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Tag: Rohit Jain

  • Lionsgate Play eyeing collaborations to get ahead in Indian market: Rohit Jain

    Lionsgate Play eyeing collaborations to get ahead in Indian market: Rohit Jain

    KOLKATA: In December 2020, Hollywood studio Lionsgate rolled out its independent video streaming app Lionsgate Play here and later expanded its presence in Indonesia. Distribution, payment mechanism, flexible strategy around ARPU – will be the three key factors to make a significant presence in emerging markets in India, according to Lionsgate South Asia and networks- emerging markets Asia managing director Rohit Jain.

    Jain was speaking at Future of Video India 2021 organised by the Asia Video Industry Association. “Globally our view is that streaming is eventually going to settle into a three-tier structure which is no different from linear structure. Technologies will change and that makes it convenient for consumers to sort of watch content but the segmentation of customers and their behaviour don’t change,” he said.

    He further revealed that Lionsgate Play is looking to position itself around the mid-tier. While a large network might be looking at 250-300 million subscribers, it may target 70-75 million subscribers. The OTT platform currently has around 30 million subscriptions worldwide.

    “It is important to let go of the fixation around ARPU. It’s a very incomplete metric unless we look at volumes parallel to that,” Jain commented. Emerging markets like India have huge volume unlike markets like the UK, the US, the platforms don’t have to look at standalone metrics always, he detailed.

    In addition to that, distribution is a key factor in these emerging markets as they are more fragmented markets with mobile-first consumers. Jain stated that distribution has to be far more layered compared to developed markets as the platforms need to work on various factors like b2c app, devices, collaboration with telcos, aggregators.

    Lionsgate Play’s distribution strategy in India does not revolve around reach or access. The platform looks at how it can reach consumers as complementary services through collaborations – how the platforms come together, create data bundles, a-la-carte models etc.

    Additionally, a large part of consumers in these markets are not frequented with net banking, credit cards. Hence, the workaround payment mechanism also becomes far more complicated, Jain noted. “In a sense, these markets will teach you more than western markets,” he added.

    In terms of content strategy in India, the global ethos of cinema scale premium content, edgy, untold, provocative storytelling remains the same. Moreover, its content strategy is based on curated content rather than offering an ocean of content. Lionsgate Play is also looking at a well-rounded content slate for India focusing on multiple genres.

    “Global productions will have audiences but you can’t take away the value of local productions especially in India where local language content always has been very strong. There are multiple things we can do starting from dubbing. We localise our content across seven to eight languages in India. Local originals are also important. Everybody at the end of the day wants to watch local stars. That market will be 10X larger than Hollywood content,” Jain noted.

  • Lionsgate Play says ‘play more browse less’

    Lionsgate Play says ‘play more browse less’

    NEW DELHI: Lionsgate Play has launched its campaign ‘Play More Browse Less’ in India with a quirky digital film featuring actors Tiger Shroff and Ananya Panday. The digital film is developed on the insight that millennials spend too much time today trying to find what to watch and the app, with its curated edgy line-up, looks forward to solving this problem.

    The integrated campaign will be extended across impact properties on digital and social media.

    The film showcases Tiger Shroff pranking Ananya Panday by drawing a moustache on her face while she is sleeping. Seeing herself on a video camera she gets annoyed and tells Tiger to utilise his time better. Tiger says, “Teri tarah browse karne mein time waste nahi karta, Lionsgate Play app hai mere paas (Unlike you, I don’t waste time browsing. I have Lionsgate Play app).”

    Lionsgate South Asia and Networks – emerging markets Asia MD Rohit Jain commented, “Our app launch has received a phenomenal response from Indian viewers. We have been offering curated content from all across the globe to our viewers. We extensively emphasise on edgy content that is easily accessible on our savvy interface. Today the consumer has a plethora of choices but is always struggling as to what to watch next. We have launched our brand campaign basis this insight and bring a promise to our consumer to Play More Browse Less. We are very excited to rope in Tiger Shroff and Ananya Panday and feel they are the right talent to introduce Indian audiences to shows like Normal People, Manhunt: Deadly games, Romulus and No Man’s Land to name a few.”

