ITV

Category: Over The Top Services

  • Stage is set for ‘OTT Advertising and Connected TV Summit’

    Stage is set for ‘OTT Advertising and Connected TV Summit’

    New Delhi: The streaming platforms have taken the world by storm, opening up vast avenues for advertisers and brands to connect with viewers through digital means. The business is now no longer limited to traditional media channels but has expanded to the vast universe of OTT platforms.

    However, this evolution has come with its own challenges. Unlike the age-old relationship that advertisers share with traditional media, OTTs face the challenge of forging new publisher-agency-brand partnerships. So, what is the scope of OTT advertising? How is it growing? What strategies need to be adopted so that a greater share of the pie can move towards OTT?

    All these questions will take centre stage at the ‘OTT Advertising and Connected TV Summit 2021’ being organised by Indiantelevision.com on 7 & 8 October, 2.30 pm onwards. The two-day event is co-powered by Mediasmart, an Affle company, and summit partner – The Q, and will witness stakeholders from across the industry engaging in insightful discussions on the dynamics of OTT and CTV advertising.

    The event will explore concerns around data privacy, and the metrics that advertisers can use to select the OTT platforms. It will also look at the reach of connected TV in India and how fast it is growing. The panelists will also deliberate upon the advertisers’ perception of the medium. There will be presentations from advertisers and agencies as well on how successfully they used OTT and CTV solutions effectively.

    One of the biggest virtual events of digital publishers, it will be attended by representatives from Patanjali Ayurved, The Q, Mediasmart, Airtel, Samsung Ads, Pyxis One, The Q, UPSTOX, NXTDigital, ALTBalaji, MX Player, Omnicom Media Group, Madison, Affle, Adobe, Ernst and Young, Essence, Social Beat, Kurate Digital Consulting, Shemaroo Entertainment and many more noted persons from the industry.

    For more information: https://indiantelevision.com/events/oact-summit-2021/

    To watch LIVE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHHZMAXmHG0hkUgjzof0qzQ

  • India gaming market poised to reach $6-7 billion by 2025: Report

    India gaming market poised to reach $6-7 billion by 2025: Report

    Mumbai: The Indian gaming market is poised to reach $6-7 billion in value by 2025, according to a report by the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) with OnePlus and RedSeer. India is currently home to over 400 million mobile gamers and the number of gamers is estimated to grow to 650 million by 2025. Currently, mobile gaming dominates the Indian gaming industry, contributing more than 90 per cent to the $1.8 billion gaming market, and is expected to further grow to generate $6-7 billion value by 2025, the report said.

    Mobile gaming dominates the Indian gaming industry, contributing more than 90 per cent to the $1.6 billion gaming market. As per the report, it is expected to grow further to generate a $3.9 billion value by 2025.  The number of mobile users is also estimated to grow from 430 million to 650 million by 2025, it added.

    “We are at the cusp of a gaming revolution and the gaming ecosystem is working towards user-friendly smartphones and leveraging 5G technologies,” said the principal secretary of the Telangana government’s department of industries and commerce and information technology Jayesh Ranjan. The report was released by Ranjan, along with the joint secretary of the ministry of electronics and information technology Saurabh Gaur.

    “The gaming sector has underlined the significance of affordable smartphones with capable hardware. I am happy that, parallelly, work is going on to make phones more user-friendly for gaming by leveraging 5G technology, developments in AI/ML, and hardware manufacturing,” he added.

    According to the report, 40 per cent of hardcore gamers pay for their games with an average spend of Rs 230 per month. The Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated the organic growth of digital games as mobile app downloads grew by 50 per cent and user engagement went up by 20 per cent, the study says. The increased gaming time has spurred the growth of hardcore gamers in India, even as casual games remain the most popular genre in India.

    Gaur voiced support for creating games for the Indian audience, based on Indian culture. “The [global] gaming industry can be matched with electronics, and consoles could be manufactured in India,” he said.

    Indian gaming has leapfrogged into the mobile gaming era due to the rapid increase in smartphone penetration in the country, with large console and PC games now being curated for mobile platforms. The industry is also attracting huge investment interest, with nearly $1 billion being invested in the sector in the last six months.

