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Tag: Netflix

  • Netflix outs 2016 premiere dates for 11 comedy, drama & kids series

    Netflix outs 2016 premiere dates for 11 comedy, drama & kids series

    MUMBAI: Netflix has released the premiere dates for several upcoming comedy series and kids series; the renewal of its acclaimed drama Marvel’s Jessica Jones; and casting on the highly-anticipated series Black Mirror.

     

    Black Mirror: British star Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Canada’s Mackenzie Davis have been cast in lead roles in one of the episodes of the Netflix original series Black Mirror. Owen Harris will direct the episode and it is created and written by Charlie Brooker.

     

    Marvel’s Jessica Jones will return for second installment: Currently streaming its first season on Netflix, Marvel’s Jessica Jones is a suspenseful, edgy look into the life of Jessica Jones, one of the most popular new Marvel characters of the last decade. Critics’ Choice award nominee Krysten Ritter (Jessica Jones) is joined by David Tennant (Kilgrave), Mike Colter (Luke Cage), Rachael Taylor (Trish Walker), Carrie-Anne Moss, Eka Darville, Erin Moriarty, and Wil Traval, among others.

     

    Flaked premieres globally on 11 March, 2016 at 12:01 am PT: Flaked is the serio-comic story of Chip, a celebrated long-time resident of the insular world of Venice, California who falls for the object of his best friend’s fascination. Five-time Emmy Award nominee Will Arnett plays Chip. The series also stars David Sullivan, Ruth Kearney and George Basil.

     

    The Ranch’s first 10-episodes premiere globally on 1 April, 2016 at 12:01am PT: Set in present day on a Colorado ranch, this multi-camera comedy series stars Ashton Kutcher, Danny Masterson, Sam Elliott and Debra Winger. The show follows Colt’s (Kutcher) return home after a brief and failed semi- pro football career to run the family ranching business with his older brother Jameson “Rooster” (Masterson) and father Beau (Elliott), whom he hasn’t seen in 15 years. Winger stars as Colt’s and Rooster’s mother, Maggie, who runs the local town bar.

     

    Lost & Found Music Studios premieres globally on 1 April, 2016 at 12:01am PT: As part of the expanding slate for tweens and teens, Lost & Found Music Studios is a live action series about a group of talented teenage musicians who struggle to find their authentic sound and place in the world as they hone their craft at a prestigious music studio. In each episode, young artists navigate the ups and downs of the music industry, as they find their way to love, inspiration, and redemption. After all, the next hit song could be just one heartbreak away.

     

    Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt’s second installment premieres globally on 15 April, 2016 at 12:01am PT:After living in a cult for fifteen years, Kimmy decides to reclaim her life and start over in New York City. Armed with just a backpack, light-up sneakers, and a couple of way-past-due library books, she’s ready to take on a world she didn’t even think existed anymore.

     

    Kong: King of the Apes premieres globally on 15 April, 2016 at 12:01am PT: This animated TV series for kids is a fresh and modern take on the classic King Kong story. Set in 2050, Kong is still the strongest creature ever born with many human traits that make him the ultimate iconic hero.

     

    Marseille premieres globally on 5 May, 2016 at 12:01am CET: As the municipal elections approach in Marseille, Robert Taro, the city’s Mayor for the last 20 years, prepares his last coup: push through the vote for the construction of a casino in the historic center of the Marina. Nothing has been left to chance, and his successor, Lucas Barr?s, is already designated. But the latter’s all-consuming ambition and the secret interests of the city’s leaders, whether they come from its opulent villas or from the cities of the northern suburbs, impede the Mayor’s plans. The race for Mayor becomes a power struggle where no holds are barred. Only one question arises: how far will they go? The cast includes Gérard Depardieu, Benoît Magimel, Géraldine Pailhas, Nadia Far?s, Stéphane Caillard, Jean-René Privat, Guillaume Arnault, Hedi Bouchenafa, Carolina Jurczak, and Nassim Si Ahmed.

     

    Grace and Frankie’s second installment premieres globally on 6 May, 2016 at 12:01am PT: Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin star as Grace and Frankie, two women whose lives are suddenly turned upside down when their husbands, played by Martin Sheen and Sam Waterston, reveal they are gay and leave them for each other.

