ITV

Tag: MTV

  • Aditi Bhatnagar to join Network18 as EVP special projects

    Aditi Bhatnagar to join Network18 as EVP special projects

    MUMBAI:  In a restructuring mode, Reliance Industries-controlled Network18 has not only been shuffling senior executives vesting in them newer responsibilities, but also bringing in professionals from outside. The latest is Aditi Singh Bhatnagar who is joining the group as EVP of special projects.

    Bhatnagar was previously COO-cum-head of special projects and events at NDTV.

    Earlier, Network18 announced the elevation of Avinash Kaul as the chief operating officer of the group with continued and additional responsibility as managing director at A+E Network at TV18 Broadcast, a subsidiary that runs and manages the TV channels of Network18.

    According to company sources, even as more restructuring in Network18 is gradually affected after the controlling stake in Viacom18, Bhatnagar will report to the group’s president for marketing and special projects Priyanka Kaul.

    Having spent about two decades at NDTV, Bhatnagar, an alumnus of Delhi’s prestigious SRCC, has held leadership positions in her previous company driving business and strategies in areas such as content development, revenue and business development, production and sales.

    Network18 Media and Investments Ltd is a media and entertainment company with interests in television, internet, filmed entertainment, digital business, magazines, mobile content and allied businesses. The company manages various digital businesses, including portals such as moneycontrol.com, ibnlive.com, burrp.com, in.com and firstpost.com. It also operates digital commerce properties like HomeShop18 and bookmyshow.com. In addition, Network18 is a leading player in the publishing space having under its wings titles such as Forbes India, Overdrive, Better Interiors and Better Photography. Network18 has also allied investments in Colosceum, Toppers, 24X7 Learning, Yatra and Ubona.

    Through its subsidiary TV18 Broadcast Limited, the group operates news channels such as CNBC-TV18, CNBC Awaaz, CNBC Bajar, CNBC-TV18 Prime HD, CNN-News18, IBN7, ETV channels and IBN-Lokmat (a Marathi regional news channel in partnership with the Lokmat group).

    TV18 also operates a joint venture with Viacom, called Viacom18, which houses a portfolio of popular entertainment channels like Colors, Colors HD, Colors Infinity, Rishtey, MTV India, MTV Indies, Comedy Central, Vh1, Nick, Sonic, Nick Jr, Teen Nick and Viacom18 Motion Pictures, the group’s filmed entertainment business. TV18 operates a factual entertainment channel History TV18 and FYI TV18 through a joint venture with A+E Networks.

    Also Read :

    Network18 appoints Avinash Kaul as COO

    Turner appoints IndiaCast as exclusive distribution agent

    TV18 to increase Viacom18 stake to 51%

  • 90s tunes see revival on music channels

    90s tunes see revival on music channels

    MUMBAI: Popular music from the 1990s is being revived on music TV channels today. Sony Mix, 9X Jalwa, B4U Music and Mastiii are among channels reintroducing the music on television while keeping the focus sharply on Bollywood numbers.

    Film songs of 90s vintage have charisma of their own. In the romanticism of the previous era, a girl’s blush or flickering of eyelashes, were signs of sparks flying. Recently launched channel MTV Beats has also intends to come up with a new show with music from that decade.

    Once upon a time, Doordarshan, with its exclusive black-and-white recordings and private TV played old songs but have since then been sidelined to just radio stations. Retro songs are the anchor by which the older generations recall their younger times, friends, company and even long-forgotten incidences of first love.

    Well, nostalgia is good business. According to reports, Bollywood accounts for more than 90 per cent of the revenue of India’s Rs 10.6 billion pop music industry. 

    In an earlier interview with Indiantelevision.com, Viacom18 head-youth, music and English entertainment Ferzad Palia said that their target audience for the channel are youngsters. He said that the channel’s viewership grew tremendously as what others have done in 10-12 years, they have managed to accomplish in a few months. “Music genre is so commoditised that everyone is playing the same music. Since the number of releases is the same, creating differentiation is very important. People loved us because we were different and we don’t want to lose that and that’s across the whole MTV universe.”   

