ITV

Category: Over The Top Services

  • Snapdeal launches OTT platform

    Snapdeal launches OTT platform

    MUMBAI: Snapdeal has entered the OTT race by partnering with video-on-demand platform Hungama Play. It will offer video-streaming service to Snapdeal users who can order essentials while enjoying videos from the app.  

    The app will offer TV shows, short-format content, and movies across genres in more than 15 languages such as Hindi, Punjabi, English, Bhojpuri, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Gujarati, Bengali, etc.

    "Our association with Snapdeal enables us to offer users wholesome entertainment led by an incredible library of short-format videos, movies, TV shows and Hungama Originals. We are certain that the content experience offered by Hungama Play on Snapdeal will help the users remain engaged," said Hungama Digital Media COO Siddhartha Roy.

    It also enables viewers to enjoy a library of long-format videos, which comprise more than 400 films, TV shows and Hungama originals.

  • Dish TV India’s OTT Platform Watcho sees 50% surge in content consumption

    Dish TV India’s OTT Platform Watcho sees 50% surge in content consumption

    MUMBAI: Leading DTH company Dish TV India has rolled out a variety of short format, snackable original content on its OTT platform Watcho in response to the increase in the viewing needs of their customers,

    Over the past one month, the platform has witnessed a 50 per cent surge in content consumption, leading to a steep hike in their subscriber base and adding 1 million new subscribers in a month bringing it up to 3.0 million. Watcho has also seen a spike in the time spent by viewers on the platform during March 2020. This sudden increase can be attributed to the recently added new and fresh content on the platform and the overall surge in consumption of content during the ongoing lockdown.

    Additionally, during the lockdown period, Watcho’s streaming bandwidth has been better optimized to reduce network load on the internet by reducing the native resolution of the app to 480p without compromising on the quality. The company undertook this move to ensure the delivery of uninterrupted content to the viewers and keep them entertained 24*7. 

    “We are excited to share that Watcho has witnessed solid growth in its customer base and content consumption since January 2020. The rapid growth is
    the result of our strategy to create short, engaging content which is the preference of viewers nowadays. Since the inception of Watcho, we have invested in building a unique content library which includes original series & shows, cutting across genres like drama, comedy and Thrillers. As a result, Watcho is fast emerging as the preferred entertainment destination among young audiences,” DishTV India Ltd executive director and group CEO Anil Dua said.

    Focused on short format storytelling for digital consumption, Watcho offers many original fiction shows like 4 Thieves, Love Crisis, Ardhasatya, Mortuary, Chhoriyan, Rakhta Chandana and original influencer shows like Look I can Cook, Bikhare Hain Alfaaz to name a few. Watcho content cuts across all genres including but not limited to; Drama, Comedy, Thriller, Romance, Food, Fashion and Poetry. 

  • Amazon Prime Video presents the digital premiere of Vicky Kaushal starrer horror-thriller Bhoot- Part One: The Haunted Ship

    Amazon Prime Video presents the digital premiere of Vicky Kaushal starrer horror-thriller Bhoot- Part One: The Haunted Ship

    Amazon Prime Video today announced the digital premiere of 2020’s most thrilling horror film Bhoot- Part One: The Haunted Ship. The film is based on a true accident that took place in Mumbai and tells the story of a young shipping officer, Prithvi, grappling with a massive personal loss, takes it upon himself to unravel the mysteries of a haunted ship. Starting April 22, Prime members across 200 countries and territories can stream the spine-chilling Vicky Kaushal, Bhumi Pednekar and Ashutosh Rana starrer shortly after its theatrical release. 

    “I was never a ‘horror-film friendly’ actor before doing Bhoot – Part One: The Haunted Ship. I was someone who would step out of the room if a horror movie was on. However, with this film, I was able to overcome my fear. With this movie, the endeavor has been to bring to the fans, a true experience of the genre through a genuine horror film which is not just filled with thrills, but which is honestly scary.  I am happy that many more viewers across the globe can now stream the film and enjoy some edge-of-the seat thrill, from the comfort of their personal devices on Amazon Prime Video.”

    Synopsis:

    When an abandoned and dilapidated ship called the Sea Bird mysteriously runs aground on the shores of Mumbai, one man is assigned to close the case. However, the sinister stories surrounding the ship may have more truth to them than he previously thought. Will he live to tell the tale? Written and Directed by Bhanu Pratap Singh, Bhoot Part One: The Haunted Ship comprises a stellar cast including Vicky Kaushal, Bhumi Pednekar and Ashutosh Rana, among others.

