ITV

Category: Over The Top Services

  • Eros Now to launch original regional web series by early 2019

    Eros Now to launch original regional web series by early 2019

    MUMBAI: Eros Now, the digital arm of Eros International announced its foray into the original content space with its first series Side Hero, with all episodes available for binge-viewing from 24 September 2018. Directed by Rohan Sippy and produced by Ramesh Sippy entertainment productions, Side Hero stars Kunaal Roy Kapur as a fictionalised version of himself, trying to become a lead hero and prove that acting is not just a hobby.

    The web series consists of eight episodes with duration of 25-30 minutes. According to Eros Group chief content officer Ridhima Lulla, all the shows Eros Now intends to create are multi-seasonal. The OTT platform plans to roll out one to two originals a month. “We don’t want to restrict ourselves in the genres we want to create. This one is comedy, you will also see in drama, thriller, mythology or fantasy,” she added.

    The show’s quirky tagline ‘IskoKaunDekhega’ takes a dig at Kunaal Roy Kapur’s character showcasing Side Hero’s self-deprecating humour.

    Eros Digital chief operating officer Ali Hussein said, “The platform is planning to launch regional content in early 2019. All our short form content is free and long form content is behind the pay-wall. Currently, we are trying to figure out how to work with the advertisers not just in the short form but also in the long form space. We won’t be like a traditional AVOD brand. We are in conversation with top 10 brands in the country like Cadbury, Fevicol, Nivia, Myntra, Diageo and they have all reached out to us.”

    Lulla mentioned that there will be regional focus too as Eros doesn’t want to only look at Hindi content. “First few months we will focus on Hindi but in the next couple of months we will be kicking off a lot of regional content as well,” she said.

    The digital entertainment platform plans to strategically encompass marketing elements such as on-air promotions, creating social media buzz, on-ground association, outdoor campaigns, radio spots and various PR tools, making it an impactful campaign. Side Hero will be extensively promoted on major broadcast channels through a 15-day long campaign alongside aggressive promotions on leading radio stations in Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore. Eros Now will also tactically use outdoor medium for promotions at 100+ sites in Mumbai.

    “We have got our partners like Google, Apple and many more doing something interesting for us. I think the surrounding noise of it is bigger than what Netflix and Amazon can potentially do because we are not necessarily dependent on a third party medium. Media value of our budget will be bigger than Amazon and Netflix because of our partnerships,” Hussein added.

    As of August 2018, Eros Now enjoys viewership from 100+ countries and is further strengthening its global presence. Eros Now will leverage its partnerships with leading international brands like Xiaomi Mi TV, Dialog Axiata and more to present its original content across Asia and beyond.

    “We are launching in at least 4-5 new countries in terms of specific alliance and partnerships in the next 3-4 months. We are already present to localise partners in key NRI markets around the world,” he concluded.

  • Rajneel Kumar joins ZEE5 as Business Head – Expansion Projects & Head of Products

    Rajneel Kumar joins ZEE5 as Business Head – Expansion Projects & Head of Products

    Mumbai, September 19th, 2018:  ZEE5 India, India’s largest platform for multi-language content, today announced the appointment of Rajneel Kumar as the Business Head –Expansion Projects & Head of Productsfor the digital Business of Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd.

    At ZEE5, Kumar has been tasked with leading the charge on the Product Function as also building on the Expansion Projects on the platform.A championof the cause of Digital innovation across industries, Kumar comes with a robust body of experience spanning almost two decades across Digital, Telecom and Media and Entertainment sectors.

    Prior to joining ZEE5 India, Kumar has worked with industry leaders including Viacom18 Media Pvt. Ltd., Balaji Telefilms, Mobile2Win Pvt. Ltd and so on, while also testing entrepreneurial waters. 

    Commenting on the new appointment,Tarun Katial,CEO – ZEE5 India said, “This is a very exciting juncture of our journey at ZEE5 India, and we are thrilled to have Rajneel join us to strengthen the team. He brings invaluable insights that will be instrumental in shaping our journey towards achieving leadership position in the entertainment space.”

