ITV

Tag: Digital Platforms

  • WARC ad forecast: Digital giants to gorge on global bonanza in 2025

    WARC ad forecast: Digital giants to gorge on global bonanza in 2025

    MUMBAI: Global advertising expenditure is set to surge by 7.4 per cent this year to $1.17trn, according to WARC’s latest forecast—the first upward revision in more than a year. The research firm has boosted its projection by 1.2 percentage points since June, driven by what it calls a “social media windfall” and frenetic pre-tariff spending.

    The bonanza is heavily skewed towards a handful of technology titans. Meta, Alphabet and Amazon are forecast to hoover up nearly two-thirds of all advertising growth in 2025, cementing their stranglehold on the global marketing purse strings. Outside China, the trio already commands 55.8 per cent of all advertising spend—a share set to exceed 60 per cent by 2030.

    Digital platforms are cannibalising traditional media with ruthless efficiency. Nine in every ten new advertising dollars are flowing to online-only platforms, leaving legacy media owners—even those with digital arms—to scrap over what WARC likens to “the equivalent of Facebook’s monthly revenue.”

    Social media has emerged as the single largest advertising medium globally, gobbling up 40.6 per cent of new marketing dollars. Spending on the channel is projected to rocket by 14.9 per cent to $306.4bn this year, representing more than a quarter of total global advertising expenditure. Meta remains the chief beneficiary, capturing 60 per cent of all social media advertising spend.

    The spending spree was particularly pronounced in the second quarter, when social media expenditure jumped 20.2 per cent year-on-year—well above WARC’s initial projection of 12.4 per cent growth. The surge was driven by retailers rushing to stockpile inventory and promote value ahead of expected price hikes, with retail now the largest category on both Instagram and TikTok.

    Search advertising is attracting around 22 per cent of new dollars, while retail media platforms are capturing another 21.5 per cent. Amazon is poised to claim over a third of the retail media pie, which is forecast to grow 13.7 per cent to $175bn in 2025.

    The momentum is expected to accelerate further, with global advertising spend projected to rise 8.1 per cent to $1.27trn in 2026 and 7.1 per cent to $1.36trn in 2027. The market is on track to nearly double in value since the pandemic, underscoring advertising’s remarkable resilience despite economic headwinds.

    “This includes disruption to global trade and reduced purchasing power among consumers, brands are doubling down on Meta, Alphabet and Amazon,” said WARC director of data, intelligence and forecasting James Mcdonald. “The global market is set to nearly double in value since the pandemic, underscoring the resilience of advertising in a tougher economic climate.”

    The rosy outlook contrasts sharply with some other industry forecasts. eMarketer recently slashed its projections for American digital advertising spending, citing the impact of trade wars on automotive and retail sectors. But WARC’s global perspective suggests the digital advertising juggernaut shows no signs of slowing.

  • Reema Jain rides off into sunset, resigns as chief information & digital officer at Hero Motocorp

    Reema Jain rides off into sunset, resigns as chief information & digital officer at Hero Motocorp

    MUMBAI: Hero Motocorp is about to lose one of its digital superheroes. Reema Jain, the driving force behind Hero’s ambitious digital transformation, decided it’s time to hang up her cape and ride off towards fresh adventures. After steering Hero Motocorp through a whirlwind digital overhaul spanning R&D, supply chains, marketing, and customer engagement, Jain officially announced her departure, effective 17 April 2025.

    Under her leadership, Hero built a robust platform-product structure, establishing from scratch a dream team specialising in data science, digital engineering, cyber security, connected platforms, martech, and cloud computing. Jain masterminded key revenue-driving platforms like direct to customer, a slick customer app, and eFin, a finance aggregator platform.

    Before her time at Hero, Jain brought digital dynamism to Vodafone Idea, Unilever, and GE, showcasing an unmatched ability to weave tech magic into corporate giants. Her tenure included significant roles such as chief digital officer at Vodafone Idea, IT director at Unilever, and multiple leadership roles at GE.

    Now, as Jain moves on, Hero Motocorp faces the challenge of filling the sizeable shoes she leaves behind. The question isn’t just who will follow—but who dares to?

    As Hero prepares to wave goodbye, one thing’s clear: Jain rewrote the digital rulebook.

