ITV

Category: Over The Top Services

  • StreamFest brings cheer for Netflix

    StreamFest brings cheer for Netflix

    KOLKATA: In a unique promotional gimmick, Netflix offered Indian audiences all of its content for free over a weekend last month. The move seems to have yielded fine results for the streaming service, as it has witnessed a sharp rise in app installs, open rate, daily active usage during that period, according to Kalagato.

    After Netflix stopped offering a free monthly trial, the platform came up with this innovative marketing campaign to get more people to sample and subscribe to the service. On 5 and 6 December, non-users of Netflix could sign up with their name, email or phone number, and password and gain access to the content library without any payment. Following the overwhelming response, the streaming giant came back with round two on 9-11 December.

    One of the most obvious impacts of this campaign by Netflix was an increase in app downloads during the promotion period, with the reach seeing a spike of 13 per cent during the weekend of 5-6 December, compared to average reach of the previous four weekends. Notably, the spike of 15 per cent was sharper on Sunday, compared to 10 per cent on Saturday. All other apps excluding SonyLiv and Wynk remained more or less consistent with previous weeks’ performance.

    (Source: Kalagato)

    Along with improved access, Netflix saw 243 per cent DAU jump during the weekend. Saturday saw a rise of 213 per cent whereas Sunday saw figures reaching 271 per cent over the previous four Sundays.

    (Source: Kalagato)

    This impressive uptick in activity on Netflix, however, did not have any discernible impact on the usage of platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Whatsapp, Twitter or YouTube. Among other OTT apps, Disney+ Hotstar and Amazon Prime Video saw drops of 11 per cent and 17 per cent respectively. SonyLiv and Wynk Movies also saw significant spikes in DAU — to the tune of 127 per cent and 148 per cent respectively.

    Open rates for Netflix saw a spike of 135 per cent on average compared to the previous four weekends, 128 per cent on Saturday, and 141 per cent on Sunday. Amazon and Disney+ Hotstar, on the other hand, witnessed drops of six-eight per cent in open rates during this period. Some of these apps also saw lower time spent on their platforms. According to the report, drops of 10-12 per cent were seen across OTT apps of Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ Hotstar, MX player, Vodafone Play and Voot. On the other hand, Netflix saw a rise of 18 per cent in time spent on Sunday.

  • Octro Inc’s TeenPatti sees 800% growth in paying users in 2020

    Octro Inc’s TeenPatti sees 800% growth in paying users in 2020

    KOLKATA: Octro Inc has reported that its game TeenPatti witnessed 800 per cent growth in paying users in 2020. The virtual card game has held on to its leadership position since its debut. Octro has been creating Made in India leisure options for the world at large, thereby gaining a strong foothold within the Indian gaming industry with a projected user base of more than 700 million gamers in India by 2022.

    First released in 2013, the game played with virtual money is enjoyed by a group of three to six people who use a 52-card pack without jokers. The game also comes in variations like 6 Patti, TeenPatti Battle, 3-2-1, Private Table, etc. Private table feature on Octro TeenPatti was most loved in the past few months as it allowed players to connect with their family and friends in leisure hours while dealing with constraints posed by social distancing in Covid times.

    The growing popularity of online games has given a whole new boost to the gaming ecosystem, leading to the sector purported to be worth more than $1 billion today, according to a Google-KMPG report.

    Octro Inc CEO Saurabh Aggarwal said, “At the intersection of sports and entertainment, Octro, with games like TeenPatti, has created a scalable leisure option for Indians and has taken casual gaming to the next level. We deeply appreciate this love showered on our games and are thankful to these players. This motivates us to aim higher and we at Octro are committed to create more such leisure options that have potential to be loved not only in India but globally.”

    Aggarwal further added, ‘In 2021, we do hope that the Indian government creates a favourable regulatory regime for foreign investment to come into India both for online gaming and real money gaming. This will result in significant employment opportunities, Made in India games and tax contribution to exchequer.”

