Category: Press Release

RTL Group acquires majority stake in programmatic video advertising platform SpotXchange

MUMBAI: RTL Group, the leading European entertainment network, today announced that it has signed a binding agreement with the current shareholders of SpotXchange, Inc. to acquire a 65 per cent majority stake in the Denver-based video advertising monetisation company. In addition to RTL Group’s initial investment of US-$144 million (€107 million), the parties agreed on an earn-out component that might increase the initial consideration subject to the future performance of SpotXchange. Under the terms of the deal, RTL Group also has the opportunity to acquire the remaining shareholding in the future.

The deal is subject to US competition authority approval and is expected to close by the end of August 2014. The investment is the next step of RTL Group’s strategy to become a leading player in all segments of online video and online video advertising. RTL Group becomes the first major broadcaster to invest in the rapidly growing market of programmatic online video advertising.

Founded in 2007, SpotXchange was the first online advertising marketplace with an exclusive focus on video. Today, SpotXchange provides a comprehensive video advertising monetisation platform to hundreds of publishers around the globe such as The Atlantic, Hearst Corporation, Meredith Video Studios, Mail Online, NDN and Adaptive Media who use the platform to maximise revenue for their desktop, mobile and connected TV video advertising inventory while driving down operational costs. SpotXchange empowers publishers and their sales teams to operate in an ever increasingly complex digital ecosystem by providing innovative and industry-leading programmatic technologies that yield unprecedented transparency, insights and control over the buying behavior of today’s leading brands. Over one billion auctions for video advertising impressions are transacted through the SpotXchange platform daily, with ads delivered to 335 million people in over 100 countries per month. The company currently has 180 employees with headquarters in Denver, Colorado, and offices in several US and international locations.

Online video advertising is currently the fastest growing digital advertising segment, expected to grow globally at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 24 per cent between 2014 and 2018. This growth is driven particularly by programmatic video advertising which is estimated to increase from US-$2.7 billion in 2013 to US-$15.4 billion in 2018 worldwide (CAGR: +42 per cent).

Joint statement of Anke Schaferkordt and Guillaume de Posch, Co-CEOs of RTL Group: “Following our investments in non-linear TV services and in multi-channel networks on Youtube, RTL Group has already become the leading European media company in terms of online video views. The logical next step in our strategy is a structural move into the area of digital monetisation – improving our skills by adding innovative data- and technology-based competencies. SpotXchange is the perfect fit for RTL Group for such a move: it has a first-class management team that has built a leading, state-of-the-art platform for programmatic selling of online video advertising. With its impressive growth story and strong positioning in the United States, SpotXchange also represents a unique opportunity to enhance RTL Group’s presence in the world’s biggest and most advanced media market.”

Joint statement from the two co-founders of SpotXchange, Michael Shehan (CEO) and Steve Swoboda (COO and CFO): “We are thrilled to be joining the RTL Group, a global leader in media and entertainment, and believe they are the ideal partner to help SpotXchange expand the reach of our comprehensive video ad monetisation services. This investment demonstrates RTL Group’s progressive vision and embrace of programmatic trading, ad serving and yield optimisation in the digital arena. The companies comprising RTL Group operate in a decentralised fashion which will allow SpotXchange to thrive and grow as the last independent digital video ad monetisation platform while providing significant opportunities through partnership with RTL Group’s leading European broadcast companies and top tier global content producers. Joining RTL Group will present incredible benefits and opportunities for SpotXchange’s publishers, buyers and people.”

Under the terms of the transaction, RTL Group will appoint three of five members of the Board of SpotXchange. Michael Shehan and Steve Swoboda will continue to manage the day-to-day operations of the company, reporting to its Board.

RTL Group and the management team of SpotXchange have developed a joint growth plan to keep SpotXchange on its current growth path in the US and Asian-Pacific region, while simultaneously focusing on an accelerated roll-out in Europe.

A presentation with more detailed information about programmatic online video advertising and about SpotXchange is available to download at http://www.rtlgroup.com/www/press_releases/20140731_RTL_Group_SpotXchange_Presentation.pdf

July 31, 2014
CBS executives David Stapf and Armando Nunez to deliver joint keynote at Mipcom 2014

MUMBAI: MIPCOM announces today that David Stapf, President of CBS Television Studios, and Armando Nu?ez, President and CEO of CBS Global Distribution Group, will deliver a joint keynote address as part of MIPCOM’s Media Mastermind Keynote Series.

