ITV

Category: Technology

  • Times Group channels hop on to OneAlliance bouquet

    Times Group channels hop on to OneAlliance bouquet

    MUMBAI: MSM Discovery (MSMD), the distribution joint venture between Sony‘s Multi Screen Media (MSM) and Discovery Communications, has entered into a multi-year distribution deal with Times Television Network (TTN) to strengthen its TheOneAlliance bouquet.

    The move comes close on the heels of IndiaCast-DisneyUTV JV that further consolidated the Indian television distribution space. The consolidation will help broadcasters to grow their pay-TV business as India moves towards digitisation of cable TV networks.

    The news and entertainment channels of TTN – Times Now, Movies Now, ET Now and zoOm – will now be exclusively distributed in India for collection of subscription revenue over the cable (analogue and digital), DTH, IPTV and HITS platforms as a part of TheOneAlliance bouquet. The deal between TTN and MSMD comes into effect from 6 February.

    The channels were earlier distributed by Prime Connect, the distribution joint venture between Times Group and media entrepreneur Yogesh Radhakrishnan.

    In a related development, Radhakrishnan has moved the Delhi High Court. The matter came up for hearing even today and will now resume on Monday.

    “The channels have terminated their distribution contract with Prime Connect and moved on to TheOneAlliance bouquet. This has weakened the JV and even made it redundant in that sense as it has no Times Group channels,” an industry source said on condition of anonymity.

    TTN will, however, undertake the marketing and channel penetration plans independently.

    Strengthening the OneAlliance bouquet

    The addition of TTN channels will strengthen TheOneAlliance’s English news offering which will include Times Now and TV Today Network’s Headlines Today. The bouquet will also have a business news channel in ET Now.

    The English movie channel offering will also get a boost with the addition of Movies Now as the bouquet already has Sony Pix. Further, zoOm will combine well with Hindi movie channel Max.

    MSMD President Rajesh Kaul says that the addition TTN channels will take the bouquet strength to 28 from 24 and more importantly will maintain the quality of the bouquet.

    “These are top channels in their respective categories and adding them will certainly strengthen the bouquet,” avers Kaul.
    Kaul said the immediate priority is to increase the penetration of TTN channels and monetise it in metro markets where these channels are well distributed.

    TTN MD and CEO Sunil Lulla said, “The Times Group and Multi Screen Media share a similar perspective on the broadcast industry and together we are poised to help grow the industry by ushering in transparency, value creation across the chain and by building strong brands.”

    TTN said its channels reach over 100 million viewers in 30 million urban Indian households.

    “As part of TheOneAlliance bouquet our channels will benefit from penetration in more homes and availability on a wider choice of packages. TTN and MSMD will together be able to effect realisation of a fair share of subscription revenue as well as grow ARPUs (Average Revenue per User) of our premium content offerings,” added Lulla.

    MSM CEO Man Jit Singh said, “TheOneAlliance is a robust distribution force and offers the best of entertainment to viewers. Addition of the TTN channels will further strengthen the bouquet and together we can ride the digitisation wave to maximize the true potential of the business.”

    MSMD already distributes 24 channels across genres including Hindi General Entertainment, Sports, Movies, Factual Entertainment, News, Bollywood, Reality, Action, Animation, Adventure and Lifestyle. Apart from MSM and Discovery channels, TheOneAlliance also distributes TV Today Network and Neo Sports broadcast network channels.

  • Russian telco signs three-year capacity deal with SES

    Russian telco signs three-year capacity deal with SES

    MUMBAI: Russia‘s leading mobile operators JSC VimpelCom (TM Beeline) has signed a three-year capacity deal with SES for additional capacity on NSS-9 satellite to deliver high-quality data services in the Russian Far East.

    The additional capacity onSES‘ NSS-9 satellite will be used to provide data services to VimpelCom‘s corporate clients based in the Kamchatka, Magadan and Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky regions, and also enable VimpelCom to optimise the use of satellite capacity for their 3G network in the Russian Far East and East Siberia region. In total, VimpelCom now contracts multiple transponders on the NSS-9 satellite.

    “VimpelCom uses satellite capacity to connect the nodes of its transmission network in the absence of ground infrastructure. Thanks to satellites, the company can deploy 3G networks and provide high-quality services to users in remote regions of the Russian Far East. We are happy to have such a reliable partner as SES,” said VimpelCom VP of Technical Services Igor Parfenov.

    “VimpelCom operates in some of the harshest areas of Russia, which are best served by satellites. The high-powered NSS-9 satellite and its comprehensive coverage over Russia has enabled SES to support VimpelCom as it continues to roll out 3G networks and provide data services in the eastern regions of Russia,” said SES Asia SVP Deepak Mathur, who is also responsible for data and mobility services.

