ITV

Category: Over The Top Services

  • IAMAI requests TRAI to recognise OTT services as “digital applications”

    IAMAI requests TRAI to recognise OTT services as “digital applications”

    MUMBAI: The Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) has reiterated that the term over-the-top (OTT) does not justify the innovation in the digital applications at the application layer. In its submission on counter comments to the OTT communication services consultation paper by industry body Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) it has asked the regulator to recognise OTT communication services as ‘digital applications’.

    “Using the terminology of OTT paints digital applications as free-riding over telecom networks, as they are accessible to all users with internet service without any arrangements / agreements with TSPs. Using the internet to offer services to consumers does not amount to free-riding, as consumers pay TSPs for the data that they use,” IAMAI said.

    The industry body has also added that digital applications provide different services with diverse functionalities that do not merely replicate legacy telecom services. It has also noted that the use of the term “over the top” tries to equate the services while differentiating the mode of their accessibility. According to IAMAI, the services provided by digital service providers in the areas of communication, e-commerce, news, social media etc., do not provide substitutable services.

    While submitting comments on the OTT consultation paper, some of the telecom operators and COAI sought to qualify the services provided by some of the digital applications to be similar or substitutes for telecom services. IAMAI is of the view that digital applications are qualitatively very different from telecom services.

    “Identifying Rich Interaction Applications (“RIAs”) as comparable to telecom services is highly reductionist and unjustified. Moreover, digital applications are not available to those telecom subscribers who do not have access to the internet. While internet penetration in India is increasing with the rapid adoption of smartphones, this number is still a very small percentage of the Indian population. On the other hand, users can access telecom services without internet access or even smartphones,” it commented.

    Some of the stakeholders also spoke about the regulatory gap between ISPs and digital application providers. In response to that, IAMAI has said that the digital applications are duly governed by the IT Act under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. It added that any new regulations under a different regulatory authority will only convolute the existing regulatory regime and adversely affect the ease of doing business in the country.

    “The argument of “same services same rules” was laid to rest in previous TRAI consultations on the matter. TSPs, with access to scarce national resources like spectrum and having restrictive access over physical infrastructures cannot possibly be compared to services being provided at the application layer, and any discussion of regulatory imbalance between the two would be comparing apples with oranges,” it highlighted.

    IAMAI thinks all arguments of service or functional substitution by the telcos ultimately stem from a narrow perception of revenue substitution. In this context, it has highlighted that earlier some telcos acknowledged that the rise of digital applications has actually led to a rise in data revenues for these service providers.

    “IAMAI would like to request the authority not to encourage TSPs to cherry-pick digital applications that help raise their revenues while choose to clamp down those they perceive as a threat for their revenues. Regulations should be based on principles and using regulations as restrictive tools for protecting business interests is a myopic outlook that harms the greater interest of the nation at large,” it commented.

  • Panorama studios international and PVR pictures collaborate to distribute films in india

    Panorama studios international and PVR pictures collaborate to distribute films in india

    MUMBAI: Kumar Mangat Pathak and Abhishek Pathak’s Panorama Studios Pvt. Ltd., a subsidiary of Panorama Studios International Limited (formerly known as Apunka Invest Commercial Limited), engaged in production and distribution of films joins hands with PVR Pictures Limited, the film arm of PVR Limited, India’s largest cinema chain, to distribute films pan India.

    At the onset the companies together will distribute Panorama Studios upcoming film slate starting with “Batla House”, followed by “Section 375” and “Khuda Hafiz”, all slated for FY 2019-20 release.

    Panorama Studios is a diversified film studio with presence in Production & Distribution. Over the years, Panorama Studios has produced a variety of commercially successful and critically acclaimed films like Omkara, Special 26, Drishyam, Singham, Raid and Pyaar Ka Punchnama franchise and distributed more than 500 films including major Box Office successes like Son of Sardaar, Rustom, Dabangg, Gabbar is back, Dark Knight Rises, Fast and furious 6 and many more.

