ITV

Category: GECs

  • How Doordarshan aims to fill void of GECs’ exit from Free Dish, FTA space

    How Doordarshan aims to fill void of GECs’ exit from Free Dish, FTA space

    MUMBAI: Public broadcaster Prasar Bharati, during its 154th board meeting, gave Doordarshan a major shot in the arm as it approved, in principle, significant investment in new and quality content during the year 2019-2020. The meeting was chaired by Prasar Bharati chairman A. Surya Prakash in the presence of the CEO Shashi Shekhar Vempati and member Rajeev Singh.

    According to Vempati, the plan for new content on Doordarshan will be finalized in the next few days. This infusion of fresh content by Doordarshan should fill the vacuum from the exit of several GEC channels from the free-to-air (FTA) space in general and from DD Free Dish in particular, Vempati hopes.

    While BARC India has not been making its viewership data public in recent weeks, the importance of DD Free Dish as a platform has become abundantly clear going by the measurement since 1 March. This underscores the opportunity for Doordarshan to regain its space in GEC genre, Vempati added.

    Post the implementation of TRAI tariff order, several major broadcasters like ZEE and Star India have converted their FTA channels into pay and taken off popular channels from Doordarshan's FTA DTH platform Free Dish.

    The planned investment in new content on Doordarshan will be targeted towards capturing this opportunity, Vempati stated.

  • ZEE Entertainment launches a first-of-its-kind knowledge acceleration program- ‘Mind Wars’

    ZEE Entertainment launches a first-of-its-kind knowledge acceleration program- ‘Mind Wars’

    MUMBAI: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. (ZEEL), a global media and entertainment powerhouse, announced the launch of one of the world’s largest quiz program titled Mind Wars for school students across India.  As yet another pioneering step by the media & entertainment powerhouse, Mind Wars is a first of its kind initiative, which will be hosted on a multi-platform ecosystem, providing a comprehensive knowledge acceleration program for students studying in grade 6th to 10th. The company aims to leverage the power of its multimedia prowess to build a property that will span across both, digital and TV, backed with an unprecedented on-ground presence across the country. The company also aims to enhance the knowledge quotient of over 1 crore students from 40,000 schools across 200+ cities of India.

    In line with its macro level strategic intent to integrate technology with its content offering, with this initiative, ZEE aims to offer a robust knowledge based kids entertainment platform, which will be hosted on its state of the art digital entertainment platform – ZEE5. With its robust technology and customised user friendly interface, ZEE5 will enable and enhance the participation levels, providing an easy access to 1 crore students across the nation.

    Mind Wars will offer an open platform for school kids to benchmark them against their peers on a national scale using multi-platform testing formats across three content buckets: Curriculum, General Knowledge and Current Affairs.  The knowledge series will be conducted in the following sequence of events:

    Online Qualifiers: To be held online on the ZEE5 app and website resulting in the formation of 40000+ school teams with 2 champions per school
    City Finale: To be held across 200+ cities and towns resulting in 200+ winning school teams who will be crowned as ‘City Champions’
    State Finale: To be held across 32 Indian States and Union Territories resulting in 32 winning school teams who will be crowned as ‘State Champions’
    National Finale: State Champions will compete on National Television for the title of Mind Wars Champions India 2019

    With a well curated gratification pattern at each level, Mind Wars aims to maintain a strong engagement level for the schools and students.  At the launch of this initiative, Mr. Punit Misra, CEO, Domestic Broadcast Business at ZEE Entertainment Enterprises Ltd, said, “We at ZEE Entertainment are focused on offering open platforms to our audience that they can benefit from in the long term. With the launch of a thoughtfully curated program Mind Wars, we aim to create the largest knowledge database that students can access throughout the year. It is our noble attempt to gamify knowledge and to create knowledge-based alternatives for entertainment for kids in their formative years.”

