ITV

Tag: MTV

  • MTV and MTV Beats launch digital innovations amidst lockdown

    MTV and MTV Beats launch digital innovations amidst lockdown

    MUMBAI: MTV and MTV Beats are here to ensure that the audiences are in for daily dose of entertainment during lockdown. Be it on TV or on social media, there is a host of content to offer that will surely keep the young guns engaged and entertained.

    Viacom18 youth, music and English entertainment marketing head Navin Shenoy said: “We have always believed in a hybrid approach i.e. inclusive of TV and digital when it comes to our young audiences. Therefore, amidst this lockdown, we have created a strong proposition on both these platforms. Television consumption for youth in India has risen by 12 per cent* while there is an 87 per cent* surge in social media usage. Our content, therefore, is reflective of this paradigm shift and designed to pique consumer intrigue and interest.” He further added, “While on TV we are bringing back some of the most popular seasons of our tentpole properties, on social media we have created content capsules such as MTV Adda and Lockdown Stars that cater to the varying interests of our fans and curate a more personalized interface for them with their favourite celebs while being at home. Music From Home on MTV Beats is an apt offering to make social distancing an entertaining experience.”

    MTV Adda comes as the ultimate recipe to kill quarantine boredom. To help the audience get the best out of social distancing, this initiative lets the fans get up, close and personal with their favorite celebrities from the house of MTV. From the OG Roadie Rannvijay Singha and beauty with brains Neha Dhupia, to the ever-gorgeous Anusha Dandekar, designer Masaba Gupta, the very witty Vikas Gupta and the suave Nikhil Chinappa, MTV Adda has the most loved celebs give away easy home workouts and beauty tips, dance lessons, culinary guidelines and much more only on Instagram. Some lucky fans will also get a chance to be a part of the LIVE and interact with their favourite celeb while showing off their in-home skills.

    Catering to its whopping following of over 25 million on social media, MTV has also introduced a one of a kind offering to tap into the diverse talents of its fans and help them be the next social media sensation. Hosted by the super gorgeous VJ Gaelyn Mendonca, MTV Lockdown Stars is an innovative talent hunt show that gives MTV fans a chance to impress everyone with their talent but in less than a minute. All they need to do is upload a video of a performance on Instagram, tagging @MTVIndia with the hashtag, #MTVLockdownStars. From dancing, singing, cooking to mimicking and even standup comedy, MTV Lockdown Stars has a place for everyone to excel. The best entries shortlisted by Gaelyn along with MTV will get a chance to perform their acts in an hour-long LIVE event on Instagram as part of the final artist line-up, curated by the channel.

    Tapping the popularity of gaming amongst the youth, MTV also brings MTV After Hours, a unique initiative that lets the users interact with the MTV squad in an innovative format, every Friday at 11 pm. For the first time, MTV will step into the world of popular online games and dabble with the players. As part of the property, MTV will reach out to the superstars of digital cult games and bring together novices and pros alike, engaging them on MTV’s buzzing social media.

    And there's more to indulge in. Hustle from Home is yet another exciting initiative to get up and close with some aspirational rappers on how they’re honing their skills amidst the lockdown. On the Instagram page of @mtvhustle, top contenders of the first season will go live and interact with budding rappers, every day at 6PM to discuss how they are utilizing this phase to improve their writing and composing skills.

    To add a splash of music to the monotony, MTV Beats has launched Music from Home to make ‘work from home’ more musically +VE. As a part of this, fans can log into the Instagram page of MTV Beats and witness a stellar line up of artists like Darshan Raval, Kailash Kher, Shreya Ghosal, Papon, Dr. Palash Sen, Shalmali, Jonita Gandhi and many more go live from their homes and jam to their most popular tracks. Fans can also dedicate songs to their loved ones with MTV Beats Farmaaish, where the artists will perform to the song requests during the LIVE and also call out their endearing dedications. Not just that, fans will also get a chance to do a Social-Distancing Chat and interact with the artist during the LIVE using the dual video feature on Instagram. The channel has also curated a special Work From Home and a House Party playlist to dabble through the never ending work tasks with some fine soulful Bollywood melodies and refreshing upbeat music.

    On television, amidst the lockdown, MTV and MTV Beats has brought back some of its highly rated shows to let its audience relive the drama and excitement. Some of the most loved shows like Ace of Space S1, Love School S3, MTV Hustle and Splitsvilla X along with Roadies Revolution are back on MTV, FitStop with Sunny Leone, Dil Beats with Darshan Raval on MTV Beats are there to ensure there isn’t a dull moment for its fans.

