ITV

Category: Video On Demand

  • 100 mn hrs of YouTube viewed on TV: Google CEO Sundar Pichai

    100 mn hrs of YouTube viewed on TV: Google CEO Sundar Pichai

    MUMBAI: In the era where consumption is increasing on mobile devices, YouTube is all set to create a new record. In the third quarter earnings call, Google’s parent company Alphabet announced that Youtube’s viewership within living rooms on TV sets is up to 100 million hours per day, with a 70 per cent increase over the previous year. Alphabet also mentioned how YouTube is a major revenue builder for it.

    Google CEO Sundar Pichai talked about the growth and future perspective of YouTube. He said, “Youtube continues to see phenomenal growth” with over 1.5 billion users globally.

    Pichai said that an average user spends 60 minutes at least a day on YouTube on mobile devices. YouTube isn’t just restricted to desktops and smartphones but has also extended to the TV either via the interne ot through devices like set-top boxes or gaming consoles.

    YouTube had previously said that majority of its viewing takes place on mobile devices. Earlier this year, YouTube said people were watching a billion hours of its videos per day. According to the facts and figures issued on July 2017 in Fortunelords, the total number of people who use YouTube is 1.3 billion. In an average month, 8 out of 10 18-49 year-olds watch YouTube. By 2025, half of the viewers under 32 will not subscribe to a pay-TV service. 6 out of 10 people prefer online video platforms to live TV. The total number of hours of video watched on YouTube each month is 3.25 billion.

    Pichai also announced the future plans for YouTube with the company focusing on increasing its subscription-based monetised models. YouTube Red, the company’s first subscription service, would release over 40 original shows through the service this year.

    Stats for YouTube TV which broadcasts live from over 40 networks was also mentioned. YouTube TV now covers two-thirds of US households and is available in 50 metro areas.

    Seems like the remote controlled device has finally made sense to the digital-loving audience.

    Also Read:

    YouTube watch time grew 400% y-o-y, 80% on mobile

    Regional news’ online viewership is billion-plus every month: Vidooly

    Google takes down 1.7 bn. ads for violating policies

  • Hotstar to exclusively live-stream Paytm Ranji Trophy

    Hotstar to exclusively live-stream Paytm Ranji Trophy

    MUMBAI: Underscoring its position as the home of cricket, Hotstar, a video streaming platform, is the exclusive partner for the Paytm Ranji Trophy 2017-18. The Paytm Ranji Trophy, now in its 84th season, kicked off on October 6th with the group stage matches.

    This season of the Trophy is especially exciting as it will see a long list of Indian cricket stars in action – Ravichandran Ashwin, Cheteshwar Pujara, Murali Vijay, Ishant Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, to name a few.

    A Hotstar spokesperson said, “Hotstar has made large strides in providing a breakthrough sports viewing experience with innovations like the Fangraph and Key Moments. While the viewing devices could be individual, these innovations provide a more social and connected sports viewing experience, which raises the bar for a sports enthusiast. We are very excited to be the exclusive home of the Paytm Ranji Trophy this year.”

    “The Ranji Trophy has an illustrious and long history in India, and this season should be especially exciting considering the number of India’s international players that are going to be turning out for their teams. Given Hotstar’s cricket viewing experience, we are very excited to partner with them for this season of the Paytm Ranji Trophy,” added a BCCI spokesperson.

    The tournament, played between 28 teams from across India, moves into quarter finals on 7 December, with the final matches slated between 29 December 2017 and 2 January 2018.

    The tournament will be available, live, exclusively on Hotstar starting from the qualifier matches.

  • Netflix’s international streaming boosts rev in Q3, op income almost doubles

    Netflix’s international streaming boosts rev in Q3, op income almost doubles

    BENGALURU: Global internet entertainment company Netflix, Inc., (Netflix) reported 30.3 per cent year-over-year (y-o-y) increase in consolidated operating revenues for the quarter ended 30 September 2017 (Q3-17, current quarter) as compared to the consolidated revenue for the corresponding year-ago quarter. Consolidated revenue increased y-o-y to $2,984.86 million from $2,290.19 million.

    Global streaming revenue in Q3-17 increased 33.2 per cent y-o-y to $2,874.65 million from $2,351.13 million driven by a 24 per cent increase in average paid memberships and 7 per cent growth in ASP. Netflix’s international streaming revenue increased 55.5 per cent y-o-y to $1,327.44 million from $853.48 million. Domestic streaming revenue increased 18.6 per cent y-o-y to $1,547.21 million from $1,304.33 million. Domestic DVD sales and rental business (DVD business), the company’s initial business model when it started, has been declining. DVD business revenue declined 16.7 per cent y-o-y to $110.21 million from $132.28 million.

