ITV

Category: iWorld

  • Shemaroo to distribute Playboy content to mobile platforms in South Asian territories

    Shemaroo to distribute Playboy content to mobile platforms in South Asian territories

    MUMBAI: Shemaroo Entertainment Limited enters into an exclusive association with net mobile AG to distribute content from Playboy Enterprises, in South Asian territories like India, Nepal, Bhutan, Sikkim, Sri Lanka, Pakistan & Bangladesh. Playboy is the most popular international men’s lifestyle magazine that enjoys one of the highest recall value and is known for its exotic pictures of hot models, mind boggling videos and glamorous content. From the vast repertoire of content owned by Playboy Enterprises Inc, Shemaroo Entertainment has hand picked lifestyle and glamorous content that adheres to Indian regulatory framework.

    Shemaroo Entertainment will not only distribute an array of interesting videos and imageries from  Playboy content library to the mobile platforms but will also develop various mobile games, portals, services and apps using the images and videos of International models along with Playboy branding. The company also plans to sub-license these rights to distribute content or develop products around Playboy Enterprises Inc., as well as look to explore opportunities and partnerships globally.

    Shemaroo Entertainment is looking forward to collaborate with brands across the globe that want to leverage the international brand name – Playboy Enterprises Inc and enhance the association through mobile services, games or products. The company is in conversation with few brands for the collaboration.

    Jai Maroo, Director, Shemaroo Entertainment Limited, shares his thoughts on the occasion, “Our association with net mobile AG for Playboy content will add to our offerings of glamorous content to the audience. This also opens new avenues for us to expand our reach to the untapped market for popular and glamour content in Asian countries. The association also reflects that India is growing as a major market for mobile consumption.”

    Carsten Müller, Senior Vice President net mobile AG, “With a renowned and experienced company like Shemaroo, we have found the right partner to distribute our contents in one of the biggest markets for our license. The cooperation is a further step in enhancing our global footprint in bringing high-quality branded contents to global customers.”

     

  • Dish Network launches Sling TV for on the go devices including tablets and smartphones

    Dish Network launches Sling TV for on the go devices including tablets and smartphones

    BENGALURU: Sling TV L.L.C., a subsidiary of Dish Network Corporation announced that it will launch Sling TV, a live, over-the-top television service, to customers in the US, in the first quarter of 2015. Sling TV will deliver live sports, lifestyle, family, news and information channels, Video-On-Demand entertainment and the best of online video to broadband-connected devices at home and on-the-go. Priced at US$20 per month, the service will require no commitment, contract, credit check or hardware installation, says a Dish Network release.

    At launch, subscribers can watch live TV by downloading the app to supported versions of iOS and Android, or by visiting the upcoming Sling website from Macs and PCs. Sling TV is designed to deliver a high-quality television experience inside and outside the home, anywhere a wired, Wi-Fi or mobile broadband connection is available. The service is delivered over an IP-based content delivery system that leverages adaptive bitrate streaming technology. This allows for the highest quality streaming experience possible regardless of network quality fluctuations or location says Dish Networks.

    “Sling TV provides a viable alternative for live television to the millennial audience,” said Dish Network President and CEO Joseph P Clayton. “This service gives millions of consumers a new consideration for pay-TV; Sling TV fills a void for an underserved audience.”

    “Consumers can now watch their favourite shows on their favourite devices that they already use to watch video. Live television, including ESPN, for $20 per month with no commitment or contract, is a game changer,” said Sling TV CEO Roger Lynch. “The arrival of Sling TV lets consumers, who’ve embraced services like Netflix and Hulu, take more control of their video entertainment experience.”

    Supported internet-connected devices for Sling TV are expected to include Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire TV Stick, Google’s Nexus Player, select LG Smart TVs, Roku players, Roku TV models, select Samsung Smart TVs, Xbox One, iOS, Android, Mac and PC. Sling TV expects to announce its availability on additional streaming devices and smart TVs in the coming months.

    At launch, Sling TV is offering a core programming package with live and Video-On-Demand shows, sports, movies and online video, as well as two optional add-on packs. Customers will be able to pause, rewind and fast-forward most live channels and Video-On-Demand content. For certain channels, the service includes a 3-day replay feature that gives customers the ability to watch some shows that have aired in the past three days; no DVR is needed. Sling TV’s features are available across all supported platforms.

