ITV

Tag: OTT

  • MX Player deploys H.266, slashes video streaming data usage by half

    KOLKATA: Online video consumption in India has grown exponentially, accounting for 80 per cent of consumer internet traffic. However, the user experience remains highly dependent on data usage and network speed.

    Now, MX Player has upgraded its video encoding & compression technology to H.266 (Versatile Video Coding), cutting down data usage for streaming videos by more than 50 per cent. MX Player as well as MX TakaTak users will be the first in the world to experience the benefits of H.266, enabling them to consume higher quality HD video streams with significantly less data consumption.

    With H.266, MX Player users will be able to stream more content with less data and network bandwidth – video streams will load faster and buffer less since they require only half (or less) the data it would need otherwise. H.266/VVC is the world’s most advanced video codec designed to succeed H.264/AVC and H.265/HEVC, used by most streaming video services worldwide today. Unlike its competitors, the H.266 upgrade makes MX Player the first OTT platform in the world to deploy this technology.

    MX Player and MX TakaTak CEO Karan Bedi said, “Video consumption dominates internet usage wherever you go across India, but the quality of experience deteriorates in areas with inconsistent data networks. The new standard is an opportunity for MX Player to give millions of users, regardless of where they are, an exceptional streaming experience that allows them to consume content the way content creators intended: faster loading, buffering-free, and true-to-life HD quality.”

    MX Player SVP Product Sidd Mantri further added, “At MX Player, the future is now. We relentlessly focus on raising the customer experience bar for Indian users. We were amongst the 1st few OTTs to deploy AV1 that reduced data consumption by 20-30 per cent compared to H.265. With H.266, we are taking it to the next level. H.266 offers the most advanced video compression standard available in the world and reduces data usage by more than 50 per cent. Many users in India live on daily data consumption caps, so with H.266 they can watch more as well as watch better on MX Player.”

  • We are working towards a diverse content offering: Zee5’s Nimisha Pandey

    KOLKATA: Zee5 has announced a partnership with TVF (The Viral Fever) as the platform looks at diversifying its library. In the last few months, ZEE’s digital arm has stepped up its content game by acquiring blockbuster Radhe and buying rights for Friends: The Reunion to stream in India.

    “We have been aggressively going after a vast range of consumers, pan-India audience base, and catering to an audience of all kinds of backgrounds. That is why from Radhe to Friends, and now Sunflower, we are working towards a diverse content offering. It is the continuation of that ambition that we bring TVF onboard,” Zee5 India Hindi originals head Nimisha Pandey said.

    She also added that Zee5 does not only want diverse content but wants to be the home to the country’s best storytellers. The platform is focusing on getting good content creators of the platform and the TVF partnership is one of the many to come in the future.

    The latest partnership includes the launch of originals and new seasons of iconic TVF shows on its SVOD platform, along with popular cult favourites that will be accessible to all, on its AVOD platform. Thus Zee5 will have some of the key IPs on the platform which will also be available on another platform but it will have the subsequent seasons of those IPs exclusively. In addition to these subsequent seasons, Zee5 is also creating some exclusive new IPs.

    “People often say that we are targeting youth with this content, I am a firm believer that it’s more about the content you like irrespective of the age group you are in. TVF content resonates with the spirit of youth. That’s the DNA we are going after,” Pandey noted.

    Hence, the audience that Zee5 is targeting through the deal is not tied to not a segment per se, but to a taste cluster itself. Moreover, a huge chunk of the new audience has come on the platform thanks to a new slate of content. The platform hopes to continue to engage them with content from TVF, she added.

    Zee5 has an exclusive line-up of new seasons of acclaimed TVF shows such as Pitchers Season 2, Tripling Season 3, Humorously Yours Season 3 for its subscribers. Iconic titles like Permanent Roommates, Tech Conversations with Dad, Awkward Conversations, PA-Gals, Inmates, Weekends, The Insiders, Zeroes will be accessible to all users.