    Real money games and skill based gaming are emerging frontiers in India for not only social connect and scalable leisure options but also for the potential to create shareholders in a value chain that comprises a new set of gamers, immersive metaverse, gaming tournaments with prize money and hence, viable career option.

    Globally, the e-sports and video gaming market have already outpaced their contemporaries in the film and music businesses with what is expected to be a $300 billion annual industry by 2025 according to industry sources. India with nearly 400+ e-gaming start-ups is a very important market and one that has great potential for growth and development.

  • Epic On partners with PhonePe to offer 25% off on subscriptions

    Epic On partners with PhonePe to offer 25% off on subscriptions

    MUMBAI: Premium OTT platform Epic On has partnered with PhonePe to offer its subscription at a 25 per cent discount to PhonePe’s over 250 million users. PhonePe users can now get a six-month subscription to Epic On’s diverse mix of multiform content across genres and formats for just Rs 299 and an annual subscription for Rs 499.

    With the country being hit by a pandemic and people forced to shelter in place, the digital wave got a massive boost and led to a sudden unprecedented surge in the demand for digital and OTT content. The introduction of new digital technologies at a lower cost had already made new inroads for the digital entertainment sector in India. In the past two years, India’s digital streaming industry eclipsed India’s film industry in size and the OTT industry grew by a whopping 240 percent between 2016 and 2019.

    Epic On chief operating officer Sourjya Mohanty said, “Having seen the exponential rise in demand for digital entertainment content and digital payment solutions across India, we are excited to partner with PhonePe to leverage their subscription payment features. This will allow our users to utilise their option of easy payments while providing a 25 per cent discount for enjoying our premium content while subscribing from the PhonePe platform.”

    PhonePe director of business development Ankit Gaur said, “In the current times, we have seen a rising demand for quality digital entertainment options that can be enjoyed from the safety of home. In line with this, we launched the Subscriptions category in April this year. Our collaboration with Epic On is another important step in providing our users with a seamless way to buy subscriptions at attractive prices. We are working to add more such entertainment options to our platform in the future.”

    To buy a subscription, all that PhonePe users need to do is to log in to the PhonePe app and go to the Recharge & Pay Bills section. Then they just need to go to the Subscriptions category and select Epic On and pay for their subscription using UPI/debit or credit card/PhonePe wallet.

  • Ricky Strauss moves on from Disney

    Ricky Strauss moves on from Disney

    NEW DELHI: Ricky Strauss, The Walt Disney Studio president marketing and one of the key executives who launched Disney+, is moving on from the organisation after nine years.

    Post the big restructuring at Disney last year, Strauss was assigned a new role as president of programming and content curation for Disney+ and Hulu.

    "I have come to the decision that it is time for me to move on to pursue new creative endeavours. It took much thought and consideration, but with our new structure and the changes to my role, the reorganisation does not provide me with the opportunity to do the kind of work I love to do and to continue making the intended impact I have been so fortunate to have achieved at Disney," Strauss wrote in an internal memo to his team.

    He will stay on till the end of the month to help with the transition.

    Media reports stated that in light of his departure, Disney+ EVP marketing and operations Joe Earley, who has programming experience from his tenure at Fox, will add content curation for Disney+ to his purview and continue to report into Michael Paull, president, Disney+ and ESPN+. Hulu’s VP content partnerships Brian Henderson, who oversees Hulu content curation, will report into Hulu president Kelly Campbell.

  • The Family Man all set for second innings on Amazon Prime Video

    The Family Man all set for second innings on Amazon Prime Video

    NEW DELHI: Amazon Prime Video’s acclaimed series The Family Man season 2 is all set to premiere on 12 February, the showrunners announced in a brief clip. Starring Manoj Bajpai, Samantha Akkineni and others, the new season promises to offer up another gripping mystery for the audience’s viewing pleasure.

