ITV

Category: GECs

  • Zee-Sony entity to generate close to $2 billion in revenue

    Zee-Sony entity to generate close to $2 billion in revenue

    Mumbai: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (Zeel) on 22 September announced its plans for a merger with Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI). The merged entity will be the largest media and entertainment player in India with a scale close to $ two billion in revenue.

    In an investor call on Wednesday, Punit Goenka, who has been proposed as the managing director and chief executive officer of the merged entity for a period of five years, stated that “the primary objective will be growth for the company overall. Whether that will be for the digital or sports business that the new board of the merged company will decide,” according to a report by Moneycontrol.

    The merger was unanimously approved by the Zeel Board in a meeting held on Tuesday, where it evaluated the agreement on the financial parameters as well as the strategic value which SPNI brings to the table.

    “Condition for my appointment is the same as what has already been approved by the shareholders. There is no change to that. Any change in remuneration would be subject to board approval,” said Goenka.

    The companies have inked a non-binding term sheet that gives them 90 days to conduct mutual due diligence and come to an agreement that will also require shareholder approval. Post that the scheme will be presented to National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) and Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). Zeel noted that the Competition Commission of India (CCI) approval is also part of the process.

    According to Goenka, while CCI norms are different for different sectors, in this scenario, it will be a national-level evaluation and not a state-level evaluation. “The deal has been arrived at with Sony after months of negotiation and preparation. And I think we have a formidable real deal on the table today.”

    Sony has agreed to infuse $1.6 billion cash which will enable the merged entity to accelerate its digital platform and significantly invest in premium content including sports. Zeel had sold the Ten Sports franchise to Sony five years ago which will now become a part of the merged entity.

    On the matter of channel rationalisation, Goenka said that it will happen at a later date as each channel has its own unique viewership as well as programming. “The focus will be on maximising reach and viewership. Overlaps are there in Hindi-speaking markets of GEC and movies. But the content that exists on the platforms is unique and exclusive. So, the objective will be to maximise viewership and garner revenue rather than shutting down channels,” he added.

    The company has yet to reach out to shareholders like Invesco and LIC on the proposed transaction with Sony.

    In an annual general meeting (AGM) held on September 13, the largest shareholder of Zeel, Invesco Developing Markets Fund and OFI Global China Fund IIC, holding 18 per cent stake in the media company, called an extraordinary general meeting of the shareholders seeking to remove Punit Goenka, the sitting MD, and two more independent directors from the board of the company. The two independent directors Ashok Kurein and Manish Chokhani had submitted their resignations a day prior. The funds sought the appointment of their own six nominees on the board of Zeel.

    Zeel’s promoters had pared their stake in the company to four per cent to pay off debt worth Rs 13,000 crore.

  • Zee Entertainment is Global Citizen Live’s India broadcast partner

    Zee Entertainment is Global Citizen Live’s India broadcast partner

    Mumbai: International advocacy organisation Global Citizen in partnership with Wizcraft recently announced that Mumbai will be represented in Global Citizen Live’s broadcast. The organisation, on Wednesday, said that Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd will broadcast the festival on its television channels and digital entertainment platform Zee5 in India and across the globe.

    VH Group’s Venkys India Ltd, Adani Group, Serum Institute of India (SII), and Maharashtra Tourism have come on board to support the initiative.

    According to a statement, Global Citizen Live festival will call on world leaders, philanthropists, and corporations to defend the planet and defeat poverty, to take action on climate change, famine, and advance vaccine equity.

    “This year, Global Citizen has yet again brought together a slew of committed personalities with an aim to educate and empower both corporations and the general public alike on meeting critical goals in these areas,” said a Zee spokesperson. “The city of Mumbai will be one of the select few iconic locations to host the event live, not only bringing home the immediacy of these causes but also letting the city add its own unique flavor to the endeavor, with a gallery of our very own stars gracing the occasion.”

    The campaign has the support of Venkateshwara Hatcheries’ Venkys as lead partners who have partnered with Global Citizen for its India focussed initiatives for the third successive time. They have previously been presenting partners of Global Citizen Festival-Mumbai and Vax Live: The Concert to Reunite the World, which was broadcast at the height of Covid-19 and called for global vaccine unity.

    “It is great to witness these conversations taking place on a global scale which is amplified by world leaders and eminent personalities in an exciting format that attracts people and also motivates them to act individually. We look forward to joining this campaign that aims at ensuring every citizen on this planet cares for it too,” said SII chief executive officer Adar Poonawalla.

