ITV

Category: GECs

  • ViacomCBS quarterly global streaming revenues cross $1 billion mark

    ViacomCBS quarterly global streaming revenues cross $1 billion mark

    Mumbai: ViacomCBS global streaming revenue surpassed $ one billion for the first time in the third quarter 2021 with a growth of 62 per cent year-on-year. The company added 4.7 million net subscribers during the quarter reaching nearly 47 million subscribers. This includes the streaming platforms Paramount+, Showtime, BET+ and Noggin.

    The company saw 79 per cent growth YoY in streaming subscription revenue. It generated 48 per cent YoY growth in streaming advertising revenue, largely driven by Pluto TV, which grew global monthly active users (MAUs) to over 54 million and revenue by 99 per cent YoY. In terms of monetization, global streaming subscription ARPU increased 8 per cent year-over-year.

    The company’s total revenue was up by 13 per cent for the quarter ended 30 September at $6.6 billion. The pace of subscriber growth has slowed compared to the previous quarter when the company added 6.5 million new additions across its streaming services.  

    The company attributed the growth of subscribers and consumption on Paramount+ on its diverse global content offering including “A Quiet Place Part II,” “Paw Patrol: The Movie,” the return of the NFL, and the New CBS Fall Season.

    “The strength and momentum of both Paramount+ and Pluto TV are clearly evident, and demonstrate the power of the strategy we laid out at our investor event earlier this year,” said ViacomCBS president and chief executive officer Robert Bakish. “To that end, I want to remind you of three key enablers driving the ViacomCBS strategy, all of which we’re seeing in action. First, an incredible breadth and depth of compelling content which is critical to attracting and retaining consumers globally; second, robust distribution and marketing, which ensures we can build the broadest reach and awareness; and third, a strong and flexible financial engine to enable streaming investment, drive RoI and maximize shareholder value.”

    Adding further, he said, “As the leading free ad-supported streaming TV service on the market, Pluto TV is winning in both scale and engagement, and it will be a $1 billion revenue business this year.”

  • &TV’s to premiere new mythological show ‘Baal Shiv’ on 23 Nov

    &TV’s to premiere new mythological show ‘Baal Shiv’ on 23 Nov

    Mumbai: Announced in August this year, &TV’s brand-new mythological “Baal Shiv” is all set to premiere on 23 November. The show depicting the eternal bond between the mother and son – Mahasati Anusuya and Baal Shiv – will air every Monday to Friday at 8 p.m.

    Produced by Zee Studios, “Baal Shiv” features Aan Tiwari as Baal Shiv, Mouli Ganguly as Mahasati Anusuya, Siddharth Arora as Mahadev, Shivya Pathania as Devi Parvati, Krrip Kapur Suri as Asur Andhak, Praneet Bhatt as Narad Muni, Danish Akhtar Saifi as Nandi, Dakssh Ajit Singh as Indra, Anjita Poonia as Indrani, Ravi Khanvilkar as Archarya Dandpani, Rajeev Bhardwaj as Rishi Atri, and Pallavi Pradhan as Maina Devi, amongst others.

    Lord Shiva had taken several avatars but never experienced childhood and mother’s love. Even though his marriage to Parvati helped him in finding a balance between his detached and householder self, his hermit nature often concerned Parvati as she felt that he lacked an understanding of domiciliary duties. To fulfil this wish, Lord Shiva took the Baal Roop (child form), becoming the dutiful son of Mahasati Anusuya, said the channel in a statement.

    Commenting on the show launch, &TV business head Vishnu Shankar said, “Indian mythology is a treasure trove of extraordinary tales and our fascination with them is limitless. Among these are the legends of Lord Shiva and his various avatars. However there is one ‘roop’ which is rarely spoken about and that is his ‘Baal Roop’. At &TV we are proud to present for the first time on Indian television this untold, unseen story through our show ‘Baal Shiv’. We invite all our viewers and Lord Shiva’s ardent devotees to watch and enjoy it wholeheartedly.”

  • Zeel schedules board meeting on 11 November

    Zeel schedules board meeting on 11 November

    Mumbai: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (Zeel) has announced that it will hold a board meeting on 11 November to approve the unaudited financial results for the quarter ended on 30 September.

    Previously, in a BSE filing dated 26 October the company had informed shareholders that it had cancelled the board meeting that was scheduled for 27 October citing lack of quorum.

    Zeel is in the midst of a boardroom struggle with its majority shareholders Invesco Developing Markets Fund and OFI Global China Fund LLC who combined own 18 per cent stake in the company. The two shareholders had called for an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) of shareholders to remove the sitting managing director and chief executive officer Puneet Goenka and other members of the board. Two independent directors Ashok Kurien and Manish Chokhani have already submitted their resignations. 

