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Category: Over The Top Services

  • Amazon all set to lock a $9bn deal with MGM Studios, report says

    Amazon all set to lock a $9bn deal with MGM Studios, report says

    KOLKATA: E-commerce giant Amazon is all set to close the MGM Studios acquisition deal for $9 billion according to a Wall Street Journal report, which says the deal could be announced as early as this week, provided there isn’t any last-minute glitch.

    The studio of Gone with the Wind and Rocky could turn out to be a great asset for the tech giant as it is substantially focusing on building up its entertainment footprint globally. Notably, MGM offers the famous Bond franchise but without owning it. It is also known for classics like Singin’ in the Rain, The Pink Panther.

    According to the report, the talks between the two parties started at the beginning of the year and have been on-off since then. But it gathered pace over the last few weeks. The board of the Hollywood studio was also informed on the matter on Sunday, the report added.

    If the deal finally comes to fruition, it would be Amazon’s second-biggest acquisition ever, after the $13.7B deal for Whole Foods Market.

    The e-commerce giant is putting in billions of dollars to boost its content library for prime video. It has also committed a huge budget for the production of a TV series based on Lord of the Rings. Then, it is also expanding its live sports portfolio across its key markets. Ultimately, the competition is with the likes of Netflix and Disney of the world.

    MGM has been looking for prospective buyers for a long time now. While it wanted to cut a deal at $9 billion, prospective buyers in the past did find it over expensive. The market valued the studio around $5 billion. Even Apple, Comcast reportedly spoke to MGM but could not reach any agreement. This time it is amazon that never minds paying some extra to dodge off the competition.

  • Netflix dominates SVOD viewership in the US, Stowaway leads the charts

    Netflix dominates SVOD viewership in the US, Stowaway leads the charts

    New Delhi: Netflix is continuing its dream run in the United States, and it remains way ahead of its competitors Amazon Prime Video and Disney+. Well, this is what the latest report from US-based information, data, and market measurement firm Nielsen seems to suggest. Netflix is clearly showing its dominance in all three categories that include, movies, original series, and acquired shows. 

    Stowaway & Thunder Force leads the movie category

    Nielsen’s data suggests that the science fiction thriller Stowaway which is currently streaming on Netflix is the most-watched movie in the United States. Directed by Joe Penna, this film set against the backdrop of a dangerous Mars mission stars Anna Kendrick, Daniel Dae Kim, Shamier Anderson, and Toni Collette in the lead roles. 

    Stowaway is closely followed by Thunder Force in the second spot in the movie category. Despite a thumbs down from the critics, Thunder Force is still one of the most-watched movies in the United States. Thanks to the scintillating onscreen chemistry between Melissa McCarthy and Octavia Spencer. The film is directed by Ben Falcone, and it revolves around the life of two childhood best friends who turn into superheroes in the latter part of their lives. 

    Synchronic, American Me, and The Little Rascals are the other Netflix films that are included in Nielsen’s top 10 movies list in the United States. Animated movies have saved Disney+ in the movie category with Frozen, Frozen II, Moana, and Ryan and the Last Dragon included in the Neilsen list. However, no films from Amazon Prime Video succeeded in finding a spot in this list of most-watched movies in the United States. 

    Disney+ dominates the original category

    Disney Plus’ Falcon and the Winter Soldier continues to be the most-watched original series. The series created by Malcolm Spellman is based on the Marvel Comics characters Sam Wilson / Falcon and Bucky Barnes / Winter Soldier. As the final episode of the series ended on 23 April, audiences are now eagerly waiting for a possible next installment, either in the form of a film or series, as Falcon has been appointed as the next Captain America. 

    Closely following Falcon and the Winter Soldier in Nielsen’s list is Shadow and Bone which is being streamed on Netflix. Even though Shadow and Bone failed to recreate the magic of HBO’s Game of Thrones, the series based on Leigh Bardugo’s novel successfully catered to the needs of fantasy lovers. 

    Amazon Prime Video’s anthology horror series Them is included in Nielsen’s top 10 list of original series. Other series that found their place in the list are The Circle, The Crown, Great British Baking Show, Lucifer, The Serpent, Life in Color, and Dad Stop Embarrassing Me, which are currently streaming on Netflix. 

    In the acquired original series category, all the ten inclusions are from Netflix’s arsenal. NCIS is topping the list followed by Grey’s Anatomy, Criminal Minds, Cocomelon, The Baker and the Beauty, and Heartland. 

