ITV

Category: Over The Top Services

  • Delhi, Mumbai largest markets for OTT audio streaming

    Delhi, Mumbai largest markets for OTT audio streaming

    MUMBAI: There is a strong interplay between radio and OTT audio streaming resulting in what can be called a “Battle for the Ear”, according a study. 

    The OTT Audience Measurement Insights – a first-of-its-kind, passive, continuous audience measurement service – has been launched by Kantar and VTION and it will bring the streaming audio medium on par with radio, TV, print and digital platforms.

    In the inaugural release, the study has picked up certain unique regarding content consumption patterns as OTT audio streaming players seem to have built unique core audiences. 

    There is a clear pattern of consumption of songs that go beyond ‘trending’ time-frame giving them a longer lifespan. The study also shows that the OTT platforms are also effectively competing with TV in the weekday morning slots.

    The study reports multiple variables by gender, time of the day, age group, genre, OTT platforms, NCCS, and cities for the content being consumed.

    Hemant Mehta, Managing Director, Insights Division & Chief Strategy Officer, Kantar South Asia, said: “The year 2020 will be ‘The Battle for the ear’ as OTT Audio platforms are shaking up the music market, especially by creating an intense competition between Radio and OTT Audio platforms. Today the listeners are spoilt for choice as far as content consumption is concerned and move across the platforms to fulfill their entertainment needs. The OTT Audience measurement is redefining the audience measurement space as it provides rich insights ranging from listening habits across devices, age groups, peak times, and genres and so on and addresses a need for a robust solution to track the OTT space. Our joint initiative withVTION has provided the industry with the much-needed metrics that will ultimately help the marketers understand the consumer profiles, their content and platform preferences required for effective communication planning and implementation.’’

    Manoj Dawane, Founder & CEO of VTION, added: "Audio as a medium of entertainment and engagement, comprising of OTT platforms, broadcast radio and podcasting, is a fast-growing media segment in India. We believe that a well-defined and unbiased independent measurement system will catalyse growth even more as marketers, platform owners and content owners will be able to drive relevance, programme meaningfully and target audiences effectively. Our partnership with Kantar combines their deep consumer behaviour understanding with our patent-pending technology to serve the industry better and grow the market.”

    Key Findings

     13 Million adults listened to any OTT streaming App in the last 30 days over nine cities.
     OTT Audio streaming peaks between 9 PM- 9.30 over weekends, almost making it the new prime time. Weekend listenership trumps weekdays.
     The medium is fast catching on across audience groups providing “personal, me time”
     Delhi and Mumbai at 25% each are the largest OTT audio streaming markets, followed by Kolkata and Bangalore standing at 11% and 10%, respectively.
     Mumbai is deeply entrenched in terms of OTT Audio streaming, capturing 44% of the pie followed by Delhi at 25%.
     Clear interplay between Radio and OTT Audio streaming – Battle for the ear 
     Strong correlation between radio and streaming audio; OTT streaming seems to be thriving in markets where radio listenership habit is not strong.
     Among the top 10 songs 
    o 2 Singles amongst 10 songs 
    o 3 Remix / version / Recreation
    o Longevity of Music beyond the theatrical: Kabir Singh

    The OTT Audience Measurement offering brings together Kantar’s expertise in media measurement and consumer insights with VTION’s proprietary audience measurement technology and data management framework to provide a unique, comprehensive understanding of audience behaviour, insights for communication planning as well assessment of ROI for media investments across OTT video platforms, OTT audio streaming & podcasting and broadcast radio FM platforms.  

    The study is based on a robust sample size of 9000+ stretching across top nine cities (Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Pune, Ahmedabad & Lucknow/Kanpur) among the male and female of age group of 18+ and across SEC A, B & CDE. 

  • ALTBalaji management confident of breakeven by April-June 2020

    ALTBalaji management confident of breakeven by April-June 2020

    MUMBAI: Ekta Kapoor’s over-the-top platform has managed to solve the OTT revenue question. The ALTBalaji management always spoke of profitability and breaking even rather than cash-burn and tons of investment and it seems that aspiration will soon be achieved.

