ITV

Tag: OTT platform

  • ZEE5’s new TV campaign gives power of choice, convenience to women

    ZEE5’s new TV campaign gives power of choice, convenience to women

    MUMBAI: As ZEE5 enters its 3rd year of entertaining audiences across India, the country's largest ConTech OTT platform, promises to further democratise vicontent-viewing via its new campaign “Main MeraDekh Lungi”. The latest television campaign for its ‘Advertising Video On Demand’ (AVOD) revolves around championing the cause of ‘Choice fueled by Convenience’ by providing access to the library of content across all its 12 languages. The new TVC focuses on promoting convenient viewing. The woman who essays the role, the Indian wife or for that matter the daughter-in-Law in the TVC, echoes the voices of women across India who rightfully have the choice of entertainment for themselves and most importantly at their convenience.

    ZEE5, a part of ZEEL and India's largest ConTech OTT platform, promises to further democratise content viewing via this new campaign Main MeraDekh Lungi. The creative route of the campaign showcases how a modern progressive woman who knows her entertainment choices and how can she get it. 

    A ZEE5 India spokesperson said, “Our aim with this new campaign was to showcase that today, the Indian woman has the right to elect her favourite entertainment TV show (Choice) and ease of viewing (Convenience). The name "Main meradekh lungi" for the campaign was creatively coined from the widely-used term across households, which magically works as a word play for our category. Referring to ‘dekhna’, which relates to the fact that 'viewing is made personal by ZEE5'. The TVC showcases how the app gives the woman, who is evolved and knows what content she wishes to watch, the freedom to watch her favourite shows, movies, etc, anytime, anywhere on ZEE5.” 

    With this campaign ZEE5 looks to reduce the fight for the remote in single TV households. Additionally, how the Indian women sacrifices everything including her entertainment for the family, would not have to compromise it going further. 

    At ZEE5 we believe that we are here entertain all equally with by giving freedom to our viewers to watch content at their convenience. This is the true essence of wholesome entertainment with no bias towards time, any particular language or genre. With 125,000 hours of content / entertainment across 12 languages, 800+ Top rated TV Shows, 4100+ Movies, 90+ Path breaking Originals, Super-hit Music videos, 100+ LIVE channels, 30+ News channels, 3000+ hours of Kids content, Lip smacking Food videos, and more, ZEE5’s depth of offerings across content types, genres and languages is hard to beat and appeals to the viewer looking for a complete entertainment package destination.

    This campaign will primarily be driven through television. However, other mediums of promotions will also be a part of the overall integrated approach. Since a lot of entertainment gets consumed when people are travelling and it’s about utilising that time to watch your shows when you are free, again showcasing convenience, we want to use transit mediums. So use the following static branding and audio announcements in Mumbai and Delhi Metro and local trains by using contextual imagery and headlines. Radio, In Mall branding in Tier II towns, Social Media and Digital – branding and content marketing on sites will also be a part of this campaign.

    Hindi:

    https://www.facebook.com/ZEE5Shows/videos/208483846885134/

    https://www.facebook.com/ZEE5Shows/videos/2653201481579357/

    Marathi:

    https://www.facebook.com/zee5marathi/videos/277256719924700/

    https://www.facebook.com/zee5marathi/videos/889890838122876/

    Tamil:

    https://www.facebook.com/ZEE5Tamil/videos/2265126033782106/

    Kannada:

    https://www.facebook.com/ZEE5Kannada/videos/598053137415955/

    https://www.facebook.com/ZEE5Kannada/videos/506881770202476/

  • SITI Networks’ 9MFY20 Operating EBITDA surges 1.24X Y-o-Y to Rs.2,676 Mn

    SITI Networks’ 9MFY20 Operating EBITDA surges 1.24X Y-o-Y to Rs.2,676 Mn

    MUMBAI: SITI Networks Limited (BSE: 532795, NSE: SITINET), an Essel Group Company, one of India’s largest Multi-System Operators (MSO), has released its Consolidated Audited Financial Results for Q3 FY20, ending December 31, 2019, showcasing continuous growth through strict control on expenses and operational efficiencies across all metrics.