  • Snapchat India ropes in Poonam Nikam as communications lead

    Snapchat India ropes in Poonam Nikam as communications lead

    KOLKATA: Snapchat India has roped in Poonam Nikam as communications lead. Prior to this, Nikam was associated with ByteDance as global communication manager.

    In her long career, she has worked with renowned companies including Airtel, Sony Music Entertainment. Nikam is an alumna of St Xavier’s College and a graduate from the Symbiosis College of Arts & Commerce.

    Snapchat which has reached over 500 million monthly active users has seen over 100 per cent (year-over-year) growth in daily active users (DAUs) in each of the last five quarters, announced recently.

    Nikam is a professional specialising in consumer, corporate, crisis and internal communications across consumer tech, music, lifestyle and telecom sectors. She is a believer in adopting new age tools in communication in order to engage with different external stakeholders, a passionate storyteller with a constant hunger for developing engaging and enthralling stories.

  • ALTBalaji sees 100% growth in viewership by tapping the hinterlands

    ALTBalaji sees 100% growth in viewership by tapping the hinterlands

    KOLKATA: OTT platform ALTBalaji has recorded exponential growth in its viewership with a growing popularity in the hinterland markets, said the company on Saturday.

    While cities like Lucknow, Ludhiana, and Guwahati saw a huge increase of 189.84 per cent, 106.50 per cent, and 108.41 per cent, respectively, Srinagar, Shimla, and Ranchi weren’t behind either, with an uptick of 103.81 per cent, 103.05 per cent, and 192.01 per cent, as compared to ALTBalaji’s viewership from these cities in 2020, the company shared.

    The platform also gained popularity among the Metropolitan crowd. Atleast 12.13 per cent of its viewers in 2021 came from Delhi alone. ALTBalaji’s content bouquet has 81+ Hindi originals, spread out over different genres and appeals to different segments of viewers. The affordability of a subscription also adds to its value driving more viewers towards the platform.

    According to ALTBalaji, a steady surge in viewership is likely, especially among the youth [18-40 years] who are constantly on the lookout for relatable content for which there is absolutely no shortage on the platform.

    “A constant stream of new launches makes ALTBalaji one of the most attractive platforms for entertainment. The OTT platform has mastered the art of creating content on a smaller budget enabling viewers to access a wide variety of content at a much lower subscription rate. As per Q3FY21 results, ALTBalaji added almost 22K subscribers per day, taking active subscribers at the end of December 2020 at 2.1m v/s 1.2m at the start of the quarter,” the company said.

    The platform has many new shows in the pipeline such as Apharan 2, Broken But Beautiful 3, The Test Case 2, PuncchBeat Season 2, Cartel. 

  • From Panic to Ghost Lab, five must-watch shows on OTT this week

    From Panic to Ghost Lab, five must-watch shows on OTT this week

    Mumbai: This weekend, OTT platforms will set a new jazz-like movie standard of Take Five, with five films set for release to exploit the dearth of available big ticket quality content, now that IPL cricket is suffering the pandemic blues.

    With the big ticket sports viewership space staring at a void due to unavailable live entertainment content, since IPL 2021 that was playing throughout the day and all evening in India called in sick after its bio-bubble burst, OTT films have launched themselves full st(r)eam ahead.

    After the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, OTT platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Zee5, and the Disney-Hotstar combo enjoyed wide popularity in India emerging as the clear winners in the battle for maximum viewership eyeballs.

    This trend is likely to continue in the coming years, as SVOD giants compete to offer quality content to audiences, while the current weekend provides a classic example of how prime time viewing has acquiesced to the OTT giants. 

    Indiantelevision.com presents you with a list of five OTT shows that can be watched this week. 

    Ghost Lab (Netflix)

    One of the most-anticipated films that will be released on Netflix this month is Ghost Lab. Directed by Paween Purijitpanya, this horror thriller stars Thanapob Leeratanakachorn, Paris Intarakomalyasut and Nuttanicha Dungwattanawanich in lead roles. 

    The film portrays the story of two doctors who try to prove the existence of ghosts after experiencing paranormal events in the hospital they work at. Ghost Lab will be available for streaming on Netflix on 26 May. 

    Black Space: Season 01 (Netflix)

    The first season of the action series Black Space will have its premiere on Netflix on 27 May. The series revolves around the life of a detective who investigates a massacre committed by mask-wearing assassins in an Israeli school. 

    The series is created by Anat Gafni and Sahar Shavit. The series stars Guri Alfi, Shai Avivi, Assi Levy, Reut Alush and Meirav Shirom in lead roles. 

