ITV

Category: Over The Top Services

  • Paytm to offer content, news, short videos & live TV from September

    Paytm to offer content, news, short videos & live TV from September

    MUMBAI: Paytm will offer content, news, short videos and live television from September with an aim to increase its monthly active user base to 250 millions.

    Paytm senior vice-president Deepak Abbot told ET, “We are already seeing 27 million monthly active users on Paytm Inbox. Now that we are upgrading it to the next level with innovative use of content, we hope to get around 60-70 million new users.”

    Paytm is hoping for higher user engagement on the back of sustained marketing efforts. It is also looking at deals struck with smartphone manufacturers three quarters back to help expand users.

    “We have also undertaken deals with smartphone manufacturers like Oppo, Vivo and Xiaomi where users will get the Paytm application in-built. Since 55-60% of them are first-time smartphone users we are hoping to capture that section of the market once they get the app,” said Abbot.

  • ZEE5 Global kickstarts its partnership with LuLu in the Middle East with their “Celebrating India” Festival

    ZEE5 Global kickstarts its partnership with LuLu in the Middle East with their “Celebrating India” Festival

    ZEE5 Global has kickstarted its partnership with LuLu, the top retailer in the Middle East, by powering their bi-annual Indian-themed festival “Celebrating India” rolling out across its stores in the UAE, coinciding with the Indian Independence Day. The week-long festival will highlight food, offers, cultural shows and celebrity visits from 14th to 20th August 2019.

    The festival was inaugurated by H.E. Navdeep Suri, Indian Ambassador to the UAE, alongside Archana Anand, Chief Business Officer of ZEE5 Global, the official partners of this promotion, Saifee Rupawala, LuLu Group Chief Executive Officer and other top officials and government authorities at LuLu Hypermarket Al Wahda Mall, Abu Dhabi.

    H.E. Suri shared: “This is a wonderful initiative by LuLu in showcasing the rich culture and food heritage of India. I am looking forward to welcoming the residents and citizens of UAE to come and explore the delicious flavours of India. I am sure these products will be highly appreciated not only by Indian nationals, but also the local and other expat communities residing here.”

    Commenting on the partnership, Archana Anand said: “With a huge demand for Bollywood and Indian content from not only the South Asian diaspora but also mainstream audiences, and a highly conducive digital and payment ecosystem, the Middle East is an extremely exciting market for us. As the largest retail conglomerate in the Middle East, LuLu has an extremely strong presence in the market and our partnership with them will help us reach our fabulous content bouquet to audiences in this market. I’m thrilled to be here today at the inauguration of the Celebrating India Festival, which marks the first step of this partnership.”

    Powered by ZEE5, the global entertainment app for the best of Bollywood movies, Indian TV shows and more, LuLu gives customers a chance to join and win a free annual subscription of ZEE5 for every AED 50 purchase. LuLu customers will also have access to the latest movie releases exclusively on ZEE5, and a chance to meet with their favourite stars.

    Speaking on the occasion, Rupawala said: “We have always taken pride for showcasing the beauty and diversity of Indian culture through a festival like “Celebrating India”. This is our humble tribute to the glorious tradition, food and offerings of India, which have been widely popular and embraced by the UAE population with more than 200 nationalities residing in it. More than 5 Million shoppers are expected to experience India through this festival. Other than the wide product range that we offer in store, this is our initiative to bind together all communities for a common interest.” 

  • MX Player’s first integrated content partnership proves to be a success

    MX Player’s first integrated content partnership proves to be a success

    MUMBAI: Carving a niche for themselves in the OTT market, MX Player – India’s largest entertainment platform, believes in curating content that provides ‘Everytainment’ to its viewers. The app which integrates the local media player with a wide library of online content and music on the same platform has won the hearts of its viewers with its MX Original Series’ as well.

    MX Original Series – ‘Love Ok Please’, powered by Too Yumm! hosted by Karan Wahi is a 12-episode travel reality show that explores the possibility of love on the road. Too Yumm! came on board as the powered by sponsor for the series that fit the bill as a seamless product integration as all of us do give into binging and indulging in snacks while travelling. What more can you ask for if they come in multiple flavors and are healthy too.