  • This Women’s Day, MTV launches Baar Bra Dekho campaign

    This Women’s Day, MTV launches Baar Bra Dekho campaign

    MUMBAI: It’s 2020 – a new decade and a new beginning towards creating an equitable society, devoid of any indiscrimination. As United Nations celebrates Women’s Day with this year’s theme of ‘Each for Equal’, which upholds that an equal world is an enabled one, it is unfortunate that women are still judged and constantly made to feel awkward for something as frivolous and insignificant as a ‘peeking bra strap’. This Women’s Day, MTV takes strap shaming head on with its unique initiative – Baar Bra Dekho. Co-conceptualised in association with Dentsu Webchutney, MTV Baar Bra Dekho aims to normalise conversations around bra straps and slam the judgemental eye rolls on a woman’s peeking strap.

    Speaking on the initiative,  Viacom18 Youth, Music, and English Entertainment marketing head Navin Shenoy said, “Women are leaping ahead in every field. But instead of talking about their laurels, they are still being judged and questioned about what they wear. Criticising their peeking bra straps in 2020 is shameful and not even worth a consideration. Taking this issue head on, we are proud to present MTV Baar Bra Dekho, a thought provoking initiative that distinctively questions the regressive stereotypes women are subjected to. It's imperative to change the narrative. Starting this Women’s Day, we urge the youth of this country to celebrate the spirit of freedom and womanhood, the MTV way.”

    The tongue-in-cheek initiative gives a shout-out to women to be themselves in bold bra straps that ask creepy on-lookers to stay away and mind their own business. The ever-gorgeous and feisty Radhika Madan held the baton high to lead this initiative and give out an important message on Women’s Day that is intended to smash stereotypes. Through its fun yet hard-hitting promo, MTV strongly advocates the idea of women being unafraid of subjugations and wearing their opinions on their sleeves… straps!

    Actor Radhika Madan said, “It is 2020 and women are being hailed in every aspect of life. But it’s disappointing to know that the same society which celebrates them, also judges them for something as normal as their bra strap showing. Gone are the days of shaming women for what they wear. One must respect individuals and let us feel comfortable in our own skin. White, black, pink or blue, peek-a-boo is not taboo. And that’s what Baar Bra Dekho aims to achieve. I am really excited to be a part of this initiative by MTV and redefine freedom for women, this Women’s Day.”

    MTV Baar Bra Dekho kickstarted with a series of engaging content on social media and grabbed the attention of the viewers, asking them to talk it out and share their stories of strap shaming. It also went out into the crowd to understand the perception of uncles, aunties and youngsters alike on peeking bra straps. Post that, #BrasofBharat piqued the viewers’ interest that highlighted the perspective of a bra being publicly shamed almost every day. These eye-catching communication pieces and different reactions threw light on how the disparaging onlookers in the society create a hullabaloo around the non-issue and blow it out of proportion. Within a day of its launch, an overwhelming response poured in on social media, garnering a reach of 40 milliom, with #MTVBaarBraDekho trending on twitter.

    Culminating the initiative, MTV organised an ‘eye-popping’ event, on 3 March at Khar Social, Mumbai where the most popular funny ladies- Sejal Bhat and Prashasti Singh tickled the funny bones of the roaring crowd and talked about the perception around bras and onlookers, with a perfect tinge of humour and sarcasm.  

    A customised range of limited edition bra straps started intriguing conversations amongst the youth. With some hard-hitting and comic comebacks on the straps like “Karle Judge”, “This is Neon of your Business”, “Ghoorna Mana Hai” etc., the bold and sassy range received a huge shout-out in no time from celebrity influencers and fans alike.

  • Channels curate special line-up for Valentine’s Day

    Channels curate special line-up for Valentine’s Day

    MUMBAI: Love comes in all shapes and sizes and between all kinds of people. On Valentine’s Day, channels celebrate this love with a special programming line-up for its viewers. From Hindi movie channels to regional GECs to music channels to English movies channels, each one of them pays a tribute to a variety of love.

    Hindi movie channels

    Hindi movie channels Zee Cinema, &Pictures, Colors Cineplex and Sony MAX2 have scheduled various movies for viewers throughout the day. Sony MAX2 has curated a line-up with a wide variety of films that are iconic and commemorate some of the most memorable love stories that fans can watch. The channel will air movies from 12-28 February to celebrate Valentine’s Day. Its line-up includes titles like Dilwale Dulhania Le Jaayenge which aired on 12 February, Deewana airs on 14 February, Karan Arjun on 21 February, Akhiyon Se Goli Maare on 22 February and Heer Ranjha on 28 February.

