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Tag: JioCinema

  • ShareChat partners with JioCinema to showcase exclusive Olympic Games Paris 2024 content

    ShareChat partners with JioCinema to showcase exclusive Olympic Games Paris 2024 content

    Mumbai: Every four years the most iconic games take place at a global stage. This year the Olympic Games are to be held in Paris, France with over 200 countries competing against each other. As the Indian contingent gears up for Paris 2024, ShareChat, India’s homegrown social media company, and JioCinema, the official digital partner for the Olympic Games, have entered a partnership to showcase exclusive content for sports fans to be closer to the action from 26 July to 11 August 2024.

    The collaboration aims to provide an unparalleled experience for users on ShareChat and Moj platforms. With a plethora of engaging content, including interviews, footage-based clips, studio content, and build-up videos, catering to a diverse and multi-lingual audience, ensuring the users stay updated with the riveting action.

    Moj a homegrown short video platform, revolutionizing short-form video for tier two audiences by bringing authentic regional content, the latest technology including Dolby Vision, and offering innovative monetizing avenues like virtual gifting for its creator community. This strategic utilization of short-form content aims to celebrate the Olympic spirit amongst millions of fans, delivering the best moments of the games in various regional languages and enhancing the viewing experience. Fans will also have access to insightful analysis from sports legends and commentators through studio clips available on both platforms.

    Announcing the partnership, ShareChat & Moj chief business officer Gaurav Jain said, “We’re thrilled to partner with Jio Cinema to bring official Olympics content to our vast user base, celebrate the spirit of the games, and cheer for the Indian contingent. By offering content in multiple regional languages, ShareChat and Moj have become the go-to destination for sports content and fandom allowing Indians to engage with Team India’s journey like never before.

    The widespread consumption of short videos has revolutionized the way we engage with content, and ShareChat is proud to offer a platform that caters to this demand. Blending content, culture and community ShareChat and Moj are slowly pivoting how marketers can use their creative imagination to build meaningful connections with their audiences.”

    “The partnership with ShareChat and Moj is a significant milestone in our journey to make digital content accessible to every Indian, driving a new kind of lean-in engagement,” said a Viacom18 spokesperson. “Innovation has been at the helm of our Paris 2024 presentation, be it through language offerings, curated feeds, or former Olympians who will join us as studio experts.  This partnership takes it a step further in that direction through its unique content offerings that will excite fans and draw them into celebrating the Olympic movement.”

    As the blue riband event inches closer, ShareChat and JioCinema aim to redefine the way fans engage with Olympic content, creating a truly enriching experience and setting a new benchmark for sports content consumption in India.

  • JioCinema set to revolutionise India’s Paris 2024 experience with ad innovations

    JioCinema set to revolutionise India’s Paris 2024 experience with ad innovations

    Mumbai: With over 100 Indian athletes set to prove their mettle at Paris 2024, the excitement is palpable. Every four years, the Olympics captivate the world like no other event, drawing unparalleled attention and enthusiasm. With a staggering 20 concurrent feeds, JioCinema will ensure fans catch every thrilling moment from wherever they are. These include 17 sports-wise feeds and 3 exclusively curated feeds dedicated to the Indian Contingent in Paris, Global Action, and a special focus on Women Athletes.

    It’s a unique opportunity for brands to align themselves with the values of excellence and unity to reach diverse audiences and drive resonance. The association with the Olympics lead to greater consumer trust and loyalty, as viewers often transfer the positive emotions and excitement they feel for the Olympics to the brands that support it. Additionally, the extensive media coverage and social media buzz around the Olympics provide brands with multiple channels to engage with audiences, further amplifying their message and presence.

    Viewers opting for the India feed can immerse themselves in the Olympic Games in English, Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu, following the Indian contingent’s performances. Additionally, the dedicated women-centric feed will chronicle the inspiring journeys of female Olympians throughout the event. Advertisers have a unique opportunity to leverage these feeds to reach a diverse and engaged audience. By aligning their campaigns with specific sports or thematic feeds, they can maximize visibility and resonance among viewers deeply invested in these specific Olympic narratives.

    Moreover, these curated feeds being streamed in stunning 4K resolution promise an unparalleled viewing experience, capturing the essence of the Olympic Games with exceptional clarity and vibrancy. They are a powerful medium for brands to connect with their target demographic in a meaningful and impactful manner. This integration of technology and content will ensure that advertisers can connect with viewers in meaningful ways, leveraging the global appeal and excitement of the Olympics to maximize brand impact and audience reach.