     “Too Yumm! has a stated purpose of liberating the Indian youth of unhealthy snacks. The brand is a new age snacks brands where all products are ‘baked not fried, high on taste and available in more than 25 different flavours!  So you will always have something new and exciting to keep you company. During travel and exploration, we usually prefer being accompanied with bingeing snacks and Too Yumm! would be your best travel buddy! The audience for Love OK Please matches our consumer profile hence, it is the perfect fit” said Anupam Bokey, CMO RP Sanjiv Goenka Group FMCG

    The integrations for the brand saw prominent presence within the show as well as seamless product placements in the tasks. Moreover, the brand name (Too Yumm!’) and associations of ‘Baked & Not Fried’ were integrated well and reinforced through tastefully created Brand Experiences and Exposures.

    The efficacy of the branded content association was measured in association with Kantar, with results proving to be effective in creating Brand Impact and delivering significant uplifts across the Awareness and Persuasion measures

    Detailing about the study, Kavita Chand – Associate Vice President at Kantar said “Kantar partnered with MX Player to measure the impact of the association of the Brand, ‘Too Yumm!’ with their original web series, ‘Love OK Please’. In that context, Kantar conducted a Brand Lift Insights’ survey among the viewers and non-viewers of the show, and probed on specific brand parameters shared by Too Yumm. The research outcomes showcased the effectiveness of the ‘Too Yumm’ content integration in delivering a significant impact on the Brand, across the funnel. Even in comparison to our normative database of India-studies, the campaign has performed very well.”

    Adding a new feather to its cap, the campaign won big at the coveted ScreenXX Summit Awards which recognises excellence in digital video content and seeks to felicitate initiatives that are innovative, creative and effective. MX Player took home the Gold Award in the ‘Best Integration of Branded Content in a Hindi Web Original’ category for the Too Yumm integration in MX Original Series Love Ok Please.

    Elaborating on the same, Viraj Jit Singh – Head of Revenue at MX Player said, “Branded content represents a new approach to advertising; it’s exciting and entertaining, customers seek it out and share it with practically no prompting at all. We, at MX Player, are constantly looking at integrations that suit the content offerings we have which is relevant for all; us, the brand and our audience. The Too Yumm! Association for Love Ok Please made for a great fit conceptually.  Our strategy was to promote the brand through in-show branding, in-stream video mid-rolls as well as an eminent brand logo presence that would meet the objective of promoting a healthier indulgence in snacking as per the brand mandate. This study proves that the association has delivered significant uplifts across the awareness and persuasion measures for the brand, translating into a success story for us.”

    The survey results further showed that the inclusion of both the audio-visual elements, integration of the brand attributes into the theme, and the presence and prominence of the ‘Too Yumm!’ branding were effective in generating the desired impact. The brand favourability amongst men and women across the age group of 15-35 increased by 17% and purchase intent increased by 21%.

    Deeming this association as the first branded content success for MX Player, the brand is now set to achieve newer and higher benchmarks with its brand integration strategies.

  • ALTBalaji’s apharan now available for Amazon Alexa users

    ALTBalaji’s apharan now available for Amazon Alexa users

    MUMBAI: “Kehte hain jaane waale laut kar nahin aate. Galat kehte hain!”, this popular dialogue from Apharan on ALTBalaji is just one of the many reasons why, one of the best suspense thrillers in the Indian OTT space enjoys such a high mass appeal. As massification of OTT grips the nation and the globe, ALTBalaji decided to up the ante and take the show to Alexa users to reach out further to internet connected consumers across the country.

    Amazon India is working with developers to expand Alexa’s India focused skills, and ALTBalaji is very proud to be one of the early adopters to get on to the platform. Till date 100 million devices with Alexa built in have been sold across the globe. As per an Accenture report, 150 million users will be using voice in India this year in the form of a voice assistant and search. With a huge proliferation of these devices into more and more Indian homes, fans of  ALTBalaji web-series can now seamlessly sample their favourite shows right from the Alexa eco-system.

