Category: iWorld

Mumbai: A first-of-its-kind study on online gamers in India has revealed the growing trend of gaming emerging as a career option in India and not just being limited to a means of entertainment. Based on the study, 83 per cent of the respondents consider gaming as either a primary or secondary source of income, highlighting the paradigm shift towards gaming being a viable option that can be pursued professionally. Out of this, 39 per cent consider gaming as a primary source and 44 per cent as a secondary source of income. The study also highlights how gamers have been able to garner better earnings with improved skill sets, and practicing gaming has also encouraged them to take it up as a profession. This new gaming segment, Paid Competitive Gaming (PCG), is poised to be one of the fastest-growing segments and is set to reach $16B by 2024, according to a recent report by Newzoo and MPL.

Another key insight revealed by the study shows how the popular mobile games played by Indians range across Puzzle, board games and adventure sports as the top choices across demographics and levels of engagement. While AAA games are the preferred choice for gamers aged 16-25, seasoned players gravitate towards Poker, Rummy, Carrom and Puzzles.

The study also delves deep into the attitude and preferences of gamers in India and shares important data on required skills, family and social support, professional gaming, and the impact of regulations. The study has been conducted by EPWA in collaboration with the Centre for Justice through Technology (CJT), Vinayaka Mission’s Law School, and Research Foundation-DU Chennai. This qualitative study held in-depth interviews with casual and professional gamers, including online fantasy sports players, and esports professionals, including poker, from across the country.

Contrary to the negative behavioral attributes commonly associated with gaming, the study highlights how the world of online gaming focuses on dedication and commitment. These gamers spend 10-20 hours per week actively engaging in their craft. Interestingly, 77 per cent of those who push the boundaries and achieve maximum gaming hours fall within the age range of 16-25. Success in online gaming also demands a set of essential skills like Analytical skills (97 per cent), concentration (87 per cent), and creativity (69 per cent).

Family and social support prove to be diverse landscapes within the gaming community. While 71 per cent of respondents initially encountered low family support, 17 per cent experienced moderate backing, and only 12 per cent experienced familial encouragement when venturing into online gaming. The study also highlighted how family and social support increases as gamers not only begin to earn from gaming but also display focus and commitment to continue to hone their skills.

Bringing out insights on the earning potential of professional gamers, the study shows how they rely on a diverse array of income sources ranging from Gamer contracts (51 per cent), sponsorships (14 per cent), streaming (5 per cent), content creation (9 per cent), and coaching (21 per cent).

On the impact of regulations on the online gaming landscape, the study showcases concerns raised by the gamers highlighting how 89 per cent feel high tax through GST & TDS has increased their cost of playing and may force them to seek a remedy through alternate platforms if GST is increased further. The criminalisation of players by state governments & absence of uniform regulations has also been reported as a key concern, with 62 per cent of the gamers being affected by the approach taken by many state governments like Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Assam. The study further delves into the social aspects and the resultant impact on online gamers. Lack of clarity on games of skill and games of chance has led to misconceptions and social stigma, especially for those who play professionally. 71 per cent of the pool have reported low family support as a result of this.

Finally, the study also highlights the need for a conducive and certain regulatory framework to safeguard user rights and promote responsible gaming, ensuring the sector’s potential is realised.

Mumbai: As June rolls in, elevate your streaming experience with MX Player’s exciting line-up of international shows. From historical sagas to heart-warming dramas, these MX Vdesi shows are set to captivate audiences with their gripping storylines and compelling characters. So, mark your calendars and get ready to indulge in a month of binge-worthy entertainment only on MX Player.

7 June 2023 – Indian Summers Season 2 

Step into the mesmerising world of ‘Indian Summer Season 2’, a captivating historical drama that transports viewers to the breathtaking landscapes of the Himalayas and tea plantations of Northern India. Set three years after Season 1, this 10-episodic series unfolds in 1935, in the enchanting Indian retreat of Shimla, nestled in the Himalayas. The assassination attempt on Viceroy Lord Willingdon and the unexpected arrival of Lord Hawthorne throws Ralph’s future into uncertainty. Meanwhile, Cynthia’s Royal Simla Club becomes the setting for a momentous visit from Maharaja Maritpur and his elegant and enigmatic mistress, Sirene. Experience colonial India’s romance and rich tapestry as ‘Indian Summer Season 2’ streams exclusively on MX Player in Hindi from 7 June 2023.

