Mumbai: Tata Communications, a global digital ecosystem enabler, today announces completion of the acquisition of The Switch Enterprises LLC (The Switch) through its wholly owned international subsidiary Tata Communications (Netherlands) B.V. The US $58.8 Mn (₹486.3 Crores) cash transaction has been closed post customary adjustments and regulatory approvals.
Tata Communications, through its wholly owned international subsidiary Tata Communications (Netherlands) B.V. entered into a definitive agreement to acquire 100 per cent equity stake in New York-headquartered The Switch Enterprises LLC on 22 December 2022.
With the close of this transaction, the combined strength of Tata Communications and The Switch is set to usher in a new world of end-to-end video production and transmission of high-quality, high-speed, and more immersive live video experiences for viewers and fans from event venues and racetracks to screens across varied equipment such as televisions, mobile devices, etc.
“Immersive video experiences in real-time are going to be the next game changer for enterprises, and our combined expertise will make for a formidable force creating shared value for all,” said Tata Communications chief strategy officer Tri Pham. “We’re gearing to bring more powerful platforms for sports federations and broadcasters to help them deliver fast-paced, always-on and interactive entertainment forms for viewers across borders. We’re extremely pleased to welcome The Switch team to Tata Communications.”
Tata Communications global head of media & entertainment business Dhaval Ponda added, “Tata Communications and The Switch are now a powerhouse with the combination of live production capabilities, global edge platform dedicated for media & entertainment industry along with end-to-end managed services. These are exciting times in the world of video production for us to make a difference for enterprises and engage consumers. Together, we are leveraging the expertise of both companies to bring some never-before-known experiences for fans globally – whether they are playing e-sports, watching a live tournament or live streaming a concert. We welcome and wish our colleagues from The Switch all the very best for their future.”
The Switch president & CEO Eric Cooney said, “The Switch is a market leader offering live production and transmission services to hundreds of customers in the United States and abroad. This acquisition by Tata Communications is a key milestone in our growth journey and enables us to expand our horizons. Together with Tata Communications, we are excited to step up our customers’ growth journeys, enhance viewer experiences and expand globally.”
With the completion of this transaction, The Switch Enterprises joins the Media and Entertainment Services (MES) business of Tata Communications under the leadership of Ponda.
Mumbai: By combining TO THE NEW’s VideoReady OTT solution with Vionlabs’ Cognitive AI solutions, this partnership aims to enhance the digital and technical capabilities and innovation ecosystem in OTT services, providing personalised content discovery based on the emotions each content category invokes to subscribers.
Manish heads the OTT Solutions & Services business at TO THE NEW. With his deep understanding of the media value chain, Manish focuses on helping global media customers create better content, achieve higher monetisation & drive highly efficient media operations. Manish comes from a strong Strategy & Consulting background with deep media industry knowledge.
Indiantelevisoin.com caught up with the To The New vice president & business head – OTT solutions & services Manish Sinha.
Edited excerpts
On-demand for OTT solutions and services changed since the start of the pandemic
The pandemic restricted mobility and made people confined to their homes. As a result, the people had more free time at their disposal and they needed some entertainment to kill their time. This led to a sudden surge in demand and consumption for streaming services such as Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, and Hulu. This surge in demand intensified the race and competition for releasing new content and features on the OTT platforms which resulted in high demand for OTT solutions and services across engineering and content.
We were quick to notice and respond to the trend to be able to meet evolving and rapidly growing industry needs. We ramped up our OTT engineering team significantly by additional hiring and internal movements from teams serving other industries, such as travel and hospitality and retail, that were facing a slowdown due to the pandemic. We also ramped up our media services team to be able to support our large OTT clients with content operations that are required after any large content deals and there were during and post-pandemic period.
Additionally, due to rapid growth, competition and the need for speed in the industry, we significantly revamped our VideoReady OTT solution to be able to deliver our customers the speed and agility needed while having them meet their business needs of user experience and monetisation.
On the recent work that TO THE NEW has worked on in the OTT industry
These are interesting times in the OTT space. The OTT euphoria that we saw in the last few years has slowed down and OTT businesses are looking to find their niche to stand out and aim for profitability and long-term sustainability. Based on the market needs and priorities, TO THE NEW picked up three key areas over the past 12-18 months – Monetisation, Sports Streaming and FAST. Additionally, we have always focussed on delivering a fully integrated solution with full ownership to be able to deliver business value to our customers.
