ITV

Tag: OTT

  • Epic TV launches OTT, sets million subs target

    Epic TV launches OTT, sets million subs target

    MUMBAI: Aditya Pitte modestly says he does not have much experience in mainstream television. But, the lead distributor of Patanjali’s products loves to listen and learn, and play catch-up quickly. Over the years, he has been doing a lot of listening. And, learning and doing well at the TV business.

    So much so that he took over Sanskar TV, ran it for around five years, turned it around, before handing it over to Swami Ramdev in 2015. Encouraged, he launched another spiritual channel Shubh TV a couple of years ago. And then, the big plunge into the mainstream came in September 2016 when Anand Mahindra told him to head Epic Television, which he and Mukesh Ambani had floated with former Disney India CEO Mahesh Samat. Ambani was exiting, and Mahindra told him to take charge as managing director.

    He hired fresh talent, rejigged the programming and relaunched Epic as an infotainment channel with newer edgier programming. The tactic seems to be working, as the new Epic Channel has been striking a chord with audiences, and has seen its share among its demographic rising. However, what’s keeping him occupied is the launch of the channel’s app on 14 August. Launched with both, iOS and Android versions, it is available on both the iTunes and Google Play stores and has been getting traction with more than 100,000 downloads till date.

    Epic On is available as a free and paid version. In its free version, it offers selective shows, the first episode of all shows, and an exclusive seven day catch up window of series such as Devlok with Devdutt Pattanaik, Raja Rasoi Aur Andaaz, Umeed India and Indipedia. Subscription fees have been pegged at Rs 60 for a month and Rs 500 for a year. The international sticker prices have been kept at $1.99 a month and $19.99 a year.

    “We believe that consumers today value quality content and are willing to subscribe to platforms which consistently deliver premium original content that is different in its offerings from the normal fare being dished out en-masse,” says Epic Channel programming head Akul Tripathi. “This trend in consumer behaviour is only going to strengthen; creating a robust foundation for platforms committed towards consistent quality programming.”

    Epic On has close to 500 hours of content on launch which is constantly being expanded daily. Tripathi says a lot of thought has gone into the user interface (UI) to allow for intuitive specific cross searches between genres and content types. Also, content has been bunched into addictive and suggestive groups to provide users with the kind of content they prefer to view. The app also has a download feature for fans who can download their favourite shows and watch these on the go.

    The core of the Epic On OTT solution was created by Bangalore-based Saranyu Technologies while a digital team is being put together inhouse for updates.

    Pittie is looking at a million-strong subscriber base in the next 12 months across the globe with a focus on India, Australia, Singapore, followed by Canada, the US and the UK.

    The target audience: the new digital millennials. Explains Tripathi: “The early adopter for the app would be the Epic fans who have long appreciated our content and are eager to access it on demand for catching up on missed episodes and to earmark their favourite ones for repeated watching. Moving forward, we believe that anyone who wishes to know and experience India in an engrossing and interactive manner will definitely engage with the app.”

    And, one of the routes the 30-something Pittie is taking to help get to that million-mark is signing up with telcos everywhere to make Epic On easily accessible to their subscribers. “We have some way to go,” he says. “But I am reasonably happy with the results which can only get better from here. Step by step.”

    It’s this optimistic outlook which could well end up taking Epic On into the fast lane.

  • SonyLIV brings English non-fiction content on unique homes

    SonyLIV brings English non-fiction content on unique homes

    MUMBAI: SonyLIV and Jossbox have co-produced a web-series called ‘House Proud.’ The story will showcase beautiful makeovers of personal spaces.

    The title of six-story series is sponsored by Asian Paints, co-powered by Whirlpool and Curo Carte. The series carries a spatial transformation that helps the owners to realize the beauty of their own homes.

    SonyLIV EVP and digital business head Uday Sodhi said, “House Proud aims to bring out the intricate relationship that people have with their favourite spaces at home and give budding designers a platform to metamorphose these spaces into beautiful, aesthetic, functional and comfortable corners. The concept integrates well with SonyLIV’s goal to be the primary provider of innovative, never-seen-before content in India.”