Organised by Reed MIDEM, the 30th anniversary edition of MIPCOM will take place in Cannes, France, from 13-16 October 2014.

The CBS Studios Global Content Keynote from Nu?ez and Stapf is scheduled for Tuesday 14 October. With more than five decades of television production and international TV distribution experience between them, the CBS executives will discuss this year’s overall theme, The Global Quest for Original Content . The duo will tackle topics including the rise of event series programming, new relationships with digital distribution partners, CBS’s year-round programming strategy and the global appetite for CBS and Showtime content.

CBS Television Studios is one of the leading suppliers of primetime network programming, with top scripted dramas such as “NCIS” and “NCIS: Los Angeles” and comedy series “The Millers.” The studio’s roster of popular and critically-acclaimed programmes also includes the phenomenally successful CSI franchise, summer event series “Under the Dome,” “Elementary,” starring Jonny Lee Miller and Lucy Liu, and the Peabody Award winning series “The Good Wife,” starring multiple award winner Julianna Margulies.

David Stapf was named President, CBS Television Studios in September 2004. He is responsible for overseeing all of the Studio’s programme development and production, basic cable and premium channel markets.

Armando Nu?ez was named President and CEO of the CBS Global Distribution Group in October 2012. Nunez is responsible for overseeing all of CBS Corporation’s international and domestic distribution operations, including CBS Studios International, which licenses CBS programming worldwide to more than 200 markets across multiple media platforms. Nu?ez has been with the company since 1999.

Stapf and Nunez report directly to Leslie Moonves, President and CEO of CBS Corporation.

July 31, 2014
LIV Sports uses social media beyond advertising during 2014 FIFA World Cup

MUMBAI: With football craze gripping the Nation days before the start of the World Cup, LIV Sports, Sony’s online and mobile based VOD platform, anticipated a huge surge in Social communication and engagement from fans. Also, considering the LIVE streaming of the 2014 FIFA World Cup matches was a paid subscription service, LIV Sports decided to service queries from India’s mobile and social first users directly on their platforms. LIV Sports teamed up with Social IQ, a disruptive social media solution from TO THE NEW to set up The Social Command Center – a 24×7 social response solution. The team used social media as a customer support channel that helped in quick, transparent and efficient delivery of responses and updates to its users.

The Social Command Center that consisted of a well-defined service framework of people and processes along with proprietary social customer support software helped LIV Sports with a quick response time of 2 hours over the period of the World Cup; addressed nearly 1000 customer support queries from the users. Additionally, the Social Command Center helped LIV Sports identify query patterns with deep analytics, thus guiding the LIV Sports Product teams to enhance Product improvements and User experience real-time.

Launched in June this year, LIV Sports is the Official Mobile and Internet Broadcaster for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Mr. Nitesh Kripalani, Executive Vice-President – New Media, Business Development and Digital/Syndication at Sony Entertainment Network commented – “Social IQ’s Social Command Center and customer response platform definitely helped us build trust with our fans and followers; it also helped us reduce our support costs. Our goal that both Sony LIV and LIV Sports need to be where the consumers are, was further enhanced by the Social Command Centre’s ability to talk to our consumers on Social platforms.

The personal touch, quick turnaround response and transparency helped achieve our goal of being connected to digital users irrespective of where they are.”

LIV Sports successfully harnessed the power of social media beyond advertising to build brand awareness and become more relevant to the social and mobile first consumer.

“When we were building the software and service frameworks, we knew this would be very new for the Indian market. However, for brands who want to reach out to today’s social and mobile first customer, leveraging social media for customer support can be a key differentiator. The same got validated with our engagement with LIVSports and I believe it is just a matter of time when we will see many more brands having a Social Command Center established”, said Mr. Kesavan Kanchi Kandadai, Business Head, Social IQ and CEO, Tangerine Digital.

