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Tag: OTT

  • Prime Video announces immersive & localised cricket experience for Ind vs. NZ series from 18 Nov

    Prime Video announces immersive & localised cricket experience for Ind vs. NZ series from 18 Nov

    Mumbai: Streaming service, Prime Video, amps up the excitement around the Indian cricket team’s tour of New Zealand beginning 18 November, with a series of announcements. In a first for Prime Video India, the service will show advertisements during live cricket matches. It has signed up Airtel Xstream Fiber as the presenting sponsor, and MPL, Nescafé, Noise, OLX Autos, and Vida have come on board as associate sponsors. Meanwhile, brands including AMFI and DBS join as advertisers.

    This move will help brands reach Prime Video’s premium base of highly engaged customers spread across the country.

    India and New Zealand both reached the semi-finals of the Twenty20 World Cup in Australia but lost their matches. They will now play a limited-overs series consisting of three T20s and three ODIs between 18 and 30 November. Prime Video is the official India territory rights holder to exclusively stream all men’s and women’s cricket matches played in New Zealand.

    Prime Video India director of SVoD business Sushant Sreeram said, “There are many things that are heterogeneous about the delightfully diverse India when it comes to entertainment—be it choice of language, genres of shows and movies, devices that customers prefer watching their favourite entertainment on, and so much more. But there is one absolute unifier that everyone across the country is unanimously passionate about, and that’s cricket! With our slate of compelling shows and movies over the last six years, we have strived to super-serve our customers, and they have emphatically picked Prime Video as their most loved entertainment destination. Now, with live cricket made immersive and accessible through multi-language feeds, fantastic studio programming, and a superb set of commentators to guide us through the series, we are confident that we will not only deliver a superior experience for the country’s legions of cricket fans, but also make Prime Video the first choice of entertainment for everyone.”

    “India and New Zealand have both been at the top of their white ball games in the recent past, and we expect some explosive cricket in the coming weeks from two of the best teams in the world as the cricketing action now moves from Australia to New Zealand,” he added.

    Prime Video will deliver live commentary and match-programming in English, Hindi, Tamil, Kannada, and Telugu. Fans will also be treated to graphics in these languages. Former captains and cricketers like Ravi Shastri, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra, Gundappa Viswanath, Anjum Chopra, and Venkatpathy Raju, among others, will be bringing the matches alive with their insightful commentary in different languages as India tries to set the record straight against New Zealand. The BlackCaps knocked the Men in Blue out of the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup and also defeated India in the inaugural World Test Championship final in 2021.

    The full slate of commentators for the series includes the following names:

    English: Ravi Shastri, Harsha Bhogle, Anjum Chopra, Simon Doull, and Murali Kartik. Gaurav Kapoor will be the presenter.

    Hindi: Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra, Ajay Jadeja, Mohammad Kaif, and Ajit Agarkar.

    Tamil: WV Raman, Hemang Badani, L Sivaramakrishnan, and S Sriram.

    Kannada: Gundappa Viswanath, Veda Krishnamurthy, Shankar Prakash, Venkatesh Prasad, and K Jeshwant.

    Telugu: Venkatpathy Raju, Sunitha Anand, Sudhir Malwvedi, and Vijay Malwvedi.

    The cricket experience for the fans doesn’t stop here. Prime Video will also offer an English-language live one-hour pre-show before each game. The mid-innings break will feature a 15-minute show that will be a recap of the first inning and a preview of the second. The live programming also involves a 30-minute post-match presentation and analysis by Prime Video’s stable of cricket experts.

    Curating a new viewing experience for live sports, Prime Video will offer customers new features like an in-game language selector and “Rapid Recap.” The in-game language selector will allow customers to change languages (e.g., from English to Hindi) seamlessly without exiting the player. Customers joining a game in progress can catch-up on impactful game highlights using the “Rapid Recap” feature before transitioning to the live stream automatically.