     

    Word Party premieres globally on 3 June, 2016 at 12:01am PT: A vocabulary building show for preschoolers from The Jim Henson Company, Word Partyfollows four adorable baby animals as they sing, dance and play. The show invites our youngest viewers to help teach the baby animals new words, learn these new words themselves, and even celebrate these achievements with a “Word Party!”

     

    Orange is the New Black’s fourth installment premieres 17 June, 2016 at 12:01am PT: Ready to do a little more time with the ladies of Litchfield? The outrageous, award-winning and critically-acclaimed series from Emmy Award winner Jenji Kohan stars Taylor Schilling, Uzo Aduba, Laura Prepon, Kate Mulgrew, Natasha Lyonne, Laverne Cox, Dascha Polanco, Michael Harney, Danielle Brooks, Taryn Manning, Selenis Leyva, Yael Stone, Nick Sandow, Samira Wiley, Lea DeLaria, Jackie Cruz, Elizabeth Rodriguez and Adrienne Moore. Lionsgate Television produces the series.

     

    Stranger Things premieres globally on 15 July, 2016 at 12:01am PT: The new drama series written and directed by Matt Duffer and Ross Duffer consists of eight, one-hour long episodes. In the series, a young boy vanishes into thin air. As friends, family, and local police search for answers, they are drawn into an extraordinary mystery involving top secret experiments, terrifying supernatural forces, and one very strange little girl. Stranger Things stars Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Finn Wolfhard, Millie Brown, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Noah Schnapp, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton, and Matthew Modine.

     

    The Get Down – part-one premieres globally 12 August, 2016 at 12:01am PT: The first six episodes of Baz Luhrmann’s all-new music-driven drama, from Sony Pictures Television, will focus on 1970s New York City – broken down and beaten up, violent, cash strapped — dying. The cast includes Shameik Moore, Justice Smith, Herizen Guardiola, Skylan Brooks, Tremaine Brown Jr., Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, JImmy Smits, Giancarlo Esposito and Jaden Smith. 

     

    Exclusive Assets:

     

    Love premieres globally on 19 February, 2016: Created, written and executive produced by Judd Apatow, Paul Rust and Lesley Arfin, Love follows nice guy Gus (Paul Rust) and brazen wild-child Mickey (Gillian Jacobs) as they navigate the exhilarations and humiliations of intimacy, commitment, love and other things they were hoping to avoid.Love is an unflinching, hilarious and excruciatingly honest take on modern relationships. Brent Forrester and Dean Holland also serve as executive producers. The first installment comprises 10-half-hour episodes.

     

    House of Cards – Season 4 premieres globally on 4 March, 2016: The fourth installment of the acclaimed and award-winning drama, starring Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright will premieres in March.

  • Netflix outs 2016 premiere dates for 11 comedy, drama & kids series

    Netflix outs 2016 premiere dates for 11 comedy, drama & kids series

    MUMBAI: Netflix has released the premiere dates for several upcoming comedy series and kids series; the renewal of its acclaimed drama Marvel’s Jessica Jones; and casting on the highly-anticipated series Black Mirror.

     

    Black Mirror: British star Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Canada’s Mackenzie Davis have been cast in lead roles in one of the episodes of the Netflix original series Black Mirror. Owen Harris will direct the episode and it is created and written by Charlie Brooker.

     

    Marvel’s Jessica Jones will return for second installment: Currently streaming its first season on Netflix, Marvel’s Jessica Jones is a suspenseful, edgy look into the life of Jessica Jones, one of the most popular new Marvel characters of the last decade. Critics’ Choice award nominee Krysten Ritter (Jessica Jones) is joined by David Tennant (Kilgrave), Mike Colter (Luke Cage), Rachael Taylor (Trish Walker), Carrie-Anne Moss, Eka Darville, Erin Moriarty, and Wil Traval, among others.

     

    Flaked premieres globally on 11 March, 2016 at 12:01 am PT: Flaked is the serio-comic story of Chip, a celebrated long-time resident of the insular world of Venice, California who falls for the object of his best friend’s fascination. Five-time Emmy Award nominee Will Arnett plays Chip. The series also stars David Sullivan, Ruth Kearney and George Basil.

