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  • E-Commerce giants dish out exclusive offers this Leap Year

    E-Commerce giants dish out exclusive offers this Leap Year

    MUMBAI: Even as e-commerce giants lure customers via various discount offers throughout the year, this leap year the companies have found yet another reason to attract more shoppers. 

    With an extra day added to this year in 29 February, e-commerce sites are poised to take advantage in order to boost sales by offering high discount rates. Websites like Askmebazaar.com, Amazon.in, Snapdeal.com, AmericanSwan.com, Zimmber.comand Paytm.com are offering special discounts on 29 February with an aim to pump up sales. 

    Askmebazaar.com, an online marketplace for shoppers has come up with exclusive leap year deals by offering up to 70 per cent off on every item. On the other hand, Snapdeal.com is offering free data and bank discounts on Infocus smartphones.

    Buyers will be able to avail offers of up to 65 per cent off plus 100 per cent cashback on every 29th order on AmericanSwan.com. The leap deal is also available on sites like Jabong where clothing, footwear and accessories have upto 80 per cent off, 20 per cent off and one per cent off respectively. Meanwhile, Shopclues.com is providing flat 77 per cent off on daily essential combo packs. 

    Grand appliances sale by Amazon.in is offering upto 50 per cent off on top appliances. It is also offering 25 per cent off on Lenovo, Asus, dell laptops and two in ones. Not the one to be left behind, Paytm.com is also offering mobile recharge offers where customers can avail Rs 65 cashback on every recharge of Rs 500.

    Moskart.com and Cubishop.com, the marketplace for consumer electronics industry is offering exclusive offers for the year’s extra day. Moskart.com is offering half price on mobile and mobile accessories, whereas Cubishop.com will be selling mobile charger for Samsung and Android mobiles for just Rs 150. 

    Zimmber.com, the only site that provides handyman services like electrical, AC, plumbing et al has come up with mega offers for 29 February by offering flat Rs 444 off on salon spa, car spa and pest control. It is also offering Rs 333 off on sofa spa, Rs 222 off on air conditioner services and Rs 555 off on home spa. 

    The online eyewear portal Lenskart.com is also eyeing more customers by giving customers 29 per cent off plus 29 per cent cashback on every purchase.

  • Sony Pictures Networks India eyes Rs 1200 crore revenue from IPL; 80% inventory sold

    Sony Pictures Networks India eyes Rs 1200 crore revenue from IPL; 80% inventory sold

    MUMBAI: The latest instalment of cricket’s flagship franchise – the Indian Premier League (IPL) is almost here and the official broadcaster Sony Pictures Networks (SPN) India is going all guns blazing when it comes to getting advertisers on board.

    With almost 80 per cent of the ad inventory sold, the broadcaster is eyeing revenue of Rs 1200 crore from this season of the IPL.

    An upbeat SPN India president Rohit Gupta tells Indiantelevision.com, “We have mostly sold out our entire inventory. All the big spots are locked and we are in the last stages of talks with a few advertisers. We will be in a position to announce them in a day or two.”

    E-commerce giant Amazon, which upped itself as the presenting sponsor of the tourney last year, will continue to be a presenting sponsor this year too along with telco Vodafone and a new entrant in the category Oppo.

    “We increased the number of presenting sponsors from two to three this year because of the huge demand. Mobile phone manufacturers Oppo has come on board this time as a presenting sponsor and it’s great that new associations are continuing. It shows the growing interest level in the tournament,” says Gupta.

    Other sponsors that have been roped in include Freecharge, Coca Cola, Ceat Tyres, Tata Sky, Vimal Pan Masala and Raymond Suitings. 

    “Freecharge is a new inclusion this year. We also have a few advertisers who went off for a brief period but have returned this year again, which is an encouraging sign. Coke has also come on board for the first time and hence we continue to have a cola brand associated with the tourney. We are in final stages of talks with a two wheeler and a four wheeler brand and it’s likely that they will be on board too. This will mark the presence of an automobile brand too,” reveals Gupta.

    For the uninitiated, Pepsi was the title sponsor for the IPL for xx seasons but severed its association last year and hence 2016 will be the first time that rival beverage brand Coca Cola has decided to come on board.

