ITV

Category: Over The Top Services

  • Regional OTT Stage‘s board clears preference share issue

    Regional OTT Stage‘s board clears preference share issue

    MUMBAI: It’s been staging a saleable story by riding on the regional language OTT fascination wave. Harayanvi and Rajasthani dialect streamer Stage recently got the go ahead from its board to issue 31,179 series B preference shares of face value Rs 10 and at an issue price of Rs 27,137 each. 

    This part of a funding raise of Rs 84.6 crore or $10 million  in a round led by new investor Goodwater Capital along with  existing backer Blume Ventures. The former’s contribution is Rs 41.95 crore, while the latter will be pumping in Rs 26.01 crore.  Blume Ventures will end up with a 13.03 per cent stake making it the largest external investor while Goodwater Capital will have 6.24 per cent. 

    27 other investors are throwing their money into the investment pot. Among them figure: IA Growth Opportunities Fund I, TSM Ventures, LV Angel Fund and Brew Opportunities Fund.

    The funds will be used to scale up its content slate, as well as to introduce Bhojpuri, Awadhi and Maithali languages streams, according to its founders Shashank Vaishnav, Praveen and Vinay Singhal.  

    The trio claims that the platform, which was founded in 2019 has three  million subscribers, with 1.2 million of them in Haryana alone.  New subs to the tune of 250,000 are being added  every month.

    When the round gets completed it would have raised $19 million in its current avatar.  Of this, $4.83 million was raised in 2023 from Blume Ventures, NB Ventures and Dholakia Ventures. It had secured $2.5 million in a pre-series A round in January 2022 and $1.5 million from Venture Catalysts in November 2020.  Additionally, javelin champion Neeraj Chopra has also invested in the venture and regularly appears in promos for it. 

    Stage OTT app

    Stage began as a side project (competing with BuzzFeed)  at WittyFeed,– a successful  initiative that was shuttered in 2018, after Meta blocked its  page on Facebook and Rs 7 crore per month in revenue simply vanished.  The trio requested their employees to become their angel investors and help them come up with a reincarnation of the service.

    More than 50 per cent of the work force agreed and even put in their savings as investments. Brainstorming with them allowed them to come up with the idea to create an OTT offering regional language content. Stage was born under Stage Technologies Pvt Ltd. And it is in this company that investors have been pouring their money.

    Content in terms of originals at Stage is produced  in house in the local language and dialect using local artistes at a cost of Rs 18-20 lakh per six to eight episodic series. Ditto is the cost for a two to three hour long film is what the trio had revealed on Shark Tank season 2 on SonyLiv and Sony Entertainment Television.

    Around a year ago, the company brought in Harsh Mani Tripathi as a cofounder to further improve on the product. Earlier this week, its founders announced that it was being made available as an add-on to Zee-owned streamer Zee5 in the US.

    These days Stage is available at Re 1 for a seven day trial after being downloaded. The trio believe that once  they sample the series and movies available on the streamer they would not mind paying Rs 199 for a three month subscription.

    But the Singhal brothers and  Shashank Vaishnav will have to spruce up their act on one front:  Stage app’s download page on the Google Play store is flooded with complaints about subscribers getting their bank accounts deducted for Rs 199 even if they chose to cancel after the trial period.. So heavy is the stream of disgruntled subscribers, that Stage has put out a short teaser featuring Neeraj Chopra telling subscribers not to worry as only Rs 1 would be cut, and if more is, then those wanting to unsubscribe will get a refund into their bank accounts.

    (Picture: Courtesy Shark Tank, Sony)

  • YouTube crosses a billion hours of viewing on TV daily globally in 2024

    YouTube crosses a billion hours of viewing on TV daily globally in 2024

    MUMBAI: Hopefully, this will settle the argument once and for all.  It’s not Amazon Prime, it’s not Netflix, it’s actually YouTube which is dominating the living room. The latest end of the year report released by the Alphabet-owned streaming platform shows that globally viewers streamed over a billion hours of content on their TVs daily. A billion, yes, please , don’t fall of your chair, it was a billion hours, that makes it about 365 billion hours of viewing in 2024 on TV screens for YouTube. This was revealed by senior director product management YouTube on TV Kurt Wilms in a blog post on the YouTube site.