On monetisation, TO THE NEW launched a Monetisation-as-a-Service solution that enables new levers and multi-dimensional monetization for both subscription and advertising-based streaming services.
With a growing demand for sports streaming and innovations in the space, we launched VideoReady Sports with a reimagined sports experience and high fan engagement features.
We recently also launched the VideoReady FAST solution that provides content owners with tech for creating channels for FAST-based platforms such as Pluto TV, Roku Channel, Xumo etc.
The main challenge across all areas is the fact that the industry is used to OTT implementations with a mix of point solutions that don’t provide an integrated approach for achieving business objectives and there’s always resistance to disrupt such fragile implementations. The greenfield implementations done by us though have created success stories that help us convince our brownfield customers of the value and long-term benefit of an integrated solution approach.
On the biggest opportunities for growth in the OTT industry over the next few years
The biggest opportunity for OTT lies in the holistic use of data and analytics to create differentiation, unique user experience and multi-dimensional monetisation. TO THE NEW understands this imperative well and is building solutions and positioning itself in this direction to be more and more relevant to the industry.
The industry will start moving away from point solutions-based implementations to more integrated solutions that aggregate data from all parts of the OTT value chain and unleash insights and actionable that deliver the real business outcome. TO THE NEW has been enhancing and expanding its VideoReady OTT solution in that direction where it can be an end-to-end but bespoke solution for the customer as per their business shape and size.
On TO THE NEW USP and the key factors setting it apart in the cluttered market
Our USP is our deep understanding of the OTT domain and our speed of delivery. We have been working in the OTT space for over a decade now and we understand the whole OTT value chain including the involved technologies, the processes and business nuances. This knowledge helps us understand, consult, and design customer needs much faster with a first-time-right model and helps us deliver to them at speed.
On the UX and design applications for OTT by TO THE NEW
User Experience is one of the three key pillars of any OTT platform with the other two being Content and Monetisation. TO THE NEW has designed multiple OTT applications across small are large screen devices for its customers, across the globe, that includes GEC and Sports Broadcasters, Film and TV Production Studios, Sports Leagues, Publishers, Gaming companies and Fitness Studios.
On the importance of cloud infrastructure and technology in developing and managing OTT platforms
OTT is an infra and tech-heavy business and content and cloud are the two biggest cost components for any OTT platform. Within the cloud, streaming is the biggest cost component and requires high scalability and flexibility. The cloud provides this necessary scalability and flexibility in a business where the highs and lows, growth and concurrency of users can vary significantly. Similarly, the content processing-related infra requirement is high whenever there’s a new large content deal and hence this need for flexibility and consumption-based costing is there as well. The OTT businesses are difficult to imagine in a not-cloud setup.
TO THE NEW, a premium partner for all top public cloud providers brings deep cloud expertise and leverages it to design and deploy a solution that uses cloud in very robust and efficient ways. It also provides a multi-cloud strategy for large players where needed to be based on business needs.
Mumbai: NDL Ventures Limited (NDL – formerly known as NXTDIGITAL Limited) today announced that the Shareholders of the Company, through the e-voting process which commenced on 20 March and concluded on 19 April have approved the appointment of Sachin Pillai as director on the Board of the Company. Pillai brings with him significant experience in the financial services sector and more particularly in the NBFC sector.
The company also announced that it has received all necessary approvals for the change of the name of the Company from NXTDIGITAL Limited to NDL Ventures Limited.
Both the above actions are in line with the company’s objective of becoming a financial services company and also supplement the proposed merger.
The Board of Directors today recommended a final dividend of 20 per cent per equity share of face value of Rs 10 per share.
MWith respect to the proposed merger of Hinduja Leyland Finance Limited (HLFL) with the company, the Board of directors of the Company had approved the Draft Scheme of Arrangement of Company with HLFL at their meeting held on 25 November 2022. The Scheme of Arrangement has been filed with regulatory authorities seeking their approval, namely, Reserve Bank of India, Competition Commission of India, Bombay Stock Exchange Limited, Securities and Exchange Board of India and other authorities. No sooner the approvals are received, the necessary applications will be filed with Hon’ble National Company Law Tribunal.