    On the collaboration, Kumar Mangat Pathak, Managing Director, Panorama Studios International Limited said, “We are extremely pleased to associate with PVR Pictures and looking forward to a long term relationship. PVR has regularly set new milestones in film business; for both of us, this is a huge opportunity to learn from each other and contribute to each other’s success”. Abhishek Pathak, Director, Panorama Studios International Limited added, “We at Panorama Studios with our films have always thrived to delight audiences with content-rich films. PVR Pictures shares the same passion which has lead to this association bringing audiences closer to great cinematic experience !”

    PVR Pictures is the motion picture arm of PVR Limited, the largest cinema exhibition company in the country, with 781 screens spread over 67 Indian cities. PVR Pictures is the largest studio for the distribution of Independent Hollywood films in India. PVR Pictures is a prolific distributor of Indian films as well. Over 500+ Hollywood, 200+ Hindi and 100+ regional films across genres have been released under its banner since 2002.

    Commenting on the partnership, Kamal Gianchandani, CEO, PVR Pictures Limited said, “Kumar Mangat Pathak and Abhishek Pathak’s Panorama Studios has raised the bar for the film industry by creating high quality content in multiple languages. Kumar ji has an enormous amount of experience in the business &, he has achieved both acclaim & commercial success over a long and sustained period, a tough act in the film business. We are delighted to join Kumar ji and Abhishek on this journey.”

  • Snap study finds Indians have amongst the largest groups of friends in the world, but Gen Z is starting to buck the trend

    Snap study finds Indians have amongst the largest groups of friends in the world, but Gen Z is starting to buck the trend

    MUMBAI: Snap Inc. today released a global study of 10,000 people across Australia, France, Germany, India, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, the UK and the US to explore how culture, age, and technology shape preferences and attitudes around friendship. Ten experts on friendship from around the world contributed to the report to contextualise the data.

    “Snapchat’s commitment to enabling self-expression and connecting real friends compelled us to explore the attitudes, values and perceptions that shape friendship across cultures and generations,” said Amy Moussavi, Snap Inc. head of consumer insights. “While friendship may be different across regions and age groups, it plays a universally central role in our happiness and we are committed to finding new ways to celebrate and elevate it through Snapchat."

    The Friendship Report sheds new light on the nature of friendship, including:

    ● How different cultures’ interpretation of friendship impacts friendship circles: people in India, the Middle East and SouthEast Asia report having three times the number of best friends as those in Australia, Europe and the U.S.

    ● How friendship is linked to happiness and how those without friends or with overly large friendship groups find it more difficult to talk about their problems or share when they are feeling low

    ● How we consider and form friendships is most heavily shaped by when, rather than where we are born: Gen Z in the US have more in common with Boomers in India than their own grandparents

    ● Gen Z are adjusting their approach to friendship away from the Millennial desire for widespread networks and are looking for more closeness and intimacy with a smaller group

    In India, friendship is the most celebrated human relationship with a wealth of popular culture – from songs to movies – extolling its influence on our lives. The Friendship Report also provides an insight into how Indians think of and relate to their friends compared to the rest of the world.

    Indians have more best friends

    Indians have on average six best friends. Only Saudi Arabians have more with 6.6, while the UK ranks the lowest with an average of only 2.6. Interestingly, not only do people in India have more friends overall, they also want more; with 45% of respondents indicating they would like to expand their social circle. In the report, Amit Desai, a lecturer of anthropology at the London School of Economics suggested that the approach to friendship differs from ‘the East’ to ‘the West.’ He explains that in Western Europe and North America, “friendship is about finding people who are like you and bonding over your similarities.” In many Asian countries, including India, he says friendship is more relational and focuses on seeking out an array of new and different friends who bring alternative but complementary qualities to the relationship.

    Gen Z is turning away from large friendship circles

    This approach is changing for the youngest generations however; Gen Z is starting to turn away from such large friendship circles, with the lowest average (5.2) compared to Gen X having the most (7.5). They are also slightly less likely to want as many friends as possible than Gen Y, (44% to 46%), more likely to want a small friendship group of people they can trust (23% compared to 20%) and twice as likely as Gen Y to not be interested in friendships (4%). Gen Z are also half as likely as Gen Y to consider friends having a large social group they can tap into, to be an important trait.

    Love is central to friendship in India

    Whether in person or online, interactions with friends leave Indians with overwhelmingly positive emotions; ‘loved’ (55% in person versus 43% online), ‘happy’ (48% in person versus 46% online), and ‘supported’ (43% in person versus 36% online) are the three most reported.

