ITV

Tag: Golden Globe awards

  • &flix to premiere The Angry Birds Movie 2 on 12 January

    &flix to premiere The Angry Birds Movie 2 on 12 January

    MUMBAI: &flix brings yet another entertaining World Television Premiere to you and this time it’s The Angry Birds Movie 2. With the second instalment of the franchise, the movie brings ultimate fun, entertainment and a lot of drama to the viewers. Available on Zee Prime English Pack, the audience can watch the film before the world on &flix on Sunday, 12 January at 1 PM, 7 PM and 9 PM. Directed by Two Time Primetime Emmy Award Nominees Thurop Van Orman and John Rice, the movie ensembles fantastic stars namely Golden Globe Award Winner Peter Dinklage as Mighty Eagle, Jason Sudeikis as Red, Josh Gad as Chuck with Danny McBride voicing for the role of Bomb and Rachel Bloom portrayed as Silver.

    Red, Chuck, Bomb and the rest of their feathered friends are surprised when a green pig suggests that they should put aside their differences and unite to fight a common threat. Aggressive birds from an island covered in ice are planning to use an elaborate weapon to destroy the fowl and swine way of life. After picking their best and brightest, the birds and pigs come up with a scheme to infiltrate the island, deactivate the device and return to their respective paradises intact.

    &flix offers World Television Premieres of some of the choicest Hollywood movies in the language of your choice. The channel is available as part of the Zee Prime English Pack that includes four premium channels – &flix, Zee Café, LF and WION at a very attractive price of Rs. 15 per month only.

  • 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.

  • Time Warner numbers up on higher subscription, content fees

    Time Warner numbers up on higher subscription, content fees

    BENGALURU: Time Warner Inc (Time Warner) reported increase in revenue and operating income due to growth across these parameters by all its businesses-Turner, Home Box Office (HBO) and Warner Bros-for the year and quarter ended 31 December 2017 (FY 2017, the year under review; Q4 2018, the quarter under review). Time Warner’s total revenue for FY 2017 increased by 6.7 per cent to USD 31,271 million from USD 29,318 million in FY 2016. Total revenue expanded by 9.1 per cent year-over year (y-o-y) for Q4 2017 to USD 8,611 million from USD 7,891 million in Q4 2016. Operating income increased by 4.9 per cent in FY 2017 to USD 7,920 million from USD 7,547 million in FY 2016. Operating income in Q4 2018 increased by 12.8 per cent yoy to USD 1,907 million.

    The company says in its investor release that revenue in FY 2017 benefitted from increases of 13 per cent (USD752 million) in subscription revenue and 11 per cent (USD74 million) in content and other revenue, partially offset by a decrease of 2 per cent (USD109 million) in advertising revenue. The increase in subscription revenue was due to higher domestic rates and growth at Turner’s international networks, partially offset by lower domestic subscribers. Content and other revenue increased due to higher licensing revenue. The decline in advertising revenue was primarily due to lower delivery at Turner’s domestic entertainment networks and the comparison to Turner’s networks airing the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball National Championship and Final Four games in the prior year, partially offset by increase in Turner’s news businesses and growth in its international networks.

    Operating income in FY 2017 improved due to the increase in revenue, partially offset by higher expenses, including increased programming and marketing costs. Programming costs grew by 12 per cent primarily due to higher costs related to the first year of Turner’s new agreement with the NBA. The increase in marketing costs was mainly to support original series on Turner’s domestic entertainment networks.

    Revenue in Q4 2017 grew due to due to increases of 14 per cent (USD 204 million) in subscription revenue, 32 per cent (USD 55 million) in content and other revenue and 2 per cent (USD 26 million) in advertising revenue. Subscription revenue benefitted from higher domestic rates and growth at Turner’s international networks, partially offset by lower domestic subscribers. Content and other revenue increased primarily due to higher licensing revenue. The increase in advertising revenue was due to higher revenue associated with MLB postseason games and growth at Turner’s international networks, partially offset by a decline at Turner’s news businesses related to the comparison to last year’s US presidential election.

    Increase of operating income in Q4 2017 reflected revenue growth partially offset by higher expenses, including increased programming costs. Programming expenses grew by 10 per cent mainly due to higher costs associated with airing MLB post-season games.

    Time Warner chairman and chief executive officer Jeff Bewkes said: “We had another very successful year in 2017, achieving our financial goals thanks to the great creative and programming excellence across Time Warner. All three of our operating divisions increased revenue and profits while also investing to capitalize on the growing demand for the most creative and compelling content as well as new ways to deliver it to audiences worldwide. Warner Bros. had its best year ever at the global box office with its films grossing over USD5 billion in box office receipts, led by hits like Wonder Woman, It and Dunkirk, which received eight Academy Award nominations, including for Best Picture. Warner Bros. also remains the number 1 supplier of television shows for the broadcast networks, and saw continued growth in games with franchise releases Middle-earth: Shadow of War and Injustice 2.”

