ITV

Category: GECs

  • Star Bharat announces ‘Swayamavar: Mika Di Vohti’ to amp up programming lineup

    Star Bharat announces ‘Swayamavar: Mika Di Vohti’ to amp up programming lineup

    Mumbai: Star Bharat has announced the launch of its latest show “Swaymavar: Mika Di Vohti,” which aims to find a perfect life partner for singer Mika Singh. With this show, the channel hopes to target all age group across the country and attract brands from different categories with its 360-marketing campaign.

    In a conversation with IndianTelevision.com, Disney Star head-network entertainment channels Kevin Vaz talks about the ideation journey and marketing strategy for the show, as well as Star Bharat’s plans for the future.

    The forthcoming show is going to be on air five days a week, but the channel is yet to reveal the release date or time slot for it.”‘Swaymavar Mika Di Vohti’ is produced by SOL and is going to be one of the biggest on-screen Swayamavars ever,” Vaz asserts.

    “Swaymavar: Mika Di Vohti” is themed on entertainment and love, and Star Bharat is gearing up to expand its audience base beyond its regular market i.e. Delhi, Punjab, and Madhya Pradesh.

    “Mika Di Vohit is going to be a family show and our target is to expand our audience base beyond the Hindi speaking markets,” Vaz tells.

    The upcoming show is an addition to their content revamp which aims to bring in variety on Star Bharat. The revamp started back in 2021 and the process is still on. Last month the channel launched “Woh Toh Hai Albela”- a show already creating a buzz in the market. The channel is also planning to launch “Gud Se Meetha Ishq” and “Kall Bhairav” in the coming months. Vaz shares that they have some more shows in the pipeline which will add value to its bouquet of content. 

    On being asked how it is going to be different from the other on-screen Swayamvars that we have witnessed over the last few years, Vaz says that one thing which makes Star Bharat and its shows unique is their background research. “Before bringing any new property on board, we make sure that we research to understand what the audience is looking for. Right now after a long halt on TV production due to Covid-19 and lockdowns, people are eagerly looking for happy and positive entertainment. We believe that there could be no better time to launch Mika Di Vohti than this,” he adds.

    Sharing why he believes that this particular show will help Star Bharat to expand its audience base, he explains, “Marriage in India is seen as a very pure as well as a huge event. At the same time, Mika has a huge fan base not just in Hindi speaking market or in India but all across the world. “We firmly believe that his popularity and our strategies will do wonders together. Mika Di Vohit will not only make Indian consumers invest emotionally in the show but will also give them a perfect entertainment package which they always look forward to,” Vaz tells.

    When asked what categories of advertisers are on board for the show, Vaz says that they do not have any brand on board yet. “However, we are pretty sure that right after today’s launch, we will get a great response from all categories.”

    The show is just launched so it will be a little too early in the process to have advertisers on board. Right now, we do not have even a single advertiser but I am observing a positive response from the industry and expecting to get a variety of brands for this family reality show,” he elucidates. 

    As the registration for Mika Di Vohti has begun, we are receiving a promising response from the participants too. Star Bharat is quite confident about its ideation for the upcoming Swayamavar. The idea has immense potential to reach masses and no brand would want to leave this golden opportunity to associate with consumers, he adds further. 

    Furthermore, he also opens up about the marketing strategy for this upcoming show. The channel will take a 360 route to use most of the marketing channels simultaneously. 

    The channel also aims to make #MikaDiVohti one of the most popular hashtags in the upcoming days. For this they’re planning to invest heavily in digital marketing supported by out-of-home and offline marketing.

  • Viacom18 to launch two sports channels on 15 April

    Viacom18 to launch two sports channels on 15 April

    Viacom18 will be launching its two English sports channels Sports18 1 SD and Sports18 1 HD on 15 April, said the company’s distribution arm IndiaCast in a public notice recently.

    The SD and HD channels will be available at a reasonable price. 

    The company has reduced the price of its sports channel from Rs 12 to Rs 8. The charges will be applicable excluding taxes, levies and cess.

    According to the media reports, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting had granted fresh licenses to Viacom18 and Star India in June 2021. Four licenses were granted to both networks separately. Viacom18 is launching its new sports channel with these licenses.

    The launch of these two sports channels is backed up by Reliance as its own stake in Viacom18. 

