ITV

Category: GECs

  • Zee Zest’s ‘Fit Fab Feast with Huma Qureshi’ deep dives into celeb lifestyle

    Zee Zest’s ‘Fit Fab Feast with Huma Qureshi’ deep dives into celeb lifestyle

    NEW DELHI: Lifestyle channel Zee Zest is all set to launch its newest show – Fit Fab Feast with Huma Qureshi, which promises to serve the wonder and curiosity of viewers who seek to delve into what makes one a ‘celebrity’. Led by actor Huma Qureshi, the show captures the aspirational celebrity lifestyle through her journey and experiences with fitness, food and fashion.

    Premiering on 13 March, the show is completely shot in 4K and is Zee Zest’s first to be anchored by a prominent Bollywood icon. It resonates with the viewers’ aspiration to lead a glamorous life and know what goes into making that happen. The vivacious and talented actor showcases her effortless glides through the spotlight, the challenges of keeping up with the hottest styles, health mantras and haute cuisine. Fit Fab Feast with Huma Qureshi also deep dives into a bandwagon of experts whose holistic solutions add the right amount of glitz to her endless grit and passion. From dressing up with designer Payal Singhal, stylists Pernia Qureshi and Mohit Rai to sweating it out with celebrity fitness specialists Namrata Purohit, Yasmin Karachiwala and Shivoham, the show serves as an eye-opener to the conspicuous struggle, consistent commitment and zeal required for maintaining the benchmark of a life as a celebrity.

    Zee Zest business head Amit Nair said, “Since the channel’s inception in October, we’ve created a wide gamut of content across genres and formats. Fit Fab Feast with Huma Qureshi is our first show with a leading actor; it aligns with our vision to UnLimit experiences for audience across the lifestyle spectrum. This show takes viewers on an enthusing journey through the lens of Huma’s choices and gives an insider pass into all the glitz, glamour and grit that truly shape up a celebrity’s entertaining and aspirational life.”

    Hailing from Delhi, Huma moved to the financial capital in 2010 to kickstart her career in acting. She’s won hearts through her spontaneity and several accolades with her sincere performances. Filled with gratitude for her journey, she is thrilled by this exciting new turn.

    “This show has given me the opportunity to connect with the audience in a more meaningful way,” shared Huma. “While my film work shows the aspirational element, they often miss depicting the real balance a film actor needs to power through all spheres of her life. One may have seen my airport, gym and awards night looks, but Fit Fab Feast goes beyond the surface to emphasize all the hard work that goes on behind the scenes to perfect a look or a performance with equal élan.”

    A strong advocate for body-positivity, Huma is unafraid to try new things that nourish her body, mind and soul. Through the show she shares her immersive experiences with early morning Yoga, a session of kickboxing with Krishna Shroff and self-defense judo lessons at Akshay Kumar’s Academy. Across episodes, she’s seen attempting sweaty, demanding, edgy exercises that offer a packaged dose of motivation and entertainment to all the viewers. And for those who wonder where she derives the energy to keep up with planks, panache and paparazzi – the show answers that with a dedicated segment where Huma is seen indulging in mostly nutritious and absolutely delicious food prepared by some of the most noteworthy chefs of the city, and on occasion by Huma herself!

    We all know that to be remarkable you have to look the part. Huma is styled and groomed by some of her closest industry friends that completes her overall exuberance and persona. Huma has proven her mettle as an actor with her versatile roles and while she savors her place in the sun, she also craves newer and more unique experiences. The actor is invited by the most renowned stylists and couture experts from the globe to experience and experiment with fashion for different moods and milieu. From dressing up for a Sangeet ceremony with Manish Malhotra, a lavish dinner date with her brother Saquib Qureshi to completely transforming her look with Kromakay – she has the Demands of a Diva and they…the perfect sartorial answer.

    Tune in to Zee Zest at 9 pm every Saturday and Sunday to witness how a healthy body, hearty meal and beautiful clothes rack can be your perfect companions to lead the celebrity lifestyle.

  • Will ‘Mann Ki Awaaz Pratigya 2’ be able to create the same magic?

