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Tag: Eros Now

  • Eros Now has 39.9mn paying global subscribers

    Eros Now has 39.9mn paying global subscribers

    KOLKATA: Eros Now has reported a 39.9 million paid subscribers and a total 224 million registered users worldwide as on 31 March, 2021. This represents 10.6 million net new paid subscriber added since 31 March, 2020, accounting for an annual growth rate of 36.2 per cent. 

    Eros Now plans to concentrate its reporting and guidance on premium paid subscribers, going forward, as the platform believes it is a more meaningful indicator of the platform’s performance and economic vitality, it has said in a statement.

    As previously communicated, Eros Now has developed and grown through symbiotic partnerships with mobile telecom operators and other third-party distribution partners around the world. The Company believes these partnerships were fundamental to the business in its early stages of development because they allowed Eros Now to rapidly increase scale and cast a wide net to reach as many consumers as possible in a capital efficient manner.

    While these partnerships will continue to play an important role going forward, Eros Now expects to pivot its distribution model to focus primarily on direct-to-consumer relationships while continuing to strengthen and expand select key distribution partnerships.

    The COVID-19 pandemic continues to be a challenging crisis globally with significant business impact. Eros Now has seen growth in subscribers and consumption amidst the pandemic lockdowns, although there was a correction in the final months of calendar 2020 following the early lockdown surge. Overall engagement statistics on the Eros Now platform have increased in 2021 to date. For some indices, such as watch hours, engagement levels are at approximately twice the level as compared to “pre-lockdown”.

    Subscribers: Going forward, Eros Now will concentrate on reporting the number of Premium Paid subscribers. A Premium Paid subscriber is defined as a consumer who subscribes to the Eros Now product for at least one month (30 days), either directly or indirectly through a bundled package with a distribution partner. As of 31 March, 2021, Eros Now had 19.0 million Premium Paid subscribers. The other 20.9 million paid subscribers, who purchase content a la carte or with sachet pricing (including single downloads or subscriptions lasting a day or a week), are defined as Base Paid subscribers.

    Average Revenue per User (ARPU):  Eros Now uses a “geo-sensitive” pricing model for its product in each market. Pricing is guided by the expectation that Eros Now is meant to be a high-quality and affordable mass-market entertainment service that allows people to consume content how and when they choose. Many users start their journey on Eros Now with short-form content or a la carte transactions for specific content, and then move on to more traditional subscription plans. The depth and availability of mass-market content is a tool to introduce consumers to the Eros Now product. As consumer engagement and consumption increases, Eros Now expects to focus on migrating these subscribers onto higher ARPU plans of longer duration. Consistent with Eros Now’s strategy to concentrate on direct-to-consumer relationships, the ARPU metric for Premium Paid subscribers will be an important indicator of the company’s progress. In fiscal 2021, the annual ARPU (net to Eros Now after deducting commissions, partnership fees, etc.) of Premium Paid subscribers was as follows:

    All Premium Paid Subscribers – Global:  $0.52

    ·       Premium Paid Subscribers – India: $0.30

    ·       Premium Paid Subscribers – International:  $10.01

    Watch Hours:  A primary metric for video streaming businesses is watch hours, which represents the total viewing time spent by all consumers on an aggregate basis. Total watch hours for Eros Now in fiscal 2021 was 28.1 million hours. Watch hours relating to the top 25 titles on Eros Now was 10.3 million hours.  This means that 63 per cent of total watch hours was generated by catalogue or non-tentpole films, including regional language movie titles, which is a testament to the salience and affinity of catalogue content with Eros Now subscribers.

    Original content and series remain a very important driver and differentiator for subscriber growth. The Eros Now original series Flesh, which premiered on Eros Now in August 2020, was the biggest Eros Now original series as measured by paid subscriber increases, unique streams and watch hours. The total watch hours related to original Eros Now series during fiscal 2021 was 2.6 million hours, which represents nine per cent of the total Eros Now watch hours. 

    Consumer Profiles:  Eros Now believes that analyzing consumption patterns from its subscribers and viewers around the world is an important factor in understanding the growth trends of the business. Below are selected datapoints of the global Eros Now consumer profile in fiscal 2021. Note that the datapoints are representative averages and there may be variances based on content launches, addition of new geographies and new subscriber additions to the platform.

