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Tag: media

  • Disney to pull the plug on southeast Asia/HK networks

    Disney to pull the plug on southeast Asia/HK networks

    New Delhi: In what may come as a huge surprise for viewers in southeast Asia and Hong Kong, Disney is mulling over closing as many as 18 channels in the region from October this year. The end-of-an-era move could have a major impact on the entire video entertainment supply chain in the region.

    Disney staffers were told about the decision at a town hall out of Singapore on Tuesday, according to sources close to the development. The efforts are aimed at enabling the organisation “to align its resources more efficiently and effectively to current and future business needs.” However, an official statement is yet to be released.

    The move is believed to be part of The Walt Disney Company’s global efforts towards a direct-to-consumer-first model and further stimulating the growth of its streaming services.

    A senior mediaperson said India is unlikely to be affected by the move, which, while unfortunate, is not entirely unexpected. Last year, the M&E colossus restructured its global operations; this involved separating its India and Asia Pacific businesses after APAC president and Star & Disney India chairman Uday Shankar’s departure, and hiring new talent to spearhead its SVoD push in the southeast region.

    With Disney pulling the plug, as many as 18 channels could disappear from the airwaves, which includes Fox, Fox Crime, Fox Life, and FX, movie channels including Fox Action Movies, Fox Family Movies, Fox Movies, and Star Movies China and some sports channels — Fox Sports, Fox Sports 2, Fox Sports 3, Star Sports 1, Star Sports 2. Popular kids channels including Disney Channel and Disney Junior, music channel Channel V and actual services Nat Geo People; and SCM Legend could also go off air in the region. This leaves a question mark over how the other pay-TV platforms will fill the void.

    The multimedia giant is quickly gaining in the streaming space. Since its launch over a year ago, Disney+ has transformed itself into a streaming leader, with membership numbers flying past long-term forecasts.

    So far, Disney has rolled out Disney+ in Singapore along with a separate Hotstar app, and hybrid service Disney+ Hotstar in Indonesia. Launches in other parts of southeast Asia and Hong Kong are likely this year. Disney+ has 2.6 lakh paying subscribers in Singapore as of April 2021 and 4.5 million in Indonesia, according to estimates presented by regional industry analysts Media Partners Asia.

  • Cricket claimed 87 per cent share of sports sponsorship in 2020: GroupM

    Cricket claimed 87 per cent share of sports sponsorship in 2020: GroupM

    Mumbai: With the Indian Premier League (IPL) leading the charge, cricket contributed Rs 5,133 crores ($694 million) to the total sports sponsorship in India in 2020, which works out to a mammoth share of 87 per cent, according to GroupM ESP Sporting Nation Report 2021 released on Monday.

    Other sports cumulatively contributed Rs 761 crores ($ 103 million), which roughly accounts for 13 per cent of the total share. The report pegged the size of the Indian sports industry in 2020 at Rs 5,894 Crores, which includes sponsorship spends, celebrity endorsement and media spends on sports properties.

    Media spends on sports

    The biggest share is occupied by media, where advertisement spends on TV, digital and print media contributed to Rs 3,657 crores, which accounts for 62 per cent of the total spends. Sponsorship spends included on-ground sponsorships, team sponsorships, and franchise fee grabbed up 28 per cent of the industry pie, which translates to Rs 1,673 Crores.

    An interesting shift that gained momentum in 2020 was athlete endorsements which grew five per cent over 2019, against the run of play in a year ravaged by the pandemic. Out of the total 377 endorsement deals that happened in 2020, as many as 275 involved cricket players.

    The year 2020 also saw female athletes pulling in brands. “The continued success of these stars is proof of the fact that our champions are loved, and we are proud of them. As the sporting nations wait eagerly in anticipation, the stocks are highly in favour of endorsements from our athletes,” the report stated.

    Group M South Asia CEO Prasanth Kumar said, “Even without any activities, our sports heroes stayed close to us during the pandemic by actively engaging with their followers on social media. The spontaneity of this online content flow demonstrates the power of sports in our country. Speedy responses and improvisations are on the go where the situation demanded. Among the many things the Covid2019 situation taught us, marketers were the need to be adaptable as the tide turns fast around us.”