    To start the Olympic celebrations on a high note, Indian viewers have an exclusive treat in store — a dedicated camera feed focused on the India float during the Opening Ceremony. This special feature will ensure fans get a ring-side view of the Indian contingent as they proudly march and represent the country on the global sporting stage. Viewers will also enjoy extensive coverage of Indian athletes’ medal moments, including live interviews with family members.

    With Viacom18 holding digital and TV rights through JioCinema and Sports18 respectively, advertisers can craft targeted campaigns that resonate deeply with a captivated audience — irrespective of where they are watching Paris 2024. Whether through digital platforms or linear TV, advertisers can leverage curated media plans to maximize impact and engagement during this monumental event.

    Beyond sporting events, the Games are a global cultural phenomenon. JioCinema’s free streaming of the Olympics marks a milestone in viewer engagement, bridging the gap between fans and their sporting heroes like never before. It’s not just about watching; it’s about feeling a part of something historic, celebrating achievements and sharing in the triumphs of the athletes.

    The Olympics are a significant driver of national pride, fostering unity among citizens in the passionate support of their athletes. Brands can actively participate by aligning themselves with national pride and heritage narratives, strengthening their connection with audiences. Endorsing athletes allows brands to leverage their influence, particularly among younger generations. To effectively engage this demographic, brands can craft aspirational campaigns celebrating active lifestyles and sporting achievements.

    Alongside these interviews, domain experts in the studio will provide insights and commentary, enriching the viewing experience and offering deeper context to the achievements of the athletes. The comprehensive and immersive coverage aims to bring Indian viewers closer to the action across devices of their choice, celebrating the country’s sporting heroes and their incredible journeys.

    Strategic partnerships with JioCinema during Paris 2024 will allow brands to maximize presence, build genuine connections with audiences and positively influence consumer perception and loyalty.

  • Viacom18 Consumer Products celebrates 25 years of SpongeBob SquarePants

    Viacom18 Consumer Products celebrates 25 years of SpongeBob SquarePants

    Mumbai: To mark the 25th anniversary of the critically acclaimed Nickelodeon animated series, SpongeBob SquarePants, Viacom18 Consumer Products is all set for a yearlong celebration featuring exciting new collaborations and exclusive merchandise. The licensing and merchandising arm of Viacom 18 has partnered with several major artists, such as Raul Urias and Jisu Choi, Daniel Mackey and Berthet One, and Dennis Gabbana and Tik Ka from East. Additionally, the celebration brings fans closer to their favourite character with an exclusive collection of swimwear, rainwear, bucket hats, tote bags, and more.

    Viacom18 Consumer Products Head Sachin Puntambekar said, “SpongeBob SquarePants is an iconic global franchise that has captured the imagination of fans for 25 years. As we celebrate this milestone, we’re excited to tap into the creator and artist economy for unique designs and exclusive merchandise. This campaign is a testament to our commitment towards immersive experiences that extend beyond the screen, transcending into the lives of our audiences.”

    Leaving no stone unturned for the SpongeBob SquarePants fandom, Viacom18 Consumer Products has planned an extensive marketing campaign spanning TV, retail, and digital activations. This includes SpongeBob and Patrick figurines at retail stores, takeovers, and dedicated character pages on D2C partner websites, collaborations with influencers, and promotional campaigns on popular channels such as Nickelodeon, MTV, VH1, and JioCinema.

    Celebrate the 25th anniversary of SpongeBob SquarePants with exclusive merch available offline and online platforms like Reliance, Flipkart, Lifestyle, Amazon India, and Myntra. 

  • Vidnet Summit 2024: The streaming commerce: Where is this heading?

    Vidnet Summit 2024: The streaming commerce: Where is this heading?

    Mumbai: The OTT business in India is buzzing with new streamers, niche, and language offerings. However, early players are struggling as heavy content spending isn’t matching revenues, and India-specific low pricing hasn’t spurred subscriptions. Growth has plateaued as consumers return to post-COVID normalcy, preferring to binge occasionally.

    Adding to the churn is the shift towards AVOD by giants like JioCinema, offering premium events like cricket for free, with Disney+Hotstar following suit. This has strained streaming bottom lines. The rise of FAST channels is also causing industry jitters. Vidnet explored the future of the streaming ecosystem.