14 June 2023 – Love at Night 

‘Love at Night’ is a captivating Chinese drama series that showcases the enduring power of true love. The series revolves around Xu Qing You, a determined and ambitious woman who faces a devastating betrayal that shatters her dreams of a perfect marriage. The heart-warming story follows Xu Qing You’s journey of self-discovery after a fateful encounter with Mo Ling Ze, a man she initially clashed with but grew drawn to. As their lives become intertwined, they uncover shared experiences and mutual admiration. However, as her ex-fiancé fights to win her back, Xu Qing You must make a heart-wrenching choice. Will she reignite an old flame or embrace a new and unexpected romance? Don’t miss ‘Love at Night’ streaming on MX Player in Hindi from 14 June 2023.

28 June – What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim 

‘What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim’ is a popular KDrama series that combines comedy, mystery, and romance. The story follows Lee Young Joon, a self-absorbed Vice Chairman, and his capable secretary, Kim Mi So. After faithfully serving him for nine years, Mi So decides it’s time to focus on herself and resigns, sparking hilarious misunderstandings and unexpected twists. As their strictly professional relationship evolves, could there be a chance for something more? ‘What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim’ will stream in Hindi on MX Player from 28 June 2023 onwards.

Mumbai: Net Insight teams up with MTI, Germany’s leading media backbone operator together with SHM Broadcast GmbH, a local partner in Germany for a live sports event in June. This deal reaffirms the partnership between the companies, built on trust and a shared dedication to delivering a complete live media transport solution with highest requirements for low latency, resiliency, redundancy, security, scalability, and manageability.

The network supports regional primary contribution between the main IBC centres in Berlin and Munich, ensuring full quality, service security and availability. Net Insight will supply network equipment based on Nimbra 1060, Nimbra 680 and Nimbra 640´s, including Nimbra Vision Management. The customer’s network will support 4K, HD-SDI, J2K, data services, and audio services.

“We are thrilled to collaborate with MTI and SHM Broadcast GmbH for this live sports event network. This project showcases our commitment to delivering best-in-class solutions that meet the most demanding requirements for live media transport,” says Net Insight CEO Crister Fritzson. “Our long-standing relationship with them is built on trust, expertise, and a mutual understanding of the importance of providing top-notch service quality and reliability for our customers.”

“Choosing Net Insight as our partner for this significant project was a natural decision, given our successful history together. Their media technology made them the ideal choice for this live sports event network,” says MTI Commercial Director David Mueller. “We are confident in their ability to deliver a robust and reliable solution, and we look forward to working closely with them to ensure the highest level of performance for the viewers.”

The solution offered by Net Insight addresses challenges such as creating a more reliable platform and guaranteeing full quality of service for live media, with 100 per cent assurance of service quality, availability, security, and accuracy. It also offers extremely low latency support, performance monitoring for both services and network links, and enables the customer to take complete ownership of its live media content. Key benefits for the customer include the ability to access all required services through one platform with one management system.

The order was received and delivered in May.

Mumbai: L&T Finance’s PLANET (Personalised Lending & Assisted NETworks) application which has been powered by the user-centric experience designed by ZEUX Innovation has recorded significant growth in online transactions to six Lac and the app downloads stands at 2.9 million. In fact, just within a few months of its debut, the app had received over 35,000 reviews and has a rating of 4 plus on Google Play Store and Apple App Store. 

L&T Finance has partnered with India’s UI/UX Design Company, ZEUX Innovation, to provide design assistance and increase user engagement and streamline the application process.

Commenting on the partnership, L&T Finance chief digital officer Abhishek Sharma said, “L&T Finance is committed to becoming a Fintech@Scale as part of the Lakshya 2026 plan. One of the cornerstones of creating a Fintech@Scale is the customer-facing application – the PLANET app.  Since its launch, the app has constantly scaled up and generated commendable opportunities for both our customers as well as the company.  And in this journey ZEUX has been an able partner, providing UX Innovation and breakthrough design, thereby leading to an enhanced customer engagement and experience.”

The three key anchors of the PLANET app – stakeholder engagement, loan ecosystem immersion, and user-focused app design – were drawn and implemented by ZEUX. In addition to handling user flow creation based on standards and survey data, the UI UX specialised firm, also managed customer experiences for loan disbursements and EMI payments. Its UX design approach essentially focused on three key pillars: 

•     Simplicity to declutter and make the journey as simple as possible. Hyper-simple task flows and journeys were the goals that were achieved to make it customer-centric.
•     Efficiency to eliminate all the unnecessary information in the application. This has proven to be a crucial element in improving the application’s effectiveness.
•     Inclusivity to emphasise different target users across India by adding illustrations and images, depicting India in its truest sense.

