ITV

Tag: Chris Kuelling

  • Finally, US court orders south Asian pirate Jadoo TV to shut down

    Finally, US court orders south Asian pirate Jadoo TV to shut down

    MUMBAI; While Jadoo is  a character we all recall very fondly from the Hrithik Roshan film Koi Mil gaya, the service called Jadoo has been one of the most hated in the world of pay TV. Especially by south Asian broadcasters and platforms in the US. 

    Jadoo TV was one of the most popular providers of pirated south Asian content to global audiences and it distributed its service through Jadoo set-top boxes and its mobile application  way back in the previous decade. Many had tried to have it shuttered, but most had failed. 

    However, yesterday, the International Broadcaster Coalition Against Piracy (IBCAP) announced  that a long-running lawsuit against Jadoo TV. and its US-based CEO, Sajid Sohail, has resulted in a final judgment of $24,969,911 and a permanent injunction against Jadoo TV and Sohail individually. Jadoo TV also agreed to permanently cease all operations worldwide by 22 December  2024.  
     
    Earlier in the case, the court granted summary judgment on all claims against Jadoo TV and Sohail, finding them liable for direct, contributory and vicarious copyright infringement. In that ruling, the court determined that. Sohail was personally liable as the guiding spirit behind the infringement of IBCAP member works.
    The court’s s announcement yesterday  follows years of protracted litigation dating back to November 2018, when IBCAP member Dish  Network initially filed the case. 

    The final judgment entered against Jadoo TV and  Sohail is unique in that it not only recognizes significant statutory damages for registered works ($14,550,000), but also a significant monetary award for unregistered works ($10,419,911). Notably, as part of a separate settlement agreement, Jadoo TV and  Sohail agreed to transfer all Jadoo TV customer lists to Dish, transfer all Jadoo TV trademarks and domain names to Dish , and pay Dish $1,500,000 by 25 February 2025.

    “This final judgment and settlement marks the culmination of a six-year legal battle against one of the most popular South Asian services offering pirated content, Jadoo TV, and its CEO, who was found personally liable for the damages caused by his and his company’s copyright infringement,” said IBCAP executive director  Chris Kuelling, “Today’s announcement sends a strong message that the end of the road for a pirate IPTV service is a significant monetary payment and loss of your entire business.”

    Dish had filed the case in in 2018 when Jadoo set-top boxes were widely available online and in retail stores throughout South Asian communities worldwide, including the US  and Canada.

    The case was coordinated by IBCAP and brought by IBCAP member Dish Network only after Dish and  IBCAP sent numerous notices of copyright infringement. 

    The lawsuit included claims for direct, contributory and vicarious infringement against Jadoo TV and  Sohail for airing certain IBCAP member content to which it did not have rights. Evidence for the case was obtained and provided by the IBCAP lab. Prosecution of the case and settlement negotiations were executed by Dish’s outside litigation counsel, Hagan Noll & Boyle, LLC.

  • Zeel ties with Dish and Sling TV to expand reach in US

    Zeel ties with Dish and Sling TV to expand reach in US

    MUMBAI:  Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (Zeel) announced a landmark agreement with Dish and Sling TV to further strengthen its presence in the US Territory the media conglomerate announced in a release.  As a part of the agreement, Dish and Sling TV will carry 27 new channels in addition to the existing 10 Zee channels, which will be available in varied languages like Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Tamil, Bhojpuri, Oriya, Rajasthani and Urdu. Post this alliance, the total number of Zee channels available in the US market will be 37 with a combined reach of 52 million or 5.2 crore homes (that includes English and Spanish HHs).

    Further, Sling TV and Dish will be the ‘exclusive provider’ in the US of Zee’s premium on-demand library, which includes movies and over 400 additional popular video titles.  Over time, Sling TV will become the exclusive over-the-top (OTT) provider in the US for all but one of Zee’s South Asian channels. In the coming months, Zee will transition viewers from its direct-to-consumer services to Sling TV or to authenticated access only.

    Speaking on the partnership, Zeel CEO of International Broadcast Business, Amit Goenka said, “America is one of the most important markets for our International business. The deal with Dish further consolidates our leadership position and is in line with our ambitious 2020 goals. We are very delighted to announce that with this deal not only has our reach in the Mainstream American market for our Z Living network quadrupled, but we will also now be serving the high potential Spanish language subscribers with two 24×7 networks. With this deal we will cater to 16 different language groups in America across 5 genres. Zee and Dish have been natural partners for the last 18 years and we both share our vision on future growth of pay TV in USA.”

    “Our agreement with Zee enables us to provide a vast amount of entertainment to fans of South Asian content, while also giving customers a more streamlined way to access and enjoy both linear and on-demand content,” said Sling TV & Dish senior vice President of Programming Chris Kuelling. “Zee shares our goal of growing the South Asian market, and together we are able to better serve this community, as well as the other language groups served by Zee.”

    To broaden the options available to fans of South Asian content, Sling TV and Dish are launching a new ‘Hindi Gold Pack,’ which will contain all of the Zee Hindi channels, plus other leading Hindi channels. In addition, &TV, one of the most requested Hindi channels by current Sling TV and Dish customers, will be added to the existing lineup. Zee’s on-demand content will be available at no additional charge to Dish and Sling TV subscribers with the Hindi Gold Pack.