    Smartphones have become more affordable and pack strong hardware that is equipped to run games which may require medium to high specifications. This has opened accessibility to more immersive gaming for the masses, with smartphone OEMs also increasingly focusing on incorporating dedicated gaming features on their newest devices and launching gaming-specific phones.

    “Over the past few years, the e-gaming industry in India has grown tremendously, driven by the rising avenues for digitization promoted by the flagship initiative of the government, the Digital India program, and improved accessibility centered around innovation and affordability by OEMs,” said OnePlus India vice president, chief strategy officer and head of India sales, Navnit Nakra who was also present on the occasion. 

    Speaking on the occasion, Qualcomm vice president and president Rajen Vagadia Rajen Vagadia highlighted how efforts are being undertaken to nurture esports and ensure that it is seen as a field that can be taken up professionally as well.

  • Madison Digital wins AVoD mandate for Zee5

    Madison Digital wins AVoD mandate for Zee5

    Mumbai: Madison Digital, a unit of Madison World has won the advertising-based video on demand (AVoD) mandate for home-grown video streaming platform Zee5. 

    The agency will handle media planning, social media, and creative development for Zee5’s B2B marketing function, said the statement.

    Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd chief operations officer of revenue Rajiv Bakshi said AVoD is a fast-growing OTT category and through its strong adtech and martech stack, Zee5 has paved the way for marketers and advertisers to engage with viewers through creative and innovative ways. “As a consumer-first brand, built on the back of our profound consumer understanding, the aim has always been towards providing customised and effective campaigns across multiple cohorts and segments. We have partnered with majority of brands across all industries, for multi-scale advertising, branded solutions and influencer-based marketing campaigns. We look forward to a successful partnership with Madison to further communicate our success story, distinct product offerings and fuel our growth in India,” Bakshi added.

    “Zee5 has seen a tremendous amount of growth over the last few years. The brand has been coming up with impressive originals suited for the Indian market. We are extremely happy to partner with Zee5 in growing the AVoD business for the platform,” said Madison Digital & Madison Media Ultra CEO Vishal Chinchankar.

  • Onmo signs up Lowe Lintas to manage its creative duties globally

    Onmo signs up Lowe Lintas to manage its creative duties globally

    Mumbai: Mobile entertainment company OnMobile Global Ltd has appointed Lowe Lintas Bangalore as the creative agency for Onmo – a mobile cloud-gaming platform. According to a statement, the scope entails creating the positioning, guidelines and assets, designing the creative strategy, and conceiving integrated marketing and advertising campaigns for the brand,

    Onmo aims to redefine the gaming experience by bringing together e-sports, social features, and AI-powered analytics, the company stated. The agency endeavours to build mind space for Onmo in the rapidly growing global gaming market. Lowe Lintas Bangalore is already working on the account and will soon come up with an integrated campaign, it added. 

    “As we embarked on the journey to launch Onmo, our D2C mobile cloud-gaming platform, we were looking to partner with a global, forward-thinking, and consumer-first agency who identified with our passion & understood our vision,” stated OnMobile global director marketing and communications and Onmo global head of marketing Pallavi Nayak. “Lowe Lintas stood true for that and more, and we’re absolutely delighted to partner with them! Looking forward to doing some groundbreaking work together.”

    A Research and Markets Global Gaming Market report forecasts that the global gaming market was worth $167.9 billion in 2020, and is expected to reach $287.1 billion by 2026. Cloud-based gaming will continue to grow its share in the pie, especially as it allows users access to a premium gaming experience even without expensive consoles or devices.

    “The gaming industry has seen steady growth since the mid-80s, but the rise of internet and mobile in the 21st century has really pushed it into top gear. Companies like ONMO, which offer totally fresh and immersive gaming experiences, are going to be at the vanguard of this incredible growth story,” said Lowe Lintas executive director and branch head – South Sonali Khanna. “At Lowe Lintas, we believe bleeding-edge products deserve future-focused strategies, combined with consumer-centric storytelling. To put it in gaming terms, we’ve got itchy trigger fingers as we team up with ONMO to storm the leaderboards!”