    When queried about the revenue that SPN India is eyeing from the IPL this year, Gupta refrained from commenting on the financials. However, a source close to the development said that the network has hiked its ad rates by 15 to 20 per cent and is hopeful of raking in around Rs 1200 crore in ad revenue.

    The source says, “For a 10 second ad slot, the network is charging between Rs 5.5 lakh to Rs 6 lakh, which is 15 to 20 per cent more than what they were charging last year.”

    IPL will be telecast in four different language this year. Besides Hindi and English, there will be a Tamil and Telugu feed as well to cater to the southern audience. However, the network is not monetising the regional feed separately. “We don’t monetise regional feeds separately. We will go ahead the way did last year,” asserts Gupta.

    A senior sports media planning expert on condition of anonymity says, “Rs 1200 crore this year means a 20 per cent jump from what they raked in last year, which is realistic as well as encouraging for the broadcaster. IPL has two new teams this year, therefore the sport will have a fresh and unwatched element in it. I think that has worked in favor of the broadcaster. Skepticism that were developing after the ban on Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals are now all dealt with. Placed right at the beginning of a financial year, IPL has established itself to be a great avenue to garner eyeballs and it manages to sustain its trends too, which is great.”

    SPN has the broadcasting rights of IPL till 2017. The network acquired the rights for 10 years for a massive $1 billion, (Rs 6600 crore). Experts predict that the new acquisition cost, when the rights come under the hammer again, will be at least double of what it fetched last time round.

     

  • Sony Pictures Networks India eyes Rs 1200 crore revenue from IPL; 80% inventory sold

    Sony Pictures Networks India eyes Rs 1200 crore revenue from IPL; 80% inventory sold

    MUMBAI: The latest instalment of cricket’s flagship franchise – the Indian Premier League (IPL) is almost here and the official broadcaster Sony Pictures Networks (SPN) India is going all guns blazing when it comes to getting advertisers on board.

    With almost 80 per cent of the ad inventory sold, the broadcaster is eyeing revenue of Rs 1200 crore from this season of the IPL.

    An upbeat SPN India president Rohit Gupta tells Indiantelevision.com, “We have mostly sold out our entire inventory. All the big spots are locked and we are in the last stages of talks with a few advertisers. We will be in a position to announce them in a day or two.”

    E-commerce giant Amazon, which upped itself as the presenting sponsor of the tourney last year, will continue to be a presenting sponsor this year too along with telco Vodafone and a new entrant in the category Oppo.

    “We increased the number of presenting sponsors from two to three this year because of the huge demand. Mobile phone manufacturers Oppo has come on board this time as a presenting sponsor and it’s great that new associations are continuing. It shows the growing interest level in the tournament,” says Gupta.

    Other sponsors that have been roped in include Freecharge, Coca Cola, Ceat Tyres, Tata Sky, Vimal Pan Masala and Raymond Suitings. 

    “Freecharge is a new inclusion this year. We also have a few advertisers who went off for a brief period but have returned this year again, which is an encouraging sign. Coke has also come on board for the first time and hence we continue to have a cola brand associated with the tourney. We are in final stages of talks with a two wheeler and a four wheeler brand and it’s likely that they will be on board too. This will mark the presence of an automobile brand too,” reveals Gupta.

    For the uninitiated, Pepsi was the title sponsor for the IPL for xx seasons but severed its association last year and hence 2016 will be the first time that rival beverage brand Coca Cola has decided to come on board.

    When queried about the revenue that SPN India is eyeing from the IPL this year, Gupta refrained from commenting on the financials. However, a source close to the development said that the network has hiked its ad rates by 15 to 20 per cent and is hopeful of raking in around Rs 1200 crore in ad revenue.

    The source says, “For a 10 second ad slot, the network is charging between Rs 5.5 lakh to Rs 6 lakh, which is 15 to 20 per cent more than what they were charging last year.”

    IPL will be telecast in four different language this year. Besides Hindi and English, there will be a Tamil and Telugu feed as well to cater to the southern audience. However, the network is not monetising the regional feed separately. “We don’t monetise regional feeds separately. We will go ahead the way did last year,” asserts Gupta.