    The boom in e-sports in 2020

    The lockdown had also catalysed the growth in certain sectors. The absence of live sports along with a sub-optimal supply of fresh OTT content led to the shift towards gaming. The month of April 2020 saw an 11 per cent increase in users per week along with a significant jump in average time spent per gamer. This led to a sudden boom in e-sports in 2020, with communities getting built and multiplayer activities gaining ground. Over the last three years, there has been a doubling in the gamer base as well as viewership numbers in the time, the report stated.

    Sports: A success story in 2020

    Despite the Covid2019 threat and multiple risks, the 13th edition of the IPL got underway in UAE in September 2020. The success of the IPL was a great demonstration of the qualities of brinkmanship and improvisation and was able to lift the spirits of the nation battered by the pandemic, highlighted the report.

    In November 2020, the Indian Super League (ISL) kicked off in three venues in Goa with strict protocols and adherence to bio-bubble considerations. This was the first major sports event to be held in India after the pandemic and according to the report, it gave ample demonstration of the country’s ability to pull off an event of this magnitude under such circumstances.

    GroupM South Asia head – sports Vinit Karnik said it was commendable how the sporting ecosystem reacted to the crisis in 2020 and returned sooner than expected.

    “Many sports properties were either canceled or postponed and even sponsorship and media spends were impacted. Even in the face of an adverse context, the stakeholders came together to provide the spark the industry needed. The IPL and ISL are an exemplary demonstration of India’s preparedness to host major sporting events under such taxing circumstances,” he added.

    Karnik went on to say he was hopeful of an increase in demand for subscription viewing in live sports in 2021, with many sporting events lined up in the next few months. “2020 looks like that proverbial backward step we take before a giant leap, like the one we are expected to take in 2021, as part of the making of the sporting nation,” he concluded.

  • Negligible content investment for the urban viewer segment: Tata Sky’s Harit Nagpal

    Negligible content investment for the urban viewer segment: Tata Sky’s Harit Nagpal

    KOLKATA: The pay-TV industry in India has been highlighting the regulatory overburden in the industry for some time now. The players have been battling several legal issues, the amended new tariff order (NTO 2.0) being the most discussed one. According to Tata Sky CEO Harit Nagpal, it has not only impacted the growth of the industry, but put a halt on broadcasters’ plans to bring any change in pricing since January 2020, despite rising industry costs.

    Speaking at the recently concluded APOS 2021, the Tata Sky CEO said broadcasters will not be able to make up for this period, even if they are allowed to alter prices tomorrow. “A hole has already been created in the ability to generate revenue for the industry. There is a logjam between broadcasters and regulators via legal cases, which we are hoping settles down soon, so that broadcasters can raise prices,” he explained.

    According to Nagpal, the price hike will enable broadcasters to invest in creating more differentiated content and help them cater to increasing needs of viewers from various segments. “There has been a negligible investment for the urban viewer segment, even though it is one of the growing segments,” he pointed out, during a virtual session with Media Partners Asia executive director and co-founder Vivek Couto.

    But the Tata Sky CEO highlighted that he still remained optimistic about the growth of linear TV in India. “Both will survive; both will grow but not at the cost of each other. The people who can afford a broadband connection at home, and can subscribe to SVoD, can also afford TV because TV is much cheaper than that,” he added. “And viewers who cannot OTT subscriptions will watch content that comes only through cable and satellite. TV viewing remains a habit for Indians.”

    Recalling the days he spent days walking in and out of 1,200 customer homes in the rural area, Nagpal said there was rarely a home without a television set in India. “It’s like background noise. A family collectively consumes six to 10 hours of TV content per day. It is one segment that leaves a high opportunity for the growth of traditional TV,” he shared.

    Despite that, there are still around 100 million homes that don’t have a TV in India. The data shows that TV sales have picked up in the last few years. But there is still a gap in TV penetration this year due to the ongoing crisis, which will be filled in the next few years, he noted.

    “We have not seen signs of on-demand content or even broadband penetrating the kind of numbers that we have been hearing for the last few years. Despite the best efforts of most of the broadband operators, we have not seen numbers reaching the level that we are talking about,” said Nagpal.

