ITV

Category: Over The Top Services

  • Eros Now Expands its Presence in Indonesia Through Partnership with XL Home of XL Axiata

    Eros Now Expands its Presence in Indonesia Through Partnership with XL Home of XL Axiata

    MUMBAI: Eros International PLC (NYSE:EROS) (“Eros”), a leading global company in the Indian film entertainment industry, announced today that Eros Now, its cutting-edge digital over-the-top (OTT) South Asian entertainment platform, has partnered with major cellular provider XL Axiata’s  home entertainment and fibre optic internet offering – XL Home in Indonesia.

    XL Axiata is a part of the Axiata Group, which offers an array of innovative telecommunications products and services ranging from voice, SMS and Value-Added Services (VAS) to mobile data covering more than 93% of the population throughout Indonesia and having a robust subscriber base of 53.9 million. With the rise of more choices in viewing content habits, XL Axiata has recently launched XL Home, a home broadband entertainment service, backed with speedy and stable fibre optic internet connection that allows customers to choose their favourite entertainment and pay for the content or television channels they prefer.

    This association further leverages the platform’s global position and cements Eros Now’s presence in key emerging markets like Indonesia. Indonesia is one of many countries in Asia with a thriving community of Bollywood film fans. The partnership between Eros Now and XL Home will allow consumers easy access to home entertainment with fibre optic internet, offering Eros Now’s massive library of over 11,000 films, original shows and music videos. From classics like Ram Aur Shyam to blockbusters like Devdas, Bajrangi Bhaijaan, and Bajirao Mastani, consumers will have access to a wide array of quality entertainment at a monthly subscription of IDR 26,000 ($1.79 USD) and an annual subscription of IDR 260,000 ($17.93 USD). 

    Commenting on the association, Rishika Lulla Singh, CEO, Eros Digital said, “We want to continue creating strong differentiated content strategies and cater to the growing influence of Indian content worldwide. The collaboration with XL Home enables Eros Now to expand its reach to a larger consumer base in Indonesia who can enjoy their favorite Indian entertainment content on XL Home.”

    XL Axiata's Director or Corporate Strategy and Business Development, Abhijit Navalekar, said, "XL Home is enthusiastic in forming a partnership with Eros Now, in order to, mutually, providing high quality content for XL Home customers. Through this partnership, we also want to show our dedication and commitment in providing comprehensive and relevant content. Supported by high speed and stable fibre optic internet connection, we are optimistic in providing fantastic XL Home experience to our customers."

    As previously announced in September of this year, Eros Now entered the Indonesian market through a distribution partnership with Xiaomi’s Mi TV. The integration with XL Axiata further affirms Eros Now’s penetration strategy in the Indonesian market.

  • Amazon Prime Video announces ‘Breathe’ S2

    Amazon Prime Video announces ‘Breathe’ S2

    MUMBAI: Amazon Prime Video today announced that it has commenced the production of an all-new season of the Prime Original Series, Breathe. Created by Abundantia Entertainment, the second season of the show also marks the digital streaming on-screen debut of Bollywood star Abhishek Bachchan. The show will continue to be directed by Mayank Sharma while Bhavani Iyer, Vikram Tuli and Arshad Syed are writers of the show. Actor Amit Sadh returns in his award-winning role as Kabir Sawant.

    In its first season, the gritty psychological thriller won the hearts of Prime viewers across multiple geographies with a gripping storyline, bold narrative, and impactful performances by the cast led by superstar R Madhavan and Sadh. Now, the second season of the show has gone into production.

    Amazon Prime Video director and head of content Vijay Subramaniam said, “We received a phenomenal response from customers for the first season of Breathe. It was a disruptive, genre-defining show and our audiences loved it! We are now excited to commence work on the second season of the show and have secured Abhishek Bachchan as a lead cast who has effortlessly portrayed diverse & complex roles through his career and will be a great addition to the show. Our customers can expect another exciting face-off between the two leads as season two brings back the thrill and edge-of-the- seat drama.”

