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Tag: OTT platform

  • TV9 Network to launch new digital video magazine platform

    TV9 Network to launch new digital video magazine platform

    Mumbai: TV9 Network is gearing up to launch an English language online platform for long shelf-life narratives and news-based factual content.

    According to sources, the platform’s beta version will be launched in December, followed by a formal launch in January 2022.

    This will be a first-of-its-kind digital offering built along the lines of over-the-top (OTT) streaming services that help audiences choose the content they wish to consume. Incidentally, CNN+ has been reported to be working on a similar plan with a rollout expected later in 2022. TV9’s new platform will offer news-driven content with the depth of magazine coverage and the high production quality of OTT streaming services.

    The focus will be on providing narratives and multiple perspectives to news events. “We want to create news-driven content that has a long shelf life and host it in an OTT environment,” said a source on condition of anonymity. “The user experience will be that of an OTT platform but the editorial richness will be that of a magazine. We are calling this industry-first platform a Digital Video Magazine or V-Mag.”

    This new offering will be built on TV9’s legacy brand News9 that continues to have a recall as a news channel that TV9 ran from Bengaluru earlier. TV9 currently also operates an English news website called News9 Live. Though this new video platform – is likely to use a similar brand name, it will be a separate, standalone platform.

    “While videos are the most popular medium of consumption, digital is where that consumption will happen. That’s why we decided to revive the News9 brand and bring it in a brand new avatar for the English-speaking audience that is now used to a certain quality that entertainment OTT platforms offer,” said the source.

  • Zee5 inks multi-show partnership with Applause Entertainment

    Zee5 inks multi-show partnership with Applause Entertainment

    Mumbai: Streaming platform Zee5 has announced 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 across genres to entertain viewers across the globe.

    The first offering as part of the partnership is titled “Kaun Banegi Shikharwati’”– a dramedy series with a unique take on a dysfunctional royal family. The show will be produced by Applause Entertainment in association with Emmay Entertainment and directed by Gauravv Chawla and Ananya Banerjee. The original will premiere exclusively on Zee5 in January 2022.

    “Over the last four years, Applause has created a diverse slate of content and explored stories across genres, languages, and geographies. We are thrilled that our first outing with Zee5 is with Kaun Banegi Shikarwati, a light-hearted, heart-warming dramedy that is both quirky and delightful and boasts a stellar cast of actors. We look forward to a long and fruitful partnership with Zee5 and help contribute in a small way to their global ambition,” said Applause Entertainment CEO Sameer Nair.

    Zeel president-content and international markets Punit Misra said, “Zee5’s content design principles centre around intimately knowing our viewers and building a bouquet of engaging and entertaining offerings for our multiple consumer cohorts. While Consumer Intimacy is at the heart of our content creation philosophy, our Content Creator Partners are the other crucial pillar in our approach.”

    “In 2021, Zee5 has made a concerted effort to associate with premium content creators across languages and genres, a move that has enabled us to inch closer to our overall vision of ‘Entertainment inclusion’,” said Zee5 India chief business officer Manish Kalra. “Applause Entertainment has had a strong record of creating some of the most popular shows of recent times and with this association, Zee5 is confident of enriching our content slate even further.”

    The move is in line with Zee5’s content-first approach of forging more partnerships within the creative ecosystem to build a diverse slate of originals and movies. The platform had earlier sealed partnerships with TVF (The Viral Fever), Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari and Nitesh Tiwari, and Red Chillies Entertainment to deliver several new shows across the digital entertainment ecosystem.

    “Kaun Banegi Shikharwati’” features a spectacular cast of renowned Bollywood faces, including Naseeruddin Shah essaying the role of a King while Lara Dutta Bhupathi, Soha Ali Khan, Kritika Kamra, Anya Singh play his daughters, and Raghubir Yadav, Cyrus Sahukar, Varun Thakur and Anurag Sinha play key roles.

     

     
     
     

     
     
     
     
     

     
     

     
     
     

     
     

    A post shared by ZEE5 (@zee5)

     

    Elaborating on the new show, Emmay Entertainment producer Nikkhil Advani said, “Kaun Banegi Shikarwati offers a quintessential story of Indian families that’s replete with oddities and conflicts. But at the core of it, lies unfiltered emotions that are sure to resonate strongly with the masses.”

    Zee5 chief creative officer- Hindi Originals Nimisha Pandey said there is an increasing need for family-viewing content in a post-pandemic era and a multi-dimensional drama like “Kaun Banegi Shikharwati’” works beautifully in that aspect. “We hope that the audience enjoys the roller coaster of emotions with this series,” she added.

