ITV

Tag: OTT

  • Industry heads see huge headroom for growth across TV & digital in India

    Industry heads see huge headroom for growth across TV & digital in India

    KOLKATA: At the Asia Video Industry Association’s (AVIA) recent Future of Video India conference, industry leaders remained upbeat about the potential for growth in India’s television landscape despite a painful 2020 which had seen a 25 per cent drop in TV advertising revenue.

    The conference opened with an overview of the Future of Video in India with Media Partners Asia (MPA) India VP Mihir Shah. With learnings from the last year and economic resurgence in certain sectors, MPA predicts that in the next five years, with every new incremental dollar in the region, India will have 35 per cent share, almost evenly divided between television and online video.

    While cable in general is going through a structural decline, pay-TV subscriptions will grow both in value and volume and continue to offer scale for the traditional media players. And with more than 60 online video services in India, the total addressable market will continue to expand.

    This local expansion is what Disney+ Hotstar president & head Sunil Rayan is eyeing, with the streamer’s next stage of growth primed at developing their product for India, with pricing and content made for the local market. As India is a mobile-first market which drives individual viewing, while OTT and TV is not a zero sum game, OTT content needs to be far more engaging for individual viewing. “Fundamentally, we don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all approach for India because there are multiple Indias within India,” mentioned Rayan.

    The sentiment of diversity and positive co-existence among the platforms was echoed by Discovery Communications India south Asia MD Megha Tata. “India lives in several centuries at the same time,” she said, and this is not only the beauty and complexity of the market but also the opportunity to do more. While it is still a long way away before the demise of the TV, a differentiated content and product offering remains a key focus.

    “Content is king . . . distribution is god . . . that play of god and king will continue but differentiation of content will play a critical part in decision making,” added Tata.

    This focus on local content is also what drives content platforms. Netflix India VP content Monika Shergill shared that premium storytelling was a new space in India, as Indian audiences were open to experimentation and yet gravitating towards highly local tastes. “Our job and our passion is to find the best stories . . . the biggest stories . . . the untold stories from India and to become the service of choice for Indians in India . . . and in different parts of the world,” shared Shergill.

    For Zee5 Hindi Originals head Nimisha Pandey, the initial focus was on building volume, though it has now shifted to adding to the variety and scaling up the content offering. She, too, has realised the need to up the game on the regional market for the next set of growth. “There is so much demand that there is much hope for everyone to grow their businesses,” said Pandey.

    As the market where the next billion consumers of video will come from, Zee5 Global chief business officer Archana Anand summed it up best when she said, “It is the decade of video.”

  • Amazon Prime Video gets India’s vote as ‘most trusted entertainment brand’

    Amazon Prime Video gets India’s vote as ‘most trusted entertainment brand’

    KOLKATA: As India tussles with the raging pandemic amid some drastic shifts in consumer behaviour, a new survey conducted by the market research firm CMR has concluded that Amazon Prime Video is the most trusted entertainment brand in the Indian entertainment landscape.

    According to the findings of the Alpha Brands 2021 survey, Amazon Prime Video, which comes bundles with the e-commerce giant’s Prime subscription, has the most satisfied consumers in the period which is about 81 per cent (highest till date). This is followed by Disney+ Hotstar (73 per cent) and Netflix (67 per cent).

    Going by the report, consumers have prioritised entertainment and welcomed OTT content with open arms over the course of the past year. During this period of increased video streaming, Amazon Prime Video has not only acquired the best of the global content but also enhanced its reach in various untapped regions in India with content across Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, and Bengali.

     Some notable localised titles available on the streamer includes Soorarai Pottru (Tamil, Telugu), CU Soon (Malayalam), Joji (Malayalam), Drishyam 2 (Malayalam), French Biriyani (Kannada), Middle Class Melodies (Telugu), Shakuntala Devi (Hindi) among many others.

  • Amazon Prime Video drives ‘LOL- Hasse Toh Phasse’ promotions with Pac-Man game

    Amazon Prime Video drives ‘LOL- Hasse Toh Phasse’ promotions with Pac-Man game

    KOLKATA: Amazon Prime Video is all set to add to the excitement of the launch of the it’s original series LOL- Hasse Toh Phasse, as the chaotic and fun madhouse transforms into a PAC-MAN maze. The streaming service has rolled out a limited edition Pac-Man game as a part of a consumer engagement campaign for the unscripted comedy reality show.