    Will ‘Mann Ki Awaaz Pratigya 2’ be able to create the same magic?

    MUMBAI: Dubbed the "King of Relationships", Rajan Shahi is behind some of the most popular and successful shows on the small screen. He made his directorial debut two decades ago with the series, Dil Hai Ki Manta Nahi. What followed after was a succession of hit shows including Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahi, Hamare Tumhare, Rishtey, Kareena Kareena, Reth, Mamtaa, Millee, Virasaat and Saathi Re. On the strength of his success, he floated his own production company in 2007 and launched Sapna Babul Ka Bidaai on Star Plus, followed by the super popular Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai, which is presently running on television.

    While the whole world was engulfed in gloom due to the crises wreaked by 2020, Shahi created another masterpiece called Anupamaa. The show is currently ruling the TRP charts, as audiences resonate with its beautiful and relatable storyline. Now, the producer is gearing up to bring the second season of the hit show Mann Ki Awaaz Pratigya. Interestingly, the sequel has retained the principal characters. Along with Pooja Gor, the returning cast members include actors Arhaan Behll and Anupam Shyam.

    He went on to mention the cast will comprise of new as well as old faces. Season one was known for its brilliant writing and performances and made a huge impact on the audiences, so it follows that the team is working hard towards creating a more impressive second season.

    Mann Ki Awaaz Pratigya 2 is very different from the other dramas he has created and he was always interested in a second innings for the show, shared Shahi. This longing of his came closer to becoming a reality when around a month ago, showrunner and creative producer Pearl Grey approached Shahi to see if he could produce it. Without batting an eyelid, Shahi pounced on the opportunity.

    Grey, who is known for bringing high voltage drama in her shows, lauded Shahi for understanding the temperament of the show and for providing his creative inputs.

    Shanti Bhusan, who is penning the dialogues for Mann Kee Awaaz Pratigya 2, shared, “In season one, we showcased the love story between Pooja Gor and Arhaan Behll sticking to the same plot, season two will now have their kids. Pratigya the lead character is now a successful lawyer. Relevant to today’s time their responsibilities have changed, there will be different sets of challenges and how they are tackling those issues while maintaining their relationships.”  

    More than guns and bullets, there will be war between the characters. For Bhushan, at the core of the show lies the reality and rawness prevalent in the heartlands of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. He jokingly added that he never imagined working with Shahi due to their different creative approaches. Shahi’s main tagline is ‘I hate villains’ whereas Bhusan feels the exact opposite. Nevertheless, he is ecstatic to collaborate with Shahi on this project and is confident that the show will resonate with viewers.

    In order to establish this connect with audiences, the showrunners are doing their best to be authentic by incorporating local flavour and relatable elements. The cast and crew recently flew to Prayagraj to shoot for the outdoor schedule of the show. Filming took place in the interiors of the city and nearby areas, though the latter half of the shooting is bound for Mumbai’s Film City Studio. The show's antagonist Chetan Hansraj plays the character of Balwant, who belongs to Haryana. So, it is reported that some portion of the shoot will commence in Haryana.

    Unlike other TV shows which are relying on VFX, CGI, animation or green screen, Mann Kee Awaaz Pratigya 2 will be purely filmed outdoors.

    Pooja Gor, the female protagonist, is both excited and nervous about making her comeback on TV after almost six years. Gor was last seen in the TV show Ek Nayi Ummeed – Roshni that ended in 2015; in between she has done a few cameo appearances.

    “It doesn’t feel like a comeback, more so because the reruns of the show have been successful. People still watch and talk about the show. It feels like homecoming. To be honest I never left TV, just that I was exploring other avenues as well. I did Kedarnath, a few OTT shows, short films and lots of ads. As far as Mann Ki Awaaz Pratigya 2 is concerned, the kind of love and affection that we’ve received, it didn’t feel like eight years have passed,” remarked Gor, who recently finished shooting for the original series Shrikant Bashir.

    Mann Kee Awaaz Pratigya 2 will air from Monday, 15 March at 20:30 pm on Star Bharat and Utsav Bharat UK. This marks a big shift from season one, when the programm used to air on Star Plus.