    In addition, a one-month promotional offer for distribution platform operators (DPOs) is available where both the sports channels will not be charged any costs. The scheme will commence on 15 April and will expire on 14 May.

    Moreover, Viacom18 also has acquired media rights to properties like La Liga, FIFA World Cup, Serie A, NBA, Ligue1, and Abu Dhabi T10 series. 

    The new sports channels of the network will be competing with both Star sports and Sony Sports.

  • Zee share price rises 20% after Invesco gives up corporate action

    Zee share price rises 20% after Invesco gives up corporate action

    Mumbai: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (Zeel) witnessed the share price gain by 20 per cent on Thursday, after its largest shareholder Invesco Developing Markets Fund decided not to pursue corporate action against the company.

    The tussle between the company and its shareholder came to a climax on Tuesday after the Bombay high court upheld Invesco’s requisition for an extraordinary general meeting of Zee’s board as legally valid. Soon after, Invesco declared that it would cease to pursue the EGM and that the HC ruling was an important reaffirmation of “shareholder rights.”

    Zeel’s management and Invesco have been engaged in a legal battle for control of the company’s board since October 2021. However, Invesco has reversed gears amidst the ongoing Zeel-Sony merger transaction that is taking place. When completed, this will be the biggest M&E acquisition in the country.

    Zeel and Sony Pictures Networks India had signed definitive agreements to merge in December. Once the merger is completed, Sony Pictures Entertainment, the parent of SPN India, will indirectly hold a majority 50.86 per cent of the combined entity and the promoters of Zeel will hold 3.99 per cent. Other shareholders will hold a 45.15 per cent stake. Zeel MD and CEO Punit Goenka will take on the role of MD and CEO of the combined entity for the next five years.

    “Since we announced our intention to requisition an EGM and add six independent directors to Zee’s Board of Directors, Zee has entered into a merger agreement with Sony,” said Invesco, commenting on the deal. “We continue to believe this deal in its current form has great potential for Zee shareholders. We also recognise that, following the merger’s consummation, the board of the newly combined company will be substantially reconstituted, which will achieve our objective of strengthening board oversight of the company.”

    The Zeel-Invesco dispute began when the media company’s top two investors Invesco Developing Markets Fund and OFI Global China Fund LLC, with a combined stake of ~18 per cent stake in the Zeel, sent a requisition notice to the board on 11 September 2021, calling for an EGM.

    The investors sought the removal of long-standing directors and close associates of the promoters from the board following which two independent directors Ashok Kurien and Manish Chokhani submitted their resignations. Invesco also sought the removal of Punit Goenka.

  • Pernod Ricard, Viacom18 & Wavemaker’s Holi campaign garners eight million views

    Pernod Ricard, Viacom18 & Wavemaker’s Holi campaign garners eight million views

    Mumbai: Viacom18 has partnered with Pernod Ricard – Seagram’s Imperial Blue packaged drinking water and Wavemaker India for its latest campaign for Holi.  The campaign has already clocked eight million views and counting on digital, the media company said.

    Conceptualised and executive by Viacom18 with Wavemaker India, the campaign is being extensively marketed across platforms including Colors, Colors Marathi, on their OTT platform Voot and on the network’s social media handles.

    The campaign films cater to Hindi and Marathi-speaking markets. It features national celebrities Rubina Dilaik, Karan Kundra, Umar Riaz, Nishant Bhat, and Marathi stars Jay Dhudhane, Meenal Shah, Vikas Patil and Vishal Nikam.

    “Given the brand identity of our marquee platform, celebrating the festival of Colors is a natural fit for us,” said Viacom18 head – branded content Vivek Mohan Sharma. “Seagram’s Imperial Blue is an iconic brand with some memorable campaigns and taking forward the nature of playfulness we take a dig at celebrating holi with friends. With the roster of popular television celebs that we have, and the way we have captured the spirit of this festival, we are sure this campaign will strike a chord with our viewers and the brand’s target audience.”