    “Being the first English non-fiction content to be featured on SonyLIV, we are extremely confident of the series’ success and its ability to strike a chord with audiences who desire to witness a transformative journey that begins with a vision and ends with its realization,” he added.

    The show will feature homeowners from six different cities in India, each with their unique stories and vision which they want to be reflected in their personal spaces they provide. In this task, they will be assisted by a talented designer and an interior decorator to help them pick and choose the right mix of furniture and fittings.

    Jossbox co-founder Omer Basith said, “Everybody has certain dreams regarding how they want the living spaces of their homes to look and feel like. With House Proud, we are giving six participants the chance to live through this process of transformation and the audiences an opportunity to watch this beautiful journey. We are thrilled to partner with SonyLIV, which has never before featured an English non-fiction content, as our first collaboration with an OTT platform, making this journey of firsts a special one.”

    This six-episodic series of time duration 8-12 minute will feature young talented designers who will reveal a certain method to the madness with their unique aesthetic sense and chaotic work styles to transform the spaces of six homes for the first time.

    From a bachelor transforming his duplex to an old couple trying to settle into a retired life by redoing their study, House Proud, is about the different circumstances of its participants and the process of rediscovery that they go through by reimagining their familiar spaces.

  • IDOS 2017: Tech needed to integrate different media in a single box

    IDOS 2017: Tech needed to integrate different media in a single box

    NEW DELHI: With the scenario changing to that of a multi-screen era, the need of the hour is to create a single technology that can deliver all systems into the home.

    This was the general view of CastleMedia’s Vynsley Fernandes and Rahul Nehra, the founder of Kalpin and national secretary of Society of National Telecommunication Engineers, in a panel on soft solutions for set-top box hardware at the Indian Digital Operators Summit organised by Indiantelevision.com whose founder and CEO Anil Wanvari moderated the discussion.

    Fernandes felt that the STBs of today should be like home media gateways that could help operate OTT, tablets or laptops, SD and HD TV, gaming and even radio. The aim was to have master devices that could operate all media.

    He regretted that the failure rate of the present STBs which were mostly of Chinese origin was very high – seven to eight million failed every year.

    The cable industry had learnt its lesson the hard way whereas the direct-to-home STBs were more porous and met the needs of the DTH industry.

    With more options which included complicated technologies like virtual reality, Nehra said, there was need for more sophistication. He said there were no STB manufacturers but the demand for TV remained high, thanks to the cable operators.

    But, he said, work had begun in this direction and a pilot project near Hyderabad was almost ready to prepare hardware for the software. He said consumers wanted HD at the rate of SD and so newer technologies had to be found.

  • IDOS 2017: Television is growing and will continue to do so, says BARC’s Partho Dasgupta

    IDOS 2017: Television is growing and will continue to do so, says BARC’s Partho Dasgupta

    NEW DELHI: Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) India CEO Partho Dasgupta sounded a positive note at Indiantelevision.com’s 13th Indian Digital Operators Summit (IDOS 2017) in New Delhi’s The Lalit on 28 September 2017. Dasgupta stated that the video distribution ecosystem will have place for all types of DPOs – DTH, cable TV, OTT, terrestrial, free to air and even FTTH.

    “India’s cable TV operators have been pretty resilient over the years,” said he. “There is a lot potential for them to distribute video in India. TV has till now reached around 64 per cent of the Indian households. Thirty-six per cent is still left. A 100 million households are still not connected with TV. Even if 50 million more were to get connected, that’s a lot of potential for everyone. Multiple players and multiple digital formats will exist,” he said.

    He explained that India is one of the few countries where around 40 (television) channels are being added (as per MIB permissions) every year. “The launches are happening because there is potential in the market,” he said.

    He pointed out that TV viewership is seeing growth like never before. “It spurted by 25 per cent to 27.0 billion impressions in 2017, from 22.4 billion impressions in 2016,” he stated. “Even the daily average time spent (ATS) has grown by 16 per cent from three hours seven minutes in week 41 2015 to three hours thirty-seven minutes in week 36, 2017.”

    Dasgupta exclaimed that Doordarshan’s FreeDish is emerging as a potent force. “Free TV with 80 channels is being watched in rural areas. For them, the fact that some of the programmes are repeats does not matter because viewers are watching them for the first time.”

