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  • News’ Nation’s Abhay Ojha among top-50 influential persons

    News’ Nation’s Abhay Ojha among top-50 influential persons

    MUMBAI: News Nation Network Pvt. Ltd. launched a National Hindi News Channel -News Nation in February 2013 with a basic premise of “ideal viewer connects”. The channel aims to address the ground realities and complexities of diverse and multi-layered India and demystify news into relevant absorbable facts. The channel’s ideology is to respect viewer’s intelligence and provide them with “News they can use”. Adding to the bouquet News Nation Network Pvt. Ltd. launched a regional Hindi News channel by the name of News State Uttar Pradesh/Uttarakhand in Feb 2014.  The differentiation of its regional offering stands out in the fact that it carries mostly regional news which is thoroughly covered to the level of every district of both the states. As per BARC ratings while the National Hindi News channel “News Nation” ranks amongst Top 5 , its regional channel “ News State UP/UK” has been No.1 in the twin states since many weeks. Speaking on the occasion Mr. Abhay K Ojha ,President – Sales & Marketing, shared his views in Q & A session.

    News Nation has completed 5 years – How was the journey so far?
    The journey till date is on the growth trajectory. Since the launch of the channel it has scaled up the ladder and today it is amongst Top 5 Hindi News channels. In terms of revenue also every year we have been growing steadily.

    With new Hindi news channel being launched in already cluttered Hindi News genre- How difficult was it then to make inroads into sales?
    We did not face much problem in establishing in the sales front.  The Product offering was different from all other existing Hindi News channels. Apart from Top 3 channels , most of the other news channels that time were me too product. We analyzed that programming and news delivery of all other channels were revolving around Top three channels only with no distinctive offerings. We, therefore, came with programmes  like Bharat Ek Khoj, Idea India ka, Khana Gana. These programs helped us create a brand identity and delivered good ratings.   

    Do you think TRPs are really that important for sales and what are your views on allegations of BARC panel homes tampering?
    TRPs do play a vital role in revenue because it gives an indication of ROI. With regards to tampering BARC authorities are competent enough to handle these issues and I am sure they are taking utmost care to ensure robustness of data, having said that there are also instances where data defies logic. 

    After 5 years how do you say that News Nation is different from other Hindi News channel?
    News Nation has not deviated from its Brand Promise. Today where one can see a clear tilt of every news channels towards a pro or against sentiment, News Nation stands as an observer and reports news as it is un-opinionated, unbiased. We respect the intelligence of viewers and provide them with news they can use. We still have no dedicated show on astrology, crime or religion. 

    Lately you have been facing strong competition from a couple of channels – How do you tackle that?
    We are focusing on our core strengths and assuring clients to look at value for their money. Evening Prime Time is one area where the concentration of audience is highest and if a broadcasters decides to reduce commercial FCT in these band ,their programming ratings might go up but break ratings tentatively will go down. Apart from these for some broadcasters a couple of bands in prime time delivers about 30-40 % of their entire viewership unlike News Nation which generally has an equal distribution of viewership.  

    News consumption is gradually becoming higher on 2nd screen i.e digital –What are your views on this and what advancements has News Nation made in the digital domain?
    Yes, eventually not only news but almost all content will see a higher rise in consumption on mobile. With the penetration of smart phones into smaller towns/rural and affordable data plans, this sector is poised for a massive growth. News Nation is already geared up for this, it has two websites www.newsnation.in (English) and www.newsstate.com( Hindi). It also has News Mobile App for these websites available on android and iOS. The mobile apps are equipped with latest GUI and some unique features like “Quicky”- The Quicky feature lets you watch news from 1 minute up to 5 minutes to save your time and also we are facilitating live audio news feature to our users. 

    Can you detail some future plans of News Nation Network and do you think that there still exists some space for any other Hindi News channel?
    News Nation is evaluating business potential in different genres , some expansions plans are already under consideration and will be able to share some news soon.

  • SPI International (FILMBOX) launches 7 thematic channels and VOD Content – Exclusively on SonyLIV Web and App in India

    SPI International (FILMBOX) launches 7 thematic channels and VOD Content – Exclusively on SonyLIV Web and App in India

    Global media group SPI International (FILMBOX) and Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) have signed a distribution agreement to launch seven thematic channels from SPI’s worldwide TV portfolio exclusively on SonyLIV. SonyLIV streams are accessible online, on mobile devices (Android and iOS), web and m-web. 

