ITV

Category: Software

  • ICC to deliver official fantasy cricket game for upcoming ICC Champions Trophy

    ICC to deliver official fantasy cricket game for upcoming ICC Champions Trophy

    MUMBAI: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced the launch of an official Fantasy League game for the ICC Champions Trophy 2013.

    The ICC Champions Trophy 2013 is being played across England and Wales from 6 – 23 June.

    The game will give fans from around the globe the opportunity to pick their own ‘dream‘ team from the eight Champions Trophy squads and pit their wits against fellow entrants, known as managers.

    Selection begins with the balance of the side – you can choose to either favour more batsmen, more all-rounders or more bowlers – the would-be-manager then has to select their playing XI and allocate a captain who scores double points.

    Teams can contain up to three players from one international side for the group stages (extending to six for the semi-finals and final), and furthermore only three from inside the top ten of the Reliance ICC ODI Rankings in batting, bowling or all-rounder position.

    Team changes are unlimited until the start of the tournament and a manager can make up to 10 team changes during the Group Stages, reacting to injuries, form and fixture schedules.
     
    Changes are also unlimited between the end of the Group Stages and the first semi-final and up to two further changes can then be made between the second semi-final and the final.

    Captain changes are unlimited and can therefore be changed prior to every single match.

    ICC GM commercial Campbell Jamieson said, "An aspect of the ICC‘s global strategy is to create a better level of fan engagement, and the Fantasy League game is just one of the ways we plan to do this for this event and moving forward.
    "I‘m sure every cricket fan in the world has mulled over who he or she would select in their ideal team, if they had that opportunity – and now they have the chance."

    Fantasy League head of business development Luke Boyle commented, "We are delighted to be able to offer this exclusive game for the biggest International cricket tournament of the year. We hope fans get involved with choosing their ideal team and it all adds to the overall excitement of the tournament this summer in England and Wales."

  • Airtel DTH and ESPN Star Sports smoke peace pipee

    MUMBAI: It was a spat, which was in the works for almost six months. But now it has been resolved – amicably, at least if one goes by a press release issued by ESPN Star Sports (ESS).
     
    Though details are not available on what the terms are ESS has signed a multi-year agreement with Airtel Digital TV to enable distribution of its channels Star Cricket, Star Sports, Star Sports 2, ESPN, Star Cricket HD and ESPN HD on the latter‘s DTH platform.

    In late 2012, Airtel had yanked ESPN and Star Cricket HD channels from its platform citing prohibitive pricing of the two channels. Then on 22 March, the sports network deactivated the channels on its DTH and IPTV platforms due to Bharti Telemedia and Bharti Airtel‘s “non-signing of agreements and breach of statutory obligations.”

  • Record Number of New Exhibitors Join BroadcastAsia2013

    Record Number of New Exhibitors Join BroadcastAsia2013

    SINGAPORE – Come 18 – 21 June this year, BroadcastAsia, Asia’s largest integrated trade show for the Film and TV industries will return with an impressive international line-up of exhibitors yet. The show has attracted more than 80 new exhibitors, in addition to repeat participation from top-notch companies from the industry, making up a total of more than 700 exhibitors from 45 countries and regions. The new exhibitors are Autodesk, Ericsson, Hybrid, Ikegami, Jebsen & Co, Orad, PCCW, RGB Networks, Siemens Convergence Creators GmbH, Sumitomo Electric Industries, Tsushinki, Yamaha Music (Asia) and more.

     

    “Asia-Pacific has always been an important market for us – and increasingly so as the region grows rapidly. We believe that participating in BroadcastAsia is one effective way to establish our interest and presence in this region. Through the show, we can keep in touch with and meet our customers, showcase our latest technology, discuss business deals, and take the opportunity to meet potential customers,” says Mr. Sam Shimura, Manager, Overseas Sales Department, Sales and Business Development Division of Ikegami – a new exhibitor at BroadcastAsia2013.