    He highlighted that there is a lot of excitement around flat TVs, HD TV, 4K TV, but the reality in the Indian marketplace is that 86 per cent of TVs are CRT (cathode ray tube) sets. “There is movement upwards expected in this area too,” he added.

    Dasgupta was of the view that the new millenials are watching some TV but they are also consuming video on their handheld devices. “However, OTT has some way to go because of bandwidth issues in India,” he pointed out. “Though the situation could change soon with dropping bandwidth prices and quality. And, we are getting ready with our measurement of multiscreen viewing which will include handheld devices.”

    He stated that future of television looks healthy, as almost every genre is showing growth in terms of viewership. “GEC has expanded 12 per cent since the beginning of the year,” he elaborated. “News and movies have also grown. Hindi movies grew by 60 per cent in 2017 over week 41 of 2015; Hindi news by a whopping 93 per cent in 2017 over week 41 of 2015.”

    For TV industry professionals, that should surely come as good news.

  • UK’s MirriAd concentrates on India after striking video ad deal in China

    UK’s MirriAd concentrates on India after striking video ad deal in China

    MUMBAI: Television or online viewers react badly to having their shows interrupted with ad breaks. They are uncomfortable when a battery of ads interrupts, also owing to the resurgence of high-value content.

    A UK-based advertising company may soon enjoy the first fruits of a significant video streaming deal (VoD) with a group owned by Alibaba, the Chinese technology giant. The company MirriAd has now concentrated its efforts on the US, Brazil, Germany and India, but without signing up clients in the UK.

    MirriAd is working with Alibaba after striking the deal with Youku, the Chinese streaming platform (OTT), which the Alibaba’s Jack Ma bought for around $4 billion.

    Mark Popkiewicz, the CEO of MirriAd, which hired Google’s Bharat Vijay Zende as its general manager – India in July 2017, said the company was formed in response to the explosion in quality online television programming.

    Mirriad, together with Alibaba, has announced the launch of native-in-video advertising (NIVA) CPM in China. Tangeche is the first brand to run a NIVA CPM campaign with Alibaba/Youku and Mirriad.

    Youku viewers may soon be seeing programmes with brands, such as a realistic soft drink can on a coffee table, superimposed or digitally inserted episodes by MirriAd, in which India’s ZEEL wrote off its Rs 330 million investment in August 2016.

    Running until January 30, 2018, the Tangeche campaign features signage and product ad unit insertions using the brand’s mascot. The first flight will cover approximately 300-500 episodes of a variety of dramas and variety/reality shows. The campaign will be managed for viewability and verification in partnership with third party tracking.

    Tangeche parent Hangzhou Souche Automotive Services VP Chen Qi said, “Besides cost-effective brand exposure, Tangeche attracted the attention of younger users, and communicated a new way for buying cars, thanks to its subtle messaging in scenes that featured urban mainstream working and living.”

    Mirriad MD – APAC Mike Rees says: “As a brand that typically purchases OOH, Tangeche is utilising NIVA as a supplement with powerful ad tech and tracking capabilities that feature high quality integrations that deliver high relevancy, reach and efficiency.”

    Alibaba Digital Media & Entertainment Group – Youku COO Shen Wei said, “Advertisers can now leverage hot IPs for increasing brand exposure and enhancing brand association, as well as generating more opportunities for content marketing.”

  • Disney pushes brand bindass as it merges with bindass Play, enters OTT space

    Disney pushes brand bindass as it merges with bindass Play, enters OTT space

    MUMBAI: It’s hardly a week since Disney India rebranded its movie channel UTV Movies, and now the network has consolidated its two channels — that is bindass and bindass Play. Along with that, in its promise to be omni-present across platforms, bindass will launch an OTT platform for the millennials who want to consume content on-the-go.

    The brand bindass will undergo a transformation this month-end, and after the consolidation with bindass, what will happen to bindass Play is anybody’s guess.

    With the addition of OTT, bindass will have complete presence across linear and digital platforms, providing the users with more opportunities to interact with the brand. Also, the bindass channel will represent a variety of content in a refreshing new packaging.

