Category: Over The Top Services

Reliance to launch Jio On Demand with over 450 TV channels

MUMBAI: The employee launch of Reliance Jio has raised the bar of expectation and filled the atmosphere with promise. And there are no better companies in India than Reliance when it comes to meeting expectations. The disruptive march that started since the announcement of Reliance Jio is now getting more and more exciting. India’s richest man Mukesh Ambani and his company is now set to disrupt the content consumption ecosystem with the launch of an on-demand content consumption service, which will also have live TV.

Christened Jio On Demand, the service will be unveiled by April 2016.

“The service will be launched with over 450 channels on board. We are in constant talks with broadcasters in order to make sure that Jio On Demand has a versatile catalog,” a company official told Indiantelevision.com on condition of anonymity.

Jio On Demand is already available for Reliance employees. A user of the service said, “I connect it with my TV, I see content on my smart-phone and being a Reliance 4G subscriber, I have yet to face a bandwidth issue. The app is very user friendly and the interface is least complicated. I can see the millennials going crazy about this.”

The app is available for both iOS and Android platforms, but only for Reliance employees and privileged consumers as of now. The pricing of the service is yet to be determined.

A associate working closely on the Jio On Demand service added, “I think the app will only be available for Reliance Infocom 4G subscribers and will be bundled with a data pack. So the consumer will have access to both data and the app. I am very sure that the pricing will be reasonable and may set a new benchmark for data pricing in India.”

Reliance Jio Infocomm’s social networking service Jio Chat was last year and is accessible to all for free. Reliance has already teamed up with the State Bank of India (SBI) to launch the digital wallet service called Jio Money. The service is expected to launch in the next few months, and will help consumers to make cashless payments. Amongst other services are also Switch-and-Walk, Jio Drive and music streaming service Jio Beats.

“All the apps will have special and unique offerings, they are already rolled out for Reliance employees and are tested thoroughly so that once they come out commercially, they are a thrill for the users,” concludes the senior official.

February 19, 2016
Reliance to launch Jio On Demand with over 450 TV channels

MUMBAI: The employee launch of Reliance Jio has raised the bar of expectation and filled the atmosphere with promise. And there are no better companies in India than Reliance when it comes to meeting expectations. The disruptive march that started since the announcement of Reliance Jio is now getting more and more exciting. India’s richest man Mukesh Ambani and his company is now set to disrupt the content consumption ecosystem with the launch of an on-demand content consumption service, which will also have live TV.

Christened Jio On Demand, the service will be unveiled by April 2016.

“The service will be launched with over 450 channels on board. We are in constant talks with broadcasters in order to make sure that Jio On Demand has a versatile catalog,” a company official told Indiantelevision.com on condition of anonymity.

Jio On Demand is already available for Reliance employees. A user of the service said, “I connect it with my TV, I see content on my smart-phone and being a Reliance 4G subscriber, I have yet to face a bandwidth issue. The app is very user friendly and the interface is least complicated. I can see the millennials going crazy about this.”

The app is available for both iOS and Android platforms, but only for Reliance employees and privileged consumers as of now. The pricing of the service is yet to be determined.

A associate working closely on the Jio On Demand service added, “I think the app will only be available for Reliance Infocom 4G subscribers and will be bundled with a data pack. So the consumer will have access to both data and the app. I am very sure that the pricing will be reasonable and may set a new benchmark for data pricing in India.”

Reliance Jio Infocomm’s social networking service Jio Chat was last year and is accessible to all for free. Reliance has already teamed up with the State Bank of India (SBI) to launch the digital wallet service called Jio Money. The service is expected to launch in the next few months, and will help consumers to make cashless payments. Amongst other services are also Switch-and-Walk, Jio Drive and music streaming service Jio Beats.

“All the apps will have special and unique offerings, they are already rolled out for Reliance employees and are tested thoroughly so that once they come out commercially, they are a thrill for the users,” concludes the senior official.

February 19, 2016
Spuul to premiere bollywood blockbuster ‘Prem Ratan Dhan Payo’

MUMBAI: Spuul, the popular online streaming service for Indian cinema content has added one of 2015’s biggest blockbuster movies, Sooraj Barjatya’s Prem Ratan Dhan Payo, to its premium catalogue of movies for viewing. The movie will be available on the web, mobile (iOS & Android) as well as on TV’s through Spuul’s Samsung, LG & Panasonic Smart TV apps, Airplay & Chromecast.