     

    Congregation of top-notch industry leaders

     

    BroadcastAsia exhibitors have shown confidence in the event, and their repeated participation through the years is strong testament. Industry players across the acquisition, management and delivery channels will congregate at the show, and visitors can look forward to latest offerings from leading companies such as the likes of Avid, Axon, Blackmagic Design, Canon, Dayang, Envivo, Evertz, EVS, GoPro, GrassValley, Harmonic, Harris, Hitachi, Miranda, Pace, Panasonic, Playbox Technology, Quantel, Sennheiser, Snell, Sony, Thomson, Toshiba, Wasp3D and more.

     

    “We are encouraged by the support of our exhibitors. This is a testament to the relevance and importance of the show. BroadcastAsia evolves and improves over the years to stay ahead of the ever-changing media landscape and to offer the industry an all-encompassing sourcing and networking platform.” says Mr. Calvin Koh, Assistant Project Director for BroadcastAsia2013 from show organiser, Singapore Exhibition Services.

     

    Keeping Ahead of Industry Development

     

    With the growing business adoption of Internet and multimedia devices, and the increasing number of media content now made available on various digital platforms, media organisations have taken action and have since benefited by migrating towards a diversified multi-platform approach to producing and distributing content.

     

    Broadcasters have exposure to a multitude of opportunities today, a result of increasing expectations from end-users for the management of big data and premium services such as IP-based video-on-demand, live streaming and HD broadcast – all of which are changing the way media content and data are delivered. BroadcastAsia recognises this industry shift and in 2013 will see a strong focus on the business and technological aspects of multi-platform broadcasting at both the exhibition and conferences.

     

    The four-day event will also spotlight the hottest array of technologies currently available in global marketplace, and address important industry trends and vital challenges that are related to OTT Opportunities in Asia, Multi-Platform Streaming, Next-Gen Innovation and Technology in TV, File-Based Workflow, Pay-TV, DVB-T2, Broadcast Infrastructure and Transmission Quality, Animation, Editing & Colour correction, Motion / Film production, Production / Post Production Software and more.

     

    Dedicated technology zones

     

    The highly anticipated Cinematography/Film/Production Zone is slated to expand with the latest motion picture tools and software as Asia’s film industry embarks on a promising growth spurt. To complete the entire broadcasting and film ecosystem, ProfessionalAudioTechnology2013 will see professional audio companies showcasing the latest audio products and services for the broadcasting and film ecosystem, including Audio Editing, Audio Effects, Audio Production, Music and Sound Libraries, Digital Radio to Radio and more.

     

    Asia’s most established conference for the film and TV industries

     

    BroadcastAsia2013 International Conference, Asia’s most established conference for the film and TV industries, returns with 120 speakers from 31 countries and regions, its largest ever speaker line-up. More than a hundred case studies will be presented.

     

    Over The Top (OTT) technology and business models will dominate this year’s conference programme. Industry leaders from across the globe will share vital insights on where the opportunities lie in harnessing OTT for their business, and divulge valuable tips from its widespread adoption in the broadcast industry.

     

    The conference will also see an interesting set of keynote addresses, case studies, panel discussions and workshops and will feature five new tracks and four new sessions – Country Focus, Regulators Panel, CIO/CTO Panel and Captains of Industry Dialogue.

     

    New topics and interactive dialogues for discerning content producers

     

    The way content is now delivered has rapidly advanced in leaps and bounds. Demand from viewers for better content on multiple platforms has prompted many producers in Asia to seek ways to produce good and right content that has global appeal. With the massive amount of content out there, good quality content has become essential in order to stand out among the competition, as well as pull in and retain viewers’ attention.

     

    Back for its fourth edition, the highly anticipated Creative Content Production Conference will run from 19 – 20 June 2013 at Marina Bay Sands Singapore. Themed “Producing and Distributing Successful Content in Asia”, the two-day conference will address the challenge of producing appealing and high-quality content for global audiences through a series of new topics and speakers including a ‘Producers Dialogue’ that was developed to serve as an additional avenue for participants to address and anticipate the upcoming trends and demands of the industry.

