ITV

Tag: BBC iPlayer

  • The Night Manager returns with new secrets, new spies and old scars

    The Night Manager returns with new secrets, new spies and old scars

    MUMBAI: The night is getting darker, and Jonathan Pine is back to face the ghosts he thought he’d buried. Prime Video has announced that the highly anticipated Season Two of The Night Manager will premiere on Sunday, 11 January 2026, with the first three episodes dropping together, followed by a weekly rollout until 1 February 2026. The six-part series will stream exclusively on Prime Video worldwide (excluding the UK) and on BBC and BBC iPlayer in the UK.

    Eight years after its explosive Season One finale, the Emmy, Golden Globe and BAFTA-winning spy drama returns more dangerous, more deceptive, and just as addictive. Tom Hiddleston reprises his Golden Globe-winning role as the enigmatic former spy Jonathan Pine, who now lives under the alias Alex Goodwin. But when the past comes knocking in the form of a rogue mercenary and a global conspiracy, Pine is pulled back into the shadowy world he once escaped.

    This time, he’s not alone. Olivia Colman returns as the steadfast intelligence officer Angela Burr, while Diego Calva (Babylon, Narcos: Mexico) and Camila Morrone (Daisy Jones & The Six) join the cast as new players in Pine’s perilous new mission. The cast also includes Indira Varma, Paul Chahidi, and Hayley Squires, alongside returning favourites Alistair Petrie, Douglas Hodge, Michael Nardone, and Noah Jupe.

    Filmed across the UK, Spain, Colombia, and France, the new season raises the stakes with a global plot that spans continents and conspiracies. Pine, now a low-level MI6 officer running a quiet surveillance unit, is thrust into action after a fateful encounter with Colombian businessman Teddy Dos Santos (Calva) unravels a deadly arms network. Partnering with businesswoman Roxana Bolaños (Morrone), Pine must navigate treacherous alliances and buried betrayals to expose a plot designed to destabilise an entire nation.

    Created and executive produced by David Farr, and directed by BAFTA-winner Georgi Banks-Davies (I Hate Suzie, Paper Girls), the second season is once again based on the characters from John le Carré’s novel. It’s produced by The Ink Factory, in association with Character 7, Demarest Films, 127 Wall, and Spanish co-producer Nostromo Pictures.

    Executive producers include Stephen Garrett, Simon and Stephen Cornwell, Michele Wolkoff, Adrián Guerra, Hugh Laurie, and Tom Hiddleston himself. With such a powerhouse creative team, The Night Manager promises another elegant blend of espionage, emotion, and edge-of-your-seat tension.

    Season One, which premiered in 2016, was lauded for its razor-sharp writing, lush cinematography, and powerhouse performances bagging 11 BAFTA nominations, three Golden Globes, and critical acclaim worldwide. Season Two now picks up the story eight years later, delving deeper into Pine’s fractured psyche and the blurred lines between loyalty, deception, and survival.

    With betrayal lurking in every shadow and old enemies reborn, The Night Manager returns not just as a spy thriller, but as a study in reinvention of both its hero and the genre itself. After all, in the world of espionage, the night never truly ends; it only gets darker.

  • Banijay celebrates 25 years of Survivor

    Banijay celebrates 25 years of Survivor

    MUMBAI: Banijay is celebrating 25 years since the adventure reality format, Survivor, debuted in Sweden in September 1997. The milestone achievement follows the format’s most successful year-to-date last year, with 25 productions in 2021.

    Survivor tests the spirit of a group of ordinary, yet extraordinary people who are marooned, with little more than the clothes on their backs and their own animal cunning. As they catch their own food, build their own shelter and order their own society, castaways must compete in increasingly difficult tests of strategy and guile.

    Ranked the Best Reality Show Of All Time (Variety), Survivor, the format which is created by Charlie Parsons, has been commissioned in 50 territories and is one of the most loved and watched formats around the world. The anniversary follows the recent announcement that Survivor will return to the UK in 2023, with Remarkable Entertainment (part of Banijay UK) producing the series for BBC One and BBC iPlayer. Other recent comebacks for the format include Brazil, Norway, Bulgaria and Romania, with all-new first-time adaptations in Mexico and Serbia, as well as an upcoming launch in Canada (French).

