Category: Press Release

  • BBC News Gujarati now live on Jio TV

    BBC News Gujarati now live on Jio TV

    New Delhi: BBC News Gujarati has launched its first around-the-clock digital stream in partnership with the Reliance Jio TV app.

    Through this partnership, the news channel plans to deliver world-class journalism with factual reporting, in-depth analysis of current affairs, business, entertainment, trending topics from India and around the world. It will also offer Gujarati-speaking audiences in India to get continuous innovative content from one of the first international broadcasters on the 4G mobile network.

    “We are delighted to continue building BBC presence on the Jio platform with this exciting new digital offer from our Gujarati service.  We look forward to reaching new audiences and continuing to innovate together with Jio to provide new services,” said BBC World Service director of business development Simon Kendall.

    According to GAM 2020, BBC News Gujarati service reaches 3.7 million audiences through its online services and on television. 

  • Q India hits goal of 100 Million TV homes

    Q India hits goal of 100 Million TV homes

    MUMBAI: QYOU Media Inc., (TSXV: QYOU; OTCQB: QYOUF) has announced that The Q India, the company’s Hindi language youth oriented channel available in and on over 700 million homes and devices in India, has reached its 2021 goal of distribution to 100 Million TV Households as a result of launching on both DD Free Dish & Dish TV in April. The Q India has now gone live to 50 million additional TV homes in the month of April placing it in a position to challenge leading youth oriented channels and brands in the country that previously had significantly higher numbers of homes reached. The company issued a press release on 1 March 2021 in connection with the new DD Free Dish (Channel 34) agreement. The new distribution relationship with DISH TV (Channel 128) has not been previously disclosed.

    QYOU Media India co-founder & general manager Sunder Aaron said, “2021 continues to be a year where The Q India is accelerating the depth and breadth of our foundation for becoming a mainstream brand and media company in India.  We have stated our goal of being a leading youth brand in India and distribution agreements like these are a key to making that happen. In addition, these are critically important building blocks as we pursue growing ratings and the ensuing revenue that will occur”.

    The Q India is an advertiser and influencer marketing supported Hindi language content brand, channel and VOD provider delivering hit digital programming from social media stars and leading digital video creators targeting Young Indian audiences.  The channel has recently become one of India’s fastest growing youth entertainment brands reaching 4.4 Gross Rating Points (GRP) on BARC (Broadcast Audience Research Council) in February 2021. With a growing library of over 850 programs, and beginning in April with the addition of DD Free Dish, the channel will reach an audience of over 712 million via 100 million television homes with partners including DD Free Dish, TATA Sky, DISH TV and SitiNetworks; 380 million OTT users via platforms including ShemarooMe, MX Player, ZEE5, and Dish Watcho; and 232 million users on mobile and digital platforms including Snap, JioTV, Airtel Xstream, Amazon Fire TV, Chingari and Samsung TV Plus.

  • MN+ brings alive the magic of Oscars with ‘Academy Club’

    MN+ brings alive the magic of Oscars with ‘Academy Club’

    MUMBAI: The season of appreciating good cinema is here! MN+  has announced Academy Club, an Oscar Special property. Every Monday to Thursday at 9 pm, Academy Club, a curated month long property will offer discerning viewers and cinema connoisseurs a stellar line-up of Oscar winning titles.

    Ahead of the 93 Academy Awards, MN+ ushers in the celebration and recreates the Oscar magic with a series of handpicked movies that defined cinema and displayed the sheer quality of the direction, writing, cinematography and performances. Making this an exclusive and memorable experience, Academy Club will feature curated 16 Oscar-winning titles including Hannah And Her Sisters, Dead Man Walking, Django Unchained, Call Me By Your Name, Midnight Cowboy, Irma La Douce, Some Like It Hot, Capote, West Side Story, Rain Man, Raging Bull and many more.

    With Academy Club, MN+ is ready to indulge viewers in a gold class cinematic experience with some of the universally celebrated movies.

    Do not forget to tune-in to Academy Club on MN+ from Mon-Thu at 9:00 PM.