The company posted a Profit after Tax of Rs 27.40 lakhs for the year ended 31 March 2023. These results are post the transfer of the Digital Media & Communications business undertaking to Hinduja Global Solutions Limited and therefore arrived on the reduced balance sheet of the Company as presently in place in the transition phase.
Mumbai: The Head of Content for Disney+ Hotstar and Disney Star HSM Entertainment Network, Gaurav Banerjee, spoke at The Content Hub event held at The Lalit in Mumbai on April 25, 2023. During a fireside chat with Anil NM Wanvari, the founder, CEO, and editor-in-chief of Indiantelevision.com Group, Banerjee discussed the changing landscape of content consumption and how Disney+ Hotstar approaches content creation.
Banerjee shared his experience of working at Star in the early days of his career and talked about the evolution of television content over the years. He mentioned a program called Saas Bahu Aur Saazish that was being discussed and how it was considered strange to cover television shows as news. Banerjee also mentioned that the show has completed 20 years recently and is one of the markers of how the industry has changed over the years.
Banerjee said, “We’re Storytellers to the Nation”. He stated that Disney+ Hotstar is focused on creating high-quality branded content for both television and streaming platforms. He emphasized that the company does not view the two platforms as competing mediums but rather as complementary distribution channels.
When asked about how Disney+ Hotstar balances the content shown on television and streaming platforms, Banerjee explained that the company focuses on creating great stories rather than the distribution medium leaving the choice of platform with the consumer. He also touched upon the importance of talent and how Disney+ Hotstar rationalizes its costs.
Banerjee responded to Wanvari’s question about the rise of original content on streaming platforms by saying that In India, they produce around 20,000 hours of content on television every year in India, with over 90% of it being featured on Hotstar too. Despite this, they felt that as an expert business, they needed to establish a distinct brand for Hotstar that focused on high-quality storytelling separate from their television brands. Thus, they launched Hotstar Specials four years ago, and have invested heavily in shows like Rudra, Criminal Justice, and the biggest shows in partnership with Applause. This has resulted in a significant increase in the quality of the platform’s content, with the goal of creating exclusive content that people will believe is worth paying for.
On Disney Star’s regional content strategy, Banerjee stated that regional content is critical to their growth in India. The company recognized early on that expanding its content strategy to multiple languages, not just Hindi, was necessary to drive significant growth in India. As a result, they scaled up the teams and presence in each of these languages, with strong number one or close number two TV channels in all the major regional markets. Disney Star continues to invest heavily in building them into massive storytelling forces. They are currently working to create a similar presence and aura on Disney+ Hotstar, as they have already expanded the programming from predominantly Hindi to four different languages. They are incredibly proud of the diverse content that Disney+ Hotstar is creating in Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam, among others.
Banerjee highlighted the achievements of original content in Tamil, such as “November Story,” “Kana Kaanum Kalangal”; “Parampara,” and “Jhansi” in Telugu. Additionally, “Bigg Boss,” has been produced in multiple languages, including Malayalam, where Disney+ Hotstar has seen success by acquiring features such as “Mukundan Unni Associates,” “Malikappuram,” “Romancham”.
In discussing longevity, Banerjee highlighted the success of their renowned show, “Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai,” which has aired over 4000 episodes across a span of 13 years. He expressed his admiration for the show’s phenomenal performance, consistently ranking among the top five and top ten shows in the country for over a decade. The shows they work with are incredible, filled with love, excitement, energy, and a commitment to storytelling that excites him.
Regarding “Anupama,” Banerjee noted that their goal was to change the usual formula of shows anchored around women and their married lives, with protagonists generally in their 30s. They aimed to tell the story of a mother who tries to balance a series of challenges and responsibilities that come her way every day, and how she overcomes feeling unappreciated for not having a professional existence outside of her home. The show’s objective was for everyone to relate to the story, find some inspiration for self-improvement, and see that the person on the screen is someone who could be in their house or vicinity, possibly their mother.