    The Media Ant co-founder Samir Choudhary opined that the network wants to position Star Bharat as a more local channel which appeals to the audiences of Hindi heartland. “According to BARC India data, in terms of viewership Star Bharat is as big as Star Plus. It is a conscious positioning of putting Star Bharat as more Hindi land channel. Star Plus has more urban and metro viewers, whereas Star Bharat is completely mass India. Basically the channel is getting more mass which in return is attracting major advertisers from across the category that includes FMCGs, banking, automobile, e-commerce and several others,” he explained.

    Choudhary further commented that DD Free Dish channels are in the race to compete with mainline Hindi GEC channels. In the coming months, more channels will go DD Free Dish route. Owing to its high popularity in rural India, broadcasts would be more keen to latch to DD Free Dish.

    Ormax Media partner Keerat Grewal concluded, "Characters with a strong equity have the ability to pull in audiences. Pratigya was among the top ten most popular characters on Ormax Characters India Loves across 2011-12. This has given the show a starting point advantage on buzz. Star Plus seems to be currently focussing on exploring family-relationship based dramas across its FPC, making the social-issue drama of Pratigyaa a better fit for Star Bharat."  

  • Colors explores Punjabis’ Canada dreams with new show Udaariyaan

    Colors explores Punjabis’ Canada dreams with new show Udaariyaan

    MUMBAI: Colors is all set for an action-packed 2021.The beginning of the year witnessed the finale of its successful nonfiction property Bigg Boss. Post the conclusion of its tentpole programme, the channel has strengthened its weekend slot with the launch of dance reality show Dance Deewane Season 3. New fiction serial Bawara Dil, an adaptation of Colors Marathi’s ongoing popular show Jeev Zala Yeda Pisa, soon followed to shore up its primetime line-up. 

    Now, the channel is gearing up for the premiere of yet another fiction show, Udaariyaan – a story of hope, love, aspiration, and dreams. Udaariyaan is powered by Colgate and Suhana Masala and will hit the airwaves on 15 March and will air Monday – Saturday at 7 pm. The show is produced by television’s power couple Ravi Dubey and Sargun Mehta under the banner of Dreamiyata Entertainment and marks their first foray into creating a Hindi GEC show.

    Udaariyaan is about the journey of the Sandhu family, who lead their lives in the heartland of Punjab, and nurse the dream of moving to Canada. The Sandhus’ unfulfilled dream from generations now lies in the hands of their daughters. The two protagonists of the show, Tejo (Priyanka Choudhary) and Jasmine (Isha Malviya) are like chalk and cheese. While the elder one Tejo is deeply rooted in her Punjabi culture and wants to be a professor one day, Jasmine feels like she belongs elsewhere. She is determined, strong-willed and will make destiny bend to her will. Fiercely ambitious, all that Jasmine wants is to move to Canada and will only marry someone who makes this dream a reality for her. This blazing ambition on Jasmine’s part affects the dynamics of the Sandhu family and eventually shapes their destiny. Enter Fateh (Ankit Gupta), an absolute romantic who is head over heels in love with Jasmine but does not know how to convey his feelings to her. As Tejo, Jasmine and Fateh’s lives become intertwined, so begins their journey of achieving their dreams. It remains to be seen how Jasmine’s dreams pan out and what happens when Tejo gets stuck in the middle of Jasmine and Fateh’s ambitions. 

    Viacom18 Hindi Mass Entertainment and Kids TV Network head Nina Elavia Jaipuria said, “At Colors, we always strive to create memorable and relatable stories to provide our audience wholesome entertainment. With a strong line-up of fiction and non-fiction shows across genres, we continue to provide premium variety content and the next endeavour in this direction is our new show Udaariyaan. The Punjabi flavour, the relatable characters and the reflection of Indian dreams will certainly enthral the viewers.”

    Dreamiyata Entertainment producer Sargun Mehta shared that after a successful innings as actors, she and Ravi are thrilled to give flight to their little dream of turning producers and the couple couldn’t have asked for a better show than Udaariyan to make that into a reality.