  • Sportskeeda becomes the 2nd Largest Sports Website in India – Source: Comscore

    Sportskeeda becomes the 2nd Largest Sports Website in India – Source: Comscore

    Sportskeeda, one of India’s top online sports platforms, recently announced that it has claimed the No. 2 spot on the Comscore sports website rankings in India. The milestone is particularly significant given its timing, coming as it does amid the plethora of problems being faced by the media industry.

    Digital sports media saw a sharp decrease in consumption early last year, due to the cancellation of several major sports events across the globe. But Sportskeeda still managed to multiply its audience and establish new records and is now second only to Cricbuzz in India.

    Sportskeeda registered its largest-ever readership numbers during IPL 2020. The website saw 102 million unique users and 1.8 billion ad impressions between 19 September 2020 and 10 November 2020.

    During 2020 Sportskeeda also became the No. 1 esports news publisher in the country, having expanded its coverage into several different segments. In addition, the company has seen considerable success with its new video formats; series like SK Live, SK Tales, Freehit, and Rubaru as well as other snackable, short-form sports videos have garnered plenty of positive response from users.

    Speaking about the landmark moment, Porush Jain, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Sportskeeda said:

    “Sportskeeda has had humble beginnings, and it is overwhelming to see that today we stand second in the Comscore rankings for sports websites in India. It's a tough business and a tough market, but sports fans have given their verdict. Credit goes to the strong team of content creators and managers that have been with us for over a decade now! The team is more driven than ever, and this new milestone will only serve as another source of motivation. We will continue to focus all our energies on serving the most entertaining content possible for hardcore sports fans."

    Sportskeeda’s commitment to generating quality content and prioritizing its users at every step has been pivotal in its phenomenal growth over the last few years. The company looks poised to keep the momentum going and eventually become the ultimate platform for sports fans.

  • &flix Celebrates  superheroes with its new music video ‘Awesome In Disguise’

    &flix Celebrates superheroes with its new music video ‘Awesome In Disguise’

    MUMBAI: The awesomeness is back! The biggest Superheroes of Hollywood return to save the day on the ultimate destination of the biggest Hollywood hits, &flix. With its flagship property ‘Flix Superheroes’ airing weeknights at 9, the channel brings a multiverse that is a must-watch with blockbuster titles like Avengers: Endgame, Avengers: Infinity Wars, Black Panther, Spider-Man: Homecoming and more for those who truly love superheroes 3000! Taking the awesomeness to the next level for these passionate fans, &flix has released a special music video ‘Awesome In Disguise’ in collaboration with the leading multilingual pop-folk band ‘When Chai Met Toast’. An ode to those who inspire us to take the leap of faith, the upbeat soundtrack depicts how its not just the suits and superpowers, but the heart which is where the awesomeness stems from. 

    The track which is a foot-tapping melody talks about a journey of bringing together a group of marvellous people to unleash what makes them awesome and extraordinary. Packed with mesmerising acoustics, the music inspires you to #LeapForth with faith that puts you on the path of redefining yourself. Along with the band comprising members Achyuth Jaigopal, Ashwin Gopakumar, Pai Sailesh and Pale Francis, the music video also brings forth those individuals who have achieved nothing short of miraculous feats through their spectacular show of strength, skill and sheer will.

    Featuring in this video will be Parul Arora, the National Gold Medalist Gymnast who aced backflips in a saree, Anam Hashim, India’s only professional street bike freestyle athlete to have won at an International event and Sagar Waghela, the star boy of the skateboarding circuit who and more. Other featured talents include Manasi Joshi, Indian para-badminton player, the current World Champion and a changemaker in the sporting world and Hydroman aka. Jaydeep Gohil, India’s first underwater dancer.

