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Tag: Ferzad Palia

  • Voot Select premiers The Comey Rule

    Voot Select premiers The Comey Rule

    KOLKATA: The US Presidential Election 2020 is the most anticipated political event unfolding in a matter of weeks. But before the dynamics of world politics get ruffled again, we must witness a recreation of the tumultuous relationship between a decorated former FBI Director and current US President that blotted the tenure of the most controversial presidency in US history. Streaming exclusively on Voot Select in India, The Comey Rule features powerful performances by Emmy winners Jeff Daniels as former FBI director James Comey and Brendan Gleeson as president Donald J. Trump.

     Commenting on the new line-up premiering on the platform, Voot Select, Viacom18 youth, music and english entertainment head Ferzad Palia said, “Voot Select is constantly pushing the boundaries of content offered to viewers with top-notch originals, international shows across genres, popular sports, music & lifestyle events. While our originals have been making waves, the variety of international series on our platform has not only been appreciated by critics and audience alike but also created a fan-following for themselves.” 

    Read more news on Voot

    He further added, “Through this exclusive deal with Showtime, one of the most dominant content creators, we’re bringing the latest and biggest international shows to Indian audience. Garnering rave reviews and US elections looming, The Comey Rule has become one of the most recommended political dramas to watch. Voot Select is adding a whole lot more to the viewers’ watchlist in the coming days with the English Football League Carabao Cup and shows like The Good Lord Bird, The Comedy Store, Your Honor, The Reagans to only name a few.”

    The high-pitched political drama will be followed by an array of similarly extraordinary content including the Ethan Hawke starrer The Good Lord Bird, The Comedy Store – chronicling the five-part docuseries on the evolution of comedy and the highly competitive English football competition ‘Carabao Cup’, premiering exclusively on Voot Select, certain to get viewers hooked to the platform.

  • VOOT Select subscribers coming mainly from top 6 metros: Ferzad Palia

    VOOT Select subscribers coming mainly from top 6 metros: Ferzad Palia

    KOLKATA: Production houses have been able to resume the shooting schedule for shows since July, four months after the lockdown, but the fate of large scale projects still remains cloudy. Amid the backdrop of this uncertainty, the OTT players are innovating to churn out content.

    VOOT Select, the subscription-based premium service of  VOOT, that was introduced a few days before the lockdown, has launched a new show – The Gone Game. Interestingly, the show has been shot remotely and entirely in isolation during the lockdown. Directed by Nikhil Nagesh Bhat, The Gone Game is a one of a kind and a never-seen-before concept that puts creative freedom in the hands of the cast of the series to innovate while shooting from their homes. 

    Although some of the projects have been delayed during the lockdown, VOOT Select, Viacom18 Youth, Music, and English Entertainment head Ferzad Palia is confident of its content pipeline thanks to the mix of originals, international content and before TV.

    The lockdown has given a huge surge to all streaming services. VOOT Select did not have a chance to compare its traffic to pre-Covid period but shelter-at-home directive has helped it to beat in terms of subscription, watch time.

    Palia said the subscribers are consuming all sort of content with its originals like Asur, The Raikar Case, and Illegal creating a good buzz. Talking about the subscribers, Palia mentioned that they are mostly coming from top six metro cities followed by significant inflow from the top 15 cities as well.

    While lockdown has created an opportunity for streaming services, it has also impacted the marketing strategy due to the absence of the outdoor medium. Palia said while they have not been able to effectively use the outdoors after the first few days of launch, they have diverted marketing spends towards digital and TV. VOOT Select is evaluating all options around the outdoor medium with lockdown ending in a few parts of the country but currently keeping the focus on digital and television.

    During these last four-five months, many of the large OTT platforms have struck deals with movies lined up for theatrical release. Palia said the platform needs to focus on its own product now as it has a strong original slate and international content slate. He mentioned that no opportunity is off the table but timing is important.

    “We are very clear that our distribution strategy is not to be necessarily available with every single partner. We are very selective about the partner that we choose and Tata Sky Binge is the first announcement that we have made. There are others in the pipeline. It's important for us to build reach and for that distribution to increase. While the heart of our business is d2c, if there are opportunities which will help consumers access us through partners and that is relevant for them, we will take a call,” Palia commented on distribution strategy.

    As several parts of the country are reopening, experts believe there might be a slowdown in the growth of OTTs. But Palia said that subscribers have discovered new content and a new way of consumption. Hence, they are not seeing any slowdown in subscription growth or any reduction in time spend; both are growing day-by-day.      