    Indians are most ready to fall fast for a friend, 23% became best friends at “first like.” A third of Indians also say that their best friend is the opposite sex, more than any other country outside of the US. Amit Desai has researched friendship in India extensively and believes that the shift is down to a change in romantic relationships. He suggests that while marriages in urban India have traditionally been arranged by parents, increasingly young people are seeing marriage in romantic terms that include dating, falling in love and having a spouse that is also your friend.

    Honesty is the best policy

    The report shows that regardless of generation, almost two-thirds of Indians consider honesty an important trait to have in a friend (63%). This does vary slightly by generation, however, being valued most by older generations (73%) and least by Gen Z (60%), who also value humour and lightheartedness (47%) – the highest of any generation.

    Dynamics of communicating with friends has evolved over a period of time, and unlike earlier generations, 26% of Gen Z and Gen Y see technology as a boon that enables them to have more honest and open conversation, 25% Gen Y believes chatting through apps has brought them closer to their friends.

    A picture paints a thousand words

    The report also suggests that video and photos can also be an aid in clarity; 73% of Indians say that video and photos help them to express what they want to say in a way that they can’t with words. Unsurprisingly, video and images also help people to express themselves where they don’t share a native language with their friends; 29% of those from India state that communicating through the camera is more effective.

    This could be to do with language barriers. Globally, India, Malaysia, and the UAE were the regions least likely to say they grew up speaking the same language as all of their friends, and in these countries, 24% of people state that communicating through the camera reduces language barriers. Regardless of language differences, an average of 56% of people from all countries love sending video and photos because it helps them to say what they can’t with words.

    Miriam Kirmayer, an American Therapist and Ph.D. candidate in clinical psychology specializing in interpersonal relationships says that, “Any medium that allows us to share both verbal and non-verbal behavior, like video, can help us to feel closer and more connected and to navigate relationship challenges with clarity.” She also suggests that research shows that even things like emojis can help to replace the subtlety of emotion and intent which is often lost in online conversations.

  • Celebrated stand-up comedian, Neeti Palta joins star-studded mentor panel in the new season of Amazon Original Series, Comicstaan

    Celebrated stand-up comedian, Neeti Palta joins star-studded mentor panel in the new season of Amazon Original Series, Comicstaan

    MUMBAI: After a successful season 1 of the unscripted Original series, Comicstaan, Amazon Prime Video is set to release an all-new season of the one-of-its-kind popular comedy talent hunt. This time, Comicstaan Season 2 will see India’s favourite stand-up comedian, Neeti Palta joining this season’s panel of mentors and judges including Zakir Khan, Biswa Kalyan Rath, Kanan Gill, Kenny Sebastian, Kaneez Surka and Sumukhi Suresh in the hunt for India’s next big stand-up comedian. The second season of Comicstaan will soon launch only on Amazon Prime Video across 200 countries and territories.

    Neeti Palta is popular for the female perspective she brings to comedy and is a favourite across borders, cultures and age groups. She was India’s first stand-up comedian to perform at Melbourne for the prestigious Melbourne Comedy Festival 2013. Like any good comedian, she draws influences from her life, especially as an Indian woman, the “Indian-ness” of her surroundings, daily irritants and current affairs.

    Excited about Comicstaan Season 2, Neeti Palta said, “I am excited to be a part of the Comicstaan family, a unique unscripted digital comedy reality series that is on the hunt for the next big stand-up comedian. It gives me immense pleasure to be mentoring and judging budding comics on a platform where they will be tested on their ability to crack hilariously well-thought out jokes because Joke Karna Koi Mazaak Nahi!”

    Facebook: Comicstaan@ Twitter: Comicstaan@ Instagram: Comicstaan@

    Get ready to laugh with an all-new season of Comicstaan where ten contestants from across the country are chosen to compete for the winning title and mentored by comedian judges who are experts in their respective genres of comedy. Comicstaan is laugh-out-loud funny with carefully plotted jokes, quick-witted one-liners and hilarious memorable moments that are relevant in pop culture today.

    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 Prime Originals, all available, ad-free, with a world class customer experience. The service includes titles available in Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Gujarati, Punjabi and Bengali.