    “Holi is a great moment of conviviality, wherein friends and family come together, and we wanted to capture this and create a campaign that embodies the spirit of Holi,” said Pernod Ricard India GM – marketing Iswindar Singh. “This collaboration with Viacom18 captures the mood of the occasion in the light humour space that we have always operated in, while keeping the ethos of our brand alive. Combined with the 360-degree network amplification and Viacom18 stars, we hope to recreate the magic of our iconic campaigns with this campaign”

    “The whole idea and execution of the video was a beautiful amalgamation that resonates with the brand messaging of humour and partners ideology of ‘Celebrating relationship with Colors’,” said Wavemaker India chief client officer Karthik Nagarajan. “It has been a great collaboration by Wavemaker India in bringing this initiative to life . With the platform reach- the spread across TV, OTT and Social, I am certain the campaign videos will connect, create an instant impact and bring cheer to our audience”.

     

     
     
     

     
     
     
     
     

     
     

     
     
     

     
     

    A post shared by ColorsTV (@colorstv)

     

  • Colors strengthens programming lineup with new show ‘Spy Bahu’

    Colors strengthens programming lineup with new show ‘Spy Bahu’

    Mumbai: In a bid to strengthen its programming lineup, Hindi GEC Colors is set to launch new romantic drama “Spy Bahu” on 14 March at 9 p.m. Produced by Ashvini Yardi’s Vinyard Films, the show features Sana Sayyad and Sehban Azim in the lead.

    “Colors has always believed in curating differentiated and relatable content for the viewers. Having recently launched a variety of unique fiction offerings like ‘Naagin 6,’ ‘Parineetii,’ and ‘Swaran Ghar,’ we are thrilled to add to our robust lineup, a new romantic drama, ‘Spy Bahu,’” said Viacom18 head Hindi mass entertainment and kids TV network Nina Elavia Jaipuria. “This show will bring to the audience an exciting new concept, and we are certain that they will find this unusual love story of a spy an absolute treat to watch.”

    “Spy Bahu” follows the journey of a spy Sejal who sets out on a mission to uncover a suspected terrorist Yohan Nanda but ends up falling in love with him.

    “It gives me great joy to collaborate with the channel that I have been an integral part of during its inception,” said producer Ashvini Yardi. “It feels like a homecoming, and I am proud to announce, ‘Spy Bahu,’ my first show with Colors that highlights an invigorating love story with the riveting touch of espionage. Sejal and Yohan’s story is beautiful and absolutely romantic but is shrouded in mystery. The viewers are in for a delight, and I am very excited to see it come alive on screen.”

    Colors has devised a robust marketing and digital campaign for the launch of the show. The channel kickstarted the campaign in a strategic partnership with Kareena Kapoor Khan for the promos of the show. The promos were aired on various television channels including Hindi news, movies, music, kids as well as regional channels.

    A range of impactful ads across English, Hindi and regional print publications are also being targeted. On the digital front, the channel has created fun spy vlogs with the lead character Sejal (Sayyad) who took the viewers on a behind-the-scenes tour of “Hunarbaaz- Desh Ki Shaan” and “Choti Sarrdaarni.” The actor also reacted to spy confessions from netizens during this initiative.

    Colors has also collaborated with top comedians with a high social media following to create quirky skits around the title and plot of the show. An extensive media plan is also being implemented across mediums namely Facebook, YouTube, Zapr to increase the awareness of the show.

    “The fascinating combination of love stories and spy thrillers have traditionally held a tremendous impact on our masses,” said Viacom18 chief content officer Hindi mass entertainment Manisha Sharma. “’Spy Bahu’ is a beautiful blend of romance, thriller, drama and intense yet relatable characters. We are confident that this show’s plot will weave a powerful intrigue as viewers witness Sejal’s journey from becoming a spy to falling under the trap of love. We are excited to work with Ashvini, who has been a part of the Colors family and we look forward to a great partnership.”

  • ‘DID L’il Masters Season 5’ is all set for buzzy launch

    ‘DID L’il Masters Season 5’ is all set for buzzy launch

    Mumbai: Zee has always been proactive in providing Indian youth with a global platform to showcase their talent. The channel is all set to welcome another season of its immensely popular franchise for the youngest dancing talent in the country, “Dance India Dance (DID).” The fifth season of “DID L’il Masters” is set to premiere on 12 March and will air on Saturdays and Sundays at 9 p.m, only on Zee TV.

    The channel has come up with an interesting marketing strategy to ensure that the new season creates mass hysteria of an unforeseen magnitude.  Catering to more than one lakh people per day, the channel also used floating OOH in key Mumbai sites like Bandra Worli Sea Link and Juhu Beach for high-impact visibility.