    To watch the matches, consumers can go to the Prime Video app on their respective devices, where they will be able to find the live match featured on the home page. On Android and Smart TV devices, they can select the Cricket tab in the top navigation. The Cricket section’s landing page will include live matches as well as full replays of previous matches. Consumers can choose a language stream of their choice to enjoy the match. The page will also feature the key highlights of the matches—Super Sixes and short highlights—for a quick catch-up. Fans can stream these matches online through their web browser, mobile devices, internet-connected TVs, set-top boxes, Fire TV sticks, and other compatible devices.

  • OTTplay announces a free trial for its starter pack including seven OTTs

    OTTplay announces a free trial for its starter pack including seven OTTs

    Mumbai: AI-based OTT recommendation and content discovery platform OTTplay has announced a free trial for its ‘starter pack,’ which includes seven OTTs. The platform has achieved over 17,600 signups for its ‘starter pack’ subscription plan. Viewers can choose from romance, sci-fi, thrillers, and documentaries on OTT platforms such as Hallmark Now, Dust Sci-Fi, Docubay, Tastemede+, Shorts TV, Fuse+, and Curiosity Stream that are available to the Indian audience for the first time. With the latest AI-powered technology, the platform aspires to democratise the content offered across OTT platforms, thus empowering the users to discover the content they most likely enjoy.

    OTTplay provides users with content from its extensive library, which includes over 65,000 web series, movies, and shows spanning 18 different genres and multiple languages. The platform has integrated cutting-edge AI software to provide users with insightful suggestions and built the feature independently.

    OTTplay co-founder & CEO Avinash Mudaliar said, “The promotion of our unique offer is vital to elevating connection with the audience. OTTplay has today disrupted the entertainment industry with phenomenal content that brings the best of entertainment to audiences worldwide. Given the growing popularity of OTT platforms, we wanted to ensure that OTTplay was available to a wider audience so that they could fulfil their wish to watch all the world’s content. As a brand, we strive to provide premium content to viewers worldwide, and we look forward to contributing to the audience and offering it a platform to reach the pinnacle of success.”

    OTTplay is a streaming platform that allows audiences to access their favourite content from 12 different OTT platforms with a single subscription. At the same time, it serves as a one-stop content discovery portal for 55+ OTTs producing incredible content across genres and languages.

  • Amazon launches Prime Video mobile edition at Rs 599 per year

    Amazon launches Prime Video mobile edition at Rs 599 per year

    Mumbai: Prime Video has launched its mobile edition at Rs 599 per year. This single-user, mobile-only video annual plan offers everyone access to high-quality entertainment exclusively on their mobile devices and will now be available to all customers in India.

    Created especially for a mobile-first country like India, Prime Video mobile edition is a major step towards making premium entertainment across languages as ubiquitous as smartphones in the country.

    With this move, Prime Video is expanding the accessibility of its mobile edition, which launched last year as a telco-partnered product in collaboration with Bharti Airtel.

    Customers who want to enjoy the complete Prime Video experience, including multi-user access, streaming across devices including smart TVs, and the ability to enjoy content in HD/UHD in addition to having access to all Prime benefits, including free fast delivery on Amazon.in, ad-free music with Prime Music, Prime Reading, and other Prime benefits, can continue to sign up for or upgrade to Prime plans for Rs 1,499 annually.

    Prime Video mobile edition provides standard definition (SD) quality streaming to customers, giving them a chance to explore and watch Prime Video’s rich catalogue of Indian and international movies, Amazon Originals, LIVE cricket, including the eagerly-awaited upcoming India vs. New Zealand Men’s Cricket Series in November 2022, and much more on their mobile devices, all for Rs 599 per year.

    Talking about the launch, Prime Video India vice president Gaurav Gandhi said, “Over the last six years, we have seen a huge growth for Prime Video in India. With viewers from 99 per cent of the country’s pin codes, the service has become the preferred destination for premium content. Guided by our mission of making high-quality entertainment even more accessible across the country, we are excited to launch Prime Video Mobile Edition’s annual plan. This worldwide-first innovation saw an incredible response from Indian consumers when we launched it via a telecom association last year, and building on that success, we are extending its access, with it now being made available directly for subscription through Prime Video’s app and website.”