    To watch Comicstaan and newest releases in Hollywood & Bollywood, the latest US TV shows, kids’ favorite 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.

  • in.com finds it’s way into the vanity rooms of bollywood celebrities; launches ‘Vanity Diaries’

    in.com finds it’s way into the vanity rooms of bollywood celebrities; launches ‘Vanity Diaries’

    MUMBAI: in.com, a subsidiary of Network18 Digital, launches its first-ever digital series, ‘Vanity Diaries’. Powered by Amazon Beauty and Colorbar as their make-up partner, the new offering will witness popular celebrity make-up artist Lekha Gupta unraveling beauty secrets of some of our favorite Bollywood celebrities. Known to give its audience an insider into the lives of the celebs, in.com brings its first offering Vanity Diaries that unveils everything that happens behind the closed doors of the vanity vans. By further extending the platform's portfolio, the series looks to strengthen its offerings in a move that takes the portal's content strategy to greater heights.

    Speaking about the launch of the series, Mr. Azim Lalani, Business Head – English General News Cluster, Network18 Digital, said, “As a network, we build distinct offerings that generate high consumer engagement and with in.com we intend to provide the best of entertainment. With the aim to take our brand ethos forward, we are launching our first-ever content IP and are certain that it will resonate with the celebrity enthusiast. From launching monthly digital covers to now having Vanity Diaries as a part of our content offering, we at in.com have taken the mantle ahead in diversifying our content library and open pathways for potential expansions.”

    “Amazon Beauty offers India’s widest selection of Beauty products & brands. As more Indian customers get exposed to global beauty products & trends, we want to help them by giving them useful and trendy beauty tips. In this context, we are happy to partner with in.com to present Vanity Diaries – a show which gives a sneak peek into the beauty regime of some popular Bollywood celebrities. We are also excited to engage with Colorbar – one of India’s leading make-up brands.” informs Mrunmay Mehta, Category leader, Beauty and Luxury beauty, Amazon India

    The six-episode series sees Lekha demonstrate her expertise on beauty and show what it takes to be a Diva. Every episode will feature a famous celebrity conversing with her in a 10-minutes video, where the make-up artist shall decode their lifestyle, skincare and beauty routines along with some never-heard before quirks through multiple segments.  Seen in the promo are a host of leading ladies from the industry like Swara Bhaskar, Kiara Advani, Aditi Rao Hydari among others, who will be part of the exclusive line-up on the show. Along with that, Lekha will also be giving a sneak-peak into some easy hacks for the viewers to try at home (GharKeNuske) and get the celebrity inspired look seamlessly. 

    With each episode coming your way every 10 days, Vanity Dairies in meant to educate and entertain its audience and launched the first episode on 21st June, 2019 on in.com. 

  • Amazon Prime Video to bring 14 new titles in 9 languages

    Amazon Prime Video to bring 14 new titles in 9 languages

    MUMBAI: This July, Amazon will provide Prime members worldwide the chance to get epic deals for its longest Prime Day ever. Now in its third year in India, Prime Day starts at midnight on Monday, July 15 and – for the first time ever – runs for 48 hours, offering members two full days of the best in shopping, savings and entertainment. Prime members will enjoy the best deals with Amazon’s lowest prices of the year, over 1,000 new product launches and never-seen-before entertainment.

    Prime is enjoyed by more than 100 million Prime members in 18 countries including India. Not a member yet? Join Prime for INR 129/month at amazon.in/primeday to enjoy Prime benefits such as free & fast delivery, unlimited video, ad-free music, exclusive deals and more. On Prime Now, members in Bengaluru, Mumbai, New Delhi & Hyderabad enjoy ultra-fast two-hour delivery of consumer electronics, Amazon Devices, everyday essentials and more.

    “Get ready for Prime Day! – our biggest festival for Prime members gets bigger than ever this year with a two-day celebration filled with the most phenomenal deals, over thousand new product launches, blockbuster entertainment and more.” said, Amit Agarwal, SVP & Country Manager, Amazon India.  “Our vision is that Prime Day should be the absolute best time to be a member where you can enjoy shopping, savings, entertainment and truly some of the best deals Prime members have ever seen. Stay tuned as we reveal big savings, thousands of Prime Day launches, as well as blockbuster entertainment and more leading up to Prime Day on July 15 and 16.”