    Content that viewers traditionally watch on TV, like sports and kids programs, gained momentum on YouTube this year, says a blog rounding up YouTube’s viewership trends. Watch time of sports content, YouTube says grew 30 per cent year over year, as users visited it  to get their line up of clips, highlights, and post-game interviews, all in one place. That is going to sky rocket in the coming year if creators take to Watch With which it has begun piloting. Watch With is a service which allows influencers to provide live commentary, analysis, and real time reactions to games and events, for their audience. It transforms  creators into sports casters.

    YouTube says podcast watching is growing rapidly on TVs.  Viewers watched over 400M hours of podcasts monthly on living room devices. They’ve been tuning into podcasts similarly to how one would tune into a late-night talk show. The lines between audio-only podcasts and videos have blurred, and more creators are evolving to a multimedia storytelling approach to deepen connection with their audiences on YouTube, says the streamer. 

    The surge in living room viewership is no accident. The share of videos uploaded to YouTube in 4K is up by over 35 per cent year over year, as creators prioritize high-quality viewing experiences that truly shine on TV screens. And that investment is paying off: the number of creators making a majority of their revenue from TV is up more than 30 per cent year over year.

    To further fuel this growth and support creators, YouTube recently made it even easier for viewers to subscribe to their favorite channels while watching on TV by adding the subscribe button directly to the video player. Early tests of this streamlined button show more than a 40 per cent increase in net subscribers through TVs.

    Here’s more: families continued to watch together on TVs in 2024. After rolling out an option to easily switch between YouTube and YouTube Kids profiles on TV directly from the YouTube app last year, parents had expressed that they wanted better control. And the streamer is gearing up to introduce a new parent code feature that gives parents the power to prevent kids from accessing content that might not be age-appropriate. 

    (The picture is courtesy the Hathway Cable and Datacom annual report)

  • Prime Video brings back memories with Cartoon Network classics

    Prime Video brings back memories with Cartoon Network classics

    MUMBAI: Remember the Powerpuff Girls? 

    That familiar dude Johnny Bravo? 

    Well, for those viewers who do and were fond of the girls and Mr Muscles, they can now tune in to Prime Video. It has launched CN Rewind, Warner Bros. Discovery’s new digital channel, as an add-on subscription. As the home to all-time favourite animated shows, CN Rewind is curated exclusively for Prime Video in India, and brings Cartoon Network’s evergreen classics, including The Powerpuff Girls, Tom & Jerry, Scooby-Doo, Johnny Bravo, Looney tunes, Dexter’s Laboratory, Samurai Jack, Ed Edd n Eddy and many more, for fans across India.

    Prime members can get access to a diverse range of celebrated animated programming, available both in Hindi and English, by purchasing an add-on subscription to CN Rewind at a special introductory offer of Rs 199 per year, following which the subscription can be renewed at Rs 249 per year.

    “Animation remains a popular category on Prime Video across demographics, with younger and older audiences alike. With the launch of CN Rewind add-on subscription on Prime Video India, we are excited to take loyal fans on a nostalgic trip as they revisit their favourite Cartoon Network toons, as well as for younger audiences to discover and engage with these beloved stories,” said Prime Video head of marketplaces India (add-on subscriptions and movie rentals) Gaurav Bhasin.,. “Over the years, through add-on subscriptions, Prime Video has served as a platform for several streaming services to curate exclusive channels and take their content to audiences deep within India. We are thrilled to be the exclusive home for CN Rewind, and are certain that the diverse and timeless library will find deep emotional resonance with our customers across the country.” 

    Cartoon Network is a cultural phenomenon that redefined pop culture and is reminiscent of special memories for millennials and generations across decades. CN Rewind, with the special offering, will provide fans with the chance to relive those memories in a modern, on-demand format, allowing them to immerse themselves in the same joy and excitement they felt decades ago and to pass those treasured moments to the younger generation.

    “There’s a deep emotional connection between Indian audiences and Cartoon Network. CN shows aren’t just cartoons, they’re pieces of our childhood that evoke joy, friendship, and a simpler time,” said Warner Bros. Discovery head of distribution south Asia Ruchir Jain. “With CN Rewind, we’re creating a space where nostalgia can thrive while ensuring these beloved characters continue to inspire and entertain today’s kids in a whole new way.”

