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Tag: Netflix

  • OTTs give much needed fillip to stand-up comedy

    OTTs give much needed fillip to stand-up comedy

    MUMBAI: Even as recently as a decade ago, making a decision to become a full-time stand-up comedian in India was fraught with uncertainty. Today, however, the business of being funny is taken seriously.

    The genre is still just beginning to get popular in semi-urban and rural areas and the growth of over-the-top (OTT) platforms has given it a much-deserved boost. Offline stand-up shows have time, place and ticket constraints whereas the web takes away all these pains and enables access on a click.

    Comedy as a genre is a hit in India in both movies and TV shows since the 1950s. The stand-up comedy era is a new one and is increasingly being banked upon Youtube, Facebook, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and ALTBalaji among other digital platforms.

    Women like Aditi Mittal, Mallika Dua, Radhika Vaz, Sumukhi Suresh, Kaneez Surka and Neeti Palta have proved that they can tickle your funny bone too. In mid-2017, TLC India launched an all-female stand-up comedy show to break the stereotype that women cannot be inherently funny.

    Most comedians get a breakthrough from YouTube and Facebook where anyone can upload their content. These platforms are open for beginners as well as professionals and have helped transform amateurs into professionals. One of the most viewed and subscribed channels on YouTube in India is ‘BB Ki Vines’ that belongs to comedian Bhuvan Bam, who started his career as a YouTuber and is a celebrity now.

    Amazon Prime India continues to bet heavily on comedy for its original content in India. After the streaming service released a slew of stand-up specials last year, betting high on faces like Kanan Gill, Biswa Kalyan Rath, Kenny Sebastian and others, it has released a new special with 23 acts from 16 March. The new show features Indian artists like Kunal Rao, Sorabh Pant, Zakir Khan and Sumukhi Suresh, among others, as well as sketch shows like The Improvisers, Put Chutney and Sketchy Behaviour featuring well-known comedians from all over the country.

    Since its entry, Netflix has delivered a high-profile comedy special every week. Aditi Mittal is the first Indian female comedian who made her debut on Netflix with Things They Wouldn’t Let Me Say. On the international front, Netflix has Indian-origin comedians like Vir Das, Hansal Minhaz and Brahman Naman to convert the chuckles into belly laugh.

    Looking at the Indian platforms, ALTBalaji has been at the forefront of regional language stand-up shows which has tremendous scope as cultural nuances in India are far and wide. ALTBalaji is the only platform to launch regional stand-up comedy videos in Marathi, Punjabi, Gujarati, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu languages. It focuses more on the last two languages for now because of their presence in India and abroad. In all, it has short, snacky and hilarious videos with 65 episodes and five hours 30 minutes of content featuring famous comic artists like Bharat Ganeshpure, Sagar Karande, Anirudh Madesia, Suresh Albela, Pratap Faujdar, Amit Khuva, Dharsi Baredia, Shanti Kumar, Shaik Baba Sharifuddin, Baggy, Manoj and Mervyn.

    ALTBalaji CMO Manav Sethi says that the platform saw viewership rise by 10-15 per cent after adding these comedy bits into its content lineup. He further added, “We have seen significant double-digit growth in this genre especially in 18-40 age segment from top 30 cities. We have seen new consumers coming to our platform because of our comedy content.”

    ALTBalaji COO Sunil Nair believes, “Users on ALTBalaji consume snacky content during commute time and we see a jump in consumption of stand-up acts during these time periods.” Sethi adds that by adding comedy content from various languages, each with its own flavours, they have been able to hit the sweet spot.

    Earlier, comedy was driven by broadcaster demands who would decide on the content and even own the intellectual property. But OTT platforms are willing to experiment with unconventional content.

    By far, stand-up comedy is emerging as a high growth genre for web audiences. Until a few years ago, career and stand-up comedy in a sentence together would only come up as an example of an oxymoron. But gladly times have changed and people have become more audacious, informed, and most importantly accepting and online platforms have been quick to realise the hidden potential in it.

    Also Read :

    Localised content the way forward for Netflix in India

    2017: The year OTTs went regional in India

    Regional OTT content more than just catch-up TV 

    Indians among top commute streamers for Netflix

  • BBC admits struggling to compete with Netflix, Amazon

    BBC admits struggling to compete with Netflix, Amazon

    MUMBAI: Even a broadcaster and ancient brand like the BCC cannot escape the threat of the new digital transformation and change in audience habit. In its second annual report, the British broadcaster admitted that it is facing a crisis as the viewing habits of younger audiences change.