    Shopping

    – 48 hours of exclusive shopping celebration – Starting 12 midnight on July 15 until July 16

    – Best Deals with the lowest prices of the year across smartphones, consumer electronics, appliances, TVs, kitchen, daily essentials, toys, fashion, beauty and more. Find the biggest Prime Day deals ever on Amazon Devices

    – Over 1,000 new product launches – Exciting surprises from OnePlus, Samsung M40, Oppo F11 pro, LG W30 phones, latest laptops powered by Intel – HP i3 Windows touch laptop and Lenovo Legion Y540 gaming laptop. Voice enabled Alexa Smart TVs from Panasonic, smart watch from Amazfit, premium Bluetooth headphones from Sennheiser, new range of watches from Kate Spade, Marks & Spencer new season collection, new apparel and shoes collection from United Colors of Benetton, new range of shoes from Clarks, Mothercare Kids’ New Season Collection,  TIGI Bed Head hair and skin care range, Cadbury gift packs, Maggi Fusion Noodles, new range from LEGO, India’s first-ever Alexa-enabled washing machine from IFB, Washing Machines by AmazonBasics, Eureka Forbes Water Purifier, Dyson’s handheld vacuum cleaner and lots more!

    – Shop from hundreds of small sellers, emerging start-up brands from Amazon Launchpad as well as regional sellers from the Amazon Saheli and Kala Haat programs offering, for the first time, hand-crafted Pochampally Ikat, Patola silk, Khadi jackets, tribal products, stoles, blue pottery, stationery and more!

    – Save Big – On Prime Day members get 10% instant discount with HDFC Bank Debit & Credit Cards, unlimited reward points with Amazon Pay ICICI Bank Credit Card plus No Cost EMI on credit/debit cards and Bajaj Finserv EMI cards.

    Members can begin saving ahead of Prime Day and get up to INR 2,500 cashback from Amazon Pay on domestic flight bookings on Amazon.in. When members use Amazon Pay they can avail cashbacks up to INR 850 on popular apps Yatra, Box8, EazyDiner and Medlife. Leading up to Prime Day, members can participate in activities like signing up for annual Prime membership, shopping in select categories and collect ‘Prime Day offers’ which can be used to get additional cashback on their Prime Day shopping.

    Entertainment and More

    Starting July 01, Prime members can begin celebrating Prime Day early with exclusive blockbuster entertainment launches from Prime Video and Amazon Prime Music.

    · 14 new titles over 14 days in 9 languages on Prime Video – Prime Day celebrations start early on Amazon Prime Video with a 14 day entertainment marathon.  Starting July 01, Prime Members can enjoy 14 blockbusters across International, Indian and Regional titles. Customers can enjoy blockbuster title premieres across English, Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, Marathi, Bengali, Punjabi, Telugu and Kannada languages on Amazon Prime Video as a run up to Prime Day 2019. The line-up leading to Prime Day includes Kalank (Hindi), Venom (English), Maharshi (Telugu), Ishq (Malayalam), NGK (Tamil), Parvathamma (Kannada), Mukalava (Punjabi), Bhoot Chaturdashi (Bengali), Chandigarh Amritsar Chandigarh (Punjabi), A Star Is Born (English), Mogra Phulaala (Marathi) amongst others.  Much loved Amazon Original Series, Comicstaan returns with Season 2 starting July 12 to find India’s next big comedy sensation.

    · Listen to new playlists on Amazon Prime Music – On Amazon Prime Music, sit back and enjoy ad-free seamless music with playlists curated by an array of celebrities like Shreya Ghoshal, Sonu Nigam, Armaan Malik, Raftaar, Neha Kakkar, The Jonas Brothers among many more. Bringing top celebrities closer to Prime Music listeners, these playlists have been personally curated and appeal to a variety of moods, themes and occasions. Starting today, Prime members who haven’t tried Prime Music before can stream their first song and get INR 200 as Amazon Pay balance and an additional 20% cashback on purchase of any Echo device on Prime Day.