  • PVR and Nodwin Gaming bring e-sports to cinemas

    PVR and Nodwin Gaming bring e-sports to cinemas

    Mumbai: PVR Ltd and e-sports company Nodwin Gaming on Monday announced their partnership to launch India’s first in-cinema e-sports live tournament together. The pilot will commence with the popular game “Battlegrounds Mobile India” (BGMI) and going forward it will include games from different genres, said the statement.

    This initiative is expected to fast-track e-sports entertainment’s growth trajectory in India by combining the appeal of e-sports gaming with the magic of big-screen experience. The quarter-final, semi-final, and finals of the cups, in each participating city, will be broadcasted in select PVR cinemas, along with live streams on various digital platforms, including Nodwin Facebook page and YouTube page and the PVR mobile app.

    “Nodwin Gaming has always emphasised on the importance of reinforcing grassroots development that can be a strong and reliable foundation for esports, and this property is a step in that direction,” said Nodwin Gaming MD & co-founder Akshat Rathee. “City-level penetration of professional esports leads to solid exposure for the grassroots ecosystem and as seen in the past, the more exposed the grassroots is, the better it gets at the higher tiers. This, in turn, paves the way for the collective growth of all tiers of professional players.”

    Commenting on the partnership he added, “Our association with PVR cinemas opens a corridor towards mainstreaming esports and placing it right in the middle of the entertainment industry. E-sports as an upcoming medium of interactive entertainment has had its fair share of visibility in the jam-packed arenas but it’s about time that we bring action to the silver screen. Nodwin, along with building grassroots, will also give its audience a premium watching experience with this partnership.”

    According to a statement, the partnership introduces larger-than-life experiences for all e-sports fans across the country and will be able to participate in online e-sports cups and in-cinema tournaments with separate prize pools for each city.

    “At PVR, we strive to continually evolve as an entertainment destination, offering our customers the opportunity to have an entertaining escape into more than just big films,” stated PVR Ltd joint managing director Sanjeev Kumar Bijli. “Our immersive environment lends itself particularly well to the gaming community, putting players in the universes in which they are competing.”

    “Our purpose at PVR is to gather, grow and entertain communities. With us becoming a part of the Indian e-sports eco-system, we have the opportunity to serve our purpose by giving PVR communities another entertaining way to gather on our esports platform. Nodwin team has a relentless passion for gaming, we are delighted to be partnering with them on this initiative,” noted PVR Ltd chief of strategy Kamal Gianchandani.

  • YouTube, Netflix, TV top 3 kids animation content platforms in India: Akatsuki study

    YouTube, Netflix, TV top 3 kids animation content platforms in India: Akatsuki study

    Mumbai: Japan-based entertainment and technology company Akatsuki Inc is looking to expand its kids’ animation footprint in India and it recently conducted a survey on ‘What Indian Parents Want From Animated Content For Kids.’ The study indicating hybrid patterns of linear and digital media consumption revealed a preference for entertainment-led English animation content, preferably available on high access platforms like YouTube and television with a strong community following. 

    Even with the advent of OTT giants such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+ Hotstar, 26 per cent of parents chose television, making it one of their top three platforms to watch, the study revealed. YouTube, however, continues to be the leading platform of choice with a strong preference shown by 76 per cent of participants, followed by Netflix at 57 per cent.

    In terms of consumption habits, television (60 per cent), smartphones (49 per cent), and laptops (24 per cent) came across as the most popular and used devices for daily viewing. Parents chose English as the most preferred language for animation content along with Tamil, Telugu, and Bangla as the top three vernacular choices.

    The animation industry has seen massive growth in the last few years, with the global pandemic playing the role of catalyst accelerating animation content consumption amongst kids as the primary source of learning and entertainment. 69 per cent of parents who participated in the survey shared that with an average screen time of four to six hours per week they have seen an increase in their kids’ animation content consumption habits post Covid-19.

