ITV

Tag: Puneet Goenka

  • How Zee re-oriented its international strategy in FY2019-20

    How Zee re-oriented its international strategy in FY2019-20

    NEW DELHI: With the world grappling with a slowdown and a potential recession, companies have been tinkering around with their domestic and international strategies. India’s leading broadcaster Zee Entertainment Enterprises (Zeel)- which had been grappling with its own ownership issues –  is no different. Even as it has realigning its domestic business to build its digital offerings and some niche television channels, it has been doing the clipping some services in some markets, while adding some in others internationally. 

    Recognised as one of the most international of India’s TV networks, Zeel has been serving content in 19 languages, including nine foreign ones, through its channels which reach more than 170 countries.

    It follows a two-pronged strategy for internationally– reaching the Indian and south Asian diaspora with channels in Indian languages and serving the non-Indian audience in their native languages, as it
    says in its annual report for FY 20.

    The change is mostly perceptible in Europe. Three channels were shut down in the UK in 2019-20, which is now a primarily an FTA market for south Asian networks. Zee One, a network channel – which it tomtommed two years ago – was also shut down in Germany in May 2020.

    The network has strengthened its distribution reach in the US with a multiscreen platform presence across smart TVs, mobile, and set top box devices. It signed new distribution deals in Mexico, Peru, and Trinidad and organized the first-ever Indian Film Festival at the Embassy of India in Mexico City.

    During the year, Zeel also worked towards increasing the distribution reach of its channels in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Malaysia. A total of eight productions were executed in the year of which three were in Tamil.

    In Africa, the distribution reach of Zee Magic was expanded on new platforms (on digital entertainment platforms StarTimes and Starsat) and Zee Alem was introduced in the Ethiopian market in June 2020. This channel is in Amharic language.

    Zeel was impacted in the middle east and north Africa (MENA) region owing to the shutting down of the south Asian language Pehla platform from OSN, one of the largest DTH operators, in the region. However, the network expanded its reach in the UAE and Qatar through the  launch of new channels on existing platforms and three local Arabic series productions in Syria, Egypt, and Lebanon based on stories that were picked from the Zee format library.

  • Consistency &Change in ZEEL’s topline FY ’15-16 growth

    Consistency &Change in ZEEL’s topline FY ’15-16 growth

    MUMBAI: Consistency and change are the buzzword in Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (Zeel)’s new swanky office, spread over several floors, in India’s financial capital. And these two words also are also the guiding factors for the company as it continues to spread its wings globally even while consolidating its position at home.

    While company chairman and promoter of India’s first private satellite TV channel(s) Subhash Chandra feels digital is the way forward, taking a macro view, the team at ZEEL, led by Chandra’s elder son, Punit Goenka, peg away at initiatives to make the company bottomline blacker and live up to the visions of the visionary chairman.

    That’s why even in the international market, the group has successfully taken ZEEL’s popular domestic content in the original as well as repurposed form to focus not just on the South Asian diaspora, but on a wider cross section of global audiences in 171 countries.

    Media mogul Subhash Chandra led Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (Zeel) has registered the net profit for the year 2015-16 Rs 10, 267 million representing a margin of 17.5 percent.  This paper is based on Zeel’s Annual report for FY-2015- 16.

    “We are a local player in the markets we enter, identifying content The lines between global and local are getting increasingly blurred. ZEEL is focused on enhancing reach and emerging as a truly world-scale player in the M&E segment,” ZEEL said in its annual report for FY 2015-16 ending March 31, 2016.

    Sample some consolidated facts put out in the annual report: net profit of Rs 10, 267 million representing a margin of 17.5 percent; consolidated revenues of Rs 58,515 million representing a growth of 19.8 percent over previous year; operating profit (EBITDA) of Rs 15,095 million registering a 20.4 percent growth and resulting in a margin of 25.8 percent; Rs 34,297 million in ad revenue; Rs 20,579 million subscription revenue; 33 domestic channels and 38 international channels; Facebook fanbase of 5,10,000 plus and a 1,98,000 plus Twitter family.

    “Zeel has grown steadily since inception establishing itself as a dependable brand and organisation that is efficiently managed, well-governed and forward thinking. Our performance in FY 2015-16 is a further testimony to these practices. Our growth has been ahead of the market growth trajectory, duly reflected in the growing viewership share of our network (17.9 percent),” company MD and CEO Punit Goenka said in his director’s report in the annual report.

