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Tag: Netflix

  • Netflix partners with Raj and DK for new series ‘Guns & Gulaabs’

    Netflix partners with Raj and DK for new series ‘Guns & Gulaabs’

    Mumbai: Netflix has partnered with Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK also known as Raj and DK for a new series titled “Guns & Gulaabs” under D2R Films productions.

    The series will be created, directed and produced by Raj and DK and written by Suman Kumar, Raj and DK, and Sumit Arora.

    The writer-director duo is the minds behind the hit series “The Family Man.” The new series will be the second collaboration between the pair and Netflix after their film “Cinema Bandi,” which was released on the OTT platform last year.

    “Netflix has always been a pioneering service offering constantly cutting-edge content,” said Raj and DK. “And we are super thrilled to associate with them on our latest venture! Last year, we had a great outing on Netflix with our indie gem, ‘Cinema Bandi.’ And now we look forward to a larger collaboration on our first Netflix series, ‘Guns & Gulaabs.’ We are especially thrilled to roll out this wicked genre mash with some of the finest cast and crew from our country.”

    “We are delighted to partner with the finest creators Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK for a series as distinct as their creative voice, ‘Guns and Gulaabs,’” said Netflix India series head Tanya Bami. “Bringing their unique storytelling style to Netflix, Raj and DK blend romance, crime and the inimitable humor that’s signature to the duo, into ‘Guns & Gulaabs’ which will captivate audiences in India and across the world.”

  • Discovery was greatest global commissioner of TV shows in 2021: Ampere

    Discovery was greatest global commissioner of TV shows in 2021: Ampere

    Mumbai: The greatest global commissioner of TV shows in 2021 was Discovery, with a record-breaking 556 first-run TV show titles commissioned in the year, according to market-leading data and analytics firm Ampere. This extends Discovery’s lead of 46, recorded in 2020, to 153 titles by year-end 2021.

    ViacomCBS pipped Netflix for second place with 406 titles compared to Netflix’s 403. Three other contenders – Disney, the BBC and Comcast – came close with 387, 373, and 353 first-run shows respectively, it said.

    This group of six pulled further ahead of their global rivals through 2021 with each supporting the expansion of their own subscription video on demand (SVoD) services. WarnerMedia also accelerated through the year but not enough to rank in the top six.

    However, for 2022 it is those shows commissioned but not yet released, the in-production slate, that will be key, noted Ampere study. Discovery’s typical commissions (largely documentaries) have a shorter production timescale and are lower cost and less high-profile than titles on Netflix’s still predominantly scripted slate. Netflix is set to release most of its 243 in-production TV titles in 2022 (with an additional 106 films) which will push the streamer’s overall slate of original releases to over 2,000 titles.

    It should be noted that the above figures for 2021 exclude the US majors’ growing SVoD film slate.  The US majors combined commissioned 74 film titles specifically for SVoD. However, adding Netflix’s 203 commissioned films in 2021 would push the global streamer into first place, albeit via a less direct comparison.

    Through their in-production TV show commissions for their VoD platforms, studios’ intentions are laid bare. Among all the TV shows currently being produced by Disney, 58 per cent are now originals for its streaming platform, Disney+. WarnerMedia follows closely behind with 85 titles for HBO Max, representing 48 per cent of shows it currently has in production. Titles destined for VoD make up 39 per cent of ViacomCBS’s current slate and 28 per cent of Comcast’s.

    The year 2022 will see further additions to these slates as the studio-backed VoD services continue to expand both their original catalogues and subscriber bases, both domestically and, increasingly, internationally.

  • Tata Sky rebrands to Tata Play to reflect its expanded business interests

    Tata Sky rebrands to Tata Play to reflect its expanded business interests

    Mumbai: DTH and pay TV platform Tata Sky has announced a new name and identity – Tata Play as it expands its business interests beyond direct-to-home services.

    The company’s services include a 100 per cent fiber network that has been renamed to Tata Play Fiber. Its aggregator app Tata Play Binge offers content from 13 OTT platforms through various bundled offerings. The company announced that it has also onboarded Netflix as one of the OTT platforms on the Tata Play Binge service.

    To enhance its customer experience, Tata Play said it will now offer free service visits for customers and de-active DTH customers can continue to recharge and get restarted on the platform with no reconnection charges.

