Category: Press Release

  • ZEE5, INDIA’S ENTERTAINMENT SUPER-APP, BECOMES 6TH MOST GLOBALLY DOWNLOADED VIDEO STREAMING APP ON GOOGLE PLAY

    ZEE5, INDIA’S ENTERTAINMENT SUPER-APP, BECOMES 6TH MOST GLOBALLY DOWNLOADED VIDEO STREAMING APP ON GOOGLE PLAY

    As a ConTech leader and India’s Entertainment Super-App, ZEE5 has been instrumental in paving the way for digital video entertainment in India through bespoke content and integration of new technologies. The platform has proven to be a consumer favourite, not only in India; but also, globally, as it was listed 6th in Sensor Tower’s ‘Top Video Streaming Apps Worldwide for June 2020 by Downloads on Google Play ranking data.

    Featuring in world’s Top 10 most downloaded video streaming apps list is a testimony to ZEE5’s momentous efforts in serving bespoke content for diverse audiences anytime, anywhere. The estimates of this report include worldwide downloads for the App Store and Google Play between June 1, 2019, and June 30, 2020. ZEE5’s feature on this list is reflective of the consumer sentiment towards choosing the home-grown platform as their preferred content streaming destination.

    This feat can be attributed to the Super App’s efforts in democratising access to exclusive content and new offerings for every Indian across genres and languages. As a part of this vision, the entertainment destination recently launched ‘ZEE5 Club’, making engaging premium content available at ₹365/year. Apart from this, ZEE5 is geared up to launch ‘HiPi’, a first-of-its-kind UGC platform by an OTT platform which promises to connect Fans to Fandom.

  • Discover the Humans behind the Superhumans who are #AwesomeAndThenSome With ‘Flix Superheroes Chapter 2’ On &flix

    Discover the Humans behind the Superhumans who are #AwesomeAndThenSome With ‘Flix Superheroes Chapter 2’ On &flix

    MUMBAI:  The awesomeness is back! The most iconic Superheroes of Hollywood return to save the day on the ultimate destination of the biggest Hollywood hits, &flix. Have you ever wondered what is it about these legends that makes them truly awesome? Is it just their suits, shields and superpowers or is there more to it than what meets the eye? Come 3 August 2020, weeknights at 9, &flix gives you a chance to #LeapForth into the lives of these mega-icons and discover the ‘human’ behind the ‘Superhuman’ with ‘Flix Superheroes Chapter 2.’ You may have seen them fight crime, combat deadly villains and save innocent lives, but here’s your chance to meet them up, close and personal in their awesomely disorganised, awkward and chilled-out state that truly makes them #AwesomeAndThenSome.

    Bringing you the who’s who of Hollywood, here’s an army of heroes who have inspired you to be the best versions of yourselves and unleash the superhero within you. From your web-slinging friendly, neighbourhood Spider-Man in Spider-Man: Far From Home and Spider-Man: Homecoming, to the strange neurosurgeon with mystic arts in Doctor Strange, and from the guardians solemnly sworn to protect galaxies in Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 to a gunslinger on a quest to protect The Dark Tower – the line-up has it all! It’s your chance to meet the man behind the mask all through August as the heroes show you how it’s done! But that’s not all! Not all heroes wear capes and that’s certainly what Flix Superheroes Chapter 2 is all about! Giving you major goals, this season is a slew of heroes in all hues and shades with iconic movies such as Resident Evil, Battle Los Angeles, Bolt, Ghostbusters, Underdog and The Green Hornet among others!

    It’s time to assemble and meet the human heroes of Hollywood in the most awesome line-up ever!

    Switch on to a world of Superheroes who are #AwesomeAndThenSome in ‘Flix Superheroes Chapter 3 August, 2020, weeknights at 9 only on &flix

     

  • ADK Fortune produces short film ‘Raabta’

    ADK Fortune produces short film ‘Raabta’

    Coronavirus is here to stay and has changed and impacted the world in ways in more ways than one.  All communication for most part of this year has been focused on this virus. From saluting corona warriors, to public service messages urging people to wear masks and maintaining social distance.

    ADK Fortune, a WPP company and part of Wunderman Thompson South Asia Group, felt it was now time to spread a message of hope and how corona patients had actually found friends who stood by them.

    With cases increasing by the day, it was their belief that they needed to create not just an advertisement – but a short film that actually took on this gloomy picture and turned it around.

    And thus, was born a completely pro-bono effort between ADK Fortune and director Gautam Vaze at Full Circle Productions.