    The management at Balaji Telefilms remains relentlessly upbeat about lowering the recorded loss in the balance sheet gradually. In the third quarter, it stood at about Rs 16 crore. As shared with investors in an earnings call, the management is optimistic to bring it down to single digit in the fourth quarter. “April-June onwards we will practically breakeven the ALT business,” the company says. It also mentions that the breakeven is at the P&L level.

    Before September 2019, ALTBalaji shows were available for free on telco services. The indirect customers were yielding very low average revenue per user (ARPU) bordering between Rs10 to 15. The platform last year entered in a deal with ZEE5 also. All 42 shows which were produced before September are exclusive to ALTBalaji and the 13 co-produced shows on both platforms. Due to the changes, now all ALTBalaji content is behind a paywall, be it on its own service or on ZEE5.  

    “This has enabled us to one raise our ARPU. Secondly we have direct subscriptions going up, as a result year-on-year. We are doubling our subscription revenue overall and also through direct subscribers, so that is the benefit of going behind paywall. We feel that as our library increases we need to ensure that people form the habit of paying for our content and our content is not offered free. We had to do telco deals and give it off free in the first, probably 30 months of our existence because our library was small, but now we have taken a call, now with the library is growing that we are going to go only behind paywall,” the management reaffirms.

    The revenue has gone up this quarter too which stood at Rs 23.1 crore in Q3. The management thinks numbers are looking more and more cheerful in terms of the topline. It attributes it to two factors – one, the exclusive 42 shows and the ZEE deal. Because of the deal, it has been able to manage P&L and revenues.

    “It is a 60-40 content share, 60 per cent of our content cost is picked up by ZEE and I think on an annual basis that will amount to at least about Rs 80 crore to 90 crore and the rest of the money that we spend on the apps has to be made by us directly through our exclusive live and show that exploit and as a result of that we hope to breakeven between 36 to 48 months from our launch,” the management states.

    The management is very confident that its direct subscription revenues are doubling every year. At the closing of this financial year, it estimates the figure to stand well above Rs 31 crore to 32 crore . It is also expecting to double direct subscription revenues next year as well. Moreover, the two-year  ZEE partnership will also span most of the next financial year leaking into the year after.

    “We want to be the only OTT platform in the country that has broken even that too with a considerable base of originally-produced shows. We are now the number one store house of originally produced Hindi content in country and we will also demonstrate that we are able to market our shows exclusively better than everybody else because our efficiencies are better. We are achieving this at a much lower marketing spend than the competition,” the management says.

    “That is reflected in the fact that we are consistently in the top four gross billing OTT apps on the Android and the iOS web store pick any month in the last 12 months we will always be in the top four, though our rate to the consumer is probably one of the lowest it is Rs 100 for three months and Rs 300 for a year."

    "What we are therefore setting to establish is that there is a mass market, which we are successfully able to target and operate a profitable OTT business with the topline of about Rs 150 crore to Rs 200 crore in the coming two financials,” it adds.

  • Hungama Play expands distribution, announces partnership with Skyworth

    Hungama Play expands distribution, announces partnership with Skyworth

    MUMBAI: Hungama Play, a video on demand platform owned by Hungama Digital Media, announced an expansion of its distribution network by partnering with Skyworth, a Chinese consumer electronics brand.

    Hungama Play’s multi-lingual and multi-genre library comprising movies, TV shows, kids’ content, short-format videos and original programming will be available to stream on Skyworth smart TVs and Metz TVs, the premium range of smart TVs owned by Skyworth.

    Users of Skyworth smart TVs and Metz smart TVs will gain access to over 5000 films in English, Hindi and regional languages, in addition to more than 1500 short films of Hungama Play. Moreover, users will be able to enjoy Hungama Originals – original shows with unique narratives and storytelling.