    The new identity has been created by venturethree, London and the campaign has been designed by Ogilvy India. According to the statement, the new brand identity will be promoted heavily across all touchpoints starting 26 January and through the coming months. Kareena Kapoor Khan and Saif Ali Khan have been engaged to promote Tata Play in national markets and R Madhavan and Priyamani will be the face of the campaign for the South markets. Both ‘Tata’ and ‘Tata Play’ are trademarks of Tata Sons.

    “Tata Sky leveraged its market leadership in its core business to create an ecosystem of content delivery by foraying into OTT and broadband. We believe it is time for a brand identity that resonates beyond our DTH business,” said Tata Play MD and CEO Harit Nagpal. “I firmly believe that it’s one thing to own content, quite another to make it accessible. Distribution is what makes content easily discoverable for the masses, consumed, and talked about. Our DTH business has a sizeable market share and we’ll continue our endeavour to expand the TV viewing universe. The name Tata Play thus signifies our expanded range of product and services. The new identity is an outcome of our desire to be future-ready while making tomorrow better than today for homes and families.”

    Tata Play chief communications officer Anurag Kumar said, the Tata Play brand mark and play mark takes inspiration from the ‘Tata’ mark – borrowing and reinforcing the trust, quality and recognition of India’s most valuable brand. “The word ‘Play’ adds youthfulness, ease and simplicity to an already trusted brand. The brand colours pink and purple along with dark blue and white are vibrant, youthful and add distinctiveness to the overall identity. With Tata Play, we promise you Fun, personalisation, flexibility, freedom, quality, innovation and connection. With Tata Play, you play better. And entertainment becomes aur bhi Jingalala,” he added.

  • Netflix launches ‘Take Ten’ initiative to support emerging filmmakers

    Netflix launches ‘Take Ten’ initiative to support emerging filmmakers

    Mumbai: Netflix on Monday announced the launch of ‘Take Ten,’ a short film workshop and competition, that aims to discover and support emerging filmmakers from diverse backgrounds in India.

    ‘Take Ten’ is sponsored by Netflix Fund for Creative Equity, which has dedicated $100 million a year over five years to support the next generation of storytellers from underrepresented communities.

    As part of this initiative, ten filmmakers will be given an exciting opportunity to attend workshops by the best in the creative industry and then to make a fully-funded short film with a $10,000 grant, a statement said. The films will be showcased on Netflix India’s YouTube channel.

    “Take Ten is a celebration of storytelling and originality. The workshop and competition aim to be inclusive and showcase the diverse voices behind and in front of the camera in India,” said film critic, author and Film Companion editor Anupama Chopra, who is leading the programme. “I hope Take Ten enables artists across India to find their footing and soar.”

    Applicants who want to apply for ‘Take Ten’ must be a citizen or resident of India and over the age of 18 years. The registrations will open on 7 February. To enter, applicants are to submit a film of up to two minutes based on the topic ‘My India,’ which should be shot with their phone and represent who they are as a filmmaker, said the statement. 

    The shortlisted participants will not only get to bring their short film idea to life but they will also get a chance to learn about writing, direction, production and more from award-winning talent including Abhishek Chaubey, Hansal Mehta, Juhi Chaturvedi, Neeraj Ghaywan and Guneet Monga, it added.

  • Netflix ends 2021 with 222 million global subscribers

    Netflix ends 2021 with 222 million global subscribers

    Mumbai: Netflix has announced its financial results for the fourth quarter of 2021. The company reported revenue of $7.7 billion registering a growth of 16 per cent year-on-year.

    The streaming giant added 8.3 million global paid subscribers in Q4 bringing its paid memberships up to 222 million at the end of 2021.

    It reported full year revenue of $30 billion – a growth of 19 per cent year-on-year while operating income of $6.2 billion rose 35 per cent YoY. Netflix added 18 million subscribers in 2021 compared to 37 million subscribers in 2020. The company observed that more than 90 per cent of its paid net adds in 2021 came from outside the US and Canada (UCAN).

    Netflix added 2.6 million paid subscribers from the APAC region with strong growth in both Japan and India. It generated $871 million in revenues from the APAC market with a subscriber base of 32.63 million, and reported 1.2 million paid adds from the UCAN region, 2.5 million from the EMEA region and 1.0 million from LATAM region.  

