ITV

Category: Production House

  • Q3-2016: Balaji revenue up 8%; reports higher programming hours

    Q3-2016: Balaji revenue up 8%; reports higher programming hours

    BENGALURU: Balaji Telefilms Limited reported eight per cent YoY growth in total income from operations (TIO) at Rs 78.65 for the quarter ended 31 December, 2015 (Q3-2016, current quarter) as compared to Rs 71.54 crore and 43.8 per cent QoQ jump from Rs 52.85 crore.

    Note:  (1)100,00,000 = 100 lakh = 10 million = 1 crore

    Commissioned programs in the current quarter increased 24.4 per cent YoY to 712.2 hours as compared to 572.7 hours and increased 47.6 per cent as compared to 482.6 hours in the immediate trailing quarter. Net realisation per hour of commissioned programs increased 17.5 per cent YoY to Rs 24.2 lakh as compared to Rs 20.6 lakh, and was almost flat QoQ as compared to Rs 24.3 lakh.

    The company’s revenue from commissioned programs segment in Q3-2016 increased 16.2 per cent YoY to Rs 72.01 crore as compared to Rs 61.97 crore and rose 40.7 per cent QoQ as compared to Rs 51.18. The segment’s operating profit in the current quarter more than doubled (by 2.5 times) YoY to Rs 18.94 crore and increased 45.7 per cent QoQ to Rs 13 crore.

    Balaji’s other segment – Films, reported revenue of just Rs 1.12 crore in the current quarter as compared to Rs 0.13 crore in Q3-2015 and Rs 1.64 in the immediate trailing quarter. The Films’ segment reported operating loss of Rs 1.91 crore in the current quarter as compared to an operating loss of Rs 2.83 crore in Q3-2015 and an operating profit of Rs 0.06 crore in Q2-2016.

    Other consolidated numbers reported by Balaji Telefilms

    Total Expenditure in the current quarter declined 16.1 per cent YoY to Rs 68.68 crore as compared to Rs 81.81 crore, but increased 49.8 per cent as compared to Rs 45.85 crore in the immediate trailing quarter.

    The company’s cost of production/acquisition and telecast fees increased 5.7 per cent YoY to Rs 68.04 crore as compared to Rs 64.39 crore, but declined 15.3 per cent QoQ as compared to Rs 80.22 crore.

    Staff cost increased 16.9 per cent YoY to Rs 4.89 crore as compared to Rs 4.19 crore but reduced 1.2 per cent QoQ as compared to Rs 4.95.

    Balaji Telefilms standalone numbers

    Balaji Telefilms’ YoY standalone profit after tax (PAT) catapulted more than six-fold at Rs 20.66 crore (28.7 per cent margin) as compared to Rs 3.09 crore (5.4 per cent margin) and was double QoQ as compared to Rs 10.31 crore (20.2 per cent standalone margin) in the immediate trailing quarter. 
    The company reported 26 per cent YoY increase in standalone total income from operations (TIO) in the current quarter to Rs 72.3 crore from Rs 57.27 crore and 41 per cent jump from Rs 51.11 crore in Q2-2016.

    Standalone EBIDTA more than quadrupled (by 4.24 times) YoY in Q3-2016 at Rs 18.05 crore as compared to Rs 4.25 crore and almost doubled (up 94 per cent) as compared to Rs 9.32 crore in the immediate trailing quarter.

  • Reliance Entertainment partners Friday Filmworks for Plan C Studios

    Reliance Entertainment partners Friday Filmworks for Plan C Studios

    MUMBAI: Anil D Ambani owned Reliance Entertainment and  producer duo  Neeraj Pandey and Shital Bhatia’s Friday Filmworks has formed 50:50 joint venture for production of movies called Plan C Studios.

    The combination will benefit from the creative and production strength of Friday Filmworks, and leverage the global marketing and distribution capabilities of Reliance Entertainment.

    Reliance Group group managing director Amitabh Jhunjhunwala said, “We are delighted to partner with creative minds like Neeraj and Shital. This relationship is in line with our continuing strategy in the media and entertainment business, of partnering with like minded and successful individuals, while playing the role of supportive investors on our part.”

    Plan C Studios will kick start with Akshay Kumar starrer, the period drama, Rustom, directed by Tinu Suresh Desai. Other projects include Pandey’s cinematic version of his novel, Ghalib Danger and films helmed by Shivam Nair, Chandra Prakash Dwivedi, Anurag Singh, Anvita Dutt and Shree Narayan Singh.