    Dish and Sling TV will also add two Spanish-language channels, Z Living Español and Zee TV Español, and two Brazilian channels, Zee TV Portuguese and Z Living Portuguese, to their respective line-ups.  The new Spanish channels can be found on Dish in the DishLATINO Clasico, DishLATINO Dos, DishLATINO Plus and DishLATINO Max packages, and the Best of Spanish TV package on Sling Latino.

    Zee Alwan and Zee Aflam, two popular Arabic channels will launch in the Dish Arabic Super Elite and the Arabic Mosaic Pack on Sling TV as well.

  • Zeel ties with Dish and Sling TV to expand reach in US

    Zeel ties with Dish and Sling TV to expand reach in US

    MUMBAI:  Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (Zeel) announced a landmark agreement with Dish and Sling TV to further strengthen its presence in the US Territory the media conglomerate announced in a release.  As a part of the agreement, Dish and Sling TV will carry 27 new channels in addition to the existing 10 Zee channels, which will be available in varied languages like Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Tamil, Bhojpuri, Oriya, Rajasthani and Urdu. Post this alliance, the total number of Zee channels available in the US market will be 37 with a combined reach of 52 million or 5.2 crore homes (that includes English and Spanish HHs).

    Further, Sling TV and Dish will be the ‘exclusive provider’ in the US of Zee’s premium on-demand library, which includes movies and over 400 additional popular video titles.  Over time, Sling TV will become the exclusive over-the-top (OTT) provider in the US for all but one of Zee’s South Asian channels. In the coming months, Zee will transition viewers from its direct-to-consumer services to Sling TV or to authenticated access only.

    Speaking on the partnership, Zeel CEO of International Broadcast Business, Amit Goenka said, “America is one of the most important markets for our International business. The deal with Dish further consolidates our leadership position and is in line with our ambitious 2020 goals. We are very delighted to announce that with this deal not only has our reach in the Mainstream American market for our Z Living network quadrupled, but we will also now be serving the high potential Spanish language subscribers with two 24×7 networks. With this deal we will cater to 16 different language groups in America across 5 genres. Zee and Dish have been natural partners for the last 18 years and we both share our vision on future growth of pay TV in USA.”

    “Our agreement with Zee enables us to provide a vast amount of entertainment to fans of South Asian content, while also giving customers a more streamlined way to access and enjoy both linear and on-demand content,” said Sling TV & Dish senior vice President of Programming Chris Kuelling. “Zee shares our goal of growing the South Asian market, and together we are able to better serve this community, as well as the other language groups served by Zee.”

    To broaden the options available to fans of South Asian content, Sling TV and Dish are launching a new ‘Hindi Gold Pack,’ which will contain all of the Zee Hindi channels, plus other leading Hindi channels. In addition, &TV, one of the most requested Hindi channels by current Sling TV and Dish customers, will be added to the existing lineup. Zee’s on-demand content will be available at no additional charge to Dish and Sling TV subscribers with the Hindi Gold Pack.

    Dish and Sling TV will also add two Spanish-language channels, Z Living Español and Zee TV Español, and two Brazilian channels, Zee TV Portuguese and Z Living Portuguese, to their respective line-ups.  The new Spanish channels can be found on Dish in the DishLATINO Clasico, DishLATINO Dos, DishLATINO Plus and DishLATINO Max packages, and the Best of Spanish TV package on Sling Latino.

    Zee Alwan and Zee Aflam, two popular Arabic channels will launch in the Dish Arabic Super Elite and the Arabic Mosaic Pack on Sling TV as well.

  • Viacom 18 launches HD feed of Aapka Colors in US

    Viacom 18 launches HD feed of Aapka Colors in US

    MUMBAI: Viacom 18 has launched the high definition (HD) feed of its channel Aapka Colors in the US.

     

    The channel will be available to viewers from 3 June, 2015 on US pay-TV provider Dish and on Sling International.

     

    Currently, the channel’s SD feed is available to subscribers of multiple MVPDs including Dish, Sling TV, AT&T, RCN and Verizon Fios among others. The introduction of the HD feed offers Dish and Sling subscribers all current content of Aapka Colors with an even more immersive viewing experience – clearer picture and superior sound.

     

    IndiaCast group COO Gaurav Gandhi said, “With the launch the HD service of Aapka Colors on Dish and Sling, we further enhance our offering on those platforms. We at Viacom 18 and IndiaCast, strive to bring the best of Indian entertainment to the South Asian diaspora around the globe. The fact that US will be the first market after India where we will launch the HD service of the channel demonstrates our commitment and focus towards the market. Together with Dish and Sling, we look forward to offering a truly world class viewing experience to our audiences who have contributed phenomenally to the growth of our business in the US.”

     

    On the communication approach to promote the launch of the HD feed, IndiaCast US operations head Sameer Goswami added, “Aapka Colors enjoys high resonance with the South Asian diaspora in the US and the launch of the HD feed of the channel will further help the brand to get even more entrenched with the local viewers in the region. We will leverage the reach of popular mass media, social platforms, along with in-cinema and out-of-home promotions for the launch of Aapka Colors HD.”

     

    Dish and Sling SVP – international programming Chris Kuelling added, “We are proud to be the first pay-TV provider in the US to deliver Aapka Colors in HD, giving our customers an enhanced viewing experience and delivering on our ongoing commitment to provide high quality, affordable entertainment that connects viewers to their culture.  And with Sling, viewers will be able to access Aapka Colors in HD on almost any device including IOS, Android, Roku, Xbox, Amazon Fire and more.”