     

    For show updates on BroadcastAsia2013, CommunicAsia2013 and EnterpriseIT2013 please visit the following channels:

    – Official BroadcastAsia2013, CommunicAsia2013, EnterpriseIT2013 websites

    – Twitter: @BroadcastAsia and @CommunicAsia

    – Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/BroadcastAsia/163768382664 and

    http://www.facebook.com/CommunicAsia

    LinkedIn: BroadcastAsia and CommunicAsia

  • PUMA cashes in on Cricket fever

    PUMA cashes in on Cricket fever

    MUMBAI: PUMA is all set to take cricket digital with the launch of its Facebook application – PUMA Finger Bash. The innovative and addictive game allows players to virtually compete against Team PUMA in a game of cricket – where the players can bowl, bat & score with their fingers.

    PUMA Finger Cricket will give the Indian cricket fans a chance to be involved with cricket in a way convenient to them. Similar to the famous and age-old game played with the hand ‘Rock, Paper, Scissors‘ – PFB is easily played on-ground between friends and makes for a very entertaining past-time.

    Users can play PUMA Finger Bash (PFB) against the virtual forms of their favourite T20 cricketers like Andre Russell, Marlon Samuels, Brendon McCullum, Adam Gilchrist, Yuvraj Singh and Luke Wright.
     
    In the last season of IPL, PUMA had created a series of superhero comic strips after each match of the Rajasthan Royals and Deccan Chargers.

  • eBay India announces Latif Nathani as managing director

    eBay India announces Latif Nathani as managing director

    MUMBAI: eBay India today announced a shift in leadership. Latif Nathani, a senior executive in the technology space in both India and the US will join eBay India as managing director.

    Nathani is taking over from Muralikrishnan B, who will be completing his responsibilities by the end of the quarter and then will be looking at exploring entrepreneurial opportunities.

    Nathani said, "I am excited about leading the thriving eBay India business, a market leader in India, that has helped thousands of entrepreneurs make a livelihood as well as provide vast selection and great deals to millions of consumers. The marketplaces business model fascinates me and I look forward to steering the talented India team to even greater heights."

    Nathani has 22 years of experience including a 15 year career at Microsoft and Symantec and most recently served as CEO of product strategy consulting firm. He has extensive expertise in building and leading high performance global business, engineering and marketing teams. He also led a consumer incubator for Microsoft India (including equity investments in mobile payments), headed global product marketing for Symantec‘s Norton business and was cofounder of eMemories.com.
     
    Muralikrishan said, "It has been my proud privilege to lead the India team and business through two of the most exciting years the industry has seen. We have set new benchmarks improving the customer experience along with building a stronger brand and reputation among government, industry, entrepreneurs and consumers."

  • Special spot on ‘Sadbhavana Divas’ on MIB’s YouTube site to remember Rajiv Gandhi

    Special spot on ‘Sadbhavana Divas’ on MIB’s YouTube site to remember Rajiv Gandhi

    NEW DELHI: A special TV spot to promote the message of communal harmony on the occasion of ‘Sadbhavna Diwas‘, the death anniversary of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, has already got thousands of views on the information and broadcasting ministry‘s YouTube site www.youtube.com/user/INBMINISTRY?.

    Officials said the 1.38 minute spot, directed by noted film maker Pradeep Sarkar, would beam across the media space spreading the message that ‘sadbhav‘ (communal harmony) is the idea of India.

    Sarkar, who has created the clip, had also directed the multimedia campaign ‘Glimpses of India Story‘, which was launched by I&B minister Manish Tewari earlier.
     
    Officials said the digital volunteers of the ministry who spread the government‘s policies and views on the social media would actively spread the message.

    The video has also been put on the ministry‘s blogspot and got over a thousand views till last evening.

  • Niloufer Dundh partners with Talenthouse India

    Niloufer Dundh partners with Talenthouse India

    MUMBAI: Former senior vice president and head of integrated media at Hungama Digital Media Entertainment Niloufer Dundh, has announced a partnership with Reliance Entertainment‘s Talenthouse India.

    This move signals Dhund‘s plans for her firm Ventes Dundh in the crowdsourcing segment and her belief in its appeal to brands.

