Mumbai: The Vivo Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) is coming up with season 9 from 7 October which will be bigger, better, and tougher than ever before.
Star Sports, the official broadcaster of the Vivo Pro Kabaddi League, launches its campaign #BhidegaTohBadhega as the supporters wait for the Kabaddi action to resume with the battle lines established.
Speaking about the #BhidegaTohBadhega campaign ahead of Vivo Pro Kabaddi League Season 9, a Star Sports Spokesperson said, “Our campaign for PKL Season 9 aims at showcasing the indomitable human spirit, with challenges and opportunities being the two sides of a coin. ‘Bhidega toh Badhega’ is a testament to how the entire journey of victory is achieved by crossing insurmountable challenges. This season will also witness the return of fans at the three venues of Hyderabad, Pune, and Bengaluru which adds to the overall excitement and fandom for the upcoming edition.”
The campaign aims to motivate every Indian willing to take risks and overcome obstacles and challenges. On the Star Sports Network and Disney+ Hotstar, fans in India can watch the entire tournament live and exclusively.
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The campaign epitomises the spirit of ‘keep moving forward, a true testament to the sport of Kabaddi.
Mumbai: Eros Investments and Xfinite have partnered with veteran entertainment and tech entrepreneur Calvin Cheng to launch XelebX, a web 3.0 members-only celebrity fan club.
With the use of NFTs and fan tokens, the alliance will introduce over 200 million existing followers of global influencers and celebrities linked to the Eros ecosystem and its group companies to the new metaverse.
Only NFT members will be able to access XelebX. They will have access to a number of advantages, such as exclusive access to virtual meet-ups with influencers, exclusive material, virtual backstage passes, and celebrity NFT collectibles.
Speaking on this partnership, Eros Investments chairman Kishore Lulla said, “Over five decades, Eros has built one of the largest media and entertainment businesses, enthralling millions of fans and launching some of the biggest stars in India. One of the key reasons for our success is our ability to embrace change—from film to TV to the Internet and now web 3.0 and the readiness to lead it from the front. The metaverse and the immersive Internet are the technological tides that will carry us forward for the next 50 years. Eros is committed to being at the forefront of its adoption.”
Furthermore, XelebX will introduce fan tokens that measure an influencer’s popularity and can be traded on significant exchanges, enabling holders from various fandoms to freely trade and swap value. As a result, influencers and celebrities will be able to work together and expand their fan bases in a manner that is naturally compatible with web 3.0 interoperability and composability. Xfinite’s Mad Influence, a well-known influencer marketing business, has joined XelebX.
Xfinite CEO Swaneet Singh said, “With Xfinite, Eros has already gained invaluable experience in media built upon virtual assets and the blockchain. XelebX is the next natural innovation to bring the global community of entertainment fans into the metaverse and unlock immersive interaction with the influencers they follow.”
Calvin Cheng added, “Web 3 is all about community building. Other platforms have tried this in the past. They built the tech but struggled to build the community—the key to web 3’s success. We already have the tech expertise and an amazing community of hundreds of millions of fans. We will now onboard them into the metaverse using the latest digital asset and web 3 technologies.”
Mumbai: Hungama has partnered with JioTV to expand its domestic reach in India. The partnership aims to expand Hungama’s reach in the country by leveraging JioTV’s large user base in tier II and tier III cities. With this partnership, Hungama gains access to a core Jio TV audience in the Hindi heartland.
With the wide-ranging bouquet of content from Hungama, JioTV can also offer more diverse and specially curated content to viewers. JioTV Specials provide access to the service.
The partnership gives JioTV subscribers access to 12 additional Hungama linear channels and 100+ hours of programming in Punjabi, Hindi, Kannada, Bhojpuri, and Malayalam.
It also provides a selection of independent music in various dialects, as well as devotional content, ghazals, concerts, stand-up comedy, and award shows.
Hungama also provides access to rich and exclusive in-house original content, such as gossip, scoops, interviews, paparazzi, trailer launches, movie premieres, and reviews, on JioTV as part of JioTV Specials.
Together with the JioTV advantage, Hungama can reach millions of viewers in the heartland and is now available on the app, allowing Jio sim users to take their favourite content with them wherever they go.