    To further strengthening the viewership share in the domestic market through a right-fit content strategy, Zee’s new Hindi GEC, &TV, built onto its successful launch and increased its popularity with the urban audience.

    Noting that the new audience measurement system rolled out by BARC is a welcome change especially as rural audiences are also been counted, Chandra observes, “This (rural audience measurement) is an important reset for all players as strategies are being revisited or drawn afresh. For Zee this is a welcome step given the depth and breadth of our content offerings and the reach of our channels.”

    The Zee network in India has four Hindi general entertainment channels, including Zee TV, Zee Anmol, Zindagi and &TV. While in the regional category, the brand has six channel under its umbrella and four channels under the Hindi movie cluster. The group has two channels under music genre and two in its English entertainment section even as Zee Q is categorised under special and niche genre.  

    We list here some highlights of the Zee family as enumerated in the annual report.

    Hindi GEC highlights

    Zee’s first Hindi GEC Zee TV has ranked third amongst the HGEC in the FY 2015-16. The channel delivered a weekly average of 10 shows among top 50 shows, led by the highly- rated shows like Kumkum Bhagya, Jamai Raja, Tashan E Ishq and Ek Tha Raja Ek Thi Rani.

    The free to air channel Zee Anmol continued to maintain its number 1 position in the FTA GEC category. Shows like Jodha Akbar, Choti Bahu and Bandini were the top performing shows on the channel as per BARC rural data.

    Zindagi, a channel showcasing a mix of content of various hues, including some sourced from Pakistan, introduced original productions in FY 2015-16 starting with the first non-fiction show Shukriya. The channel also introduced Turkish content with the show Feriha, aimed at attracting younger audiences.

    The youngest member of the Zee family, &TV, which completed a year of operations in March 2016 continued to grow in popularity with urban audiences. It achieved 50 percent viewership growth since its launch month and 64 percent viewership growth in weekday primetime.

    Regional GEC

    As per the Annual Report, Zee Telugu increased its market share to become the number two channel in the Telugu GEC genre and number one channel in the urban Telugu market with 27.5 percent relative share in urban markets. The channel dominated the fiction genre with 35.4 percent relative share and the non-film viewership with 32.2 percent  relative share in urban market.

    ZEEL’s other regional channel, Zee Kannada, maintained the number two ranking in the urban Kannada GEC genre during the financial year under review.

    Zee Tamil’s growth is steady in the urban market with 6 percent relative share among Tamil GECs, whereas Zee Marathi maintained dominant leadership in Marathi general entertainment space with 50 percent market share.

    Zee Bangla grew to a stronger number two player with a 40 percent share in urban market, while Sarthak TV   maintained its no. 1 position in the Oriya market with over 50 percent market share.

    Hindi Movie Cluster

    The Hindi movies cluster was the market leader in its genre where it increased its viewership share to 34 percent despite a competitive environment with a significant increase in share of Zee Action and Zee Classic.

    Music Genre

    ZETC gained a 14 percent increase in urban and rural viewership since the inclusion of rural markets. Relative share of ZETC increased to 6percent in the music genre.

    Another music channel, Zing, witnessed a 28 percent increase in urban and rural viewership since the inclusion of rural markets in audience measurement. Relative share of Zing increased to 36 percent in the Youth GEC genre.

    English GEC

    Zee Café maintained its position as the most watched English GEC with a 24 percent market share. The channel boasts of an extensive library of some top US shows like House of Cards, Gotham, The Big Bang Theory, Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, Two and A Half Men, The Vampire Diaries and Pretty Little Liars.

    Zee Studio had a packed year with Indian television premieres to woo audience. The channel has grown from a 9 percent share to a 13 percent share in FY 2015-16.

    Niche & Special Interest Genre

    Zee Q achieved a stable and consistent rating during a volatile period of market fluctuations. It is the default destination for all things ‘DIY’ or do-it- yourself.

    Sports Channels

    Ten Sports in FY 2015-16 focused on content acquisitions to increase revenue streams and expanding existing ones. Ten Sports concentrated on acquiring/ creating content that created long-term strategic value, a strong programming backbone and also strengthened production as a function.