     

    The Ranch’s first 10-episodes premiere globally on 1 April, 2016 at 12:01am PT: Set in present day on a Colorado ranch, this multi-camera comedy series stars Ashton Kutcher, Danny Masterson, Sam Elliott and Debra Winger. The show follows Colt’s (Kutcher) return home after a brief and failed semi- pro football career to run the family ranching business with his older brother Jameson “Rooster” (Masterson) and father Beau (Elliott), whom he hasn’t seen in 15 years. Winger stars as Colt’s and Rooster’s mother, Maggie, who runs the local town bar.

     

    Lost & Found Music Studios premieres globally on 1 April, 2016 at 12:01am PT: As part of the expanding slate for tweens and teens, Lost & Found Music Studios is a live action series about a group of talented teenage musicians who struggle to find their authentic sound and place in the world as they hone their craft at a prestigious music studio. In each episode, young artists navigate the ups and downs of the music industry, as they find their way to love, inspiration, and redemption. After all, the next hit song could be just one heartbreak away.

     

    Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt’s second installment premieres globally on 15 April, 2016 at 12:01am PT:After living in a cult for fifteen years, Kimmy decides to reclaim her life and start over in New York City. Armed with just a backpack, light-up sneakers, and a couple of way-past-due library books, she’s ready to take on a world she didn’t even think existed anymore.

     

    Kong: King of the Apes premieres globally on 15 April, 2016 at 12:01am PT: This animated TV series for kids is a fresh and modern take on the classic King Kong story. Set in 2050, Kong is still the strongest creature ever born with many human traits that make him the ultimate iconic hero.

     

    Marseille premieres globally on 5 May, 2016 at 12:01am CET: As the municipal elections approach in Marseille, Robert Taro, the city’s Mayor for the last 20 years, prepares his last coup: push through the vote for the construction of a casino in the historic center of the Marina. Nothing has been left to chance, and his successor, Lucas Barr?s, is already designated. But the latter’s all-consuming ambition and the secret interests of the city’s leaders, whether they come from its opulent villas or from the cities of the northern suburbs, impede the Mayor’s plans. The race for Mayor becomes a power struggle where no holds are barred. Only one question arises: how far will they go? The cast includes Gérard Depardieu, Benoît Magimel, Géraldine Pailhas, Nadia Far?s, Stéphane Caillard, Jean-René Privat, Guillaume Arnault, Hedi Bouchenafa, Carolina Jurczak, and Nassim Si Ahmed.

     

    Grace and Frankie’s second installment premieres globally on 6 May, 2016 at 12:01am PT: Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin star as Grace and Frankie, two women whose lives are suddenly turned upside down when their husbands, played by Martin Sheen and Sam Waterston, reveal they are gay and leave them for each other.

     

    Word Party premieres globally on 3 June, 2016 at 12:01am PT: A vocabulary building show for preschoolers from The Jim Henson Company, Word Partyfollows four adorable baby animals as they sing, dance and play. The show invites our youngest viewers to help teach the baby animals new words, learn these new words themselves, and even celebrate these achievements with a “Word Party!”

     

    Orange is the New Black’s fourth installment premieres 17 June, 2016 at 12:01am PT: Ready to do a little more time with the ladies of Litchfield? The outrageous, award-winning and critically-acclaimed series from Emmy Award winner Jenji Kohan stars Taylor Schilling, Uzo Aduba, Laura Prepon, Kate Mulgrew, Natasha Lyonne, Laverne Cox, Dascha Polanco, Michael Harney, Danielle Brooks, Taryn Manning, Selenis Leyva, Yael Stone, Nick Sandow, Samira Wiley, Lea DeLaria, Jackie Cruz, Elizabeth Rodriguez and Adrienne Moore. Lionsgate Television produces the series.

     

    Stranger Things premieres globally on 15 July, 2016 at 12:01am PT: The new drama series written and directed by Matt Duffer and Ross Duffer consists of eight, one-hour long episodes. In the series, a young boy vanishes into thin air. As friends, family, and local police search for answers, they are drawn into an extraordinary mystery involving top secret experiments, terrifying supernatural forces, and one very strange little girl. Stranger Things stars Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Finn Wolfhard, Millie Brown, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Noah Schnapp, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton, and Matthew Modine.

     

    The Get Down – part-one premieres globally 12 August, 2016 at 12:01am PT: The first six episodes of Baz Luhrmann’s all-new music-driven drama, from Sony Pictures Television, will focus on 1970s New York City – broken down and beaten up, violent, cash strapped — dying. The cast includes Shameik Moore, Justice Smith, Herizen Guardiola, Skylan Brooks, Tremaine Brown Jr., Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, JImmy Smits, Giancarlo Esposito and Jaden Smith. 

