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Tag: C21 Media

  • Content India summit sets stage for global romp

    Content India summit sets stage for global romp

    MUMBAI: India’s entertainment moguls have their sights set on world domination—and they’re not being coy about it. The inaugural Content India Summit 2025 wrapped up two days ago with grand ambitions and plenty of showbiz swagger, positioning itself as the launching pad for Indian content’s international conquest.

    The summit, a partnership between DTH platform Dish TV India and C21 Media, brought together industry heavyweights to tackle the thorny question of how to make Indian entertainment as globally irresistible as its cuisine. Conversations probed everything from audience consumption patterns (binge-watching included) to the commercial scalability of Bollywood’s finest exports.

    Dish TV’s chief executive Manoj Dobhal didn’t mince words about the company’s ambitions: ” Our vision with Content India is to build a dynamic content eco-system that connects each and every constituent of Content creation in India with global opportunities. The Content India Summit 2025 marks the beginning of a transformative journey—one that fosters long-term collaborations, drives industry innovation, and expands market potential. With Indian storytelling gaining global acclaim, this is the moment to amplify international partnerships and position India as a content powerhouse.”

    C21Media’s managing director David Jenkinson chimed in with his own dose of enthusiasm, trumpeting India’s “undeniable influence” on the global content market. Said he: “Content India Summit is a crucial step toward shaping the future of Indian entertainment in a globally connected landscape. This event has brought together the brightest minds in the industry to address key challenges and unlock new opportunities for collaboration. India’s influence on the global content market is undeniable, and this summit lays the foundation for meaningful partnerships that will drive the industry forward.As we look ahead to the full Content India conference in 2026, our mission remains clear—to create a platform where ideas, talent, and business come together to define the next chapter of entertainment. This is just the beginning of an exciting journey for India on the world stage.”

    The gathering wasn’t all champagne and canapés, though. Sessions delved into India’s creative advantages—its talent pool, technical prowess, and budget-friendly production costs—while also wrestling with the delicate balance of preserving cultural authenticity while making content palatable for international viewers.

    Simon Mirren of Case Closed offered perhaps the most sobering advice: “Understanding the local culture is key to success in the Indian market. Many creators try to make TV for the West, which is a mistake. The focus should be on telling great stories that resonate here.”

    For those eagerly awaiting the industry’s new playbook, a report titled The Future of the Indian Entertainment Business Debate is set to drop within four weeks, promising to reveal how Bollywood and beyond plan to seduce global audiences.

    With streaming platforms hungry for fresh content and international viewers increasingly open to subtitles, India’s entertainment industry appears ready for its close-up—and Content India seems determined to direct the scene.

  • Dish TV India-C21Media launch Content India 2025 to elevate Indian content

    Dish TV India-C21Media launch Content India 2025 to elevate Indian content

    MUMBAI: In the chaos of India’s vibrant yet often disorganised digital landscape lies a reservoir of untapped potential—a creative powerhouse waiting to command global attention. With content exploding across platforms and talent overflowing, the challenge has been bridging local brilliance with international collaborations. Now, a groundbreaking initiative promises to declutter this overwhelming abundance and spotlight India’s creative strength on the world map.

    Content India 2025—a landmark partnership between Dish TV India and UK-based C21Media. Designed to harness India’s innovation and storytelling capabilities, this initiative aims to position the country as a global content hub, showcasing its prowess in production, post-production, and creative collaboration.

    At a time when India’s digital content creation market is projected to surge from $1,538.8 million in 2023 to $4,403.5 million by 2030, according to a report by Grand View Research, this platform arrives as a much-needed catalyst to organise, streamline, and celebrate India’s boundless entertainment talent.

    By fostering global partnerships and promoting fresh narratives, Content India 2025 stands poised to redefine India’s creative footprint—transforming it into the content epicenter it deserves to be.

