ITV

Tag: OTT

  • QYOU Media to acquire influencer marketing firm Chtrbox

    QYOU Media to acquire influencer marketing firm Chtrbox

    Mumbai: QYOU Media Inc on Tuesday announced that it has entered into a definitive share purchase agreement to acquire leading Influencer marketing company Chtrbox in India.

    The acquisition is part of the company’s continued focus on India, and in the creator economy and content domain. QYOU Media will initially purchase a majority stake in Chtrbox, with a three year earn out. Founder and CEO Pranay Swarup and COO Julie Kriegshaber will continue in their leadership roles with Chtrbox.

    Founded in 2016 Chtrbox is a data-driven influencer marketing, with a diverse pool of over three lakh influencers, from celebrities, social media stars, Gen-Z creators to micro and nano influencers. According to the company, it will continue to run as an independently positioned brand, while benefiting from QYOU Media’s complementary businesses including the TV channel – The Q.

    Highlighting the common goals shared by the companies QYOU Media Inc., CEO and co-founder, Curt Marvis, said collective synergies between the two businesses could not be better aligned. “Our channel in India, The Q, with its massive recent ratings growth shows the power of the right creator led content. When we combine this with Chtrbox’s digital acumen and unparalleled knowledge of the world of influencer marketing, it is truly a match made in heaven,” he said.

    QYOU Media has been built with ‘influencers’ at its core. Its India TV Channel, The Q is also primarily creator-led and records nearly 100 million viewer impressions weekly. The acquisition is aimed at substantial expansion of QYOU’s influencer marketing business in India and also deliver immediate and accretive capabilities to QYOU’s India broadcast operations, said the company.

    Chtrbox, CEO and founder, Pranay Swarup said, “With QYOU, we gain access to massive distribution reaching millions of households, while we continue to power awesome creator-led content across digital platforms and apps. Our biggest stakeholders are influencers and brands and they now have the opportunity to positively influence millions more.”

    The Q India, chief operating officer, Krishna Menon said, “Chtrbox will also help strengthen our presence in the rapidly rising digital streaming space. Together, we are perfectly positioned to consolidate and advance influencer marketing, content development, distribution and engagement to the next level in India. We welcome Chtrbox to The Q family.”

  • Flexibility is the future of cinema exhibition, says Disney CEO Bob Chapek

    Flexibility is the future of cinema exhibition, says Disney CEO Bob Chapek

    Mumbai: So how does the world of cinematic exhibition look like currently and how will it shape up beyond the pandemic? To get a perspective, let’s take a look at how Walt Disney CEO Bob Chapek sees it. Speaking at the JP Morgan media summit last week, Chapek summarised the future of cinema exhibition in a single word, ”flexibility.”

    Chapek revealed that the Covid pandemic has redefined cinema exhibition, with customer behaviour changing due to the new normal. According to Chapek, ”flexibility” plays a crucial role in determining the future of cinematic exhibition, where films will be either released in theatres with a short window before going the OTT way or a hybrid release mechanism where movies are streamed simultaneously in theatres as well as OTT platforms, distinct from exclusive OTT premieres. 

    “We are looking at exclusive theatrical releases with a dramatically short window between the first and second offerings or a simultaneous theatrical premiere along with our Disney+ offering and our direct Disney+ premieres. We are trying to offer consumers more choices as they gain confidence in how they want to return to theatres. It helps us build our franchises. But as we have seen domestic box offices, it seems to be recovering in some markets. But we are seeing some hesitancy in returning to normal like back in 2019,” said Chapek. 

    Chapek added that shortening the theatrical window before OTT releases to 45 days was necessary as audiences are less patient to watch their favourite content. “We are celebrating the flexibility that we have gotten into. If you are a fan, six weeks is a long time. Six days, maybe, but consumers are driving for shorter windows. They have the power to take that call and we are a consumer-friendly company. We saw a lot of midnight fervour when new content was released on Disney plus. And that is the reason why we chose the 45-day theatrical window,” revealed Chapek. 

    Citing the example of Black Widow, he said big movies that demand a theatrical watch will be released on big screens, and also have a simultaneous OTT release that will allow people to enjoy the flick in the comfort and safety of their homes as well. 

    “If it is a big tent pole theatrical franchise, fans tend to consume the film in theatres. For Black Widow, we had to give the theatrical exhibition a chance, but we didn’t put all our eggs in the same basket. We gave the consumers a choice; watch it in a theatre or in the safety of your homes. The theatrical marketplace will recover more fully, in time. Flexibility is a good thing,” added Chapek.

    Black Widow is one of the most anticipated Hollywood movies of the year, as it is the 24th installment in the much-celebrated Marvel Cinematic Universe. Starring Scarlett Johanssen in the lead role, the film will hit theatres on 09 July, along with a simultaneous Disney+ Premium streaming for US$30.  