    Priced at US$ 20 per month, ‘The Best of Live TV’ core package includes 12 Nielsen-rated sports, lifestyle, family and news networks: ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, TBS, Food Network, HGTV, Travel Channel, Adult Swim, Cartoon Network, Disney Channel, ABC Family and CNN. This package additionally features an array of Video-On-Demand entertainment and the best of online video with unique content from Maker Studios, the global leader in online short-form video.

    Consumers can tailor their experience with add-on packs for access to additional programming, at US$ 5 per month. Sling TV will offer a ‘Kids Extra’ add-on with Disney Junior, Disney XD, Boomerang, Baby TV and Duck TV, and a ‘News & Info Extra’ add-on with HLN, Cooking Channel, DIY and Bloomberg TV. A ‘Sports Extra’ package is coming soon says the company. Sling TV expects to expand its core package, Video-On-Demand content, online video and add-on packs throughout 2015.
     
    Sling TV is an emerging over-the-top service that is independent from Sling Media’s line of Slingbox products and services. Sling Media is the leading provider of multi-screen TV solutions giving consumers the ability to access their live and recorded traditional pay-TV service anywhere in the world, on any connected device.
     

     

  • Wikipedia contributors to share ideas on Wikimedia projects in Kolkata next week

    Wikipedia contributors to share ideas on Wikimedia projects in Kolkata next week

    KOLKATA: More than 250 Wikipedia contributors from India and Bangladesh are expected to meet at an international conference ‘Bengali Wikipedia 10th Anniversary Celebration’ in Kolkata to share ideas about the projects run by Wikimedia.

    Scheduled to be held on 9 and 10 January, 2015 at the Jadavpur University campus, the two-day conference would mark the 10th anniversary of the Bengali Wikimedia community, said Wikimedia India chapter secretary Jayanta Nath.

    The conference is planned to increase content in languages such as Bengali, the official said.

    With a mission to bring free educational content at everyone’s fingertips, Wikimedia Foundation runs projects like Wikipedia, an open-source encyclopedia where anyone can contribute, edit and review an article.

    The conference is a get together of Indian Wikimedians, students, research scholars, faculty members and all individual experts.

    The conference will give the Wiki users, Wiki editors and developers of Wikimedia projects an opportunity to meet with each other, exchange ideas, report on researches and projects and collaborate for the future projects and ideas.

    The conference is open to the public and widens the chance for the educators, researchers, programmers and cultural activists who are interested in the Wikimedia projects to meet the Wikimedians.

    Available at www.bn.wikipedia.org, the Bengali edition of Wikipedia has more than 35,000 articles in the regional language. But out of its 450 active contributors, a dismal number of only five are from India, he added, sounding a note of caution that how regional languages are losing their popularity when it comes to reading habits.

    “The majority are from Bangladesh. We are trying to increase our community from West Bengal,” Nath said.

     Around 17 Wikipedia contributors are coming from Bangladesh while another 22 delegates would be from India, it is further learnt.

    They will be conducting workshops and lectures for students on how to type, edit in Bengali, upload image in commons, contribute to Bengali Wiktionary, etc.

    Contributors from Indian languages like Telugu, Assamese, Hindi, Kannada, Odiya, Punjabi, Tamil, etc would be deliberating upon new ideas in the conference.
     
    A unique feature would be mass editing where a large group will work on articles related to West Bengal together.

    “This would encourage people who are new to Wikipedia as contributors. They would write new articles, edit existing ones or upload media files on Wikimedia Commons, etc. We are expecting around 200-250 participants in this Wiki Marathon,” Nath concluded.

  • Brand Factory offers ‘Biggest Clearance Sale’ this New Year

    Brand Factory offers ‘Biggest Clearance Sale’ this New Year

    MUMBAI: New Year is here and it’s time to revamp your wardrobe. Dawn the new and stylish look as Brand Factory announces ‘Biggest Clearance Sale’ starting from 2 January to 2 February 2015. The discounts are available across Ladies, Men’s and Kids wear. The “Biggest Clearance Sale” offers the lowest prices on more than 100 brands spread across the entire collection.

     

    Now you can buy top brands at rock bottom prices as more than 100 brands are participating in this incredible sale. Brands like Lee Cooper, Bare Denim, Buffalo, Rangmanch, Shrishti, RIG, UMM, Pink & Blue and many more, are a part of this marvelous offer. You name it, Brand Factory has it all.

