Category: GECs

Viacom18 Studios announces six films across Telugu, Tamil languages

MUMBAI: After establishing itself as a pioneer in exhibiting path-breaking films like Devadasa (Telugu)and Kodathi Samaksham Balan Vakeel (Malayalam) for audience across the southern landscape, Viacom18 Studios looks at further consolidating its position in the regional market with a slew of six films in its South slate for the year 2019-2020.

Indulging India’s diverse audience with assorted and delectable flavors of cinema, the studio presents its upcoming south slate with films starring the biggest names of the industry. These six films will be made in Telugu and Tamil languages are expected to release by the end of this year.

Commenting on the line up, Ajit Andhare, COO, Viacom18 Studios, says, “I have always believed that good content transcends regions, languages and even platforms and our recent content successes especially across regional markets is a testament to this belief. As story tellers, we want to continue to tell good stories and connect with our audiences and are collaborating with some of the best talent especially in the South to further consolidate and strengthen our position in the market.”

The studio has carved its place in the industry at the pinnacle of entertaining and meaningful cinema.

TELUGU

1. ‘MANMADHUDU – 2’ – A rom-com sequel to blockbuster movie Manmadhudu, starring Nagarjuna and Rakul Preet Singh and directed by Rahul Ravindran. Releases 9th August 2019

TAMIL

2. ‘KANNUM KANNUM KOLLAIYADITHAAL’ – An upcoming romantic film starring Dulquer Salmaan and Rithu Varma in the lead roles and directed by Desingh Periyasamy.

3. UNTITLED – Starring Chiyaan Vikram, a drama, directed by R. Ajay Gnanamuthu. A musical by AR Rahman. Releases, August 2020.

4. UNTITLED – A film with Karthi and Jyothika in the lead and directed by Jeethu Joseph; Releases, October 2019

5. TUGHLAK DURBAR – A mass film with satire, drama and action, the film will be a political fantasy starring Vijay Sethupati and directed by Delli Prasad.

6. SARBATH – This movie will star Kathir and Rahasya in the lead and directed by Prabhakar

July 16, 2019
Zee Bollywood to showcase the 101% Shuddh Romantic Blockbuster Raja Hindustani on Saturday, 20th July at 9 PM

MUMBAI: They say when love is real, it finds a way. An ode to all the love stories, Dharmesh Darshan’s Raja Hindustani stars the jabardast jodi – Karisma Kapoor and Aamir Khan as star-crossed lovers, who fight all odds to stay together. Zee Bollywood with the brand promise of bringing to its viewers 101% Shuddh Bollywood movies will air the blockbuster movie Raja Hindustani on Saturday, 20th July at 9 pm.

Raja Hindustani’s soundtrack is a must for lovers of good everlasting melody. Nadeem- Shravan’s music is an all-time hit with the masses and was on the top of the charts for a very long time, making the album a musical success. Songs like Pardesi Pardesi, Puchho Zara Puccho and Aaye Ho Meri Zindagi Mein have good rhythm, excellent lyrics and are a bit more upbeat than the regular love songs. The music of the film instantly connected with the audience and is one of the best-selling Bollywood soundtrack albums of all time

Redefining shuddh romance, Raja Hindustani follows the life of a small-town taxi driver and tourist guide Raja (Aamir Khan) who falls in love with a khandani girl Aarti Sehgal (Karisma Kapoor) on a trip to Palankhet. Adding an element of Shuddh Drama, Aarti’s father Mr. Sehgal (Suresh Oberoi) finds out about Raja and strongly disapproves. However Mr. Sehgal plays to get the duo married on a condition that Raja travels to Mumbai and learns to become a respectable member of the society. Will Raja travel to Mumbai to prove his love? In a society plagued with classism, how will their love survive?