    ·       Gender:  75 per cent male / 25 per cent female

    ·       Geography:  Two third of Eros Now viewers are from India and the rest are from outside of India (United States is the second largest market with 10 per cent contribution)

    ·       Age: 18-34 constitutes 80 per cent of the viewer base. The 25-34 age group demonstrated the largest growth during fiscal 2021.

    ·       Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities in India (medium-to-small sized cities) now represent 50 per cent of overall Indian viewers.

    The Indian OTT viewer has evolved throughout the pandemic period. Most of the OTT viewership growth in India is coming from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. In line with this, the majority of Eros Now viewers are in the younger demographic, less fluent in English and prefer to consume entertainment in Hindi or their native languages. Eros Now original series consumption is meaningful in India. The country accounted for 80% of watch hours for original series, of which 50% came from consumers in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities.

    Screen Engagement:  A significant amount of Eros Now consumption is through smart TVs.  For example, 50 per cent of watch hours for Metro Park season 2, which debuted in January 2021, were on smart TVs versus a single digit percentage of watch hours at the close of fiscal 2020.

    Eros Now is focused on delivering premium digital entertainment to consumers across the world. Eros Now expects to see a modest reduction in Premium Paid subscribers in the short term due to the pivot in strategy towards direct-to-consumer. To maximize reach, Eros Now currently has global collaborations and partnerships with market-leading telecommunications operators, OEMs and digital distribution entities such as Amazon, Apple, Virgin Media and Roku, which allow Eros Now to be available to global audiences.

     Eros Now currently has over 120 distribution partners and growing, with a meaningful number of partners signed up during the past twelve months alone. In addition, Eros Now has a unique and strategic relationship with Microsoft to further develop and create backend video technology on Azure. This collaboration will help Eros Now develop a new intuitive online video platform to ensure seamless delivery of content across varied consumer cohorts.

    By 31 December 2021, Eros Now is targeting an annual Premium Paid subscriber ARPU globally in the range of $1.20 to $1.30. The company expects the ARPU growth will be driven by the pivot in strategy to focus more on direct-to-consumer relationships and by leveraging the bundling opportunities with distribution partners. Eros Now believes these factors will help grow ARPU and reduce churn.

    The Eros Now content strategy will focus on new original Hindi language series, as well as augmenting the portfolio of regional language series to maintain and grow its leadership position in tier 2 and tier 3 regions of India. As previously announced in December 2020, Eros Now is planning to release a total of 46 original series and movies premieres across 8 Indian languages during fiscal 2021. To date Eros Now has released 25 titles with the rest to follow during fiscal 2021. In addition, Eros Now plans to introduce more genres of content.

  • Eros Now partners with Applause Entertainment for Udan Patolas

    Eros Now partners with Applause Entertainment for Udan Patolas

    MUMBAI: Streaming platform Eros Now has partnered with Applause Entertainment to create a premium romantic comedy series titled Udan Patolas. The audience can look forward to a fun-filled entertaining piece of content with intense emotion and drama that will be seen on the OTT.

    Udan Patolas, is the Indian adaptation of hit Israeli series Honey Badgers from Armoza Formats, a riveting story of four friends and their aspirational journey in Mumbai. This is a tale of a strong sisterhood replete with inside jokes, emotional upheavals, and many unplanned comic moments. The Eros Now Original series is produced by Applause Entertainment in association with Sol Production and is directed by Shakti Sagar Chopra. It features Aastha Sidana, Sukhmani Sadana, Apoorva Arora, Poppy Jabbal, Tanya Kalra, Manik Singh, Rajbeer Singh, Mayank Arora, Vaibhav Talwar, and Rakesh Bedi.

    Eros Group chief content officer Ridhima Lulla said, "At Eros, our constant endeavour is to present audiences with fresh and fascinating content in varied genres. The partnership with Applause Entertainment is a step further in enhancing our robust Originals library and continue to attract audience across demographics and geographies. We have always presented Indian content internationally and with Udan Patolas we will now be showcasing an international adaptation for our viewers.”