  • MTV bolsters its programming amidst lockdown with originals

    MTV bolsters its programming amidst lockdown with originals

    MUMBAI: Over a month into the lockdown, social distancing has become a way of life across the country. As the youth are adhering to the lockdown way of life, they are consuming more content and are craving for fresh shows on television and digital media to keep themselves entertained. Understanding this need gap, MTV promises to make lockdown weekends more entertaining with power-packed original content. Starting 2 May, every Saturday and Sunday, MTV brings an innovative twist to its flagship properties with CMTV Roadies LIVE Audition, MTV Hustle From Home and MTV Ace Quarantine. Amidst a lockdown on shoots, these shows have been created innovatively to build interactivity and amp up the entertainment quotient. 

    Commenting on MTV’s innovative content line-up, Voot Select head, Viacom18 Youth, Music and English Entertainment head  Ferzad Palia said: “MTV is the leader when it comes to original concepts for youth entertainment. Amidst the lockdown, we adapted quickly to keep our viewers connected with their favorite stars on social media. The success of these initiatives prompted us to explore digitally shot unscripted content for TV as well, thus giving rise to properties like MTV Roadies LIVE Audition, MTV Hustle from Home, and MTV Ace Quarantine. Keeping in line with the viewing preferences of our young audience, this fresh programming every weekend is an effort to create an engaging television experience for our fans and bridge the gap for new content on TV.” 

    Roadies auditions are thrilling. More so, when it’s done virtually. In its 17th season, India’s longest-running adventure reality show has created history with the first-ever LIVE auditions on social media. Post levels of challenges and interview rounds on the Facebook page of MTV Roadies, one deserving contestant will win the ultimate opportunity to battle it out on the final journey. Some of the best moments of OPPO MTV Roadies Revolution co- powered by Castrol POWER1, Alo Fruit Juice, and Manforce, will be aired on the channel as an episode every Saturday starting 2 May at 7 PM. 

    MTV Hustle from Home is a unique six-part series where the best from the world of rap will come together to jam from their homes. Starting 3 May, every Sunday at 7 PM only on MTV, this series will bring the best of hip-hop for the audience and offer a musical treat. Stalwarts Raftaar and Raja Kumari will join in the show to share their insights on writing, composing the right beat, and arranging a song. Hosted by VJ Gaelyn Mendonca, the series will also see popular artists of MTV Hustle S1 such as M Zee Bella, RCR, EPR, Agsy, Void, and Shloka indulge in fun rhythmic banters and create an upbeat musical experience. This series is MTV’s heartfelt salute to all superheroes- doctors, nurses, police, and other essential service providers, who are at the forefront, battling these trying times. 

    Adding up to the quirk and drama, MTV Ace Quarantine, which will launch next month will encourage participation from around the country. The contestants will be given tasks that will revolve around how they’re ‘acing the quarantine’ at home. Hosted by MTV Ace of Space fame Varun Sood and Divya Agarwal, the tasks will be open to public for voting. The most entertaining contestant will be titled as the winner and gratified by MTV.

  • Digital marketing becomes mainstay for OTT platforms during COVID-19

    Digital marketing becomes mainstay for OTT platforms during COVID-19

    MUMBAI: The COVID-19 pandemic has thrown a spanner in the works of every single organisation. Even as the media and entertainment industry comes to terms with this ‘new normal’, the over the top (OTT) industry seems to have got a thrust. As digital viewership keeps increasing week on week, it is imperative for streaming services to ensure viewers are aware and engaged.

    Right at the beginning of the lockdown, several services opened up their premium content for free viewing. Since there is hardly any chance in the resumption of OOH advertising in the next few weeks or even months, OOT platforms are mulling over innovative ideas to attract and retain customers. In part two of this series, we explore how these platforms are communicating to its consumers who are stuck at home and hungry for good content.

    The BARC-Nielsen report states that VOD viewership on digital is at 3 hours 59 minutes a day in week three of lockdown, with a 12 per cent increase from pre-COVID time. This is being fuelled by movies and original series. Understanding this change, services have shifted their OOH spends to these two mediums.

    On the digital front, ZEE5 is focusing on reach and frequency campaigns along with expertise on entertainment and news websites. “News and entertainment are our two key segments on digital and TV now since people’s attention is currently diverted there. We have moved a lot of our OOH display advertising to the digital medium. We have also started a lot of video advertising,” says ZEE5 India SVOD marketing head Reilly Rebello.