    Tata Sky has embraced the change in the industry with the launch of Binge products – its smart boxes which offer both TV and OT content. The DTH operator has also marketed the product aggressively last year. 

    “We never expected these services to reach the level of DTH. We said both will grow. Maybe Binge will grow faster in terms of percentage because we have got a small base. But there is enough headroom for the satellite TV market to grow. We are pretty happy with the numbers of both sides,” Nagpal stated. 

  • Akhil Almeida is new head of marketing at Aegon Life

    Akhil Almeida is new head of marketing at Aegon Life

    MUMBAI: Digital life insurance company Aegon Life has onboarded Akhil Almeida as its head of marketing. In this role, Almeida will be responsible for heading the company's branding, communication, and other digital marketing functions. 

    Almeida has more than 16 years of experience in various sectors of marketing that include media + OTT, e-commerce, tech, FMCG, auto, and BFSI. Before joining Aegon Life, he has worked in companies like Mahindra Group, Ignitee, VJive Networks, Kia Motors, and Citi. 

    Almeida said that Aegon Life is all set to revolutionise the insurance buying experience. 

    "We’re on a journey to radically enhance the insurance buying experience – combining innovative and relevant products, consumer-centric experiences at the right price. We’re leveraging data and consumer insights to support product development and sales efforts, increase awareness, and market innovative products," he added. 

    Aegon Life managing director & chief executive officer Satishwar Balakrishnan said, "Akhil is a highly skilled leader with experience in leading marketing initiatives for consumer-led brands in India. He has closely studied consumer preferences and evolving digital behaviours, which will help us develop strategies to reach our target audience, keeping the brand essence alive and agile. We look forward to the expertise he brings to the table, which will help us in enhancing Aegon Life’s positioning as India’s first and only fully digital life insurance company."

  • Sanchita Roy takes over as head of strategy at Havas Media Group India

    Sanchita Roy takes over as head of strategy at Havas Media Group India

    Mumbai: Havas Media Group India has strengthened its leadership team with Sanchita Roy taking over as head of strategy on Thursday.

    Roy had joined the group as head of west to manage the overall Mumbai operations in 2020 and carries over 19 years of experience in media planning and strategy. 

    In her new role, she will be responsible for driving the growth strategy for Havas Media Group India and leading strategic investments for its clients. Roy will continue to report to Havas Media Group India CEO Mohit Joshi, the global media agency said.

    Roy comes with a vast experience in FMCG, telecom, tourism and auto having worked across key global businesses such as Unilever, J&J, Beiersdorf, SC Johnson, Reckitt, AB InBev, Nissan, Tourism Australia and Vodafone, and domestic businesses such as Parle Agro and Berger Paints to name a few.

    In her previous role, she was heading the strategy function for Omnicom India across both agency brands, OMD and PHD. She was also responsible for rolling out PHD’s strategic planning process, Source, in India and has several thought-leadership articles to her name. Her previous stints also include Wavemaker and Mindshare. Sanchita has been a recipient of coveted industry awards namely, Media Abbys, CMO Asia, Emvies and Campaign Asia Account Person of the Year.  

    Havas Media Group India CEO Mohit Joshi said, “Havas Media Group India has won many new clients last year despite the slowdown and continues to keep the momentum this year too with many prestigious clients such as Dominos, CG Foods, Micromax and more. Our India offering is now a key contributor to the overall global pie and hence this is an important step towards strengthening our product portfolio. Sanchita’s vast experience as a strategist makes her a perfect fit for this role and further bolsters our leadership team.”

    Roy added, “The last one year has been one of constant change across the world, especially so in the way consumers are interacting and engaging with brands. In my new role, the endeavour would be to understand these shifts and deliver meaningful media for our clients, using data, technology and content. I am excited about this opportunity and look forward to adding value and partnering Havas Media Group India in its new growth journey.”

  • Streambox-US Video technology pioneer to enter India

    Streambox-US Video technology pioneer to enter India

    New Delhi : Streambox, the industry leading pioneer in delivering unique IP based video streaming solutions over low bandwidth connections, has announced the opening of a new sales office in Mumbai to address the vibrant post-production markets in India and southeast Asia.