Hungama digital media CEO Siddhartha Roy said, “We have tremendous trust and loyalty amongst audiences across India. Through this partnership, we are taking entertainment to a larger section of the audience, especially in tier II and III markets. Hungama’s partnership with JioTV strengthens our endeavour to widen our reach and make content accessible across demographic boundaries. We look forward to a long-standing business partnership with JioTV in our commitment to entertain India.”
Mumbai: Nikhil Madhok, former executive vice president & head of original content of Disney+ Hotstar has joined Amazon Prime Video as its new original content head (Hindi).
Under his leadership, he will oversee the growth and expansion of its original content, which will facilitate Prime Video to expand its original content footprint in Hindi. Amazon Prime Video plans to utilise Madhok’s rich experience across TV and digital ecosystems to ramp up its original content offering. He will report to Aparna Purohit-Head of India Originals who continues to lead the charge in developing original series and movies across multiple Indian languages.
In addition, the company’s spokesperson said, “In its content upfront in April, the company showcased over 40 titles that will stream on the service in the next 18-24 months and we understand that there are 70 titles under production/ development.”
During his stint at Disney+ Hotstar’s Madhok led the conception and launch of Hotstar’s foray into original content titled Hotstar Specials. He was responsible for the entire slate of specials from content strategy, ideation, curation, script development, production, and launch.
Disney+ Hotstar has produced original shows such as Special Ops, Aarya, Criminal Justice, Human, Grahan, and Ghar Waapsi under his leadership.
Sharing his farewell posts on social media Linkedin, Madhok said, “ It is an extremely special feeling when you build something from scratch. I was fortunate to get that opportunity 4.5 years ago when I was asked to lead Disney + Hotstar’s foray into original shows. What started as an exciting but uncertain initiative soon blossomed into a strategic agenda. Ideas grew from one line and scripts to shows and franchises.”
At the end of the note, he added, “ I am incredibly excited about the next challenge at one of the most innovative companies of all time, where I start very soon. I am even more excited about the confluence of consumers, content, and technology in our incredible country and the bright future ahead.”
Previously, he worked at Star India for over five years, he was executive vice president of content and developed the use case & business strategy for Hotstar’s foray into original content. Madhok held several positions at Star, including vice president of network marketing, head of programming strategy, marketing & on-air promotion for Star Plus, and business head of Star Bharat.
He later worked for Discovery as the head of products in the Asia Pacific region, where he was in charge of the company’s linear TV and digital products across APAC. Madhok began his career at Unilever as global marketing manager from 2005 to 2008. He left Unilever to become senior director of marketing at Turner (now WarnerMedia).
MUMBAI: Sony Pictures International Productions (SPIP) India has elevated Ritesh Arora as the head of business affairs. Ritesh will oversee commercials and project acquisitions at SPIP India, as well as work to maximise revenue potential. He will report to SPIP India general manager & head Lada Guruden Singh.
Ritesh has been with Sony Pictures since 2015 and was most recently in charge of commercials and acquisitions. He has over two decades of experience in exhibition, distribution, and content acquisition.
Ritesh Arora said, “It will be really exciting to look at new business development opportunities and also align them to the financial and growth targets of the company. Sony Pictures International Productions has made huge strides in India and to now deliver even more diverse and multilingual stories to Indian audiences across all formats is our dream.”
SPIP, co-headed by Shebnem Askin and Michael Rifkin, is the local-language production arm of Sony Pictures Entertainment’s Motion Picture Group, which releases more than 30 films per year across 12 territories worldwide.
Mumbai: Disney Star on Saturday announced that it has signed a four-year agreement with exclusive digital streaming and television rights for both men’s and women’s events through 2027.
In a press statement, Disney Star said, “We are delighted to be able to continue our association with the International Cricket Council (ICC). Under the new four-year agreement, Disney Star has retained the exclusive digital streaming and television rights for both men’s and women’s events through 2027. We look forward to strengthening our partnership with ICC in the years ahead.”
“Disney Star has played an important role over the last seven years in transforming ICC games into one of the biggest sporting spectacles in India and has expanded the viewer base of the property across geographies and demographics in the country,” the statement added.
The ICC did not reveal the value of Disney Star’s bid, but it is expected to be higher than the $1.44 billion benchmark set by the ICC for four years. Disney Star also owned the last set of ICC rights, which were worth approximately $2.1 billion. The bids had been opened on Friday and the ICC Board confirmed the winner on Saturday.