    Riding on the back of some stellar acting, cinematography, dialogues and a crisp plot, Apharan became the talk of the town and has garnered an unprecedented IMDb rating of 9.2/10 as well as claimed a host of awards for best actors and best direction. In order to immerse themselves in the gritty, entertaining world of Senior Inspector Rudra Shrivastava, filled with its myriad surprises and suspense, all that a user would have to say is, “Alexa, Enable Apharan”. In addition to the trailer, Alexa users now also get seamless access to Apharan’s title track, dialogues, interesting trivia and jokes that further amplifies the entertainment quotient.

    Speaking about the integration, Divya Dixit — Senior VP and Head Marketing, ALTBalaji, said, “With Alexa being a market leader in the smart-connected devices space, this is further going to expand our reach to a larger demographic.  We have already carved out a niche in the industry through our originals, and with this one of a kind innovation with  Alexa,  we are providing another touchpoint to users to interact with one of our most iconic shows and we will expand this association to more shows from us. Apharan… Sabka Katega continues to win accolades and unprecedented adulation amongst the masses.”

    Varun Badola – Actor and Dialogue writer said, “Apharan is a very special show for me and I am completely indebted to the audiences for making the dialogues so memorable and viral.  I couldn’t have asked for a better platform than Alexa to reach out to and engage with the tech savvy audiences of today, in a fun manner that’s never seen before.

    Building on the legacy of creating iconic shows, ALTBalaji’s exclusive content library has built a catalogue of more than 42 Originals like ‘Apharan,’ ‘Kehne Ko Humsafar Hain,’ ‘Home,’ ‘Gandii Baat’, ‘The Test Case’, ‘Bose: Dead or Alive’ among others, which continue to be lauded by viewers across the globe.

  • ZEE5 curates & creates special content this independence day

    ZEE5 curates & creates special content this independence day

    MUMBAI: This Independence Day, ZEE5, India’s fastest growing OTT platform premieres two original web series– Gondya Ala Re in Marathi and Satyameva Jayate in Bengali. The platform has also acquired rights for the world digital premiere of the critically acclaimed The Tashkent Files. In addition to this, ZEE5 will also release a special Independence Day anthem – Hum Hai India, celebrating “Unity in Diversity” showcasing the beautiful and diverse landscape of India along with its vibrant culture and people who are as different as chalk and cheese, yet connected as Indians.

    Popular Bollywood personalities Arjun Rampal, Gul Panag, Jimmy Shergill, actors of TV show Guddan Tumse Na Ho Payega – Kanika Mann and Nishant Malkani feature in the anthem sung by Neeti Mohan, Abhay Jodhpurkar and Parry G. The anthem is in partnership with Vivo. 

    Gondya Ala Re, a 10-episode web series based on Chapekar brothers from Pune is a historical thriller highlighting the first youth armed revolutionaries of India. The three brothers killed a tyrannical officer W.C. Rand whose atrocities in Pune had devastated the city. Directed by Ankur Kakatkar and helmed by Sunil Barve, Bhushan Pradhan, Kshitish Date, Shivraj Waichal, Bharat Dabholkar and others, it showcases the hustle and valor of three unsung heroes.

    Satyameva Jayate, a 7-episode Bengali thriller web series about how justice prevails even in a corrupt system. The series, directed by award winning director Arindam Sil features actors Arjun Chakraborty, Souraseni Moitra, Vipin Sharma, Jayant Kriplani and Sudipta Chakraborty.

    The Tashkent Files starring Naseeruddin Shah, Mithun Chakroborty and Shweta Basu Prasad in leading roles. Directed by Vivek Agnihotri, the film exposes the mystery behind the death of our late Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri.

    In addition to this the platform will also present the superhit film URI – The Surgical Strike in Tamil and Telugu on 10th August.