    "It is a very special feeling as we have been putting our heart and soul into this project for months and it is finally coming to fruition. We have worked very hard to create some really amazing characters and are now glad that the viewers will get to witness them,” said Mehta.

    Dubey, on his part, loves collaborating  with his wife, but finding talent to work with is a big challenge that he faces as a producer. In an interaction with a news portal, he mentioned, “I think getting a great team together is the only big challenge. When you know that you have the best people doing their respective jobs, then it takes a lot of loads away from your shoulders. The right kind of director, the right script, the right writers are crucial to churn out good content."

    When asked if he feels that being both an actor and a producer puts him under tremendous pressure, he quipped, “The responsibility of an actor and a producer is similar. I want to give people the right content to live by. It’s not just about making aspirational stuff, it’s also about what you project to people and how you do it. Of course, the responsibility on our shoulders in order to do this has increased but we know that this will help us grow.”

    The couple is eager to experiment with various formats and modes of content delivery. First on the agenda is making more content in Hindi and Punjabi. Whether it is OTT, television or movies, the duo wants to focus on giving viewers the content that will engage them. 

    Colors has designed the show’s campaign hinged on the well-known phenomenon of Punjab’s love for Canada and the aspiration of people from the region to migrate there. In an attempt to uniquely introduce the three lead characters – Tejo, Jasmine and Fateh – in an entertaining musical way, the channel has roped in rap maestro Badshah for a music video. Featuring him alongside the cast of the show, the music video has garnered eight million views across digital platforms. The channel has also planned a nine-day TV campaign across Hindi news, Hindi movies, Hindi music, kids and regional genres. A special focus is being put on the Badshah‘s music video as a part of the TV plan to give people a flavour of Punjab, and a sneak peek into the fun aspects of the show.

    Additionally, for the true fans and members of Colors’ Golden Petal Club, a special digital event is planned on launch day showcasing the show’s cast and some behind the scene moments from the sets of Punjab.  On the digital front, along with influencer outreach, a three-part video series will also be showcased which will include testimonial stories of real people and their dreams.

     The channel already has a show named Chhoti Sarrdaarni which is also set against the backdrop of Punjab, it would be interesting to see how audiences react to Udaariyaan.

  • This Women’s Day #ChooseToChallenge say Taapsee Pannu and Mithali Raj

    This Women’s Day #ChooseToChallenge say Taapsee Pannu and Mithali Raj

    MUMBAI: Two of the most inspiring icons of Bollywood and Cricket, Taapsee Pannu and Mithali Raj, have come together to share the important message of challenging conventions on international women’s day. With Taapsee all geared up to play Mithali on the silver screen in Viacom18 Studio’s upcoming Shabaash Mithu, the duo collaborated to perform a powerful prose penned by Priya Aven, writer of Shabaash Mithu. In this women’s day special video, Taapsee and Mithali are encouraging women from all walks of life to stand up, challenge the norm and take charge of their own stories.

    Watch the film here :

  • Monetising Ishara is the primary focus in next few quarters: Aditya Pittie

    Monetising Ishara is the primary focus in next few quarters: Aditya Pittie

    MUMBAI: In September 2016, Anand Mahindra-owned television channel Epic roped in Pittie Group CEO Aditya Pittie as its managing director. Since then, the Anand Mahindra-and Pittie-promoted IN10 Media has expanded – from television (Epic), to OTT platforms (Epic On and Docubay), and even a production house (Juggernaut) in its kitty.

    After establishing its linear broadcast channels in their respective genres, Epic, Filamchi, Gubbare and ShowBox, the In10 Media Network is all set to foray into the Hindi GEC market with Ishara. Five original shows debuting as part of the channel’s inaugural line-up include mythological masterpiece Paapnaashini Ganga; crime-thriller Faraar Kab Tak; and three fiction shows Agni-Vayu, Humkadam, and Janani. Besides that, it was recently announced that Juggernaut Productions and Mango People Media will also produce a show based on the life of Maharani Gayatri Devi, to air on Ishara.