    A good music channel is one where everyone finds their favourites at their own suitable time. So, while some channels play old classics at night, some play latest hits, and others play evergreen numbers throughout the day.

    SAB & MAX cluster EVP and head Neeraj Vyas told us earlier that the channel will always have the quotient of playing older songs since it gains audience attraction. The music in the late last century is what Vyas calls as ‘ageless music’ that is prominent in reality shows, parties and singing contests. Sony Mix’s day kicks off with slow music followed by the 90s era. Later in the day, it telecasts mellow and soft songs followed by new tracks up till 9 pm. The last three hours of the night are dedicated to retro music.

    MTV Beats will soon launch its new show Flashback from Monday to Friday 9 pm to 12 am while B4U plays Awaaz de Kahaan during the same time slot. Mastiii channel airs Evergreen Hits between 1 pm and 3 pm and at the 9 pm time slot, the network plays The Golden Era with Annu Kapoor and Raat k Humsafar.

    Old melodies on music channels bring nostalgia. A walk down memory lane does a world of good every now and then for ardent music lovers.

    Also Read :

    Coexistence of music channels and digital devices is shortlived: Neeraj Vyas

    Cautious investments serve MTV Beats well

  • This Women’s Day, MTV urges you to treat women with equality and not cupcakes

    This Women’s Day, MTV urges you to treat women with equality and not cupcakes

    MUMBAI: Women’s Day is right around the corner and soon we’ll see social media and various other platforms flooded with messages that appreciate womanhood. Brands will go out of their way to entice women with gifts and letters to make them feel important. But, is that what they ask for? Has anyone ever asked what they really want? Women don’t need this facade to tell them what they already know. It’s time to wake up and smell the coffee! This Women’s Day, MTV presents a video not for women but for all the superficial men who think they can woo a woman by showering her with their pseudo charming tactics. A Women doesn’t need to be reminded that she is special, she’s already aware that she’s worth a million bucks. She is not your next door docile girl who cuddles with soft toys. She is a feisty lady and she loves it like that.

    If you really want to gift her something, gift her with a sense of equality and respect. Let her know she has an equal standing as the men in the society, that she is no less, be it at home or outside. Take a vow that she will not be frowned upon when she makes her own choices. Come, join MTV in this endeavor because the channel believes in making women feel special, not because it’s Women’s Day but because they deserve it.

    Link – https://www.facebook.com/mtvindia/videos/10156041093165102/

  • U Cypher with MTV: a stunnig finale concludes with team yakshas taking the inaugural season’s title

    U Cypher with MTV: a stunnig finale concludes with team yakshas taking the inaugural season’s title

    MUMBAI: Boosting the E-Sports scene in India, the intense, gruelling 34-day U Cypher championship finally ended with team Yakshas bagging top honours. They defeated the Sherdils in a thrilling match that went into overtime, a befitting season finale. Kicked off as an intense month-long championship on India’s No. 1 youth brand, MTV, U Cypher finale was a special 90-minute episode that witnessed the two teams battle it out to a cliff-hanger finish. Team Yakshas emerged as the ‘Naye Superstars’ of virtual gaming and were crowned U Cypher with MTV Champions for the debut season.

    The finale started off with an easy win in Tekken 7 for Hans from Sherdils, who has remained undefeated throughout the tournament. The next game, CS:GO, was also won by team Sherdils to bring their score to 8 points, half-way through the match. The Yakshas upped their game soon after to pick up wins in both DOTA 2 as well as Real Cricket 17, bringing the match to a tie. The tie-breaker toss went in favour of the Sherdils who chose CS:GO as the decider game. Relentless focus and shrewd strategizing from the Yakshas saw them win the match in the third overtime 22-18, to be crowned U Cypher Season 1 Champions.

    The first season of U Cypher saw some incredibly talented players, as well as great team-work across all teams. Hans bagged the Most Valuable Player of the championship. Shubham More won 9 out of 10 games in Real Cricket 17, both teams Yakshas and Yodhas won 7 out of 10 DOTA 2 matches, while Akramaks won 8 out of 10 CS: GO matches played in the tournament.

