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Tag: Discovery Network

  • Eurosport India bags broadcasting rights for Quadrangular T20I Oman series

    Eurosport India bags broadcasting rights for Quadrangular T20I Oman series

    Mumbai: Eurosport India, Discovery Network’s premium sports brand has announced the acquisition of the broadcast rights for the upcoming Quadrangular T20I- Oman 2022 series. The tournament will be available to watch on Eurosport, Eurosport HD, and streaming platform – discovery+.

    The matches will be played in a round-robin format where the four teams will face each other over a course of four days. The series is scheduled to take place from 11-14 February, with two matches being played back-to-back on 11, 12, and 14 February. 

    The series will act as the last preparation ground for all four teams, ahead of the T20 World Cup Global Qualifier Group A, scheduled to take place later this month. Hosts Oman will play along with Ireland, Nepal, and United Arab Emirates. Among the four teams, Nepal is currently the highest-ranked at 12th place in the ICC Men’s T20I team rankings, followed by Ireland, UAE and Oman at 13th, 15th and 17th positions respectively.

    The Quadrangular T20I Oman series will start the campaign on an opening day with Ireland locking horns with the United Arab Emirates in the morning match. It will be followed by the hosts, Oman taking on Nepal.

    The Quadrangular T20I – Oman 2022 – M1 – Ireland vs UAE and Quadrangular T20I – Oman 2022 M2 – Oman vs Nepal can be watched live on Eurosport and Eurosport HD on 11 February, 11:15 a.m and 3:30 p.m onwards, respectively. The Eurosport channel can also be streamed on the discovery+ app.

  • Eurosport India unveils its new look

    Eurosport India unveils its new look

    Mumbai: Discovery Network’s television sports channel Eurosport India has unveiled a fresh new look inspired by its mission to ‘Unlock the Power of Sport.’ This distinctive new identity will consolidate the overall look of Eurosport across platforms.

    Alongside the new visual identity, the brand is also launching a dynamic soundtrack inspired by a thumping heartbeat that depicts the raw human energy and emotion of sport for fans and athletes alike. This has been used to create a rhythmic on-air sound to accompany the new visual design.

    “Eurosport India continually strives to present its content to fans in the most compelling and engaging way. The distinctive new visual identity celebrates the unique events which are broadcast and streamed while taking audiences through the viewing experience,” said Eurosport in a statement. “The redesign will be implemented across platforms where Eurosport is available to ensure viewers continue to enjoy a consistent experience wherever they are watching.” 

    Eurosport India has several premium new sports properties lined up for its viewers in 2022. These include the AFC Women’s Asian Cup, MotoGP, Euro League, Dutch League, All Elite Wrestling, PFL, PGA Tour, Tour de France, Giro d’Italia, and Asian Tour among others.

    Having expanded digitally, Eurosport India can now be streamed on the discovery+ app.

  • Discovery Network launches The Man Who Walked Around the World

    Discovery Network launches The Man Who Walked Around the World

    MUMBAI: Discovery has launched The Man Who Walked Around the World, award-winning director Anthony Wonke’s new feature documentary about Scotch whisky brand Johnnie Walker.

    The independent film, created by Something Originals and produced by multi-award-winning production company Partizan, tells a powerful story of positivity and resilience – exploring how, over two centuries, the brand navigated floods, flu pandemics and World Wars, while making a stand on racial and gender inequality along the way.

    “This is the story of Johnnie Walker but it’s more than just a story about whisky, it’s about culture and the universal need to be able to look to the future with hope. That’s what makes it so powerful – it’s not a history lesson, it’s a story for where we are today and what we need to go forward”, says Wonke.

    The Academy Award-nominated, Emmy and BAFTA-winning director/producer, whose previous documentary subjects include Cristiano Ronaldo, Star Wars and AP McCoy, has spent a large part of his time in lockdown uncovering previously untold stories and perspectives on how Johnnie Walker has constantly overcome adversity with optimism, to cement its place in culture as a global icon.

    Among a vast roster of contributors is actor, activist and brand ambassador Sophia Bush: “People don’t just want new products that impact their lives; they want brands that impact the world positively. Johnnie Walker has recognised that and continually acted on it through impactful campaigns and programs. They are prepared to tug at the arc of history and help push culture forward and I am deeply proud to have been on this journey with them in support of their gender equality efforts in particular.”

