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Tag: Amazon Prime

  • ShortsTV is now on Amazon Prime Video channels in India

    ShortsTV is now on Amazon Prime Video channels in India

    New Delhi: ShortsTV- 24×7 linear and OTT channel dedicated to short-form content has announced a partnership with Amazon to launch ShortsTV on Amazon Prime Video channels in India.

    ShortsTV is already broadcasted in India across major DTH platforms including Tata Sky, Airtel TV, Dish TV, and d2h, and earlier this year, it entered India’s OTT world through the Airtel Xstream App. Through Amazon Prime Video, the short form entertainment network will now extend its reach into the Indian heartland at a cost of Rs 299 for a year, it said on Tuesday.

    The collaboration is led by ShortsTV’s larger aim to expand its digital footprint in the country, and reach a new set of highly engaged viewers. Prime members will now be able to access the short film channel alongside a specially curated on-demand short film library of over 4,000 titles.

    ShortsTV chief executive Carter Pilcher said, “Short films are India’s cauldron of creative energy, with some of the world’s most surprising and interesting movies emerging in what can only be described as a post-Bollywood revolution.  We are thrilled to join with Amazon Prime Video to bring these ground-breaking films to audiences across the sub-continent on the Prime Video platform.  Our goal to bring the short film revolution to every hamlet in India is one step closer.”

    “From star-studded, internationally acclaimed films by The Academy Awards, Cannes, BAFTA, and others, to the movies produced by international, independent, and local Indian filmmakers, ShortsTV offers a complete binge-watching experience,” the company said in a statement. “In addition to a vast array of short films, the service also features various segments on local film festival coverage, film school vignettes, ‘making-of’ features, and interviews with directors, actors, and other leaders in the industry.”

    The service features multi-language short films across English, foreign language, and local Indian languages, including Hindi, Gujarati, Bengali, Marathi, Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam, and Telugu.

    According to ShortsTV president- Asia Tarun Sawhney, the service will provide viewers with the flexibility to watch their favourite shorts anytime, anywhere. “Our strategy is to continue partnering with the top content aggregators in India and worldwide to present the largest selection of short films to our viewers,” he added.

    Head of Prime video channels Chaitanya Divan said the streaming platform is excited to bring even more selection to its Prime members in India with the launch of Prime Video Channels. “As consumers consume more content on the go and on their mobile phones, there has been increasing interest in short-form content in India, especially high-quality short films. We are happy to collaborate with ShortsTV and provide access to their deep library of short films from across the globe to Prime Members, with an add-on subscription. Consumers can select, subscribe and enjoy their favourite short-form content all within the Prime Video app and website,” he said.

  • This Diwali, Amazon Prime urges viewers to log out and spend time with family

    This Diwali, Amazon Prime urges viewers to log out and spend time with family

    Mumbai: Amazon Prime Video has launched a unique campaign to celebrate the festive season, urging its customers & fans to reconnect with their loved ones. In a year that saw people turning to streaming platforms like Prime Video as their preferred entertainment destination, the campaign urges viewers to press pause on the world of Prime Video, and instead celebrate with their family and friends, following all necessary health and safety precautions.

    “Over the last four years, we have had the amazing privilege of entertaining our customers with a slate of compelling Amazon Originals and movies across multiple languages. Especially over the last 18 months, as the country went into lockdowns, Prime Video has become the go-to entertainment destination for customers across the country and we are truly humbled by this. At the same time, we want to encourage our customers to take a moment to reconnect and rediscover the joy of togetherness – in real life or virtually,” said Amazon Prime Video (India) director marketing Sushant Sreeram.

    The streaming platform is reminding customers that Prime Video and the world of their favourite stories and characters are always going to be around, but they shouldn’t miss the beautiful opportunity to celebrate the festive season with their loved ones. “We couldn’t think of a better way to say this than have some of our iconic characters do it for us! We hope customers enjoy many joyous moments and create some amazing new memories this festive season and we can’t wait for them all to be back to their favourite world of Prime Video,” added Sreeram.

    Led by two of Prime Video’s iconic characters, Kaleen Bhaiyya (“Mirzapur”) and Siddhi (“Four More Shots Please!”), the campaign features two films that will run on digital platforms and TV. The films were conceptualised in-house and created and directed by Big Momma Productions founder Sohini Dasgupta.

    Actor Pankaj Tripathi who returns as Mirzapur’s Kaleen Bhaiyya in one of the films, said, “I want to tell my fans that Kaleen Bhaiyya would love for them to spend time with their families. Diwali gives us the opportunity to connect with our loved ones and the time spent with them adds to the joy of the festival. Kaleen Bhaiyya and the many characters that you love will be there on Prime Video tomorrow and every other day, but Diwali should be all about family and friends.

