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Tag: Epic TV

  • Infotainment went the local way in 2018

    Infotainment went the local way in 2018

    MUMBAI: In 2018, the one common phenomenon that the whole television industry witnessed was the hijack and capture of part of its territory by OTT platforms wooing audiences with original content. That was the time when TV space woke up to secure its presence and fill in the gaps with localised content where it required the most. One of the genres that decided to focus on localising content was infotainment.

    There were days when only syndicated content was the staple of the broadcasters to survive in the market. The year 2018 finally saw their efforts paying off as viewers stayed glued to their TV screens. Original content broke all the walls by wanting the audiences to have more of it. However, the FICCI M&E report 2018 estimated  that BARC’s enhanced rural panel weightage would reduce the viewership of genres like infotainment. The factual genre occupies only about one per cent of total TV consumption.

    Players like Discovery, History TV18, National Geographic, Nat Geo Wild, Epic TV and Sony BBC Earth rolled up their sleeves with the intent to stay out of the box by offering self-produced content, keeping in mind the evolving taste buds of the Indian audiences. It is usually tricky to change audiences’ viewing habits when they have forever been fed with a plethora of syndicated content. But during the year, there came a time when Sony BBC Earth leapfrogged Discovery in terms of ratings, that was ruling the infotainment genre for almost a decade, within a year of its launch. The channel increased its market share from 22 per cent to 26 per cent in the six metro cities.

    It was a tough competition for both Sony BBC and Discovery channel that fought sportingly to win the battle and emerge as the dominant player in the market. Speaking about being on the leadership front, Discovery claimed to enjoy a 23 per cent market share in the All India Urban (2+) area.

    In an earlier interview, Sony Pictures Network English cluster business head Tushar Shah told Indiantelevision.com that the category which is supposed to be informative along with entertainment in it is missing the first half. But for Sony BBC Earth, the rise from the sixth position to the top has been quick. Sony BBC Earth stood at 5 per cent market share at launch and took up 22 per cent within a year backed by a strong distribution network, strategic content line-up and strong marketing innovations.

    One major move was the shift of Epic from a general entertainment channel (GEC) to infotainment. It proved to be a success as the channel’s market share scaled up from 3 per cent to 15 per cent. History TV18 also dived into serving local content.

    The genre wasn’t just about the hindi speaking market, in fact, it observed an upward arc due to regional support as well. Broadcasters found Tamil and Telugu as viable regional languages to launch into. Discovery and National Geographic channels are the only exceptions having Bengali language in their kitty. Epic TV is the only one with Hindi language. It is also the only channel that has all India-centric content while the rest of the players have a mix of syndicated content and home-grown shows. If you take into account Discovery Tamil, the channel's share of the pie grew by four per cent. That placed the Discovery network miles ahead of anyone else with a national market share of a massive 42 per cent.

    As far as Adex is concerned, the year 2017 led to a growth of 1.8 per cent, whereas it led to 1.9 per cent during FY18. Moreover the growth in the year FY17-18 was witnessed to be 2.38 per cent and the lifestyle genre dropped down to 2.24 per cent.

    While local content will continue to be a major part of broadcasters' move for 2019 as well, we can only wait and watch what new innovations will they launch to engage a larger section of the audience.

  • EPIC TV INTRODUCES ‘HIT THE ROAD’- A TRAVEL SERIES WITH A TWIST

    EPIC TV INTRODUCES ‘HIT THE ROAD’- A TRAVEL SERIES WITH A TWIST

    MUMBAI: This November, EPIC channel has planned an unusual treat for its viewers with a new show; ‘Hit The Road, India’; and will air from 7th November, 2018 every Wednesday at 10 pm only on EPIC Channel.

    Hit The Road, India is a 4-part series and follows two friends who participate in an audacious 12 day rickshaw rally across India; from Mumbai to Chennai. Hit The Road, India escapade has been recognized by the prestigious travel outlet Lonely Planet as one of the top-10 greatest adventures. Hit The Road entertains through a string of events packed with escapades, music, lifestyle, and all the adrenaline innate in travel.

