ITV

Tag: OTT

  • Viva appoints Ashley before global OTT rollout

    Viva appoints Ashley before global OTT rollout

    MUMBAI: Viva Entertainment Group, Inc., a developer of OTT systems through which television services are delivered using the Internet, has announced the appointment of FlixFling founder and CEO, Thomas Ashley, to its board of directors.

    Ashley will serve as an independent director of the company. Viva’s Board now comprises four, with Johnny Falcones, Viva’s CEO, serving as the chairman of the board. Ashley is an industry veteran and brings a new dimension to its seasoned board. This wealth of knowledge makes the perfect team as the company embarks on a global rollout of its cutting edge OTT platform.

    Viva’s CEO, Johnny Falcones expressed, “Ashley’s experience in content rights and global distribution makes him nothing short of an industry guru. Ashley will play a major part in our decision-making when it comes to his fields of expertise. He continues to be a top notch CEO having advanced FlixFling to one of the top streaming music and movie services in North America. The addition of his expertise to Viva’s Board is part of our complete package, rounding out insight into all arenas related to OTT, as we ready our products for global distribution. We could not be more thrilled to have his guidance as we advance Viva’s mission in the market place.”

    Viva founder chairman and CEO Johnny Falcones is an industry veteran with the strategic vision, drive, and connections to advance Viva’s platform in the TV industry. His extensive experience in the entertainment world drove him to start his quest with Viva.

    From day one at a young age he helped develop the careers of Marc Anthony (India) and not long ago Soleil J. This champion then continued his career with Icons such as Celia Cruz and Tito Puente. He also developed a successful record label with Universal Music and Video Distribution, turning it in to a multi-million dollar label.

    Two decades ago, Falcones was just a Puerto Rican born, cool kid from Brooklyn, who moonlighted as a DJ while attending LaGuardia College in New York .2 turntables & a keen ear, Falcones quickly became the music authority of NY’s Latin House music scene of 90s. It was one faithful night at Palladium nightclub, where he had a chance encounter with legendary music impresario Ralph Mercado, who recruited him to RMM Records. Together they globalized the Latin record industry, converting starry-eyed local vocalist Marc Anthony & India from buzz act, to icons.

    Within months, the young up and coming Falcones was globe-trotting with Superstars, Celia Cruz & Tito Puente. Under Falcones’ management, these stars collected a bevy of international awards & were immortalized via ‘Hollywood Walk of Fame’ slots. Falcones co-exec. produced the White House’s 24th Annual Hispanic Heritage Awards in Sep. 2010, which featured a luminaries such Juan Luis Guerra & Don Francisco. He also produced the Last Tito Puente concert Viva La Musica which was release on Showtime pay-per view and the was release on CD and DVD.

    Ashley is an unprecedented CEO who brings two decades of experience in the film industry. As founder and CEO of FlixFling, Ashley has created the largest privately held streaming movie service in North America. FlixFling is the only service to offer both streaming music and movies for one low monthly fee. Through its partnership with Music Choice, FlixFling is also the only streaming service to offer streaming music videos across 25 channels. Flixfling boasts over 10,000 titles, with Ashley negotiating all content deals for the company with partners including Warner Brothers, Sony, Paramount, Universal, Starz Digital Media, Magnolia Pictures, Image Entertainment and VuBiquity among others.

    A veteran in the Advertising Industry Ashley’s experience is paramount in marketing to mainstream audiences. As CEO of Invincible Pictures, Ashley has created a major independent entertainment group pioneering digital film and television distribution. In November of 2008 Ashley opened Philadelphia Sound Stages a 70,000 Square feet facility including Sound Stages, Production Offices and warehousing for Invincible’s pick, pack and ship operations. In May of 2014 Ashley closed his 2nd film acquisitions fund Invincible Entertainment Partners. A follow up to his highly successful 2008 fund IP Film Partners, both with the mission of acquiring, producing and licensing motion picture properties for distribution on a global platform.

    As part of the fund Invincible co-produced Kevin Smith’s newest $5.5MM film “Yoga Hosers” Starring, Smith and his Daughter Harley Quinn, as well as Johnny Depp, and his daughter Lilly-Rose. This is the first time Depp and his daughter shared a screen together. Other notable cast includes Stan Lee, Justin Long, Haley Joel Osment and Genesis Rodriguez. Ashley is a proud member of the board for the Philadelphia Film Society, the non-profit organization behind the Philadelphia Film Festival, A Member of the Entertainment Merchants Association and Volunteer at the Abramson Cancer Center at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Ashley himself is a cancer survivor and shares a home with his wife and son in the suburbs of Philadelphia.