    The investors moved to have six nominees appointed to the board of Zeel, which included Surendra Singh Sirohi, Naina Krishna Murthy, Rohan Dhamija, Aruna Sharma, Srinivasa Rao Addepali, and Gaurav Mehta as independent directors of the board for a term up to five consecutive years. The notice was received by Zeel on 12 September, and it informed the stock exchanges on 13 September, adding that the appointments are subject to approval by the ministry of information and broadcasting (MIB).

    Zeel has refused to conduct the EGM citing ‘shareholders interest’ and moved to the Bombay high court on 2 October claiming that the call for an EGM was “illegal and invalid.” The next hearing in the case will be held on 29 November.

  • Zee TV announces two new primetime shows

    Zee TV announces two new primetime shows

    Mumbai: Zee TV has announced two new shows “Aggar Tum Na Hote” and “Tere Bina Jiya Jaaye Na” that will premiere on 9 November. “Aggar Tum Na Hote” will air every Monday to Friday at 10:30 p.m and “Tere Bina Jiya Jaaye Na” will air between 10 and 11 p.m.  

    “Our upcoming show – ‘Aggar Tum Na Hote’ explores an unusual dynamic between its lead protagonists where a dedicated nurse becomes the last ray of hope for a mentally unstable young man after even the best of doctors give up on him,” said Zee TV business head Aparna Bhosle. “Does her unwavering determination to cure him stem from a connection they share in the past? Viewers will have to watch the show to find out! We hope to strengthen our late primetime band with two new offerings ‘Aggar Tum Na Hote’ and ‘Tere Bina Jiya Jaaye Na’ between 10 and 11 p.m.”

    The show tells the story of a mentally unstable, rich, young man whose only ray of hope is his nurse who refuses to give up on him after even the senior-most doctors have thrown up their hands. Himanshu Soni has been roped to play the role of Abhimanyu Pandey who will be joined by co-star Simaran Kaur who will play the character of Niyati.

    “’Aggar Tum Na Hote’ is all about having that one person in life that doesn’t give up on you, even if everyone else does,” said the show producers Jatin Sethi, Mahesh Pandey, and Piyush Gupta. “It is sometimes these relentlessly optimistic motivators and support systems that help us come out and tide over our challenges. So, we have a very interesting dynamic between our two lead protagonists which should give us a fantastic canvas for storytelling.”

    “To be honest, when I was approached for the role, I was quite taken aback by the story because while we’ve seen a few films on mentally unstable people, there aren’t too many TV shows that come to mind,” said Himanshu Soni. “My character has an impenetrable depth with layers that viewers will gradually peel and get to see over a period of time.”

    “Niyati’s character has quite an intense touch to it since it is a blend of a zestful personality alongside being a responsible, care-giving nurturer,” said Simaran Kaur. “Having an optimistic, pragmatic approach to problems is something both Niyati and I (Simaran) have in common. The show has a beautiful story to narrate, and I hope I am able to bring it alive for the audiences in the most authentic manner.”

  • Zeel-Invesco case: Bombay high court adjourns hearing to 29 Nov

    Zeel-Invesco case: Bombay high court adjourns hearing to 29 Nov

    Mumbai: On Friday, the Bombay high court adjourned the hearing on Invesco’s plea that challenged the injunction order of the single judge bench of the same court. The next hearing will be held on 29 November.

    Invesco, the largest shareholder in Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (Zeel) had approached the court on Thursday to challenge the injunction order passed by the bench in a petition filed by Zeel against the investor.

    The court had ruled in favour of Zeel granting it temporary relief against the requisition notice by Invesco to call for an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) of shareholders to pass a resolution to remove the sitting board of directors and appoint a new board. 

    The Zeel-Invesco tussle began when the media company’s two top investors Invesco Developing Markets Fund and OFI Global China Fund LLC who combined own 18 per cent stake in the company had sent a requisition notice to the company on 11 September to call an EGM even after two weeks, the investors moved to the NCLT, citing provisions of company law, according to which the company is bound to call for an EGM within a specific number of days, if stakeholder demanding it owns more than 10 per cent of the company.

    The investors had also sought the removal of long-standing directors and close associates of the Chandra family from the board. The two independent directors Ashok Kurien and Manish Chokhani have already submitted their resignations. 

    The investors moved to have six nominees appointed to the board of Zeel, which included Surendra Singh Sirohi, Naina Krishna Murthy, Rohan Dhamija, Aruna Sharma, Srinivasa Rao Addepali and Gaurav Mehta as independent directors of the board for a term up to five consecutive years. The notice was received by Zeel on 12 September, and it informed the stock exchanges on 13 September, adding that the appointments are subject to approval by ministry of information and broadcasting (MIB).