    Bush is joined by the likes of Wu-Tang Clan’s Cappadonna, rock musician Zakk Wylde, 88rising’s Sean Miyashiro, advertising legend Sir John Hegarty and many more as we see the brand’s cultural impact from Myanmar to Brazil, from India to Iraq.

    Discovery VP Content Sourcing and Acquisitions Myriam Lopez-Otazu said: “We’re thrilled to be premiering The Man Who Walked Around the World on Discovery platforms and services this November. It’s a fascinating story and, given where we are in the world right now, a really timely one.”

    Diageo Global Scotch director John Williams added, “Our story is one we’re immensely proud of. We stand for something in Johnnie Walker and that something is progress – we’re always looking to move forward, to make the next day better than the one before. Over two centuries we’ve learned that progress needs resilience and optimism, those are the ideals that lie behind our Keep Walking philosophy and I can’t imagine a time when that philosophy could be any more relevant.”

    Something Originals managing partner Andy Hewitt said, “Imagining, filming and editing this documentary in the context of a global pandemic, with all of the tensions that this year has brought to the surface, gives this story a profound contemporary relevance that I don’t think anybody could have fully appreciated when we first came up with the idea for the documentary. We couldn’t be prouder of the finished product.”

    You can watch the trailer for The Man Who Walked Around the World here: https://youtube.com/channel/UCKdI6o1Rx9BcFaQ1Ul5Xx6A  

    The full film will be broadcast on Discovery’s portfolio of brands and services from 12 November. For more information visit https://themanwho.film

  • Discovery Network intensifies focus on India centric shows this festive season

    Discovery Network intensifies focus on India centric shows this festive season

    MUMBAI: Discovery Communications India, country’s leading infotainment player, has intensified focus on India centric programming in the lead-up to the festive season.  The network, which is devoted to creating highest quality purposeful entertainment, will showcase an unprecedented 8 India centric shows over the next 4 months on Discovery Channel, Animal Planet and TLC. The India specials will be in addition to the premiere of staggering 20 + global IPs on the 3 network channels.

    “We are excited with the growth that we have been able to garner this year. All our core channels – Discovery, Animal Planet and TLC –  are now undisputed leaders in their respective genres while Discovery Kids has emerged as the fastest growing channel in the kids genre. Our aim is to further build on it and accelerate the growth over the next 4 months,” said, Karan Bajaj, General Manager, Discovery Communications India. “It is a conscious strategy to increase India centric pipeline with original production or programming acquisitions.  With the unmatched line-up of Indian and Global IPs till the end of the year, we are confident to deepen our local connection while further extending the lead over competition for all of our network channels.”

    This year Discovery has already showcased a line-up of impactful India led programming including Breaking Point: The Indian Submarines, Breaking Point: Air Force Academy. Over the next 3 months, Discovery channel will showcase 5 new India centric shows including Women Fighter Pilots (Premiers August 24),  a new Military tentpole High Altitude Warfare School (October), India’s Citizen Squad (November) and Moon Bound (November) – a special about Team Indus’s attempt as a part of Google Lunar XPrize and a special documentary on Sunny Leone’s life Mostly Sunny (December).  TLC, which has shown huge resurgence since January 2018, will showcase an Indian original production which has shaken the digital space with its promise of a TLC travel scholarship – The Calling (October). Animal Planet, India’s leading wildlife channel, is currently showcasing an anthology of shows ‘The Red List: Save The Wild’ which focuses on the trials and tribulations of endangered species in India and across the world. The channel will showcase Mission Big Cat – an anthology focused on Big Cats including Lions, Leopards and Tigers in the month of October celebrating World Animal Day.

    Discovery India is working overtime to reduce the time-gap between global and Indian premiers. On the anvil is a mouthwatering palate of global premiers on Discovery Channel including Shark Week, Steve Austin’s Broken Skull Challenge S3, American Chopper and Running Wild With Bear Grylls Season 4 featuring celebrities such as tennis legend Roger Federer, Scott Eastwood, Don Cheadle, Lena Headey, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Uzo Aduba. TLC’s is getting revamped with the introduction of Scripps led content including blockbuster IPs like Chopped, Cup Cake Wars, Extreme Homes, Bizarre Foods, Extreme Chefs and Giada in Italy and global tentpoles like American Beauty Star.