    Voot Select and Viacom18 youth, music and English entertainment head Ferzad Palia is confident that Voot Select, which launched days before the country went into lockdown, has a huge slate of originals that can easily attract consumers. With the ongoing crisis, the aim is to focus on creating awareness. One of the ways is through chat shows with talented artists from their shows. Palia says that Voot had intended to take this approach even without a lockdown.

    According to Palia, the impact lies in how effectively they use the two available mediums – TV and digital – in the crisis as the words need to be maximised.

    ALTBalaji, the streaming service from the house of Balaji Telefilms, struck a deal with Zee TV to air some of its family dramas. The duo also has an OTT partnership in place. ALTBalaji marketing, analytics & direct revenue SVP Divya Dixit says that for them, digital marketing comprises all social media handles, platforms and websites that are being accessed by the audience.

    “We create backlinks across our media communications to ensure our website witnesses a continuous influx of new and existing users. Influencer marketing is another tool that has worked wonders for us and the shows. When you see actors and vloggers talking about the show and the characters directly with their fanbase, it tends to create a personal bond with the audience and engages them in the journey of their favourite characters and actors,” she says.

    She adds that memes have become mainstream and an important and engaging tool for marketers. So, ALTBalaji has incorporated meme marketing as an integral part of its marketing campaigns. “Besides Instagram and Twitter, we also actively use WhatsApp to engage with audiences,” she adds.

    Switching over to digital, ZEE5 has started moving press screenings online. Rebello says that they have sent the key information to reviewers and media people along with a link to a 20-30 minutes preview.

    MX Player launched eight shows in March and the first week of April for which campaigns were seen across social media to create personalised experiences. “We have digital PR, an increase in spends on mobile marketing, optimising performance marketing to reach out to viewers at every possible touchpoint as well as contextual advertising. More so, since our own platform hosts 75 million daily active users, we have used our own internal inventory to cross-promote across categories. It’s more personalised with focused audience buckets,” MX Player marketing and business partnerships head Abhishek Joshi says.

    Hungama Digital Media COO Siddhartha Roy states that on the basis of the double-digit growth in consumption Hungama Play has noticed on the platform since the beginning of March, it will continue channel marketing spends on the digital medium for the next set of original shows that are ready for release.

    It is an opportune time for streaming platforms to target existing customers as well as attain new ones to sample the content in the hope that not only viewership but also revenue through advertising and subscription will increase over time.

  • How OTT players re-calibrate OOH advertising during social distancing

    How OTT players re-calibrate OOH advertising during social distancing

    MUMBAI: The world continues to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic, an unprecedented crisis in living memory that has almost crippled our everyday lives and left the whole country deserted. And the reality has been unpalatable to the media and entertainment industry, especially the outdoor advertising segment, which is bearing the brunt of the stay-at-home/social distancing stipulations.

    The out-of-home (OOH) medium has been one of the go-to points for OTT services in India so much so that leading streaming platforms had started outdoing even retail brands in OOH advertising. Now, with that option totally shut, streaming services are looking at ways to re-calibrate their ad spends. 

    In this new series, we explore how the OTT industry is coping with its communication strategies amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. We start off with the OOH industry. 

    As people have suddenly been forced to shift to seek entertainment online, digital advertising has gained traction. However, none of the platforms denies the importance of OOH in the media mix.

    ALTBalaji marketing, analytics & direct revenue SVP Divya Dixit says that the platform has been at the forefront of executing creative and innovative OOH formats for its varied shows. However, she mentions that their strategies have always been a mix of varied tools, and in times such as these, they seek to explore the rest of them with innovation and uniqueness. 

    "For marketers, with OOH advertisement being suspended, it does create a dent in the overall marketing outreach. As all of us exercise the mandatory stay-at-home-stay-safe measure during the lockdown, audiences across the country are now consuming content digitally every part of the day. In such a situation, digital marketing, buoyed by social media, influencer marketing, meme marketing, OBD calls, SMS and email blasts etc., can prove to be the best bet for brands right now. Especially for a digital-first platform like ours, it promises to play a crucial role in the overall marketing mix, seeing 50 per cent of the allotted marketing budget," she adds.

    Hungama Digital Media COO Siddhartha Roy comments that the stay-at-home measure has enabled the TV and digital media to find captive audiences while the audience for OOH and other forms of outdoor and experiential marketing has decreased dramatically. "As a platform, we realised a long time ago that our audience is present on the digital medium; hence, our marketing strategy, even in the past, has been heavily skewed towards digital and social platforms," he says.