    Speaking about the core idea, Nakul Sharma, VP and ECD, ADK Fortune, said, “The creative script took off when we realised that a simple game of tambola went beyond love for the game and took on a deeper meaning of care, love and support. We are overwhelmed by the response the film has received. The messages across age groups and from different parts of the country ( not to mention NRIs who have sent it back to their friends and family in India) just proves that what started out as just a simple idea to bring cheer and positivity has already touched hundred thousands of people.”

    The production house and the director managed to coordinate a remote shoot between two locations and three actors namely national award-winning actor Arundhati Nag and theatre stalwart Neena Kulkarni along with Aayushi Lahir whose acting prowess made this film even more powerful.  

  • The Advertising Club & MICA – School of Ideas  Announcing Strategic Partnership to Drive Learning & Development for the A&M Category

    The Advertising Club & MICA – School of Ideas Announcing Strategic Partnership to Drive Learning & Development for the A&M Category

    The Advertising Club has been the category torchbearer driving the Media and Advertising industry’s growth and learning development agenda through curating engaging platforms like D-Code, Digital Review and Digital Debate Series amongst others.  These ideas exchange platforms have inspired young professional minds and contributed to the learning curve of the category. The apex industry body is all set to elevate the learning experience with another landmark development initiative in partnership with India’s premiere educational institution MICA – School of Ideas that drives excellence in Management, Strategic Marketing, Creativity & Communication and Digital learning. The MOU signed recently by Mr. Partho Dasgupta on behalf of The Advertising Club and Dr. Preeti Shroff on behalf of MICA will see resultant initiatives drive upskilling and enhanced learning opportunities for A&M industry patrons.

    Speaking about the partnership Mr. Partho Dasgupta, President, The Advertising Club said “The global Advertising and Marketing landscape has been continuously evolving – contemporary aspects like digital and social communication is center stage now. Like Advertising, analyzing consumer data and using it for profiling and recommendation is mainstream now with the success of Facebook, Netflix, Amazon etc. The association with MICA is critical in our effort to ensure that the category and its patrons continue to stay ahead of the curve and in tune with evolving trends that are currently driving the category, and will define its future growth trajectory. I am sure that MICA known for its academic ingenuity and renowned faculty will help further curate relevant and high impact programs that will help us achieve our objective of continuous learning

    Speaking about the learning initiative Dr Preeti Shroff, Dean MICA said “This is an exciting partnership and program for data science, artificial intelligence, machine learning, deep neural learning, marketing analytics, digital communications for the smart business strategy in a transformational world.  We are facing challenging times where individuals, industries and organizations all have to evolve and adapt for risks management and business model development.  Upskilling is critical and urgent for developing  powerful analytical tools for spotting gaps, trends and patterns, and for business transformation. In such a scenario upskilling and relevant learning opportunities for individual growth and resultant category growth are essential. MICA values ongoing partnership with businesses and organizations across industry subsectors to ensure that academic excellence and business relevance are facilitated in curated learning and professional development programs.  We are certain that programs developed under this partnership will bring significant value addition and learning enrichments to rising professionals  in the Advertising & Media industry, and those constantly seeking new skills and knowledge.”

    The Advertising Club continues to play a transformational and catalytic role in developing the industry practices and facilitating category growth by providing stirring knowledge and ideas exchange platform and learning initiatives like Marquees, Goa Fest, Effies, Emvies, the digital debate series VICE & VERSA  and now the upcoming Learning & Development programs.
     

  • POGO partners with Tinkle to launch e-comic series of its new animated show Titoo

    POGO partners with Tinkle to launch e-comic series of its new animated show Titoo

    MUMBAI: In an exclusive partnership with iconic kids magazine Tinkle by Amar Chitra Katha, POGO brings to its fans the comic book version of its all-new animated show Titoo-Har Jawaab Ka Sawaal Hu.

    The digital comic adaptation of the show was launched on Monday, August 3. Kids and parents can access and read the fortnightly comic on the Tinkle app, Amar Chitra Katha app, and Magzter app, available for iOS and Android devices.

    Speaking on the collaboration, Amar Chitra Katha president and CEO Preeti Vyas said, “At Tinkle, we take great pride in creating and publishing stories that entertain, engage and enlighten young readers. Over the past 40 years, we have collaborated with a multitude of characters and properties and in 2020 we are thrilled to bring this fresh little character Titoo from POGO to the pages of our magazine for a few special issues.”

    Cartoon Network and POGO South Asia Network head Abhishek Dutta said, “We are thrilled to collaborate with India’s popular comic books brand Tinkle for our brand-new show Titoo. With this partnership, we aim to bring a multiplatform experience for our young audience. We believe that the kids will love the 8-year-old boy’s hilarious yet lovable antics and will enjoy reading about the relatable situations and endearing characters in the comic series, as much as they’ll love watching them on television!”  