    Experience Prime Day new products launches & entertainment specials in Virtual Reality

    Online shoppers no longer need to be content with seeing only pictures or videos before buying products. Amplifying last year’s innovation, Prime day will also bring back the touch-and-try charm to online shopping with one-of-a-kind Virtual Reality (VR) experience from July 06. Customers can experience hundreds of new products launching on Prime Day in an immersive environment, where they can view products in life-size, inspect products up close and enjoy 360-degree views. Customers can also catch trailers and exclusive content from Prime Video’s blockbuster lineup launching for Prime Day in a virtual cinema. This VR experience is open to all customers with special access to Prime members at select malls in Delhi NCR, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune and Kolkata.

    Every Day Made Better with Prime

    Prime is designed to make your life better every single day. Over 100 million Prime members around the world enjoy the many benefits of Prime, including the best of shopping and entertainment on Prime Day. In India, this includes free one-day, two-day delivery, unlimited access to award-winning movies and TV episodes with Prime Video; unlimited access to Prime Music, unlimited access to bestselling eBooks through Prime Reading early access to select Lightning Deals and more. Members in Delhi NCR, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Mumbai can enjoy ultra-fast 2-hour delivery on Amazon devices, consumer electronics and everyday essentials on the Prime Now Ap. Log on to www.amazonin/prime and become a Prime member today.

  • SPNI tells TRAI OTT platforms can’t be compared to broadcasting services

    SPNI tells TRAI OTT platforms can’t be compared to broadcasting services

    MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) has again batted for the policy of forbearance for the fullest potential growth of the OTT industry. The broadcaster has also strongly advocated that OTTs providing content/media cannot be brought within the ambit of substitutability with broadcasting service.

    SPNI is of the view that since OTT distribution platforms are not granted permission/licence by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB), they are not comparable with broadcasters. According to the broadcaster, the licensing/regulatory provision applicable to broadcasters cannot be applied to OTT distribution platforms. It explained that OTT services also do not use spectrum for providing their services but ride on the top of data services provided by licensed telcos unlike broadcasters who require uplink/downlink spectrum for transmission of signals.

    The broadcaster made these suggestions as part of its counter comments to a TRAI consultation paper. It has also disagreed with earlier comments of some of the stakeholders that emergency services should be made mandatorily accessible via OTT content service providers. SPNI has explained that OTT content, except for live content, are consumed at consumer’s discretion not on real time basis. Hence, it has noted that display of such communications over OTT content platforms may not reach the consumers on a real-time basis which would defeat the purpose of making emergency communications available on OTT content platforms.

    Earlier, public broadcaster Prasar Bharati has suggested to the TRAI that certain norms be made mandatory for OTT providers, in order to bring them on a level playing field with TV broadcasters and not just limit their comparison to telecom service providers (TSPs). It also stated that OTT providers should abide by certain rules including one that OTT platforms streaming live TV should mandatorily carry all Doordarshan channels like DTH, MSOs or cable operators do. OTT service providers offering news content should be registered with MIB.

    SPNI has clearly disagreed with this view without taking the name of the stakeholder. It also added that the mode of operation, revenue generation and the nature of offerings of OTT service providers are not comparable with that of broadcasters/TSPs. Hence, the same yardsticks cannot be made applicable to two inherently distinct platforms. However, it noted that on the carriage of Doordarshan channels, those that are unencrypted and FTA may be made available at the option of the OTT service providers.

    “On the recommendation for audience measurement system to be devised for OTTs carrying live television channels by certain stakeholders, the OTT players already have their internal mechanisms in place for audience measurement systems. This apart there are several private players providing audience measurement services. Hence attempting to mandate one only for those OTT players carrying television content will be a fruitless exercise. The way forward would be to unify the broadcast TV measurement system so that it captures,” it added.

    SPNI has also spoken against a claim from one of the stakeholders alleging certain broadcasts on OTT platforms being against national security. It has highlighted that in light of the entire set of regulations governing the OTT platforms coupled with judicial interventions from time to time, there are sufficient checks and balances in place to ensure that content provided on such platforms are not in violation of the law of land.

  • Netflix testing pop-out video player

    Netflix testing pop-out video player

    MUMBAI: Netflix seems to be testing a new feature, a pop-out video player, that will allow users to stream videos in a small floating box that hovers above other windows and applications. The new feature means a user can watch videos on Netflix while doing other work, a perfect tool for multi tasking.