    Banijay global head of content operations Lucas Green said, “Survivor has all the elements of a hit format combining jeopardy, reality, strategy and adventure. Whilst each version is unique to its territory, every Survivor season celebrates the core values of this much-loved show. It has been honed through hundreds of seasons of expertise and is head and shoulders above the countless copycats which never quite stand up to the test. We are proud to produce the original – and in our view the best – adventure reality format on television. Most of all, we give thanks to those hard-working production teams around the world, with whom we celebrate this distinguished anniversary.”

    Amongst the hugely successful iterations around the world are the U.S., which is the longest-running version with season 44 confirmed and more than 7.5 million viewers tuning in to the most recent season on CBS; The Netherlands, which has aired every year since 2000; the hugely popular French series, which will air its 29th season next year; and the originating market Sweden, which recently aired its 21st run of Expedition Robinson. The format also enjoys successful companion shows, all-star spin-offs and celebrity versions.

    Survivor has created iconic moments over the last 25 years. These include an Israeli contestant meeting his child for the first time via video link at the Tribal Council, a player voting off her mum so she could progress in series 29 in the US, a proposal between two All Star contestants in the US. There was even a visit to the beach from Ivanka Trump in the Italian production, in heels and a sequinned dress!

  • UK SVoD growth up; people spending more time on streaming platforms: Omdia’s Research

    UK SVoD growth up; people spending more time on streaming platforms: Omdia’s Research

    Mumbai: According to a research report released recently at Connected TV World Summit, Omdia’s senior director Maria Rua Aguete said, “The number of people paying for video services in the UK has increased 11 per cent over the last year and quarter on quarter since April 2021.”

    According to Aguete, despite the UK cost of living crisis, UK people are tending to spend more and certainly no less in streaming video services. In terms of dealing with rising costs, consumers prefer to cut other expenses than their own home entertainment in order to deal with the rising cost. As the survey reveals, cuts in other spending has allowed them to subscribe to extra services.

    Currently, the average UK household has 2.6 pay subscription services at home, 2 Svod services and 0.6 Pay TV. Although the churn rate has increased significantly in the last 12 months.

    Despite Netflix results showing a decline in global subscriptions (200,000 in Q1 2022), Netflix remains the UK’s favourite video service. It is also still the most popular SVOD service in the domestic market, the USA.

    80 per cent of households in the UK have an online subscription. YouTube and BBC iPlayer tops the chart as most favourite online video services in the UK followed by Netflix. Netflix’s Svod service is still in the race with 15.5 million subscribers.

    Other most popular services in the UK are: Amazon Prime Video with 10 million subscriptions and Disney Plus with 7.5 million subscriptions.

    Churn has increased significantly in the last 12 months:

    45 per cent more subscription video services were cancelled in the last 12 months, while overall there were 20 percent more consumers cancelling their services compared to last year, but counteracting this trend, the number of services cancelled and re-subscribed to in the last 12 months has grown by 84 per cent meaning that although more people are churning, more people are subsequently resubscribing with 50 per cent more re-subscribers in the UK now.

    According to the reports, online video subscriptions will reach 2 billion in 2027. The biggest growth in the last six months comes from: Disney, Now TV, Netflix and Amazon Prime with 21 percent, 18 percent, 8 per cent and 5 per cent respectively.

    Those with four streaming video services per home are the ones churning less than those who took more than seven SVOD services are among the highest churners.

    Looking forward, Omdia expects that Netflix, currently in the lead in the streaming video race (Q1 2022), will still lead in five years’ time (2026) Aguete adds: “With the lowest churn rate across all streaming video services and highest lifetime value per customer, Netflix will continue and surpass Disney by 2026.”

  • Total TV viewership grows by 24% in week 18

    Total TV viewership grows by 24% in week 18

    MUMBAI: Total TV viewership has grown by 24 per cent in week 18 over pre- Covid2019 period and recorded 1.1 trillion viewing minutes. The highest viewership was recorded in week 13. TV viewership is still higher than pre-Covid levels, according to the edition 8 of BARC India & Nielsen.  

    Individuals watching TV all seven days a week was 239 million in the pre-Covid2019 period. It peaked 363 million in week 15 and is at 332 million in week 18.

    During week 18, total TV consumption increased by 24 per cent all India.  

    Prime-time viewing has come down in week 18, most prominent dip being in the south.