    Niloufer has scored a six this IPL season, with a key role in Talenthouse‘s crowdsourcing initiative for Vodafone‘s IPL campaign where 22 kids will wear the winning design comprising of jersey and cap while leading the final two teams to the ground. With an overwhelming response, Talenthouse had crowdsourced 433 designs out of which Vodafone has chosen one design by Parth Gondaliya who received Rs One Lakh as cash prize.

    Besides providing the leading telecom brand in the country with an innovative method to crowdsource, Niloufer has connected one of her clients to an upcoming nation-wide campaign by Talenthouse. With a theme that is sure to connect with every Indian and targeted in its appeal to the youth, Talenthouse will announce this campaign over the next month.

    Having previously managed brands in the digital space, the lack of quality content can diminish a brand‘s efforts to appeal to audiences. Speaking of the association, Niloufer Dundh entrepreneur Ventes Dundh said, “We often fail to meet the objectives of digital campaigns due to the poor quality of content. Good content has proven to be a differentiator for a brand, as it increases talkability and engagement quotients. This is a gap that I am confident that Talenthouse will fulfill, as we will be able to reach out to several brands across the country. Together with Talenthouse, we plan to up the ante and execute different projects and deliver unique crowdsourcing initiatives.”

    Talenthouse India CEO Arun Mehra said, “Crowdsourcing is essential for brands to be taken seriously in this increasingly digital age. Talenthouse has consistently delivered quality content for brands, having successfully engaged consumers. We are excited to work with Niloufer who has a strong reputation in the industry, with some stellar work to her credit. We have a string of projects in the pipeline that we are excited to announce and will continue to grow successfully in the crowdsourcing space.”

  • YouTube could make $20 bn in 2020: Morgan Stanley

    YouTube could make $20 bn in 2020: Morgan Stanley

    MUMBAI: When Google bought online video service YouTube for $1.6 billion six years ago some eyeballs were raised about whether the move was smart or made sense.

    While it took the search giant a while to figure out the revenue model things are now moving full steam ahead. In fact the progress has been so good that Morgan Stanley has said that YouTube can make $20 billion in revenue and operating income of $5 billion in 2020.

    YouTube will make $4 billion in gross revenue and $711 million in operating income this year.

    The interesting thing is that YouTube is not just relying on advertising. It has started a paid subscription service for some channels. The aim is to allow for more interaction between content creators and consumers. Channels that have availed of this service include Acorn TV, Jim Henson Family TV and UFC Select.

  • Yahoo! board approves $1.1 bn Tumblr acquisition

    Yahoo! board approves $1.1 bn Tumblr acquisition

    MUMBAI: To compete better in an internet environment dominated by social networks and blogs Yahoo! has agreed to buy social blogging service Tumblr for $1.1 billion in cash.

    Millions use Tumblr as a vehicle to blog. Tumblr will function independently.

    Tumblr is especially popular among young users. According to the research firm Quantcast, 29 per cent of Tumblr‘s members are ages 18 to 24, and 19 per cent are younger than 18.
     
    Tumblr founder and CEO David Karp who founded the company six years ago will make millions of dollars but will stay on for at least a few years indicate reports.

    Reports also indicate Yahoo! is perceived in young circles to be ‘old‘ and needs to find a way to stay relevant to the young crowd as the digital space evolves rapidly.

  • Facebook could go the way of ‘crappy’ MySpace: Murdoch

    Facebook could go the way of ‘crappy’ MySpace: Murdoch

    MUMBAI: Rupert Murdoch whose company News Corp suffered a big loss after having to sell ‘crappy‘ MySpace for less than a tenth of the price it was bought at has warned that Facebook could suffer a similar fate.

    On the occasion of the one-year anniversary of Facebook‘s IPO Murdoch took to Twitter and wrote, “Look out Facebook! Hours spent participating per member dropping seriously. First really bad sign as seen by crappy MySpace years ago.”

    It may be recalled that News Corp bought MySpace for $580 million way back in 2005. Some people at the time felt that the price was a steal. Rival media company Viacom had also been eyeing MySpace and was furious at losing out.

    But MySpace lost the opportunity to build itself and Facebook came in 2007 and blew everything in its path away. News Corp sold MySpace for a mere $35 million two years ago.