    American Ric Gazarian and Canadian Keith King, captivated by the sub-culture of rallies that take place around the world, sign up for the Rickshaw Challenge in India. The challenge takes them on a 1900-kilometer journey as they ride the three-wheeler so ubiquitous in India across hills, beaches, valleys, dirt tracks, and countless incredible surprises during this incredible journey. The short-series is another distinct feather in the brimming cap of EPIC travel shows including Wilderness Days, Road Less Travelled, Indipedia, Ekaant, Sanrachna, and Kahi Suni that showcase India in ways never before attempted.

    Speaking on the launch of the new show, Akul Tripathi, Head of Programming said “Providing differentiated content that surprises and engages audiences is at the heart of EPIC programming. Stories of, and from India fascinate us, and the audiences have consistently echoed our sentiment. Hit The Road, India is a worthy addition to our eclectic collection of India-centric content and we are sure that it will be well received.”

    Focused on producing and providing a platform for content driven shows is at the core of EPIC’s identity, and the channel continues to redefine Indian infotainment introducing programming in line with this brand ethos.

  • Infotainment genre’s steady shift towards localisation

    Infotainment genre’s steady shift towards localisation

    MUMBAI: It’s home! That’s the cry that almost every broadcaster is uttering today when it comes to wooing viewers with content. Even as kids’, lifestyle and GECs are witnessing an uptake in local content, the infotainment genre isn’t going to be left behind.

    Earlier, there were only syndicated shows dubbed in Hindi that aired on TV and yet it worked well with the audiences in India. Later, broadcasters felt the need to evolve as per the taste buds of the Indian viewers and that’s when regional feeds came into the picture. Syndicated content was definitely cheaper than self-production.

    Discovery, History TV18, National Geographic, Nat Geo Wild, Epic TV and Sony BBC Earth are the players in the market competing against each other for eyeballs. Broadcasters found Tamil and Telugu as viable regional languages to start with. Discovery and National Geographic channels are the only exceptions having Bengali language in their kitty. Epic TV is the only one with Hindi language.  It is also the only channel that has all India-centric while the rest of the players have a mix of syndicated content and home-grown shows.

    According to the BARC data week 37, Epic TV bagged fourth position with 1962 impressions sum. Back in 2014, Epic TV called itself a GEC channel and three years later, the channel felt the need to switch to the infotainment genre. Its move proved to be a success as the channel’s market share scaled up from 3 to 15 per cent market share.

    Talking about Sony BBC Earth, it leapfrogged Discovery that was ruling the infotainment genre for almost for a decade, within a year of its launch.  The channel increased its market share from 22 per cent to 26 per cent in the six metro cities. In an earlier interview, Sony Pictures Network English cluster business head Tushar Shah told Indiantelevision.com that the category which is supposed to be informative along with entertainment in it is missing the first half. Brushing aside the claims of the challenges in the infotainment genre, Discovery claimed to enjoy a 23 per cent market share in the All India Urban (2+) area. It also claimed that when its Tamil channel is factored into the number games, the channel's share of the pie grew by four per cent.

    Similarly, History TV18 also has plans to woo audiences with more local content. History TV18 EVP Arun Thappar said in an interaction that that channel is not just looking at notching up the number of hours of local content but is creating content that is relatable to its audience. Also, in a media report, A+E Networks TV18 VP and marketing head Sangeetha Aiyer said, “I think that localisation is the next logical progression in the evolution of any global product. This is more so in a country like India, which is very inward-looking and has potential for great content. The infotainment genre occupies only about one per cent of total TV consumption. So, if a channel has to expand, it has to look beyond global content. All our local productions have universal themes but with a local lens.”

    Considering all the above factors, it clearly means that the infotainment genre isn’t saturated now as it used to be earlier. The genre is growing breaking the cliché from just syndicated content to Indian home-grown content.

    As per the BARC data from week 41, Sony BBC Earth continued to lead the genre with 4131 impressions (000s) sum, followed by Discovery Channel, History TV18 and National Geographic Channel retaining its second, third and fourth positions respectively as compared to the previous week (40) with 3995 impressions (000s) sum, 3723 impressions (000s) sum and 2699 impressions (000s) sum. Animal Planet emerged as the new player in the market by replacing Nat Geo Wild, on the fifth position with 2523 impressions (000s) sum.