  • MX Player rides K-drama wave this holiday season

    MX Player rides K-drama wave this holiday season

    Mumbai: MX Player is hosting Hindi dubs of popular Korean dramas (K-dramas) on its platform this holiday season. The titles can be streamed for free exclusively on the streaming platform. 

    Gentle romances, soapy dramas, exciting thrillers, and unique stories from a familiar culture are one of the main reasons why K-content is gaining popularity in the Indian subcontinent. By offering these titles in Hindi, MX Player aims to democratise international content for the mass Indian audiences, said the OTT platform in a statement.

    The lineup has an overarching theme of romance weaved into various genres such as medical procedural, corporate conspiracies, family drama, fantasy, adventure, and sci-fi. It includes shows like “Heirs,” “Pinocchio,” “Rich Man Goblin,” “Dr Romantic,” “Doctor Stranger,” “Penthouse,” “Kill Me Heal Me,” “I’m not a Robot,” “Into the Ring,” and “Doctor John” among others.

    “The volume of content consumption on OTT has significantly increased over the last two years, not just in regional/ local content but also for international shows that we localise and dub in Indian languages for our large audience base at MX,” stated MX Player SVP and head – content acquisitions and alliances Mansi Shrivastav. “One big obsession/major trend we see today is the love and craze for K-dramas that have all the makings of an entertainment potboiler dressed up in sharp production design and fresh, well-written narratives. We are delighted to share that MX VDesi will continue to offer Korean shows that have gained popularity and are loved by global audiences, along with new releases that are in the pipeline.”

  • ALTBalaji partners with Telenet to expand footprint to Nepal

    ALTBalaji partners with Telenet to expand footprint to Nepal

    Mumbai: In a bid to expand its reach beyond India, ALTBalaji has entered into a partnership with Telenet Pvt Ltd for promotion and distribution services in Nepal. The partnership aims to unlock a new demographic for the OTT player in the neighbouring country. 

    Telenet Pvt Ltd, a local company in the region is an authorised distributor-reseller of ALTBalaji app subscription. Within a single subscription, users can create five profiles and access the content across mobile devices and laptops, as well as smart TV and android boxes for the big screen experience. “OTT platforms are the next wave of entertainment. Our strategy to provide uninterrupted access to users via various business models will ensure a new dimension in collaboration for Nepal market while ALTBalaji will ensure high quality engaging content stream for the Nepali viewers,” said Telenet CEO Navankur Sood.

    Telenet will ensure integration across local billing channels like digital wallets, telecom operators and payment gateways, allowing users to activate ALTBalaji’s subscription from the comfort of their homes. In addition, all users in Nepal can visit the website www.gfsarena.com to activate the subscription or renew the service instantly. Payment can be made through digital wallets like eSewa, IME Pay and Khalti, said the statement.

    “The partnership with Telenet Pvt Ltd is a major step for ALTBalaji to go global,” said ALTBalaji SVP – marketing and revenue Divya Dixit. “ALTBalaji constantly strives to make the platform as user-friendly as possible, and this partnership will draw in more audience for our blockbuster content. Tie-ups with the payment gateways will further widen the reach of the platform due to the convenience of one-click transactions that were earlier not possible.”

  • Yash Raj Films to enter streaming biz with YRF Entertainment: Reports

    Yash Raj Films to enter streaming biz with YRF Entertainment: Reports

    Mumbai: Film studio Yash Raj Films (YRF) is planning to enter the OTT space with the launch of its own streaming platform called YRF Entertainment, according to a report by PTI. The service will be helmed by YRF chairman and managing director Aditya Chopra and the firm has earmarked Rs 500 crore as an investment for the business venture.

    The OTT service will host a library of more than 78 films produced by YRF including hits like “Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge,” “Ek Tha Tiger,” “Chak De India,” “Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi,” “Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehena,” “Fanaa,” and many more. Chopra has also been developing original content for the platform over the last two years.

    In October, it was revealed that the studio had signed a deal with Amazon Prime Video for the digital release of four titles including “Bunty Aur Babli 2,” “Prithviraj,” “Shamshera,” and “Jayeshbhai Jordaar.” Reports indicate that the plans to launch its own streaming service will not affect licensing deals with other OTT players.

    YRF Entertainment will compete with existing OTT players including Disney+ Hotstar, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Zee5, SonyLIV, and Voot. According to Ormax Media, an estimated 110 million are accessing paid content online. YRF Entertainment will join the burgeoning Indian OTT ecosystem which already has 40+ players.