    Disney media networks and interactive vice president Abhishek Maheshwari said, “The first big initiative we are taking is that we are launching a bindass app in the next few weeks. The idea is to interact with our consumer directly and they can view all our content on one place and to create an engaging platform. We will start with the content we have and, going forward, we will start building content on the basis of consumer preference — this is the key initiative we are doing with bindass.”

    About the ad rate, Disney India says it believes in going with story and finding out the best deal to integrate the brand in the content.

    The network is bringing together branded content, original shows, contemporary music and movies on a single platform – bindass. “The second is that — we are re-packaging bindass. As we look at the evolution of the brand, bindass was launched a decade ago, and the brand stood for entertainment for the millennials, the core remains the same but how stories are told is evolving, and now when we will have a digital presence not on just one platform but on multi-platform along with the linear presence while coming up with the bindass’ new look.”

    bindass Play was launched in 2014, when Siddharth Roy-Kapoor was heading Disney India. bindass Play replaced UTV Stars as the network wanted to build on a youth-centric brand.

    The channel was launched with 13 shows like Tia’s request, Tweet Meri Beat, Ishq Messenger and among others, allowing viewers to choose his/her playlist from social media.

    The rebranded channel will have more music and movies, 13 hours of Hindi music spread across the day, every day, starting with five hours of uninterrupted hit in the morning including viewers’ favorite Selfie Wala request show and two-hour block of Tia’s Request show injects a ton load of energy in the evening.

    Four hours of great stories are to be enjoyed through the day including everyone’s favorite Yeh Hai Aashiqui and the latest show in the bindass stable – Dil Buffering, which launches on 29 September. The weekends have a little extra with a movie every afternoon on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

    “For Dil Buffering, we have a fairly aggressive marketing campaign around that. We will be pushing the brand bindass, not the channel bindass,” Maheshwari added.

    Maheshwari informed: “In music, we see lots of engagement from the audience, therefore we will go with 13 hours’ music. We have also done social media integration, and we will continue to do more. Also, we have seen a decent amount of interest in movies. We will have movies in the slot called Filmwaag. The idea is to air movies that appeal to the youth.”

    Last year, with Girl in the City (followed by The Trip and Girl In The City Chapter 2), bindass led the wave of disruption with an omni-content, multi-platform strategy to win over millennials in a rapidly evolving digital space with outstanding success.

    “We launched three major web series Girl In the City season 1, 2 and The Trip, and we saw phenomenal success. We have got 180 million views across Facebook and Youtube. The core of web — whichever format and medium they are using — is great storytelling, and that’s what brand bindass stands for. Also these are the sponsored content, we worked with brands. We integrate their stories as the part of the content but the core again be true to the story. Even the music was independently featured on Hungama, iTunes etc.”

    bindass will now welcome a slew of new series which will kick off with the launch of Dil Buffering and TereLiye Bro in the next two months.

    The 10-episodic series Dil Buffering is a love story which will go on air from 29 September at 7pm time slot with simulcast on all Youtube Facebook and TV. The channel has tied up with brands like Micromax, Tinder, Sofy and Ginger by lifestyle. The channel is in talks for their next web series.

  • Tata Sky and Irdeto tie up, OTT service launched on Android devices

    Tata Sky and Irdeto tie up, OTT service launched on Android devices

    MUMBAI: India’s pay TV market is highly competitive, yet there is tremendous growth potential for OTT services as disposable incomes rise. According to Tetra Pax Index 2017, 82 per cent of the Indian population spends its time on mobile phones, and 2017 saw a 23 per cent rise in internet users who spend an average of eight hours a day online compared to 2016.

    To take advantage of the growing trend of consumption of video on-the-go, Tata Sky aims to offer its customers a high-quality viewing experience with superior navigation within a reliable and scalable service. Irdeto has been selected by Tata Sky, a leading content distribution platform providing pay-TV and over-the-top (OTT) services, to enhance its end-to-end solution for OTT services. The first phase of the project has been launched with Android devices, and the follow-on phases will extend Tata Sky’s OTT service to PC and iOS devices.

    Irdeto’s OTT solutions will simplify the operations and workflow of supporting multiple digital rights management (DRM) systems, configuring consistent business policies across different devices and managing a massive library of media assets. This will enable Tata Sky to not only rapidly re-launch their service, but also have the flexibility to easily adapt their service and business model to meet changing demands.