  • Viva appoints Ashley before global OTT rollout

    Viva appoints Ashley before global OTT rollout

    MUMBAI: Viva Entertainment Group, Inc., a developer of OTT systems through which television services are delivered using the Internet, has announced the appointment of FlixFling founder and CEO, Thomas Ashley, to its board of directors.

    Ashley will serve as an independent director of the company. Viva’s Board now comprises four, with Johnny Falcones, Viva’s CEO, serving as the chairman of the board. Ashley is an industry veteran and brings a new dimension to its seasoned board. This wealth of knowledge makes the perfect team as the company embarks on a global rollout of its cutting edge OTT platform.

    Viva’s CEO, Johnny Falcones expressed, “Ashley’s experience in content rights and global distribution makes him nothing short of an industry guru. Ashley will play a major part in our decision-making when it comes to his fields of expertise. He continues to be a top notch CEO having advanced FlixFling to one of the top streaming music and movie services in North America. The addition of his expertise to Viva’s Board is part of our complete package, rounding out insight into all arenas related to OTT, as we ready our products for global distribution. We could not be more thrilled to have his guidance as we advance Viva’s mission in the market place.”

    Viva founder chairman and CEO Johnny Falcones is an industry veteran with the strategic vision, drive, and connections to advance Viva’s platform in the TV industry. His extensive experience in the entertainment world drove him to start his quest with Viva.

    From day one at a young age he helped develop the careers of Marc Anthony (India) and not long ago Soleil J. This champion then continued his career with Icons such as Celia Cruz and Tito Puente. He also developed a successful record label with Universal Music and Video Distribution, turning it in to a multi-million dollar label.

    Two decades ago, Falcones was just a Puerto Rican born, cool kid from Brooklyn, who moonlighted as a DJ while attending LaGuardia College in New York .2 turntables & a keen ear, Falcones quickly became the music authority of NY’s Latin House music scene of 90s. It was one faithful night at Palladium nightclub, where he had a chance encounter with legendary music impresario Ralph Mercado, who recruited him to RMM Records. Together they globalized the Latin record industry, converting starry-eyed local vocalist Marc Anthony & India from buzz act, to icons.

    Within months, the young up and coming Falcones was globe-trotting with Superstars, Celia Cruz & Tito Puente. Under Falcones’ management, these stars collected a bevy of international awards & were immortalized via ‘Hollywood Walk of Fame’ slots. Falcones co-exec. produced the White House’s 24th Annual Hispanic Heritage Awards in Sep. 2010, which featured a luminaries such Juan Luis Guerra & Don Francisco. He also produced the Last Tito Puente concert Viva La Musica which was release on Showtime pay-per view and the was release on CD and DVD.

    Ashley is an unprecedented CEO who brings two decades of experience in the film industry. As founder and CEO of FlixFling, Ashley has created the largest privately held streaming movie service in North America. FlixFling is the only service to offer both streaming music and movies for one low monthly fee. Through its partnership with Music Choice, FlixFling is also the only streaming service to offer streaming music videos across 25 channels. Flixfling boasts over 10,000 titles, with Ashley negotiating all content deals for the company with partners including Warner Brothers, Sony, Paramount, Universal, Starz Digital Media, Magnolia Pictures, Image Entertainment and VuBiquity among others.

    A veteran in the Advertising Industry Ashley’s experience is paramount in marketing to mainstream audiences. As CEO of Invincible Pictures, Ashley has created a major independent entertainment group pioneering digital film and television distribution. In November of 2008 Ashley opened Philadelphia Sound Stages a 70,000 Square feet facility including Sound Stages, Production Offices and warehousing for Invincible’s pick, pack and ship operations. In May of 2014 Ashley closed his 2nd film acquisitions fund Invincible Entertainment Partners. A follow up to his highly successful 2008 fund IP Film Partners, both with the mission of acquiring, producing and licensing motion picture properties for distribution on a global platform.

