ITV

Tag: OTT

  • NxtDigital launches its broadband-over-satellite solution ‘NxtSkyFi’

    NxtDigital launches its broadband-over-satellite solution ‘NxtSkyFi’

    Mumbai : Media and communications company, NxtdDigital Ltd, has introduced “NxtSkyFi,” a broadband-over-satellite (BOS) service. Over Diwali, the BOS service in Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland was officially launched in the picturesque town of Tawang. The BOS service will gradually be made available to the rest of India.

    Speaking at a function that was attended by leading dignitaries including in-charge DC of Tawang Rinchin Leta, BJP National Party Minority Morcha leader Tsetan Chombey; DRDA Tawang project director  Tenzin Jambey, and other senior civil servants; 

    DIPRO of Tawang Nawang Chita, lauded NxtDigital for its launch of its BOS service and pointed out, “This launch coincides with a historic day for Arunachal Pradesh. We are proud to have the service inaugurated here. We urge NxtDigital to provide such services that augment the lives of citizens by providing education and so many other digital services – across all of Arunachal Pradesh and the north-east of India quickly.”

    The NxtSkyFi BOS offering is unique in that it is a bundled offering that gives clients access to services like interactive learning, digital movie on demand, over-the-top (OTT) TV, and other online solutions, rather than merely a “passive Internet pipe.” In addition to signing on with top OTT platforms, it has already onboarded two major partners, Tata Studi and Jadooz, to bring infotainment content to the last mile.

    Tata ClassEdge chief business officer at Sachin Torne said, “Tata Studi is an award-winning interactive learning solution founded on the science of learning – giving students access to a highly effective learning method, recommended by learning scientists.”

    Jadooz, a company founded by Padmashree Shobana and veteran media executive Rahul Nehra is focused on interactive big-screen education and entertainment, with a focus on rural and emerging markets. Jadooz has already launched 20 centres in India where NxtSkyFi will partner for its BOS solution.

    NxtDigital chief business officer Sameer Kanse said, “NxtSkyFi is an innovative solution. For retail users it goes beyond uninterrupted internet connectivity to offer real solutions to enrich the lives of customers, through our partnerships. For OTT providers, it leverages our connectivity together with over 1,500 locations-based Edge content delivery network (CDN) solutions to address low latency requirements – enhancing the user experience, facilitating higher subscriber addition and retention. For enterprises, we have a myriad of solutions including bundling BOS with fiber connectivity for optimal reach and cost-efficiency.”

    NxtDigital’s strategy is to use its vast network of over 10,000 digital service partners and presence in over 4,500 pin codes across India to deliver a variety of solutions ranging from education and healthcare to information and entertainment. The BOS solution will be an important component of the company’s national “NXTmesh” network project, which aims to integrate connectivity across India via its own fibre and the vast national fibre network of its partners. The emphasis will continue to be on providing innovative business models and dependable connectivity solutions to its retail and enterprise customers.

    NxtDigital managing director and CEO Vynsley Fernandes pointed out, “The launch of NxtSkyFi is in line with our vision to build out a pan-India network of digital infrastructure to fulfill our government’s objective of a digital and truly ‘connected’ India. This launch fits in with our expanding portfolio of digital TV via fiber and HITS and our terrestrial broadband connectivity which has expanded significantly over the last couple of years.” 

    He added, “The recent launch of our OneDigital product will also ride on the back of our BOS initiative bringing television, broadband, OTT, VoIP, WIFI and CCTV solutions to markets where reliable connectivity is a challenge. The launch of our broadband over satellite service also triggers off the first phase of our relationship with Thaicom – as we look to work together to bring emerging solutions to India.”

    According to the binding memorandum of understanding (MOU) between NxtDigital and Thaicom, the plan is to develop and offer a portfolio of global emerging digital solutions that are critical to the mission of a digital India. Thaicom has already developed and deployed satellite artificial intelligence solutions in other parts of the world, including space-based data technologies for agriculture, disaster relief, and natural resource management, as well as public WIFI systems and drones to supplement rural digital solutions.

