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Tag: OTT streaming

  • Disney+ Hotstar bags 20 nominations at Filmfare OTT awards

    Disney+ Hotstar bags 20 nominations at Filmfare OTT awards

    Mumbai: Disney+ Hotstar has bagged 20 nominations across 12 categories at the Filmfare OTT awards this year. Four Hotstar Specials’ are in the race to win the award including “Grahan” which has received 10 nominations, followed by “Criminal Justice: Behind Closed Doors” with six, “OK Computer” with three and “City of Dreams 2” with one nomination.  

    This year’s Filmfare OTT awards include several Hotstar Specials’ talent nominated across categories, including Anshumaan Pushkar (Grahan), Pankaj Tripathi (Criminal Justice: Behind Closed Doors) and Atul Kulkarni (City of Dreams 2) for best actor, series (male), drama as well as Vijay Varma (OK Computer) for best actor, series (male), comedy. Kirti Kulhari and Zoya Hussain bagged the nomination in the category of best actor, series (female), drama and Anupriya Goenka for best supporting actor, series (female), drama for their performances in “Criminal Justice: Behind Closed Doors” and “Grahan” respectively.

    “Grahan” has nominations for best series, best director, along with additional nominations for best music, best production design, best cinematography, best editing and best costume. “Criminal Justice: Behind Closed Doors” has been nominated for best series, best director and best adapted screenplay. Additionally, “OK Computer” has bagged a well-deserved nomination for best VFX (series) – imagery.

    “At Disney+ Hotstar, it has been our endeavour to bring to audiences stories that are unconventional and an entertainment experience that is unparalleled,” said Disney+ Hotstar and HSM entertainment network president and head of content Gaurav Banerjee. “We are thrilled with the several nominations for Grahan, Criminal Justice: Behind Closed Doors, OK Computer as well as City of Dreams 2, at the coveted Filmfare OTT awards. I would like to congratulate the amazing creative teams behind the shows. It further encourages us to consistently rise above convention and bring to our viewers compelling content and the best of entertainment!”

    “Grahan was a unique project that saw multiple talented performers and creators come together,” said actor Anshumaan Pushkar. “I am excited to have been a part of a series that has received multiple nominations in top categories at the awards’ platform. The nomination for best actor in the drama category is particularly special as it motivates me, an upcoming talent, to push harder and explore challenging avenues.”

    “It fills me with immense joy that Criminal Justice: Behind Closed Doors has received multiple nominations at the prestigious Filmfare OTT Awards,” said Pankaj Tripathi. “It is a true recognition of the time and effort devoted by its talented team at Applause Entertainment to bring Madhav Mishra’s story on screen. To have been nominated for best actor is an added joy for me. The fact that I also get to share this joy with my colleague Kirti Kulhari is a bonus. I hope it motivates our team further to keep working on such phenomenal stories.”

    “An award nomination is a token of appreciation you receive for all the hard work you pour into your work,” said Vijay Varma. “Getting it for the category of Best Actor in Comedy is a new stepping stone for me. OK Computer is a project very close to my heart. I got to work with an immensely talented cast and crew. Its recognition at the Filmfare OTT Awards fills my heart with immense pride and joy. It widened my horizons as an actor.”

  • Need to create a new creative ecosystem for multiple platforms: Sameer Nair

    Need to create a new creative ecosystem for multiple platforms: Sameer Nair

    Mumbai: The OTT streaming business is not for the fainthearted and players with light wallets, said Applause Entertainment founder and chief executive officer Sameer Nair as he talks about the evolving streaming business at the CII Big Picture Summit.

    While there is an opportunity to make it big in the business, it’s important to ensure that it reaches a critical mass of subscribers. “And to do that you need to make investments,” said Nair, discussing how several OTT platforms turned out to be making losses.

    Elaborating on why he decided to enter the IP creation business, he said, “We are trying to work with a movie studio model. Attract a certain risk capital and produce some content. TV was funding IP creation and so the upside was being reaped by TV broadcasters. Producers did not get the upside of owning the IP. Today, there is an opportunity for content companies who take a degree of risk in content creation and license it to platforms.”

    Until now, TV was driving investments into original programming in India as it was catering to a mass audience. It was dominated by celebrity-led reality shows and daily soaps and that’s what consumers were watching for decades. But OTT has unlocked a new audience as it caters to a mass of niches. “For example, let’s say 10 per cent of the country likes the crime genre, that’s the size of a small European nation,” he said.