    As part of the fund Invincible co-produced Kevin Smith’s newest $5.5MM film “Yoga Hosers” Starring, Smith and his Daughter Harley Quinn, as well as Johnny Depp, and his daughter Lilly-Rose. This is the first time Depp and his daughter shared a screen together. Other notable cast includes Stan Lee, Justin Long, Haley Joel Osment and Genesis Rodriguez. Ashley is a proud member of the board for the Philadelphia Film Society, the non-profit organization behind the Philadelphia Film Festival, A Member of the Entertainment Merchants Association and Volunteer at the Abramson Cancer Center at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Ashley himself is a cancer survivor and shares a home with his wife and son in the suburbs of Philadelphia.

  • Eros Now’s content available to Lyca TV’s European customers

    Eros Now’s content available to Lyca TV’s European customers

    MUMBAI: Eros Now, the cutting-edge over-the-top (OTT) Bollywood entertainment platform owned by Eros International Plc, yesterday announced that it is now available on the Lyca TV platform.

    Lyca TV, the world’s largest ethnic content online Over-the-top (OTT) entertainment provider, enables its consumers to experience the convenience of virtual home entertainment anywhere. One can watch his favourite TV channels across a wide range of devices on a single subscription.

    The launch of Eros Now will provide Lyca TV customers with access to the world’s largest collection of premium Indian entertainment with hundreds of titles in several languages. This development further enhances Lyca TV’s offering to customers, particularly across its Indian consumer base. The service will be included in Tamil, Sinhala and African packages and will be available for a small additional fee in others.

    Eros Digital CEO Rishika Lulla Singh says, “With this association, we continue to amplify our presence across top streaming services by showcasing a compelling array of Bollywood and regional language content and reinforcing our reach to our subscribers.”

    Lyca Group deputy chairman Prem Sivasamy said, “We are bringing our extensive customer base enhanced access to a wide range of popular channels and TV shows. This development further demonstrates Lyca Group’s continued commitment to providing our customers with access to their communities back home.”

    Lyca TV, part of the Lyca Group, delivers a broad range of international TV shows across multiple devices. The platform caters to a wide range of major ethnic communities, streaming over 450 channels – more than any competitor – in over 25 languages. LycaTV can be viewed via television, desktop, mobile or tablet.

    Eros Now offers a wide array of entertainment from music to movies and television content across languages. Eros’ vast movie library consists of Bollywood blockbusters including its latest super hits like Housefull 3, Dishoom, Happy Bhaag Jayegi, Bajirao Mastani and Bajrangi Bhaijaan.

  • Eros Now’s content available to Lyca TV’s European customers

    Eros Now’s content available to Lyca TV’s European customers

    MUMBAI: Eros Now, the cutting-edge over-the-top (OTT) Bollywood entertainment platform owned by Eros International Plc, yesterday announced that it is now available on the Lyca TV platform.

    Lyca TV, the world’s largest ethnic content online Over-the-top (OTT) entertainment provider, enables its consumers to experience the convenience of virtual home entertainment anywhere. One can watch his favourite TV channels across a wide range of devices on a single subscription.

    The launch of Eros Now will provide Lyca TV customers with access to the world’s largest collection of premium Indian entertainment with hundreds of titles in several languages. This development further enhances Lyca TV’s offering to customers, particularly across its Indian consumer base. The service will be included in Tamil, Sinhala and African packages and will be available for a small additional fee in others.

    Eros Digital CEO Rishika Lulla Singh says, “With this association, we continue to amplify our presence across top streaming services by showcasing a compelling array of Bollywood and regional language content and reinforcing our reach to our subscribers.”

    Lyca Group deputy chairman Prem Sivasamy said, “We are bringing our extensive customer base enhanced access to a wide range of popular channels and TV shows. This development further demonstrates Lyca Group’s continued commitment to providing our customers with access to their communities back home.”

    Lyca TV, part of the Lyca Group, delivers a broad range of international TV shows across multiple devices. The platform caters to a wide range of major ethnic communities, streaming over 450 channels – more than any competitor – in over 25 languages. LycaTV can be viewed via television, desktop, mobile or tablet.

    Eros Now offers a wide array of entertainment from music to movies and television content across languages. Eros’ vast movie library consists of Bollywood blockbusters including its latest super hits like Housefull 3, Dishoom, Happy Bhaag Jayegi, Bajirao Mastani and Bajrangi Bhaijaan.