    “In December, we lowered our prices in India across all four plans. India is fairly unique because pay TV pricing is very low. We believe these new prices will make Netflix more accessible to a broader swath of the population – strengthening our value perception. Our goal is to maximize long term revenue in each of our markets,” it said in a statement. 

  • #Retrace2021: How streaming wars re-shaped the global M&E industry in 2021

    #Retrace2021: How streaming wars re-shaped the global M&E industry in 2021

    Mumbai: Beginning with the blockbuster M&A deal between Discovery and AT&T in May which created the world’s second-largest media company by revenue after Disney, intensifying streaming wars reshaped the global media and entertainment industry through 2021. At the heart of this transformation was the mindboggling demand for content.

    According to research led by European economic consultancy Frontier Economics manager Clive Kenny, OCC (Online Curated Content) providers directly invested $25.7bn (Rs 1.8trn) in OCC content worldwide in 2019, including original and licensed titles. This sum is likely to soar to $61bn (Rs 4.3trn) by 2024. Significant increase in content investment in the pipeline includes: The Walt Disney Company’s plans to invest $14bn-16bn (Rs 985bn-1,126bn) per year in global OCC content by 2024; ViacomCBS’s plans to ramp up investment in OCC content to $5bn (Rs 352bn) in 2024; WarnerMedia’s parent company, AT&T’s, pledge to invest $4bn (Rs 282bn) in HBO Max in the three years through 2022; and, Netflix will spend $28bn (Rs 1.97trn) a year by 2028.

    Driven by tech, worldwide changes in viewers’ media consumption habits in the context of more genres, newer formats, and platform choices are here to stay and grow further, and the scope for this growth is immense. The importance, as well as the urgency of sourcing content to satiate this rather ravenous appetite for entertainment, will continue effecting similar shifts in the sector going ahead. The equation will balance out between global giants wanting to create worldwide media behemoths and (comparatively) ‘local’ players striving to maintain their individuality and independence in the market.

    Here’s a look back at some of the biggest industry deals that made news in 2021. Even though not driven by the streaming wars, the $5 bn acquisition of Yahoo (formerly Verizon Media) by Apollo Global Management finds a place in this list for being the culmination of Verizon’s persistent efforts to establish itself in the online media space.

    AT&T and Discovery: Announced in May 2021 through an all-stock transaction called the Reverse Morris Trust, the AT&T, and Discovery merger deal aimed at giving rise to a content powerhouse to be led by Discovery president and CEO David Zaslav. The merged entity will bring together brands like Warner Bros., HBO, Discovery, DC Comics, CNN, Cartoon Network, HGTV, Food Network, the Turner Networks, TNT, TBS, Eurosport, Magnolia, TLC, Animal Planet, and ID.

    The emphasis on the D2C aspect of the business was clearly spelled out in the official statement which read “the new company will compete globally in the fast-growing direct-to-consumer business, bringing compelling content to D2C subscribers across its portfolio, including HBO Max and the recently launched discovery+.”

    Televisa and Univision: In April, Mexican and Latin American media giant Televisa and US Hispanic network Univison merged their media, content, and production assets to create a global Spanish-language powerhouse. The combined entity Televisa-Univision will be led by Univision CEO Wade Davis. It will have the largest Spanish-language library of owned content, serving two of the world’s largest Spanish-speaking markets the US and Mexico.

    According to the Television Business International, the “merger was designed to enable the new company to address what it believes is the relatively nascent global Spanish-language streaming market. The pair said that the Spanish-language market, which represents around 600 million people globally, and an aggregate GDP of about $7 trillion, is significantly underserved from a streaming perspective relative to other major markets. They cited the stat that fewer than 10 per cent of the Spanish speaking population currently use an OTT video product, compared with the English language market where nearly 70 per cent of the population has at least one streaming service.”

    The deal brought together Televisa’s four free-to-air channels, 27 pay-TV networks channels and stations, Videocine movie studio, Blim TV SVOD service, and the Televisa trademark with Univision’s assets in the US including the Univision and UniMás broadcast networks, nine Spanish-language cable networks, 61 television stations, 58 radio stations in major US Hispanic markets and Puerto Rico, and digital assets, notably the recently launched AVOD streaming service PrendeTV.