    The highlight initiative was the biggest and first-of-its-kind fan-sourced 360-degree dance video mosaic on the streets of Mumbai. The idea provided passionate dancers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to express their undying love for dance while being captured by a 360-degree rotating camera.

    Each such 360-degree dance video of a DID buff dancing their hearts out made its way into a 30 feet x 11 feet video mosaic. The three-day activity that commenced on 5 March at Bandra’s Carter Road Promenade, witnessed a total of 1500+ entries by 7 March, thus paving way for the channel to make a spectacular entry into the International Book of Records.  The gorgeous judge of the show, actor Sonali Bendre too participated in this activity by recording the final video to register a world record of the ‘World’s biggest 360-degree video mosaic’ using maximum, unique 360-degree videos sourced within 72 hours.

    Taking the joy of dancing into the by-lanes of India where dreams often do not find avenues, Zee TV collaborated with GiveIndia to host dance workshops for underprivileged kids supported by the giving platform in Varanasi, Ahmedabad, and Nagpur. While the three talented DID L’il Masters skippers- Vaibhav Ghuge, Vartika Jha and Paul Marshal demonstrated simple choreography for the kids to follow, it was the unbridled joy and innocent love for dancing on each of their faces that made the workshops such a huge success! As part of this noble initiative, DID L’il Masters is raising funds to educate and empower underprivileged children. 

  • Viacom18’s YME cluster launches new business division ‘KaanPhod’

    Viacom18’s YME cluster launches new business division ‘KaanPhod’

    Mumbai: Viacom18 youth, music and English entertainment cluster has created a brand-new business division called KaanPhod to provide emerging musical artists an opportunity to showcase their talent. The cluster comprises brands such as MTV, MTV Beats, Comedy Central, Colors Infinity, and Vh1.

    KaanPhod will co-create original music IPs with emerging artists and distribute them across platforms. The division is set to launch a show “Mic Test” that will introduce ten promising new artists and their original tracks which will also be made available for viewers on television (MTV, MTV Beats, Vh1), social and streaming platforms.

    The brand has also launched its maiden short-form video offering called Fully Faltoo, with over a dozen web shows and snackable content. This year the cluster is returning with the new season of MTV Roadies which is shot in South Africa with new host Sonu Sood. It is also returning with the second season of the rap reality show “MTV Hustle.” English entertainment channel Colors Infinity has announced a new show called “The Inventor’s Challenge” which highlights the journey of an idea from paper to a working prototype of the product created by amateur inventors.

    The clusters brands garnered 9.8 billion impressions on content across TV, social media and the networks streaming/OTT platform Voot in the past year. The business unit was also able to draw viewers during non-prime time through its sports content.

    The YME unit recently launched the Fully Faltoo NFT platform that saw more than 3000 digital collectibles sold out within a couple of hours. The marketplace offers a range of diverse digital collectibles from its iconic brands like MTV, Vh1 and Comedy Central.

    “Viacom18 YME is the only brand in its category that brings to the youth uniquely entertaining ‘escape clusters’. With fiction, non-fiction, sports, short-format and snackable content, and a foray in the metaverse, the brand has its finger on the pulse. The YME division will reinvent, reimagine and risk as it pivots across platforms in a way that is daring and contemporary, just like the audience it caters to,” said the statement.

    “The last two years have been unprecedented for young South Asians,” said Viacom18 head – youth, music and English entertainment Anshul Ailawadi. “They’ve emerged stronger after grappling with a once-in-a-generation black swan event. This is the right time for the youth, music and English entertainment (YME) cluster to pivot. In the coming fiscal we will scale up and revamp each and every legacy property from Roadies to Hustle to Splitsvilla and launch newer formats. We will double down on our growing digital presence and launch a multiplatform short video offering ‘Fully Faltoo’ along with ‘KaanPhod’ – a platform to discover and mount emerging musical talent and original songs. The success of our maiden NFT offering will be followed up with more Web 3.0-focused initiatives. We’ve also worked on a new slate of international English content for Colors Infinity and Comedy Central. The team is geared up for an action-packed year like never before.”

  • Sony BBC Earth celebrates five-year anniversary with new campaign

    Sony BBC Earth celebrates five-year anniversary with new campaign

    Mumbai: Factual entertainment channel Sony BBC Earth has launched a 360-degree campaign titled ‘Make Every Moment Meaningful’ as the channel completes five years.