  • AXN India to take viewers on twisted criminal ride with all seasons of ‘Dexter’

    AXN India to take viewers on twisted criminal ride with all seasons of ‘Dexter’

    MUMBAI: A forensic technician by day and a serial killer by night. He analyses blood splash pattern during the day and hunts down criminals who go unnoticed by justice system at night. He is Dexter you will love in the day and Dexter you will fear at night.

    AXN India is all set to celebrate 10 years of Dexter by airing all seasons of this psychological thriller starting 26 December every Monday to Friday at 9 pm.

    Dexter was nominated 4 consecutive times for ‘Outstanding Drama Series’ at Primetime Emmy Awards as well as for ‘Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series’ 5 times in a row. It has also won 2 Golden Globe Awards out of 9 nominations, making it one of the most acclaimed and followed series of all times.

    Michael C. Hall, who plays the protagonist Dexter Morgan in the show, shot to fame as the most loved serial killer globally. He said, “These 10 years have been amazing! In the first season it was so awkward and intense. We were doing something that hadn’t quite been done and by then people didn’t root for a serial killer. Playing the part, I appreciated how much fans were in Dexter’s corner. It’s a real trick because the story is subjectively told and you are always in his head. You are sort of a silent accomplice.”

  • AXN India to take viewers on twisted criminal ride with all seasons of ‘Dexter’

    AXN India to take viewers on twisted criminal ride with all seasons of ‘Dexter’

    MUMBAI: A forensic technician by day and a serial killer by night. He analyses blood splash pattern during the day and hunts down criminals who go unnoticed by justice system at night. He is Dexter you will love in the day and Dexter you will fear at night.

    AXN India is all set to celebrate 10 years of Dexter by airing all seasons of this psychological thriller starting 26 December every Monday to Friday at 9 pm.

    Dexter was nominated 4 consecutive times for ‘Outstanding Drama Series’ at Primetime Emmy Awards as well as for ‘Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series’ 5 times in a row. It has also won 2 Golden Globe Awards out of 9 nominations, making it one of the most acclaimed and followed series of all times.

    Michael C. Hall, who plays the protagonist Dexter Morgan in the show, shot to fame as the most loved serial killer globally. He said, “These 10 years have been amazing! In the first season it was so awkward and intense. We were doing something that hadn’t quite been done and by then people didn’t root for a serial killer. Playing the part, I appreciated how much fans were in Dexter’s corner. It’s a real trick because the story is subjectively told and you are always in his head. You are sort of a silent accomplice.”

  • ‘The Martian’ to premiere on Star Movies

    ‘The Martian’ to premiere on Star Movies

    MUMBAI: The human spirit is stronger than anything that can happen to it, but sometimes, life takes you on a rollercoaster ride that tests your perseverance. This underlying thought has been captured by the acclaimed director Ridley Scott in the movie The Martian starring Matt Damon. The Martian will premiere for the first time on 9 October at 1pm and 9 pm.

    Based on the best-selling book by Andy Weir, The Martian chronicles the story of an astronaut, Mark Watney, who is mistakenly presumed dead and is left behind by his crew on planet Mars, but is later found to have survived the fierce storm. Faced with isolation and fear, the astronaut learns to survive on the hostile planet all by himself. He uses his ingenuityand wit to find a way to communicate back to Earth and what follows are a series of efforts made by NASA to bring him back alive.

    The Martian gives audiences a glimpse into space while narrating the saga of a man’s fight to never give up and adapt to his surroundings. The film earned two Golden Globe Awards and received seven nominations at the 88 Academy Awards.

  • ‘The Martian’ to premiere on Star Movies

    ‘The Martian’ to premiere on Star Movies

    MUMBAI: The human spirit is stronger than anything that can happen to it, but sometimes, life takes you on a rollercoaster ride that tests your perseverance. This underlying thought has been captured by the acclaimed director Ridley Scott in the movie The Martian starring Matt Damon. The Martian will premiere for the first time on 9 October at 1pm and 9 pm.

    Based on the best-selling book by Andy Weir, The Martian chronicles the story of an astronaut, Mark Watney, who is mistakenly presumed dead and is left behind by his crew on planet Mars, but is later found to have survived the fierce storm. Faced with isolation and fear, the astronaut learns to survive on the hostile planet all by himself. He uses his ingenuityand wit to find a way to communicate back to Earth and what follows are a series of efforts made by NASA to bring him back alive.

    The Martian gives audiences a glimpse into space while narrating the saga of a man’s fight to never give up and adapt to his surroundings. The film earned two Golden Globe Awards and received seven nominations at the 88 Academy Awards.