    Animal Planet as a part of new brand philosophy ‘Humans Like Us’ will sharpen focus on stories linked to animal conservation as it aims to awaken viewers to the need for animal welfare and conservation.  The channel has lined-up number of global IPs for Indian audiences. The family of Steve Irwin, the much-loved wildlife expert who created a distinctive new style of wildlife documentary, returns to Animal Planet with – The Irwins-   a special show focused on Steve Irwin’s zoo in Australia.

    Discovery Network is the undisputed leader in the infotainment category with 48% share. Discovery channel with 24%* share in the leading channel followed by Animal Planet which is at no 2 position with 16%* share.   Infact, 7 out of the top 10 shows* in infotainment genre are from Discovery. TLC is now ranked no 1 in the lifestyle category with 33% share*.  TLC has grown share by 7% over last year when it was placed at the second spot with 30% share. Infact, 7 out of top 10 shows in the Lifestyle Genre are from TLC. Discovery Kids has leap-frogged to 4th position from 9th position in the beginning of the year. The ratings of Discovery Kids have grown by 426% since the start of the year.

  • Zee TV’s Zulfia Waris to join Discovery Network

    MUMBAI: Zee Entertainment Enterprises ltd (ZEEL)’s non-fiction and events programming head Zulfia Waris has resigned.

    A source close to the development informed www.indiantelevision.com that Waris has already served her notice period in Zee. Waris, who had joined Zee TV in July 2015, will now be joining Discovery Network as the vice-president (female and family) from 1 March, 2017.

    Prior to joining Zee TV, Waris was the VP and head of development of weekend fiction and non fiction for Star Plus for more than two years. Waris was associated with Star India in various roles. She joined Channel V in July 2008 as a senior executive producer for programming and served there for over than four years.

    In 2013, she moved to head the non-fiction development for Star Network where she developed non-fiction concepts and formats with in-house teams and production houses.

    Also Read:

    http://www.indiantelevision.com/television/tv-channels/people/zee-tvs-zulfia-waris-to-join-discovery-network-170213

    http://www.indiantelevision.com/television/tv-channels/people/sameer-rao-joining-discovery-in-senior-role-161121

  • Discovery to showcase Indian content across the world, to further strengthen local programming

    Discovery to showcase Indian content across the world, to further strengthen local programming

    MUMBAI: The flagship Discovery Network is all set to optimise the content programming and channels under its stable, even as the network foresees a growth in India’s GDP in the year 2016 and plans to broaden its portfolio in the nation.

    The network is re-focusing on expanding its scale in India by coming up with better programming line-up, catering to the regional market and by going local using the local talent available in India.

    Discovery Communications, which launched in India back in 1995 with only one channel, has now grown into a conglomerate with as many as 11 channels in five languages. The leader in the factual entertainment genre, Discovery roughly has 550 advertisers on board with approximately 275 million cumulative households across India.

    The company’s portfolio in South Asia comprises Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, TLC, Discovery Science, Discovery Turbo, Discovery Tamil, Discovery Kids, Investigation Discovery, and three high-definition channels namely Discovery HD World, Animal Planet HD World and TLC HD World.

    “No other market in the entire world has shown a growth like India. We want to become a multi-genre platform and want to grow as a media company. With the fresh content line-up, we are broadening our portfolio from what it looks like and are targeting the local audience”, said Discovery Networks International president J B Perrette.

    The network believes that the strong brands under them are extremely powerful and are doing economically well for them.

    Discovery Networks is also considering launch of its over-the-top (OTT) platform in India soon once the bandwidth stabilizes and once 4G gets in place in the country. The network is dependent on the response from the market rather than following one particular model.

    The network already has two direct-to-customer OTT products offering in Europe – Dplay and Eurosport – which are doing exceptionally well for them. “The consumption of video content is rapidly increasing in Norway. The country has proved to be a beneficiary market for us”, added Perrette.