    “We don’t want to miss an opportunity to have a piece of content that will be loved by the audience. Even if we talk about the TVF deal, we will shoot new seasons. The partnership has not happened because we have not been able to create content. It happened because we wanted to have TVF content,” Pandey answered when asked if Zee5 is going big after the acquisition because of difficulties in shooting in the current time.

  • Sun TV Network’s outlook for FY22 remains positive despite short-term headwinds

    KOLKATA: Sun TV Network has navigated the pandemic well through the FY21 despite initial setbacks as it ended q4 with Rs 449.88 crore profit, 80 per cent up year-on-year. While there could be short-term headwinds in ad revenue due to the second wave of the pandemic, the company remains positive that the performance would be much better than the last lockdown.

    The broadcaster saw its ad revenue bounce back in the January to March quarter. However, the second wave hit the performance in the first quarter of FY22. It is still not known if a third wave would be more fatal. Hence, the company has not given any definite guidance for the coming year but its endeavour for the year is to at least reach the levels of FY20, a company spokesperson said in an earnings call.

    In FY 21, the company’s subscription revenue grew by about 11 per cent in FY21. The company is confident to maintain double-digit growth in FY22 as well, especially as it hopes to see a higher purchase of set-top boxes by a related party distribution company. Despite uncertainty around NTO 2.0, the company sees enough visibility on the subscription side.

    The company has improved primetime viewership in the Tamil market from 37 per cent to 42 per cent. As it is eying to come close to 50 per cent, it is taking steps to improve content quality, the overall narrative of storytelling. On the other hand, its overall fiction share has gone up by 36 per cent in the Kannada market as compared to the last two, three quarters. Hence, Sun TV wants to stay focused on gaining market share in these two markets.

    Additionally, it has lined up “some huge launches” in Telugu and Malayalam market in the next one-two months.

    However, its plans for Sun NXT, the over-the-top arm, have been pushed back again, albeit it has seen 40-50 per cent growth in the last six months. Although the company is in talks with a lot of potential producers for OTT originals, it is not going to start anything on that front at least before Q2. But the company can continue with small-medium movie digital premiers on the platform. Whenever the platform uploads a new movie on the platform, the subscription goes up immediately.

    For this financial year, the company has ambitious plans for movie production. It is looking at eight movies, costing nearly Rs 1200 crore. Four movies are under production as shooting has started and in multiple stages and one among those is almost nearing completion, a company spokesperson said. Because of the delay in the first four movies being completed, the remaining might be taken up in the second half of the year.

    Despite the strong performance in q4, the company’s dividend payout policy has attracted sharp criticism from investors in the conference call. For FY 21, the dividend payout dropped to Rs 5 per share from Rs 25 per share in FY20. The investors raised the question around management taking regular commission but not looking at shareholders’ interest. Sun TV Network management has not been able to give any forward-looking statement but has assured that it would share the concern with the board.

  • OTT industry working on compliance with new IT rules

    Kolkata: For the last few months, the new regulations introduced for over-the-top platforms at the beginning of this year, has been the talk of the town. As the new rules introduced by the government came into effect on 26 May, the industry is working towards complying with all the rules. However, both the self-regulatory bodies, the newly formed digital segment under Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF), Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI ) have asked for additional time, as per industry sources.

    On 27 May, the digital media division of the ministry of information and broadcasting (MIB) wrote to the OTT and digital media publishers to furnish all their details and compliance status under Rule 18 of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Codes) Rules, 2021 within 15 days.

    Soon thereafter, IDBF announced the appointment of Justice (retd.) Vikramjit Sen as chairman, along with six other media and entertainment industry members for its newly formed Digital Media Content Regulatory Council (DMCRC). IAMAI followed suit and announced its self-regulatory body for streaming content companies like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. The Digital Publisher Content Grievances Council’s (DPCGC) Grievance Redressal Board (GRB) will be chaired by former Supreme Court judge Arjan Kumar Sikri, it announced.

    The withdrawal of broadcaster-led OTTs such as Disney+Hotstar, Zee5, SonyLIV from IAMAI has created two lobbies in the industry. International tech and media giants like Netflix, Amazon have stayed with IAMAI, along with tech giant Apple who also joined the body recently. Several independent bodies have also decided to remain under IAMAI.