    Commenting on the partnership, Pandey said, “The partnership with Reliance Group is very significant and welcome, as it enables us to further raise the bar on our continued strategy of developing cutting edge commercial content. We like to keep pushing the envelope, and this partnership will greatly expand our vision.”

    “The alliance with Reliance Group and our continued success at the box office, are a welcome and clear vindication of our focused strategy. Reliance’s significant global and domestic distribution and monetization network, not just perfectly complements our distinct content, but will also ensure highest value creation for all our partners and stakeholders,” added Bhatia.

    Pandey’s first film A Wednesday in 2008 won the National Award. Subsequently, he directed Special 26 in 2013, and Baby in 2015, both widely appreciated and enjoyed huge commercial successes. Pandey is currently on the floors with M S Dhoni – The Untold Story – one of the most anticipated films of the year.

    Reliance Entertainment has produced, distributed and released more than 170 films in multiple Indian languages, including Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Bengali, etc.

    Internationally, Reliance Entertainment has partnered for over the past 7 years with iconic film producer and director, Steven Spielberg, in the formation of DreamWorks Studios and announced the continuation of that relationship with the formation of Amblin Partners in December 2015.

    In India, Reliance Entertainment has recently formed an exciting partnership with Phantom films, a company created by talented directors and producers.

  • Reliance Entertainment partners Friday Filmworks for Plan C Studios

    Reliance Entertainment partners Friday Filmworks for Plan C Studios

    MUMBAI: Anil D Ambani owned Reliance Entertainment and  producer duo  Neeraj Pandey and Shital Bhatia’s Friday Filmworks has formed 50:50 joint venture for production of movies called Plan C Studios.

    The combination will benefit from the creative and production strength of Friday Filmworks, and leverage the global marketing and distribution capabilities of Reliance Entertainment.

    Reliance Group group managing director Amitabh Jhunjhunwala said, “We are delighted to partner with creative minds like Neeraj and Shital. This relationship is in line with our continuing strategy in the media and entertainment business, of partnering with like minded and successful individuals, while playing the role of supportive investors on our part.”

    Plan C Studios will kick start with Akshay Kumar starrer, the period drama, Rustom, directed by Tinu Suresh Desai. Other projects include Pandey’s cinematic version of his novel, Ghalib Danger and films helmed by Shivam Nair, Chandra Prakash Dwivedi, Anurag Singh, Anvita Dutt and Shree Narayan Singh.

    Commenting on the partnership, Pandey said, “The partnership with Reliance Group is very significant and welcome, as it enables us to further raise the bar on our continued strategy of developing cutting edge commercial content. We like to keep pushing the envelope, and this partnership will greatly expand our vision.”

    “The alliance with Reliance Group and our continued success at the box office, are a welcome and clear vindication of our focused strategy. Reliance’s significant global and domestic distribution and monetization network, not just perfectly complements our distinct content, but will also ensure highest value creation for all our partners and stakeholders,” added Bhatia.

    Pandey’s first film A Wednesday in 2008 won the National Award. Subsequently, he directed Special 26 in 2013, and Baby in 2015, both widely appreciated and enjoyed huge commercial successes. Pandey is currently on the floors with M S Dhoni – The Untold Story – one of the most anticipated films of the year.

    Reliance Entertainment has produced, distributed and released more than 170 films in multiple Indian languages, including Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Bengali, etc.

    Internationally, Reliance Entertainment has partnered for over the past 7 years with iconic film producer and director, Steven Spielberg, in the formation of DreamWorks Studios and announced the continuation of that relationship with the formation of Amblin Partners in December 2015.

    In India, Reliance Entertainment has recently formed an exciting partnership with Phantom films, a company created by talented directors and producers.

  • FremantleMedia & Telefe to co-develop entertainment formats for Latin America

    FremantleMedia & Telefe to co-develop entertainment formats for Latin America

    MUMBAI: In a bid to grow its business in emerging markets, including Latin America, FremantleMedia has inked a two year co-development partnership with Argentina’s television network, Telefe to create and develop entertainment/non-scripted formats for the Argentinian and wider-Latin American market.

     

    Based in Buenos Aires, the development team will comprise staff from both companies, with Telefe drawing on FremantleMedia’s creative strength to co-develop original entertainment IP. Telefe will have exclusive rights on all new shows to broadcast on its Argentinian network in Argentina and across Latin America, reaching millions of viewers. FremantleMedia has worldwide rights to the shows created through the deal, which will be sold through its international distribution network, FMI and its global network of production companies.