    Given India’s heavy reliance on agriculture and the current difficulties in crop management, satellite-based AI will be helpful in providing readily accessible mission-critical data. Additionally, both businesses have decided to establish a Center for Excellence to use artificial intelligence and analytics to develop new satellite and associated digital-based technologies, utilising their respective reputations for deep-tech research and development.

  • YuppTV bags broadcasting rights for T20 World Cup 2022

    YuppTV bags broadcasting rights for T20 World Cup 2022

    Mumbai: YuppTV, an over-the-top (OTT) South Asian content provider, has acquired the broadcast rights for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022, scheduled to take place between 16 October and 13 November.

    YuppTV has bagged the exclusive broadcast rights for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Australia 2022 for 75 countries, including Continental Europe, Malaysia (non-exclusive), Japan, China, Hong Kong (non-exclusive), Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives, and Southeast Asia (except Singapore). The tournament will be telecast live over YuppTV’s platform.

    The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 is the 8th edition of the tournament and will be held across seven venues in Australia between 16 October and 13 November. The tournament features 16 teams competing for the world title of T20 champions. A total of 45 matches are scheduled to be played in the tournament.

    YuppTV CEO & founder Uday Reddy said, “Cricket is one of the biggest sports in the entire world, with more than one billion fans situated in different corners of the globe. T20 began as an exciting format, and in recent years, has become one of the most watched and loved forms of the game.”

    He adds, “The exciting match-up between international teams, nation versus nation, for world dominance is guaranteed to be an enthralling experience for viewers, who will be gearing up from the comfort of their homes to watch the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 to support their favourite teams and take them to victory. It brings us immense pleasure to bring the tournament to millions of people across Asia and Europe, and we look forward to having users tune in to the match on our platform to catch all the action live!”

    Fans from across the world await the most anticipated fixture, India vs Pakistan, which will take place on Sunday, 23 October in MCG, Australia. The final match of the tournament is scheduled on 13 November where the winning team will claim the ultimate prize in T20 cricket.

  • Seven in ten urban Indians claim their frequency of going to the cinema has decreased: YouGuv

    Seven in ten urban Indians claim their frequency of going to the cinema has decreased: YouGuv

    Mumbai: New YouGov data reveals where people are watching new films and how the shift to streaming platforms may affect cinema attendance in a post-covid world.

    When asked about the change in their cinema viewing habits since the pandemic, nearly seven in ten urban Indians (69 per cent) agreed with the statement, “My frequency of going to the cinema/theatre has decreased.”

    According to data, 44 per cent of people stop visiting the cinema hall because of  streaming films online, followed by 42 per cent of people’s preference to watch films at home. Nearly a third think going to a cinema is expensive or feel there aren’t any films worth going to the cinema are 32 per cent each. North Indians were more likely to say they do not go to cinemas because of the flexibility of streaming films online. Similarly, the 40+ group prefers to watch films at home.

    When asked about the medium they have used most often to watch newly released films in the past six months, OTT platforms emerged as the most popular choice for nearly half of urban Indians. A fifth (22 per cent) said they watched new movies on TV and only 16 per cent went to the cinema or theatre to watch films during this period.

    Looking at the data by age, 57 per cent between age group of 18-29 years were most likely to watch new films on OTT/streaming platforms in the past six months, while 40+ adults than others were more likely to watch them on TV (26 per cent) or in theatres (19 per cent). Notably, residents in South India were more likely to say they watched newly released films in theatres as compared to residents of other regions (22 per cent).

    Even though OTT has gained precedence, not all hope is lost for theatres. YouGov data shows a quarter of urban Indians (26 per cent) said their frequency of visiting theatres has increased since the pandemic, with young adults between 18 and 29 years old echoing this sentiment most strongly.

    An overview of people’s cinema viewing habits shows one in six urban Indians (15 per cent) said they go to a theatre to watch a film at least once a week, while eight per cent do so once a fortnight. Just under a quarter visit a theatre at least once a month (23 per cent), and nearly half visit it once every two-three months or longer than that. This behaviour is similar across all age groups.

    Past behaviour shows cinema outings in the last 12 months have mostly been with friends or family. At 61 per cent, Bollywood films emerged as the most popular kind of cinema among people, followed by Hollywood or regional South Indian films at 45 per cent each.