  • Viu forays into micro originals with ‘Viru Ke Funde’

    Viu forays into micro originals with ‘Viru Ke Funde’

    MUMBAI: Vuclip, a PCCW Media Company and the leading premium video on demand (VOD) service for emerging markets, has today announced the launch of ‘Viru ke Funde’, a fifteen episode web series that will be streamed on Vuclip’s OTT Video on Demand Service – Viu.

    Virender Sehwag will play the central character in the show and will be seen doling out advice to his group of friends on issues such as weight loss, managing stress, dodging telemarketers and the taxman as well as ways to win an argument with your better half and learning to cope with your mother-in-law’s taunts among others.

    The show was conceptualized based on Vuclip’s research insight that 60% of India’s digital audiences show the propensity to consume cricket focused comedy genre content which ties well with Sehwag’s raw, earthy and ‘in your face’ humor which has made him a Twitter sensation with over 7.5 million followers.

    The first five episodes of the show have been released today on Viu, with one new episode scheduled to be released every day for the next ten days until 2 December 2016.

    With a run time of about two minutes per episode, the show marks the advent of ‘Micro Originals’ – short form snackable video content aimed at entertaining the mobile audience ‘on the go.’ This effort also underscores Viu’s differentiated short form content strategy.

    Vuclip India country head Vishal Maheshwari said, “Viu is a celebration of fandom and a video destination that knows its viewers’ entertainment quotient. Much like our first original show ‘What the Duck,’ this series too will enable fans of Virender Sehwag to see him in his off-field personality which they have grown to like. ‘Viru Ke Funde’ is an exciting addition to our catalog of originals for our viewers.”

    Sehwag said, “Life is all about keeping things simple. See the Ball, Hit the Ball! Viru ke Funde is about sharing what I have learned in life and cricket with my real friends, making the experience all the more ‘FUN.’ I am delighted to partner with Viu which has given me a platform to engage with my fans through the digital medium. I hope the show will give you as much thrill as my batting did.”

    Links to the first five episodes of ‘Viru Ke Funde’

    Promo – https://www.viu.com/en/media/1139615025?containerId=playlist-24122189

    Funda #1: How to Win an Argument with your Wife

    https://www.viu.com/en/media/1139341106?containerId=playlist-24122189

    Funda #2: How to behave in a 5 Star Hotel

    https://www.viu.com/en/media/1139341134?containerId=playlist-24122189

    Funda #3: How To Increase Facebook Likes 

    https://www.viu.com/en/media/1139341139?containerId=playlist-24122189

    Funda #4: How To Manage Stress

    https://www.viu.com/en/media/1139341149?containerId=playlist-24122189

    Funda #5: How To Lose Weight

    https://www.viu.com/en/media/1139341137?containerId=playlist-24122189

  • Viu forays into micro originals with ‘Viru Ke Funde’

    Viu forays into micro originals with ‘Viru Ke Funde’

    MUMBAI: Vuclip, a PCCW Media Company and the leading premium video on demand (VOD) service for emerging markets, has today announced the launch of ‘Viru ke Funde’, a fifteen episode web series that will be streamed on Vuclip’s OTT Video on Demand Service – Viu.

    Virender Sehwag will play the central character in the show and will be seen doling out advice to his group of friends on issues such as weight loss, managing stress, dodging telemarketers and the taxman as well as ways to win an argument with your better half and learning to cope with your mother-in-law’s taunts among others.

    The show was conceptualized based on Vuclip’s research insight that 60% of India’s digital audiences show the propensity to consume cricket focused comedy genre content which ties well with Sehwag’s raw, earthy and ‘in your face’ humor which has made him a Twitter sensation with over 7.5 million followers.

    The first five episodes of the show have been released today on Viu, with one new episode scheduled to be released every day for the next ten days until 2 December 2016.

    With a run time of about two minutes per episode, the show marks the advent of ‘Micro Originals’ – short form snackable video content aimed at entertaining the mobile audience ‘on the go.’ This effort also underscores Viu’s differentiated short form content strategy.

    Vuclip India country head Vishal Maheshwari said, “Viu is a celebration of fandom and a video destination that knows its viewers’ entertainment quotient. Much like our first original show ‘What the Duck,’ this series too will enable fans of Virender Sehwag to see him in his off-field personality which they have grown to like. ‘Viru Ke Funde’ is an exciting addition to our catalog of originals for our viewers.”