    Speaking about his role, Rajneel Kumar, Expansion Projects& Live Head of Productsshared, “The ZEE Group has always inspired me in my journey as a media professional, and it is indeed humbling to be chosen to lead the Product Function as also Expansion Projects for ZEE5. The platform has been rolling out an interesting repertoire of multi-language content and I am sure this is going to be an interesting journey ahead.”

    Kumar has been championing the cause of digital innovation and growth through his participation in industry forums such as IAMAI, DMAi, etc. and speaking at major Indian & International forums such as IBC, MWC, NAB, etc. In his personal time, Kumar is a passionate biker and also supports multiple causes and organizations through his continual contribution to the Give India Foundation.
     

  • CloudWalker partners with Spuul to liven up the living room with 10,000 hours of your favourite Bollywood and Regional movies

    CloudWalker partners with Spuul to liven up the living room with 10,000 hours of your favourite Bollywood and Regional movies

    MUMBAI: CloudWalker, a Smart TV company and Spuul, a popular online video streaming service has announced a partnership to enable users to watch Bollywood and regional movies on Cloud TV X2, India’s First 4K-Ready Full HD Smart TV on Android 7.0 Nougat OS. This association will bring about more than 10,000 hours of exciting Bollywood movies right in the living rooms of users of Cloud TV X2, thus providing an immersive viewing experience promised by Cloud TV X2, that’s powered by the latest Android 7.0 Nougat.

    Commenting on the association, Jagdish Rajpurohit, President of CloudWalker, said, “At CloudWalker, we are driven with a vision to provide users with the best of digital content and technology on a Smart TV. Thus, after introducing Cloud TV X2 that packs powerful features like a Made in India content discovery & curation engine with the latest Android 7.0 Nougat, we have been working intensely to aggregate the best of digital content for our viewers. To the same end, we are delighted to announce our partnership with Spuul – one of the leading global OTT platform for latest to blockbuster Bollywood movies. We are hopeful that our viewers will prefer to consume this exciting content in our future ready Smart TV, Cloud TV X2.”

    Echoing a similar thought, Rajiv Vaidya, CEO at Spuul,  added, “Spuul has always been at the forefront of allowing users to consume content on multiple devices like phone, tablet, laptop, e-reader or TV, wherever you go. This association with the latest and futuristic features available on CloudWalker, is a step forward in providing an improved and seamless viewing experience for our users. We look forward to our association with CloudWalker and making our extensive collection of blockbuster Bollywood movies available on Cloud TV X2.”

    In the past, CloudWalker had partnered with some of the leading OTT players in India, such as Hotstar, Hungama Play, ESPN and Sun NXT. With the recent association, CloudWalker has further strengthened its content offerings for the Cloud TV X2. To help users comfortably navigate the sea pool of the available content, Cloud TV X2 is powered by a Made-In-India content discovery and curation engine. The engine analyses social and global trends and curates the most popular digital content available over the internet for the viewers.

    The Cloud TV X2, CloudWalker’s flagship Smart TV, is India’s First 4K-Ready Full HD smart TV on Android 7.0 Nougat. The state-of-the-art smart TV is available in five screen sizes – 32” | 40”| 43” | 50” | 55” – and can be purchased on Amazon.

  • Eros International joins hands with Ajay Kapoor of Kyta Productions for Pataakha & Kirik Party

    Eros International joins hands with Ajay Kapoor of Kyta Productions for Pataakha & Kirik Party

    MUMBAI: Eros International Media Ltd (Eros International), the leading Indian film and entertainment company, announced its collaboration with Kyta Productions Pvt Ltd for two forthcoming films – Vishal Bhardwaj’s Pataakha and the Hindi remake of Kannada super hit Kirik Party. 

    Eros will team with producers Dheeraj Wadhawan, Ajay Kapoor, Ishant Saxena, Vishal and Rekha Bhardwaj to release in India the eagerly awaited Pataakha, a Rajasthan-set drama about two warring sisters. The comedy drama starring Sanya Malhotra and Radhika Madan along with Vijay Raaz and Sunil Grover has already created huge anticipation since the release of its trailer and will release on 28th September. 