    Breathe executive producer and Abundantia Entertainment CEO Vikram Malhotra said, “Season one of Breathe pushed the boundaries of conventional story-telling and created a compelling Indian show that connected with the world. We are humbled by the success of the show and I’m very excited that Abhishek has joined the series in a lead role. With Amit continuing in his award-winning role, and an engaging new narrative, I am confident that season two will raise the bar even higher.”

    Actor Abhishek Bachchan said, “I am very excited to be a part of Breathe. As an artist, I have always liked to challenge myself through portraying unique characters and by being a part of genre-breaking stories. Content streaming and original digital series are the way of the future and I could not resist being a part of this new wave. I had seen season one of Breathe and when Mayank shared where the story progresses to in season two, I knew I had to do this! I look forward to this new dimension in my career.”

    Continuing in season two, actor Amit Sadh said, “Breathe has been an amazing ride for me! The love and recognition from fans all over the world has made all my hard work worth it. The new season of Breathe will take the story above and beyond the debut season; I can’t wait to return as Kabir Sawant.”

    Breathe is a gritty psychological, thriller series that follows the lives of ordinary people faced with extraordinary circumstances. How far will you go to save the life of a loved one? Breathe explores this very question. This emotional and psychological series was recently renewed for a second season.

  • IndiaCast partners JKN Media to bring Indian content to Thailand

    IndiaCast partners JKN Media to bring Indian content to Thailand

    MUMBAI: In a bid to strengthen its international foothold and provide unparalleled entertainment to the transnational viewers, IndiaCast Media Distribution – the domestic and international distribution arm of Viacom18 and TV18, has partnered JKN Media, Thailand to bring content from the network’s Indian repository through an exclusive soon-to-be-launched digital channel on JKN’s OTT Platform titled 'Bflix' for Thai viewers in 2019. The channel will showcase exclusive content from the vast Viacom18 library, dubbed in Thai, that will be available in Thailand and key South East Asia markets. The deal was signed-off at the recently held Asia Television Forum (ATF) in Singapore.

    IndiaCast and JKN Media together have successfully syndicated shows from COLORS for over five years in Thailand. This customized and exclusively packaged digital channel will bring specially curated content from the youngest and fastest growing media and entertainment company in India to the digital savvy viewers in Thailand.

    Speaking about the association, Viacom18 Group CEO and MD Sudhanshu Vats said, “With an increasing number of viewers graduating towards the digital mode of entertainment worldwide, we are continually evaluating our play in the international digital distribution space. This symbiotic partnership with JKN Media will further strengthen our equation with the country’s viewers who have enjoyed and appreciated our shows from COLORS over the years. There are many cultural similarities between India and Thailand, and hence the strong resonance with our offerings. This endeavor is another step towards providing seamless and individualized Indian-origin entertainment to Thai viewers.”

    On this strategic alliance IndiaCast Group CEO Anuj Gandhi said “We want to reach to audiences who want to experience contemporary, imaginative and high-quality relevant entertainment. It gives us immense pleasure to partner with JKN, to now take Viacom18 content to Thai viewers in their local language. We are confident that this will be a whole new exciting experience for the audiences. We would also like to thank JKN Media for their continuous partnership in scaling new heights in Thai market.”

    Adding to further, JKN CEO Anne Jakrajutatip said, “At JKN, we constantly strive to partner with brands that share our sensibilities towards great storytelling and the emotions that high-quality content can evoke. Over the past five years, we have formed a strong association with IndiaCast, which has seen us exclusively acquiring almost all the drama series from ‘COLORS’ for Thailand. Shows like Madhubala, Balika Vadhu, Chakravarti Ashoka Samrat, Chandrakanta, Udann, Naagin, Shakti, Shani, Mahakali, Ishq Mein Marjawan, Bepannah and many more have been hugely loved by all audiences in Thailand. I am glad that we have now extended our association with IndiaCast through this digital channel which will enable us to distribute all their content on our OTT platform in Thailand and across distribution platforms in Thailand, Taiwan and Hong Kong.”