    For the Hindi GEC segment, the viewership share of top three channels has dropped vs peak levels attained in week 13, courtesy the lack of original programmes. However, viewership share is stable for Hindi news and Hindi movies. 

    Genre-wise, news and movies share started to stabilize but continues to operate at higher levels.

    Lockdown impact on consumer sentiment

    The pandemic is having an impact on public sentiments. According to the report, 85 per cent of Indians are extremely concerned about personal or family's safety. And 82 per cent are concerned about overall public health.

    Follow Tellychakkar for the consumer facing news & entertainment

  • Discovery, BAMTech partnership to deliver world-class tech to content owners

    Discovery, BAMTech partnership to deliver world-class tech to content owners

    MUMBAI: Discovery Communications and BAMTech have announced a long-term partnership, including the formation of BAMTech Europe, a new digital technology provider, dedicated to working with content owners, broadcasters and OTT platforms to enhance their digital capabilities, reach and performance across Europe. As part of the partnership, Eurosport Digital will become the new entity’s first client, and gain access to select European sports rights from worldwide sports properties, including current and future rights acquired by BAMTech and jointly by Eurosport and BAMTech.

    BAMTech Europe will be formed through a joint venture between Discovery Communications and BAMTech LLC, a subsidiary of Major League Baseball’s digital business, MLB Advanced Media (MLBAM). This new venture will represent BAMTech’s expansion in Europe and will provide world-class digital technology services to a broad set of sports, news and entertainment clients in Europe. BAMTech has successfully designed, developed and delivered direct-to-consumer streaming services over the past 14 years, currently serving 7.5 million total global paid subscribers with its U.S.-based clients’ OTT products. With hundreds of millions of mobile data subscribers and growing OTT momentum via connected TVs and other devices, Europe provides a significant strategic opportunity to bring together BAMTech’s world-class technology and Discovery’s deep presence and relationships across the continent.

    Eurosport Digital is the first partner for BAMTech Europe through a long-term digital services agreement. BAMTech’s state-of-the-art back-end video platform and services will be implemented in 2017 across all of Eurosport Digital’s products, which today include Eurosport.com – the continent’s number one sports news website, and Eurosport Player – the leading subscription-based OTT sports platform across Europe giving fans an all-access pass anytime and on any device in 52 countries.

    In addition, Eurosport and BAMTech will work together to make premium sports events more widely available across multiple screens. This will include current and future rights acquired by BAMTech as well as joint acquisitions for other compelling European sports rights, from across the globe, for Eurosport’s digital platform.

    “Discovery has been investing internationally in new business models and brands for decades, resulting in the most extensive global footprint in media,” said Discovery Communications president and CEO David Zaslav. “The formation of this world-class technology provider, BAMTech Europe, with our partners at BAMTech, accelerates Discovery’s long-term strategy to bring our premium content to more viewers across more screens than ever before.”

    “The collaboration of Discovery’s breadth of live sports content, including the Olympic Games, and BAMTech will bring European fans access to these valuable events like never before,” said MLB president, business & media Bob Bowman. “Discovery has been a global leader in media and will be a great partner in expanding BAMTech to Europe, with an eye to developing new models for delivering content in the best interests of customers. We can’t wait to get started.”

    “Across Europe, Discovery has led the way in pay-TV and free-to-air services, and expanded into new content genres such as general entertainment and sports,” said Discovery Networks International president and CEO JB Perrette. “This partnership with BAMTech is an important next step in our evolution to develop more consumer centric capabilities and services – focused initially on Eurosport.”

    Discovery’s partnership with BAMTech follows the recent appointment of Ralph Rivera as the managing director of Eurosport Digital. Rivera previously spent six years at the BBC as Director of Future Media, where he was responsible for all of the BBC’s digital media services, leading the implementation and operation of BBC iPlayer as it grew by over 300% and delivering the first truly digital Olympic Games for London 2012, which set a new standard for live sports coverage online.

    Additionally, the announcement comes less than two weeks after Discovery announced its groundbreaking digital content partnership to form Group Nine Media, which immediately became one of the largest digital content and social video companies in the world.