    Adding to it, Prime Video international vice president Kelly Day commented, “India is one of our fastest-growing and most engaged locales worldwide. Our success in the country can be attributed to innovations that are focused on creating an exceptional entertainment experience for customers. In fact, India is turning into an innovation hub for Prime Video. An initiative like Prime Video Mobile Edition, which had its genesis in India, is now being rolled out across multiple countries in Latin America and Southeast Asia. We are confident that the new Prime Video Mobile Edition annual plan will further help accelerate the growth of our India business and give an even larger customer base access to the high-quality content on the service. With this launch, we look forward to entertaining every Indian with our popular on-demand entertainment content and live sports.”

  • Sports provide a lift to broadcast TV in September, streaming remains top in the US: Nielsen report

    Sports provide a lift to broadcast TV in September, streaming remains top in the US: Nielsen report

    Mumbai: The kickoff of the fall TV season in the US and the return of football provided audiences with an abundance of new content in September, fueling a 2.4 per cent rise in total TV viewing. The arrival of new broadcast programming provided the traditional lift that we’ve seen historically, but the 12.4 per cent increase in volume from August wasn’t enough to alter the trajectory of streaming usage, as streaming services captured 36.9 per cent of total TV usage, according to Nielsen.

    Alongside the whopping, but perhaps not totally unexpected, 222 per cent increase in sports viewing on broadcast channels, audiences continued to overindulge on streaming content, resulting in yet another monthly high-water mark. Audiences also continue to expand their choice of streaming service, with YouTube hitting a new platform-best streaming record, claiming eight per cent of TV viewing and equaling Netflix’s July record high, Hulu securing its own record of 3.7 per cent, and Pluto TV capturing one per cent of total TV, enabling it to be showcased outside of the “other streaming” category. HBO Max also gained 9.9 per cent in volume thanks to House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones, pushing its share of TV to 1.3 per cent.

    In several cases, increases in volume did not affect total TV share. For example, Amazon Prime Video usage increased 3.9 per cent in September on the strength of The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power and specific Thursday Night Football games, but the platform’s share of total TV remained flat at 2.9 per cent. Similarly, Disney+ saw a 2.4 per cent increase in volume, yet its share of total TV stayed at 1.9 per cent.

    Broadcast recorded the largest month-over-month gain, driven by the sports genre, which accounted for 25.1 per cent of broadcast viewing. That said, broadcast’s 24.2 per cent share in September was 7.1 per cent lower than it was a year ago. Cable also benefited from a 40 per cent bump in sports viewing, but the 0.4 per cent rise in usage wasn’t enough to move cable’s share of total TV. In fact, with the other categories gaining share in the month, cable dropped 0.7 share points to finish with 33.8 per cent of total TV, its lowest share ever reported by The Gauge. Cable viewing was 9.3 per cent lower in September compared with a year ago.

    The return of football was the true spark in September, as it provided new content across broadcast, cable, and streaming. But even without sports, streaming—in all of its forms—continues to gain adoption, and it benefits from the emphasis that pure-play streamers and media companies alike are placing on it.

  • Ashish Golwlkar announces exit from SPNI after a seven-year stint

    Ashish Golwlkar announces exit from SPNI after a seven-year stint

    Mumbai: Indian media and entertainment industry veteran Ashish Golwalkar has left Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) after a seven year stint. A company spokesperson confirmed the development.

    He joined in December 2015 as senior VP and creative director of content before heading programming at SPNI’s flagship channel, SET, in April 2018. In his latest role, he was heading content at both SET and the digital business, which is SonyLIV.