    Benefits of add-on subscriptions on Prime Video for Prime members include:

    * No hassle login & billing: Customers do not have to juggle between multiple usernames, passwords and billing due dates. With add-on subscriptions, all premium content subscriptions are managed within a single destination – Prime Video apps and website.
    * More time watching, less time deciding: Customers don’t have to spend time toggling between their favourite services to discover what’s new and popular. With add-on subscriptions, they can browse in one place, search across all their premium subscription and get personalized recommendations. All of this without ever having to leave the Prime Video app or website.
    * Enjoy your favourite features, no matter which service: Customers can enjoythe  X-Ray feature and a single consolidated watch list and download library for offline viewing. Subscribers can also manage data consumption and much more across all their add-on subscriptions.
    * More Choice: With add-on subscriptions, Prime members can access thousands of additional titles across 25+ OTT services, including CN Rewind.

  • Parliamentary panel to review OTT content amidst regulatory debate

    Parliamentary panel to review OTT content amidst regulatory debate

    MUMBAI: Imagine this: you’re unwinding with your favorite show, only to frantically fumble for the remote as a scene unfolds that you’d rather your child never see—graphic violence, explicit language, or worse, nudity. Frustrated by the glamorisation of crime and violence in thrillers that could inspire the impressionable? It’s a moment every parent dreads, and a dilemma households across the country face in today’s era of on-demand entertainment.

    But here’s the big news: relief might finally be on the way.

    In a move poised to reshape how we consume digital content, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology is stepping in. Mark your calendars for 20 December, when the committee will meet with leading industry bodies to tackle the hot-button issue of content regulation on OTT platforms. As debates intensify between calls for stricter government oversight and advocates of self-regulation under the IT Rules, 2021, the stage is set for what could be a landmark decision in the OTT landscape.

    This is a moment of mixed emotions—hope for a more family-friendly streaming experience, but also trepidation over potential restrictions that might stifle creativity. One thing is certain: change is brewing, and all eyes are now on the committee’s crucial meeting.

    The committee, chaired by Lok Sabha member Nishikant Dubey, has invited organisations such as the Indian Motion Picture Producers’ Association and the Motion Picture Association of America (India office) to present their views. This dialogue follows Information and Broadcasting minister Ashwini Vaishnaw’s request to prioritise strengthening laws governing social media and OTT platforms.

    Dubey emphasised the urgency of addressing content concerns, particularly regarding portrayals of women, obscenity, and vulgarity. “OTT platforms often feature content unsuitable for family viewing. Our meeting with industry stakeholders will address these pressing issues,” he said.

    Last month, Vaishnaw highlighted cultural disparities between India and foreign regions housing platforms like Netflix and Prime Video. He stressed the need for stricter regulations, citing examples such as Netflix’s portrayal of the 1999 Indian Airlines hijacking in IC-814: The Kandahar Hijack. The series faced criticism for inaccuracies, prompting Netflix to update its disclaimers.

    Industry bodies such as the Indian Digital Media Industry Foundation (IDMIF) and the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) have pushed for retaining the current self-regulatory framework. Both organisations argue that platform-level self-regulation under IT Rules ensures creative freedom while adhering to constitutional boundaries.

    In August, IDMIF and IAMAI assured MIB that their members comply with the code of ethics, avoiding content harmful to India’s sovereignty, security, and public order. They also highlighted caution in portraying racial or religious groups.

    As the government explores options like pre-certification for OTT content, industry bodies have urged against additional oversight. They advocate for maintaining the balance between creative expression and compliance.

    The 20 December meeting is poised to shape the future regulatory framework for OTT platforms in India, balancing creative freedom, cultural sensitivities, and legal accountability.

  • From solitude to shared screens: How connected TVs Are changing SVOD in India

    From solitude to shared screens: How connected TVs Are changing SVOD in India

    MUMBAI: Picture this: you’re slouched on the couch, watching the season finale of your favorite show, but the room feels hollow. No one to laugh with, no one to argue about the plot twist. Feels a little dull, doesn’t it?

    You’re not alone—literally. A new wave of co-viewing, driven by Connected TVs, is revolutionising how India engages with subscription video on demand (SVOD) platforms.