    SITI’s 9MFY20 Operating EBITDA surged 1.24 times over similar duration of last fiscal, to Rs. 2,676 Mn. This jump has been due to strict control over expenses and operating efficiencies. SITI’s Operating EBITDA Margin for 9MFY20 also expanded significantly by 1.1 times y-o-y to 22%.

    Subscription revenue for 9MFY20 grew 19.5% y-o-y to Rs. 8,687 Mn, aided by the strong growth Subscription ARPU, which leapt 1.8 times to Rs.128 per month. Total Revenue (excluding activation) also surged 12.7% y-o-y to Rs. 12,189 Mn for the same period.

    SITI Broadband and Zee 5, India’s fastest growing OTT platform joined hands to promote premium content to SITI’s high speed broadband customers. SITI Broadband also expanded its presence through a mix of smart customer management and innovative offerings. A new SITI Broadband web and mobile interface has been introduced to enhance customer experience.

    SITI’s continuous efforts on improving operational efficiencies through improvement of its systems, processes and personnel has been yielding results. This has resulted in a better and intimate ground connect with its 24,000+ strong distribution network and increased focus on being fully compliant to the Tariff regime.

    While commenting on the results, Mr. Anil Malhotra, CEO of SITI Networks Limited mentioned:

    “SITI’s continued focus on operational efficiencies and strict control over expenses has driven growth in Operating EBITDA by 1.24 times y-o-y to Rs.2,676 Mn and expanding Operating EBITDA margins by 1.1 times y-o-y to 22% in 9MFY20. Our Total Revenue (excluding Activation) also surged 12.7% y-o-y to Rs.12,189 Mn in the same period. Our Subscription Revenue also jumped 19.5% to Rs.8,687 Mn. We are focused on working closely with our distribution partners for increased sweating of ground assets further through introduction of allied value-added services for our customers SITI Broadband with Zee 5, India’s fastest growing OTT app, gives both partners an opportunity to scale up our business ambitions, creating value for all our stakeholders with a focused and strategic approach."
     

  • Were you writing off ALTBalaji’s Gandii Baat? Here’s why you should not!

    Were you writing off ALTBalaji’s Gandii Baat? Here’s why you should not!

    MUMBAI: ALTBalaji, India’s leading homegrown OTT platform, once again proves that no one knows Indian audiences better. On the back of some highly engaging mass content, the OTT platform is once again making headlines for one of its most spoken about originals, Gandii Baat. The highly-watched web-series has earned a cult following amongst the masses for its depiction of stories revolving around the reality of social stigmas and mental taboos associated with sexual preferences inspired by incidents from the heartland of the country. Its 4th season, done in association with ZEE5, was launched in less than 2 years of its inaugural season and is testimony to its popularity and how largely the show is being consumed by the audiences across the globe. To be precise, the web-series attracted 22% views from global audiences whereas the show earned a place in the heart of the Indian audience with a staggering 78% of views coming from this respective demographic. Its controversial content has struck a chord with the ladies as well, with an unprecedented 24% of the viewership pie belonging to women, a number that grows by 10% with every season.

    The web series is one of the ALTBalaji’s most-watched and appreciated series which has, in no time, created many milestones. Offering viewers content that is not only new but also engaging and intriguing novel, the show has witnessed a massive completion rate of 78% across seasons. Apart from talking openly about the issues which are brushed under the carpet often, Gandii Baat breaks another perception that the show is only consumed by people coming from a lower middle-class background. Viewers with high-end devices (Apple+ Connected devices) who watch Gandii Baat are 18.5% and this number has seen an 8% incremental growth each season. 

    While ALTBalaji caters to audiences across ages, viewership figures further reveal that Gandii Baat audience base comprises of 86% in the 18-35 years age bracket that strongly translates into audience that is young, savvy and has a higher wallet share.

    Nachiket Pantvaidya, Group CEO, Balaji Telefilms and CEO, ALTBalaji said,  “Exceeding expectations of the entire team as well as audiences around the world, the series has gone on earn such a massive fan following that today, if there is a name synonymous with erotic web content, it would have to be Gandii Baat. Pushing the envelope in every season, the core in each of our stories is leaving a lot of room for one's imagination. Enjoyed by audiences around the globe, both young and old, as we offer a new take with every season by depicting the myths and beliefs of rural India, we shall continue to do so and present content in a bolder avatar with a fresh take on situations.”