    Pittie finds his passion in creating value and wealth and building scale. “That’s why I am interested in multiple businesses, not just any particular business. I am passionate about business, and building businesses that have scale, that gives employment to many people. That is what drives me,” says Pittie in a conversation with indiantelevision.com’s Shikha Singh, during which he spoke at length about new kid on the GEC block – Ishara, its programming line-up, marketing strategies and much more.

    Edited excerpts:

    On launching Ishara amid the pandemic.

    As a media broadcast channel, we have the ambition to have another market share and after adding Showbox in our portfolio and launching Filamchi, it was always in our plan to venture into the Hindi GEC genre, hence we launched Ishara. The planning was in place before the pandemic took place. Now as the market is bouncing back, and the GDP is coming back on track, we feel the demand for content is comparatively more and most importantly, we felt that the timing is right to offer something which is slightly differentiated and fresh to the audiences.

    On the channel’s standout USP.

    We are positioning the channel as a celebration of life, while the stories are about real India, we are trying to bring the element of freshness and progressiveness. The idea is to provide something that is deeply rooted in values but also progressive in nature. Our idea is already resonating with people on social media and other consumer engagement sites. I think our USP is communicated fairly well, and that is how we are going to differentiate from other competition existing in this space.

    On the initial sampling of the channel.

    The way we have chosen our line-up is unique. Sampling is a factor of availability, very rarely do you see a channel in the pay and HSM (Hindi speaking market), so availability plays a very important role. We tried to create a lot of awareness including using an extensive marketing plan. Then obviously, how interested audiences are after seeing the trailers and the promos that you communicated, and what kind of conversion you are trying to get out of sampling. The fact that we have chosen Paapnaashini Ganga as our mythological show and Janani is a very powerful concept which everybody can relate to. We feel that with the combination of all of these factors there definitely will be a strong sampling for our channel. We have a mix of fiction and non-fiction shows which are in the pipeline.

    On conducting research and deriving consumer insight pre-launch.

    We have engaged with certain focus groups and agencies; we collected some data and qualitative analyses to understand consumer preferences. The fact that we are launching a channel with a 7-9 pm programming slot and again 9-11 pm, it’s very rare that a channel repeats its prime-time programming in the same primetime slot. Our channel is our own competition. The decision has been taken after the deep consumer research including both quantitative and qualitative.

    On its target audience.

    The genre is targeting both urban and rural audiences. However, as our country is growing so fast, consumers are evolving it would be difficult to find where our audiences live, but we have a slightly more urban slew. Similar to any other GEC, our major target audiences are females.

    On advertisers’ response.

    The responses are quite encouraging, the feedback is very strong. They feel our content is very fresh and there is potential to get market share. They are willing to partner with us at the early stages.

    On content and distribution strategy.

    At present, we have launched all our channels as part of the  Epic value pack which is a Rs 2 bouquet. From 1 April onwards we are increasing our price to Rs 7, where you will get all the five channels in the same amount.

    On their media mix and how much digital will occupy.

    For Ishara, we have allocated maximum resources to television slots. That is the fundamental strategy, we feel the convergence is higher from television to another TV channel. We have also taken lots of EPG spots with cable and DTH players. Apart from that, we have partnered with all radio networks across India. We are also leveraging digital, print and OOH mediums.

    On linear feed availability on the network’s OTT platform Epic On.

    We are still considering when to make Ishara available on our OTT platform, the linear feed won’t be coming soon to Epic On. We’re still deciding on when to make livestreaming available, and catch-up will be available subsequently. Currently, maximum sampling of our channel is going to happen on broadcast before we start moving some of the audiences to digital. But eventually, it is going to be the combination of both linear TV and OTT. We are living in a world where both are complimentary so definitely the content will be available on Epic On at some point in time.

    On getting into sports broadcasting.

    We are very clear about our strategies, and we are definitely not getting into sports broadcast. It is not part of our agenda.

    On the secret ingredient that has kept the In10 brand going for years.