  • Gaana.com pumps up music content via YRF, Magnasound and Unisys

    Gaana.com pumps up music content via YRF, Magnasound and Unisys

    MUMBAI: Gaana.com, Times Internet Limited‘s (TIL) digital music platform, has partnered Yash Raj Films, Magnasound, and Unisys Infosolutions to bolster its music library.

    The three partnerships will together add over 50,000 songs across categories, from major blockbuster movies like Jab Tak Hai Jaan and Ek Tha Tiger, to a variety of Punjabi hits like Aak Chak, Gal Sun and Tusi Bewafa, to the best of 1990s Indipop like Daler Mehndi and Baba Sehgal.

    Gaana.com head Avinash Mudaliar claimed that Gaana.com app has seen 200,000 downloads two weeks since it was launched on iOS, Android, Blackberry, and Nokia/Samsung phones.

    “On iPhone, we had 58,153 downloads. On Android, 69,456 downloads. On Nokia and Samsung phones, we had 69,674 downloads. On Blackberry devices, we had 5,115 downloads,” he disclosed.

    Mudaliar said that the company is working towards improving the stability of apps and adding new features.

    “On iPhone, the latest version (awaiting approval) will have AirPlay enabled, so you can stream music from your phone to your home devices. And on Android, the latest release adds a lot of stability, and some other incremental features,” he added.

  • Eclat launches online sports channel for Korean pro leagues

    Eclat launches online sports channel for Korean pro leagues

    MUMBAI: Eclat Entertainment has partnered YouTube to launch an online channel, Spotv, that will offer major Korean professional sports.

    The channel includes video content from Korean sports leagues Korean Baseball Organization (KBO), K-league soccer, and the Korean Basketball League, as well as international soccer leagues.

    The Spotv channel will feature over 4,000 hours of live sports event coverage and also include video-on-demand access to full length matches and highlights.

    This will make coverage of Korean sports leagues available to fans worldwide, who can watch the videos on their desktop computer, mobile phone, connected TV, or YouTube-enabled gaming device.

    “With the opening of this channel, fans of Korean sports both inside and outside of Korea now have control over how and when they access their favorite teams‘ matches,” said YouTube Sports Partnerships Asia Pacific Director John Vamvakitis. “The Spotv channel on YouTube is a leading example of how great sports content will be digitally distributed to fans, and we‘re excited to partner with Eclat in making this a reality.”

  • Videocond2h’s Amit Dhanuka joins IndiaCast as SVP for intl biz

    Videocond2h’s Amit Dhanuka joins IndiaCast as SVP for intl biz

    MUMBAI: IndiaCast Media Distribution, a joint venture between TV18 and Viacom18, has appointed Amit Dhanuka as senior vice president for their international business division.

    Based in Mumbai, Dhanuka will oversee Asia Pacific business, international syndication, outbound ad sales as well as content and commercial affairs.

    Prior to joining IndiaCast, Dhanuka was with Videocon D2H where he drove the content strategy, packaging and VAS. He comes with over 12 years of experience in media and entertainment. He has also worked with Sony Pictures Television International, E- City and the Zee Group.

    IndiaCast COO Gaurav Gandhi said, “We are delighted to have Amit on board with us. Given his diverse experience both on the content and commercial side in media and broadcast, we are confident that he will play a very key role as we take our international business to the next level.”

    Dhanuka said, “IndiaCast has made a tremendous mark since its launch and I hope to build on that. I look forward to working with the team and bring in a new perspective for the growth of this fast growing organisation.”

  • Airtel Digital TV Q3 operating profit up amid strong subscriber growth

    Airtel Digital TV Q3 operating profit up amid strong subscriber growth

    MUMBAI: Airtel Digital TV, Bharti Airtel‘s direct-to-home (DTH) arm, continued to post operating profit for the second straight quarter amid healthy net subscription additions and a rise in ARPUs while churn rate has improved.

    The operating profit was at Rs 147 million in the fiscal third-quarter ended 31 December, up from Rs 33 million in the trailing three-month period.

    Airtel Digital TV added net 439,000 subscribers compared to a weak earlier quarter in which it grew just 55,000 new customers.

    “Digitisation and the festive season helped us grow our subscriber base in the third quarter. We expect this quarter (beginning January) to be good. Some of the gains from digitisation (38 cities by 31 March as mandated by government), though, will be captured in April,” Airtel Digital TV chief executive officer Shashi Arora told Indiantelevision.com.

    Airtel Digital TV‘s subscriber base grew 6 per cent to total 7.9 million.

