ITV

Category: Video On Demand

  • YOU On Demand ink VoD deal with Twentieth Century Fox in China

    YOU On Demand ink VoD deal with Twentieth Century Fox in China

    MUMBAI: YOU On Demand Holdings, a Video On Demand (VOD) service provider in China delivering Hollywood movies and premium content to mobile and TV screens, has entered into a licensing agreement with Twentieth Century Fox Television Distribution for the SVOD rights in China to a broad selection of library feature films.

     

    The titles will be available to subscribers of YOU On Demand’s Subscription VOD (SVOD) platform and service, via mobile, Over-the-Top (OTT), digital cable and IPTV.

     

    Some of the movies that will be available to YOU On Demand customers include recent worldwide box office hits and award winners such as: A-Team starring Bradley Cooper and Liam Neeson; Black Swan starring Academy Award winner, Natalie Portman; 10-time Academy Award nominated film, Master and Commander, starring Russell Crowe; Speed, starring Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves; Unstoppable, starring Denzel Washington and Chris Pine.

     

    “Twentieth Century Fox’s award-winning and blockbuster films demonstrate YOU On Demand’s continued commitment to deliver the best premium content to our customers. We are excited to be working with them in China as we bring their diverse library to all YOU On Demand platforms,” said YOU On Demand chairman Shane McMahon.

     

    Twentieth Century Fox Television Distribution executive vice president of worldwide pay TV & SVOD Gina Brogi added, “We are very pleased that this agreement with YOU On Demand will see many of our high quality feature films become accessible to viewers in China via the company’s breakthrough SVOD service.”

  • Idea is to get one star in the next three years from ‘The Dharavi Project’: Devraj Sanyal

    Idea is to get one star in the next three years from ‘The Dharavi Project’: Devraj Sanyal

    MUMBAI: Universal Music Group and multi channel network Qyuki recently launched the ‘Dharavi Project’ as part of their corporate social responsibility (CSR). With the initiative, the music group will fund the expansion of the project that was helmed by Qyuki.

     

    Speaking to Indiatelevision.com about the school, Universal Music Group India and South Asia managing director Devraj Sanyal says that the idea is to get at least one star out in the next three years who is able to cross international markets. “All the money that comes out of it will go back to the artiste while the administration fees will go back to the project. We will not retain a single rupee,” says Sanyal.

     

    He further added that the company, which has a strong global footprint on CSR, was very clear from day one to have a single initiative that would be large, impactful and actually effect change.

     

    The school currently is a 25 feet by 25 feet room but plans are afoot to upgrade it over the next 30 days. It will have 5-D cameras, Apple Mac machines, a recording facility and engineers to help the students set up and record. “It will be like a mini Berkley. We have spent close to two per cent of our net revenue on the project,” Sanyal informs.

     

    As of now, 35 to 40 children will avail facilities at the school and the target is to reach out to more than 300 children. On an average, some of these kids would earn a paltry sum of Rs 4000 a month by undertaking ‘Slumdog’ tours. Queried as to how the project will move ahead, Sanyal says, “This would not have been possible without two things – a deep intent and real money. When these two came together, the Dharavi Project was born.”

     

    As part of its tie up with Qyuki, content which is created by Universal in the South Asia region, will be available on the network. Outlining some trends in the music industry in India, Sanyal concludes by saying, “Digital clearly is the future. Bollywood continues to be a very strong player. Independent, regional and international music is also growing from current share because the population share is increasing.”

  • Ditto TV partners with portals to widen subscriber base

    Ditto TV partners with portals to widen subscriber base

    MUMBAI: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited’s (Zeel) OTT TV app Ditto TV has inked a tie up with the recharge portal Freecharge that allows users to recharge their services online. The service also offers added benefits on every transaction.

     

    Users who subscribe to Ditto TV through Freecharge.in (www.freecharge.in) get a discount of Rs 50 on the monthly subscription of Rs 150. All one has to do is enter his/her mobile number, recharge amount, select Ditto TV under the entertainment category and avail the offer.