    Launched on 27 July, the ‘Titoo – Haw Jawaab Ka Sawaal Hu’ follows the daily escapades of the witty eight-year-old Titoo. He is a good-hearted, intelligent kid who loves to help everyone, but inadvertently manages to brew even more trouble.

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  • Times Network launches India Revival Mission; sets the agenda to revive Indian economy from the impact of COVID-19

    Times Network launches India Revival Mission; sets the agenda to revive Indian economy from the impact of COVID-19

    Mumbai: The Covid-19 pandemic has adversely affected businesses across sectors and it's vital to plan the revival of the economy and put business community back to economic certainty. Driving this agenda, Times Network, India's premium broadcast Network launches India Revival Mission (IRM), a mega campaign aimed to shape decisive strategies & policies to reboot, reload and relaunch the economy. 

    An ongoing thought leadership platform by the Network, India Revival Mission conducts series of curated initiatives through discourses and deliberations with global visionaries, key policymakers, influencers and corporate leaders who share their vision and actionable insights to accelerate India’s economic resurgence. 

    MK Anand, MD & CEO, Times Network said, “The pandemic has created unprecedented impact on Business and economy globally. As we come to terms with its persistent nature and adjust our lives around it with a view to restart parts of the economy that have been suspended for months, we realise the need for actionable Intelligence, Innovation and Ideation. As India’s significant influencer and opinion maker, we at Times Network are committed to play an active role in championing critical issues that matter to the nation. India Revival Mission, collates substantial insights and knowledge from leaders of India Inc., through multiple detailed surveys and uses this intelligence to guide the discourse and discussions that will help frame the best policy response that can mitigate the impending Economic crisis.” 

    Encouraging small businesses revive from the economic impact of COVID-19, Nirmala Sitharaman, Finance Minister said, “I want to assure through you to all businesses, please go ahead approaching the banks. Take the loans. Please have the money in your hand to restart the business.”

    Speaking on boosting a self-reliant India with Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative, Piyush Goyal, Minister of Railways and Minister of Commerce and Industry said, “The Atmanirbhar Bharat package is not a short-term band aid solution, it's a sustainable long-term program for the prosperity of 135 crore Indians. It is a program that will define the future of India not only taking us to the 5 trillion-dollar mark in the next five years but make us a 10 trillion-dollar economy by 2030, we may have lost some time in the last year or so because of the global World Trade wars in the initial period and then covid-19 but we have the resilience, we have the confidence to make up for the loss of time and emerge victorious in our targets.”

    Fronted by the network news channels, ET NOW, TIMES NOW, TIMES NOW WORLD, Mirror NOW and its digital assets, Times Network brings a comprehensive curated programming line-up under the ambit of India Revival Mission. This includes IRM India Development Debate, special primetime discussions with some of the world’s leading minds on the challenges that lie ahead to revive India’s economy, IRM 

    Dialogues, a series of  in-depth interviews featuring key economic architects of India, who will share their perspective, drawing from their area of expertise, to helping traverse this crisis and accelerate economic recovery and IRM Council, a weekly round table series focused on key sectors with voices from India’s political and industry bodies who will assess the sectoral challenges during and post pandemic and the outline the road map for the recovery of the sector. The various segments and primetime shows will feature leading policy making and thought-leaders of the India Inc. including Nirmala Sitharaman, Finance Minister, Piyush Goyal, Minister of Railways and Minister of Commerce and Industry, Smriti Irani, Minister for Women Child Development and Textiles, Nitin Gadkari, Minister of MSMEs, Road Transport and Highways, Hardeep Singh Puri, minister of Civil Aviation and Housing & Urban Affairs, Rajnish Kumar, Chairman, State Bank of India, S.S. Mallikarjuna Rao, MD & CEO , Punjab National Bank, M.R. Kumar, Chairman, LIC, Gita Gopinath, Chief Economist of the IMF and Nouriel Roubini, American Economist amongst many others to share actionable insights and strategies.

    To assess the impact of the pandemic on businesses across various sectors, Times Network has also developed an in-depth Business Perception Survey, in partnership with Institute For Competitiveness. The survey will lead with insights from India’s business community and present a holistic blueprint for India’s recovery and distil domain specific action points that need to be implemented to ensure long-term health of businesses and the economy. Strongly led with a purpose to arm leading policymakers with relevant information they would require for critical policy decisions to revive the economy, the survey results will be analysed through special programming on air and the findings will be compiled as a White Paper. 