    The kids of today find on-demand content more appealing. 82 per cent of children in the UK prefer YouTube for on-demand content, 50 per cent log into Netflix and only 29 per cent use BBC iPlayer. The report says children spend more time each week online than watching TV.

    “At the same time, maintaining the reach and time that audiences spend with our output is equally difficult, when they have so many other choices at their disposal,” BBC said in the report.

    The report estimates 16 to 24 year-olds spend more time with Netflix in a week than with all of BBC TV including the BBC iPlayer.

    Against this context, BBC wants to keep its commitment to the highest production and editorial standards. It will sustain investment in new and original British output, made all over the UK. “We will take creative risks and keep the right balance between new series and returning favourites,” BBC said.

    “Major new entrants such as Amazon and Netflix have meant that the global media market is increasingly dominated by a small number of US-based media giants with extraordinary creative and financial firepower,” BBC fears.

    BBC’s urgent challenge is to develop new ways to grow its income to keep pace with rich competitors like Amazon, Netflix whose money supply seems to have no end.

    Also Read:

    Netflix announces new Indian original film ‘Lust Stories’

    BBC launches news in Indian languages, ties up with Eenadu and India News

  • Netflix announces new Indian original film ‘Lust Stories’

    Netflix announces new Indian original film ‘Lust Stories’

    MUMBAI: In order to connect more with Indian audiences, over the top (OTT) giant Netflix has announced the premiere of another original film for India after the huge success of Love Per Square Foot. The new title Lust Stories is directed by the prominent faces of industry, Zoya Akhtar, Karan Johar, Anurag Kashyap, and Dibakar Banerjee.

    Lust Stories laces four short films that deal with real life relationships in modern India each directed by one of the names above. It has a stellar cast from the Indian film industry including actors such as Radhika Apte, Manisha Koirala, Vicky Kaushal, Bhumi Pednekar and Kiara Advani.

    For this venture, Netflix has again collaborated with Ronnie Screwvala’s RSVP as producer in association with Ashi Dua of Flying Unicorn Entertainment.

    “I’m really excited and proud to have been able to do this with Ronnie Screwvala and the four most exciting and exuberant filmmakers in India on a platform that not only gives us the liberty to tell the stories exactly the way we want to, but also tell them to people from countries and cultures that are vastly different from ours. The artist and the aesthetes all connected through the language of films,” said Dua.

    Netflix is banking on Indian content being its gateway to the hearts of the people. Another original Sacred Games is set to release on 6 July. All the Indian originals will be available globally increasing the scope of Indian talent to reach a wide audience worldwide.

    Also Read :

    Netflix announces 3 new India originals

    Netflix and YG Entertainment to launch YG future strategy office Bigbang’s Seungri

     

  • 63% of the respondents prefer watching movies with their friends than family, says study by Chrome Data Analytics & Media

    63% of the respondents prefer watching movies with their friends than family, says study by Chrome Data Analytics & Media

    MUMBAI: Indian cinema itself is considered to be one of the oldest cinema industries in the world. It is also one of the highest producers of movies in the world. It goes beyond Bollywood and has been entertaining viewers for many years now, across all walks of life.Forecasted to reach 3,000 screens by 2019, movie theatres hold a lot of traction, attracting movie lovers, in spite of growing online video streaming sites like Netflix and Amazon Prime.

    Chrome Data Analytics’ recent research analyses the movie watching story experience in India’s multiplexes.The study is based on a sample of 3,18 respondents. The respondents were selected from six metro cities- namely, Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Pune and Bangalore. The research data was collected through face- to – face interviews, where structured questionnaires with provision for open-ended questions were deployed for data collection.

    Following are some of the import highlights of the study:

    · 43% of the respondents preferred to watch a movie in theatres as compared to 31% who prefer downloading movies online.

    · 47% respondents consider the location of theatre important, as compared to 24% who consider price more important.

    · 38% prefer going to the movies on weekends. However, 8% prefer Thursday due to low prices.

    · Only 33% feel that having food and beverages at the theatre makes the overall experience better.

    · 63% of the respondents prefer watching movies with their friends

    · 43% of the respondents prefer PVR followed by carnival (25%) and cinepolis (13%).

    · 73% of the respondents like watching trailer at the beginning of the movies in a theatre.

  • OTT players up the ante with niche content

    OTT players up the ante with niche content

    MUMBAI: With the digital era progressing at a geometric rate, India’s media and entertainment industry has seen the proliferation of a number of over-the-top (OTT) players, including many international players. As a result, several niche genres of content are finding a place to grow. Viewers are coming to associate each platform with a type of personality represented through its content.