    Applause Entertainment CEO Sameer Nair said, "We are excited to partner with Eros Now to build their slate of original content. We are glad to be able to entertain and delight their customers with two exciting series from the house of Applause, starting with Udan Patolas.

    Recently, Eros Now unveiled its strategic market expansion plan, as part of which it will add 46 new titles – comprising 33 film premieres and 13 original series – in 2021. The platform caters to 36.2 million paid subscribers and 211.5 million registered users worldwide as of 30 September 2020.

  • Eros Now Select now on Apple TV channels in 11 new countries

    Eros Now Select now on Apple TV channels in 11 new countries

    KOLKATA: Eros Now, a leading South Asian streaming entertainment service owned by Eros STX Global Corporation, has made its content available through Eros Now Select for Apple TV channels on the Apple TV app on iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, iPod touch, Mac, and other platforms in 11 new countries.

    After its successful launch in the US, Canada and India, Eros Now Select is now available to customers in significant overseas markets, such as Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, Cambodia, Indonesia, Israel, Malaysia, Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Tajikistan.

    The global demand for Bollywood movies and Indian originals makes Eros Now Select an ideal online destination for South Asian diaspora worldwide to access the best video streaming experience. As Indian entertainment content continues to attract a massive audience base worldwide, the expansion through Apple TV channels deepens Eros Now Select’s consumer footprint in these growing OTT markets.

    Subscribers to Eros Now Select through Apple TV channels can watch online or enjoy offline downloads of their favourite shows on the Apple TV app. Through family sharing, up to six family members can share subscriptions to Apple TV channels using their own Apple ID and password on their own devices.

    Eros Now CEO Ali Hussein said, “The rise in OTT consumption worldwide opens up immense opportunities for Eros Now Select – widely known for its extensive Bollywood and Indian originals – to expand reach and ramp up distribution in 11 new territories on the Apple TV app.”

    The Apple TV app brings together all the ways to watch shows and movies into one app and is available on iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Apple TV, Mac, select Samsung, LG, and Sony smart TVs, Roku and Amazon Fire TV devices, and PlayStation and Xbox consoles. The Apple TV app also features Apple TV+, Apple’s video subscription service offering original shows, movies and documentaries from the world’s most creative storytellers, as well as other Apple TV channels, personalised and curated recommendations, and movies to buy or rent.

  • How Eros Now plans to reach 50 mn subscribers by 2023

    How Eros Now plans to reach 50 mn subscribers by 2023

    MUMBAI: OTT platform Eros Now caused a hubbub in the industry last week, when it unveiled its plan to roll out 46 new titles in 2021. The revamped content slate comprises 33 film premieres and 13 original series, produced by and starring some of the most talented individuals in the Indian film fraternity. Couple of these shows have already started launching on the platform.

    In tune with the maxim 'go big or go home', Eros Now has set its sights on acquiring 50 million subscribers by 2023. The streaming service also has interesting "content and experiences" in store for its Indian audience in the upcoming year.

    Original content slate

    The original films part of the 2021 content slate are Nawazuddin Siddiqui-starrer Roam Rome Main, The Last Rave, and Switch, among others. Original series include Pyaar, Salt City, Metro Park 2,754, The Swap, Flipkart and 7 Kadam among others. The titles will feature artists like Siddiqui, Vikrant Massey, Rajkummar Rao, Akshaye Khanna, Ranvir Shorey, Amit Sadh, Dulquer Salmaan, Mahesh Manjrekar, Rituparna Sengupta, Mammootty, Sonali Kulkarni, Rohini Hattangadi, and others.

    Eros Now is targeting to become both a national and a regional brand at the same time. The company is planning to release minimum one and sometimes two originals per month over a 12 month term. With this move, Eros intends to drive higher impact and higher reach for its original and have deeper quality narrative and better performances from the talent. Eros Now chief executive officer Ali Hussein quipped that they believe in spending more time in the writer's room, script, post-production, casting and quality of content.