    Broadcaster-led platforms, like VOOT, ZEE5, etc., whose traditional business has also been bullish on OOH, accept it as a key component of the media mix. Voot Select and Viacom18 youth, music and English entertainment head Ferzad Palia says that outdoor is very important when a new service is launching, especially in markets like Mumbai. But he also adds that they have never been over-indexed on outdoor; hence, cutting back on this area is not a huge change. While having an outdoor option could have been an advantage, he mentions the OOH spends are being shifted to a mix of TV and digital ads.

    ZEE5 India SVOD marketing head Reilly Rebello also echoes Palia's thoughts. While terming OOH as a key component of its advertising mix, he does not forget to mention that there are a lot of other mediums that have been used regularly. Rebello also says that they are focusing a lot on digital and TV. ZEE5 India is doing heavy targetted advertising on the ZEE5 app while focusing on other digital mediums. A major part of ZEE5's OOH cost has moved to the digital medium.

    However, TheSmallBigIdea CEO and co-founder Harikrishnan Pillai has a different take. He is of the view that outdoor was never a pivot platform for OTT. According to Pillai, while OOH builds perception and is a great reminder medium, it is seldom the core medium. "What outdoor helped OTT do is place itself alongside broadcast television in terms of scale. Over the years, TV has built a perception on the back of the outdoors. So for OTT, which is digital-first, absence of outdoor doesn't matter much in these times, since TV, too, isn't making much use of it," he says.

    "Given the stay-at-home, stay-safe mandate, a lot of outdoor media has had to be removed from the marketing media mix, but at MX Player, we firmly believe that all else can wait, but your daily dose of entertainment must go on. We've gone live with eight shows just in the month of March and the first week of April," MX Player marketing and business partnerships head Abhishek Joshi states.

    While OOH hoardings stay barren for now, the hope is that the industry will be back on track after this crisis passes us.

  • Decoding Viacom18’s SVOD blueprint for Voot Select

    Decoding Viacom18’s SVOD blueprint for Voot Select

    MUMBAI: Unlike other international markets, the Indian streaming revolution was started by major broadcasters and Viacom18’s Voot has been at the forefront of the OTT boom in the country. While it has already built up a robust 100 million monthly active user base, the platform now starts its journey into the subscription game. Voot Select enters the market at a time when SVOD has already started its uptick. As the platform aims to strike a balance between quality and quantity, it looks at a window of three-four years to turn the business profitable.

    Viacom18 Digital Ventures COO Gourav Rakshit says that this next decade is going to be about subscription and depth of content consumption while the previous decade was about online video and most of it free. He adds that consumers that are now habituated to online video consumption are going to start to become more and more comfortable with online payments providing impetus to the category.

    "We are very clear that we are not playing for quantity. We as a whole network are very clear that we will focus on great stories. And we have been great storytellers, by virtue of everything that you have seen of us over the last 12 to 15 years and creating content at any scale, in any language is second nature to us. That is exactly why we're so proud of the originals that we have. Each original is gripping, keeps you hooked right to the last episode, and you will not want to move till it's over- that is the strength of a story. The primary focus is the script, then everything else,” Voot Select and Viacom18 youth, music and English entertainment head Ferzad Palia comments on content strategy.

    “The nature and width of offering that we have is unlike anyone else. Now it comes down to the quality of stories and we are confident of our stories being great stories,” he adds.

    “We will do telco and other partnerships with all of the people that either have reached to the consumer, or in billing relationships with the consumer. Both such models makes sense to us and will help us in delivering valuable content to the frontline. Hence, anybody who has a billing pipe to a consumer is valuable to us. These are the partners that we would find a natural fit with and seek to engage,” Rakshit comments on the distribution.

    The first step of the campaign will be to target existing AVOD subscribers. "We do have the significant advantage of scale of some of our other businesses, which will allow us to communicate our message and make our offering to them first,” Palia comments.

    Voot Select has 30 originals planned in the coming financial year. The currently planned library of these 30 originals will consist of long-format content but the platform is evaluating some interesting digital movies too. The premium service has been priced at Rs 99 per month or at Rs 999 per year with an exclusive offer price of Rs 499 per year.