    Netflix’s operating income almost doubled y-o-y in the current quarter (up 96.8 per cent) to $208.63 million from $106.04 million. Net income more than doubled (up 2.51 times) y-o-y to $129.59 million from $51.52 million. Contribution profit from total streaming increased 51.6 per cent y-o-y to $616.26 million from $406.60 million. Domestic streaming contribution profit increased 16.6 per cent y-o-y to $553.91 million from $475.18 million. International streaming contribution profit was a positive $91.91 million as compared to a loss of $68.58 million in the corresponding year-ago quarter. DVD Business contribution profit declined 8.1 per cent y-o-y to $63.13 million from $68.70 million.

    Netflix says that it added a Q3-record 5.3 million memberships globally (up 49 per cent year-over-year) as it continued to benefit from strong appetite for its original series and films, as well as the adoption of internet entertainment across the world.

    The company says that it has been focused on growing global operating margin as a primary profitability metric since hitting its 2020 US contribution margin goal of 40 per cent this past Q1. This allows it to avoid near term optimization for specific domestic or international contribution margin targets which could impede its long term growth. For instance, Netflix anticipates its Q4-17 US contribution margin will be 34.4 per cent (a decline both year-on-year and sequentially) as it boosts its marketing investment against a growing content slate. It says it spends disproportionately in the US to generate media and influencer awareness for its programming which it believes, in turn, is an effective way to facilitate word of mouth globally. In its international segment, Netflix says that it is on track to generate positive contribution profit for the full year. As it moves into 2018, the company aims to achieve steady improvement in international profitability and a growing operating margin as its success in many large markets help fund investments throughout Asia and the rest of the world.

    This quarter, Netflix says it has launched several new series such as the gritty drama Ozark and comedy Friends from College by Nick Stoller as well as Marvel’s The Defenders and returning seasons of fan favorites like Narcos and Fuller House. The company says that it is also making good strides on original films (as measured by member viewing relative to our investment) with the debut of Death Note (based on the popular Japanese IP), Naked (a romantic comedy featuring Marlon Wayans) and To the Bone (an intense drama starring Lily Collins).

    Among other new offerings, Netflix says that it is releasing the second Netflix original series from David Fincher (Mindhunter), new seasons of its globally acclaimed franchises Stranger Things and The Crown, its first Italian and German original shows ( Suburra and Dark) and its most ambitious film yet, Bright, starring Will Smith and directed by David Ayer.

  • Netflix: Kashyap, Motwane to direct parallel ‘Sacred Games’, targeting 5-6 originals in a year

    Netflix: Kashyap, Motwane to direct parallel ‘Sacred Games’, targeting 5-6 originals in a year

    MUMBAI: Renowned filmmakers Vikramaditya Motwane and Anurag Kashyap have been commissioned to work on two parallel stories in Netflix’s maiden India-set original series ‘Sacred Games’ based on Vikram Chandra’s best-selling novel.

    The series, to be produced in partnership with Phantom Films, will be available to Netflix’ over 100 million subscribers in over 190 countries. Netflix plans to gradually increase Indian originals following its recent announcements of three projects. Netflix said it was targeting “at least five to six Indian originals a year.” Netflix’s other planned Indian originals are — Again and Selection Day.

    Competitor Amazon Prime announced 18 homegrown originals when the service launched in December, which are at various stages of production. It already premiered its first original — “Inside Edge.”

    About ‘Sacred Games,’ a Netflix executive said: “This is an ambitious storytelling. We have two directors following two different decades of what’s happening in the Mumbai crime underworld.”

    At Jio MAMI, Netflix VP – international original series Erik Barmack said that the series, shot on real locations in Mumbai, will delve into the city’s intricate web of organised crime, politics, corruption, and espionage.

    At the festival, a few images from the series were unveiled featuring actors Saif Ali Khan and Nawazuddin Siddique. The show sees Khan playing the role of cop Sartaj Singh, while Siddiqui portrays gangster Ganesh Gaitonde. Barmack said that the storytelling format was quite amazing and hoped the show made a mark globally.

    Vikramaditya and Anurag will follow two characters. One is on the Gaitonde storyline, the other on Sartaj. They, of course, collide (eventually).