Mumbai: Dwibhashyam was speaking at Indiantelevision.com’s annual industry event, The Content Hub in Mumbai on Tuesday, in conversation with Associate Editor, Kalpana Ravi. The conversation was around documentaries are and how DocuBay, today, caters to the English speaking audiences and acquiring international content, Dwibhashyam said,
“We have a catalogue of international documentaries, which has been acquired and curated from all over the world from some of the leading factual entertainment creators. The platform has been here for the last four years, working hard on the product and content curation. Today, we are looking at an app, which is the go to destination for international documentaries in India, and among the very few internationally, to cater to the segment. I can confidently say that we own the space in India, and we own a large chunk of documentary viewership around the world as a dedicated platform for international documentaries.”
Ravi goes on to ask, when it comes to documentaries, which is very huge internationally, what is the kind of audience in India are attracted towards documentaries, Dwibhashyam goes on to say, “In India, we have around 690 million internet users, in general, if we consider the 1.4 billion population, it is estimated that 250 million people who speak English or understand English. So if we do the math, then out of 690 million, and we are looking at 250 million internet speaking or understanding individuals within India, so we are looking at 35 to 40 per cent of Internet users who understand English language, and that is the kind of addressable audience we are looking at. So hence, we believe that documentaries are very much mainstream, and till now, they have been, funnelled into a very narrow pipe of broadcast. But now because of internet, things are opened up. I think the biggest testimony for how popular factual entertainment is, if you look at some of the top five content creators on YouTube, almost three to four out of the top five are non-fiction content creators. That’s the kind of demand we are looking at and we cater to the non-fiction space and documentary which in one form in which we are offering factual entertainment.”
“Presently as of now we are sticking to English language, but we are not ruling out on dubbing these documentaries in other languages as well. So definitely, that’s something that’s on the cards, but as I said, the addressable market for us, even with the current content that we have, is quite deep and, the biggest example for that is the kind of numbers we are seeing on our D2C platform and with our partners, which include some of the leading Telco’s and aggregator platforms as well. So considering that eyeballs I think, I think we have just started the journey. I think language is definitely something which we will think about soon,” Dwibhashyam said.
Asked by Ravi if they would invest money in producing home-grown documentaries in India. I think there are enough filmmakers here who will be interested in your answer. Dwibhashyam, went on and said, “Definitely, I think that’s a natural progression for an OTT to start with acquire content and then go on to create its own original content, that’s exactly what we are doing. As we speak, we have already green lit multiple projects and some of the projects are on floor and in the next couple of months, we’ll start seeing almost monthly releases of our original documentaries, these documentaries will be a reflection of the brand DocuBay and what the brand stands for. These documentaries are an opportunity for us to kind of exploit the learnings that we’ve had with respect to what users are watching on our platform all these years. Presently, a lot of research is being done as we speak. So I think what we are expecting to see something that that we hope to be proud of.”
On the question of is the rise in documentary viewing increased during the past three years, and is it due to viewer fatigue by Ravi, Dwibhashyam said, “Yes you hit the nail on the head. Today if you’re talking about web series, almost every OTT is churning out a new series on fictions, every single week and there’s a lot happening within the fiction space. But I think that there is a fatigue among the viewer, especially over the last two, three years since the pandemic started, where they’re now exposed to so much of the same stuff, that they want to try out something new, they want to watch something different. Today, Indians are more knowledgeable, and a much more knowledge seeking Indian, they care about what’s happening in the world. Everyone is voicing their opinion on social media and aware as to what’s happening in the moment. Documentaries cater to this curious mind. We are just at the right space at the right time. Not too early, not too late. But I think there is a wave happening.”
Mumbai: Aamir Mulani Founder & CEO Playbox TV was speaking at Indiantelevision.com’s annual industry event, The Content Hub in Mumbai on Tuesday, in conversation with Associate Editor, Kalpana Ravi. Playbox TV was launched three years back. Basically, the idea was about bringing OTT and live TV into a single platform so that consumers can pay one single subscription to enjoy their television and OTT on a single platform. Till today, we have almost partnered with 26 Plus apps, and we are selling subscription for them. Similarly, we are activating more than 450 plus live TV channels, Mulani said.