     

    The OTT app also tied up with cashkaro.com (www.cashkaro.com), a portal that provides free and discounted coupons for various products on their catalogue. Users can avail of the Ditto TV quarterly subscription pack of Rs 399 at only Rs 199 using the promo code Ditto399.

     

    Speaking about the tie-ups, Ditto TV business head Manoj Padmanabhan said, “Our association with freecharge.in and cashkaro.com allows us to reach out a wider base of users and thus acquire more subscribers for the product.”

  • Video piracy continues to worry industry: Frost & Sullivan

    Video piracy continues to worry industry: Frost & Sullivan

    NEW DELHI: Discussions about piracy are abound and media companies are worried on how to stem it. Companies need to drive all their energies towards making a diverse portfolio of content and services available that can appeal to viewers in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).

     

    As per the findings of a White Paper on the ‘Trends in Broadcast and New Media Video in Middle East and North Africa’ by Frost & Sullivan, video consumption in the MENA region has increased in recent times as a result of content availability on alternative media besides television. With the availability of localised online content and targeted on-demand services for the diaspora on the rise, traditional broadcasters and service operators are exploring new avenues and services to retain the fickle modern viewer.

     

    Frost & Sullivan is the knowledge Partner for CABSAT 2015 slated from 10 – 12 March at the Dubai World Trade Centre. The White paper is an industry outlook covering key findings on market penetration, type of content, leading companies in the region, drivers and restraints, technology and market trends, business models and some case studies.

     

    Frost & Sullivan research director – digital media Vidya S Nath said, “The region offers rich potential with a few countries ranking among the highest digital television and high-speed internet penetration in the world.”

     

    Frost & Sullivan finds that satellite television will continue to dominate the region’s linear television services over the next three years. High Definition (HD) TV channels will continue to grow swiftly by at least over 25 per cent over the next three years, while content companies will likely start offering 4K video content over IPTV soon. With the region waiting for HEVC-compliant set-top boxes to increase support of next generation television services, international mega events including the FIFA World Cup in 2022 in Qatar will boost the penetration of Ultra High Definition Smart TVs to about 50 per cent of households in 2020.

     

    Correspondingly, there is an active growth in viewership trends for video over alternative platforms, social media and mobile networks – with Frost & Sullivan urging all broadcasters and service providers to prioritise the segment now. The proliferation of localised content across all genres for different diaspora – especially news and current affairs – continues on various portals, while all leading regional public and private broadcasters have launched dedicated social media presences through platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Linkedin to capture a younger demographic of viewers. For the next three years, there needs to be a focus on personalised viewing, acceleration of multiscreen services and multimedia advertising. Content producers and aggregators seek innovative solutions for compression, ad-insertion, video-on-demand, media asset management, and digital rights management that can help them centralise their multimedia operations and unify it with their linear television workflows.

     
    Many media networks and content companies struggle with the region’s bipolar and fragmented trends, across the region. While most of the GCC countries are highly mature in new media consumption, the rest of the region continues to experience fractured network speeds and stringent regulatory frameworks. Constant innovation in packaging content and advertising will help in achieving heightened video penetration.
     
    CABSAT show director Andrew Pert added, “As the leading platform for the broadcast, production, content delivery, digital media and satellite sectors across the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA), CABSAT is at the forefront of delivering dialogue between global media and entertainment organisations and their local counterparts on how best to drive innovation into their businesses and content offerings. With regional consumers’ video content consumption among the world’s highest per capita, the convergence of international broadcast, film, production, internet, telecom and consumer electronics sectors has resulted in strategic investment inroads and monetisation avenues being rife across the MENA market – CABSAT is the gateway to capitalising on regional opportunities.”

     

  • Star India’s hotstar.com to premier Star Guild Awards 2015

    Star India’s hotstar.com to premier Star Guild Awards 2015

    MUMBAI: In the US, Netflix, Hulu and Amazon have taken the lead by streaming original series like House of Cards, Transparent, Orange is the New Black, Arrested Development, The Hot Wives of Orlando to their subscribers.