    Panic: Season 01 (Amazon Prime Video)

    Panic is a teen drama series that will be streamed on Amazon Prime Video on 28 May. The series is based on Lauren Oliver’s 2014 novel of the same name. Season 01 of Panic is created by Lauren Oliver herself, and it stars Olivia Welch, Mike Faist, and Jessica Sula in the lead roles. 

    The series is set in the backdrop of Texas, where a team of graduating seniors take part in a series of challenges risking their very lives. Even though the challenges pose a life risk, they are enticed with the offer of making big money that would change their lives forever. The only catch being, that just one person may win while the others stand to lose the game and more. 

    Disney’s Launch-pad (Disney+Hotstar)

    Disney’s Launch-pad is a series of live-action shorts developed for the OTT platform. These short films are directed by debutante filmmakers who have created films with uplifting themes that relate to family, culture and experience. The first season of Launch-pad will be released on 28 May. 

    Dog Gone Trouble (Netflix)

    Animation lovers will enjoy Dog Gone Trouble on Netflix. The film will be released on 28 May. Directed by Kevin Johnson, the film revolves around the life of a pampered dog named Trouble, who is trying to live in the real world after escaping from his former owner’s greedy children. https://ssl.gstatic.com/ui/v1/icons/mail/images/cleardot.gif

  • ZeeL to scale down investment in SugarBox significantly

    ZeeL to scale down investment in SugarBox significantly

    KOLKATA: When things aren’t working out, it’s better you step back until they start looking better.  Exactly how Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (Zeel) is doing with its investment in internet connectivity start-up Margo Networks. It was barely a year ago that it had announced that it would invest Rs 522 crore in the latter which offers bandwidth to consumers under the brand name SugarBox.

    The broadcaster aimed to create a tech-content synergy through the investment in order to help subscribers get over connectivity constraints that plague India’s mobile networks. However, Zeel has decided to scale down its investment in SugarBox owing to the changing situation.

    “Given the current pandemic and uncertainties, we will not be investing very aggressively behind SugarBox. From our original plan itself, it will be scaled down significantly for the foreseeable future,” ZeeL MD & CEO Punit Goenka said during an investors’ call.

    Of all the reasons behind the decision, one is that the project has been delayed significantly. ZeeL was expecting it to roll out in February but the pandemic has hindered its execution. As no one knows how long Covid2019 will last, there are fair chances of a further delay.

    “More importantly, even after everything stabilises, we don’t know how the traffic will build. Traffic consumption was very different when we planned the project. For FY22, we do not see that kind of investment that we were planning earlier,” ZeeL investor relations, corporate strategy head Bijal Shah said.

    Reduction in non-core investments in Sugarbox due to the COVID-19 pandemic is a welcome step, brokerage firm Motilal Oswal said in a recent note.

    “The unique technology will enable us to serve content to consumers across the nation, without being restricted by connectivity constraints. We are confident that this synergy will create a strong foundation for us, as we progress towards offering relevant content to consumers across platforms,” Goenka said at the time of the investment.

    However, analysts were sceptical of the timeliness of the investment from the beginning. Brokerage firms found it ill-timed due to a weak ad environment.

    In the year 2017, ZeeL had acquired an 80 per cent equity stake in SugarBox. The latter creates a hyperlocal data distribution ecosystem by installing CDN Edge servers at key places of interest (POIs), which users can connect to over a local Wi-Fi network.

  • Zee5 pockets Friends Reunion; delights Indian fans

    Zee5 pockets Friends Reunion; delights Indian fans

    MUMBAI: This is one show special which is setting social media ablaze. Ever since, Friends Reunion special’s premiere date on HBO Max in the US was announced as 27 May, many an ardent fans’ pulse was racing, wondering which platform would  do the honours in India. Well, it’s Zee5 which has beaten the likes of Netflix, Prime, Disney+Hotstar  to the final post and picked up the rights. The announcement was made on Sunday by Zee5 chief business officer Manish Kalra

    For a generation and after, Friends, which ran from 1994 to 2004,  had a massive following. In India too. To date, it is one of the more popular series on Netflix, even after almost 27 years since its first episode was aired on TV.

    The special episode’s trailer has racked up hundreds of millions of views across several channels on YouTube, and wherever else it has been released.

    It shows Jenifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc, David Schwimmer, Matthew Perry and Lisa Kudrow touring their old sets on the Warner Brothers studio lot followed  by a sit down question and answer session with funny man James Corden in front of a live audience. Naturally Corden’s conversations with the six sees a lot of re-enacting from old episodes, reminiscing, leg pulling, and poignant moments leading to a lot of laughs and even tears for them.