    If one thought of the conventional storytelling and where TV was 15 years ago, the idea that you could do these things in different time periods with anti-hero and complex characters was quite amazing, he said.

    Netflix would, Barmack said, like to see more Indian talent working on its US productions, as The Lunchbox’ Ritesh Batra lead its original film “Our Souls at Night.” Netflix also plans to introduce Indian actors in its US productions, such as Sense8 featured Tina Desai in a major role.

  • LoveBytes 2: SonyLiv’s Sodhi says prime focus is youth issues; international Aus matches after Diwali

    LoveBytes 2: SonyLiv’s Sodhi says prime focus is youth issues; international Aus matches after Diwali

    MUMBAI: What happens when love revisits your door and you decide whether to let it in or not. This is today’s basic situation which youth is facing, according to SonyLiv team.

    Addressing this confusing state of mind that most of us go through, SonyLiv takes on the concept of love, break-ups, unrequited love and the repercussions of the ‘second chances’ with the second season of its signature web series LoveBytes, with LuvIt.

    The new season got under way on 11 October 2017.

    SonyLiv EVP and digital business head Uday Sodhi said, “Season first was a great success in terms of gaining audience. We wanted to create a new audience for OTT. And now, we have audience who would come to us to watch our originals. LoveBytes season 2 is an expensive series with six television actors in it, and the production cost per episode is more than the cost of a television episode. The shooting of LoveBytes season 2 has been done on locations in Mumbai, Lonavala and Madh Island.”

    LoveBytes season 2 came after two years of season 1, which released in September 2015. Sodhi said, “In the last two years, we have experimented with 40 originals on our platform. Besides our sports, movies and shows offerings, originals became a new category for us which brings in a lot of digital natives who live and breathe digitally. Hence, it has created a bigger buzz for us. Therefore, we are creating more shows based on issues related to urban audience, related to youth and issues which common people face in their day to day life.”

    SonyLiv team says, “LoveBytes Season 1 beautifully encapsulates the nitty-gritties of relationships and sheds light on the things that are necessary for an urban relationship to sustain itself. The first season took us through the clicks and clashes between Ananya (Sukhmani Sadana) and Abhishek (Kushal Punjabi), a new-age couple.”

    “The first season ended on a bitter note with the lead couple Ananya and Abhishek ending their relationship. After the success of season 1, the second season takes on from there and revolves around how the two of them are dealing with their lives after choosing their individual paths. This season also introduces characters like Gunjan (Shweta Gulati), Varun (Manish Goel), Soniya (Manasi Scott) and Vikram (Ayaz Khan) who impact the relationship of Ananya and Abhishek in their own ways. The series underlines the journey of these characters, all while discovering the true meaning of love.”

    About BARC India entry into digital measurement, Sodhi said, “When there is an industry standard on the point of measurement, it helps industry to grow. We are excited about it. OTT measurement will become easier and transparent, so we are participating in the process and giving all information to BARC.”

    After Diwali, Sodhi said, SonyLiv will be streaming all men’s international matches played in Australia, beginning with the Ashes Series in November 2017 played between England and Australia.

  • Hoichoi launches ‘Paranoia’ thriller series

    Hoichoi launches ‘Paranoia’ thriller series

    MUMBAI: Paranoia, a compilation of short-format thrillers, is now live on Hoichoi, a digital Bengali entertainment content platform. At present, six original web series and shorts: – Hello, Cartoon, Dupur Thakurpo, Holy Faak, Lift and Shoshibhushon are streaming on Hoichoi.

    Paranoia is a collection of different short stories under Hoichoi Originals that deals with various psychological disorders and treats them accordingly.

    Hoichoi, recently launched by SVF, an entertainment company, has a large collection of content in Bengali, including 500 plus movies, 10 original web series and shorts. 1000+ songs to be added soon in the app.

    Even though each story in the series has a different tale to tell, Paranoia remains the connecting theme. Currently, two stories, Lift and Shoshibhushon, are live on Hoichoi in the Paranoia series.

    Lift: Lift is about a renowned journalist called Nandita, who has recently moved to her new apartment on the 25th floor of a city high-rise. Newly built and almost unoccupied, Nandita feels uneasy about staying there. Wracked by paranoia, Nandita feels unsafe, with the liftman Kartik staring at her, his gaze unblinking, every time she uses the Lift.

    Her dislike of him intensifies when the elevator gets stuck one night between two floors and the light goes out with Nandita and Kartik inside.

    Will Nandita’s paranoia about Kartik be justified?

