ITV

Tag: Friends

  • Bhartiya Mall of Bengaluru adds 16 new brands in six months of growth

    Bhartiya Mall of Bengaluru adds 16 new brands in six months of growth

    MUMBAI: Bhartiya Mall of Bengaluru, the city’s premier lifestyle and shopping destination, has strengthened its retail portfolio with 16 brand launches in just six months, marking an impressive phase of growth and curation. The latest to join its expanding lineup is The Souled Store, one of India’s most popular homegrown D2C apparel and lifestyle brands.

    With its quirky, pop-culture-inspired aesthetic and officially licensed merchandise from Marvel, Disney, DC, Harry Potter, and Friends, The Souled Store brings an immersive, experience-led space to Bhartiya Mall’s fashion floor: one designed for millennial and Gen Z shoppers who crave creativity, comfort, and self-expression.

    “Our retail mix is carefully curated to reflect the preferences of our catchment,” said Bhartiya Urban senior vice-president Ramaraju KN. “With a large base of millennials and Gen Zs, we’re focused on bringing in dynamic, experience-driven brands that resonate with their lifestyle and aspirations.”

    The Souled Store joins a vibrant lineup of recent entrants including Shobitam, Peachmode, Biglilpeople, Indyvarna, Hush Puppies, Frangipani (featuring Chumbak, Imara, Voylla, and Abhishti), and Zoul & Zera. Earlier this year, the mall expanded into the home category with HomesToLife, offering premium furniture and design-led living solutions from Domicil, Fabbrica, and Corian.

    Bhartiya Mall has also diversified its dining and lifestyle offerings, welcoming Frank’s Hot Dog, Liquid Story, and Lily Bloom’s, alongside five new kiosks including Cookie Man, Taara, Quem, The Man Company, and 3m Car Care.

    Strategically located within the Bhartiya City township near Hebbal, the 7.5-lakh-square feat mall has emerged as a go-to lifestyle hub for North Bengaluru, catering to Gen Z, millennials, families, and working professionals alike. With an expanding catchment averaging 3,000 new homes and 3,000–5,000 office seats added each month, the mall is ideally positioned to meet the evolving needs of the city’s fast-growing population.

  • Zee5 amassed over million views for Friends: The Reunion

    Zee5 amassed over million views for Friends: The Reunion

    KOLKATA: To the delight of fans across the world, Friends: The Reunion returned to television screens on 27 May. While globally released on HBO Max, Indian viewers could also watch it on Zee5. On day one itself, the much-awaited return of the popular franchise registered over one million views, only hours after being aired.

    “We at Zee are extremely delighted to note the roaring response that Friends: The Reunion received on Zee5, by amassing one million+ views and (still) counting, from across the country. We feel extremely proud to have played a part in understanding and serving the cult-loyal audience of the show, by streaming it across millions of screens. Consumer delight and a seamless user experience was an integral aspect of our approach across platforms and this step reinstates our commitment towards our viewers and partners,” Zee digital business and platforms president Amit Goenka said.

    Zee5 announced last Sunday that it had picked up the rights of the show for Indian markets. For a generation and after, Friends, which ran from 1994 to 2004, had a massive following all over the globe, as in India as well. It continues to be one of the more popular series on Netflix, even after 27 years since its first episode was aired on TV. The special reunion episode’s trailer racked up hundreds of millions of views across several channels on YouTube, and wherever else it was released.

    The current franchise offering features Jenifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc, David Schwimmer, Matthew Perry and Lisa Kudrow touring their old sets on the Warner Brothers studio lot that is followed  by a sit down question and answer session with funny man James Corden before a live audience. Corden’s conversations with the six witnesses a lot of re-enacting from old episodes, reminiscing, leg pulling, and poignant moments leading to a lot of laughs and even tears for the stars.