    How the genre manages to grow the appetite of the people for local content remains to be seen. 

  • Epic TV’s growth in the infotainment genre

    Epic TV’s growth in the infotainment genre

    MUMBAI: The infotainment genre is no longer to be sidelined. Indeed that was seen when Epic TV switched from calling itself a general entertainment channel to one in the infotainment genre.

    When Epic TV launched in 2014, the channel claimed to entertain the country with the myths and folklore that the country is renowned for. Three years down the line, it felt the need for a revamp to accompany the switch. The logo was changed and new shows were introduced. The move proved to be a success as the channel’s market share scaled up from 3 per cent to 15 per cent.

    Indiantelevision.com caught up with Epic TV VP sales Tushar Guha, head content syndication and acquisition Adita Jain and programming head Akul Tripathi to throw light on the channels’ progress and future.

    Edited excerpts:

    How has Epic TV managed to grow within the already cluttered infotainment segment? 

    Akul Tripathi: What Epic is actually doing is not just growing within the infotainment segment but by virtue of its positioning of “India Ka Apna Infotainment”, it is helping in the growth of the entire infotainment genre. Being the only Hindi-language, India-centric infotainment channel is also helping to tap into audiences who would have overlooked the genre previously.

    Unlike other players whose libraries are generic content, Epic has a large bank of original Hindi content created specifically for the Indian audience.

    Quality of production, top of the line research, and the associated credibility that comes with it have been the hallmark of Epic’s programming, which continue to generate acclaim as well as increase reach through content tie-ups, like with Netflix, amongst others, for whom Epic is amongst the first and largest content syndicators.

    By how much per cent has the market share of the channel grown in the past one year? What are the future goals of the channel on this front?

    Tushar Guha: Our FCT market share in June last year was only 3 per cent in the infotainment genre. It has grown to 15 per cent in June this year.

    The infotainment genre has roughly 300 clients and even though Epic has shown a significant growth in client count, there is a long way to go. Going forward we will be focusing on adding new clients every month with year-long commitments by offering them innovative packages. Epic has a very strong digital and social media presence and combining digital and television is a high value proposition for any client. 

    What’s your strategy to scale-up Epic TV’s growth in terms of viewership and revenue model as well?

    Akul Tripathi: At Epic, we truly believe that good content will find its viewers and our goal is to keep making the kind of content we are known to be making and are proud to have made. That said, the focus is on exploring and showcasing various facets of India in as engaging a manner as possible.

    We see growth in terms of revenue model to focus more on selling sponsorships of our tentpole properties and also focus on advertising branded content 

    What is the average time spent on the channel by the audiences? What was the time spent now as compared to the last year?

    Akul Tripathi: Average time spent viewing is 13 mins and it has been stable.

    What are the 10 second ad rates for the channel? Who are your major advertising brands on board? Are there new brands on board?

    Tushar Guha: The 10 sec rates have been increased by 30 per cent yoy.

    FMCG giants like HUL, P&G, Reckitt, Loreal, Fortune Foods, KRBL and Vini cosmetics advertised with us month-on-month. Leading players in the dotcom industry such as Flipkart, Bigbasket, Cars24, Trivago, Cleartrip, Urbanclap and also Jeep & Michelin in automobile industry advertised with us in the last nine months. Notably, we have 40 per cent more advertisers in Q1 this fiscal as compared to the same last fiscal. In the BFSI category, we have LIC and Axis Bank on board. 

    FCT vs Branded content- how does an advertiser engage through your channel?

    Akul Tripathi: Currently the advertisers on Epic are engaging through sponsorship and FCT deals. However, we are in parallel exploring the branded content route aggressively.

    What is the scope for infotainment genre as a whole in the future according to you?

    Akul Tripathi: Globally, there has been a marked increase in both, the production and the hours spent consuming factual entertainment. The genre has grown so much beyond the documentary which was the single item this shelf once offered. Perhaps what they say about reality being stranger than fiction is finally catching up on TV as well! With more content created in the space, more topics explored and increased experimentation with themes and formats of telling stories of the world around us, both interest and the space to accommodate these stories are only set to grow.