Keeping in line with Spuul’s strategy of adding fresh content to its library and reducing the gap between satellite and digital premiere, Spuul has brought this Salman Khan starrer to the platform the next day after its satellite premiere.

Prem Ratan Dhan Payo is one of the most successful Bollywood movies for 2015. Starring Salman Khan, Sonam Kapoor and Neil Nitin Mukesh, it is a story about how a stern prince who is recovering from an assassination attempt four days before his coronation, is replaced by a jovial, heartfelt lookalike and the adventure that ensues.

Speaking on this development, Spuul Global CEO Subin Subaiah said, “We are extremely happy to introduce one of the most successful movies of 2015 to our viewers across India, Pakistan, UK, US and Middle East. Besides providing constant tech support, we also will continue adding newer, fresh and indie content this year for our 12 million users.”

Some of the latest additions to Spuul’s catalogue over the past few months are movies like Main Aur Charles, Jazbaa, Titli, Dum Laga Ke Haisha, PK and more.

February 17, 2016
Spuul to premiere bollywood blockbuster ‘Prem Ratan Dhan Payo’

MUMBAI: Spuul, the popular online streaming service for Indian cinema content has added one of 2015’s biggest blockbuster movies, Sooraj Barjatya’s Prem Ratan Dhan Payo, to its premium catalogue of movies for viewing. The movie will be available on the web, mobile (iOS & Android) as well as on TV’s through Spuul’s Samsung, LG & Panasonic Smart TV apps, Airplay & Chromecast.

Keeping in line with Spuul’s strategy of adding fresh content to its library and reducing the gap between satellite and digital premiere, Spuul has brought this Salman Khan starrer to the platform the next day after its satellite premiere.

Prem Ratan Dhan Payo is one of the most successful Bollywood movies for 2015. Starring Salman Khan, Sonam Kapoor and Neil Nitin Mukesh, it is a story about how a stern prince who is recovering from an assassination attempt four days before his coronation, is replaced by a jovial, heartfelt lookalike and the adventure that ensues.

Speaking on this development, Spuul Global CEO Subin Subaiah said, “We are extremely happy to introduce one of the most successful movies of 2015 to our viewers across India, Pakistan, UK, US and Middle East. Besides providing constant tech support, we also will continue adding newer, fresh and indie content this year for our 12 million users.”

Some of the latest additions to Spuul’s catalogue over the past few months are movies like Main Aur Charles, Jazbaa, Titli, Dum Laga Ke Haisha, PK and more.

February 17, 2016
Arré’s first digital sitcom ‘I Don’t Watch TV’ to launch in March

MUMBAI: UDigital’s digital media brand Arré, which is co-founded by Ronnie Screwvala, B. Saikumar and Ajay Chacko, is all set to launch a wild comedy on the evolving TV entertainment industry in March this year.

The trailer of the web series titled I Don’t Watch TV was launched on YouTube on 11 February, while the five episodic weekly series will kick-start in March on YouTube as well as on Arré.

As was reported earlier by Indiantelevision.com, the show is produced by Nakul Mehta’s Timbuktu Films and features other eminent actors from the industry like Drashti Dhami, Karan Wahi, Karan Patel, Rithvik Dhanjani, Kritika Kamra, Rajeev Masand, Disha Parmar, Aneri Vajani, Riddhi Dogra, Mishkat Verma, Mukesh Chhabra and Sana Sheikh in never seen before avatars.

The link of the trailer is:

Directed by Ajay Singh, the show gives a close personal look at the daily soap’s world through Mehta’s eyes.

When contacted, actor turned producer Mehta voiced, “I Don’t Watch TV is something that I have enjoyed working for. I wanted to share this with the audiences for a long time as it is personal and quite intense in a lot of ways. The show has its own language and will cater to its own audience. I produced it because I would love to watch such content. Television makes you laugh at their expense while on digital you can laugh at your expense, which is what makes me happy about the fact that IDWT is going on a platform like Arré.”