  • BBC Studios names Robi Stanton EVP & GM of global media & streaming ANZ

    BBC Studios names Robi Stanton EVP & GM of global media & streaming ANZ

    MUMBAI: BBC Studios Australia & New Zealand has just made a bold move, appointing Robi Stanton as EVP & general manager of Global Media & Streaming for the region. If the name sounds familiar, that’s because she’s been a media heavyweight for over 25 years, shaping the industry with her expertise in distribution, commercial strategy, marketing, and advertising sales at some of the world’s biggest media companies-including CNN International Commercial, Warner Bros. Discovery, and Turner International. Now, she’s set to make waves at BBC Studios.

    Working closely with Global Entertainment ANZ EVP & GM Kylie Washington, Stanton will spearhead content sales, channels and streaming, and advertising sales. Their mission? Delivering innovative, pan-business growth solutions that elevate BBC Studios’ footprint across Australia and New Zealand. No small feat—but if anyone can do it, it’s her.

    Her appointment comes at a time when BBC Studios Global Media & Streaming ANZ is already firing on all cylinders. Recent milestones include enhancing BBC.com and the BBC app, launching six FAST channels on Nine, bringing BBC First to Sky NZ, extending natural history deals with Nine and TVNZ, and renewing a long-standing premium content partnership with ABC. It’s clear—BBC Studios is on a roll, and Stanton is here to push it even further.

    With ambitious plans for content, digital platforms, and streaming services, BBC Studios is doubling down on its global media dominance. Stanton is expected to bring her strategic acumen to the table, further solidifying BBC’s standing as a content powerhouse.

    One thing’s for sure—this is not just another corporate shuffle. It’s a game-changer for BBC Studios in Australia and New Zealand. The countdown begins—Robi joins later this month, and we’re here for the action.

  • Tips Music achieves 32 per cent revenue growth in Q2, announces Rs 2 interim dividend

    Tips Music achieves 32 per cent revenue growth in Q2, announces Rs 2 interim dividend

    MUMBAIi: Music may soothe the soul, but for companies like Tips Music Ltd. (formerly Tips Industries Ltd.), it is the balance sheet that truly strikes a chord. The company posted robust results for the quarter ending 30 September 2024, with revenues climbing 32 per cent year-over-year to Rs 80.6 crore and profit after tax (PAT) rising by 21 per cent to Rs 48.2 crore. The growth, underpinned by a slate of new releases and increased digital engagement, underscores Tips Music’s strategy of capturing audience attention and expanding its footprint across diverse platforms.

    The company’s operational EBITDA for Q2 FY25 stood at Rs 59.5 crore, a 19 per cent increase from the previous year, with a steady EBITDA margin of 73.8 per cent. For the first half of FY25, revenue totaled Rs 154.5 crore, reflecting a 36 per cent year-over-year increase, while PAT reached Rs 91.7 crore, up by 37 per cent compared to H1 FY24.  

    The content cost for Q2 FY25 surged by 194 per cent to Rs 13.8 crore compared to Rs 4.7 crore in Q2 FY24, demonstrating the company’s strategic investment in acquiring high-quality music content. During the quarter, Tips Music launched a total of 125 new songs, including 39 film songs and 86 non-film songs, catering to diverse audience tastes.  

    Tips Music chairman & MD Kumar Taurani said, “I am pleased to share that the company has announced a second interim dividend for the year of Rs 2 per share, in addition to the interim dividend and buyback conducted in Q1 FY25. Our revenue for the quarter stood at Rs 80.6 crore, up by 32 per cent YOY with a PAT of Rs 48.2 crore increasing by 21 per cent YOY. Our relentless focus is on acquiring high-quality music content.”  

    Added Tips Music  executive director Girish Taurani:  “In Q2 FY25, we successfully launched 125 new songs, resulting in a diverse range of offerings that cater to a wide audience. This quarter, we released two musical short films, Tedi Medi and Beinteha,  both of which have received significant appreciation from the audience. Notable releases include Yaad Reh Jaati Hai  from the film The Buckingham Murders, sung by renowned artist B Praak, and Dua Kijiye, which continue to resonate with our listeners.”  