July 15, 2019
Animal Planet refreshes programming line-up, launches Tamil audio feed & Hindi YouTube channel

Mumbai: Animal Planet,India’s number 1 wildlife channel that immerses viewers in entire spectrum of life in the animal kingdom with high quality content, willkickstart 20th anniversary celebrations in India on July 15, 2019. As a part of the celebrations, the channel will adopt a new Animal Planet mark incorporating a fresh and distinctive image of a leaping elephant. The new identity aims to keep the childhood joy and wonder of animals alive by bringing people up close to animals in every way with content that explores undeniable bond forged between animals and humans. Further, Animal Planet aims to galvanize people power to promote animal conservation in a big way. The channel will launch multiple initiatives through the year to achieve this objective.

Animal Planet also announced that it will offer all new/ refreshed programming as part of the celebrations. The channel will increase focus on blue chip programming related to Indian wildlife. Animal Planet has also launched a new YouTube channel ‘Animal Planet India’ with an aim to build an online community which is passionate about wildlife.

“We are kickstarting 20th anniversary of Animal Planet in India by refreshing our brand identity and brand personality. The channel’s mission is to celebrate & explore our vital, enriching and ultimately humanizing connection with the animal world.The new look Animal Planet will offer a trusted heaven for the whole family to enjoy the best of wildlife content. To make the connect deeper withour younger audiences, we will be introducing a dedicated weekend programming slot,” said, Megha Tata, Managing Director – South Asia, Discovery Communications India. “Animal Planet will sharpen focus on stories linked to animal conservation as it aims to awaken viewers to the need for animal welfare and conservation. We will be launching multiple initiatives to harness the power of millions of animal lovers across the country for the cause of animal conservation. As a corporate, we are already taking affirmative action to help conserve world’s most iconic and endangered species. Through Project CAT and our association with WWF, we support Tiger conservation initiatives on-ground by helping conserve nearly six million acres of protected land across four countries. In India, Discovery supports Tiger conservation programs in Manas Tiger Reserve Park and Sundarbans Bio Reserve.”

Animal Planet will engage with superfans in a new way with the launch of ‘Animal Planet India’ YouTube channel which will offer short form visually stunning exclusive wildlife content with an underlying brand message of ‘Animals are Human like Us’. “The launch of a digital channel is a strategic step to support our linear feed; the aim is to congregate animal overs digitally at one place so that we engage and converse in a deeper manner as we intensify focus on conservation led messaging.,” added, Megha Tata.

As a part of the revamped programming strategy, Animal Planet will offer globally acclaimed content produced by the best production houses. There will be increased focus on content based on Indian wildlife starting with anthologies such as 100 Days 100 Tales S2 and Animal Planet Presents. Starting August 2019, Animal Planet will premiere India based shows including Snake Squad, a show that reveals some of the riveting stories of snake rescue in India; Heroes of the Wild Frontiers – stories of forest guards from various national parks/reserves in India who are working on ground level to secure & conserve Indian wildlife followed by season two of the extremely popular franchise Lion Queens. The channel will also premierethird Season of Mission Big CAT – An anthology of shows dedicated to Big Cats.

July 15, 2019
ZEEL’s Punit Goenka on FY19 performance, future of digital platforms, new tariff order

MUMBAI: The changing nature of content as well as distribution has led to a major overhaul in traditional media companies. Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd(ZEEL) is also inking partnerships with new-age content distributors, device manufacturers and other digital players in this context. ZEEL MD and CEO Punit Goenka recognising the need for modification of ZEEL’s processes. He said that the media conglomerate is investing in data and analytics capabilities along with traditional functions like marketing and customer service.