    Ormax Media’s latest SVOD audience report 2024 reveals a seismic shift in urban India’s viewing habits. With insights from 3,000 subscribers, the report paints a vibrant picture of a market where language diversity, shared experiences, and tech-savvy innovation drive customer loyalty and growth. From couch-bound solo binging to interactive group viewing, the way Indians consume content is evolving faster than ever—and it’s bringing a mixed bag of emotions along for the ride.

    The question is: are you tuning in alone, or are you part of this co-watching revolution?

    The report highlights a stagnation in the SVOD audience base, which declined by two per cent to 150.6 million in 2024, compared to 153 million in 2023. This represents 28 per cent of India’s digital video audience, a group dominated by ad-supported video on demand (AVOD) viewers who account for 72 per cent of the market. The slowdown in SVOD growth underscores the competitive challenges platforms face in subscriber acquisition and retention.

    A major revelation of the report is the growing impact of Connected TVs, with 36 per cent of SVOD audiences in urban India regularly using such devices to stream content. This trend is expanding beyond metro cities into mini metros and smaller towns, altering how content is consumed.

    The report also sheds light on the phenomenon of co-viewing, where 66 per cent of Connected TV users watch streaming content with family members. This shift calls for OTT platforms to prioritise inclusive content catering to diverse age groups and preferences, ensuring a broader family appeal.

    Ormax Media, head of business development (streaming, TV & brands), Keerat Grewal underscored the importance of these insights in shaping OTT strategies.

    “In a cluttered marketplace where subscribers typically pay for just 2-3 apps, pay OTT platforms must align their pricing, content, and marketing strategies with audience preferences,” Grewal said.

    She added, “While platforms have data on their own subscribers, Ormax Media has consistently built industry-wide insights for the Indian OTT sector. Our latest report equips platforms to craft compelling value propositions, grounded in macro-level audience behaviours and tastes.”

    Contrary to perceptions that Connected TVs are limited to metro audiences, the report reveals growing traction in smaller towns and mini metros. Grewal highlighted the potential for this shift to fundamentally reshape the type and style of content consumed on OTT platforms in India.

    The Ormax SVOD Audience Report: 2024 is now available for subscription and provides valuable data for streaming platforms, brands, and content producers. Covering viewing behaviour, language preferences, genre trends, content sampling triggers, and media habits, the report is a comprehensive resource for industry stakeholders aiming to stay ahead in a dynamic market.

  • Adhishree Murdia promoted to VP-SVOD marketing at Zee5

    Adhishree Murdia promoted to VP-SVOD marketing at Zee5

    MUMBAI: She began as a marketing executive at Zee Entertainment Enterprises working on Zee MGM, Zee English and ZCafe shows in 2004 after completing her MBA in marketing from Welingkar Institute of Management in Mumbai.  20 years later Adhishree Murdia sits atop as vice-president SVoD marketing- India & global at Zee’s prized streaming product Zee5.

    It has been some growth for Murdia. But along the way she had to put in the hard yards. She worked in different marketing roles at  Turner International, BCCL, UTV Bindass before heading back to Zee in 2012 as assistant vice-president, after which she was handed the responsibility of handling marketing and the brand Living Foodz and an independent digital channel LFOriginals.

    Her success over there saw her getting to handle the brands as vice-president marketing under the Zee Marathi movie cluster of channels – Zee Talkies, Zee Yuva and Zee Chitramandir  -woking directly with the business head.

    Her nine year continuous stint and knowledge of digital at Zee resulted in her getting moved to Zee5 Global in 2022 as vice-president brand & content marketing, a post she held before being promoted this month to oversee the international domestic marketing of Zee5’s  subscription product.

    She has confessed in the past that she is a life-long learner. “Looking forward to this new opportunity,” she said on linkedin. “Embracing it with gratitude.”

    With that kind of  positive attitude, there is only direction that Zee5’s subscription revenue can head: northwards and upwards.

  • Short drama, vertical format OTT Reelies set for launch

    Short drama, vertical format OTT Reelies set for launch

    MUMBAI: They are going where the likes of Jeffrey Katzenberg and Meg Whitman did go with Quibi TV in 2018. Rather unsuccessfully as the duo burned a billion dollars in vertical mobile friendly t short format content creation (10 minutes or less duration) before shutting it down after audiences rejected Quibi TV outright.

