitch excitement to viewers in an immersive and engaging manner.”

    To watch the matches, Prime members can go to the Prime Video app on their respective devices and will see matches shown in a carousel for live cricket or they can search for ‘New Zealand Cricket’ in the search bar.

  • Sling TV partners with Eros Now as part of South Asia expansion

    Sling TV partners with Eros Now as part of South Asia expansion

    Mumbai: The app-based streaming service Sling TV has announced plans to continue expanding its South Asian offering with the addition of video streaming platform – Eros Now.

    Following the launch, Sling’s international subscribers will have access to Eros Now’s over 1,500 titles – including top web originals and films. The Eros Now library on Sling will continue to grow over the coming months to over 6,000 film titles and will be available in Hindi, Kannada, Marathi, Telugu, Tamil and other regional languages, said the statement.

    Sling TV is a provider of international and multicultural programming, with content from 27 countries in over 20 languages. “Sling TV is the leading American provider of South Asian content and continues to perfect our offering to connect consumers to the content they love,” Sling TV vice president of international Liz Riemersma. “Eros Now offers an expansive web originals and film collection for our South Asian customers, and will make a fantastic addition to our Desi Binge bundle.”

    Eros Now service will be available to customers with the ‘Desi Binge package,’ which includes other leading South Asian content like SonyLIV and Voot, as well as the Hindi pack and the Hindi mega pack at no additional cost to customers. Customers may also purchase Eros Now as a standalone service or as an add-on to another Sling TV service for $ five per month.

    “Indian content is hugely popular in North America. With Eros Now packaged and bundled on a popular service like Sling TV, the audiences will get access to the best catalogue of Indian films and original series,” said Eros Now chief executive officer Ali Hussein. “This partnership also dovetails nicely into Eros Now’s strategy of building audiences on the large screen in North America and further accentuates our strong distribution in the region.”

  • Indian Research and Insights industry to grow 2X by 2026 to $4.2 bn: MRSI

    Indian Research and Insights industry to grow 2X by 2026 to $4.2 bn: MRSI

    Mumbai: The Indian research and insights (R&I) industry is expected to grow at 12-14 per cent CAGR to $4.2 billion (Rs 31,300 crore) by 2025-26, compared to $2.1 bn (INR 17,200 crore) in 2020-21, according to a new report.

    The latest analysis was presented by the Market Research Society of India which launched its inaugural edition of the Indian Research & Insights (R&I) Industry Report, here on Thursday. As per the report, India is fast becoming the global analytics hub, with international markets accounting for three-fourth of its revenues. The Indian R&I sector currently employs more than 125,000 people.

    During 2020-21, marketing analytics services accounted for 52 per cent of the total Indian R&I industry revenues, while traditional market research and syndicated/ publishing services stood at 32 per cent and 16 per cent, respectively. By 2025-26, analytics services would account for 59 per cent, while custom market research and syndicated/ publishing services would account for 27 per cent and 14 per cent, respectively, the report forecasts.

    At present, the FMCG and retail sectors are the largest consumers for research and insights with a share of 27 per cent, followed by information, communications & telecom (16 per cent) and BFSI (15 per cent).

    “The Indian research & insights industry has staged a robust recovery and is emerging as the most sought-after destination for analytics, globally. The availability of talent coupled with proven expertise in data handling, technology, infrastructure, and cost competitiveness will lead to an orbital shift in the industry by 2030,” said MRSI president Sandeep Arora. “We not only expect the R&I industry to grow 2X in the next five years but can safely estimate the industry size to reach $10 bn by 2030, especially with the strategic direction that most providers are adopting to move towards MR 3.0.”

    MRSI partnered with Value Notes as the research partner for ensuring methodological objectivity of the 150+ report. The study curates the findings from exhaustive desk research, secondary data of 198 companies, and more than 140 interviews conducted with industry professionals.

  • Disney+ Hotstar to stream its first Telugu original ‘Parampara’

    Disney+ Hotstar to stream its first Telugu original ‘Parampara’

    Mumbai: Disney+ Hotstar has announced that its first Telugu Hotstar Special “Parampara” will begin streaming on 24 December. The platform dropped a trailer for the new show on Wednesday.

    Written by Hari Yelleti and directed by Krishna Vijay L and Viswanath Arigela, the show features a stellar cast including Naveen Chandra, Ishan, Aakanksha Singh and others. The show is led by Jagapathi Babu and Sarath Kumar. The series is backed by Baahubali producers Shobu Yarlagadda and Prasad Devineni of Arka Mediaworks Production.