    A senior sports media planning expert on condition of anonymity says, “Rs 1200 crore this year means a 20 per cent jump from what they raked in last year, which is realistic as well as encouraging for the broadcaster. IPL has two new teams this year, therefore the sport will have a fresh and unwatched element in it. I think that has worked in favor of the broadcaster. Skepticism that were developing after the ban on Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals are now all dealt with. Placed right at the beginning of a financial year, IPL has established itself to be a great avenue to garner eyeballs and it manages to sustain its trends too, which is great.”

    SPN has the broadcasting rights of IPL till 2017. The network acquired the rights for 10 years for a massive $1 billion, (Rs 6600 crore). Experts predict that the new acquisition cost, when the rights come under the hammer again, will be at least double of what it fetched last time round.

     

  • Maxus Digital South names Suraj Nambiar as general manager

    Maxus Digital South names Suraj Nambiar as general manager

    MUMBAI: Maxus has strengthened its top management by appointing Suraj Nambiar as general manager of Maxus Digital South.

    Nambiar will play the dual role of leading the digital business for south and improving the product for all our non-paid digital media services.

    He will report in to Maxus digital national director Vishal Jacob. With Nambiar coming on board, Maxus has consolidated the senior management strength in the South.

    Commenting on the new appointment,  Jacob said, “We have been looking to strengthen our digital presence in the south market and we seem to have found the right person to do so. Suraj moreover, has an impressive track record of working on some of India’s most loved brands. We are very excited to have Suraj join us and take our digital services to the next level”

    Elaborating on his new role Maxus, Nambiar said, “I am very excited by the role given to me at Maxus. The agency is well known for being integrated, nimble and fearless! Looking forward to some great times ahead.”

    Nambiar has worked with brands across industries like Toyota, Amazon, Puma, Tanishq, 3M, Titan Industries, Mercedes Benz, DHL, Colgate, Nivea, Accenture, Kingfisher, MCI, Samsung, Make My Trip, Yahoo, Sony and Canon.

  • Maxus Digital South names Suraj Nambiar as general manager

    Maxus Digital South names Suraj Nambiar as general manager

    MUMBAI: Maxus has strengthened its top management by appointing Suraj Nambiar as general manager of Maxus Digital South.

    Nambiar will play the dual role of leading the digital business for south and improving the product for all our non-paid digital media services.

    He will report in to Maxus digital national director Vishal Jacob. With Nambiar coming on board, Maxus has consolidated the senior management strength in the South.

    Commenting on the new appointment,  Jacob said, “We have been looking to strengthen our digital presence in the south market and we seem to have found the right person to do so. Suraj moreover, has an impressive track record of working on some of India’s most loved brands. We are very excited to have Suraj join us and take our digital services to the next level”

    Elaborating on his new role Maxus, Nambiar said, “I am very excited by the role given to me at Maxus. The agency is well known for being integrated, nimble and fearless! Looking forward to some great times ahead.”

    Nambiar has worked with brands across industries like Toyota, Amazon, Puma, Tanishq, 3M, Titan Industries, Mercedes Benz, DHL, Colgate, Nivea, Accenture, Kingfisher, MCI, Samsung, Make My Trip, Yahoo, Sony and Canon.

  • Colors Infinity & HOOQ acquire ‘Mad Dogs’ from Sony for India

    Colors Infinity & HOOQ acquire ‘Mad Dogs’ from Sony for India

    MUMBAI: Viacom18’s English entertainment channel Colors Infinity has picked up the rights of Sony Pictures Television’s (SPT) US adaptation of the British black comedy and psychological drama Mad Dogs.

     

    Additionally, the pan-regional SVOD platform HOOQ, which launched in India last year, has also picked up the rights for the series. Apart from India, HOOQ will air the series in the Philippines, Thailand and Indonesia.

     

    SPT has sold Mad Dogs to over 140 countries around the world ahead of the series debut on Amazon in the US, UK and Germany.