    Sehwag said, “Life is all about keeping things simple. See the Ball, Hit the Ball! Viru ke Funde is about sharing what I have learned in life and cricket with my real friends, making the experience all the more ‘FUN.’ I am delighted to partner with Viu which has given me a platform to engage with my fans through the digital medium. I hope the show will give you as much thrill as my batting did.”

    Links to the first five episodes of ‘Viru Ke Funde’

    Promo – https://www.viu.com/en/media/1139615025?containerId=playlist-24122189

    Funda #1: How to Win an Argument with your Wife

    https://www.viu.com/en/media/1139341106?containerId=playlist-24122189

    Funda #2: How to behave in a 5 Star Hotel

    https://www.viu.com/en/media/1139341134?containerId=playlist-24122189

    Funda #3: How To Increase Facebook Likes 

    https://www.viu.com/en/media/1139341139?containerId=playlist-24122189

    Funda #4: How To Manage Stress

    https://www.viu.com/en/media/1139341149?containerId=playlist-24122189

    Funda #5: How To Lose Weight

    https://www.viu.com/en/media/1139341137?containerId=playlist-24122189

  • Zindagi, Tata Sky tie up for contest; winners to celebrate New Year in Turkey

    Zindagi, Tata Sky tie up for contest; winners to celebrate New Year in Turkey

    MUMBAI: Zindagi, a leading premium entertainment channel, has always offered viewers unique experiences and presented the best stories from across the world.

    Taking this value proposition a step ahead, the channel has associated with one of India’s leading content distribution platform providing Pay TV and OTT services, Tata Sky. The ‘Zindagi New Year in Turkey Contest’ will start on 21 November and end on 5 December 2016.

    Zindagi will offer Tata Sky subscribers a chance to win an all-expense paid holiday for two to Turkey in January 2017. Five lucky winners along with a companion each will get a chance to visit Turkey by answering few simple questions on the blockbuster primetime series, ‘Fatmagul’ that airs on Zindagi Monday to Saturday at 9:00 PM.

    Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. (ZEEL) chief business officer Sunil Buch said, “Our Turkish shows have acquainted viewers with a country that is known for its beautiful locations, good stories, great talent and people whose sensibilities and values are similar Indians. Our partnership with Tata Sky allows us us an opportunity to delight viewers with a memorable holiday to Turkey for the appreciation they have given to Turkish shows on Zindagi.”

    Tata Sky chief communications officer Malay Dikshit said, “The co-marketing initiative with Zindagi is a win-win for all. Imagine that one can be rewarded for watching good quality TV – something that they enjoy!.”

    Tata Sky subscribers can answer questions based on Fatmagul by pressing the Red Button on their Tata Sky remote while watching the show on Zindagi. This will lead them to a landing page where they need to answer few simple questions. The contest will be LIVE on Zindagi only during the original episode airing i.e. from 9: 00 PM to 10: 00 PM, Monday to Saturday. The contest will be promoted heavily through promos on the Default Landing Channel, Search & Scan Banner & Guide Banner across all TATA Sky households.

    Zindagi presents finite world stories with bold narratives that unveil universal emotions. Tata Sky, a JV between the Tata Group and 21st Century Fox, was the first to launch multiple products and services that redefined the subscribers viewing experience in the country.

  • Zindagi, Tata Sky tie up for contest; winners to celebrate New Year in Turkey

    Zindagi, Tata Sky tie up for contest; winners to celebrate New Year in Turkey

    MUMBAI: Zindagi, a leading premium entertainment channel, has always offered viewers unique experiences and presented the best stories from across the world.

    Taking this value proposition a step ahead, the channel has associated with one of India’s leading content distribution platform providing Pay TV and OTT services, Tata Sky. The ‘Zindagi New Year in Turkey Contest’ will start on 21 November and end on 5 December 2016.

    Zindagi will offer Tata Sky subscribers a chance to win an all-expense paid holiday for two to Turkey in January 2017. Five lucky winners along with a companion each will get a chance to visit Turkey by answering few simple questions on the blockbuster primetime series, ‘Fatmagul’ that airs on Zindagi Monday to Saturday at 9:00 PM.

    Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. (ZEEL) chief business officer Sunil Buch said, “Our Turkish shows have acquainted viewers with a country that is known for its beautiful locations, good stories, great talent and people whose sensibilities and values are similar Indians. Our partnership with Tata Sky allows us us an opportunity to delight viewers with a memorable holiday to Turkey for the appreciation they have given to Turkish shows on Zindagi.”

    Tata Sky chief communications officer Malay Dikshit said, “The co-marketing initiative with Zindagi is a win-win for all. Imagine that one can be rewarded for watching good quality TV – something that they enjoy!.”

    Tata Sky subscribers can answer questions based on Fatmagul by pressing the Red Button on their Tata Sky remote while watching the show on Zindagi. This will lead them to a landing page where they need to answer few simple questions. The contest will be LIVE on Zindagi only during the original episode airing i.e. from 9: 00 PM to 10: 00 PM, Monday to Saturday. The contest will be promoted heavily through promos on the Default Landing Channel, Search & Scan Banner & Guide Banner across all TATA Sky households.

    Zindagi presents finite world stories with bold narratives that unveil universal emotions. Tata Sky, a JV between the Tata Group and 21st Century Fox, was the first to launch multiple products and services that redefined the subscribers viewing experience in the country.

  • Friend MTS-Castle Media to tackle Bollywood’s digital piracy using unique watermark tech

    Friend MTS-Castle Media to tackle Bollywood’s digital piracy using unique watermark tech

    MUMBAI: Piracy is a serious challenge to the entertainment industry in India. In fact, according to the Motion Pictures Distributors Association of India (MPDA), India country is infamous for having one of the highest rate of video piracy in the world. Lack of stringent IP protection laws to counter exponential growth of online piracy has made matters worse. In 2008 alone, the industry lost close to USD 4 billion (Rs 27,000 crore) to piracy, going by Ernst & Young estimates. By 2016, the figure may have doubled by conservative extrapolation.

    Birmingham-based content protection service Friend MTS sees a business opportunity in bringing back this large sum of non-monetised revenue back to the content-owners in India. Friend MTS is leading a delegation to India that will investigate the escalating problem of digital piracy.

    “As pioneers in the creation and provision of content protection services, already used by many of the world’s Pay-TV operators, rights holders and broadcasters, we want to engage with the country’s movie producers and work with them to effectively fight the increasing threat to the revenue of premium channels and rights holders,” said Friend MTS’ global sales & marketing EVP Paul Hastings.

    Friend MTS has already established the company’s base in Chennai, with Rahul Nehra overseeing its India operations. He works with India’s film studios, broadcasters and content owners to help protect them from unauthorised redistribution of their live and premium on-demand content.

    Film producers and content rights owners such as Kollywood’s Venkat Prabhu is excited “at the prospects of having FMTS track and contain on-line piracy” and are hopeful this will give them a significant upside in local and global revenues. Tamil Film Producers Council secretary T Siva, a film producer at Amma Creation, said, “The industry welcomes these initiatives on digital anti-piracy.” Friend MTS had already helped secure Bollywood movies like Baahubali and Pink against piracy.

    India is the biggest film producer in the world making between 1500 and 2000 movies each year, including the cult Bollywood movies.

    “By teaming up with our local partner, Rahul Nehra, a well-known face in the Indian broadcast, satellite, content and OTT markets, and growth consultants from Frost Sullivan, the event and our delegation will be an unprecedented forum for discussing India’s spiraling digital piracy problems and how together we can work to stop it,” Hastings shared.

    To help the international player understand the complex Indian media ecosystem, it has made an alliance with Castle Media. To guide its penetration in the southern market, it is relying on Novacom. Friend MTS’s flagship service titled ‘Studio’ is designed to identify instances of pirated movies on the internet, and is being used by some of the largest content-owners in the world.

    In 2012 India was added to an ‘International Piracy Watch List’ by a U.S. government panel looking to highlight countries not taking sufficient action to address high rates of digital piracy. According to a 2013 article in WIPO Magazine (the journal of the World Intellectual Property Organization), the Indian film industry loses around US$3.34 billion and some 60,000 jobs every year because of piracy.

    Identifying each copyright violator by generating unique watermark within the content for each user is what Hastings calls is the technology’s USP. “It uses a sophisticated but lightweight fingerprinting technology, coupled with our global monitoring platform and network forensics, to identify and enforce against websites and apps that are being used deliver illegal content,” he added.