    Tiger Shroff said, “I am really excited to partner with Lionsgate Play, have loved some of the global movies and shows they have made. Very happy to be a part of their India chapter.”

    Ananya Panday said, “Normal People is one of the shows that I have been waiting for a while and I am really excited it's finally on Lionsgate Play in India. I am really happy to share some of my favourite shows and movies from my watchlist on Lionsgate Play. Really excited to partner with Lionsgate Play."

  • Lionsgate expands Rohit Jain’s role in Asia

    Lionsgate expands Rohit Jain’s role in Asia

    KOLKATA: Global content leader Lionsgate has elevated Rohit Jain as managing director, South Asia and networks – emerging markets Asia.  

    With the promotion, Jain is responsible for shepherding growth across all of Lionsgate’s South Asian businesses and expanding the Starz premium subscription platform throughout the emerging markets of Asia. He joins a group of dynamic and entrepreneurial Indian executives taking on expanding regional and worldwide roles within their global companies.

    Since Lionsgate opened its first office in India in 2018 under his leadership, Jain has overseen the growth of its Asian operations by launching the Lionsgate Play streaming service across multiple emerging Asian markets including India, establishing strategic partnerships with major telcos, broadband services, OEMs and global streaming platforms. He has also been instrumental in establishing a robust South Asian licensing and distribution business to strengthen Lionsgate’s footprint in the region. 

    “Rohit is an entrepreneurial and innovative executive who has gotten our Indian operations off to a great start with the successful launch of Lionsgate Play,” Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer said. 

     “He has created a forward-looking blueprint for growth in one of the world’s most important territories. As he expands our streaming initiatives into additional emerging Asian markets, he will be an important part of moving our global platform forward, ” he added further. 

    “This is an exciting time for all of us at Lionsgate as our newly launched SVOD service has received a phenomenal response from Indian viewers,” Jain said.  

    “The entrepreneurial culture at Lionsgate, a global company with the soul of a start-up, is what keeps me excited. I am thankful to Lionsgate’s visionary leadership team for creating this wonderful opportunity,” he added. 

  • BBC Studios inks deal with Lionsgate Play in India

    BBC Studios inks deal with Lionsgate Play in India

    NEW DELHI: BBC Studios has signed a new content catalogue deal with Lionsgate Play, marking the first-ever partnership between the streaming service in India and the British production powerhouse. The new deal bolsters the premium Lionsgate Play content portfolio with a fresh raft of bold, British drama.

    Lionsgate Play recently made its independent foray in the Indian OTT landscape. The streaming service is currently available on Google Play Store, Apple App Store, Amazon Firestick and via Airtel Xstream, Jio Fiber and Vi Movies and TV.

    Under the agreement, viewers will receive five exciting scripted dramas selected for the Lionsgate Play platform, spanning science fiction, period and contemporary genres to cater to a wide range of viewing interests:

    ·       Brexit: The Uncivil War – Starring Benedict Cumberbatch and an ensemble cast of British talent, the show dives into the activities and strategies behind the ‘Vote Leave’ campaign building up to the European Union referendum of 2016. Produced by House Productions.

    ·       Class – Written by stalwart Young Adult novelist Patrick Ness and set in the iconic universe of Doctor Who, the eight-episode series centres around the Coal Hill School and a group of four classmates-turned-unlikely allies, as they battle against the invasion of the alien Shadow Kin. Produced by BBC Studios and executive-produced by Steven Moffat.

    ·       Les Misérables – An extraordinary cast of A-list actors, including Dominic West (The Wire) and Oscar winner Olivia Colman (The Favourite), bring this epic adaptation of Victor Hugo's classic novel Les Misérables to life, telling the story of fascinating characters caught up in poverty and the unrest of post-revolutionary France. It is produced by Lookout Point and BBC Studios.