    According to a senior official with a leading OTT, both are in touch with MIB and have asked for additional time. While the ministry may grant some extension, it seems it is not very happy with the fact that “people have been toying around deadlines”, the official added.

    “IBF has to work on the registration, including a new name, trademark for its new body, and IAMAI has to work on the formation of its second-tier mechanism. IBF has assured that it would come up with rigid guidelines exactly based on the code of ethics”, he added.

    Indiantelevision.com surfed through websites of leading platforms like MX Player, Zee5, SonyLIV, Disney+Hotstar, and found details of the grievance redressal officers identified by the respective platforms. Moreover, most of the leading platforms have already classified age-rating on their shows, some of the platforms have even rated the overall show, still others have rated each episode wise.

    According to a Hindustan Times report over 800 OTT platforms including video streaming services such as Netflix and Hotstar, and digital news media outfits, have shared details under the new IT rules. Most of the top OTT players have shared the details including Netflix, Amazon, Jio, the report said, quoting an unnamed MIB official.

    The new rules apply to digital news publishers as well. While traditional media companies with digital footprints asked for an exemption. But MIB clarified that it would not grant any relief because making an exception of the nature proposed “will be discriminatory to the digital news publishers who do not have a traditional TV/print platform.”

    The News Broadcasters Federation has stated on Friday that all its current members have duly complied with the requirements of the new rules by providing required information of their entities. However, the new rules have been challenged in court by a few digital news media outfits including LiveLaw and The Wire.

  • Zee5 strikes up partnership with TVF

    KOLKATA: OTT platform Zee5 has announced a content partnership with TVF (The Viral Fever). After introducing Radhe: Your Most Wanted Bhai and Friends: The Reunion last month, the platform has now amped up its existing robust content library with more content of inherently Indian stories that resonate with entertainment seekers across the country.

    The partnership includes the launch of originals and new seasons of iconic TVF shows on its SVOD platform, along with popular cult favourites that will be accessible to all, on its AVOD platform.

    Zee5 has an exclusive line-up of new seasons of acclaimed TVF shows such as Pitchers Season 2, Tripling Season 3, Humorously Yours Season 3, and other popular titles like Engineering Girls Season 2 and The Aam Aadmi Family Season 4.  The platform will enrich its bouquet of content offerings with the addition of 13 exciting TVF shows to its AVOD platform, it announced on Monday.  In addition to the existing seasons of these shows, iconic titles like Permanent Roommates, Tech Conversations with Dad, Awkward Conversations, PA-Gals, Inmates, Weekends, The Insiders, Zeroes will be accessible to all.

    Zee5 India chief business officer Manish Kalra said, the company’s focus for this year is ‘Entertainment Inclusion’, to ensure everybody, irrespective of the demographic and language preference, has access to purposeful entertainment on ZEE5. “Over 60 per cent of our audience comes from Hindi-speaking markets and TVF caters perfectly to that group. Being a customer-obsessed platform, we are delighted to bring these much-loved and iconic TVF shows to our platform to further enhance our extensive library of purposeful, multilingual, and diverse titles. Going forward, we will continue to satiate viewer’s appetite for entertainment by offering them a robust slate of differentiated stories in the language of their choice and at their fingertips, reinforcing our positioning as the Multilingual Storyteller for millions of entertainment seekers,” Kalra added.

    Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd president (content & international markets) Punit Misra said, “Consumer obsession is the cornerstone of our content design thinking on Zee5. Our partnership with TVF is driven by that same obsession, as we seek the love and advocacy of both the OTT native youth audience as well as family audiences. Bringing in a mix of iconic shows and characters on one hand, and heart-warming new shows on the other, we hope to truly delight our viewers.”

    The OTT platform is planning to build a strong repository of purposeful content and democratizing access to quality entertainment across the country, it said on Monday.