    According to FICCI’s 2018 report, digital subscription in 2017 grew by 50 per cent, riding on the back of niche content. Global content, sports and, increasingly, OTT-only content are also other factors behind the whopping growth of rising viewership on digital.

    India’s burgeoning OTT market already has more than 40 OTT players according to estimates. To draw viewers, each platform has to make a separate identity for itself. Subscription-based video on demand has, however, a long way to go as only three per cent of Indian households are paid subscribers of online video-streaming services. To attract more paying subscribers, the video platforms need to come up with content which users will think are worth paying.

    Despite making inroads into several developed countries, Netflix is yet scraping the surface of the Indian arena. Its major international competitor, Amazon, has left it far behind here. However, Netflix has created its signature with its large number of original series such as The Crown, House of Cards, Bojack Horseman, Stranger Things etc. Moreover, other than the originals, Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, Rick and Morty, Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Sherlock are streaming on Netflix attracting a large number of binge watchers. A report by Netflix stated that 88 per cent of its Indian viewers are binge watchers, the third highest in the world. The country finishes series in three days compared to the global average of four days.

    But the country lacks in good local content. Though it has added some famous Hindi movies to its library, it does not have enough regional content to offer. Realising the demand, Netflix announced a new multilingual original series in partnership with Shah Rukh Khan’s Red Chillies Entertainment.

    Compared to Netflix, Amazon Prime Video is doing good business in India. According to App Annie’s February report, Amazon Prime Video had 13.4 million active users but Netflix had 6 million active users. One of the main reasons for its success is that Amazon has a brilliant movie library for India’s Bollywood crazy fans. The e-commerce major has potential deals with five big long production houses-Yash Raj Films, Excel Entertainment, Dharma Productions, Vishesh Films, and T-Series. Data shows that Indians don’t mind consuming longer content on data connections. Viewers love to watch Hindi movies on the platform. Amazon realised early on that in multi-lingual India, you can’t make do with just Hindi and so delved into regional content as well.

    Star India’s OTT arm Hotstar is sprinting here with its large content library. The live streaming of sports matches is one of its best features. For multi-lingual audience, it offers a wide range of catch-up content in several languages while urban folks can watch shows from HBO, Disney, Fox such as Game of Thrones and Westworld.  

    IPL streaming on Hotstar is one of the biggest boosts for it. This year, it will be telecast in six languages – Hindi, English, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Bengali. 

    Among other platforms, Voot has youth-centric TV shows including Big Boss, MTV Unplugged, Roadies, Splitsvilla. Gaurav Gandhi’s successor as Voot COO is likely to bring some change. Sony Liv also has exclusive rights of cricket matches from several countries.

    Amidst a huge number of OTT platforms and a long list of contents, content discoverability is a major issue. In this context, almost every platform is unable to satisfy audience with proper suggestions despite having a large variety of contents. To enhance their recommendation engines, the platforms have to implement artificial intelligence and machine learning. However, a recent study showed that none of these are yet able to beat good old word of mouth.

    OTT players have the work cut out for them here. From branding themselves to ensuring there’s something for everyone, the challenges lie spread out.

    Also Read :

    Hotstar Trends 2017: Women, small town, cross-language consumption rises

    Amazon’s content spend at $5 bn a year, confirms report

  • Netflix hires TV vet Sameer Sabnis as manager for physical production

    Netflix hires TV vet Sameer Sabnis as manager for physical production

    MUMBAI: Netflix India is plumping up its local talent. Amongst the latest to be hired is television veteran Sameer Sabnis who joined the company earlier this month as manager –physical production.

    In the Netflix scheme of things, Sabnis is expected “to help manage both internal and third party co-productions from an international originals perspective to support international original series. Responsibilities include establishing and curating vendor and staff/crew relations, reviewing budgets and supporting/suggesting best practices from pre production through delivery.”

    Sabnis has extensive work experience having worked with Star India and Fox Television Studios as technical director and as vice-president- creative and production. After a short stint with Reliance Mediaworks in 2011, he moved onto media advisory practice  Benchmark Media Advisory Services for five years. Following that he turned consultant helping Discovery Communications on its production management during the launch phases of Discovery Kids and Jeet and is also advising the Sameer Nair-headed Applause Entertainment as it builds its programming slate.

    Sabnis is believed to have a keen eye for the picture having worked as a cinematographer and director of photography and producer and director for numerous TVCs, documentaries and sports films.

    Meanwhile, Netflix continues to search for more of the core team that it wants to bring on board as it ramps up its local production slate in the country.  Among the positions it is looking to fill up include: director international originals in India, manager post-production –international originals etc.