    New initiatives

    In FY 2015-16, the brand created a new entertainment vertical – Zee Theatre. Zee Theatre created over 30 unique theatre productions during 2015-16 that are ready for showcasing, ZEEL said in its annual report. Of this, nearly 12 will be available as live performances while the entire catalogue will be available for screenings and broadcast. This initiative’s aim is introduce theatre to a larger audience, making it accessible to viewers at their convenience and position theatre as a viable career opportunity for talent.

    Zeal for Unity is another unique endeavour that aims to bring people of India and Pakistan together by creating a cultural bridge. Launched at the historic Wagah-Atari border, Zeal for Unity brought together 12 accomplished filmmakers from India and Pakistan. Their task: to collaborate and make films that change the way citizens of the two countries think about each other.

    It would be quite apt to summarise ZEEL’s journey in the words of company chairman, quoted in the annual report, Chandra as saying, “Just as consistency has been a hallmark of our journey, so has change!”

  • Consistency &Change in ZEEL’s topline FY ’15-16 growth

    Consistency &Change in ZEEL’s topline FY ’15-16 growth

    MUMBAI: Consistency and change are the buzzword in Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (Zeel)’s new swanky office, spread over several floors, in India’s financial capital. And these two words also are also the guiding factors for the company as it continues to spread its wings globally even while consolidating its position at home.

    While company chairman and promoter of India’s first private satellite TV channel(s) Subhash Chandra feels digital is the way forward, taking a macro view, the team at ZEEL, led by Chandra’s elder son, Punit Goenka, peg away at initiatives to make the company bottomline blacker and live up to the visions of the visionary chairman.

    That’s why even in the international market, the group has successfully taken ZEEL’s popular domestic content in the original as well as repurposed form to focus not just on the South Asian diaspora, but on a wider cross section of global audiences in 171 countries.

    Media mogul Subhash Chandra led Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (Zeel) has registered the net profit for the year 2015-16 Rs 10, 267 million representing a margin of 17.5 percent.  This paper is based on Zeel’s Annual report for FY-2015- 16.

    “We are a local player in the markets we enter, identifying content The lines between global and local are getting increasingly blurred. ZEEL is focused on enhancing reach and emerging as a truly world-scale player in the M&E segment,” ZEEL said in its annual report for FY 2015-16 ending March 31, 2016.

    Sample some consolidated facts put out in the annual report: net profit of Rs 10, 267 million representing a margin of 17.5 percent; consolidated revenues of Rs 58,515 million representing a growth of 19.8 percent over previous year; operating profit (EBITDA) of Rs 15,095 million registering a 20.4 percent growth and resulting in a margin of 25.8 percent; Rs 34,297 million in ad revenue; Rs 20,579 million subscription revenue; 33 domestic channels and 38 international channels; Facebook fanbase of 5,10,000 plus and a 1,98,000 plus Twitter family.

    “Zeel has grown steadily since inception establishing itself as a dependable brand and organisation that is efficiently managed, well-governed and forward thinking. Our performance in FY 2015-16 is a further testimony to these practices. Our growth has been ahead of the market growth trajectory, duly reflected in the growing viewership share of our network (17.9 percent),” company MD and CEO Punit Goenka said in his director’s report in the annual report.

    To further strengthening the viewership share in the domestic market through a right-fit content strategy, Zee’s new Hindi GEC, &TV, built onto its successful launch and increased its popularity with the urban audience.

    Noting that the new audience measurement system rolled out by BARC is a welcome change especially as rural audiences are also been counted, Chandra observes, “This (rural audience measurement) is an important reset for all players as strategies are being revisited or drawn afresh. For Zee this is a welcome step given the depth and breadth of our content offerings and the reach of our channels.”

    The Zee network in India has four Hindi general entertainment channels, including Zee TV, Zee Anmol, Zindagi and &TV. While in the regional category, the brand has six channel under its umbrella and four channels under the Hindi movie cluster. The group has two channels under music genre and two in its English entertainment section even as Zee Q is categorised under special and niche genre.  

    We list here some highlights of the Zee family as enumerated in the annual report.

    Hindi GEC highlights

    Zee’s first Hindi GEC Zee TV has ranked third amongst the HGEC in the FY 2015-16. The channel delivered a weekly average of 10 shows among top 50 shows, led by the highly- rated shows like Kumkum Bhagya, Jamai Raja, Tashan E Ishq and Ek Tha Raja Ek Thi Rani.