    Marketing and promotions

    Each film and original will have a unique promotional plan. Most of the shows will be available dubbed in different regional languages. Hussein disclosed that initially most of the dubbing was done manually but now the team is working on backend technology where he is piloting something with dynamic subtitle. The platform will debut this process by the end of the month, where technology will automatically pick up the script supposedly in Hindi and convert it into English and then convert it into local languages in subtitles. In 2021, the company is looking at a technology that will convert the subtitles to computer generated voice – an automated dubbing. Version one of this technology will be launched before the end of 2020. A partnership with NBC is also being worked out.

    Focus on actors rather than A-listers

    One of the things that Eros Now is enforcing as a culture is moving away from A-list celebrity driven content to more narrative or story driven content. There is a clear change seen in consumer preferences on OTT platforms with more regional content being sampled, said Hussein. “There will be a larger investment in terms of content and then we will build the business over a period, it is about a four-six quarters phenomenon.”

    Key takeaways from Covid2019

    The Covid2019-induced lockdown was the first major moment when the country saw an increase in video-on-demand content with home viewership increasing almost three times. Eros Now, too, witnessed 3X growth in large scale viewing. Hussein reveals that the company is more conducive to in-home viewing. He added, “One of the most encouraging factors was looking at in-home viewing because that kind of implies two real factors, first being less churn on m-o-m basis metric, and second is additional amount of time spent.” A large part of the new subscribers are coming from tier-3 and 4 cities in India and they’re interested in watching original content in their native tongue, which has led the platform to announce the addition of 46 new titles in eight languages for 2021.

    Subscriber base and growth rate

    In the half-year ended 30 September 2020, Eros Now increased its paid subscriber base by 6.9 million, to a total of 36.2 million. The company is banking on this new content slate to further deepen user engagement and reinforce the platform’s growth. The company targets to be at 50 million subscribers in the next 18-24 months or by March 2023.  “We are also looking not just at overall subscriber matrix looking at various slices and dices in avenues like what’s the growth coming from the devices side in tier 3 and tier 4, what is our growth in large screen viewership, we are high lightly focused on two major announcements coming on in the international market in upcoming weeks of what are we doing in developed markets like US and UK and developing markets like Africa and South East Asia,” detailed Hussein.

    Pre-production and direct OTT release

    The Eros Now CEO shared that his partnership with Epic revealed that a lot of production work including graphics is happening real time on a game engine. So, leveraging technology for post-production is Hussein’s key focus.

    The OTT platform, along with its parent's theatrical arm, has invested $1 billion in content creation over the last five years and will continue investing, he asserted. Apart from digital expansion, from the studio perspective Eros will be aggressively looking at content slate in the first quarter. Comparing his shows with other streaming giants in the market, Hussein said that the company is not just looking at thriller dramas but also at romance comedy and regional content, where it sees a significant amount of growth coming from.

    With the surge in Covid cases in the US and Europe, there is a lot of news in the international market as well about direct OTT release. In the meantime, he is trying to get a sense of how international movies like Tenet and Wonder Woman are performing and what is the overall consumer sentiment before releasing movies directly on the OTT platform.

    Technological advancements and bundle deals

    Hussein revealed that Eros is in talks with NBC regarding a partnership; it’s also working closely with Microsoft to launch new backend technology. “The platform has got delayed hence we pushed back the launch of the English language service, which will now happen in Q1 of 2021. So, once the service gets launched very similar to consumer psychographic, there will be different segments, you can either choose to watch a particular genre or you can opt for a bundle. Obviously, they all will be housed under larger Eros Now filters but larger vision is to have micro-bundles. It will be based on both language and genre.”

    Changing regulatory landscape

    When asked about online content being brought under the MIB’s ambit, Hussein said the OTT platforms were governed by the IT Act earlier as well and hoped for the effective implementation of the newly introduced changes in 2021. From a business side, Eros is not jumping into any assumption about what can happen and what will happen. When the IAMAI along with other digital organisations came up with a self-regulatory code last year, he considered it a progressive step to give responsibility back to the content creators and streaming platforms. He pointed out that the I&B ministry has a good understanding that their audience is not the same as on television.