    The franchise, Gandii Baat has been breaking stereotypes while highlighting certain facts and topics which no one bothers to address. The show looks at all such taboos pertaining to sexuality, desire, consent from a modern lens while bringing the flavour of rural India. 

  • VBS 2019: Media industry leaders to discuss challenges facing the industry

    VBS 2019: Media industry leaders to discuss challenges facing the industry

    MUMBAI: The much-anticipated Video and Broadband Summit (VBS) 2019 will be held today in Mumbai with participation from prominent media networks, broadcast distributors, media and advertising agencies, consultancy services, OTT platforms, media monitoring firms, as well as government regulatory bodies.

    Among the prominent media networks who will be participating in the summit are Sony Pictures Network, Star India, 9x Media, Enterr10 TV, BBC Global News, IN10 Media, Shemaroo and Zee. From the distributors side DEN Network, Maharashtra Cable Operators Federation, Fastway Transmissions, GTPL Hathway, Tata Sky, SITI Networks, UCN Cable and Ashwini Cable will be participating in the one-day summit at Hyatt Regency, Mumbai.

    Representatives of India’s prominent media agencies like IndiaCast Media, MediaKind, The Remediation Company, IndusInd Media and Communication, One Take Media, Madison Media will be participating in the event held in the shadows of TRAI’s February 2019 New Tariff Order (NTO) and amidst expectations and fears of further changes to the months-old act, described by many as one of the most significant reform in Indian media broadcast industry.

    There will be representation from auditing firms like PwC and KPMG as well. Since broadband service providers are now key to video distribution, there will be representation from Google, Reliance Jio Fiber, Reliance Jio and Win Broadband.

    TRAI advisor (broadcasting and cable services) Arvind Kumar will also address the gathering of industry leaders and there will also be a special presentation from BARC India COO Romil Ramgarhia.

    Bringing together industry leaders from all sectors of the media industry, the summit will discuss various issues at the heart of the NTO, how it’s impacting broadcasters and distributors, changes proposed to it and why broadcasters are unhappy with TRAI for floating a new consultation paper within six months of NTO.

    After a keynote address by Anil Wanvari, founder Indiantelevision.com, IndiaCast Media Distribution president Amit Arora, Star India Distribution president Gurjeev Singh Kapoor, IndusInd Media and Communications CEO Vynsley Fernandes, GTPL Hathway VP Yatin Gupta, The Remediation Company founder Shyamala Venkatachalam and Bhima Riddhi Digital Services promoter Nagesh Narayandas Chhabria will debate the TRAI consultation paper on tariffs in a panel discussion to be moderated by Elara Capital VP Karan Taurani.

    To give the perspective of distributors on how the NTO, and the expected amendments to it, affects their businesses, there will be a panel discussion in which SITI Networks CEO Anil Malhotra, GC member of SCTE India Shaji Mathews, Fastway Transmissions Consultant Peeush Mahajan and Bhima Riddhi Digital Services Promoter Nagesh Narayandas Chhabria will participate.

    Advertising industry is at the other end of the spectrum, the other big sector that had to adjust to post NTO environment. To discuss the advertisers' view and their take on the dynamic pay-TV landscape, there will be Godrej head media services Subha Sreenivasan Iyer, ITC PR and media head Jaikishin Chhaproo and Havas Media Group managing partner West & South Kunal Jamaur. They will participate in a panel discussion to be moderated by Castle Media CEO Ru Ediriwira.

    There will be a presentation from BROADPEAK business development manager Hervé Creff, on "Keeping control of HDMI1 with Android TV Operator Tier – the "super-aggregator" approach."

    This will be followed by a panel discussion on how to transform the TV broadcast sector to fuel growth – what are the key issues facing the industry and how can more transparency and discipline be injected into it? PwC partner and leader Raman Kalra, Elara Capital VP – research analyst (media) Karan Taurani, KPMG India partner Girish Menon and BBC News head of distribution – South Asia Sunil Joshi will participate in a panel discussion to be moderated by SBICAP Securities head of equity research Rajiv Sharma.

