ITV

Category: iWorld

  • Eros to propel digital play in July with campaign; defers Pay TV strategy

    Eros to propel digital play in July with campaign; defers Pay TV strategy

    MUMBAI: Indian entertainment company Eros International Plc is betting big on digital play with its over the top (OTT) platform ErosNow. Come July and the company will unveil its exclusive movie line-up as well as original shows on the platform.

     

    In order to push its offerings on ErosNow, the company will launch a marketing campaign around its movie premieres (pre-television, post-theatrical window), as well as original shows.

     

    What’s more, Eros has deferred its plans to launch pay TV channels as was planned earlier and will instead focus on strengthening its position in the OTT arena. The company had plans to launch a Hindi movie channel and a music channel.

     

    Even as the company’s television licensing revenues continue to be strong on the back of digitization and constitutes over 35 per cent of its revenues; in the light of its new focus on its OTT space, Eros’ strategy will be to premiere films on ErosNow and then syndicate them to television channels around the world after that window closes.

     

    In FY-2015, digital and ancillary segments of the company contributed revenues of $59.9 million as compared to $47.7 million in FY-2014. The company’s other two primary revenue streams theatrical and television syndication contributed revenue of $123.1 million and $101.2 million respectively in FY-2015 as compared to $107.5 million and $80.3 million respectively in FY-2014.

     

    Eros International managing director and CEO Jyoti Deshpande said, “Our pre-launch phase of ErosNow has been very successful with 19 million registered users globally, up 35.7 per cent from the 14 million users we announced in February 2015. We believe the combination of being an early mover, our unique studio assets, and the high market share of our extensive library positions us to be the leading player in the Indian digital entertainment industry.”

     

    Eros International reported 20.7 per cent growth in revenue to $284.3 million in FY-2015 (year ended 31 March, 2015) as compared to the $235.5 million in the previous year. Currency comparable revenues increased by 22.4 per cent.

     

    For the quarter ended 31 March, 2015 (Q4-2015), the company reported 39.8 per cent (currency comparable revenues increased by 40.7 per cent) revenue growth to $88.5 million as compared to the $63.3 million in the corresponding year ago quarter.

     

    Eros reported 32.9 per cent increment in net income to $49.3 million in FY-2015 from the $37.1 million in FY-2014. Net income in Q4-2015 more than tripled (3.01 times) the $19.4 million as compared to the $6.4 million in Q4-2014.

     

    Deshpande added, “Our fourth quarter and full year results demonstrate the strength and scalability of our business, our dominant leadership position and our ability to capitalize on the growing and underpenetrated Indian media, entertainment and digital industry.”

     

    “Our growth from non-Diaspora international markets shows a growing appetite for Bollywood content in many new markets. One of our strongest potential markets, China, with a market size of $4.8 billion and over 23,600 screens, is projected to soon surpass Hollywood as the largest film market in the world. Our latest collaboration agreements with Chinese Film Corp and Shanghai Film Group to co-produce and distribute Sino-Indian films are important steps in maximizing our opportunity in China.”

     

    Eros’ television syndication revenue remained strong in fiscal year 2015, with an over 50 per cent increase quarter-on-quarter, with high and medium budget films helping Eros syndicate attractive bundles of new and library films.

     

    Eros group executive chairman Kishore Lulla said, “By creating the first studio model in India and achieving 20 times growth in the last ten years to now over $100 million in adjusted EBITDA, Eros has successfully completed its first pioneering effort in transforming the Indian film industry and becoming its global leader. Looking forward, our goal now is to pioneer yet again using the strength of our films and our exciting ErosNow platform to become the leading Indian digital entertainment company globally.”

  • Netflix teams with Plan B to produce movie starring Brad Pitt

    Netflix teams with Plan B to produce movie starring Brad Pitt

    MUMBAI: Netflix has teamed up with Brad Pitt’s company Plan B to produce an original film War Machine starring Pitt.

     

    The provocative satirical comedy from David Michôd will be exclusively available to members of Netflix globally and in select theaters next year.

     

    Produced by Netflix and Pitt alongside his Plan B partners Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner, and producer Ian Bryce, War Machine brings together Pitt with Michôd, the acclaimed Australian writer and director. Principal photography is scheduled to start in August.

     

    Inspired by the best-selling book The Operators: The Wild and Terrifying Inside Story of America’s War in Afghanistan by the late Michael Hastings, War Machineconcerns a four star, “rock star” general whose lethal reputation and impeccable track record vaults him to command the American war in Afghanistan.

     

    “War Machine is a rip-roaring, behind-the-facade tale of modern war decision-makers, from the corridors of power to the distant regions of America’s ambitions. Brad and David are a perfect team to make this timely, compelling and entertaining film,” said Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos.