    ·       Pure – This critically-acclaimed comedy drama centres around 24-year-old Marnie, as she moves to London for the first time and struggles to control her intrusive obsessive compulsive disorder. It is based on Rose Cartwright’s book of the same name and offers a frank, sympathetic window into mental health. Pure is produced by Drama Republic.

    ·       SS-GB – An epic period drama produced by Sid Gentle Films and based on the novel by Len Deighton, SS-GB dives into a sobering alternative history. It is 1941, and the Germans have won the Battle of Britain. Detective Douglas Archer finds himself working under the brutal SS in occupied London.

    BBC Studios distribution (South Asia) VP Stanley Fernandes said, “These programmes represent the cutting-edge of both BBC and British storytelling as a whole, and we’re really excited to bring even more choice to the discerning Indian viewer, through this deal with Lionsgate. In the midst of India’s dynamic streaming and entertainment landscape, we’re pleased that British drama and formats continue to find new platforms and an enthusiastic public reception in the region, and that these stories are accessible to as wide an audience as possible.”

    Lionsgate South Asia and Networks SEA MD Rohit Jain said, “We are delighted to have partnered with BBC Studios. Indian audiences have always enjoyed British content and the unique content line up provided by BBC Studios covers various genres of entertainment. It is classic, powerful and ground-breaking. We are confident our viewers will be swooped into another world.”

  • Lionsgate Play enters Indian streaming arena with SVoD model

    Lionsgate Play enters Indian streaming arena with SVoD model

    KOLKATA: Another global player makes its official foray in India with the rollout of Lionsgate Play. After running on partnerships for more than a year, Lionsgate has now introduced its independent streaming service. Along with international premium content, it will also deliver high-budget Indian originals. Like other global streaming services, Lionsgate Play will also run on subscription model.

    The service has two pricing points – Rs 99 per month, and Rs 699 per year, which is very competitive compared to other OTT services in India. The app will be available to download across a broad array of platforms and devices including Google Play store, Apple app store and Amazon firestick.

    The platform anticipates continued strong growth in the Indian OTT ecosystem and is capitalising on this opportunity by bringing a host of “new, provocative, and edgy movies and web series”  to the country.

    Starz (a subsidiary of Lionsagte) president and chief executive officer Jeffrey A Hirsch said, “India has always been a key market for us. The large and diverse population, increased data usage in urban and rural markets, and adoption of OTT across all demographics created an exciting opportunity for us to launch Lionsgate Play. We’re confident that our unique, exclusive and exceptionally curated content will generate a great response from Indian audiences.”

    Lionsgate South Asia managing director Rohit Jain added, “We are thrilled to launch the much-awaited Lionsgate Play app in India. We want to provide the finest, never seen before content that will captivate our audiences with bespoke entertainment drawing on the most exciting current releases and our premium library.”

    Talking about content slot, Jain added that it will  be launching Indian originals in the coming months, featuring untold edgy urban stories from some of the best creative minds in the Indian film industry. Jain mentioned that it tied up with the famous B-Town faces like  Anil Kapoor, Mukesh Bhatt, Kunal Kohli and studios such as Endemol Shine, Jar Pictures.

    Starz first launched internationally with its Starzplay international premium streaming platform in 2018. This month it will expand  its global footprint into 55 countries throughout Europe, Latin America, Canada, Japan and India, aiming to become one of the most widely distributed and fastest growing premium OTT services worldwide while entertaining millions of users with bold and curated content.

    The Lionsgate Play app features a broad portfolio of content ranging from the best of original feature film and television dramas, romances, comedies, thrillers and action favourites and premieres, bringing world cinema and television series directly to Indian audiences.

  • MediaCom bags media mandate for Lionsgate Play

    MediaCom bags media mandate for Lionsgate Play

    NEW DELHI: Following a competitive multi-agency pitch, GroupM’s media agency MediaCom has won the media mandate for Lionsgate Play in India.