    “We are proud and excited to continue our association with Global Citizen once again. We are delighted to continue our promise with this grand association while we celebrate 50 years of VH Group,” said VH Group’s Venkys India Ltd managing director B Balaji Rao.

    Global Citizen Live is supported by a corporate coalition, including global partners: Accenture, Cisco, Citi, The Coca-Cola Company, Delta Air Lines, Google, Live Nation, P&G, Salesforce, Verizon, and campaign partners Hilton, WW International, and World-Wide Technology who will engage support from the private sector in driving new commitments toward the campaign’s policy objectives. Access Bank is a Global Citizen Live campaign partner in Nigeria.

    “We are elated to announce that this time Zee Entertainment is our official broadcast partner. We are also grateful to VH Group, Adani Group and Serum Institute Of India who have been as enthusiastic about this campaign and event as we are,” said Wizcraft co-founder Andre Timmins. “One thing that binds us together is our common goal of catalysing pro-activeness on long-standing pressing issues concerning people, states, and environment.”

    Actor Anil Kapoor will host the initiative from the Gateway of India and artists like Amit Trivedi, Ajay-Atul, Badshah and Tanishk Bagchi will perform live along with appearances by Sachin Tendulkar, Madhuri Dixit and Varun Dhawan who have come on board to support the campaign. There will also be appearances by Sadhguru, Amitabh Bachchan, Hrithik Roshan, Ayushmann Khurrana, Dia Mirza, Farhan Akhtar, among many others.

    Campaign co-chairs include Cisco chairman and CEO Chuck Robbins; Citi CEO Jane Fraser; The Coca-Cola Company chairman and CEO James Quincey; Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian; Google CMO Lorraine Twohill; Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino; P&G CBO Marc Pritchard; Salesforce chairman and CEO Marc Benioff; Verizon chairman and CEO Hans Vestberg, and WW International CEO Mindy Grossman.

    Executive producers of the Global Citizen Live campaign include UMG’s Michele Anthony, Francine Katsoudas, Tina Kennedy, Eric Ortner, Guy Oseary, Michael Rapino for Live Nation, Brian N Sheth, Wassim ‘Sal’ Slaiby, and Chris Stadler.

    The program will be executive produced by Jane Y Mun, with producing partners Deviants Media, Diversified Production Services, Done and Dusted Productions, Ken Ehrlich Productions, Live Nation, Livewire Pictures, TMPL Motion Pictures, and U-Live (a UMG Nigeria company).

  • SAB Group partners with DistroTV to expand global footprint

    SAB Group partners with DistroTV to expand global footprint

    Mumbai: Media and entertainment company Sri Adhikari Brothers (SAB) Group has partnered with California-based media technology company DistroScale to expand its footprint across the globe. DistroTV is an independent free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) platform and is available internationally.

    The group’s music and youth channel Mastiii, Bhojpuri channel Dabangg and Marathi music channel Maiboli will reach audiences in the UK, Europe, and the USA via DistroTV, said the media company in a statement on Monday.

    The channels will be part of DistroTV’s channel bundle called DistroTV Desi which offers more than 15 Southeast Asian channels for free. It offers viewers a variety of diverse content focusing on news, entertainment, and lifestyle geared towards the Southeast Asian (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka) population abroad, it added.

    “We are very happy to enter into this partnership which will enable us to reach foreign audiences and our Indian diaspora settled abroad. Our aim is to not only promote our network channels but also our country through the content we air globally,” said SAB Group business head Kailashnath Adhikari.

    “We are always looking to grow and diversify our channel content to meet the needs of our rapidly expanding audience,” said DistroScale chief executive officer Navdeep Saini. “This partnership with SAB Group is allowing us to do just that and we could not be more thrilled to have them join our 150+ growing channel line-up.”

    “Our growing audiences in the US, Canada, and the UK can now watch and enjoy the latest and retro Bollywood musical hits on Mastiii TV, available as a free live 24×7 channel on DistroTV on the web or any device,” stated DistroScale vice president of business development and content acquisition Rajesh Nair. 

  • ZEE Entertainment Board comes out in support of former directors Ashok Kurien & Manish Chokhani

    ZEE Entertainment Board comes out in support of former directors Ashok Kurien & Manish Chokhani

    Mumbai: The Board of Directors of ZEE Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL) on Thursday came out in support of two of its former non-executive directors, Ashok Kurien and Manish Chokhani amid “allegations made by certain proxy advisory firms” against them.