  • GUEST COLUMN: Mobile marketing in the OTT landscape: Big opportunity for digital marketers

    GUEST COLUMN: Mobile marketing in the OTT landscape: Big opportunity for digital marketers

    Mumbai: The rise in both viewership and engagement of over-the-top (OTT) has opened up a world of possibilities for marketers looking for new and better ways to reach their consumers sitting in the comfort of their homes. Recent reports estimate that the OTT segment will grow to approximately $ four billion by 2025. 

    Confirming this trend, India saw a huge upsurge in media consumption between March and June 2020. By the end of 2020, OTT video subscribers almost tripled to nearly 62 million, up from 32 million at the end of 2019. This accelerated growth of the Indian SVOD industry is assumed to be caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. 

    Despite the fact that the OTT streaming business is dominated by large corporations such as Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, and Amazon Prime, smaller OTT streaming services continue to emerge. In order to have an edge over these budding competitors, it’s essential to utilise the power and proven results of mobile marketing.

    Before we dive into the strategies, below are some major trends that mobile marketers must be cognisant of, to make the best use of this ripe opportunity:

    Mobile is becoming the first choice for content: Mobile has surpassed traditional TV as the main growth route for video distribution. In fact, mobile collaborations now account for more than half of all recent OTT video bundle deals, indicating that customers are increasingly using mobile devices. As more MNOs subsidise at no additional cost to encourage upsell and retention, this trend is anticipated to continue.

    The rise of 5G: Because 5G internet is projected to become the standard, especially in metropolitan areas, it will permanently transform streaming patterns.

    Shared viewing due to lockdown: The entire population has been forced to stay at home owing to worldwide lockdowns, which has resulted in a fast rise in the consumption of content. Many OTT platforms, such as Netflix and Disney+, quickly acted on this and launched technology that allows individuals to view films together on a video chat, allowing platform users to stream in sync, to assist customers to isolate themselves and social distance. GroupWatch on Disney+ and Teleparty on Netflix have been huge hits, and it’s a trend that is likely to remain.

    Shift in OTT Model: Live and linear OTT services, which are projected to be an essential element of the future generation of OTT video, have a large growth opportunity based on existing watching trends and untapped video segments. Pay-TV providers are ideally positioned to offer live streaming services that make use of content that is best enjoyed in real-time, such as news, weather, talk programs, and sports. In the future, the content will be re-bundled under an OTT structure, whereas the previous cable model concentrated on content unbundling.

    Now, in OTT, when it comes to developing a short- or long-term marketing strategy, mobile marketing is a critical component. There’s a mobile marketing channel for every segment of your audience where they are most comfortable, from email to pay-per-click (PPC), search engine optimisation (SEO), content marketing, and social media marketing. 

    To be effective with mobile marketing, marketers must provide a consistent experience that customers expect—which may be difficult to do when you’re trying to attract, engage, and retain people across several platforms.

    Following are some of the key things that marketers must keep in mind while crafting strategies for the OTT landscape-

    Push notifications are key: User-behavior-driven push notifications should remain a crucial component of the entire engagement plan, which are proven to boost engagement rates by as much as 80 per cent. 

    Value recommendations of customers: It’s extremely important for marketers to understand the preference of their customers and value their suggestions. Viewing history, in-app behavior, and daily time of app launch are some of the data points that when accumulated continuously will give a wealth of information on customer behavior, significantly helping personalisation. This personalisation will further help in increasing in-app time spent by generating the most appropriate content recommendations over time.

    Timing is crucial: Focusing on personalisation and context is very important to make mobile marketing work for OTT platforms. However, what’s also important is delivering the content, suggestions, and notifications at the correct time, the results of which are proven to be phenomenal.

    Conversion of freemium subscribers to paying customers is imperative: Acquiring users is definitely important when it comes to implementing a growth strategy, but the end goal should be to turn the subscribers who are consuming content for free into paying customers. Hence, marketers need to focus on pitching the platform’s subscription options, with appropriate personalisation, to the customer.

    Make the customers feel important: Finally, building brand loyalty is the key at every stage, and this can be done by making customers feel valued by addressing their feedback. Hence, through personalised and crafted push notifications and in-app messages, repeat users can be encouraged to rate and review the OTT platform.

    Connecting the links between online and offline media is the future of mobile marketing. When used with other, more traditional media, mobile is a strong tool that should be viewed as the glue that holds everything together. The competitive environment for OTT apps, both native and browser-based, is continuously shifting. Benchmarking one’s performance and development versus industry norms is essential for marketers. 