     

    “Mad Dogs has been a huge hit in the UK and there is clearly an equally high appetite for the US series. Mad Dogs is a high end drama with real global appeal and brings together exceptional talent both on and off screen. Sony Pictures Television has long been producing ambitious, acclaimed and award-winning dramas which sit perfectly on traditional linear channels and new platforms – as demonstrated by the range of partners we have around the world,” said Sony Pictures Television president, international distribution Keith LeGoy.

     

    Across Europe, Movistar+ picked up the series in Spain and MTG acquired the show for Viaplay in Sweden, Norway and Denmark. Other territories include Finland (Nelonen), Belgium (Telenet), Turkey (D-Smart) as well as AXN in Central Eastern Europe.

     

    OSN picked up the series for the Middle East, Mnet will show it across Africa, and Sky bought the drama in New Zealand.

     

    Based on the format created by Cris Cole for Left Bank Pictures and British Sky Broadcasting Limited, Mad Dogs is produced by Left Bank Pictures, MiddKid Productions and Amazon Studios in association with Sony Pictures Television.

     

    Mad Dogs tells the story of a group of 40 something underachievers who gather in Belize to celebrate the retirement of one of their friends. A series of dramatic events unfold, exposing dark secrets, a web of lies, deception and murder.

     

    The series stars Ben Chaplin, Michael Imperioli, Romany Malco, Steve Zahn and Billy Zane.

  • Colors Infinity & HOOQ acquire ‘Mad Dogs’ from Sony for India

    Colors Infinity & HOOQ acquire ‘Mad Dogs’ from Sony for India

    MUMBAI: Viacom18’s English entertainment channel Colors Infinity has picked up the rights of Sony Pictures Television’s (SPT) US adaptation of the British black comedy and psychological drama Mad Dogs.

     

    Additionally, the pan-regional SVOD platform HOOQ, which launched in India last year, has also picked up the rights for the series. Apart from India, HOOQ will air the series in the Philippines, Thailand and Indonesia.

     

    SPT has sold Mad Dogs to over 140 countries around the world ahead of the series debut on Amazon in the US, UK and Germany.

     

    “Mad Dogs has been a huge hit in the UK and there is clearly an equally high appetite for the US series. Mad Dogs is a high end drama with real global appeal and brings together exceptional talent both on and off screen. Sony Pictures Television has long been producing ambitious, acclaimed and award-winning dramas which sit perfectly on traditional linear channels and new platforms – as demonstrated by the range of partners we have around the world,” said Sony Pictures Television president, international distribution Keith LeGoy.

     

    Across Europe, Movistar+ picked up the series in Spain and MTG acquired the show for Viaplay in Sweden, Norway and Denmark. Other territories include Finland (Nelonen), Belgium (Telenet), Turkey (D-Smart) as well as AXN in Central Eastern Europe.

     

    OSN picked up the series for the Middle East, Mnet will show it across Africa, and Sky bought the drama in New Zealand.

     

    Based on the format created by Cris Cole for Left Bank Pictures and British Sky Broadcasting Limited, Mad Dogs is produced by Left Bank Pictures, MiddKid Productions and Amazon Studios in association with Sony Pictures Television.

     

    Mad Dogs tells the story of a group of 40 something underachievers who gather in Belize to celebrate the retirement of one of their friends. A series of dramatic events unfold, exposing dark secrets, a web of lies, deception and murder.

     

    The series stars Ben Chaplin, Michael Imperioli, Romany Malco, Steve Zahn and Billy Zane.

  • Sky invests in US online TV company TV4 Entertainment

    Sky invests in US online TV company TV4 Entertainment

    MUMBAI: Sky has invested $0.3 million, via convertible debt security, in LA-based TV4 Entertainment, which owns a growing portfolio of special-interest television channels aimed at audiences which are typically underserved by traditional TV companies.

     

    The channels are distributed across multiple online platforms in the US including Hulu, Amazon, Sony, Vimeo, YouTube and Roku. 

     

    TV4’s portfolio includes a dozen channels, reaching millions of unique users every month. It has more than 30 new channels in development. The current portfolio includes: DocComTV aimed at documentary devotees; All Warrior Network for fans of the warrior genre; Motorland, a video network for automotive enthusiasts; the Ultimate Champion Network which has programming for combat sports fans; and The Clarity Project, a channel exploring child illness. 