  • Netflix’s Swati Shetty steps down

    Netflix’s Swati Shetty steps down

    MUMBAI: Netflix international originals and acquisitions director for India Swati Shetty has put down her papers after a successful stint of more than two years with the company. Netflix confirmed the development to Indiantelevision.com via email.

    Shetty, the lady responsible for Indian content licensing, was based in the US. According to a source, given the increasing importance of India in Netflix’s international business, the company now wants the India content and film acquisition role to be based out of Mumbai. Shetty, however, did not want to relocate. This is her last week in the company, the source further added.

    Netflix had opened its India office in Mumbai last year and is now beefing up its team across various verticals like content licensing, production talent and marketing among others.

    Over the next few years, the streaming giant intends to benefit from India’s growing video-streaming appetite, targeting the acquisition of 100 million subscribers.

    Apart from sprucing up its offering with more locally produced original content, the company is also set to experiment with pricing models.

    Last year, the Reed Hastings-led company hired Simran Sethi to serve as creative executive for India and be part of its International Originals Production Group.

    Earlier this year, Shrishti Behl Arya was appointed by Netflix as director for international orginals, India.

    Shetty, who was among the first executives for India, helped Netflix to increase its Indian content library and acquire original films with hits like Love Per Square Feet, Lust Stories and Rajma Chawal. 

    Her experience spans two decades. She also worked with Star India, Walt Disney and Balaji Telefilms.

  • ACT Fibernet partners with SonyLIV to strengthen its OTT offerings

    ACT Fibernet partners with SonyLIV to strengthen its OTT offerings

    MUMBAI: ACT Fibernet (Atria Convergence Technologies Ltd.) India’s largest fiber-focused wired broadband ISP (Internet Service Provider), today announced its partnership with SonyLIV to expand its OTT offerings and provide premium content to all customers. With a vision to become the most admired in-home entertainment service provider and to offer unmatchable streaming experience, ACT Fibernet is bringing an array of entertainment content that will meet the complete entertainment needs of their customers.

    As part of this collaboration, ACT Fibernet customers across all 16 cities can now directly subscribe to SonyLIV and enjoy rich content across movies, sports, shows, music, web originals, English shows and much more. Additionally, this offer is valid on all broadband plans and can be availed at an additional cost of Rs.99 per month.

    Speaking on the partnership, Mr. Ravi Karthik, Head of Marketing, ACT Fibernet commented, “SonyLIV is one of the most widely watched OTT platform with a host of original content and we are happy to bring their offerings through our service to all our customers across the country. There is a soaring demand for OTT content, in the last one year we have received overwhelming response for the various other OTT services that we provide to our users. We are positive that we will see a remarkable traction for SonyLIV as well and our customers will have a wholesome entertainment experience.”

    Speaking on the partnership, Uday Sodhi, Business Head, Digital said,” ACT Fibernet is one of most of the preferred broadband service provider in India, and we are delighted to offer SonyLIV content to its 1.28 million customers in the country. Backed by high internet broadband speed viewers will enjoy a seamless streaming experience.”

  • One Digital Entertainment joins hands with Holosuit to bring AR/VR experience to the creators’ World

    One Digital Entertainment joins hands with Holosuit to bring AR/VR experience to the creators’ World

    MUMBAI: One Digital Entertainment, India’s leading digital video and creators network, joins hands with Holosuit to bring mixed reality using AR/VR technology to the creators’ world for the first time ever! Through the marriage of their content with AR, VR, AI, ML; One Digital Entertainment has entered into a new league ensuring the enhancement of the viewing experience especially for the character plays and storytelling by bringing the real and virtual world together.