“So, for a consumer, it is very simple, the consumer Playbox TV subscription is 30 to 40 per cent cheaper from the market. So that is the benefit for the consumer, other than that content creators. We have an existing distribution platform and Playbox TV is being bundled with 600 plus ISPs in the country and they are bundling this with their broadband connection. Similarly Playbox can get smaller ISPs to bundle OTT subscriptions and content creators and use this as a distribution channel. We are available in all the major pin codes in the country and more than 3.5 Crore pamphlets are getting printed every quarter and this kind of branding can be used to reach out to newer audiences.”
Mulani added on and said, “The subscription is between 399 and 999 and depends on the package a consumer takes. If a consumer has a broadband connection then Playbox TV is free. If you have a 100 Mbps connection and you get six OTT apps and if you have a 200 Mbps connection, you get 14 OTT Apps. OTT is like VAS for the consumer, it is also helping ISP to sell more, because the consumer who is getting a broadband connection for the house is now wanting to watch Prime, or Netflix or any other GEC. A consumer who has been watching only TV is now exposed to broadband, and he no longer wants appointment viewing and does not want to pay different subscription for different platforms. So Playbox becomes very convenient for them. We have partners across India, the reason is we can reach where the bigger Telcos cannot reach to the remotest locations in the country because of the optical fibre dependency. Content creators can use this existing distribution channel to reach out to audiences and also get paid for it.”
Ravi then asked, content producers with say probably few serials or movies can come onto Playbox TV to reach out to a wider audience, Mulani said, “Definitely in the last financial year, we sold almost 1.8 million subscriptions, and these are from a smaller town, ISP and cable operators who never thought they could also sell a broadband connection bundled with OTT. This is a more granular approach, any OTT player can create content. I believe the best part is that we have almost 180 Plus local channels and they are not available on DTH. So for example, a guy who has a small news channel in the interior of Maharashtra once he comes on to our App, then the content is accessible across India. That is the benefit of Playbox.”
“My game plan is very simple. I want to be consistent in what we are doing, and I want to add more and more partners to the network. Presently we have 26 OTT Apps, but soon we will be 200 as new OTT Apps are coming into that deal. Apart from that we are also opening channels for individual creators. So for example, if you create a short film, you can come to the App and with a click of a button, you can create your own OTT App on Playbox TV and put your content and that content will be bundled with the existing ISP and Cable Operators. That is my vision.” said Mulani.
“Today Netflix and Amazon have not yet realised the potential of New India because Bharat lies in Tier 2 & 3 cities of the country and Netflix and Amazon are still figuring out that Tier 1 is their market. But if they come to PlayBox TV their content will be exposed to a larger audience,” concluded Mulani.
Mumbai: Noventiq (LSE: NVIQ), a global solutions and services provider in digital transformation and cybersecurity, has appointed Satpreet Singh as its chief financial officer for its India division. Satpreet will lead Noventiq India’s finance strategy and operations.
With 20+ years of experience in the Finance segment, Singh brings a wealth of knowledge and skills to Noventiq. Singh is a seasoned professional and Chartered Accountant with a proven track record of enabling companies to accelerate their growth and to scale up sustainably.
Singh will be responsible for developing and leading a team of finance professionals for Noventiq India. He is a seasoned professional who brings a huge expertise in financial strategy in India, optimization of financial resources, and simplification of processes. He will take on this role in collaboration with Noventiq India’s senior management. He will work closely with Noventiq India senior VP Vinod Nair, while reporting to Noventiq global CFO Burak Ozer.
Noventiq CEO Herve Tessler said, “We are delighted to welcome our new CFO for our India operations, Satpreet Singh. India is our largest [region/country] and one of our top priority markets. Satpreet will play a critical role in driving our profitable growth and development in the region. With a deep understanding of India’s business landscape and its people, Satpreet is well-equipped to lead on our ambitious financial priorities for Noventiq India. We look forward to working closely with Satpreet who, along with Vinod and the rest of our team in the market, will help Noventiq to achieve our goals and build a better future for our company and the communities we serve.”