    I think being a challenger brand or a product is something that as an entrepreneur I enjoy building. The whole mentality of starting up when the odds are against you is what encourages and drives the organisation to grow our business. I have an inherent love for creating content, whether it is creating compelling infotainment which is India centric or loved by so many people, we are the only music channel which has 40 per cent non-Bollywood music. The love for offering and creating content is actually the main driver for our ambition. This is the only reason we call ourselves content engines.

    On content consumption trends, and what themes will rule 2021.

    With India’s disposable income rising and internet connectivity improving, there will be more consumption of premium content. People’s ability to pay for premium content will increase, hence we are witnessing a growth in OTT content consumption. However, I think television content will still continue to be a priority for Indian viewers. Both television and OTT will be complimentary to each other, while content will become the main driving force in consumption. People will switch between watching content on disconnected services like mobile phones or broadcast set-top boxes. In terms of genre, feel-good, spiritual content, and comedy content will resonate more with viewers. Apart from that, horrors and supernatural shows will also be there.

    On his vision for 2021.

    We have created a good product with Ishara, we hope viewers will appreciate it. Obviously, monetising Ishara will be our focus for the next few quarters. In the coming six to eight months, we will make sure our entire bouquet of channels continues to grow.

  • Viacom18 appoints Kunal Gaur as chief commercial officer

    Viacom18 appoints Kunal Gaur as chief commercial officer

    Mumbai: Viacom18 has appointed Kunal Gaur as chief commercial officer. Kunal will be taking over from Utpal Das who ends his stint at Viacom18 on 31stMarch 2021.

    Through the past 7. 5 years, Utpal Das has led the commercial, facilities and corporate services functions at Viacom18. He was instrumental in not only shaping and leading these functions but also towards building Viacom18 into one of India’s top media networks through his role as a key member of the company’s leadership team.

    Kunal Gaur, a chartered accountant by qualification, has over 19 years of experience across organisations like Star India, Netflix and PWC. Prior to joining Viacom18, Gaur was a part of the Netflix India’s leadership team in the capacity of director, production finance where he was instrumental in crafting budgeting strategies and leading production finance for all original series, film, non-fiction and documentaries.

    Kunal Gaur will be reporting into Rahul Joshi, MD, Network18.

  • Zee onboards Hyphen for Zee Zest launch

    Zee onboards Hyphen for Zee Zest launch

    MUMBAI: Zee has onboarded Hyphen as a strategic and design partner for the launch of its new channel, Zee Zest. Hyphen will look after channel positioning, strategy, design direction, design execution, computer graphics and production of all films executed in-house.

    Zee Zest has four categories including food, travel, wellness and home decor and these were harnessed in the design philosophy while developing the brand identity as well as channel graphics.

    Zee Zest TV and digital business head Amit Nair said, “Brand Zest embodies the Indian essence and seamlessly, confidently navigates the international. It tells the story of our times, creating a space where conversations about culture take place in an entertaining manner. What caught our imagination also was the ‘logo identity system’ rather than the standard logo design. Set to a foot tapping score, the overall packaging delivered on all three parameters and has stood apart for its differentiated philosophy, the visuals aesthetics and the functionality of it."

    Zee Zest programming head Srikant Malladi said, “The design theory suggested by Hyphen was organic and showed a keen grasp of design trends worldwide and how an Indian brand can locate itself in it. The multiple routes that were explored gave us a lot of options and helped us to funnel the brand’s vision.

    Hyphen founder Prasanna Sankhe mentioned the brand personality of Zee Zest was meant to communicate the dynamism and energy of the modern Indian. “Therefore we arrived at the value of ‘unstatic/unlimit’ this was translated in the moving medium, as the motion and kinetic energy of spheres. This also gave the necessary vibrancy to visually communicate the zing of Zest.”

  • Viacom18’s Mohit Srivastava joins Amazon

    Viacom18’s Mohit Srivastava joins Amazon

    MUMBAI: Viacom18's former EVP and head of product and technology – digital ventures Mohit Srivastava has joined Amazon as director for seller registrations. 