     

    Exclusive Assets:

     

    Love premieres globally on 19 February, 2016: Created, written and executive produced by Judd Apatow, Paul Rust and Lesley Arfin, Love follows nice guy Gus (Paul Rust) and brazen wild-child Mickey (Gillian Jacobs) as they navigate the exhilarations and humiliations of intimacy, commitment, love and other things they were hoping to avoid.Love is an unflinching, hilarious and excruciatingly honest take on modern relationships. Brent Forrester and Dean Holland also serve as executive producers. The first installment comprises 10-half-hour episodes.

     

    House of Cards – Season 4 premieres globally on 4 March, 2016: The fourth installment of the acclaimed and award-winning drama, starring Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright will premieres in March.

  • StarHub partners Netflix to offer streaming service

    StarHub partners Netflix to offer streaming service

    MUMBAI: Two days after Singtel partnered with Netflix, now Singapore’s StarHub has inked an association with the global OTT player to stream content to its Fibre TV customers.

     

    StarHub customers will be able to access Netflix through their set-top boxes by the early second quarter of 2016. StarHub will also join the Netflix Open Connect programme to provide the highest-quality viewing experience possible for StarHub Mobile and Broadband customers.

     

    Using the Netflix app, StarHub TV homes will be able to access a wide variety of documentaries, feature films and Netflix original series such as Master of None, Marvel’s Daredevil, Marvel’s Jessica Jones and Orange is the New Black.

     

    “This partnership with Netflix allows us to deliver convenience to all our customers who are fans of this popular service. Mobile and Broadband customers will enjoy a smoother streaming experience due to our Open Connect partnership. Fibre TV customers will also enjoy a seamless viewing experience as Netflix will be directly integrated into their set-top boxes, making StarHub TV the only stop for the entire family’s entertainment needs,” said StarHub chief marketing officer Howie Lau. “In addition, all StarHub customers will be able to charge their Netflix subscription to their StarHub bill, removing the hassle of paying multiple bills.”

     

    Netflix global head of business development Bill Holmes added, “We are thrilled to bring the joy of the Netflix experience to Singaporeans through the StarHub fibre television network. With Netflix Open Connect, Netflix and StarHub work together to deliver a streaming experience with the best picture quality for Netflix members.”

     

    StarHub Broadband, Mobile and TV customers will be able to pay for their Netflix subscriptions via their StarHub bills. Netflix subscriptions offered in Singapore are priced according to Netflix’s prevailing pricing plans.

  • Singapore’s Singtel inks exclusive deal with Netflix

    Singapore’s Singtel inks exclusive deal with Netflix

    MUMBAI: Singapore’s Singtel has struck an exclusive tie-up with Netflix to give customers promotional offers to access TV shows and movies on the streaming service.

     

    Singtel customers stand to get up to nine months’ worth of complimentary Netflix subscriptions if they re-contract or sign up for Singtel’s mobile plan and/or Fibre Entertainment Bundle+ from 22 January to 22 July, 2016.

     

    The tie-up also gives customers the convenience of watching Netflix through Singtel TV set-top boxes from April. Singtel can now plug into Netflix’s Open Connect programme, their global content delivery network. 

     

    Singtel CEO – consumer Singapore Yuen Kuan Moon said, “We are delighted to team up with Netflix to offer their top class content on our top class network. Our customers’ entertainment consumption habits are changing. They want more freedom and flexibility in the way they consume content. This partnership with Netflix offers them just that and strengthens our content proposition by complementing our diverse suite of home entertainment offerings.”

     

    “Our focus is to deliver quality content that our customers can access on any connected device at any time using our high-speed fixed and mobile networks. This OTT partnership with Netflix is the first of more to come and Singtel customers can expect even more interesting content in the months ahead,” he added. 

     

    Netflix global head of business development Bill Holmes added, “We are thrilled to partner with Singtel to deliver a seamless Netflix experience across their extensive network in Singapore. As a Netflix Open Connect partner and the exclusive promotional launch partner, Netflix and Singtel are working together to deliver our diverse library of TV shows and movies and an unparalleled streaming experience through Singtel products.” 