In a message to shareholders published in ZEEL’s FY19 annual report, Goenka spoke on the performance of the company in FY19, the journey ahead both in front of traditional and digital business. Here are edited excerpts:

Gearing-up for next phase of growth

Over the years, ZEEL has evolved from a single-channel network into a multi-faceted entertainment content company by consistently expanding its content offering. Till recently, television was the primary medium for taking new content to audience. However, our emerging businesses – digital, movies & music, and live events, provide us new touchpoints for reaching consumers as well as access to audience which was out of reach. This has added new dimensions to content consumption and is allowing us to experiment with new genres of content and create formats which are suited for smaller audience segments. We have significantly ramped up our content investments to capitalise on this new opportunity. Along with an evolving content repertoire, the distribution landscape is also changing with audience using multiple devices and platforms for consuming content. To enhance the reach and engagement of our products, we are stitching partnerships with new age content distributors, device manufacturers and other digital players. In this changing landscape, we also need to modify our processes and develop new capabilities to sustain growth and take advantage of emerging opportunities. Increase in share of direct to consumer businesses, especially digital, and changes in television distribution space give us greater insights into consumer preferences. While consumers have always been the focal point for content creation, these insights will enable us to serve them better. We are investing in data and analytics capabilities to use consumer insights for content creation and product design. Even traditional functions like marketing and customer service are undergoing significant changes and we are equipping our workforce for success in this new environment.

The year gone by

Digital video viewership continues to see tremendous growth as the reach of internet increases and people spend more time watching content. Till now, the growth has been primarily driven by user-generated and TV content which is monetised through advertising. I believe that the next phase of growth would be driven by content that the digital platforms are creating. The themes, talent ensemble and production value of these shows make it markedly different and have caught the fancy of a set of audience which found TV shows too slow. Once digital platforms scale-up their production of original content, it will enable them to drive subscription model. Younger audience, primarily from urban areas, have been the early adopter of SVOD, and digital content reflects the sensibilities of this segment. As more consumers join the pay bandwagon, the content offerings will explode to cater to varied user segments. In a market characterised by low ARPU and aversion to online payments, bundling of SVOD with telecom and other services, tiered pricing and innovation in payments would be key to growth of the paid subscriber base. Though advertising is the mainstay for digital revenues currently, I believe subscription would develop as a long-term revenue driver.

Television remains the mainstay for entertainment in India and continues to see growth in reach and engagement. Over the last 4 years, 50 million households have bought a TV set, but still a third of Indians (~100 million households) do not own one, and this provides a long run-way for growth. Constantly improving choices and quality of content across languages have led to growth in time spent. The new tariff order has further improved television’s value proposition for consumers by empowering them to select and pay for content of their choice. It also gives broadcasters flexibility to price their content which would incentivise innovation. The radical change in content distribution dynamics brought with it several challenges which made the transition to new regime uneven. However, once the transition is complete, it will benefit all the stakeholders. Digitisation of distribution space led to proper accounting of subscriber base and this tariff order provides for fair distribution of revenue across the value chain. This increase in transparency would accelerate growth of subscription market in India.

Our domestic broadcast business delivered another year of strong performance. Strengthening the network viewership share, it consolidated its position as India’s #1 entertainment network. The performance was led by the regional and movie channels portfolio. In line with our strategy of expanding the regional portfolio by entering new markets, we launched Zee Keralam, making our language footprint the biggest in the country. We continued our investments in acquisition of movie rights which will help us launch exclusive movie channels in regional markets and bolster our existing portfolio. There were two major business developments during the year – getting into distribution contracts as per the new tariff order and conversion of our two FTA channels to pay. Both impacted our revenue growth in the short term, but we are confident that once the transitory challenges settle down, they will help us further improve our competitive position across markets. The strength of our pan-India network is a result of our understanding of consumers and the processes built around it, enabling us to replicate success in multiple markets.

Our international business continued its focus on building reach and improving engagement across geographies. Launch of channels on new platforms helped our linear portfolio increase reach and local programming initiatives in some of the markets helped us engage more with the audience. The performance of our Indian and local language channels continues to be strong across markets. In addition to strengthening our linear business, we also started rolling out ZEE5 in select markets starting with APAC countries. We are working on a market by market strategy and selecting partners for taking our product to consumers. I believe that the revenue opportunity for ZEE5 in international markets is substantial.