    Irdeto will enable Tata Sky to not only rapidly re-launch their service, but also have the flexibility to easily adapt their service and business model to meet changing demands.

    “In India, it is important for us to offer our customers the best user experience on their devices. This means a high-quality, multi-lingual viewing experience of live channels and on-demand content with superior navigation within a reliable and scalable service,” said Tata Sky chief commercial officer Pallavi Puri.

    “There is a tremendous growth opportunity for OTT services in India, which brings about fierce competition in the industry. As such, it is crucial for operators like Tata Sky to have the freedom to innovate,” said Irdeto senior vice-president of sales and services Bengt Jonsson. “We can offload the complexity of managing security, fragmented technologies and backend workflow for them, and enable them to focus on delivering value to their customers,” he added.

  • SonyLiv can monetise content bundles better using Evergent solution

    SonyLiv can monetise content bundles better using Evergent solution

    MUMBAI: Evergent will now empower SPNI to onboard new customers for SonyLiv and monetise live sports. Its comprehensive revenue and user lifecycle management platform supports identity, entitlements, product catalogue and payments across two major media platforms and multiple devices.

    Evergent Technologies, a provider of cloud-based, user lifecycle management solutions for video service providers, has announced a collaboration with Sony Pictures Network India (SPNI) and its SonyLiv premium video-on-demand (VOD) service.

    This would enable Sony to expand beyond its initial push to consumers in India. With Evergent’s User Lifecycle Management solution, SonyLiv can support identity, entitlements and better monetise content bundles across both live and on-demand media platforms.

    SonyLiv provides multiscreen engagement on all devices to millions of users. Sony wanted to leverage that success by expanding into other geographic territories, and has selected Evergent because of its expertise in deploying a global OTT service.

    As part of the collaboration, Evergent will provide identity and user management, entitlement for provisioning content access, revenue management to track global payments by product and region, and product catalogue management for personalising products, bundles and promotions across a range of devices.

    “SPNI has extensive content they want to monetise and want to better manage the customer journey with a cost-effective carrier-scale platform,” said Evergent’s founder and CEO Vijay Sajja. “Companies today require a modern, comprehensive tool set to actively manage video delivery, billing and users accounts in flexible and compelling ways that drive customer acquisition, reduce churn, and maximize predictable revenue.”

    According to SPNI senior VP and head of IT and post-production Ajay Kumar Meher, “By teaming up with Evergent, we can expand our reach offering live streaming video content of select sporting events and personalize offers based on a user’s profile, device or geography.”

  • Singtel’s CAST adds HOOQ to OTT content line-up, three-month trial offered

    Singtel’s CAST adds HOOQ to OTT content line-up, three-month trial offered

    MUMBAI: Singtel’s OTT video portal app CAST is bringing a new world of entertainment to Singtel postpaid mobile, fibre broadband and Singtel TV customers with the addition of HOOQ.

    HOOQ’s extensive library of over 20,000 movies and TV series can be viewed on mobile, tablets, and even big TV screens enabled with Android TV and Google Chromecast. Customers will be spoilt for choice with programmes by HOOQ’s network of studio partners such as Sony Pictures, Warner Bros., Disney, DreamWorks, Lionsgate and over a hundred Asian studios. From Hollywood blockbusters such as Captain America: the First Avenger, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and Thor, to popular shows such as The Flash and Supergirl, HOOQ is the only video-on-demand service in Singapore to offer selected Hollywood movies from 90 days of cinema release and TV series with same-day telecasts as the U.S.

    Singtel MD – home, at consumer Singapore Goh Seow Eng said, “Hollywood, Asian and kids’ content is extremely popular with our customers. We are pleased to offer HOOQ’s vast selection in the palm of their hands or comfort of their own homes. We will continue to expand CAST’s content library for our customers’ enjoyment.”

    HOOQ CEO Peter Bithos said, “We are very excited about our partnership with Singtel and proud to bring Singaporeans more of the latest! Binge now on Supergirl, The Flash and Lucifer before catching the latest season the same day as the U.S.! Soon, HOOQ will be bringing three of Marvel’s latest series – Marvel’s Inhumans, Marvel’s Runaways and Marvel’s Cloak and Dagger – the same day as the U.S. telecast! We are always looking for new ways and new titles to keep Singaporeans HOOQ’d month after month!”