The extension of the ICC rights adds to Disney Star’s strong portfolio of cricket properties, which also includes the television rights for IPL (2023-27), TV and digital rights to Cricket Australia (2024-31), BCCI broadcast rights through 2024, and Cricket South Africa (end of 2023-24 season), and bolsters their status as the go-to destination for the best sporting events in the country.
“Disney Star won following a single round sealed bid process which has yielded a significant uplift to the rights fee from the previous cycle, continuing the impressive growth and reach of cricket,” an ICC release said.
ICC chairman Greg Barclay said, “We are delighted to continue to partner with Disney Star as the home of ICC cricket for the next four years, which has delivered an outstanding result for our members and will support our ambitious growth plans.”
“Having a broadcast and digital partner for women’s events in India is a significant step forward in our ambition to accelerate the growth of the women’s game. Disney Star presented impressive plans for the promotion of women’s cricket and they clearly share our vision, so I’m incredibly excited by the size of the opportunity ahead,” he added.
Disney Star country manager and president K Madhavan said, “We are delighted at being able to continue our association with the International Cricket Council (ICC) and look forward to strengthening our partnership by growing the sport of cricket in the years ahead.
“With the acquisition of the ICC Digital and TV broadcast rights, Disney Star has further strengthened its status as the premier destination for marquee cricket events in the country.”
Mumbai: As the nation prepares to cheer team India in the upcoming Asia Cup, News18 India is all set to present extensive reportage to capture the thrill and enthusiasm of Asia’s biggest international cricket carnival. With ‘Jeetega Bhai Jeetega’, the channel is all set to extensively cover the Indian team’s journey in the Asia Cup on 28 August at 6 p.m, 9.15 p.m & 11.30 p.m.
Adding to the excitement of the much-awaited clashes between arch rivals India and Pakistan, News18 India will telecast special preview, mid-match, and review shows on India-Pakistan match days to analyze each aspect of the fiercely fought on-ground battles.
Along with exclusive interviews, the channel will also host engaging sessions with renowned former cricketers and experts such as Sandeep Patil, Kiran More and Nayan Mongia. They along with the channel’s editorial team will discuss in detail what should be India’s winning strategy and team combination for every match. The show will also dissect the key moments of the match once it is over in the review show.
To keep the viewers up-to-date on all the latest cricket happenings and electrifying atmosphere on-ground, News18 India’s team will be present on ground zero and will host special shows from there. With “Jeetega Bhai Jeetega”, News18 India will aim to further create excitement for the viewers.
Mumbai: As the country gears up to celebrate its 76th Independence Day, marking 75 years of the country’s independence from British rule, brands go all out, wearing their patriotic hearts on their logo-emblazoned sleeves in a bid to connect with their consumers. From campaigns that celebrate our nation’s diversity, to videos that convey heart-warming narratives and an awareness of financial independence, to shedding light on social issues, this year’s Independence Day communications are filled with messages of hope and empathy, along with pride.
Here are a bunch of campaigns and initiatives that stood out to us:
JSW Paints added colour to India’s Independence Day celebrations with a film that drives home the brand’s promise – “Thoughtful is Beautiful.” Conceptualised by TBWAIndia, the film captures India’s struggle and India’s originality in the same breath. Taking on a challenge that most Indian neighbourhoods face – a problem that no amount of fines, warnings, or well-intended public advisory has been able to solve. Until JSW Paints decided to change the canvas of solutions and presented a bright new answer in blazing tricolour.
Ahead of the occasion of India’s 75th Independence Day, Godrej Group released #SoundsOfMakingIndia, the sequel to its Independence Day campaign from 2019, that captured all the industrial sounds that signify progress in the manufacturing ecosystem. The film narrates the story of the Godrej Group’s journey of being an integral part of our nation’s progress while integrating the different businesses of the national brand.
HDFC Mutual Fund has extended its #BarniSeAzadi campaign (first launched in 2021) to promote financial independence for women. Through this campaign, the company urges women to free their money from traditional savings methods and invest in mutual funds (MFs), so as to give their hard-earned money a chance to grow. The campaign is based on the insight that Indians have always saved money in traditional instruments like “Barnis”, pickle jars, lockers, FDs, etc.
Furthermore, HDFC Mutual Fund is organising a unique outdoor activity wherein a gigantic barni will be installed near Mumbai’s Carter Road from 13 to 15 August, where the company will take a pledge from women to not put their money in barnis anymore and use the suitable instrument to grow their money.