    But when it comes to paying for streaming services, then consumers look at the service that offers them the most value for money. “We never had HBO or Showtime in India in terms of producing original Indian content for a digitally-savvy audience. The creative ecosystem was catering to TV and films. We need to create a new ecosystem and content for multiple platforms,” he highlighted.

    According to Nair, OTT platforms also offer more data on consumers so decisions can become more informed, unlike TV where broadcasters always struggled to understand consumer behaviour because TRP was the only metric. The advantage for streamer is that can be “massy and classy”. A show can be created in a widespread spoken language but subbed or dubbed in multiple regional languages at the same time hence broadening its appeal.

    Talking about recommendation engines on OTT platforms Nair said that like any other algorithm the more you use it, the more you get out of it. “To say that I’m being shepherded by the recommendation engine and it is reducing my choice is not a fair comparison. Everyone knows that a consumer’s content viewing choices operate between new and comfort. That’s why Netflix has the ‘Play Something’ feature,” he said.

    There is a notion that TV is free and that the consumer has to pay for OTT. That’s why many consumers are still keen on ad-supported streaming services. Nair said that consumers were always paying cable distribution companies to watch TV. Similarly, today OTT services are built on top of broadband companies and telcos.

    Speaking about ad supported streaming, he said, “Every time you do anything regarding messaging and selling within a content experience, then it becomes an art.” There are all sorts of ways to monetise content and a lot of companies are trying to crack it. “Netflix has 214 million paid subscribers and it is the most premium streaming service globally. If five people are sharing a Netflix account then 200 million becomes one billion. If they’re watching Netflix two-three hours daily then that’s how many premium customers there are who don’t want to come into contact with regular advertising messages,” he observed.

    Nair said that the lockdown has been a uniform experience for nearly every human being on the planet. “We used to think TV is our window to the world but actually TV is only the window into your neighbourhood. The internet is the window to the world,” he said. The inevitable outcome of this is that the consumer has become used to the fact that there is a lot more content to watch.  

  • SonyLIV to premiere ‘Your Honor S2’ on 19 November

    SonyLIV to premiere ‘Your Honor S2’ on 19 November

    Mumbai: SonyLIV’s first original series “Your Honor” is returning with a second season on 19 November. “Your Honor Season 2” is produced by Applause Entertainment in association with Sphereorigins.

    Directed by E Niwas, the second season of the show will feature Gulshan Grover and Mahie Gill who face off against Jimmy Sheirgill. “Your Honor has been an enthralling experience overall. The experience in season 1 was exceptional and this season will be even more exciting with the ultimate face-off against Gulshan Grover,” said Sheirgill.

    “Content is blooming on OTT, and it feels great to be a part of the second season of such a popular show on SonyLIV. I have thoroughly enjoyed playing the character of a businessman who also is a powerful gang lord,” said actor Gulshan Grover.

    The show is an official adaptation of the Israeli series “Kvodo,” produced by yesTV & Koda communications. The ensemble cast also features Mita Vashisht, Suhasini Mulay, Richa Pallod, Pulkit Makol in pivotal roles. “Your Honor season 2 is an intricately-layered story, exploring the complex issues of conflict between loyalties towards one’s own blood and towards justice. The new rivalry between Bishan Khosla and the underworld is surely going to be an entertaining and thrilling experience for the viewers,” said director E Niwas.

    “Your Honor being the first series on SonyLIV 2.0, it feels great to come full circle with season 2. With talented additions to the cast, the show gets interesting twists and promises to be even more gripping,” said Sony Pictures Networks India head of content for Sony Entertainment Television and SonyLIV  Ashish Golwalkar.

    “At Applause, it gives us immense pleasure to work together with SonyLIV and Your Honor being the first series of 2.0 makes this alliance even more special. E Niwas along with such dazzling actors bring alive a thrilling season 2 of the series. We aim to continue entertaining our audience and hope to reach a far wider audience with Your Honor 2 on SonyLIV,” said Applause Entertainment chief executive officer Sameer Nair.

  • Trai vs broadcasters: Impact could be larger than expected

    Trai vs broadcasters: Impact could be larger than expected

    Mumbai: The TV industry is eagerly awaiting the outcome of the court battle between the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) and TV broadcasters led by the Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF) on the new tariff order (NTO) 2.0 case that will be heard on 30 November.