    The channel has also introduced a property called ‘5 Years 5 Mega Shows’ giving viewers a chance to vote for their favourite movies. The property will air every Saturday at 8 p.m from 12 March.

    As per the campaign, the channel launched a user-generated contest called #5YearsOfLife on Instagram giving people a chance to share how they added meaning to someone’s life via reels using the brand audio. An innovative Instagram filter was introduced to create an immersive experience. Built using augmented reality, the filter works when users point their camera towards the Sony BBC Earth logo (on-air, web, print, and outdoor) and their screens come alive with animated animal figures.

    Sony BBC Earth airs some of the biggest titles in factual entertainment such as “Planet Earth,” “Dynasties,” “Blue Planet 2” and “Serengeti.”  Its shows feature storytellers such as Sir David Attenborough and Steve Backshall.

    “Guided by our consumer understanding and insights, we wanted to create a brand which when coupled with our core values would be a breakthrough in the factual entertainment space,” said Sony Pictures Networks’ chief marketing officer and business head – English cluster and Sony AATH Tushar Shah. “As we complete five years of Sony BBC Earth, we are happy to see our vision come to life. With the strengths of both its partners, including top-notch content, esteemed brand equity, and distribution genius, the channel has always added meaning to the life of its viewers. We hope to continue entertaining the audiences and add meaning to every moment they spend with us.”

  • Sony SAB to premiere new show ‘Dharm Yoddha Garud’ on 14 March

    Sony SAB to premiere new show ‘Dharm Yoddha Garud’ on 14 March

    Mumbai: Hindi GEC Sony SAB has announced a new fiction show called “Dharm Yoddha Garud.” The mythological drama will air every Monday to Saturday at 7 p.m from 14 March.

    The show is created using state-of-the-art technology and VFX by Illusion Reality Studioz and with real-time virtual production technique – Ultimatte, which is used for the first time on Indian television, said the channel.

    “Dharm Yoddha Garud” begins on the premise of Garud’s birth, who despite being born as a bird-human with incredible strength and powers to the great sage Rishi Kashyap and Vinta is compelled to obey the orders of his cunning aunt Kadru and his stepbrothers including Kaaliya and the 1000 snakes. The stellar cast features Faisal Khan in the lead along with Ankit Raaj, Parul Chauhan, Toral Rasputra, Hrishikesh Pandey, Vishal Karwal, Amit Bhanushali and more in pivotal roles.

    “We are delighted beyond words to present a magnum opus like ‘Dharm Yoddha Garud’ on Sony SAB,” said Sony SAB business head Neeraj Vyas. “The show narrates a never before heard or seen mythological saga of courage, dedication and mother-son bonding. Introducing state-of-the-art technology and visual effects for the first time on Indian television, we have created a visual experience that shall leave audiences in awe. ‘Dharm Yoddha Garud’ is a credible value add to our ever expanding and diverse portfolio and we hope the audience responds positively to this unseen chapter of Indian mythology.”

    “It can’t get bigger than this for us! ‘Dharm Yoddha Garud’ is an epic in all aspects,” said producer Abhimanyu Singh. “Apart from showcasing the untold story of this extraordinary character, we have put together a magnanimous technological marvel on Indian television. We are thrilled beyond words to finally bring this saga of a warrior God on screens. Garud’s tale of dedication, strength, bravery, and honor gets magnified ten-fold on-screen with the winning combination of some spectacular virtual production techniques, VFX and hi-tech graphics which Indian audiences will witness for the first time on television.”

  • Crime Patrol returns with second season on Sony

    Crime Patrol returns with second season on Sony

    Mumbai: Sony Entertainment Television (SET) is coming up with the second season of its longest running crime docu-drama “Crime Patrol.” Starting 7 March, “Crime Patrol 2.0” will air every Monday to Friday at 10 p.m.

    Shot in real locations across India, “Crime Patrol 2.0” will revolve around the lives of the men in uniform who protect the city from gruesome crime every day. While bringing forth impactful crime stories, the show will also give a glimpse into the personal lives of the police officers, their camaraderie, and how these cases leave a lasting impression on them, said the channel in a statement.

    Using the point of view of the cops, it will make the viewers understand the anatomy of a crime by highlighting some unseen facets of investigation, the usage of new-age tools, as well as the chase replete with the anticipation, pressure and drive to find an answer, it added.