    The free to air channel Zee Anmol continued to maintain its number 1 position in the FTA GEC category. Shows like Jodha Akbar, Choti Bahu and Bandini were the top performing shows on the channel as per BARC rural data.

    Zindagi, a channel showcasing a mix of content of various hues, including some sourced from Pakistan, introduced original productions in FY 2015-16 starting with the first non-fiction show Shukriya. The channel also introduced Turkish content with the show Feriha, aimed at attracting younger audiences.

    The youngest member of the Zee family, &TV, which completed a year of operations in March 2016 continued to grow in popularity with urban audiences. It achieved 50 percent viewership growth since its launch month and 64 percent viewership growth in weekday primetime.

    Regional GEC

    As per the Annual Report, Zee Telugu increased its market share to become the number two channel in the Telugu GEC genre and number one channel in the urban Telugu market with 27.5 percent relative share in urban markets. The channel dominated the fiction genre with 35.4 percent relative share and the non-film viewership with 32.2 percent  relative share in urban market.

    ZEEL’s other regional channel, Zee Kannada, maintained the number two ranking in the urban Kannada GEC genre during the financial year under review.

    Zee Tamil’s growth is steady in the urban market with 6 percent relative share among Tamil GECs, whereas Zee Marathi maintained dominant leadership in Marathi general entertainment space with 50 percent market share.

    Zee Bangla grew to a stronger number two player with a 40 percent share in urban market, while Sarthak TV   maintained its no. 1 position in the Oriya market with over 50 percent market share.

    Hindi Movie Cluster

    The Hindi movies cluster was the market leader in its genre where it increased its viewership share to 34 percent despite a competitive environment with a significant increase in share of Zee Action and Zee Classic.

    Music Genre

    ZETC gained a 14 percent increase in urban and rural viewership since the inclusion of rural markets. Relative share of ZETC increased to 6percent in the music genre.

    Another music channel, Zing, witnessed a 28 percent increase in urban and rural viewership since the inclusion of rural markets in audience measurement. Relative share of Zing increased to 36 percent in the Youth GEC genre.

    English GEC

    Zee Café maintained its position as the most watched English GEC with a 24 percent market share. The channel boasts of an extensive library of some top US shows like House of Cards, Gotham, The Big Bang Theory, Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, Two and A Half Men, The Vampire Diaries and Pretty Little Liars.

    Zee Studio had a packed year with Indian television premieres to woo audience. The channel has grown from a 9 percent share to a 13 percent share in FY 2015-16.

    Niche & Special Interest Genre

    Zee Q achieved a stable and consistent rating during a volatile period of market fluctuations. It is the default destination for all things ‘DIY’ or do-it- yourself.

    Sports Channels

    Ten Sports in FY 2015-16 focused on content acquisitions to increase revenue streams and expanding existing ones. Ten Sports concentrated on acquiring/ creating content that created long-term strategic value, a strong programming backbone and also strengthened production as a function.

    New initiatives

    In FY 2015-16, the brand created a new entertainment vertical – Zee Theatre. Zee Theatre created over 30 unique theatre productions during 2015-16 that are ready for showcasing, ZEEL said in its annual report. Of this, nearly 12 will be available as live performances while the entire catalogue will be available for screenings and broadcast. This initiative’s aim is introduce theatre to a larger audience, making it accessible to viewers at their convenience and position theatre as a viable career opportunity for talent.

    Zeal for Unity is another unique endeavour that aims to bring people of India and Pakistan together by creating a cultural bridge. Launched at the historic Wagah-Atari border, Zeal for Unity brought together 12 accomplished filmmakers from India and Pakistan. Their task: to collaborate and make films that change the way citizens of the two countries think about each other.

    It would be quite apt to summarise ZEEL’s journey in the words of company chairman, quoted in the annual report, Chandra as saying, “Just as consistency has been a hallmark of our journey, so has change!”

  • Zee Digital launches AVOD platform OZEE

    Zee Digital launches AVOD platform OZEE

    MUMBAI: Zee Digital Convergence Limited (ZDCL), the digital arm of media & entertainment conglomerate Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) has launched a new video on demand platform called OZEE. 

    The platform will follow the AVOD (advertiser based video on demand) model. Pertinent to note here is that Zee already has an over the top (OTT) platform in DittoTV.

