ITV

Category: Over The Top Services

  • Upcoming Amazon Original, The Family Man, showcased at The Television Critics Association

    Upcoming Amazon Original, The Family Man, showcased at The Television Critics Association

    MUMBAI: The highly anticipated drama-thriller, The Family Man, became the first ever Indian Amazon Original showcased at The Television Critics Association in Los Angeles on 27th July, 2019.  The series has been produced and directed by Raj & DK (Go Goa Gone, Shor In The City), and marks the digital debut of two-time National Film Award winning actor, Manoj Bajpayee, along with National Film Award recipient, Priyamani. The show also boasts of a pan-Indian cast including Sharib Hashmi, Neeraj Madhav, Sharad Kelkar, Sunny Hinduja, Shreya Dhanwantary and others.  Amazon Originals across the globe including the new season of Transparent, Carnival Row and True Love are also being showcased as part of the summer TCA session.

    Vijay Subramaniam, Director and Head, Content, Amazon Prime Video India, said “The Family Man is engaging from start to finish. And in true Raj and DK style, is interlaced with quirky humor.  We are glad that it is the first Amazon Original Series from India that we are showcasing at this prestigious occasion. It is a matter of pride that the critics have picked The Family Man as a highlight for the event, we look forward to seeing many more Amazon Original Series receive such appreciation on a global scale.”

    Amazon Prime Video has the largest selection of latest & exclusive movies and TV shows, stand-up comedy, biggest Indian and Hollywood films, US TV series, most popular Indian & international kids’ shows, and award-winning Amazon Originals, all available, ad-free, with a world class customer experience. The service includes titles available in Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Gujarati, Kannada, Punjabi, Malayalam and Bengali.

    To watch the upcoming Amazon Original Series and newest releases in Hollywood & Bollywood, the latest US TV shows, kids’ favourite toons and Amazon Prime Originals, please visit www.PrimeVideo.com or download the Amazon Prime Video app today and sign-up for a Prime membership only at ₹999 annually or ₹129 monthly.

  • VOOT Kids partners with Karadi Tales to bring to life popular Indian Classics

    VOOT Kids partners with Karadi Tales to bring to life popular Indian Classics

    MUMBAI: Do you remember the memories you made and the world you created when your grandma narrated those classic tales to you? Now imagine your kids enjoying the same traditional stories narrated in the magical voices of your favorite celebrities. VOOT Kids, the all-new entertainment and fun-learning app for kids from the house of Viacom18, is bringing to life this vast selection, partnering with the iconic Karadi Tales.  The recently launched VOOT Kids is all set to delight kids with these classics narrated in the enthralling voices of  legends like Naseeruddin Shah, Gulzar, Usha Uthup, sporting stalwarts like  Rahul Dravid  and phenomenal actors like Vidya Balan, Javed Jaffery, R Madhavan, amongst others, through a diverse collection of audio stories, set in riveting soundscapes. The Karadi Tales collection on VOOT Kids that is live now will also include e-books and videos.

    Introducing kids to various aspects of the Indian folklore, fables and culture, Karadi Tales with its bedtime stories, timeless tales of world’s greatest warriors and much more will provide an immersive story telling experience on VOOT Kids.  With hundreds of stories and book narrations by the diverse repertoire of well-known celebrities, VOOT Kids is sure to enrich every child’s entertainment and learning experience. 

    “VOOT Kids endeavors to provide children with an immersive and holistic edutainment experience. With a wide array of content from Video, Audio stories, E-books, learning segments and more, the platform is set to become a key part of every child’s daily entertainment and fun learning journey.  Audio stories is a magical segment, which will definitely fire up their imagination and allow every child to visualize a story in their own unique way," VOOT Kids business head Saugato Bhowmik commented on the partnership. 

    “Partnering with marquee content partners like Karadi tales, that bring to life culturally rich and relevant stories with morals and learnings, is sure to add significant value to every child’s entertainment need and cognitive skills,” he further added.