    Importance of partnership and collaboration

    Eros Now has partnered with Apple+ and has scaled it to four markets including the US, the UK, Canada and India. The platform will soon be introduced on Apple+. It has also partnered with YouTube Music, for a special first-time user plan of Rs 99 for three months. This was a situation where two services were bundled together strategically. Hussein opined, “In the times to come, on the distribution side, whether it is two brands competing or collaborating to create a customer value proposition is one aspect; another aspect of partnership is going to work with mobile, telcos, distribution partners around the world, and how we scale the consumers.

  • Eros Now boosts content slate, announces 46 new titles for 2021

    Eros Now boosts content slate, announces 46 new titles for 2021

    MUMBAI: Eros Now is going big with its content strategy for 2021, in the form of 46 new titles, including 33 film premieres and 13 original series, planned for launch in the coming year. With this strategic announcement, which featured Bollywood stars Ayushmann Khurrana and Kartik Aaryan, the company hopes to engage with its existing global audience and cater to the growing consumer demand for fresh and entertaining online video content. 

    The comprehensive and diverse content slate, promoted through the campaign – #KahaaniHarRangKi, is based on insights derived from Eros Now’s proprietary user data sourced from target audience in the Indian and global diaspora. The promo featuring Ayushmann Khurrana and Kartik Aaryan showcases Eros Now’s commitment to present differentiated yet entertaining content for audiences across markets in India and worldwide.

    Regional language content slate will also get a boost with a range of program formats in varied languages such as Malayalam, Gujarati, Marathi, and Hindi, amongst others. These 33 film premieres and 13 original series will appeal to a diverse audience that is interested in exploring the best of online video streaming. In addition, Eros Now will debut 30 new Quickies and 10 new short films.  

    In the half-year ended 30 September 2020, Eros Now increased its paid subscriber base by 6.9 million, to a total of 36.2 million. The company is banking on this new content slate to further deepen user engagement and reinforce the platform’s growth.  

    Ridhima Lulla, chief content officer, Eros Group, said, "We are committed to investing in quality programming that will appeal to the Indian and global diaspora, and this huge content slate adds to Eros Now’s massive entertainment catalogue. India is witnessing significant demand growth driven by the digital shift and the consumer’s desire to watch programming in different formats and in their preferred language. This amazing slate will deepen our connection with the audience and offers entertainment like never before."

    The campaign, #KahaaniHarRangKi, will be further promoted through a 360-degree marketing outreach. Eros Now has created videos that will be amplified across digital and social media platforms. Additionally, the OTT platform has recruited several influencers to strengthen the campaign by reaching out to a vast audience and spreading the joy of entertainment to Indian as well as global audiences that enjoy diverse South Asian content.  

  • Eros Now reaches 36.2 mn paying subscribers

    Eros Now reaches 36.2 mn paying subscribers

    KOLKATA: Eros Now, the OTT platform owned by ErosSTX, has reached 36.2 million paid subscribers and 211.5 million registered users worldwide as of 30 September. This represents 6.9 million net new paid subscriber additions over the past six months.

    This subscriber growth has been powered by its investment in technology and the larger partnership with Microsoft. In a recently completed project, Eros Now uploaded content to a central content repository, built on Microsoft Azure, that can quickly process large volumes of data to distribute to hubs via satellite. Consumers then connect to these hubs to securely download content to their mobile devices without internet connectivity. By using this system, consumers in low connectivity regions can access Eros Now’s rich media content and pay for services in modes they prefer. Enabling video distribution via satellite could be game changing for the OTT business in developing markets like India, South East Asia and Africa where more than 50 per cent of the population has intermittent access to internet and internet video.

    Another major attribute to the platform’s growing popularity has been the Eros Now Original Series. The recently released and critically acclaimed original series Flesh, starring Swara Bhaskar, generated the highest ever time spent viewing by Eros Now consumers – more than any other original series so far. Overall engagement on the platform has increased dramatically so far this year and is approximately double the pre-lockdown engagement.

    This festive season, Eros Now has partnered with Paytm to offer 100 per cent cash back to the digital payments app’s consumers in India who subscribe to the Eros Now’s monthly pack of Rs 49 and to unlock #DilwaliDiwali and enjoy the best of movies, original series and more.