    OTT marketers need to note that distinctions between the provision of and accessibility to high-quality content across OTT platforms will continue to merge. How they can achieve a substantial competitive edge is by using data-driven AI-powered customised, relevant, and time-bound multi-channel dialogues with consumers. For successful user engagement for your media, marketers must take advantage of every single mobile moment!

    (Dave Dabbah is former chief marketing officer of CleverTap. The views expressed in the column are personal and Indiantelevision.com may not subscribe to them.)

  • E-commerce dominates IPL 2021, followed by durables & auto industries: Report

    E-commerce dominates IPL 2021, followed by durables & auto industries: Report

    Mumbai: E-commerce brands were the biggest spenders before and during the IPL, with Vivo and Amazon Prime at the top of the recall hierarchy given their high media spends on the tournament. This was followed by the durables & automobile industries, according to the ‘Hi-Cricket’ study commissioned by Havas Media Group India and YouGov. 

    The research which was conducted between 2 April and 7 May during the first leg of IPL 2021, encompasses 4500 online respondents across ten cities in India and gives a deeper understanding of how a larger-than-life platform like the IPL helps move mind measures. The findings of the second phase of the study identify the most meaningful and impactful brands and categories of IPL 2021. 

    The study revealed that food delivery brands like Swiggy had a high recall, with close to 80 per cent of respondents having ordered food online at least once during the match time. Dream11 was the highest recalled main sponsor, followed by Byju’s and PhonePe, as per the study.

    An increase in the number of fantasy gaming apps was observed during the IPL, however, the majority used it for playing fantasy cricket only. The overall impressions went up by 15 per cent in the first week of the IPL which dropped back to similar levels during the last week of the IPL. The study said that defending champions Mumbai Indians emerged as the favourite team at the onset of the IPL, followed by RCB and CSK.

    “One of the pertinent questions that clients ask is the business outcome of high-impact properties. At Havas, keeping in line with our ‘Meaningful Brands’ philosophy, we wanted to understand the effect that IPL has on driving meaningfulness for brands across key high spending categories,” said Havas Media Group India head of strategy Sanchita Roy. “Across all the brands that we tracked as part of this study, interestingly we saw positive shifts across every stage of the consumer funnel when we compare the pre vs during tournament numbers. Personal parameters like value for money & convenience and collective perceptions of trust & respect saw the highest increase across brands.”

    Almost all the top brands saw an increased association with personal and collective benefits, said the study. Automobile brands such as Hyundai, Renault, and Kia witnessed an increased loyalty conversion. Durable brands such as Voltas, Signify (Philips) and Havells also managed to increase loyalty conversions.

    Havas Media Group India president and national head of investments R Venkatasubramanian said IPL 2021 will be bigger for advertisers than last year along with an estimated 20-25 per cent increase in ad spends over 2020. “The second phase of IPL 2021 is going to be equally big or supersede the first phase in terms of ratings and revenue. The entry cost is relatively very less considering it’s a high-impact property that is coinciding with the festival period once again,” he said.

    “Star Sports has renewed and signed five co-presenting sponsors and ten associate sponsors for the second phase of the IPL which includes categories like e-commerce, gaming, online education, telecom, FMCG and several others. The inventory is almost sold out,” he added.

  • Tata Sky Binge adds Amazon Prime Video to its streaming bouquet

    Tata Sky Binge adds Amazon Prime Video to its streaming bouquet

    New Delhi: In a bid to bolster its OTT game, Tata Sky on Monday announced that it has extended its integrated content offering on the Tata Sky Binge Mobile app by bringing onboard the streaming giant, Amazon Prime Video.

    The partnership will enable Tata Sky Binge subscribers to subscribe to Prime Video via Binge and explore its vast content library including the Amazon Originals as well as its vast portfolio of international and regional movies and web series. Subscribers will be able to opt for a Prime Video subscription directly through their Tata Sky account at the cost of Rs 129 per month. Access to the Prime Video app can commence either by clicking on the Prime Video banner on the home page or by clicking any Prime Video asset on the content rail, it said on Monday.

    Further, Tata Sky has also integrated the Amazon Prime Video metadata within its Android enabled smart set-top box, Tata Sky Binge+.

    Tata Sky’s OTT aggregator service, Tata Sky Binge currently offers interface to 11 of the OTT apps including Disney+ Hotstar Premium, ZEE5, SonyLIV, SunNxt, Hungama Play, Eros Now, ShemarooMe, Voot Select, Voot Kids, CuriosityStream and now Amazon Prime Video. Viewers can access Tata Sky Binge service on their screens of choice via two plans to choose from – Rs 149 & Rs 299, said the company on Monday.