    Equally exciting is the announcement of the remake of Kannada blockbuster Kirik Party, yet untitled in Hindi which will feature Kartik Aaryan and Jacqueline Fernandez where Eros will be jointly producing with Ajay Kapoor, Dheeraj Wadhawan and Vrithika Laykar and releasing the film worldwide. A romance set in a college campus scheduled to go on floor in October, the film will be directed by Abhishek Jain of Bey Yaar and Kevi Rite Jaish fame.

    Sunil Lulla, Managing Director, Eros International Media Ltd said on the announcement, “We are delighted to come on board with Kyta and showcase this brilliant line-up to audiences. Both films boast of a very interesting pool of acting and directorial talent. The initial reactions to Pataakha are phenomenal and we are confident Vishal Bharadwaj’s dramedy will be high on entertainment.  We are equally excited to be a part of Kirik Party and are positive audiences will embrace Abhishek Jain’s interpretation of the successful Kannada hit love story”. 

    Says Ajay Kapoor, Producer & Managing Director, Kyta Productions, “We have found great partners in Eros International, they have the capability and the distribution network to take the films to its deserved potential. We couldn’t have asked for a better platform for their showcasing”.

  • Flipkart likely to buy stake in Hotstar: Report

    Flipkart likely to buy stake in Hotstar: Report

    MUMBAI: Flipkart is taking a leaf out of Amazon’s book. Like its US rival, Flipkart is looking at buying a stake in India’s leading OTT platform, Star India-owned Hotstar, according to a report in Mint.

    The OTT scenario in India is booming with Netflix and Amazon Prime Video betting millions on the Indian market as well as several domestic ones providing content. Amazon’s US strategy is to get people hooked to shopping through its video content. Flipkart is likely adopting the same method and using content to increase its shoppers.

    Hotstar was launched in India in 2015 – about a year ahead of streaming giant Netflix and nearly two years ahead of Amazon Prime Video’s debut in the country. The OTT platform remains well ahead of both in terms of its popularity with domestic users.

    A Hotstar representative denied any such talks with Flipkart, but said it was open to partnerships that can help grow the internet ecosystem in India and beyond, according to the report.

    Flipkart has already tied up with Hotstar to launch a video advertising platform in July. Hotstar is also one of the internet partners for Flipkart Plus, its customer loyalty programme competing with Amazon Prime.

    Hotstar has been offering premium content like HBO’s Game of Thrones and live-streaming of popular Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket for an annual subscription of Rs 999 ($13.90).

    Walmart acquired about 77 per cent of Flipkart for nearly $16 billion in what was the US retail giant’s largest-ever deal and a move to take on arch-rival Amazon in a key growth market.

     

  • Local OTT players not distressed by YouTube’s Originals plan

    Local OTT players not distressed by YouTube’s Originals plan

     MUMBAI: YouTube is battling OTT giants neck-to-neck with its introduction of Originals. YouTube’s  wide reach in India is well-known to everyone. For a decade almost, it has been go-to place for any type of video. According to the KPMG 2018 report, the typical time spent by an average user on YouTube is around 8-12 minutes per session, time spent by subscribers on various OTT platforms ranges from 30-50 minutes per session. This statistics also indicates YouTube’s need to turn things around.

    “Originals are the next big bait for all players and the entry of YouTube in this category is going to fire up the competition further. With our original content slate lined-up for the coming months, we are certain that it will stand out. We are confident of our understanding of the audience preference and believe that YouTube’s entry will be a healthy competition,” SPNI digital business head Uday Sodhi says.

    The platform’s norm in other countries is to put original content behind a paywall but for now, it will focus on the ad-supported model in India. “There is no doubt that YouTube has a good internet / digital reach but it is not necessary that it will translate into great paid subscriber reach as well. The business of YouTube was built on the discovery of videos via search catering to predominantly shorter form viewership on the platform. Running a paid subscription service is a starkly different ball game,” Eros Now COO Ali Hussein comments.