     

    FremantleMedia Latin America CEO Adrián Santucho said, “Today’s agreement is an important and exciting step forward in FremantleMedia’s plans to grow its business in Latin America as we develop and produce shows for the Argentinian market. As the country’s most popular television network, we couldn’t have asked for a better partner. We’re really looking forward to working with Tomás and his team over the next two years to create shows that will appeal to audiences in Argentina and around the world.”

     

    Telefe head of entertainment Tomás Yankelevich added, “FremantleMedia is a world-renowned producer of entertainment shows, loved by audiences all over the globe. We embark on this exciting challenge with great enthusiasm. Telefe has been producing entertainment shows with vast success for decades in Argentina. Now, with the expansion of our content development team, and working together with Fremantle, we know it is a big step forward to generate new formats, not only for our screen but also for the rest of the world.”

     

    The deal with Telefe is the latest of a number of creative partnerships undertaken by FremantleMedia recently in order to co-develop new formats. In April 2015, the company set up a joint venture with Shanghai Media Group’s BesTV and China Media Capital to create formats for China, and announced in September that it was teaming up with newly-formed Danish production company, Skylark, to develop entertainment formats via a creative hub, based in Copenhagen.

  • FremantleMedia & Telefe to co-develop entertainment formats for Latin America

    FremantleMedia & Telefe to co-develop entertainment formats for Latin America

    MUMBAI: In a bid to grow its business in emerging markets, including Latin America, FremantleMedia has inked a two year co-development partnership with Argentina’s television network, Telefe to create and develop entertainment/non-scripted formats for the Argentinian and wider-Latin American market.

     

    Based in Buenos Aires, the development team will comprise staff from both companies, with Telefe drawing on FremantleMedia’s creative strength to co-develop original entertainment IP. Telefe will have exclusive rights on all new shows to broadcast on its Argentinian network in Argentina and across Latin America, reaching millions of viewers. FremantleMedia has worldwide rights to the shows created through the deal, which will be sold through its international distribution network, FMI and its global network of production companies.

     

    FremantleMedia Latin America CEO Adrián Santucho said, “Today’s agreement is an important and exciting step forward in FremantleMedia’s plans to grow its business in Latin America as we develop and produce shows for the Argentinian market. As the country’s most popular television network, we couldn’t have asked for a better partner. We’re really looking forward to working with Tomás and his team over the next two years to create shows that will appeal to audiences in Argentina and around the world.”

     

    Telefe head of entertainment Tomás Yankelevich added, “FremantleMedia is a world-renowned producer of entertainment shows, loved by audiences all over the globe. We embark on this exciting challenge with great enthusiasm. Telefe has been producing entertainment shows with vast success for decades in Argentina. Now, with the expansion of our content development team, and working together with Fremantle, we know it is a big step forward to generate new formats, not only for our screen but also for the rest of the world.”

     

    The deal with Telefe is the latest of a number of creative partnerships undertaken by FremantleMedia recently in order to co-develop new formats. In April 2015, the company set up a joint venture with Shanghai Media Group’s BesTV and China Media Capital to create formats for China, and announced in September that it was teaming up with newly-formed Danish production company, Skylark, to develop entertainment formats via a creative hub, based in Copenhagen.

  • Disney CEO Robert Iger’s pay falls 3.4% to $44.9 million in 2015

    Disney CEO Robert Iger’s pay falls 3.4% to $44.9 million in 2015

    MUMBAI: The Walt Disney Company chairman and CEO Robert Iger’s reported compensation drop 3.4 per cent to $44.9 million for the fiscal year ending October 2015, as his cash bonus depleted by $410,000 and the value of a pension declined due to an accounting change.

     

    Iger’s base salary of $2.5 million was unchanged from 2014, when his overall compensation came in at $46.5 million. That  was an increase as compared to his 2013 package of $34.3 million. He also earned $22.3 million in non-equity incentives, $8.9 million in stock awards and $8.4 million in option awards.

     

    As per a proxy filed by Disney, Iger’s bonus fell to $22.3 million in the fiscal year that ended on 29 Sept ember, 2015. The biggest factor was a change in a discount rate applied to his pension, which resulted in an almost 50 per cent drop in its reported value, to $1.42 million.

     

    Disney, which has seen a strong box office in 2015, is currently basking in the glory of record worldwide collections from the recently released Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

  • Prime Focus Technologies inks deal with Miramax

    Prime Focus Technologies inks deal with Miramax

    MUMBAI: Prime Focus Technologies (PFT), the technology arm of Prime Focus, has entered into an agreement with global film and television studio Miramax.