    Hungama Digital Media chief operating officer, Siddhartha Roy says: “Over the years, Hungama has created a robust distribution network across various platforms all over the world. We are glad to associate with Skyworth and are certain that this will allow users to enjoy an engaging and wholesome entertainment experience on their Skyworth and Metz TVs.”

    Skyworth India’s vice managing director, Criver Liu, says, “India is a key market for us and we are glad to partner with one of the leading OTT platforms in the country. We are certain that our users will appreciate the diversity and quantum of the content offered by Hungama Play. With this association, we hope to strengthen our user engagement and provide them with an extensive content library.”

    The library of Hugama Play also includes 7500+ hours of kids and television content in multiple languages, along with over 150,000 short-format videos across various genres like music, film gossip, humour, spiritual and more.

    Hungama Play has created multiple customer touchpoints through a robust distribution network. Users can stream content through Hungama Play on Vodafone Play, Idea Movies & TV, Airtel Xstream App, Amazon Fire TV Stick, Tata Sky Binge, MX Player, Mi TV, and other Android TVs.

  • DocuBay acquires LGBTQ+ documentaries from OUTtv

    DocuBay acquires LGBTQ+ documentaries from OUTtv

    MUMBAI: DocuBay, the membership video-on-demand streaming service by IN10 Media Network, has acquired LGBTQ+-focused documentary features from OUTtv, the world’s first and Canada’s only LGBTQ+ television network. The films cover a wide range of issues affecting the LGBT community across the globe and are featured in DocuBay’s newest category called PrideBay, dedicated to films chronicling diverse and complex LGBTQ+ experiences. 

    The licensed titles and new PrideBay category are now available for global streaming on DocuBay, along with the recently-launched CrimeBay, PoliticsBay, NatureBay, TravelBay, AdventureBay, ScienceBay, and many others. The DocuBay app can be downloaded in 180+ countries on the App Store, Google Play, Fire TV, Android TV, and Apple TV, among others.

    Notable titles acquired by DocuBay include -19 and Homeless which captures two years in the lives of former foster kids as they age out of the system and are faced with overwhelming odds and tragic personal struggles; Why Go Through That? which shares the personal stories of six transgender individuals, each at a different stage of life and transition; Made With Pride which follows the emotional and inspiring journey of a gay couple who decide to build a family through surrogacy; and Safe Country follows the stories of three queer refugees in Vancouver with very different experiences of adapting to new lives in Canada.

    DocuBay acquisition & content head Adita Jain stated: “We’re thrilled to partner with OUTtv, not only to share LGBTQ+ stories that address critical issues, but to highlight them in our new PrideBay. DocuBay is committed to being a platform that brings important social issues like those that affect the LGBTQ+ community and others to a wider, global audience, a mission that is made easier by the rapid increase in internet connectivity all around the world.”

    OUTtv CEO Brad Danks stated: “At OUTtv we pride ourselves on being leading providers of queer content across the globe. Our partnership with DocuBay will allow us to continue to expand the availability of queer-focused programming and ensure that LGBTQ+ content is accessible to everyone, world-wide.”

  • ALTBalaji & ZEE5 announce second season of Code M

    ALTBalaji & ZEE5 announce second season of Code M

    MUMBAI: ZEE5 India and ALTBalaji have announced the second season of Jennifer Winget and Tanuj Virwani-starrer Code M, and Riddhi Dogra and Monica Dogra-starrer new web series ‘A Married Woman’, based on Manju Kapur’s novel. These key announcements were made in the presence of actors including Jennifer Winget, Tanuj Virwani, Riddhi Dogra, along with Aditya Pittie, Managing Director – IN10 Media, Samar Khan, Chief Operating Officer – Juggernaut Productions, and other celebrities.

    The night also brought together many starry names from the tinsel town including ace director Akshay Choubey along with the actors like Chandan Roy Sanyal, Aalekh Kapoor, Kashyap Shangari, Madhurima Roy and Gautam Ahuja.