  • PallyCon adds App Security to its digital arsenal

    PallyCon adds App Security to its digital arsenal

    New Delhi: PallyCon, a global leader in Multi DRM, forensic watermarking services, and anti-piracy technology on Monday launched its state-of-the-art app security service.

    A simple plug-n-play solution, it is dedicated to helping content developers and publishers protect their content from manipulation and theft. The solution is conceptualized with no single line of code and offers robust security that’s affordable, said the company.

    INKA Entworks Inc, CEO and founder, James Sungim Ahn said, “With the increasing popularity and rise in viewership of OTT apps, the chances of theft and leakages have increased multiple times. It takes a lot of effort and money to produce content, and illegal access and copying are causing significant revenue losses. Hence, data security should be considered mandatory, and all content creators should adopt a 360-degree security along with DRM service for OTT apps to protect their investment”.

    The solution offers a real-time threat analytics dashboard for content creators to trace the source of piracy and hacking of streaming content in real-time. It works in tandem with a high-performing DRM video protection service to identify leakages right to the last user who leaks or consumes the content illegally, thus offering endless scalable security.

    Discussing the potential of the service, INKA Entworks Inc, head of global business, Govindraj Basatwar said, “Cyber-attacks against OTT apps and content creators are on the rise. Without adequate security, apps can be easily hacked, which poses a threat to the privacy of data, revenue and puts the brand image at risk too. With this launch, we aim to create a fearless and thriving environment for all content creators and protect their data from potential threats,” he added.

    With new security standards set by Hollywood studios, it becomes critical for OTT platforms to protect their apps in runtime. The solution supports Android, iOS, and other hybrid apps.

  • Twitter complies with new IT rules

    Twitter complies with new IT rules

    New Delhi: The social media giant Twitter on Monday told the Delhi high court that it has appointed the grievance redressal officer, as required under the new IT (guidelines for intermediaries and digital media ethics code) rules, 2021.

    The court was hearing a plea by one Amit Acharya, alleging that Twitter India has not complied with the IT Rules, according to which it was required to appoint a Resident Grievance Officer, Nodal Officer and Chief Compliance officer to look into any complaints against the platform.

    Appearing on behalf of the US company, senior advocate Sajan Poovayya shared a letter dated 28 May, claiming that the company has already made the requisite appointment. However, the claim was disputed by the petitioner who argued that Twitter’s GRO details could not be found when a complaint was sought to be made against certain objectionable tweets, The Indian Express reported. He also alleged that the microblogging platform has appointed a US resident as the Grievance Officer, contradictory to what the IT rules mandated.

    During the course of hearing, the court has also made it clear that “if the rules have not been stayed then they have to be complied with”.  It issued a notice to Twitter and gave the company three weeks to put the details on record. The case was adjourned for next hearing on July 6.

    The government had released a circular on 26 May enquiring about compliance with the said rules by all SSMIs under the Rules. As per the rules, each significant social media intermediary is required to appoint a resident grievance officer, chief compliance officer, a nodal contact person for 24×7 coordination with law enforcement agencies. He/she would be required to acknowledge the complaint within 24 hours and resolve it within 15 days from its receipt.

    All three should be resident Indians. They will also have to publish a monthly compliance report mentioning the details of complaints received and action taken. The intermediaries are also required to prominently publish on their website, app or both, the name of the grievance officer and his/her contact details as well as the mechanism by which a user or a victim may make a complaint.

  • Former SC judge Justice Vikramjit Sen appointed chairman of IBF’s new self-regulatory body

    Former SC judge Justice Vikramjit Sen appointed chairman of IBF’s new self-regulatory body

    New Delhi: Former Supreme Court judge Justice Vikramjit Sen was on Monday appointed as the chairman of the newly formed self-regulatory body – Digital Media Content Regulatory Council (DMCRC) formed by the Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF), the apex body of broadcasters.

    The industry-led self-regulatory body (SRB) for digital OTT platforms will work as a second-tier mechanism at the appellate level, quite similar to the Broadcast Content Complaint Council (BCCC), which IBF had implemented for the linear broadcasting sector in 2011. DMCRC was formed as per the mandate of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 that came into effect on 26 May, with active consultation amongst the creative industry fraternity.

    The newly formed Council constitutes prominent personalities from the media & entertainment industry and Online Curated Content Providers (OCCPs), with experience in IPR, programming, and content creation. Meanwhile, IBF will also be renamed as the Indian Broadcasting and Digital Foundation (IBDF) as it expands its purview to cover digital platforms to bring all digital (OTT) players under one roof. 