Our consolidated revenue grew by 18.7 per cent in FY19 to `79,339 million. This strong growth was led by 19.8 per cent and 13.9 per cent growth in advertising and subscription revenues, respectively. Movies, music and content syndication businesses registered an impressive 29.7 per cent growth. The EBITDA margin for the year stood at 32.3 per cent and our EBITDA grew by 23.5 per cent to `25,639 million. The strong EBITDA growth for the year, despite increased investments in digital and other new initiatives and impact on revenue in fourth quarter, reflects the strong underlying performance of the business.

July 13, 2019
Vishwaas Hai, Toh Khade Raho… #AdeyRaho says Kaun Banega Crorepati

MUMBAI: Jab aap ka target, samaj ke target se match nahin karta, to aap samaj ka target ban jaate hain… At times, it can be difficult to stand up to one’s own family or the society at large, in pursuit of following your belief or ambitions. Given the damnation and the emotional atyachaar that follows, it’s very easy to get discouraged. However, if you truly believe in yourself, agar vishwaas hai, toh khade raho… #AdeyRaho – keep at it. Because what doesn’t break you, only makes you stronger.

The campaign of the 11th Season of Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC), simply iterates this thought beautifully. Conceptualized, written and directed by Nitesh Tiwari, this year’s campaign brings forth situations that are extremely relatable and thought provoking, with a tinge of humour.

With KBC on the anvil, the iconic name synonymous with the show – Mr. Amitabh Bachchan is also gearing up to welcome and applaud contestants from across the country who will showcase the power of their knowledge.

July 11, 2019
ZEEL CFO on TRAI tariff order impact on subscription revenue, advertising growth outlook & content cost inflation

MUMBAI: Zee Entertainment Enterprises (ZEEL) maintained its growth trajectory for the year end 31 March with an 18.7 per cent increase in y-o-y revenues. Advertising revenue for the financial was up 19.8 per cent on the back of consolidating the market share of its domestic broadcast business and monetisation of ZEE5’s consumer base. ZEEL's programming cost for FY19 increased by 21.7 per cent YoY largely due to the content cost for its streaming service. The media and entertainment conglomerate's numbers not only beat analysts' expectations but were impressive given the changes in broadcast and cable services regulation. It was an eventful year for the iconic brand given the news of its impending stake sale. However, moving forward, the Subhash Chandra-led company will continue to invest and scale up new businesses to widen its content offering. In a Q&A published in the company's annual report, ZEEL CFO Rohit Gupta commented on a wide array of subjects including its financial performance in FY19, outlook of advertising growth, new tariff order’s impact on subscription revenue among others

Here are the edited excerpts.

How was ZEEL’s financial performance in FY19?

We are happy to deliver yet another year of industry leading performance. During the previous fiscal, our revenues grew by 18.7 per cent YoY, led by strong operating performance across all businesses. Advertising revenues for the year grew by 19.8 per cent driven by the viewership share gains in domestic broadcast business and monetisation of ZEE5’s fast-growing user base. Subscription revenues grew by 13.9 per cent during the year. While international subscription remained largely stable, domestic pay revenues witnessed a growth of 17.4 per cent, led by improved monetisation of phase-III markets. Our movie production and distribution vertical drove a strong 30 per cent growth in other revenues. During the year, our cost base was elevated due to higher content investments and increase in marketing spends for our digital and broadcast businesses. Despite these investments, our EBITDA margins expanded to 32.3 per cent, highlighting the underlying profitability of our business. Our FY19 results are consistent with the performance over the past five years. We have registered 16 per cent CAGR in both revenues and EBITDA during this period on the back of strong operating performance.

Could you elaborate on the factors driving strong growth in domestic advertising revenues in FY19? What is your outlook for advertising growth?