    On 14 February, kickstarting the day with a treasure trove of heart-warming movies, &pictures with its special segment ‘Loveistaan’ will showcase the magic of new age love stories that are bordering on insanity and unimaginable passion with inconceivable limits that tests true love. From the caring husband like Laxmikant in Padman, to Madhav proving his love to his Half Girlfriend, &pictures will put together a pyaar and passion ka combination in its day long festival, 9.30 am onwards. Loveistaan: a day-long movie festival will air Padman at 9.30 am, Jabariya Jodi at 12 pm, LoveYatri at 3 pm, Kedarnath at 5.45 pm, Zero at 8 pm and Half Girlfriend at 11 pm. The channel will also air Dream Girl on 15 February at 8 pm.

    To celebrate Valentine’s Day, Zee Cinema has scheduled a World Television Premiere ‘Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas’ at 8 pm. Colors Cineplex is doing a Loveria Festival on Valentine's Day wherein the stars of Love Aaj Kal – Kartik Aaryan and Sara Ali Khan also shot a promo. It was a weeklong movie festival and showcased popular movies like Inspector Vijay, Magadheera, Bajirao Mastani, Garam and Manmadhudhu 2 to name a few. On 14 February the channel will bring a World Television Premiere of Dove, along with titles like The Super Khiladi 2, Dangerous Khiladi 3, Gabbar is Back, and Manmadhudu 2.

    English Movie Channels

    Zee English cluster celebrates the emotion that needs to language and the feeling that makes the world go round with a special line-up of blockbuster movies curated for the day. Zee Café, &flix and &PrivéHD are each set to present a day-long binge on 14 February 2020.

    &flix brings a collection of top-rated Hollywood hits with ‘The Things You Do For Love’. The day-long binge starting 9 am, includes the biggest and most-acclaimed movies such as the Wall-E, Spider-Man: Far From Home, Passengers and the sci-fi delight A-X-L among others.

    Adding a dash of romance to the day is the exciting line-up of Valentine’s Day special movies on Zee Café. The titles include Academy Award-winning movies such as Ratatouille and Slumdog Millionnaire along with celebrated rom-coms like How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days, She Is Out Of My League and Playing It Cool, 8 am onwards.

    &PrivéHD, the premium destination of nuanced cinema is set to turn hearts to mush as it encourages viewers to feel the love, all day long with heart-warming movies as part of ‘Love All Day’ starting 9 am onwards. The line-up includes tales that explore the unconventional and unravel the other side of love, obsession and infatuation with titles such as Juliet, Naked, The New Romantic, The Seagull among others.

    Star Movies and Star Movies HD will air The Incredibles-2; Disney's Jungle Book, Titanic and Cinderella on 14 February. Star Movies Select and Star Movies Select HD will bring The Book of Life starring Channing Tatum, Zoe Saldana, Diego Luna at 3 pm.

    Regional Channels

    Colors Bangla has a Valentine’s Day special episodes in Kanak Kakan and Chirodini Ami Je Tomar. For its viewers Zee Thirai will air a world television premiere of Yen Aalodu Seruppu Kanum at 7 pm. Zee Cinemalu will be seen running a special line-up through the day, the channel will air Lovers at 7 am, Ye Maaye Chesave at 9 am, Rarandoi Veduka Chuddam at 12 pm, Hello at 3.30 pm, Mr. Majnu at 6:30 pm and Student No.1 at 9 pm.

    Music Channels

    The music channels will play the lists of top romantic songs throughout the day on their channels but apart from that Vh1 celebrates the day of love with couples and their #SignificantThird through a special contest. The channel has also come-up with a contest where viewers can participate in fun engagement by clicking on the Instagram link

    , tag their bae, their third-wheel and tell Vh1 why he/she is the couple's ‘Significant Third’.

    On 14 February, viewers can reminisce and take a look back at 50 of the best and most romantic love songs from this decade that mesmerized everyone on – ‘Vh1 top 50 love songs of the decade’ at 12pm & 5pm.

    MTV has also released its brand films on Valentine's Day. In its newly released brand film, couples from all walks of life engage in everyday arguments and conversations, something as relatable as couples fighting over eating on the bed, or ordering food from outside, not spending enough time with each other- only to prove that problems are as necessary to love as love is to life. The film shows how fights and arguments are normal for every couple on a regular basis, in the cutest way. But in the end, no matter what happens or even if the argument reaches a crescendo, love conquers all. These tiffs give you a sneak peek into the daily lives of the couples, irrespective of any limitation.

  • MTV releases its brand films on Valentine’s Day

    MTV releases its brand films on Valentine’s Day

    MUMBAI: Relationships today are complex in many ways. While love remains constant, it also brings a host of other issues with it, ego and pride to be precise! But what’s true love without some conflicts and issues? Its normal, isn’t it? This Valentine’s Day, MTV tells you just that. In its newly released brand film, couples from all walks of life engage in everyday arguments and conversations, something as relatable as couples fighting over eating on the bed, or ordering food from outside, not spending enough time with each other- only to prove that problems are as necessary to love as love is to life.