Noventiq India senior vice president Vinod Nair said, “Noventiq has a very significant operation in India and is constantly re-inventing its offerings focused on its clients’ needs and scaling its operations. Finance is a great enabler in this journey and will help drive the accelerated profitable growth that we are targeting. Satpreet’s in-depth understanding of the current accounting practices and trends in capital raising, change management, and business partnering will be incredibly beneficial in guiding the organisation in the right direction – towards success. We are happy to welcome him onboard and look forward to working with him to reach new heights.”
Singh said, “Noventiq’s strategies, innovation, and use of cutting-edge technology are unparalleled. The company is constantly looking to improvise and streamline its operations to grow and thrive in the market in the long run. I am thrilled to commence the next phase of my career with Noventiq and look forward to working closely with the team to achieve our collective goals.”
Since 2014, Noventiq India has transformed from a small team of two employees generating $2 million in revenue to a powerhouse with around 2,500 employees and $315M in turnover growth, as published in the first half of our FY2022 results.
It is one of the fastest-growing and most important operations in the company, and has played a key role in the business’ overall success. The impressive growth of Noventiq India is also due to some important strategic acquisitions, including: Embee, Umbrella Infocare, ValuePoint Systems, and G7CR. These acquisitions have helped to expand the organisation’s reach and capabilities, and have solidified its position as a leader in the industry. With such a strong foundation and talented team, Noventiq India is well-positioned for continued success in the years to come.
Mumbai: In a constant endeavour to propel the kids’ category with indigenous stories that are a product of insights, creative storytelling, great animation and endearing Nicktoons such as Chikoo aur Bunty, Happy & Pinaki – The Bhoot Bandhus, Motu Patlu, Shiva, and Rudra, Nickelodeon enjoys a cumulative network share of 31% within the genre with Nick leading the category for 9 consecutive years. Further strengthening its content game and enticing kids this summer, the kids’ franchise gears up to announce the launch of two new IPs, ‘Abhimanyu Ki Alien Family’ on Nick and ‘Kanha – Morpankh Samrat’ on Sonic.
‘Abhimanyu Ki Alien Family’, the only alien show in the kids’ category, is a sci-fi comedy series based around the alien Abhimanyu and his team of three, who embark on a mission to learn about the unique cultures and ways of life on Earth. In the series, the alien team faces troubles as they try to blend in with humans in their human form, make friends, hide their identity, and overcome adverse situations and threats. ‘Kanha – Morpankh Samrat’ on the other hand is a captivating mythological series that chronicles the adventures of young Krishna and his famous tales, showcasing his journey as a son, warrior, hero, friend, and brings alive his playful and mischievous antics.
Indiantelevision.com caught up with Anu Sikka, Head – Creative, Content & Research, Kids TV Network, Viacom18 at the launch of the shows. She speaks to us about the creative idea behind the shows, researches on what children want to watch and much more.
Edited excerpts:
On Abhimanyu Ki Alien Family on Nick and Kanha – Morpankh Samrat’ on Sonic. Why on two different platforms?
We did not want to put all our ammunition on one channel. Nick has been number one for nine years and we want to make sure that Sonic is back to number two. We have two strong shows and the biggest market share; hence the division of two shows on two different platforms. The effort invariably is to offer new shows on both platforms.
Abhimanyu is a character with various powers and there is nothing like that on Nick; moreover, we do not have any mythological show on either of the platforms. Kanha – Morpankh Samrat goes on on Sonic as there hasn’t been a new show on the platform for some time.
On doing a mythological Kanha – Morpankh Samrat’ now
There was a saturation point around mythological content around 2008 – 2009. It is a whitespace and we have created it very differently. There have been characters like Hanuman and Ganesha, but it was contemporary and showcases the character in today’s time. These are pure age-old stories of Krishna, and have been told as is. We have found our own way of storytelling. The soul of the character is intact, and is in pure Hindi. It is not spoken Hindi, which is normally used in most of the other shows. When it comes to music, the name Kanha/Krishna will come to our minds. It is presented in a way that is different from any other show.
On the language of the show being pure Hindi, especially for Kanha
Abhimanyu is contemporary Hindi and at times Hinglish. There are certain times when we use English words which kids normally use when they’re speaking to each other. But for a show like Kanha, given that the subject demands it, we haven’t used contemporary language, English or even Urdu. We have been very mindful of this fact.