    In the overall standings, Yakshas and Sherdils were followed by the Marksmen and Akramaks in third and fourth place respectively.

    Vivek “Acrid” Gore, the winning team Yakshas’ Captain, says “It’s a dream come true to win one of the biggest E-Sports tournaments in India. U Cypher has been a life-altering moment for all of us. The championship was very well organized and felt like an international tournament. The key moments for Yakshas were working on strategies together, practising and making new friends for life. We were focused and had only one aim right from the beginning, to become the champions for the first ever season. I look forward to being back in the next season.”

    U Sports, Founder, Ronnie Screwvala comments “I would like to congratulate Team Yakshas who constantly proved themselves to arise the reigning champions that they are today. Also, a word of appreciation for the other teams who put up an amazing fight till the very end. They may have lost the tournament but have won all our hearts with their skill, passion and determination. Our endeavour was to give talented young E-Sports athletes an audience with the country and raise awareness for E-Sports to be recognized as a sports discipline. U Cypher in its first season itself met with great interest across the country and made the world take notice. Hope the fans enjoyed the series.”

    Commenting on the conclusion of the show, Viacom18, Head – Youth, Music and English Entertainment, Ferzad Palia said, “Pulling off a totally new genre on television was a big challenge for us but the kind of response we have garnered for a first of its kind, multi-platform, multi-game E-Sports championship is beyond anything we ever imagined! Over the past one month, U Cypher with MTV has changed the E-Sports scenario in India. The overwhelming response has assured us that India is ready for such format, and we hope to continue bringing such cluster breaking content to our viewers. As we close the first season of the show, we would not only like to congratulate Team Yakshas for a fantastic win, but also the other teams who have contributed in the overall success of the season.” 

    U Sports, Co-founder and CEO, Supratik Sen says “The highly competitive nature and high-speed spectacle of the sport made U Cypher a thrilling experience for players and viewers across the world. Our aim in introducing E-sports and positioning it as a new sport has garnered worthy traction from various places worldwide. Season one set the benchmark high with team Yakshas victory. My commendations to team Yakshas and all the player in the tournament. They are all E-sports Superstars. The viewers have perceived the show well and our inbox is flooded with requests to participate in the next season. We hope the nation had a great game with U Cypher season 1. We’ll be back soon with more on the next season.”

    U Cypher as a championship has gathered momentum in India. It has laid the foundation to break the stereotype, thus changing the perception that was and that E-Sports in India is now becoming a long-term career prospect for gamers as it is internationally. The aspiration is to nurture the sport and motivate budding young gamers giving them a platform to showcase their talent and compete at the international level.

  • Thrill, excitment, action and drama – MTV kicks off the new season of MTV super fight league

    Thrill, excitment, action and drama – MTV kicks off the new season of MTV super fight league

    MTV, India’s No. 1 Youth Brand is all set to bring the new season of MTV Super Fight League (SFL), the world’s first Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) tournament. With a vision to cement Mixed Martial Arts’ position as a mainstream sport with mass appeal in the global sports fraternity, the franchise-based league comprises of 8 teams and 96 players from across the globe. MTV Super Fight League boasts of 8 teams representing various states of the country, co- owned by celebrities Delhi Heroes owned by the uber sexy, Jacqueline Fernandez, Haryana Sultans by the ever-so versatile, Randeep Hooda, UP Nawabs by singing duo Salim- Sulaiman, Mumbai Maniacs by Bollywood’s original stuntman, Ajay Devgn, Gujarat Warriors by actor- producer Arbaaz Khan, Bengaluru Yoddhas by the multi-talented actor, Tiger Shroff. Apart from these Super Fight League also has Sher-E-Punjab and Tamil Veerans. The action-packed league will hit your television screens LIVE, starting 9th February every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 8 pm exclusively on MTV.