     ZeeL premium channels business head Kartik Mahadev said, “As a young brand , &flix has constantly innovated to address consumer needs with a string of category first initiatives and special curation of content. With the growing popularity of Hollywood movies across the country, the ‘Superhero’ genre has seen strong consumer interest. TO understand this better we recently released a study capturing Movie lovers in India called : ‘Hollywood Is For Everyone’. The study revealed that 90 percent movie lovers claim to have grown up with Superheroes from Hollywood. As a channel, we are excited with the latest edition of Flix Superheroes that brings the biggest titles from the Marvel universe to the movie fans. With these movies, it’s not just about the mask and capes that make the Superheroes awesome but the awesomeness that starts from within which is truly inspiring and needs be celebrated. We are thrilled to have collaborated with ‘When Chai Met Toast’ who with their distinct music have brought this version of the Superheroes to life. We are excited to bring this track to movie fans as we celebrate the spirit of awesome humans around us.”

    Lead vocalist of When Chai met Toasts Ashwin Gopakumar said, “We were exhilarated at this opportunity to collaborate with &flix as we truly believe in the message that it takes one to be awesome from within. Being ardent superhero fans ourselves, it was exciting to work on a project that celebrated real-life icons who inspire us. With this as the guiding force, over the course of this production, we have passionately involved ourselves to create something special that exalts these real-life icons with the music video. We had great fun shooting the same with the many talented individuals who each possessed unabashed passion and courage that truly inspires us. We are certain that fans are sure to be delighted.”

  • Bhabhiji is back on News18 Bihar/ Jharkhand to finger the pulse of rural Bihar

    Bhabhiji is back on News18 Bihar/ Jharkhand to finger the pulse of rural Bihar

    NEW DELHI: As Bihar is gearing up for Panchayat elections, News18 Bihar / Jharkhand has launched its most popular show Bhabhiji Maidaan Mein Hain – the show that aims to decode what’s on the voter’s mind from a women’s perspective i.e., Bhabhiji.

    As the region’s leading news channel, News18 Bihar / Jharkhand firmly believes that elections are all about common people and it is therefore important for their voice, their issues and their aspirations to be heard. It is to this objective that Bhabhiji Maidaan mein has been launched on the channel again.

    The show will travel across major villages of Bihar undergoing elections and empowering people to highlight issues that are important to them. The show promises to discuss and debate issues that will have a direct impact on upcoming panchayat elections.

    Tune in to Bhabhiji Maidaan Mein Hain, daily at 5:30 pm and 9:30 am only on News18 Bihar / Jharkhand.

  • STAR VIJAY PREMIERS  MANDELA

    STAR VIJAY PREMIERS MANDELA

    Vijay television is all set to premiere MANDELA on 4 April 2021 as World Television Premiere.  The movie will be telecast on Sunday at 9 am Mandela skips theatrical release to have a television premiere. 

    Mandela is the most talked about and most expected movie of the year.  It’s a comedy drama political satire written and directed by Madonne Ashwin on his directorial debut and produced by S. Sashikanth of YNOT studios while co-produced by Balaji Mohan of Open Window Productions.  The film is titled after the late South African President Nelson Mandela.  

    The cast of the movie includes Yogi Babu in the main lead character while Sheela Rajkumar, Sangili Murugan and G.M. Sundar play the supportive roles.  The film is set on the backdrop of village panchayat election scenario between two political parties.  

    Mandela is a family entertainment movie that will be aired at 9.30 am on 4th April only on STAR VIJAY.  Don’t miss it.  

  • Zing is all set to play Korean dramas in Hindi

    Zing is all set to play Korean dramas in Hindi

    MUMBAI: Hallyu has impacted Indian youth in a big way. Korean pop, dramas, and beauty were already thriving subcultures in India, but in 2020 these became part of India’s mainstream.

    The testimony is in the rising numbers of everything Korean. A recent OTT platform report stated, “The viewing for K-dramas on their platform in India increased more than 370 per cent in 2020 over 2019”. The number of streams for K-pop doubled in 2020 and BTS was among the top five artists overall on a leading music streaming app. At many levels, K-Dramas are more relatable than US or British shows due to the similarity in cultures of both the countries, adding to their popularity.