    Prior to this, he had stints in WWIL, Zee Entertainment, and Disney-Star. He was with  ZEEl for over 11 years. He has over 20 years of experience spanning sales and marketing, content syndication, brand management, and content creation. He wrote and co-wrote multiple award-winning non-scripted formats in various genres across Zeel, Disney-FoxStar, and Sony Pictures. He has built content teams at Zeel and Star Plus.

  • OTTs are regarded as one of the most important aspects that influence consumer behaviours: MMA Report

    OTTs are regarded as one of the most important aspects that influence consumer behaviours: MMA Report

    Mumbai: In India, OTTs are regarded as one of the most important aspects that influence consumer behaviors. In a recently published report, in collaboration with Warc, MMA Asia Pacific examines how the industry is approaching these challenges, focusing on current trends and future opportunities. To drive growth in the digital age, marketing needs to modernise a specific set of capabilities and mindsets.

    Findings from this study suggest that over a third (36 per cent) of Indian marketers will spend more than 60 per cent of their budgets on digital marketing, compared to 25 per cent of Apac marketers overall.

    19 per cent of Indian marketers are investing in AR/VR in efforts to promote marketing advancements, the report added.

    A majority of marketers are using data analytics and collection to drive improvements in their digital marketing. While 69 per cent marketers expect the metaverse to significantly impact the space, a budget of 36 per cent identified it as the biggest barrier to digital marketing growth in India.

    To drive growth in the digital age, marketing needs to modernise a specific set of capabilities and mindsets. But as complexity grows, marketers face increasingly difficult choices about where to allocate their investments, what objectives and tactics to choose, and what capabilities to develop in order to drive future growth.

  • YouTube’s Primetime Channels to bring more than 30 services in one single place

    YouTube’s Primetime Channels to bring more than 30 services in one single place

    Mumbai: Digital video social network YouTube has announced the launch of ‘Primetime Channels.’ Users will be able to sign up, browse, and watch TV shows, movies, and sports from streaming services such as Showtime, Starz, Paramount+, AMC+, ViX+ and more, all directly on YouTube.

    In a blog post, YouTube director of product management Erin Teague wrote that the digital video social network will roll out an early version of ‘Primetime Channels’ in the US. To sign up, users can head to the movies and TV hub, where they will see over 30 channels that they can buy directly through YouTube, with streaming services such as NBA League Pass and more coming soon.

    “‘Primetime Channels’ adds even more content that you just can’t miss to our collection of thousands of movies and shows available for rent or purchase, or for free with ads. Choosing between sci-fi or horror? Well, we got both options covered with the Paramount+ original Star Trek: Picard and Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire on AMC+. Are you itching to see Spider-Man: No Way Home for the hundredth time? We have that too, through Starz. Or maybe you’ve been meaning to catch up on a great drama. From 1883 on Paramount+ to The Chi on Showtime, you can enjoy it all right on YouTube,” wrote Teague.

    “We are excited to expand our partnership with YouTube to offer customers of Paramount+ another way to stream the content they love. This new feature gives us the opportunity to expand our presence on YouTube, broadening our reach and giving consumers even more choice when it comes to streaming the best in entertainment,” said Paramount Streaming chief strategy officer & business development officer Jeff Shultz.

    “Once users sign up, content from your ‘Primetime Channels’ will be reflected in the YouTube experience you know and love. For fans who like to go deeper into what they’re watching, ‘Primetime Channels’ will feature shows and movies with curated trailers, behind-the-scenes footage, and cast interviews. When searching for content from your purchases, you’ll be able to quickly identify and access them in the search results, alongside videos from your favourite creators. And YouTube recommendations will also include programmes from ‘Primetime Channels,’ delivering a personalised selection of content across YouTube that appeals to all your interests.

    “People already come to YouTube to watch trailers for highly anticipated movies or clips of scenes from their favourite TV episodes. Now you can continue watching directly on YouTube. And you will continue to have choice and control over your accounts with the ability to manage all of them in one place.

    “Whether it’s subscribing to Nerdist to find favourite clues after watching a Yellowjackets episode on Showtime or finding makeup tutorials from Trixie Mattel to recreate your favourite looks from Paramount+’s original series RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars, you can now immerse yourself in all the content YouTube has to offer.”

