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Tag: Hindi

  • Prime Volleyball League adds Kannada feed as regional push gathers pace

    Prime Volleyball League adds Kannada feed as regional push gathers pace

    HYDERABAD: The RR Kabel Prime Volleyball League powered by Scapia is betting big on regional languages. From Saturday, matches will be available in Kannada—the sixth tongue added to a lineup that already includes English, Hindi, Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam. The move targets Karnataka’s volleyball-mad fanbase, particularly supporters of the Bengaluru Torpedoes.

    The tournament, now in its fourth year, is underway at Gachibowli Indoor Stadium in Hyderabad. First-day viewership on YouTube was robust, with reach spread across all regional feeds. The Kannada addition comes as the league chases deeper penetration in southern markets.

    “The support we receive from Karnataka is immense,” says Bengaluru Torpedoes co-owner and director Yashwanth Biyyala. “Providing the livestream in our local language is a sincere effort to engage more deeply with our loyal fans.”

    Prime Volleyball League  chief executive Joy Bhattacharjya frames the expansion as nation-building. “Our large viewership on the opening day demonstrates the massive, multilingual appetite for volleyball across India,” he says. “This is about more than just numbers—it’s about creating a model for deep, inclusive fan engagement.”

    The 2025 season is being broadcast live on Sony Sports Network and streamed globally via YouTube. The channel offers match highlights, recaps, behind-the-scenes footage and other content designed to hook armchair fans. Four teams clash on Saturday: Kochi Blue Spikers face Bengaluru Torpedoes, whilst Chennai Blitz take on Kolkata Thunderbolts.

    The tournament runs until 26 October. By then, the league will know whether its multilingual gambit has scored the breakthrough it so craves.

  • Bigg Boss Tamil 9 sets screens ablaze on Jiohotstar

    Bigg Boss Tamil 9 sets screens ablaze on Jiohotstar

    MUMBAI: Looks like the Bigg just got bigger! Bigg Boss Tamil Season 9 stormed onto Jiohotstar with a blockbuster opening, clocking an impressive 7.8 crore minutes of cumulative watch time on day one. That’s nearly 1.74 times the reach of its previous season, proof that Tamil Nadu’s favourite reality show still reigns supreme in living rooms across the state.

    Hosted by Vijay Sethupathi for the second consecutive year, the show’s new season has lit up the festive mood, turning October into appointment-viewing season. And this time, fans aren’t just watching, they’re part of the action.

    Jiohotstar has reimagined the Bigg Boss experience with interactive features like a 24 by 7 live chat feed and a buzzing fanzone where viewers can react to every drama-filled twist in real time. Adding a desi digital twist, Meme the Moment lets fans capture and share their favourite on-screen moments instantly, making sure every eyebrow raise and argument lives on beyond the episode.

    Interestingly, nearly 47 per cent of total opening-day viewing came via connected TVs, showing how Tamil audiences increasingly prefer gathering around the big screen for a shared family watch.

    Jiostar head of cluster, entertainment (South) Krishnan Kutty said, “The strong opening reflects how audiences are embracing interactive formats. We’re turning passive viewing into active participation, setting new standards for content and community engagement.”

    With title sponsor Healthy Grocer and brand powerhouses like Asian Paints, Maruti Suzuki and Head & Shoulders joining the line-up, Bigg Boss Tamil 9 has kicked off not just a show but a full-blown celebration of entertainment, technology and fandom.

    After roaring success across Hindi, Malayalam, Telugu and Kannada editions, the Tamil season’s fiery opening cements Jiohotstar’s position as the streaming stage where audiences don’t just watch, they live the drama.

  • Test cricket’s digital triumph defies the doomsayers

    Test cricket’s digital triumph defies the doomsayers

    MUMBAI: Test cricket may be fighting for its future, but the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy has delivered a resounding riposte to the sceptics. More than 170 million viewers logged onto JioHotstar during the five-match series between India and England—the highest-ever reach for a Test series on digital platforms.

    The numbers tell a compelling story. A staggering 65 billion minutes of watch time were clocked up as the series unfolded from 20 June  to 4 August. The climactic fifth day at The Oval alone drew a peak of 13 million concurrent viewers, setting a new record for online Test match streaming.