    As their full form AOR, MediaCom will be responsible for the media strategy, planning, buying and implementation for all media as per Lionsgate’s requirements. The last year has been exciting for MediaCom with a couple of big wins, with Lionsgate adding another feather in their hat. 

    The account will be managed and supervised by the MediaCom Mumbai office.

    Lionsgate is a global content platform whose stellar range of films, television series, digital products and linear and over-the-top platforms are available to audiences around the world. Lionsgate Play is the global giant’s most recent OTT service offering in India, which features internationally acclaimed content such as Twilight series, Hunger Games, Wonder, Now You See Me, John Wick series, recently Oscar-nominated Knives Out and Bombshell to name a few to the Indian audiences.

    Lionsgate South Asia MD Rohit Jain said, “This is an exciting year for Lionsgate Play. We will be launching our B2C app soon and aim to reach out to the maximum number of audiences with the right media mix. We are glad to partner with MediaCom and are confident about their result-oriented approach.”  

    MediaCom South Asia CEO Navin Khemka says, “Content consumption has witnessed unprecedented growth in the last couple of years more so over the last few months as a result of the lockdown. Lionsgate Play has some great content in their arsenal. Being the first OTT platform in the country to also focus on offering key Hollywood content in region-specific language will definitely make the right connect with the Indian consumer. We look forward to creating an unmatched brand experience for them.”

  • Lionsgate Play celebrates one year anniversary, geares up to launch an exclusive app

    Lionsgate Play celebrates one year anniversary, geares up to launch an exclusive app

    KOLKATA: The global content leader and Hollywood studio house Lionsgate entered Indian OTT market in August 2019 with its premium streaming service product, Lionsgate Play. The brand launched its operations in the country by forming a strategic alliance with Vodafone Idea. With this collaboration, subscribers of Vodafone Play and Idea Movies and TV gained access to Lionsgate Play's enormous library of Hollywood content, which is populated by renowned franchises and films like La La Land, Twilight series, John Wick series, Wonder, Dirty 30, Knives Out, American Pie and many more.

     Correspondingly, for unparalleled distribution, Lionsgate Play strategically formed alliances with other telecom partners having enormous reach in India like Airtel for Airtel Xstream app and Jio for JioFiberJioTV+ to give customers of the Indian telco access to Lionsgate’s portfolio of feature film content. Further, Lionsgate Play made itself available on JioTV+ and what began as a smart phone-led content revolution transitioned and expanded to encompass consumer televisions and other large screens in the home.

     With the tremendous response received from the Indian viewers, Lionsgate Play launched Blockbuster Friday series – releasing one new film every Friday. Blockbuster Friday series showcased films from various genres such as horror, comedy, drama, action, thriller, sci-fi and romcoms. This resulted in the rise of viewership and increased stream time per user. Lionsgate Play also hosted Digital Movie Premiers of the Oscar nominated films like Knives out and Bombshell along with John Wick 3to name a few.In addition, Lionsgate Play dubbed many of its popular titles in Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Bhojpuri for regional-speaking cinema lovers, for them to enjoy Hollywood movies in their preferred language.

    Now having tested the Indian waters and receiving great response from viewers, Lionsgate Play is all geared up to launch an exclusive app very soon. The app will house Cult Hollywood Movies, Popular Global TV shows and a few premium Original Indian shows that are being currently developed. All and all the company is further strengthening its offering as a premium content provider to Indian users.

     Commenting on the partnership,  Lionsgate South Asia managing director Rohit Jain said,“Lionsgate Play’s collaboration with telecom partners in India has witnessed surge in viewership with each passing month. As a premium Hollywood content brand, we introduced fresh quality content for our consumers and provided content as per demands whether it was for action thrillers or romcoms. We made sure there is content for everybody. We are ecstatic about Lionsgate Play’s success on these platforms. We will continue to invest in technology and expand our library for our userbase in India.”