Speaking on the UX design process, ZEUX Innovation co-founder Saurabh Gupta said, “Our goal was to present a comprehensive picture of the loan application process while incorporating UX principles and L&T’s brand colours and guidelines. In order to define the business and user goals, we began the UX design process with a stakeholder vision. The task flow of both online and offline loan applications was then thoroughly studied to determine the different pain points. These findings provided a solid foundation for the design process to begin.”

Mumbai: JioCinema’s digital powerplay in TATA IPL 2023 broke global records to usher in a new era in sports viewing. The TATA IPL 2023 became globally the most watched digital event as JioCinema set an array of global benchmarks including more than 12 Crore unique viewers tuning-in to watch the most thrilling TATA IPL Finals ever.  

JioCinema’s record breaking customer engagement in TATA IPL came with unique differentiators like 17 simultaneous feeds across 12 languages including 4K, with multi-cam views giving viewers an unprecedented degree of autonomy and stadium like experience through AR/VR and 360-degree viewing. All this led to an increase in the average time spent of more than 60 minutes per viewer per match.   

JioCinema registered over 2.5 Cr. downloads, a record for the most installed app in a single day. After the unprecedented response through the first four weeks, JioCinema released 360-degree viewing feature to delight fans, showcasing the power of immersive fan engagement on digital. JioCinema delivered high audience engagement through simultaneous social engagement through Jeeto Dhan Dhana Dhan. JioCinema’s TATA IPL Fan Parks across 30 cities made out-of-home sports viewing omnipresent, for the first time on digital.  

The excitement and fervor of TATA IPL 2023 reached a fever pitch during the Final as JioCinema set a new World Record as 3.21 Crore peak concurrency. The Official Digital Streaming Partner of TATA IPL registered over 1700 crore video views through the 16th edition.   

“Record-breaking scale on JioCinema combined with targeting, the flexibility of cost, measurement, interactivity, reach, and integration offered significant advantages to its sponsors and advertisers,” said Viacom18 Sports CEO Anil Jayaraj. “The remarkable engagement and participation on digital marks an inflection point in the industry where both viewers and advertisers have made their preference clear making it a turning point for the way viewership as well AdEx is deployed going forward.”   

JioCinema’s unrivalled customer engagement has been matched by extraordinary participation with 26 sponsors and more than 800 advertisers. The platform recorded the highest-ever number of advertisers on TATA IPL with JioCinema having more than 13 times the number of advertisers on broadcast TV. The faith and trust of advertisers ensured digital revenues were significantly higher than broadcast TV. 26 top brands partnered with JioCinema for their digital streaming of TATA IPL 2023, including (Co-Presenting Sponsor) Dream11, (Co-Powered) JioMart, PhonePe, Tiago EV, Jio (Associate Sponsor) Appy Fizz, ET Money, Castrol, TVS, Oreo, Bingo, Sting, AJIO, Haier, RuPay, Louis Philippe Jeans, Amazon, Rapido, Ultra Tech Cement, Puma, Kamla Pasand, Kingfisher Power Soda, Jindal Panther TMT Rebar, Saudi Tourism, Spotify and AMFI.    

JioCinema’s unique two-way interactivity powered TATA IPL 2023 on Connected TV making it the preferred medium for premium urban households as its reach during the TATA IPL doubled that of HD TV within the first five weeks of the season. JioCinema had over 40 advertisers on Connected TV exclusively including international brands, financial services, e-commerce, autos, B2C, B2B brands. 

Mumbai: Prime Video has announced the exclusive global streaming premiere of the Telugu action thriller Ugram. Directed by Vijay Kanakamedala and produced by Sahu Garapati and Harish Peddi, the film features Allari Naresh, Mirnaa Menon, Indraja and Sharath Lohitashwa in the lead roles. Ugram will exclusively stream in India and across 240 countries and territories worldwide on 2 June. Ugram is the latest addition to the Prime membership. Prime members in India enjoy savings, convenience, and entertainment, all in single membership for just Rs 1499/year.