Robin Hood Army (RHA), a zero-funds volunteer organisation that works towards getting surplus food from restaurants and communities to the plates of those less fortunate, has teamed up with media conglomerate ABP Network for Mission75 on India’s 76th Independence Day, where they are serving 75 lakh meals across India. To start conversations about the initiative and the sad reality millions of Indians face, the NGO has partnered with a creative agency, The Minimalist.
Based on the topic that never goes out of trend, weight loss, The Minimalist conceptualised a clever, provocative film-#KhaaliThaali. The film utilises ‘Khaali Thaali’, a simple tool to depict the brutal reality of many Indians, and delivers a hard-hitting message.
The static posts were disguised to look like ads for people who have experienced transformative weight loss, only to reveal the grim reality of how they did not have a choice in the matter.
LAFZ is a culturally conscious, Halal certified brand headquartered in Singapore and a part of global FMCG conglomerate Believe PTE. To mark the occasion, the brand has released a video that’s a tribute to India’s 76th Independence. The idea was inspired by a famous Islamic saying, “Hubbul Watan Minal Iman,” which means “Loving one’s own homeland is a part of faith.” The video was conceptualised internally by the team. The film reaffirms that love for one’s homeland is unconditional and unbiased, irrespective of religion, colour, caste, and societal status.
Watch the video here –
Looking back to the unprecedented time when covid-19 outbreak brought the world to a standstill, and our defence and police forces stayed on duty, regardless of the deadly pandemic, Hamdard Laboratories launched a national campaign ‘SEHAT HAI TOH WATAN HAI’, paying homage to their valiance. As the eight-month-long campaign launched on 26 January approaches its culmination on India’s 76th Independence, Hamdard celebrated the health of India with multiple activities across its wellness centres from 10 – 14 August 2022. The brand has conducted 75 health camps and touched more than 15,000 lives of brave heroes.
Watching patriotic movies and catching the parade on TV never gets old on Independence Day, but why not try out something new this time—like OTT listening? On the occasion of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, Pocket FM brings to you a special audiobook collection to celebrate 75 years of independence and feel your pride and honour for the nation.
Here’s a list of the top five audiobooks to share with your kin on the occasion: Amar Krantiweer Chandra Shekhar Azad – get to know the courageous tale of the freedom fighter during the Indian Independence movement, My Experiments With Truth-In this audiobook, Mahatma Gandhi has given reminiscences of his childhood, relations with his wife and parents, experiences at school, his study tour to London, his journey to South Africa, experiences of colour prejudice, and his quest for dharma, Jhansi Ki Rani- The audiobook speaks about how the Queen had to repeatedly face gruelling challenges but still drew strength from her adversity. Annihilation of Caste – Listen to this audiobook to hear B.R Ambedkar’s searing takedown of the caste system, Why Am I An Atheist – an essay written by Indian revolutionary Bhagat Singh in 1930 in Lahore Central Jail. Tune into this book and understand why the freedom fighter was an atheist.
Finally, is it ever a celebration without having an equivalent one in the metaverse? As we are all set to commemorate India’s 76th Independence Day, digital solutions provider Kiya.ai will be celebrating the occasion in the metaverse. In what the brand claims to be a ‘first-of-its-kind’ initiative, Kiya.ai will celebrate Azadi Kaa Amrit Mahotsav with Har Ghar Tiranga on Bharatmeta, a dedicated zone of Kiyaverse, “India’s first metaverse” on www.bharatmeta.in.
A virtual experience in Bharatmeta allows visitors to observe the Tricolour hoisted on a virtual monument and explore the zone while listening to patriotic songs.
Mumbai: The video content budget in India, Korea, and Southeast Asia will grow by 15 per cent and reach $12 billion in 2022, according to the latest edition of Asia Video Content Dynamics, published by Media Partners Asia (MPA).
In 2022, India and Korea will drive the bulk of the increase, but all markets and all verticals are expected to grow. The film industry will be the fastest, growing by nearly 140 per cent as theatres screen fresh movies. Online video will grow the most, by nearly $700 million.
It increased by 21 per cent last year to $10.4 billion. Except for theatrical, all content verticals saw significant growth. OTT content was the fastest growing vertical, increasing 83 per cent year on year to become the second largest vertical, accounting for 26 per cent of industry investment. Korea & India saw particularly strong OTT investment growth, while Thailand and Indonesia made significant contributions.