    Netflix and Amazon, two international rivals of YouTube, have been also upping their investment in local originals to woo the audience, with different business models though.  These two platforms are known for loosening their purse strings when it comes to production cost. YouTube is also likely to invest heavily.

    Viu content head India Bimal Unnikrishnan cites the example of the FMCG market where the existence of multinational companies could not desist the growth of local players. He thinks international OTT players coming in and commissioning original content would be good for the overall industry. Moreover, for local players, producing local content is easier while international players’ ability to create such content is limited.

    “I think it will have an overall positive impact on OTT industry because YouTube is the biggest content aggregator in the market. Its entry in the space of creative originals will, of course, boost the overall dynamic of the market,” he adds.

    Indian OTT players aren’t worried about YouTube’s entry into originals because their focus is on regional content library and multilingual originals and movies. “However, when we talk about YouTube’s foray into original content space, they are still in an initial stage and it is too early to say anything at this point in time,” says Hussein.

    Sodhi mentions another important point. The expert says broadcaster-backed OTT platforms will always have a differentiated content strategy than independent players or production house-backed platforms. Notably, the KPMG report highlights that consumers spend more than half of their time watching TV content on OTT platforms.

    In the Indian market, AVOD and freemium models dominate the business while SVOD is at a nascent stage. While YouTube, the undeniable king of digital ad has started with celebrity-led content, it is obvious more advertisers will show interest in their content if it increases the quantity.

    Unnikrishnan thinks YouTube’s entry will boost the overall digital ad spend from advertisers. As all OTTs have a different target audience to reach, advertisers will not stick to one big player only.  Sodhi on a similar note says that the rise in the number of players will enhance content quality, thus giving a thrust to revenues in digital advertising. Hussein also says that brands would tend to associate with the platforms wherein their OTT brand and content resonate with their objectives to deliver the brand story.

    Marketing will be a big game for players to follow. “When it comes to marketing outlay, I don’t think marketing cost will be that critical. Each one will spend as much money as needed to reach out to the target audience. In digital, we are extremely focused in terms of target. I think the strategy will play a bigger role than cost itself,” says Unnikrishnan.

    Though the tech giant’s Indian originals are going to be a game changer, at least for now they will not affect local OTT players. YouTube India entertainment head Satya Raghavan himself insisted that the move is about growing the video pie not just for their own creators but for the entire online video industry.

  • YuppTV bags exclusive digital rights for ASIA CUP 2018

    YuppTV bags exclusive digital rights for ASIA CUP 2018

    MUMBAI: YuppTV, the world OTT leader for South Asian content has bagged the exclusive digital rights for ASIA CUP 2018 in Australia, New Zealand, and all countries under Continental Europe. Commencing on the 15th of September, the ASIA CUP 2018 will host dynamic cricketing action between India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and the winner of Asian Cricket Council qualifier, till the 28th of September. Following the latest development, cricket enthusiasts can catch the action LIVE on YuppTV.

    Commenting on the latest development, Uday Reddy, Founder & CEO, YuppTV, said, “We are excited to be hosting the ASIA CUP 2018 on our YuppTV platform. Cricket, as a sport, has enjoyed a religious following amongst the cricket enthusiasts and we are glad to offer them easy access to all the action LIVE, anytime, anywhere at their convenience. We are hopeful that the users will respond positively, getting their dose of the entertainment comfortably on our platform.”

    This year, the ASIA CUP will be held in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.  Cricket lovers can subscribe for the series at www.yupptv.com and watch the action live on YuppTV. Users can also enjoy the matches LIVE on-the-go via YuppTV app on their IOS and Android smartphones or any internet enabled device.

  • SonyLIV partners Amagi to grow OTT ad revenue

    SonyLIV partners Amagi to grow OTT ad revenue

    MUMBAI: Amagi, a media processing service that targets advertising for TV and OTT, today announced that SonyLIV is using its Thunderstorm cloud-based platform for targeted OTT dynamic ad insertion. As part of the deal, Amagi will monetise premium GEC and movie channels on SonyLIV OTT platform, generating additional ad revenues.