    The panel for this session was moderated by Ernst and Young LLP (Session Chair) partner Raghav Anand along with other panelists like Arha Media & Broadcasting CEO, Ravikant Sabnavis, Chaupal co-founder Ujjwal Mahajan, JOJO App co-founder Meet Kariya, PlayboxTV founder & CEO Aamir Mulani.

    Anand set the tone by highlighting the rapid evolution of streaming commerce and its profound impact on brands and OTT platforms. He posed a question to the panelists about how they foresee the evolving landscape of streaming commerce influencing both brands and OTT platforms, and what strategies they deem crucial for effectively leveraging this trend in the coming years.

    Mulani shared his perspective, telling the goal of achieving parity with television distribution to enhance cache and development capabilities, “‘The idea is the day we match, 50% of distribution of television, we all be able to have a better cache. We always able to have a better dev. Everything will be smooth.”

    Mahajan stressed the importance of engaging content across multiple languages, aligning with theatrical markets, and boosting marketing efforts for major movies, “The power of content lies in its ability to engage audiences. If our platform operates in multiple languages from the start, it aligns well with theatrical markets and boosts existing marketing efforts for major tentpole movies. However, long-term success hinges on digital content.”

    Sabnavis said their content strategy’s evolution to resonate strongly with cultural preferences, initially focusing on a direct subscription model to build brand loyalty, “Over the last four years, we have honed our content strategy to ensure a strong cultural affinity, making it compelling and unique. Initially, we opted for a subscription model, avoiding partnerships with telecom operators to create a direct brand pull.”

    Lastly, Kariya reflected on their app journey from producers to launching a free platform, driven by a desire to support content creators facing challenges.

  • Network18 reports strong Q1 growth of Rs 3141 crores

    Network18 reports strong Q1 growth of Rs 3141 crores

    Mumbai: Network18 Media and Investments Ltd reported consolidated operational revenue of Rs 3,141 crore for the quarter ending 30 June, fueled by impressive performances in the sports and news segments. The company’s digital portfolio also expanded in both reach and engagement.

    Network18 stated that its subsidiary Viacom18 has continued to invest in the sports and news sectors to drive future growth. The company noted that even though these segments are still in the development phase, they have rapidly achieved a strong brand presence and consumer recognition.

    TV News portfolio delivered 30 per cent advertising growth during the quarter. The network leveraged its leadership positions across key markets and election-linked advertising tailwinds to deliver industry-leading ad growth. EBITDA for the quarter saw a turnaround as revenue grew 14 per cent while costs were flat. The TV news network posted EBITDA of Rs 40 crore in Q1FY25, a 46 per cent increase (YoY).

    JioCinema achieved record digital IPL viewership during the quarter. IPL 2024 reached 620 million viewers, marking a 38 percent increase from the previous year. “Engagement also saw a significant rise, with audiences spending a total of more than 350 billion minutes watching the most popular annual sports event, over 50 percent higher than last season,” the company reported.

    Meanwhile, Network18 group’s digital brands solidified their leadership positions over the quarter, experiencing a substantial rise in monthly unique visitors. “With approximately 250 million unique visitors, Network18 narrowed the reach gap with the leader to about 10 percent, down from over 50 percent in March 2023,” the statement revealed.

    Network18’s digital news business recorded a 34 per cent growth in Q1FY25, with total revenue reaching Rs 109 crore compared to Rs 81 crore in the same quarter of FY24.

    The digital news portfolio of Network18 experienced a significant increase in monthly unique visitors. With 250 million unique visitors, Network18 narrowed the reach gap with the leader to just 10 per cent, down from over 50 per cent in March 2023.

    Moneycontrol maintained its position as the top player in both reach and engagement metrics, driven by comprehensive coverage of economic and market-related topics. Key engagement metrics such as monthly page views, time spent, and sessions were 20 per cent-70 per cent higher than those of the nearest competitor.

    Moneycontrol Pro surpassed 8.1 lakh paid subscribers, solidifying its status as the leading subscription-based news platform in India and one of the top three in Asia, according to FIPP’s Digital Subscription Report.