    From this month, SonyLIV’s TV line-up will include the following SPI’s channels:

    – FilmBox ART HOUSE – an international movie channel featuring classic masterpieces of world cinema by such prominent directors as Kurosawa, Fellini, Hitchcock, Antonioni, Visconti along with an impressive selection of art house titles and independent films from all over the world. The channel also presents award-winning movies from top film festivals including Cannes, Venice, Berlin, Sundance, Tokyo, Hong Kong and many more.

    – FIGHTBOX – a 24X7 martial arts network with live broadcast of international MMA events and other TV programming covering more than thirty combat sport disciplines.

    – FAST&FUNBOX – a sports/lifestyle channel featuring coverage of international shows and competitions in such disciplines as car racing (Formula One), motorcross, snowboarding, sailing and many more

    – DOCUBOX – a unique documentary channel presenting documentary films and television programming devoted to nature, science, history and human civilization

    – FASHIONBOX – a worldwide TV network focusing on fashion trends, top designers and shopping

    – 360TuneBox – an independent international music video network showcasing breakthrough artists from all over the world and the best of art music video

    – GAMETOON – SPI’s brand new worldwide entertainment TV channel for millennials revolving around gaming and eSports. The Gametoon channel features highlights of popular video games, entertainment content from gaming youtubers, video game tournaments (e-sports) with million dollar prize pools and much more.

  • Niche regional OTT player Hoichoi offers Bengali content on iOS, Android and Chromecast

    Niche regional OTT player Hoichoi offers Bengali content on iOS, Android and Chromecast

    MUMBAI: As predicted by most observers, regionalisation as well as niche services are coming to the VOD or OTT ecosystem in India. It’s happening at a trickle now, but could gain momentum over the next few months. For with its large population of more than a billion mobile users, there is room for more — for sure. Kolkata-based Bengali entertainment major Shree Venkatesh Films (SVF), is the latest to take the plunge with its OTT play called Hoichoi.

    Vishnu Mohta – one of the promoters – who has worked with KPMG Risk Advisory and Lloyds TSB corporate strategy in their London offices, is the driving force behind the new platform which is targeting 220 million Bengalis globally. With original web-series, short films, and documentaries exclusively for Hoichoi in the pipeline, the service will also offer over 500 Bengali Movies and 1000 songs for subscribers. Recently, in the run-up to the Hoichoi launch, SVF had rolled out an innovative social media campaign to promote its upcoming original web series, an adult-comedy, Dupur Thakurpo.

    Among the big players in the game figure global players such as Amazon Prime and Netflix, and homegrown startups such as Hotstar, dittoTV, Voot, ALT Balaji and SonyLiv, as well as independent platforms such as TVF Play and Spuul. The congested Indian OTT market has around 32 plus players – some with an overwhelming or exclusive content, some with niche content or pricing plans and others who want to be counted.

    SVF, on its part, had selected ViewLift, a global content distribution and monetisation platform, as its technology partner. The VOD service claims to provide the largest collection of the best in Bengali entertainment content on Web, iOS, Android, and Chromecast. ViewLift CTO Manik Bambha states, “Hoichoi is well positioned to capture significant opportunities in the space with a niche offering meant for Bengali consumers. Hoichoi will benefit from our extensive marketing, data and analytics tools that will help them enhance interaction with their audience.”

    “ViewLift is an expert in the OTT space,” says Vishn, who has a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Bond University Australia and MSc in International Business from Aston University Birmingham, UK. With enhanced service architecture, extensive data and analytics insights, and global client support, ViewLift delivers high quality video consumption experiences worldwide.

    SVF is helmed by Shrikant Mohta, Mahendra Soni and Vishnu. Shrikant is SVF’s creative muscle who produced the internationally acclaimed ‘Chokher Bali’ and five other national award-winning films — ‘Raincoat’, ‘Memories in March’, ‘Apur Panchali’, ‘Chotoder Chobi’, and ‘Chander Pahar’. President of Eastern India Motion Pictures Association (EIMPA), and an active member of Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF), he initiated the shooting of Bengali films abroad.

    Under Soni’s leadership, SVF distributed almost 900 films including blockbusters like ‘Dangal’, ‘Sultan’, ‘Dabangg’, ‘Ghajini’, ‘’Ae Dil Hai Mushkil’, ‘Kahaani 2’, ‘The Jungle Book’, ‘Kapoor & Sons’, ‘Neerja’, ‘Airlift’ and Drishyam.’ He also drives satellite and music syndication deals, along with film acquisitions.