    When it comes to film genres, urban Indians prefer comedy (67 per cent), followed by action (54 per cent), and thrillers (51 per cent). Specifically, thinking about how they like to watch these genres, a majority (55 per cent) said they enjoy watching comedy films on OTT or streaming platforms. 19 per cent prefer watching them in a theatre, and 26 per cent prefer both the options. The higher preference for OTT platforms is uniform across genres, except for action films, where people were more likely to say they liked watching these films in theatres than on OTT platforms.

    Commenting on the research, YouGov India GM Deepa Bhatia said, “After two years of the pandemic, theatres in India finally opened to full capacity this year. However, the rising popularity of streaming platforms remains a challenge, discouraging people to step out of their homes.”

    “While cost and home viewing habits keep many people away from the movies, it should be remembered that people go to the cinema to enjoy the experience. It is important for brands to understand the changing cinema habits and behaviours of urban Indians to re-imagine their marketing strategies and prepare themselves for this ever evolving relationship between films and consumers,” added Bhatia.

    Data was collected online among 1,004 urban Indian respondents in September 2022 by YouGov’s Omnibus using its panel of over 20 million people worldwide.

  • Netflix recovers with 2.4 mn subscriber gain in Q3

    Netflix recovers with 2.4 mn subscriber gain in Q3

    Mumbai: In the third quarter ending September 30, 2022, Netflix reported 2.41 million net new paid subscribers. It now has 223.1 million paid subscribers globally. Earlier, the expectation was to gain one million subscribers. The expectation for Q4 is 4.5 million paid net additions versus 8.3 million in Q4 2021.

    The company said that after a challenging first half, it believes that it is on a path to reaccelerate growth. The key, it says, lies in pleasing members. Its focus has always rested on winning the competition for viewing every day. When its series and movies excite members, they tell their friends, and then more people watch, join, and stay with the platform.

    Speaking about competition, it said that while competitors are investing heavily to drive subscribers and engagement, building a large, successful streaming business is hard. Netflix estimates that they are all losing money, with combined 2022 operating losses of well over $10 billion, versus Netflix’s five to six billion dollars annual operating profit.

    For incumbent entertainment companies, this high level of investment is understandable given the accelerating decline of linear TV, which currently generates the bulk of their profit. Ultimately, though, Netflix believes that some of its competitors will seek to build sustainable, profitable businesses in streaming—either on their own or through continued industry consolidation. While it’s early days, we are starting to see this increased profit focus—with some raising prices for their streaming services, some reigning in content spending, and some retrenching around traditional operating models which may dilute their direct-to-consumer offering. Amidst this formidable and diverse set of competitors, it believes that its focus as a pure-play streaming business is an advantage. Netflix explains that its aim remains to be the first choice in entertainment and to continue to build an amazingly successful and profitable business.

    Netflix said that it operates in a highly competitive industry where people have many different entertainment choices—from linear TV to streaming, YouTube to TikTok, and gaming to social media. The silver lining is that the opportunity is very large and growing, and Netflix is still very small relative to that opportunity (for example, eight per cent of total TV time in the US and the UK, two of its most established countries). Its annual revenue of $30 billion or more in the 190 countries in which it operates is roughly five per cent of the combined estimated $300 billion pay TV/streaming industry, $180 billion branded advertising market, and $130 billion consumers spend annually on gaming. So, Netflix believes that it has a long runway for growth if it can continue to improve its offering steadily over time.

    Netflix also stated that its six per cent year-over-year revenue growth in Q3 was driven by a five per cent increase in average paid memberships and a one per cent increase in average revenue per membership (ARM). Excluding the impact of foreign exchange (F/X), revenue and ARM grew 13 per cent and eight per cent year-over-year, respectively. The sequential decline in revenue was entirely due to F/X.

    In the third quarter of the fiscal year in the Asia Pacific region, revenue grew by 19 per cent, excluding F/X, as average paid memberships rose 23 per cent year-over-year. ARM fell three per cent year on year, excluding F/X, owing in part to lower ARM in India. This was somewhat offset by higher ARM in Australia and Korea. It added 1.4 million paid memberships in the region (versus 2.2 million in the last Q3).

