ITV

Category: Over The Top Services

  • Discovery Plus celebrates 15 Aug with new episodes of ‘Tales of Valour’

    Discovery Plus celebrates 15 Aug with new episodes of ‘Tales of Valour’

    MUMBAI: Discovery Plus has strengthened its offering in the armed forces-led content by dropping new episodes of Tales of Valour in the month of August. Beyond Tales of Valour, another series which will enthrall audiences seeking investigation led content is ‘Autopsy: The Last Hours Of…’ which will explain what killed some of the most famous celebrities including the likes of Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley, Whitney Hoston & Anna Nicole Smith. While, Planet Child, a three-part series, delves into the way children experience life exploring areas such as risk-taking, independence, morality, and gender awareness.

    Independence day special

    The line-up includes documentaries such as ‘India’s Paratroopers – Earning the Badge’, ‘Revealed: LOC’,’ Battle Ops’, ‘Revealed: National Defence Academy’, ‘Revealed Siachen’, ‘1965: India’s Battles and Heroes’ and Breaking Point franchise on Air Force Academy, Indian Submariners, High Altitude Warfare School, Women Fighter Pilots and Commando School Belgaum.

    The OTT platform will add new episodes of Tales of Valour this August focusing on

    ·   Battle of Namka Chu releasing on August 05- During the Indo-Sino war of 1962, the Indian army fought in unfamiliar terrain. Celebrate the sacrifice of Subedar Dashrath Singh who lived to tell his tale of valour.

    ·   Battle of Rezang la releasing on August 10 – The battle of Rezang La in 1962 was one of the toughest battles fought in the highest of mountains. Rezang La was the last stand of the C Company of 13 Kumaon, during the Sino-Indo War in 1962 where only about 120 Indian soldiers went up against Chinese troops.

    ·   Battle of Longewala releasing on August 15 – The Battle of Longewala was fought during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. Major Kuldip Singh Chandpuri and his brave band of soldiers led the defence at the Indian border post of Longewala, against the Pakistani forces.

    ·   Battle of Asal Uttar releasing on August 24 – The Battle of Asal Uttar was one of the largest tank battles fought during the Indo-Pak War of 1965.

    ·   Battle of Haji Pur and Dograi releasing on August 31- In the second Indo-Pak war, India launched many aggressive operations to push the enemy out. The courageous capture of Haji Pir Pass and Battle of Dograi were part of it.

    Other highlight shows which will keep audiences hooked include

    Autopsy: The Last Hours Of…:

    This Discovery Plus exclusive looks at crucial medical evidence that explains what killed some of the most famous celebrities as a forensic pathologist attempts to understand what their last days looked like. Celebrities covered in the series include Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley, Whitney Hoston & Anna Nicole Smith.

    Planet Child:

    This three-part series, streaming exclusively on Discovery Plus, delves into the way children experience life. The series explores key areas such as risk-taking, independence, morality and gender awareness in a range of scenarios, in order to understand how the development of kids is influenced by how they are raised and where they live.

    Restaurant Stakeout

    Willie Degel is known for running a tight ship at his restaurants. His secret: cameras canvassing every inch of his restaurant, allowing him to keep a close eye on his floor, staff and patrons. Starting August 24, Restaurant Stakeout follows as Willie takes his practices to troubled restaurateurs looking to find and rectify the hidden problems that lie within their establishments.

    Mountain Life

    The series follow families who want to get away from the hustle and bustle as they search for the ultimate mountain retreat. From the wooded peaks of the East Coast's Blue Ridge to Hawaii's tropical Mauna Loa, there are remote mountain locations you didn't even know existed.

    Killer Whales: The Mega Hunt

    Killer Whales: The Mega Hunt takes you inside the world of the predator that rules the oceans. Orcas – also known as killer whales – confidently and effortlessly stalk their prey fearing no other living creature. This fascinating programme streaming on the app on August 28, will give you an insight into how they live, feed and hunt; as well as a variety of incredible facts about their anatomy, behavioural traits and survival techniques.

  • Disney+ Hotstar to roll out in Indonesia on 5 September

    Disney+ Hotstar to roll out in Indonesia on 5 September

    KOLKATA: In the pursuit of conquering new-age entertainment, The Walt Disney Company has kept a sharp eye on the APAC market and is rolling out Disney+ Hotstar in Indonesia on 5 September.