    ALTBalaji MD Ekta Kapoor said, "Samar, Akshay and the team put in the best efforts, walked the thin line between being commercial and yet credible, and did a fantastic job. Code M has done well for us and congratulations Jennifer, Tanuj and the entire team. ALTBalaji is delighted to extend this partnership with Juggernaut Productions with A Married Woman and Code M second season.”

    “Code M has all the elements of a runaway success and the numbers and the love received from fans across India is a testament to that. The strong protagonist and the story telling are its key success factors. We will continue to satiate India’s appetite for entertainment with interesting subjects like the one explored in Code M,” said ZEE5 India programming head Aparna Acharekar. 

    Juggernaut Productions COO Samar Khan said, “With the influx of digital platforms, content has evolved drastically, especially the stories and formats, leading to a highly competitive and cluttered environment. It’s extremely overwhelming that our first production has hit the right note with the audience.” Further added, “This is our first collaboration with ALT Balaji and ZEE5 but there’s more in the pipeline. Apart from Code M, we are delighted to extend our association with ‘A Married Woman’. The teaser has evoked a lot of curiosity and anticipation, we are all excited and geared up to create yet another exceptional series.”

    Jennifer Winget who made her digital debut with the role of Major Monica Mehra in Code M said, “I am both thrilled and humbled at the same time to see the audience’s appreciation for Code M and all our performances. We gave it our best to reel in a gripping show that would get you hooked. Of course, to receive so much love in my very first web series is very encouraging. Needless to say we’re hooked too and I am excitedly diving into my character the second time around. We will be giving it our all. The intensity will only peak, I can promise you that.”

    Tanuj Virwani, who plays the role of Angad Sandhu in the show, shared, “I think my character in Code M is a prime example of what one can achieve solely based on mutual trust and faith in each other’s creative vision. The team really let me mix things up and add my own nuances to Angad. It’s fun to be break away from our preconceived notions of what we expect an individual to be based on their choice of career. Also the subject matter of the show was very serious in nature for the most Part. I think Angad’s Vibe gave the show some levity. It also helped in humanising an otherwise cut and dry Monica to some extent. The response from critics and the audience alike has been overwhelmingly positive and I am excited to take the series and my character's journey ahead.” 

  • Shahabuddin Shaikh joins ALTBalaji as CTO

    Shahabuddin Shaikh joins ALTBalaji as CTO

    MUMBAI: ALTBalaji has appointed Shahabuddin Shaikh as the chief technology officer (CTO). In his new role, he will be responsible for designing a strong tech-driven ecosystem that seamlessly aligns with the brand’s tech vision and leading their overall technology transformation goals.  Shaikh will directly report to ALTBalaji CEO and Balaji Telefilms Group COO Nachiket Pantvaidya.

    With an experience of 20 years in the technology infrastructure, Shaikh’s expertise lies in envisioning solutions that propel product development. His in-depth knowledge of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, deep learning, internet of things, and big data, among others, will help in expanding company growth. Prior to this, he has worked with brands like Vuclip Pvt Ltd , Mauj Mobile, Orios Ltd, Informatic Systems, among others.

    Shaikh launched the VIU app to support 21 million active user base and generate 2.3 billion video minutes a month with an increase in revenue by 2.5 million. During his stint with Mauj Mobile, he was responsible for expanding and stabilising growing MVAS content management platforms.

    Pantvaidya said: “We at ALTBalaji have been working towards building a strong application that’s supported by a talented team and flourishing technology. Shahabuddin has an impeccable record of building and aligning technology organisations with business objectives to achieve results. We welcome him to our organisation.”

    Shaikh said: “I am elated to be undertaking a new responsibility with a leading OTT brand like ALTBalaji. I look forward to working towards building a more seamless and engaging experience for the customers while meeting brand’s tech needs.”  