We believe that if we have to create a character, then we have to go all the way to make sure it comes across as authentic; whether it succeeds or fails, time will tell. The audience will love the language in Kanha. It is a risk we are willing to take.
On the improvement of animation and if they are looking at shows beyond animation
Well, for us, the proof is in the pudding. Being the number one channel and network is proof of whatever we have produced over the years. animation is not going to go out of fashion is another fact. Kanha is a show that we will launch simultaneously on GECs too. Animation as a genre is going beyond kids as well. There is a generation which has now grown up with animation. Today as an adult, they are not averse to watching animation, especially with their kids.
I see a very bright future and truly believe that animation as a genre will go beyond children, it probably will go even for the youth. Somebody has to pick up the bait and say, I’ll run with it, and say why not create an animated series for the youth. Anime is coming to the forefront and it is available in the market. We have a lot of anime content on Voot Kids, which we know is doing very well among teenagers.
Abhimanyu is being done for the first time in India, it’s new and has a very different look. We have not just pushed the envelope just in terms of storytelling, or the creation of characters, but even in terms of the animation quality. I think we are trying to push the boundary and trying to say that, we have done this, let’s try something new. Of course, it needs to have good economics behind it. As far as the quality of animation is concerned, you can go on endlessly. We will continue to push the envelope.
On the thought behind the shows and is there feedback from the kids on what they want to watch?
Well, we keep interacting with children on a regular basis and conduct various types of research, whether it’s regarding the shows that we launch, or ongoing shows. There are various format studies, which tell which are the characters which are very popular amongst children.
Kids need to be kept given something new and not old, tried and tested things. If they are going to watch the same content repeatedly on their favourite channel, they will move on beyond a point. We have to be very careful even when presenting a character which has a resemblance to another character. They are the first ones to catch on. So, we have to be very mindful.
On the characters being very relatable to the young kids.
The characters have to be relatable or aspirational for a child. A child is very clear when he looks at a particular character, either as a friend he wished he had or a character who could do magical things or who could solve all problems. The show Chico aur Bunty is a classic example; it has been the only show to be the number one in the kid’s category in the first week of launch and it stayed right there. It is because of the relatability every child was able to identify. We’ve tried to stay in that zone, the kids need to have that bonding with the character.
On the shows being on different time formats. You have also done various genres in various time limits. Is there a formula for this?
There is a logic which goes behind everything. So, for instance, with ‘Pakkadam Pakkadai’ we have experimented with silent comedy. As a matter of fact, internationally, it’s sold as a silent comedy. When it comes to silent comedies it is very difficult to pull off 11 minutes, it’s not possible to keep the pace of comedy going, and make sure that the audience does not lose interest. Hence, if there is a comedy like that, it could be anywhere from five to seven minutes.
When there is a good enough story to tell with a little bit of action, and humour then 11 minutes is a good format. For shows with intense drama and action then you will have to take it to 20 minutes to justify those action sequences. If you really believe that the scale of your story and the scale of the show is such that the focus is a lot on the action, then you need that kind of time where you’re able to justify the action and it leaves an impact on the child. There is a formula as to why we use different formats in terms of time duration for different kinds of shows.
On bringing an Alien as a centrepiece in Abhimanyu Ki Alien Family
We believed that aliens as characters resonates very well with the kids and with the adults also because it’s a mystery. We have heard stories about it since our childhood, and have read so many different stories, but it’s the unknown factor. Anything that is unknown always fascinates children and adults. There was also a need gap as no one had done something like this. We know for a fact that this alien character will appeal to children a lot, and hence, Abhimanyu and his family came along. It took us more than a year to create the show.
Mumbai: Anime culture in India is on the rise and it’s no surprise as to why. From classic series like Dragon Ball Z and Naruto to the newest and most popular shows such as Demon Slayer, Attack on Titan and Jujustsu Kaisen, anime has become increasingly popular in the country. In India, anime has become a source of entertainment and inspiration for many, with its storylines and captivating art styles.
Anime is often confused with cartoons, but it differs in many ways. One of the main differences between the two is that while anime uses hand-drawn images, cartoons are created using computer graphics. Another difference between these two terms is that while there are many genres available under the umbrella of anime, cartoons usually fall into one or two categories, such as comedy or adventure.