    “‘Parampara’ is a drama that is based on the power ambitions of its characters,” said director Krishna Vijay L. “The audience will be treated to a power drama that packs emotions, actions and an enticing story that will keep them hooked on to the series.”

    “I am honoured to mark my digital web series debut with Parampara and the waves it is expected to create for Telugu digital entertainment space,” said veteran actor Sarath Kumar. “My role as a powerful business tycoon has multiple layers that have been masterfully maneuvered through Krishna Vijay L’s direction. As an actor working on a web series for the first time, there are certain transitions that need to be done and it was a journey filled with excitement and exploration about my acting process. I hope ‘Parampara’ finds resonance with the audience.”

    “‘Parampara’ has a very unique story to tell. Through the series, the audience will enjoy a roller coaster ride of power tussles, deception and family infightings,” said actor Jagapathi Babu. “For my character Mohan Rao, there is a silent intensity to the way he walks, moves and talks that is very captivating. The entire build-up of the character had several learnings for me both as an actor and human. I had a lot of fun playing Mohan Rao and I hope that comes through in the series as well.”

  • SonyLIV’s ‘The Whistleblower’ to begin streaming on 16 Dec

    SonyLIV’s ‘The Whistleblower’ to begin streaming on 16 Dec

    Mumbai: SonyLIV has announced its latest fictional offering “The Whistleblower” that begins streaming on 16 December.

    Produced by StudioNEXT, the series features actors Ravi Kishan, Ritwik Bhowmik and Sonali Kulkarni in leading roles. Directed by Manoj Pillai, created and written by Ajay Monga, the series also features actors Ankita Sharma, Ashish Verma, Hemant Kher, Joy Sengupta, Riddhi Khakar, Sachin Khedekar and Zakir Hussain among others in prominent roles.

    The series is inspired by a series of true events across India. The show traces the journey of Dr Sanket played by Ritwik, a final year medical student who gets himself entangled in a chain of events that trigger chaos within a system. The repercussions of Sanket’s actions take a toll on his personal life and his world starts to crumble.

    Directed by Manoj Pillai, created and written by Ajay Monga, the series also features actors Ankita Sharma, Ashish Verma, Hemant Kher, Joy Sengupta, Riddhi Khakar, Sachin Khedekar and Zakir Hussain among others in prominent roles. “This is my first directorial-debut and I couldn’t have asked for a story better than this,” said Manoj Pillai. “The script is new-age, pathbreaking and bold. I am elated to be backed by SonyLIV and StudioNEXT who are known to push the bar and create authentic and gripping content.”

    “‘The Whistleblower’ is a fictional story but is absolutely relevant to India. We are happy to bring a power-packed narrative that has been put together by StudioNEXT, Manoj Pillai and Ajay Monga,” said Sony Pictures Networks India head – content SonyLIV and Sony Entertainment Television Ashish Golwalkar.

    “At StudioNEXT, it’s our endeavour to present to our viewers ‘entertainment shows with a purpose,” said StudioNEXT head Indranil Chakraborty. “In line with this thought, we are excited to present an impactful and compelling story with ‘The Whistleblower’. With a brilliant set of actors, the series has been spearheaded by a strong team led by the creative vision of Ritesh Modi. Ajay Monga’s writing and Manoj Pillai’s direction brilliantly work together bringing alive the story with utmost authenticity.”

    “‘The Whistleblower’ is a fictional story with shades of real incidents that have frequently occurred around us,” said StudioNEXT creative director Ritesh Modi. “Hence it was our priority to keep the story authentic and engaging in its narration. I am very delighted that the show stands high on parameters that makes it a compelling watch.”

    “‘The Whistleblower’ is a story of a privileged medical student who takes his lifestyle and opportunities for granted,” said writer and creator Ajay Monga. “His casual approach and reckless actions result in his own moral compass of right and wrong being compromised. Later, his conscience ultimately leaves him with no option but to turn into a Whistle-blower.

    “Playing a character like Sanket in ‘The Whistleblower’ has been challenging yet fulfilling,” said actor Ritwik Bhowmik. “The script and director’s vision helped me shape the character of Sanket and bring depth to it. I am grateful to SonyLIV and StudioNEXT for this career-defining opportunity.”

    “Jayraj’s character has been one of the most interesting one in my career,” said actor Ravi Kishan. “The character has many layers and needed to be played with utmost conviction. I hope the viewers find it interesting and enjoy watching it as much as I enjoyed playing it.”