    The launch event in Delhi, was followed by a quiz competition for 100+ schools from the capital city, with the quizmaster Mr. Kunal Savarkar, CEO, Xpress Minds Edutainment Pvt. Ltd. As a consultant to ZEE for this special initiative, Mr. Savarkar said, “For years, my partner Seema Chari and I wondered how we could get millions of students to become part of a knowledge and quizzing revolution. A chance meeting with the management at ZEE, resulted in the creation of this knowledge juggernaut. Thanks to the whole-hearted support of ZEE, our small step is turning into a giant leap.”

    Mind Wars will host a database of more than 10,000 questions across the three content buckets – curriculum, general knowledge and current affairs. While the level of questions is for grade 6th to 10th, the platform will also be developed for higher age groups in its advanced stages.

  • Bharti Airtel, Reliance Jio eye stake in ZEEL: Report

    Bharti Airtel, Reliance Jio eye stake in ZEEL: Report

    MUMBAI:  After it came to light that Sony Corporation had withdrawn its bid for a stake in Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL), Indian telecom giants Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio are likely to bid for the same, according to a report by press agency IANS.

    While Bharti Airtel has moved ahead and is likely to initiate a formal proposal, Reliance Jio is still considering the move.

    In a statement, a Bharti Airtel spokesperson said, "Airtel is not in the race to acquire Zee.” A representative for Zee said the company doesn’t comment on speculation though it is in “steady dialogue” with potential partners.

    Discussion between Japan’s Sony Corporation buying 20 to 25 per cent stake in the Subhash Chandra-led Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL) had been scrapped due to valuation differences.

    The development has cleared the way for a consortium of US telecom conglomerate Comcast along with its partner investment firm Atairos to take over the talks.

    Chandra has been looking to sell a stake in the company in order to repay promoter debt worth Rs 13,000 crore.

  • Cricket enthusiasts to win big with COLORS Premier League

    Cricket enthusiasts to win big with COLORS Premier League

    MUMBAI: The feeling of watching your favorite team play from the stand is supreme and unfathomable! When the name of your player echoes inside the stadium, the experience is unmatchable! So why sit at home and watch the match when you can cheer for them LIVE. Joining in the cricket frenzy, India's leading Hindi general entertainment channel, COLORS will give its viewers a chance to win tickets to watch Mumbai Indians play LIVE at the stadium. Living up to the spirit of India's love for the most popular sport, the channel has associated with Mumbai Indians for this year's T20 cricket league. Taking this association, a step ahead, the channel announces the launch of COLORS Premier League.

    While the Mumbai Indians players sweat it out on the field, with COLORS Premier League the fans can have their own league at home to participate in and score big. Through an interactive microsite, www.colorspremierleague.com, viewers will have to answer simple questions while watching COLORS during prime time from 7-10 pm. With every right answer, they will be able to score runs and win tickets to watch Mumbai Indian matches LIVE at the stadium. The bumper prize of an all-expense paid trip to watch the finale match of the season will go to viewers who will participate maximum through the season and ensure top scores for themselves. 

    Speaking about this interactive property, Nina Elavia Jaipuria, Head, Hindi Mass Entertainment and Kids TV Network, Viacom18, said, "Cricket begets huge excitement within the country and as the most loved sport, it holds the power to connect with audiences across demographics. As a country, which is passionate about both entertainment and cricket, this association gives us an opportunity to extend the euphoria linked to the cricket season to viewers on our channel. With COLORS Premier League, we aim to not just offer a unique blend of the two, but also give viewers a chance to be a part of this exciting extravaganza."

    The Mumbai Indians and COLORS collaboration will give an opportunity to the viewers to not only enjoy LIVE cricket matches but also watch their favorite Mumbai Indian players in various moods on the channel through in show integrations. 

  • Sony, ZEEL deal scrapped over valuation differences: report

    Sony, ZEEL deal scrapped over valuation differences: report

    MUMBAI: Discussion between Japan’s Sony Corporation buying 20 to 25 per cent stake in the Subhash Chandra-led Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL) has been scrapped due to valuation differences, according to a report by Economic Times.

    The development has cleared the way for a consortium of US telecom conglomerate Comcast along with its partner investment firm Atairos to take over the talks.