    TVF founder Arunabh Kumar, said TVF has been trying to push the boundaries with its characters and stories. “We are confident that with the power of the Zee5 platform, our teams and stories will win the hearts of millions of new viewers across the country and the world over. With this collaboration, we are looking forward to creating real magic, not just bringing the best of TVF on the platform but also creating memorable new seasons and shows that our viewers and fans can thoroughly enjoy,” he added.

    “We are excited to team up with TVF, the creators who put streaming content on the map in this country. Their stories inspire an instant connect as their slice-of-life shows closely mirror the viewers’ lives, with a charming ensemble of characters having relatable quirks brought alive by some very talented actors,” Zee5 India Hindi originals head Nimisha Pandey said.

  • No exemption for mainstream media from new IT rules, says MIB

    New Delhi: The ministry of information and broadcasting has refused to grant an exemption to the digital news content of mainstream television channels and print media from the ambit of the new IT Rules, 2021 and asked all the digital news publishers and the OTT platforms to comply with the new rules without any misapprehensions.

    Asserting that the rationale for bringing the websites of the organisations under the ambit of the law is well-reasoned, the ministry said, making an exception of the nature proposed “will be discriminatory to the digital news publishers who do not have a traditional TV/print platform.”

    The order dated 10 June provides clarification to digital news publishers, publishers of online curated content or OTT platforms, and associations of digital media publishers who had requested the government for an exemption under the new rules, highlighting that they are already “sufficiently regulated.”

    “Since the code of ethics requires such digital platforms to follow the existing norms/content regulations, which are in vogue for the traditional print and TV media, there is no additional regulatory burden for such entities,” the ministry stated, “Accordingly, the request for exempting the digital news content of such organisations from the ambit of digital media rules 2021 cannot be acceded to.”

    The ministry also took note of the fact that traditional TV and print media are already registered with the government either under the Press and Registration Books Act or the Uplinking and Downlinking Guidelines of 2011, and added, that they can request the same self-regulatory bodies to serve as the Level II of the self-regulatory mechanism. But, before that, they need to ensure consistency with the Digital Media Rules, 2021, it added.

    The Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules 2021 that into effect on 26 May recommend a three-tier mechanism for the regulation of all online media. Under the rules, the digital publishers are required to take urgent steps for appointing a grievance officer, if not done, and place all relevant details in the public domain. “They also need to constitute self-regulatory bodies through mutual consultation so that the grievances are addressed at the level of publishers or the self-regulating bodies themselves,” the ministry said. More than 500 publishers have already submitted their details in the requisite format, it added. 

    The News Broadcasters Association (NBA) which had earlier sought exemption from the new IT rules, issued a statement on Friday stating that all current and prospective members have fully complied with the requirements of new rules.
     

  • SonyLIV on-boards Dr G Dhananjayan as head of Tamil content

    KOLKATA: Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) on Friday appointed Dr G Dhananjayan as head – Tamil Content, Digital Business for its streaming service, SonyLIV.

    In his new role, Dhananjayan will spearhead the launch of Tamil content initiatives to drive the platform’s expansion plans for users who prefer consuming content in the language in India & international markets. Prior to this, he was associated with the Blue Ocean Film and Television Academy.  

    With a career spanning over 25 years in management, Dr.G Dhananjayan has held key leadership positions in film production houses, marketing and distribution divisions across Tamil, Malayalam, and Hindi languages.

    His previous stints span across leading conglomerates such as Kansai-Nerolac Paints, Saregama-HMV, Airtel, Vodafone, Moser Baer Entertainment, and Disney-UTV. Dr. Dhananjayan has multiple accolades to his credit, including a Ph.D. doctorate in the film business and the title of a National Award-winning author, twice for his exemplary work on Cinema.  

    “I am elated to join the leadership team at SonyLIV. Being a part of the premium platform’s journey in bringing breakthrough stories that engage, entertain and stand out from the clutter in the Tamil market is exciting,” Dhananjayan commented.

    At SonyLIV, he will be responsible for curating and strengthening the Tamil content catalogue. Dhananjayan’s rich experience makes him ideal to oversee the growth plans of SonyLIV in the Tamil region, said the company.