    Holosuit which is the world’s first ever affordable, bi-directional, wireless and easy to use full body motion capture suit, acts as a bridge between the virtual & real world. It is a full-immersion sensor and feedback packed jumpsuit which allows you to point, touch and feel 3D objects creating a 4D  immersive experience, which is being reported (by Forbes, NY) as game changing technology enabling whole new generation of mixed reality applications. It contains options for multiple embedded sensors and haptic feedback devices dispersed across both arms, legs, and all ten fingers combined with embedded buttons. Capturing the user’s entire body’s movement data and using haptic feedback, it sends information back to the user for scenarios including neuro-rehab, sports, healthcare, education, gaming, entertainment, skill development, automobile, factory training, disaster response, robot training, defence or industrial operation etc.  It is compatible with Android, Windows, and iOS, HTC Vive, Oculus and similar AR/VR/MR platforms. It is a wireless platform and comes with an SDK which provides developers with infinite possibilities of creating real and virtual applications.

    “AR/VR technology is going to open up a whole new world of digital content creation and will enable creators to enhance their creative prowess. This amalgamation of technology and creativity will bring a new content category altogether and creators will be able to produce content which was so far only possible by large and expensive studios with complex editing. I am quite excited for this tech driven collaboration, says Mr Gurpreet Singh, COO, One Digital Entertainment.”

    I believe that our full body motion tracking enabled suit will be able to create the space for the creative minds to grow their experience manifold. Holosuit virtualizes your body and simulates the real world environments allowing immersive mixed reality experiences. I believe that creators can imbibe such experience with their ideation, and start creating a new league of content which was not possible earlier. I look forward to work with One Digital Entertainment, says, Harsha Kikkeri CEO of HoloSuit Pte Ltd.,

    Holosuit has already launched two versions of their suit a few months back. It lets you feel the virtual experience throughout your body with sensors and haptic feedback devices that send vibrations to your body when a VR application sees fit.

    Earlier, Holosuit had raised several rounds of investment. It has achieved significant growth in the last few months with a current round of investment at USD 35 Million and is radically taking multiple industries like, Automobile, media and content, Healthcare, Gaming, and Sports etc. by a storm! It also recently won the Elevate 2018 Startup award from Government of Karnataka which granted it up to Rs 50 lakhs and has also recently tied up with cricketer Yuvraj Singh. 

  • Netflix’s ‘Sacred Games’ is most in-demand digital original in India

    Netflix’s ‘Sacred Games’ is most in-demand digital original in India

    MUMBAI: Sacred Games has turned out to be a divine providence for streaming giant Netflix. Barely two years into its India foray, this single show has helped the US-based OTT platform to increase its subscribers and has even aided its performance in other countries. This was affirmed by a Parrot Analytics study. As per the report, it emerged as the most in-demand digital original in India in the third (July-September) quarter.

    The first Indian original of Netflix is not only the most in-demand among Indian digital originals but also among all digital originals available. It had over twice the average demand of 13 Reasons Why which acquired the second place in the list. However, the streaming giant’s second Indian original Ghoul also performed strongly, becoming the 11th most in-demand original in the country despite not being released until halfway through Q3.

    “The Indian market was also well served by Amazon Prime Video’s Indian digital original titles like Comicstaan, Inside Edge and Breathe. These series are all in the top 30 digital original series in the market, with Comicstaan the highest at 19th most in-demand,” the study added.

    As streaming platforms are increasingly investing in local content globally, the number of digital originals in a variety of languages has increased. Thanks to localisation, local titles are becoming hits according to the top 20 digital original charts for each market.

    Netflix’s Orange Is The New Black has emerged as the most in-demand digital original series in most markets this quarter topping the chart in four countries including the United States, Denmark, Finland and Sweden. Stranger Things topped three markets including Chile, Argentina and Singapore.