     

    Indian over the top services (OTTs) like BigFlix, Spuul, BoxTV, Sony Liv, ErosNow, DittoTV have been serving as aggregation models to stream linear channels or programmes to subscribers simultaneously or after they have been aired on TV.

    Now stealing a march on them is the Star India promoted online streaming services hotstar.com. In a first for India, Indya Interactive Services (which runs hotstar.com) announced that it will be premiering the Star Guild Awards 2015 on the video on demand service on 17 January from 7 pm onwards. The awards will be aired on Star Plus a day later on 18 January.

     

    A source close to the development says that this is the next big step towards change in the way content will be delivered to viewers and consumed by them.

    The Star India network, however, is going easy on the promotion of the VoD premiere:  ads were released today in leading dailies, even as 92.7 Big FM and YouTube had promos and commercials airing.  “The platform is still in the testing stage,” revealed the source. “Hence, it is just seeding the service to potential subscribers.”

     

    But at first glance, the hotstar.com service seems interesting as it offers a vast programming catalogue on mobile and the web. With everything found under one roof, the platform has all the genres that the network dabbles in – from popular dailies to live sporting events.

     

    In all it has around 20,000 hours content spread across seven languages, which include 120+ full length TV shows, 500+ movies and live screening of popular sports like cricket, football, tennis and kabbadi.

     

    A media planner labelled the Star Guild Awards VoD premier an experiment. Said he: “I believe it is just an initiative to kick start hotstar.com.  It is just for their internal learning process as the platform is still in its beta version. The Star Guild Awards will allow them to try and test whether the platform can manage the traffic and whether it can deliver a good experience to viewers. It also allows them to correct any errors if they do crop up.”

     

    Media observers believe that premiering the awards show is not going to really ruin the telecast on Star Plus on 18 January in terms of viewership ratings. He said: “People like you and me know about it because we are in the space. But do the millions of people who watch television also know about the VoD premier?  However, as a test, an experiment I think it is good as it could attract some subscribers to try the hotstar.com service.”

     

    That would be music for the Star India management ears. Under the leadership of CEO Uday Shankar it has been making some pioneering moves and initiatives; hotstar.com is another one of them.  

  • Rajshri Entertainment launches Marathi food channel on digital platforms

    Rajshri Entertainment launches Marathi food channel on digital platforms

    MUMBAI: Rajshri Entertainment has launched the first Marathi food channel called Ruchkar Mejwani on digital video platforms. The channel is being launched on the occasion of Makar Sankranti. It brings authentic and delectable Maharashtrian and other Indian and international recipes to food lovers across the world – anytime, anywhere and on any device.

     

    The channel will launch with a show by chef Archana Arte, featuring a wide array of recipes, from ‘Gulpoli’ to ‘Cupcakes’ and from ‘Kolhapuri Tambada Rassa’ to ‘Pizza’. Arte is a food aficionado, with vast experience, having trained hundreds of food lovers in her cooking techniques. She brings her expertise to ‘Ruchkar Mejwani’ with her tried and tested recipes, with a unique Maharashtrian twist.

     

    “My viewers will definitely relate to my videos as my cooking style is very easy for young Maharashtrians to understand and the ingredients used are readily available across the world. I have put in my best effort to present some of our mothers’ much loved recipes as well as some world famous delicacies,” said Arte.

     

    Rajshri Entertainment managing director and CEO Rajjat A. Barjatya added, “My team and I are proud to present Ruchkar Mejwani, a high quality destination for Marathi language food videos. With tastes changing, a younger Maharashtrian audience across the world is demanding content in their language and recipes suited to their palate. We hope Ruchkar Mejwani will bridge this gap and become the #1 destination on YouTube and other digital video platforms for authentic Maharashtrian recipes and popular recipes from across the world.”

     

    It is the fifth food channel to the kitty after Rajshri Food, Get Curried, Swaad Anusaar and Indono Daidokoro (Japanese) and the second Marathi channel after Rajshri Marathi.