    “We are pleased to have Dr. G. Dhananjayan on board to oversee SonyLIV’s Tamil market expansion. With his versatile experience in the domain and an impressive passion to drive authentic and localized stories, we aim to strengthen our portfolio in the Tamil market,” SET and Digital Business content head Ashish Golwalkar said.

  • Binge app sees traction from non-metros- DAS 2, DAS 3 cities: Tata Sky’s Pallavi Puri

    KOLKATA: Pay TV meanders along in India, even as the near future will expectedly watch digital adoption accelerating at a rapid pace of disruption. The legacy direct-to-platform (DTH) players are taking note of the shift in consumer habits to keep up with the trend. Tata Sky has been one such player to embrace streaming services to retain consumers.

    The leading DTH player has recently extended its OTT content aggregator service to a mobile app, Tata Sky Binge Mobile App that offers a single subscription and a one-time payment proposition alongside numerous titles across entertainment apps on one single platform.

    “Over the last year, our subscribers said that they wanted the on-the-move experience of Binge. We know that a lot of the OTT content consumption is happening on mobile. Hence, the subsequent step was to broaden the offering through a mobile app, and make it available to a wider audience segment, enabling them to watch their choice of content individually on their mobile phones,” Tata Sky chief commercial & content officer Pallavi Puri explained the rationale of the move.

    The company has launched the app with a product film on Tata Sky’s channel 100, along with a social media campaign #KhojoNahiDekho, Puri stated. The campaign spotlights how people spend a lot of time toggling on the apps and searching for content to watch, and yet often end up watching nothing. 

    Hence, the focus of the communication is to encourage people to stop searching and start binge-watching content from across multiple entertainment apps with a one-stop solution – Tata Sky Binge mobile app, she explained further. “We have a robust and phase-wise marketing strategy in place to scale up the product as we go along,” Puri said.

    In the beginning, the company wants to popularise the app, establish its benefits, rather than focusing on target numbers. Through this app, Tata Sky is targeting every Tata Sky subscriber who has a smartphone. Audience segments that prefer a more personalized content viewing experience, that can be accessed on-the-go, will like and gain from this app, Puri noted. Moreover, the company has introduced the Rs 149 mobile-only plan to appeal to a larger audience.

    Puri is of the view that the launch of this app has strengthened Tata Sky’s OTT aggregation portfolio. Subscribers can now avail the Binge offering through Amazon FireTV Stick – Tata Sky edition, Android-enabled smart set-top box, Tata Sky Binge+, and the very latest Binge Mobile app basis their choice of device and convenience.

    Notably, Tata Sky’s arch-rival Dish TV also has its OTT app Watcho that has already crossed 15 million subscribers. The app provides original content, even woos users with user-generated content. However, Tata Sky wants to focus on OTT content for its app at this point. Based on insights from its subscribers, it may further enhance the overall Binge proposition.

    “The initial traction has been very encouraging. We are seeing great traction from non-metros – DAS 2, DAS 3 cities. With its first-rate end-user interface, unified search, and a seamless hyper-personalised content recommendation and viewing experience, we are hoping Binge will become our subscribers’ favourite very soon,” Puri commented.

  • Zee5 set to launch in US on 22 June

    Kolkata: In what could be its biggest launch till date, Indian streaming platform Zee5 is all set to enter the United States market on 22 June.

    With this, the platform has set the stage for its rapid growth in a market that has over 5.4 million diaspora audiences with a deep cultural and language connection to its content. Zee5 is currently under beta testing in the US. This direct-to-consumer service launch is especially significant at a time when Indians settled in the US, many of whom remain deeply connected to their roots, are unable to travel home.

    The official announcement will be made at a virtual event where its platform and content will be unveiled. The company will also share key details about its plans for the market and its local partnerships, launch the brand campaign, and more.