    This maze chase video game has the show’s hosts and comedians as Pac-Man icons. The player can choose their favourite comedian to play the game, and then try to evade the hosts Boman Irani and Arshad Warsi’s sharp and vigilant watch. The player has to score as much as possible with three lives to navigate through three challenging yet exciting levels. With an engaging and addictive web and mobile (iOS & Android) interface, this limited edition Pac-man game will have gaming enthusiasts and fans of the series hooked.

    The streamer has also come up with a quirky consumer engagement campaign titled #LastSeenLaughing by posting a flurry of memes about funny instances from its shows and movies, with the hashtag. Jumping on the bandwagon, close to a 100 brands which include Zomato, Jack and Jones India, Mentos, Dunzo and Rage Coffee joined the conversation along with netizens.

    An international format comedy show with an Indian twist, LOL- Hasse Toh Phasse brings together comedy kings Boman Irani and Arshad Warsi to keep a vigilant watch on India’s 10 most celebrated comedians: Aadar Malik, Aakash Gupta, Aditi Mittal, Ankita Shrivastav, Cyrus Broacha, Gaurav Gera, Kusha Kapila, Mallika Dua, Sunil Grover and Suresh Menon. Bringing the toughest challenge of their life, the show witnesses the contestants pitted against each other in a house with two objectives – to make others laugh and more importantly, ensure that they should be the last one standing with a straight face!

    Visit www.lolpacman.com to play the game.

  • SonyLIV elevates Amogh Dusad as head – business operations

    SonyLIV elevates Amogh Dusad as head – business operations

    KOLKATA: Over-the-top (OTT) platform SonyLIV has elevated Amogh Dusad as head – business operations.

    Back in 2019, when the platform embarked on its transformation journey, Dusad was given the position of head – programming and new initiatives, digital business at Sony Pictures Networks India. His role was to handle strategic planning, operations, viewership management and analytics for SonyLIV.

    Over a career spanning 18 years, he has delivered in leadership positions covering different facets of the broadcast and digital industry. This has included content acquisition, partnerships with content creators, gaming and second screen interactivity initiatives, digital content creation, revenue maximisation for digital products, consumer insights and analytics.

    Earlier in his career, he also led the insights and programming strategy for SET, the flagship channel of Sony Pictures Network India. In this role, he was responsible for the overall business strategy for the channel, consumer insights and collaborations on creative development to drive viewership and P&L management.

    While SonyLIV was largely dependent on its catch-up content and sports portfolio, it ramped up its original content library in the last couple of years. The platform was also rebranded with a new vibrant logo in the last year. Its originals including Avrodh, Gullak, Undekhi , and especially Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story have created quite a buzz in the market.

  • Zee5’s customer strategy head Anita Nayyar quits

    Zee5’s customer strategy head Anita Nayyar quits

    KOLKATA: Senior media and marketing professional Anita Nayyar has moved on from OTT platform Zee5. Nayyar was heading customer strategy and relationships at the organisation.

    In her expansive career spanning over 20 years, Nayyar has been instrumental in driving strategic business development, client relations and creative narratives for brands across her stints at varied Indian and global firms.

    Prior to Zee5, she was associated with Havas Media Group as the CEO India & southeast Asia. She has been acclaimed and received accolades on various platforms over the years for her leadership and achievements.

    She also worked with Starcom, Mudra Communications at the outset of her career. She is skilled in digital strategy, marketing strategy, digital marketing, digital media planning and buying.

  • Amazon Prime Video boasts 175mn+ viewers, investment in content & live sports to grow

    Amazon Prime Video boasts 175mn+ viewers, investment in content & live sports to grow

    KOLKATA: Video has emerged to be a key play for the tech giants, especially over the past year. After Google’s YouTube knocked over the industry with astounding ad revenue and viewership in the last quarter, and now, Amazon has also revealed how its streaming service Prime Video has fared in recent times.

    In what may sound warning bells for market leader Netflix and upstart Disney+, Prime Video’s viewer base has surpassed 175 million. In a letter to shareholders, Amazon boss Jeff Bezos shared he’s proud to have Prime Video in the family.

    “As Prime Video turns 10, over 175 million Prime members have streamed shows and movies in the past year, and streaming hours are up more than 70 per cent year over year. Amazon Studios received a record 12 Academy Award nominations and two wins. Upcoming originals include Tom Clancy’s Without Remorse, The Tomorrow War, The Underground Railroad, and much more,” wrote Bezos.

    In mid-April, Bezos revealed that the e-commerce behemoth’s Prime service now has over 200 million subscribers, up 50 million from the beginning of 2020. The service includes fast free shipping, music, video, reading, gaming which is priced at Rs 129 per month, and Rs 999 per year in India.