    A former supreme court judge, Justice (retd) Sen has practiced in all the courts in Delhi, although primarily in the high court of Delhi. He was elevated to the apex court on 24 December 2012. He was also appointed chairman of the Broadcast Content Complaints Council (BCCC)- a self-regulatory body for the non-news and current affairs television channels in India in 2017, said IBF in a statement on Monday.

    The other members of the council are national award-winning filmmaker Nikkhil Advani, Banijay Group CEO and founder Deepak Dhar,  prominent artist, filmmaker, and writer Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari and creative writer and innovative director, Tigmanshu Dhulia. The other two members from the OCCPs include Sony Pictures Pvt. Ltd, general counsel Ashok Nambisan, and Star and Disney India, chief regional counsel Mihir Rale and Disney India.

    Speaking on the appointment of the committee, IBF president, K. Madhavan said, “I am delighted that so many experts from the media and entertainment industry have come forward and accepted the invitation of IBDF to be part of the proposed self-regulatory body. I look forward to working with the Council whose mandate is to ensure freedom of expression of the Indian creative industry as well as help the discerning audience of the OTT platforms to have unhindered access to world-class and differentiated content. This is a historical and win-win moment for all the stakeholders i.e. the M&E industry, the policymakers, and the subscribers of the OTT platforms.”

  • Amit Kumar Sinha joins SonyLIV as pricing & revenue strategy head

    Amit Kumar Sinha joins SonyLIV as pricing & revenue strategy head

    KOLKATA: Leading OTT platform SonyLIV has appointed Amit Kumar Sinha as pricing & revenue strategy head. Sinha brings 15 years of experience in business strategy, marketing & research to the table.

    Before this, Sinha was associated with Star TV Network as associate vice president (product, revenue strategy). He worked on major genres like Hindi GEC, Hindi Movies & Hindi News. He also worked for Star Sports to plan, deliver revenue targets for the Cricket portfolio.

    He also worked with other renowned media organisations like Zee News, Bloomberg UTV, ETV.

    During the last fifteen years, he has been involved in strategizing & planning for various business functions; marketing & promotion of programmes/events; distribution Strategies; handling Research among others.

  • IAMAI announces formation of Digital Publisher Content Grievances Council

    IAMAI announces formation of Digital Publisher Content Grievances Council

    KOLKATA: The Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) on Friday announced the formation of the Digital Publishers Content Grievances Council (DPCGC) as part of the self-regulatory and grievance redressal framework for Online Curated Content [OCC] Publishers.

    The Council is being set up in light of the recent Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 with the intent to empower consumers to make informed viewing choices, it said on Friday.

    It will have an OCCP Council consisting of publishers of OCC as members and an independent Grievance Redressal Board [GRB] — consisting of a chairperson and six members. The GRB will be chaired by a retired Supreme Court/high court judge. The members will comprise eminent persons from the media and entertainment industry, experts from various fields, including child rights, minority rights, and media law.

    The GRB will oversee and ensure the alignment and adherence to the Code of Ethics by the OCCP Council members, provide guidance to entities on the Code of Ethics, address grievances that have not been resolved by the publisher within 15 days and hear grievances/appeals filed by the complainants.

    IAMAI President Subho Ray said: “IAMAI and members of the DPCGC are deeply committed to protecting consumer rights and empowering consumers with the right tools to make informed decisions, as well as have their grievances addressed. The formation of this body is an important step towards consumer choice, as more and more people are viewing content online.”

    IAMAI has also notified the ministry of information and broadcasting (MIB) that they are in the process of forming the DPCGC and has also shared a list of publishers who were confirmed to be members of the Council. So far, it has received confirmation from 10 publishers, including 1.) Alt Balaji 2.) Amazon Prime Video 3.) Arha Media 4.) Firework 5.) Hoichoi 6.) Hungama 7.) Lionsgate Play 8.) MX Player 9.) Netflix and 10) Shemaroo and is awaiting confirmation from several other such digital publishers.

    “The creation of Digital Publishers Content Grievances Council (DPCGC) is a significant step in ensuring that publishers of OCC are compliant with IT rules 2021. The Digital Publishers Content Grievances Council will serve as a transparent and open channel to effectively address consumer grievances. As part of the process to be compliant, this newly formed body is an important step towards consumer empowerment and choice,” IAMAI stated.

  • MIB has eyes on digital media publishers too

    MIB has eyes on digital media publishers too

    KOLKATA: The social media-Indian government tussle regarding compliance of new IT rules has hogged all the limelight lately. Along with these platforms, digital media, OTT platforms were also given a three-month window to comply with a new set of rules.

    The digital media division of the ministry of information and broadcasting (MIB) has sent a notice to digital media publishers seeking information under Rule 18 of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Codes) Rules, 2021.

    The ministry has asked publishers to furnish information in the applicable format within 15 days of the notice as different formats were devised for traditional media publishing news and current affairs on digital media, pure-play digital publishers, and OTT platforms.