During FY19, domestic advertising revenues witnessed a growth of 20.9 per cent led by traction in both television and digital businesses. Our domestic broadcast business gained another 170bps viewership share led by the regional and movie channels. We became the leader in Bangla and Kannada markets and further strengthened our share in Tamil Nadu. This helped us to improve our monetisation and grow ahead of the industry. Additionally, advertising revenues from ZEE5 contributed to growth. During the first three quarters, growth was relatively stronger at 22 per cent, helped by a low base and increase in ad-spends by consumer companies. However, in the fourth quarter, the growth moderated as the advertisers reduced spends due to uncertainty related to implementation of the tariff order. We believe that once the disruption is behind us, the ad growth will return to its normal growth trajectory. As ZEE5 continues to scale up, it would witness a concomitant increase in ad revenues as well. The movement of two of our FTA channels out of DD Freedish will have some impact on ad growth in the near-term but we are working with our strategy to compensate for that revenue loss through other channels. Our endeavor is to continue growing ahead of the industry.

What led to the acceleration in domestic subscription revenue growth in FY19? What are the implications of the TRAI tariff order on subscription revenue growth?

Our domestic subscription revenue growth stood at 17.4 per cent in FY19, a significant acceleration from the previous year. The growth during the year can be divided into two parts – strong 22.5 per cent growth during the first nine-months and a muted fourth quarter. During the first nine-months, we benefitted from monetisation of the newly digitised phase III markets. However, during the fourth quarter, implementation of the long-awaited TRAI tariff order negatively impacted the growth. Given that this regulation allows the consumers to choose and select individual channels or bouquets, the distributors’ infrastructure was put under immense pressure as the back-end had to cope with implementing millions of combinations. This led to execution challenges and disruptions on the ground. That said, ZEEL has seen satisfactory uptake of its channels and bouquets. We are positive that once the impact of the regulation settles, subscription growth will revert to its normal course. Our medium-term guidance on domestic subscription revenues remain unchanged.

Content costs have seen an increase in FY19. Is the company seeing content cost inflation, especially in the digital business?

In FY19, our content cost increased by 21.7 per cent YoY, slightly ahead of revenue growth, resulting in our content cost-to-revenue ratio going up by 100bps to 38.8 per cent. Three factors contributed to this increase – ramp up of ZEE5 Originals, higher movie amortisation costs, and increase in content cost of Zee Studios. To understand the cost inflation, we can divide ZEEL’s content in three categories. First, fiction and non-fiction shows for our television audience, which accounts for a substantial portion of our total content cost. Cost per hour for this category is growing in line with inflation. Second, original content for our digital platform, ZEE5. Cost of ZEE5 Originals is increasing significantly as we are ramping up production across 6 languages. In the digital business, higher talent cost and amortisation of fixed costs over fewer episodes push up the cost per hour. Though ZEE5 produced 50+ original series/films till Mar-2019, it is still a small proportion of our total content bouquet. Lastly, the acquisition of movie rights for both broadcast and digital businesses contributed to cost inflation.

What is the growth and investment outlook for new businesses and initiatives?

At ZEEL, we continue to invest and scale up new businesses to widen our content offering. Our new businesses – digital, movies and music, and live entertainment have gained traction during FY19 and are heading in the planned direction. ZEE5 completed its first year of operations and the platform has witnessed very encouraging response. ZEE5 released 50+ original series/ movies to become the largest digital content producer in India. Investments in digital will further increase as we ramp-up production of ZEE5 Originals and movie offering across languages. These content investments will be complemented by marketing spends. Our domestic broadcast business is preparing to launch movie channels in regional markets for which we have been building a library for some time. Incremental investments in the domestic broadcast would be limited. These content and marketing investments are expensed above EBITDA. Despite these investments, the company expects to maintain healthy margins.

Working capital saw a sharp increase in the past three years which has negatively impacted free cash flow. When do you expect cash generation to improve?

The increase in working capital is primarily attributable to our strategy of building a strong movie library and scaling up of original content production for ZEE5. On the digital original content front, we have built a strong slate with plans to release over 70 series/ films across six languages in FY20. Investments in movies and original content for ZEE5 will continue, however, as revenues from these businesses grow, we will start seeing an improvement in cash generation.