    “We are truly excited to launch in India, one of the largest and most active markets in the post-production and television broadcast industries," said Streambox CEO and co-founder Bob Hildeman. "Streambox products are a perfect fit for India’s rapid growth in media production and associated activities, such as film, post production and broadcast.” 

    Streambox offers end-to-end solutions for remote collaboration across a wide range of workflows, including editorial reviews, colour grading reviews and audio. According to the company, the collaborators can view and hear a live, colour-accurate audio/video stream in their edit suites, at home on cloud-based workstations, or even using an iPad or iPhone. 

    The company has appointed Sanjeev Kr Sinha as the country sales manager for India and southeast Asia. Sinha brings more than 15 years of experience in sales and marketing in the broadcast, cable TV, OTT post-production, and education industries, said the company on Wednesday.

    "We are thrilled to have Sanjeev join our team and taking a leading role in our business expansion in southeast Asia" said Hildeman.

    Sinha added, “I am very excited to work for a global pioneer like Streambox. I see huge potential for Streambox products in the post-production and video market in India and southeast Asia, which is the hub of post-production, broadcasters and film production activity in this region.”

    Streambox has developed optimised technology that can pack functionality like HDR and 12 bit 4:4:4 RGB processing into pixels, and intelligent utilisation of available network paths to achieve higher rates of transport and playback based on its proprietary leading edge ACTL – Advanced Compression Technology Level 3/5 codec and state of the art Low Delay Multi-Path Protocol.

  • Madison Media wins 23 new businesses in FY 2020-21

    Madison Media wins 23 new businesses in FY 2020-21

    Mumbai: Madison Media has created a record by winning 23 new accounts in a financial year, the agency said in a press statement. Amidst the nationwide lockdown and work-from-home, the new business wins amounted to a billing of $211 million as per Convergence New Business Report published in March 2021.

    The agency bagged the accounts of various firms, including Abbott Nutrition, RSPL Group, RSH Global – Joy Cosmetics, Welspun, Indira IVF, Licious, Weikfield, M3M India, Liebherr, Educational Testing Service (ETS), Aliens Group, Wonder Masala, Vijay Bhoomi, Practo, Gold Drop Oil, NextGen Software, McDonald’s integrated performance, Dhani Loans, Atomberg, Alchem Industries, Sunpure Oil, PAPA Brands, amongst others.

    Madison Media OOH partner & group CEO Vikram Sakhuja said, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going. As the pandemic impacted advertising spends profoundly we saw an opportunity to establish the link between media and marketing outcomes and doubled down on our pitch efforts. The result – 23 wins! I am overwhelmed by the teamwork, spirit, and smarts of our Madison family.”

    The home-grown agency also received a top score of A+ in the Comp Pitches Report for 2020 by Recma.

    Meanwhile, it also continues to handle media planning and buying for blue chip clients like Godrej, Marico, Asian Paints, Titan, Tata Consumer Products, Blue Star, TVS, Raymond, Viacom 18, Ceat, Pidilite, Bajaj Electricals, McDonald’s, Lodha, gaana.com, and many others.

    Madison Media is part of Madison World, India’s largest homegrown communication agency established in 1988. Madison World through its 11 units served last year, as many as 500 Advertisers.

  • Clampdown on media freedom during pandemic: Reporters Without Borders

    Clampdown on media freedom during pandemic: Reporters Without Borders

    NEW DELHI: International non-profit Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has claimed in its annual World Press Freedom Index report that media freedom has deteriorated during the Covid2019 pandemic. 

    The NGO, which works to safeguard the right to information, made this conclusion after analysing and evaluating the current state of journalism in 180 countries. The report stated that 73 per cent of the world's nations have serious issues when it comes to media freedom. 

    According to the report, several countries have used the pandemic as “grounds to block journalists’ access to information sources and reporting in the field.”

    The Index, which measures curbs on access to information and obstacles to news coverage, highlighted that journalism is “totally blocked or seriously impeded” in 73 nations and “constrained” in 59 others. 

    The data indicates that journalists are finding it hard to conduct an investigation and report sensitive stories in Asia, Middle East, and Europe. 

    "Journalism is the best vaccine against disinformation. Unfortunately, its production and distribution are too often blocked by political, economic, technological, and, sometimes, even cultural factors. In response to the virality of disinformation across borders, on digital platforms, and via social media, journalism provides the most effective means of ensuring that public debate is based on a diverse range of established facts," said RSF secretary-general Christophe Deloire. 