     

    TV4’s strategy has been to acquire and aggregate high-quality video content into recognisable channel brands. Through more than 200 content partners, TV4 has licensed over 5,000 feature length and short form titles as well as many TV and web series. 

     

    The investment in TV4 builds on Sky’s ongoing programme of investing in innovative startups that help Sky bring new ideas, insight and services into its business. This follows recent investments in leading online sports network Whistle Sports, Pluto TV, the online video aggregator and the US ad tech firm Sharethrough. Sky has previously invested in a number of other pioneering US technology companies, including the IP streaming service provider Roku, the immersive 360 video specialists Jaunt and the OTT video delivery firm 1 Mainstream.

     

    Sky director – corporate business development Emma Lloyd said, “This exciting investment will help us develop our understanding of niche content genres and what audiences are most passionate about. We are committed to developing partnerships right across our business that support and extend our leadership position in content and innovation. We look forward to working with the team at TV4 Entertainment as they continue to grow.”

     

    TV4 Entertainment founder and CEO Jon Cody added, “Our goal in this round of investment was to bring on strategic global investors that could unlock business opportunities as we expand internationally over the next year. Bringing Europe’s top entertainment company in Sky into the TV4 Entertainment family is the perfect fit for this mandate. We look forward to growing the value of the Company for our shareholders while bringing tomorrow’s television to viewers across the globe today.” 

  • Leo Burnett CEO Saurabh Verma’s Top 5 ads

    Leo Burnett CEO Saurabh Verma’s Top 5 ads

    There are some television commercials that leave you with a fuzzy feeling that lingers on much after the 30 seconder has gone off air, there are some that make a strong statement so simply that you’re bound to sit up and take notice and then there are some classics, which are forever etched in your mind.

    Indiantelevision.com spoke to Leo Burnett India CEO Saurabh Verma to get his list of Top 5 ads in India from June – October, 2015.

    Read on to know what he picked:

    1) Amazon’s ‘Aur Dikhao’ campaign was created by Orchard Advertising and captured everyone’s heart by their tagline ‘Aur dikhao.’

    “I really appreciate the ad because it gives variety to people. Its niche is very interesting as it gives cultural insights about Indians and their need for speaking more all the time, which has become part of popular culture. Furthermore, the role of the brand in the campaign is very integral.”

    2) Vatika’s ‘Brave & Beautiful’ is an ad created by Linen Lintas and produced by Film Farm Mumbai. It is a strong ad that gives a completely different insight into the idea of a woman’s beauty. The ad dismisses the common perception that the beauty of a woman lies in her lustrous hair.

    “It is a spectacular ad because the client has done something, which is least expected in this kind of ad category. It was very brave of the brand to do something like this. They have taken a position in the market place by their strong way of communication. It is a purposeful work and very humane.”

    3) HDFC Life’s ‘Apne Dum Pe, Sar Utha Ke’ ad is life created by Leo Burnett. The ad film depicts the importance of a man in empowering his family to live a respectful life. This three minute ad leaves a strong message by its core thought about ‘Sar utha ke jiyo.’

    “I like this ad as it has fantastic content, which deals on the whole brand proposition of ‘sar utha ke jiyo.’ The role of the brand is very integral to the communication. It is very uplifting, positive and optimistic piece of work in the insurance category. I don’t think any insurance company has worked like this for their ad.”

    4) Ambuja Cement’s ‘Great Khali’ ad created by Publicis South Asia. The ad came up with simple yet strong idea by roping in former WWE world champion ‘The Great Khali.’

    “This is the most fantastic piece of work in the entire year. I like this ad because it has taken a very simple yet strong concept. It communicates the message through a playful manner. The content is placed perfectly and is shareable. It has great vitality and has strong storytelling with fantastic characters.”

    5) Star Sports’ ‘Mauka Mauka’ (World Cup) ad produced by Bubblewrap Films has competitive content where India challenges Pakistan for a match. Pakistan had never won a WC game against India in last six attempts and again they lose their ‘mauka’ of winning.