  • Discovery, BAMTech partnership to deliver world-class tech to content owners

    Discovery, BAMTech partnership to deliver world-class tech to content owners

    MUMBAI: Discovery Communications and BAMTech have announced a long-term partnership, including the formation of BAMTech Europe, a new digital technology provider, dedicated to working with content owners, broadcasters and OTT platforms to enhance their digital capabilities, reach and performance across Europe. As part of the partnership, Eurosport Digital will become the new entity’s first client, and gain access to select European sports rights from worldwide sports properties, including current and future rights acquired by BAMTech and jointly by Eurosport and BAMTech.

    BAMTech Europe will be formed through a joint venture between Discovery Communications and BAMTech LLC, a subsidiary of Major League Baseball’s digital business, MLB Advanced Media (MLBAM). This new venture will represent BAMTech’s expansion in Europe and will provide world-class digital technology services to a broad set of sports, news and entertainment clients in Europe. BAMTech has successfully designed, developed and delivered direct-to-consumer streaming services over the past 14 years, currently serving 7.5 million total global paid subscribers with its U.S.-based clients’ OTT products. With hundreds of millions of mobile data subscribers and growing OTT momentum via connected TVs and other devices, Europe provides a significant strategic opportunity to bring together BAMTech’s world-class technology and Discovery’s deep presence and relationships across the continent.

    Eurosport Digital is the first partner for BAMTech Europe through a long-term digital services agreement. BAMTech’s state-of-the-art back-end video platform and services will be implemented in 2017 across all of Eurosport Digital’s products, which today include Eurosport.com – the continent’s number one sports news website, and Eurosport Player – the leading subscription-based OTT sports platform across Europe giving fans an all-access pass anytime and on any device in 52 countries.

    In addition, Eurosport and BAMTech will work together to make premium sports events more widely available across multiple screens. This will include current and future rights acquired by BAMTech as well as joint acquisitions for other compelling European sports rights, from across the globe, for Eurosport’s digital platform.

    “Discovery has been investing internationally in new business models and brands for decades, resulting in the most extensive global footprint in media,” said Discovery Communications president and CEO David Zaslav. “The formation of this world-class technology provider, BAMTech Europe, with our partners at BAMTech, accelerates Discovery’s long-term strategy to bring our premium content to more viewers across more screens than ever before.”

    “The collaboration of Discovery’s breadth of live sports content, including the Olympic Games, and BAMTech will bring European fans access to these valuable events like never before,” said MLB president, business & media Bob Bowman. “Discovery has been a global leader in media and will be a great partner in expanding BAMTech to Europe, with an eye to developing new models for delivering content in the best interests of customers. We can’t wait to get started.”

    “Across Europe, Discovery has led the way in pay-TV and free-to-air services, and expanded into new content genres such as general entertainment and sports,” said Discovery Networks International president and CEO JB Perrette. “This partnership with BAMTech is an important next step in our evolution to develop more consumer centric capabilities and services – focused initially on Eurosport.”

    Discovery’s partnership with BAMTech follows the recent appointment of Ralph Rivera as the managing director of Eurosport Digital. Rivera previously spent six years at the BBC as Director of Future Media, where he was responsible for all of the BBC’s digital media services, leading the implementation and operation of BBC iPlayer as it grew by over 300% and delivering the first truly digital Olympic Games for London 2012, which set a new standard for live sports coverage online.

    Additionally, the announcement comes less than two weeks after Discovery announced its groundbreaking digital content partnership to form Group Nine Media, which immediately became one of the largest digital content and social video companies in the world.

  • Q1-17: Diversified mix boosts Eros revenue

    Q1-17: Diversified mix boosts Eros revenue

    BENGALURU: The Sunil Lulla-led Eros International Media Limited (Eros) reported 22.2 percent increase in total revenue including other income (TR) for the quarter ended 30 June 2016 (Q1-17, current quarter) as compared to the corresponding quarter of the previous year (Q1-16).

    Eros reported lower revenue of Rs 411.08 crore in the current quarter as compared to total revenue of Rs 480.59 crore in Q1-16, but considering the one-time sale of digital rights of Rs. 1,44.20 crore, its revenue for Q1-16 works out to Rs 336.39 crore. The company says that a diversified movie mix that included worldwide releases of
    Housefull 3, Ki and Ka, Nil Battey Sannata, Sardaar Gabbar Singh (Telugu), 24 (Tamil), amongst other releases helped in the double-digit increase in revenue.