    A total of around 60 publishers, and their associations, have also informed the ministry that they have already initiated the process of formation of self-regulatory bodies under the new rules. Some publishers have also written to the ministry regarding registration with the ministry under the rules, MIB noted in its missive.

    The notice highlighted that the ministry held interactions with the publishers of online curated content, as well as the publishers of news on digital media duly after notifying the new rules.

    Meanwhile, the News Broadcasters Association (NBA) has written to MIB requesting exclusion of traditional television news media and its extended presence on digital news platforms from the aforementioned rules, as per reports.

    “While NBA appreciates the need for regulations, the traditional news media need not be subjected to and/ or covered under the scope of the IT Rules 2021, since it is already sufficiently regulated by various statutes, laws, guidelines and codes, regulations, and judgments set,” NBA said in a letter.

    The electronic news media is no different from print media and majority of content hosted on their digital platforms is nothing but a replica of content which is already a part of the broadcast, the body argued.

  • IBF to be renamed as it plans to bring digital players under its ambit

    IBF to be renamed as it plans to bring digital players under its ambit

    KOLKATA:  The Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF), the apex body of broadcasters, is being renamed as Indian Broadcasting & Digital Foundation (IBDF), as it expands its purview to cover digital platforms to bring all digital (OTT) players under one roof. IBDF is in the process of forming a new wholly-owned subsidiary to handle all matters pertaining to digital media.

    IBDF will also form a self-regulatory body (SRB), as per the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 as notified by the Government of India on 25 February 2021. 

    This industry-led SRB called Digital Media Content Regulatory Council (DMCRC) for digital OTT platforms, which is a second-tier mechanism at the appellate level is similar to Broadcast Content Complaint Council (BCCC), which IBF had successfully implemented for the linear broadcasting sector way back in 2011. 

    IBF president K Madhavan said: “We are pleased to extend our commitment of fostering an environment that is culturally adept, socially responsible and governance-bound to the fast-growing digital medium. The diversification will empower the Foundation to pursue growth opportunities for its members who run OTT services in the country, while ensuring they present a strong collective voice, both in the broadcast and digital sector under the combined body. We will continue to work arduously to create new benchmarks in line with the industry’s growth aspirations.”

    Over the years, IBF has played a key role in providing research-based policy and regulatory advocacy to the government to build a strong broadcasting sector which is the backbone of the Indian M&E sector.

    Today, with the emergence of new digital technical technologies, the Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF) is not only going to rechristen itself as Indian Broadcasting & Digital Foundation (IBDF) but will continue to proactively engage all the relevant stakeholders to introduce policy and regulatory certainties and strengthen self-regulatory mechanisms to help the Indian creative industry to produce world-class content which has received an overwhelming response from the global audience.

  • Amazon to reimagine, develop MGM titles: Jeff Bezos

    Amazon to reimagine, develop MGM titles: Jeff Bezos

    KOLKATA: It is a mega $8.45 billion deal that has helped Amazon build a bond with that awesome fictional British secret service agent James Bond. Eyebrows were raised, questioning the size of the amount that is being coughed up to acquire the famed Hollywood studio MGM. Outgoing CEO Jeff Bezos is, however, not letting these doubters perturb him; he is excited by the prospects of the deal.

    While speaking at the company’s annual general meeting Bezos once again explained that the decision was driven by MGM’s rich and deep catalogue, but even more exciting is the manner in which Amazon is looking at reimagining and developing the  IPs the studio has under its fold.

    Bezos pointed out that the acquisition theory is “very simple.” The studio has a vast, deep catalogue of much-loved intellectual property, he reminded. It’s also a win for people who love stories, he added.

    He highlighted that MGM’s library of more than 4,000 films and 17,000 TV shows, including iconic titles like James Bond, Thelma and Louise, Raging Bull, Robocop and Tomb Raider, The Handmaid’s Tale and Vikings, is very much coveted and valuable.

    “The only way to get above-average returns is to take risks and many won’t pay off. Our whole history as a company is about taking risks, many of which have failed and many of which will fail,” he elaborated.

    On Wednesday evening, the announcement finally came in that the e-commerce giant had decided to acquire the studio. “The real financial value behind this deal is the treasure trove of IPs in the deep catalogue that we plan to reimagine and develop together with MGM’s talented team,” Amazon Studios & Prime Video SVP Mike Hopkins said at the time of the announcement.

    Amazon has 200 million Prime members worldwide with access to its video service. Prime members who watch video have higher free trial conversion rates, higher renewal rates, and higher overall engagement.

     The company has been ramping up its spend on content, even on live sports, to stay competitive with the fare being churned out by  Netflix and  Disney and now with the merged Discovery+Warner Media juggernaut.