    “As the country’s youngest OTT platform, Zee5 will continue to win hearts, not just in India, but across the globe. We remain committed to delivering compelling content that caters to the consumers’ unique tastes and preferences and enhances the value for our partners. We will continue to augment our offerings with a bespoke catalogue of premium and original content for audiences in India and across the globe,” Goenka added further.

    Currently, Zee5 is available at Rs 499 for a 12-month premium plan. The streaming platform has been striving to sign on new subscribers; and picked up the rights to Salman Khan’s Radhe at Rs 230 crore, which led to some 4.2-odd million concurrent viewers logging on for the film’s premiere.  

  • Hotstar adds offline watching feature for premium content

    Hotstar adds offline watching feature for premium content

    MUMBAI: Hotstar, the leading streaming platform of India has now made the option of offline viewing available for its premium content. While the in-app download feature on rival platforms like Amazon, Netflix has been well received, Star India’s digital arm restricted the download feature to only non-premium and old content.

    The facility is available now for both Android and iOS users. It has also enabled support for watching videos in 18:9 aspect ratio, which most of the modern full-screen phones offer. However, it is not clear if the support is also available for premium users.

    “Now you can download and watch offline most of your favourite premium shows like Game of Thrones, Friends, Big Bang Theory and many more,” Hotstar Android app changelog noted on Google Play.

    Hotstar users will have the option to choose between low, medium, high and full-HD quality to download. However, downloaded premium content on the app will expire within 7 days of the download or 48 hours since the user starts watching it.

    Among the number of OTT platforms in India, Hotstar is way ahead in the race. Even streaming giant Netflix admitted that YouTube and Hotstar are till now leaders in the Indian market.

  • Bourbon celebrates friendship in new TV commercial

    Bourbon celebrates friendship in new TV commercial

    MUMBAI: Britannia has launched a new campaign for one of its oldest and most loved brands, Bourbon. With an aim to refresh the brand, Britannia Bourbon’s latest campaign celebrates the true spirit of life-long best friends.

    As a brand that has been around for years, Britannia Bourbon recognised the need for a revamp. The brand redefined itself in the context of this friendship and connected it to people whose lives revolve around their friends. The company has designed a campaign that is built on the fulfilling moments shared between best friends.

    Video Link: https://wetransfer.com/downloads/65070e8c73fd80a51f4eb1401531460820171117073706/a7fd45

    Britannia vice president of marketing Ali Harris Shere says, “Through this new campaign, the brand wants to create a world of friendship that is real and unpretentious. Our target audience is not constrained by age, as this feeling of friendship cuts across all ages, including adults for whom moments spent with their best friends is a pivot on which their life revolves (around). We want to find a place in each friends’ group and this campaign is our first salvo in that direction.”

    McCann executive vice president and head South Dileep Ashoka adds, “Competition in the premium creams segment has intensified and Britannia aims to increase their market share in this category over the next few years. Our task was to create a strong consumption context for brand Bourbon by redefining the functional and emotional role of the brand in consumers’ life. This led to the campaign being based on a brand space of Bourbon Friends Forever, wherein Bourbon fuels real friendship moments.”

    McCann Bangalore executive creative director Puneet Kapoor adds, “There are generations of kids that loved and grew up on the fulfilling snack of Britannia Bourbon. Those men and women have grown up to have children of their own. It’s amazing how, despite the explosion of choices, Britannia Bourbon is still much loved. A strong brand like this just needs a priming to be relevant to the generations coming in. Which is exactly what the ad does in an interesting way. Marrying the good old favourite fulfilling chocolate snack with the new age thought of BFF.”

  • Hooq adds exciting American series

    Hooq adds exciting American series

    MUMBAI: Hooq Asia’s first premium video-on-demand service, today announced the addition of new titles to its already extensive content catalogue especially for HOOQ’s Indian Audience. The new titles include some of the most popular and iconic TV shows of all times like Friends, The Big Bang Theory, Two and a Half Men and Community amongst others.