     Khana bed pe mat rakho, bed ganda ho jayega. Bahar ka khana mat khao. Socks aise mat rakho. Yeh mat karo, woh mat karo! Phew!! Fights, tantrums, problems are constant in every relationship, regardless of age, duration of a relationship or any other aspect.

    The film shows how fights and arguments are normal for every couple on a regular basis, in the cutest way. But in the end, no matter what happens or even if the argument reaches a crescendo, love conquers all. These tiffs give you a sneak peek into the daily lives of the couples, irrespective of any limitation.

    This Valentine’s Day, MTV makes you believe that “Love is Universal and so are the problems in Love”, in the most adorable way.

  • MTV to premiere 17th season of Roadies on 15 Feb

    MTV to premiere 17th season of Roadies on 15 Feb

    MUMBAI: Thrill – Check, Passion – Check, Adrenaline – Check; the most remarkable adventure of your life is about to begin. India’s longest running reality show is back with yet another milestone in its 17th season. With an aim to trigger social impact OPPO Roadies Revolution co-powered by Castrol Power 1, Alo Frut Juice and Manforce is here to hunt young and determined individuals who have it in them to be the force of change. Starting 15 February, every Saturday, 7PM onwards on MTV, Roadies Revolution will celebrate the undying zeal of a Roadie coupled with their willingness to inflict tangible progress in society.

    Commenting on the launch of Roadies Revolution Viacom18 Voot Select, Youth, Music & English Entertainment head Ferzad Palia said: “Over the past 16 years, Roadies has transformed into a cult, transcending from just television to a broadcast+ ecosystem. The last season of the show witnessed a 37% jump in TSV, 55% growth in watch-time on Voot and clocked 40 mn views of its Voot exclusive content, reinforcing its fandom. On social media, the reach for Roadies Real Heroes doubled last year. We have also licensed the franchise to open Café Roadies in Noida and Club Roadies in Jaipur last year, adding scale to the ecosystem. For MTV Roadies Revolution, we are happy to have OPPO on board as our title sponsor, Castrol Power 1, Alo Frut Juice and Manforce as our co- powered by sponsors. Big Muscle Nutrition joins in as our nutrition partner and Envy as an associate sponsor, as we go on the road with JAWA, fueling yet another journey of this iconic show.”

    Led by an epic panel of celebrity leaders, Neha Dhupia, Nikhil Chinappa, Raftaar and Prince Narula, along with host Rannvijay Singha, Roadies Revolution will touch upon several social causes through its journey and encourage contestants to give back to society and work towards its betterment. While Neha Dhupia will be echoing the cause of women’s safety, Raftaar will raise his voice against gender discrimination. Climate change will find a much-needed advocate in Nikhil Chinappa and youth icon Prince Narula will take a stand against the alarming effects of drug abuse. Each of the leaders will champion a social cause close to their heart and create a revolution, but in the quintessential Roadie way. With a perfect blend of adventure, thrill and a grand comeback with bikes this time, the issues highlighted this season will be reflected in the tasks and challenges performed during the journey.

    OPPO India product & marketing VP Sumit Walia said: “As a brand that keeps young consumers at the heart of our business, we have always aimed at forging partnerships that resonate with our customers. OPPO believes in pushing the boundaries of innovation to exceed customers’ expectations, much like MTV Roadies, pushing its participants to bring out the best in them. We strongly believe that this symbiotic partnership will help us develop a stronger connect with the youth. We wish MTV and the participants of the show a tremendous success.”

    The ultimate youth icon, Rannvijay Singha expressed his excitement for Roadies Revolution, “Bringing the 17th season of a show that has been a defining experience for me is surreal. With powerful themes and innovative concepts, Roadies has continued to stay relevant amongst the audience. This year, Roadies Revolution takes a bigger leap in directing the youngsters to commit themselves for greater good. We are glad to take this phenomenon ahead and hold the baton high to create a change, together with the youth.”

    The auditions for Roadies Revolution saw an overwhelming response with thousands of fans showcasing their zest to be a Roadie. In addition to Delhi, Pune and Chandigarh, Roadies made a comeback to Kolkata after 2 years to hunt for youngsters in the city who have it in them to stand out. Celebrating the theme of propelling social good, MTV tied up with Chelsea India and Magic Bus Foundation for a friendly football match in Kolkata to inculcate the need of fitness and sports amongst children. Celebrity leaders Neha Dhupia and Nikhil Chinappa along with Rannvijay Singha also led a troupe of 25 bikers in Pune to echo the cause of road safety before wrapping up the auditions in style.