    In the last quarter, the media giant launched Disney+ in India via Disney+ Hotstar service. While at the end of the quarter, Disney+ had a paid subscriber base of 57.5 million, Disney+ Hotstar comprised about 15 per cent of it. However, Disney+ has now grown to 60.5 million as of 3 August. Disney+'s overall ARPU this quarter was $4.62 but excluding Disney+ Hotstar it was $5.31. 

    Disney+ Hotstar is not going to limit itself to sports and classic Disney+ library in India. While last year Hotstar went into original content, after rebranding, Disney+ Hotstar is chasing a larger audience with direct-to-digital premiers of Bollywood movies. The streaming service, which crossed eight million subscribers within one week of its launch, is currently looking at hundreds of millions of subscribers.

    “At Star, higher results reflect lower programming costs, partially offset by lower advertising revenue. Both of these drivers reflect the absence of cricket in the third quarter including a shift in rights costs for the Indian Premier League which we expect to be recognised in future quarters and the absence of costs for the quadrennial ICC World Cup which aired in the prior-year quarter,” The Walt Disney Company senior executive vice president and CFO Christine McCarthy said. 

  • Disney to launch international d2c OTT offering under Star brand in 2021

    Disney to launch international d2c OTT offering under Star brand in 2021

    KOLKATA: The Walt Disney Company (Disney) is going more aggressive on streaming. It will launch an international direct-to-consumer general entertainment OTT offering under the Star brand in India in the year 2021.

    The offering will be rooted in the content from the production engines and libraries of ABC Studios, Fox Television, FX, Freeform, 20th Century Studios and Searchlight. While in many markets the offering will be fully integrated into Disney+ platform from both a marketing and a technology perspective, it will be distributed under the Star brand in India.

    “In terms of the general entertainment offering internationally, we want to mirror successful Disney+ strategy by using our Disney+ technical platform, rooting it in content that we already own and distributing it under a successful international brand that we also already own which is, of course, Star and then bringing it to market in a very close association to Disney,” The Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Chapek said in the earnings call after Q3 results. 

    “In terms of the premier access idea, as you probably know, Disney tentpole blockbuster theatrical films can be fairly expensive to make and produce in order to get the quality that consumers expect from us and frankly to get the quality that we expect from us. Rather than simply rolling it into a free offering, we thought we would give again because we can test almost anything when you have your own platform. We thought we would give it a try to establish a new window – a premier access window to try to recapture some of that investment that we've got. All I'll say about our research is that it shows that such an offering under a premier access offering not only gets us revenue from the original transaction from the PVOD but also acts as a fairly large stimulus to sign up for Disney+,” he added.

  • ZEE5, INDIA’S ENTERTAINMENT SUPER-APP, BECOMES 6TH MOST GLOBALLY DOWNLOADED VIDEO STREAMING APP ON GOOGLE PLAY

    ZEE5, INDIA’S ENTERTAINMENT SUPER-APP, BECOMES 6TH MOST GLOBALLY DOWNLOADED VIDEO STREAMING APP ON GOOGLE PLAY

    As a ConTech leader and India’s Entertainment Super-App, ZEE5 has been instrumental in paving the way for digital video entertainment in India through bespoke content and integration of new technologies. The platform has proven to be a consumer favourite, not only in India; but also, globally, as it was listed 6th in Sensor Tower’s ‘Top Video Streaming Apps Worldwide for June 2020 by Downloads on Google Play ranking data.

    Featuring in world’s Top 10 most downloaded video streaming apps list is a testimony to ZEE5’s momentous efforts in serving bespoke content for diverse audiences anytime, anywhere. The estimates of this report include worldwide downloads for the App Store and Google Play between June 1, 2019, and June 30, 2020. ZEE5’s feature on this list is reflective of the consumer sentiment towards choosing the home-grown platform as their preferred content streaming destination.

    This feat can be attributed to the Super App’s efforts in democratising access to exclusive content and new offerings for every Indian across genres and languages. As a part of this vision, the entertainment destination recently launched ‘ZEE5 Club’, making engaging premium content available at ₹365/year. Apart from this, ZEE5 is geared up to launch ‘HiPi’, a first-of-its-kind UGC platform by an OTT platform which promises to connect Fans to Fandom.