    TF1 and M6: With a view to providing a “French response to the challenges from global platforms” Groupe Bouygues and RTL Group announced the $4bn merger of leading French commercial broadcasters TF1 and M6 to form a new “French total video champion” in May. The resulting entity will bring together the strengths of the companies’ D2C streaming businesses operating under the brand names MyTF1 and 6play.

    Said the companies, “This market where linear TV remains a powerful media is undergoing a structural transformation with a strong shift towards on-demand consumption. The combination of these two players, of the know-how of their employees and of their strong brands, would allow the new group to invest more and to step-up innovation. The proposed merger is critical to ensure the long-term independence of French content creation and to continue to offer diversified and premium local content to the benefit of all viewers.”

    Amazon acquires MGM: In the same month, global tech giant Amazon acquired Hollywood studio MGM for $8.45 Bn. MGM is behind classics such as ‘Gone with the Wind’, and ‘Rocky’, the famous Bond franchise, ‘Singin’ in the Rain’, ‘12 Angry Men’,  as well as popular reality TV shows like ‘The Voice’ and ‘Shark Tank’.

    Amazon has been ramping up its content spend to stay competitive amidst the fare being churned out by Netflix and Disney. “The real financial value behind this deal is the treasure trove of IP in the deep catalogue that we plan to re-imagine and develop together with MGM’s talented team,” said Amazon Studios and Prime Video SVP Mike Hopkins. 

    Fox Entertainment buys MarVista: With an aim to develop content for its digital outlets including the ad-supported streaming platform Tubi, Fox Entertainment closed the year with acquiring MarVista Entertainment in December. Founded in 2003, MarVista specialises in production for digital platforms. Having created an average of 80 titles across different genres, the studio boasts a content catalogue of over 2500 programming hours.

    “With these key strategic advantages, acquiring and investing in MarVista aligns perfectly with Fox Entertainment’s long-term vision for streaming and diversifying our in-house capabilities and infrastructure, as we expand our portfolio,” said CEO of Fox Entertainment Charlie Collier.

    The deal was most recently in the series of Fox’s attempts this year to bolster its streaming and digital capabilities. It follows the September acquisition of celebrity-focused news outlet TMZ from WarnerMedia and the launch of Studio Ramsay Global, a production entity focused on culinary and lifestyle programming with restaurateur Gordon Ramsay.

    RTL Group and Talpa Network: The merger of RTL Nederland and Talpa Network assets was announced in June this year with the intention of creating a strong Dutch cross-media group across TV, streaming, radio, print, and digital, as well as to the benefit of audiences and the Dutch creative industry. The plan spelled out a “clear ambition to further expand Videoland” –  the leading Dutch streaming service with one million paying subscribers.

    According to the agreements, Talpa Network will contribute its TV, radio, print, digital, e-commerce, and other assets to RTL Nederland and will receive a 30 per cent stake in the enlarged RTL Nederland in return.

    In addition, Talpa Network’s content units (Talpa Concepts, Talpa Entertainment Producties) – which are not part of the deal – and RTL Nederland will enter into a content agreement for newly developed formats for linear TV channels and for the streaming service Videoland.
    The annual content spend of the combined group amounts to more than €400 million.

    ZEEL-SPNI merger: The Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (Zeel) and Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) mega-merger announced in September combined the two media giants’ linear networks, digital assets, production operations, and programme libraries to create one of India’s largest media and entertainment entities (close to $2 billion in revenue) in terms of market share.

    In an investor call, Punit Goenka, managing director, and chief executive officer of the merged entity, revealed that it will target overall growth with a focus on sports and digital. As part of the deal, Sony agreed to infuse $1.6 billion cash which will enable the merged entity to accelerate its digital platform and significantly invest in premium content including sports.

    Both SPNI and Zeel had been on the lookout for a partner that could bring in mutual synergies, while minimising clashes, to fend off competition amid growing consolidation in the media and entertainment industry.  With this, the Zeel-Sony merged entity will compete in the market with market leader DisneyStar India, Viacom18-RIL, and the only standalone, player Sun TV Network. Given their relative strengths in scripted, factual, and sports programming, respective distribution footprints across India, and iconic entertainment brands, the combined company will try to meet the growing consumer demand for premium content across entertainment touchpoints and platforms.