    Every year, Roadies takes the viewers on a breathtaking journey through the scenic landscapes of India. It will be interesting to see where the troop would be headed to this year.

    Tune-in to the adventure extravaganza with OPPO MTV Roadies Revolution co-powered by Castrol Power 1, Alo Frut Juice and Manforce starting 15 February, every Saturday at 7PM only on MTV.

  • Millennials seek local and purpose-driven content on TV and OTT

    Millennials seek local and purpose-driven content on TV and OTT

    MUMBAI: Seventy-one per cent of youth in our country are inspired by content. The number has moved from 58.4 per cent in 2016 to 71 per cent in 2018, revealed a new study by MTV Insights Studios ‘Mera Bharat Amazeballs’. Millennials are digital natives and they seek content beyond the confines of traditional TV. So what kind of content do they like? Which are the platforms they prefer to consume content and how is it helping the youth to overcome the challenges in their lives?

    Whether its Bhuvan Bam’s roleplay, Ashish Chanchlani’s gyan or Jose Covaco’s parenting on social media platforms, or the rise of thoughtful entertainment like Pad Man, Toilet, Dangal, Mary Kom and other movies or even dozens of stand-up comedy specials available on different platforms, there is an upsurge of local/Indian digital content being consumed by the youth. The report informed that there is more diversity than ever within digital content.

    The study revealed some interesting numbers, read below

    Why youth watch what they watch: 52 per cent of millennials watch content to learn something new; 30 per cent watch to distress and refresh themselves and 27 per cent watch content to help them to get through their life’s problem.

    What drives them towards new piece on content: 35 per cent of youth choose content based on the uniqueness of concept; 18 per cent like entertaining content; 14 per cent choose content based on the relatability of story; 10 per cent prefer content on ease of understanding story; seven per cent pick stories because of credibility and narrative and three per cent choose emotional narrative.

    What really gets them: As per the report 75 per cent of youth like stories where people struggle to win; 71 per cent of youth prefer stories based on real life people; and 62 per cent youth prefer watching real stories.

    What do they do when they discover a new show: 37 per cent of youth discusses it with friends whereas 21 per cent binge-watch the show. 20 per cent check out trivia about the show; 14 per cent try to find more similar shows; five per cent discuss with family and three per cent talk about it on social media.

    Where do they discover new content: 26 per cent youth discover new show on the internet and watch it online or download it to watch later; 24 per cent of them discover a new on TV and only watch in on TV; 24 per cent of youth discover new show on the internet and then find out when and where it comes on TV and watch it there; and 21 per cent discover new show on TV but they go online to watch it.

    Millennials' most preferred genre of shows: 30 per cent of youth like comedy; 13 per cent prefer romance; 12 per cent like family shows; 10 per cent looks for fantasy shows; eight per cent like action genre; seven per cent like documentary; seven per cent like crime genre; four per cent like historical genre; four per cent prefer music and dance genre; three per cent prefer Quiz shows and two per cent like animation.

    Where do they watch their favourite shows: 37 per cent of youth watch shows on both the platform but more on online than TV; 26 per cent watch shows only online; 20 per cent watch shows only on TV; and 14 per cent of youth watch shows on both but more on TV than online.

    Preferred device and platform: 75 per cent of millennials prefer watching shows at home on TV; 55 per cent of youth watches content on laptop; 41 per cent prefer streaming platform and 39 per cent opt for theatre.

    How MTV uses this study

    MTV Insights Studios has been doing this study since 2002 once in every two years to understand its target audience and cater tothem with better content. “Doing the study and sharing the facts with marketers have given them positive affinity that we know youth better than anybody else. That's one primary reason for us to do that from the external perspective. From internal it also helps form our choice of both new shows, tweak existing shows and even brand marketing,” says Viacom18 youth, music and english entertainment marketing head Navin Shenoy.  

    This year the channel will be tweaking its flagship show Roadies’ theme. The study revealed that the youth are purpose-driven, they want to get behind the cause and they are action-oriented. Therefore, this year Roadies’ theme is called Roadies Revolution, which means the contestant will not only be doing normal physical challenges, but there are also causes behind which they'll get and they'll have to perform actions to support that cause and showcase the impact.

    Last year, one of the insights that people felt more about was plastic pollution. “So we took up this issue and on the day of Dussera we called upon a message which was ‘Plastic is the new Raavan’ with TrashAsur. And what activities like these do is they reinforce brand affinity in the consumers’ mind, they realise that this brand understands what causes matter to them and they are actually taking action in that space. So in a nutshell, that's how it works for both existing shows, choosing new shows and for brand marketing; these insights inform most of our decision,” said Shenoy.