    Bhoot- Part One: The Haunted Ship will join the thousands of TV shows and movies from Hollywood and Bollywood in the Prime Video catalogue, including Indian produced Amazon Original series such as The Family Man, Mirzapur, Inside Edge and Made In Heaven, and award-winning and critically acclaimed global Amazon Original series including Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, The Boys, Hunters, Fleabag and The MarvelousMrs. Maisel, all on Prime Video, which is available at no extra cost for Amazon Prime members. The service includes titles available in Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Punjabi and Bengali.

    Prime members will be able to watch Bhoot- Part One: The Haunted Ship anywhere and anytime on the Prime Video app for smart TVs, mobile devices, Fire TV, Fire TV stick, Fire tablets, Apple TV, Airtel, Vodafone, etc. In the Prime Video app, Prime members can download episodes on their mobile devices and tablets and watch anywhere offline at no additional cost. Prime Video is available in India  at no extra cost to a Prime membership for just ₹999 annually or ₹129 monthly, new customers can find out more at  www.amazon.in/prime and subscribe to a free 30-day trial.

  • Likee collaborates with VYRLOriginals to promote Vishal Mishra’s latest single ‘Aaj Bhi’

    Likee collaborates with VYRLOriginals to promote Vishal Mishra’s latest single ‘Aaj Bhi’

    MUMBAI: Short-video platform Likee has yet again collaborated with VYRL Originals to promote their recently-launched song ‘Aaj Bhi’, which has been sung and composed by Vishal Mishra. The music video of the song stars actors Ali Fazal and Surbhi Jyoti, who have earlier featured in some popular movies, TV serials and streaming originals.

    Likers have been invited to shoot creative videos on the song and share the same on the app with #AajBhi. Creators and influencers who share the best videos will be rewarded for the same. As part of the collaboration, Vishal Mishra will also interact with Likers in a live session.

    The song is an ode to an unfulfilled love story between Ali Fazal and Surbhi Jyoti. The college-time lovers parted ways and even end up choosing different partners for themselves. But as fate would have it, they meet each other again at a palace hotel.

    Likee, which has emerged as the most preferred destination for film and music promotion, had earlier collaborated with VYRL Originals to promote singing sensation Akull’s ‘Laal Chunariya’ song, which revolved around the story of two lovers.

    Available in different Indian languages such as Hindi, Tamil, Marathi, Telugu, Gujarati, Bengali, Kannada, Malayalam and Punjabi, Likee app provides the most extensive and innovative tools to users to create dynamic and engaging videos. Recently, Likee has also won the Guinness World Record for creating the 'Largest online video album of people waving a flag in India' during its 'No matter where I am, #IAMINDIAN' campaign. The campaign saw more than 1 lac Indians participating in celebrating India's 73rd Independence Day.

  • How short video apps stepped up in the ongoing war against COVID-19

    How short video apps stepped up in the ongoing war against COVID-19

    With the world adhering to norms like social distancing in the prevailing lockdown and COVID-19 scenario, social media, and short video platforms have helped people come closer, at least virtually. Propelled by the lack of recreation options, activities on such apps have witnessed a surge in the recent past. In addition to offering recreational opportunities, short video apps such as TikTok and VMate have also been playing a crucial role in making the fight against the pandemic more effective.

    Apart from common users, such apps have witnessed increased convergence of doctors and medical professionals, who are making use of the wide reach to spread authentic information related to COVID-19. On VMate for instance, a few doctors, such as Dr. Khushboo Tanwar from Haryana and Dr. Chitra Tamta from Uttarakhand told people about how they could make sanitizers at home using doctor spirit and aloe vera and how they should use the masks properly. Similar activities were carried out on short video app Likee, wherein medical professionals even held live sessions to address queries related to the pandemic.

    Even when Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation to announce the lockdown, and days later its extension, the same was streamed on the world’s leading short video app TikTok. This helped several people who did not have access to television at that time get first-hand information rather than relying on indirect messages that often get distorted and lost in communication.

    Even celebrities from Bollywood and other fields have used short video apps extensively to spread awareness about the pandemic since its outbreak, as many have repeatedly shared videos instructing and reminding people about the Dos and Don’ts related to the novel virus and lockdown. For example, popular Haryanvi dancer Sapna Chaudhary recently performed on VMate Corona Anthem, a foot-tapping number that asserts that the virus will be gone soon and simultaneously raises awareness.

    These apps have specifically been instrumental in busting myths around the novel virus. VMate, for instance, launched an official profile titled ‘Myth Buster’, wherein info sourced from WHO was presented in an interactive and animated format. Keeping the audience base in consideration, clear Hindi text was supported with an audio voiceover reading them out.