According to information available with this website, the show’s per episode cost is approximately in the region of Rs 16-18 lakh.

When asked about the new show, Arré co-founder Ajay Chacko added, “The need of the hour is social relevance and we not only churn out radical content but also play around with it within the social context. The show features extremely talented actors who have the advantage of taking up adventurous content with more experimental characterisation. This is new content with new talent. Digital gives you the opportunity to create different tones of content, be experimental and maybe also give form to the next big cliché. We don’t think we want to move to TV with this type of content; we are comfortable with what we have.”

Arré had also launched a digital reality show, based on the Israeli format Re-Gender with the same name in India exploring the relationship between the sexes. The series was a social experiment that broke down the rules of gender perception and stereotypes defined by the society and the challenges faced.

With a possibility of a second season of I Don’t Watch TV, the digital media company also has three more web series in the pipeline, which will be rolled out in the next couple of months.

February 12, 2016
Arré’s first digital sitcom ‘I Don’t Watch TV’ to launch in March

MUMBAI: UDigital’s digital media brand Arré, which is co-founded by Ronnie Screwvala, B. Saikumar and Ajay Chacko, is all set to launch a wild comedy on the evolving TV entertainment industry in March this year.

The trailer of the web series titled I Don’t Watch TV was launched on YouTube on 11 February, while the five episodic weekly series will kick-start in March on YouTube as well as on Arré.

As was reported earlier by Indiantelevision.com, the show is produced by Nakul Mehta’s Timbuktu Films and features other eminent actors from the industry like Drashti Dhami, Karan Wahi, Karan Patel, Rithvik Dhanjani, Kritika Kamra, Rajeev Masand, Disha Parmar, Aneri Vajani, Riddhi Dogra, Mishkat Verma, Mukesh Chhabra and Sana Sheikh in never seen before avatars.

The link of the trailer is:

Directed by Ajay Singh, the show gives a close personal look at the daily soap’s world through Mehta’s eyes.

When contacted, actor turned producer Mehta voiced, “I Don’t Watch TV is something that I have enjoyed working for. I wanted to share this with the audiences for a long time as it is personal and quite intense in a lot of ways. The show has its own language and will cater to its own audience. I produced it because I would love to watch such content. Television makes you laugh at their expense while on digital you can laugh at your expense, which is what makes me happy about the fact that IDWT is going on a platform like Arré.”

According to information available with this website, the show’s per episode cost is approximately in the region of Rs 16-18 lakh.

When asked about the new show, Arré co-founder Ajay Chacko added, “The need of the hour is social relevance and we not only churn out radical content but also play around with it within the social context. The show features extremely talented actors who have the advantage of taking up adventurous content with more experimental characterisation. This is new content with new talent. Digital gives you the opportunity to create different tones of content, be experimental and maybe also give form to the next big cliché. We don’t think we want to move to TV with this type of content; we are comfortable with what we have.”

Arré had also launched a digital reality show, based on the Israeli format Re-Gender with the same name in India exploring the relationship between the sexes. The series was a social experiment that broke down the rules of gender perception and stereotypes defined by the society and the challenges faced.

With a possibility of a second season of I Don’t Watch TV, the digital media company also has three more web series in the pipeline, which will be rolled out in the next couple of months.

February 12, 2016
YuppTV bags exclusive digital media rights for Asia Cup 2016

MUMBAI: Over-The-Top (OTT) service provider YuppTV has acquired the digital media rights for the Asia Cup T20, 2016 to be held between 24 February – 6 March 2016.

YuppTV has secured exclusive rights to stream Asia Cup 2016 live in USA, Canada, UK, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Malaysia. Additionally, cricket fans in Singapore will also be able view the tournament via YuppTV app on multiple Internet enabled devices such as Smart TVs, Smart Blu-ray players, streaming media players, laptop, gaming console, smart phones and tablets.

The Asia Cup 2016 is scheduled to take place in Dhaka, Bangladesh with the Indian T20 team taking on the host nation on the inaugural day. The much awaited match between India and Pakistan is scheduled for 27 February, while India faces the defending champions Sri Lanka on 1 March.