    Both Kurien and Chokhani had submitted their resignations to the Board earlier this week. The decision came at a time when two of ZEEL’s top investors – Invesco Developing Markets Fund and OFI Global China Fund LLC – which together hold around 18 percent of the stake in the company, sent a special notice demanding the removal of Punit Goenka, Manish Chokhani, and Ashok Kurien as directors in an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM). 

    In its media statement, the Board stated that it strongly condemns the allegations made against its former members, who had decided to step down from the Board due to their personal reasons and to pursue their interests beyond the confines of a boardroom. 

    “Speculations disparaging the contribution of the said non-executive directors of the Company are baseless and arise out of an inadequate understanding of the industry. Decisions taken by committee members and the Board of Directors of the Company are being wrongly attributed to individual directors without any basis,” stated the Board. “ZEE is immensely grateful to both Kurien and Chokhani for their contribution towards the Company. Their guidance to the leadership team has been valuable, enabling ZEE to touch newer heights and deliver greater value to all its stakeholders year on year.”

    The Board also highlighted that the interest of the shareholders has always been paramount for the Company under their mentorship, and it remains committed to maintain the highest standards of governance and transparency.

    ZEEL chairman R Gopalan said, “As someone who sowed the seeds of ZEE, Kurien played a key role in steering the Company to newer heights with his contribution arising out of deep understanding and knowledge of the Media Industry. His vast expertise of 35 years in the industry has been instrumental in building ZEE as a leading entertainment brand and a creative content company not only in India but across the globe. As one of India’s most respected financial experts and investors, Chokhani’s astute management skills coupled with his analytical abilities have been of tremendous value to the Board. Chokhani has always been steadfast in his support towards ZEE and has guided the leadership team to higher success by setting new standards of performance excellence.”

    The Board also lauded their contribution in the overall process of Board reconstitution, with the induction of eminent Independent directors. “The reconstituted Board will continue to ensure highest compliance practices and governance and set the benchmark for management accountability and transparency to further enhance the value of the Company” read the statement.

  • Allison+Partners awarded PR mandate for Colors

    Allison+Partners awarded PR mandate for Colors

    Mumbai: Viacom18’s general entertainment channel Colors has named Allison+Partners as its India public relations (PR) agency, following a competitive agency search process.

    Allison+Partners is known for wide-ranging communication support given its award-winning work with a spate of innovative and iconic brands which best exemplify today’s confluence of entertainment, culture, music, and video, the company said in a statement.

    “We are thrilled to add Colors to our growing portfolio of leading consumer and B2B brands in India and look forward to developing exciting, high-impact multi-platform campaigns at the edge of creativity and innovation,” said Allison+Partners managing director of India Pranav Kumar. “We look forward to bringing shows and cast closer through digitally-led PR brand and corporate campaigns for Colors via media and influencer relationships.”

    The agency was recently named Provoke Media’s “Global Agencies of the Decade” and PRWeek’s “Top APAC Consultancies in 2021”. Allison+Partners continues its growth in the Asia Pacific region and key markets such as India by expanding its reach in the country.

    “As an agency, our core belief is that it’s all about the work – working together with innovative brands and talented teams, to deliver impactful results,” said Allison+Partners India senior VP of client strategy and operations Neha Merchant. “We feel privileged to be chosen by Colors and excited that our thinking resonates with the Hindi GEC leader’s approach towards continued category differentiation and unique programming.”

  • Zee Zest’s ‘Grand Trunk Rasoi’ returns with new season on 20 Sept

    Zee Zest’s ‘Grand Trunk Rasoi’ returns with new season on 20 Sept

    Mumbai: After the successful first season of “Grand Trunk Rasoi”, Zee Zest has announced to bring the next edition of the culinary show. Featuring chef Saransh Goila as a host, the new season will be aired at 1 p.m every Monday and Tuesday from 20 September.

    With the show, Zee Zest promises to enlighten the viewers about the lesser-known culinary facts and traditional recipes spanning the countries of India, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. “Each episode of this series creates an enriching experience with its engaging visuals and distinctive storytelling methods. It is filled to the brim with culinary wisdom, food traditions, and anecdotes,” it shared in a statement.