  • Digital Diwali: Online platforms spread festive cheer

    Digital Diwali: Online platforms spread festive cheer

    NEW DELHI: 2020 has been a difficult and challenging year on many fronts on account of the Covid2019 pandemic. Alongside, it has taught us to value life and treasure every moment spent with our near and dear ones – and Diwali is the perfect time to do so. With the festival of lights and joy upon us, digital platforms across categories have come up with fun and innovative ways to celebrate the occasion with everyone.

    Here's a look at some of the campaigns by digital platforms that advocate following precautions and overcoming adversities through togetherness this Diwali:-

    Mitron

    Mitron is spreading festive cheer with the launch of its Diwali campaign #mitronkidiwali. Users are invited to share their Diwali celebrations on the short video sharing app, by participating in an exciting contest.

    Adding to the festivities, Mitron has also launched catchy in-app music. Titled ‘Happy Diwali Mitron’, the toe-tapping song urges users to enjoy the festivities with family and friends. 

    For the contest, users are invited to upload Diwali celebration videos with festive elements like rangoli, firecrackers, playing cards, Diwali cleaning, sweets, and festive attire. There are six categories for participants to choose from, which will then serve as the theme of the video. These include Miss Phuljadi #diwalidiva (best dressed female), Mr Bomb #diwalihunk (best dressed male), Super Lit Diwali #litdiwali (best Diwali decoration), Jashn-e-Diwali (best Diwali celebration with family/friends) and Mitron ki Diwali (best Diwali video on the app). Content creators can participate in all the categories and create as many videos as they like. Six lucky winners will get to win some amazing prizes.

    Eros Now

    Eros Now, through its #UnlockDilwaliDiwali campaign, is encouraging users to celebrate the festivities with loved ones. While it is important to be mindful of the current circumstances which restrict certain activities, what matters in the end is quality content at affordable prices. Eros Now’s #UnlockDilwaliDiwali campaign is based on the simple premise that people can remain safe and have fun at the same time by spending this special occasion indoors together, binge watching their favourite movies with a helping of their favourite mithai on the side.

    9stacks 

    9stacks, the poker platform, has dealt out the Yeh Diwali Poker Wali campaign, wherein players can simply stay home and connect with their close ones over the voice enabled private table feature on the platform. Through the private table option, users can reserve tables to play with their friends and family anytime during this festive season.

    With the much-awaited festival of Diwali just around the corner, most families are looking forward to spending time with each other in-house as going out and celebrating would not be possible amidst the pandemic. Hence, in such a scenario, the concept of private tables will help users bond with their loved ones as well as break the monotony brought in by the lockdown over the last few months. 9stacks invites everyone to host Poker nights this festive time by gathering around with their loved ones and enjoying a riveting game that is sure to keep them hooked.

    Facebook 

    Facebook has shared a short film underscoring the power of connections, and its brand belief that people can do ‘More Together’ than alone.  

    The film's plot is centered around the spirit of resilience of 28-year-old Pooja and how she helps sustain as many households as possible through the hardships of the pandemic via her dairy venture. The decision to hire more personnel, even when business is slow, comes at a great personal cost. However, the way the plot unfolds showcases the limitless possibilities when people come together.

    Paytm 

    The online wallet brand has launched a film to celebrate the festive spirit. It showcases a strong emotional bond between the family members even if they are separated by distance. It is an extension of the company’s ongoing TV campaign highlighting the seamlessness of Instant Bank to Bank Transfers through the Paytm app.

  • ErosNow gets into a mess with provocative social media posts

    ErosNow gets into a mess with provocative social media posts

    MUMBAI: These are sensitive times. Brands and influencers have to tread carefully, almost as if they are walking on egg shells. Streaming service Eros Now learnt it the hard way over the past couple of days.  

    Ever since the start of Navratri 2020, Eros Now – which is part of Eros STX –  has been posting short videos and digital stills from movies produced by Eros International. Some of these  featured Deepika Padukone from 2015's Bajirao Mastani. Kareena Kapoor Khan in her Chhammak Chhallo avatar from the 2011 film Ra.One on Twitter. These were accompanied by provocative – and what could be called raunchy messaging, obviously to evoke a grin from the young who flock to dandiya and garba gatherings. The person behind the push is a young social media executive.