    Local cable operators also constitute an important link in the TV broadcast value chain in India. Despite the presence of strong DTH players like Tata and Bharti Airtel and the rise of OTT, as much as 65 per cent of TV homes in India are still connected through these local cable operators, as per TRAI estimates. Maharashtra Cable Operators Federation (MCOF) president Arvind Ramesh Prabhoo and IndusInd Media and Communication COO Rouse Koshy will participate in a panel discussion on how has the role of the LCO changed under the new regulatory framework and its significance going forward.

    The rise of some of the Free to Air (FTA) channels in the post NTO environment has been another prominent feature of 2019. To discuss the roadmap ahead for FTA channels, there will be a panel discussion in which SAB Group CEO Manav Dhanda, Enterr10 TV MD – Fakt Marathi Shirish Pattanshetty, IN10 Media COO Akul Tripathi, 9X Media chief revenue officer Pawan Jailkhani and Shemaroo Entertainment COO Kranti Gada will participate.

    To discuss the role of the internet in the broadcast industry, there will be a fireside chat between Anil Wanvari and Jio Fiber president Anuj Jain. The summit will end with a panel discussion on the role of the internet in video distribution in which Google Industry head media and entertainment Sandeep Ramesh, Jio VP – advertising and strategy Mohit Kapoor, COAI Director General Rajan S Mathews, ZEE5 chief revenue officer and business head Taranjeet Singh and MediaKind head of marketing – APAC Chiranjeev Singh will participate.

  • Disney+ crosses 10 million subscribers within days of its launch

    Disney+ crosses 10 million subscribers within days of its launch

    MUMBAI: Disney’s much-anticipated OTT platform Disney+ has signed up 10 million subscribers within days of its launch on 12 November, from just a few international markets of Canada, USA, and the Netherlands, and in spite of the technical glitches consumers endured on the day of its launch.

    Disney+ is yet to roll-out in many important markets.  The video-streaming service will be available in Australia and New Zealand from 19 November and more countries will join the list in the coming months. While Disney+ will not be launched in India, viewers will still be able to stream Disney+ content in India through Hotstar, even though there is no clarity on the time-frame yet.

    As Disney+ starts rolling out in newer markets, the media conglomerate will see its subscriber base soaring and as per the latest Digital TV Research report, it could have over 100 million subscribers by 2025. The company itself estimates its subscriber base to be between 60 and 90 million by 2024.

    Given Disney+ unmatched content library strength, offering 500 films and 7,500 episodes of television, the OTT platform was bound to be an instant hit. However, 10 million subscribers from just a few international markets within days of its launch, is a huge disruption in the OTT segment by any standard.

     To put this in perspective, video-streaming giant Netflix has only 150 million global subscribers after many years of existence. Hulu, another streaming service owned by Disney, has 28 million subscribers after its launch more than a decade ago.

    The huge response to Disney+ launch was not dampened even by the technical glitches people faced on the day of its launch that made its services unavailable for few hours. The company cited higher-than-expected demand as a factor.

    Disney+ subscribers will have access to over 500 movies, including three of the four highest grossing films of all time – Avengers: Endgame, Avatar and Star Wars: The Force Awakens – as well as films from Marvel Studios including Captain America: Civil War, Guardians of the Galaxy, The Avengers, Iron Man 3, Doctor Strange, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Captain Marvel, Iron Man, Thor: The Dark World, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Iron Man 2, Thor, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Captain America: The First Avenger and Ant-Man.

    In addition, Disney+ will offer content from National Geographic including the critically acclaimed and award- winning documentary Free Solo and the streaming debut of Science Fair.

    Also in the library are all six of the original classic Star Wars films released between 1977 and 1999, in addition to recent blockbusters Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. By the end of 2020, the entire Skywalker saga will be available on the service. Besides, it has 30 seasons of The Simpsons, 18 Pixar movies – including Wall-E, Up, Monsters Inc., Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Toy Story, Inside Out and Brave – plus thousands of episodes of Disney Channel and Disney Junior series. These include The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, Kim Possible, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, PJ Masks and Jake & the Never Land Pirates.