    All five matches went the distance, with nail-biting finishes and dramatic plot twists keeping audiences glued to their screens. Even when rain curtailed play on the Sunday at The Oval, with England needing just 35 runs and India four wickets, thousands returned on Monday morning for what many knew might be only an hour’s play.

    “The extraordinary response reinforced Test cricket’s ability to forge compelling narratives in almost every session,” said JioStar head of content for sports Siddharth Sharma. The platform served coverage in five languages: English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada.

    Yet this triumph highlights cricket’s central paradox. Whilst series between the sport’s “Big Three”—England, India and Australia—continue to thrive, concerns persist about Test cricket’s inclusivity for lower-ranked nations. The format’s commercial success remains concentrated among a privileged few.

    These worries have prompted the ICC to form an eight-member working group, led by chief executive Sanjog Gupta, to assess a proposed two-tier World Test Championship. England’s cricket board opposes the plan, fearing relegation could cost them lucrative clashes with Australia or India.

    The series marked India’s opening gambit in the 2025-27 World Test Championship cycle, ending in a 2-2 draw after the final session. Fans also devoured Follow the Blues, a behind-the-scenes series, and When India Challenged the Crown, which revisited India’s Test legacy in England.

    JioStar now turns its attention to the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup, beginning 30 September.

  • Sony Sports to go regional with Hockey India League telecast deal

    Sony Sports to go regional with Hockey India League telecast deal

    MUMBAI: The Hockey India League (HIL) has got an additional live telecast partner for the next three years  – the Sony Sports Network (SSN). The league has signed a contract with the broadcast network.  Mid-last week, DD had announced that it was coming on board for the whole tournament’s telecast. 

    What’s special about the SSN deal is that it will be airing the matches with Telugu and Tamil commentary as well as Hindi and English in a bid to broad base the appeal of the sport. The tournament can be viewed on Sony Sports Ten 1 (English), Sony Sports Ten 3 (Hindi), and Sony Sports Ten 4 (Tamil and Telugu) channels in both standard definition (SD) and high definition (HD). The league, featuring domestic and international players, is to take place in Ranchi and Rourkela for both  men and women and will be flagged off on 28 December. 

    Said Sony Pictures Networks India chief revenue officer & head sports business Rajesh Kaul : “Hockey has gained significant popularity in India with the Indian team’s success in consecutive Olympics contributing to the resurgence. At SSN, we have always been committed to serving Indian fans with a diverse sports portfolio. The inclusion of one of the world’s premier franchise-based hockey leagues will undoubtedly bring fans closer to the game. We see our partnership with it as a key step toward establishing ourselves as the home of hockey, just as we have done with other major sports in our portfolio.”

    Highlighted  HIL governing committee chairperson Dilip Tirkey: “Sony Sports’ expansive coverage across multiple channels and languages will ensure that fans from all corners of the country can enjoy the league. This season is poised to be bigger, better, bolder, and we are confident that Sony’s unmatched telecast capabilities will help take the excitement of Indian hockey to new heights.”

    Added HIL governing committee member Bhola Nath Singh: “Our focus has always been on promoting hockey to a wider audience, and this partnership with SSN allows us to do just that. With their multilingual telecast plan, we are making the sport accessible to a larger audience, bringing them closer to the game. We believe this season will set a new benchmark in terms of viewership and fan engagement.”

    (Picture courtesy Hockey India League)

  • Indian Artist King rules Spotify global charts

    Indian Artist King rules Spotify global charts

    Mumbai: Indian artist King’s modern romantic ballad ‘Maan Meri Jaan’ from his recently launched album Champagne Talk, has acquired the number one spot on the Spotify Daily Top Songs India overtaking the recent Bollywood sensation ‘Kesariya’. The song is clocking a whopping 1.1million+ daily streams in India alone and has crossed a total of 21 million audio streams so far after its release in October.