    The numbers are not only talking. Prime Video is making its way into critics’ mind too as it has shined in recent award ceremonies. It earned 12 Academy Award nominations across four films this year; moreover, Sound of Metal won an Oscar in the newly-created sound category.

    Interestingly, the OTT is not limiting its video aspirations to original titles and movies but has thrown its hat into the competitive sports content too. “The live sports offering for Prime Video continues to grow internationally,” Bezos said in the letter. Very recently, it became the first streaming service to secure an exclusive national broadcast package from the prestigious NFL. It has ventured into cricket too, the most popular game in India, by acquiring the India territory rights for New Zealand cricket through 2025-2026. It may look at other popular cricket rights in India in the coming year to bolster its sports library.

    The company looks at video as a component of broader prime membership. Prime members who watch video have higher free trial conversion rates, higher renewal rates, higher overall engagement, an Amazon spokesperson said in the earnings call.

    “There’s great examples of places like Brazil where you launch a video only subscription for example that preceded the broader Prime membership with shipping components and that was as an example a great way to expose people to Amazon. And as we launched a broader Prime in Brazil, it was a great mechanism to get folks into that program,” he added.

    The content spend is expected to grow and the investment will go beyond original content to boost the live sports portfolio.

    Overall, the e-commerce giant has continued to cash in on our new shop-work-relax-from-home habits in the first three months of this year, reporting a huge rise in sales and a tripling of profits.

    Amazon’s overall revenue has gone up by 44 per cent year-on-year basis to reach $108.5 billion revenue. Net income skyrocketed to $8.1 billion compared to the corresponding quarter of 2020, when it stood at $2.5 billion. As online shopping has been one of the businesses to benefit in the ongoing pandemic, the quarterly results show how the digital drive is still fuelling its business.

    Net sales are expected to be between $110.0 billion and $116.0 billion for the next quarter, or to grow between 24 per cent and 30 per cent as against the second quarter 2020, the company guided. Operating income is expected to be between $4.5 billion and $8.0 billion. The company will also host its Prime Day event sometime in the second quarter.

  • Kids Safety Pin: Epic On introduces child-safe viewing feature

    Kids Safety Pin: Epic On introduces child-safe viewing feature

    KERALA: OTT platform Epic On, from IN10 Media Network, has introduced a new feature on its platform – the Kids Safety Pin. The kid-safe enabled login requires a pin to access content exclusively made for children. 

    The pin login feature will help parents monitor children’s viewing habits and protect them from unsuitable content for the age group.

    Epic On is also planning to create originals, acquire children’s movies, edutainment, and gamification around quizzes for its young audience, making it a one-stop 24/7 entertainment OTT app with parental control.

    The platform, which has a separate section for children, offers a mix of VoDs and a linear feed of the network’s children’s channel, Gubbare. With its 360 degrees’ offerings for children targeted for the five plus years, the streamer has a whole section of VOD libraries from Gubbare (ViR The Robot Boy, My Bhoot Friends, Marcus Khiladi among others), Amar Chitra Katha, Jam Studio, E-books, and many unique podcasts.

    “We at Epic On are constantly working towards bettering our audiences’ viewing experience. With children being indoors due to the pandemic, there has been an increase in viewership in the kids’ category, the latest feature will give control in the hands of the parents so that they can create the best experience for their children. We encourage parents to talk openly about these safety features with kids,” said IN10 Media Network COO Sourjya Mohanty. 

    Epic On is currently available on Jio Fibre, Airtel Xstream, Apple TV, and FireTV. 

  • Netflix rescues users from streaming indecisiveness with ‘Play Something’

    Netflix rescues users from streaming indecisiveness with ‘Play Something’

    KOLKATA: ‘What to watch now?’ – there is probably no Netflix user who has not thought of this. Now, the global streaming giant is ready to rescue viewers from the conflict with its new ‘Play Something’ feature.

    A Netflix user who presses the new ‘Play Something’ button will be shown a film or show based on his or her interest. If the user does not like the recommendation, they can move on with ‘Play Something Else’ to see a new set of options that include an unfinished series or film.

    “There are times when we just don’t want to make decisions. A Friday evening after a long work week. A fridge full of food but nothing jumps out. A family movie night where no one can agree. We’ve all been there. Sometimes you just want to open Netflix and dive right into a new story. That’s why we’ve created Play Something, an exciting new way to kick back and watch,” Netflix product innovation director Cameron Johnson said.

    Play Something can be found in multiple ways: underneath user profile name, the tenth row on your Netflix homepage, the navigation menu on the left of the screen. While the company is rolling out the feature globally, it is currently limited to TV based versions – that is, it is not available on mobile phones, laptops or tablet devices for now. Earlier this year, the streaming giant introduced a new feature that automatically downloads recommended content for users on their smartphones.