    “The AVOD gives us wings to be able to run this SVOD business. Hence, we will continue to invest in the business and what we are really good at is doubling down on interactivity, moving the 300 million number to a billion and creating an AVOD world as a place where fandom can exist. The SVoD business is going to be all about storytelling. Select is made for stories, and so the best stories in the world are going to be curated for you. And that is kind of how I see the distinct role played by these two businesses,” Rakshit adds on the overall approach going forward. 

  • BBC Studios inks licensing deal with Colors Infinity for Top Gear

    BBC Studios inks licensing deal with Colors Infinity for Top Gear

    MUMBAI: BBC Studios has announced a licensing deal with Viacom18 Media, which will see the latest series of Top Gear air on the Indian entertainment network’s premium English entertainment channel – Colours Infinity. The deal for the world’s biggest motoring entertainment show, was revealed today at Showcase, BBC Studios’ spectacular trade event held in Liverpool each year.

    This multi-platform deal with Viacom18 will make series 27 of Top Gear available to Indian viewers that are looking forward to watch their favorite motoring show.

    Top Gear is the world’s biggest and longest-running motoring entertainment show which has had a huge global following across 200+ territories, making it one of the world’s most widely watched factual TV programmes. The much-loved series features gruelling challenges, epic adventures and state-of-the-art supercars with a hint of mayhem, humour and mischief.

    Series 27 introduces a shiny new presenter line up, with comedian and TV presenter Paddy McGuinness and cricketing legend Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff joining motoring journalist Chris Harris. Also back in the driving seat is the enigmatic white-suited professional driver, known across the globe as The Stig.  

    From the brutal heat of the Ethiopian desert to the sweltering Borneo rainforest, from the wilds of Iceland to the pedestrianised shopping district of a British market town, Top Gear is bigger than ever. The team tackle the fastest, hottest, toughest Top Gear challenges to date, pushing their cars and themselves to the limits. At the world-famous Top Gear test track, a fresh batch of celebrities demonstrate their driving prowess (or lack thereof) and face challenges set by the presenters.

    The new presenting line up has been a hit with fans and their debut series on BBC Two in June last year was particularly well received in the UK, with an average consolidated audience of 3.8 million.  Following the success of their first series together, the trio have recently returned to UK screens with even higher audience ratings, with the new series premiere opening to a consolidated audience of more than 4.3 million, the highest in over four years. In between series, they also filmed the Top Gear Nepal Special, which saw Freddie, Paddy and Chris embark on an epic high-altitude voyage from Kathmandu to the Forbidden City of Lo Manthang, thrilling UK audiences when it aired in December.

    BBC Studios South Asia distribution vice president Stanley Fernandes says, “We’re thrilled to partner with Viacom18 to bring the latest series of Top Gear to India. Audiences are going to love the new line up taking control of the wheel and taking the series to another level. Expect plenty of thrills, spills and laughs”

    Viacom18 Youth, Music & English Entertainment, VOOT Select head Ferzad Palia says, “Indian viewers are big fans of fast-paced and adrenaline-pumping automotive content. Globally, Top Gear is recognised as the most popular motoring entertainment show, and we’re thrilled to showcase series 27 of this iconic show to viewers in India. Adding another genre to our bouquet of offering, Viacom18 continues to deliver the best of English entertainment to its audience.”

  • MTV Insights Studio unveils ‘Mera Bharat Amazeballs’, a study into the mindset and behaviour of India’s youth

    MTV Insights Studio unveils ‘Mera Bharat Amazeballs’, a study into the mindset and behaviour of India’s youth

    MUMBAI: With 600 MN people below the age of 25, no other nation in the world is home to a more staggering young population than India. From the nostalgic Gen-Y to the empowered millennials and the high-on-hashtag Gen-Z, India today comprises of a generation that’s driven by intent, committed to action and invested towards a world of abundant opportunities. As India’s no.1 youth brand, MTV understands this shift in paradigm and demonstrates it once again with MTV Insights Studio’s 2020 edition of the country’s longest running Youth Insights Study. Titled MTV Mera Bharat Amazeballs, the study focuses on the changing mindsets of Indian youth who are resolute to make India great again.

     Viacom18 Voot Select, Youth, Music & English Entertainment head Ferzad Palia said, “For over 2 decades, MTV has led the way in understanding the pulse of its young audience and has been a pop culture icon. Deep consumer insights and continuous engagement with our audience is at the heart of how we‘ve managed to lead trends over decades. We’re proud to share our learnings with the world.”