    Putting together a fight card that assures plenty of action and entertainment, MTV Super Fight League will be sending chills down the viewers’ spine with every new episode. The perfect blend of Bollywood’s glitz and glamour along with the punches, chokes and limb- snagging moves of the fighters promise to send you in a tizzy. Packed with experienced and entertaining fighters, the matches promise to deliver on all counts.

    Co-owner of Mumbai Maniacs, top-gun, Ajay Devgn said, “I’ve always loved this sport. It’s one of the best form of staying fit. It not only boosts your confidence but gives you a chance to try out different things apart from your usual training so you don’t get bored to repeat the same stuff.”

    Talking about her passion towards fitness, Jacqueline Fernandez – the co-owner of Delhi Heroes, said, “Being a fitness enthusiast myself I was eagerly looking forward for MTV Super Fight League Season 2. I salute to all the fighters for their discipline, courage and conviction. I can totally relate to them now because personally I am learning Mixed Martial Arts.”

    The ever- fit, Tiger Shroff who is the co-owner of Begaluru Yoddhas said, “Everyone knows that I share the same passion as these fighters and that’s the reason I associated with this sport last year. Our team is all set to roar in Season 2 and make a mark in the tournament.” While, Randeep Hooda, co-owner of Haryana Sultans, said, “This sport is very close to my heart. My love for this form grew when I did Sultan. Being a fitness enthusiast, this form of sport elevates your fitness to a whole different level. Season 2 will be more demanding but our team is ready for the challenge.”

    Associating with Gujarat Warriors once again, Arbaaz Khan said, “It’s the thrill and excitement associated with Mixed Martial Arts League which bring me back to the brand-new season of MTV Super Fight League sport every year. I apart from being associated with this league, I am personally a big fan of Mixed Martial Arts sports.”   

     Known for his musical punch, the UP Nawabs co-owner, Salim said, “I have been following Mixed Martial Arts for a long time now and last year when got to know that India will have its own MMA MTV Super Fight League I was super excited. Being a follower of MMA with MTV Super Fight League I feel more connected to the sport.” Sulaiman added, “Passion for music and Mixed Martial Arts are two things which Salim and I share together very strongly. Last year we had a great experience and looking forward to same fun this time around.”

    MTV Super Fight League is a revolutionary approach to combat and is the first MMA organization to feature female fighters. MTV Super Fight League 2018 promotes gender equality through a fair and unique platform with women having the same influence on the team as men. Going beyond the traditional, MTV Super Fight League 2018 boasts of an international format with a global viewership model, engaging content and effective two hour shows. The league entails a group ‘A’ and ‘B’, consisting of four teams each. Every team has six players—five male fighters and one female—and six back-ups, belonging to six different weight categories. The teams within the group compete with each other in 12 league-level matches.

  • Fox Sports Asia to broadcast SFL

    Fox Sports Asia to broadcast SFL

    MUMBAI: The Super Fight League (SFL), which has a deal with MTV in India to broadcast matches, has entered into a one-year exclusive multimedia and broadcast rights agreement Fox Sports Asia for the second season of the mixed martial arts tournament.

    The league is promoted by British businessman and sports enthusiast Bill Dosanjh and British professional boxer Amir Khan. SFL in India has a deal with MTV till 2019.

    Promising reach in more than 500 million homes, the licenced territories include Brunei, Cambodia, China, East Timor, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, Singapore, Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.

    SFL founder and CEO Bill Dosanjh said, “We are excited to be partnering with Fox Networks Group, the leading multi-platform entertainment group across the world. This association will further capitalise on our long-term vision of taking SFL to different markets. In the next three years, we would like to take SFL to the Asian markets where MMA is more popular than a sport such as cricket and comes second after soccer. The opportunity to have our premier content available in over 500 million homes will immediately accelerate the growth of the SFL brand and the sport of MMA across the region. The emergence of young Indian mixed martial artists coupled with Fox’s marketing muscle and distribution will allow us to expand our event output beyond India and into the rest of the world in the coming years.”