    In India Friend MTS is already operational for a leading broadcaster, and in talks with pay TV platforms, OTT service providers, and content makers, to ensure it catches up to its vibrant international clientele. “We deliver digital anti-piracy services for a wide range of customers including content owners such as Viacom and Paramount, sports rights holders such as the English Premier League, Serie A (Italian Football League), UFC, WWE, the International Olympic Committee and leading Hollywood studios. We also protect tier one pay-TV operators such as Sky, BT, nc+ (Poland) and OTE (Greece) delivered via satellite, cable and OTT,” Hastings added in parting.

  • Friend MTS-Castle Media to tackle Bollywood’s digital piracy using unique watermark tech

    Friend MTS-Castle Media to tackle Bollywood’s digital piracy using unique watermark tech

    MUMBAI: Piracy is a serious challenge to the entertainment industry in India. In fact, according to the Motion Pictures Distributors Association of India (MPDA), India country is infamous for having one of the highest rate of video piracy in the world. Lack of stringent IP protection laws to counter exponential growth of online piracy has made matters worse. In 2008 alone, the industry lost close to USD 4 billion (Rs 27,000 crore) to piracy, going by Ernst & Young estimates. By 2016, the figure may have doubled by conservative extrapolation.

    Birmingham-based content protection service Friend MTS sees a business opportunity in bringing back this large sum of non-monetised revenue back to the content-owners in India. Friend MTS is leading a delegation to India that will investigate the escalating problem of digital piracy.

    “As pioneers in the creation and provision of content protection services, already used by many of the world’s Pay-TV operators, rights holders and broadcasters, we want to engage with the country’s movie producers and work with them to effectively fight the increasing threat to the revenue of premium channels and rights holders,” said Friend MTS’ global sales & marketing EVP Paul Hastings.

    Friend MTS has already established the company’s base in Chennai, with Rahul Nehra overseeing its India operations. He works with India’s film studios, broadcasters and content owners to help protect them from unauthorised redistribution of their live and premium on-demand content.

    Film producers and content rights owners such as Kollywood’s Venkat Prabhu is excited “at the prospects of having FMTS track and contain on-line piracy” and are hopeful this will give them a significant upside in local and global revenues. Tamil Film Producers Council secretary T Siva, a film producer at Amma Creation, said, “The industry welcomes these initiatives on digital anti-piracy.” Friend MTS had already helped secure Bollywood movies like Baahubali and Pink against piracy.

    India is the biggest film producer in the world making between 1500 and 2000 movies each year, including the cult Bollywood movies.

    “By teaming up with our local partner, Rahul Nehra, a well-known face in the Indian broadcast, satellite, content and OTT markets, and growth consultants from Frost Sullivan, the event and our delegation will be an unprecedented forum for discussing India’s spiraling digital piracy problems and how together we can work to stop it,” Hastings shared.

    To help the international player understand the complex Indian media ecosystem, it has made an alliance with Castle Media. To guide its penetration in the southern market, it is relying on Novacom. Friend MTS’s flagship service titled ‘Studio’ is designed to identify instances of pirated movies on the internet, and is being used by some of the largest content-owners in the world.

    In 2012 India was added to an ‘International Piracy Watch List’ by a U.S. government panel looking to highlight countries not taking sufficient action to address high rates of digital piracy. According to a 2013 article in WIPO Magazine (the journal of the World Intellectual Property Organization), the Indian film industry loses around US$3.34 billion and some 60,000 jobs every year because of piracy.

    Identifying each copyright violator by generating unique watermark within the content for each user is what Hastings calls is the technology’s USP. “It uses a sophisticated but lightweight fingerprinting technology, coupled with our global monitoring platform and network forensics, to identify and enforce against websites and apps that are being used deliver illegal content,” he added.

    In India Friend MTS is already operational for a leading broadcaster, and in talks with pay TV platforms, OTT service providers, and content makers, to ensure it catches up to its vibrant international clientele. “We deliver digital anti-piracy services for a wide range of customers including content owners such as Viacom and Paramount, sports rights holders such as the English Premier League, Serie A (Italian Football League), UFC, WWE, the International Olympic Committee and leading Hollywood studios. We also protect tier one pay-TV operators such as Sky, BT, nc+ (Poland) and OTE (Greece) delivered via satellite, cable and OTT,” Hastings added in parting.