    The MTV Youth Insights Study reflects unique choices and preferences that define young India. Going by its title, the study explores the multi-dimensional and conscientious facets of the youth – highlighting their belief in a new India, that is replete with opportunities and progress and in alignment with their world view. Going local and thinking global is now the emergent code of new-age cool. From 78% of young people putting more onus on family over career to 83% preferring to work in their hometowns, the case study covers insights from 25,000 + youngsters across 400+ cities between the age of 15 – 25 years. The five key themes of the study are – ‘Make India Great Again’, ‘Bharat = India’, ‘Girl on Top’, ‘Thank God Its Family’ and ‘I am Who I am’. 

    Viacom18 Youth, Music and English Entertainment marketing head Navin Shenoy said “Mera Bharat Amazeballs is an inward look into the changing demographic of young India and brings to light what makes them tick and what ticks them off. Despite being a generation high on social media, the youth today is passionate, positive and action oriented committed to create a society, where everyone matters. These insights are relevant to the entire ecosystem that caters to the ever-evolving consumption cycle of youth.”

    Quick snapshot of the report and its impact on industries

    Make India Great Again

    Highlighting their values, goals, ambitions and anxieties, the report further encapsulates how ‘armchair’ activism is no longer in the Indian youth glossary. Over the last few years, a whopping 81% of millennials have actively participated in local activities like beach clean-ups, tree plantation drives, car pools and even government driven initiatives like Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan. In view of the cases in Unnao and Kathua, 79% of youth feel that safety of women is still not given enough importance in the country.

    Impact on consumer industries: Homegrown consumer retail, fashion, ecommerce, logistics.

    Bharat = India

    64% of the non-metro youth state that they would prefer working in their hometowns to make money and not move to another city. Also 67% of the non-metro youth believe that everything they need is equally available in metros and small towns.

    Impact on consumer industries: Telecom, e-commerce, mobile phones, connected devices, hyperlocal marketplaces, logistics and local food & fashion.

    Girl on Top

    As per the Mera Bharat Amazeballs study, 94% of women believe that boys and girls should adhere to the same rules in a relationship against a number of 64% on the same parameter in 2016. 53% of women have advocated for their parents being modern in their attitude as against 36% of men. Moving beyond the realms of homemaking, women today are decision makers with 84% admitting that their opinions are valued in the family.

    Impact on consumer industries: Fashion, cosmetics, personal care, household appliances, BFSI and automobiles.

    Thank God Its Family

    Arranged marriage is becoming more acceptable with 60% of young India preferring it as they believe that their parents know them and hence also understand what’s good for them. Also, 81% say they’ll be happy to stay with their parents or in-laws post marriage. Arranged marriages, joint families, choosing family over career are increasingly gaining ground amongst youth today with family being a driving force in defining their choices.

    Impact on consumer industries: Entertainment, home appliances, BFSI products, F&B, Dining

    I am Who I am

    MTV Mera Bharat Amazeballs found that acceptance has also surfaced around gender definition with 71% of youngsters extending support for homosexuality. 75% of the youth today want to do something meaningful with their lives while 83% believe that pursuing passion is more important than money.

    Impact on consumer industries: Entertainment, cult lifestyle brands, recycled/up-cycled retail brands, travel & tourism, wellness.

    In this edition, MTV deployed three parameters to understand the new emerging face of young India. Starting with self-perspective which included talking to masses, the study proceeded to content perspective which assessed the youth through the lens of content they consume. Last came the ring side perspective comprising anecdotes from people who have seen youth evolve over the years – parents, teachers, HR professionals, psychiatrists etc. Qualitative partners for the research are Third Eye Qualitative Researchers and Quantitative Research Partner, Juxt Smart Mandate.

  • 2019: A year that was for English GECs

    2019: A year that was for English GECs

    MUMBAI: 2019 was all about implementation and the impact of new tariff order (NTO). It has been a year of disruption and innovation for the industry. Overall it was a challenging year for niche channels but throughout the year, channels made various efforts to overcome them and retain its consumer base. Going forward in 2020, leading English GECs, Zee Café and Colors Infinity, plan to offer innovative and engaging content to strengthen their subscriber base. The sector hopes for stability and positive growth in the broadcast industry. 

    “NTO implemented in Feb 2019 impacted reach and ad sales and broadcasters have been managing this change to get to a new equilibrium. We hope proposed tweaks to the regulation will further help stability,” says Times Network MD and CEO MK Anand. “Consolidation in the M&E sector will continue in FY'20. This will have a positive impact on cost efficiencies and the overall competitiveness of the broadcast industry.”