     

    New Year is all about new beginnings. So why not begin the glorious year with some Retail Therapy at Brand Factory. ‘Biggest Clearance Sale’ is happening at all Brand Factory stores across India in Ahmedabad, Thiruvananthapuram, Bangalore, Kolkata, Pune, Bhubaneswar, Chennai, Mumbai, Mangalore, Kanpur, Gwalior, Asansol and Hubli. Your favorite brand which you been eyeing for a while now and thought it might be just out of your league has just come closer. Brand Factory makes it possible for you to own it and flaunt it.

     

    The entire merchandise starts at an unbelievable price of Rs 99/-

     

    Speaking on the same, Roch D’souza, Marketing Head, Brand Factory says “We are India’s largest fashion discount destination and we offer discounts on all 365 days a year, on a host of national and international brands. Now, while the retailers are offering discounts, we indeed give our customers remarkable value based deals. With the ‘Biggest Clearance Sale’, we have offered our patrons hefty discounts and have topped it up with the sweetener of rock bottom prices on most of the top brands.”
    The New Year celebration is still on at Brand Factory. So what are you waiting for? Rush to the nearest Brand Factory store and avail awesome discount deals!

  • Spuul adds ‘Mardaani’

    Spuul adds ‘Mardaani’

    MUMABI: Spuul, the popular online streaming service for Indian cinema and television, is proud to have added ‘Mardaani’ on pay-per-view to their movie catalogue offered via subscription services.

     

    ‘Mardaani’ is the story of a cop, Shivani Shivaji Roy (Rani Mukerji), who confronts the mastermind behind a child trafficking mafia. The mafia kingpin makes the mistake of kidnapping and smuggling a teenage girl, Pyari, out of the city. What follows is a cat-and-mouse game between the fearless cop and the ruthless mafia don in a very personal war. Rani Mukerji plays an edge of the seatrole of a lifetime, in this raw and gritty film, which is a distinct departure from Pradeep Sarkar’s style of filmmaking.

     

    At a time when there’s rampant violence against women, this movie is a must-watch for everyone.

     

    Spuul users worldwide can watch this crime drama on all second screen devices including mobile, tablets, web, smart TVs, as well as stream to their TVs via Chromecast.

     

    Speaking on this development, Spuul Chief Content Officer Prakash Ramchandani said, “We are delighted to make the latest movies easily accessible for our users. The release of Mardaani this festive season reiterates our commitment to providing the best content to our subscribers.”

     

    “A digital distribution platform like Spuul provides us a window to connect with all YRF movie lovers and enables access of our film catalogue by allowing a real movie watching experience anytime and anywhere, as per our viewer’s convenience,” said Yash Raj Films Vice President – Digital Anand Gurnani.

     

    Spuul, standing by its promise of delivering diverse content to its users, has been adding new-age movies and TV show such as Ankhon Dekhi, Main Tera Hero, Queen, Gunday, Bigg Boss 8 hosted by Salman Khan, and many more. Spuul users can also access hassle-free entertainment at home or while travelling with free offline download. We are working behind the scenes to bring you the best in Indian entertainment so stay tuned for more!

     

  • Foiwe aims 40 per cent growth in revenue in next 2-3 years

    Foiwe aims 40 per cent growth in revenue in next 2-3 years

    KOLKATA: Foiwe, an information technology (IT) and ITES organisation providing services in the areas of outsourcing, consulting, technology, content moderation and social media management, aims to report at least 40 per cent growth in revenue in the next 2-3 years.

     “We have had a steady growth in the past and so in the next 2-3 years, we expect 40 per cent growth in terms of revenue if not more. We have some new contracts in the pipeline for 2015,” said Foiwe founder and managing director Suman Howlader.

     The primary focus area for the company is its enterprise content management and moderation services. Users across the globe are generating billions of kilobytes of content and are publishing over the internet in various forms such as text, images, videos, blog posts, reviews, feedback etc.

     “Sometimes users may generate bad content which can potentially impact the brand reputation. To safeguard brands online, it is important that these user generated contents on website, forums or blogs are appropriate and managed well. When user generated contents are controlled efficiently, one’s online presence becomes more credible amongst its users,” he added.

     “Currently we have a team of about 60 computer engineering graduates as employees and we are still hiring. The 100th recourse should be onboard by mid 2015,” he said.

     The team comprises experienced technologists and consultants working on complex business problems. “We help our clients to support more than 90 million end users across the globe,” informed Howlader.

     With its headquarter in Bangalore, Foiwe has its other two offices in Kolkata and Ahmedabad. Foiwe organises its services and people in these three primary cross-functional groupings.