  • Vh1 to air The Billboard Music Awards 2016 on 23 May

    Vh1 to air The Billboard Music Awards 2016 on 23 May

    MUMBAI: Vh1 is all set to bring its viewers the Billboard Music Awards 2016 on 23 May at 6:30 am with a repeat at 9 pm. The channel will air the function straight from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

    Commenting on the initiative, Viacom18 EVP and head English and youth entertainment Ferzad Palia said, “In the past, we have received an incredible response for the live telecast of the Golden Globe Awards and the Grammys. The telecast of Billboards is our endeavor to further our promise of showcasing the best in English Entertainment. Award shows have a huge impact on the music industry as it witnesses the union of numerous talented musicians from across the globe. We, at Vh1, are thrilled to telecast the grand celebration of music to our audience in India”

    The 2016 Billboard Awards will see the always eccentric actor and singer Ludacris along with the gorgeous supermodel and singer Ciara as hosts of the show. Top nominees for the show include The Weeknd with a whopping 19 nominations across 16 categories, followed by Justin Bieber with 12 nominations across 11 categories. Drake and Fetty Wap are both nominated 11 times, in 10 categories. Singing sensations Taylor Swift and Adele are competing with each other with 8 nominations each.

    The Joe Jonas-led band, Mendes is set to join performers P!nk and The Go-Go’s, together to celebrate the35th anniversary of “We Got the Beat” – A Go-Go’s classic hit.

    One of the highlights of the event is P!nk gearing up to make the World Television Debut of Just Like Fire, her new single from Alice Through the Looking Glass.  Alongside the glamorous and popular faces, a number of fresh talents such as DNCE and Shawn Mendes will also be seen performing at the glorious award ceremony.

    The Annual Billboard Music Awards is a part of an extravagant award show line-up aired on Vh1 which includes Golden Globe Awards, The American Music Awards, The Annual Grammy Awards, Video Music Awards and Europe Music Awards.   

    The complete list of nominees for the Billboard Music Award can be browsed at:

    http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/bbma/7326512/billboard-music-awards-2016-nominations

  • Vh1 to air The Billboard Music Awards 2016 on 23 May

    Vh1 to air The Billboard Music Awards 2016 on 23 May

    MUMBAI: Vh1 is all set to bring its viewers the Billboard Music Awards 2016 on 23 May at 6:30 am with a repeat at 9 pm. The channel will air the function straight from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

    Commenting on the initiative, Viacom18 EVP and head English and youth entertainment Ferzad Palia said, “In the past, we have received an incredible response for the live telecast of the Golden Globe Awards and the Grammys. The telecast of Billboards is our endeavor to further our promise of showcasing the best in English Entertainment. Award shows have a huge impact on the music industry as it witnesses the union of numerous talented musicians from across the globe. We, at Vh1, are thrilled to telecast the grand celebration of music to our audience in India”

    The 2016 Billboard Awards will see the always eccentric actor and singer Ludacris along with the gorgeous supermodel and singer Ciara as hosts of the show. Top nominees for the show include The Weeknd with a whopping 19 nominations across 16 categories, followed by Justin Bieber with 12 nominations across 11 categories. Drake and Fetty Wap are both nominated 11 times, in 10 categories. Singing sensations Taylor Swift and Adele are competing with each other with 8 nominations each.

    The Joe Jonas-led band, Mendes is set to join performers P!nk and The Go-Go’s, together to celebrate the35th anniversary of “We Got the Beat” – A Go-Go’s classic hit.

    One of the highlights of the event is P!nk gearing up to make the World Television Debut of Just Like Fire, her new single from Alice Through the Looking Glass.  Alongside the glamorous and popular faces, a number of fresh talents such as DNCE and Shawn Mendes will also be seen performing at the glorious award ceremony.

    The Annual Billboard Music Awards is a part of an extravagant award show line-up aired on Vh1 which includes Golden Globe Awards, The American Music Awards, The Annual Grammy Awards, Video Music Awards and Europe Music Awards.   

    The complete list of nominees for the Billboard Music Award can be browsed at:

    http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/bbma/7326512/billboard-music-awards-2016-nominations

  • Media mogul Rupert Murdoch gets engaged to Jerry Hall

    Media mogul Rupert Murdoch gets engaged to Jerry Hall

    MUMBAI: At a time when divorce rates are sky rocketing and the current generation is increasingly shying away from marriage as an institution there is one person who has proved his faith in the holy union quite strong. At the age of 84, media mogul Rupert Murdoch has announced his engagement to actress and model Jerry Hall, who turns 60 in a year.

    The couple, who were seen together in Los Angeles last weekend while attending Golden Globe Awards, had declared this happy news in births, marriages and deaths section in the Times newspaper.

    This will be News Corp executive chairman Murdoch’s fourth marriage, while for Hall this will be her first under the law. Hall had a 23-year long  relationship with Mick Jagger with whom she has four children — Elizabeth, now aged 31, James, 29, Georgia May, 23, and Gabriel, 17. Jagger and Hall did have a marriage of sorts, which was later declared invalid by the High Court in London in 1999.

    On the other hand, Murdoch has six children from his three previous marriages namely James, Lachlan, Elisabeth, Chloe, Grace and Prudence. He divorced his third wife Wendi Deng, 46, in 2013.

    Murdoch was previously married to Patricia Booker, a former flight attendant from Melbourne, and then to Scottish journalist Anna Torv.