    The “they” we are talking about is Delhi-registered Hermes Media. Promoted by the creative duo of Anshuman Misraa and Anshumaali Jha (he, of Scriptwallah fame), the company is on the runway to launch Reelies – a short format, vertical video drama OTT  – soon.

    The duo is chasing the relative success that other short drama apps – ReelShorts, DramaBox, MoboReels, Topshorts, ShortMax, Goodshorts – have been notching up since the well-known colossal failure of Quibi TV. 

    Hermes has a solid history behind it having produced more than 1,200 corporate films and TVCs for top of the rung clients such as Fevicol, Ambuja Cement, M-Seal, Araldite, WD-40, Hero, Aditya Birla group. It is involved in the entire spectrum of video production – from crafting product films, corporate AVs, ads and promos, to 2D and 3D animation, infographics and live action videos to expertly managing line production. With a dedicated in-house team of seasoned writers, directors, animators, and technicians, the company says it brings clients r creative vision to life with precision and flair. In a year the company produces over 300 high-quality videos for renowned brands, tailoring each project to meet the specific needs and preferences of their target audience.

    ANSHUMAALI ANSHUMAN MISRAA

    Not just that. Both have been involved in TV fiction in their personal capacities. Anshumali has been a writer on shows such as Jag Jaanani  Maa Vaishnodevi_ Kahaaani Mata Raani Ki, Afsar Bitiya, Saavdhaan India, Ek Mahal Ho Sapno Ka,  Crime Patrol, among many others. Anshuman, on his part, was associated with Garima Productions for its shows Neeli Chatri waale, Chidya Ghar, among others.

    That should hold them in good stead when commissioning or production for Reelies, especially what they should not be doing. Something  Anshumali  agrees with totally. 

    “Audiences have shifted their entertainment preference from movies and web series to shorter, snackable content. Theater-going has become a painstaking and time-consuming process,” says Anshumaali in a blog post on Scriptwallah. “With attention spans getting lower and demand for fast-paced content getting higher, social media reels have come out as a winner for the go-to content consumption medium. However, the problem with reels is there is no narrative or storytelling. People are constantly scrolling without any gratification or purpose.” 

    And this is what has driven the duo to launch Reelies – India’s first short drama app. They expect it to completely change the inattentive scrolling, giving high-impact and dramatic stories in short durations.

    Adds Anshumaali: “Every story will be about 50 episodes long, but the twist is each episode will be less than 90 seconds. This bite-sized entertainment will keep the viewers hooked and leave them wanting more. Viewers all over the globe are completely addicted to such high-impact shows, and Reelies will create the same effect for Indian audiences. The format of the content is the perfect blend of cinematic storytelling with the social media vertical frame.”

    REELIESAnd they have roped in social media influencers like Riyaz Aly (28 million followers), Vishal Pandey (10 million), Sana Makbul (three million), Sameeksha Sud (12 million), Bhavin Bhanushali (4.4 million), Ashish Bhatia (1.1 million), Akriti Negi (one million), Jashwanth Bopanna (712,000), Riva Arora (11.5 million), Deepak Joshi (6.7 million), Beauty Khan (13 million), Lucky Dancer (six million), Abha Ranta along with some popular faces from the industry for the shows. To start with five shows have been lined up: 
    Bruh – In the world of new age relationships and situationships, four friends navigate love, life, and friendship at one common hangout spot, Café Bruh.
    Contract Marriage – A relationship between a young millionaire and his colleague built only for a temporary contract turns into a special connection.
    Open Secret – A housewife discovers a grave truth about her marriage and then rediscovers herself, her life, and her happiness.
    Alpha Beta Gamma – Two rival clans always at each other’s throats fight for love, loyalty, and legacy in a supernatural teen drama.
    Secret Crorepati – A boy struggles to make ends meet and falls in love with a girl from a rich family. In a twist of fate, he discovers he is the biggest billionaire in the country.
    BFF vs BF – Two inseparable college best friends are separated when one of them falls in love with a classmate. Experience love, betrayal and heartache in this young adult drama.

    Reelies has subscription plans which appear appealing to the young crowd seeking gratification from short curated story-filled videos: Rs 7 a day, Rs 25  for a week, and Rs 50 for a month. 