    With 100 million views in 5 years for 67 live events, SFL is ranked as the third biggest MMA brand in the world and second most watched sport in India after cricket apart from being the fastest growing combat sport.The franchise-based league that is being organized in association with the All-India Martial Arts Association (AIMMAA) will entail prize money of INR 4 crores as well as 96 players and 8 teams.

    Fox Networks Group president Brian Sullivan added, “This new agreement allows us to continue adding value to our uniquely holistic entertainment experience, aiming to suit all our fans’ preferences. We are quite delighted to deliver first class MMA content through our channels and digital platforms. The passion of Asian fans for mixed martial arts makes this category key to our content offering, and we will contribute with our know-how to make the experience of living it in our portfolio unbeatable.”

    Also Read:

    Indian Boxing Federation invites bids for pro league 

    The year of big switch in sports broadcasting

    SPSN to broadcast ‘Rajasthan Rumble’- Vijender Singh’s double-title defense against Ghana’s Ernest Amuzu

  • Eros Digital ropes in former Google exec Ali Hussein as COO

    Eros Digital ropes in former Google exec Ali Hussein as COO

    MUMBAI: Kishore Lulla-Rishika Lulla Singh-run Eros Digital is muscling up. The digital content streaming and distribution company has signed up former Google and You Tube executive Ali Hussein as chief operating officer (COO). Rishika Lulla Singh is the CEO of the company.

    Hussein will be spearheading Eros’ digital initiatives including Eros Now, its cutting-edge digital over-the-top (OTT) South Asian entertainment platform.

    Hussein is a co-owner of Monozygotic Productions promoted by Rajiv and Raghu Lakshman, Rajiv Luthria, Siddharth and Rahul Tewary (of Swastik Productions). Sources indicate Hussein will continue to retain his substantial stake in the company.  Monozygotic is behind reality show MTV Drop Out Pvt Ltd, which was launched last year.

    Rishika Lulla Singh said, “We are delighted to have Ali join the leadership team at Eros. The impact of digital technology on media consumption is growing at a rapid space, making this sector one of the most exciting in present times. At ErosNow, we are in a robust growth phase and continue to reinvent ourselves as a digital company. With Ali’s experience in media, entertainment and the digital space, we look forward to further capitalising our digital expansion strategy and I wish him all the best.”

    Prior to Monozygotic, Hussein was head of media partnerships, You Tube, where he spent around two and a half years. Before YouTube, he was assistant vice president of digital at Viacom18—looking after Nickelodeon, MTV and Colors—over a three and a half year period. And prior to that, Hussein was assistant general manager at Hungama Mobile.

    Speaking on his appointment, Hussein said, “This is an exciting time for the Indian digital landscape and we are poised to become India’s largest digital entertainment company. I truly believe Eros Now is an established global player that is best positioned to leverage this space with the strength of its vast content library and dominant market share and I am very happy to be a part of this opportunity to take the company to the next level”.

    Earlier this year, Eros Now, the group’s streaming app, had announced a five million paying subscriber base globally. Eros Now has partnered players worldwide to expand its offerings, including Amazon across the US and the UK, Roku in the US, Canada and the UK, and T-Mobile in the US. The company most recently partnered LG for its Smart TVs worldwide, apart from having deals with companies such as Reliance Jio, Airtel, Vodafone, and Idea Cellular in India.

    Eros Now is slated to launch its original shows soon.

    Also Read:

    Eros Now Available on Amazon Channels

    2017: The year OTTs went regional in India

    Eros reports higher profit margin despite fewer releases

  • U Sports launches India’s first ever Multi-Platform Multi-Game E-Sports Championship – U Cypher with MTV

    U Sports launches India’s first ever Multi-Platform Multi-Game E-Sports Championship – U Cypher with MTV

    MUMBAI: The Indian E-Sports scenario is all set for a major revamp as U Sports, one of India’s biggest sports business companies in association with India’s No. 1 Youth Brand, MTV, announces the premiere of their all new month-long championship, U Cypher with MTV. Premiering today, on 19th January, the show will air every day from 10pm to 11pm on MTV.