    "The storytelling tradition in our country spans over 3000 years. This experience of storytelling involves not just the written word but visual imagery, vibrant narration, exciting sound and music textures. Karadi Tales has been involved in taking the joy of Indian folklore and storytelling for over 2 decades now. Karadi Tales audiobooks feature master storytellers from the Indian theatre and film world. The music and songs are based on the Indian classical music traditions and the visual imagery, on the phenomenal art traditions from across the Indian milieu.  

    Karadi Tales is thrilled to celebrate the sights and sounds of India with VOOT Kids, to take the joy of storytelling to children across our country," Karadi Tales creative director Narayan Parasuram added.

  • Pocket Aces raises $14.7 mn fresh funds

    Pocket Aces raises $14.7 mn fresh funds

    MUMBAI: Digital studio Pocket Aces has raised $14.7 million from Sequoia Capital, DSP Group, 3one4 Capital along with other prominent investors.

    The Mumbai-based firm plans to use the fresh capital to invest in content, technology and talent. It has also plans to expand social distribution by starting three new content channels in the next 12 months. It is targeting a run-rate of 1 billion monthly video views on original content by 2020 while now its shows garner 500 million views per month.

    “With massive penetration of mobile internet and a large consumer base hungry for local content, we believe there has never been a better time to build a large content business here," said Ashwin Suresh, Anirudh Pandita and Aditi Shrivastava in a joint statement.

    Currently, Pocket Aces operates three socially distributed content channels: FilterCopy (short videos), Dice Media (long-form videos) and Gobble (food and lifestyle videos). It uses local advertising to monetize and currently works with brands. Moreover, the company launched its Loco app last year which has over 15 million registered users.

  • Girliyapa Spotlight to tackle human trafficking with a maximum visual impact

    Girliyapa Spotlight to tackle human trafficking with a maximum visual impact

    MUMBAI: Every human being has the right to live free and with dignity. Human trafficking is one of the most heinous acts of crime that is not only inhuman, but a violation of human rights. Although being illegal, India faces a significant problem of children being exploited for commercial use. In an attempt to bring forth this act, TVF’s initiative through Girliyapa Spotlight is worth taking notice.

    Their latest video produced by International Justice Mission (IJM) highlights human trafficking showcasing an innocent school-going girl being deceived, abused and tortured in isolation that will leave one speechless. Visually creating a stir on the digital space, the platform’s strong messaging chooses path-breaking ways to portray a highly critical topic that will have a positive impact.

    Aiming to sensitize its audience and talk about fragile issues that are frowned upon by the society, the platform is trying to raise awareness through their wide reach amongst the millennial. Through various formats, Girliyapa Spotlight will bring stories that are socially relevant in a unique manner that they aim will leave a lasting impact on the viewers.

    In a world where hatred is spread and accepted with much ease, we often forget the little acts of humanity that can make an immense difference to one another. In the growing intolerant nation, the urban youth looks to satirical content and humor to voice their opinions on important subject matters. Social media being one such tool that has given the power of becoming a ‘woke’ generation, TVF’s Girliyapa aims to take this a notch higher with their initiative Girliyapa Spotlight.

    Some of the other major social issues highlighted by the platform under their initiative Girliyapa Spotlight previously are Child Labour, Menstruation health, LGBTQIA+ rights, through a variety of videos, still images, illustrations, narrations and more. Recently seen campaigning for India’s first gender neutral toilets in Indian colleges, Daniel Mendonca, an intersex social worker narrated his own journey giving the audience firsthand information on the price of being unique. Popular TVF actors like Ahsaas Channa, Khushbu Baid have also been a part of previous videos.

    Fighting a constant battle against social stigmas, Girliyapa Spotlight aims to create a society that is more inclusive and empathetic towards each other through this initiative.

  • SonyLIV strengthens its global outreach by foraying into the middle east

    SonyLIV strengthens its global outreach by foraying into the middle east

    MUMBAI: SonyLIV, India’s first premium video on demand (VOD) service intensifies its global footprint with its foray into Middle East. Launched in 2013 as the first mover in the Indian OTT industry, SonyLIV recently crossed the 100MN app downloads milestone on Play store in India and currently caters to over 70 million MAUs (Monthly Active Users). Bringing quality content tailormade for the local audience and South Asian diaspora in the region, over 70 popular shows from Sony Pictures Networks India’s (SPN) rich content library and over 1500 movies are now available on SonyLIV in UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.