    Excluding F/X, EMEA revenue and ARM grew 13 per cent and seven per cent, respectively. Paid net additions totaled 0.6 million, down from 1.8 million in the previous quarter. In Latin America, revenue increased 19 per cent year-over-year, supported by ARM growth of 16 per cent vs. the year ago quarter excluding F/X. It added 0.3 million paid memberships, in line with membership growth in Q3’21. ARM and revenue grew by 12 per cent and 11 per cent, respectively, in the US and Canada, which is its most penetrated market. Paid net adds totalled 0.1 million (similar to the 0.1 million in Q3’21).

    For Q4 of 2022, it is expecting revenue of $7.8 billion, with the sequential decline entirely due to the continued strengthening of the US dollar vs. other currencies. On a constant currency basis, this equates to nine per cent year-over-year revenue growth. The revenue growth forecast is driven by the expectation of 4.5 million paid net ads (vs. 8.3 million in Q4 ’21) and ARM growth of six per cent year-over-year, excluding F/X. The paid net adds forecast assumes that it experiences its usual seasonality as well as the impact of a strong content slate, counterbalanced by macroeconomic weakness, which leads to less-than-normal visibility. While it is very optimistic about the new advertising business, the company does not expect a material contribution in Q4 2022 as it is launching its Basic with Ads plan intra-quarter and anticipates gradually growing its membership in that plan. Its aim is to give prospective new members more choice—not switch members off from their current plans.

    Members who don’t want to change will remain on their current plan, without ads, at the current price, the company explains. It has forecasted a Q4 2022 operating margin of four per cent compared to eight per cent in the year-ago period. The fourth quarter is typically its lowest operating margin quarter of the year as it is usually its largest quarter in terms of content and marketing spend.

  • India’s smart TV market grew 74 per cent YoY in Q2’ 22: Report

    India’s smart TV market grew 74 per cent YoY in Q2’ 22: Report

    Mumbai: mediasmart, an Affle company, has published the second edition of its India CTV Report 2022, titled “India Says Yes to Connected TV!” The report stated that India’s smart TV market grew 74 per cent YoY in Q2’22.

    The report focuses on consumer adoption trends in metro and non-metro areas, as well as a significant shift in CTV ad potential for brands and marketers. According to its report, CTV viewing is a part of the daily routine and a preferred source of entertainment. CTV consumption is driven by adults, including grandparents. 78 per cent had a smart TV, of which 93 per cent used the internet to consume content.

    TV subscriptions stood at merely five million subscribers in 2020, but quickly doubled to 10 million in 2021. By 2025, this figure is expected to become 4x.

    mediasmart vice president (India & SEA) Nikhil Kumar said, “Our report this year goes deeper into the reach and impact of CTV. It is interesting to see how far CTV has grown into the metros and non-metros. It’s a stark revelation to see CTV’s growth into a family viewing phenomenon that is bringing people back to their living rooms. The audience for CTV is fairly well spread across the diversity of content offered by multiple OTTs and is now beginning to explore newer genres like games and live news as other top choices. This consumption shift has also led to significant growth in co-viewing, which is not restricted to a certain demographic or geographic segment either. This holds huge potential for advertisers who can leverage emerging technologies like mediasmart’s CTV Household Sync to connect the worlds of TV & mobile and drive impact.”

    The report highlighted that viewers spend an average of four hours daily watching CTV content, as opposed to three and a half hours in 2021. 69 per cent spend  one to four hours/day watching CTV.

    72 per cent of respondents above 35 years of age consume CTV content after 6 p.m., indicating that CTV is a preferred source of entertainment for people to wind down after work.

    50 per cent of respondents said they prefer Smart TVs for watching content at home, while only 36 per cent prefer mobile devices. 84 per cent of households have more than one person watching CTV, and 64 per cent of respondents claimed to prefer watching CTV together with their families, unlike the solo viewing experience.

    The covid-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of wired broadband connections in homes. As the country enters the holiday season, more users are discovering CTV as a new way to consume content at home with their families. Adults, including users from older demographics, drive the co-viewing phenomenon on CTV in many Indian households.