    Backed by Ronnie Screwvala (Founder, U Sports) and Supratik Sen (Co-Founder & CEO, U Sports), the Indian E-Sports scenario is all set for a major revamp with U Cypher with MTV. The league is a first of its kind, multi-platform, multi-game E-Sports championship which comprises of 35 episodes. In its first season, U Cypher with MTV will have 6 teams with 14 members in each team. Each episode will have two teams face off across titles like DOTA 2 and CS: GO on PC, Real Cricket 2017 on mobile and Tekken 7 on PS4 with a prize pool of a whooping INR 51 Lakhs. The final four will play knockouts to determine the winners.  

    Ronnie Screwvala, Founder, U Sports said, “There has been an enthusiasm for E-Sports sparkling under the surface in the country for far longer than what is known. U Cypher with MTV provides a platform for talented gamers to achieve their maximum potential and build their career in E-sports. The players have been meticulously picked from the Top E-sport Tournaments and teams from Pan India. The digital and broadband revolution has changed the game for this sport. CS and DOTA have had 20 million downloads in the past 10 years in India. And that’s a huge number for something that’s only starting to fully surface.”

    Commenting on the association with U Sports Viacom18, COO, Raj Nayak said, “E-Sports is growing fast worldwide. Not only that but the annual consumption of E-Sports content stands at almost over 3.7 billion hours across various platforms which are largely digital. Closer to home, in India the gaming market is estimated to be over USD 600 million. Given the potential one can see, we at MTV are excited to be the first and only media network in the country to showcase an E-Sports League on television! We are delighted to partner with U Sports to craft a new tomorrow today through the launch of our exciting and one of a kind new property – U Cypher – only on MTV!”

    U Sports, Co-Founder & CEO, Supratik Sen said, “We are all set to showcase the biggest E-Sports championship on television with U Cypher with MTV. This will be the rise of a new batch of athletes and U Sports will look to give the best E-Sports athletes a chance to showcase their abilities. E-Sports is growing at a rapid pace andhas been announced as a medal event in the 2022 Asian Games. E-Sports is moving from being a hobby to an actual career option and its high time we saw the potential in it.”

    Viacom18, Head – Youth, Music and English Entertainment, Ferzad Palia said, “E-Sports has found immense number of takers in India thanks to it being home to the world’s largest youth population and the world’s second largest internet user base. Keeping this in mind, it was thus a natural step for us at MTV, the brand with the ultimate word on the youth in India, to invest in a one-of-a-kind show ‘U Cypher’ that takes E-sports out of bedrooms of gamers & gaming arcades and into living rooms through television. A truly unique concept, will see gamers – who have hitherto been known only in select circles – taking on other gamers across multiplatform, multiplayer games in a specially designed arena. At MTV, we have always taken pride in being trendsetters for the youth and thus are thoroughly excited to bring a brand-new concept which will allow viewers to witness the creation of completely new kind of superstars!”

    E-Sports and the gaming market is estimated to be over USD 500-600 million with more than 2000 teams consistently participating in tournaments across India and abroad. U Cypher delves into the culture of E-Sport and finds a world of intense competition and massive opportunities.

    The episodes and gameplay will also be available digitally on Usports.in, MTV, Voot, YouTube, YouTube Gaming and Twitch. MTV has also planned an extensive digital plan to promote the show in addition to promotions across the Viacom18 network channels 

  • Music channels bet on shows to boost viewership

    Music channels bet on shows to boost viewership

    MUMBAI: Seems like music channels are playing second fiddle to online music platforms when it comes to playing tracks. In an attempt to grab more eyeballs, pure-play music channels on television are moving away from the music content and focusing more on the youth-centric shows.

    A study done by video intelligence platform Vidooly Media Tech said that Indian users largely consume music content on YouTube. In the music segment, Hindi and electronic music were the two most popular genres among YouTube users and the music videos generated over 3 billion views.

    Observing the trend in the television space, the channels that kick-started their existence as a pure-play music channels are now experimenting with reality shows or shifting their focus to youth-centric content. Several music channels have changed their programming line-up in a bid to put their finger on the viewer’s pulse.