    Mohta and Soni are pretty gung-ho about Hoichoi. The Indian consumer who has access to OTT entertainment — with internet penetration around 32-34 per cent today, and one-third owning smartphones — may well be spoilt for choice, now.

  • Ownzones’ SVoD brings ‘Best Westerns Ever’ to Amazon, Roku, iOS & Android

    MUMBAI: The Western genre rides again thanks to a new SVOD channel being launched by Ownzones Media Network. The OTT EntTech company will bring Best Westerns Ever to Amazon video channels and via the Ownzones app currently on Roku, iOS and Android platforms beginning today, giving fans exclusive access to hundreds of iconic Western films and TV series at a nominal monthly subscription fee of $1.99.

    Today’s news comes on the heels of Ownzones’ successful rollout of Best TV Ever, a subscription content service for fans of vintage TV series that has seen exponential growth, revealing a great demand for niche programming. ‘Best Westerns Ever’, the next in Ownzones’ plans for a full stable of niche vertical channels, was created to satisfy this demand for underserved fans of the Western genre.

    ‘Best Westerns Ever’ will boast more than 400 film and TV titles featuring the genre’s biggest stars, including John Wayne, Dennis Hopper, Gene Autry, Kirk Douglas, Marlon Brando, Bob Denver, Roy Rogers, Jane Russell, Fred Astaire, Burt Lancaster, and Maureen O’Hara, along with cult classics and rare treasures, such as “The Cisco Kid” and “Bonanza” and films like “Rawhide,” “Billy the Kid Wanted,” “Red River Valley” and “The Over the Hill Gang.”

    “In launching these niche channels, we are recognizing and responding to vastly underserved audience segments by developing exciting, affordable consumer offerings that appeal to their viewing passions,” said Ownzones head of programming Doug Lee.

    “’Best Westerns Ever’ is a robust channel offering sure to delight Western superfans, who will no longer have to pay high prices to gain access to the titles they love. We’re delivering the best of the genre in feature films and series with one-click convenience.”

    Lee adds that, as the end of the traditional TV bundle nears, viewers will be looking to subscribe and spend more in niche OTT services that are of interest to them.

    Ownzones’ launch of ‘Best Westerns Ever’ and success of Best TV Ever validate the company’s business model, which leverages the consumer’s purchase mindset with the organic search capabilities of its partners.

    These new content services will continue to expand to other distribution platforms to meet the growing consumer demand. Both products will also be available on Ownzones.com.

  • HDFC Life to use Haptik chatbot to create awareness

    MUMBAI: HDFC Life, one of India’s leading private life insurance companies, announced the launch of India’s first life insurance chatbot in collaboration with Haptik, India’s largest chatbot platform. The chatbot will act as a financial guide to help users choose the most suitable life insurance plans and solutions.

    This chatbot aims to assist the customers with insurance advice – ranging from Health to Tax Planning & Retirement, based on a simple 60-second quiz which enables it to compute their Insurance Quotient. Calculated using different parameters under each insurance category, the Insurance Quotient is an indicative score for each individual, based on which, HDFC Life can recommend the best suited insurance plans for the user. The chatbot not only works as a personal financial advisor, but also brings to the forefront the universal need for life insurance.

    HDFC Life CDO Suresh Badami said, “Many of us in our country, particularly the millennials, are under-insured and need a simple platform to access relevant information about insurance. We have invested heavily in the adoption of cutting edge technology to offer insurance solutions across customer segments through multiple touch points. One such initiative is to pilot the use of artificial intelligence to act as personal assistant to the discerning new age customer. Haptik’s chatbot enables us to do this and reach the millenials through the medium that they are most accustomed to and are comfortable with.”

    Haptik CEO Aakrit Vaish added, “We are extremely excited to partner with HDFC Life to build the India’s first Life Insurance chatbot. We believe chat as an interface simplifies tons of complex everyday experiences, and nothing gets more complex than the process of understanding Life Insurance. HDFC Life was the ideal partner who understands the value a bot could bring, and timing it the financial year end made a lot of sense.”

    The chatbot will be live for only two weeks from the date of its launch on the Haptik app, which is available on both iOS and Android.

  • ALT Balaji working with OTT specialists Diagnal and Xstream

    MUMBAI: ALTBalaji, the digital platform from Balalji Telefilms, marks its entry into the world of global OTT entertainment space. Launched with the aim to reach out to individual audiences directly, ALTBalaji provides differentiated content with original shows spanning some 300 hours in the first year itself. This subscription based platform will be commercially available from mid-April 2017.