    Throwing light on what makes an animation IP click with kids and parents alike, the survey discovered that ‘Entertainment’ is the most important parameter with 64 per cent respondents choosing it over ‘What Makes Their Kids Happy’ (45 per cent), educational benefits (35 per cent), moral values (22 per cent), and local characters and storylines (11 per cent).  

    The majority of parents (37 per cent) also shared that their kids watch animated content unsupervised. The 75 per cent of Indian parents still rely on the traditional word-of-mouth approach when it comes to choosing and discovering new content ideas for their children, followed by 28 per cent of parents discovering content through OTT recommendations, 20 per cent via parenting communities, and the remaining 10 per cent via traditional news outlets. 

    “We at Akatsuki are committed to bringing joyful and meaningful animation IPs for the growing and underserved kids animation space in India,” said Akatsuki Inc head of business development and partnerships Yuki Kawamura. “We want to thoughtfully co-create our content roadmap with on-ground insights and need gaps. This survey is the first step in that direction, and the findings have strengthened our conviction in the potential of the untapped demand of kids’ animation in India and synergies with our IPs.” 

    The study was conducted among parents across 10 metros in India, including Delhi, Gurgaon, Mumbai, Pune, Kanpur, Guwahati, Bangalore, and others to understand children’s consumption habits and uncover key decision-making factors influencing parents’ selection of animation content for their kids.

  • Eros Now deepens Australia footprint with launch on SBS On Demand

    Eros Now deepens Australia footprint with launch on SBS On Demand

    Mumbai: Eros STX Global Corp-owned OTT platform Eros Now on Friday announced its partnership with Australian broadcaster Special Broadcasting Service (SBS). With this association, SBS On Demand platform viewers will get access to the Eros Now channel with a selection of Bollywood films.

    “Australia and India enjoy a strong connection through their shared colonial history, Cricket, Bollywood, and Tourism. And the bond has only strengthened over the years,” said Eros Now CEO Ali Hussein. “Through our partnership with SBS, we will further expand our presence and provide the Australian audience with premium Indian films and original series they have been looking for. The synergies brought by both Eros Now and SBS will cater to the growing Indian entertainment consuming audience in Australia.” 

    According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the Indian population has significantly increased in Australia in recent years, with Hindi and Punjabi making it to the top 10 languages spoken in the country. This has contributed to the growth in popularity of Cricket and Bollywood amongst native Australians as well as South Asian communities, including the Indian community in Australia.

    Eros Now has seen an upsurge in consumption in Australian markets primarily from the South Asian diaspora through its previous partnerships with Apple TV and Abu Dhabi T10 tournament. Owing to its striking diversity and strong demand for Indian content, the association with SBS will further help Eros Now deepen its consumer footprints in the Land Down Under, said the statement.

    “We are delighted to bring a hand-curated selection of some of the most exciting and entertaining Bollywood movies from Eros Now to SBS On Demand for our viewers as part of our continued commitment to showcase the best movies from all over the world and grow our multilingual services and audiences,” said SBS On Demand channel manager Haidee Ireland.

    Bollywood films from ErosNow including “Manmarziyan,” “Tanu Weds Manu Returns,” and “Raanjhana” will now be available on SBS On Demand.

  • ZEE5 unveils festive content line-up

    ZEE5 unveils festive content line-up

    Mumbai: ZEE5 has announced its new content line-up including over 30 AVOD premieres and 14 original SVOD new releases for the festive season 2021.

    Enabling advertisers to enhance engagement using personalised tech and data-enabled cohorts and interest clusters, the OTT platform will facilitate brands to increase their market share across categories, including CPG, digital, auto, lifestyle, wellness, ed-tech, BFSI, SMB, and more, throughout the season.

    The slate of multilingual AVOD premieres scheduled between October to December 2021 will engage multiple language affinity consumers such as Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Tamil, and Bangla across demographics, from metros to Tier II and III cities. Shows with a prominent star cast, multi-starrer exclusive line-ups of awards, events, and festive tentpoles have been announced to entertain viewers and act as vehicles for brand integrations.