     

    Singtel customers can experience Netflix on mobile, tablet and computer. From April, they can also access Netflix on Singtel TV set-top boxes and customers can pay for their Netflix subscriptions directly through their Singtel billing. Netflix subscriptions offered in Singapore are priced according to Netflix’s prevailing pricing plans.

  • Tata Sky makes Everywhere TV free for viewers

    Tata Sky makes Everywhere TV free for viewers

    MUMBAI: The advent of the on-demand Internet streaming Netflix in India has no doubt created waves across the country. While Netflix is available free for a one-month trial it will then charge between Rs 500 – 800 for its three packages. In what can be termed as a direct reaction to this, direct to home (DTH) provider Tata Sky has declared its Everywhere TV service free for users.

     

    Tata Sky earlier charged users Rs 60 per month for the same service. Users can stream TV channels on the go through Everywhere TV on the official Tata Sky app. The service will feature channels subscribed by the viewers on the Tata Sky connection. 

     

    Everywhere TV provides access to live stream content from the channels and can also serve as a second screen. Viewers can also set the video quality on low, medium and high and the app runs smoothly on 3G and 4G networks. 

     

    The app can be accessed on up to two devices per subscriber ID. It also offers Hindi as well as English content including entertainment, news, sports, etc.

     

    While Tata Sky is the first DTH operator to react to Netflix’s entry into India by offering its streaming service free, it’s is definitely not going to be the last. How other DTH operators as well as over the top (OTT) players change or adapt their subscription and content strategy going forward will be worth watching.

  • Netflix a damp squib; broadcasters long term gainers: Edelweiss

    Netflix a damp squib; broadcasters long term gainers: Edelweiss

    MUMBAI: While the world is going gaga over Netflix’s simultaneous launch in 130 countries across the globe including India, financial services company Edelweiss is not too impressed, at least in the medium term.

     

    So when all and sundry are trying to predict and second guess the impact Netflix’s launch will have on the over-the-top (OTT) scene as well as on the broadcast industry in India, according to Edelweiss, the impact of Netflix in India will be limited on direct to home (DTH) and cable TV players over the medium term.

     

    Citing the reasons for the same, Edelweiss lists:

     

    1) Netflix does not have local content

    2) Free content is easily available on Erosnow, Hotstar, YouTube

    3) Steep pricing at 2-3x prevailing cable TV/DTH rates

    4) Broadband speed beyond top cities will be a huge challenge

    5) Lack of India cricket matches

     

    The Indian pay TV market is on its way to embrace OTT platforms, especially for sports content, following increasing usage of internet. According to the company, this will be an additional source of revenue for broadcasters like Zee, Sun TV and TV18 over the longer term. “However, most broadcasters already have their OTT platforms and are yet to sign content deals with Netflix,” the company said in its report.

     

    A successful OTT in US:

     

    Netflix is a successful OTT in US as cable TV ARPU is $60 per month versus Netflix’s ARPU of $20-24. Secondly, the US has higher broadband penetration (~80 per cent) with good speed; and original content is dished out by Netflix. However, in India, Netflix currently lacks these advantages.

     

    “Hence, we do not expect Netflix to have any major impact on Indian DTH/cable TV players over medium term. Netflix has a long way to go before tasting success in India,” Edelweiss said.

     

    Pricing, slow broadband key challenges in India:

     

    As was reported earlier by Indiantelevision.com, in India, Netflix’s subscription rates are Rs 500, Rs 650 and Rs 800 for basic, standard and premium packs respectively. “These are 2-3x the prevailing cable TV/DTH rates. Besides, broadband will entail additional costs,” the report added. 

     

    Internationally, Netflix has done well riding attractive pricing, which is almost half the cable TV/DTH rates, and original content. While the company currently does not enjoy these benefits in India, in a bid to attract subscribers, it is offering free services in its first month of operations. 

     

    According to Edelweiss, plans are also afoot to facilitate streaming via laptops, TV, smart phones and tablets. “However, we believe in India where subscribers pay ~Rs250-450 per month for cable TV (includes sports channels), Netflix’s rates are on the higher side. Broadband speed will also be a challenge. Netflix requires minimum speed of 512kbps and recommends 3mbps speed for SD content and 5mbps for HD videos, which further limits its expansion plans,” the report said.