    Tips Music  CEO Hari Nair highlighted the company’s growing digital presence, stating, “Our YouTube channels’ cumulative subscriber base has now reached 108 million, reflecting our increasing influence and engagement. Our market share on audio digital platforms like Spotify and Saavn is also rising steadily. Additionally, our new brands & partnership  division is gaining traction, with collaborations such as Motorola using our track Rangeela Re‘ to launch its new line of colorful handsets.”  

    For the current fiscal year, Tips Music has declared a total shareholder payout of Rs 97.74 crore, including dividends and buybacks. The interim dividend for Q2 FY25 alone amounts to Rs 2 per share, translating to Rs 25.56 crore.  

    Key Financial Highlights:  

    – Q2 FY25 Revenue: Rs 80.6 crore, up 32 per cent year-over-year  

    – Operational EBITDA: Rs 59.5 crore, a 19 per cent increase from Q2 FY24  

    – PAT: Rs 48.2 crore, reflecting a 21 per cent growth year-over-year  

    – H1 FY25 Revenue: Rs 154.5 crore, up 36 per cent year-over-year  

    – H1 FY25 PAT: Rs 91.7 crore, an increase of 37 per cent  

     

  • Videograph announce partnership with Republic Media Network for live streaming and advertising

    Videograph announce partnership with Republic Media Network for live streaming and advertising

    Mumbai: Videograph, a player in innovative video technology is excited to announce a groundbreaking partnership with Republic Media Network News Channels. This collaboration marks a stride in the realm of live streaming, advertising insertion, and channel monetisation. As the demand for real-time, high-quality content continues to soar, Videograph is at the forefront of empowering media organizations with innovative solutions. Videograph is set to the live-streaming experience for viewers watching Republic News channels globally.

    With this partnership, Republic Media Network stands to its audience experience through Videograph’s cutting-edge live streaming technology, ensuring an impeccable and uninterrupted viewing journey across various devices. Through its robust infrastructure, Videograph will enable Republic News channels to deliver high-definition content to viewers across various platforms and geographies. The integration of Videograph’s Dynamic Ad Insertion technology will bring a new dimension to advertising prowess, enabling the delivery of personalized and targeted advertisements of the channels, thereby enhancing user engagement and unlocking fresh revenue streams.

    Commenting on the development, Videograph CEO & co-founder Uday Reddy, said, “We are excited to join forces with Republic Media Network, a trailblazer in the news industry to provide our cutting-edge solutions. This partnership is a testament to Videograph’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of what is possible in live streaming, advertising, and monetization. Together, we aim to redefine the viewer experience and drive new levels of success for Republic News channels on digital platforms.

    Republic Media Network chief operating officer of digital business Tapan Sharma commented, “Republic News channels have always been at the forefront of delivering cutting-edge news content to our viewers. Teaming with Videograph allows us to elevate our capabilities in live streaming, enabling us to provide a more engaging and personalized experience for our audience. We look forward to the positive impact this collaboration will have on our Digital channels and our viewers.”

    Extending beyond technology integration, the partnership will also bring Videograph and Republic together to implement monetisation strategies, leveraging Videograph’s global partnerships with renowned ad networks like Google Ad Manager, Beachfront, Magnite, Xandr, LG Ads, GroupM, Freewheel, PubMatic, and others to tap into high CPM-driven revenue opportunities.

    The partnership is also aimed at addressing a longstanding challenge in the content production landscape, providing Republic access to publisher-agnostic content distribution analytics tools. This will empower Republic to assess content performance data comprehensively, tracking distribution partner-wise, region-wise, device-wise, and more. The analytics tools will also enable monitoring of ad performance and revenue metrics, providing Republic Digital channels with valuable insights to refine content strategies and optimize revenue streams effectively.

    As Videograph and Republic Media Network join forces, the stage is set for a journey that enhances the capabilities of both organizations and redefines the standards of excellence in the dynamic world of live streaming of News. The collaboration reflects a shared vision for innovation, engagement, and success, promising a future where viewers can expect personalised viewing experience.

  • “FanCode is focused on delivering value to our users”: Yannick Colaco

    “FanCode is focused on delivering value to our users”: Yannick Colaco

    Mumbai: India’s premier digital sports destination FanCode is initiating a slew of new offerings on its platform. FanCode deals in three major areas like live content, sports statistics, analysis and commerce. 