  • ZEE5 introduces special subscription packs for kannada audience

    ZEE5 introduces special subscription packs for kannada audience

    MUMBAI: Following through on its vision of becoming the largest multi-language entertainment OTT platform, ZEE5 announced its special subscription packs for the Kannada speaking audience. In afirst of its kind category initiative, the Kannada Premium packs are priced at INR 49/- monthly and INR 499/- yearly. Subscribers will have unlimited access to the entire repertoire of Kannada content on the platform including their favourite ZEE Kannada shows ‘Before TV’, blockbuster Kannada films and ZEE5 Originals.

    This comes close on the heels of the success enjoyed by the Tamil and Telugu Premium packs that ZEE5 announced similarly for the respective audiences. In fact, subscribers can also avail a further flat 50% cashback if they avail the subscription via Paytm.

    The Kannada catalogue includes a plethora of content for its viewers such asthe popular ZEE5 bipoicKarenjit Kaur – The Untold Story of Sunny Leone Season 1 & 2and other Originals like Kaali, B.Tech, YeniduAascharya, Khaar,Akoori and many more. World Digital PremiereslikeGoli Soda, Mari Tiger, Terrorist and other blockbuster films. ZEE Kannada shows – Kamali, Yaare Nee Mohini, Sri Vishnu Dasaavathaara, Sa Re Ga Ma and so on. In addition to this, ZEE5 has an exciting content line up to build an unparalleled Kannada portfolio.

    Special offer features:

    National subscription pack     Kannada subscription pack
    Rs. 99 for one month    Rs.49 for one month
    Rs.999 for twelve months    Rs.499 for twelve months

    Mr. Manish Aggarwal, Business Head, ZEE5 India, said, “We are the first OTT player to introduce special language specific packs and we have seen tremendous success with the launch of Tamil and Telugu premium subscription packs on the platform. In our endeavor to cater to the language consumer, we have announced a Kannada special subscription pack as well. With the combination of ZEE Kannada TV shows available ‘Before TV’, blockbuster films and ZEE5 Originals, the consumer has a range of content to choose from.”

    With over 3500 films, 500+ TV shows, 4000+ music videos, 35+ theatre plays and 90+ LIVE TV Channels across 12 languages, ZEE5 truly presents a blend of unrivalled content offering for its viewers across the nation. With ZEE5, the global content of Zindagi as a brand, which was widely appreciated across the country, has also been brought back for its loyal viewers.

    Availability: The ZEE5 App can be downloaded from Google Play Store http://bit.ly/zee5 and iOS App Store http://bit.ly/zee5ios. Also available at www.zee5.com, as a Progressive Web App (PWA), and on Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV Stick. ZEE5 also supports Chromecast.

    Pricing: Freemium pricing model with both free and paid premium content (including Originals) to cater to a mix of audiences. Viewers who subscribe to the ZEE5 subscription pack will get access to the entire library of content with – 99/- for 1 month and 999/- for a year. Subscribers can avail a 50% cashback on the above-mentioned price by paying through Paytm.

  • TV Se Pehle Manmarziyaan & Happy Phirr Bhag Jayegi get digital premiere on Eros Now

    TV Se Pehle Manmarziyaan & Happy Phirr Bhag Jayegi get digital premiere on Eros Now

    MUMBAI: Eros International PLC (NYSE: EROS) (“Eros”), a leading global company in the Indian film entertainment industry, announced today that Eros Now, its cutting edge digital over-the-top (OTT) South Asian entertainment platform will premiere this year’s hit movies – Manmarziyaan and Happy Phirr Bhag Jayegi on December 12, before their satellite telecast.

    The critically acclaimed Manmarziyaan, a love triangle, directed by Anurag Kashyap featuring Abhishek Bachchan, Tapsee Pannu and Vicky Kaushal garnered appreciation on its theatrical release in September. The love triangle revolves between a spirited young woman, her delusional boyfriend and a restrained fiancé. The digital premiere will be the uncensored version of the movie, which will include the deleted scenes during its theatrical release. Happy Phirr Bhag Jayegi, is the sequel to hit romantic comedy Happy Bhag Jayegi starring Sonakshi Sinha, Jimmy Sheirgill, Diana Penty, Aparshakti Khurana and Ali Fazal. Directed by Mudassar Aziz, Happy Phirr Bhag Jayegi is a comedy of errors set to tickle audiences’ funny bone.