    ALTBalaji is developed, designed, and integrated by OTT specialists – Diagnal; the platform is powered by Xstream’s cloud based video management system, Xstream MediaMaker™. The multiscreen platform is available on iOS, Android, Windows, Roku, AppleTV, and many more operating systems.

    Created to provide an alternative to mainstream Indian entertainment & TV content, ALTBalaji brings fresh & interesting stories to audience. Offering unparalleled high quality shows featuring popular artists, acclaimed writers, and award winning directors, the platform fills in the existing void in the entertainment space and provide a real, exciting alternative to regular television based options.

    Unlike similar premium Subscription Video on Demand OTT service providers in the market, ALTBalaji allows users to watch select content and previews without requiring an active subscription. Content accessibility provides users with the opportunity to explore service features before choosing a subscription package that suits their content needs and budget. Premium subscribers to the service will have full-access to content and features like parental control and download to watch offline.

    Commenting on this association ALT Digital Media Entertainment CEO Nachiket Pantvaidya said, “Consumers across the world are evolving aided by growing mobile reach; their requirements are becoming niche, rather than one formula fits all and this is where ALTBalaji belongs. We are excited to be associated with Diagnal and Xstream to bring in the best of technology and scalability together. ALTBalaji will offer extensive range of languages and genres to all age group and regions, both in India and abroad.”

    ALTBalaji is fully cloud based, using Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure to deliver incomparable performance and durability, ensuring high performance video delivery to all subscribers. ALTBalaji’s highlights include:

    ● A subscription based Video-on-Demand service with original and exclusive premium content at competitive prices to customers
    ● Pre-subscription access to selective content and previews
    ● Service across multiply connected devices with a seamless cross device user experience
    ● Parental control allowing kids to watch kids content while preventing them full access to all content
    ● Full scale analytics backbone with an inference engine and knowledge data store

  • MatrixCloud OTT enables IPTV operators roll out OTT services in 60 days

    MatrixCloud OTT enables IPTV operators roll out OTT services in 60 days

    MUMBAI: MatrixStream has introduced the MatrixCloud OTT solution for IPTV operators enabling end-to-end IPTV and OTT platform rollout in less than 60 days. Operators can utilize MatrixCloud OTT to launch skinny channel bundles and subscription VOD to complement existing IPTV offerings or to release a standalone video package to bundle with high-margin broadband and wireless services.

    MatrixCloud OTT dramatically reduces time-to-market, even for the largest IPTV operators, enabling service providers to deploy next generation TV services as quickly as possible to increase sales from existing customers and to protect user-base from competitors choosing other IPTV and OTT platforms.

    In-house OTT solution rollout can add up to tens of millions of dollars or more and thousands of hours of integration across multiple hardware and software providers. The MatrixCloud OTT platform and SaaS- based pricing is specifically designed avoid CAPEX and OPEX nightmares through a one-vendor, end-to- end IPTV and OTT solution.

    Tier one operators with millions of customers on many continents are already capitalizing upon Matrixstream’s years of successful IPTV and OTT solution experience to increase average revenue user (ARPU) MatrixStream and to overcome slower-moving competitors.

    In 2017 alone, Matrixstream is launching and expanding services with many of the world’s top multichannel video programming distributors (MVPDs). Take advantage of our easy, incredibly-customizable ITPV and OTT solution to generate far higher profits from existing users and reach new users with next generation TV offerings.

    The MatrixCloud OTT platform for IPTV and OTT operators includes the following:

    1. Operator-branded apps and clients for Android and iOS mobile phones and tablets, PCs, Macs, Apple TV boxes, Android TV boxes, Roku, Chromecast and Amazon Fire.

    2. Support for up 100 live linear channels in each 42u rack with full MatrixCloud DVR support.

    3. SaaS capacity-based pricing that delivering savings of up to 80% over typical per-user pricing and hardware service agreements.

    4. Highly-customizable, targeted advertising across all user devices.

    5. Cloud-based operator BSS and OSS with integrated voucher payment, multiple currencies and third-party mobile money support.