     

    “We are so excited to be a part of the inspiring commitment by Netflix to produce cutting-edge content and to deliver it to a global audience,” added Pitt.

     

    Michôd said, “I’m humbled to be making a big, bold movie about the whole sprawling, complex, cumbersome and crazy machinery of modern war and the many lives it touches.”   

  • Five US broadcasters form news streaming venture NewsON

    Five US broadcasters form news streaming venture NewsON

    MUMBAI: Five major broadcast television stations namely The ABC Owned Television Station Group, Cox Media Group, Hearst Television, Media General and Raycom Media have formed a new venture called NewsON.

     

    NewsON (www.NewsON.us) will provide live and same-day local TV newscasts on demand from leading stations around the country to consumers’ mobile and selected connected TV devices.

     

    The free, advertising-supported NewsON service, which is expected to launch to the public in the fall of this year, will be delivered through apps available for download from mobile and connected TV app stores. NewsON will enable users to watch live and on-demand newscasts from their local markets or from any of the 112 participating news stations, in 84 viewing markets across the country, whose owners have already contracted to deliver their news streams through NewsON. These include stations in eight of the Top 10 U.S. TV markets and 17 of the top 25.

     

    Multiple stations will be available through NewsON in 21 markets, giving viewers the opportunity to “change channels” as they wish. The number of participating TV stations is expected to grow in the months ahead as additional broadcast TV station groups activate their streams into NewsON.

     

    Leading this new venture is Louis Gump, who has signed on as NewsON’s chief executive officer. Gump presided earlier in his career over benchmark-setting mobile businesses for The Weather Company and CNN, before becoming CEO of mobile media and advertising company LSN Mobile. Gump has also served in various capacities within industry organizations including the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and Online Publishers Association (OPA), and he served for more than a decade on the board of the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA). He will be based in Atlanta where NewsON will scale up its organization.

     

    “The sheer amount of live news coverage – from TV stations around the country – that has been assembled for delivery through NewsON’s apps is unprecedented. Americans place a great deal of trust in their local news teams, who are typically the first informers from the local scene of the biggest news developments around the country. NewsON will bring instant access to live local news to a generation of viewers accustomed to using mobile and connected TV platforms to stay informed,” Gump said.

     

    “And this is just the start,” Gump noted. “We’ll welcome the participation of other TV station owners, as this service only gets better with each additional station.”

     

    A recent study underscores local TV’s leading role as a news source. According to the March 2015 report “Local News in a Digital Age” by the Pew Research Center, local TV stations remain the dominant source of news for Americans in markets both big and small. The appetite for local and neighborhood news, the staple of TV station newscast coverage, is up to twice the appetite for national and international news, the study found. 

  • YuppTV launches app on Hisense Smart TV in US

    YuppTV launches app on Hisense Smart TV in US

    MUMBAI: Offering a world class viewing experience with a range of channels and movies, over-the-top (OTT) content player YuppTV has launched its app on Hisense Smart TV for the US audiences.

     

    YuppTV’s partnership with Hisense is part of an ongoing effort to reach out to global television audience with the most comprehensive South Asian content.

     

    Viewers can now benefit from 200+ channels in 13 South Asian languages available worldwide, as Live TV, and 10 days of revolutionary Catch-up TV. Unlimited movies in different genres from leading production houses make this an unbeatable offering for Hisense Smart TV owners. The YuppTV app is available to download free. The app on Hisense Smart TV will be available for customers in the US region.

     

    At the time of launch, the YuppTV application will be available to viewers using Hisense Smart TVs.  These TVs are available with a range of features and wide variety of screen sizes. Hisense Smart TVs with full high definition resolution are equipped with WIFI, internet and built-in apps.

     

    YuppTV CEO Uday Reddy said, “YuppTV is thrilled to partner with Hisense USA Corporation and launch its application on Hisense Smart TVs. The launch is a big part our mission to make it simple and instant for broadcasters to deliver entertainment anytime and anywhere in the world and present consumers with yet another avenue to access their favorite South Asian content with ease.”

     

    Hisense vice president of marketing Lawrence Li added, “Hisense USA aims to deliver high quality and great value for its customers.  We know that YuppTV customers spend a considerable number of hours everyday consuming content from their home countries and we pleased to make this application and the 100s of channels and immense movie library available on our new line of Smart TVs.”

  • Ping & One Network Entertainment partner to power digital video creators

    Ping & One Network Entertainment partner to power digital video creators

    MUMBAI: PING Digital Network has inked a strategic alliance with multi platform network of online video content One Network Entertainment, with a focus on the comic genre.

    As part of this alliance, the two companies will be launching a first of its kind ‘Creators Collective’ to provide creators everything to become successful publishers.