July 31, 2014
Fox Life to present dream love story ‘When Patrick met Kylie’

MUMBAI: FOX Life, India’s leading travel and lifestyle channel, is bringing a dream love story ‘When Patrick met Kylie’ to your television sets starting 4 August, Monday to Friday 8:00 PM onwards. ‘When Patrick met Kylie’ is an endearing love story of two food enthusiasts Kylie Flavell, a magazine editor and Patrick Drake, an ex-lawyer turned chef, who leave everything to pursue their passion for Italian cuisine and end up falling in love on this journey.

This was a match truly made in heaven. Kylie’s passion for Italy and cooking inspired her to leave a lucrative job as a food, business and lifestyle journalist in Australia and move to Rome. Her love for food led her to Patrick, who she contacted in London after trying a recipe on his video blog. Patrick, having also abandoned his law career for one in food, agreed to join Kylie on her culinary adventure. The show follows Patrick and Kylie on their extraordinary journey across the Italian peninsula, in which the two food experts travel far and wide to understand the secrets and joys of this ancient and pleasure-loving culture. From big cities to small villages, Michelin star restaurants to family-run trattorias, Kylie is Patrick’s guide to the delights of Italy and its food. At the end of each episode, their challenge is to prepare a homemade meal for their new local friends using what they’ve learned, tasted and sometimes even stolen!

Speaking on the occasion, Debarpita Banerjee, VP – Marketing & Communication at National Geographic Channel (NGC) and Fox International Channels said “The channel recently re-vamped itself from FOX Traveller to FOX Life. At the core we have always believed to bring alive the journey and the purpose behind the travel and not just the destination, in all our shows. When Patrick Met Kylie is another beautiful example of this. For the first time ever, on Indian television, we are proud to present the sub -genre of travel-romance are confident that our viewers will like this flavor as well”

Bustling with excitement Kylie Flavell said “Our show has been launched in over 60 countries now but we were most excited about the launch in India. Especially since Indian people are so passionate and we always felt like there was a little bit of a Bollywood love story wrapped up in our series. We had a lot of fun creating this series. We danced across the town square after a night at the opera in Jesi, played polo in Tuscany and speeded around the island of Ponza in a vintage sports car. Each episode was an adventure of a lifetime. We are so glad to share these adventures with the Indian audiences. We can’t wait to meet our fans, eat some wonderful Indian food and maybe even try out a few new dance moves!”

Adding to this, Patrick Drake exclaimed “I am really excited about the show. Both Kylie and I are thankful to FOX Life for making our show available to the Indian viewers. We have always been fascinated by India’s rich cultural heritage and we hope that the Indian audiences will enjoy the show as much as we have loved creating it”

Watch the food lovers only on FOX Life starting 4th August, Monday to Friday 8:00 PM onwards

July 31, 2014
Bloomberg TV India to launch “Tracking the Recovery – Real Estate”

MUMBAI: Bloomberg TV India, the nation’s leading English business news channel, is launching the first of its kind show – Tracking the Recovery – Real Estate. The on-air series will put the spotlight on the road to recovery and analyse the triggers of the industry’s growth by engaging industry stalwarts in a series of exclusive round table discussions. The show will also rank India’s most successful real estate firms.

The realty sector in India is upbeat about Finance Minister Arun Jaitley’s Budget promise to provide incentives for the establishment of Real Estate Investment Trusts (REIT). This has sent, the stocks of real estate developers soaring high, continued improvement in the overall macro-economic scenario; both telltale signs of the real estate sector coming back on track.

The Indian real estate sector has enormous potential at churning out huge revenue and contributing to the country’s economy. Yet, the sector has to overcome a lot of challenges in order to move ahead and be stable. Tracking the Recovery – Real Estate, will help one understand the challenges faced by the real estate industry as well as the means to clear the roadblocks in its path.

Mr. Lavneesh Gupta, COO, Bloomberg TV India said, “Tracking the Recovery – Real Estate, promises to serve as a reality check for the Indian real estate market. Our efforts will be to focus on the larger issues around the real estate industry and its future growth, as the country’s best thought leaders highlight the growth triggers and map the sector’s road to recovery. Taking into consideration our position, as a responsible business news channel, we will present an up to date analysis on an industry that contributes to the development of the economy.”