    Recently the OTT platform also came up with an Intelligence Monitor report to add incremental value to its range of advertisers by decoding the latest and imminent consumption trends, consumer preferences and discovering new insights across various product and service categories.

    ZEEL chief operations officer – revenue, Rajiv Bakshi said, “It is the biggest consumption period across all product and service categories and therefore we have strategised the finest content line-up that will enable brands to plan hyper-personalised marketing campaigns to grow their market shares and brand engagement. ZEE5 extends strategic advantage to clients as it offers a gender-balanced, young, and massive viewer base for brand integration and influencer marketing solutions on its impact properties, and the massive reach and video inventory across entertainment, news, and premium CTV.”

  • Vijay Anand Kunduri named PubMatic regional VP – OTT business, APAC

    Vijay Anand Kunduri named PubMatic regional VP – OTT business, APAC

    Mumbai: PubMatic, a sell-side platform for digital advertising, announced the appointment of Vijay Anand Kunduri as regional vice president for its OTT business in APAC.

    Kunduri’s role will be to accelerate the growth of the PubMatic OTT and video business across the region; consulting with existing publishers, creating new relationships, and further establishing PubMatic as a preferred platform for media buyers and publishers, said the company in a statement.

    The appointment comes as PubMatic continues to expand its commitment to the development of the OTT marketplace. “We are thrilled to welcome Vijay to the PubMatic team,” said PubMatic chief revenue officer – APAC Jason Barnes. “We have been building an innovative OTT business in the APAC region, which we plan to further accelerate under his leadership.”

    Kunduri was last associated with the video advertising company Unruly as managing director in Asia. He brings more than two decades of experience working with leading broadcast, video-on-demand, and digital companies across Asia Pacific.

    In the last decade, he has helped to establish American and European ad tech companies in the Asia-Pacific region, including setting up Adotube, a video ad network, in Southeast Asia, and spearheading Switzerland-based Viewster’s move into the VOD (video-on-demand) and OTT markets in the region.

    “There has been explosive growth in the adoption of connected screens and consumption of streaming content in the region,” said Kunduri. “Brands and OTT publishers have a tremendous opportunity to engage consumers and find new revenue with programmatic partners like PubMatic that offer the optimal combination of technology and premium advertiser and content partnerships.”

  • Netflix acquires video game creator Night School Studio

    Netflix acquires video game creator Night School Studio

    Mumbai: Netflix has made its first big move in expanding its gaming portfolio with the acquisition of Night School Studio. The company has also launched a trio of casual mobile games in select European markets, according to a report by TechCrunch.

    “We’ll continue working with developers around the world and hiring the best talent in the industry to deliver a great collection of exclusive games designed for every kind of gamer and any level of play,” noted Netflix vice president – game development Mike Verdu. “Like our shows and films, these games will all be included as part of your Netflix membership — all with no ads and no in-app purchases.”

    Founded by Sean Krankel and Adam Hines in 2014, video game creator Night School Studio is best known for its critically acclaimed debut game “Oxenfree.”

    “Netflix gives film, TV, and now game makers an unprecedented canvas to create and deliver excellent entertainment to millions of people,” said Night School Studio’s Krankel. “Our explorations in narrative gameplay and Netflix’s track record of supporting diverse storytellers was such a natural pairing. It felt like both teams came to this conclusion instinctively.”

    Netflix has mentioned its plans to enter the gaming industry amidst intense competition in the streaming business with competitors gaining subscribers rapidly. Netflix launched its first gaming title based on the “Stranger Things” franchise in Poland. These titles became available via a ‘Games’ tab within the Netflix app to subscribers.  

    The company launched three casual games including “Shooting Hoops,” “Teeter Up” and “Card Blast” to Netflix members in Italy and Spain. Subscribers from Spain and Italy will gain access to these trio of gaming and the two existing “Stranger Things” titles that have already been released.

    Netflix plans to launch games in other markets including the US in the near future. It began with Poland as an initial test market because the country has an active mobile gaming audience that made it a good fit for early feedback.