     

    Sports missing, India savours diverse content:

     

    Netflix is currently beaming international TV shows in India along with English and Hindi movies. “The company is currently not offering local content. Sports content, the main driver of the OTT platform, is also not offered. With India being a country with diverse culture it consumes content in eight different languages. Currently, Netflix is beaming only English content which will attract only niche audience,” the report added.

     

    With Netflix’s subscription price being by far the steepest in India as compared to competition, some of whom even offer content for free on their platform, it remains to be seen whether other players up their price, match Netflix’s or continue to offer content at a lower price. That said, with growing competition in the space from the likes of Arré, ALT Digital, DittoTV, ErosNow, HOOQ, Hotstar, Netflix, nexGTV, Sony Liv, Spuul, Voot and YuppTV, Netflix’s content strategy in the near future will be the key differentiator, which will separate the best from the rest.

  • Netflix acquires first Indian documentary

    Netflix acquires first Indian documentary

    MUMBAI: Over the top (OTT) service provider, Netflix, made a big bang launch across the world and in India on 7 January, has picked up its first documentary film from India.

    Titled What’s Love Got To Do With It?, the documentary is directed by Rohena Gera.

    The film is available on its Indian site as well as in four other territories including US, Canada, UK, Australia and New Zealand.

    What’s Love Got To Do With It? is a fun, moving documentary, which explores why urban individuals often choose arranged marriages over love.

    On seeing the film, filmmaker Ashutosh Gowariker said, “What’s Love Got To Do With It? is the first fun documentary that I’ve seen. It addresses our national preoccupation of arranged marriages with humour. It’s not only funny, but also insightful, while being entertaining, and hence I like to call it… a FunDoc!”

    Gera added, “I am delighted and honoured that Netflix has chosen What’s Love Got To Do With It? I feel that this signifies the democratisation of cinema in many ways. If a tiny-budget film like mine can be on a platform side by side with big Bollywood films, independent gems and grand classics I feel there is a lot to look forward to for filmmakers and audiences alike!”

  • Netflix: The India story – the promise & challenges

    Netflix: The India story – the promise & challenges

    MUMBAI: For starters, Netflix is so easy to subscribe. Just log on, sign up with your email address and it prompts you for a password. And lo and behold you are in. You just have to put in your name, credit card details, and CVV number and presto you are a subscriber. Of course with a one-month free trial: the Rs 650 subscription package was on offer for me.

     

    Then it asked me for the kind of content I wanted to watch. I ticked some of the shows it is well known for and some Hindi flicks, which showed up. And then came up the dashboard that Netflix is so well known for with rows of offerings right from those Popular on Netflix, to Top Picks I made, to Indian movies and TV, binge worthy US dramas and so on. 

     

    For me, it was Netflix’s original drama series and movies, which drew me in.

     

    But for most Indians it will be Hindi movies and TV shows. Netflix at first look does not seem to have too wide a catalogue. C Kompany, Mickey Virus, Chittangong, Kyo Kii Main Jooth Nahi Bolta, Fandray, Double Trouble, Filmistaan, Gaddar – the Traitor, The Good Road, Kya Kool Hain Hum, Piku, Singh is Bliing, Hum Aapke Hain Kaun, Heropanti, D-Day, Gulaab Gang, Krishna Cottage, Revolver Rani, Shootout at Lokhandwala, Youngistaan, Andaaz Apna Apna, Chaar Sahibzaade, Shahid, Shor in the City are amongst the films that were thrown up for me to choose by Netflix’s recommendation algorithm. No TV shows at least at first blush.

     

    Indications are that there are about 85 movies from India available on the service. And most of these appear to be edgy, independent films screened at and critically acclaimed at festivals overseas along with some very old successful ones, which the youth might lap up.

     

    Apart from the fact that most of these movies, if not all, have already had multiple airings on Indian cable and satellite channels, the other disadvantage is that this fare has already been either downloaded by the torrent download crazy Indian urban youth or sideloaded by mobile shopkeepers in interior India for a few hundred rupees.

     

    Will Netflix work in India offering the primary subscription video on demand (S-VOD) model only? When all the major long established Indian entertainment players are going in for A-VOD or advertising video on demand. Hotstar from 21st Century Fox’s Star India is A-VOD and has been doing so far for nearly a year. Voot from Viacom18 is taking the same tack. ErosNow is offering several packages – amongst which figures even T-VOD (transactional video on demand). OTT player HOOQ and Zee’s DittoTV are the only exceptions, which have been doing S-VOD and senior management in the Zee Network has been questioning whether they need to re-look that model.