    ET had stated earlier that Chandra has been looking to sell a stake in the company in order to repay promoter debt worth Rs 13,000 crore.

    ZEE’s spokesperson said, “ZEE’s stake sale process is in steady progress and in line with the previously communicated timelines. The company is in a steady dialogue with all potential prospective partners. Any additional details cannot be shared at this stage, due to the confidentiality agreements.” 

    Besides Sony and Comcast-Atairos, iPhone maker Apple was also in talks with Chandra for a bid, but Zee has not shown as much interest in the Tim Cook-led company and hasn’t responded with an offer, the report added.

    Sony had made a bid to merge its existing operations with ZEEL and had also offered a cash buyout option. Comcast, on the other hand, is open to promoters staying on as junior partners and will consider buying them out fully at a later date, the ET report stated.

  • Star, Sony lead India’s 62% share in regional APAC pay channel revenue in 2018

    Star, Sony lead India’s 62% share in regional APAC pay channel revenue in 2018

    MUMBAI: Media Partners Asia (MPA) has found that India accounted for 62 per cent of regional Asia Pacific pay channel revenues in 2018, led by Star India (now owned by Disney) and Sony. If revenues from Star and Sony India are excluded, Southeast Asia leads, contributing 32 per cent of revenue in 2018, driven by Disney (including Fox), WarnerMedia and BeIN. India would then contribute 18 per cent, led by Disney, Discovery and WarnerMedia, followed by Japan with 16 per cent, led by Disney, Discovery, WarnerMedia and Viacom. Hong Kong & Taiwan and Australia & New Zealand contribute 10 per cent each in this scenario.

    The pay-TV market in Asia Pacific is entering a phase of accelerated consolidation as subscriber growth and spends deteriorates across key territories, according to MPA. The latest edition of MPA’s Pay-TV Networks Channel Database shows that aggregate revenues across 13 major pay-TV networks in Asia Pacific grew by just 1 per cent in 2018 to reach $4.9 billion (after 5 per cent growth in 2017), while combined EBITDA fell by 5 per cent in 2018 to $0.9 billion, approximately the same rate of decline as 2018, ramping up industry pressure. India stands alone as the last major buffer against secular weakness in pay-TV in Asia, although new regulations threaten pay-TV subscription and advertising growth in India too, at least in the near term. The 2018 fall in EBITDA steepens to an 8 per cent drop to $0.5 billion for the measured companies when Star India and Sony India are excluded.

    Commenting on the key findings from MPA’s Pay-TV Networks Channel Database, executive director Vivek Couto said, “Consumer demand for traditional pay-TV has been impacted forever by high-speed broadband, which is driving rapid increases in online video consumption as well as piracy. These trends have intensified downward pressure across Asia’s pay-TV ecosystem, especially in Southeast Asia, led by Singapore and Malaysia, alongside secular shifts in Australia and New Zealand. This will accelerate consolidation as well as major shifts in how channels and content are marketed and sold. Pay-TV’s first big wave of consolidation, led by Disney buying Fox and AT&T buying branded networks from Turner and HBO, will play out with momentum across Asia Pacific over the next year. Future consolidation and rationalization will be defined by global moves and M&A possibilities involving large assets in India. Major players such as Discovery, CBS, Viacom, A+E, Sony and Universal are now competing for the consumer wallet with an increasingly scalable Disney and a newly integrated WarnerMedia within AT&T.”

    Meanwhile, factual & lifestyle channels had the biggest share of revenue by genre, excluding large local networks in India, with 21 per cent in 2018, closely followed by kids channels (21 per cent), then English GE (17 per cent, a material decline from 19 per cent in 2017), sports (15 per cent, up from 14 per cent in 2017), English movies (12 per cent, up from 11 per cent); Asian entertainment (9 per cent, up from 8 per cent), news (3 per cent), and music (2 per cent).