    Launched in 1996, MTV rolled out its first reality show in 2003 – Roadies. After that, there was no turning back as the channel cut down music content in favour of youth-based shows. Roadies has completed 15 seasons while Splitsvilla is on its 10th. The list goes on with Dropout, Girls on Top, Kaisi Ye Yaariyan, India’s Next Top Model, Love School etc. Bigg Boss 11 is the latest addition which will be its first time on the music channel.

    One can ask the question – what happens to the music content ratio? It might have decreased because of the captive audience in India, or it might be a deliberate strategy to move towards youth-centric shows or because of the report by Vidooly that said about the music content consumed more over YouTube.

    Adding more to the context, Channel V launched in 1994 and during its heydays, the channel launched several iconic campaigns. Later, In search of greener pastures, Channel V became youth focussed. Attempts were made to rebrand Channel V as a reality show channel, moving away from its music-only programming. The plans, however, did not come to fruition as the channel shifted its focus away from music and it lost much of its popularity and TRPs. Therefore, viewership dropped drastically. In 2016, this mistake was corrected: it went back to playing music videos on loop. Nevertheless, it was too late for Channel V to regain popularity, and Star India decided to shut down operations.

    There comes another channel called Zing, formerly known as Zee Muzic and Music Asia, which is an India-based music television channel owned by Zee Entertainment Enterprises, which broadcasts in Hindi and other regional languages. It also features humour, animation, spoofs and celebrity lifestyle in addition to music. Shows like Pyaar Tune Kya Kia, Aye Zindagi and Love Diaries are among the shows added to the list with an intention to grab the eyeballs of the viewers.

    The Times Group’s Indian glamour and entertainment television channel—Zoom which started out as a music, Bollywood and serial channel, pulled serials quite quickly off the air, within months it was a music + Bollywood news channel.  The OTT platform Viu is now experimenting with the OTT-to-TV format. It has tied up with lifestyle channel Zoom to broadcast its shows, Spotlight and Gehraiyaan to bring in larger audiences. 

    Breaking away from the mould, Sony Mix still stays pure to music. MTV Beats is one that shows celebrity-curated theme-based music shows like Fit Stop with Sunny Leone and House Party with rapper Badshah. Mastiii has shows that are related to music too.

    Also, Zee Entertainment Enterprises’ 9XM has the popular The Bakwaas Show where film stars come to promote their films. Do Pal Ka Interval is a humorous take on the upcoming Bollywood movies based on their trailer and story.

    Although the music content on music channels is steadily diminishing, the jury is still out on whether consumption of music will become an online phenomenon. Only time will tell if the move to reality shows will pay dividends in the long run for the channels.

  • MTV, Wizcraft announce Arijit Singh India tour

    MTV, Wizcraft announce Arijit Singh India tour

    MUMBAI: MTV and Wizcraft International have come together to present the first-ever Royal Stag Mega Music Arijit Singh live in concert – The MTV India tour.

    The concert series, an initiative of GiMA Concerts, is slated to begin at Arijit’s home-turf, Kolkata, on 24 December and will be held across major cities right until March 2018.

    Viacom18 COO Raj Nayak said, ” This is the one brand that not only understands music but is also the ultimate word on the youth and is always in tune with what they like. What you see is just the beginning of perhaps a new phenomenon where artist tours are concerned.”

    Viacom18 Youth Music and English entertainment head Ferzad Palia said, “What makes MTV stand out even further is that it’s the universe of the young and so we make sure we reach out to our audience through all the key touch points – be it on air, online, through our merchandise, our cafes or through online events.”

    Wizcraft International director and co-founder Sabbas Joseph said, “These concerts are scheduled in the ten cities across the nation with an aim to bring the superstar closer to his mammoth fan base.”

    Arijit Singh said that the concert would be his first exclusive India tour. “I am grateful to have this opportunity to perform live for my audiences across different cities. This journey along with GiMA and MTV will definitely be an incredible experience for me,” he added.