    From Kapil Sharma’s rib ticking comedy to some hypnotic dance moves in Super Dancer to the inspiring stories of women empowerment in Ladies Special and Patiala Babes, Sony Pictures Networks India’s most popular shows are now up for viewing on SonyLIV at any time and at the viewers convenience. Adding onto this binge fest are popular Bollywood movies from SonyLIV’s vast content library. To ensure that the audience doesn’t miss out on their favourite shows from the Sony Pictures Networks stable, all new episodes will be available with English subtitles.

    With over 450 million unique mobile subscribers, the Middle East has one of the highest consumption of YouTube videos in the world. Digital infiltration and high-speed internet have opened the floodgates of premium content from the world over spanning genres and interests. Smartphones have been instrumental in offering cultural understanding and exposure to the legion of local users, 50% of which is under the age of 25 years and 35% under the age of 18 years.

    SonyLIV intends to cater to this audience with the most sought after stories and an enhanced viewing experience. Over the last six years, the platform has pioneered the Indian digital ecosystem by offering content that is diverse, relatable and most importantly entertaining. With a 7X increase in consumption and 3X rise in subscribers last year, SonyLIV now aims to tap newer audience segments globally.

  • Eros Now partners with The Mobile Wallet

    Eros Now partners with The Mobile Wallet

    MUMBAI: Eros Now, the cutting-edge digital over-the-top (OTT) South Asian entertainment platform owned by Eros International Plc (NYSE: EROS) (“Eros” or the “Company”), a Global Indian Entertainment Company, today announced its partnership with TMW Fintech Pvt Ltd’s ‘The Mobile Wallet’ – India’s fast-growing financial technology service that makes daily transactions easy as users never have to reach for their physical wallets. As part of the partnership, The Mobile Wallet users can take advantage of a special offer and enjoy Eros Now’s massive entertainment library which consists of over 12,000 movie titles, original series, music videos, short form content (Eros Now Quickie) and more.

    Eros Now is the first and only online video streaming platform that can be accessed in the newly introduced ‘Entertainment’ tab of ‘The Mobile Wallet’, a doorway to entertainment for over 2.5 million active users of the digital wallet.

    Speaking on the partnership, Rishika Lulla Singh, Chief Executive Officer, Eros Digital, said, “The Fintech industry has witnessed immense growth in India and this partnership solidifies the continual innovation of both Eros Now and The Mobile Wallet to enhance user experience. The collaboration will enable us to cater to the potential online video streaming audience by offering them a wide array of entertainment content to choose from. The newly curated ‘Entertainment’ tab featuring Eros Now also adds a new dimension to the unique offerings of The Mobile Wallet and promises to further engage its users.”

    Mr. Vinay Kalantri, Founder & Managing Director, TMW Fintech Pvt Ltd, said, “The blend of financial solution with entertainment strengthens our unique offerings portfolio. The additional engagement that this partnership will drive also promises the growth of technological infrastructure. We are glad to partner with Eros Now and introduce an ‘Entertainment’ category.”

  • MX Player amps up its regional slate with 3 new language love stories

    MX Player amps up its regional slate with 3 new language love stories

    MUMBAI: Recognising the under-served audiences in Tier II/ Tier III cities and their need for differentiated content – MX Player amps up its regional slate with 3 exciting language web series’. These 3 MX Exclusive Series & Mirchi Play Originals bring viewers endearing love stories in Marathi, Tamil and Gujarati that feature some of the best talent in the industry.

    Relive your magical firsts in the 6 episodic Marathi web series – Aani Kay Hava that is directed by Varun Narvekar of Muramba fame and stars real life couple Priya Bapat and Umesh Kamat in the lead. It went live on 16 July and has been receiving a great response from audiences for the sweet narrative and the duo’s chemistry. 

    With Tamil web series ‘Kalyanam Conditions Apply 2.0’ – the much loved Mirchi Senthil and his wife Sreeja bring you the 6-episode version of what marriage actually entails because even holy matrimony, like all other important life decisions come with that little asterisk that says conditions apply. Watch their love, everyday banter and camaraderie unfold in relatable situations which every couple goes though. The series has been streaming on the platform since 22July.