     

    PFT will utilise its Primetime Emmy Award-winning DAX, part of the CLEAR Media ERP Suite, to assist Miramax in virtualising its content supply chain and production workflows, helping to reduce content turnaround times, enhance efficiencies, and drive creative enablement.

     

    DAX allows for the secure exchange, collaboration and distribution of work-in-progress materials throughout the content creation lifecycle. This includes, but is not limited to, accessing who viewed, liked, shared and downloaded content (takes, scenes, cuts and complete films/episodes), incorporating user comments and time-code stamps for content review and approvals, transcoding, batch watermarking, image management and more.

     

    “In utilising PFT’s production solutions, DAX and Digital Dailies, Miramax’s creative teams can view in-process production content and access it in a secure on-the-go manner. PFT recently expanded upon the patent for DAX and Digital Dailies technology, demonstrating the continued evolution and development of the software,” said Prime Focus Technologies president, North America Patrick Macdonald-King.

  • BBC & Pact outline policy framework for BBC Studios

    BBC & Pact outline policy framework for BBC Studios

    MUMBAI: The BBC has entered into an agreement with the British trade association Pact regarding the BBC Studios proposal.

     

    The proposed policy framework will “strengthen the UK production sector and bring substantial benefits in terms of opening up new commissioning opportunities to competition.”

     

    BBC director of strategy and digital James Purnell says, “We welcome the agreement reached with Pact. Creative competition is in the best interest of audiences and BBC Studios is an essential part of the BBC’s future.”

     

    Pact CEO John McVay adds, “Pact is pleased that we have been able to negotiate a progressive agreement with the BBC that will result in even more competition at the BBC for the best programmes regardless of who makes them. This will build on the success of the WOCC and ensure BBC licence fee payers continue to enjoy the best of British.”

     

    The new charter and agreement will set out a policy framework for the relationship between BBC Public Service, BBC Studios and BBC Worldwide.  The proposal is that the agreement should include a set of guiding principles for how BBC Studios, as a commercial entity, should operate, and its relationship with the BBC Public Service. Additionally, there should be no cross-subsidy from BBC Public Service to BBC Studios; a separation between the finances and operations of BBC Public Service and BBC Studios; and fair transfer pricing.

     

    The proposal also states that there should be an “arms’ length commissioning, with commissions offered to BBC Studios subject to the same range of published tariffs and terms as are available to external producers.”

     

    BBC Studios will receive new commissions, creatively tendered established/returning series and the opportunities afforded by de-commissions, following fair and transparent competition with third party producers.

     

    The BBC Board would set out methodologies and processes for meeting the above principles prior to BBC Studios being launched as a commercial entity. Additionally, BBC Studios will be set up and operated to ensure compliance with State Aid requirements.

     

    As was previously set out, the BBC Studios proposal will exclude Network TV commissioned content for children’s, current affairs and sport. For current affairs, the BBC proposes to reduce the current in-house guarantee on eligible hours from 50 per cent to 40 per cent and extend the independent guarantee from 25 per cent to 40 per cent, creating a 25 per cent swing when these two changes are added together. For children’s, the BBC proposes to reduce the in-house guarantee on eligible hours from 50 per cent to 40 per cent and extend the independent guarantee from 25 per cent to 40 per cent. The BBC proposes that these changes are phased-in over a two year period from the new charter. For sport, the current in-house and independent guarantees would remain unchanged. Content made by BBC Studios, as a commercial entity, would not count as “in-house” and therefore would not count as part of in-house quota.

  • INA & UNESCO to safeguard, digitise & make accessible 70 hrs of AV programming

    INA & UNESCO to safeguard, digitise & make accessible 70 hrs of AV programming

    NEW DELHI: UNESCO director general Irina Bokova and French National Audiovisual Institute CEO Laurent Vallet have signed an agreement to preserve 70 hours of audiovisual (AV) programming from UNESCO’s valuable collections and make them available to the public.

     

    Cooperation between UNESCO and INA, which is France’s repository of radio and television archives began 10 years ago on the occasion of the organisation’s 60th anniversary.

     

    To mark the 70th anniversary, INA and UNESCO decided to reinforce this partnership, undertaking both to preserve and make accessible to the general public a selection of 70 hours of audiovisual programming that includes film, video and audio material.

     

    UNESCO is in possession of exceptional audiovisual archives containing thousands of items, which bear testimony to 70 years of the world’s cultural history and to the organisation’s activities. As is the case with audiovisual heritage anywhere, these collections are vulnerable, perishable and at risk of being forgotten unless they are digitised and shared with the greatest number.