    What has been your learning and what goals have you achieved after switching a GEC channel to an infotainment channel?

    Akul Tripathi: The important shift has actually been the broadening of horizons from a segmented channel in the history and mythology space to exploring all other genres. It has allowed for a lot more possibilities and freedom in the kind of content we can make and also opens up many new audience bases.

    With so many genres – factual, infotainment, lifestyle- everyone is talking about reaching out to the same consumer- how are you different? 

    Akul Tripathi: Given a market size of over a billion consumers, I think there is more than enough space for all.

    The Epic proposition is more than just a genre-specific call out to imagined genre-specific audience sets. Epic is a tribe of Indians who are enthusiastic for learning about their country, in their own language, in a tone that sets to understand why we are the way we are, why things are the way they are in this country and want to find reasons to celebrate it, without passing judgments or reaching conclusions. I believe this is exceedingly important in the times we live in. Combined with proven competencies at producing top-notch content that deliberately strays from the beaten track, Epic offers a compelling premise to audiences and advertisers alike.

    Many believe that the players in the infotainment genre have shifted their focus towards offering entertainment, leaving out information from the content. What is your perspective on the same?

    Akul Tripathi: I believe that the definition of infotainment clings to archaic notions of what is information and what is entertainment and the supposedly sacred lines that divide the two. The visual medium, in the last couple of decades, has aggressively come to a point where today it is not just possible but necessary to cloak information in a healthy sauce of entertainment for it to be palatable to audiences. The opportunities and avenues to find dry information abound in the digital world and in this scenario, it is imperative for the mediums to evolve to attract eyeballs by experimenting with the treatment of traditional infotainment and making for more engaging content.

    Are there new shows in the pipeline?

    Akul Tripathi: There are always new shows in the pipeline. And there are shows that are waiting to get into the pipeline. The one to hit the screens first is a never before attempted series on the India Army where each episode features one regiment of the army and details its history and traditions. Shot at the regimental centres, it is quite possibly the most authentic showcase of the regiments of the Indian army ever attempted. 

    Content syndication- is there a future?

    Adita Jain: Oh! Yes! In fact, the future is content syndication. A globalised market, trends and themes that are truly universal, a smaller and more connected world are accelerating the discovery, interest and acceptability of content from regions of the world. Not only is the content available, it is actually in demand. There is also a conscious attempt to stray beyond the mainstream and explore new content. That said, even within India there is both great diversity with a unifying homogeneity and extremely talented regional content producers. With platforms and avenues to watch growing at breakneck speed, the demand for content is increasing far rapidly than the ability to produce it. Syndication is the perfect solution that fulfils this demand-supply gap. And then, of course, there is money…

    There is a rumour that a new regional channel is being launched by the group. What is the rationale behind this? 

    Akul Tripathi: As publically announced previously, the group is planning a network of TV channels to strengthen the Epic proposition. The specifics on these shall be given out soon.

  • Epic TV appoints Rajiee Shinde as president

    Epic TV appoints Rajiee Shinde as president

    MUMBAI: Infotainment channel EPIC TV has announced the appointment of Rajiee M Shinde as president. In her new role at EPIC, she has been entrusted with the responsibility of expanding the business and building the EPIC network.

    Prior to joining EPIC, Shinde has served as CEO and director at PTC Network and was instrumental in establishing the network while spearheading the launch of multiple channels. She has also served as the business head of ETC Punjabi of the Zee Group and was responsible for the launch of the Punjabi music channel.

    EPIC Television Network MD Aditya Pittie said, “I am delighted to welcome Rajiee to the EPIC family. She brings with her immense experience of establishing and building new businesses and is the perfect resource to have on board to drive outgrowth plans.”

    With a career spanning over 2 decades, Shinde has held various leadership positions both internationally and with leading media houses in India. A recipient of numerous awards and accolades for her contribution to the media and entertainment ecosystem, her notable awards include – FICCI women entrepreneur 2018, women of the decade in media and social change by women economic forum 2017 (WEF), Punjabi Icon award 2017 by Punjabi cultural heritage board, Mumbai, Excellence in Media in the BIMSTEC – SAARC women empowerment forum 2017 organized by ASSOCHAM under MEA. She has also been conferred with Punjab State Brand Leadership Award 2017 and among many others.