    At the same time, Asia’s relatively young online video market continues to expand rapidly, fueled by advertising scale in particular. Excluding China, where internet video is a highly regulated domestic phenomenon, online video revenues in Asia Pacific grew 40 per cent in 2018 to total $8 billion, according to MPA. As part of this, online video advertising grew 36 per cent to reach more than $5 billion while subscription revenue grew 50 per cent to surpass $2.8 billion. Outside China, Google (YouTube), Facebook, Netflix and Amazon still dominate advertiser and wallet share, although local players are starting to emerge with scale, including Stan in Australia, Hotstar (now owned by Disney) in India, Hulu in Japan and Viu in Hong Kong and Southeast Asia. Pay-TV and telecom operators are also increasingly investing in platforms and technology to aggregate OTT services and provide more choice to their customers along with simpler packages of pay channels with digital rights.

    MPA’s Pay-TV Networks Channel Database includes the following businesses: (1) Star India & Fox Networks, both now part of Disney, as well as Disney’s own branded channels; (2) WarnerMedia networks owned & operated by HBO and Turner; (3) Sony India (including Ten Sports) plus Sony’s ex-India branded networks business; (4) Discovery, including Scripps; (5) BeIN Media; (6) Viacom (excluding an unconsolidated 49 per cent interest in Viacom18 India in 2018); (6) Universal; (7) A+E.

  • Sanjay Gupta is India country manager in The Walt Disney APAC rejig

    Sanjay Gupta is India country manager in The Walt Disney APAC rejig

    MUMBAI: The Walt Disney Co announced a major reshuffle of its leadership team for the APAC (Asia Pacific) and Middle East region on Monday. Sanjay Gupta will be country manager of India and will also have direct responsibility for the studio business in the country while K Madhavan will lead Star India’s regional language media networks.

    Star India chairman and CEO and 21st Century Fox Asia president Uday Shankar said, “It is a momentous opportunity to be able to chart the course of The Walt Disney Co. in Asia Pacific and Middle East. While our region is experiencing tremendous change, the common thread that binds it together is the exciting opportunity it presents to build on the great businesses that we have today and create transformational businesses of tomorrow. My endeavour is to build an organisation that enables us to take full advantage of this unique opportunity and capitalise on the potential of the great leadership talent that we have in the region.”

    Sanjay Jain and Amita Maheshwari will lead finance and human resource respectively. Anju Jain Kumar will be the chief regional counsel for North Asia and ANZ while Deepak Jacob will be the chief regional counsel for India, South East Asia and Middle East. Amit Malhotra will lead emerging markets and content sales for APAC (except North Asia).

    “We recognise the need for a sharp focus on building deeply local businesses. To achieve this, we are making some changes to the current market structure. This will allow us to serve the strategic agenda in each market and enable our exceptional leaders to build even greater and more successful businesses. Above all, this will facilitate our transformation into a direct-to-consumer company that rests on deep local foundations,” Shankar added.  

    North Asia will be led by Luke Kang who will look after business including direct country management of Mainland China and Japan. Chafic Najia will be country manager of Middle East media cluster while Kylie Watson-Wheeler will continue to serve as country manager of Australian and New Zealand (ANZ) business with direct responsibility for media networks and direct-to-consumer. Kurt Rieder will lead the studio business for APAC (except India).

  • Sony Pictures Entertainment India elevates Lada Guruden Singh as director, creative development

    Sony Pictures Entertainment India elevates Lada Guruden Singh as director, creative development

    MUMBAI: Leading production and distribution studio, Sony Pictures Entertainment, India has elevated Lada Guruden Singh to Director, Creative Development, effective immediately. 

    In his new role, Lada will be responsible for leading and mounting the studio’s local language productions as it seeks to aggressively ramp up its operations in Hindi and regional languages. Lada will continue to report to Vivek Krishnani, MD, Sony Pictures Entertainment, India. 

    Vivek Krishnani says, “Lada has literally risen through the ranks and as we continue to expand our footprint in India – his passion and drive, keen eye for clutter-breaking content, and his ability to leverage his relationships with key talent across industries in an increasingly competitive environment are a huge value addition as we aggressively create our production portfolio.”