    For those who came in late, Friends –  which was created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, who executive produced the series with Kevin Bright through Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television – featured six mates – . Rachel Green (Jennifer Aniston), Monica Geller (Courteney Cox), Phoebe Buffay (Lisa Kudrow), Joey Tribbiani (Matt Le Blanc), Chandler Bing (Matthew Perry), and Ross Geller (David Schwimmer) – in New York and their journey into adulthood.

    A gaggle of celebs is slated to join the cast: David Beckham, Justin Bieber, BTS, James Corden, Cindy Crawford, Cara Delevingne, Lady Gaga, Elliott Gould, Kit Harington, Larry Hankin, Mindy Kaling, Thomas Lennon, Christina Pickles, Tom Selleck, James Michael Tyler, Maggie Wheeler, Reese Witherspoon and Malala Yousafzai.

    The show had also caused major waves towards its ninth and tenth seasons when the six main leads were paid a million dollars in remuneration for each episode. And it is also known for the cameos that some of the biggest stars in Hollywood at that time  made in some episode or the other, right from Brad Pitt to Julia Roberts to Bruce Willis to Sean Penn to Dermot Mulrooney to Winona Ryder to Robin Williams to Billy Crystal to George Clooney to Susan Sarandan to Bonnie Somerville.

    The Friends Reunion special credits Aniston, Cox, Kudrow, LeBlanc, Perry, and Schwimmer as executive producers with Ben Winston directing and executive producing alongside Kevin Bright, Marta Kauffman, and David Crane. A production of Warner Bros Unscripted Television in association with Warner Horizon, Fulwell 73 Productions and Bright/ Kauffman/ Crane Productions, it features Emma Conway, James Longman and Stacey Thomas-Muir as  co-executive producers.

    Observers wonder, why Zee5, which has been focusing on producing originals in different Indian languages, took a decision to acquire the rights for an American show in English and coughed up top dollars for a one-off program.

    Kalra gives the reason why. Says he: “Friends is amongst the world’s most watched and loved sitcoms and it is a great opportunity for us to present their reunion, something that the world has been talking about, on Zee5 for Friends fans in India.”

    Currently, Zee5 is available at Rs 499 for a 12-month premium plan. The streaming platform has been striving to sign on subscribers; hence it picked the rights to Salman Khan’s Radhe at Rs 230 crore, which led to some 4.2-odd million concurrent viewers logging onto the film’s premiere.  Hopefully, the Friends Reunion gamble will pay off and lead to a similar surge.

  • DC Comic superheroes to launch on Amazon Prime Video

    DC Comic superheroes to launch on Amazon Prime Video

    KOLKATA:  For fans of DC comic book superheroes this is super good news. Amazon Prime Video today announced the addition of five new DC Comic titles to its line-up of shows and movies.  Famous and iconic ones like Flash, Supergirl, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, Arrow and Gotham will now be available to Prime members in India. Flash and Super Girl will be launched on 24 and 31 May respectively with DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, Arrow and Gotham following soon thereafter.     

    DC, which is also referred to as home to the “World’s Greatest Super Heroes” has a huge following worldwide and in India.  The addition of these titles promises something for everyone. Whether it’s the journey to battle evil with Flash and Supergirl, or about exploring the streets of the city we know as Gotham, or fighting corruption with Arrow and plunging into the future with a quest to save the earth in DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, this summer, there will be no shortage of action, adventure, and thrill!

    Flash: A central police forensic scientist, Barry Allen meets with a massive particle accelerator explosion accident. Nine months later, he wakes up from the coma discovering that the blast has given him the power of super speed. However, he learns that many more have also been affected by the event but chose to use their powers for evil. Taking on the role of a hero, Barry dedicates himself to fighting against such threats as the superhero The Flash.

    Supergirl: Escaping a fateful Kryptonian blast, Kara along with her cousin is sent to earth. In a turn of events, she is diverted to a timeless phantom zone before finally reaching earth and finding out her cousin is the infamous Superman. Stuck at a dead-end job, a critical crisis stirs Kara’s veiled Kryptonian powers and she is inspired to use them for the better. Introduced to a secret world of the Department of Extra-Normal Operations, Supergirl sets on her way to save planet earth.

    DC’s Legends of Tomorrow: Having seen the future, desperately trying to prevent it from becoming a reality, time-traveling rogue Rip Hunter ( Arthur Darvil) is tasked with assembling a disparate group of both heroes and villains to confront an unstoppable threat – one in which not only is the planet at stake, but all of time itself. He assembles a ragtag team that strives to defeat an immortal threat unlike anything they have ever known. DC’S Legends Of Tomorrow, promises the fans an enthralling experience as they immerse themselves into the action and adventure of the DC universe.