    "Be naughty, sweet toh mithai bhi hai," read a tweet shared alongside one of the Navratri posters.

    Another poster featured a picture of actor Katrina Kaif along with the caption "Do you want to put the ratri in my Navratri?"

    All hell broke loose as a section of  the Twitterati found the language offensive and vulgar and derogatory of Hindu icons and festivals. And the trolls got to work with a vengeance: starting a hashtag boycott ErosNow which soon became a chorus – so much so that it trended worldwide.

    Some even alluded that Ali Hussein the head honcho of ErosNow is a Muslim, which is why the streamer was insensitive to Hindu sentiments. We, at indiantelevision.com, know that a religious slur was not the intent, the idea was to connect with the youth in a manner they talk and joke amongst themselves.

     

     

    But the trolls had a field day.

    "Dear Eros Now, Why have you posted these double-meaning vulgar banners for the auspicious festive season?" asked one Twitter user.
    Others called for strict action to be taken against the company.

    Nevertheless, following the uproar ErosNow decided to pull down the so-called offensive tweets and images.

    And it shared in a tweet where it explained itself: “We at Eros love and respect our cultures equally. It is not, and it has never been our intention to hurt anyone’s emotions. We have deleted the concerned posts and apologise for having offended anybody’s sentiments.”

     

     

    At the time of writing, the anti-ErosNow campaign was losing steam, even though a bunch were still posting their annoyance on Twitter. 

  • Eros International unveils new identity for Eros STX Global Corp

    Eros International unveils new identity for Eros STX Global Corp

    KOLKATA: Eros International Plc has changed its corporate name to Eros STX Global Corp. Along with the change in the corporate name, the brand has come with a new logo, a new website, and a new stock ticker ESGC for New York stock exchange.

    Eros Intl Media CEO Pradeep Dwivedi shared the new identity for Eros STX Global Corp on his social media account.

     

     

    The name change follows the completion of company’s merger-of-equals transaction with STX Entertainment on 30 July. The corporate name change does not affect the company’s share structure or the rights of the company’s shareholders, and no action is required of the company’s existing shareholders in connection with the corporate name change.

    Read more news on Eros & STX Global merger 

    As described in the new website, the merged entity has six divisions Eros Now, Eros Motion Pictures, Eros STX International, STX films, STX television, STX alternative. The merger which was announced earlier this year brings two major forces of Bollywood and Hollywood together.

    In a recent interaction Dwivedi delved deeper into the merger of the two entities and shared his belief that the merged entity should be able to build the first compelling Indian studio that will capture worldwide attention both in terms of theatrical and streaming business.

  • Eros STX Global forecasts 50 mn monthly paid subscribers for Eros Now by 2022

    Eros STX Global forecasts 50 mn monthly paid subscribers for Eros Now by 2022

    KOLKATA: Eros International and STX Filmworks completed the big Bollywood-Hollywood merger last month. The newly combined company Eros STX Global Corporation forecasts 50 million monthly paid subscribers for Eros Now and generate $1 billion in revenue for the calendar year 2022.

    Eros Now reached 33.8 million paid monthly subscribers and 205.8 million registered users as of 30 June. “Despite the business challenges arising from the pandemic, Eros STX has seen a substantial increase in both new subscriptions and consumer engagement on the Eros Now platform driven by increased time spent at home as well as fewer out-of-home entertainment options available,” Eros STX Global co-chairman and CEO Robert Simonds said.

     “Eros Now has a strong slate of films and original series scheduled for release over the coming quarters, and the Company expects this to help drive continued growth in the paying subscriber base in India and around the world. Consumers are watching more content on the platform than ever before, an acceleration of growth that will provide strong tailwinds to the combined business for the coming quarters,” he added.

    Simonds seems extremely optimistic about Eros Now as he said it has one of the largest libraries of local and regional language content in the Indian marketplace which would take a significant investment of capital for a competitor to even try to replicate it. He also cited the independent, third-party valuation that was done in February which valued Eros library at $1 billion approximately. 

    Other than Eros Now, Eros STX’s co-production with some of the largest global players like Amazon and Netflix also opens another growth window for the company.