    “Lada continues to demonstrate impeccable taste and very fantastic creative instincts,” says Laine Kline, Head of Sony Pictures International Productions. “We all think he’s ready for this next step.”

    Lada Singh says, “We are passing through the most dynamic phase of content creation that’s rewritten rules of the game. At Sony Pictures, our focus will be on becoming director and writer led studio that gives primacy to creating our original IP and localizing our existing IP. I am grateful to Sony’s leadership team for the opportunity given to me as we set out to become a content led Studio in India.”

    With over 16 years of experience across films, television and print – Lada has been with Sony Pictures Entertainment India since 2016. Prior to that he worked at Sony Pictures Networks, India, Disney India, Fox Star Studios and the India Today Group. 

  • ZEEL likely to sell 20% to Sony Corp

    ZEEL likely to sell 20% to Sony Corp

    MUMBAI: Japanese multinational conglomerate Sony Corp is in advanced talks with Subhash Chandra-promoted Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL) to buy a stake in the firm. As the company has been struggling to raise funds to pay huge debt, Chandra is looking to sell 20-25 per cent stake.

    According to a report by Mint, the entire amount raised through the stake sale would be used to repay promoter debt worth Rs 13,000 crore. The report also added that the talks have reached the valuation stage wherein Subhash Chandra wants to sell the stake at a premium of about 30 per cent. But the total stake that promoter Subhash Chandra wants to retain in Zee may be a concern for the deal.

    Essel Group holds 41.62 percent stake in ZEEL and more than half of the stake is pledged with lenders, as per latest data. Sony wanted to pick up at least 25 per cent, which would also allow it to have promoter rights, the report said.

    The deal with ZEEL will be a great boost for Sony to strengthen its foothold in India. Along with a strong television business, the firm’s OTT platform ZEE5 also gained good traction in a short span.

    Earlier too, analysts predicted that that it would command a huge premium by virtue of being the most profitable media company. However, the current crisis may not allow it to do so giving potential buyers chances for negotiation.

  • Do you have the singing talent to get janta ka pyaar and rise the dewaar? COLORS presents the third edition of Rising Star

    Do you have the singing talent to get janta ka pyaar and rise the dewaar? COLORS presents the third edition of Rising Star

    MUMBAI: She got married against her father’s wishes at the age of 19 and now she wants to win him back with her music; he is a global singing sensation, yet not everyone knows his name; she’s classy as well as massy and she’s got what it takes to be the quintessential singing star. These are just some of the incredible contestants set to make their mark, but kya milega inko janta ka pyaar? Set on the philosophy, ‘Jab Awaaz Ko Milega Janta Ka Pyaar, Tab Uthegi Har Deewar’, the latest season of COLORS LIVE singing reality show Rising Star reiterates the age-old truth that artistes’ stardom lies in the support of their audience and enriching their voting experience will be the VOOT App. Bringing alive India’s first LIVE interactive show on television and spearheading the hunt for India’s next Rising Starwill be music maestro Shankar Mahadevanand the singing sensation Diljit Dosanjh. Joining them in this journey this season will be the singing diva Neeti Mohanwho will join the panel of experts and singer-actor Aditya Narayanas the host of this season.Produced by Optimystix Pvt Ltd, Rising Starpremiers on 16thMarch 2019and will air every Saturday and Sundayat 9:00 p.m. only on COLORS. 

    This season of Rising Star, the audience will witness some extraordinary contestants with incredible stories. Contestants from all age groups, are set to serenade viewers with their musical gifts and remind them that age, caste, gender is never a barrier to showcase talent. From a ‘Khandaani’Qawwali singer, to a desiBand and a young girl fighting against the time curfew on women; contestants from all over India will use the power of their singing talents to win ‘janta ka pyaar’. With the spotlight on the ‘aam janta’once again, our talented contestants will urge the virtual judges sitting at home, to support their hopes, dreams, ambitions and aspirations and be a part of the live voting process. 