    Speaking about the digital premiere of both the films, Rishika Lulla Singh, CEO, Eros Digital said, “We continue to ramp up our service catering to the shifting content consumption patterns and this includes premiering movies on Eros Now before their television release. Riding on the larger digital viewship, we began this trend earlier on in 2015 with the digital-before-satellite premiere of Tanu Weds Manu Returns. Bringing two major releases like Manmarziyaan and Happy Phirr Bhag Jayegi on the digital platform first reiterates Eros Now’s position as the undisputed leader in the movie category”.

    Eros Now has a massive library of more than 11,000 films, original shows and music videos. One can binge-watch a varied offering of Indian movies from classics like Ram aur Shyam, Haathi Mere Saathi, Kati Patang to blockbusters like Devdas, Bajirao Mastani, Bajrangi Bhaijaan and many more, exclusively on Eros Now.

  • ZEE5 launches 8 new Tamil originals

    ZEE5 launches 8 new Tamil originals

    MUMBAI: ZEE5 announced a line-up of eight Originals to strengthen its Tamil content offering – this will be a combination of web series as also movies. This will be complemented by the recently announced special subscription packs for the Tamil audience which includes Before TV content of popular ZEE Tamil shows, world digital premieres and Originals.

    ZEE5 Tamil Originals comprises of Original movies and shows across genres. The shows announced are What’s up Velakkari, Auto Shankar, Mitta, Postman and Thiravam.

    What’s up Velakkari will introduce you to a high intensity drama in the modern-urban space with three main protagonists – a husband and wife and their house maid. Auto Shankar is a web-series based on the true horrific incidents of six murders in two years committed by Shankar and his gang. Mitta revolves around two stoners who get themselves into different events of trouble. Postman is a story of a man who meets with an accident that puts him in a coma. 20 years later, he wakes up from the vegetative state and he sets out on a mission to deliver the letters that he couldn’t. Thiravam is an intriguing tale of a man who claims to have found a holy grail, the world’s most needed fuel for motors to run and the trivia around it.

    The platform will also be launching Original movies – Oru Pakka Kadhai, Kalavu and Sigai exclusively for their audience.

    ZEE5 India business head Manish Aggarwal commented, “South India is an important market for us. We are strengthening our presence with a strong content line up complemented by region specific subscription packs. We have a huge consumer base across the metros and our aim is to have a value pack that caters to the regional language preferences of audiences in the tier 2 cities, towns and villages that have shown huge potential.”

    ZEE5 India programming head Aparna Acharekar said, “The Tamil audience has shown a phenomenal response to the regional content on the platform, and with a power packed content line-up the response will only keep getting better. We are delighted to associate with so many renowned actors who resonate with the audience to give the story a local flavor. The strong content line up complemented by our recently launched Regional Subscription pack makes it a unique proposition.”

    Speaking about the launch, Oru Pakka Kadhai director Balaji Dharanidharan said, “Digital is one of the fastest evolving platforms in entertainment and we are thrilled that ZEE5 is bringing international quality content to the Tamil audience’s portable screen. I was waiting for this moment and am excited that it’s launching finally on a platform which has no leaps and bounds.”

    Speaking about the launch, Actor Kathir said, “Sigai is a one of a kind show which brings a great concept in an edgy presentation. The concept of the show is very intriguing, and we are glad to present this show on ZEE5. With its extensive regional reach, we are confident that our story will relay out to a much larger language audience. We are certain that this show will give audience incredible value for their money.”

    The ZEE5 Tamil and Telugu Premium packs are each priced competitively at Rs 49 for one month and Rs 499 for a year. Additionally, subscribers can avail a 50 per cent cashback on the above-mentioned price by paying through Paytm.