    The Creators Collective is an initiative designed for creators to produce content, collaborate with other creators and learn the art to becoming a publisher. With regular workshops by experts, sessions by and for brands, advertisers and creators, this will become a vibrant content creation hub.

    One and Ping now boast of about 10,000 sq ft of studio cum office space in Mumbai comprising creative teams, equipment with live broadcast and production facilities, and edit suites along with all the resources that creators require to showcase their talent. Inspired by the YouTube Spaces, The Creators Collective will enable talent to hone their skils & collaborate with other talent to create break through content.

    PING Network co-founder and director Rajeshree Naik said, “We are delighted to partner with One Network Entertainment to  further strengthen our proposition of being a one-stop shop for the best digital video creators in India. This alliance is also a testimony of our own DNA as creators making us the preferred platform for the creator community. Through this partnership we also add the much sought after genre of comedy to our exisiting content making it more attractive for brands & advertisers. We now become a network of over 550 channels with close to 85 million views a month bringing huge scale to the both creators & advertisers.”

    One Network co-founder Abe Thomas added, “One Network with over 70 million views and a distribution network across 20+ global video platforms, is very enthused with the synergies that we can jointly exploit with an MCN like Ping Network. We believe that through this partnership we will be able to collaborate with brands and advertisers and provide them with opportunities to interact, collaborate with a wider range of creators.”

    Ping Network co-founder & vice president  talent and acquisitions Anagha Rajadhyaksha added, “We have already had some great brainstorming sessions and look forward to the possibility of jointly creating some exciting and engaging formats. We are also looking at getting at least 100 new premium talent on line over the next six months.”

  • WWE surpasses half a billion social media followers

    WWE surpasses half a billion social media followers

    MUMBAI: WWE has eclipsed half a billion fans through its global social media platforms, further cementing its position as one of the most-followed brands in the world.

     

    WWE’s Facebook page has more fans than the NFL, ESPN, Marvel, Google and UFC, and WWE superstar John Cena is the No.1 most followed active American athlete on Facebook with more than 36 million likes.

     

    On Twitter, @WWE has more followers than MLB, Disney, Sony and Pepsi and according to Klout, is the No. 1 most influential brand on Twitter. 

     

    On Instagram, WWE’s fastest-growing platform, @WWE has more followers than ESPN, HBO, NHL and Gatorade. With nearly five billion video views on YouTube in the past year alone, WWE is the No. 1 Sports channel ahead of the NBA, MLB, NFL, NHL, ESPN and NASCAR.

     

    WWE’s Social Media Snapshot:

    • Facebook: 354 million total likes, including 98 million new likes, an increase of 38 per cent year-over year.

    • Twitter: 108 million total followers, including 18 million new followers, an increase of 20 per cent year-over-year.

    • Instagram: 26 million total followers, including 25 million new followers, an increase of 2,955 per cent year-over-year.

    • YouTube: 6.2 million total subscribers, including 2.8 million new subscribers, an increase of 82 per cent year-over-year.

     

    Earlier this year, WWE won awards for Overall Social Media Excellence and Social Media Dream Team at the 2015 Cynopsis Sports Media Awards and 2015 Cablefax Digital Awards, respectively. WWE’s 12 social media platforms include Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, Periscope, Google+, Vine, Foursquare, Tumblr, Pheed and Pinterest.

  • Lego Angry Birds toys to take flight in 2016

    Lego Angry Birds toys to take flight in 2016

    MUMBAI: Angry Birds maker Rovio Entertainment has teamed up with The Lego Group to create a collection of building sets related to its 2016 film.

     

    The two companies will develop a line of construction toys, which will be available in spring 2016 to coincide with the release of The Angry Birds Movie, a full-length feature film based on the popular gaming franchise.

     

    “The Lego brand has an unparalleled ability to connect with people through products that spark creativity and imagination. We’re really excited to build experiences together with this amazing best-in-class partner,” said Rovio CEO Pekka Rantala.

     

    “We are excited to bring Angry Birds to life in Lego form, given the popularity of the game and its characters with fans of all ages, which will only be amplified by the forthcoming film. We seek partnership with globally relevant properties that offer a unique and rewarding play experience to our fans, and our designers are having fun developing building sets that leverage the engaging play and deconstruction found in the Angry Birds game,” added The Lego Group licensing & entertainment vice president Jill Wilfert.

  • Ravi Shankar Prasad to inaugurate free Wi-fi connection for tourists at Taj Mahal

    Ravi Shankar Prasad to inaugurate free Wi-fi connection for tourists at Taj Mahal

    NEW DELHI: Within days of Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad’s announcement about strengthening broadband base throughout the country, BSNL has said visitors to the Taj Mahal in Agra will get free Wi-Fi internet facility across the sprawling campus for 30 minutes from 16 June.