    Under the umbrella of Dream Sports, FanCode was launched to change the dynamics of sports consumption in India. The platform offers live streaming, sports data, analytics, statistics, a merchandising store, tour passes, expert analysis, opinions and the latest sports news.

    The company is led by co-founders Yannick Colaco and Prasana Krishnan. Both worked together at sports broadcaster Nimbus Sports until 2013. Colaco went on to join the National Basketball Association (NBA) while Krishnan joined Sony Pictures Networks India.

    Colaco was part of the international leadership team of the NBA and managing director of its India business. He spent the next six years driving the grassroots development of the basketball sport in India, setting up a full-fledged NBA Academy and building partnerships across licensing, content and marketing initiatives. He was also instrumental in bringing the first-ever NBA Games to India. 

    A consummate sports enthusiast, Colaco has been in the sports and media industry for two decades. In his view, avid sports fans in the country were underserviced when it came to accessibility to sports content. The consumption of sports content was fragmented across multiple platforms.

    He joined forces with Krishnan in 2019 to launch their entrepreneurial venture with a commitment to give sports fans a highly personalised and unified experience of sports content.

    Colaco told Indiantelevision.com that FanCode’s goal is to “redefine the way sports fans follow their favourite sports by creating a more integrated and immersive experience as well as by giving them greater access to a wide variety of sports content.”

    In an in-depth conversation with journalist Ashwin Pinto, FanCode co-founder Yannick Colaco spoke about the company’s progress, challenges, trends in the sports business, acquisitions, expansion plans and more. 

    Edited Excerpts: 

    On the progress, FanCode has achieved

    FanCode focuses on redefining the way sports fans follow their favourite sports by creating a more integrated and immersive experience. It gives them access to a wide variety of sports content. Our greatest ally in delivering on this is the ability to unlock the potential of digital for sports fans.

    Since 2019, the company has significantly upgraded the viewer’s experience by integrating key services which are fundamental to their ability to follow their favourite sports. The services supply include live scores & commentary, live stream & video on demand, match insights & analytics, and official fan merchandise. All of this while supplying fans access to live streams of over 350 events and over 50,000 hours of live content. We are thrilled at the way sports fans have embraced our product and we now have over fifty million users on FanCode. 

    On the challenges faced by FanCode and its determination to be a standalone product

    FanCode is focused on delivering value to its users. Every offering that this company provides has been predicated. Given the response received so far, its viewers see value in having an integrated experience, rather than having to access multiple products to follow the same match or event.

    Fortunately, having an amazing team of FanCoders, including some of the best talents in the country, who have met the challenges head-on and continue to deliver amazing results, FanCode is blessed to meet all its product and technological challenges and give a seamless experience.

    Indian sports fans have limited access to great sports content. An integrated solution before the launch of FanCode did not exist overseas. Some companies do provide streaming of sports content but are limited to offering news and analysis. Earlier, the experience for the viewers was broken.

    On FanCode’s business model as an SVOD platform and cracking micro-transactions

    Paying for content on digital platforms is still very new in India. Realising the need for paid users at a very early stage FanCode worked on a priority basis in expanding the ecosystem. As per the feedback received, the company found out that the largest constraints were not willing to pay even for the entry tickets. To address these, it took a page out of the hugely successful sachet pricing strategy of FMCGs in India and gave fans the ability to buy matches and events, instead of buying only monthly and annual packages. The company has also invested significantly in building technology around an in-house subscription service which created an exceptionally smooth and seamless purchase experience.

    Results have been great with a rapidly growing number of transacting users. What’s also remarkably interesting is that many match and tour subscribers come back to buy multiple times and even upgrade to annual packages.

    On offering sports fans a personalised experience

    For Fancode success is about users’ seamless experience. For example, if you’re a fan of Virat Kohli, you should be able to watch him bat, watch replays of his best shots, access his stats in the current match and his career, chat with other Kohli fans, and buy his jersey; all inside the same experience with minimal friction. 