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  • Brands shift ad spends to digital platforms to tide over COVID-19 crisis

    Brands shift ad spends to digital platforms to tide over COVID-19 crisis

    MUMBAI/NEW DELHI: The emergence of COVID-19 has thrown the near-to-mid-term strategies of businesses off-track. Global media ad spending has been hit as well. According to industry experts, the long-term impact will be positive. However, the next quarter is going to be very crucial for the advertising world.

    Indiantelevision.com spoke to industry stakeholders to get their feedback.

    Havas Media Group CEO India and South East Asia Anita Nayyar says, “In the short-term, only the most necessary, topical and critical advertising will see the light of the day. There will be brands that will look at the situation positively and continue building in a comparatively non-cluttered environment.”

    Brands have to be sensitive to people’s worries as well as that of manufacturers. The consumer is wary of buying, at the same time the manufacturer can’t produce and supply goods. Advertising, then, has to take into account these factors, too.

    Lionsgate South Asia MD Rohit Jain believes that the impact is likely to last two to three quarters before returning to normalcy. “Unfortunately, for most advertisers at this point, it does not make sense to advertise when they can’t deliver or make available on the shelf. Outliers at this point are perhaps the personal hygiene industry and the media and entertainment industry where consumption has shot up.”

    Dentsu Aegis Network India CEO Anand Bhadkamkar says that the advertising plans, which were under execution before the pandemic broke out, are consistently being evaluated by clients before execution. But, it is a wait-and-watch situation till 14 April when the lockdown is likely to be lifted and things can get back to normal. He feels that it would be a slow walk back to growth. However, he is sanguine about the long-term outlook. “As far as the Indian market is concerned it will bounce back. According to me, the long-term impact will be positive,” he says.

    Even as the world practices social distancing, people are still connected through social media and that gives brands and agencies hope. 82.5 Communications chairman and chief creative officer Sumanto Chattopadhyay says, “Social media is helping brands work around media and production limitations and still reach out to consumers. This is a temporary surge for the medium, which will also have a long-term impact as brands get used to communicating this way.”

    On the consumer front, people are locked down at home with genuine concerns about their health, safety, and even livelihood. In such a case, they do not wish to be bombarded with ads. Chattopadhyay adds, “In today’s time, a lot of regular advertising is irrelevant. Add to that the shutdown of newspaper printing and severe challenges in video production. Yes, media plans have to be rejigged.”

    The advertising industry is quickly evaluating what is doing well and what is falling flat. In the wake of the pandemic, advertising firms are introducing swift changes in their media plans.

    According to Bhadkamkar, clients are reviewing and revising media plans as the market situation unfolds. The evolving COVID-19 situation is compelling businesses to consistently evaluate their strategies. "Media plans which were conceptualised prior to the virus outbreak would not be relevant and effective in today’s uncertainty. The coming three weeks will be crucial for brands," he notes.

    BARC India and Nielsen's data has revealed that a lot of viewing is taking place both on TV and OTT platforms. This opens up opportunities for ad spends in the digital medium. Bhadkamkar says, “People are getting used to more digital markets in terms of ad spends. The digital market will grow much faster as compared to what it was earlier.”

    Lionsgate had plans for an OOH campaign but the pandemic has caused it to realign its focus by upping digital investments to engage with consumers and inform them about the latest offerings. “While we have a big release in April, John Wick 3, the first digital premiere, we are trying to optimise our creative and spend on digital to increase our reach and create top-of-mind recall. OOH would have further helped us widen the reach but, in such times, we are looking at higher impact properties on digital and strong showcasing on the partner apps,” says Jain.

    The fraternity believes that this pandemic has also given an opportunity to rethink how various industries want to conduct the business. In every adversity, there is an opportunity. The 2008 recession taught marketers to find efficiencies with much lower spending. Today’s situation may relook at the need for physical movement in favour of online interactions. Warming up to ad spends on digital could be the long-term positive impact of COVID-19.