July 11, 2019
Three lives bound together by one Nikaah, COLORS presents Bahu Begum

MUMBAI: ‘Dosti ke haq bade aur mohabbat ke farz kade hote hain’! Love and friendship are the most cherished relationship, but ever wondered what happens when you are obligated to choose between the two most prized possessions of your life? Tracing the journey of three individuals Azaan, Shayra and Noor entangled in a web of love, revenge and penance will be COLORS new fiction drama, Bahu Begum. As destiny forces them to stay together in a holy matrimony, Azaan’s one decision wreaks havoc and turn their lives upside down. Produced by LSD Films, the show features Arjit Taneja as Azaan Ali Khan, Sameeksha Jaiswal as Noor, Diana Khan as Shayra Anwar, and Simone Singh as Begum Raziya. The show will premiere on Monday, 15th July and air every Monday to Friday at 9.30 pm, only on COLORS.

Speaking about the launch, Nina Jaipuria, Head, Hindi Mass Entertainment and Kids TV network Viacom 18 said, “In a country traditionally so rich in culture and ideologies, it has been our endeavor at COLORS to bring alive stories from varied cultural backgrounds to the small screen. Bahu Begum’s rich backdrop and intriguing storyline coupled with an outstanding cast, will enable us to make way into our audiences’ hearts once again. With Choti Sarrdaarni, Bahu Begum and Bepanah Pyaarr, we hope to entertain viewers with variety of content through our weekday entertainment .”

Resonating with similar sentiments, Manisha Sharma, Chief Content Officer, Hindi Mass Entertainment, Viacom18 commented, “With a royal Islamic backdrop, the show recounts the journey of three individuals whose lives are entwined with one nikaah. With strong emotions like love, penance and revenge, as the core concept of the show, Bahu Begum will explore the multiple shades and rules of love and friendship. We are delighted to have an ensemble cast of -Simone Singh, Arjit Taneja, Diana Khan and Sameeksha Jaiswal justifying their roles brilliantly. Also, we are extremely glad to begin a new partnership with LSD productions to bring forth a show with a captivating storyline.”

Commenting further, Prateek Sharma from LSD Films said, “Bahu Begum will depict love, revenge and complexities revolving around a Nikaah. The look and feel of the show is very classy and royal and the set design is also in sync with this theme. The viewers will experience royalty white marble work, vintage artefacts, and Urdu calligraphy motifs. The dialect of the show is also very poetic and has a Nawabi touch to it. With love and friendship as the two most contrary relationships, we are sure the audience will enjoy this fascinating story.”

Simone Singh essaying the character of Raziya said – “The show portrays love and how it endures in the face of heartbreak and adversity. . It’s exciting to play Bahu Begum because besides being a single mother and raising a son in a patriarchal world, she is also powerful and independent woman. I started my acting career with television and I am delighted to receive similar love and support from them even today. It’s a delight to be a part of this show and I am looking forward to a great response. “

Arjit Taneja who plays Azaan said: “I feel elated to be a part of a show that exhibits a culture which is so enigmatic and royal. This role certainly has been a learning experience as well as I had to work on my mannerisms and diction to get the accuracy. Azaan’s character endures a deep wound of abandonment and rejection and that will lead him to make a decision that will turn his life upside down.”

Diana Khan portraying Shayra’s character commented, “This is my first television outing with COLORS and I am really grateful to be working with such experienced cast. Shayra is a girl who is well-educated, a modern woman with fierce emotions. She falls head over heels in love with Azaan but fate shatters all her dreams and brings many complexities in her life.”

Sameeksha Jaiswal who plays Noor expressed, “It’s great to be associated with COLORS. This is the first time that I will be essaying an Islamic character. I am elated to play Noor, a girl who is full of life. For Noor, her best friend Azaan means everything and can go to any extent to see her best friend Azaan happy. Noor’s character is very similar to how I am in real life; chirpy, outspoken and I thoroughly enjoyed essaying it.”