Ugram presents an enthralling action-drama that centres around CI Shiva Kumar (Allari Naresh), a determined police officer, who delves into the investigation of a series of missing persons in Warangal. However, Shiva’s personal life takes a grim turn when his wife, Aparna (Mirnaa Menon), decides to leave him due to his aggressive nature. Tragedy strikes when Shiva, Aparna, and their daughter, Lucky meet an accident. While Shiva gets injured, both Aparna and Lucky suddenly go missing. Driven by love and desperation, Shiva embarks on an unwavering mission to locate his family, unraveling shocking secrets in the process.

Sharing his thoughts on the streaming premiere of the action drama, actor Allari Naresh, said, “As I look back on my remarkable journey in the film industry, I am overwhelmed with gratitude and a deep sense of achievement that I have been showered upon. Ugram is a special project; I got to reunite with director Vijay (Kanakamedala) and portrayed an honest and powerful cop in the film, which is a departure from my usual comic roles. I am confident that this action-packed thriller will captivate fans worldwide, keeping them at the edge of their seats.”

“As a director, my belief lies in crafting stories that tackle serious issues and be able to weave them into meaningful narratives,” said director Vijay Kanakamedala. “Naresh’s versatility as an actor is truly admirable, and in Ugram, he has delivered a performance that is both fierce and intense. Every element of the film – from the carefully chosen production design to the meticulous shot division – was thoughtfully planned prior to the shoot, ensuring an impactful storytelling experience for the audience. We cherish the immense love and support fans showered on the action drama in theatres, and I am eagerly awaiting the audiences across the globe to witness the film.”

a cop’s race against time to unmask the truth and save his family! #UgramOnPrime, June 2 pic.twitter.com/Z9mLaU2HFZ

— prime video IN (@PrimeVideoIN) May 31, 2023

Mumbai: Rahul Sood, who was the former MD of BBC India & South Asia, and Rohit Jaiswal, who held the designation of ex VP & head at NDTV Distribution have launched Brandwith in India, covering India and the South Asian region.

Brandwith is the representative and distributor of OTT streaming services like Hallmark Movies Now, Curiosity Stream, PBS Kids, Viaplay, and several other highly differentiated brands, including soon to launch Good Times SVOD. Since Brandwith’s inception in the Asia Pacific Region in 2017, the driving force has been to provide the world’s leading brands across genres like movies, general entertainment, factual entertainment, kids, food, lifestyle and sports in the evolving OTT landscape. 

“With paid video subscriptions having reached 99 million in 2022, across almost 45 million households in India, the success of which will require establishing a durable subscriber relationship, our vision is to aid OTT aggregators and their viewers with a diversified offering of the world’s leading streaming services to help increase ARPU and reduce churn,” said Brandwith India founder & MD Rahul Sood.

“The thoughtfully curated portfolio of brands will help OTT aggregators segment their audience, and super serve the English audience base in India, which has increased from 19m pre-pandemic to 42.7m now as per the latest report by Ormax Media,” he added.

Mumbai: India’s leading private radio and entertainment network, Red FM is thrilled to announce the launch of its latest Radio Jockey, RJ Nalwa who will co-host the evening show ‘DL935’ with RJ Rohan. True to the kadak launda streak, Red FM has also announced the campaign ‘Land in Thailand.’

RJ Nalwa is the definition of a complete character, he is the one you can never have a dull moment with. He is a Delhi boy with swag on his right sleeve and humour on his left. From becoming a Majnu Merathiya to a typical Dhaba owner, he can don many hats. This is why, Red FM is delighted to introduce the campaign, ‘Land in Thailand’ that will take selected winners on an exclusive trip to Thailand.

The campaign aims to give listeners a memorable travel experience by highlighting the essence of the DL935 show. It will begin with Delhi sending video entries explaining ‘Why I am the most deserving one to win a ticket to Thailand.’ Furthermore, selected listeners will go through steps to qualify to win a trip to Thailand.

Tune into DL 935 from 5-9 pm Monday – Saturday only on 93.5 Red FM.