    Keeping in mind the obsession that GenZ & millennials have, Zing became the first channel in the genre to launch K-Dramas & tap into this fast-growing trend. Zing aired Boys Over Flowers which got an overwhelming response from the audience. The show pushed Zing back into leadership position. Viewership was high across all time-bands but the original time-band increased by 2X! Given the success of the first show, Zing has decided to continue to bring joy in the viewer’s lives by launching more K-Dramas, starting with Descendants of the Sun this week.

    ZeeL music cluster  deputy business head Pankaj Balhara said, “K-Pop and K-Dramas have been an important sub-culture among India’s GenZ for a few years now and 2020 took this fandom many-folds higher. One of the key reasons for the popularity of K-Dramas is the massive similarities between the two cultures. For e.g. Romance is depicted in a very similar manner and themes include Rich boy, poor girl, intense love story triangles, etc. They also believe in family values which resonates well with the Indian audiences. After the massive success of Boys over flowers, we have decided to air more K-dramas on the channel. Through content innovation either creating or curating, we want to give best of entertainment to our consumers.”

    Catch Descendants of the Sun, Mon – Fri, 2pm only on Zing

  • This April Fool’s Day, MTV says “The Joke Is on Us”!

    This April Fool’s Day, MTV says “The Joke Is on Us”!

    MUMBAI: Gives you “Mazak Ban Gayi Zindagi” feels, right? As we continue to share a hearty laughter on different jokes and memes all through the day, little do we realize, “The Joke is on Us”, courtesy- Society and its unreasonable expectations. And while we continue to be in the rat trap, MTV is here to remind us this April Fool’s Day that the joke’s on us, through a bone tickling yet an impactful brand film. 

    The April Fool’s Day brand film by MTV opens to a family setting and showcases a boy, who is passionate to learn guitar but is burdened by the gyaan of “Board exams aa rahe hain. Yeh ek saal focus karo, badmein toh aish hi hain.” The progression follows when he tries to pick up his hobby during his entrance exams, MBA preparation and Marriage. Finally, when the boy, all settled now, asks his parents “Lo ho gaya settle! Kya ab mein apni zindagi jee sakta hoon”, he is reminded of his current responsibilities as a father. 

    Relatable much.

    In a fine blend of quirk and impact, the film showcases the guitar as a symbol of joke that our life has been playing on us and unfortunately, there’s no escape from it. Towards the end of the film, we see the protagonist conditioning his baby in a similar fashion, which is a blatant reminder of how certain conventions are followed across generations.

    So, this April Fool’s Day, raise a toast with MTV and have a laugh for being the fools we never intended to be!

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CNAR-1pHHgt/?igshid=45xpfme8q38l

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/89743390101/posts/10158865497990102/?vh=e&d=n

    Twitter: https://twitter.com/mtvindia/status/1376527059934060545?s=21

  • Netflix & Gobelins expect big things from young Indian brains in animation industry

    Netflix & Gobelins expect big things from young Indian brains in animation industry

    NEW DELHI : Animation and visual effects have become an integral part of storytelling in films, and it is practically impossible to think about a movie without special effects and computer graphics. In an attempt to find and nurture young Indian brains in the animation industry, OTT giant Netflix, in association with Gobelins and Amity School of Film and Drama conducted a 'visual storytelling' animation course from 15 to 19 March 2021. 

    The animation course helped participants to understand the art of storytelling using images, and the program indicated that India is soon going to become the powerhouse of the animation and VFX industry in the future. 

    Most participants in the course were graduates and teachers from famed animation schools in the country. 

    During the session, students were introduced to storyboarding and animation principles. Some of the activities included sessions on animation principles, storytelling fundamentals, character design, storyboards, and gesture design. There were guest lectures by expert animation studio heads including Guillaume Dousse (Sun Creature) and Anish Mulani (Fractal Picture). The group also heard from Green Gold Animation founder Rajiv Chilaka, who created Netflix’s beloved preschool hit series Mighty Little Bheem. 

    Students also received personalised coaching from faculty, helping them develop personal projects for formats across film, television, and animation. As OTT giants like Netflix and institutions like Gobelins L'école de L'image are concentrating on India to pick impeccable talents, experts believe that it could celebrate India’s storytelling culture and help bring more of it to the world.