    Speaking at the show’s launch event, Nina Elavia Jaipuria Head, Hindi Mass Entertainment and Kids TV Network, Viacom18, said, “After two successful seasons, Rising Star has established itself as India’s only LIVE interactive show on television and we are extremely pleased to be the pioneers in this space. Our campaign for this season, #JantaKaPyaar, emphasizes the power of aam junta and the fact that their support has helped talent in this country to rise above and beyond.The 9pm weekend slot on COLORS has worked tremendously well for us with a hit season of Khatron Ke Khiladi and we are sure that this season of Rising Star will resonate with the audience in a similar way.”

    Manisha Sharma, Chief Content Officer, Hindi Mass Entertainment said, “Our audience have enjoyed shows like Bigg Boss and Khatron Ke Khiladi over the weekends and promising the same energy and entertainment, we are back with the third season of Rising Star for our primetime slot. We are delighted to have Shankar Mahadevan and Diljit Dosanjh back on the expert panel along with Neeti Mohan as the newest member. Brand new addition to the team will also be the host, Aditya Narayan. Back after two successful seasons, Rising Star is the only LIVE show with no fake emotions, no over produced tears and stories. The show is purely based on the talent of the singers and their journeys. It’s time for India to yet again come together and help raise the wall to find the next Rising Star. In this show your teacher, your community and even your society will all cheer for you to be a singing star.” 

    Producer Vipul D Shah of Optimystix Pvt Ltd, said, “The Indian audience has overwhelmed us with the love they have showered on Rising Star in the first two seasons. This time again, the wall between the contestants and the audience continues to remain the most crucial element of the show and it can only be lifted for the best singers based on live votes. Our concentration in this season is of course, the mass support of the public via live voting. It is the audience who has the power to pave the path of success and opportunities for our talented singers”. 

    Music Maestro, Shankar Mahadevan who is returning for the 3rd season of the show, said, “I have been mesmerised by the talent on Rising Star in the past seasons and I am sure this year too we will witness some exceptional talent. For me the focus remains on the nuances that one needs to work on to get the pulse of the song right. Also, it's important that whichever song they choose, communicates the emotion well. I believe, contestants should also treat this as a platform to enhance their skills.”

    Adding further, acclaimed singer Diljit Dosanjh, said, “The talent we witness on Rising Starhas always been inspiring. It is indeed a delight to meet these extraordinary contestants from all walks to life and watch them touch lives through music. In the past two years, I’ve witnessed multiple artists get their due limelight and I am sure the line-up this year is equally promising. 

    Neeti Mohan, who is joining on the panel of Rising Star said, “I have loved the format of the show from the first season. The live voting process that lifts the wall between the contestants and the audience is quite exciting as it happens real time. I feel every deserving talent should be encouraged and that's what my role would be on the show. This is my first live reality show and I can’t wait for this journey to begin”.

    Actor-Singer Aditya Narayan who will take over the reins as the host this season said,“I have hosted a fair share of reality shows but never have I been associated with a show with such a concept of live voting.  It is such a privilege to work on this property and meet contestants with such unique stories and outstanding talent.”

    Through an impactful marketing campaign, this year’s proposition of ‘Jab Awaaz Ko Milega Janta Ka Pyaar, Tab Uthegi Har Deewar’, will be brought alive. By collaborating with artists like Naezy, DJ Chetas, who have earned their share of fame solely because of the love and appreciation of the ‘aam janta’, we wish tocelebrate the power that the viewers hold.  

    Since its launch in 2017, Rising Starhas amassed abundance of love and appreciation from viewers. With the new season just a few days away, the contestants are ensuring they never skip their ‘riyaaz’and give it their all to win the love and adulation of the greatest critics of all – thejanta. With the mantra ‘Jab Awaaz Ko Milega Janta Ka Pyaar, Tab Uthegi Har Deewar’, the contestants must rely on the good graces of the audience to recognise them for their great musical talents.

    So, get set for a prime time of wonderful music featuring the newest musical artistes of India withRising Star Season 3. Tune into to Rising Staron 16thMarch 2019and watch the show every Saturday and Sunday at 9:00 p.m.only on COLORS.