  • Watcho streams special original series for Valentine’s Day

    Watcho streams special original series for Valentine’s Day

    MUMBAI: With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, Dish TV India Limited, India’s leading DTH Company is all set to premier two new shows on its OTT platform, Watcho. Watcho is giving a chance to its viewers to get immersed in the season of love through their daily episodic show ‘Love Horoscope’and feel the thrill of the season with their new series which explores different aspects of love, ‘Love Crisis’.

    Directed and written by Bhaan Sen, ‘Love Crisis’ revolves around an extramarital affair while weaving a complex web of emotions. The series is a cautionary tale, uncovering the dark side of a ‘happy marriage’. The series exposes the depravity that the human mind is capable of, if it can justify its actions as acts of Love. On the lighter side of things, ‘Love Horoscope’ is a daily episodic show anchored by renowned astrologer Dr. Ajai Bhambi. The show offers advice to its viewers to reignite the passion in their love lives and in some cases win their partners over by sharing predictions, do’s & don’t’ s for dating and love life for individuals basis their sun-signs. In addition to this, viewers can also binge watch recently launched supernatural fiction show ‘Ardhsatya’.

    Commenting on the launch of exhilarating new series on Watcho, DishTV & Watcho corporate head – marketing Sukhpreet Singh said, “At Watcho, we are constantly looking for new ways to entertain our viewers. We are continuously investing time and effort in understanding content consumption pattern of viewers across platforms and provide them with entertaining content as per our viewer’s needs.  We are thrilled to announce the launch of these new series that you can binge watch with your loved ones and making the entire experience worthwhile. As the platform continues to grows, we plan to further expand and provide a more robust and personalized experience to our users.”

    Focused on short format storytelling apt for digital consumption, Watcho also offers many other original fiction shows like Vote The Hell, Mission Breaking News, 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.

  • Actus Digital to demonstrate all-in-one media platform at 2020 NAB Show

    Actus Digital to demonstrate all-in-one media platform at 2020 NAB Show

    At the 2020 NAB Show, Actus Digital will demonstrate how its mandatory compliance solution is part of a much larger media intelligence platform, providing cross-organizational benefits to the operations, marketing and research, and new media departments of broadcasters and media companies. The platform includes solutions for compliance, quality-of-service assurance, technical monitoring, content repurposing, rating and competitive analysis tools, advanced AI options, and more.

    "We have enhanced the Actus Digital intelligent media platform to include more functionality, additional AI options, and extended automation related to compliance, clips creation, and export capabilities for social media, with intelligent content monitoring and analysis," said Raphael Renous, CTO at Actus Digital. "Having all of these capabilities on one integrated platform gives customers the freedom to choose what makes the most sense for their business today and easily add features in the future. At the 2020 NAB Show, we will showcase how media companies can use the new platform to improve their daily workflow and reduce costs."

    A Compliance Platform That Goes Beyond Standard Requirements

    Media companies today need a solution that pushes the boundaries of compliance well beyond supporting simple tasks, such as logging, monitoring, and regulation. They require a solution that can also handle complex compliance tasks, with advanced AI options. They want a compliance solution to provide quality assurance tools, video analysis reports, advanced clip creation, OTT monitoring, and multiviewer capabilities, all from a single platform. Moreover, since the industry is changing rapidly, the industry needs flexible solutions that support a range of deployment models.

    At the 2020 NAB Show, Actus Digital will demonstrate the expansive functionalities of its media monitoring platform, which offers an intelligent approach to monitoring and support for multiple deployment environments, including on-premises, virtualization, the cloud, and hybrid combinations.    

    New Products and Improvements Include:

    • A new TS analysis solution for in-depth evaluation of transport streams, with the ability to detect ETR 101 290 priority 1, 2, 3 errors; track MPEG sections and tables (i.e., PAT, PMT, NIT, SDT); and display TS statistics in real time. The solution provides an overall view of TS health for enterprise applications via a web-based user interface, enabling global access and multiviewer display of critical errors.