    “We’ll continue working with our partners to bring even more content options to ‘Primetime Channels,’ build new unique features that only YouTube can deliver, and expand to our international users, so please let us know what you’d like to see next!”, wrote Teague.

     

  • Prime Video to bring crime and mystery series ‘Cross’

    Prime Video to bring crime and mystery series ‘Cross’

    Mumbai: Amazon Studios has announced that it has ordered Cross for a series. From Paramount Television Studios and Skydance Television, Cross is being positioned as a complex, twisted, pulse-pounding thriller created by producer and writer Ben Watkins, based on the worldwide best-selling “Alex Cross” book series by James Patterson.

    “Alex Cross” is a detective and forensic psychologist, uniquely capable of digging into the psyches of killers and their victims in order to identify—and ultimately capture—the murderers. Aldis Hodge (Black Adam, City On A Hill, One Night In Miami...) will play the titular character and also serve as a producer on the series. Cross will premiere on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.

    “Alex Cross” is brilliant, flawed, and full of contradictions. A doting father and family man, Cross is single-minded to the point of obsession when he hunts killers. He is desperate for love, but his wife’s murder has left him too damaged to receive it.

    “James Patterson is among the best at captivating audiences with his undeniably enthralling novels, and we are confident that with Ben Watkins’ artistic vision, Cross will do the same for our global customers. We are proud to work with James and Ben alongside Paramount Television, Skydance, and the extremely talented Aldis Hodge, who we know will do an exceptional job of bringing Alex Cross to life,” said Amazon Studios head of global television Vernon Sanders.

  • We are expanding our verticals in terms of strength and products with future in-demand tech: Mobavenue’s Tejas Rathod

    We are expanding our verticals in terms of strength and products with future in-demand tech: Mobavenue’s Tejas Rathod

    Mumbai: Mobavenue Media is a 360° growth and tech platform dedicated to empowering brands, agencies, and media publishers with mobile-first solutions to drive growth, engagement, and monetisation. Their product suite is custom-tailored to design a more valuable experience for the user by creating real connections and driving performance. They help brands with acquisitions, retargeting, growth management, and monetisation in India, Southeast Asia, Latin America, Europe, and Australia. Their various proprietary in-house platforms optimise towards end business goals and growth paths using predictive media solutions to run brand performance-driven campaigns for their partners. Mobavenue’s team is based in eight locations: Delhi, Mumbai, Singapore, Jakarta, Dubai, Sydney, Moscow, and London.

    Indiantelevision.com caught up with Mobavenue Media co-founder & chief operating officer Tejas Rathod to find out more. He has more than eight years of experience in the tech industry. Back in 2014, he was associated with Chillofy LLP as co-founder & chief operating officer. His one-stop solution is to deliver end-to-end advertising solutions, helping brands, app developers, digital marketers, and companies to execute performance-driven campaigns in India and across Southeast Asia. Rathod has been part of events such as AW, iGB Affiliate, ICE London and a few others.

    He has always been an outgoing person with a zeal for travel and exploring new ideas through natural exposure. He can always be found working in and around communities. To keep himself highly productive, he regularly attends business events, networking with potential clients and talent. Rathod strongly believes that millennials have all it takes to create a better world full of opportunities and elevated living.

    He loves staying up to date with the latest digital trends. When he finds time to himself, Rathod likes playing classic strategic board games and watching documentaries about business, leadership, and anything interesting with loads of insights.

    Excerpts:

    On the market gap that Mobavenue saw when it was launched in 2017

    There was a significant market gap between advertisers and publishers in acquiring high-quality users and monetizing their assets efficiently. To meet their end goals, brands required holistic KPI-oriented data-driven technology that maximised ROI while improving user acquisition, growth, engagement, and monetization. We have been successfully bridging that gap since our inception and have seen the market size upscale, building a standalone platform for brands and partners, creating a win-win position for all parties.

