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Tag: Lock Upp

  • “Goafest 2025 is our canvas; we want brands to be comfortable forging content partnerships on MX Player” – Amogh Dusad

    “Goafest 2025 is our canvas; we want brands to be comfortable forging content partnerships on MX Player” – Amogh Dusad

    MUMBAI: On the sun-kissed shores of Goafest 2025, amidst the creative chaos and infectious enthusiasm of India’s advertising aristocracy, Amazon MX Player made a splash—not merely as a passive sponsor but as an ingenious storyteller poised to rewrite the rulebook on how brands engage their audience. Content maestro Amogh Dusad, appearing as though he thrives solely on a potent cocktail of wit, charm, and industry savvy, laid bare exactly how Amazon MX Player plans to dazzle and delight the notoriously unpredictable advertising elite.
    In this buzzing carnival of ideas and innovation, Indian Television Dot Com’s Sreeyom Sil gladly swapped leisurely sun-loungers for spirited verbal fencing, exchanging lively repartee with Amazon MX Player’s charismatic content wizard Dusad to unravel the secrets behind his devilishly clever content crusade. Below is a distillation of Dusad’s interview, served fresh in a brisk question-and-answer dossier.  Excerpts: 

    How is Amazon MX Player positioning itself to impress India’s top advertising minds at Goafest?
    We want to use this opportunity to talk about some of our upcoming tentpole shows. Also give them full comfort and trust on the kind of content that is on the service so that brands feel comfortable in deeper content partnerships.These forums build awareness around our upcoming slate. Our masterclass here offers brands a journey into our ecosystem—demonstrating seamless brand integrations in our narratives, ensuring advertisers feel confident forging deeper content partnerships.

    Can you give a specific example of brand integration in Amazon MX Player’s content?
    There’s a lot of brand integrations in LinkedIn in Jamnapaar, or Realme sponsored Hip Hop India.  We’ve successfully embedded brands directly into storytelling. Unlike traditional TV, where ads often become ambient noise, OTT’s intimate viewing ensures audiences engage fully. Shows like Lock Upp and Campus Diaries seamlessly weave brand messages into compelling stories, amplified further through our social media.

    Are there any new storytelling trends from Goafest influencing Amazon MX Player’s content?
    The festival’s just begun, but we constantly reassess our content. The rapid popularity of hip-hop among India’s youth, for instance, inspired our show Hip Hop India, integrating subculture and music in an energetic format, demonstrating our commitment to riding cultural waves swiftly.

    Has involvement in Goafest planning influenced your decision to double down on dubbed international content?
    No videsi as a category. We’ve been programming for almost two to three years now. We’ve curated international hits, notably from East Asia, for a few years now. Our recent anime venture dubbed in Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu, a free-to-view innovation, was an independent, successful experiment reinforcing our strategic direction.

    Any exclusive content reveals at Goafest 2025 from Amazon MX Player?
    We will be screening  the first episodes of popular returning franchise Half CA season 2 and new series Mitti: Ek Nayi Pehchaan, featuring Ishwak Singh. We will also be having a fireside chat featuring actor Sunil Shetty on the returning season of Hunter and insights from our upcoming unscripted show featuring Ashneer Grover will give attendees an exclusive taste.

    How is Amazon MX Player leveraging Goafest as a testing ground for new ad formats?
    Being the presenting sponsor gives us significant engagement opportunities. Through masterclasses and interactive sessions, we’re challenging the industry’s brightest to rethink brand storytelling beyond traditional paradigms. Our aim is bold yet simple: innovate or perish.

    Reflecting on your role, how have your leadership decisions shaped Amazon MX Player?
    My journey here has been immensely rewarding, producing over 20 returning franchises within just three years. Our next frontier? MX Fatafat, an innovative vertical short-form drama series with two minute episodes tailored to a thumb-scrolling audience, expected later this yea

  • ALTBalaji onboards Snehil Dixit Mehra as head of content & digital media

    ALTBalaji onboards Snehil Dixit Mehra as head of content & digital media

    Mumbai: A wholly-owned subsidiary of Balaji Telefilms ALT Digital Media Entertainment appointed Snehil Dixit Mehra as the head of content & digital media. Earlier, Mehra worked with filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali as associate director.