     • Enhanced SCTE support, with the ability to compare multichannel SCTE messages and display live or archived SCTE messages, smart filtering for better monitoring, SCTE alerts, and the power to extract SCTE-35 and SCTE-104 for presentation on interactive graphical timelines.

    Hands-On Demo at the 2020 NAB Show

    At the 2020 NAB Show, visitors will have an opportunity to book a one-to-one meeting with Actus Digital experts. During a demo at the stand, visitors can see the efficiency of Actus Digital's platform, how it's being used in the real world by customers, and improvements on the horizon for media monitoring in the future.

  • DocuBay signs strategic content integration deal with PatchWall on Mi TVs

    DocuBay signs strategic content integration deal with PatchWall on Mi TVs

    MUMBAI: DocuBay, the premium global membership video-on-demand documentary platform by IN10 Media, today announced a significant content partnership with PatchWall on Mi TV, India’s number 1 Smart TV brand. DocuBay is now available as an integrated offering for all PatchWall users, featuring high-definition and 4K documentaries. Users can now subscribe to DocuBay’s OneTribe Membership (Yearly) worth INR 1499/- at flat 50% off on PatchWall and access its varied selection of finest documentaries, sourced from more than 100 countries.

    DocuBay’s intuitive interface makes the discovery of films that suit each member’s preferences, through specially-curated categories called ‘Bays’ – Nature, Adventure, Travel, Culture, Science, Biography, and newly launched CrimeBay. Additionally, the platform offers short snackable clips called DocuBytes for a quick watch. With this new partnership, DocuBay plans to further strengthen its presence in India through millions of Mi TV’s users.

    Commenting on the Content Integration, DocuBay VP-strategy D Girish said “DocuBay intends to take its premium content to viewers across their preferred platforms and offer an enviable experience. With our seamless interactive user interface, we are able to give easy access to our high-quality documentaries. Through our partnership with MiTV we hope to make further inroads to engage with new audiences and strengthen our OneTribe Community.”

    Xiaomi India MiTV category lead Eshwar Nilakantan said, “With Mi TVs, our vision is to provide a unique interface for each user and this vision comes to life with our dedicated focus on building PatchWall for Mi TV. We are very excited to bring DocuBay onboard and add their unmatched array of documentaries for our over three million Patchwall users. In 2020, we will continue to work hard to build one of the most robust content libraries in India and provide a great content viewing experience to all our users.”

  • 4 ink strategic partnership

    4 ink strategic partnership

    MUMBAI: Merkle Sokrati, the leading data-driven performance marketing agency from the house of Dentsu Aegis Network (DAN), has inked a strategic partnership deal with TikTok – world’s leading short-video creation platform, for India.

    Given the platform’s popularity and content diversity, brands today are regularly planning and implementing their marketing campaigns on TikTok India. This partnership further strengthens the ability of clients to connect with users on TikTok.

    Under this partnership, TikTok India and Merkle Sokrati will develop the best practices emerging from high impact digital marketing campaigns for Indian brands. The partnership will also assess various measurement features that add value to brands and will be implemented for Merkle Sokrati’s clients across industries.

    TikTok India monetization vice president Sameer Singh said, "TikTok as a platform has championed the art of creative content marketing with unique ad formats that effectively drive engagement. The platform’s immersive short-form videos also allow brands to express their content and voice creatively. We value partnerships such as the one with Merkle Sokrati and are sure that this will further accelerate client benefits.”

    Merkle Sokrati CEO Anubhav Sonthalia  added, “Digital media continues to evolve into a myriad web of features and ad formats. Based on our decade-long experience in helping brands get strong ROIs on their spends, I strongly believe that understanding and reacting to your audiences is extremely crucial, irrespective of the digital channel. TikTok is a phenomenally engaging platform. It is a definite opportunity to gain visibility and revenue and this is where our potential as a marketing agency lies.  I am excited to see the results driven by our teams with our client partners such as Dunzo, PharmEasy, Tata Sky and more.”