     

    However, any browsing or usage like downloading, surfing after this period would invite charges at Rs 30 an hour, a Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited official said.

     

    The trials have been completed and the service will be launched by Prasad in Agra on 16 June.

     

    While the bandwidth is being provided by BSNL, the system integrator – Bengaluru based Quadgen – is providing the wireless support.

     

    Due to security and other reasons, the ASI has only permitted the Wi-Fi availability in a radius of 30 metres from the main gate of the Taj Mahal, officials further said.

     

    Millions of domestic and foreign tourists visit the Taj Mahal, often considered as the epitome of love as it was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal.

     

    The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) had requested the BSNL to work on the project to start the facility in the complex. Wi-Fi internet facility at public places in Agra is currently available only at the Agra Cantonment railway station.

     

    If the trials are successful, BSNL may extend the facility to Fatehpur Sikri as well.

  • Netflix to launch in Italy in October 2015

    Netflix to launch in Italy in October 2015

    MUMBAI: After targeting to launch in Spain this October, Netflix Inc is also looking at arriving in Italy in October 2015.

     

    This autumn, Internet users in Italy will be able to subscribe to Netflix and instantly watch a broad selection of TV series and movies in high-definition or even Ultra HD 4K on nearly any Internet-connected screen.

     

    At launch, the Netflix offering will include such original series as Marvel’s Daredevil, Sense8, Bloodline, Grace and Frankie, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and Marco Polo and critically acclaimed documentaries Virunga, Mission Blue and docuseries Chef’s Table as well as various stand-up comedy specials. Additionally, younger viewers will find a wide selection of programming for kids. Netflix is fully localized, offering Italian subtitles and dubbing.

     

    Viewers will continuously be offered new titles. Among the shows scheduled for launch later this year are Netflix Original series Narcos and Club de Cuervos as well as Marvel’s Jessica Jones, the second of four Marvel series that will be available exclusively on Netflix, leading up to the mini-series event The Defenders, which reunites characters from the previous four.

     

    Netflix members can also look forward to the first Netflix Original feature films, with announced titles including Beasts of No Nation, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon The Green Legend, Jadotville and The Ridiculous 6.

  • Myntra locks up Pocketman as a part of Roadster’s BTL campaign

    Myntra locks up Pocketman as a part of Roadster’s BTL campaign

    BENGALURU: As part of a unique below-the-line (BTL) marketing activity, ‘Pocketman’ Eric Monjon entered a makeshift man-cave – an air-conditioned metal enclosure with an attached toilet, a table, a bed at Bengaluru’s Orion Mall, for 48 hours.

    This was a part of the campaign to mark the unveiling of Italian design studio Parabellum’s creation for Myntra’s private brand Roadster’s limited edition Pocketman Jeans in India.

     

    The jeans has 13 pockets and Monjon loaded as much food and victuals and other odds and ends that he could carry in them to sustain himself over the next two days.

    Monjon’s activities will be monitored on close circuit monitors and will be live-streamed on www.PocketmanLive.com and interaction with him will be possible on Twitter and Facebook, with highlights being shared on Roadster’s YouTube channel.

    Over the two days, Monjon will be digging deep into his pockets to pull off acts such as starting a fire, cooking his food, making music and art and other life hacks, that one can use to brave challenging situations when out on a road trip. The pockets are built to handle rough use and come in useful sizes to accommodate cans, tools, gadgets and plenty more informs the company

    Myntra fashion brands VP – marketing Manish Aggarwal said, “This was a fun collection to create! We wanted to make a point that all a man needs is the right pair of jeans. You have that pair, you are set for anything. Roadster is here to create new, lasting experiences for customer and this experiment is a live demonstration of our commitment.”

    Monjon added, “These jeans are incredible – they are virtually a rucksack for me. As it is, I love going outdoors over the weekend and from now on I will be sure to take these along with me on my fishing trips. I love the functionality of these pockets because it reminds me of where the phrase ‘Baker’s Dozen’ came from. It is almost as if the designer was wary that 12 pockets might not be enough, so he put an extra one! My list of things to carry will be just one from now on – my Pocketman jeans.”

    The limited edition Pocketman Jeans are versatile says Myntra, only two thousand of them have been made. Priced at Rs 3999, they come in four different shades, but Aggarwal told Indiantelevison.com that depending upon consumer response, Myntra could make more available. At present, the company’s promotion activities are limited to online and the event in Bengaluru, but, if required, Aggarwal said he would look at taking the act to other cities also.

    Launched in December 2012, Roadster has been endorsed by Bollywood actors Kunal Kapoor and Ranveer Singh, and is retailed exclusively on the Myntra and Flipkart platforms.