    6. End-to-end MatrixStream OTT IPTV solution can be deployed live in less than 60 days.

  • MatrixCloud OTT enables IPTV operators roll out OTT services in 60 days

    MatrixCloud OTT enables IPTV operators roll out OTT services in 60 days

    MUMBAI: MatrixStream has introduced the MatrixCloud OTT solution for IPTV operators enabling end-to-end IPTV and OTT platform rollout in less than 60 days. Operators can utilize MatrixCloud OTT to launch skinny channel bundles and subscription VOD to complement existing IPTV offerings or to release a standalone video package to bundle with high-margin broadband and wireless services.

    MatrixCloud OTT dramatically reduces time-to-market, even for the largest IPTV operators, enabling service providers to deploy next generation TV services as quickly as possible to increase sales from existing customers and to protect user-base from competitors choosing other IPTV and OTT platforms.

    In-house OTT solution rollout can add up to tens of millions of dollars or more and thousands of hours of integration across multiple hardware and software providers. The MatrixCloud OTT platform and SaaS- based pricing is specifically designed avoid CAPEX and OPEX nightmares through a one-vendor, end-to- end IPTV and OTT solution.

    Tier one operators with millions of customers on many continents are already capitalizing upon Matrixstream’s years of successful IPTV and OTT solution experience to increase average revenue user (ARPU) MatrixStream and to overcome slower-moving competitors.

    In 2017 alone, Matrixstream is launching and expanding services with many of the world’s top multichannel video programming distributors (MVPDs). Take advantage of our easy, incredibly-customizable ITPV and OTT solution to generate far higher profits from existing users and reach new users with next generation TV offerings.

    The MatrixCloud OTT platform for IPTV and OTT operators includes the following:

    1. Operator-branded apps and clients for Android and iOS mobile phones and tablets, PCs, Macs, Apple TV boxes, Android TV boxes, Roku, Chromecast and Amazon Fire.

    2. Support for up 100 live linear channels in each 42u rack with full MatrixCloud DVR support.

    3. SaaS capacity-based pricing that delivering savings of up to 80% over typical per-user pricing and hardware service agreements.

    4. Highly-customizable, targeted advertising across all user devices.

    5. Cloud-based operator BSS and OSS with integrated voucher payment, multiple currencies and third-party mobile money support.

    6. End-to-end MatrixStream OTT IPTV solution can be deployed live in less than 60 days.

  • Zimbabwe-Sri Lanka-WI cricket tri-series live on dittoTV

    Zimbabwe-Sri Lanka-WI cricket tri-series live on dittoTV

    MUMBAI: Cricket lovers who miss their favourite matches due to various reasons can breathe a sigh of relief. Over the top (OTT) platform dittoTV will provide live feed of the Zimbabwe – Sri Lanka -West Indies cricket tri-series match, which commenced on 14 November 2016.

    The matches can be watched live on Ten1 HD channel available on the digital platform. The series comprises six round-robin matches and subscribers can watch the channel at 1 pm on November 14, 16,19, 21, 23 and on the concluding day, 27 November.

    “Cricket is unarguably the most celebrated sport in India. However, with the tri-series airing in the middle of the day, working professionals and students may miss out on the matches. With dittoTV, cricket enthusiasts can catch up on all the action live via their smartphones, laptops or any internet connected device. We are very excited to bring the tri-series live to viewers on our platform,” said dittoTV business head Archana Anand in a statement.

    The dittoTV app is available on Android and iOS platforms, with a monthly subscription charge of Rs 20.

  • Zimbabwe-Sri Lanka-WI cricket tri-series live on dittoTV

    Zimbabwe-Sri Lanka-WI cricket tri-series live on dittoTV

    MUMBAI: Cricket lovers who miss their favourite matches due to various reasons can breathe a sigh of relief. Over the top (OTT) platform dittoTV will provide live feed of the Zimbabwe – Sri Lanka -West Indies cricket tri-series match, which commenced on 14 November 2016.

    The matches can be watched live on Ten1 HD channel available on the digital platform. The series comprises six round-robin matches and subscribers can watch the channel at 1 pm on November 14, 16,19, 21, 23 and on the concluding day, 27 November.

    “Cricket is unarguably the most celebrated sport in India. However, with the tri-series airing in the middle of the day, working professionals and students may miss out on the matches. With dittoTV, cricket enthusiasts can catch up on all the action live via their smartphones, laptops or any internet connected device. We are very excited to bring the tri-series live to viewers on our platform,” said dittoTV business head Archana Anand in a statement.

    The dittoTV app is available on Android and iOS platforms, with a monthly subscription charge of Rs 20.