    The second story Shoshibhushon revolves around a disciplined man Shoshi Babu. His life falls apart one day when everything goes out of control for him and things do not work according to his plan. Renowned director Kamaleshwar Mukherjee has donned the hat of an actor here playing the protagonist.

  • SonyLIV brings English non-fiction content on unique homes

    SonyLIV brings English non-fiction content on unique homes

    MUMBAI: SonyLIV and Jossbox have co-produced a web-series called ‘House Proud.’ The story will showcase beautiful makeovers of personal spaces.

    The title of six-story series is sponsored by Asian Paints, co-powered by Whirlpool and Curo Carte. The series carries a spatial transformation that helps the owners to realize the beauty of their own homes.

    SonyLIV EVP and digital business head Uday Sodhi said, “House Proud aims to bring out the intricate relationship that people have with their favourite spaces at home and give budding designers a platform to metamorphose these spaces into beautiful, aesthetic, functional and comfortable corners. The concept integrates well with SonyLIV’s goal to be the primary provider of innovative, never-seen-before content in India.”

    “Being the first English non-fiction content to be featured on SonyLIV, we are extremely confident of the series’ success and its ability to strike a chord with audiences who desire to witness a transformative journey that begins with a vision and ends with its realization,” he added.

    The show will feature homeowners from six different cities in India, each with their unique stories and vision which they want to be reflected in their personal spaces they provide. In this task, they will be assisted by a talented designer and an interior decorator to help them pick and choose the right mix of furniture and fittings.

    Jossbox co-founder Omer Basith said, “Everybody has certain dreams regarding how they want the living spaces of their homes to look and feel like. With House Proud, we are giving six participants the chance to live through this process of transformation and the audiences an opportunity to watch this beautiful journey. We are thrilled to partner with SonyLIV, which has never before featured an English non-fiction content, as our first collaboration with an OTT platform, making this journey of firsts a special one.”

    This six-episodic series of time duration 8-12 minute will feature young talented designers who will reveal a certain method to the madness with their unique aesthetic sense and chaotic work styles to transform the spaces of six homes for the first time.

    From a bachelor transforming his duplex to an old couple trying to settle into a retired life by redoing their study, House Proud, is about the different circumstances of its participants and the process of rediscovery that they go through by reimagining their familiar spaces.

  • Govt’s animated video message on child abuse to be shown in theatres, online plaints encouraged

    Govt’s animated video message on child abuse to be shown in theatres, online plaints encouraged

    NEW DELHI: Over a decade after a government report declared that every fifth child is subject to child abuse in his or her own home, an anti-child abuse documentary is planned to be made mandatory for all movie theatres across the country to spread the message of “Acting against child abuse.”

    Urging viewers to ‘Say no to child sexual abuse’, the idea of the film came after an assessment of anti-tobacco films screened in movie theatres and television. The short 30-second animation video will be screened not only at the start of the film, but also during intervals so that viewers do not miss the message.

    The short has been made by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), which is an official body under the ministry for women and child development. It is aimed at encouraging people to report such incidents.

    The NCPCR claims that no fee will be charged by the theatres for screening the video, which is in Hindi and English, and features the minister for women and child development Maneka Gandhi.

    Initially, this short will be screened in 11 theatres in the capital but will later be extended in all theatres in the country.

    A victim or someone known to the victim can report the matter by just writing ‘Please help’. It is mandatory to provide a mobile number so that the complainant can be contacted. It is not necessary to narrate the incident on the digital platform.

    According to National Crime Record Bureau, 94,172 cases were reported in 2016 across the country.

    Apart from conveying the message, the POCSO e-box facility will be promoted to encourage people to register online complaints. This is an online complaint management system for easy and direct reporting of sexual offences against children and timely action against offenders under the POCSO Act, 2012.

    While launching the e-box in 2016, Gandhi had said the idea came out of a police initiative in which complaint boxes were placed in schools. ‘A large number of abuse incidents are against close relatives and so they get pushed under the carpet,’ she had said.

    According to a study, sources in NCPCR said, about 53 per cent of children surveyed reported having faced some form of sexual abuse. In most cases, the offender is a family member/ near relative or an acquaintance.

    “Victims in such cases do not generally report the offences. Sexual abuse scars the psyche of the affected child for life. A child who is sexually abused has to face serious consequences such as cognitive impairment, violent and risky behaviour, including depression and anxiety,” the study notes.

    “Feeling shameful and guilty with poor interpersonal relationship and self-esteem are other consequences of sexually abused children,” the study observes.