    Tata Sky, chief commercial and content officer, Pallavi Puri said, “We are glad to further fortify our collaboration with Amazon Prime Video to bring to our subscribers its premium content both on our hybrid set-top box Binge+ as well as the Binge mobile app. We believe our continuous effort to scale up our offerings on Tata Sky Binge will make Binge an even more desirable proposition for our subscribers.”

    Tata Sky Binge users can now enjoy exclusive Amazon Originals as well as popular movies and TV shows. Some of the new movies include Sherni, Cold Case, The Tomorrow War, Asuran, Wonder Woman 1984, and The Great Indian Kitchen. Among Amazon Original TV shows, subscribers can watch new seasons of The Family Man, Mirzapur, Comicstaan and new Originals including DOM among others.

  • Amazon Prime signs multiyear licensing deal with Comcast’s Universal

    Amazon Prime signs multiyear licensing deal with Comcast’s Universal

    New Delhi: Starting 2022, Universal Pictures’ new live action films will first debut on Comcast’s OTT platform Peacock after their theatrical releases, and then land exclusively on Amazon Prime Video four months later.

    The arrangement is part of a multiyear deal that Amazon has signed with Comcast’s Universal Pictures and Peacock, and applies to all live-action films including Jurassic World: Dominion that are scheduled to be released in theatres in 2022.

    The deal is part of the company’s plan to change the traditional home entertainment release pattern. Generally, new movies go to a cable channel or streaming service about six months or more after they debut in cinemas. These films remain with the outlet for an 18-month window, which is referred to as the ‘Pay-One Window’.

    Under the new arrangement, Universal will send its films to streaming quicker and will break up the 18-month period. So, new movies will go to Peacock four months after their theatrical debut, and four months later, these films will be available on Amazon Prime Video for ten months and then back to Peacock for four months, it said in a statement.

    “We’re thrilled to team up with Amazon to deliver our titles to its customers. This agreement further delivers on our distribution strategy to monetize our unparalleled movie library across multiple services, while offering customers the most choice, control and flexibility in how, when and where they watch films,” said UEFG, vice chairman and chief distribution officer, Peter Levinsohn in a statement.

    As the streaming war rages on, media companies are trying new strategies to bolster their streaming services and challenge the domination of streaming giant Netflix, which currently boasts of 208 million subscribers. 

  • Tiger Balm’s new campaign celebrates toughness of women

    New Delhi: Analgesic brand Tiger Balm has launched a new campaign – #ToughAsATiger to mark the release of the movie- Sherni on Amazon Prime Video.

    Vidya Balan starrer Sherni brings to light the story of a resolute female forest officer who beats all odds to fulfill her duty and Tiger Balm showcases the journey of strong-willed and tough Shernis everywhere with this campaign.

    The analgesic brand’s Instagram feed also mirrors that of ‘Sherni’ in a spirit of solidarity towards women who can not only endure the pain but win over it. The brand also launched #ToughAsATiger Sherni Moments contest for users to take part in the contest.

    Tiger Balm, as a brand, has transformed massively over a time of 100+ years across 100+ countries; all the while building a legacy of alleviating pain, discomfort, and their causes. The company’s belief is that no one should be constrained from leading a full and active life because of aches, pains, and everyday discomforts.

  • Justice Sikri to chair grievance redressal board for digital publishers under IAMAI

    KOLKATA: The Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) announced on Thursday that former Supreme Court Justice Arjan Kumar Sikri will chair the Grievance Redressal Board (GRB), formed as a part of the Digital Publisher Content Grievances Council (DPCGC). 

    The GRB will address content grievances about any of the DPCGC member’s video streaming services. It will function as an independent body and act as the second-tier within the three-tier grievance redressal mechanism as envisioned by the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. Under Justice Sikri’s leadership, the GRB will aim to provide independent adjudication on content grievances escalated to it.

    The members of the GRB include prominent personalities from the media and entertainment industry, online curated content providers, experts from various fields including child rights, women rights, and media laws. The Grievance Redressal Board includes National award-winning actress Suhasini Maniratnam; Madhu Bhojwani, Indian film Producer and partner at Emmay Entertainment and Motion Pictures; Gopal Jain, senior Advocate, Supreme Court of India; and Dr. Ranjana Kumari, eminent Civil Society representative who currently serves as the director of the Centre for Social Research and as the chairperson of Women Power Connect. The two members from the Online Curated Content Providers are Amit Grover, senior corporate counsel, Amazon India, and Priyanka Chaudhari, director-legal, Netflix India.