    Gujarati rom-com Do Not Disturb follows the conversations that flow in the bedroom of a modern couple essayed by Manasi Parekh Gohil and Malhar Thakar that is directed by Sandeep Patel of Love Ni Bhavai acclaim and penned by writers Mitai Shukla & Nehal Bakshi. The series has been streaming for free 26July onwards on MX Player.

    Elaborating on this development, Karan Bedi – CEO, MX Player said, “One of our key propositions for the year is to have a sharply segmented demographic focus so that viewers can consume entertainment in a language of their choice. I believe viewers of regional content will only continue to grow and as content creators – we must increasingly cater to this TG.”

  • ALTbalaji & ZEE5 announce content alliance to grow the subscription video on demand business

    ALTbalaji & ZEE5 announce content alliance to grow the subscription video on demand business

    National: With an aim to leverage each other’s strengths in the OTT domain, ZEE5 and ALTBalajihave collaborated to co-create original content which will only be available on both platforms. 

    The content sharing arrangement,  includes co-creation of 60+ Original content series (in Hindi) which will be available exclusively to SVOD subscribers of both platforms. This association is a collaborative process of co-understanding consumer insights and co-marketing to serve the viewer better and resulting in improved monetisation for both. 

    ZEE5 and ALTBalaji have established their content strength globally, and the synergy will result in two of the largest homegrown video streaming platforms coming together to expand their subscription base and grow the binge-watching culture globally.

    Mr. Punit Goenka, MD & CEO, ZEEL said, “I truly cherish the bond between Balaji and ZEE, which has been nurtured and built over the last two decades. Together, we have created some path breaking content masterpieces which have truly entertained our esteemed audiences. I am most certain that this association will enable both the brands to re-create the magic, this time in the digital space.”

    As per the association, ALTBalaji will maintain an exclusive partnership with ZEE5, in order to enhance its offering to the market, with a focused and strategic approach.

    Commenting on this development Mrs. Shobha Kapoor, Managing Director, Balaji Telefilms said, “This collaboration strengthens the 25 yearold fruitful relationship between Zee Group and Balaji Telefilms, from Television content, to Movie Monetisation and now to Digital Video Streaming. It plays to each partner’s individual strength and the consumer is the ultimate winner. This partnership will result in Balaji Telefilms being profitable as an entity, thereby giving us an opportunity to scale up our business ambitions, creating value for all our stakeholders.”

    In two years of commercial launch, ALTBalaji has one of the largest libraries of Hindi original and exclusive shows. It remains one of India’s favourite online destinations for truly engaging content. Shows such as  The Test Case, Apharan, Home, Kehne Ko Humsafar Hain, and Bose: Dead or Alive have won many accolades and has an ever-growing audience base that watches Indian shows across the globe.

    Ms. Ekta Kapoor, Joint MD,  Balaji Telefilms added, “As part of this partnership ZEE5 subscribers will get seamless access to ALTBalaji’s clutter breaking originals in addition to ZEE5 existing content. This partnership enables  ALTBalaji to continue to  scale up rapidly its content creation ambitions and focus on building the largest library of original exclusive shows in India. We hope that ALTBalaji and ZEE5 will set benchmarks in unique storytelling.”

    Mr. TarunKatial, CEO, ZEE5 Indiaadded, “In the first year of going live, we, at ZEE5, have focussed on building a strong repository of content and this is evident in the 100,000+ hours of content that we have on the platform. Overtime, we have seen a steady increase in viewership of regional originalcontent and this partnershipwill be a great opportunity for our viewers to enjoy the best of both worlds – the one created by ALTBalaji and us.We believe, this will be a game-changer for both – the industry as well as the audiences. We are glad to initiate this trend where content creators can partner to bring the best immersive experience for the viewers.Thiscollaboration promises immense growth potential for both partners.”

    In 2019 itself, ZEE5 has rolled out around 25 original shows across genres, and the platform is committed to launching 72+shows by March 2020. It has crossed 50 million gross downloads since launch on the Play Store and had 76.4million monthly active users globally in June 2019.
     