    Total comprehensive income including other income after taxes in Q1-17 increased 42.9 percent year-over-year (y-o-y) to Rs 73.87 crore (18percent margin) from Rs 51.70 crore (15.4 percent margin on Rs 336.39 crore, 10.9 percent margin on TR).

    Finance cost in the current quarter increased 9.7 percent y-o-y to Rs 9.40 crore from Rs 8.57 crore. Total Expenditure in Q1-17 declined 14.4 percent to Rs 329.37 crore from Rs 384.94 crore in Q1-16. Employee Benefit Expense in the current quarter increased 52.6 percent to Rs 17.50 crore from Rs 11.54 crore in Q1-16.

    The company also had a diversified revenue mix comprising Theatrical Revenues – 52.1%, Overseas Revenues – 17.2% and Television & Others – 30.7% as a percentage of Income from Operations.

    Company speak

    Commenting on the performance of Q1-17, Eros, executive vice chairman & MD Sunil Lulla said, “Fiscal 2017 has begun on an excellent note for Eros International with notable progress on operational and strategic parameters. Our approach towards investing in high quality portfolio of film content, which is greenlit at appropriate budgets and is monetized across various revenue streams, continues to yield positive results.”.

    “This year is also marked by strong pre-sales of majority of our film slate including, Dishoom, Baar Baar Dekho, Rock On 2, Banjo as well as regional films to leading satellite channels, as a part of our de-risking strategy and ensuring revenue and cash flow visibility,” Lulla said.

    “Q2-17 has also begun well with the power packed performance of Dishoom and Happy Bhaag Jayegi and our Telugu release Janatha Garage is heading to be the biggest Telugu grosser of this year,” Lulla added.

  • Q1-17: Diversified mix boosts Eros revenue

    Q1-17: Diversified mix boosts Eros revenue

    BENGALURU: The Sunil Lulla-led Eros International Media Limited (Eros) reported 22.2 percent increase in total revenue including other income (TR) for the quarter ended 30 June 2016 (Q1-17, current quarter) as compared to the corresponding quarter of the previous year (Q1-16).

    Eros reported lower revenue of Rs 411.08 crore in the current quarter as compared to total revenue of Rs 480.59 crore in Q1-16, but considering the one-time sale of digital rights of Rs. 1,44.20 crore, its revenue for Q1-16 works out to Rs 336.39 crore. The company says that a diversified movie mix that included worldwide releases of
    Housefull 3, Ki and Ka, Nil Battey Sannata, Sardaar Gabbar Singh (Telugu), 24 (Tamil), amongst other releases helped in the double-digit increase in revenue.

    Total comprehensive income including other income after taxes in Q1-17 increased 42.9 percent year-over-year (y-o-y) to Rs 73.87 crore (18percent margin) from Rs 51.70 crore (15.4 percent margin on Rs 336.39 crore, 10.9 percent margin on TR).

    Finance cost in the current quarter increased 9.7 percent y-o-y to Rs 9.40 crore from Rs 8.57 crore. Total Expenditure in Q1-17 declined 14.4 percent to Rs 329.37 crore from Rs 384.94 crore in Q1-16. Employee Benefit Expense in the current quarter increased 52.6 percent to Rs 17.50 crore from Rs 11.54 crore in Q1-16.

    The company also had a diversified revenue mix comprising Theatrical Revenues – 52.1%, Overseas Revenues – 17.2% and Television & Others – 30.7% as a percentage of Income from Operations.

    Company speak

    Commenting on the performance of Q1-17, Eros, executive vice chairman & MD Sunil Lulla said, “Fiscal 2017 has begun on an excellent note for Eros International with notable progress on operational and strategic parameters. Our approach towards investing in high quality portfolio of film content, which is greenlit at appropriate budgets and is monetized across various revenue streams, continues to yield positive results.”.

    “This year is also marked by strong pre-sales of majority of our film slate including, Dishoom, Baar Baar Dekho, Rock On 2, Banjo as well as regional films to leading satellite channels, as a part of our de-risking strategy and ensuring revenue and cash flow visibility,” Lulla said.

    “Q2-17 has also begun well with the power packed performance of Dishoom and Happy Bhaag Jayegi and our Telugu release Janatha Garage is heading to be the biggest Telugu grosser of this year,” Lulla added.