    The short video apps have also tried to ensure that they come to the rescue of people battling boredom or scrambling for creative options to spend their lockdown time at home. The apps launched hashtags and challenges that served the purpose and were well received by the users too. TikTok, for instance, launched hashtags such as #boredathome and #thingstodo, which provided activity options to users to make the best of their lockdown days. VMate, which is called ‘Rural India’s TikTok’, too launched a #21DaysChallenge wherein the platform offered a fresh challenge to the users each day. The best videos out of them were featured and rewarded on an in-app H5 page dedicated to the challenge.

    On VMate, users shared videos to showcase how rural India was coping up with the crisis. Some of the videos depicted how authorities were using traditional means such as loudspeakers on bicycles and autorickshaws to inform people about the lockdown and the directives issued by the government. The users also shared several heart-touching moments, such as one Sunny Virdi, whose video showed his mother serving food and tea to an old man who hadn’t eaten anything for over two days. A few others from different parts of India, who distributed food among villagers and children, also shared their videos on the short video app.

    As the world encountered its biggest crisis in modern history, short videos apps stepped up in a variety of ways and undertook initiatives to ensure the absence of gloom around to a great extent. They have fought misinformation, curbed circulation of fake news and at the same time emerged as the best entertainment options when mankind is practically under house arrest by the pandemic.

  • ShemarooMe partners with Amazon Pay

    ShemarooMe partners with Amazon Pay

    MUMBAI: ShemarooMe, the OTT platform from Shemaroo Entertainment, today announced its partnership with the popular payment gateway Amazon Pay. With this association, customers can avail cash back of up to 40 per cent on Amazon Pay while subscribing for content on ShemarooMe. The partnership further eases user experience as consumers of both Android and iOS devices can access ShemarooMe’s extensive content catalogue.

    The collaboration will see consumers accessing ShemarooMe’s vast content library of over 15,000+ hours of multi-genre, multi-regional content that includes Bollywood premiere, Bollywood classic, kids, devotional, comedy and regional content. To access the premium content on the platform and avail these benefits, consumers need to select Amazon Pay as their digital wallet partner on ShemarooMe’s payment page. This association also comes at a time when the entire OTT universe is witnessing a surge in their subscriber base and viewership, hence partnering with a widely accepted and trusted payment gateway makes the entire viewing experience seamless and adds a treat for consumers through the exciting cashback offers.

    Shemaroo Entertainment Limited digital COO Zubin Dubash said: “We are excited to expand our payment options on ShemarooMe with Amazon Pay. Backed by all the attractive cashback offers from Amazon, we are sure our customers are going to be even more delighted.”

    “Even during these unprecedented times, we are committed to delivering the best experience for our customers.  The partnership with ShemarooMe will enable customers to pay for their subscription seamlessly and enjoy world-class entertainment with a click of a button. We constantly strive to increase affordability and complete digital payments securely,” said Manesh Mahatme, director – experience and merchant acceptance, Amazon Pay India.

  • Quibi hits 1.7 million downloads in its first week

    Quibi hits 1.7 million downloads in its first week

    MUMBAI: Short-form video streaming app Quibi has achieved 1.7 million downloads in its first week, says its boss Meg Whitman.

    The app, launched on 6 April, streams clips 10 minutes or shorter.

    The short videos, or quick-bite videos, are ideally suited for short breaks or commuting, the company advertised. The app streams shows that are 10 minutes or even shorter. Another feature of the app is that it streams movies that are broken into small segments.

    The company is making efforts to make Quibi available on TVs. As of now, the app is available only on tablets and smartphones.  

    Whitman, in an interview with CNBC, feels that the COVID-19 pandemic has not impacted the launch.

    "It turns out people have in-between moments at home. We don't actually think it hurt us," she said.

    A few experts were skeptical of the short-video app. They were of the opinion that it would be difficult for Quibi to get users due to the COVID-19 lockdown. They thought that people who are cocooned at homes would prefer watching long-duration videos on bigger devices.

    Quibi is now available as part of a 90-day free trial. While an ad-backed version is available in the US and Canada, an ad-free version has been made available in countries like Germany and the UK.

    Quibi aims to compete with TV and OTTs like Netflix and social media video platforms such as Tiktok and YouTube. 

  • One Take Media launches new OTT app

    One Take Media launches new OTT app

    Mumbai: One Take Media Co (OTMC), a global content production and distribution hub, is all set to enter the OTT space with its newly launched app called “Playflix”.

    Playflix will stream content across 28 genres ranging from Hollywood movies in nine languages, regional language movies, kids, cooking, Korean TV dramas in Hindi, and many more.  