  • ALTBalaji ropes in 11 brand partners for its show ‘Girgit’

    ALTBalaji ropes in 11 brand partners for its show ‘Girgit’

    Mumbai: ALTBalaji has roped in 11 brands for its latest thriller series “Girgit.” 

    The list of brands includes Josh (short video partner), Viral Pitch (influencer marketing partner), Invisible Gastronomy Bar (hospitality partner), The Nonsense Store (official gaming partner), Sasha Eyewear (official eyewear partner), Bollywoo (fashion merchandise partner), Abhibus (travel partner), Flyrobe  (apparel partner), Storytel (official audiobook partner), Growfitter (fitness partner), and Ferns N Petals (gifting partner).

    With 80 per cent of its audience less than 35 years of age, collaborating with youth-oriented brands will enable both ALTBalaji and the partners to broaden their reach. As these brands cover major areas of interest for the youth, it will also increase the show’s visibility, said the OTT platform in a statement.

    “ALTBalaji has cracked the code to youth engagement. This is evident from multiple success stories with its previous shows as well as our ongoing shows,” said ALTBalaji SVP for revenue and marketing Divya Dixit. 

    “This multiple brand association model for the promotion of Girgit is a new experiment that looks to be working wonders for ALTBalaji as well as the brands that have been partnered with. We hope to keep bringing about innovations in the marketing and promotional strategies that can set a benchmark for other players in the industry as well,” she added.

  • PallyCon, Nexdecade offer multi-DRM solutions and scalable streaming services to Toffee app

    PallyCon, Nexdecade offer multi-DRM solutions and scalable streaming services to Toffee app

    Mumbai: PallyCon – a global player in providing multi-DRM SaaS and forensic watermarking solutions to OTT platforms – has entered into a partnership with the Bangladeshi streaming service provider Nexdecade Technology. This partnership protects the streaming content of the Bangladeshi OTT platform Toffee by Bangalink Telecom, against piracy and lets it create user management policies across devices.

    The Toffee app, owned by the Bangladeshi telecom and content major Banglalink, has the highest number of TV channels as well as independent content, such as exclusive videos and telefilms, for Bangladeshi viewers inside and outside the country. The popularity of the app makes its content prone to piracy. PallyCon addresses this issue for the app, said the statement.

    “Nexdecade Technology is the streaming backbone to Bangladesh’s state-owned Bangalink’s most successful streaming app Toffee. By associating with PallyCon, Nexdecade has further strengthened its security infrastructure,” stated PallyCon head of global business Govindraj Basatwar. “Its clients, like Toffee, can now manage their users with fine-grained permission policies using PallyCon’s multi-DRM SaaS. It allows Toffee to maximize the revenue potential of its premium content.”

    Nexdecade is a seasoned player in the Bangladeshi market, manufacturing hardware and software for the broadcasting industry, among other segments. It is one of the biggest companies in the country that provides IT infrastructure for the emerging OTT industry.

    “We wanted to bring onboard our vast network of cloud and streaming infrastructure a global player that could enhance security right from the server to the client device with minimum fuss. We chose PallyCon as it has experience in dealing with international clients which manage apps with millions of users,” said Nexdecade Technology chief business officer Bankim Chandra Roy. “It offers a multi-DRM SaaS solution which processes premium content of any duration with a few clicks of the mouse. It seamlessly integrates popular DRM licensing technologies, like Google’s Widevine, Microsoft’s PlayReady, and Apple’s FairPlay, with OTT apps, thus giving a comprehensive coverage across devices and browsers.”

    Toffee director Abdul Muqit Ahmed knows the importance for piracy-control mechanisms for OTT apps. Muqit said that Nexdecade already gives us speed and robustness to deal with millions of simultaneous users with lowest possible latency. He added, “Now, with the PallyCon advantage, we know that we can reach the last client device without bothering about revenue loss due to leakage of premium content in the piracy market.”

    PallyCon is a trusted brand in multi-DRM management for established as well as emerging OTT players. It adheres to security standards prescribed by major Hollywood studios and consortia of technology companies that define security standards. In a single workflow, PallyCon clients can manage their video assets in an on-demand as well as live scenarios and plug revenue leakage caused by international hacking groups.

  • DIY.org launches OTT platform DIY TV for kids

    DIY.org launches OTT platform DIY TV for kids

    Mumbai: Educational technology platform DIY.org (acquired and operated by Kyt Technologies Pte Ltd) has announced the launch of DIY TV, a subscription-based video-on-demand (S-VOD) platform designed exclusively for kids. 