Mumbai: iTAP, an expanding OTT and gaming platform, is thrilled to announce its partnership with Sabot, an OTT aggregation platform. This collaboration aims to fuel subscriber growth for iTAP by integrating it as part of Sabot. With its extensive network and trusted brand reputation, Sabot will provide iTAP with a wider audience reach and better distribution opportunities, creating a win-win situation for both platforms.

iTAP is an emerging young mass player in the OTT industry, offering a diverse range of content and a captivating gaming experience to its users. By leveraging the Sabot network, iTAP will now be able to extend its reach and connect with a larger audience base. This partnership will not only enhance the distribution of iTAP’s content but also offer users a great entertainment experience at value reaching media dark areas as well.

iTAP CMO Haroon Shergill expressed his excitement about the partnership and said, “We are delighted to join forces with Sabot. This collaboration aligns perfectly with our mission to provide a wide array of high-quality content with a smart pricing strategy. Through Sabot’s established and extensive consumer base, we are confident that this partnership will drive our subscriber growth to new heights.”

Sabot, known for its trusted brand and successful track record, has gained the trust of millions of users across the country. As a trusted partner for multiple OTT platforms, Sabot’s expertise in content aggregation and distribution is unmatched. The collaboration between iTAP and Sabot represents a shared vision of offering audiences a plethora of captivating content at competitive prices.

Sabot founder & entrepreneur Atul Saraf shared his enthusiasm and stated, “We are thrilled to welcome iTAP to the Sabot family. By partnering with iTAP, we aim to enhance our content offering and provide our users with a diverse range of entertainment options. Sabot has 16 top OTT platforms with 400 live channels giving their customers diverse content in all languages and in all genres. This partnership brings together two like-minded organisations committed to delivering exceptional value and an unmatched viewing experience to our audiences.”

The partnership between iTAP and Sabot is poised to revolutionise content distribution and subscription services in the OTT industry. With a focus on wider audience reach, enhanced distribution, and a commitment to providing quality entertainment, this collaboration sets the stage for mutual growth and success.

Mumbai: KC Global Media, Asia’s leading entertainment network, and Prime Video, India’s most loved entertainment destination, today announced the launch of Japanese entertainment pack, Animax + GEM on Prime Video Channels in India. Animax + GEM offers customers a selection of popular Japanese anime, drama, and variety programmes with English subtitles from KC Global Media’s linear channels Animax and GEM. This ultimate 2-in-1 entertainment pack is now available to Prime members at an add-on subscription of Rs 299 per year. With Prime Video Channels, Amazon’s video entertainment marketplace, Prime members get friction-free and convenient access to a wide range of premium content from multiple video streaming services all available with add-on subscriptions at a single destination—Prime Video website and app.

KC Global Media co-founder, president, and CEO George Chien said, “Fueled by passionate fans and the strong following of Japanese pop culture in India, we are excited to bring the ultimate Japanese entertainment experience in collaboration with one of India’s leading streaming platforms. This partnership with Amazon Prime Video marks another significant milestone for us, as we continue our efforts to provide fans in India with greater accessibility across multiple genres of premium Japanese hit series and anime content, anytime, anywhere.”

Home to some of the biggest anime titles, Animax offers popular genres for action, romance, horror, supernatural, sci-fi, comedy and slide of life. Anime fans in India can now tune in to enjoy award-winning anime action fiction series like the hit drama romance, Fruits Baskets (Seasons 1 to 3) – winner of the Anime of the Year, 8th Anime Trending Awards 2022; the complete box set of popular sports comedy series, Haikyu! (Season 1 to 4); as well as fantasy action, Yashahime: Half Demon Princess – Nominee for Best Character Design, Anime Awards 2021; and the highly acclaimed action-adventure anime, The Seven Deadly Sins – winner of Behind the Voice Actors Awards 2016, for Best Male Lead Vocal Performance in an Anime Television Series and adapted from one of the best-selling manga series of the same title; as well as the popular comedy action series, How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom and many more!    

Asia’s leading Japanese entertainment brand, GEM, makes its debut in India with an unparalleled line-up of hit Japanese dramas and variety shows featuring Japan’s leading celebrities and hosts. India fans can catch popular hit drama series, such as 10 count to the Future starring award-winning actor, Takuya Kimura, including other titles, such as AVALANCHE, Captured Hospital, Outsider Cops, and NICE FLIGHT!. Popular Japanese variety shows include VS ARASHI, featuring Japan’s hottest J-pop male idol group, ARASHI, going through a series of funny and entertaining challenges with other entertainers and celebrity guests. India fans can also explore the unique flavors of Japan as celebrity chef, Mocomichi Hayami takes audiences on a culinary adventure across Japan in Moco’s Travel Kitchen. Other fan-favorite titles include, The Quest, Who is the Real Celebrity, and more.

All content from Animax and GEM will be streamed in their original Japanese audio and accompanied with English subtitles.