    Using Amagi Thunderstorm, SonyLIV will be able to insert targeted mid-roll ads without the need to change its existing broadcast workflows. The service leverages new-age machine learning techniques to detect ads in channel feeds and replace them with new, targeted ads on the server-side.

    Sony Pictures Network India business head-digital Uday Sodhi said, “SonyLIV is growing its subscriber-base at an impressive rate, making it an ideal digital platform for advertisers to target clearly defined audience segments. We are continuously looking to enhance value for our advertisers. Amagi is a pioneer in the targeted advertising space and this technology partnership provides additional options for advertisers to work with us.” 

    SonyLIV has integrated Amagi Thunderstorm with its in-house ad-decision system and partner ad networks. This allows SonyLIV to maximise ad revenue opportunities in real-time by serving ad spots to the highest bidder. Amagi CEO Deepakjit Singh said, “We are delighted to partner with SonyLIV, and deploy our next-generation ad tech solutions that create new revenue opportunities. The Thunderstorm platform is designed for high concurrency, and to deliver frame-accurate ad insertions at scale. These capabilities become vital for SonyLIV, especially since many of its premium channels have high number of concurrent users.”

  • Netflix could lose subscribers if it starts running ads

    Netflix could lose subscribers if it starts running ads

    MUMBAI: Netflix users enjoy watching ad-free seamless content. The subscription-based video on demand service recently confirmed that it tested the idea of inserting promos for its shows and movies between episodes of existing programmes. A recent study found that if Netflix content includes ad, it could cost it the overall number of subscribers.

    Hub Entertainment Research in its recent study The Future of Monetization examined consumer reaction to several alternatives of Netflix pay model. It surveyed 1,612 TV consumers from ages 16 to 74 who watch at least an hour of TV per week and have broadband at home.

    If Netflix increases its subscription by $5, 23 per cent of the respondents said they may cancel the subscription. If it’s being raised to $10 more per month, 28 per cent would consider cancelling it. If the platform were to raise its monthly fee by $2, only 8 per cent said they would cancel.

    More importantly, almost one-fourth of the respondents said they would drop the streaming service if it began running ads during Netflix content. Its ad-free consistency is one of the topmost features which attract subscribers.

    “I think there are ways that they could arrange it so they retain as many customers as possible, but I think if they add ads at all, even at price reduction, there will be some people who leave,” Hub principal Jon Giegengack said.

    Principal at Hub and co-author of the study Peter Fondulas said Netflix’s low price, no ads, vast amount of programming and original shows help it to stand out in the crowded US market.

  • Netflix’s ’13 Reasons Why’ shows massive popularity across markets

    Netflix’s ’13 Reasons Why’ shows massive popularity across markets

    MUMBAI: Netflix’s celebrated series 13 Reasons Why which returned for its second season in May has unbeaten popularity across several countries. Data science company Parrot analytics has come up with Global Television Demand Report for the quarter April-June where it examined ten markets. Among those ten markets, the Netflix original topped the chart for most in-demand original series in eight markets.

    The ten markets on which the report is based are the US, the UK, Austria, Canada, Colombia, Germany, Malaysia, Portugal, New Zealand and Poland.

    Stranger Things, Black Mirror and Orange Is The New Black have also been placed among top ten in-demand originals in most of the markets. The newly launched YouTube Premium original Cobra Kai has also attracted many viewers in some of the markets. Amazon Prime original The Grand Tour has also managed to maintain its appeal this quarter while its last episode was released in February. Hulu’s second season of The Handmaid’s Tale appeared within the top 20 across all evaluated markets.

    With the sweeping change in technology, viewers across the world are consuming TV content through various devices. Smart TV, a new obsession of viewers, has highest reported usage in the US (21 per cent). The UK is another market with high Smart TV usage (19 per cent).

    Interestingly, the audience in Malaysia is more likely to watch television on a mobile (24 per cent) or tablet device (22 per cent) than through a regular television set. In New Zealand, viewers that engage with TV content are very likely to do so through a laptop or desktop. On the other hand, people in Colombia and Germany are more likely to engage with TV content through traditional TV devices.