  • Colors to air season 2 of ’24’ with sponsors Maruti Suzuki and Oppo

    Colors to air season 2 of ’24’ with sponsors Maruti Suzuki and Oppo

    MUMBAI: Featuring an intense and rugged looking Anil Kapoor as Jai Singh Rathod, Colors unveiled the first look of its much- anticipated espionage thriller 24 season 2 or 24s2. The first trailer revealed much about the upcoming season, leaving the audience awestruck.

    The trailer makes it evident that Jai Singh Rathod has isolated himself from the world to become a recluse in self-imposed exile. It shows that his dark past has made him a fugitive; while his daughter Kiran supports him, his son Veer, who has become a part of the intelligence bureau, does not. Season two will also show how drug-lord Haroon Sherchan threatens to release a contagious airborne virus which could eradicate humanity unless his brother Roshan is released from prison. Setting in motion a series of events, the one man- army Rathod returns to thwart every sabotage attempt and face political blackmail, while battling an unseen enemy with a personal vendetta at the same time.

    The Indian adaptation of the US series 24 has been co-produced by Anil Kapoor Film Co and Ramesh Deo Productions and directed by Abhinay Deo & Rensil D’Silva.

    Season 2 of 24 is to be a weekend show. Though the channel didn’t officially announce the date, it is believed that the show would launch on 16 July at 9pm on Saturday- Sunday.

    Speaking with Indiantelevision.com, Colors CEO Raj Nayak said, “24 Season 2 is a weekend show, while the time and date has not been decided as yet, it is most likely to be in July. Also deciding the time slot is more of challenge for us because we have so many shows on the channel and it’s difficult to decide which show 24s2 will replace. It is likely to be a 9pm show.”

    Nayak expressed, “The first edition of 24 was an unprecedented game- changer, it conquered the Indian television industry with its freshness and gripping narrative. The show pushed the traditional boundaries with the device of presenting the plot within a real time format. Anil Kapoor and the team have an incredible job as the second season looks even more riveting in terms of storytelling and very international in terms of look and feel. Every time when we make show on Colors our expectations are very high. We worked hard towards making the show and try making it big.”

    The show will see a robust multi-media promotional plan across key markets, including a 360 degree marketing campaign. “We are looking at this show as a film. We won’t leave out any medium be it radio, digital, outdoor, cinema, television or print. The weightage will differ, but visibility will be there across the channels,” informed Nayak.

    The show has also earned the support of the advertising community with Maruti Suzuki coming on-board as the presenting sponsor and Oppo Mobiles as the ‘powered by’ sponsor for the second season of the show. According to industry guestimates, Maruti Suzuki had agreed to invest close to Rs 23 crore for the title sponsorship.

    A source close to the development informed Indiantelevision.com, “The show’s ad rate is Rs 2.5 lakh per 10 second slot and the production cost of per episode is between Rs 1.5
    crore- to Rs 1.7 crore.” Tthe production cost per episode of the first season has been estimated around Rs 1.4 crore.

    Divulging details about season 2 of the show, actor and producer Anil Kapoor said, “The real star of 24 is the concept which will compel viewers to think about national sensibility and sentiment. We have devised a complex plot which when combined with Jai Singh Rathod’s volatile relationships, strong instincts and adrenaline- fuelled action, will be the perfect setting to foil a devastating terrorist plot. We are exploring different plotlines to enhance content relatability, shooting at multiple real locations outside Mumbai, and anteing up the production scale to enhance to overall television viewing experience.”

    Commenting on its association, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd executive director (Marketing and Sales) RS Kalsi said, “We always like to associate ourselves with the brands which are equally powerful, synergistic and reinforce our relevance. Talking about these three factors, 24 is a premium content based on international format following a global standard. S-Cross is a premium offering, which offers a unique combination of power and performance of a SUV and the comfort and refinement of a sedan. The target audience that 24 caters to and its genre allows us to draw synergies between the brands of S-Cross and 24.”

    Oppo MD of International Mobile Business and president of Oppo India Sky Li also added, “We are thrilled with this partnership with the popular show 24-the most awaited show this season on Colors. Oppo Mobiles has been a game-changer in the mobile devices industry through its innovation and leadership in selfie technology and camera performance and so is show 24 with its action packed drama amid twists and turns. Our alliance with the show enables us to draw synergies with the its target audience and cater to their needs while increasing market penetration and brand recall.”