YuppTV founder and CEO Uday Reddy said, “Cricket has always been a sport that has incited much passion and following amongst South Asians. By bagging the exclusive digital media rights for the Asia Cup 2016, we are enabling live, on-the-go access to the tournament for the expat community. This partnership will provide them with seamless, real-time access to all the matches and allow viewers to watch their favourite teams in action on their preferred device!”

In addition to Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, India and Pakistan, non-test playing nations Afghanistan, Hong Kong, Oman and UAE will also be competing for a qualifying spot for the tournament. The qualifying round is scheduled to take place at the Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium (KSOAS) in Narayanganj, Afghanistan, between 19 February to 22 February, with the winner of the qualifiers then joining the test playing nations in the main event.

February 12, 2016
YuppTV bags exclusive digital media rights for Asia Cup 2016

MUMBAI: Over-The-Top (OTT) service provider YuppTV has acquired the digital media rights for the Asia Cup T20, 2016 to be held between 24 February – 6 March 2016.

YuppTV has secured exclusive rights to stream Asia Cup 2016 live in USA, Canada, UK, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Malaysia. Additionally, cricket fans in Singapore will also be able view the tournament via YuppTV app on multiple Internet enabled devices such as Smart TVs, Smart Blu-ray players, streaming media players, laptop, gaming console, smart phones and tablets.

The Asia Cup 2016 is scheduled to take place in Dhaka, Bangladesh with the Indian T20 team taking on the host nation on the inaugural day. The much awaited match between India and Pakistan is scheduled for 27 February, while India faces the defending champions Sri Lanka on 1 March.

YuppTV founder and CEO Uday Reddy said, “Cricket has always been a sport that has incited much passion and following amongst South Asians. By bagging the exclusive digital media rights for the Asia Cup 2016, we are enabling live, on-the-go access to the tournament for the expat community. This partnership will provide them with seamless, real-time access to all the matches and allow viewers to watch their favourite teams in action on their preferred device!”

In addition to Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, India and Pakistan, non-test playing nations Afghanistan, Hong Kong, Oman and UAE will also be competing for a qualifying spot for the tournament. The qualifying round is scheduled to take place at the Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium (KSOAS) in Narayanganj, Afghanistan, between 19 February to 22 February, with the winner of the qualifiers then joining the test playing nations in the main event.

February 12, 2016
Netflix to launch original animated kids series inspired by Beatles music

MUMBAI: Netflix is all set to launch an original kids series called Beat Bugs, which is inspired by the music of The Beatles.

Beat Bugs, an animated series inspired by the songs of the Beatles welcomes international music artists Eddie Vedder, P!nk, James Bay, Sia, The Shins, Of Monsters and Men, Chris Cornell, Regina Spektor, James Corden, and Birdy.

The series will come to Netflix this summer. Beat Bugs features original characters and a world created by Josh Wakely, who will direct, write and produce the series, following a deal with Sony/ATV Music Publishing for worldwide rights to record covers of the Beatles song catalogue for this production. Australian Netflix members will be able to enjoy the series on Netflix soon after its premier on Seven Network.

Beat Bugs incorporates songs from the Lennon/McCartney ‘Northern Songs’ catalogue, to tell uplifting and life-affirming stories filled with hope and melody. World-leading artists, animators and writers have come together to work on this extraordinary show. The Beat Bugs are charming, funny, adventurous, and have a knack for getting themselves into mischief and mayhem. Each of the five friends (Jay, Kumi, Crick, Buzz, and Walter) has a distinctive personality, and they display the charm and energy of five knockabout, lovable kids. They are best friends who band together to explore and learn in an overgrown suburban backyard, which to them is their entire universe.

The show will feature some of the most well-known Beatles songs woven into the narrative of each episode, with Eddie Vedder, P!nk, James Bay, Sia, The Shins, Of Monsters and Men, Chris Cornell, Regina Spektor, James Corden, and Birdy each recording their rendition of an iconic song. Further artists joining the project are expected to be announced in the coming months. Among the songs featured include Help!, All You Need Is Love, Come Together, Penny Lane, Yellow Submarine, Lucy In the Sky with Diamonds, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, and Magical Mystery Tour.

“Personally I’m very grateful to be part of Josh’s vision,” said Eddie Vedder. “A tremendous show for kids that combines beautiful animation with great stories and obviously some of the best songs ever written.”