    Srivastava was responsible for getting the network’s OTT ventures Voot, Voot Select and Voot Kids off the ground. He moved on from the organisation in October last year.

    With over 22 years of experience in the industry,  Srivastava has had stints at multiple organisations in a technical role, including Snapdeal, Adobe and Wipro. He has worked towards building and managing products and technology in areas of recommendation, personalisation, search, online video, unified communication, and digital imaging. He also has expertise in software product development, product management, product planning, and strategy. He had helped in creating, building, mentoring, and leading cross-functional teams.

  • Eye on streaming-TV biz, LG acquires majority stake in Alphonso

    Eye on streaming-TV biz, LG acquires majority stake in Alphonso

    KOLKATA: LG Electronics has acquired a majority stake in TV advertising technology, data and measurement company Alphonso Inc to give a boost to its streaming-TV business foray.

    The $80 million investment gives LG a controlling stake of more than 50 percent in Alphonso, which reportedly had a pre-money valuation of about $125 million. As part of the transaction, LG will buy out Alphonso’s existing investors. Alphonso founders, current and former employees, and various advisers will hold the remaining shares.

    LG plans to utilise Alphonso software and services – including the tech firm’s data analytics, media planning and activation, and video AI capabilities – with its broad range of home entertainment products. Alphonso’s combined offerings will enrich consumer services including content recommendations and LG’s own streaming service, LG Channels, to create a robust owned and operated first-screen, cross-device advertising platform with integrated analytics platform for LG TVs and the smart TV marketplace as a whole.

    The move comes at a time when streaming video is witnessing its peak growth, which accelerated last year during worldwide lockdown. Hence, TV manufacturing giants are looking at capturing ad spend on video, making it a new revenue source.

    “Our investment in Alphonso is a key component of our digital transformation strategy focusing on AI, big data and cloud to fundamentally change how consumers interact with their devices,” LG Home Entertainment Company president Park Hyoung-sei said.

    With Alphonso’s TV data analysis capabilities, LG will be able to better fulfil consumers’ needs by providing even more customized services and content to consumers, he added.

    Alphonso founder and CEO Ashish Chordia noted that the two companies have a shared vision for advancing the smart TV ecosystem through innovative software and services oriented toward modern new consumer experiences on one end, and highly flexible, lucrative advertising, planning, and measurement offerings for brands, agencies, and broadcasters on the other.

    “Becoming part of LG Electronics gives Alphonso the backing of one of the world’s leaders in home entertainment products, with access to a massive global inventory of connected TV screens. We can now maximise our mutual impact on the TV marketplace as we bring our products together and deliver immense value for the ecosystem,” he said.

    Chordia went on to say that LG will use Alphonso’s ad-buying, data-management and other tools to build a complete streaming-TV ad sales and measurement offering.

    Founded in 2012, Alphonso has been collecting TV data sets and building analytics solutions. It has previously worked with other TV manufacturers and technology firms, including LG’s market rivals Hisense, Sharp and Toshiba.

  • ZeeL debt credit rating revised

    ZeeL debt credit rating revised

    NEW DELHI: Even as Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZeeL) CEO Punit Goenka's 4.0 vision measures are beginning to bear fruit and are resulting in a better performance for the company, credit rating agency Brickwork Ratings India has downgraded its rating and that of its debt, namely the six per cent cumulative redeemable non-convertible preference shares. These debt instruments are worth Rs 806.78 crore.

    ZeeL informed the Bombay stock exchange about Brickwork's downgrade yesterday.

    The previous rating for the six per cent cumulative redeemable non-convertible preference shares instrument was BWR AA- (credit watch with negative implications) while the new rating is BWR A (credit watch with negative implications).

    The previous issuer rating was BWR AA- (credit watch with negative implications) while the new rating is BWR A (credit watch with negative implications).

    Brickwork said it has done this factoring in heightened uncertainties on contingent liabilities/claims against ZeeL causing increase in credit risk and rating concern.

    ZeeL is one of India's largest and oldest media conglomerates with a presence in linear, OTT and digital mediums. The media house is present in multiple genres such as news, films, production, GEC and others.