    Shinde said, “I am happy to be a part of the EPIC group and my primary role would be to expand the EPIC brand into a network and a cluster of new channels. This role also presents me with a wider canvas to promote new and fresh talent on a national level.

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  • EPIC TV & Penguin Present The Third Book Of The Devlok With Devdutt Pattanaik Series

    EPIC TV & Penguin Present The Third Book Of The Devlok With Devdutt Pattanaik Series

    MUMBAI: Where did the name Radha come from? When did Christianity first come to India? What is the connection between sanskar and dharma? After the enormous success of the first two books in the ‘Devlok with Devdutt Pattanaik’ series, India’s favourite mythologist, Devdutt Pattanaik, is back with a third instalment to provide a perspective on stories that have stayed alive longer than history.

    Based on the hugely successful TV series of the same name, the latest book, Devlok by Devdutt Pattanaik 3, is a repository of a variety of topics discussed on the popular TV show on EPIC Channel and gives readers quick and relatable insight on several key points of Indian mythology.

    This volume includes interesting exploration of the various versions of the Ramayana found across Asia. There are chapters on Buddhism and Jainism and their fascinating histories. Discover where the concept of marriage comes from, the reasons behind the many riti–riwaaj in Hinduism and the place of fathers and fatherhood in Indian mythology, among myriad other topics and lesser-known tales—all tackled by Devdutt in a Q&A format.

    Speaking about the book, Devdutt Pattanaik, said, “Understanding mythologies beyond one’s own, from Jain, Buddhist, Greek and Biblical lore, that is part of Devlok 3, helps us expand our mind and become more open minded, wiser and compassionate.”

    Also elaborating on the launch of the book, Akul Tripathi, Content and Programming Head, EPIC TV, said, “At EPIC we strive to create content that creates value for viewers and makes not for just an entertaining watch, but makes for engaging viewing as well. We are proud that while the usual way is to make TV shows out of books, our content is held in such regard that books are made out of TV shows. A powerhouse of fables in mythology, by one of the leading thinkers on the subject, Devlok with Devdutt Pattanaik, is a brand that we are confident will have many more seasons and books.”

    Covering over fifteen informative and inspiring episodes, this volume is a heady mix of education and entertainment. Priced at Rs.250/- the book is available at all leading online and offline retail stores.

  • Sadhguru and isha foundation’s exuberant mahashivratri event live on Epic TV

    Sadhguru and isha foundation’s exuberant mahashivratri event live on Epic TV

    India’s only Hindi-language India-centric infotainment channel is set to offer its viewers a unique, spiritual experience on the night of Mahashivratri this year. EPIC channel has associated with Isha Foundation to telecast the highly followed, grand Mahashivratri celebrations LIVE from the Isha Yoga Center in Coimbatore, on February 13, beginning 8.30 pm and airing till 6 am, the following day.

    Mahashivrati is one of the largest and most sacred festivals of India. The darkest night of the year, it is a celebration in honor of Adiyogi or Shiva, from whom the tradition of yoga originates. In yogic culture, it is believed to be beneficial to stay awake in a vertical position throughout the night with the planetary positions causing an upsurge of energy in humans.

    Sadhguru, Founder, Isha Foundation, said, “Mahashivaratri is known as the great night of Shiva – The Adiyogi, because the planetary position is such that there is a natural upsurge of energies. Mahashivaratri is of great significance for all those who aspire for the Ultimate. May this night become an exuberant awakening for you.”

    Speaking about the LIVE telecast, EPIC TV – Managing Director, Aditya Pittie said, “This is truly going to be a special night of spirituality and wellbeing. We’re excited to associate with Isha Foundation and bring this extravaganza LIVE for the benefit of our viewers who can enjoy the celebrations from their homes. It is the first LIVE showcase on EPIC and we are glad to begin our journey in this direction with Isha Foundation’s Mahashivratri event.”

    Aimed at preserving the uniqueness and diversity of the nation’s artistic traditions, the night will see star performances by popular music sensations Sonu Nigam, Daler Mehndi, Mohit Chauhan, and Sean Roldan & Friend along with Isha Foundation’s home-grown band, Sounds of Isha. Not stopping at this, the event’s key attractions also include a guided powerful midnight meditation along with a nightlong Sathsang with Sadhguru which people can follow from the comfort of their homes.