     “We are in the process of having another branch office near Kolkata by end of 2015. We are also planning for our presence in USA and Europe by 2016,” he concluded.

     

  • Snapdeal enters into strategic tie-up with Hungama

    Snapdeal enters into strategic tie-up with Hungama

    MUMBAI: Hungama.com has entered into a strategic partnership with Snapdeal.com to offer digital entertainment content to its shoppers. The tie-up between the brands will begin with an offer wherein shoppers on Snapdeal’s mobile app will get access to Hungama’s premium PRO service free for a period of nine weeks.

     

    Hungama PRO, which is a paid premium subscription service, offers users HD quality music videos with the lyrics of songs, and can be accessed offline without any internet charges. It is also an ad-free app, which further makes for a hassle-free experience. The mobile app is available for download from the Google Play Store and the iOS App Store. Post the initial nine weeks, the service will later be made available to the users at a price of Rs 120 per month.

     

    Both have been focusing on expanding their leadership position by tapping into developing tier II markets. The recent update that brought transliteration features to Hungama’s android app, made it one of the first India apps to be available in five languages viz. English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Punjabi – an ideal service for Snapdeal’s user base that is spread across 5000 plus cities and towns in India.

     

    Snapdeal and Hungama are also working on creating more offerings for their users, which will see entertainment options bundled with shopping purchases and are likely to be rolled-out in stages over the next one year. According to a recent IAMAI report, that pegged India’s Internet population at 300 million by December 2014, entertainment and shopping were among the highest drivers of internet usage on mobile phones – a market that the companies aim to tap into jointly. 

     

    Speaking on partnering with Snapdeal, Hungama.com CEO Siddhartha Roy said, “With music and shopping being among the primary drivers of mobile internet consumption, our tie-up aims to offer users an enhanced value proposition. 2015 is likely to be a vital year for brands to out to middle Bharat, and tie-ups like this will help our brands to attract a larger share of the consumer’s mind space.”

     

    “We at Snapdeal are focusing hugely on making sure our customers get a great shopping experience on our app. The partnership with Hungama brings shopping and music together, both are a way of life for Indian consumers. We want to encourage the growing love of apps by providing customers with what they love most – high quality uninterrupted music and awesome deals on the go,” commented Snapdeal marketing SVP Sandeep Komaravelly.

  • LIV Sports bags exclusive rights for Australian Open 2015

    LIV Sports bags exclusive rights for Australian Open 2015

    MUMBAI: Multi Screen Media (MSM) has announced that LIV Sports, its digital sports entertainment destination – www.LIVSports.in – holds the mobile and internet broadcast rights of Australian Open 2015.

     

    LIV Sports will offer both live and video-on-demand content, with rich and informative statistics and analysis. The Australian Open is scheduled to be held between 19 January and 1 February 2015.

     

    The live coverage of the Australian Open will be available on LivSports.in on the web and mobile and the LivSports Mobile App for iOS and Android.

     

    Sony Entertainment Network executive VP and digital head Uday Sodhi commented, “We are extremely pleased to bring all the action from the Australian Open to Indian viewers. The content on LIV Sports is designed to cater to the ardent tennis fans as well as to engage other viewers with a highly immersive experience. Since our inception as the official mobile and internet broadcaster for the 2014 FIFA World CupTM Brazil, LIV Sports has been committed to keep every cross section of our consumers actively engaged through high-quality interactive sports content with informative data and analytics.”

     

    In addition to the Australian Open, LIV Sports also holds the web and mobile broadcasting rights to properties like Champions Tennis League, UEFA Euro 2016 Qualifiers, FIFA Club World Cup, NBA, TNA and domestic T20 cricket competitions like the Carribean Premier League and RamSlam T20 Challenge.    

  • Zenga strikes gold again; brings home two honours

    Zenga strikes gold again; brings home two honours

    NEW DELHI: Zenga Media has received awards for Best Mobile & Web TV and Best Engagement App “Sunny Leone” along with the Integrated Marketing at the 2nd Asian Customer Engagement Forum & Awards.

     The customer engagement forum, founded in 2012-13, is one of Asia’s largest communities of customer engagement and advocacy professionals, including the most innovative practitioners around.

    Zenga Media which is the exclusive digital rights holder of Sunny Leone in India, creating and managing Sunny Leone’s official mobile app has showcased its excellence by winning Best Engagement App.