  • ZEEL’s Punit Goenka says ZEE5 to see peak investment in FY 20

    ZEEL’s Punit Goenka says ZEE5 to see peak investment in FY 20

    MUMBAI: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd’s (ZEEL) digital venture touched 76.4 million monthly active users (MAU) in the first quarter of FY20 making the media conglomerate more bullish on its new bet. While the over-the-top (OTT) platform is coming up with a number of original shows in different languages, ZEEL MD and CEO Punit Goenka said this year will see the highest investment in ZEE5.

    “This year will be the peak investment in ZEE5. I am not guiding for any specific number for ZEE5,” Goenka said in an earnings call after Q1 results. He also noted that the company’s margins guidance is factoring in the losses on account of ZEE5, or any other investment that they may have. Content costs, which are already rising, will be impacted due to the ramp-up in ZEE5.

    Goenka also re-emphasised his confidence in the company’s ability to monetise ZEE5. Though revenue is in accordance with its plans and targets, it isn’t enough to have a significant impact on the top-line.

    The streaming service had a global daily active user (DAU) base of 6.6 million in June. It also witnessed a hike in user engagement as users spent an average of 33 minutes per day on the platform in contrast to 31 minutes per day in the last quarter.

    “So, a part of the earlier quarter, the number I gave were only India numbers. Now that international has launched that also contributes to the MAUs. Yes, we did see an increase in India as well. But it got further strengthened with the international numbers,” Goenka commented on MAU growth.

    Although there has been a sharp increase in ZEE5’s MAU in every quarter after its launch, Goenka said the company is not satisfied with the DAU-MAU ratio yet. While it ranges between 8 or 9 per cent, the industry standard is 25 per cent. He expects ZEE5 to touch this mark in six quarters’ time.

    The current trend being OTT tying up with telcos, ZEE5 is yet to take a step in that direction. Out of the three large telcos, while it is yet to strike a deal with one, about 50 per cent partnership has been established with another. But, Goenka denied giving any particular completion timeframe for it.

    On competitor Netflix’s newly-launched mobile-only plan, Goenka said, “It’s too early to comment as to how mobile-only will impact, because, in the end, that is just a pricing strategy that they have done. It does not really tell me too much about the content strategy. And therefore, as you will appreciate, for any OTT platform or content-driven business, the basic need is content. Until that does not change, life would not change significantly.”

    A recent PTI report stated that ZEE5 is planning to test mobile-only packs too.

  • Netflix launches mobile plan for India at Rs 199/month

    Netflix launches mobile plan for India at Rs 199/month

    MUMBAI: Netflix has announced the launch of a new mobile plan for India. At INR 199 per month, members will be able to enjoy all of Netflix’s content—uninterrupted and without ads—in standard definition (SD) on one smartphone or tablet at a time. This is its fourth Indian plan, in addition to the existing basic, standard and premium plans.

    “Our members in India watch more on their mobiles than members anywhere else in the world-  and they love to download our shows and films. We believe this new plan will make Netflix even more accessible and better suit people who like to watch on their smartphones and tablets—both on the go and at home,” said Netflix director, product innovation Ajay Arora.

    According to a FICCI-EY 2019 report, Indians spend 30% of their phone time—and over 70% of their mobile data—on entertainment. Netflix is investing heavily in Indian films and series across all genres and for all generations, including much-loved hits like Sacred Games, Chopsticks and Mighty Little Bheem. Thirteen new films and nine new original series are already in the pipeline. 

    To sign up for the mobile plan:  

    1.   Download the Netflix app or visit the website www.netflix.com

    2.   Select the mobile plan for INR 199/month

    3.   Add account details and try the first month for free (for new members)

    In addition, to the introduction of a new mobile plan, it has adjusted prices for the three existing plans as follows:

    ·       Mobile – INR 199/month (new tier)

    ·       Basic – INR 499/month

    ·       Standard – INR 649/month

    ·       Premium – INR 799/month

    Netflix continues to improve the mobile experience with features like Smart Downloads, mobile previews, and sharing to social media. Most recently, it improved the Android app—by making the sign-up flow for new members and the app load more quickly on entry-level smartphones.