    Mehra has a vivid professional portfolio and worked as a writer, director and digital influencer. He recently forayed into acting with her stellar performance in Jio Studios’ Apharan Season 2.

    Mehra brings with her an enviable experience in the media and entertainment space and over 16 years of experience in the broadcast industry. She has held various leadership positions at Bhansali Productions, Star India, Sony Entertainment Television & Endemol India. Ektaa R Kapoor is keen on expanding her digital footprint with producing more originals and after the immense success of her digital reality show Lock Upp she aspires to create more original formats for the non-fiction audiences. Thus, a high-profile acquisition was expected, given the content powerhouse wanted the leadership to work in close association with content creators and producers.

    In her new role, Snehil will be leading the content and programming division for ALTBalaji and will be responsible for managing the upcoming original content line-up and the platform’s creative strategy.

    Talking about joining the team, Snehil said, “This is my second innings at ALTBalaji, a homecoming for me, however with a larger mandate now. I am looking forward to planning a roadmap for further accelerated growth of ALTBalaji as a leading digital content hub.”

  • ALTBalaji launches a subscription contest for its users

    ALTBalaji launches a subscription contest for its users

    The homegrown OTT platform, ALTBalaji has announced an exciting contest for its app users. As a part of this content, new viewers can avail annual subscription plan for only Rs 300 and get access to some of the best, current and upcoming shows along with viewing the enthralling initial seasons of its previous shows as well.

    The contest will start from 9 May until 20 June. To add to the excitement, each week one lucky winner can also get a chance to win a wide range of prizes which include top-of-the-line watches, perfumes, travel hampers, gold shopping vouchers, shopping vouchers and much more. A special hamper of multiple goodies will also be given to anyone lucky winner.

    ALTBalaji has always attracted new viewers and wooed them with new path-breaking content and carved a niche for itself in the Indian OTT space. The platform has always offered several appealing incentives to viewers, and this is an effort in that direction.

    ALTBalaji has one of the largest original Hindi content libraries, which include 91 original shows spanning genres such as thrillers, drama, romance, youth dramas, horror, comedy, and more which cater to a vast variety of audience segments. Being India’s own homegrown OTT platform, ALTBalaji has featured some of the most talented actors and worked with award-winning directors and acclaimed writers, and it continues to improve the quality of its content. Its upcoming lineup includes shows like Apharan 2, Bois Locker Room, Paurushpur 2, Mental Hood, Season 2 and many more.

  • Here’s how ALTBalaji disrupted AVOD world with new show ‘Lock Upp’

    Here’s how ALTBalaji disrupted AVOD world with new show ‘Lock Upp’

    Mumbai: Streaming platform ALTBalaji recently launched its first reality show “Lock Upp” through an advertising-based video on demand (AVOD) model. The AVOD system allows viewers to access the free original content. This strategic move by ALTBalaji is on its way to set a new benchmark in the Indian entertainment industry.

    The Kangana Ranaut-fronted show turned out to be a great success for the streaming service platform. On the subscription video-on-demand side (SVOD), ALTBalaji has witnessed 36 per cent quarter-on-quarter growth in FY21. In addition, the platform saw a 75 per cent increase in active subscriber base to 2.1 million from 1.2 million last year, compared to the same period the previous quarter in 2020. As a result, the platform has more than 35 million subscribers with nine million monthly active users, according to the streaming service. 

    With over 80 per cent of ALTBalaji’s audience under 35 years of age; an exciting library boasting 91+ original shows and many in the pipeline; a flourishing SVOD business; AVOD is the next step in building the business further.

    For the first time, a platform with no network support has attempted to build an AVOD business, as it garners a record number of views based on the strength of the path-breaking content that it delivers regularly. According to the platform, the goal is to reach out to an even wider audience base, penetrating further into the hinterlands.  

    Speaking on this success, ALTBalaji spokesperson said the introduction of AVOD will not only be an added layer of advertising revenue to existing revenue streams but will also help them drive further subscriber base via cross-sell and up-sell. “We are excited about providing a further simplified and seamless experience with thousands of hours of free content for mass India,” added the spokesperson.