    This year one big theme that has emerged is women empowerment. He opines, “I think every aspect of that space seems to be something that bothers young people, and hence it equally bothers us, which is whether it's the brutal crimes against women or the fact that they are not getting enough of opportunities, or that society, in its thinking is more likely to be patriarchal, and gender stereotypes being enforced on women. There is very little positivity on how the system is structured, so that's likely to be a space we would want to explore.”

    The channel has doubled its viewership compared to last year. He informs, “A flagship show for us like Hustle has been key to the strategy of pulling more viewers, because it has pulled in both time from an existing viewer who's had a new MTV show and also a new kind of viewer whose destiny is hip hop music but may not have consumed so much of MTV’s other shows in the past. So that pretty much has been the key. And now the challenge is to keep the momentum going in season two.” 

  • Looking inside MTV Nishedh, an initiative to break social stigma

    Looking inside MTV Nishedh, an initiative to break social stigma

    MUMBAI: MTV is attempting to take the bull by its horns. With its new launch it aims to break the stigma around several health-related issues, make the youth aware about healthier social norms, talk about tabooed topics. The MTV Staying Alive Foundation has partnered with Viacom18 to bring a new campaign, “MTV Nishedh” to India. The campaign which has been adapted from The MTV Staying Alive Foundation’s multi-award-winning campaign ‘MTV Shuga', features a 13-episode fictional series.

    MTV Nishedh, produced by Mumbai-based production company Victor Tango, will premiere on MTV India starting 25 January every Saturday and Sunday at 8:00 PM and on COLORS Rishtey starting 1 February, every Saturday and Sunday at 10:30 pm. While youth audience will be targeted through MTV, Colors Rishtey will bring the message to a wider audience. MTV Nishedh will also be available anytime on VOOT.

    “The marketing budget will be skewed a little bit like this, but it will be based on what is required of the program. We will try and target the people whom we want to reach out to and therefore, we will use digital extensively,” Viacom 18 group CEO and MD Sudhanshu Vats said in a media roundtable while he was asked if marketing will be more digital-oriented.

    “We have to see as we go forward, so I think it's important. So basically, depending on how the first one performs, depending on how savvy we are with everything, depending on how committed all our partners are. I'm very hopeful they will be but I think it's incorrect for me to say as of now," Vats commented on the possibility of a second season.

    The MTV Staying Alive Foundation executive director and MTV Nishedh executive producer Georgia Arnold also explained how the research went on behind this project. Before starting off anything, they had a talk with the partners about the issues that partners are most concerned about. They also conducted a lot of formative researchs, and particularly in some of the key markets where they are trying to see a change. During focus group discussions with the youth,  they spoke about not only the issues but also about lifestyle. According to Arnold, all of these helped them to build a three dimensional picture of the audience that they are trying to reach.

    Moreover, the key story outline was also shared with young people unlike traditional research. The focus group’s inputs were also incorporated in the script. After the filming was done, the entire series was shown to them. In a unique way, the conversations that came up from watching the series was turned into a teaching guide.

    However, the social message will be delivered in an entertaining way to keep youth hooked to the show.

    Viacom18 also promotes social messages through Colors shows as well. “For primetime Colors, our challenge as of now is the ability to mount a more finite series in because I think India is still not ready for that. Because what happens is our series start building up in six to eight weeks, which is 30 to 40 episodes, whereas some of these shows are only those many in total. So, that is the challenge we have because most of our finite series are 100 or 150 episodes,” Vats answered while he was asked if the approaches are different for MTV initiatives. 

  • How has 2019 been for youth and music category?

    How has 2019 been for youth and music category?

    In its 25 years of running, MTV has set many benchmarks in the youth entertainment genre cementing itself as the Universe of the Young. Undisputedly, India’s No 1 Youth Entertainment Brand, MTV reaches out to over 300 million homes today and witnessed a whopping 20 billion minutes of watch time on TV and VOOT in 2019.

    2019 was a defining year for MTV as it continued to be at the core of all things ‘unscripted’ creating definitive concepts and diverse formats of storytelling. We, at MTV continue to believe in the stupendous power of content that engages, entertains and is platform agnostic. We have not only grown on TV but our consumption on VOOT has grown 3-fold which indicates the exponential growth the brand has seen across TV and digital. As a brand, MTV saw a rise of 30% in watch time on VOOT moving from 6 Billion minutes in 2018 to 8 Billion minutes, this year.