    “It’s a series, it’s a campaign… an idea that extends beyond one’s imagination. According to me it was a spectacular campaign because it had strong content as well as the ability to live in the current period and get people to interact with the content depending on what was happening contextually with the matches.

  • Q3-2015: E. W. Scripps revenue up 49%; Retransmission revenue doubles

    Q3-2015: E. W. Scripps revenue up 49%; Retransmission revenue doubles

    BENGALURU: The E.W. Scripps Company (EWS) reported 49.2 per cent YoY growth in consolidated revenue from continuing operations for the quarter ended 30 September, 2015 (Q3-2015, current quarter) at $189.69 million as compared to $123.13 million in the corresponding year ago quarter.

     

    The company’s advertisement revenue in the current quarter increased 39.8 per cent to $144.98 million as compared to the $103.70 million in the corresponding year ago quarter. Retransmission revenue more than doubled YoY (was 2.4 times) at $36.29 million as compared to $15.24 million in Q3-2014. ‘Other’ revenues also more than doubled to $ 8.42 million from $4.19 million in the year ago quarter.

     

    EWS net loss for Q3-2015 increased to $24.44 million as compared to the loss of $1.34 million in Q3-2014. EWS reported net loss of $24.44 million from continuing operation as compared to a profit of $1.04 million in Q3-2014. Net loss from discontinued operations in the current quarter was NIL as compared to a net loss of $2.38 million in Q3-2014. 

     

    Net loss per basic share of common stock was $0.29 in the current quarter as compared to a net income of $0.02 in Q2-2014.

     

    EWS chairman, president and CEO Rich Boehne said, “Third-quarter performance in our core broadcast television business was aided by a comeback in automotive advertising and a leap in retransmission fees. The increase in retransmission revenue alone offset the decline in political advertising revenue in the off-cycle year.”

     

    “In our TV markets we’re setting the stage for 2016, when increases in local news ratings, a 50 percent increase in retransmission fees, and presidential election spending across an expanded footprint of potential swing states should come together for a strong performance,” he added. 

     

    “Also in the third quarter, we expanded our reach into the fast-growing over-the-top media marketplace with the accelerated rollout of our OTT video news service Newsy. This service aimed at millennial news audiences now also includes OTT distribution on Apple TV, Comcast’s Watchable, Roku, Amazon’s Fire TV, Google Chromecast, PlutoTV and Xumo, with more to come shortly. Our expanded ambition for Newsy, changes in the marketplace, and our commitment to invest in this strategy led us to a pivot in the business model,” he said. 

     

    “On the audio side of our over-the-top strategy, we purchased Midroll, a leading podcast producer and advertising network, and then launched its subscription-based app, Howl, to strong response. Not only is Midroll a growing content play for mobile-media consumers, it’s also designed to be an alternative advertising model that largely defies ad blocking.”

     

    “While working to build value through our current and evolving businesses, we also used our strong balance sheet and cash flow to repurchase shares. We expect our overall financial position to further strengthen as we move through the presidential election year and top our four-year business cycle.”

     

    Segment numbers

     

    The company has four segments: Television, Radio, Digital, Syndication and other.

     

    EWS’ Television segment revenue in the current quarter increased 35.2 per cent to $157.44 million $116.44 million in the corresponding year ago quarter. Operating income for the segment in Q3-2015 increased two per cent to $31.71 million from $30.51 million in the corresponding year ago quarter.

     

    On 1 April, 2015, EWS acquired the broadcast group owned by Journal Communications, Inc. The businesses acquired included 12 television stations and 34 radio stations. EWS’ Radio segment reported revenue in Q3-2015 of $20.42 million. The segment reported operating income of $4.07 million in the current quarter.

     

    EWS’ Digital segment revenues in the current quarter more than doubled to $10.86 million as compared to the $5.36 million in q2-2014. The segment reported lower operating loss of $3.64 million in the current quarter as compared to $6.21 million in Q2-2014.

     

    EWS’ Syndication and other segment reported 27.8 per cent decline in operating revenue to $0.97 million as compared to $1.35 million in the corresponding year ago quarter. The segment’s loss in the current quarter declined to $0.57 million from $0.67 million in the corresponding year ago quarter.