    ALTBalaji has a history of creating ventures and opportunities that are very well received by the audience. Currently catering to an MAU base of 10+million, it has sold 2.9 million subscriptions in H1 alone. The platform sees an audience engagement metric of 83 minutes per day, with different genres catering to varied audiences. According to a recent report by global technology research powerhouse Omdia, AVOD streamers will flourish over the next three years and will hit revenues of almost $260 billion by 2025.

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  • ALTBalaji & MX Player’s show ‘Lock Upp’ reaches 100 mn views since its release

    ALTBalaji & MX Player’s show ‘Lock Upp’ reaches 100 mn views since its release

    Mumbai: The unique captive reality show ‘Lock Upp’ by ALTBalaji & MX Player has successfully managed to garner 100 million views within 19 days of its release.

    The show is currently streaming on ALTBalaji and is hosted by actress Kangana Ranaut. To create an exclusive user experience, MX Player & ALTBalaji has introduced two new features: Super Voting/for Loyal and Super Fans and Khabris on the apps. 

    Other features that will soon be introduced on the app are the audience suggestion poll and contestant chat. Additionally, MX Player & ALTBalaji will unveil the highly engaging ‘appeal box’ for a wholesome interactive experience.

    ALTBalaji & MX Games are innovating and providing audiences with a chance to predict and win. Speaking on the new features, MX Media’s CEO Karan Bedi said, “At MX, we are always attempting to entertain our audiences with exciting and unique concepts. Our user-first approach in offering such content has made MX Player India’s largest entertainment platform. Our latest hit reality series, Lock Upp has something for every user.” 

    “We have introduced dynamic interactivity so that they get a chance to get involved with the contestants and increases the likelihood of building a long-term connection with them. To ensure our proposition succeeds, we believe in giving people more of what they love to build compelling connections,” Bedi added.

    “A user who predicts elimination before it starts builds an emotional investment in the outcome and creates their unique personal journey with their favourite contestants on the show. We have lots more in store to create an entertaining real-time engagement for our users,” he said.

    “AT ALTBalaji, the focus is always on introducing content that appeals to the mass audiences. With Lock Upp, an ALTBalaji Production, we have created multiple milestones with massive audience engagement topping the lists across all platforms. Extra-ordinary audience interactivity is a USP that ALTBalaji is looking to innovate even further. On the same lines, we are happy to introduce the concept of super fans where the ‘aam aadmi of India’ will have super-power to decide the fate of the contestant in the show and we will also give a super fan a chance to become a Khabri and intermingle with the contestants. To connect the audiences directly to the show, there is much more in store for everyone to stay engaged,” Czarina Ekta R Kapoor shares. 

    For example, the accurate winning prediction, team captain prediction or an elimination prediction will help users regularly earn points and prizes. This interactivity feature increases the chances of audience involvement in the show and helps them stay connected to their favourite contestants. The results will be announced on the show. 

  • Chimp&z Inc bags digital mandate for ALTBalaji’s Metaverse game ‘Lock Upp’

    Chimp&z Inc bags digital mandate for ALTBalaji’s Metaverse game ‘Lock Upp’

    Mumbai: Chimp&z Inc, from the aegis of Merge Infinity Network has bagged the digital mandate for ALTBalaji’s “Lock Upp,” a first-of-its-kind reality show-based fantasy metaverse game. This establishes a strategic partnership for the game’s launch on seven popular social media platforms.

    With this partnership, the agency forays into a metaverse market that offers in-game cards of the celebrity contestants which players can own, buy, sell, and trade and earn points through skilled gameplay and contributions to the ecosystem, said the statement.

    As per the mandate, the agency will amplify enrollment in the game with creative communications across social platforms such as Discord, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and Telegram. The digital duties further extend to online reputation management and influencer collaborations.

    https://www.instagram.com/lockuppgame/

    “As we embark on a first-of-its-kind journey for an innovation like the Lock Upp Game, we are delighted to have Chimp&z Inc on board to support us in this unique project which will break barriers and open paths for future content innovation,” commented Balaji Telefilms group COO Zulfiqar Khan.