    The company narrowed its fiscal third quarter loss before tax and interest to Rs 1.83 billion from Rs 2.23 billion in the earlier quarter. Revenue grew 29 per cent to Rs 4.28 billion from Rs 3.94 billion.

    A striking feature this quarter has been how Airtel Digital TV has lifted its average revenue per user (ARPU) while at the same time improving its churn rate. ARPU increased 5 per cent to Rs 186 from Rs 177 in the previous quarter. The monthly churn decreased to 1.3 per cent in the third quarter from 1.9 per cent.

    The improvement in ARPU has been achieved through product innovations, pricing corrections and upselling.

    “Our HD (high definition) contribution is relatively higher than the other DTH companies. This has led to a rise in ARPUs for us,” said Arora.

    Dish TV, India‘s largest DTH operator by subscribers, marginally increased its ARPU to Rs 160 from Rs 159 in the trailing quarter.

    During the quarter ended 31 December, Airtel Digital TV incurred a capital expenditure of Rs 1.35 billion in digital TV services.

  • Netflix makes first episode of ‘House of Cards’ available to non-members for one month

    Netflix makes first episode of ‘House of Cards’ available to non-members for one month

    MUMBAI: OTT service provider Netflix has made available to everyone in its territories the first episode of the drama series ‘House of Cards‘ to enjoy for one month.

    Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos said, “The creative team in front of and behind the camera have delivered a riveting 13-chapter narrative that we‘re proud to present to Netflix members today. By offering the first episode for free, including to non-members, we are opening up this fascinating world for everyone to see and are confident they‘ll want more.”

    Current Netflix members are now able to watch the entire 13-episode first season of the drama series, in territories where Netflix is available – U.S., Canada, U.K., Ireland, Latin America, Brazil and the Nordics.

    From director David Fincher ‘The Social Network‘, who directed the first two episode ‘House of Cards‘ is based on the BBC miniseries of the same name. This political drama starring Kevin Spacey Robin Wright and Kate Mara slithers beneath the curtain and through the back halls of greed, sex, love and corruption in modern Washington D.C.

    The show explores power, ambition and the American way. Francis Underwood (Spacey) is the House Majority Whip. Underwood is the politician‘s politician – masterful, beguiling, charismatic and ruthless. He and his equally ambitious wife Claire (Wright) stop at nothing to ensure their ascendancy.

  • Sky strengthens movie offering with SPT deal

    Sky strengthens movie offering with SPT deal

    MUMBAI: UK pay TV service provider Sky has further strengthened its movie offering through a new deal with Sony Pictures Television (SPT) that will provide customers with access to movies like ‘Men in Black 3‘, ‘The Amazing Spider-Man‘ and ‘Django Unchained‘ before any other TV channel or subscription service.

    Under the terms of the multi-year agreement, Sky Movies will be the first subscription service in the UK and Ireland to screen new movies from Sony Pictures, including upcoming titles such as Smurfs 2, This is the End and After Earth. Sky Movies customers will be able to enjoy exclusive subscription access to Sony Pictures‘ new releases around six months after they have ended their run in cinemas. Once on Sky Movies, the titles will be exclusively available for at least a year.

    Alongside the new releases, Sky Movies customers will also get access to an extensive collection of classic films from the Sony Pictures library, including the first three Spiderman movies, The Da Vinci Code and Bad Santa, available on an exclusive basis while they are on the service.

    Continuing Sky‘s commitment to offer customers new ways of accessing Sky content, the full range of new and classic titles included in the agreement will be available to Now TV customers with a Sky Movies monthly pass. NOW TV, Sky‘s internet TV service, offers easy and flexible access to Sky Movies across many connected platforms and devices.

    All movies will be available on demand, on Sky Go, HD, and, where available, 3D, further enhancing the viewing experience and adding more value for Sky customers. For customers who want to take movies with them on the move, the films will also be available on Sky‘s new subscription service Sky Go Extra. For Â?5 a month, Sky Go Extra customers can download movies and entertainment shows to their smartphone, mobile tablet, laptop or MacBook.

    Alongside access to the first pay TV window titles, the two parties have also agreed a non-exclusive deal for pay-per-view movies, which will be available to Sky customers through Sky Movies Box Office and on demand through Sky Store. Through these services, all Sky customers can rent Sony Pictures titles, from the latest movies – many at the same time as they are available on DVD – through to an extensive library of classic films.

    Customers who subscribe to Sky Movies via Virgin Media, UPC and TalkTalk will also be able to enjoy the full range of subscription films from Sony Pictures.