    OTMC is a global content production and distribution hub with a content library of more than 10,000 hours. It produces, acquires and distributes content in various genres like Hollywood movies, regional movies, kids’ animation, etc.  

    Being the first ever mover in the Korean content space, its Korean library boasts of popular Korean drama series (Hindi dubbed), K-pop music. Playflix highly appeals to all kinds of audience in urban as well as regional audience as it has a varied selection of movies in nine Indian regional languages like Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Marathi, Gujarati, Bhojpuri and Bengali.

    OTMC founder-CEO Anil Khera says: “We are very excited to enter the fast moving OTT space with our newest launched app ‘Playflix’. This is the best of time for both consumers and content creators. We are hopeful for an excellent consumer response and we are confident to create our own space in the crowded OTT market.”

    OTMC has partnered with leading OTT apps, broadcasters, telecom operators, DTH platforms in India and abroad.

    KPMG in India says: “The online video consumer in India has evolved in a significant way in the last couple of years. With consumption now going mass and viewers spending close to 8.5 hours a week on online video, we see a homogenous pattern of consumption emerging cutting across age groups, income levels and professions.”

    India is one of the fastest-growing entertainment and media markets globally and is expected to keep that momentum. As data and digital infrastructure have become exceedingly accessible even in small cities of India, the market for OTT has widened enormously. With easy and affordable availability of internet, the internet users have increased to 500 millions.  By 2023 estimation, the internet users are likely to touch $5 billion.  The penetration of smartphones has surpassed 600 millions.  

    In 2018, the global pay OTT subscription was $14.5 billion and by 2025, it is estimated to be around $179.9 billion dollars. According to a report by Ernst & Young, the number of OTT users in the country will reach 500 million by 2020, making India the second–biggest market after the US. In fiscal year 2018, the OTT market in India was worth Rs 2,150 crore (₹21.5 billion, US$303 million as of 2018), and its value grew to Rs 35 billion in 2019.

    The Indian OTT market is expected to grow 45 percent to reach ₹138 billion by the end of fiscal 2023.

  • ‘Four More Shots Please!’ Season 2 raises the bar

    ‘Four More Shots Please!’ Season 2 raises the bar

    MUMBAI: Take four beautiful Indian women from the upper class of society who are thick friends. Have them dressed and made up like they are walking the ramp, and at other times have them in the buff, frolicking with various paramours. Follow their romantic and sexual escapades. And of course give them this propensity for quaffing alcohol shots and an inane ability to get their hearts broken again and again, without any lessons being learnt at all.

    So what have you got?

    Amazon Prime Video’s Four More Shots Please (FMSP) Season 1.

    Now put in a lot more heart. Continue with their excessive horniness. Add on layers and growth arcs to their characters. Inject a progressive narrative, while focusing on their strengths and weakness, their successes and their failings, into the script. Make them believable. And this time you have got Four More Shots Please Season 2.

    Clearly in its new edition, the chick digital original series is a leap over the first one. Whether it’s writer Devika Bhagat who has put together a lot more soul into each of the four protagonists – Anjana , Damini, Siddhi and  Umang Singh – or Nupur Asthana (remember Hip Hip Hooray) who has helmed the 10 episodes, the Pritish Nandy-produced, Ishita-and-Rangita Nandy-show-run series is definitely an improvement over season 1.

    The locations and art direction are of course lavish; attention to detail in the sets is remarkable. The Truck Bar appears once again and is almost a character, a prominent host to many more tequila shot drinking and secret sharing sessions. The costumes and the styling are clearly tops.

    During FMSP 2, viewers will discover how Siddhi Patel (Maanvi Gagroo) unearths her true calling as a standup comic, that she has a libido which she has to quench and that she is no longer a rich spoilt girl but is now a woman in her own right. Umang Singh (Gurbani) and Samara Kapoor (Lisa Ray) will understand they cannot live without each other and also the true meaning of love. Damini (Sayani Gupta) will go boldly where she has never gone before in her writing as well as her relationship with Aamir Warsi (Milind Soman) and Jeh (Prateik Babbar). Anjana (Kirti Kulhari) will find the going tough in her law firm, strike out on her own, have affairs and finally land up in a soup and feeling guilty as hell.

    The series begins with three of the friends in India flying out to meet a hysterical Siddhi in Turkey after being incommunicado with each other for three to four months and follows the individual progress in their lives thereafter.