    Zeel refused to conduct the EGM citing ‘shareholders interest’ and moved to Bombay high court on 2 October seeking to declare the requisition notice as “illegal and invalid.”

  • Sony Group’s media networks biz in India grows in Q2 FY21

    Sony Group’s media networks biz in India grows in Q2 FY21

    Mumbai: Sony Group Corp has released its financial results for Q2 FY2021 that ended on 30 September. The media conglomerate reported that Sony Pictures Entertainment’s (SPE) Indian business, which includes video distribution service SonyLIV and its leading broadcasting business, accounted for slightly less than 40 per cent of the sales of media networks in Q2.

    Its pictures segment saw a 40 per cent increase year-on-year in sales, primarily attributed to increase in sales of television productions and media networks. The sales for the pictures segment stood at $612 million. The company also reported higher advertising revenues in India YoY.

    Last month, the company signed a non-binding term sheet to merge a subsidiary of Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) and Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (Zeel), a media company in India. Under the proposed merger, SPE would hold a majority stake in the resulting merged entity.

    Under the term sheet, the two parties are conducting mutual due diligence and Zeel has agreed to negotiate exclusively with SPE for a period of 90 days with the goal of reaching definitive agreements.

    “India has an economic base that is rapidly growing, primarily among the younger generation, and it is the largest linear TV market in the world that is still growing. In addition, the opportunity for digital distribution services is beginning to grow rapidly due to improvements in India’s communication infrastructure,” it said in a statement.

    “As a growth area in the pictures segment, we plan to continue to proactively seek opportunities to expand this business by using the profitability of the TV broadcasting business and our content assets to strengthen our digital distribution service,” it added.

  • Bombay HC grants Zeel temporary relief from Invesco’s EGM notice

    Bombay HC grants Zeel temporary relief from Invesco’s EGM notice

    Mumbai: The Bombay high court has ruled in favour of Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (Zeel) temporarily barring the requisition notice by its majority shareholder Invesco to call for an extraordinary general meeting (EGM).

    In another development, Zeel has also cancelled its board meeting scheduled on 27 October to discuss the unaudited financial results for the second quarter of the year ended 30 September citing lack of quorum. In the BSE filing, the company said that the next date of the meeting will be duly informed with fresh notice.

    “The decision taken by the hon’ble Bombay high court is a huge win for all the stakeholders of the company,” a Zeel spokesperson said in a statement on Tuesday.

    The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) hearing on a petition moved by Invesco on the EGM notice will be held on Wednesday. The NCLT is likely to follow the Bombay high court decision.

    The Zeel-Invesco tussle began when the media company’s two top investors Invesco Developing Markets Fund and OFI Global China Fund LLC who combined own 18 per cent stake in the company had sent a requisition notice to the company on 11 September to call an EGM even after two weeks, the investors moved to NCLT, citing provisions of company law, according to which the company is bound to call for an EGM within a specific number of days if stakeholder demanding it owns more than 10 per cent of the company.

    The investors had also sought the removal of long-standing directors and close associates of the Chandra family from the board. The two independent directors Ashok Kurien and Manish Chokhani have already submitted their resignations.

    The investors moved to have six nominees appointed to the board of Zeel, which included Surendra Singh Sirohi, Naina Krishna Murthy, Rohan Dhamija, Aruna Sharma, Srinivasa Rao Addepali, and Gaurav Mehta as independent directors of the board for a term up to five consecutive years. The notice was received by Zeel on 12 September, and it informed the stock exchanges on 13 September, adding that the appointments are subject to approval by the ministry of information and broadcasting (MIB).

    Zeel refused to conduct the EGM citing ‘shareholders interest’ and moved to Bombay high court on 2 October seeking to declare the requisition notice as “illegal and invalid.”

  • Zeel-Invesco tussle: Bombay HC directs Zeel to call for EGM

    Zeel-Invesco tussle: Bombay HC directs Zeel to call for EGM

    Mumbai: The Bombay high court asked Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (Zeel) to call for the extraordinary general meeting (EGM) requisitioned by Invesco Developing Markets Fund on Thursday. Zeel must inform the court of the EGM date by Friday morning.

    According to a Business Standard and Reuters report, Zeel agreed to hold the EGM only if its right to contest the validity of the resolution passed at the meeting is reserved. The court determined that any resolution passed at the meeting will be put on hold until it decides on the validity of Invesco’s request. The bench suggested that a neutral chairperson should head the meeting who may be from the corporate world, a lawyer, or a judge.