  • hoichoi presents “First Day First Show”, a new property to stream Bengali feature films; SVF produced ‘Detective’ will mark its first Direct-to-Digital release

    hoichoi presents “First Day First Show”, a new property to stream Bengali feature films; SVF produced ‘Detective’ will mark its first Direct-to-Digital release

    It is official! Anirban Bhattacharya starrer “Detective” will be heading for a Direct-to-Digital release on hoichoi. hoichoi announced a new property a day before, “First Day First Show” which will helm the direct releases of Bengali movies. It was originally slated for a theatrical release but owing to the current restrictions mandated by the government for audiences to maintain a decorum of social distancing, and movie theatres abiding the same by keeping the doors of their single screens and multiplexes closed, SVF, Eastern India’s largest entertainment house, have consciously decided to take a digital route. It is in fact, also, the first direct OTT release for SVF, their first film to be released in an OTT platform this year. hoichoi announced the grand news by doing a Multiple Poster (5 posters of each lead character) Reveal in the morning followed by the Official Trailer. 

    Directed by Joydeep Mukherjee, Detective, is based on Rabindranath Tagore’s story and the character of the “Detective” is being essayed by versatile Anirban Bhattacharya, who in the past year has impressed the audience with his choice of roles and their portrayal on screen.  

    Mahendra Soni, Co-Founder and Director, SVF said, “We are excited that the film is getting a digital release and becomes the first Bengali feature to get a World Premiere on hoichoi. Although, we had planned to have a big theatrical release, the sudden pandemic compelled us to take the digital route. This decision is motivated purely by choice and hoichoi became the go-to OTT platform – as it is known for its variety of content along with being the paramount OTT platform in the Bengali community.” 

    Vishnu Mohta, Co-Founder of hoichoi added, ”hoichoi has started many revolutionary properties which changed the face of Bengali Cinema starting with the World Digital Premiere of blockbusters and other films. This time, it’s “hoichoi Presents First Day First Show” where we are happy to exclusively premiere one of the most anticipated films of the year starring the famous Anirban Bhattacharya. We are always looking out to embrace good content and Detective, as a film, will bring all our audiences, globally, to step up and celebrate the film along with the celebration of our Independence.” 

    Slated to release on 14th August only on hoichoi, Detective stars Anirban as Mahimchandra, a police-detective, who aspires to earn fame in his profession. He craves for some complex case to come his way so that he can prove his worth. Mahimchandra’s first love is his detective books (primarily, Sherlock Holmes whom he admires) and second, is his wife Shudhamukhi portrayed by Ishaa Saha. Obsessed with finding a complicated case, Mahimchandra encounters<span data-contrast="auto" class="TextRun SCXW252297204 BCX0" lang="EN-US" style="margin: 0px; user-select: text; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; font-weight: bold; font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Calibri Light", "Calibri Light_EmbeddedFont", "Calibri Light_MSFontService", sans-serif; font-kerning:

  • Defence ministry says armed forces-themed movies, shows need its NoC

    Defence ministry says armed forces-themed movies, shows need its NoC

    MUMBAI: Censorship by any external regulatory body is something streamers and viewers in India are averse to. But there is at least in one area where they might have to yield to clipping scissors: how they depict the defence and armed forces in their shows and films. The Indian ministry of defence (MoD) has written to the Central Board of Film Certification directing production houses to get the former’s clearance for any show the story line of which features the armed forces or is themed around them before putting it out for viewing to the public.

    The letter – signed by the MoD’s undersecretary of state Sudershan Kumar additionally to the MeiTV and the I&B ministry – states that some “shows and films are distorting the image of the Indian army….they may also be advised to ensure that any incident which distorts the image of defence forces or hurts their sentiments may be prevented.”

    The MoD letter makes special reference to the depiction of “Indian army personnel and military uniform in a distorted manner in “XXX – Uncensored Season 2” and urges producers to acquire a no objection certificate from it before releasing shows on the defence on their platforms.

    XXX Uncensored Season 2 is available on ALT Balaji and has been facing protests from certain groups for the manner in which a woman character forces “a man to wear the Indian Army uniform, which has the national emblem on its flaps, and then tearing it.”