Tracking the Recovery – Real Estate, will be a five-part series comprising of panel discussions with the best minds in the sector, on a single platform, to be held in Mumbai and New Delhi. These discussions will involve industry chiefs and thought leaders from the real estate sector, telling it as it is, to help you get real with realty. The panels will be moderated by Ms. Mini Menon, Executive Editor – Bloomberg TV India.

“Tracking the Recovery – Real Estate” will air exclusively on Bloomberg TV India, in the month of August, 2014.

July 31, 2014
Secrets of World War I in color

MUMBAI: National Geographic Channel brings ‘Secrets of World War 1’ to take you back to the tough, strong and fierce era of the first World War. Premiering on 2nd August, Saturday & Sunday at 10 pm, the show promises to take viewers to war time and witness Triple Entente and Triple Alliance, the two clans of the historic war. This is the first time that the World War 1 footage will be seen in color and also marks the hundredth year from the start of the war.

Through the 4 episodes- Fury, Hell, Rage and Deliverance, ‘Secrets of World War 1’ will showcase the effect of war on the world. The series kicks off with Fury which takes you back to 1914 where the German troops are nearing Paris. The subsequent episodes take you to different parts of Europe giving viewers a closer look and feel of war.

Ms. Debarpita Banerjee, Vice President, Marketing & Communications, NGC Network and Fox International Channels, said, “On the historic occasion of 100 years since the first world war, Nat Geo is proud to present this classic documentary revealing exclusive footage in color for the first time on Indian Television”

Samsung Galaxy Tab has partnered with NGC on this show. Talking about the partnership, Debarpita added, “As we gear up to air World War 1 footage in color for the first time on Indian Television, we are happy to partner with Samsung which is known for giving consumers unique experience with innovation in technology.”

One of the biggest historic events; tune in to Secrets of World War 1 starting August 2, Sat & Sun 10pm

July 31, 2014
Inauguration Ceremony – ‘Sahyadri Monsoon Chitrapat Mahotsav’

MUMBAI: The Sahyadri Monsoon Marathi Chitrapat Mahotsav got under way at a glittering ceremony on Friday evening with cine stars descending at Doordarshan Mumbai Kendra.

Inaugurating the festival, which will continue till 20th July, Veteran Actor – Jeetendra, Eminent Theater and Film Personality Vikram Gokhale, Shri Kiran Shantaram, Shri Vijay Kondke – President of the Akhil Bharatiya Chitrapat Mandal assured to extend all assistance to promote regional films in Konkani and Marathi. The festival opened with ‘Badha’, directed by Sumitra Bhave and Shri Sunil Sukhtankar.

Actor, Jeetendra remembered his mentor and great Film Maker Shri V. Shantaram and appreciated the new Marathi Cinema which is more driven by its culture and literature.

The Art of Film Making and the inspiration to create good cinema was in deeply discussed by Vikram Gokhale. He asked the students to learn the art of differentiating good cinema and a regular/entertainment cinema.

Addl.DG – Doordarshan, Shri Mukesh Sharma expressed his view to continue this Chitrapat Mahotsav every year for providing a platform to the young media aspirants.

More than 500 students participated and enjoyed the interactive sessions with the Film Makers. Director, Sunil Sukhtankar appreciated the unique idea of presenting and discussing their film with the young aspirant who attended the film festival.

Mukesh Sharma’s views on MMCM

Marathi Cinema is the oldest and a pioneer film industry in India. The first Marathi movie released in India by Dadasaheb Torne was Shree Pundalik and also the first full –length feature film “Raja Harishchandra” directed by Dadasaheb Phalke was a Marathi film which clearly demarcates the contribution of Marathi Cinema in building the entire film industry.

In past few years, Marathi cinema industry has produced many films that are not only critically acclaimed but commercially successful as well. It has brought fresh ideas, untouched subjects and deeper human sensitivity on the celluloid.

With outstanding contribution and efforts from different producers and directors of the Mumbai film industry, Marathi cinema has relatively outshined other Indian film industries in the current scenario.

In order to promote good cinema the Public Service Broadcaster, Shri Mukesh Sharma –Addl. DG, Doordarshan is leaving no stone unturned in its efforts. The Sahyadri Monsoon Marathi Chitrapat Mahotsav will showcase eight films which have received National Award or have been selected as Indian Panorama and are showcased as the opening films in many International Film Festivals.