    “We’re thrilled to partner with Zulfiqar and his team on delivering a surreal experience to the audience with a Metaverse-based game,” stated Chimp&z Inc VP- growth and operations Ashish Duggal. “The game plan is to develop identifiable social and digital solutions that will assist in supporting the brand’s thrust area of being the first fantasy game based on a reality show. We put together a team of gaming enthusiasts for this project who formulated a digital strategy that will appeal to the target audience, which includes gamers, metaverse wizards, and NFT buffs. This innovative intellectual property has manifested a bridge between virtual reality and entertainment, making the audience a part of the content they are consuming.”

  • ‘Lock Upp’ garners 15 million views in 48 hours

    ‘Lock Upp’ garners 15 million views in 48 hours

    Mumbai: MX Player and Altbalaji’s new reality show “Lock Upp” has garnered 15 million views within 48 hours of its launch, according to the streaming platform. “This made it the first digital reality show to achieve such a massive opening in its launch week,” said the statement. 

    The show which released on 27 February features Kangana Ranaut as the host and brings together 13 controversial celebrities in a jail for 72 days. 

    The celebrities include Nisha Rawal, Munawar Faruqui, Poonam Pandey, Kaaranvir Bohra, Swami Chakrapani, Siddharth Sharma, Anjali Arora, Babita Phogat, Shivam Sharma, Sara Khan, Payal Rohatgi, Tehseen Poonawalla and Saisha Shinde.

    “While television has run its course on the over hashed sentiment of unity amid differences of opinions, ‘Lock Upp’ is a reality format that is quite the opposite — it pits celebrities and influencers who are known for very strong views on various issues in a hostile environment that has bare minimum amenities. The show has attracted a huge following even amongst international viewers because of its distinct look and feel,” said the statement.

  • MX Player, ALTBalaji rope in Kangana Ranaut for new reality show ‘Lock Upp’

    MX Player, ALTBalaji rope in Kangana Ranaut for new reality show ‘Lock Upp’

    Mumbai: MX Player and ALTBalaji have partnered to launch a reality show ‘Lock Upp: Badass Jail, Atyaachari Khel’ with Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut as the host of the show. The show premieres on 27 February.

    Produced by Endemol Shine, the show features 16 celebrities who are put together lock- up for months and stripped of their amenities. The announcement was made at a press conference on Thursday by Ekta R. Kapoor along with MX Media CEO Karan Bedi and actor Kangana Ranaut. Also present were ALTBalaji Group COO Zulfiqar Khan, MX Media COO Nikhil Gandhi, and MX Player SVP and head – acquisitions Mansi Shrivastav.

    The show will be live-streamed 24X7 on both ALTBalaji and MX Player. ALTBalaji will also introduce a fantasy metaverse game based on the reality show. “I am thrilled and excited to be foraying into OTT with such a unique and brilliant concept,” said Kangana Ranaut. “I want to thank Ekta for always being by my side, she has always been someone I admire and respect a lot. I am glad that she is there with me for my OTT debut as well.”

    “Lock Upp is being launched on a massive scale and has all the elements that make for an entertaining reality show,” said Ekta R. Kapoor. “The concept of the show is brilliant, and I am sure that it will captivate the viewers and set a new standard for reality shows.”

    “MX has always been a market disruptor – our user-first approach to create product and content experiences that appeal to our huge audiences’ segments has made us India’s largest entertainment platform today,” said MX Media CEO Karan Bedi. “Lock Upp is yet another step in disrupting the Indian entertainment ecosystem as it is designed as a digital-first non-fiction offering that will release on a scale that is unprecedented for India.”

    “ALTBalaji is proud to be the first in the world to launch a metaverse game that is based on a reality show,” said ALTBalaji Group COO Zulfiqar Khan. “Gaming enthusiasts around the world can explore this fantastic world that we are creating with elements of blockchain and NFTs.”

    “At the heart of MX Player’s success lies the ‘global Indian’ consumer and we have constantly been working towards creating content as per consumer preferences, especially given the large user base of over 300 million globally spanning across the US, UK, Middle East Southeast Asia and more that we cater to on our platform,” said MX Media COO Nikhil Gandhi.

    “MX Player’s content design focuses on building a bouquet of engaging and entertaining offerings for our diverse audience and the biggest pillar of our content creation philosophy is our partnership with content creators and aggregators,” said MX Player SVP and head – content acquisitions Mansi Shrivastav.