    ‘Maan Meri Jaan’ has emerged as a rhythmic masterpiece and has also taken the international markets by storm. It is currently at position 101 on the Spotify Daily Top Song Global and is the only non-Bollywood Hindi pop track on the list. ‘Maan Meri Jaan’ is also currently holding the ninth position on the Spotify Daily Viral Songs Global, while the album Champagne Talk is at number 10 on the Top Albums Debut Global. 

    A career milestone for King after his chartbuster ‘Tu Aake Dekh Le’, this journey for a non-Bollywood, hip hop crusader climbing rapidly on charts has been phenomenal.  He is currently the only artist to have two tracks on the Spotify India charts within the top five ranking.

    Breaking into mainstream culture off the back of a reality show in 2019, King has risen through the ranks of Indian pop. Earlier this year, he kicked off his partnership with global music label Warner Music India and has grown to garner a massive fan base (8.5 million+ monthly Spotify listeners in record time within a year) with his successive upbeat super-hit songs. The music label recently released his third studio album, Champagne Talk, with 8 tracks, and since then, each song has been ruling social media platforms and the global charts.

    King’s third album explores an array of soundscapes, bouncing between his hip-hop roots and some heavy-weight song writing on tracks like ‘Pablo’ and ‘Me & Me’ and spitting flirtatious bars over in ‘Oops’ and ‘Dejalo’. While ‘Maan Meri Jaan’ is about a beautiful yet painful journey of love together, a nostalgic dedication to his favourite retro Bollywood melodies.

    Making moves since its launch, Warner Music India, has curated a catalogue of diverse artists across genres, categories and voices. Standing at the core of the country’s pop culture sphere the label’s vision is to transform the music scene and build the next generation of superstars from India.

    Warner Music India & SAARC managing director Jay Mehta shares, “The success of King’s journey is a testament to the power of storytelling via music. His steady run at the music charts in India and beyond is only the first step towards global domination. Our vision at Warner Music India has always been to create a truly global superstar coming out of India, and we’re thrilled to witness the start of this journey with King.”

    King shares his reaction on Champagne Talk, “I am overwhelmed with all the love that I have received from my fans. Each song is special for an artist, but ‘Maan Meri Jaan’ is now a song for them completely. Champagne Talk is an album that is a roller coaster of sounds, and I’m excited now to push boundaries with my music.” 

    King’s ‘Maan Meri Jaan’ has made its way on playlists, music charts and music lovers’ hearts and is sure to be the love track for the season. 

  • Much-awaited Hindi GEC ‘Atrangii’ launched by Vibhu Agarwal

    Much-awaited Hindi GEC ‘Atrangii’ launched by Vibhu Agarwal

    Mumbai: The much-awaited Hindi GEC (general entertainment channel) ‘Atrangii’ has been launched on Monday. Backed by Vibhu Agarwal, the channel will feature a programme line-up from 7 pm to 11.30 pm.

    The channel is now available across all pay platforms namely Tata Sky, Airtel, D2H, Dish TV as well as on all cable networks like Hathway, Den and GTPL.

    The eclectic content line-up will also have some of the most-watched shows from OTT platforms and production houses that will be brought to the television screens of the audiences. ‘Atrangii’ is targeted toward engaging with the Hindi speaking market across the length and breadth of the country with a slate encompassing an expansive gamut of genres.

    The channel will begin with a show titled Bheja fry at 7 pm, followed by Dil-E-Ghumshuda from 7.30 pm to 8.30 pm. The unheard story of the greatest sage warrior Parshuram will be aired from 8.30 pm to 9 pm. Hara Sindoor, follows the extraordinary journey of a young girl Rani, who stands against the monarchy of the village dictator to liberate the villagers from the shackles of the monarch. This prime-time show will be telecast at 9 pm. The 9.30 pm slot will showcase disruptive, quality content from the web, to be enjoyed by the audiences from the convenience of their homes and that too without any subscription fee with the show titled Bestseller. 

    From 10.30 pm to 11 pm Parshuram will be repeated. The show Jaghanya will alert audiences, showcasing some of the soul-trembling, heinous crimes that have plagued our society and will air from 11 pm to 12 am.