     

    Will Indians take to it rapidly like they have in other markets that it has been launched, giving it a global 70 million subscribers? India has a billion mobile phone subscribers, about 400 million internet users – a number that has been exploding with 3G being prices falling and faster 4G and broadband services rolling out rapidly at competitive pricing. But 4G and 8 Mbps-100 Mbps speed wired broadband is mainly coming to the metros and first rung towns. In the interiors, it is still plain old 2G and slow internet, which appears pricey for the low income folks there.

     

    Netflix has recommended that users need a minimum of 0.5 Megabits per second for broadband connection speed and an Internet speed of 5 Mbps if they want to watch the HD quality stuff. According to the OTT service, an hour of watching movies or TV shows in standard definition hogs up 1 GB of bandwidth per stream, while HD viewing guzzles up to 3 GB per hour for each stream. Ultra HD is the biggest monster eating up 7 GB per hour of viewing.

     

    But viewers can adjust their data settings to control the amount of bandwidth consumed per hour by keeping them at low at 300 MB per hour and medium at 700 MB per hour of standard definition viewing.

     

    Most Indian broadband subscribers have packs of 1 to 4 MB per seconds with data caps of around 40-50 GB, after which the speeds fall to 512 kbps.

     

    With Netflix viewing being such a hunger guzzler of bandwidth for an hour, Indian subscribers could end up with their packs being consumed very quickly before slipping to 512 kbps, which may not make for a pleasant viewing experience. That’s something which Netflix and its members will have to deal with. Either their craze for the global provider’s content could incite them to up their bandwidth packs, which will mean a stiffer bill for them. Or they can pray for bandwidth prices to fall so that the monthly outgoing stays the same.

     

    Then there’s the question of the credit card. Even though e-commerce transactions have been growing by leaps and bounds and companies have been getting unbelievable valuations, a large part of India on the whole has yet to be open to sharing their credit card details online (only a fractional part of the large part of India have opted for the plastic anyway). 

     

    But that figure could run into a few millions, of which a million or so could sign up within the next two years (it could happen earlier, depending on the marketing blitz planned). That could prove good enough for Netflix to add to their global count and tom-tom at its next shareholder conference.

     

    Netflix CEO and co-founder Reed Hastings has one objective in mind: global domination of video viewing by changing the paradigm of its consumption – empowering consumers to watch what they want to watch, when they want to. And he is offering them a smorgasbord of original content produced in several countries right from Korea to Mexico to the US to the UK to what have you. Indian original content will come down the line, no doubt. The more that does and the sooner it does, the better it will be for Netflix.

     

    It seems like a long haul for the US paradigm shifter. The journey for Netflix has probably just begun.

  • #NetflixEverywhere: India launch amongst 130 countries; subscription priced at Rs 500-800

    #NetflixEverywhere: India launch amongst 130 countries; subscription priced at Rs 500-800

    #NetflixEverywhere: India launch amongst 130 countries; subscription priced at Rs 500-800

     
    MUMBAI: After months of speculation, over the top (OTT) player Netflix has finally made its big bang launch in India simultaneously with another 129 countries.
     
    In a rapidly crowding Indian OTT space, Netflix will be offering subscribers three monthly subscription plan options. 
     
    The Basic plan is priced at Rs 500, the Standard at Rs 650, whereas the Premium plan is priced at Rs 800. The different subscription plans offer viewers the choice of viewing the content in different formats including HD as well Ultra HD and on multiple screens and devices. What’s more, the first month’s subscription is being offered for free to subscribers.
     
    It may be recalled that the Singtel, Sony Pictures Television and Warner Bros’ JV OTT venture HOOQ, which launched in India last year priced its monthly subscription at Rs 199. On the other hand, ErosNow is planning to adopt the quasi-premium two-tiered subscription service priced at Rs 50 and Rs 100 per month in India. Moreover, with most other players offering content for free on their platforms, Netflix’s entry level subscription might come across as slightly steep, especially for the Indian audience, who is used to watching content for free.
     