    Scheduled for 1-3 April 2025, Content India will blend a marketplace, conferences, and networking opportunities, providing a platform for creators, producers, distributors, platforms, and channels to connect. The summit will set the stage for a larger Content India 2026 event, modelled on the success of C21Media’s Content London and Content Americas.

    Dish TV India, CEO & executive director, Manoj Dobhal highlighted the initiative’s significance, “The Indian entertainment industry is at a critical juncture, with its content resonating like never before across international audiences. Content India 2025 is our effort to empower Indian creators and bring global opportunities closer to home. By fostering innovation and collaboration, we aim to position India as a global content powerhouse and pave the way for sustainable growth in the industry.”

    With a robust ecosystem comprising 582+ channels, 21 OTT platforms, and advanced technological capabilities, Dish TV India is well-placed to drive this initiative. Content India 2025 will provide a comprehensive platform to expand markets, equip Indian creators to meet global demand, and propel Indian entertainment to the forefront of the international content landscape.

    C21Media editor-in-chief & MD, David Jenkinson emphasised the partnership’s value, “India’s entertainment industry holds immense potential to lead the global content landscape with its creativity and innovation. Partnering with Dish TV India for Content India allows us to bring together the best minds in the industry, fostering collaborations that drive meaningful growth and unlock new opportunities for content creators on an international scale.”

    This collaboration underscores Dish TV India’s commitment to enabling sustainable growth and innovation, ensuring Indian content achieves global recognition.

  • Close What do buyers want?

    Close What do buyers want?

    CANNES: That they’ve come to Mip Junior looking for kids’ content doesn’t really mean they are clear about what they want to buy. Which is where the conference titled ‘What do buyers want’ stepped in and did some much-needed hand-holding.

    Moderated by C21 Media editor-in-chief and managing director David Jankinson, with panellists including Nickelodeon senior VP, global acquisitions and international programming Jules Borkent; The Walt Disney Company SVP, programming, scheduling, multi platform and acquisitions Paul DeBenedittis; RTL Disney Fernsehen head of acquisition and co-productions Frank Dietz; and Cartoon Network VP content acquisitions and co-productions Adina Pitt, ‘What do buyers want’ concentrated on the proliferation of devices and platforms for kids’ entertainment.
    DeBenedittis said: “We don’t really think of ourselves as just a linear TV screen. Today, content is a means to distribute the message about the Disney brand, no matter where the audiences are.”

    Added Pitt: “The number of screens from where kids can consume our content has increased. So, the focus now is to provide the best possible content on the screens that are being used widely.”

    With viewers today moving faster than channels, this was probably the best time for producers to be in the business of kids’ content, Pitt pointed out.

    DeBenedittis spoke about how audiences are just a click away. “Considering the amount of content one can watch online, viewers have moved from the remote to just a click. Channels are competing with YouTube. But what is different about us is that we can tell a story,” he said.

    Pitt spoke about how channels were concentrating more on comedy content for kids. “Kids come to us to laugh. So even if it is mystery or action or drama, our content always comes with a bit of humour and it works well with our core target audience. Ben 10 being the biggest example,” said Pitt.

    Ditto for Nickelodeon. “We are looking at pure comedy. Kids want to laugh and that is what brings them to us,” said Borkent.

    Pitt said their budgets were so tight they could not afford to buy anything that was less than extraordinary. Nickelodeon, which had launched an app earlier this year, was now creating content specifically for it, including some digital commissions, which according to Borkent, could be developed into a TV show.

    Even channels like Cartoon Network were flipping through the internet to see if there was anything interesting to be converted into content. “There are numerous ideas in the internet, some brilliant. People just need someone to help them tell the story better. So we are always looking for something that is undiscovered,” revealed Pitt.

    DeBenedittis cautioned against the tendency to develop any single platform in isolation. “Developing content for only one platform is not the most efficient way to leverage resources. It is about using the platform to distribute content as opposed to being very focused on a platform and developing content specifically for it,” DeBenedittis said.