    Speaking on the launch of the channel, Atrangii CEO and founder Vibhu Agarwal shared, “We are elated to roll out our first Hindi general entertainment channel Atrangii. We have been curating gripping content for the channel for the past couple of months now and we take pride in launching it with four hours of programming. From here on, we aim to further bolster the original content line-up. We have invested heavily in expanding our creative pool, bringing talent both behind and on-screen to put out shows that resonate with the Hindi heartland. Our concerted focus with ‘Atrangii’ is to partner with established production houses and independent creators to showcase content that will give us a definitive edge over currently produced shows in the Hindi GEC space. We aim to emerge as the go-to destination for entertainment across both satellite and digital space.”

  • Zee5 to release ‘The Kashmir Files’ in regional and Indian sign language

    Zee5 to release ‘The Kashmir Files’ in regional and Indian sign language

    Mumbai: Zee5 becomes the first OTT platform to release a Bollywood commercial film with Indian Sign Language (ISL) interpretation, making it accessible for deaf people. The ISL interpretation for ‘The Kashmir Files’ was carried out by ISH News, which is the one-stop news and awareness channel for the 18 million deaf people in India.

    After its record-breaking performance at the box office, “The Kashmir Files” is set to premiere on Zee5 on 13 May in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Indian sign language. Marking this initiative, Zee5 organised a special screening of “The Kashmir Files” in Indian Sign Language and saw a turnaround of 500 people with a hearing impairment. The special screening was graced by the Director, Vivek Agnihotri along with his wife and actor, Pallavi Joshi and actor, Darshan Kumaar.

    Zee5 India’s chief business officer Manish Kalra said, “At Zee5 our mission has been to educate and empower our viewers with quality content choices and as a futuristic brand we did see a significant share of our audiences are left uncatered due to the absence of inclusive features. “The Kashmir Files” is a story depicting a part of India’s history which should be made accessible for everyone to watch. We are happy to have organised a special screening for the specially-abled viewers as we welcome our new audiences on ZEE5; in line with our vision to create an inclusive ecosystem and democratise content consumption across the globe.”

    irector Vivek Agnihotri said, “We are glad that The Kashmir Files reached out to and resonated with so many people across the world and now with ZEE5’s one-of-a-kind move, the movie will be accessible not only in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada but also in Indian Sign Language. This is a story which must be told, and I am glad that ZEE5 is helping us do that with their reach and network”.

    Actor Darshan Kumaar said, “’The Kashmir Files’ is a heart-wrenching story of pain, suffering and struggle. I believe everyone should know about this story as it’s a reminder to the people of the world to stand united and fight against brutal acts of terrorism. It gives us a message to live in harmony and make this world a better place to live in. As this movie is very close to my heart, I am extremely happy that “The Kashmir Files” has reached our specially-abled audiences and I hope to receive a lot of love from them”.

    “The Kashmir Files” broke records at the box office by becoming the first post-pandemic Hindi movie to cross the 300-crore mark. With its digital debut on Zee5, the movie will be accessible to audiences across the globe in multiple languages and Indian Sign Language as well. Starring Anupam Kher, Mithun Chakraborty, Pallavi Joshi and Darshan Kumaar in pivotal roles. “The Kashmir Files” is set to premiere on 13 May on Zee5.

  • LinkedIn says ‘Namaste,’ launches in Hindi

    LinkedIn says ‘Namaste,’ launches in Hindi

    Mumbai:  Professional network LinkedIn has marked a new milestone with the launch of Hindi, the first Indian regional language on the platform, with the goal to support 600 million Hindi language speakers globally. 

    With this launch, LinkedIn aims to break down language barriers, providing greater access to professional and networking opportunities to Hindi speakers in India and around the world. With the launch of Hindi, the networking platform now supports 25 languages globally, said the statement.

    Starting 2 December, as part of the first phase roll-out of LinkedIn in Hindi, members will be able to access their feed, profile, jobs, messaging, and create content in the language on desktop, and on their Android and iOS phones, the company announced.

     As the next step, LinkedIn will work towards widening the range of job opportunities available for Hindi-speaking professionals across industries, including more banking, and government jobs. The platform will also continue to add more Hindi publishers and creators in the coming weeks to boost member engagement and conversations in the language.