  • ZEE5 partners with Videotex international

    ZEE5 partners with Videotex international

    MUMBAI: ZEE5, India’s fastest growing OTT platformpartners withVideotex International Pvt. Ltd., one of the largest ODM/OEMs of LED TVs in the country. ZEE5 will now be available onSmart TV brands Daiwa, Shinco&VideotexInternationalassociated customers. This collaboration enables ZEE5 to be pre-embedded into each of the brands, allowing consumers to discover 100,000+ hours of content in 12 languages. This will also allow quick and easy access to an enhanced digital entertainment experience anytime, anywhere.

    In the past year, ZEE5 has entered into similar alliances with CloudWalker, VEWD, Xiaomi MiTV, Samsung and LG Smart TV.With this alliance, ZEE5 will further penetratethe Smart TV market, thus accelerating its progress towards the target of reaching 100 million viewers.

    Manpreet Bumrah, Business Development & Commercial Head, ZEE5 India said,“In the past year and a half, we have had a great run with Smart TV brands and our partnerships have brought in a highly engaged customer base tothe platform.The Indian market has seen a rapid growth of Smart TVs and the viewer is willing to pay a premium to enjoy a high quality and seamless viewing experience. This shift in the consumption pattern augments well for both of us to be a part of this massive growth trajectory. ZEE5 partnering with VideotexInternational as an ODM and Videotex Group brands – Daiwa and Shinco is part of our robust distribution strategy to make ZEE5 accessible across target audiences, and this partnership is a testament to that effort.”

    Speaking on the association, Mr. Arjun Bajaj, Director at Videotex International Pvt. Ltd. says, “We are glad to announce the partnership with ZEE5, which offers a wide range of high-quality content. This fruitful association of Videotex Group with ZEE5 is aimed at catering to the growing large format entertainment demand. OTT Platforms are a huge range and we believe it enhances the customer experience and our tie-up with ZEE5 shall leverage the same. ZEE5offers a range of content which will add greater value and enhance the ultimate user experience promised to Videotex customers”.
     

  • Kick-Off this football season with Premier League LIVE on Hotstar VIP

    Kick-Off this football season with Premier League LIVE on Hotstar VIP

    MUMBAI: With Premier League kicking off this week, football fans in India can revel as Hotstar VIP is set to LIVE-Stream all 380 matches of the season. After an immensely successful cricket season that saw a record breaking 25+ million concurrent views, the platform continues to deliver on its commitment of unlimited LIVE-sporting action and non-stop entertainment.

    Every Premier League match will be available in Full HD on supported devices, with expert analysis pre-match, at half time and post-match. Viewers who missed the match can catch all highlights of the game at their convenience. Additionally, to enjoy the league with your squad, Hotstar VIP will soon roll out a social feed ‘WatchNBanter’ that promises to enhance the fan experience like never before.

    LIVE streaming of Premier League adds to the robust content offering of Hotstar VIP that includes unlimited sporting action, Hotstar Specials shows, favourite STAR network serials before television at 6AM, movies before television and much more!

    Starting 10th August 2019, catch all the matches of Premier League on Hotstar VIP

    Hotstar VIP Subscription is available for INR 365/-

  • B4U Bhojpuri YouTube channel has crossed 2 million likes in 2 days on Kanwariya Song

    B4U Bhojpuri YouTube channel has crossed 2 million likes in 2 days on Kanwariya Song

    MUMBAI: Bhojpuri, which is being spoken among more than 55 crore people, has its own identity. Bhojpuri songs, whether it is DJ songs or religious ones, have made its popularity in every corner of our country. The craze of Bhojpuri channels are increasing day by day among the viewers. The most popular name among them is B4U Bhojpuri, which have won the love of viewers in the BARC ratings last week, and became No.1 Bhojpuri Entertainment Channel of the country.