    Sadhguru’s quote “Mahashivaratri is known as the great night of Shiva – The Adiyogi, because the planetary position is such that there is a natural upsurge of energies. Mahashivaratri is of great significance for all those who aspire for the Ultimate. May this night become an exuberant awakening for you”.

    Isha Foundation’s Mahashivratri night has been celebrated with great pomp and grandeur for many years and continues to draw thousands of devotees from around the world.

  • Indian OTTs to be in focus on day 2 of ATF

    Indian OTTs to be in focus on day 2 of ATF

    MUMBAI: Singapore-based Reed Exhibitions’ Asia TV Forum (ATF) will commence today with 60 countries taking part. The first day will see sessions based on content, advertising and the evolution of storytelling and digital traditions and innovation Ninety thought leaders will deliver fresh insights in over 24 sessions from 28 November to 1 December 2017, discussing present-day issues such as big data, movement in the over-the-top (OTT) scene, new monetisation strategies, unscripted entertainment formats and kids’ content.

    The Indian sessions will start from the second day. The first one will be ‘Bollywood & Beyond: Fresh content from India’. The speakers present for the session will be Epic TV network head content syndication Adita Jain, Greengold Animation VP content sales Bharath Laxmipati, One Life Studios founder Siddharth Kumar Tewary, Rajshri Entertainment MD Neha Barjatya, and Toonz Animation India senior manager- content syndication and distribution Viju Thomas. The session will be moderated by Indiantelevision.com group founder, CEO and editor-in-chief Anil Wanvari.

    Wanvari has been working on developing opportunities for India’s animation and live action sector – whether for TV or OTT – over the past three years at ATF as its representative for India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

    India’s OTT ecosystem has been exploding with newer apps popping up ever so quickly. At last count, close to 42 OTT services were operational in India. The second Indian session will be about the needs and wants of Indian OTT buyers. The panellists for the discussion will be Pittie Group/Epic TV CEO and MD Aditya Pittie, Viacom18 Digital ventures COO Gaurav Gandhi, producer, entrepreneur and storyteller Sidharth Jain, Spuul founder and global CEO Subin Subaiah, and GoQuest Media Ventures MD Vivek Lath. This panel discussion will also be moderated by Wanvari.

    ATF will also focus on virtual reality (VR) sessions, which will delve into the discourse that takes place among ecosystem partners, from content concept, creation and circulation. Real Vision VR filmmaker, speaker and published author Clyde Desouza will moderate the panel. Desouza is working with Times Now for its VR immersive journalism.

    On day three, listen to GreenGold Animation founder and CEO Rajiv Chilaka talk about how to provide 360-degree experience to kids. Chilaka has created and built one of the India’s largest animation brands Chhota Bheem, which currently has a viewership of over 40 million across platforms. He will also talk about nurturing localised IPs and stories and priming them to go global.

    The major Indian satellite TV networks Sony Pictures Networks India, Star India, Indiacast-Viacom18, and Zee Telefilms have their syndication and licensing teams exhibiting at the Marina Bay Sands venue. Other noteworthy exhibitors include: format and content syndication company GoQuest, Swastik Productions’ One Life Studios that is hawking its mega-budget Porus and homegrown formats, One Take Media, which is selling its kids animation and cookery shows, film and digital content creator and distributor Rajshri Entertainment, infotainment channel Epic TV, and kids’ content pioneer GreenGold.

  • Epic TV completes 3 years, launches new show ‘Sharanam’

    Epic TV completes 3 years, launches new show ‘Sharanam’

    MUMBAI: Commemorating the completion of three years on Indian television on 19 November, infotainment channel Epic TV will add a range of new shows starting with Sharanam, which will be narrated by Juhi Chawla.

    Epic TV MD Aditya Pittie said, “We are extremely delighted with the support the viewers have conferred on us. Three years of Epic have been exciting with a repositioned channel that showcases India and its many stories in the most unique way possible.”