    The MoD says it too has received several complaints.

  • Sukesh Motwani on creating ‘The Gone Game’ during the pandemic

    Sukesh Motwani on creating ‘The Gone Game’ during the pandemic

    MUMBAI: Voot’s upcoming series The Gone Game explores how the spread of Covid2019, besides its health ramifications, has taken an emotional toll on people’s lives. The series is produced by Bodhi Tree Multimedia co-founder Sukesh Motwani, Mautik Tolia and creative producer Persis Siganporia. The series is directed by Nikhil Nagesh. The Gone Game is a thriller based on a family whose morale gets shaken when the main protagonist tests positive for Covid2019. This, in turn, sets the wheel churning for some dramatic and thrilling turn of events for the family.

    The thought of a potential crime with the backdrop of the pandemic in a large dysfunctional family is what got Motwani’s imagination running. His biggest priority was to maintain the quality of the show. He adds that the production house was deeply involved in almost all aspects of production and spent hours brainstorming on how to ensure that the audience does not feel that the actors were shooting in their respective homes virtually. He points out that there is not even a single frame when two actors met.

    Motwani gives a lot of the credit to director of photography Piyush Puty who was constantly guiding the actors on all technical aspects of the shoot. He also mentions that Puty identified the perfect spots within the house and went on to teach actors on how to create a block, light it and then perform. Puty aesthetically created spaces where the actors could shoot on their phones with minimal lighting.

    The team spent a lot of time getting the groundwork done over virtual meetings. Each and every aspect was discussed in detail to avoid unnecessary delays while shooting. Each team member was always connected via video or audio calls.

    View this post on Instagram

    Locked at home, play a game, right? But #TheGoneGame leaves no winners. Coming soon, exclusively on #VootSelect. @vootselect A big thank you to the entire cast and crew Director: @nix_bhat Dop: @piyushputy Written by: @nix_bhat @mautiktolia #radhikaanand #ayeshasayed Edited By: #manishmistry #amitkumar Background Music: @adityan28 @nayantaramusic Sound Designer: @paralightsmusic Creative Director: @bhummika93 Producers: #sukeshmotwani @mautiktolia @djspersis Produced by: @bodhitreemultimedia Voot Select Team: @aparnaram @anupnvkadam @aakanshabisht Cast: @sanjaykapoor2500 @arjun__mathur @battatawada @shriya.pilgaonkar @rukhsarrehman @indraneilsengupta @dibyenduofficial @lubnamsalim @milindadhikari Associate Director: @eyeviewer Associate Creative: #nupurvashisht Casting Director: @the_ashutoshrai HOP: #arundubey Production Team: @joybanerjeekolkata #ashishreikhi #rohitghodke Accounts Head: #ravibhatt Admin Team: #rahulsingh #amilchavan Post Head: #viinodnanda Office Boys: #sanghpalsevale #sudhirminj

    A post shared by Bodhitree Multimedia Pvt. Ltd. (@bodhitreemultimedia) on

    Motwani says, “Conceptualising and creating The Gone Game is a fine example of a blend of creativity and innovation. A story which propagates humanistic values, engagement and unpredictability will by itself draw audiences’ to itself. We have stayed true to our core of creating a perfect whodunit set against the backdrop of the pandemic.”

    He shares that the intrinsic rules of shoot remained the same. The team had invested a lot of time and effort in rehearsals and workshops before finally shooting. However, they were realistically prepared that this time shooting will take longer.

    “We knew we were up for a challenge when we set our minds to shooting the entire show remotely. While we equipped ourselves through numerous prep sessions with the actors, this shoot required us to be on our toes constantly. Our efforts were to make all the actors create their own blocks, shoot and yet maintain a sense of continuity and authenticity,” he adds.

    Motwani believes storytelling in the times of pandemic is extremely important. He thinks it is essential to entertain and inspire viewers with great content along with the thrilling experience that intrigues with darker aspects of the human psyche. “There is always a perfect story waiting to unfold, we just have to look at it creatively,” he concludes.

  • Mainstream TV is offering “Balcony Ticket” with Pay and Watch possibilities – THE FIRST OTT PLATFORM TO OFFER PAY PER VIEW MODEL.