    Sustaining the momentum to revive India post the lockdown, the Network would also host a thought-leadership event, IRM Conclave with the leaders of India Inc, leading economic minds, domain experts, key administrators and bureaucrats to discuss the way ahead for the nation. Times Network India Revival Mission is presented by YONO SBI, co-powered by LIC and Punjab National Bank and knowledge partner Institute For Competitiveness. 

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  • News18 Network lines up extensive programming for the foundation laying of Ayodhya Ram Mandir

    News18 Network lines up extensive programming for the foundation laying of Ayodhya Ram Mandir

    NEW DELHI: News18 Network has announced extensive programming, including comprehensive mythology-based shows, debates, shows on the history of Ayodhya, stories around important places and temples in the city, and special segments on the structure of the proposed temple, for the foundation laying of Ram Mandir. All channels of the Network will broadcast this special line-up of shows, as regional channels also explore specific local myths and stories associated with Lord Ram, it shared in a press statement. 

    The Network’s national Hindi news channel, News18 India will lead the reportage with debates, shows with renowned poets and singers, as well as live programming from the ground zero. Under the umbrella branding of ‘Ram Lala Hum Aayenge’, News18 India has lined-up interactive shows fronted by the channel’s popular anchor Bhaiyaji, Prateek Trivedi, special shows involving devotional music rendered by the likes of Anup Jalota, Gopal Sharma, Kaushlendra Sharma, Reghvendra Sharma, Shukdev Sharma and Maithili Thakur. Additionally, a special session of poetry dedicated to Lord Ram and the grand temple with renowned poets such as Sudeep Bhola, Gaurav Chauhan, Chirag Jain, Kavita Tiwari, and Aman Akshar to name a few, will form the core of the programming offered by the channel. The channel will also do exclusive discussions with top political figures and Union Ministers including Ram Madhav, Prakash Javadekar and Subramanian Swamy. 

    News18 Uttar Pradesh/Uttarakhand will also be carrying extensive programming on this historic event. A number of special shows will include discussions and sessions with saints, features on the material to be used in the construction of the Ram Temple, interviews, and shows on the key people behind the Ram Mandir movement. The special reportage will also feature live coverage from ground zero highlighting various rituals and ceremonies leading up to the actual foundation laying.

    Other channels from the Network, both Hindi as well as other regional language channels, will also carry special programming leading up to 5th August, the day of the actual ceremony.

    On the auspicious day of the Bhoomi Poojan itself, News18 Network will telecast live from Ayodhya and will extensively cover the foundation laying ceremony by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

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  • GRB Studios Takes Premium Factual Entertainment to Audiences Around the Globe

    GRB Studios Takes Premium Factual Entertainment to Audiences Around the Globe

    MUMBAI:  GRB Studios  International sales and Operations  executive vice president Hud Woodle had announced multiple deals for its top performing factual entertainment programs, with a large volume deal for LatAm with Pluto TV. Deals were also recently completed in Germany, with ProSieben and Discovery; as well as with broadcaster OSN in the Middle East; AETN U.K. took new titles; and a deal was finalized with MNET in Africa. Two territories bought the GRB-produced, real-life medical drama series Untold Stories of the E.R., marking 127 countries that the hit program has been broadcast.

    Pluto LatAm acquired a variety of Spanish-language shows. Nature programs include; Full Force Nature; Anatomy of Disaster, Animals Are People Too, Extreme Contact, and Storm Warning. Action programs include: Fugitivos de la Ley; High Seas Rescue and Now See This; real medical drama series Untold Stories of the E.R., as well as Impact Tv a half hour variety program, featuring peculiar stories from around the world.

    As mentioned, Germany saw two deals for GRB: ProSieben renewed three seasons of true romantic crime series, Wicked Attraction, and licensed S6 for the first time while Discovery Germany acquired Untold Stories of the E.R, marking the first time the program airs in the country.

    AETN acquired S9 of true crime investigative series, On the Case for the U.K. while Middle East channel OSN acquired 6 hours of Top Travel, showcasing luxurious international travel. MNET took three docu-series for Africa: For Peete's Sake; Mind Your Business, and The Book of John Grey.

    Woodle stated: “GRB Studios has been answering the global call for premium factual content during these trying times of Covid-19. We are thrilled to partner with Pluto LatAm, offering over 225 hours of Spanish-language programming in a variety of genres. And our own GRB-produced series, Untold Stories of the E.R. just premiered in its 127th country.  From GRB’s catalog of over 4,000 hours of audience-favorite programming, we offer something intriguing and entertaining for everyone, everywhere.”