    “After months of tepid and negative performance across the board, some ad categories are expected to see a resurgence in FY'20, which will be a welcome respite to broadcasters,” he adds. 

    Zee Café’s big focus for the year ahead is to drive subscriber value. “Consumer experience alongside engaging content will be key to driving growth. Businesses that quickly adapt to the new tariff regime and align growth levers to solve for relevant consumer needs will ultimately benefit,” says ZEE Entertainment premium cluster business head Kartik Mahadev. 

    Similarly, Viacom18’s English cluster will bring unique international content and continue to explore more concepts that attract viewers, partner brands and sponsors. It will continue to consolidate and bolster by engaging with consumers and offer the best of international content, awards, music events and homegrown content. Adding new shows to the existing line-up as well as broadcasting the biggest entertainment events and music awards including the Golden Globe Awards, Billboards, American & Europe Music Awards, Brit Awards, and the Grammy Awards amongst others.

    Viacom18 Youth, Music & English Entertainment head Ferzad Palia says: “2019 has been a year of disruption for the entire entertainment industry and we’ve embraced it to the fullest. These changes challenged broadcasters to retain and expand their consumer base, while making consumers more aware of their entertainment habits and the value that comes with individual choices.”

    “Despite the many industry-wide challenges, we have maintained our leadership position with consistent performance across all our channels thus our ratings continue to surge in an upward trend. In terms of market share, we continue to hold a lion’s share of the pie, currently being around 71 per cent in the month of Nov’19 (GEC + Music), even more than 2017.

    While the expectation has always been for light or infrequent viewers to drop off, the heartening part is that we have managed to increase consumption from our loyal base and also acquire fresh subscribers through a solid content offering and innovative outreach programmes,” he further adds. 

    Strategies adopted by the channels to overcome the challenges in 2019

    Maintaining a balance of quality and variety has been pivotal in adapting rapidly in terms of retaining and attracting new viewers. In a conscious effort to reach newer, younger audiences the channels went beyond conventional promotional methods and practices through innovative and clutter-breaking marketing campaigns.

    “2019 has been a year of significant disruption and innovation for Zee English Cluster. By far, one of our biggest achievements has been to be able to offer World Television Premieres to our viewers, reducing the wait time for Hollywood blockbuster movies’ television release by half. Hollywood movie fans can now watch their favourite movies within months of release. Zee English cluster also gave consumers the choice to watch their favourite movies and World Television Premieres in their native language – Hindi, Tamil or Telugu, alongside English. This has successfully enabled us to widen our audience base delivering a better channel experience to the Zee Prime English pack subscribers,” says Mahadev

    On Zee Café, the third season of BBC First, our flagship programming block, was extremely

    successful and well-received by our discerning audience. The channel has also upheld its legacy by bringing multiple award-winning dramas and mini-series such as the Golden Globe nominee ‘The Loudest Voice’, Season 16 of the Golden Globe winner ‘Grey’s Anatomy’, the Emmy Award winners ‘Counterpart Season 2’ and ‘McMafia’, as part of ‘Along With The US’ and ‘Hollywood On Café.’ Shows that were “TV First” and mini-series as a strategy worked well for Zee Café in strengthening engagement with its audience.

    Examples of Viacom18 English cluster’s innovative campaigns in 2019:

    1) Colors Infinity – BFFs With Vogue – For its 3rd successive season, television’s most riotous Bollywood chat show BFFs With Vogue hosted by the sassy Neha Dhupia, received an overwhelming response from audience, as well as clients. Complementing the extensive ATL campaign that included multi-city Outdoor and Radio promotions, COLORS INFINITY launched ‘The BFF Quiz’ – a pioneering Amazon Alexa voice skill for the show, voiced by the show’s host Neha Dhupia. It further recreated an ARVR-version of Neha’s cosy and exclusive loft for BFFs With Vogue, that gave viewers a life-sized virtual step-in tour to the loft.

    2) Comedy Central – FRIENDS – Marking the milestone 25th anniversary of Friends, Comedy Central India and Warner Bros. Television Group brought a specially created replica of the iconic Central Perk orange couch to India. This unique experience gave loyal fans an opportunity to re-enact and re-live the countless indelible moments from the show. Taking the anniversary celebration a few notches higher it also rewarded the winner of the ‘Wackiest Friends Fan’ contest with a paid trip to New York and a visit to the sold-out Friends 25 Pop-Up Experience along with a friend.