  • Lionsgate Play launches innovative outdoor campaign #WhereElse in India

    Lionsgate Play launches innovative outdoor campaign #WhereElse in India

    MUMBAI: Global content leader Lionsgate’s OTT platform, Lionsgate Play has launched an innovative outdoor campaign #WhereElse in India. The campaign which is now LIVE in key metros such as Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore Chennai and Pune, promotes an illustrious line up of digital premieres exclusively available on Lionsgate Play. The campaign uses bold headlines to create intrigue and showcases Lionsgate Play as the platform of choice for premium Hollywood content.

    Lionsgate Play offers customers in India more than one thousand hours of blockbusters across all genres including award-winning feature films and unscripted content from the studio house. With Valentine’s Day and Oscars just around the corner, the campaign exhibitsa remarkable line up of movies such as La La Land, Wonder, The Hunger Games Saga, Babel, How to Be a Latin Lover, Juno, Monster’s Balland many more which consumers can stream on partner platforms of Lionsgate –Airtel Xstream, Vodafone Play and Idea Movies & TV.

    Commenting on the launch, Lionsgate South Asia managing director Rohit Jain said,“Our primary intent has always been to provide our audience with a stellar movie collection to suit every mood, occasion and choice of genre. Our latestcampaign, #WhereElse provides a one stop destination for audiences to some award-winning films across categories and with Valentine’s Day and the Oscarstaking place this month, Lionsgate Play will stream the best of Oscar winning and romantic movies of all time.”

  • Lionsgate, Airtel strike strategic alliance; launch Lionsgate Play in India

    Lionsgate, Airtel strike strategic alliance; launch Lionsgate Play in India

    MUMBAI: Bharti Airtel (“Airtel”), India’s largest integrated telecommunications company, global content leader Lionsgate and Starzplay, the international premium subscription platform from Starz, have joined hands to bring premium content from Lionsgate Play to customers in
    India.

    The partnership will give Airtel customers access to a deep portfolio of critically acclaimed and beloved Lionsgate feature film content, which will be available on Airtel Xstream app and web platforms. Airtel Xstream app has a catalogue of over 10,000 movies and shows along with 400 TV channels.  

    By expanding the Indian market’s access to premium quality content on a leading digital platform, the collaboration is expected to be a compelling value proposition for the Indian cinephile audience. The content will be available in multiple Indian languages and spread across the horror, comedy, drama, action, thriller, documentary and other genres.

    Lionsgate Play’s initial offering includes the blockbuster Hunger Games and Twilight Saga franchises, multiple Academy Award® winner La La Land, and the critically- acclaimed international breakout hit Wonder among its deep slate of box office successes.

    In addition, Airtel customers will have access to recent hits like American Assassin, Robin Hood, The Spy Who Dumped Me, A Simple Favor, Saban’s Power Rangers as well as marquee library titles such as Divergent, Now You See Me 2, Gods of Egypt, Letters To Juliet and Reservoir Dogs.

    Commenting on the partnership, Bharti Airtel chief product officer  Adarsh Nair said, “We are thrilled to partner with Lionsgate to bring exciting content from their library to our customers as part of Airtel Thanks program. Our mission is to make Airtel Xstream the most loved digital entertainment platform in India and enable best-in-class experience across a range of connected devices and applications. We will continue to forge long-term strategic partnerships with the top content producers from around the world as part of our mission and look forward to collaborating with Lionsgate to delight customers in India.”
     
     “The partnership with Airtel is a great opportunity to expand the Lionsgate Play premium offering with a best-in-class partner, a vast feature film library and a compelling user experience for our customers. Telcos play a huge role in increasing the availability of premium content on digital platforms, and we’re proud to join forces with a partner like Airtel that combines enormous reach, a powerful brand and unparalleled distribution expertise. This is another major step forward in bringing an exciting and unique content experience to our Indian audience,” said Lionsgate Play South Asia managing director .