    On-demand content on OTT continues to remain the preferred choice for most viewers (41 per cent) with music (17 per cent), games (11 per cent), news (10 per cent) and user-generated content (21 per cent) being other options. 66 per cent have a subscription to more than one OTT app.

    The reports stated that people use multiple OTT apps across global, national, and regional apps and switch between multiple apps based on the content genre of their preference. 82 per cent of CTV devices generate active bid requests from more than four OTT platforms.

    Marketers are using CTV for high-impact storytelling, increased brand engagement, and driving action and conversions on mobile globally and in India. With CTV’s ability to provide measurable advertising on television and to connect users’ journeys both online and offline, CTV presents remarkable opportunities for brand impact during the current holiday season.

    Nine out of ten CTV viewers recall being exposed to advertisements, and 81 per cent of those exposed to advertisements claim that the advertisements influenced them. Nudging the users on their mobile devices within 24 hours helps improve the purchase intent for users who have seen ads on connected TV.

    VTION chief business officer Shailesh Varudkar said, “Our partnership with mediasmart in 2021 was the first-of-its-kind research on CTV viewers in India and their habits, sliced-and-diced by various demographics, and came at a time when there was little industry knowledge about this category. This year, as we go deeper and wider into the country, the newer learnings from our CTV2.0 report will further give an impetus to the growing appetite and enthusiasm for CTV among consumers and advertisers.”

    Elaborating on India’s potential as a robust market for CTV adoption, Interactive Avenues co-founder & CEO Amardeep Singh said, “CTV has the potential to truly democratise TV advertising by allowing even low-budget advertisers to connect with audiences on TV. This edition of mediasmart’s report will help advertisers understand the nuances of the medium better along with changing consumer behaviour and also instil confidence regarding CTV’s role as an impactful advertising medium through measurable technologies like mediasmart’s CTV Household Sync.”

    mindshare head of digital (South Asia) Gopa Menon added, “India is a young market with tremendous potential for CTV adoption and offers great opportunities to advertisers where they can get strong consumer insights on viewing habits and also target specific cohorts to drive the brand message effectively and efficiently.”

    Madison Digital CEO Vishal Chinchakar added, “We have come a long way from last year, when the ecosystem in India was just beginning to explore the CTV opportunity, to now when top clients are insisting on the inclusion or better understanding of CTV in their media plans.”

    Commenting on CTV’s impact for brand lift, Havas Media Group India CEO Mohit Joshi said, “CTV ecosystem creates meaningful exposures to reach the target audience. The platforms and the formats have opened up a vast opportunity for us in terms of innovation, strategy, and creating best practices for CTV advertisers.”

    PivotRoots founder & managing director Shibu Shivanandan said, “The good thing about CTV advertising is that, unlike traditional TV, advertisers get to choose their potential audience. Hence, a complete shift from spot buys to audience buys on a large screen is now possible with digital targeting capabilities and can be bought and served programmatically.”

  • Zee Biskope curates consumer centric content with innovations

    Zee Biskope curates consumer centric content with innovations

    Mumbai: If you enjoy Bhojpuri content, then Zee Biskope should be your go-to channel to fully immerse yourself in it. Since its inception, Zee Entertainment Enterprises’ first curated Bhojpuri movie channel, Zee Biskope, has been creating content with the aim of addressing the audience with specific needs, aspirations, and psychographic content & projections. The brand has won 104 marketing awards within the first two quarters of financial year 2023, a never-before-seen feat in the category.

    ZEEL’s chief cluster officer (east) Samrat Ghosh & Bhojpuri cluster chief channel officer Amarpreet Singh Saini in an exclusive chat with Indianyelevision.com shared how Zee Biskope takes the help of the audience to curate content and tries to engage with new innovations.

    Consumer centric content 

    Ghosh believes that the channel is consumer-centric and has a very robust research mechanism by which they try to stay in touch with their audience 365 days a year. “At the center, we have always kept the consumer in mind, whether in terms of the content that we create or in terms of the marketing that we do.”