With so much of viewing fragmentation happening in the society because of numerous channel it is not possible for the viewers to consume all the content at one go, keeping this in mind Doordarshan Mumbai decided to screen the Best of Marathi Cinema directly to the viewers without any ad and break’s in the Sahyadri Monsoon Marathi Chitrapat Mahotsav.

It is surely going to be a feast for the eyes and a bonanza for Cinema Lovers to enjoy these films in the presence of its Director’s/ Cast & Crew who will present their films before and after the screening with the invited audience. All the above interactive sessions between the audience and Director/ Cast & Crew will be recorded continuously for the entire three days by the DDK Mumbai.

These Award Winning Marathi Films will also be telecast on DD SAHYADRI for television audience and the recorded interactive sessions will be a part of each film.

The icing on the cake will be the presence of Veteran Actors like Jeetendra Kapoor, Vikram Gokhale and Shri Kiran Shantaram to inaugurate this festival.

July 31, 2014
Simon Cowell named MIPCOM 2014 personality of the year

MUMBAI: Entertainment industry creative icon Simon Cowell is to be honoured as the MIPCOM 2014 Personality of the Year.

The TV and film producer, music label boss and internationally-renowned talent show judge will receive his award at a gala dinner for industry executives at the Carlton Hotel in Cannes on Tuesday 14 October. On Monday 13 October, Cowell will give a keynote interview in the Grand Auditorium of the Palais des Festivals.

One of the best-known faces on TV screens in the world, Cowell has transformed popular culture in the 21st century through his wide-reaching TV and music enterprise.

“Simon Cowell is a visionary producer whose television franchises are on air in almost 200 territories around the world, underlining his status as a global creative icon. In recognition of his amazing career as a creator of international formats and his formidable impact on the entertainment industry as a whole, we are honoured to welcome him to Cannes as the MIPCOM 2014 Personality of the Year,” said Paul Zilk, CEO of Reed MIDEM, organiser of MIPCOM.

Cowell’s Syco Entertainment is a world-renowned music, film, and television production company responsible for some of the most successful global music and television franchises. Syco’s television assets include the two international phenomenon formats: “Got Talent” and “The X Factor” both created by Simon Cowell. The Syco Music roster includes stars such as One Direction, Little Mix, Susan Boyle, Ella Henderson, Il Divo, Labrinth, Cher Lloyd, Fifth Harmony, Alex & Sierra, and Collabro.

Under Cowell’s stewardship, Syco Entertainment continues to develop global TV formats that have appeal throughout the TV, Film and digital world.

In April, “Got Talent” was officially named the World’s Most Successful Reality Television Format by The Guinness Book of Records. Alongside Syco’s longstanding co-production partner, FremantleMedia, original versions of Got Talent are now being produced in 62 territories worldwide. Emmy-nominated “America’s Got Talent” has been the No.1 rated summer programme ever since its launch in June 2006. Now in its ninth consecutive season, the show currently airs in 193 countries worldwide.

“The X Factor” is now produced in 49 territories around the world since its launch in the UK in 2004 where it remains the #1 entertainment show and a cultural phenomenon. The format has launched more superstar artists’ careers than any other TV format. Artists discovered by the show worldwide have sold more than 160 million records, including 170 No.1 hits, and 380 Top 10 records.

In 2002, Cowell became lead judge of the fledgling “American Idol.” By the final of the second series in 2003, a staggering 38 million Americans were tuning in to watch Cowell on the show. Cowell was the lead judge on the US “X Factor” for three years from 2011 before leaving to make his return to the UK show as a judge for its 11th season, which begins in August 2014.

In August 2013, Cowell produced his first feature film, “One Direction: This Is Us.” The movie debuted at No.1 at both the US and UK box offices, before going on to enjoy international success.

For his newest take on the singing competition genre, Cowell has teamed up with Univision to create “La Banda,” a series which will search the US and Latin America for the next Latino boy band in 2015. Syco also recently announced a ground-breaking new music show, “Ultimate DJ,” in partnership with SFX and T Mobile.