    The performances are laudatory and all the four ladies get a chance to stand out living up to what the roles demand of them. They grow on you and you begin to relate to them, you like them – maybe more so because they sail into uncharted waters, despite the fact that they are bubbling over with doubt and fear. It’s not just about their secret and not-so-secret sexual dalliances, but also about their personal choices.  It’s not feminism for the sake of feminism; it is truly about human or woman empowerment and self-esteem. They are vulnerable, and yet brave.

    And all four of them – including Lisa Ray – become the character, or the character becomes them.  Ditto for the male support cast, which includes Milind and Prateik. Real-life couple Fahad Samar and Simone Singh have short but important brief roles, and they leave a mark as Siddhi’s parents. Neil Bhoopalam as Anjana’s former husband; Prabal Panjabi as Siddhi's  painful interest; Sameer Kochchar as the brash lying successful lawyer with a roving eye, complete the notable cast.

    Nupur, Devika and dialogue writer Ishita Moitra have also pushed the limits. Yes indeed lesbians do kiss like heterosexuals do, then why not show it openly and be true to what that relationship brings with it? And yes, modern Indian women do swear and utter profanities between themselves or when they are pushed to the wall by chauvinists, so why not show them doing so? And women have their hormonal swings and periods so why not celebrate and flaunt it? Both men and women fart so why not have them portray it on screen as well?

    FMSP 2.0 is a portrayal of the modern-day independent, not-so-independent and dependent Indian woman and their interplay in the society we live. And it's been done so that it is believable; while walking the fine line between kitsch and what is right. Yes, there are some clichéd moments –as well as dialogues which at times make you cringe – but have we not a lot of that in successful series emerging internationally, even Hollywood? You also often times wonder and go oh no, why can’t the complex characters of these women be simpler? Why can’t they learn and take the right decisions and not walk right into danger?

    The show is packaged well, and is brightly lit, colourful and a good breeze through. In this time of COVID-19 lockdown, if you want to be entertained (without using too much of your rational and thinking faculties) by the antics of gorgeous-looking-and-dressed-to-the-T-yet-flawed women, do navigate your remote to Amazon Prime Video’s FMSP s.2.

    Show: Four More Shots Please Season 2
    Platform:     Prime Video
    Cast: Kirti Kulhari, Sayani Gupta, Baani J or Gurbaani, Maanvi Gagroo, Lisa Ray, Milind Soman, Jiya Lakhiani, Neil Bhoopalam, Prateik Babbar, Ankur Rathee, Simone Singh, Amrita Puri, Rajeev Siddhartha, Sameer Kochchar, Shibani Dandekar, Prabal Panjabi.
    Director: Nupur Asthana
    Written by: Devika Bhagat
    Dialogues: Ishita Moitra
    Show runners: Ishita and Rangita Pritish Nandy
    Producer: Pritish Nandy
    Editor: Antara Lahiri
    Cinematography: Neha Parti Matiyani
    Art Direction: Abhay Bhedasgaonkar
    Production Design: Parichit Paralkar
    Casting: Shubham Gaur & Trishaan
    Makeup: Reann Moradian
    Costume Design: Aastha Sharma, Shiraz Siddique and Sagar Tiroltkar
    Music: Mikey McCleary

  • ShemarooMe ties up Dhiraagu to entertain Maldives’ people

    ShemarooMe ties up Dhiraagu to entertain Maldives’ people

    Mumbai: ShemarooMe, the OTT video streaming platform by Shemaroo Entertainment Limited, today announced its association with Dhiraagu, the largest provider of telecommunications and digital services in Maldives. This partnership will increase availability and brand visibility for ShemarooMe in Maldives amongst the subscriber base of Dhiraagu TV (IPTV).

    With a huge bank of over 3700+ titles, the partnership with ShemarooMe will boost the content offerings of Dhiraagu TV and offer genres across Bollywood movies, classic films  and Bengali movies. With this association, ShemarooMe will be reaching out to a wide base of audience across the Maldives region and entertain the Indian diasporas across all ages. ShemarooMe will be available in Maldives for Dhiraagu TV users with an introductory discount offer of 50 per cent till 1 June 2020.

    Shemaroo Entertainment Limited CEO Hiren Gada said: “We are delighted to partner with Dhiraagu TV and mark our entry into the Maldives region. Dhiraagu has a strong subscriber base, which will help enhance the brand visibility and strengthen the presence of ShemarooMe globally. ShemarooMe has a vast library of multi genre and multi-regional content and we are sure to entertain all the audiences across.”

    Dhiraagu chief marketing officer Mahmoud Dasser stated: “We are happy to welcome ShemarooMe on board and are glad to associate with a company that has a legacy of entertaining its audiences for years. We are hopeful that this partnership will enrich the lives of our customers by granting them access to high-quality content.”