    Mainstream TV is offering “Balcony Ticket” with Pay and Watch possibilities – THE FIRST OTT PLATFORM TO OFFER PAY PER VIEW MODEL.

    Mainstream TV OTT was launched when the world of Malayalam movie goers barely had any options to watch and enjoy movies. Our first Direct to Digital Premier Musical Chair had an immense reception across Malayalam speaking audiences, especially at gulf countries and the number of viewers from Angola, Libiya, New Zealand etc. shows the reach of Mainstream Tv app.

    Mainstream TV is available on iOS, Android, Fire TV and Chromecast.

    Musical Chair enquires the hidden truth behind death. The uniqueness in the theme is what makes Musical Chair different. Death still remains an unanswered question to the ever genius human race. Vipin Atlee is giving a new definition to death which is quite simple and understandable even for a normal audience. Apart from being the director, Atlee made memorable acting sequences as well in the movie.

    You can book the "Balcony Ticket" in Mainstream Tv and enjoy the movie same way as you enjoy it in a theatre. The viewer’s enjoys Mainstream release Musical Chair equally as they enjoy Amazon release Sufiyum Sujathayum. A bunch of brand new movies are waiting to be released through Mainstream TV and will reach the viewer’s soon.

    Mainstream Tv puts forward numerous marketing and entertainment possibilities.  It renders a super wide release for the movies so that the viewers from Trivandrum and Brooklyn can enjoy the movie at the same time. Audience from anywhere around the world with access to internet can enjoy the movie as they enjoy a movie in the theatres. This pay and watch which helps the producer to receive revenue directly is fault free and secured. We can avail the ticket range according to the producer’s requirement. One can purchase the "balcony ticket" in Mainstream TV through India's secured banks such as SBI, HDFC,ICICI etc. Mainstream TV had made sure that the payment gateway is faultless and highly secured.

    Siva, the founder & CEO of Mainstream Tv says, "A producer goes through immense pressure during a movie release. Mainstream TV could somehow reduce this anxiety. The producer can see the number of views and locations from which the movie is viewed. This gives clarity for the required promotion. The producer could also receive the revenue collected for his movie within 30 thirty days."
     

  • Jio topline almost triples as op rev climbs in Q1-20

    Jio topline almost triples as op rev climbs in Q1-20

    BENGALURU: Mukesh Dhirubhai Ambani’s largest start-up in the world Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd (Jio Infocomm) saw standalone operating revenue climb 33.7 percent to Rs 16,557 crore for the quarter ended 30 June 2020 (Q1 2020, period or quarter under review) as compared to the Rs 12,383 crore for the corresponding year ago quarter Q1 2020. Standalone profit after tax (PAT) increased 182.83 percent (almost tripled) in the quarter under review to Rs 2,520 crore from Rs 891 crore in Q1 2020.

    The company says in an earnings media release that customer addition in Q1 2021 was 0.99 crore despite the COVID2019 related impact. It closed the quarter with 39.83 crore subscribers and ARPU of Rs 140.30 per subscriber per month, higher than the Rs 130.6 in the immediate trailing quarter Q4 2020.

    Jio Infocomm standalone EBITDA for Q1 2021 was Rs 7,005 crore, which was 50 percent higher y-o-y than the Rs 4,670 crore for Q1 2020. Standalone total income (net operating revenue plus other income. without GST) for Q1 2021 increased 35.8 percent y-o-y to Rs 16,833 crore from Rs 12,399 crore in Q1 2020. Jio Infocomm’s network standalone operating expenses during the period under review increased 36.6 percent to Rs 5,225 crore from Rs 3,284 crore.  Standalone access charges in Q1 2021 fell 10.4 percent to Rs 1,393 crore from Rs 1,555 crore. Standalone license fees/spectrum charges for Q1 2021 increased 41.3 percent y-o-y to Rs 1,818 crore from Rs 1,287 crore in Q1 2020. Standalone employee benefit expense in Q1 2021 fell 18.9 percent to Rs 318 crore from Rs 392 crore in Q1 2020. Standalone net finance cost in Q1 2021 declined 29.6 percent to Rs 1,168 crore from Rs 1,660 crore in Q1 2020. Standalone other expenses in Q1 2021 fell 3.7 percent y-o-y to Rs 523 crore from Rs 310 crore in Q1 2020.