    Under the terms of the definitive agreements, SPNI will have cash balance of $1.5 billion closing, including through infusion by the current shareholders of SPNI and the promoters (founders) of Zeel, to enable the combined company to drive sharper content creation across platforms, strengthen its footprint in the rapidly evolving digital ecosystem, bid for media rights in the fast-growing sports landscape and pursue other growth opportunities.

    Content Partnerships: While there were fewer major acquisitions happening in India, multi-year content partnerships between streaming platforms and mainstream production houses emerged as a significant trend through 2021. Under the Netflix India and Excel Entertainment deal inked in September, the Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar-owned production house will produce a variety of stories under its series banner Excel Media & Entertainment for Netflix members in over 190 countries.

    More recently streaming platform Zee5 entered into a strategic partnership with content and IP studio Applause Entertainment, a venture of Aditya Birla Group for a multi-show association. The two content companies will collaborate to create a robust original content slate of new Zee5 originals in Hindi to entertain viewers across the globe.

    Apollo acquires Yahoo (formerly Verizon Media): The $5 bn deal involving Private equity firm Apollo Global Management’s complete acquisition of Yahoo (formerly Verizon Media) from Verizon was announced in September this year. The group’s assets including titular Yahoo properties and the TechCrunch, AOL, Engadget, and RYOT brands encompass around 900 million monthly active users globally under the umbrella brand which is currently the third-largest internet property, per Apollo’s figures.

    Even though not driven by the streaming wars, the acquisition is significant for being the culmination of Verizon’s years-long strive to establish itself in online media, specifically adtech. It was preceded by the telco’s $4.4 bn acquisition of AOL in 2015 and Yahoo in 2017 for $4.5 bn. 

  • So what’s streaming this Christmas

    So what’s streaming this Christmas

    Mumbai: Christmas is here, and so are the streaming platforms with their new content line-ups curated especially for the Xmas season. OTT platforms like Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+Hotstar, and Lionsgate Play have put together a list of handpicked Christmas Classics for their viewers.

    Streaming on Netflix are ‘A Boy called Christmas’, ‘Waffles and Mochi’, ‘The Princess Switch 3’, and ‘Murali’. Amazon Prime Video’s line-up includes ’10 hours for Christmas’, ‘Christmas Break-in’, and ‘The Kacey Musgraves Christmas Show’.

    Amazon’s audiobook service Audible joins the party with ‘The Christmas Pig’ (written by J.K. Rowling; narrated by Amaka Okafor, Rocco Padden, Gerran Howell, Tom Alexander, Rachel Atkins, Annette Badland, Karen Bartke, Nicholas Boulton, and more), ‘Home For Christmas’ (written by Jessika Devert, Annika Devert, Anna Gilham; narrated by Natalie Pela), ‘All I Want For Christmas’ (written by Michelle Stimpson; narrated by Eboni Flowers, Reginald James), ‘A Christmas Carol’ unabridged (written by Charles Dickens; narrated by Jon Baum) and ‘The First Christmas’ (written and narrated by Stephen Mitchell).

    Disney+ Hotstar is celebrating the season with ‘Hawkeye’ (2021), ‘Encanto’ (2021), ‘Home Sweet Home Alone’ (2021), ‘Once Upon a Snowman’ (2020), ‘The Disney Holiday Singalong’ (2020), ‘LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special’ (2020), ‘Noelle’ (2019), ‘Toy Story: That Time Forgot’ (2014), ‘Frozen 2’ (2019), and ‘Frozen’ (2013).

    Lionsgate Play’s Christmas playlist includes ‘Sharing Christmas’, ‘Wonder’, ‘All about Christmas Eve’, ‘A Bad Moms Christmas’, and ‘Long Shot’.

  • Netflix slashes prices for subscription plans; basic plan now costs Rs 199

    Netflix slashes prices for subscription plans; basic plan now costs Rs 199

    Mumbai: Global streaming giant Netflix has reduced the prices of its subscription plans. The biggest hike has come for its Rs 499 basic plan that will not cost subscribers only Rs 199, a decrease of 60 per cent. The basic plan allows users to stream SD quality video across mobile, tablet, laptop and TV devices.