    News18.com established itself as the leading platform for non-English language consumers in India during the last quarter. The platform’s reach expanded significantly due to editorial and product initiatives, resulting in a 50 per cent  increase in monthly average unique visitors quarter-on-quarter and a 100% year-on-year growth in on-platform video views. News18’s mobile app saw an increase in MAUs, and the News18 Connected TV app was launched for platforms like Android, Samsung Tizen, and Firestick.

    Firstpost’s coverage of international events from an Indian perspective continued to drive reach and engagement throughout the quarter. The platform saw a 67 per cent increase in monthly active users and page views following the launch of its revamped website. On counting day, the website’s traffic doubled compared to normal days, with time spent increasing fourfold. Firstpost’s growth on YouTube also continued, with the subscriber count surpassing the five million mark.

  • JioCinema to showcase the most comprehensive Olympics coverage for Paris 2024

    JioCinema to showcase the most comprehensive Olympics coverage for Paris 2024

    Mumbai: Viacom18, the official broadcast and digital partner for Paris 2024, announced the biggest and most immersive Olympics presentation yet in India, with 20 concurrent feeds and a roster of Olympians, starting 26 July 2024, across the Sports18 Network and for free on JioCinema. The network has lined-up an extra-ordinary list of former champions across multiple sporting disciplines to amplify the most comprehensive Olympics presentation ever. It also, launched its campaign film ‘Dum Laga Ke… Haisha’, promising an Olympics like never seen before.

    For the first time, Olympics coverage in India will be presented across 20 concurrent feeds on JioCinema for free, allowing fans to catch their preferred action and Indian performances at the Olympic Games anytime, anywhere on their preferred device. The presentation will have 17 sports-wise feeds and three curated feeds, all available in 4K. The curated feeds will include an India feed in English, Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu, which allows viewers to catch all the action from the Indian contingent as it unfolds on-ground.

    In a never-seen-before endeavour, a women athletes feed will exclusively capture the journey of women Olympians for the entire edition. The curated feeds will also feature a global action feed in English and Hindi, thus allowing viewers to track the finest athletes in the world in action at Paris 2024.

    Embed link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uhYFCgpSnc

    On linear platforms, Sports18 – 1, Sports18 – 1 HD, Sports18 – 2 will run India focused feed, Global Action will be available on Sports18 – 3. Sports18 – 1 and Sports18 – 1 HD will present the Games in English with Tamil and Telugu available on language button. Sports18 – 2 will offer the Paris 2024 in Hindi.

    The immersive coverage tips off with a dedicated camera feed on the India float throughout the opening ceremony giving viewers a ring-side view of the Indian contingent. In addition, viewers will be able to enjoy coverage of Indian medal moments with live interviews with their family members alongside a domain expert from the studio.

    “Our presentation of Paris 2024 is built on the idea of putting viewers front and centre as our athletes aim for glory. For the first time in India, an Olympics presentation will have a dedicated Indian feed, a women athletes feed, and a global action feed, giving fans high autonomy with a lean-in experience as they follow the Games,” said Viacom18 – sports head of content Siddharth Sharma. “We strive to capture the inspiring journeys of Indian athletes and rally the country to back our heroes through our never-seen-before Olympic experience.”

    India’s first female wrestling Olympic medallist Sakshi Malik (2016 Summer Olympics) will be joined by Beijing 2008 bronze medallist boxer Vijender Singh. Four-time Olympian and six-time Grand Slam winner and the first Indian woman to be ranked number one in the WTA rankings, Sania Mirza will be joined by Commonwealth and Asian Games gold medallist, Somdev Devvarman. World No seven long jumper and Commonwealth Games medallist, Murali Sreeshankar will be seen in a whole new avatar as Viacom18’s expert during the Olympics.

    The studio line-up will also feature former Indian Men’s Hockey Team Captain Viren Rasquinha, Commonwealth Games gold medallist shuttler Parupalli Kashyap, multiple Asian Games medallist and World Doubles Championship gold medallist squash icon Saurav Ghosal, and India’s two-time Olympic archer Atanu Das will add gravitas to Viacom18’s line-up.

    In the lead up to the quadrennial sporting spectacle, Viacom18, the official broadcast and digital partner for Paris 2024, also launched “Dum Laga Ke…Haisha!”, its campaign film for the Olympic Games. The campaign film builds on the philosophy of Olympics unlike anything seen before, breaking away from the conventional advertising template employed by past global sporting events for the Indian market such as tropes of serious looking athletes training to motivational voiceovers. It takes a fresh approach instead, by intertwining the magnitude of the Olympics as a global movement and its impact on our daily Indian lives.