    We will have to wait and watch if Reelies can reel in the audiences. And if their pockets are deep enough to see them through the rough ride that streaming is proving to be for even the big boys. 

  • ThinkAnalytics launches ThinkContextualAI high privacy ad solution

    ThinkAnalytics launches ThinkContextualAI high privacy ad solution

    MUMBAI: If you think about, privacy is becoming increasingly important online what with GDPR and all the regulations which apply.

    AI driven video discovery, viewer insights, targeted advertising solutions provider ThinkAnalytics thought about it. The company has launched ThinkContextualAI, a contextual advertising solution that raises the bar for privacy-first, audience-aligned advertising. The solution complements ThinkAnalytics’ broader ThinkAdvertising offerings which have been instrumental in redefining ad targeting across connected TV (CTV)  platforms.

    Combining its  two decades of expertise in viewer behavior and advanced AI technology, ThinkContextualAI leverages a proprietary ontology of more than 40,000 metadata tags, crafted to decode not only what content is about but why it resonates with individual viewers.

    With this insight, ThinkContextualAI allows CTV advertisers to engage with audiences without invasive tracking, ensuring that content signals like genre and sub-genre are mapped to a known ontology so that they can be leveraged consistently by supply side platforms (SSPs).
     
    As fragmentation increases, privacy regulations tighten and personal data access diminishes, advertisers face mounting challenges to engage with audiences. Traditional contextual advertising solutions often fall short, either lacking nuance or failing to capture the true mood and engagement factors of content. In addition, SSPs  are seeing up to 11 million similar but different titled genres and subgenres, meaning buyers can’t reliably buy content-based audiences.

    ThinkContextualAI meets this untapped need, enabling advertisers to target viewers with unmatched precision by moving beyond simple context to align ad placements with themes and emotions.
     
    “Our 40,000+ metadata tags represent not only the subjects of content but also why viewers connect with it,” says ThinkAnalytics CTO & founder Peter Docherty. “This unique capability allows advertisers to achieve a new level of relevance and resonance in ad placement, benefiting both viewer engagement and campaign performance. We worked closely in partnership with customers to ensure this solution meets advertisers’ needs across diverse markets in an evolving regulatory environment.”
     
    ThinkContextualAI empowers advertisers with advanced contextual targeting capabilities, including:

    * Premium Audience Segmentation: advertisers can reach high-value segments like luxury lifestyle and travel enthusiasts without using personal data.
    * Scalable Content Understanding: Scale across vast content libraries with consistent, high-quality categorisation, to enhance the impact of advertising campaigns.
    * Privacy-Safe Solutions: Deploy ad campaigns that are compliant with global privacy standards, helping advertisers maintain audience trust while maximising results.

    ThinkContextualAI offers measurable improvements in campaign effectiveness and user experience:

    * Improved Ad Recall: Drive higher ad recall through genuine content-ad alignment.
    * Increased Viewer Satisfaction: Maintain ad relevance, increasing viewer engagement.
    * Enhanced ROI: Maximize ROI with targeted, privacy-safe placements.
    * Reduced Ad Waste: Minimise irrelevant placements, ensuring efficient ad spend.

    With over 85 service providers serving approximately 475 million subscribers in 47 languages, and generating eight billion recommendations per day, ThinkAnalytics is amongst the largest independent content discovery platform. Its clients include Liberty Global, Vodafone, Deutsche Telekom, DirecTV, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Bell Media, BritBox International, Crunchyroll, Astro, Intigral, MBC, OSN, Proximus, Rogers, Sky Mexico, Tata Play, TELUS, and Mediacorp.

  • RunnTV engages Sumit Chauhan as sales director

    RunnTV engages Sumit Chauhan as sales director

    MUMBAI: Digital sales has been his playground for most of his career. And now Sumit Chauhan has jumped on board the Runn Media Labs train as sales director. The Manish Sinha-founded firm recently got into bed with South  African media conglomerate emedia and got an injection of funding from it.

    Runn Media Labs is setting up a Fast media platform Runn TV, targeting Indian viewers with thematic and personalised channels.

    Sumit has about 15 years’  experience behind him with stints at PayU Payments, Times Internet, Fork Media Network18 Media, Bliss, and finally with HT Media Labs as the regional lead – north and east where he was driving sales for the aggregation platform OTT Play and Slurp.com.