Set against the ostentatious backdrop of Bhopal, the show beautifully depicts the royal Islamic vignette, culture, and meaningful symbolic rituals surrounding marriage. Begum Raziya is the matriarchal head of the most prestigious family of the city who has created her own dynasty by being at the forefront of politics and public life. A holder of the Bahu Begum title, she is respected and revered by everyone. Although Raziya very rarely displays her emotions, she immensely loves her son Azaan and her world revolves around him. On hearing about her son’s return from London, she gets thrilled and gears up to share the big news of getting his marriage fixed to his childhood friend. While Azaan always cherished his friendship with her, Noor always dreamt of becoming his begum. But as destiny would have it, Azaan returns home with the love of his life Shayra.

As Azaan gets torn between the rules of love and friendship circumstances, what will he eventually choose? Leaving the viewers with this thought, the show will definitely keep the viewers intrigued. Bahu Begum brings together a stellar cast of well-established actors whose strong portrayal of characters makes the show an enthralling proposition for viewers. Along with Arjit Taneja, Sameeksha Jaiswal, Diana Khan and Simone Singh, Bahu Begum will feature an ensemble cast of Mohammad Nazim as Azgar , Supriya Shukla as Yasmin and Amrapali Gupta as Suraiya in pivotal characters.

July 10, 2019
Sony SAB refreshes brand philosophy with a strong belief that happy people make a happier World

On the back of strong growth numbers and taking its role as the ‘happiness enabler’ further, Sony SAB, the brand, is now ready to redefine itself through a new philosophy which is driven on the insight that "jitni insaan ki khushi badhti hai, utni hee duniya mein insaniyat bhi badhti hai”. Keeping this core thought in mind, Sony SAB has launched a brand campaign that signifies this key change with a new tagline ‘Khushiyon Wali Feeling’.

Based on its deep understanding of the pulse of real India, Sony SAB has steadily created a niche for itself through captivating shows and characters, all geared towards bringing a smile to people’s faces. With its impressive line-up of fresh programs and light-hearted values driven content ranging from daily family comedy to path breaking concepts, the channel is dedicated to promoting an enjoyable family-viewing experience and can truly be defined as the ‘living room brand’ with something to appeal to everyone in the family.

With the new brand philosophy Sony SAB will stand for a larger purpose in life, that of making people happy by bringing unforgettable moments and infinite experiences that lift the heart and free the minds of the viewers in turn making them better human beings. The three 60 seconder TVC’s will creatively showcase the new brand tagline of ‘Khushiyon Wali Feeling’ through relatable everyday instances which reinforce the fact that happiness begets humanity. For instance, one film features a newly married couple who are not able to sit together on a flight because a grouchy passenger refuses to exchange seats. But when an unexpected happy encounter changes this co-passenger's disposition, he graciously offers his seat to the couple. Yet another film demonstrates how simple joys like the smile and giggles of a baby can transform a bad day into a happier one. The third film touches upon the importance of how receiving good news can turn someone’s sullen mood into a cheerful one and in turn make the person more thoughtful about their actions towards others around them.

Sony SAB will soon be seen launching exciting new shows in the upcoming months which will further the brand’s promise of helping spread happiness while continuing to entertain its audiences with its blockbuster shows such as the evergreen Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah, Tenali Rama which recently completed 500 episodes, Aladdin – Naam Toh Suna Hoga, Jijaji Chhat Per Hain and Bhakharwadi.

The TVC’s are conceptualized by Contract and shot by Boot Polissh Films. The campaign launches on 10th July 2019 on-air. To promote the campaign, the channel is engaging in a massive television plan across news and regional channels (apart from its own TV network) for two weeks. The marketing plan also consists of a huge digital leg.