  • Zee5’s active subscription doubled on back of investments in Punjabi content

    Zee5’s active subscription doubled on back of investments in Punjabi content

    Mumbai: Streaming platform Zee5 has witnessed an upswing in active subscription numbers witnessing two times growth, with the highest contribution from Punjab and neighbouring states like Haryana, Delhi NCR, and Uttar Pradesh.

    According to the OTT platform, the surge is on the back of Punjabi releases like “Puaada,” “Jinne Jamme Saare Nikamme,” and “Qismat 2” starring Pollywood names Ammy Virk, Sonam Bajwa, Sargun Mehta, Binnu Dhillon, Gurnam Bhullar, and more.

    The platform reported that the average watch time per viewer per month as on September is 186 minutes. Comedy and romance are the most preferred genres in the market, with the viewership split between 77 per cent male and 23 per cent female audiences. Ludhiana, Delhi and Chandigarh are top markets that are watching high-quality Punjabi content.

    “Our foray in Punjabi-speaking markets was a crucial step in our larger objective of ‘entertainment inclusion’, especially for newer and underserved markets across India,” said Zee5 India chief business officer Manish Kalra. “We penetrated the greenfield market with a power-packed content slate of stories from the heartland that have worked well with the audience who were on the lookout for quality entertainment in their own language. We are thrilled to have received an overwhelming response of a 100+ per cent growth, and we will continue to deliver and curate the best of Punjabi titles ensuring an unhindered entertainment supply.”

    Punjab stands as one of the key markets in northern India with high internet penetration and strong telecom infrastructure density. With limited content options in their local language, Zee5 addressed the unmet content demand of three core plus Punjabi native speakers in India by offering a robust library of Punjabi entertainment.

  • Manish Maheshwari moves on from Twitter to start Metaversity

    Manish Maheshwari moves on from Twitter to start Metaversity

    Mumbai: Former Twitter India head Manish Maheshwari has moved on from the company to work on an ed-tech venture, Metaversity.

    Maheshwari, who had moved to San Francisco in August as Twitter senior director for new markets, announced his decision in a tweet late Tuesday.

    “After close to three years, I am leaving Twitter to dedicate myself to #education and #teaching. While it is with a heavy heart that I leave Twitter, I am excited about the impact that can be created globally through education,” he wrote.

    Maheshwari said he is collaborating with Tanay Pratap, who has worked with Microsoft as a senior software engineer. “We will start by imparting employability training via a virtually immersive platform, which we are calling #Metaversity,” Maheshwari said in a series of tweets.

    “COVID-19 has fundamentally changed not only the skills needed to be successful in the new economy, but also how those skills are imparted. I am thrilled about how technology, particularly metaverse, can be leveraged to improve education and employability,” he further said.

    Maheshwari is a graduate of Shri Ram College of Commerce and has completed his MBA from Wharton Business School, where he served on the MBA admissions committee, was elected the Asia Club co-president and had won Shils-Zeidman Award, the highest award for entrepreneurship at Wharton.

    He had joined Twitter in April 2019 to head its Indian operations, after spending over three years at Network18 Media and Investments where he was the chief executive officer, digital. Prior to Network18, he worked with companies like Flipkart, Intuit, McKinsey & Company, and Procter & Gamle since May 1999.

  • Zee5 inks multi-show partnership with Applause Entertainment

    Zee5 inks multi-show partnership with Applause Entertainment

    Mumbai: Streaming platform Zee5 has announced a strategic partnership with content and IP studio Applause Entertainment, a venture of Aditya Birla Group for a multi-show association. The two content companies will collaborate to create a robust original content slate of new Zee5 originals in Hindi across genres to entertain viewers across the globe.

    The first offering as part of the partnership is titled “Kaun Banegi Shikharwati’”– a dramedy series with a unique take on a dysfunctional royal family. The show will be produced by Applause Entertainment in association with Emmay Entertainment and directed by Gauravv Chawla and Ananya Banerjee. The original will premiere exclusively on Zee5 in January 2022.

    “Over the last four years, Applause has created a diverse slate of content and explored stories across genres, languages, and geographies. We are thrilled that our first outing with Zee5 is with Kaun Banegi Shikarwati, a light-hearted, heart-warming dramedy that is both quirky and delightful and boasts a stellar cast of actors. We look forward to a long and fruitful partnership with Zee5 and help contribute in a small way to their global ambition,” said Applause Entertainment CEO Sameer Nair.