    The decision taken by the Supreme Court in the final hearing will significantly alter the dynamics of the TV broadcast industry that have been in place for more than a decade. The conflict essentially from Trai’s point of view is the fight for consumer’s choice that is being taken away by broadcasters.

    There are 346 pay-TV channels available to consumers, out of which leading broadcasters own and operate 255 pay channels. It’s standard industry practice to offer their pay channels in a bouquet that has a significant discount. This way the broadcasters can cross-subsidise their channels in a way that even a weak channel has an opportunity to get viewership.

    There are driver channels whose viewership is self-driven and niche channels that have a small but dedicated viewership. Trai’s contention is that broadcasters are pushing these ‘extra’ channels on to consumers to increase their revenues from advertising which accounts for two-thirds of their overall revenues.

    A senior expert in the broadcasting industry remarked that this view of Trai does not consider the complexities of the sector and understand what the broadcast consumer wants. “India is a price-sensitive market – we want everything to be free or at the cheapest but, at the same time, the best-in-class service,” he said requesting anonymity.

    There’s always going to be content on TV that the consumer doesn’t want to watch. On linear TV if the consumer wants to watch different content, he/she may switch the channel and watch something else. That’s why it makes sense for the consumer to have the option of multiple channels available.

    With the agenda of allowing consumers to pay only for the channels that they want, Trai mandated that broadcasters announce a-la-carte tariffs of their channels. To ensure that broadcasters do not entice consumers into opting for bouquets that are heavily discounted it created provisions in the amendment order to counter the practice. It mandated that a channel must have MRP no greater than Rs 12 to be included in a bouquet. It also prescribed a linkage between the a-la-carte price and bouquet by mandating that the sum of the a-la-carte price of channels in a bouquet will not be more than 1.5 times the bouquet price.

    Whatever consequence Trai had intended, the outcome of the NTO 2.0 has been very different. While the case is being fought in the SC, on 15 October broadcasters announced their reference interconnection offers (RIOs) and new channel rates adhering to the regulator’s order. If the consumer chooses to keep the same number of channels, then his/her content costs are likely to go up when the new tariffs come into effect on 1 December. They have listed the MRP price of their popular channels greater than Rs 12 which means that none of these channels will be a part of the broadcaster’s bouquets.

    There isn’t enough data to predict the resulting consumer behaviour after the implementation of the amendment order. The only example of a-la-carte implementation is the conditional access system (CAS) in 2007. CAS is a digital mode of transmission of TV channels via set-top-box (STB) and was rolled out in select metros – Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, and Chennai.

    “When CAS was implemented on a small population the consumer had opted for about 5-15 pay channels,” said a senior official from a leading cable operator on condition of anonymity.

    Note that this was a period when Star India was offering about eight channels versus 76 it is offering today. “Back then you had to offer every channel a-la-carte and Trai had fixed a ceiling price for pay channels at Rs 5,” he added.

    NTO 2.0 implementation will have an impact on a much larger scale. There is a huge economic divide between TV viewing audiences in India. As the official from the cable company puts it, “On the one hand, you have a consumer who decides to be economical and only watch FTA channels. We estimate that there are 30-50 million audiences who only watch Doordarshan on DD Free Dish. On the other hand, you have consumers who are ready to pay Rs 2, 000 to get an OTT subscription including Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+ Hotstar, SonyLIV, ZEE5, and Voot and they will have access to all their TV content as well. The rest of the consumers fall in between these two extremes.”

    So, what will be the consequence of broadcasters pulling their MRP channels out of the bouquet? “Personally, I have yet to see a car (niche channels) run without an engine (driver channels)” said the cable operator spokesperson. “Till date, driver channels have taken other channels to the same viewership level.”

    According to Trai, broadcasters are exploiting the freedom afforded to them by the NTO 2.0 provisions for a-la-carte pricing and have arbitrarily hiked the prices of their channels and that the new tariffs do not reflect consumer demand. The Tamil Nadu Digital Cable TV Operators Association has gone as far as to send a legal notice to Trai demanding that it intervene and ask broadcasters to reduce channel prices. It claimed that the new tariffs may inflate consumer bills by 100-200 per cent.