    “The United States represents our most significant market and the last bastion in our global journey as we launch an ad-free subscription service. As a Global Media conglomerate, we have had a very deep connection with our diaspora audiences here, so it is a rather happy moment for me to now be bringing this audience the largest aggregation of South Asian content on a single platform through Zee5,” Zee Entertainment Digital Businesses & Platforms president Amit Goenka said.

    With this launch, the streaming platform will also open up access to the largest catalogue of content from South Asia including India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh to diaspora and even mainstream content consumers in the US who have been eagerly waiting to access Zee5’s massive content library. With 1,30,000 hours of content across 18 languages, Zee5 said it plans to offer a premium, highly accessible, and affordable option for viewers to engage with the best of South Asian stories.

    “The United States is home to millions of people whose families have a strong connect with South Asia, and we are glad to bring them the largest and most diverse catalogue of culturally relevant entertainment across Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi stories. These stories have the power to engage deeply and go well beyond the South Asian audience to entertain and delight even mainstream audiences with their authenticity and allure. I am confident that ZEE5 will become the go-to platform for all Americans who love great storytelling,” Zee5 Global chief business officer Archana Anand said.

    With ‘language of your comfort’ being a key promise across Content, Navigation, and even Voice Search, Zee5’s content library promises to be tailor-made for the diverse cultures and languages of Indian and South Asian communities in the US. The languages include Hindi, Bengali, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Marathi, Oriya, Bhojpuri, Gujarati, Punjabi, as well as Malay, Thai, Bahasa, Arabic, Urdu, and Bangla (Bangladeshi). Key titles are also subtitled or dubbed in English.

    Zee5’s Annual pack, priced at $84 will be available across all major devices at a limited launch offer price of $49.99. Zee5 subscribers in the U.S. will also be the first to stream Salman Khan’s Radhe: Your Most Wanted Bhai.

  • Justice Sikri to chair grievance redressal board for digital publishers under IAMAI

    KOLKATA: The Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) announced on Thursday that former Supreme Court Justice Arjan Kumar Sikri will chair the Grievance Redressal Board (GRB), formed as a part of the Digital Publisher Content Grievances Council (DPCGC). 

    The GRB will address content grievances about any of the DPCGC member’s video streaming services. It will function as an independent body and act as the second-tier within the three-tier grievance redressal mechanism as envisioned by the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. Under Justice Sikri’s leadership, the GRB will aim to provide independent adjudication on content grievances escalated to it.

    The members of the GRB include prominent personalities from the media and entertainment industry, online curated content providers, experts from various fields including child rights, women rights, and media laws. The Grievance Redressal Board includes National award-winning actress Suhasini Maniratnam; Madhu Bhojwani, Indian film Producer and partner at Emmay Entertainment and Motion Pictures; Gopal Jain, senior Advocate, Supreme Court of India; and Dr. Ranjana Kumari, eminent Civil Society representative who currently serves as the director of the Centre for Social Research and as the chairperson of Women Power Connect. The two members from the Online Curated Content Providers are Amit Grover, senior corporate counsel, Amazon India, and Priyanka Chaudhari, director-legal, Netflix India.

    IAMAI had recently announced the formation of the Digital Publisher Content Grievances Council as an independent self-regulatory organization to provide a grievance redressal platform for Online Curated Content consumers. The DPCGC will empower consumers to make informed viewing choices and promote creative excellence, which are keys to the long-term success of the Indian entertainment industry.

    The appointment of GRB members is a crucial step towards setting up an independent grievance redressal mechanism in alignment with IT Rules 2021, it said on Thursday. The GRB will oversee and ensure the alignment and adherence to the Code of Ethics by the DPCG Council members, provide guidance to member entities on the Code of Ethics, and address grievances that have not been resolved by the publisher within the stipulated period.

    The DPCGC currently has 14 publishers of online curated content as members, which include Amazon Prime Video, Alt Balaji, Apple, BookMyShow Stream, Eros Now, Firework TV, Hoichoi, Hungama, Lionsgate Play, MX Player, Netflix, Reeldrama, Shemaroo, and Ullu.

    Tags: IAMAI, Netflix, Amazon India, OTT, Streaming Service, New IT rules, Justice Sikri.