    “We wanted to keep the campaign idea rooted in the transformative power of viewing sports. The film is our ode to the Olympic spirit and imagines a world where watching the Olympics vicariously, inspires us to push ourselves like runners, boxers, gymnasts, archers and weightlifters in our quotidian lives. We married this idea with a re-imagination of the timeless chant ‘Dum Laga Ke Haisha! that’s deeply ingrained in the Indian spirit of movement and sports, into multiple regional languages to ignite excitement for the Olympics across the country,” said JioCinema’s head of brand and creative marketing, Shagun Seda. “To bring our concept to life, we partnered with Jugaad Motion Pictures who brought in a fresh approach and elevated the concept to a rich audio-visual experience.”

    Viacom18’s comprehensive coverage of Paris 2024 includes content around must-watch events for India fans, Indians to watch out for at the Olympics, greatest performances in Olympics history, unprecedented landmarks Indians can achieve at Paris 2024, and much more.

    Here’s the full list of Viacom18’s experts for Paris 2024-

    Domain

    Expert

    Core Group 

    Sania Mirza

    Core Group 

    Viren Rasquinha

    Core Group 

    Somdev Devvarman

    Core Group 

    Neha Aggarwal

    Core Group 

    Nisha Millet

    Core Group 

    Murali Sreeshankar

    Core Group 

    Saurav Ghoshal

    Archery 

    Rahul Banerjee

    Archery 

    Atanu Das

    Badminton

    P Kashyap

    Boxing 

    Vijender Singh

    Hockey

    Jugraj Singh

    Shooting

    Heena Sidhu

    Shooting 

    Joydeeep Karmakar

    Swimming 

    Virdhawal Khade

    Wrestling 

    Sakshi Malik
  • Ultimate Table Tennis and Viacom18 extend broadcast deal to boost table tennis revolution

    Ultimate Table Tennis and Viacom18 extend broadcast deal to boost table tennis revolution

    Mumbai: Ultimate Table Tennis has partnered with Viacom18 to bring world-class table tennis action from the upcoming season of the league. UTT 2024 is scheduled to be held in Chennai from August 22 to September 7 and will be streamed on JioCinema for free and broadcasted on the Sports18 Network.

    This deal earmarks the second year of partnership between UTT and Viacom18 following a successful collaboration last season. The franchise-based league, which is in its fifth season, will witness 17 days of high-voltage and entertaining action as JioCinema and the Sports18 Network will bring high-octane matches in English and Hindi for table tennis and sports enthusiasts.

    Launched in 2017 and promoted by Niraj Bajaj and Vita Dani under the auspices of the Table Tennis Federation of India, UTT has rapidly become one of the most sought-after global sports properties in table tennis. The league has played a significant role in the growth of Indian table tennis, contributing to India’s historic qualification for the Paris 2024 Olympics.

    Talking about the association, UTT co-promoters Niraj Bajaj and Vita Dani, expressed:
    “Our partnership with Viacom18 highlights our mutual dedication to expanding table tennis in India. With their mandate for the Paris 2024, Viacom18 will showcase our top Indian paddlers as they compete on the biggest stage. The transition to UTT 2024 following the Olympics will be seamless. Viacom18’s extensive reach and commitment to sports streaming and broadcasting will ensure that the excitement of UTT 2024 is felt in every corner of the country.”

    The league garnered a combined viewership of more than 33 million over 18 days on JioCinema and the Sports18 Network last season. This year expanding its footprint, UTT will feature eight teams for the first time with the addition of Ahmedabad SG Pipers and Jaipur Patriots. The other six teams participating in this edition are: PBG Bengaluru Smashers, Dabang Delhi TTC, U Mumba TT, Goa Challengers, Puneri Paltan Table Tennis and Chennai Lions.

    UTT adds on to the already diverse sporting portfolio of Viacom18, which is home to world-class sporting events, including the upcoming Olympic Games Paris 2024, Diamond League, select BWF events, BCCI Cricket, TATA IPL, TATA WPL, SA20, Major League Cricket (MLC) and the NBA among others.