    “The distributed platform operators (DPOs) have begrudged broadcasters who are not only able to launch more channels, but they also get advertisement revenue. This has led to a corporate rivalry where unfortunately Trai has lent an ear to DPOs without understanding what’s best for the consumer and the larger creative ecosystem,” said an expert from the broadcast business.

    “The success of over-the-top platforms proves that without an overzealous regulator and fragmented/unruly intermediary, the content creators are able to know the pulse of their audience and cater to their needs and tastes. Additionally, content and carriage are neatly differentiated with transparency and accountability,” he added.

    OTT platforms have a mix of blockbuster and long-tail content that they offer to consumers. Most consumers come to OTT platforms to watch their blockbuster content, and some may also enjoy their longtail content. The OTT player can continue making enormous investments in fresh content because of the steady monthly subscription fee that it charges the viewer.

    It’s clear that the implementation of the NTO 2.0 based on the tariffs announced by leading broadcasters will essentially increase content costs for the consumer. The consumer must either opt for fewer channels to keep TV bills at the same levels or pay a higher cost in subscriptions. Trai has said that it will keep an eye on the industry and ensure that consumer bills do not go up. 

  • Prime Video announces K-drama slate; brings 10 new titles on the service

    Prime Video announces K-drama slate; brings 10 new titles on the service

    Mumbai: Following the success of “Parasite” and “Minari,” Amazon Prime Video has launched a Korean content slate to capture the booming interest in Korean dramas (K-dramas) in genres like romance, mystery, thriller, and horror. Starting from 21 October, a repertoire of K-dramas will be available on the streaming platform.

    “Video streaming has brought a host of varied cultures into our living rooms. Users are now enjoying watching content from different regions of India and from around the world, finding resonance in stories, characters, and cultures,” said Amazon Prime Video India head of content licensing Manish Menghani.

    The shows launching on the service include “True Beauty,” which dwells on the classic makeover of a young high school girl, bullied for her appearance; “Strangers from Hell” that will transport the viewers to a dingy apartment building with shady neighbours and a series of mysterious events, and the new season of a high-octane action-packed series, “Taxi Driver” featuring Lee Je-Hoon and Esom. While the saga of the supernatural will continue with Lee Dong-Wook and Cho Bo-Ah starrer “Tale of the Nine Tailed,” “Hotel Del Luna” will introduce a mix of eeriness and a gripping plotline.

    Prime Video will continue to release Korean titles until the end of November. “The Penthouse: War in Life” season one to three will begin streaming on 28 October, followed by “Mr Queen” and “Secret Garden” on 4 November, “Voice” seasons one to four on 11 November, and “Doctors” whose release date is yet to be announced.

    “Korean content, in particular, has made significant inroads into India’s mainstream popular culture. Our users were highly appreciative of Korean films like ‘Parasite’ and ‘Minari’ on Prime Video – the films saw viewership from across the length and breadth of the country,” Menghani further said. 

    “The announcement marks our efforts to program for evolving consumer choices for immersive content. We will continue to curate a compelling library of content that is diverse, resonates with our audience, and gives them the choice to explore stories from around the world,” he added.

  • 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.

  • MX original ‘EK Thi Begum 2’ crosses 300 million streams

    MX original ‘EK Thi Begum 2’ crosses 300 million streams

    Mumbai: MX Player original series “Ek Thi Begum 2” has crossed 300 million streams over five days, said the OTT platform in a statement. The Anuja Sathe starrer has received an 8.8 rating on IMDb and ranks amongst the platform’s biggest hits like “Aashram,” “Bhaukal,” and “Raktanchal.”

    Directed by Sachin Darekar and Vishal Modhave, “Ek Thi Begum 2” is laced with a host of talented actors including Shahab Ali, Ajay Gehi, Hitesh Bhojraj, Chinmay Mandlekar, Vijay Nikam, Resham Shrivardhankar, Rajendra Shisatkar, Nazar Khan, Sauraseni Maitra, Lokesh Gupte, Mir Sarwar, Purnanada Wandekar and Rohan Gujar in pivotal roles.

    “I am overwhelmed by the response Ek Thi Begum 2 has received,” said the lead actress Anuja Sathe. “This series goes to show that it isn’t star power but gripping narratives and content that pulls in audiences.”

    The show was available for streaming in Hindi and Marathi dubs and is a rare sequel that has received as much acclaim as its predecessor.