    The new platform OZEE will celebrate life at the consumers’ own pace and will offer entertainment in a manner that resonates with the vision of ZEEL’s corporate philosophy – Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam – The World is My Family.

    The app highlights enhanced user experience, tempting first time exploration followed by loyal viewing on personal gadget. An official statement said, “The name hence inspired by the ‘O’ symbolising the circle that encompasses our universe and the entertainment we seek in it – the world of Zee.”

    Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited MD and CEO Puneet Goenka said, “In India, entertainment is life. The fact that today people are finding it easy to cut away from appointment viewing and are able to watch their chosen entertainment anytime and anywhere, has only driven consumer expectations higher. The video on demand platform has become the need of the hour and we are excited to bring to our viewers this whole new level of entertainment. OZEE will offer a user friendly platform and the comfort of watching your favourite ZEE show/movie at your convenience. Living in the ‘instant’ era, OZEE will make content available within minutes of its television telecast. With this offering, we hope to conquer the hearts of our viewers as much as we have been doing with our other products.”

    Zee Digital Convergence Limited CEO Debashish Ghosh added, “We believe that OZEE will define the future consumption benchmarks of Entertainment Content from ZEEL and deliver an effortless and pleasurable experience to all viewers of On Demand content on OZEE – irrespective of location, age group, SEC and comfort with technology platforms. While OZEE will deliver the best entertainment content from ZEE – which viewers have loved over decades – it is also designed to make the viewing experience truly unique and trouble free. We hope the world will love what OZEE has to offer”. 

    OZEE will launch with the following shows across each channel:

    The platform will also showcase exclusive content, be it award shows, movie premieres or concerts; anything and everything to do with entertainment.

  • Zee Digital launches AVOD platform OZEE

    Zee Digital launches AVOD platform OZEE

    MUMBAI: Zee Digital Convergence Limited (ZDCL), the digital arm of media & entertainment conglomerate Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) has launched a new video on demand platform called OZEE. 

    The platform will follow the AVOD (advertiser based video on demand) model. Pertinent to note here is that Zee already has an over the top (OTT) platform in DittoTV.

    The new platform OZEE will celebrate life at the consumers’ own pace and will offer entertainment in a manner that resonates with the vision of ZEEL’s corporate philosophy – Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam – The World is My Family.

    The app highlights enhanced user experience, tempting first time exploration followed by loyal viewing on personal gadget. An official statement said, “The name hence inspired by the ‘O’ symbolising the circle that encompasses our universe and the entertainment we seek in it – the world of Zee.”

    Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited MD and CEO Puneet Goenka said, “In India, entertainment is life. The fact that today people are finding it easy to cut away from appointment viewing and are able to watch their chosen entertainment anytime and anywhere, has only driven consumer expectations higher. The video on demand platform has become the need of the hour and we are excited to bring to our viewers this whole new level of entertainment. OZEE will offer a user friendly platform and the comfort of watching your favourite ZEE show/movie at your convenience. Living in the ‘instant’ era, OZEE will make content available within minutes of its television telecast. With this offering, we hope to conquer the hearts of our viewers as much as we have been doing with our other products.”

    Zee Digital Convergence Limited CEO Debashish Ghosh added, “We believe that OZEE will define the future consumption benchmarks of Entertainment Content from ZEEL and deliver an effortless and pleasurable experience to all viewers of On Demand content on OZEE – irrespective of location, age group, SEC and comfort with technology platforms. While OZEE will deliver the best entertainment content from ZEE – which viewers have loved over decades – it is also designed to make the viewing experience truly unique and trouble free. We hope the world will love what OZEE has to offer”. 

    OZEE will launch with the following shows across each channel:

    The platform will also showcase exclusive content, be it award shows, movie premieres or concerts; anything and everything to do with entertainment.

  • Shailesh Shah moves on from IBF

    Shailesh Shah moves on from IBF

    MUMBAI: After more than two years as Indian Broadcasting Foundation general secretary, Shailesh Shah has decided to move on.

     

    Shah, who had taken charge in February 2013, ended his relationship with the Foundation in November, this year. With over 28 years of experience in a variety of industries, Shah pushed IBF’s efforts in building a robust and profitable broadcasting industry in India.

     

    Currently, the Foundation’s deputy director Radhakrishnan Nair is looking after the responsibilities left vacant by Shah.