    Speaking about the reality shows, he explained, “We thought about creating a platform wherein we go across the length and breadth of India to find the talent. We select to shape them, and they eventually turn out to be a household name.”

    Saini noted that the channel always tries to do something that has not been done in the category, keeping the audience in mind before being innovative and experimental. “We are here to serve entertainment to the viewers the way they want it. In whichever form they bought it. We didn’t want to do the already done thing.”

    He continued by saying that having a distinct content arm for marketing Zee Biskope was always the plan. “This allowed the audience to experience the brand and its values while also establishing a relationship with the brand, similar to how content does, and it was from there that the entire vertical of engagement initiatives arose.”

    The channel curated the content for worldwide holidays like Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, International Camera Day, etc., by taking into account a variety of other relevant days.

    The core philosophy of the channel, whether for content or marketing, has been that it will not do what has been done, but rather something new. However, that new thing will be embedded in the region’s rootedness.

    Bhojpuri fandom 

    The channel is focused on showcasing Bhojpuri movies to the audience and is now also delving into Bhojpuri fandom. “Nobody has explored this space of Bhojpuri fandom; there’s a lot of love for the stars and their movies; when someone is a movie fan, especially a Bhojpuri, it doesn’t stop with watching the film and turning off the TV. There are numerous other emotions. And so much more that you live alongside the movies, which is what the channel will be exploring.”

    It is also coming up with international events like Bhojpuri film awards and taking it to the international diaspora to give a sense of pride to the viewers in the region.

    Speaking of success, Ghosh believes it is not only confined in terms of the weekly gross rating points (GRPs), it goes much beyond that. “With the audiences, you develop a sort of complete branch community by the kind of experience you give them, and your only goal is to gain the greatest possible share of voice in terms of the consumers’ mind space.”

    OTT  emergence 

    Ghosh believes TV and OTT will coexist. He said, “It is not either-or. It is a plus because, at the core, we are creating a robust content offering for the consumer so that content turns out to be relevant and has some relevance in their lives. So we’ll keep creating content that could be on television, an OTT, or a different platform. But at the core, what we try to do as a brand is try to touch the heart of the consumer. The channel’s content is also available on the media giant’s OTT platform  Zee5.”

    Saini added that the big distinction between TV and the other platforms in India is that TV is still a collective medium. “The whole family watches TV. India still has a higher prevalence of single-TV households, which brings the family closer. Everyone watches in the living room. When watching TV content, people search for a particular ethos or set of nuances because it must satisfy all family members without causing discord and instead strengthen the sense of community that already exists in the home, as opposed to other platforms, which cater to more individualised consumption.

    “The fact that people watch TV on their mobile devices is widely known, but TV remains distinctive in that it produces content that is more, how do you phrase this, collective consumption content, and that content has a power of its own. And it continues to be the most potent force you now have, at least in this nation,” he expressed.

    Zee Biskope engages with users by focusing on user-generated content with shows like Kamariya Kare Hip Hopand Talent Camera Action. “We have seen a hunger among the people in the region to become stars, to be celebrated, and to be known; they have the talent, but they lack the means, so we have harnessed the entire power of UGC in these initiatives,” he noted.

    Challenges 

    While talking about challenges, Ghosh pointed out that the Bhojpuri television and film industry is scattered and needs to have a hub for more content . “The entire television & film industry is locally based; if we create a Bhojpuri media hub, more professional players will attend the market, allowing the category to grow as a whole.” And, most likely, it will result in a more robust ecosystem that will be locally based outside of the region, providing job opportunities to local technicians as well.”

    Zee Biskope is soon coming up with Bhojpuri originals to make it a movie channel. Speaking on this development, Saini said that the consumer has the capacity to grow more, but this growth will be slow and somebody will have to take the leadership position of experimenting, inviting that challenge. “There will obviously be a failure rate, because every new experiment will not work the first time. Some would require fine tuning, while others would necessitate some level of investment to get people used to a new kind of entertainment, like we are attempting to make it a movie, plus people are so used to seeing only movies on a movie channel. In the initial attempt, we are attempting to bring original shows based on Bhojpuri fandom as another vertical, as well as homegrown movies as a different vertical, ” he concluded.