     

    Ruchkar Mejwani is available on all major digital platforms including YouTube, Dailymotion, Digivive and Vuclip. It will be updated regularly adding new recipes every week. New shows hosted by new chefs will also be seen in near future.

     

  • Vuclip to offer video-on-demand service to Indonesia

    Vuclip to offer video-on-demand service to Indonesia

    NEW DELHI: The mobile video on demand (VoD) service for emerging markets Vuclip has announced its strategic partnership with Indosat, one of the largest telecommunication networks and service providers in Indonesia with over 54 million subscribers.
     
    Indosat and Vuclip will provide premium mobile VoD service for an attractive market launch price of just 1000 Rupiah per day. This offer is alongside the affordable data plans that Indosat provides in the Indonesian market.
     
    The offering will showcase mobile content from partners such as MNC Group, Viva, Kompas TV, Kapanlagi, Malesbanget.com and Masak TV.
     
    Until recently, premium mobile content, such as music videos, reality television series and quality religious programmes, was only available through the television with limited access on mobile phones. With this new initiative, Vuclip’s Dynamic Adaptive Transcoding Technology will empower Indosat subscribers to watch unbuffered videos, optimized for network variability, across all mobile devices.
     
    “Vuclip’s approach to inspiring consumers to consume mobile video is in line with Indosat’s strategy to lead the market with differentiated quality offerings at affordable prices for subscribers. It’s Vuclip’s combination of a smooth viewing experience and compelling content riding on our best in class network rollouts that is really exciting,” Group head of data & VAS, Indosat Kevin Henry said. “This unique subscription approach is a very attractive one that should delight our customers. They can see that they are getting a fantastic value and this allows them to explore and discover interesting content with no limits imposed.”
     
    “We admire Indosat’s mission to deliver a superior experience to its mobile subscribers. We are happy to partner with Indosat to turn that mission into a reality by providing a high quality premium video on demand service to the consumers in Indonesia,” said Vuclip COO Arun Prakash. “A wide selection of premium local and global content, an amazing unbuffered viewing experience, convenience to watch any video any time at an affordable price point is what makes our service very popular amongst millions of paying subscribers In Southeast Asia. This partnership reiterates our strategic focus and commitment to millions of subscribers in the Indonesian market.”
     
    In addition to Indonesian consumers, Vuclip offers its highly popular premium video on demand services in UAE, Malaysia, India, Thailand and Egypt via partnerships with leading carriers in each of these countries.

     

  • #fame launches India’s first video fashion mag with KJo, Lakme ‘School of Style’

    #fame launches India’s first video fashion mag with KJo, Lakme ‘School of Style’

    MUMBAI: #fame, India’s leading talent led digital network, has pioneered another content coup by launching Lakmé ‘School of Style’. The show will not only give India its first ever video fashion magazine but, will also script film maker and fashion icon Karan Johar’s digital debut.

     

    Lakmé School of Style is a first of its kind show that will not only bring the newest trends and happenings from the fashion world but in the process will also create new age fashionistas and idols. Lakmé is a pioneer in beauty and fashion and through this association the brand will lend its expertise and industry knowledge to Lakmé School of Style. A fashion brigade led by Karan Johar himself will bring the fashion news, views and events from all over the world to the internet screen. The debut season of Lakmé School of Style will span over six months and content will be served through digital videos on a daily basis. The channel will be hosted across the #fame network which is available on all leading digital and social platforms including YouTube (youtube.com/fameschoolofstyle), facebook (facebook.com/famesos), Dailymotion, WeChat, and leading content publishers.

     

    Speaking on the occasion of opening the lines for entry, Saket Saurabh, CEO, #fame said, “At #fame, we are committed to discovering and promoting the best emerging talent on the digital video platform. ‘Lakmé School of Style’ will achieve this objective, by giving talented fashionistas a once-in-a lifetime opportunity to shape the dialogue on style and trends. As India’s first fashion video magazine, ‘Lakmé School of Style’ will be the definitive destination for fashion in the country.”