     

    Nair, who has over 33 years of experience in publications and television, has been associated with IBF since 2001. A post-graduate in public administration, Nair manages the Foundation’s day-to-day functioning, orchestrate several issues in various forums and committees, help in advocacy with the government and in particular, weigh in on legal and regulatory issues with deft counsel.

     

    No formal decision has yet been taken on who will take charge as the next general secretary of IBF.

     

    In September, at the 15th annual general meeting (AGM), Star India CEO Uday Shankar was appointed as the new president of the Foundation.

     

    The IBF board also elected Punit Goenka as vice president – measurement, N P Singh as vice president – distribution, Rajat Sharma as vice president – strategic affairs and Rahul Johri as treasurer.

  • Zee will launch a new GEC towards the end of FY15, says Punit Goenka

    Zee will launch a new GEC towards the end of FY15, says Punit Goenka

    MUMBAI: The delay in digitisation of phase III and IV markets has got even the industry giants to speak up. And adding to the list is ZEEL MD and CEO Punit Goenka who feels that the delay in digitisation will invariably have negative impacts on the overall industry.

    In an interview with CNBC-TV18’s moneycontrol.com as part of the IDFC Annual India Conference, Goenka spoke about the delay in digitisation, a new GEC launch and his expectations from the advertising revenue in FY15.

     “The growth levels have slowed down for the industry and therefore for us, as well. The consumer billing has not started to happen the way it was envisaged. All this is having a negative impact on the overall industry,” he said.

    When asked if the delay caused a drop in subscription revenues, Goenka explained that the dip in subscription revenues was mostly due to some accounting changes.

    He elaborated, “The dip is largely on account of some accounting changes that we have had since the aggregate of paper that came out of TRAI. Like-for-like, these are flat or just low single digit kind of growth but as I said, it is attributable to the ongoing delay in the digitisation process. But I do expect that this will pick up hopefully in the next fiscal itself.”

    Goenka also revealed that Zee Entertainment plans to launch a new Hindi general entertainment channel (GEC) towards the end of FY15.

    “It will be in line with the cost structures of any other GEC because it is a mainstream GEC launch competing with the current incumbent players in the market. So, it will not be very different from those,” he said.

    Speaking about the sports business, Goenka explained that the losses seen in the sports business were envisaged by the company and they had guided that the losses would be similar to that seen last year.

    Goenka added that he expects advertising revenues to see 11-12 per cent growth in FY15 as from 8-9 per cent seen in earlier two fiscals. He said, “We have seen some improvement in the ad spends especially during the first half of the year. I do expect that the advertising revenues will be seeing healthy numbers from 8-9 per cent that we have been seeing over the past few years to 11-12 per cent.”

     

  • Zee TV goes the edutainment way with Jodha Akbar

    Zee TV goes the edutainment way with Jodha Akbar

    MUMBAI: Whether it is being the first satellite television in India in 1992, or introducing non-fiction formats of singing and dance talent hunt shows that set the trend for competition to follow or producing fiction shows that address social issues in a poignant manner and drive societal change, Zee TV has been a pioneer in the Hindi GEC space.

     

    In the age of ‘on-the-go content consumption’, Zee TV has been carving a distinct niche for itself in the digital space through a slew of initiatives across its different shows over the last 5 years. Whether it is through Facebook and smartphone apps, augmented reality consoles at malls or innovations in the voting mechanism of its reality shows, Zee TV continues to be at the helm of innovation in the digital space too.

     

    Being the most widely followed and universally loved historical saga on Indian Television, Zee TV’s No. 1 showJodha Akbar has won the hearts of its viewers across India. With an unparalleled rating of 11019 TVTs last week, the show is the biggest historical ever on Indian television. Now, Zee TV takes the leadership initiative yet again and is all set to make history go digital in making its popular historical saga accessible to viewers and fans as a first-of-its-kind e-book and a mobile game.

     

    The digital rendition of India’s history opens up an exciting avenue for children who shy away from their History text-books … why just kids? How many of us adults remember the broad chapters of Indian history after having gone through the grind at school? Ensuring that its readers stay glued to it once they start, Jodha Akbar’s e-book titled‘The Zee TV Mughal Empire E-Book’ presents historical facts and figures through vibrant word pictures, an arresting narration and illustrations that entertain while educating. Starting from the times of Babar and spanning across various centuries, the e-book covers the glorious reign of Shehenshah Akbar right up to Prince Shahjahan. This entire saga of the Mughal reign in India is brought alive through this e-book.