“It’s a rare occasion to be presented with a truly one-of-a-kind children’s show that is so perfectly suited to Netflix,” said Netflix director of original kid’s content Andy Yeatman. “Josh and his team have not only developed a compelling children’s show filled with life lessons, but they’ve built a show that will transcend generations and have parents and grandparents enjoying right alongside their little ones.”

Wakely added, “Bringing Beat Bugs to life on Netflix and having a platform to re-imagine this universally acclaimed music for families around the world is an exhilarating and rewarding experience. Our partners have been fantastic in making this concept a vivid reality, and this is a great example of the innovative and fresh storytelling at the heart of Grace’s ethos.”

This marks the first project from Wakely’s independent film and television production and development banner, Grace: A Storytelling Company (Grace) – which he co-owns with Beat Bugs executive producer, Trevor Roy. In addition, award-winning film and TV production group Thunderbird has come on board as a co-production partner, alongside Beyond Screen Production. Atomic Cartoons, a Thunderbird-owned studio, is working on animation for the series. The series is represented worldwide by Beyond Distribution.

February 10, 2016
Netflix to launch original animated kids series inspired by Beatles music

MUMBAI: Netflix is all set to launch an original kids series called Beat Bugs, which is inspired by the music of The Beatles.

Beat Bugs, an animated series inspired by the songs of the Beatles welcomes international music artists Eddie Vedder, P!nk, James Bay, Sia, The Shins, Of Monsters and Men, Chris Cornell, Regina Spektor, James Corden, and Birdy.

The series will come to Netflix this summer. Beat Bugs features original characters and a world created by Josh Wakely, who will direct, write and produce the series, following a deal with Sony/ATV Music Publishing for worldwide rights to record covers of the Beatles song catalogue for this production. Australian Netflix members will be able to enjoy the series on Netflix soon after its premier on Seven Network.

Beat Bugs incorporates songs from the Lennon/McCartney ‘Northern Songs’ catalogue, to tell uplifting and life-affirming stories filled with hope and melody. World-leading artists, animators and writers have come together to work on this extraordinary show. The Beat Bugs are charming, funny, adventurous, and have a knack for getting themselves into mischief and mayhem. Each of the five friends (Jay, Kumi, Crick, Buzz, and Walter) has a distinctive personality, and they display the charm and energy of five knockabout, lovable kids. They are best friends who band together to explore and learn in an overgrown suburban backyard, which to them is their entire universe.

The show will feature some of the most well-known Beatles songs woven into the narrative of each episode, with Eddie Vedder, P!nk, James Bay, Sia, The Shins, Of Monsters and Men, Chris Cornell, Regina Spektor, James Corden, and Birdy each recording their rendition of an iconic song. Further artists joining the project are expected to be announced in the coming months. Among the songs featured include Help!, All You Need Is Love, Come Together, Penny Lane, Yellow Submarine, Lucy In the Sky with Diamonds, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, and Magical Mystery Tour.

“Personally I’m very grateful to be part of Josh’s vision,” said Eddie Vedder. “A tremendous show for kids that combines beautiful animation with great stories and obviously some of the best songs ever written.”

“It’s a rare occasion to be presented with a truly one-of-a-kind children’s show that is so perfectly suited to Netflix,” said Netflix director of original kid’s content Andy Yeatman. “Josh and his team have not only developed a compelling children’s show filled with life lessons, but they’ve built a show that will transcend generations and have parents and grandparents enjoying right alongside their little ones.”

Wakely added, “Bringing Beat Bugs to life on Netflix and having a platform to re-imagine this universally acclaimed music for families around the world is an exhilarating and rewarding experience. Our partners have been fantastic in making this concept a vivid reality, and this is a great example of the innovative and fresh storytelling at the heart of Grace’s ethos.”

This marks the first project from Wakely’s independent film and television production and development banner, Grace: A Storytelling Company (Grace) – which he co-owns with Beat Bugs executive producer, Trevor Roy. In addition, award-winning film and TV production group Thunderbird has come on board as a co-production partner, alongside Beyond Screen Production. Atomic Cartoons, a Thunderbird-owned studio, is working on animation for the series. The series is represented worldwide by Beyond Distribution.

February 10, 2016