    Arrow: Things take a turn for the worse when spoiled brat, Oliver Queen and his billionaire father are lost at sea. Their luxury yacht sinks and his father does not make it. Stranded on an forgien island, Oliver learns the reality of his father’s dealings by its inhabitants and embarks on a journey of change. Hardened and resolute to set things straight, he returns to his home city eliminating the ones who have plagued it with corruption.

    Gotham: Thomas and Martha Wayne are murdered right before young Bruce Wayne’s eyes. The two detectives- James Gordon and his cynical partner, Harvey Bullock solve the case with ease. However, things are not as simple as they seem. Driven by the young Bruce’s desire for justice Gordon pledges to eradicate the corruption that caused the chain of events. Fighting against his colleagues and super villains, Gordon is on a mission to clean up Gotham as Bruce Wayne observes the hero.

  • YouTube updates terms of service, likely to impact content creators

    YouTube updates terms of service, likely to impact content creators

    New Delhi: Google-owned video platform YouTube has updated its terms of service for all countries outside the United States. The new rules come into effect from 1 June. 

    The video streaming giant has made some changes in its monetization policy, according to which content creators who are not part of the YouTube Partnership Program (YPP) will be rendered ineligible to earn revenue. 

    With this move, YouTube plans to push more content creators to be part of YPP, provided they fulfil the eligibility criteria which remains unchanged (1,000 subscribers and 4,000 hours of watch). The platform has already decided to initiate this process to serve advertisements on a limited set of brand-safe videos on channels, not in YPP or not under a monetizing agreement.

    The new rules will not impact the current monetizing settings offered to content creators who are already part of YPP. To monetize the contents, all creators who are included in YPP will need to submit complete tax information in Google AdSense to determine if any withholding tax applies to their payments. 

    “You grant the right to YouTube to monetize your content on the service (and such monetization may include displaying ads on or within content or charging users a fee for access). This agreement does not entitle you to any payments,” reads YouTube’s new terms of service in India. 

    The new update on YouTube could deal a real blow to content creators who purposefully stay away from becoming a part of the YPP fearing ads could drive their users away. 

    Talking about the change in monetizing policy, Do Your Thng founder Ankit Agarwal said, “Creators don’t receive any compensation from ads run on their videos. The controversial move is a tactile reminder that creators merely rent digital space. They don’t own it. So, they have to abide by someone else’s rules. It’s not merely creators who’ll feel the pinch, non-profit channels will too. None of the benefits from the ads placed on their content will go to them.” 

    Terming it as an ‘adpocalypse’, Agarwal added that the new move could be aiming to push more people towards the subscription service YouTube premium.

    BC Webwise founder and MD Chaaya Baradhwaj said that YouTube’s amended terms of service will negatively affect creators, brands, and audiences. 

    “More ads is not a pleasant experience, and not sharing revenue is ok for those who are not looking at Youtube for monetisation, but definitely discourages content creators. Further, if we are not allowed to disable ads, then it affects branded content. All in all, Youtube’s new policies, are not looking good for the creators, brands, or the audience,” she asserted. 

    According to Digidarts founder and CEO Siddhartha Vanvani the new terms of service could give brands an option to advertise on several Indian YouTube channels that are not part of the YPP. 

    “Brands now have a vast ocean of inventories to advertise their products & services on a large number of channels available. There are a lot of quality Indian YouTube channels that aren’t a part of the YPP, but now with this new update, brands can target these channels too. This will directly enhance the brand’s reach, views, and engagement. Additionally, with the help of different campaigns, brands’ can look at acquiring more users and increase sales,” said Vanvani.

  • FanCode to exclusively live stream Sri Lanka- Bangladesh matches

    FanCode to exclusively live stream Sri Lanka- Bangladesh matches

    New Delhi: Home-grown digital sports streaming platform FanCode will be exclusively live streaming Sri Lanka’s tour of Bangladesh for cricket lovers in India. 

    The Sri Lankan cricket team is visiting Bangladesh after their recently concluded tour to West Indies. The island nation’s tour to Bangladesh will include three one-day internationals from 23-28 May. The first match will be played at Sher-e-Bangladesh national cricket stadium in Mirpur on 23 May, starting at 2 pm. The next two matches are scheduled on 25 and 28 May. The Sri Lankan team is led by Kusal Perera, while the Bangladesh team will be led by Tamim Iqbal. 

    “We will exclusively live-stream the matches to provide a comprehensive experience through interactive live streaming with customizable data overlays, fastest live scores, multi-media live commentary, and match highlights,” FanCode said in a statement.