    The OTT platform aims to fill a latent need by providing specially curated, age-appropriate, global content designed to inspire learning and exploration through active consumption of content, it said in a statement on Monday.

    “The reality of today is that children are consuming most of their content from a screen. Content that is currently available is passive at its best and unsafe at its worst,” said Kyt Technologies co-founder Bhavik Rathod. “Parents are looking for good quality content for their children and kids are seeking rich, educational, and a variety of peer-accepted content. DIY TV is bringing content that addresses both these wants in a way that has never been done before.”

    DIY TV will change how kids consume content through three key focus areas: providing healthy screen time; promoting active (instead of passive) consumption of content, and creating a positive loop of consumption, creation, and collaboration. Moreover, the active community on the platform helps kids collaborate and share, thus adding another layer of positive reinforcement towards learning-based content consumption, said the platform in a statement.

    With a growing subscriber base and thriving community of thousands of kids across the world, DIY allows kids to share what they learn, create with other kids, and receive feedback from moderators and mentors – all within a COPPA-compliant and 100 per cent kid-safe environment, it added.

    “We are building DIY as a transmedia company in the kids’ learning space. We believe in the power of good screen time for kids, and to that end, are excited to launch DIY TV as a new vertical on our platform,” stated Kyt Technologies co-founder Tripti Ahuja.

  • MX Player crosses one billion downloads on Google Play Store

    MX Player crosses one billion downloads on Google Play Store

    Mumbai: OTT streaming platform MX Player has crossed one billion downloads on Google Play Store over two years after its launch.

    According to data, there are only 15 non preinstalled apps, worldwide, that have more than one billion downloads (70 apps if default Google Apps on Android are included).

    MX Player has over 280 million monthly active users in India and features alongside Netflix, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and Spotify as one of the apps that has more than a billion downloads.

    It ranks in the same league as Microsoft Word, Skype, ShareIt, and popular games such as Subway Surfers and Candy Crush Saga.

    “We are very excited to have crossed the one billion downloads mark, which is a testimonial to Indian audiences adopting this platform as their preferred destination for all things entertainment,” said MX Media chief executive officer Karan Bedi. “Our vision since the launch has been to cater to the true Bharat and in just over two years since the launch of our OTT offering, we’ve managed to achieve this iconic business milestone. We are looking forward to continuing this momentum on the back of compelling content and innovative product offerings in the imminent future.”

    The OTT platform’s hit shows include “Ek Thi Begum 2,” “Aashram,” “High”, “Chakravyuh – An Inspector Virkar Crime Thriller,” “Hello Mini” season 2 and 3, and “Samantar 2,” with upcoming shows like “Matsya Kaand” and “Girgit” amongst others.

    The video streaming platform was the first to upgrade its video encoding and compression technology to H.266 (versatile video coding) that slashes data usage for streaming videos by more than half.

    MX Player’s diverse content library ranges from their exciting slate of MX originals, MX exclusives, MX vdesi – international content dubbed in local Indian languages, and branded content as MX specials. The platform has also expanded its OTT service internationally in March 2020 across 12 territories including UAE, US, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Bangladesh, Nepal, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Maldives, and Bhutan.

  • Zee5 unveils its Bengali content slate for Durga Puja

    Zee5 unveils its Bengali content slate for Durga Puja

    Mumbai: Zee5 has launched #AamarPujoSobarPujo, a digital campaign for Durga Puja 2021 encouraging viewers to celebrate togetherness through the platform. As part of the campaign, a fresh slate of Bengali festive content comprising featured shows, web series, and direct-to-digital releases have been announced.

    During Durgotsav the platform will stream pujo special programming and new films every Friday in October along with popular TV shows like “Mithai,” “Amader Ei Poth Jodi na Sesh Hoy,” “Aparajita Apu,” “Dadagiri” (season 9), and “Uma,” and originals such as “Lalbazaar and Kaali” (season 1 and 2).

    The campaign video featuring people immersed in festivities on one side, and several workers such as a police officer, cab driver, sanitisation lady, and waiter selflessly going about their jobs on the other, celebrates the spirit of togetherness that marks Durga Pujo in Bengal.

    “With inclusivity at the heart of the brand, this campaign brings forth the recognition of those who have selflessly contributed to the community through the good and the tough times,” stated Zee5 India chief business officer Manish Kalra. “With #AamarPujoSobarPujo we want to bring entertainment home to everyone and have an inclusive occasion by delivering our durgotsav specials hailing from the heartland of Bengal, extending the celebration across geographies and borders.”