    On the company’s USP

    Our USPs are rooted in audience, acquisition, growth, and re-market with a stronghold in audience segmentation and performance-driven campaigns. Our in-house proprietary solutions optimise towards end-business goals and growth paths using predictive buying and supply-side modelling. User behaviour and acquisition through precise targeting is the focus of AI audience segmentation. We ensure brand and fraud safety while focusing on placing relevant content using relevant contextual ads.

    On how covid impacted the business

    The pandemic impacted many industries. We witnessed the world shift towards a digital-first approach. Online shopping was the new norm during the pandemic. As a result of this, people in general, as well as companies, pivoted to an online approach. There was a surge in terms of online activities and purchases. Since the majority of people were indoors, a surge in ad consumption and viewership took place in the online purchasing funnel. We did quite well during the pandemic as most of our customers are digital-first from different sectors such as banks and non-banking financial companies (NBFCs), fintech, OTT, fashion and lifestyle, leisure and entertainment, gaming, e-commerce, apparel, D2C, retailers, and more.

    On the goals set for 2022 and the game plan to get there

    We are expanding our verticals in terms of company strength and new products with future in-demand technologies. We are transitioning and integrating with the advent of newer forms of technology. We aim to evolve and drive growth in different sectors. We are spearheading martech and adtech solutions.

    On how Mobavenue helps D2C businesses be more cost-efficient

    We have worked with numerous D2C brands to meet their objectives while focusing on cost-effectiveness with our in-house products in programmatic acquisition, re-targeting, and growth management. Our unique marketing solutions help D2C businesses with in-app advertising strategies.

    On Mobavenue’s products like DSP, partners, etc.

    We are a tech-driven platform focusing on acquiring relevant users with our product offering, which includes: DSP, programmatic, premium partner, and OEM solutions; display ads; publisher-first SSP; re-target and re-market AI, DMP, mobile SDK, and exchange to reach high-quality global audiences.

    On some of the work that Mobavenue does with clients

    We work with 150+ brands. Mobavenue has successfully provided unique programming strategies to numerous banks and NBFCs like ICICI Bank, IndusInd Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, KreditBee, Freecharge, Navi Finserv, Nira Finance, Fi Money, Unicard, OneCard, and Policy Bazaar by implementing dynamic creatives and other efficient in-house media tools. Their cutting-edge, advanced mobile advertising solutions have optimised the ROI of banks and NBFCs and helped them achieve promotional brand exposure, faster conversions, improved user acquisition, and customer retention.

    Mobavenue has generated good traction in leading D2C companies with the help of its in-house products in programmatic acquisition, retargeting, and growth management. Tier II, III, and IV cities are primarily responsible for D2C growth because they have wealthy but brand-deprived consumers who are willing to try new items. With the help of regional and vernacular publishers, in addition to premium listings, Mobavenue was able to scale to these markets and reach new consumers.

    On how Mobavenue helps OTT platforms boost subscription levels

    Using programmatic user acquisition and unique targeting methods, we have helped OTT brands drive paid subscriptions, views, and retention. The OTT market has a set of unique challenges, which require unique solutions too. Our expertise and partnered technologies leverage OTT platforms with a full-funnel approach such as acquisition, retargeting, monetisation, and promotion.

    On the factors needed for an SVoD platform to succeed in a price sensitive market

    Subscription video on demand (SVoD) platforms are highly competitive markets, resulting in customers being more price-sensitive than ever. The availability of faster mobile internet has increased the number of overall users. To succeed in this competitive market, platforms need to consider a pricing model that offers a value proposition and customer satisfaction. Providing customers with multiple options regarding tiered pricing, trails, and discounts will help attract new audiences.

    On the work done by Mobavenue for the gaming industry

    We have executed CPA models for different gaming apps, which have helped them achieve their business goals. Our well-planned and structured marketing tactics have leveraged gaming brands to reach new audiences and increase app downloads compared to their competitors.