     

    Comprising 6 mini-games, the Jodha-Akbar game has various fun, exciting elements all packed together, making it a must-have app on your phone. Challenge your knowledge about the Mughal Empire through a quiz game – The Grand Entry. Test your reflexes as you race along the battle field combating the enemy in ‘The Ride of your Life’ and ‘The Battle Royale’. ‘Fort Quest’ is a game that gives you a chance to step into the shoes of the great warrior Akbar and conquer the fort. With each threshold crossed in points your rank increases in the Mughal Army from ‘Mansabdar’ to a ‘Wazir’ to a ‘Jawaan’ and finally cross a score of 1 lac points to gain the title of the ‘Mughal Baadshah’ and unlock a secret game ‘The Nine Jewels’!

     

    Talking about launching the game and e-book, Akash Chawla – Head, Marketing – National Channels , ZEEL said, “Zee TV, has been at the forefront in the GEC space with its initiatives in the digital domain over the past 5 years. At a time when ‘on-demand’ and ‘on the go’ entertainment is the order of the day, we have been successful in providing our viewers with both, on-air as well as digital content that has kept them engrossed and engaged. While the innovative e-book packs in it the entire history of the Mughal Empire through vibrant pictorial depictions and a crisp narration, the game will test your knowledge of the Mughal era, ability to think like a warrior and transport you into the world of Jodha Akbar. While entertaining the masses with our on-air content remains our mainstay, we have gone the edutainment way while creating a digital footprint with Jodha Akbar.”

     

    Available now on Online at http://www.zeetv.com/jodha-akbar/ and on Android platforms as the ‘Jodha Akbar Game’ and ‘‘The Zee TV Mughal Empire E-Book’, the game and e-book will be available soon on the IOS platform as well. Even as the show’s popularity continues to soar on the tube, the game and e-book will get viewers of the show to experience the world of Jodha Akbar like never before.

     

    Do not miss Jodha Akbar, Every Monday – Friday at 8:00 PM, Only on Zee TV!

  • At Zee, we dont believe in growth without profitability

    At Zee, we dont believe in growth without profitability

    Mipcom is the biggest event for all those in the broadcast industry. But this years Mipcom was even more special. For the first time in the history of Mipcom, an Indian addressed the gathering as a key note speaker. Present today was Zeel MD and CEO Puneet Goenka, who elaborated on Zee, the changing Indian broadcast industry and the role of digitisation and the growth of new media.

    Digitisation is one big opportunity that everyone is looking at. It will also impact the advertising market positively. If you look at the advertising market; the growth in the past five years has been roughly nine per cent and television has been growing at 15 to 16 per cent. The advertising industry will see a great boost whether it is captured on traditional media or new media.

    Zee Entertainment Television was started in 1992 with just two hours of programming scheduled at that point of time; today we have 34 channels in India, 29 on a global basis.
    Our journey outside India started in 1995 so the international business is now 18 years old, but truly, the international business started only a few years back. In the first 15 years, we concentrated on the Indian diaspora.

    In the international market, to start with, we picked up the Middle East, Russia and Malaysia, where our content is re-purposed and re-formatted to suit the local audience. Our goal is to reach one billion audiences by 2020, thereby taking Zee to the top ten channels. These markets have a lot of connection with India, especially on the Bollywood side.

    Opportunities ahead of digitisation in India

    In the traditional analogue market, there was huge piracy, approximately 70 per cent. So a broadcaster like Zee did not get its fair share of valuation. This will change with digitisation.

    The second opportunity is that India is still the cheapest content market. The ARPUs that the consumers pay is $ 3 per month for almost 200 channels. I feel this number will go up to $ 10-12 with digitisation. So the opportunity is two-fold.

    Digitisation is one big opportunity that everyone is looking at. It will also impact the advertising market positively. If you look at the advertising market; the growth in the past five years has been roughly nine per cent and television has been growing at 15 to 16 per cent. The advertising industry will see a great boost whether it is captured on traditional media or new media.

    Another development taking shape in India is the new measuring body called Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC). The advertisers, broadcasters and agencies have come together to form this measurement system. Currently, the sample size in India is less than 10,000 homes, which in the next five years will go up to 100,000 sample households. This again will prove beneficial for advertisers who can find the right consumers.