    “We are thrilled to continue our partnership with Ultimate Table Tennis. The league has captivated the audience by putting high-quality competition and fine performances by Indian and international star paddlers on the centre stage,” said Viacom18 Sports head of strategy, acquisitions, & partnerships Hursh Shrivastava. “We are particularly delighted to present the best Indian paddlers such as Sharath Kamal, Harmeet Desai, Manav Thakkar, Manika Batra and Sreeja Akula who will be returning from their Olympic rendezvous as they throw their hat in the ring for UTT 2024.”

    A total of 48 premier paddlers, including top Indian players like Achanta Sharath Kamal, Manika Batra, Sathiyan Gnanasekaran and Sreeja Akula alongside 16 global stars such as World No. 9 Bernadette Szocs, World No. 16 Nina Mittelham and Nigeria’s ace player Quadri Aruna, are set to compete in the UTT 2024.

    The player draft will take place in Mumbai on July 10.  

  • Colors Kannada launches all new family drama Nanna Devru

    Colors Kannada launches all new family drama Nanna Devru

    Mumbai: Staying true to its commitment of captivating audiences, Colors Kannada, is back with another captivating show, Nanna Devru.

    Nanna Devru narrates the story between a revered philanthropist and his devoted disciple. The show follows Mayuri, a kind-hearted nurse from a humble background in Brahmadurga. Mayuri works at one of the many charity hospitals run by Sacchidananda, a well-known philanthropist and industrialist admired for his extensive social work. Mayuri holds Sacchidananda in the highest regard, viewing him as a living embodiment of virtue and wants to follow in his footsteps.

    Sacchidananda, a 44-year-old widowed father of a 20-year-old daughter Sakshi, who is the opposite of her father, rebellious in nature and revolts against her father’s decisions. Due to Sacchidananda devoting himself to the people’s cause, Sakshi has become distant and lives away from him to work in Bengaluru as a bartender which causes a lot of heartache to Sachidananda. Sacchidananda hopes to gain his daughter’s confidence one day.  

    Mayuri, a 24-year-old is an orphan, raised by her adopted parents Sukumar and Madhavi. Sukumar is a cab driver and Madhavi a homemaker. Mayuri is educated at the institutions run by Sacchidananda and working as a nurse in one of his hospitals, Mayuri deeply admires Sacchidananda’s philanthropic work. She is fiercely loyal and willing to go to any lengths to safeguard his reputation and protect him during challenging times.

    Nanna Devru explores how their lives intertwine after their encounter. The story revolves around Mayuri’s unwavering support as she helps Sacchidananda navigate the treacherous web of conspiracies woven against him by his envious family members. The narrative celebrates the unwavering innocence of a village girl who overcomes numerous obstacles to shield Sacchidananda, offering a unique and heartwarming experience for viewers.

    Mayuri Kyathari, the beloved star of the blockbuster show Ashwini Nakshatra, is back on Colors Kannada as Mayuri with the show Nanna Devru. Alongside her is Avinash Divakar, the grandson of Kannada comic legend Narashimharaju. He is an actor and dabbles as an art director and film director, who portrays the philanthropist, Sacchidananda. The show has a talented cast including Yukta Malnad, Swathi, V Manohar, Rekha Das, Nishitha Gowda, Malathi Sudhir, Yamuna Shrinidhi, Ravi Brahma, Abhishek Shrikanth, and many more.

    Shruthi Naidu, the successful producer behind Olavina Nildana, helms the production of Nanna Devru. Ramesh Indira, currently renowned for his captivating antagonist roles, directs the show alongside Shruthi Naidu.

    Colors Kannada business head Prashanth Nayak.B expressed his enthusiasm for the show: “As a brand, we are always loved by our audiences for bringing frbesh stories and their successful execution. Continuing that legacy, Nanna Devru presents a captivating narrative that explores the themes of innocence and righteousness. It showcases how these virtues navigate relentless challenges to achieve a greater purpose – social service. Having Shruti Naidu and Ramesh Indira adds immense value to this unique story.”

    Gear up for an emotional journey filled with innocence and righteousness! Nanna Devru premieres exclusively on Colors Kannada starting today at 6:30 pm, airing Monday through Saturday. The show will also be available on JioCinema.
     