  • Disney+ Hotstar to stream UK show featuring David Beckham on 9 November

    Disney+ Hotstar to stream UK show featuring David Beckham on 9 November

    Mumbai: OTT platform Disney+ Hotstar has debuted the official trailer for the UK original series, Save Our Squad with David Beckham. The series is set to premiere exclusively on Wednesday, 9 November at Disney+ Hotstar. The announcement was accompanied by four new images from the series.

    It is co-produced by Bafta and RTS Award-winning production company Twenty Twenty, and Studio 99, the global content and production studio co-founded by Beckham. Save Our Squad with David Beckham is a series that sees David Beckham return to his East London roots to mentor Westward Boys, a young, grassroots team who are at the bottom of their league, facing relegation. However, this isn’t just any league… This is the same league that Beckham played in as a young boy. Working with the head coaches, he’ll try to turn the team’s fortunes around.

    Beckham mentors the young squad, sharing stories from his own playing career, which spanned over 20 years and saw him play for some of the most successful clubs in the world, to help them learn valuable lessons about practice, ambition, and teamwork. Off the pitch, Beckham gets the chance to spend time with players and their families, learning about their lives, hopes and concerns and talking to them about the importance of collaboration, work ethic and community.

    In the trailer, we see the first time the squad meets David Beckham, with one member of the team quizzing him on missed penalties. For David, this role is about giving back, as we see him mentor the boys, give them inspiring team talks, and even get his boots back on to try to score a trademark Beckham free kick against our young team.

    Save Our Squad with David Beckham builds on the company’s commitment to source, develop, and produce original productions. Disney’s International Content and Operations team plans to create 60 local productions in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa alone by 2024 as it continues to collaborate with outstanding creators and premium producers.

  • NxtDigital launches its flagship integrated solution ‘OneDigital’

    NxtDigital launches its flagship integrated solution ‘OneDigital’

    Mumbai: Hinduja Group’s NxtDigital has announced the introduction of its flagship integrated solution, OneDigital. This customised customer solution provides a wide range of services, including wi-fi, digital TV, OTT, voice/intercom, broadband, and CCTV.

    When compared to broadband packages, which range in speed from 10 mbps to 1 gbps, the TV solution offers clients up to 650 TV channels in both standard and high definition.

    Customers can access over 3,00,000 hours of OTT content from top global and regional platforms through OneDigital on any device.

    Customers can still be reachable over an IP or telecom network and have a personalised landline number with the help of its partners’ VOIP (voice over internet protocol) service, which is available nationwide. ONEDigital may offer customised CCTV solutions and wi-fi-enabled internet access in public spaces as part of the solution.

    Speaking at the launch of OneDigital at SCAT 2022, NxtDigital’s broadband subsidiary OneOTT Intertainment chief operating officer and OneDigital project lead Sanjeev Agarwal said, “Consumer preferences are radically changing in the way they not only consume but also access and engage digital services at home or at work. OneDigital has been designed specifically based on that premise to give customers access to all digital solutions for their home and office through a single business conduit  facilitating true digital convergence and much needed convenience.”

    He further added, “The USP is that this is a bespoke end-to-end solution and can be tailored based on a customer’s specific needs—whether for home or a small, medium, or large business. This is the start and we will, of course, continue to add more products to the OneDigital portfolio over time.”

    The company also unveiled its future OTT content aggregator app, which will enable users to access OTT content from leading local and international platforms.

    The app, which will soon be accessible online, will allow users access to over 3,00,000 hours of international and local material at first and pave the way for the integration of education, gaming, and other apps within the solution.

    The company has already built an ecosystem of partners to provide quality VOIP and CCTV hardware and software solutions. In order to fulfil customer demands from pre-sales and installation to service support and troubleshooting, NXTDIGITAL has started training its digital franchisees throughout its TV and broadband businesses. OneDigital is now being introduced in Mumbai and will be made available in additional significant cities by the end of the year.

    NxtDigital chief operating officer NK Rouse said, “We have over the years built a robust infrastructure, a strong subscriber base, and a national network of franchisees, all backed by best-in-class technology, including our HITS platform and our award-winning NxtHubs.”