    Chawla said that she is happy to join the Epic family during its celebration. She instantaneously agreed to host the show when the idea was presented to her. “India is an ancient civilization, with a rich history and deep culture of spiritualism. Our saints, seers and sages established places of worship, which are energy centres, geographical historical and architectural wonders. Over centuries, millions of people have come here for worship with deep faith and experienced miracles. Sharanam is truly different in every sense of the word as it highlights the faith and spiritual connection of India’s eminent places of worship, something that hasn’t been showcased on television before,” she said.

    Epic offers some of the most off-beat shows such as Raja Rasoi Aur Anya Kahaniyaan, Tyohar ki Thaali, Umeed India, Indipedia, Devlok with Devdutt Patnaik, Sanrachna, Stories by Rabindranath Tagore, Kahi Suni, Ekaant and more.

    Epic has cemented its position in the genre and has recently made its entry into the top five infotainment channels, according to Broadcast Audience Research Council’s all-India data week 35.

  • Epic TV launches OTT, sets million subs target

    Epic TV launches OTT, sets million subs target

    MUMBAI: Aditya Pitte modestly says he does not have much experience in mainstream television. But, the lead distributor of Patanjali’s products loves to listen and learn, and play catch-up quickly. Over the years, he has been doing a lot of listening. And, learning and doing well at the TV business.

    So much so that he took over Sanskar TV, ran it for around five years, turned it around, before handing it over to Swami Ramdev in 2015. Encouraged, he launched another spiritual channel Shubh TV a couple of years ago. And then, the big plunge into the mainstream came in September 2016 when Anand Mahindra told him to head Epic Television, which he and Mukesh Ambani had floated with former Disney India CEO Mahesh Samat. Ambani was exiting, and Mahindra told him to take charge as managing director.

    He hired fresh talent, rejigged the programming and relaunched Epic as an infotainment channel with newer edgier programming. The tactic seems to be working, as the new Epic Channel has been striking a chord with audiences, and has seen its share among its demographic rising. However, what’s keeping him occupied is the launch of the channel’s app on 14 August. Launched with both, iOS and Android versions, it is available on both the iTunes and Google Play stores and has been getting traction with more than 100,000 downloads till date.

    Epic On is available as a free and paid version. In its free version, it offers selective shows, the first episode of all shows, and an exclusive seven day catch up window of series such as Devlok with Devdutt Pattanaik, Raja Rasoi Aur Andaaz, Umeed India and Indipedia. Subscription fees have been pegged at Rs 60 for a month and Rs 500 for a year. The international sticker prices have been kept at $1.99 a month and $19.99 a year.

    “We believe that consumers today value quality content and are willing to subscribe to platforms which consistently deliver premium original content that is different in its offerings from the normal fare being dished out en-masse,” says Epic Channel programming head Akul Tripathi. “This trend in consumer behaviour is only going to strengthen; creating a robust foundation for platforms committed towards consistent quality programming.”

    Epic On has close to 500 hours of content on launch which is constantly being expanded daily. Tripathi says a lot of thought has gone into the user interface (UI) to allow for intuitive specific cross searches between genres and content types. Also, content has been bunched into addictive and suggestive groups to provide users with the kind of content they prefer to view. The app also has a download feature for fans who can download their favourite shows and watch these on the go.

    The core of the Epic On OTT solution was created by Bangalore-based Saranyu Technologies while a digital team is being put together inhouse for updates.

    Pittie is looking at a million-strong subscriber base in the next 12 months across the globe with a focus on India, Australia, Singapore, followed by Canada, the US and the UK.

    The target audience: the new digital millennials. Explains Tripathi: “The early adopter for the app would be the Epic fans who have long appreciated our content and are eager to access it on demand for catching up on missed episodes and to earmark their favourite ones for repeated watching. Moving forward, we believe that anyone who wishes to know and experience India in an engrossing and interactive manner will definitely engage with the app.”

    And, one of the routes the 30-something Pittie is taking to help get to that million-mark is signing up with telcos everywhere to make Epic On easily accessible to their subscribers. “We have some way to go,” he says. “But I am reasonably happy with the results which can only get better from here. Step by step.”

    It’s this optimistic outlook which could well end up taking Epic On into the fast lane.