    Globally known for his irresistible rendition of the classic Butter Chicken, chef Goila hails from a family that migrated from Sindh to Delhi during the partition. He adds a personal touch to the show by taking his mother’s recipes and recreating some of his childhood favourites.

    “Grand Trunk Rasoi 2 transports viewers to regions of immense historic and cultural significance, through a refreshed format that is sure to pique their curiosity,” said Zee Zest business head Amit Nair on the new season.

  • TV ad volume for laptop category dips 4 per cent in Jan-August

    TV ad volume for laptop category dips 4 per cent in Jan-August

    Mumbai: The advertising volumes for laptop/notebook category dipped by four per cent in January-August 2021 compared to the same period in 2020, according to TAM Media Research. HP and Lenovo were the only advertisers visible during this period, with Lenovo being the top advertiser, in terms of volumes.

    Lenovo Yoga was the most visible brand on TV with 52 per cent share of ad volumes. Other brands being advertised include HP Envy, HP Spectre 13 X360, HP Pavilion Series.

    The most popular TV channel genre for the laptop brands was the movie channel genre that had a 39 per cent share of ad volumes, followed by news (17 per cent), infotainment (16 per cent), music (15 per cent), GEC (9 per cent), other genres (4 per cent).

    The most preferred programme genre for laptop brands was feature films that accounted for 40 per cent share of ad volumes. This was followed by news bulletins at 12 per cent and film songs at 11 per cent. These three genres accounted for 60 per cent of ad volumes for the category.

    A time band analysis for the category showed that advertisers preferred rolling their ads during the evening primetime between 6 p.m and 10:59 p.m. This time band had 34 per cent share of ad volumes. The afternoon and morning time bands were also popular time bands for laptop ads following the evening primetime, with 20 per cent and 16 per cent of ad volume share, respectively. These three bands account for 70 per cent of ad volumes for the laptop category.

    Laptop ads of a length of less than 20 seconds and between 20-40 seconds dominated airwaves with a 95 per cent share of ad volumes.

    (Figures are based on secondages for TV; commercial ads only; excluding promos and social ads)

  • English GECs eye greater ad share with mass appeal formats

    English GECs eye greater ad share with mass appeal formats

    Mumbai: The English GEC genre accounted for less than one per cent of TV viewership and ad volumes in 2020, according to Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) India. TV broadcasters hoped that the genre might grow subscription revenues post the implementation of the new tariff order (NTO). However, the pandemic struck before the TV viewership stabilised. With OTT platforms luring away their core audience with original content, some channels are now looking at massy shows to attract new audiences.

    In 2020, popular English movie channels HBO and WB, GECs AXN and AXN HD, and infotainment FYI TV18 were shuttered. The viewership and advertiser support for the English GECs dwindled as global content pipelines were disrupted, stalling fresh programming. Most English GECs acquire pre-produced content which includes international sitcoms, reality TV, and even movies that are packaged for TV viewers in India.  

    “English general entertainment category has been impacted severely post NTO implementation which has resulted in multiple channels within the genre going off-air. All these factors, along with the regulatory changes, have been a double whammy for the English GEC in India, severely challenging its growth potential,” said Ormax Media, partner, Keerat Grewal.

    The content cost for English GECs was lower than other language GECs, as they did not have any original programming. However, that turned out to be an Achilles heel post-pandemic. When the production of English content resumed, much of it was distributed via OTT platforms that reached a global audience. These platforms paid a premium to acquire English content and thus producers were able to recoup their investment.

    “Competition for English GECs is mounting with the growing demand for OTT that makes premium English content more accessible to viewers in India. Consequently, English GECs have to dig deeper down the funnel to attract and interest viewers,” said Merren, chief operating officer, Monalisa Saxena.

    Experts also highlight that the audience for English GECs is primarily metro skewed, and that overlaps with the paid SVOD audience. Metro audiences are migrating to video on-demand platforms, following the lure of original content. Many of these audiences are unlikely to return to TV screens once they’ve formed a habit of on-demand content.

    Since subscription revenues were being claimed by OTTs, TV broadcasters looked at growing the advertising revenues for English GECs.

    Zee Café has launched massy show formats like “Chef vs. Fridge” and “Dance With Me” to grow viewership and advertising revenues. While these properties were launched on Zee Café they were also aired on other network channels to make it more attractive to advertisers.