     

    Speaking on this association Shashwat Sharma, Head, Lakme and Beauty shared, “Lakmé epitomizes beauty and fashion.  Digital is increasingly becoming the first port of call for the youth to discover and decode the latest trends. Therefore, we believe that School of Style provides us with the right platform to actively engage with this audience. Inspired by backstage fashion, Indian beauty expert Lakmé continuously innovates to offer a wide range of high performance and world class color cosmetics, skincare products, and beauty salons.

     

    Interested and active fashion vloggers can send their entries to karanjohar@livfame.com or log on to www.livfame.com/schoolofstyle. Karan Johar, excited to make his digital debut with Lakmé School of Style said, “Iam excited about the power of digital and the new wave of promising young talent that’s coming to the fore through it. #fame’s unique initiative, Lakme School of Style, is the perfect opportunity for us to discover top fashion talent and I look forward to making my digital debut with this show.”

     

  • Is Star’s VoD ‘hot’ enough?

    Is Star’s VoD ‘hot’ enough?

    MUMBAI: “At Star, we have always focused on dramatically enhancing the overall consumer experience. Smart technology, combined with powerful content, can be disruptive…,” had said Star India CEO Uday Shankar when the network launched its online sports platform starsports.com.

     

    Two years have passed since then and keeping up with the changing times, the giant network is back with a new platform. Christened hotStar, the video on demand (VoD) portal, currently running in beta version, will change the way people view content on television or digitally.

     

    With everything found under one roof, the platform has all the genres the network dabbles in. From popular dailies to live sporting events, a click will please many.

     

    The network labels the platforms as the “most compelling catalogue ever offered over-the-top on mobile and the web, making it the most the most complete video destination for consumers.”

     

    With around 20,000 hours content spread across seven languages, which includes 120+ full length TV shows, 500+ movies and live screening of popular sports like cricket, football, tennis and kabbadi, hotStar caters to a very large and diverse audience.

     

    Available across devices, the VoD is not the first such platform launched by a television network in the country; Ditto TV was launched by Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL) in 2012. There are many other such platforms like Biscoot and Zenga also available today.

     

    Believes Shotformats Digital Productions CEO and managing director Niyati Shah that though the platform looks nice but the concept of launching the same isn’t clear. “On television there is appointment viewing and in the digital world it is all about snacking. And with only Star content available on the platform, I don’t know what will be the scalability.”

     

    The free to view platform has a simple and easy user interface. However, what stands out is the logo which though is a star but is quite different from that of the networks logo. The tilted star has bright neon green and yellow colours. Its name is another feature that stands out.

     

    “It does sound like a talent show,” says FCB Ulka Digital creative head Sudarshan Sudevan but quickly adds, “But for a site of this sort, it’s not the name that’s critical, it’s the content. And the users will get a hang of it in due course of time.”

     

    Sudevan is excited that Star India is finally into video on demand. “With a good mix of TV shows, movies and sports … I am sure the video friendly population of today is going to have a treat. The network’s idea to enter the space that has been dominated by international players like Netflix and Amazon will be of a pleasure for fans here,” he adds.

     

    Agrees L&K Saatchi & Saatchi India CEO and managing partner Anil Nair that today people want to view content on the move.

     

    However, Shah isn’t convinced. “If I’m a Star TV viewer and miss something, maybe then I would come on the portal. Otherwise I have doubts who would log on,” she states while emphasisng on the fact that through the networks’ strength, the platform might get marketed well but the future will tell the true story.

     

    Nair too points out that today when there are aggregators like Youtube and Apple TV, the lack of genres available on Star’s new platform might become a hurdle. “Hopefully, in the future, the app will add more genres to its bouquet otherwise this can become a reservation for a viewer.”

     

    Highlighting that digitisation will change the mediums in the country, the experts are optimist that with many leaps to take, service providers have a lot to offer.

     

    The network has already started the ground work and a click on any of its current websites (apart from StarSports.com) directly takes the viewer to the new platform. The soft launch has successfully been able to create the buzz and now one just has to wait for the big band launch.

  • 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.