    Netflix will offer drama, action, comedy, documentaries and TV shows personalised for viewers. The OTT player will keep adding new movies and TV shows all the time and will also provide options for subtitles or dubbing.

    The much anticipated big announcement was made by Netflix CEO Reed Hastings at the ongoing Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.
     
    Apart from India some of the other countries where the service was launched are: Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Turkey and Indonesia amongst others. However, a major market that was missing was China.
     
    With Netflix’s entry into the Indian market, it’s game on as existing OTT players like Hotstar, Sony Liv, ErosNow, DittoTV, Spuul and HOOQ gear up to face the competition.
     
    How 2016 will shape up for the OTT players, only time will tell but one thing’s for sure, the ones with the correct content, marketing and revenue generating strategies as well as with deep pockets will survive in the long haul.
     
  • Netflix launches in India; three pricing packages on offer

    Netflix launches in India; three pricing packages on offer

    MUMBAI: In one fell swoop, it is hoping to change the world of audio visual consumption. Netflix co-founder & chief executive Reed Hastings today announced the launch of the Internet TV network or OTT service in 130 countries all over the world at the CES show in Las Vegas. And India figures amongst the list, taking its footprint to 190 nations. 

     

    The price: Rs 500 for the basic service, Rs 650 for the standard package and Rs 800 for the premium one. The Rs 500 tag allows viewers to watch the content in standard definition on one screen only at one time. For Rs 650 viewers get access to HD content and can watch on two screens simultaneously. The Rs 800 package brings in the full monty with subscribers being able to watch both HD and Ultra HD content on four screens at the same time. 

     

    However, the first month is being offered free for trial to new subscribers.

     

    “Today you are witnessing the birth of a new global Internet TV network,” said Hastings in Las Vegas. “With this launch, consumers around the world — from Singapore to St. Petersburg, from San Francisco to Sao Paulo — will be able to enjoy TV shows and movies simultaneously — no more waiting. With the help of the Internet, we are putting power in consumers’ hands to watch whenever, wherever and on whatever device.”

     

    Viewers in India will get to watch Netflix original series such as Marvel’s Daredevil and Marvel’s Jessica Jones, Narcos, Sense8, Grace and Frankie, and Marco Polo, as well as a catalog of licensed TV shows and movies.

     

    While largely available in English in most new countries, Netflix has added Arabic, Korean, Simplified and Traditional Chinese to the 17 languages it already supports. He added that newer languages will be added from hereon.

     

    “From today onwards, we will listen and we will learn, gradually adding more languages, more content and more ways for people to engage with Netflix,” said Hastings. “We’re looking forward to bringing great stories from all over the world to people all over the world.” 

     

    He emphasised that the consumption on Netflix is on the up. “Our 70 million members consumed 12 billion hours of Netflix in Q4 of this year as compared to 8.5 billion last year,” he said. He also announced that Netflix will be adding high dynamic range (HDR) video delivery later this year, adding to the 4K or Ultra HD, which it produces most of its series in currently.

     

    Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos revealed that 600 hours of original programming will be delivered to its members in 2016. This will include 31 new and returning original series, two dozen original feature films and documentaries, a wide range of stand-up comedy specials and 30 original kids series — available at the same time to members everywhere. 

     

    Amongst the highlights are The Crown, which is about the young Queen Elizabeth while Baz Luhrmann will be directing a series called The GetDown about New York at a time when its crime scene was crumbling and giving way to the disco,  graffiti and hiphop culture. 

     

    Sarandos explained that Netflix is making a difference to piracy wherever it goes because it does not trap viewers in frustrating business models and linear viewing experiences in which television operates. 

     

    “We deliver all episodes at one go so viewers can watch when they want to watch and we are constantly improving our compression technologies to allow for a better viewing experience. We helped create binge viewing,” he said. 

     

    He stated that peer-to-peer torrent downloading via Bittorrent has dropped by 14 per cent in the first six months of the service’s launch in Australia. 

     

     

    A Netflix press release explained that the service is available on virtually any device that has an Internet connection, including personal computers, tablets, smartphones, Smart TVs and game consoles, and automatically provides the best possible streaming quality based on available bandwidth. Many titles, including Netflix original series and films, are available in high-definition with Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 surround sound and some in Ultra HD 4K. Advanced recommendation technologies with up to five user profiles help members discover entertainment they’ll love.