    The profit mantra…

    Revenue growth is first and profitability comes in later. But at Zee, we have always followed the mantra that growth without profitability is not good. So according to us, any investment on a sustained basis that does not give a 20-25 per cent return on the capital invested is a bad investment. So when the Indian broadcast industry operates at an average of seven to eight per cent, Zee operates at a healthy 25 per cent plus.

    Viewer segmentation…

    Going forward, both digitisation and the need of advertisers will lead to further segmentation. Also, fragmentation is the order of the day. We are continually developing more content and more products to further segment the audience and grow and reach the billion mark.

    As long as there are consumers at the end of it; yes, we will move to the second screen. In India, the concept of second screen is at an early stage. It is largely the same content that is being reformatted. For example a show which is 40 minutes on traditional media, is shortened to 15 minutes for the small screen or second screen. There have been some investments specifically for this content, largely to get the youth. But, this is still at an early stage. 

    Content creation…

    We have a strong internal team working towards ideation and content creation for shows. India is traditionally known for importing formats, Zee was the first one to develop local formats in India. A lot of credit goes to the in-house team, but the credit also goes to the execution department, because investing in formats is not easy, it is expensive and the returns come in only after three or four years. So we have to continuously innovate in terms of our content and formats. The taste changes and so we have to adapt to the changing needs.

    Criteria for choosing international partners…

    The first thing we see is if my partner shares the same passion and vision. The world today is moving towards more co-operation than competition. We are actually collaborating with our competitors to see how we can mutually create content. So we have partnered with our key competitors in India. So as long as the industry grows, a company like Zee will grow.

    Indian talent pool…

    India has a dearth of talent in this industry and this is because there are no specialised schools to train people. We at Zee recruit fresh talent every year and put them through rigorous training through institutes that we have partnered with. We have created an environment where people are given the right to decide and build a culture of entrepreneurship. And therefore they take ownership which leads to positive results. I have been talking to schools as well to see if a programme can be created to develop this pool.

    Attrition rate in the Indian broadcast industry…

    Being a traded organisation, we can give equity stock options to people and that has worked for us. Currently, almost three per cent of the company is owned by the people and this combined with the environment that we create helps us keep the attrition rate as low as possible. In India, people are still moving within the Indian broadcast industry. We are not really seeing too many attritions happening from Indian companies to international markets, but the day isnt far.

    Moving towards second screen…

    As long as there are consumers at the end of it; yes, we will move to the second screen. In India, the concept of second screen is at an early stage. It is largely the same content that is being reformatted. For example a show which is 40 minutes on traditional media, is shortened to 15 minutes for the small screen or second screen. There have been some investments specifically for this content, largely to get the youth. But, this is still at an early stage. As a content creator, we will catch up soon. We were the first in the country to launch a Video on Demand service on mobile called Ditto TV, under a subscription model. Today we have 200,000 subscribers for it. I think the biggest hindrance is lack of a good broadband service. As the infrastructure improves, in the next three to five years, we will grow in this segment as well.

  • Mipcom 2013: Bigger and Better

    Mipcom 2013: Bigger and Better

    CANNES: If you thought 1,200 participants at Mip Junior was big, think again. 

    We’re talking 13,000 participants from 100 countries; 4,400 buyers with 40 sessions and keynotes; 1,700 exhibitors across five exhibition floors; and approximately 100 Indian companies with their biggest formats. Mipcom 2013 is finally here and how!

    Starting 7 October at the resplendent Palais des Festivals in Cannes, the four-day fest will see some of the biggest content deals being sealed. The Indian contingent will see Star TV with its biggest format Mahabharat and Zee TV with its new offering Buddha among others. Events to watch out for include the key note address by Zeel MD and CEO Puneet Goenka along with Dreamworks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg.

    So what’s the Mipcom allure really? For one, launching and selling programmes and expanding sales to new platforms. Second, discovering and acquiring the newest and best content in every genre and platform. Third, finding co-production partners and new international channels to enrich offerings and last but not the least, expanding industry knowledge, understanding trends and discovering new business models.

    And while Cannes gears up to welcome a host of participants from around the world, indiantelevision.com preps up to keep you up-to-speed with what’s happening out there…