This report examined video content consumption, investment in video content, and production costs in seven key Asian markets: India, Indonesia, South Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam. Free-to-air (FTA), pay-TV, online video, and film are among the verticals examined, along with key players and the production value chain.
Commenting on the findings of the report, MPA vice president Stephen Laslocky said, “Inflation, particularly with online originals, is a factor driving up content costs.”
He went on to say that online video operators, broadcasters, and producers must see that higher budgets translate into more premium viewing experiences, or the cost increases will be unsustainable.
According to this report, Pay-TV was the largest vertical, accounting for 46 per cent of total industry content investment, reflecting well-developed pay-TV markets in India and Korea. FTA ranked third with 25 per cent of the total.
“Internationally successful programmes remain the content licensing holy grail, which thus far, only Korean dramas and some anime, as well as US and UK content, have sustainably achieved. Some Thai content has succeeded outside of Thailand. Quality production values and strong storylines with a focus on younger online demographics will be the building blocks of future investment strategies,” Laslocky added.
While talking about the expanding online video sector, he expressed that it has been a boon to independent producers. He said, “Profit margins have stabilised at 10 per cent or more across much of the region. More can be done to bolster independent producers, including additional compensation for original concepts, commensurate rewards for breakout successes, and expanded use of pipeline deals (which allows producers to more reliably recoup overheads).”
“In exchange, producers need to be transparent with production costs. Commissioners need to be willing and able to audit costs,” he added.
Declining TV ratings
TV ratings continue to decline in measured markets. User-generated content (UGC) platforms continue to dominate video consumption, with their share of total video consumption ranging from 82 per cent in Korea to 95 per cent in Vietnam. While YouTube remains the leader, TikTok is driving growth in Southeast Asia. Premium video, both AVOD and SVOD, captures the majority of the balance.
The consumption of television and online video is diverging. On TV, drama is generally the most watched genre, while variety, including reality, often ranks #2. Movies, kids, and news can be significant drivers of viewership, and sports can over-index with top-rating TV programs. Viewership of some key TV genres is transitioning to YouTube, where they generate significant classified consumption.
Meanwhile, with premium online video, series account for approximately 90 per cent of consumption, with dramas accounting for the majority of viewership, while movies account for approximately 10 per cent. Dramas account for nearly all of the top titles. Except for India, variety consumption is largely driven by acquired Korean programming.
Box office revenues
In 2021, box office revenues, admissions, and releases all performed poorly. Film costs fell by two per cent as pandemic restrictions delayed release dates in many markets, but delayed tentpoles performed well in 2022.
Some markets, including India and Indonesia, are expected to recover completely. In other markets, a return to pre-covid may take until 2023. Returning to pre-covid levels in other markets may take until 2023. Elsewhere, prospects may be marginally better but permanently harmed.
Mumbai: Ullu app, Atrangii TV and App founder & CEO Vibhu Agarwal announced the launch of an e-commerce platform, Ullu 99 on Thursday. It includes all categories and brands, with an initial line of products like apparel, footwear, accessories, health, and hygiene, with a ship-and-drop module.
The platform’s USP is to increase penetration by offering fixed price points and value-added services across the entire nation. Due to the recent and significant growth of online shopping, e-commerce firms have successfully increased their market share relative to the retail sector, making a significant contribution to the world economy.
The prices of the goods on Ullu 99 will range from Rs 99 to Rs 899, giving customers not only a wide selection of goods but also competitive pricing. While orders can only be placed on the platform’s website, customers can connect with each other via social media (Facebook and Instagram).
Agarwal said, “Most people in today’s time are dependent on online shopping platforms, and these platforms have become even more prominent since the pandemic. In a strategic move to enter this highly lucrative and competitive space, our newest venture, Ullu 99, will provide customers with great quality products at amazing prices.”
He further added, “We’ve seen great success with our entertainment ventures, and we now look forward to offering value to shoppers in the e-commerce space as well. We hope customers shop and take advantage of the affordable prices across a variety of products.”
The company wants to target the Indian market segment that seeks out quality at competitive prices with a clear vision to expand throughout the country. By the end of 2022, the company hopes to have 200 million active customers, up from its current subscriber base of 89 million.