    “This is an incredible opportunity to spearhead the hashtag#Digital Ad-Sales business for Runn Media Labs and to ensure steady growth and coverage,” said Smit on Linkedin while announcing his appointment. 

  • EU nations cooperate to take down pirate global streaming service

    EU nations cooperate to take down pirate global streaming service

    MUMBAI: What does it take shut a global  illegal streaming service originating somewhere in Europe?

    Try this for size: The European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation  (Eurojust ). The European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol). The Audiovisual Anti-Piracy Alliance (AAPA). Italian, Croatian, Romanian, Swedish, Swiss, Dutch, Chinese  and the UK authorities.

    Quite a handful, right?

    Well, they all worked down together late November  to take down one of the world’s largest illegal streaming services, according to a  press release issued by Eurojust.  In a large-scale operation, over 100 searches were carried out against 102 suspects. Eleven suspects were arrested in Croatia.

    The suspects illegally distributed material from streaming services online, including films and series. They also pirated more than 2,500 television channels, mainly sports. The illegal service served more than 22 million users worldwide. They were able to make over Euros 250 million in illegal profits per month. The economic damages to the copyright holders of the material is estimated at Euro10 billion. 

    To evade authorities, the suspects allegedly used encrypted messaging services to communicate and false identities to register phone numbers, credit cards, server rentals and TV subscriptions.

    On 26 November, during an international operation, the servers hosting the illegal streaming were seized and shut down, disrupting the services.

    Collaboration between authorities was set up at Eurojust to effectively pull the plug on the illegal streamer. Coordination meetings at Eurojust’s headquarters allowed authorities from Italy, Croatia, the Netherlands, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK  to work together on the investigation and plan the operation to shut down the service and arrest the suspects. Europol supported the operation by deploying experts and analysing the available intelligence during the investigation phase. 

    The cooperation between the authorities culminated in a joint operation to take down the services on 26 November. The operation  involved over 270 officers from the Polizia Postale carrying out 89 property searches in 15 Italian regions. An additional 14 searches were conducted by law enforcement agencies abroad, including five addresses in the UK, and further searches and seizures in the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, Romania, France, Bulgaria, Germany and Croatia,  according to the AAPA.

    During  the searches in Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, Romania, Croatia, the UK  and China, over Euros 1.6 million in cryptocurrency and Euros 40,000 in cash was seized. Croatian police arrested 11 suspects. AAPA said that “the immediately seized proceeds represent only a fraction of an illegal business that is alleged to yield approximately Euros 3 billion per annum.”

    The operation was massive as can be ascertained from the results achieved:  102 suspects were identified  with the arrest of 11 people after searching 112 houses. 100 domains were blocked with 29 servers being taken away along with 27 different IPTV equipment and devices. During the searches 560 resellers names were discovered along with an assortment of drugs and weapons. 

    AAPA co-president Mark Mulready said: “We applaud the efforts of the Catania public prosecutor’s office, the Croatian state attorney office for suppression of corruption and organised crime, Europol, Eurojust, and all of the law enforcement agencies involved in these operations. The scale of these multi-jurisdictional law enforcement actions highlights the considerable challenge our industry faces when dealing with such sophisticated international pirate networks.

    “We are proud to have collaborated with our law enforcement partners to provide technical training and in-field support to assist them in successfully tackling the world’s largest pirate network.   We are very grateful to the AAPA members who supported this action day, including Premier League, Sky Group, Nagravision, Deutsche Fußball Liga (DFL), beIN Sports, United Media, Friend MTS and Irdeto.  We will continue to closely collaborate with law enforcement agencies in Europe and beyond to enable them to successfully identify, investigate and prosecute large-scale cross-border pirate networks.”

    The authorities involved in the actions were:

    * Italy: Public Prosecution Office Catania
    * Croatia: The Office for the Suppression of Corruption and Organised Crime 
    * Netherlands: Fiscal Information and Investigation Service; Public Prosecution Service Rotterdam 
    * Romania: Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism; Direction for Fighting Organized Crime – Cyber Crime Fighting Service
    * Sweden: National unit against organized crime at the Swedish Prosecution Authority; Swedish Police Authority
    * Switzerland: Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland; Federal Office of Police 
    * United Kingdom: City of London Police