    In the sacred month of Shravan, B4U Bhojpuri is playing a special show “Kanwariya Bole Bam Bam” which is gathering devotees of Lord Shiva in one place. The show has gained its popularity among the followers with it soulful bhajans and songs on Lord Shiva. At the same time, the Kanwariyas, who have gone on the journey to Kanwar, are also getting an opportunity to join the famous songs of Bhole Nath through this show.The show is being organized especially to commemorate the Shravan Fair in Deoghar, the holy abode of Kawariyas. People enjoy listening to the famous Shiva bhajans on B4U’s Bhajan Sagar Show which is telecasted everyday from 5am to 8 am. Kanwariya Bole Bam Bam comes with a long list of Famous Bhojpuri religious songs. In the last few days, the show has accumulated a lot of love from its viewers. Apart from that, the channel shows the live streaming from the fair of Kawariya’s holy abode, Deoghar and telecasts famous Kanwariya bhajans like “Bole Kawariya bam bam re” and “Bhauji chalal na jaala”.

    Few of the Kanwariya song sung by Khesari On which B4U Bhojpuri YouTube channel has crossed 2 million likes in 2 days.

    One can enjoy Kanwar special superhit songs on the show Kanwariya Bole Bam Bam every morning at 5 am. Recently, the channel has also included a collection of the latest bhajans like 'Kaise Jaile Ho Ekle Apan Ghar O Baba', 'Bole Kawariya Bum Bum Re' and 'Bhauji Chalal Na Jala' of famous Bhojpuri singer Khesari Lal. Also, the promotional activities of the show are going on in full swing. More than 500 rickshaw drivers have been engaged in the promotion process to connect more people with the show, who are motivating people to join the show as campaigners from different areas of the district.
     

  • Disney to offer Disney+-Hulu-ESPN+ bundle for $12.99 a month

    Disney to offer Disney+-Hulu-ESPN+ bundle for $12.99 a month

    MUMBAI: With the launch of Disney+, Walt Disney Company (Disney) will offer a bundle package of its three streaming services — Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ from 12 November. The bundle has been priced at $12.99 a month.

    Disney chief executive officer Bob Iger revealed the plan for the bundle during Disney’s quarterly earnings call with Wall Street analysts. Iger also disclosed that Disney is in talks with Apple, Amazon and Google to distribute its highly awaited Disney Plus and the newly announced bundle on their platforms.

    “The positive response to our direct-to-consumer strategy has been gratifying, and the integration of the businesses we acquired from 21st Century Fox only increases our confidence in our ability to leverage decades of iconic storytelling and the powerful creative engines across the entire company to deliver an extraordinary value proposition to consumers,” Iger said in a press release.

    Disney+ will enter the market with 300 film titles and 7,500 episodes of Disney TV series. Eight of the films will be from the Star Wars franchise, 18 will be Pixar, 70 will be from Disney Animation and four will be Marvel.

  • ALTBalaji crosses 20 million paid subscribers mark

    ALTBalaji crosses 20 million paid subscribers mark

    MUMBAI: Balaji Telefilms' digital arm ALTBalaji has gained more than 20 million paid subscribers by the end of the first quarter of 2019. The streaming player’s subscribers are likely to hit 25 million when its next quarterly results are announced.

    “We are in mass Hindi-speaking India,” Balaji Telefilms group COO Nachiket Pantvaidya said as quoted by Variety. “We want people in Surat, Ranchi, Raipur to watch us. We want people in rural India to watch us,” he added.

    Since its launch in 2017, the Ekta Kapoor-led platform has gained good traction in the over-crowded OTT market on the back of its local content and cheaper pricing. It recently entered a partnership with ZEE5 whose 76 million monthly active users will get access to ALTBalaji’s content. “If you have to address mass India, you have to be as near free as possible,” Pantvaidya said.

    According to Counterpoint Research, men account for 79 per cent of all Indian OTT users. The higher inclination of male audience towards OTT platforms is largely because of the lack of content available for them on general entertainment channels. OTT platforms like ALTBalaji are trying to fill that gap.

    ALTBalaji has popular shows like Gandii Baat, Kehne Ko Humsafar Hain attracting different audience segments. “We are finding our feet, collecting the data, surviving the initial tough years in a market which is filled with Goliaths who are probably outspending us by 20 to 1”, Pantvaidya said.