    Friends is an American television sitcom, created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which originally aired on NBC from September 22, 1994, to May 6, 2004, lasting ten seasons. The plot is centered around a set of six friends (Rachel Green, Ross Geller, Monica Geller, Joey Tribbiani, Chandler Bing and Phoebe Buffay), living off of one another in the heart of New York City.

    The Big Bang Theory is one of the blockbuster shows that is primarily centered on five characters; the two roommates Leonard Hofstadter and Sheldon Cooper, both physicists who are surrounded by their geeky friends like aerospace engineer Howard Wolowitz and astrophysicist Raj Koothrappali. The showstopper being a character, their neighbour named Penny, a waitress and an aspiring actress. The plot is all about the geekiness and intellect of the four guys in contrast for comic effect with Penny’s social skills and common sense.

    Community is an American television series that follows an ensemble cast of characters at a community college in the fictional town of Greendale, Colorado. It makes heavy use of meta-humor and pop culture references, often parodying film and television clichés and tropes.

    Two and a Half Men is an American television sitcom that originally starred Charlie Sheen (the lead character later being replaced by Ashton Kutcher), Jon Cryer, and Angus T. Jones. The series is about the bumpy life of a hedonistic jingle writer, Charlie Harper; his uptight brother Alan; and Alan’s son Jake.

    Commenting on the new additions,Hooq India managing director Salil Kapoor, said, “We always want to offer our customers the best and most exciting content from across the world and genres. Titles such as Friends, The Big Bang Theory, Two and a Half Men have become iconic symbols which would work very well with the younger audiences. While HOOQ has one of the largest numbers of Hollywood titles and we are very excited to continuously add more content every month. With varied content on our platform, we aim to offer our audiences different flavors with an uninterrupted viewing experience. “

  • Hooq adds exciting American series

    Hooq adds exciting American series

    MUMBAI: Hooq Asia’s first premium video-on-demand service, today announced the addition of new titles to its already extensive content catalogue especially for HOOQ’s Indian Audience. The new titles include some of the most popular and iconic TV shows of all times like Friends, The Big Bang Theory, Two and a Half Men and Community amongst others.

    Friends is an American television sitcom, created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which originally aired on NBC from September 22, 1994, to May 6, 2004, lasting ten seasons. The plot is centered around a set of six friends (Rachel Green, Ross Geller, Monica Geller, Joey Tribbiani, Chandler Bing and Phoebe Buffay), living off of one another in the heart of New York City.

    The Big Bang Theory is one of the blockbuster shows that is primarily centered on five characters; the two roommates Leonard Hofstadter and Sheldon Cooper, both physicists who are surrounded by their geeky friends like aerospace engineer Howard Wolowitz and astrophysicist Raj Koothrappali. The showstopper being a character, their neighbour named Penny, a waitress and an aspiring actress. The plot is all about the geekiness and intellect of the four guys in contrast for comic effect with Penny’s social skills and common sense.

    Community is an American television series that follows an ensemble cast of characters at a community college in the fictional town of Greendale, Colorado. It makes heavy use of meta-humor and pop culture references, often parodying film and television clichés and tropes.

    Two and a Half Men is an American television sitcom that originally starred Charlie Sheen (the lead character later being replaced by Ashton Kutcher), Jon Cryer, and Angus T. Jones. The series is about the bumpy life of a hedonistic jingle writer, Charlie Harper; his uptight brother Alan; and Alan’s son Jake.

    Commenting on the new additions,Hooq India managing director Salil Kapoor, said, “We always want to offer our customers the best and most exciting content from across the world and genres. Titles such as Friends, The Big Bang Theory, Two and a Half Men have become iconic symbols which would work very well with the younger audiences. While HOOQ has one of the largest numbers of Hollywood titles and we are very excited to continuously add more content every month. With varied content on our platform, we aim to offer our audiences different flavors with an uninterrupted viewing experience. “

  • Romedy Now completes 2 years; commands 58% share in English GECs

    Romedy Now completes 2 years; commands 58% share in English GECs

    MUMBAI: English general entertainment channel (GEC) Romedy Now has completed two years and as per Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) India data, the channel today commands 58 per cent share viewership in the genre. Additionally, 18 shows out of the top 25 shows in the English GEC genre are on Romedy Now.