  • Reinvented Oscars ceremony witnesses record new low in TV viewership

    Reinvented Oscars ceremony witnesses record new low in TV viewership

    NEW DELHI: Amid the pandemic, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced winners of the 93rd Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, on 25 April. However, this year, the awards gala failed to attract eyeballs and preliminary Nielsen data suggests that the US television ratings for Sunday’s event witnessed an all-time low in TV viewership. 

    According to a Reuters report, TV viewership on Walt Disney Co’s (DIS.N) ABC broadcast network averaged 9.85 million, 58 per cent lower than last year’s final tally of 23.6 million viewers. The complete data regarding the final number of people who tuned into the award ceremony is expected to be released soon. 

    To draw viewers during the pandemic time, producers tried several innovative ideas in this year’s Oscars. The awards were broadcast for the first time at a historic train station in downtown Los Angeles, where only guests and award winners were present. There was a format revamp and the runtime was also shortened. These switch-ups, however, evidently failed to thrill the audiences.

    “The Oscars were a train wreck at the train station, an excruciatingly long, boring telecast that lacked the verve of so many movies we love,” wrote USA Today reviewer Kelly Lawler. 

    However, Time Magazine wrote that this year’s event, which went host-less for the third year running, was pretty much entertaining when compared to pre-Covid Oscars. 

    The dip in ratings shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to industry watchers – after all, television viewership hit an all-time low during the live telecast of this year’s Emmy Awards and Grammy Awards. TV ratings for the Golden Globes also plummeted by 60 per cent. 

    Due to the Covid outbreak, several giant production houses had to hold back their films, and as a result, small-budget movies that were streamed on OTT platforms were part of this year’s Academy Awards. 

  • Negligible content investment for the urban viewer segment: Tata Sky’s Harit Nagpal

    Negligible content investment for the urban viewer segment: Tata Sky’s Harit Nagpal

    KOLKATA: The pay-TV industry in India has been highlighting the regulatory overburden in the industry for some time now. The players have been battling several legal issues, the amended new tariff order (NTO 2.0) being the most discussed one. According to Tata Sky CEO Harit Nagpal, it has not only impacted the growth of the industry, but put a halt on broadcasters’ plans to bring any change in pricing since January 2020, despite rising industry costs.

    Speaking at the recently concluded APOS 2021, the Tata Sky CEO said broadcasters will not be able to make up for this period, even if they are allowed to alter prices tomorrow. “A hole has already been created in the ability to generate revenue for the industry. There is a logjam between broadcasters and regulators via legal cases, which we are hoping settles down soon, so that broadcasters can raise prices,” he explained.

    According to Nagpal, the price hike will enable broadcasters to invest in creating more differentiated content and help them cater to increasing needs of viewers from various segments. “There has been a negligible investment for the urban viewer segment, even though it is one of the growing segments,” he pointed out, during a virtual session with Media Partners Asia executive director and co-founder Vivek Couto.

    But the Tata Sky CEO highlighted that he still remained optimistic about the growth of linear TV in India. “Both will survive; both will grow but not at the cost of each other. The people who can afford a broadband connection at home, and can subscribe to SVoD, can also afford TV because TV is much cheaper than that,” he added. “And viewers who cannot OTT subscriptions will watch content that comes only through cable and satellite. TV viewing remains a habit for Indians.”

    Recalling the days he spent days walking in and out of 1,200 customer homes in the rural area, Nagpal said there was rarely a home without a television set in India. “It’s like background noise. A family collectively consumes six to 10 hours of TV content per day. It is one segment that leaves a high opportunity for the growth of traditional TV,” he shared.

    Despite that, there are still around 100 million homes that don’t have a TV in India. The data shows that TV sales have picked up in the last few years. But there is still a gap in TV penetration this year due to the ongoing crisis, which will be filled in the next few years, he noted.

    “We have not seen signs of on-demand content or even broadband penetrating the kind of numbers that we have been hearing for the last few years. Despite the best efforts of most of the broadband operators, we have not seen numbers reaching the level that we are talking about,” said Nagpal.

    Tata Sky has embraced the change in the industry with the launch of Binge products – its smart boxes which offer both TV and OT content. The DTH operator has also marketed the product aggressively last year. 

    “We never expected these services to reach the level of DTH. We said both will grow. Maybe Binge will grow faster in terms of percentage because we have got a small base. But there is enough headroom for the satellite TV market to grow. We are pretty happy with the numbers of both sides,” Nagpal stated.