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  • Celebrate Krishnashtami with Zee Telugu’s ‘Krishna Krishna’ on 9th August

    Celebrate Krishnashtami with Zee Telugu’s ‘Krishna Krishna’ on 9th August

    In an effort to lighten the impact of the surging COVID-19 pandemic in the Telugu states, Zee Telugu celebrates in the holy month of Sravana with the telecast of Krishna Krishna this Sunday. A day that witnesses the devotees form human pyramids to break the dahi handi can now honor this festive day with friends and family by watching Krishna Krishna on 9th of August at 6 PM only on Zee Telugu and Zee Telugu HD.

    Zee Telugu’s most cherished and dynamic anchors, Ravi and Shyamala took the opportunity to welcome the stars by hosting this exceptional event. They increase the entertainment quotient by celebrating the festival with a blend of fun activities and utti kottadam (human pyramid formation) on-screen, along with a unique set of performances by the stars. 

    A surprise element in the celebratory event is when Hitler Gari Pellam cast Nirupam Paritala, Gomathi Priya along with Sunanda Malasetti, Keerthi Jaidhanush and Madhukrishna make an unexpected appearance. Hitler Gari Pellam i.e. the Bhanumathi of the television performs on the iconic dialogue and song ‘Bhanumathi – one piece’ and ‘Vachinde mellaga vachinde’ from Fidaa. Additionally, there is a spending medley act on Lord Krishna by Adarsh, Priyanka, Anusha and Satya.

    The celebration also includes a soulful performance from anchor Shyamala from film Gulabi. Forbye, Mangli’s expectational performance is applauded by the Zee Telugu family. 

    Tune in to watch ‘Krishna Krishna’ on Sunday, 9th August at 6 PM, only on Zee Telugu and Zee Telugu HD.

    As we welcome the new normal and further our entertainment proposition, we urge the audience to stay safe and continue enjoying their favorite shows at the comfort of their homes

    To enjoy the show, subscribe to Zee Telugu, available in the Zee Prime Pack at Rs. 20 per month

    To ensure you do not miss out on your favorite Zee Telugu shows, choose the Zee Prime Pack that includes Zee Telugu, and Zee Cinemalu alongside 7 other top channels of the Zee Network that cater to the daily entertainment needs of your entire family at Rs. 20 per month only. For further information, contact your DTH or Cable operator.

  • OkCupid rolls out new product feature Stacks

    OkCupid rolls out new product feature Stacks

    NEW DELHI: This week OkCupid is rolling out the biggest mobile app redesign globally in the brand’s history, including playful icons and a new matching system — “Stacks” —  that consolidates multiple discovery methods into one, making it even more fun to find the type of person you’re looking for.

    The new Stacks discovery experience shows you, people, in a focused, thoughtful way, and gives you choice and control over who you’re dating through a series of new categories:

    Recommended
    Question Pros
    Online
    Nearby
    New People (paid)
    Popular (paid)
    Match % (coming soon)
    We know that one of the hardest parts of dating is actually finding your person — so when we began reimagining what our platform could become, we kept that top of our mind. Now users can easily tap into each of the above categories to find someone based on who and what they’re looking for.

    Our Question Pros Stack is an industry first, recognizing higher-intent daters who, research shows, are

    more likely to want a meaningful relationship. Answering more questions is a sign of investment in the dating process and willingness to really get to know someone, which in turn signals that someone is ready to be in a meaningful relationship so we wanted to be sure to include a Stack category that celebrated these users. Our matching questions help us connect people with those they’re most compatible with, encourage people to really think about what’s important to them in dating and relationships, and localize and personalize the experience for our users around the world. And there’s been over 295 million responses to our matching questions this year (8+ billion responses since we launched).

    And Stacks really does work! Since we began testing Stacks, women on OkCupid started sending 2X as many likes as they were previously! And while women are more likely to use the Questions Pro Stack, the most popular Stacks are Online and Nearby.

    So whether you're looking to chat with someone who you have a high Match % with (which means we think you'll really like them), who’s Online Now or even Nearby, “Stacks” makes it easier and more fun.

    OkCupid CEO Ariel Charytan said: “We know that daters are looking for different things at different times, and we want to empower people on OkCupid to choose their own preferences as they match on what matters to them. Over the years, we’ve spoken to millions of daters and successful couples, and through these conversations we learned that people want control over their own path. When creating “Stacks” we aimed to put the power back into the hands of our daters. They’re in control, we just gave them the map to navigate their own dating and relationship journey.”