     

    What’s more, as compared to last year, the channel’s ad rates have also gone up by 50 – 60 per cent. 

     

    Since its launch on 22 September, 2013, Romedy Now has been home to some of the most romantic movies and funniest shows. Shows like FRIENDS, Ally Mcbeal, Witches Of East End, 2 Broke Girls, Friends With Better Lives and Jane The Virgin have all partnered in the growth of the channel and have contributed to its success.

     

    Speaking on the channel completing two years, Times Network head English entertainment cluster senior vice president Vivek Srivastava said, “The channel has done very well in the last two years in terms of numbers. We are constantly number one in BARC India and TAM Media Research (TAM). Romedy doesn’t command the share of mind but the share of heart and that’s the strength of our brand. The channel command 58 per cent viewership in the genre and in the last 13 weeks, 18 shows out of the top 25 shows in English GEC space are on Romedy Now. That is the power of the content we have. Moreover, Romedy Now is not compared with the movie channels’ segment but with the English entertainment space. That said, even if it were compared with the movie channels’ segment, it holds the leadership position.”

     

    Recently Romedy Now added an extra hour of content with The Ellen DeGeneres Show, which is being simulcast in India with the US. “The mood of the channel determines the content that we acquire and the mood of the channel is happy. So any romantic movie or feel good factor will feature on the channel and that is the kind of content that we acquire,” he added.

     

    Throwing light on the channel’s ad revenue compared to last year as well as the category of clients that have come on board, Srivastava said, “We have almost doubled our revenues as far as Romedy is concerned because it is the only segmented and differentiated brand in the category. It has a very strong appeal so advertisers’ pull on the brand has been fantastic. The ad rates have gone up by 50 – 60 per cent from last year. We don’t have to hard sell the brand and that’s an advantage we have. E-commerce, automobile, jewellery and FMCGs are the big category clients that we have on board.”

     

    As part of the second anniversary celebrations, the channel premiered the Pierce Brosnan and Emma Thompson starrer British comedy The Love Punch on 22 September at 9 pm.

     

    Romedy Now has also launched an anniversary contest called ‘Happy 2gether.’

     

    On the programming front, the channel launched one of America’s best sitcoms – Hot in Cleveland on 21 September, which is being aired from Monday to Friday at 8.30 pm. In October the channel is planning to launch Addicted to Love in the romantic slot at 9 pm, whereas November will see How I Met Your Mother launching. For Diwali, the channel will be airing a special called Diwali Delights as well as the Romedy of the month movie – Girl Most Likely.

  • Jennifer Aniston to be honoured at Santa Barbara International Film Fest

    Jennifer Aniston to be honoured at Santa Barbara International Film Fest

    MUMBAI: Popular actor, Jennifer Aniston, will be honoured with Montecito Award at the upcoming 30th Annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival at the historic Arlington Theatre.

     

    Her performance in the film, ‘Cake’, as a woman suffering from chronic pain has already been nominated for a SAG Award, Golden Globe and Critics’ Choice Movie Award.

     

    First bestowed in 2005, the annual award recognises “a performer who has given a series of classic and standout performances throughout his or her career and whose style has made a major contribution to film.”

     

    Aniston joins actors including Daniel Day-Lewis, Geoffrey Rush, Julianne Moore, Kate Winslet, Javier Bardem, Naomi Watts, Annette Bening and last year’s recipient Oprah Winfrey, who have been awarded with the honour.

     

    The 30th annual festival will be held between 27 January and 7 February; and Aniston will be honoured 30 January.