    The Family Man season one released in September 2019 and was a runaway hit. The show was applauded for its direction, performances and writing. It is an edgy, action-drama series, which tells the story of a middle-class man, Srikant Tiwari, who works for a special cell of the National Investigation Agency. The series explores Srikant's tight-rope walk as he juggles his secretive, low paying, high-pressure, high-stakes job, and being a husband and father. This is as much a satirical take on the geopolitics of the region as it is the story of a middle-class guy who is a world-class spy.

    This time Srikant, while struggling to balance his personal and professional life, will be pitted against a new nemesis, Raji played by Samantha Akkineni. Replete with twists and turns, the upcoming season will see Srikant embarking on a new mission as ‘This Time, No One is Safe’.

    Amazon Prime Video head of India Originals Aparna Purohit said, “The Family Man had set a new benchmark in the spy thriller genre in India. Appreciated by fans and critics alike for its compelling storyline and phenomenal performances, the show became a part of our popular culture. The fact that the fans had successfully managed to decode the show’s launch date by reading ‘2021’ as ‘1202’ in reverse when we recently unveiled the teaser poster is a testament to the show’s unparalleled fandom.”

    Raj and DK said, “We are thrilled and excited to return to the world of The Family Man. The response to the first season was overwhelming and it struck a real chord with the viewers. And we are hopeful that we can continue to tell a story which is as compelling and engaging as the first season. The one question we were asked for the last 16 months is – when is season 2 coming. Our team has worked from home through the pandemic and amidst all the constraints to complete the season. We wish to thank everyone involved in our show. And our fans can be sure that we have plenty of surprises in store for the new season of The Family Man.”

    The other members of the cast include Priyamani, Sharib Hashmi, Seema Biswas, Darshan Kumar, Sharad Kelkar, Sunny Hinduja, Shreya Dhanwantary, Shahab Ali, Vedant Sinha, and Mahek Thakur.

    Produced by D2R Films, the much-awaited show will launch exclusively on Amazon Prime Video in over 240 countries and territories.

  • Flipkart Video and Sikhya Entertainment are set to bring out your inner detective with Kaun? Who did it?

    Flipkart Video and Sikhya Entertainment are set to bring out your inner detective with Kaun? Who did it?

    As a nation, we have always been fascinated by crime stories – the unpredictable nature of a case, analyzing the crime scene, and the thrill of the detective-suspect chase. We've often caught ourselves getting ahead of the detectives, wanting to get past the TV screen, and catching the killer! So what if the next time you're watching a whodunit, you could actually be a part of the process? Flipkart Video in collaboration with Guneet Monga’s production house, Sikhya Entertainment gives you the one-of-a-kind chance to play detective from the comfort of your phone, with their all-new interactive crime fiction series – Kaun? Who did it? The showrunner for the series is Umesh Bist, Director of the upcoming movie “Pagglait” and is written by veteran TV writer Sunjoy Shekhar. 

    Every episode across the series will feature a spine-chilling murder case, giving audiences the ultimate opportunity to don the detective's hat and win exciting prizes as they maneuver through intriguing twists, solve cryptic clues, and identify suspects in real-time. The series features versatile actor Sushant Singh, who is known for embodying crucial characters and delivering power-packed performances. He will be seen playing the lead role of Adi, an ex-cop turned private detective. His disdain for the police force, the brace on his leg and his walking stick, leaves a lot to be discovered about his past. Seen playing his partner-in-solving-crime, will be film and theatre actress Samvedna Suwalka AKA Malini, a gritty assistant police inspector who teams up with Adi for his innate, deductive skills, in solving seemingly unsolvable cases.

    Prakash Sikaria, Vice-President (Growth and Monetisation) at Flipkart, said, “Our consumer-first approach helps us to be at forefront of innovation, enabling us to push the boundaries and bring interactivity to content. Guneet has been a valuable partner who shares our vision and brings her creative zeal to help us raise the bar each time. 'Kaun? Who did it?' is built on people's increasing fascination for shows with an element of ‘guessing’ and the innate urge to unravel a mystery. This show will provide the thrill of visceral entertainment and the rush of decoding a secret before the protagonist does. We’re excited to have users at the edge of their seats and will continue to explore many more engaging concepts within this genre.”