  • Colors to air season 2 of ’24’ with sponsors Maruti Suzuki and Oppo

    Colors to air season 2 of ’24’ with sponsors Maruti Suzuki and Oppo

    MUMBAI: Featuring an intense and rugged looking Anil Kapoor as Jai Singh Rathod, Colors unveiled the first look of its much- anticipated espionage thriller 24 season 2 or 24s2. The first trailer revealed much about the upcoming season, leaving the audience awestruck.

    The trailer makes it evident that Jai Singh Rathod has isolated himself from the world to become a recluse in self-imposed exile. It shows that his dark past has made him a fugitive; while his daughter Kiran supports him, his son Veer, who has become a part of the intelligence bureau, does not. Season two will also show how drug-lord Haroon Sherchan threatens to release a contagious airborne virus which could eradicate humanity unless his brother Roshan is released from prison. Setting in motion a series of events, the one man- army Rathod returns to thwart every sabotage attempt and face political blackmail, while battling an unseen enemy with a personal vendetta at the same time.

    The Indian adaptation of the US series 24 has been co-produced by Anil Kapoor Film Co and Ramesh Deo Productions and directed by Abhinay Deo & Rensil D’Silva.

    Season 2 of 24 is to be a weekend show. Though the channel didn’t officially announce the date, it is believed that the show would launch on 16 July at 9pm on Saturday- Sunday.

    Speaking with Indiantelevision.com, Colors CEO Raj Nayak said, “24 Season 2 is a weekend show, while the time and date has not been decided as yet, it is most likely to be in July. Also deciding the time slot is more of challenge for us because we have so many shows on the channel and it’s difficult to decide which show 24s2 will replace. It is likely to be a 9pm show.”

    Nayak expressed, “The first edition of 24 was an unprecedented game- changer, it conquered the Indian television industry with its freshness and gripping narrative. The show pushed the traditional boundaries with the device of presenting the plot within a real time format. Anil Kapoor and the team have an incredible job as the second season looks even more riveting in terms of storytelling and very international in terms of look and feel. Every time when we make show on Colors our expectations are very high. We worked hard towards making the show and try making it big.”

    The show will see a robust multi-media promotional plan across key markets, including a 360 degree marketing campaign. “We are looking at this show as a film. We won’t leave out any medium be it radio, digital, outdoor, cinema, television or print. The weightage will differ, but visibility will be there across the channels,” informed Nayak.

    The show has also earned the support of the advertising community with Maruti Suzuki coming on-board as the presenting sponsor and Oppo Mobiles as the ‘powered by’ sponsor for the second season of the show. According to industry guestimates, Maruti Suzuki had agreed to invest close to Rs 23 crore for the title sponsorship.

    A source close to the development informed Indiantelevision.com, “The show’s ad rate is Rs 2.5 lakh per 10 second slot and the production cost of per episode is between Rs 1.5
    crore- to Rs 1.7 crore.” Tthe production cost per episode of the first season has been estimated around Rs 1.4 crore.

    Divulging details about season 2 of the show, actor and producer Anil Kapoor said, “The real star of 24 is the concept which will compel viewers to think about national sensibility and sentiment. We have devised a complex plot which when combined with Jai Singh Rathod’s volatile relationships, strong instincts and adrenaline- fuelled action, will be the perfect setting to foil a devastating terrorist plot. We are exploring different plotlines to enhance content relatability, shooting at multiple real locations outside Mumbai, and anteing up the production scale to enhance to overall television viewing experience.”

    Commenting on its association, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd executive director (Marketing and Sales) RS Kalsi said, “We always like to associate ourselves with the brands which are equally powerful, synergistic and reinforce our relevance. Talking about these three factors, 24 is a premium content based on international format following a global standard. S-Cross is a premium offering, which offers a unique combination of power and performance of a SUV and the comfort and refinement of a sedan. The target audience that 24 caters to and its genre allows us to draw synergies between the brands of S-Cross and 24.”

    Oppo MD of International Mobile Business and president of Oppo India Sky Li also added, “We are thrilled with this partnership with the popular show 24-the most awaited show this season on Colors. Oppo Mobiles has been a game-changer in the mobile devices industry through its innovation and leadership in selfie technology and camera performance and so is show 24 with its action packed drama amid twists and turns. Our alliance with the show enables us to draw synergies with the its target audience and cater to their needs while increasing market penetration and brand recall.”