    “English audience growth is linked to curation and creation of content that explores interest areas of the audience. Dance and cooking-based content are interest areas that Zee Cafe has explored. Across these formats, Zee Cafe has been able to drive sampling across more than 35 million audiences across the network,” said Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd, business head – premium channels, Karthik Mahadev.

    The strategy worked as the broadcaster was able to rope sponsors for both the shows. Brands like Haier, Lifebouy, Parle Platina Hide & Seek, Prestige, Catch Salt & Spices, The Gift Studio partnered with “Chef vs. Fridge” while Cetaphil Bright Healthy Radiance Range, Lifebuoy, L’Oreal Paris Total Repair 5, Jeevansaathi, Prestige and Yamaha Fascino 125Fi Hybrid partnered with “Dance With Me”.

    It is a win for the brands, Mahadev noted, “On English GEC SD, between 8 p.m to 9 p.m Sunday time band, 83 per cent viewership contribution comes from reality genre followed by sitcom at 8 per cent (BARC, Period Wk 1’21- Wk32’21 – Jan 2021 to YTD).”

    While these shows aired on an English GEC and were made for a premium audience, the hosts converse with the audience in Hindi or Hinglish increasing their mass appeal. This has also contributed to the popularity and reach of these shows.

    “In the longer run, regional markets undoubtedly will be the driver for growth for English entertainment. There is a whole set of audience moving from regional to English content as they become more comfortable with English as a professional, conversational language” remarked Mahadev.

  • Sony SAB announces new show ‘Shubh Laabh Aapkey Ghar Mein’

    Sony SAB announces new show ‘Shubh Laabh Aapkey Ghar Mein’

    Mumbai: Sony SAB has announced a new show called “Shubh Laabh – Aapkey Ghar Mein” that is set to premiere 13 September, Monday to Friday at 9:30 p.m.

    Produced by Jay Productions, the show features Mitil Jain, Manan Joshi, Mahi Sharma, Geetanjali Tikekar, Nasirr Khan, Chhavvi Pandey and Tanisha Mehta.

    Set in Ratlam, the show revolves around Toshniwal family who runs a snack shop and explores their daily struggles and challenges as well as the aspiration for a prosperous life. When their business suffers from financial problems, Savita, a housewife and devotee of Goddess Lakshmi, prays to her for a miracle. The Goddess Lakshmi takes on a human avatar and enters Savita’s life, shared the channel.

    “We at Sony SAB have been steadfast on our vision to be different, and our new show, Shubh Laabh – Aapkey Ghar Mein is a step in that direction,” said Sony SAB, business head, Neeraj Vyas. “Challenging the norm has become a mainstay for us and even as we bring our new show which walks a thin line between ritualism and self-transformation, we choose to do so without any negative drama. Instead, in the true spirit of what Sony SAB is known for, we want to engage, entertain, encourage and enlighten the audience and try to make this world a happier place through the entertainment we provide.”

  • Zee Studios partners with NFTically to launch NFT drop

    Zee Studios partners with NFTically to launch NFT drop

    Mumbai: Zee Studios on Friday announced its first non-fungible token (NFT) drop on its own NFT store. The film studio has partnered with software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform NFTically who facilitated the creation and launch of the NFT. The token has been integrated with the blockchain Polygon.

    A non-fungible token is a digital collectible that shows that the holder has ownership of a unique virtual item such as online pictures and videos. Through this NFT, Zee Studios will share a plethora of exclusive assets with their fans across the world, said the statement.

    “It is a defining moment for us to become the first film studio in India to launch NFTs and this initiative ties in with our future-facing plans. Zee Studios will provide NFTs for cinema lovers and collectors through its repository of the strong lineup of film content,” said  Zee Studios, chief business officer, Shariq Patel.  

    “Our mission is to revolutionise the NFT space by making it accessible to everyone – celebrities, influencers, artists, and enterprises,” said NFTically, chief executive officer and founder, Toshendra Sharma. “With a clear focus on NFT awareness and the platform (UX), we aim to connect people with their favourite collectibles, artists, and objects. NFT market-related transactions are soaring to new heights every day and given our relationship with art, culture, and emotion, India can be the epicentre of the NFT uprising.”

    “World is thrilled about digitised art. We see major traction across the globe and India is ripening to this phenomenon,”  said EMC worldwide, chief executive officer and founder, Navin Shah. “We are at the right time to explore multiple opportunities with NFT. We are happy to bring in this first NFT with NFTically and look forward to bringing in many more in coming times.”