    India is a core market for growth at LinkedIn and the second-largest market in terms of members after the US, accounting for 82 million members as part of a global community of 800 million members. India’s member base has grown by 20+ million in the past three years (15 per cent year-over-year growth) and it has witnessed a spike in engagement and conversations on the platform since the pandemic.

    “In India, LinkedIn has been mission-critical to helping people connect, learn, grow, and get hired during the pandemic and in this new world of work we are in. With the launch of Hindi, now more members and customers can unlock greater value from the platform through content, jobs, and networking, and express themselves in a language that they feel comfortable in,” said LinkedIn India Country Manager Ashutosh Gupta.

    “We have witnessed high engagement and member growth in the last year, and it is at this exciting inflection point that we are strengthening our vision to create economic opportunity for ‘every’ member of the workforce, and taking down language barriers for Hindi speakers across the world,” he added.

    LinkedIn in Hindi is now available to all members globally on desktop and Android, and will gradually roll out to all iOS users in the coming days, the company stated.

    With the launch of Hindi, members also have the advantage of creating their LinkedIn profile in Hindi and making it easier for Hindi-speaking members and recruiters to find them for relevant opportunities. To display their existing profile in Hindi, members will need to create a secondary language profile in the same language as their existing profile. This will prompt them to choose a preferred language for their existing profile from a drop-down list of 25 languages, which now includes Hindi.

    The launch of LinkedIn in Hindi saw LinkedIn Influencers such as international life coach Gaur Gopal Das, monk-turned-entrepreneur Dr Vivek Bindra, and nearbuy.com founder Ankur Warikoo share their first Hindi posts on their LinkedIn profiles.

  • Amazon India expands language support ahead of festive season

    Amazon India expands language support ahead of festive season

    Mumbai: Ahead of the festive season, Amazon India on Monday announced that customers can now access the shopping portal in Marathi and Bengali in addition to the six previously available languages – Hindi, English, Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil, and Telugu.

    In the coming weeks, Amazon will expand its regional language offering further with the launch of the voice shopping experience in Hindi. These launches break the language barrier and make e-commerce more accessible and convenient for millions of customers across India, said the brand in a statement.

    In 2021, more than five million customers shopped on Amazon in the Indian language and customers using voice shopping in English grew two times YoY, it added.

    Amazon customers can select their preferred language across Android and iOS apps, mobile and desktop sites.  Once selected, the language preference will be recorded and remembered for future visits.

    The upcoming launch of the voice shopping experience in Hindi follows the launch of voice shopping in English in 2020. With this customers will be able to use their voice in Hindi to search for products or check their order status after updating their Amazon app. The voice offering will be available only for Android devices, said the statement.

    “Every month, tens of millions of customers visit Amazon India in regional languages and 90 per cent of the customers are from tier-2 and below cities. Our aim with regional language shopping experience is to make e-commerce accessible, relevant, and convenient for customers,” said Amazon India director of customer experience and marketing Kishore Thota.

  • SonyLIV launches PlayAlong in Hindi, Marathi, Telugu formats

    SonyLIV launches PlayAlong in Hindi, Marathi, Telugu formats

    Mumbai: SonyLIV has launched its second screen initiative – ‘PlayAlong’ in Hindi, Marathi, and Telugu formats for the new seasons of “Kaun Banega Crorepati” (KBC), “Kon Honaar Crorepati” (KHC) and “Evaru Meelo Koteeswarulu” (EMK) airing on Sony Entertainment Television, Sony Marathi and, Gemini TV respectively.

    PlayAlong gives viewers the opportunity to win prizes worth lakhs by answering questions fielded by Amitabh Bachchan, Sachin Khedekar, and NTR in their respective shows. Users need to download and register on SonyLIV to participate in PlayAlong, said the platform in a statement.

    “Capturing a diverse set of audience KBC, KHC and EMK have been the most preferred gaming reality shows,” said Sony Pictures Networks India, business operations – digital business, Amogh Dusad. “Not only do the viewers get a chance to be on the hot seat, but they also stand to win a multitude of cash gratifications every day including a chance to become lakhpati.”