    As an introductory offer, Singtel postpaid customers can get a three-month trial on HOOQ with a 12-month contract and pay only S$4.90/month subsequently.

    For customers who opt for a non-contract subscription, they will pay only S$7.90/month.

    HOOQ is the latest addition to CAST’s wide range of content such as Aneka Plus, Asian Plus, Fox+, Variety Plus, Viu Premium and more.

    Singtel postpaid customers can subscribe to HOOQ and enjoy:

    · The best of Hollywood – movies available from 90 days of cinema release and the latest TV series on the same day telecast as the U.S.

    · The largest selection of the best hits – 20,000 movies and TV series for the price of one movie ticket

    · Entertainment for the whole family – including younger kids who can catch their favourite animated series such as Transformers: Robots in Disguise, Mr. Bean and more

    · Unlimited online viewing using up to five devices – download anytime, anywhere

    · An ad-free experience – uninterrupted viewing without ads

  • 14 pc Singaporeans use illicit TV boxes, at malware risk: Casbaa-sponsored study

    14 pc Singaporeans use illicit TV boxes, at malware risk: Casbaa-sponsored study

    MUMBAI: Despite major growth in the number and range of legal online content choices available to them, recent studies have found Singaporeans to be among the top consumers of pirated online content around the world.

    A new consumer research study released by research company, Sycamore, at a Casbaa-sponsored event further examined online piracy behaviour within Singapore and found several striking trends:

    • Almost half the population admit to having engaged in online piracy, with 39 per cent stating they currently illegally stream (OTT / VoD) or download movies, TV shows or live sports channels.

    • Illicit Streaming Devices (TV boxes) are changing the face of piracy in Singapore, with 14 per cent of Singaporeans admitting to currently using an illicit streaming device.

    • Seventy-four per cent of active pirates recognise that accessing pirated content puts them at greater risk of getting viruses, spyware and other malware. In fact, the risk of malware was the primary reason (40 per cent) cited by those who said they had stopped pirating for their change in behaviour, followed by recognition that there were now more legal options available (37 per cent).

    • Sixty-eight per cent of Singaporeans recognise that pirating movies, TV shows or sporting events is stealing or theft, with almost a third agreeing that blocking of sites which profit from pirated content would be the most effective means of reducing online piracy.

    The Sycamore study combined qualitative and quantitative methodologies. This included a survey of 1,000 respondents in Singapore, weighted to be representative of the population, plus a further 300 users of illicit streaming devices, to better understand the details of their behaviours.

    “The implications of these results are significant”, commented CASBAA’s chief policy officer John Medeiros. “Admitted usage of TV boxes which provide illegal access to TV series, movies and live sports events is much greater in Singapore than in other developed markets, such as the US and the UK. While these numbers are already concerning, they rely on the candour of respondents and undoubtedly underestimate the true scale of the problem.”

    These findings point to an equally worrying trend in the Singaporean market. Despite the fact that two-thirds of Singaporeans agree that piracy is stealing, the study revealed that nearly three quarters of the population consider piracy to be a normal or typical behaviour.

    “The notion that piracy is something that everybody does nowadays turns it into a socially acceptable behaviour”, said Sycamore Research director Anna Meadows. “Numerous studies have shown that what we perceive others to be doing has a far stronger influence on our behaviour than what we know we ‘ought’ to do. People know that they shouldn’t really pirate, but they continue to do so because they believe those around them do as well. Interestingly, even among active pirates, almost a third agree that authorities should be able to take more action to deter piracy.”

    Those Singaporeans who admitted to actively streaming or downloading pirated content admitted that the primary incentive behind their behaviour is that it costs nothing to pirate. An overwhelming 63 per cent of respondents answered that their decision to pirate was motivated by the desire to access content for free. “On the other hand”, said Meadows, “there are few perceived downsides to piracy. Whilst the risk of devices being infected with viruses or malware is understood, it is underweighted. In the face of the benefit of free content, people appear to discount the risks, as the idea of getting something for nothing is so psychologically powerful.”