July 10, 2019
Sony Sab’s Neeraj Vyas on brand repositioning, TRAI tariff order effect and content pull from consumers

MUMBAI: Amid the ongoing flux in the broadcasting industry post the implementation of the new tariff order (NTO), Sony Sab which is perceived as a “living room channel” aims to strengthen its position as a brand which has content to offer everyone in the family. Unveiling its new brand campaign with the ‘Khushiyon Wali Feeling’ tagline, Sony SAB, PAL and Sony MAX movie cluster business head Neeraj Vyas said that the aim is to get consumers to look at the channel as 'a brand with heart'. Vyas also emphasised on the importance of being distinct and relevant on the back of differentiated content in the post NTO era.

“The buzzword is meaningful content. The consumer will only choose you if you make a meaningful emotional connect and I think for us, the mantra going forward is to be a meaningful and emotional brand for the consumer in the television landscape,” Vyas noted.

Sony Pictures Networks India-owned Hindi GEC Sony Sab is now ready to redefine itself through a new philosophy which is driven on the insight that "jitni insaan ki khushi badhti hai, utni hee duniya mein insaniyat bhi badhti hai”. The channel will also launch exciting new shows in the upcoming months as the campaign launches on 10 July 2019 on-air.

Vyas opined that the television industry has to wake up in the context of new price regime. He mentioned that due to having a distributor-led model for 25 long years, broadcasters mostly chased eyeballs and ratings. According to Vyas, television business now has to be looked at from two lenses. While clearly rating till stays one way to look at it, the second and the more important one should be from the perspective of paying consumers.

“Consumers today have the choice to buy your channel or not every month. We as an industry have not seen this in the last 25 years. We took it for granted that we would be in people’s homes. That reality has completely changed. Television has to be mindful of the fact that it’s now a big shift and you have to be relevant in that context,” Vyas added.

In the last five-six weeks, Vyas claims that the channel has seen a resurgence like never before. Terming time spent as the new important metre, he said that the time spent for Sony Sab is at a historical high of more than 160-170 minutes a week. He also explained that consumers with fewer channels of their choice are spending more time on preferred content. However, he also added that reach would be down because connectivity is not going to be the same as it was.

“For us, the path is to make the consumer feel that he is a catalyst in this zone of paying forward. We believe, as the campaign says, if you are happy, you tend to do good things to others. The shows we will be launching will be entertaining, not preachy and not like other commonplace shows on TV,” he concluded.

July 10, 2019
Zee Bollywood celebrating 30 years of 101% Shuddh Action, Comedy and Romance se bhara Tridev on 7thJuly 2019 at 9pm

MUMBAI: 101% ShuddhTashan se bhari multi-starrer blockbuster movie Tridev is coming to thrill you on Zee Bollywood, the 101% Shuddh Bollywood movie channel, on Sunday 7thJuly, 2019 at 9pm. The triple action pack starring Naseeruddin Shah, Sunny Deol and Jackie Shroff in the lead, along with AmrishPuri the shuddh villain of all times and Madhuri Dixit. The movie narrates the tale of three men taking on the corrupt law system in their own individual capacities and putting an end to those involved in corruption. The thrill begins when the trio cross paths with each other and realize that they share a common enemy. The power of Tridev then unfolds, making the three protagonists unstoppable!

Marking it’s 30th year in Bollywood, Tridev is one of the most entertaining movies which saw Naseeruddin Shah, Sunny Deol& Jackie Shroff come together for the first time on the big screen. Interestingly it is also Madhuri Dixit and Sunny Deol’s only movie where the two are seen romantically paired.

The movie received critical accolades not only for its dialogues but also for its music. From ‘OyeOye’, to ‘GaliGali Mein’, to ‘TirchiTopi Wale’ and ‘Bhujang Ne KiyaHai’, the movie’s music had it all! ‘OyeOye’ became a chartbuster, while new age musicians recently recreated GaliGali Mein, which is topping the current charts and how! Each song in the movie had a jalwa factor with its catchy and upbeat tunes.

July 5, 2019