    Known for providing high quality content to its viewers across the nation, Discovery is embarking on a very ambitious content production programme with $2 billion global investment. “We are seeing enormous traffic in India. This year, we have invested $2½ billion on our content programming globally to provide good quality shows on our flagship channels”, added Perrette.

    As it is not a platform only for documentaries, the network will bring new non-fiction genres like sports, kids, non-organic fiction, etc to India. For the first time, the network will broadcast shows produced in India to the rest of the world.

    “Over the years we have increased our local productions in India, and will continue to invest in content to better serve our viewers and clients. Some of the local programmes also find resonance around the world, just like the global content which is viewed in India,” Perrette said.

    Targeting the younger generation at large, the network plans to providing content across all its platforms in an easy, simple, accessible way providing various options of entertainment.

     

  • Discovery to showcase Indian content across the world, to further strengthen local programming

    Discovery to showcase Indian content across the world, to further strengthen local programming

    MUMBAI: The flagship Discovery Network is all set to optimise the content programming and channels under its stable, even as the network foresees a growth in India’s GDP in the year 2016 and plans to broaden its portfolio in the nation.

    The network is re-focusing on expanding its scale in India by coming up with better programming line-up, catering to the regional market and by going local using the local talent available in India.

    Discovery Communications, which launched in India back in 1995 with only one channel, has now grown into a conglomerate with as many as 11 channels in five languages. The leader in the factual entertainment genre, Discovery roughly has 550 advertisers on board with approximately 275 million cumulative households across India.

    The company’s portfolio in South Asia comprises Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, TLC, Discovery Science, Discovery Turbo, Discovery Tamil, Discovery Kids, Investigation Discovery, and three high-definition channels namely Discovery HD World, Animal Planet HD World and TLC HD World.

    “No other market in the entire world has shown a growth like India. We want to become a multi-genre platform and want to grow as a media company. With the fresh content line-up, we are broadening our portfolio from what it looks like and are targeting the local audience”, said Discovery Networks International president J B Perrette.

    The network believes that the strong brands under them are extremely powerful and are doing economically well for them.

    Discovery Networks is also considering launch of its over-the-top (OTT) platform in India soon once the bandwidth stabilizes and once 4G gets in place in the country. The network is dependent on the response from the market rather than following one particular model.

    The network already has two direct-to-customer OTT products offering in Europe – Dplay and Eurosport – which are doing exceptionally well for them. “The consumption of video content is rapidly increasing in Norway. The country has proved to be a beneficiary market for us”, added Perrette.

    Known for providing high quality content to its viewers across the nation, Discovery is embarking on a very ambitious content production programme with $2 billion global investment. “We are seeing enormous traffic in India. This year, we have invested $2½ billion on our content programming globally to provide good quality shows on our flagship channels”, added Perrette.

    As it is not a platform only for documentaries, the network will bring new non-fiction genres like sports, kids, non-organic fiction, etc to India. For the first time, the network will broadcast shows produced in India to the rest of the world.

    “Over the years we have increased our local productions in India, and will continue to invest in content to better serve our viewers and clients. Some of the local programmes also find resonance around the world, just like the global content which is viewed in India,” Perrette said.

    Targeting the younger generation at large, the network plans to providing content across all its platforms in an easy, simple, accessible way providing various options of entertainment.

     

  • Both TV & digital mediums are here to stay: PromaxBDA

    Both TV & digital mediums are here to stay: PromaxBDA

    MUMBAI: With the advent of social media and new usage platforms, the way people consume media has changed and how.

     

    At the PromaxBDA conference, an interesting session with Google partnership director South Asia Ajay Vidyasagar and Discovery Networks VP marketing Rajiv Bakshi threw light on how media is consumed and is leading the way for television of tomorrow.

     

    Spatial Access founder Meenakshi Menon moderated the session.

     

    Vidyasagar said, “The space has moved from creating content to creating a fan base. The consumer uses content to express himself.” Citing an example of when he joined Google in 2010, he said, “In 2010, the Indian audience gave a total of 500 million views, while today it gives about 350 billion views for the content that is available on YouTube.”