  • Netflix offers first episode of ‘Bard of Blood’ free for non-members

    Netflix offers first episode of ‘Bard of Blood’ free for non-members

    MUMBAI: Netflix is offering the first episode of Bard of Blood for a limited time to non-members of leading OTT platform. The strategy behind this move is to attract as many viewers as possible to the platform.

    According to the ET reports the episode is currently accessible through Netflix homepage and the Bard of Blood show listing on the platform and can be viewed across all web browsers on desktop and Android devices. Support for iOS devices seems missing, although those users will be able to generate a link by entering their email address and watch it on supported devices.

    For the rest of the episodes viewers will be made to subscribers to Netflix. The offering of initial episode by Netflix is made to hook the viewers on the story of Bard Of Blood.

    "At Netflix, we try different ways to bring people closer to great stories. We believe many people will find the thrilling story of spy Kabir Anand very appealing and are excited to make the first episode of the series available to everyone for a limited time. In the future, we will consider if we will do this for other films and series,” the company said in a statement.

    Bard of Blood is an Indian fictional spy thriller web television series based on the 2015 espionage novel of the same name by Bilal Siddiqi. Directed by Ribhu Dasgupta and produced by Red Chillies Entertainment, the series stars Emraan Hashmi in the lead role along with Kirti Kulhari, Vineet Kumar Singh, Jaideep Ahlawat and Sobhita Dhulipala.It is a seven-episode series that revolves around the story of an ex-RAW agent. The series premiered on 27 September 2019 on Netflix.

  • Through its latest marketing innovation, ALTBalaji launches off by taking the interactive ooh route for mom: mission on mars

    Through its latest marketing innovation, ALTBalaji launches off by taking the interactive ooh route for mom: mission on mars

    MUMBAI: ALTBalaji, India's leading home-grown OTT platform, in their latest bid to capture the imagination and attention of the viewers has launched a campaign unlike any other by adopting an innovative OOH (out-of-home advertising) hoarding to promote its recent original M-O-M: Mission on Mars. The hoarding featuring the four lead characters and a rocket which is shown taking off, placed at a high-visibility locale in Mumbai, is leaving everyone mesmerized. The rocket on the hoarding is visually appealing where it moves upwards and downwards in motion immersing one in the world of space and science; the show's core theme. This latest marketing innovation by ALTBalaji is a testament to their core value of providing content and offerings that rise above the rest.

    Speaking on the innovation, Divya Dixit, Senior VP and Head Marketing, ALTBalaji says, "ALTBalaji stands for innovation and disruption whether in content or marketing. Marketing the show, that has science in its core element, in a never-seen-before manner, lies perfectly in sync with adopting new-age technology that appeals to our target audience. The innovation hoarding doesn’t just grab eyeballs, but registers in the minds of the audience owing to its novel concept.With each show the challenge is to break the mould and do something new appealing to the audience."

    Mission over Mars, is certain to inspire not just women but people across the globe, to pursue their dreams with utmost sincerity and dedication and that ‘nothing is impossible.’ With 44 Originals as part of its vast and diverse, multi-genre content library, ALTBalaji continues to entertain the audiences across the globe like never before. Shows like ‘Apharan,’ ‘Home’ ‘The Test Case’ ‘Kehne Ko Humsafar Hain,’ ‘PuncchBeat’, ‘Karrle Tu Bhi Mohabbat’ have received adulation and accolades aplenty from all corners of the world and M.O.M is sure to join their ranks.

  • ZEE5 curates & creates special content this independence day

    ZEE5 curates & creates special content this independence day

    MUMBAI: This Independence Day, ZEE5, India’s fastest growing OTT platform premieres two original web series– Gondya Ala Re in Marathi and Satyameva Jayate in Bengali. The platform has also acquired rights for the world digital premiere of the critically acclaimed The Tashkent Files. In addition to this, ZEE5 will also release a special Independence Day anthem – Hum Hai India, celebrating “Unity in Diversity” showcasing the beautiful and diverse landscape of India along with its vibrant culture and people who are as different as chalk and cheese, yet connected as Indians.