    Personalisation of experience is an extremely important part and thus the focus is exactly on where to invest significant resources over the next year. Sports fans wear their allegiance on their sleeves and are happy to talk about who they support. It is the company’s job to take this data and build technology solutions to provide a customised experience for higher engagement.

    On setting new trends in sports consumption

    The migration of fans from traditional modes of sports consumption like linear TV, newspapers, etc., to digital channels, has been phenomenal and this continues at a rapid pace. With this migration, the expectation of what a fan should have access to has also grown. Fans want to access scores, live matches, highlights, and stats. They want everything packaged in bite sizes and they want it at once.

    On its foray into streaming sports content

    There is absolutely no doubt that there is a significant growth in fandom for sports in general across India. As FanCode continues to expand the range of events and sports that are featured, a lot of growth in other sports is also observed, which were previously underserved.

    There is some particularly good traction in partnership with Major League Baseball and the J League (football) as well as the remarkable thing is that every user who consumes these on this platform is authenticated and not just a blip on a rating scale. For FanCode, it becomes easy to improvise by having an amazing opportunity to build a direct relationship with consumers and get real-time feedback.

    On the acquisition strategy behind FanDuniya

    The acquisition of FanDuniya helped in strengthening sports statistics and analytics offering under FC stats. It helps to build one of the largest stat hubs. FanCode will continue to explore these opportunities to help create more value for the users.

    On launching its merchandising store FanCode Shop

    Sports merchandise has been a significantly underserved market in India. As sports fandom has grown the demand for fan gear has increased. There are other many elements to consider including ranges of fan gear, styling, name and number gear, fit, pricing, etc. and honestly, the market has been ignorant of most of these.

    FanCode spent a significant amount of time with the teams and leagues it partnered with, which caters to fans across the country and now has over 30 sports brands with more than 800 products. Making fan gear, and variations of it, accessible and affordable has been an important part of growing the ecosystem.

    It has partnered with several sports leagues and teams for their licensed merchandise and worked with official partners of many of the other leagues and teams which enabled it to be a comprehensive destination for fan merchandising including 10 IPL teams, NBA, Manchester City FC, Liverpool FC, FC Barcelona, Bengaluru FC, MotoGP and WWE. We also improvise our technology to innovate and deliver rapid turnaround times in both the creation and distribution of fan gear, ensuring that fans will have the latest, most topical designs of their favourite sports brands and teams.

  • HistoryTV18’s #RoadTrippinWithRnM returns with new season on Women’s Day

    HistoryTV18’s #RoadTrippinWithRnM returns with new season on Women’s Day

    Mumbai: HistoryTV18’s digital first series “#RoadTrippinWithRnM” is returning for its seventh season on International Women’s Day on 8 March. The show will be available to watch on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube

    In this new season, Rocky and Mayur will start off with the monuments and street food of Delhi before driving into Rajasthan, exploring its palaces, forts, and rich historical and cultural legacy, and food. The duo will interact with and celebrate inspirational women on the trip and share insights and perspectives on life, career, interests, travel and more, said the channel in a statement.

    “Mile upon mile of endless sand as far as the eye can see. Fiery hot foods, Grand palaces and haunted cities…Rajasthan holds many mysteries and has always been a delight to travellers from the world over,” said Rocky. “I look forward to the ultimate road trip because for a traveller, the journey is always more fascinating than the destination.”

    Mayur added, “I’m looking forward to the joy of the open road and ‘soaking’ in the magnificent desert landscapes, along with all the unexpected delights that come with a road trip. As always, we’ve packed wisely. We are setting out with large doses of curiosity and sanitizer as we seek to embrace Rajasthan without filters.”

    “’RoadTrippinWithRnM’ owes its incredible following and growing popularity to the sheer richness and diversity of the sights, sounds, flavours and experiences that it has showcased around India,” said HistoryTV18 president – content and communication Arun Thapar. “Each season’s journeys, locations, people and places are varied yet bound together by Rocky and Mayur’s friendship, inimitable humour and quirkiness. It’s a show that’s rich in facts, presented with a lot of joy. It celebrates the wonders, great and small, that lie all around if one chooses to see and feel. The series has connected and engaged millions of viewers, winning loyal fans and critical acclaim. And we can’t wait to find out where the next bend in the road leads.”