    Speaking about cracking this innovation and her association with Flipkart Video, Guneet Monga, CEO, Sikhya Entertainment, said, “We, at Sikhya, believe in pushing the envelope when it comes to content and an interactive whodunit show for Flipkart Video was an exciting brief to crack. We conceptualized, shot and delivered this show in the lockdown and it’s heartening to begin this year with its release. Umesh Bist (show-runner) and Sunjoy Shekhar (writer) ensured that the content is cleverly planned within the limitations of lockdown without compromising on the much-loved flavor of a crime thriller. I’m happy to partner with Flipkart Video after Zindagi Inshort. I am confident that Flipkart’s enormous reach amongst the masses and knowledge of consumer behavior will help the show reach its audience.

    The trailer gives audiences a peek into the characters of the show with the duo solving some of the most unthinkable mysteries. Fast-moving and fascinating, the show will feature captivating episodes each day on the Flipkart App. The unique concept will not only keep you gripped at the edge of your seat but will also give you an opportunity to win exciting prizes by recognizing the killer before the protagonists. With Kaun? Who did it? Flipkart Video and Sikhya Entertainment promise to provide viewers the thrill of an adventure by making them a part of the experience, no matter where they are tuning in from. 

    The show will be live on the Flipkart App starting, 9th January. Users can access the show by clicking on the Video icon at the bottom right of the Flipkart app’s homepage.

  • Stride Ventures leads Rs 17 crore debt round in Pocket Aces

    Stride Ventures leads Rs 17 crore debt round in Pocket Aces

    KOLKATA: Stride Ventures has led a Rs 17 crore debt round in digital entertainment company Pocket Aces. Stride will be a strategic partner in Pocket Aces’ growth journey with their customised offerings and deep relationships across banks and corporates.

    This partnership with Pocket Aces is the twelfth investment from Stride Ventures’ maiden fund, marking its foray in the digital media and entertainment space as gaming and OTT has had a breakthrough year with industry revenues surging and subscriptions rising through the lockdown.

    Stride Ventures founder and managing partner Ishpreet Gandhi said, “Pocket Aces has truly pioneered digital content in India through its data driven approach to content creation. More importantly, the company creates highly relatable content, making it appealing especially for the younger demographic. At Stride, we strive to partner with indigenous companies which have the ability to scale up rapidly by leveraging technology and we see Pocket Aces as a great addition to our portfolio.”

    Pocket Aces co-founder Aditi Shrivastava added, “2020 was an unprecedented challenge for humanity and we were privileged to entertain the Indian audience during this difficult time. The lockdown accelerated adoption of digital media as the primary source of consumer entertainment , and so we innovated rapidly to ensure that we could continue to thrive and increase content output in this new normal. As a result, we saw growth in all our major business lines this year. As we go into 2021, we are more excited than ever about the size of the entertainment opportunity in India and are happy to partner with Stride Ventures on our growth journey. This debt instrument is one of the first of its kind for the sector and we think it underlines Pocket Aces’ leadership of the sector as well as the innovation focus of Stride Ventures.”

    Pocket Aces will utilise the capital raised to scale the current content output and invest further in new content formats and distribution channels. In 2020, Pocket Aces released multiple shows across its channels that kept audiences gripped with stories of love, life, and the new normal. The company has worked with over 100 brands across sectors including Tinder, Hindustan Unilever, PureMe, Bacardi, Unacademy, and Mondelez, among others. 

    On the other hand, its game streaming and e-sports platform Loco, has hosted some of the biggest mobile gaming tournaments India has ever seen. Loco also entered into strategic partnerships with Red Bull, Fnatic, NBA 2K League, and other leading brands. The year also saw Pocket Aces launch Clout, its talent management division, which exclusively represents over 60 of the digital industry’s finest and most popular faces.