  • Planetcast Media Services sets new standards in live sports broadcasting

    Planetcast Media Services sets new standards in live sports broadcasting

    Mumbai: Planetcast Media Services is proud to announce its faultless delivery of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season, with zero downtime or glitches across 74 matches held in 13 stadiums. This exceptional performance continues Planetcast’s legacy of providing top-tier media services for major cricketing events, including the recent T20 World Cup (2 to 29 June), which ended with India defeating South Africa.

    Having established itself as a leader in seamless, high-quality broadcasting and streaming solutions, Planetcast has been a trusted technology partner for the IPL for the last 17 years and, in 2024, ensured that cricket fans enjoyed coverage of the T20 World Cup via Star Sports, Hotstar and Times Internet Group’s Cricbuzz. Planetcast’s advanced media services enabled the delivery of advertising of around $450 million for the IPL rightsholders (almost equally split between broadcast and digital platforms, and on par with the $465 million in 2023).

    For the 2024 IPL season, Planetcast provided the following services:

    1   Star Sports: Delivering domestic TV broadcast to 17 channels in 11 languages with services such as encoding, live transmission, playout, packaging, and delivery solutions.

    2   Viacom18: Supporting over-the-top (OTT) streaming on JioCinema.

    3   Times Internet: Facilitating international OTT streaming and playout for Cricbuzz.

    “Our long-standing partnership with IPL rightsholders underscores our capability to handle live events of significant scale that generate advertising revenues of $450 plus million,” said Planetcast Media Services’ CEO Sanjay Duda. “With the financial stakes so high, it’s critical that we remain dedicated to performing flawlessly and that we enhance match coverage across all the platforms we handle. We are also incredibly excited to have provided media services for the T20 World Cup, which concluded last weekend with India hoisting the trophy after the exciting win against South Africa.”

    The IPL’s exponential growth is evident in the record-breaking viewership figures year after year. Star Sports, Disney Star’s broadcasting channel for IPL 2024, drew a record-breaking audience of 546 million over the first 67 matches, according to figures from India’s Broadcast Audience Research Council. JioCinema’s streaming figures show a 38 per cent increase in viewers streaming IPL in 2024 over 2023, with 620 million viewers watching matches on the Viacom 18 service. IPL’s opening 2024 match alone attracted 111 million fans on JioCinema, marking a staggering 51 per cent increase from the year before.

    Building on its IPL success, Planetcast is also providing comprehensive services for the T20 World Cup, including:

    1   Star Sports: Managing the world feed via satellite, covering 17 channels in three languages, and providing encoding, live transmission, playout, packaging, and delivery solutions.

    2   Hotstar: Delivering disaster recovery services, channel content replacement, and vertical feed delivery.

    3   Times Internet Group (Cricbuzz): Implementing AI-based editing for instant highlight creation, near-real-time ad insertion, and graphic insertion and playout for the US market.

  • JioCinema hires three power-packed tech leaders

    JioCinema hires three power-packed tech leaders

    Mumbai: Even as user experience has been improving and attaining global standards on its  OTT platform, JioCinema, Viacom18 has taken steps to take it a notch higher by roping in three top techies on its tech team.

    Coming in as chief product officer & ad tech platform lead is Bharath Ram with rich experience at Flipkart (as product & engineering lead), Instagram (core product ad team in the US) and Amazon Prime Video (personalisation lead).

    The second tech lead to join is Vijay Sheshadri who has come in as chief technical advisor. Sheshadri’s core strengths lie in enterprise security, e-commerce, and large-scale distributed system with experience as an engineering fellow at Swiggy, at Amazon and at Symantec where he built several enterprise security solutions and cloud infrastructure services. Vijay was the lead architect for Symantec’s reputation-based security technology, which won the Wall Street Journal Technology Innovation Award in 2010.

    The third hire Shoury Bhardwaj has taken on the role of engineering leader for app experience, search, recommendations, data and app backend platforms.  He has 12 years of experience at Flipkart, where he worked on key areas such  e-commerce. In his most recent role, he led the product and engineering teams for new business initiatives.

    A company press release said these appointments aim to bolster tech expertise, agility, and market responsiveness, supporting the company’s swift expansion and commitment to providing exceptional digital experiences.

    “We are thrilled to welcome Bharath, Vijay and Shoury to the Viacom18 family. Their expertise and leadership will be instrumental as we embark on the next phase of our ambitious growth journey. These appointments reflect our commitment to building a world-class tech platform that can deliver the best of content and an unparalleled experience to our consumers,” a company spokesperson was quoted in the press release.