    IAMAI had recently announced the formation of the Digital Publisher Content Grievances Council as an independent self-regulatory organization to provide a grievance redressal platform for Online Curated Content consumers. The DPCGC will empower consumers to make informed viewing choices and promote creative excellence, which are keys to the long-term success of the Indian entertainment industry.

    The appointment of GRB members is a crucial step towards setting up an independent grievance redressal mechanism in alignment with IT Rules 2021, it said on Thursday. The GRB will oversee and ensure the alignment and adherence to the Code of Ethics by the DPCG Council members, provide guidance to member entities on the Code of Ethics, and address grievances that have not been resolved by the publisher within the stipulated period.

    The DPCGC currently has 14 publishers of online curated content as members, which include Amazon Prime Video, Alt Balaji, Apple, BookMyShow Stream, Eros Now, Firework TV, Hoichoi, Hungama, Lionsgate Play, MX Player, Netflix, Reeldrama, Shemaroo, and Ullu.

    Tags: IAMAI, Netflix, Amazon India, OTT, Streaming Service, New IT rules, Justice Sikri.

  • IAMAI announces formation of Digital Publisher Content Grievances Council

    IAMAI announces formation of Digital Publisher Content Grievances Council

    KOLKATA: The Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) on Friday announced the formation of the Digital Publishers Content Grievances Council (DPCGC) as part of the self-regulatory and grievance redressal framework for Online Curated Content [OCC] Publishers.

    The Council is being set up in light of the recent Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 with the intent to empower consumers to make informed viewing choices, it said on Friday.

    It will have an OCCP Council consisting of publishers of OCC as members and an independent Grievance Redressal Board [GRB] — consisting of a chairperson and six members. The GRB will be chaired by a retired Supreme Court/high court judge. The members will comprise eminent persons from the media and entertainment industry, experts from various fields, including child rights, minority rights, and media law.

    The GRB will oversee and ensure the alignment and adherence to the Code of Ethics by the OCCP Council members, provide guidance to entities on the Code of Ethics, address grievances that have not been resolved by the publisher within 15 days and hear grievances/appeals filed by the complainants.

    IAMAI President Subho Ray said: “IAMAI and members of the DPCGC are deeply committed to protecting consumer rights and empowering consumers with the right tools to make informed decisions, as well as have their grievances addressed. The formation of this body is an important step towards consumer choice, as more and more people are viewing content online.”

    IAMAI has also notified the ministry of information and broadcasting (MIB) that they are in the process of forming the DPCGC and has also shared a list of publishers who were confirmed to be members of the Council. So far, it has received confirmation from 10 publishers, including 1.) Alt Balaji 2.) Amazon Prime Video 3.) Arha Media 4.) Firework 5.) Hoichoi 6.) Hungama 7.) Lionsgate Play 8.) MX Player 9.) Netflix and 10) Shemaroo and is awaiting confirmation from several other such digital publishers.

    “The creation of Digital Publishers Content Grievances Council (DPCGC) is a significant step in ensuring that publishers of OCC are compliant with IT rules 2021. The Digital Publishers Content Grievances Council will serve as a transparent and open channel to effectively address consumer grievances. As part of the process to be compliant, this newly formed body is an important step towards consumer empowerment and choice,” IAMAI stated.

  • Amazon to pull the plug on Prime Now globally

    Amazon to pull the plug on Prime Now globally

    New Delhi: E-commerce giant Amazon has decided to pull the plug on its standalone Prime Now delivery app globally. The platform was launched in 2014. Its two-hour delivery options will now be integrated on its main app and website.

    It is important to note that Amazon has already moved the Prime Now experience to Amazon in India, Japan and Singapore and retired the Prime Now app and website. It is now suspending the operations in all other countries as well. “To make this experience even more seamless for customers, we are moving the experience from a separate Prime Now app onto the Amazon app and website so customers can shop all Amazon has to offer from one convenient location,” it said in a blog post.

    Now, there will be one convenient app for shopping, tracking orders and contacting customer service.   

    “In the US, we began making two-hour delivery from Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods Market available on Amazon in 2019. Globally, we’ll move our third-party partners and local stores to the Amazon shopping experience before the Prime Now app and website are retired later this year,” said Amazon vice-president of grocery, Stephanie Landry, adding that the platform will be completely shut down by the end of 2021.

    The company said that the feedback from customers who have shopped for two-hour delivery on Amazon has been overwhelmingly positive and it’s a natural next step to simplify the ultrafast delivery experience globally. In the US, customers can now easily add items from their Alexa shopping list to their Amazon Fresh or Whole Foods Market shopping cart.