    Our most iconic properties continued to garner eyeballs with Roadies fetching an increase of 37% in TSV (improved time spent) over last year and Ace of Space witnessing a 15% rise in TSV just in its second season. While Roadies had 15% more viewers over last year on VOOT, Ace of Space and Love School saw a jump of almost 100%. Riding on our refreshing concepts, we recorded a sizeable 16% growth in views moving from 627 Million in 2018 to 729 Million, this year. We also witnessed a 200% jump in engagement on social media (67 million to 190 million). With 91% jump in time spent over the last two years, MTV continues to dominate the youth genre.

    Our biggest launch in 2019 was the category innovator MTV Hustle that opened the doors to India’s underground talent and emerged as a torchbearer of music formats. We coupled it with a 360-degree marketing campaign to garner buzz including India’s first crowdsourced rap – MTV Swagtantra for Independence Day and engaging the local community – Dharavi Underground. We also activated Hustle Cypher- a 12 hour on ground + Digital contest across 5 colleges + 1 public location where commoners were judged by Hip Hop heads across 4 cities. MTV Hustle raked in cumulative views of 109 MN on television and VOOT. (68 MN TV viewers + 41MN views on VOOT). That’s a combined watch time of 434.6 MN mins of watch time on TV & digital.

    As for MTV Beats, the viewership share increased to 16% in FY’20 vs 14% in FY’19 with 30% rise in TSV (time spent) across India. Riding on our marquee shows like Baba Ki Chowki, Beats Top 20, we catered to close to 500 million lovers of Bollywood music and triggered the same through partnerships and clutter breaking content.

     MTV also consistently bolstered its efforts in marketing and consumer engagement initiatives and turned 2019 into a year of clutter breaking campaigns, each devised to tap into the young psyche on issues that matter. Our Biryani Emoticon campaign was an effort to unify all food lovers and secure a place in the millennial glossary through a petition. Another successful campaign was MTV Trash Talk, which was an initiative to turn negativity on social media into something meaningful on-ground.

    On World Music Day, MTV Beats along with Vh1 presented India’s first-of-its-kind 24-hour online music festival with 40+ distinguished artists that was very well received by audiences.

     MTV’s success is not limited to the realm of broadcasting anymore. As a creative powerhouse, the channel through its branded content arm MTV Brand Studios enabled brands to create their unique stories keeping audiences at the core. Some of our key properties this year included Lakme Academy presents Winged, MTV Pantaloons Style Superstars, Airbnb Live There and LinkedIn MTV Get A Job. MTV also introduced Esports on television through a partnership with Nodwin Gaming along with innovations in on-ground properties like India Music Summit, Social Nation and Bollywood Music Project.
    Going forward, we will continue to keep onto our ethos of offering engrossing and contemporary content to our audiences, focus on stories that are relevant and explore multiple avenues to get closer to the end consumers.

    (The author is head- youth, music and English entertainment, Viacom18. The views expressed are his own and Indiantelevision.com may not subscribe to them.)

  • Nodwin Gaming, MTV join hands for premium esports content

    Nodwin Gaming, MTV join hands for premium esports content

    MUMBAI: India’s biggest esports company Nodwin Gaming and India’s no.1 youth entertainment brand MTV have partnered to bring quality esports content to the masses.

    The move by Nodwin Gaming and MTV comes in as a big leap towards mainstreaming esports and taking it to the general audience. The recent boom in the number of esports players and professional tournaments in the country have served as the perfect setup for this monumental partnership.

    MTV India’s latest offering “Esports Mania” encompasses a variety of shows that will go on air this December.

    Viacom18 youth, music and english entertainment head Ferzad Palia said,“At MTV we are always looking for new offerings for the young Indian and esports as a category has been gaining popularity with our audiences. In Nodwin Gaming, we have found partners who are already doing ground-breaking work in the space of gaming and we are glad to bring in the next wave of growth for esports in India.”

    Nodwin Gaming founder and chief executive officer Akshat Rathee commented on this association, “We are delighted that esports has found a fitting destination on Indian television with MTV joining hands with us. With our property Esports Mania, we believe we can showcase the best of esports to the television audience. TV goes a long way in furthering the consumer connect of our nascent sport and our approach of curated programming for the MTV viewer is directed to make esports mainstream in India. In MTV, we at Nodwin Gaming have a partner which is the de-facto destination for youth in India.”

    The esports mania line-up includes:

    ● Match of the week- The best esports matches with the most thrilling moments handpicked from tournaments in the country and around the world. Tune in every Thursday at 10 p.m. starting December 12.

    ● Esports 360– Weekly dose of latest esports news and updates, starting December 17, tune in every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 4.55 p.m.