    Popular Bollywood personalities Arjun Rampal, Gul Panag, Jimmy Shergill, actors of TV show Guddan Tumse Na Ho Payega – Kanika Mann and Nishant Malkani feature in the anthem sung by Neeti Mohan, Abhay Jodhpurkar and Parry G. The anthem is in partnership with Vivo. 

    Gondya Ala Re, a 10-episode web series based on Chapekar brothers from Pune is a historical thriller highlighting the first youth armed revolutionaries of India. The three brothers killed a tyrannical officer W.C. Rand whose atrocities in Pune had devastated the city. Directed by Ankur Kakatkar and helmed by Sunil Barve, Bhushan Pradhan, Kshitish Date, Shivraj Waichal, Bharat Dabholkar and others, it showcases the hustle and valor of three unsung heroes.

    Satyameva Jayate, a 7-episode Bengali thriller web series about how justice prevails even in a corrupt system. The series, directed by award winning director Arindam Sil features actors Arjun Chakraborty, Souraseni Moitra, Vipin Sharma, Jayant Kriplani and Sudipta Chakraborty.

    The Tashkent Files starring Naseeruddin Shah, Mithun Chakroborty and Shweta Basu Prasad in leading roles. Directed by Vivek Agnihotri, the film exposes the mystery behind the death of our late Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri.

    In addition to this the platform will also present the superhit film URI – The Surgical Strike in Tamil and Telugu on 10th August.

  • ALTBalaji partners with AMAZON PAY

    ALTBalaji partners with AMAZON PAY

    MUMBAI: India’s leading homegrown OTT platform, ALTBalaji announces its association via Amazon Pay. Through this partnership, customers can now experience a one-click purchase using Amazon Pay and avail a flat 50% cashback up to Rs. 150/- on paying for their ALTBalaji subscription.

    With over 40 Originals in its content offering, ALTBalaji has built a legacy of creating iconic shows, like ‘Apharan,’ ‘Kehne Ko Humsafar Hain,’ ‘Home,’ ‘Gandii Baat’, ‘The Test Case’, ‘Bose: Dead or Alive’ among others, which have been lauded by audiences. ‘Broken but Beautiful’ strikes the right chords with audiences for its soul-stirring music and coming of age concept. Gandii Baat franchise has created quite a stir with its unabashed and sultry narratives of relationships and human tendencies; whereas on the other hand shows like TGIDF and Bose Dead/Alive has garnered rave reviews across demographics and age groups. Along with showcasing progressive and path-breaking content, the platform is also associated with a very wide talent pool of top-notch actors, writers and directors, who are expanding the boundaries of entertainment as we have known it so far.

    Amazon Pay is one of the most trusted and convenient payment experiences for customers, sellers and merchants across India. Using Amazon Pay, customers can safely go cashless and enjoy quick and easy checkouts, faster refunds coupled with a secure shopping experience. 

    “This partnership helps us cater to audiences who prefer the Amazon ecosystem and payment options which is considered as the most trusted gateways for digital audiences across the country. Through this partnership, ALTBalaji’s library of homegrown, original premium content will now be even more accessible to a wider and newer set of audiences. The association will further help us extend our reach, while allowing Amazon Pay to offer their customers the entire catalogue of ALTBalaji’s premium content at an extremely competitive price point,” ALTBalaji CEO and Balaji Telefilms Group COO Nachiket Pantvaidya said. 

    “Integration of Amazon Pay on ALT Balaji gives consumers a safe and seamless payment choice. I am certain that this partnership will enhance the overall consumer experience on the platform and will encourage more subscribers to enjoy a friction free checkout,” Amazon Pay India  Experience and Merchant Acceptance director Manesh Mahatme said.

    With no additional authentications required, customers get the benefit of ‘one-click’ payments with a faster and vastly smoother check out process. Additionally, through Amazon Pay, customers can receive refunds faster than refunds to their bank accounts or credit cards and also view the details of balance transactions using an online statement.