    3) Vh1 – World Music Day – For the first time ever, two music powerhouses – MTV Beats and Vh1 India curate a 24-hour LIVE music festival on World Music Day on Facebook and Instagram. In this 24-hour long musical gig, that transcended beyond genres, over 40+ India’s most popular musicians, including a string of B-town artists like Darshan Raval, Aparshakti Khurana, Aastha Gill alongside Indie musicians like Zaeden, Sickflip, Su Real and many more, collaborated to perform their best songs live. Giving fans an experience of a lifetime. The campaign reached 60Mn+, 25Mn+ impressions, 5Mn+ engagement and overall, 10Mn+ people viewed the live across 24 hours.

    Plans for 2020

    “We’re also the first-choice for brands when it comes to AFPs (Advertiser Funded Programming). In 2019, Comedy Central partnered with Sterling Reserve to create a talent hunt for the next comedy sensation with Sterling Reserve Comedy Project hosted by the witty Varun Thakur. And we’ll continue to explore more concepts that attract viewers, partner brands and sponsors. Additionally, our unique on-ground and digital marketing initiatives that engage the massive new-age audience, continues to deliver higher visibility in the market,” said Palia.

    The year ahead promises to be very exciting for the Zee English cluster. It is a milestone year for Zee Café, the pioneering English entertainment channel, as it turns 20! To commemorate the occasion, the channel has special plans to engage with its discerning consumers. Drama being the biggest strength of the channel, it will continue showcasing award-winning and compelling shows. 

    “With our upcoming property ‘Greatest Of All Time’ we are very excited to showcase the most iconic and anticipated dramas such as Star Trek: ‘Discovery’, ‘Dynasty’ and ‘Penny Dreadful’. Continuing to feature diverse genres, the channel will also curate light-hearted conversational content with shows that are locally nuanced such as ‘Not Just Supper Stars’ and ‘Starry Nights – Gen Y’ which will go on- air early next year. The upcoming season of Starry Nights features the next generation of Bollywood stars who are hyper-connected and have a following, in an unfiltered conversation that is real and relatable,” informed Mahadev.

  • Nodwin Gaming, MTV join hands for premium esports content

    Nodwin Gaming, MTV join hands for premium esports content

    MUMBAI: India’s biggest esports company Nodwin Gaming and India’s no.1 youth entertainment brand MTV have partnered to bring quality esports content to the masses.

    The move by Nodwin Gaming and MTV comes in as a big leap towards mainstreaming esports and taking it to the general audience. The recent boom in the number of esports players and professional tournaments in the country have served as the perfect setup for this monumental partnership.

    MTV India’s latest offering “Esports Mania” encompasses a variety of shows that will go on air this December.

    Viacom18 youth, music and english entertainment head Ferzad Palia said,“At MTV we are always looking for new offerings for the young Indian and esports as a category has been gaining popularity with our audiences. In Nodwin Gaming, we have found partners who are already doing ground-breaking work in the space of gaming and we are glad to bring in the next wave of growth for esports in India.”

    Nodwin Gaming founder and chief executive officer Akshat Rathee commented on this association, “We are delighted that esports has found a fitting destination on Indian television with MTV joining hands with us. With our property Esports Mania, we believe we can showcase the best of esports to the television audience. TV goes a long way in furthering the consumer connect of our nascent sport and our approach of curated programming for the MTV viewer is directed to make esports mainstream in India. In MTV, we at Nodwin Gaming have a partner which is the de-facto destination for youth in India.”

    The esports mania line-up includes:

    ● Match of the week- The best esports matches with the most thrilling moments handpicked from tournaments in the country and around the world. Tune in every Thursday at 10 p.m. starting December 12.

    ● Esports 360– Weekly dose of latest esports news and updates, starting December 17, tune in every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 4.55 p.m.

    ● World of esports- A general informative and fun show around esports with conversations with pro players, insights on new developments in the industry, memes and lot more. Tune in every Friday at 10.30 p.m. starting December 20.

    ● Documentary series- Documentaries and stories surrounding esports players and big tournaments. Documentary series showcases the lesser known side of some of the individuals, their hardships and their path to success. Tune in every Saturday at 9.30 p.m. starting December 21.

    Nodwin Gaming is India’s biggest esports company with years of expertise in tournament organization, execution and esports content creation. With this association, esports has found a new home with MTV, the most loved entertainment destination for Indian youth.