With the recent launch of the Animax channel on Jio TV, more people are beginning to explore the culture of anime in India and discover its hidden gems.
Indiantelevision.com has caught up with KC Global Media co-founder president & CEO George Chien on the launch of Animax and the growing animated content in India.
Edited excerpts:
On sharing a brief background about the company
Co-founded by Andy Kaplan and George Chien, KC Global Media is the leading entertainment network in Asia, with our portfolio of iconic entertainment brands comprising English-language general entertainment network, AXN; anime network Animax; South Korean entertainment network ONE; and Japanese entertainment network GEM. Our networks are available across 20 territories in the region, with each having its own fan following for action, anime, Japanese and Korean drama, and variety. KC Global Media are also proud producers of flagship original content such as Asia Got Talent, Amazing Race Asia, and AXN All Stars as well as unique fiction podcasts like Fey Hollow, and The Fairy Tale Murders.
On bringing animated content into the Indian market
Passionate fan petitions over the past several years demanded that KC Global Media bring Animax back to India, making premium anime content accessible to everyone. India’s adoption as a digital-first and 5G nation has also been key in driving growth opportunities as consumers are open to exploring more as content becomes more accessible across various platforms. The rise of the OTT industry will continue to soar further while affordable prices of OTT platforms in India continue to fuel the growth of demand from consumers across various demographics. Simply put, the fans demanded, and we found a way to deliver it.
On any remarkable change among the shift in consumer behaviour
With a fiercely competitive market, some streaming providers are focused on quantity over quality, which often results in a lack of quality programming. This results in consumers experiencing content fatigue, as options for content become overwhelming.
As content providers compete for consumers’ attention, consumers have become smarter, and demand premium content at value prices. The key to winning consumers is in creating great value propositions, and KC Global Media has been strategic in partnerships with national players, leading broadcasters, telcos, as well as regional and local platform operators to give the best value for consumers.
With the availability of content on various platforms, consumers can be picky in what they watch but are also open to exploring new genres of content. This shift in consumer behaviour has given KC Global Media an opportunity to showcase the best entertainment for our fans as we continue taking a “fan first” approach when we acquire content from studios around the world and bring it to them. We thrive on creating memorable experiences with our customers.
On creating animated content of Indian origin
We would absolutely be interested in exploring the possibility of developing Indian anime characters in collaboration with Indian creators and companies. As a matter of fact, we are in talks with various artists in India to create Indian originals that we believe can work locally, before we share it with the rest of the world. It’s an exciting process and it takes time to get it right.
On plans to collaborate with any major entertainment channel in India
Definitely, YES! At KC Global Media we take pride in promoting Asian artists and their works on a global scale. India already has a very robust entertainment industry in Bollywood but we also realize there are tons of passionate stories that are untold. We are talking to all the major entertainment networks as well as producers to find the right stories for our brands. This will again take time, so stay tuned.
On the current scenario of animation content in India
Anime has gained popularity through many YouTube channels and social media influencers who dedicate their love for anime. Local online anime communities have also grown in the past few years. Anime shown on popular streaming platforms has led to an increased popularity and consumption of the genre. However, the anime libraries of these streaming platforms are not as comprehensive, and more obscure anime are often overlooked, which is where KC Global Media comes in to fill the gap to anime fans through our channel offering and our position as the leading anime channel in Asia.
On expecting more animated content in the near future
Yes, of course! Animax is a brand focused on curating the best anime from Japan. However, we have continually expanded our capabilities on original animation creations in partnership with leading animation studios, but our offering will be dictated by the fans. Anime content costs have gone up significantly especially when global streamers are writing big checks. However, as we stay close to our fans, listen to what they’re asking for, KC Global Media will deliver the right content and memorable experiences that they have known to love over the years.
Mumbai: Disney Star president & head – network entertainment channels Kevin Vaz has put in his papers. His next move isn’t known yet.
Vaz took up his new role in September 2021. Prior to that, he was the head of infotainment, kids and regional entertainment channels at Star and Disney India. Before taking on that role, Vaz was the CEO – regional entertainment channels at STAR India.
It’s speculated that Vaz will be joining Viacom18.