     

    YouTube is a platform for creators to engage and communicate with audiences, which television lacks. Sharing his views on how television will continue to exist, Bakshi said, “We’re no longer a traditional medium. We’re a contemporary medium. In spite of having entered the phase of digitisation, we are growing. So even if digital exists, television will continue to be there for the audiences. It caters to different sets of audiences. Moreover, people like to consume content on all platforms.”

     

    “We started Discovery in India with two channels. Today we have 11 channels, including one GEC – ‘Investigation Discovery,’ which we launched recently. So there is an audience for all types of content. India is evolving and TV is robust and growing,” Bakshi added.

     

    Raising a question, Menon asked how TV reconciles with the fact that content cost on TV is very high, whereas on YouTube it is bare minimum and in spite of this, YouTube gets a million views and a billion fans to their content.

     

    Answering Menon’s question, Bakshi said, “From a short term business point of view, the YouTube model is fine. But from a long-term business point of view, one needs to have a 24-hour content model. Eventually, in India people want maximum entertainment and minimum effort and TV is giving exactly that.”

     

    Speaking about the evolution of media, Vidyasagar said, “When print came, the word of mouth publicity did not lose its business. Similarly, when radio and television came, print did not die. None of them have impacted the value of existing media. The need for one to consume news is increasing and hence every medium is here to stay. The only important point to keep in mind is that content is an asset and in today’s world it needs to be made relevant to different devices.”

     

    While we know that a lot of producers are creating content for digital and showing it on digital, Vidyasagar stated an example where Jimmy Fallon actually engages with audiences on digital to bring relevant content back on TV. In the end, it’s a loop of usage. Digital is not taking away from anybody, and neither is television. Both the mediums engage consumers.

     

    Vidyasagar added, “For instance, in India the highest searched channels on YouTube are that of television networks because their content is available on YouTube. Eventually, the consumer gets the core benefits of the content available on digital and on television.”

  • Turbo launches new series ‘American Guns’

    Turbo launches new series ‘American Guns’

    MUMBAI: The first of its kind 24-hour multi-genre channel “just for males” – Turbo brings a new series that introduces viewers to a typical suburban family which is into most unique weapons business – guns.

     

    The Wyatts family owns Gunsmoke, one of the premiere firearms facilities in the world. Located outside Denver, Colorado, Gunsmoke is where they buy, sell and trade guns – from hand canons to hunting rifles. And if you don’t see what you want, they’ll build one for you from nothing more than a block of metal. Get ready for some explosive, pump-loading action with the Wyatts in Turbo’s new series American Guns, premiering on 1 January every Thursday at 7 pm.

     

    Where there’s Gunsmoke, there’s a Wyatt! Rich Wyatt, a retired cop with over 20 years of experience, owns the shop and runs it with his family. Not only is Rich one of only six people in the world certified by Colonel Jeff Cooper, a master firearms instructor and one of the 20th century’s foremost experts on the use and history of small arms, he is an extremely talented gunsmith. Give him a block of steel and he’ll create art. Renee, the matriarch of the Wyatt clan, is a force to be reckoned with. She runs the household and the business side of Gunsmoke, and doesn’t go anywhere without her pistol in her boot. Kurt, their son, is a skilled salesman and an incredible engraver. He qualified as a pistol expert at the age of 13, and handles all of the engraving jobs that come through the gun shop. Daughter Paige graduated high school early, and now works in the shop full time, taking on additional responsibilities for the business. While this 16-year-old may look like a Barbie doll, she knows more about guns than most people who walk through the Gunsmoke door!

     

    Whether making a single action revolver for a preacher to replicating what many experts consider to be the first firearm in history, Gunsmoke is where you’d go to get it done. From a small business 19 years ago, Gunsmoke has flourished into a firearms enterprise. With custom orders pouring in, on top of the customers that walk through their doors to buy in-stock guns, register for safety classes, or engrave their firearm, business is busier than ever and the Wyatt family knows they need to step up their game to keep up with the workflow, while ensuring that no weapon leaves the shop without meeting their standards.