    Jio Platforms Ltd

    Jio Platforms Ltd (Jio Platforms) is an Indian digital services company and a subsidiary of Reliance Industries Ltd. The company owns India's largest mobile network operator Jio Infocom and other digital businesses of Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL). Jio Platforms has raised Rs 152,056 crores to bolster Jio’s initiatives towards delivering breakthrough technologies and building the world’s leading digital services platform. Jio Platforms has raised the money across thirteen investors which includes Facebook, Google, Silver Lake, Vista Equity Partners, General Atlantic, KKR, Mubadala, ADIA, TPG, L Catterton, Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia, Intel Capital and Qualcomm Ventures. Reliance Industries, post completion of these investments, would hold 66.48 percent equity stake in Jio Platforms on a fully diluted basis. Of the total investment, Jio Platforms Limited has already received Rs 1,15,694 crore as subscription amount.

    Jio Platforms consolidated revenue for Q1 2021 increased 12.2 percent from Rs 15,373 crore reported for the immediate trailing quarter. Jio Platforms consolidated PAT for Q1 2021 increased 6 percent to Rs 2,519 crore from Rs 2,377 crore in Q4 2020. Jio Platforms consolidated EBITDA for Q1 2021 increased 12.8 percent q-o-q to Rs 7,047 crore from Rs 6,250 crore in Q4 2020.

    Company Speak

    RIL chairman and managing director Ambani said: “Jio started with a vision of connecting everything by building a robust and secure wireless and digital network and extending the benefits of digital connectivity to everyone in India. Thirteen investors, which include the largest technology companies and investors globally, now share a common vision with us. Jio Platforms Limited with partnerships across promising Indian start-ups and globally renowned technology companies is set to drive the next leg of hyper-growth for digital businesses. Our growth strategy is aimed at meeting the needs of all the 1.3 billion (130 crore) Indians. We remain focused on playing a leading role India’s transformation into a digital society.”

    Reliance Industries

    RIL consolidated revenue for the quarter was Rs 100,929 crore. Consolidated EBITDA for the quarter was Rs 21,585 crore. RIL says that despite lockdown due to COVID2019, net profit including exceptional items for the quarter was higher by 30.6 percent y-o-y at `Rs13,248 crore. Cash Profit was also higher by 16.7 percent y-o-y at Rs 18,893 crore. EPS including exceptional items for the quarter was Rs 20.7 per share, increased 22.1 percent y-o-y.

  • Eros International, STX Entertainment announce completion of merger-of-equals transaction

    Eros International, STX Entertainment announce completion of merger-of-equals transaction

    KOLKATA: Eros International and STX Entertainment have announced the completion of their merger-of-equals transaction. The newly-combined company will migrate in the coming weeks to trade on the NYSE under the symbol ESXI and will operate under the name Eros STX Global Corporation. The company will continue to be domiciled in the Isle of Man and headquartered in both Burbank, California, USA and Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.

    Pursuant to the merger agreement, Eros International issued contingent value rights (CVRs) to the former stockholders of STX Entertainment in the merger. The CVRs will be settled in ordinary shares of Eros STX on a date between 75 days and six months after the effective time of the merger.

    Eros STX will benefit from diversified underlying sources of revenue and consumers with a truly global media and consumer entertainment play, building a powerhouse between East and West. Eros STX has a unique capability to present film and episodic libraries and pipeline of original content to a broad and growing global audience through multi-year output deals, strategic alliances and the market leading Eros Now streaming platform. Eros STX is well positioned to create long-term value for shareholders, partners and employees.

    In India, Eros STX will continue to have a leading box office presence and one of the largest and most valuable libraries of Indian language films. In China, the Company will benefit from and expand upon some of the most comprehensive business and creative relationships in the industry. In the United States and the rest of the world, it will utilise its revolutionary, industry-disrupting and cost effective, data-driven production, marketing and distribution system innovations to create the studio system of the future: visionary, nimble, efficient and sustainable.

    Eros STX capital structure includes $110 million of incremental equity, with an additional $15 million to be completed within the next 90 days, from new and existing global investors including TPG, Tencent, Hony Capital and Liberty Global. The combined company is expected to generate approximately $50 million in annual run-rate operating synergy.