  • Tandav fills the need gap of political drama format for Amazon Prime Video

    Tandav fills the need gap of political drama format for Amazon Prime Video

    KOLKATA: As 2021 dawns, Amazon Prime Video has given a peek at its new content line up. The streaming service recently unveiled the trailer of new original series Tandav. The nine-episode political drama will start streaming on 15 January.

    Amazon Prime Video India originals head Aparna Purohit said the story of Tandav is truly rooted in our soil. “This is our first political drama. It is an interesting story about the pursuit of power and the lengths one will go to get it and in some cases keep it. It has the right doses of all the ingredients: love, hate, deceive, betrayal, suspense, and thrill,” she shared.

    The trailer of the show takes viewers behind the closed, chaotic corridors of power and politics. Set in the capital of the world’s largest democracy, the series is a gripping, fictional drama that showcases the lengths to which people go in their quest for power.

    Purohit went on to say that Prime Video has always endeavoured to tell stories that are culturally rooted, shows that can speak to the many Indias that co-exist. While the platform already has many genres in its library of original content, political drama was the only missing piece which will now be addressed by Tandav. For a nation that is so obsessed with its politics, banking on a large scale political drama was not a difficult call to take.

    “I distinctly remember when Ali (Ali Abbas Zafar, creator of Tandav) narrated the story to us in 2017. He is a very visual narrator. We felt that the story was a peek into the world that we read about in newspapers and see on the television but hardly know about in detail. It was a very easy decision to make to opt for this one. And then finally the wonderful cast came together for this show and breathed life into the characters and created all the magic. I am incredibly proud of this show and this journey that we have had,” she said.

    Directed by Ali Abbas Zafar, the political drama features an ensemble cast comprising Saif Ali Khan, Mohammad Zeeshan Ayyub, Dimple Kapadia, Kritika Kamra, Gauahar Khan, Sarah Jane Dias, Sunil Grover, Dino Morea, Anup Soni, Kumud Mishra and Sandhya Mridul. The script is by Article 15 writer Gaurav Solanki.

    The official synopsis of the web series reads, “The charismatic leader of a premiere political party, Samar Pratap (Saif Ali Khan), feels he’s ready to inherit the chair of PM after his party wins the elections. Samar’s father, the party patriarch and the prime minister of the country, Devki Nandan (Tigmanshu Dhulia) is not willing to retire yet. Anuradha, Devki’s close associate (Dimple Kapadia), party senior leader Gopal Das (Kumud Mishra) are few of many other leaders considering themselves fit to sit the chair. But the chair never comes easy. A parallel story plays out with the idealistic campus activist Shiva (Zeeshan Ayub) who becomes an overnight youth icon as he shines at a political event. Shiva wants to bring about the change, sway the youth and overthrow the power pillars. Shiva gets the first taste of power. Shiva and Samar’s lives intersect as the national politics meets the campus activism. The dance of politics ensues as a series of events expose the inherent deceit, manipulation, greed, ambition and violence in all the relationships.”

  • Zee5 Global unveils new content line-up for January

    Zee5 Global unveils new content line-up for January

    KOLKATA: Leading OTT Zee5 Global has unveiled a line-up of fresh content to kickstart the new year with a bang.

    Raising the curtains on 2021 on 1 January, the much-anticipated Zee5 Original Nail Polish takes viewers on a hypnotic journey of the uncertainties of the human mind. Nail Polish features an ensemble cast including Arjun Rampal, Manav Kaul, Ranjit Kapoor, and Anand Tiwari.

    On 7 January, a satirical comedy Kaagaz will narrate the story of a man who fought for his life for 19 years after being declared dead by a group of people keen to take over his assets. Starring the epitome of versatility, Pankaj Tripathi in the lead role, Zee5 original Kaagaz is directed by Satish Kaushik and is one of the most anticipated releases of 2021.