     

    INA is presently mobilising the range of its technical capacities to secure the preservation and enhancement of UNESCO’s audiovisual archives: digitisation of material, its organisation and the development of a multiple-use offer for different audiences.

     

    UNESCO’s material will be accessible to the public on INA’s websites and to professionals on inamediapro.com. It will also be made available to researchers, teachers and students at INA THEQUE centres and partner multimedia libraries across France. INA will also make this audio and video material available for cultural and educational purposes.

     

    “The agreement marks a new decisive step in raising awareness of the need to implement a safeguarding and digitisation plan for UNESCO’s audiovisual archives. Similarly, in order to safeguard audiovisual heritage, INA invites Member States to reinforce national policies and support safeguarding and enhancement measures for all of UNESCO’s collections,” declared Vallet.

     

    “This partnership reinforces the strong relationship that already exists between UNESCO and INA. It will help enhance the value of a shared memory, which also sheds light on the recent history of humanity. This is a very concrete way to preserve fragile documents and contribute to the dissemination and sharing of know-how at the service of peace,” said Bokova.

  • DreamWorks, Reliance, Participant Media, eOne form new film, TV & digital venture

    DreamWorks, Reliance, Participant Media, eOne form new film, TV & digital venture

    MUMBAI: DreamWorks Studios principal partner Steven Spielberg, Participant Media chairman Jeff Skoll, Reliance Group chairman Anil Ambani and Entertainment One (eOne) president and CEO Darren Throop have announced the formation of a new film, television and digital content creation company called Amblin Partners.

     

    The new company will create content using the Amblin, DreamWorks Pictures and Participant brands and leverage their power and broad awareness to tell stories that appeal to a wide range of audiences. Participant Media will remain a separate company that continues to independently develop, produce and finance projects with socially relevant themes.

     

    Amblin Partners will be led by CEO Michael Wright and president and COO Jeff Small.

     

    In addition, Amblin Television will become a division of Amblin Partners and continues to be run by co-presidents Justin Falvey and Darryl Frank, who maintain their longtime leadership roles. They join producer Kristie Macosko Krieger and president of production Holly Bario on the film side, to complete Amblin Partners’ senior management team.

     

    Participant Media CEO David Linde and Participant’s narrative feature team, led by executive vice president Jonathan King, will work closely with Amblin Partners to develop and produce specific content for the new venture in addition to exploring opportunities for co-productions and other content.

     

    Spielberg said, “We are thrilled to partner with Jeff Skoll, Participant Media, and to continue our prolific relationship. We are of like minds, as our many collaborations have illustrated, with a mutual commitment to quality, premium entertainment and global vision.”

     

    Skoll added, “I have had the good fortune of working with Steven for many years. We share a passion for stories that can truly affect change. And this new venture will further Participant’s growth and global impact.”

     

    DreamWorks Studios and Participant Media have collaborated on many Academy Award nominated films such as Lincoln and The Help as well as the critically acclaimed The Hundred-Foot Journey, and the recently released Bridge of Spies.

     

    Spielberg continued, “We are honoured to continue our long-term association with our dear friend, Anil Ambani and his team at Reliance. We have had the opportunity to develop and produce wonderful films thanks to their ongoing support.”

     

    “We are delighted to continue our now seven-years-strong relationship with our valued partner, Steven Spielberg, and to extend this alliance to the formation of Amblin Partners with Jeff Skoll. We look forward to the combination of Steven’s passion and integrity with Jeff’s unique socially conscious vision to create uplifting and quality content to entertain global audiences,” Ambani said.

     

    Spielberg said, “We are also grateful to Darren Throop and his team at Entertainment One for their contribution to Amblin Partners. We look forward to expanding our relationship.”

     

    “We are delighted to join Steven Spielberg, Jeff Skoll and Reliance in launching this unique new venture,” Throop said. “We continually strive to partner with producers of the highest quality content, and Amblin Partners certainly represents the gold standard.”

     

    Through this new partnership, eOne extends its collaboration into television production and distribution and expands its successful film distribution relationship across additional territories. eOne will handle the direct distribution of Amblin Partners films on a multi-territory output basis in Australia/New Zealand and Spain as well as the United Kingdom and the Benelux, where it previously had a successful output arrangement with DreamWorks Studios.

     

    J.P.Morgan Chase structured and arranged the $500 million debt syndication together with Comerica Bank, which served as co-lead. Other financial institutions involved included Sun Trust Bank, Union Bank, City National Bank and Bank of America, among others.