July 30, 2014
TVPlayer adds Aaj Tak to its Desi pack

MUMBAI: Aaj Tak, the number one Hindi News channel in India, is the latest channel to join the DESI pack on TVPlayer.

The launch of Aaj Tak on TVPlayer will enhance its channel reach via multi-platform viewing opportunities across web, mobile and tablet, making the channel available to a wider audience of the Indian population residing in the UK.

Aaj Tak was launched in India in December 2000 as a 24-hour Hindi News channel, which coversIndia with insight, courage and plenty of local flavors. Within 6 months of its launch, Aaj Takemerged as India’s number one news channel. Beginning with an impressive connectivity of 5.2 million homes when launched, Aaj Tak today boasts of a reach of over 50 million homes and a channel share of more than 55% among the news channels. Its unique style of passionate storytelling and live coverage has become its hallmark.

Aaj Tak telecasts programmes viz Dharam, Movie Masala, Mumbai Metro, Seedhi Baat, Saas Bahu aur betiyaan etc. The editorial panel of Aaj Tak includes many renowned journalists including Anjana Kashyap, Shams Tahir Khan, Sweta Singh,Punya Prasun Vajpayee and many more.

Speaking on the occasion India Today Group Digital COO Salil Kumar said, “It is great to expand our offering on to a new OTT/ IPTV platform in the United Kingdom. This partnership will engage more audiences globally. “

TVPlayer platform manager Lewis Arthur says, “Our Desi pack has been an incredible success since it launched this year; its content often representing over 10 per cent of all total viewing, in any given day. Our new partnership with India Today means that we have topical and breaking news from Aaj Tak, further strengthening our overall channel offering.”

July 30, 2014
Alia Bhatt goes digital with Maybelline New York

MUMBAI: Alia Bhatt loves her fans and this time around she put together an innovative method to spend a fun evening with them talking about the things she loves most – make-up and her films!

Staying true to its core values of being fun, edgy and fashionable, Maybelline New York, the world’s No. #1 make-up brand hosted India’s first multi-city integrated Google Hangout with the Bollywood diva and brand ambassador, Alia Bhatt. Pioneering the digital space with groundbreaking initiatives and launches, Maybelline New York once again proved itself to be a front runner in innovation, beauty and youth connect.

Visitors at Shoppers Stop in Delhi and Mumbai were in for a treat as they got the chance to interact with Alia Bhatt LIVE via a Google Hangout. Since Alia’s latest make-up favorites from Maybelline are the new Color Show nail colors, she quizzed her fans on the names of the shades and had a fun session with them sharing make-up and beauty tips. In addition to this, a few lucky shoppers were handpicked by Alia Bhatt from the crowd and received nail art tutorials from an artist present during the Hangout.

Commenting on this fun way to interact with her fans, Alia Bhatt, brand ambassador of Maybelline New York, said, “I’ve always loved Maybelline New York not only for the innovative products they launch, but also for the initiatives they take up to engage with their consumers and fans. The experience of talking to so many fans in two different cities at the same time and sharing some of my thoughts on beauty was fantastic. It was such an interesting way to brighten up a regular Friday evening and at the same time get some amazing feedback from the fans on my work and Maybelline’s new launches.”

Leena Shoor, Marketing Manager, Maybelline New York India, said, “As a tech savvy make-up brand, Maybelline New York has always aimed to engage with its consumers and fans in a very innovative manner. In order to continue representing the essence of the brand of being fun, edgy and fashionable, Maybelline introduces various novel initiatives with new product launches. Taking the brand to a next level of engagement, Maybelline decided to host India’s first multi-city integrated Google Hangout with Alia Bhatt who is the face of the brand and represents the brands core values.”

Across India, over 92,121 fans tuned-in LIVE to the Hangout which received an overwhelming 92 Million impressions across Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Instagram. The popular make-up brand represents the young, contemporary cosmopolitan girl who is attuned to fashion and loves to experiment with make-up products. Hence, all of its campaigns have been clutter breaking in the cosmetics industry. Over the years, Maybelline New York has pioneered various brand engagement strategies through innovative use of the digital platforms to get fans and consumers to sit and take notice, get educated and eventually use the unique products on offer by the brand.

July 30, 2014