    Zee5 second Bangladeshi original What The Fry is set to premiere on 9 January. Directed by National Award-winning director Anam Biswas, What The Fry is a heart-warming tale of a suicidal film star who meets a simple guy and finds a deeper meaning to life. The show is free to watch for viewers in Bangladesh.

    Under its pay-per-view vertical Plex, Zee5 Global is set to release two digital-first blockbuster films. Premiering on 13 January, the comedy-drama Suraj Pe Mangal Bhari will take viewers back to the 90’s, before the social media era, where a wedding detective performs background checks on prospective grooms. The movie features some of the most acclaimed actors of the industry including Manoj Bajpayee, Diljit Dosanj and Fatima Sana Shaikh.

    On 14 January, another comedy-drama Biskoth will drop, with two prolific stars of the Tamil film industry – Santhanam and Tara Alisha.

    On 22 January, the platform will release a gripping original Jeet Ki Zid. An Amit Sadh starrer, the series is based on a true story of grit, determination and the military. It’s the tale of a soldier whose never give-up attitude helps him overcome tough challenges and turn the impossible into possible.

    Yet another action-packed Original, this time from Zee5-Alt Balaji combine, Bang Bang will premiere on 26 January. Shot in the picturesque landscape of Maharashtra, it is a high-octane thriller starring Ruhi Singh, Faisal Sheikh amongst others.

    Popular Tamil serial Singa Penne will return to Zee5, continuing the story of a girl who falls in love with a boy in the armed forces and decides to cross every hurdle to join the army herself. The second part of Singa Penne season one premieres on India’s Republic Day – 26 January.

    Lastly, on 27 January, Zee5 Global will stream its new TV show, Teri Meri Ek Jindri, encompassing the lives of two young lovers against the backdrop of Punjab. The new Zee TV romantic show is based on the evergreen mantra that opposites attract.

  • MX Player & Akamai partner to deliver seamless viewing experience

    MX Player & Akamai partner to deliver seamless viewing experience

    KOLKATA: MX Player has partnered with Akamai Technologies to provide its increasing user base in India with a seamless digital experience.

    In 2020, MX Player was ranked by App Annie as the no.1 streaming app in India and the onset of the pandemic saw the platform witness not just a massive boost in viewership, but also new subscribers, and a newer audience. This accelerated growth heightened MX Player’s need for infrastructure that could support the scale and availability of the app across different networks and locations.

    MX Player found Akamai’s world class media delivery solution to be the right choice in order to deliver a high-quality viewing experience to their customers across different cities. The enhancement in performance and user experience was particularly pronounced in the case of MX TakaTak, a popular short video platform, that has seen a rapid surge of users, with a large portion of them coming from tier-2 and tier-3 towns.

    According to Redseer, online content consumption in India grew by 35 per cent in April 2020 compared to January 2020. It further stated that short-form video content consumption recorded the most significant jump during the lockdown.

    MX Player COO Vivek Jain said, “In the last couple of months, our user base has increased exponentially. The demand to consume content on the go and the need for virtual entertainment amongst the middle, mass, mobile, millennial audience in India is growing faster than ever before. MX Player has seen more than 7X jump in time spent on the app. “

    “Even MX TakaTak, which we recently launched, crossed one billion video views per day within a month from launch and has quickly become the market leading app in the short video category. We have always obsessed about best-in-class video load times. Akamai is a pioneer in Edge distribution and its presence particularly in tier-2 and tier-3 towns has helped us deliver an unmatched viewing experience for our customers across India’s mega cities as well as the hinterlands,” Jain added.

    Akamai media and carrier section India sales head Mitesh Jain noted that unprecedented demand for content coupled with rapidly evolving user behaviour poses a challenge for apps trying to ensure high-quality viewing experience across a complex network topology.

    “We are glad to have partnered with MX Player to help them scale the user base and step up to conform with user expectations of evolving Indian consumers. Given MX player’s ambition, I am sure that this is just a start and we will be accomplishing many more milestones together,” Jain said.