    “We are delighted to see a regional, bilingual show like Ek Thi Begum turn into one of the most-watched series on MX Player,” said MX Player chief content officer Gautam Talwar. “We always strive to deliver interesting elements from different realms and Ek Thi Begum 2 has given us a chance to recreate that era’s fascination in today’s world and we are glad that the audience is appreciating it.”

  • aha to premiere ‘Ichata Vahanamulu Niluparadu’ on 17 Sept

    aha to premiere ‘Ichata Vahanamulu Niluparadu’ on 17 Sept

    Mumbai: Telugu OTT platform aha has announced the global premiere of the romantic drama “Ichata Vahanamulu Niluparadu” on 17 September.

    Directed by S Darshan, the film stars Sushanth and Meenakshii Chaudhary in the lead with a supporting cast comprising Abhinav Gomatam, Priyadarshi, Ravi Varma, Harish Koyalagundla, and Venkat. 

    The cinematography and editing of the film were done by M Sukumar and Garry BG, respectively.

    The film earned critical acclaim and opened to a good response at the theatres for its novel premise.

  • aha announces new web series ‘The Baker and the Beauty’

    aha announces new web series ‘The Baker and the Beauty’

    Mumbai: Telugu OTT platform aha in association with Keshet International has announced the latest web series “The Baker and the Beauty”, slated for the 10 September release.

    The show is an adaptation of the globally acclaimed Israeli series by the same name. “The Baker and the Beauty offers a realistic picture of the conflicts, aspirations of people across Telugu middle-class households and in the crème de la crème of the society,” said aha in a statement.

    The drama revolves around the unlikely romance between a middle-class youngster Vijay, who manages his parents’ small-time bakery and a film star Aira Vasireddy, a loner at heart.

    Starring Santosh Shobhan, Tina Shilparaj, Vishnu Priya, Sai Swetha and Venkat, the ten-episode show marks the first collaboration between aha and Annapurna Studios. The trailer of the show was unveiled amid the cast and crew in Hyderabad.

    “With nearly 11 million app downloads and an audience numbering 45 million across the globe, aha has set new standards for top-class content in the Telugu digital space in less than two years,”  said My Home Group, director, Meghana Jupally. “The success of genre-bending shows like Kudi Yedamaithe and Tharagathi Gadhi Daati recently, speaks for itself. I am sure The Baker and the Beauty would leave audiences spellbound as well.”

    “I feel privileged to be part of a memorable show like The Baker and the Beauty and equally humbled to associate with aha for a web show. This show kick-started my career as a lead actor and also reinstated my love for the craft and storytelling,” said lead actor Santosh Shobhan. “I resonated with the concerns, confusions, and sentiments of a middle-class boy like Vijay. The show will have something for everyone to identify with, and there can be no better occasion than a festival like Vinayaka Chavithi for families to come together and enjoy the show.”

    aha has premiered films and series including “Krack”, “11th Hour”, “Zombie Reddy”, “Chaavu Kaburu Challaga”, “Naandhi”, “In the Name of God”, “Needa”, “Kala”, “aha Bhojanambu”, “One”, “Super Deluxe”, “Chathur Mukham”, “Kudi Yedamaithe” and “Tharagathi Gadhi Daati” this year.

  • Disney to phase out Hotstar US operations by 2022: Report

    Disney to phase out Hotstar US operations by 2022: Report

    Mumbai: The Walt Disney Company plans to phase out Hotstar operations in the US by late 2022, according to a report by Deadline.

    All sports-related programming on Hotstar including the Indian Premier League will be streamed on ESPN+ going forward. ESPN+ will acquire all the cricket rights owned by Hotstar to stream in the US. IPL 2021 that resumes on 19 September will be available to US audiences via ESPN+. Other live cricket events including ICC Men’s T20 World Cup will also stream on the service.

    All entertainment-related programming including Hotstar specials and Bollywood films will move to Hulu on a rolling basis. Currently, Hotstar specials like the Indian adaptation of “The Office”, “Hostages”, “Out of Love”. “City of Dreams”, “Live Telecast” and “Ok Computer” and films such as “Dil Bechara” and “The Fault in Our Stars” are available on Hulu.

    Subscribers of Hotstar US who are not subscribers of any other Disney streaming service are eligible to get the Disney bundle including Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ till the end of their Hotstar annual subscription, at no additional charge.  

    The programming migration began on 1 September.