  • Balaji Telefilms joins Indus Media to enter American TV market

    Balaji Telefilms joins Indus Media to enter American TV market

    MUMBAI: One of India’s leading television and film production company, Balaji Telefilms, has marked its foray into the American television market by inking an American television series production deal with Indus Media. This deal will see Balaji secure rights to the TV series Brown Nation, a satirical comedy based on the lives of Indian Americans.

    This will be the first series under the new deal and is being planned for release in early 2015. Balaji has been scouting for collaborations with international players to produce content for various geographies across media platforms and this will be an important step to reach out to a diverse audience.

    The production house had recently roped in media veteran Sameer Nair as the group CEO to spearhead its expansion strategy and lead the way for the next level of growth by identifying unexplored avenues.

    “India is at the centre of global limelight and the timing is right for us to create path breaking entertainment on an international stage. We look forward to this partnership to extend our creative success to newer horizons,” said Balaji Telefilms joint managing director Ekta Kapoor.

    “We are extremely pleased to join with Indus in producing this series,” added Nair. “American sitcoms have influenced urban India and Indian youth across the globe. This will be a good opportunity for us to leverage our creative supremacy to enter a market not sufficiently fed with similar products,” he further said.

    “We have been looking to enter India with our proposed entertainment fund and this fits in well with our India strategy. We are absolutely delighted to associate with Balaji Telefilms to fuel our growth,” said Indus Media founding director Naveen Chathappuram.

    Added Indus Media founding director Devarajan, “I have had a long standing relationship with Balaji and this deal is a dream come true. We are very excited about our new creative and business partnership with Balaji and look forward to enhance value to all stakeholders.”

    American television has always been popular with youngsters in India. Be it ‘Friends’, ‘Two and Half Men’, ‘Big Bang Theory, ‘How I Met Your Mother’ and the like. On the other hand, Indian characters have become a permanent fixture on American television sitcoms, as well as in movies. One of the main reasons for this is the dramatic growth in the size of the Indian American community in the past two decades – Indian American population grew from 815,000 in 1990 to 4.50 million in 2013. Most successful shows launched in the past five years feature a prominent Indian actor: “The Office,” “The Big Bang Theory,” “30 Rock,” “Chuck,” and “Parks and Recreation”.

    Brown Nation, directed by Abi Varghese, is currently being shot in New Jersey and has Indian actor Shenaz Treasurywala playing one of the lead roles. The comedy series depicts the everyday lives of south Asians living in America. The target market for Brown Nation is 18-45 year old Americans and NRIs. Recent comedy series such as The Office and Parks and Recreations have skewed to these age segments while casting a strong, universal appeal to all age groups.

    Indus Media recently announced its plans to launch a 50 million dollar entertainment fund to invest in films and television in American and south Indian market. With Balaji’s successful run in the film business, there could be more areas of synergy between the two partners especially the growing south Indian film market.

  • Romedy Now set to air romcom ‘Dharma and Greg’

    Romedy Now set to air romcom ‘Dharma and Greg’

    MUMBAI:  Love knows no reason and boundaries. It can be unpredictable and can happen in a blink of the eye. When an unconventional Dharma falls for a conservative defense attorney Greg, they take love at first sight to a whole new level. Come November, and viewers can get ready for a crazy ride with the mismatched couple ‘Dharma and  Greg,’ every Monday to Friday at 7:30 pm on Romedy Now.

     

    When a free-spirited, bohemian Yoga instructor Dharma Finkelstein (Jenna Elfman), meets a sophisticated, straight-forward lawyer, Greg Montgomery (Thomas Gibson) on the subway, sparks fly.  From getting hitched on their first date to meeting the parents, these two lovebirds set out to prove that they’re a match made in heaven. With constantly clashing parents, Dharma and Greg stumble their way through love, convinced that they’re perfect for each other.

     

    This November viewers can meet the lovable Dharma and Greg as the adorable couple proves that opposites do indeed attract. The latest addition to the channel, Dharma and Greg will air at 7:30pm every weeknight followed by Friends at 8pm and 2 Broke Girls at 8 30pm.