     

    The thought behind Celebrity Fan Engagement App was based on the fact that people are used to handheld devices like smart phones and tablets for close interaction and direct engagement. This is a space Zenga Media decided to look closely at helping celebrities reach out to their fan keeping in mind a direct interaction and gratification to the followership that these celebrities have.

     Sunny Leone said, “I am excited to receive an award for the Best Engagement App at the 2ndAsian Customer Engagement Forum & Awards. The app provides an entire new way for me to communicate with my fans and give them a new and unique content experience! I am really thankful to ZengaTV and OneDigital team to have closely worked with me in creating something which is loved by my fans and helping me stay in touch with my fans. ”

    The award winning Sunny Leone application is available for all iOS, windows and android mobile and Tab users. Fans can download this free of cost from iTunes App Store for iPhone/ iPad and Google Play for android users and windows store for windows users.

    “While the idea was big, the challenge was to create a first of its kind app, bridging the gap between the celebrity and fans. This app offers opportunity for her fans to stay in touch with her through live interactions apart from new videos, images and wallpaper on Sunny Leone. The integrated approach adopted by our team for the web and mobile TV led to the great success of the Zenga App, while the team also works on building direct engagement with fans through her Facebook, YouTube channel and ZengaTV channel. It’s a great feeling to win an award particularly because it recognizes our innovative approach that the brand stands for in each area, be it in product development or marketing.  Kudos to the team for bringing this honour and setting an example in taking customer engagement to the next level” said ZengaTV & OneDigital Entertainment MD & CTO Shabir Momin.

     

  • Twitter reveals the most influential tweets for #YearOnTwitter 2014

    Twitter reveals the most influential tweets for #YearOnTwitter 2014

    MUMBAI: The year 2014 has undoubtedly belonged to social media and the digital platform. Right from the Pope to Presidents and celebrities, everyone has made a substantial impact through social media. The digital medium products such as selfies, retweets, posts on the most influential books thread, video bytes, challenges like the Ice Bucket and several other me too challenges, announcing breakups and marriages, open letters, celebrity fall outs and unisons with publications etc.; have ensured that the narrative is always chronicled on social media.

     

    As the social soundtrack to life in India, Twitter has revealed the four most influential Tweeple in India for its #YearOnTwitter 2014 campaign, namely Amitabh Bachchan (12M), Shah Rukh Khan (10.4M), Priyanka Chopra (8.05M) and Sachin Tendulkar (4.85M). The portfolios of two of these biggies – Amitabh Bachchan (@srbachchan) and Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) are handled by Fluence, a celebrity digital network that has made news throughout the year with its disruptive activities and signings.

     

    Starting 16 December 2014 till 31 December, the top five tweets that created maximum impact from this set of Indian Tweeples will be showcased under the Perspectives section on 2014.twitter.com, along with other global movers and shakers such as Lady Gaga, Robert Downey Jr. and Neymar Jr. These influencers were chosen for their reach in the country and the news they made during the year on Twitter. Sachin’s picture of him posing with his mother holding his autobiography for the first time, him receiving the Bharat Ratna, Amitabh Bachchan’s thank you message for fans wishing him on his birthday and him sweeping the streets for Swach Bharat Abhiyaan were amongst the most talked about Tweets in the year.

     

    Speaking about their influential clients, Ashish Joshi, VP Digital & Business Head Fluence says, “I would like to congratulate Mr Bachchan and Sachin, two prolific personalities who the people love and who have the power to influence the country with their statements. While it is an honour for Fluence to be associated with personalities of this calibre this association comes with the responsibility of constantly innovating and coming up with ideas that are true to their personalities and are also loved by their fans.  We hope continue to succeed in our efforts while handling these incredibly charismatic and influential people and set new benchmarks for ourselves in the years to come.”

     

    Rishi Jaitly, Market Director for Twitter India and South East Asia added, “No doubt that 2014 was a breakthrough year for Indians using Twitter to connect to their world and heroes such as Amitabh Bachchan and Sachin Tendulkar with 12 million and nearly 5 million followers, respectively. We’re honored to feature them on our global #YearOnTwitter site which showcases the best of the world’s Twitter celebrities and how they connect with their followers in a more personal, authentic way. We look forward to enabling many more millions of Indians to stay engaged with their favourite idols through our platform for live, public conversations on their mobile devices.”

     

    Established in 2013 by CA Media, Fluence has created waves in the nascent sector by signing on some of the biggest names in the industry such as Amitabh Bachchan, Salman Khan, Ranveer Singh, Sonu Nigam, Lata Mangeskhar, etc.