    ● World of esports- A general informative and fun show around esports with conversations with pro players, insights on new developments in the industry, memes and lot more. Tune in every Friday at 10.30 p.m. starting December 20.

    ● Documentary series- Documentaries and stories surrounding esports players and big tournaments. Documentary series showcases the lesser known side of some of the individuals, their hardships and their path to success. Tune in every Saturday at 9.30 p.m. starting December 21.

    Nodwin Gaming is India’s biggest esports company with years of expertise in tournament organization, execution and esports content creation. With this association, esports has found a new home with MTV, the most loved entertainment destination for Indian youth.

  • MTV’s #BiryaniEmoticon campaign calls for the support of Biryani lovers to make it an emoticon

    MTV’s #BiryaniEmoticon campaign calls for the support of Biryani lovers to make it an emoticon

    MUMBAI: What happens when you hear the word ‘Biryani’? Do violins start playing in your head? Does your heart skip a beat? Does your stomach start growling? If the answer is yes, and if your mouth is already salivating or your fingers have already reached a food delivering app, then you are one of the countless Biryani lovers in India who are truly and madly in love with biryani. Ordered at an astonishing rate of 43 orders per minute*, Biryani isn’t just a dish but an indefinable emotion. Yet, there isn’t an emoticon for it. And in a world of millennial lingos, not having an emoticon for India’s most relished dish is a Dhokha! To counter this dhokha, India’s No.1 Youth Brand, MTV launched a clutter-breaking campaign that started a movement to sign the petition for the first-ever Indian food emoticon on the dedicated page

    Co- conceptualised in partnership with Tonic Worldwide, the campaign has undying love for biryani at its core and a very clear message-biryani is an emotion; it’s time to make it an emoticon! The cause got even more support with Biryani By Kilo coming on board as the official Biryani Partner. MTV kickstarted the campaign on social media with some quirky, bone tickling films, along with the most engaging, tongue-in-cheek creatives and infographics across platforms, that made an earnest plea for the emoticon. The quirky 60 seconders won't just make one laugh but also make us realise how passionate we are as a country for biryani. It makes us ponder over our ironical situation that even despite being a ‘young’ country, Biryani isn’t a part of the youth’s digital chat lingo. Through a series of posts and videos that reflected the variety and succulence of Biryani, MTV started conversations that called upon millions of food patrons to shower their support and sign the petition on the dedicated page. Three days into the campaign, an overwhelming response on social media poured in from leading brands and commoners, as the #BiryaniEmoticon #JusticeForBiryani was seen trending on Twitter.

    The number of sign-ups on the petition is already close to 8,000 and counting, as you read this. So strong has the buzz been, that it caught the eye of leading influencers from B-Town like Aayushman Khurrana, Yami Gautam, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Athiya Shetty and many more who joined the biryani-wagon in India’s collective request for making Biryani an emoticon.

    MTV even leaped ahead and took the plea for Biryani emoticon to the streets of Delhi with the coolest and one of a kind ‘Biryani march’! Spearheaded by the popular VJ Gaelyn, over 600 college students stormed the streets of Delhi from Jamia Hamdard to New Delhi Institute of Management, Mehrauli to show their love for biryani and garner nationwide support to make it an emoticon- an integral part of the lives of millennials. But signing the petition is not where it ends. To spread the love for Biryani far and wide, MTV also associated with The Robin Hood Army, a non-profit organization that works to get surplus food to the less fortunate. For every 10 signatures on the petition, MTV will feed biryani to 1 kid from the Robin Hood Army, once the campaign is closed.

    Speaking on the campaign, Navin Shenoy, Marketing Head, Youth, Music, and English Entertainment, Viacom18 said, “Quirk and innovation drive brand MTV. Through our brand campaigns, we have always tried to tap into the sentiments of India’s youth. Given the ever-burgeoning affinity for emoticons amongst millennials, the Biryani emoticon campaign is an effort to explore the social media vocabulary and connect with foodies at the same time. We are elated to know that the campaign has seen a mammoth response amongst the youth across platforms. It’s thrilling to have so many people join MTV to get justice for Biryani. It will be a long road from an emotion to an emoticon for Biryani, but I guess, the journey has started and unified the youth behind the cause.”

    Talking on innovation of the campaign, Pratik Hatankar, Head of Innovations & New Initiatives, Tonic Worldwide, said " The way we communicate today, our tool of expression let's admit is an emoticon and you could say probably it's mightier than the word. The idea was to culture hack the nation's most loved food Biryani and connect with the youth.”

    So, if you have already ordered a delectable plate of biryani just like we have, go visit http://chng.it/XJLfYK2wzx and sign the petition. It’s time to bring the #BiryaniEmoticon to life!