    He further added, “OneDigital and NxtPlatly are extensions of our solutions portfolio, focusing on emerging technologies and the need to develop solutions with an eye on the future. We have also commenced training our franchisee partners to make the paradigm shift to digital solutions providers, ready for the next decade of growth that will also include broadband over satellite.”

    The award-winning NxtHubs that NxtDigital owns and operates, which just passed 100 locations and already provide digital TV, broadband, and OTT solutions in the majority of locations, will try to offer one digital solution.

    NxtDigital is hoping to leverage the strength of its planned broadband-over-satellite service to augment the solution in countries where terrestrial connectivity may be an issue.

  • Netflix to stream Malayalam film ‘Ariyippu’

    Netflix to stream Malayalam film ‘Ariyippu’

    Mumbai: After a good response on the film festival circuit, Mahesh Narayanan’s Malayalam film, Ariyippu, is all set to stream on OTT platform Netflix. The film made history as the first Indian film in 17 years to compete at the Locarno Film Festival in the international competition section. The film is also nominated for the Asia Pacific Screen Awards 2022 and will premiere at the Busan International Film Festival on 12 October 2022.

    Ariyippu centres around the lives of a struggling Malayali couple who dream of migrating out of the country for a better life. The film also explores emotional, social, and marital imbalances in their relationship.

    Ariyippu is being screened at the BFI London Film Festival, Marrakech International Film Festival, and Hong Kong Asian Film Festival. As the film continues to tour other major film festivals across the world, audiences globally will soon be able to stream the film exclusively on Netflix.

    It is directed by Mahesh Narayanan and produced by Shebin Backer Productions and Kunchako Boban Productions in association with Moving Narratives.

    Narayanan said, “With the ongoing recognition and love for our film, we are extremely honoured that Netflix is bringing the film as direct-to-digital globally, which will help cinephiles across the world experience the film very soon.”

    Netflix India VP of content Monika Shergill commented, “At Netflix, we are constantly working towards bringing you the most entertaining and compelling stories. We are excited to bring Ariyippu (declaration), a powerful film on the complex theme of a man-woman relationship, directed by the acclaimed director and producer, Mahesh Narayanan, along with stellar performances by Divya Prabha and Kunchacko Boban. Just like Minnal Murali won immense love across the world, we want our members to be won over by the dramatic universe of Ariyippu on Netflix.”

  • YuppTV introduces “Janya”, a disruptive solution in the TV industry

    YuppTV introduces “Janya”, a disruptive solution in the TV industry

    Mumbai: South Asian content provider YuppTv has announced the launch of Janya, a cloud-based playout solution. Janya is a disruptive solution that provides live TV and on-demand playout infrastructure in the cloud.

    Janya’s cloud playout solution enables any news, entertainment, or sports broadcaster the opportunity to immediately set up channels on the cloud-based platform, accessing a larger audience without upfront capital investment, limited resources, and operations. With the evolution and growth of OTT, the Janya cloud playout solution helps broadcasters be compatible with the OTT platforms and monetise through advertising with the implementation of SCTE-35 markers.

    The current market for live TV and on-demand video content is driven by hyperlocal content curated according to mass consumption. Janya addresses the hyperlocal requirements to create multiple channels with a low-cost but efficient setup.

    Leveraging Janya’s multi-channel set-up and ad-monetisation capabilities, broadcasters will be able to launch channels on FAST (free ad-supported television) networks through its cloud playout infrastructure.

    Janya’s cloud playout infrastructure also provides other innovative and interesting features such as interactive polls and graphics, cloud-based video editing, live debates, and live events.

    Speaking on Janya’s launch, YuppTV, Janya founder & CEO Uday Reddy said, “Video content production and distribution is witnessing a transformative phase in the present age. With the introduction of a cloud-based playout, OTTs, news, sports, and entertainment channels have an opportunity like never before. Janya allows various video content providers a platform to reach out to a larger audience, leveraging its technology to cater to the hyperlocal needs of the masses, creating new avenues for revenue generation through advertisements and more, all without the hassle of upfront capital investments, enabling multi-channel opportunities for broadcasters.”