     

    Among the firearms featured in the premiere season of American Guns include:

    Knuckle Duster – This gun, built in the late 1800’s, was both brass knuckles AND a firearm.  It was used for ‘close combat’ because it was small and easily concealable.  It’s no surprise it was the weapon of choice for many card cheats, thugs and prostitutes at the turn of the century.  When a customer brings one in that can’t be repaired, Rich does what he does best – builds him an exact replica from scratch.

     

    ‘Colt’ Single Action Army – This is THE quintessential gun of the American west, carried by outlaws like Jesse James and lawmen like Wyatt Earp. Rich builds a one-of-a-kind Single Action Army from scratch for, proving the widespread appeal of the weapon, a Baptist preacher who wants a specialized and extremely fast six-shooter to help him win Cowboy Action Shooting competitions.

     

    Hand Cannon – Before there were handguns, there were cannons.  The Hand Cannon is the first cannon that could be held in a soldier’s hands and fired.  Some argue that this is THE first firearm, the predecessor to everything we today know of as “guns.”  Rich and his team build one from scratch for Rich’s friend Gary, an explosives fanatic who owns every type firearm built to blow things up…except this one.

     

    Adaptive Hunting Rifle – A young Colorado man lost most of the use of his right arm when his Humvee struck an IED while on patrol in Iraq.  As a right-handed shooter, his injuries have made it difficult for him to hunt with his father, the thing that will make him feel normal again. Rich boldly steps up to the challenge to build this American hero a rifle that adapts perfectly to his physical limitations and helps him feel whole again.

     

  • Discovery’s six point agenda for 2015

    Discovery’s six point agenda for 2015

    MUMBAI: The network has tripled itself in India in the last five years, and today operates in six unique genres through its robust portfolio of 11 networks reaching a cumulative 260 million homes in five languages.

    We are talking about Discovery Networks, which extended its brand experience by launching Discovery Channel Magazine. It has expanded the business fuelled by marquee initiatives – new channels, unmatched India productions and marketing innovations.

    And going forward, the network is going to focus on six points – maintain leadership across genres, maximise viewership, build on the strength of Discovery Kids; establish ID as a ‘must watch’ channel; deliver on ‘male-centric’ brand promise of Turbo; continue to produce path-breaking India content, continue to innovate; and deliver value to advertisers and relentlessly explore new opportunities for growth.

    The year 2015 brings with it a heap of opportunities, but the path was laid in 2014 itself. The network revamped its channel, Turbo, to skew more towards men. The repositioning came in as a response to research conducted over the past couple of years.  “The viewers’ feedback and our constant research suggested a vacuum in English entertainment genre for men. Indian television has primarily been dominated by female led programming. The refreshed Turbo channel is an upscale men’s television network that provides high-octane programming for its viewers.  Turbo broadens its content with more genre mix to offer variety to its male audience.  It also enhances its value proposition for its viewers, advertisers and affiliates,” says Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific south Asia and southeast Asia executive VP and GM Rahul Johri.

    One of the key reasons to rebrand was to widen the channel’s appeal. Its core strength will be variety.  “Turbo will be the only specialised content channel in the English genre, reflecting the promised benefits of digitisation.  The Indian television landscape is ever changing and we have stayed ahead of the curve by recognising the evolving trends and addressing them by creating new television genres and distinct audience segments,” he adds.

    With each brand having its own identity and evolution process, the network is continuously evaluating all its channels, and when need arises, it shall plan if others too need to be revamped or not.
    Not only this, a surprise move for many in the industry, the network was able to get its recently-launched channel ID-Investigation in Tata Sky’s Hindi channel base pack. The move was to cater to Hindi speaking masses.  “The channel’s specialised content dedicated to crime and investigation has wider appeal.  In three months of its launch, ID has gained tremendous popularity, and has become an ideal ‘channel of choice’ for the base pack,” explains Johri when asked the reason behind the move.

    Others like Discovery Channel, Animal Planet and Discovery Science have wider demographic appeal and thus, are the preferred channels for viewers in the factual entertainment genre.  These channels too are in the base packs of DTH platforms.

    Nonetheless, with TheOneAlliance, the distribution JV between Multi Screen Media (MSM) and Discovery Network, being dissolved with effect from 1 January 2015, after 12 long years, the network is pulling all strings to make the coming year a remarkable one.