    The streaming company has reduced its popular mobile plan from Rs 199 to Rs 149 per month. Its standard plan has come down from Rs 649 to Rs 499 per month and its premium plan has come down from Rs 799 to Rs 649 per month.

    The new prices come into effect from 14 December onwards.

    “Starting today, everyone in India can get all of Netflix at new, lower prices,” said Netflix India vice president for content Monika Shergill. “So, whether you’re watching with your family or just on your own, in the mood for a superhero tale (Minnal Murali), genre-bending series (Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein), dramedy (Decoupled), family drama (Finding Anamika), thriller (Looop Lapeta) or comedy special (Kapil Sharma), along with films and series from across the world, there’s something for everyone.”

    The OTT platform has also launched a campaign announcing the new prices which features Alia Bhatt. The film is live on its social media handles.

  • Netflix announces six new mobile game titles launching in December

    Netflix announces six new mobile game titles launching in December

    Mumbai: Netflix has announced six mobile game titles that will be launched on its platform in December. The streaming giant is yet to announce the official launch date of the games.

    The titles include “Ashphalt Xtreme,” “Hextech Mayhem,” “Knittens,” “Wonderputt Forever,” “Arcanium: Rise of Akhan,” and “Dominoes Café.”

    The mobile games will be available to Android users to download via the Google Play Store. The platform announced that it was making its mobile games available to Netflix users worldwide in November. These games will be available to Netflix subscribers without any extra charge.

     

     

  • Indian content producers see uptick in revenues from online video platforms

    Indian content producers see uptick in revenues from online video platforms

    Mumbai: The production of local originals in India is heating up and giving a boost to the creative economy. Online video platforms are expected to invest heavily into local original content to ensure robust paid subscriber growth.

    “The market for digital content has definitely increased,” said Fremantle India managing director Aradhana Bhola. Fremantle India is known for its unscripted TV reality series like “India Idol” and “India’s Got Talent.”

    Fremantle is a global production and distribution company based in the UK that has created hit reality series “Too Hot To Handle” on Netflix and “Hear Me. Love Me.” featuring actor Shilpa Shetty on Prime Video. The Indian arm of the production company has collaborated with YouTube India for two YouTube originals “Hello 2021” followed by “You V YouTube” hosted by actor and cricket presenter Gaurav Kapur.

    “We don’t have a formal partnership in terms of some kind of output deal, however, we are working a lot with them (YouTube),” said Bhola.

    According to Media Partners Asia, investment in online video content reached $1 billion in 2021. Furthermore, the investments in local content increased from 29 per cent in 2020 to 37 per cent in 2021. Licensed/acquired content accounts for 63 per cent share of investments in online video content.

    OTT platform Lionsgate Play, the streaming arm of Lionsgate Entertainment is also launching its first Indian original “Hiccups and Hookups” starring Lara Dutta and Prateik Babbar. Prime Video is releasing the third season of its hit series “Inside Edge.” Disney+ Hotstar is releasing its family drama “Dil Bekaraar.” Netflix is releasing its comedy “Decoupled” that stars R Madhavan and Surveen Chawla. The space for local originals is heating up.

    There is a strong correlation between OTT players who are willing to invest in premium content to service uptake and audience stickiness, according to a study by Boston Consulting Group (BCG). “In the last two-three years, the Indian OTT industry has come of age. The subscription OTT industry is growing at a much faster pace compared to the rest of the industry. This indicates a maturing of the consumer who is now willing to pay for specific content,” said BCG senior partner and managing director Kanchan Samtani.

    Media Partners Asia vice president and head of India Mihir Shah estimates that if OTT players continue to invest in local content at this rate the subscription video on-demand adoption will grow by four times and reach 224 million subscribers and $ 2.1 billion in revenues by 2026.

    The leading OTT players in terms of subscriber share in the SVOD market are Disney+ Hostar (50 per cent), Prime Video (19 per cent) and Netflix (5 per cent). Revenue share of SVOD subscriptions is at 25 per cent for Disney+ Hotstar, 22 per cent for Prime Video, and 29 per cent for Netflix.