    According to engadget report, users will have to click on a small icon along the bottom of the screen to use the pop-out player. Users can resize it and position it according to their own choice once the window appears. However, subtitles are not yet available in the window.

    Although Netflix has yet to formally announce the feature,  the pop-out player seems to be rolling out slowly. But Netflix has confirmed to engadget that it is testing a pop-out player.

  • India vs Pakistan: Hotstar clocks highest-ever single day reach of 100 million

    India vs Pakistan: Hotstar clocks highest-ever single day reach of 100 million

    MUMBAI: Hotstar, India’s largest premium streaming platform, once again shattered records by hitting an unprecedented daily active user number of 100 million during the India vs. Pakistan match on 16th June, making this the highest-ever single day reach for the platform. Underlining the fact that Hotstar’s viewership continues to grow across the width and breadth of India, 66% of the 100 Mn users came in from towns beyond the big metro cities. The streaming giant also registered record-breaking concurrency of 15.6 million, the highest ever for an ODI match, marking a 1.7x increase in average concurrency compared to any other India match.

    Unmatched in its sheer scale, this season of ICC Cricket World Cup is being streamed across 6 languages – English, Hindi, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada. Hotstar has also retained its exciting social layer of #KoiYaarNahiFar with the Watch ‘N Play feature successfully creating an unparalleled and engaging cricket-watching experience for all the Hotstar users. Through this feature, Hotstar enables friends coming together irrespective of their location, allowing them to make their voices heard by chatting about the match and their Watch ‘N Play experience, not only with their friends and family, but also with experts and celebrities.

    Commenting on the development, Hotstar chief product officer Varun Narang, said “We are delighted to have been able to deliver an uninterrupted cricket watching experience to such a large audience at once. Having achieved a single day platform reach of 100 million demonstrates the indisputable technology prowess that Hotstar brings to the OTT industry. This remarkable achievement has helped us set a new viewership benchmark.”

    In addition to India, Hotstar is bringing the ICC Cricket World Cup to consumers in the US and Canada as well, who are tuning in to the platform via the app, on the web (us.hotstar.com), Google play store, app store, as well as on living room devices like Roku TV, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV Stick, Android TV, and Samsung Smart TV.

    Hotstar’s immense reach and scale has always made it a preferred destination for advertisers across the country. Offering ad targeting for live sports at scale, the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 on Hotstar is an exciting affair for all involved, including co-presenting sponsors Dream 11, Uber Eats, Amazon Pay, and Coca Cola, and associate sponsors Royal Challenge, Acko, CEAT, and ICICI Lombard.

  • Here’s a sneak peek to SonyLIV’s next web original – ‘GULLAK’

    Here’s a sneak peek to SonyLIV’s next web original – ‘GULLAK’

    MUMBAI: Small families, never ending hassles and an unshakeable bond; that’s what defines the dynamics of the Indian middle class. Bereft of luxuries and away from the urban hustle, these are people who live limitlessly within the small confines of their homes. Their dreams are not bound by the height of their walls and imperfection is a way of life for them. Unleashing one such slice of life story, SonyLIV, India’s first premium video on demand service launches its next original – Gullak on 27th June. Created by TVF, Gullak promises to evoke a rollercoaster of emotions in its viewers and present hilarious instances that form the crux of middle class families in India.

    Written by Nikhil Vijay and starring actors Jameel Khan, Geetanjali Kulkarni, Sunita Rajwar and Vaibhav Raj Gupta, the show depicts the story of a family that brings home a Gullak to save for materialise their dreams. But things don’t always go as per plan, which is essentially a reality in our regular lives. Undeterred, they stick together as there’s more to save for a happy life, togetherness being top of the order. With a well-knit screenplay and heartfelt performances, Gullak is reflective of the unexpected highs and disappointing lows that we all face and yet relentlessly strive to sail through. What we gain is a lifetime of memories, experiences and stories to share.

    Join the Mishra family as they find anecdotes in their chaotic everyday lives by catching a glimpse of the promo below. Gullak goes live exclusively on SonyLIV on 27th June 2019.