    The report also noted that public mistrust towards journalists has also increased dramatically. 59 per cent of the respondents in 28 countries claimed that journalists are intentionally publishing news despite knowing the fact that news is factually incorrect. 

    In India, which ranked 142nd on the Index, the government has used laws to silence critics and protesters.

    “Journalists who dare to criticise the government are branded as ‘anti-state,’ ‘anti-national’ or even ‘pro-terrorist’ by supporters of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP),” said the RSF. “This exposes them to public condemnation in the form of extremely violent social media hate campaigns that include calls for them to be killed, especially if they are women.”

  • Journalists should be vaccinated on priority: Arvind Kejriwal

    Journalists should be vaccinated on priority: Arvind Kejriwal

    New Delhi: As the country struggles to combat the second wave of Covid2019 cases, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has said that journalists should also be treated as ‘frontline workers’ and be considered eligible for the ongoing vaccination drive.

    An increasing number of journalists are getting infected with the novel Coronavirus while reporting from the ground. Some of them even lost their lives in the past year. “Journalists are reporting from most adverse situations. They should be treated as frontline workers and should be allowed vaccination on priority. Delhi government is writing to the Centre in this regard,” Kejriwal said in a tweet.

    Uttarakhand has already announced Covid2019 vaccinations for journalists without any age restrictions and ordered to set up vaccination centres for them in the state. "During the ongoing pandemic, the journalists in the state worked like frontline workers in providing the required information to the people about Covid2019 which helped the government significantly," Uttarakhand chief minister Tirath Singh Rawat had said on 4 April.

    India had kickstarted the vaccination drive on 16 January with two vaccines – Covishield and Covaxin, which were administered to the frontline workers including doctors and hospital staff. The second phase of the vaccination drive began on 1 March, when persons above 60 years of age and those with co-morbidities were permitted to take the jabs. The third phase began on 1 April for people aged above 45 years.

    The government has recently approved another vaccine, Russia's Sputnik V, for emergency use.

    Meanwhile, in yet another alarming spike, India recorded over 1.84 lakh fresh Covid cases in the past 24 hours, according to the Union health ministry. The daily average of caseloads across the country crossed 1.5 lakh last week. The country has lost as many as 1,000 lives during the last 24 hours. The soaring cases have left the hospitals over-burdened, with a shortage of medical supplies including hospital beds and oxygen cylinders.

  • Hero Group forays into edtech with ‘Hero Vired’

    Hero Group forays into edtech with ‘Hero Vired’

    New Delhi: Tapping into the booming ed-tech market, the Hero Group has launched a new ed-tech company – Hero Vired – to adequately train and empower the workforce of the future. The launch accompanied the release of its new brand campaign, Be Made for BIG Things, which went live on social media and OTT platforms.

    National award-winning actor Ashish Vidyarthi has lent his voice to the brand campaign, which attempts to showcase the importance of an end-to-end learning ecosystem for today’s workforce. It talks about how individuals have plans for their future that are larger than life, pushing them to try newer frontiers. “It is often this drive that sets them apart from the crowd. This is where Hero Vired will help individuals, learners and professionals to achieve them. The concept for this campaign was born from the fact that life is more than just another job,” stated the company during the launch.

    Hero Vired head of programs & marketing Sushma Bharath said, “We believe that there’s more to life than just another job, increment or a degree. We want to bridge the gap between learning and employability by ensuring our efforts result in the real transformation of life and ambitions. Be Made For BIG Things is a campaign that will inspire people to look beyond the subjects and see the possibilities of tomorrow.”

    AVDS founder and chief creative officer Arun Verma said, “Today's generation is not fixated on just another job title, salary or designation. They are looking for a larger purpose and a reason for being. Show them a dream that adds a purpose to their life, beyond just a career or organisational growth and they will be all in, committed to your vision. That is what Hero Vired creates – youngsters who want to be made for the human race, not the rat race.”

    The film will be promoted across OTT platforms Disney+ Hotstar and Zee5 and social media platforms. It went live on YouTube on Tuesday evening.