    The Zeel-Invesco tussle began when the media company’s two top investors Invesco Developing Markets Fund and OFI Global China Fund LLC who combined own 18 per cent stake in the company had sent a requisition notice to the company on 11 September to call an EGM even after two weeks, the investors moved to National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), citing provisions of company law, according to which the company is bound to call for an EGM within a specific number of days if stakeholder demanding it owns more than 10 per cent of the company.

    The investors had also sought the removal of long-standing directors and close associates of the Chandra family from the board. The two independent directors Ashok Kurien and Manish Chokhani have already submitted their resignations. 

    The investors moved to have six nominees appointed to the board of Zeel, which included Surendra Singh Sirohi, Naina Krishna Murthy, Rohan Dhamija, Aruna Sharma, Srinivasa Rao Addepali, and Gaurav Mehta as independent directors of the board for a term up to five consecutive years. The notice was received by Zeel on 12 September, and it informed the stock exchanges on 13 September, adding that the appointments are subject to approval by the ministry of information and broadcasting (MIB).

    Zeel refused to conduct the EGM citing ‘shareholders interest’ and moved to Bombay high court on 2 October seeking to declare the requisition notice as “illegal and invalid.”

  • Star India bolsters content slate for festive season

    Star India bolsters content slate for festive season

    Mumbai: Star India network is bringing specially curated shows and films across Hindi, English, and regional channels this festive season. The content slate includes new seasons of marquee shows such as “Dance+,” “Bigg Boss” – Telugu and Tamil, “Super Singer,” “Start Music,” and many more.

    “Viewers are at the front and centre of everything we do; as a network, we understand their pulse and are committed to offering content that resonates with the entire family,” said Star and Disney India head – network entertainment channels Kevin Vaz. “We are thrilled to present power-packed shows with the biggest celebrities including Kamal Haasan, Akkineni Nagarjuna, Sonu Nigam, Remo D’Souza to entertain our viewers this festive season. This is a terrific opportunity for advertisers to reach and engage with viewers across demographics and make most of the festive period.”

    The upcoming weeks will bring in a plethora of new shows and films on the network including the comeback of “Dance+” on Star Plus after two years. Season six of the popular show will have Raghav Juyal as the host and the famed choreographer-director Remo D’Souza return as Super Judge along with Shakti Mohan, Punit J Pathak, and Salman Yusuf Khan as the judges, “Haathi Ghoda Paal Ki Jai Kanhaiya Lal Ki,” a mythological drama series on Star Bharat, “It Happens Only In India” on National Geographic, Bollywood blockbuster films such as “The Big Bull,” “Mimi,” “Hungama 2,” and “Bhuj: The Pride of India” on Star Gold and Hollywood super hits “Frozen 2,” “The New Mutants,” “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil,” “The Empty Man,” and “A Welcome Home Christmas” on Star Movies. 

    The network’s regional entertainment offering will include a special talent show “Me Honar Superstar Chote Ustaad” on Star Pravah, “Cook with Comali Season 3” on Star Vijay, “Bigg Boss Diwali Special” on Star Maa, and more. In addition to this, multiple new fiction shows will be launched across the television network.

    Star India network currently has some of its biggest properties running on-air including “Bigg Boss Tamil” and “Start Music” on Star Vijay, “Bigg Boss Telugu” on Star Maa, “Super Singer Season 3” on Star Jalsha, “Me Honar Superstar Jallosh Dancecha” on Star Pravah and “Comedy Stars” on Asianet which continue to entertain viewers season after season and add to the festive cheer, said the broadcast network in a statement.

  • Zee Zest announces ‘Junior Menu’ starting 21 October

    Zee Zest announces ‘Junior Menu’ starting 21 October

    Mumbai: Lifestyle channel Zee Zest has announced a new show “Junior Menu” with celebrity chef, food expert and writer Pankaj Bhadouria. The show is scheduled to begin on 21 October, every Thursday to Friday at 1:30 p.m.

    “Junior Menu” seeks to address one of the most difficult parts of parenting, especially for working mothers, which is to provide their children with a wholesome diet despite hectic work schedules. It is all set to surprise and tempt kids with unique ideas and a creative take on food, nudging them to explore and try new foods and Bhadouria also highlights the importance of certain fruits and vegetables through the show, said the channel in a statement.

    “Under-nutrition and child obesity are pressing issues of our time,” said chef Bhadouria. “Junior Menu promises to offer easy and quick-to-make dishes for kids, that will help them expand their palate and inculcate better eating habits. It will also make mealtimes fun and less agonising for mums.”