    Also Read :

    Pleased with India progress, says Netflix’s Reed Hastings

    Localised content the way forward for Netflix in India

    Indians among top commute streamers for Netflix

  • SonyLIV doubles MAUs to 15.6mn in Feb: App Annie report

    SonyLIV doubles MAUs to 15.6mn in Feb: App Annie report

    MUMBAI: SonyLIV continued to reign the online pie by grabbing more eyeballs in the month of February. It added 7.9 million monthly active users (MAUs) in its kitty. The platform has doubled its base within a month from 7.7 million MAUs to 15.6 million MAUs and has stomped to the third position from fifth last month (January), according to App Annie data report. This ranking is a combination of iOS App Store and Google Play Store.

    According to the report, YouTube is on the top of all digital platforms with 178.1 million MAUs, followed by Hotstar at 48.1 million MAUs. Amazon Prime Video was in the fourth position with 13.4 million active users. Voot garnered the fifth position with a total of 10.7 million active users overall. The international giant Netflix had 6 million active users and stood at the sixth position. The latest OTT player, Zee5, has left a remarkable mark on the audience within a month of its launch by successfully engaging 5.6 million users on its platform.

    Though SonyLIV has an array of web series, movies, sports, catch up TV shows, music and more, the credit to increase in the viewership clearly goes to the recent India-South Africa cricket series streamed during February.

    App Annie is an app market data and insights company headquartered in San Francisco, California. App Annie focuses on the state of video streaming apps in Asia-Pacific region including emerging markets such as India, China and Thailand, among others.

    Also Read:

    Localised content the way forward for Netflix in India

    2017: The year OTTs went regional in India

    Regional OTT content more than just catch-up TV    

    Indians among top commute streamers for Netflix

  • Obama may make showbiz debut with Netflix

    Obama may make showbiz debut with Netflix

    MUMBAI: The admirers of Barack Obama could watch their favourite leader on screen regularly soon. According to media reports in the US, the former American president is in advanced negotiations with Netflix to produce a series of high-profile shows.

    Till now, it remains unconfirmed whether he will appear on camera or stay off-camera as a producer. Netflix would pay Obama and his wife, the famous former first lady Michelle Obama, for exclusive content that would be available only on the streaming service.

    People familiar with discussions about the programming have claimed that Obama does not intend to use the shows to respond to Donald Trump or conservative critics. Rather, they will opt for inspirational stories.

    “Throughout their lives, they have lifted up stories of people whose efforts to make a difference are quietly changing the world for the better. As they consider their future personal plans, they continue to explore new ways to help others tell and share their stories,” Eric Schultz, a senior adviser to the former president, was quoted by The New York Times.

     The number of episodes and the formats for the shows are to be decided.

    Also Read:

    Discovery Jeet signs content deal with Netflix

    Netflix and chill but pay more now

  • Netflix signs Hasan Minhaj for weekly talk show

    Netflix signs Hasan Minhaj for weekly talk show

    MUMBAI: Hasan Minhaj is set to host his own weekly talk show on Netflix that will debut later this year. Netflix has committed to a 32 episode order, making Minhaj the first Indian-American host of a weekly comedy talk show.

    Series description: Minhaj’s comedy show will explore the modern cultural and political landscape with depth and sincerity. Each week, Minhaj will bring his unique comedic voice and storytelling skill to investigate the larger trends shaping our fragmented world.

    Hasan Minhaj said: “I’m thrilled to be joining the Netflix family as the country braces for another election season. And like you, I cannot wait to find out who Putin picks this time.”

    Bela Bajaria, Vice President of Content for Netflix said “I’ve been a big fan of Hasan’s for many years. He’s a phenomenal writer with a distinct point of view. He is a brilliant performer, who is hilarious both on stage and off, and more importantly he isn’t afraid to share his thoughtful voice and unique perspective. We are so excited to bring his new talk series to Netflix members around the world.”

    Bio: Last year, Minhaj earned rave reviews for his one-hour Netflix comedy special Hasan Minhaj: Homecoming King, and for his performance hosting the 2017 White House Correspondents’ Dinner. He joined The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, where he was Jon’s last hire, in November 2014 as a correspondent and continued on in that role after Trevor Noah took over as host the following year. He will remain with The Daily Show through the end of July, before beginning work on this new project. In addition, Minhaj and his sketch comedy quartet, Goatface, will bring their wide-ranging brand of humor to Comedy Central for a one-hour special next year. This summer he will star in Lionsgate’s The Spy Who Dumped Me.