    Sky Movies director Ian Lewis said, “We‘re delighted to have secured Sony Pictures content for our customers, further extending our leadership in movies. We are committed to providing our customers with the biggest and best movies, available to watch when and how they want. That‘s why Sky Movies customers enjoy access to the biggest movies first, in HD, on demand, on the go and in 3D. And with the launch of Sky Go Extra, they can now even download movies to their smartphones and tablets to watch offline.”

  • IPTV Q4 growth decelerates in the US: Study

    IPTV Q4 growth decelerates in the US: Study

    MUMBAI: The growth of the US Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) market continued to decelerate in the fourth quarter of 2012, due to the impact of Hurricane Sandy and the slowing expansion of Verizon‘s FiOS service.

    The two major US IPTV players, Verizon and AT&T, reported a combined gain of 326,000 video subscribers in the fourth quarter, down by 19 per cent from the 402,000 acquired during the same period in 2011, according to the IHS Screen Digest.

    This marked the second consecutive year of slowing subscriber growth in the fourth quarter, with the total for the last three months of 2011 down 7 percent from 430,000 in 2010, as presented in the figure below.

    For the year 2012, net subscriber adds for the two US IPTV services amounted to 1.3 million, down 14 per cent from 1.5 million in 2011.

    Through 2017, both the major US IPTV players will continue to see their subscriber gains moderate as the market becomes more mature. By 2017, IHS Screen Digest expects that IPTV in the United States will account for 13.4 million pay-TV households, or 10.8 per cent of all pay-TV subscribers.

    IHS senior analyst for television research Erik Brannon said, “Verizon‘s Fios accounted for the majority of the slowdown, as the fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) service added only 134,000 subscribers in the fourth quarter of 2012, down from the 194,000 gained during same period in 2011.

    “The disruption caused by hurricane Sandy may have slowed FiOS‘s progress. However, the major reason for the deceleration is that FiOS is largely finished expanding its footprint into new geographic areas of the United States. FiOS‘s penetration is significantly higher than that of U-verse, causing long-term growth to slow for Verizon‘s IPTV service.”

    Fios Slowing-but Still Growing: Fiox in 2012 increased its video subscriber base by 553,000 to reach 4.7 million, up 13.3 percent from 4.2 million in 2011. This represents a 21 percent reduction from the 701,000 increase in 2011.

    Fios‘ video penetration now stands at 33.3 percent, compared to 31.5 per cent at the end of 2011. Still, the largest US IPTV provider grew its video subscriber base by 13.3 per cent this past year.

    The Expanding U-verse: AT&T continues to maintain its growth in its U-verse video services, as 192,000 subscribers joined in the fourth quarter of 2012, only 8,000 less than during the same period in 2011.

    U-verse video subscribers grew 19.6 percent for the year and now stand at 4.53 million, closing in on FiOS‘s total video subscribers. With a much broader rollout of U-verse, the fiber-to-the-node service passes 72 percent more eligible video homes than FiOS. Given a significantly larger reach and low video penetration of just 18.7 percent, AT&T is also able to maintain steady growth in gains for its IPTV services.

    All told, U-verse added 745,000 subscribers in 2012, down just 7.3 percent from 2011‘s net gain of 804,000 subscribers.

    IPTV for Everybody: IPTV growth continues in the US, although at a reduced pace. Plenty of room for expansion remains as Fios focusses on penetration levels and U-verse stresses marketing to its lightly penetrated footprint.

  • Tewari says govt pursuing Phase II digitisation deadline

    Tewari says govt pursuing Phase II digitisation deadline

    MUMBAI: Information & Broadcasting (I&B) Minister Manish Tewari said the government will pursue implementation of the second phase of switchover to digital delivery of television channels in 38 cities with population of one million.

    The government has mandated digitisation in the 38 cities by 31 March, after going ahead with the first phase of digitisation in Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata. The switchover to digital delivery in Chennai is stuck in court proceedings initiated by Tamil Nadu cable operators against digitisation itself.

    “We will stay the course,” Tewari said in response to a question about digitisation in the 38 cities when he was in the city to give away the first edition of International Advertising Association’s leadership awards. He further said, “Phase II digitisation is on track.”

    He said the government has the learning from the implementation of phase I digitisation and expected all the stakeholders to be firmly backing the effort.

    Addressing the advertising fraternity, advertisers and the media, the I&B Minister dwelled on the issues concerning the media and advertising industries. These included freedom of speech with reasonable restrictions, imperfect television audience measurement model, the need to observe advertising regulations on television and self-regulation vs statutory regulation of content.

    He asked all concerned to think whether content can remain in the self-regulation domain, while suggesting an overarching statutory mechanism to address issues related to convergence across media, entertainment and telecom.

    Tewari assured the media and advertising industries that they will be taken into confidence before taking any decision on any of the contentious issues.