    Zeel president-content and international markets Punit Misra said, “Zee5’s content design principles centre around intimately knowing our viewers and building a bouquet of engaging and entertaining offerings for our multiple consumer cohorts. While Consumer Intimacy is at the heart of our content creation philosophy, our Content Creator Partners are the other crucial pillar in our approach.”

    “In 2021, Zee5 has made a concerted effort to associate with premium content creators across languages and genres, a move that has enabled us to inch closer to our overall vision of ‘Entertainment inclusion’,” said Zee5 India chief business officer Manish Kalra. “Applause Entertainment has had a strong record of creating some of the most popular shows of recent times and with this association, Zee5 is confident of enriching our content slate even further.”

    The move is in line with Zee5’s content-first approach of forging more partnerships within the creative ecosystem to build a diverse slate of originals and movies. The platform had earlier sealed partnerships with TVF (The Viral Fever), Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari and Nitesh Tiwari, and Red Chillies Entertainment to deliver several new shows across the digital entertainment ecosystem.

    “Kaun Banegi Shikharwati’” features a spectacular cast of renowned Bollywood faces, including Naseeruddin Shah essaying the role of a King while Lara Dutta Bhupathi, Soha Ali Khan, Kritika Kamra, Anya Singh play his daughters, and Raghubir Yadav, Cyrus Sahukar, Varun Thakur and Anurag Sinha play key roles.

     

     
     
     

     
     
     
     
     

     
     

     
     
     

     
     

    A post shared by ZEE5 (@zee5)

     

    Elaborating on the new show, Emmay Entertainment producer Nikkhil Advani said, “Kaun Banegi Shikarwati offers a quintessential story of Indian families that’s replete with oddities and conflicts. But at the core of it, lies unfiltered emotions that are sure to resonate strongly with the masses.”

    Zee5 chief creative officer- Hindi Originals Nimisha Pandey said there is an increasing need for family-viewing content in a post-pandemic era and a multi-dimensional drama like “Kaun Banegi Shikharwati’” works beautifully in that aspect. “We hope that the audience enjoys the roller coaster of emotions with this series,” she added.

  • Disney+ Hotstar announces first Telugu series ‘Parampara’

    Disney+ Hotstar announces first Telugu series ‘Parampara’

    Mumbai: Disney+ Hotstar has announced its first Telugu Hotstar special “Parampara.” The streaming service has shared a teaser for the new series on Instagram.

    Directed by Krishna Vijay L, the series will feature actors Jagapathi Babu, Sarath Kumar, Naveen Chandra, Ishan, and Aakanksha Singh. Produced by Shobu Yarlagadda and Prasad Devineni of Arka Mediaworks Production, “Parampara” is based on familial infighting and generational bad blood and brings forth emotions loaded in an action-packed series.

    “Parampara is a passionate project and a format I was eager to experiment with a story so well written, bringing together a ravishing ensemble cast including big guns like actors Jagapathi Babu and Sarath Kumar,” said director Krishna Vijay L. “Telugu audiences love family drama and action; with this series have brought the two genres together to build out a story that is gripping and heart-wrenching in parts.”

  • Netflix slashes prices for subscription plans; basic plan now costs Rs 199

    Netflix slashes prices for subscription plans; basic plan now costs Rs 199

    Mumbai: Global streaming giant Netflix has reduced the prices of its subscription plans. The biggest hike has come for its Rs 499 basic plan that will not cost subscribers only Rs 199, a decrease of 60 per cent. The basic plan allows users to stream SD quality video across mobile, tablet, laptop and TV devices.

    The streaming company has reduced its popular mobile plan from Rs 199 to Rs 149 per month. Its standard plan has come down from Rs 649 to Rs 499 per month and its premium plan has come down from Rs 799 to Rs 649 per month.

    The new prices come into effect from 14 December onwards.

    “Starting today, everyone in India can get all of Netflix at new, lower prices,” said Netflix India vice president for content Monika Shergill. “So, whether you’re watching with your family or just on your own, in the mood for a superhero tale (Minnal Murali), genre-bending series (Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein), dramedy (Decoupled), family drama (Finding Anamika), thriller (Looop Lapeta) or comedy special (Kapil Sharma), along with films and series from across the world, there’s something for everyone.”

    The OTT platform has also launched a campaign announcing the new prices which features Alia Bhatt. The film is live on its social media handles.