  • Snapdeal users can now enjoy SonyLiv content, says Uday Sodhi

    Snapdeal users can now enjoy SonyLiv content, says Uday Sodhi

    MUMBAI: Snapdeal has announced that it has entered into a strategic partnership with SonyLIV to offer a host of benefits to its users in the upcoming festive sale. To begin with, all Snapdeal users will get a free 3-month subscription to SonyLIV; the digital platform of Sony Pictures Networks India.The free subscription will also be available to holders of the Snapdeal HDFC bank credit card. Apart from this, Snapdeal has also entered into a distribution partnership with SonyLIV, where Snapdeal would be promoting the SonyLIV platform.

    Snapdeal chief business officer Vishal Chadha said, “We are pleased to partner with an innovator like SonyLIV to bring hours of premium entertainment content to our customers, on demand and free of cost. At Snapdeal, we believe in always pushing the envelope on what “consumption” means to our users. As with every passing day, India consumes more and more content digitally, this is a step in meeting our consumers where they are.”

    Sony Pictures EVP and head – digital business Uday Sodhi said, “At SonyLIV, our objective is to provide engaging, high-quality entertainment to Indian audiences in a single click. Our partnership with Snapdeal is an exemplification of this vision. This collaboration is a huge value-add to Snapdeal users, who can now enjoy some of the choicest content available on SonyLIV besides fulfilling their shopping needs.”

  • Voot brings BBC’s famed non-scripted original about social media madness today

    Voot brings BBC’s famed non-scripted original about social media madness today

    MUMBAI: Scaling a treacherous mountain pass, battling wildlife and river rapids in the forests and beating the gruelling desert sun – Can you survive and stay alive in these harsh, uninhabited terrains with the help of just a Smartphone and a data strong network?

    Viacom 18’s video-on-demand streaming service Voot is all set to answer this question with the launch of India’s first-ever ‘Digital Survival Series’ and its newest original – Vodafone presents “Stupid Man Smart Phone” powered by Motorola.

    Produced by BBC Worldwide Productions and hosted by the acclaimed actor and digital star Sumeet Vyas, the show will introduce the audience to a never seen before format in the history of Indian entertainment where a smart phone and a super network is the only means of survival.

    This unique and engaging show is all set to premiere exclusively on 20 September on Voot .

    Viacom18 Digital Ventures’ COO Gaurav Gandhi said: “Voot continues to take the leadership mantle on innovation with many pioneering initiatives across both content and technology. The latest Voot original, a category first, is one such initiative, that will offer a completely differentiated and engaging experience to our audience.”

    Voot head of content Monika Shergill said “For the first time, an internationally recognised non-scripted format of this scale is being produced as a streaming original series. The show is unique with today’s social media madness at the heart of it. It’s the only show where followers of Sumeet and his partners participate and aid in their survival choices. This unique concept with its social engagement potential, grandeur and edgy humour is sure to provide an immersive entertainment experience to all.”

    A winner of the ‘Best Multi-Platform Format’ at the 2017 International Format Awards in Cannes earlier, this Indian adaptation of the BBC Worldwide format features Vyas and a celebrity guest travelling across three unforgiving terrains, trying to complete the mission at hand while being aided by their smartphones and their legions of social media followers.

    BBC Worldwide SVP and GM – south-east Asia and south Asia Myleeta Aga said: “India is the first country in Asia that will air the Indian version of this BBC format and we will be producing it for our long-standing partners at Viacom.”

    Vodafone EVP – marketing Siddharth Banerjee said,“Vodafone is happy to partner with content that is new-age and digital. It’s is a show with connectivity at the heart of the storytelling. The format enables the protagonists to #MakeMostOfNow with the Vodafone Data Strong Network™ and navigate challenges as they traverse diverse geographies across India in the Voot show.”

    Motorola India head of marketing Rachna Lather said, “The viewers will see how much fun Sumeet and his friends have using the Moto Z2 play with Moto mods while performing the tough challenges”.

    Along with their inimitable personality, each celebrity guest also brings to the show their extensive social media fan base which coupled with Vyas’s massive internet following makes for relevant and often crucial interactions through all the episodes.

    In the lush rainforests of South India, Vyas teams up with the vibrant Evelyn Sharma while the harsh Rajasthan desert sun beats down upon YouTube funny man Sahil Khattar and TV hearthrob Karan Kundra keeps Sumeet company in the untouched mountains of Arunachal Pradesh.