  • NBF members comply with new IT rules

    Kolkata : The News Broadcasters Federation has stated that all its current members duly complied with requirements of the 25 Feb issued Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 (“IT Rules, 2021”) by providing required information of their entities. Even actively prospective members have complied with the new rules before the due date, it said.

    The ministry of electronics and information  technology (MeitY) and ministry of information and broadcasting (MIB) had asked for compliance status data of the new IT rules on 26 May from digital platforms of traditional news media companies, even allowing 15 days for due compliance.

    NBF affiliate news broadcasters,  both national and regional networks, provided information sought under IT Rules, 2021 even before the 10 June deadline. 

    With this, NBF has assumed the status of first industry organisation to quickly adopt the code, aimed at a “strong and robust self-regulatory mechanism” facing more accountability and transparency in audiovisual news streaming. 

    It has also endorsed the responsibility of accountable journalism expected from its member broadcasting companies,  and their digital outlets, who enjoy their all-pervading presence across languages, states and, through the length and breadth of India.

    The NBF self-regulatory authority is established as a unique content regulatory mechanism notwithstanding the platform delivering the information, to significantly large audiences in the country.

  • Pay-TV revenue to grow at 7 per cent CAGR over 2020-25: MPA report

    Pay-TV revenue to grow at 7 per cent CAGR over 2020-25: MPA report

    New Delhi: India is among a handful of countries where there is great scope for further penetration of television. Since the turn of the millennium, pay-TV connections have more than doubled in Indian households, though data in the public domain indicates there still remain an additional 100 million homes to penetrate.

    Now, a new report published by Media Partners Asia (MPA) forecasts India’s pay-TV industry will grow at roughly seven per cent CAGR between 2020-25. The growth will be accompanied by a significant uptick in the total industry revenues, including subscription and advertising which will reach $12.3 billion by 2025, said the industry analysts.

    The report, entitled India Pay-TV Distribution 2021 released on Monday, predicts that more than 96 per cent of India’s pay-TV homes will be digitalised by 2025.  The total pay-TV subscribers will further expand from 127 million in 2020 to 134 million during the period.

    Distribution dynamics

    The MPA has pegged India’s active DTH homes to grow from 58 million in 2020 to more than 68 million in 2025. Meanwhile, cable’s share of pay-TV subscribers will decline from 54 per cent in 2020 to 46 per cent by 2025; IPTV will pick up a small share after rolling out later in 2021.

    MPA India vice president Mihir Shah said, “Robust backend systems, the ability to offer consumers flexibility in choosing channel packages under NTO and the exit of leading private channels from DD Free Dish helped the DTH pay-TV sector grow even after the new TRAI tariff regulations came into effect.”

    Going forward, DTH will be the key driver of growth fulfilling the needs of the majority of new TV households entering into the pay-TV ecosystem. “Premium cable subscribers in urban centers remain vulnerable to churn as uptake of quality fiber-based broadband services including IPTV grows in affluent pockets of urban India,” he added.

    Monetisation, investment and the outlook for broadcasters

    The total pay-TV industry revenue, including subscription and advertising, had declined 10 per cent year-on-year in 2020 to $8.9 billion as the economic downturn post-Covid eroded advertising. The projections show that the recommencing of fresh content and live sports together with improvements in consumer and economic sentiment will lead to a sharp recovery in 2021. Pay-TV advertising will grow at 12 per cent CAGR over 2020-25 after a 25 per cent contraction last year.

    During 2020, pay-TV broadcasters generated $4.4 billion in total revenue (62 per cent from advertising and 38 per cent from subscription), down 17 per cent year-on-year. A sharp recovery is expected over the next two fiscals with the channel business and advertising primarily driving this expansion.

    According to Shah, TRAI’s heavy spate of regulations in recent years depressed investment in pay-TV content, which could have a detrimental impact on the quality of content available for the mass market.

    “We expect that more consolidation will play out in the broadcasting industry as recent tariff amendments force incumbent broadcast networks to recalibrate existing channel portfolios. The economics of less popular channels and several niche channels are no longer viable. A new and less draconian regulatory framework will help revitalise content creation in the pay-TV industry while also helping to bolster pricing power for pay-TV platforms,” he stated.