    On the role that AI is playing in media planning and buying

    Media buying can be a rigorous task. AI plays a developed role in aggregating data between traditional and digital channels. Sales operations can be further monitored and raise alerts with potential risks. AI can also learn and adapt to changing situations, making it much easier to optimise before closing deals.

  • Sony-Zee merger marks the start of consolidation in the TV industry: Ashish Bhasin

    Sony-Zee merger marks the start of consolidation in the TV industry: Ashish Bhasin

    Mumbai: Recently, the shareholders of Zee Entertainment Enterprises (ZEEL) gave their approval for the proposed merger with Sony. RD&X Network co-founder & chairman Ashish Bhasin feels that this is the first step of consolidation in the TV industry.

    “I think that in the coming three to five years you will see more major players being born through consolidation with deeper pockets and more muscle. They will join Disney-Star India, Sony-Zee, Warner Bros. Discovery and others. On OTT as well, there will certainly be consolidation. OTT will run through a similar cycle to TV. TV saw lots of smaller players. Now consolidation is happening. In OTT, I expect something similar, though, with a lag in the timeline. Furthermore, as 5G expands and consumers begin to cut the cord, the line between what is TV and what is OTT will blur. I am certain that consolidation will be the rule. All the big players will look for more and more consolidation opportunities.”

    He further pointed out that mediums that do not go in for consolidation will always struggle. He gives the outdoor industry as an example. “The strength to invest is not there. Bettering the quality of the medium will not happen till there are fewer but larger, consolidated players, with a longer-term vision. Not consolidating will be a handicap for the medium. Print is reasonably consolidated in some ways. And print is slightly different as many organisations have a long history. Some were set up before our independence. It plays a role that is beyond commercial. So the journey there will be different. But apart from print, consolidation will be important moving forward in every medium.”

    Talking about the ramifications of the Sony-Zee merger, he noted that this is the beginning of consolidation in the Indian TV industry. “There will be fewer, bigger, consolidated players. The reason for this is that content is becoming more and more expensive in games. Distribution does not come easy and cheap. The Sony-Zee merger is probably the first step towards that. Consolidation will happen across genres and languages.” He added that there are many regional channels and smaller channels that may be acquired. Also, with OTT becoming important, there is scope for better consolidation there and with digital in general.

    A larger player means more content investment, which will have a positive impact on ad revenue growth. “A very strong entity will be created. Between the two of them, excluding sports, they have a market share of closer to 25 per cent. That gives them the opportunity to get better content. This will also result in better distribution. If that happens, viewership will improve and so will ad revenues. Ultimately, ad revenues are a function of supply and demand. If they create stickiness through better content, then ad revenues will also go up. Zee and Sony are very experienced players. So together they will become an even more formidable combination.”

    He agrees that they will get better bargaining power both on the content side and the advertising side. Furthermore, they can engage in more innovations and experiments. “But it is not just about power. There will be a combination of many benefits. They will be able to do better, bigger packages, deals across genres.” He also noted that stronger consolidated players can result in better deals and gave the example of cricket rights being sold for a huge upside (IPL, ICC).

    On the OTT front, he believes that the merger provides the entity with a greater opportunity to acquire better content. “A merger of this size will give clout in multiple areas, not just in one silo.” In terms of cultural synergy, he noted that in any merger and acquisition, one of the key targets is how do you integrate? Culture is a key part. “Acquiring organisations are geared up to make sure that this area is addressed. Each organisation has a different DNA. The challenge of the leadership is retaining the essence of the DNA while at the same time getting them to work in one direction. This is an on-going exercise. I am sure that Sony-Zee have already thought of it and they already have a plan.”

    Speaking about the Warner Bros.-Discovery merger, he said that it is important to measure potential impact not against the universe but within the niche that it is playing within. “Every merger handled well has a positive impact. If an advertiser only targets kids and the merger creates a big leader, say in kids, then it is a very different scenario for both the entity and that advertiser.”