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Tag: Shruti Bhargava

  • 2020: The tipping point for the Indian OTT ecosystem

    2020: The tipping point for the Indian OTT ecosystem

    KOLKATA: The Covid2019 pandemic has walloped many industry verticals this year but digital-first categories including over-the-top (OTT) or streaming video services have actually been given a leg up. A host of new users, paid subscribers have tuned in to consume online platforms, due to stay-at-home directives, limited social activities, enforced theatre shutdowns, fewer entertainment options. With multifold growth across metrics, the sector has witnessed growth that would have normally taken four to five years.

    The Indian OTT industry has been steadily growing in the past couple of years, especially since Jio democratised internet for the country’s masses. As the country entered into lockdown, fresh content on TV dried up and OTT platforms emerged as the most sought after medium for entertainment. India’s data consumption went through the roof with demand on OTT and VoD platforms rising by a whopping 947 per cent within July compared to the pre-pandemic period, according to data from internet exchange DE-CIX.

    As the curtains to 2020 are being pulled down, we look at not only statistics but at the emerging trends as well.

    Indian consumers are willing to pay more than ever for OTTs:

    Along with the growth in consumption and users, the number of paid subscribers has also gone up during the year. Back in 2017-18, there was a myth in the market that Indian subscribers would not pay for premium content. While 2019 was already indicating otherwise, 2020 has strongly broken all notions. According to a Boston Consulting group report, pandemic has increased growth of over-the-top (OTT) subscriptions by 60 per cent. It is not only a fad but more than half of these new users are likely to continue using the service. A PwC report has also forecast that subscription based video-on-demand (SVoD) will be the prime driver of revenue, growing at a 30.7 per cent CAGR.

     Although global streaming giant Netflix has not released any country-focused data as yet, it is likely to end the year with 4.6 million paid subscribers in India, as per estimates from researcher Media Partners Asia (MPA). Previously held estimates for 2019 were two million subscribers. Media giant The Walt Disney Co. (Disney)’s digital arm Disney+ entered in India combined with the existing Hotstar service as Disney+Hotstar. Now, Indian streamer accounts for 30 per cent of Disney’s overall subscriber base that is 26 million subscribers. Among indigenous players, ZEE5 also contributed significantly to its parent company’s overall revenue, thanks to its subscription revenue growth. Other platforms like ALTBalaji saw daily additions of 17,000 subscribers at the beginning of lockdown. Newly launched subscription services like Voot Select, Discovery Plus also claimed that the platforms exceeded expectations around customer acquisition.

    Launches, relaunches, the rush continues, even as some exit

    India is seen as the new streaming Mecca and the OTTs are rushing in like lemmings.  Both international and local players launched their services this year. Apple+ which launched towards late 2019, pushed forward with its customer acquisition plans through the year. And one of the most awaited services, Disney+ entered the country through its Indian cousin Hotstar, part of the Star India network, which it acquired the previous year from Twenty First Century Fox. The service was branded Disney+Hotstar and it was introduced just as India was entering the Covid2019 lockdown. Discovery began its video streaming journey with the launch of Discovery+. Hollywood Studio Lionsgate strengthened its direct-to-consumer presence with Lionsgate Play, while it was playing earlier in a distribution partnership model. SonyLiv went in for a relaunch, serving out a very different looking new version Voot from Viacom18 introduced its Voot Select offering.  ErosNow – a part of Eros Media – went for a refresh announcing the launch of new extensions and services  after its merger with US entertainment mid-sized player STX Entertainment.  

     A host of new hyperlocal platforms have also been launched like Aha as they strive to capture a piece of the regional language preferring audiences. Telugu diaspora targeted YuppTV took another shot at domestic audiences by launching an educational service as well as launching new shows.

    Like in satellite television, pan Asian or global  streaming services backed with relatively less capital and by local entrepreneurs, went belly up or restricted their focus on specific countries. Five year old Hooq – a streaming service which promised a lot – shut shop by May 2020, including its Indian operations. The just as the year 2019 was ended, another streamer Viu promoted by HongKong based PCCW, wound up in India.  The biggest disaster was the downward spiral of the Jeffrey Katzenberg-Meg Ryan run short from professional produced video streamer Quibi after guzzling down nearly a billion dollars in investment worldwide. In the US, AVod service Tubi, which had its eye on India, was acquired the Murdoch-run Fox Corp for $440 million. Expect some India play from this player going forward.

    OTT platforms increases direct-to-digital releases:

    The streaming services started premiering movies directly on the platforms earlier but this year saw movies with big names also debuting on those platforms as theatres were closed for six months across the country. Deep-pocketed  players including Amazon Prime Video, Disney+Hotstar went aggressive to acquire big-budget movies. A PwC report has stated that global SVoD revenue will overtake box office spend in 2020.

    At the initial phase of the lockdown, Disney+Hotstar launched  its ‘Multiplex’ feature and went on an acquisition binge acquiring titles such as Laxmmi Bomb, Dil Bechara, Lootcase, Sadak 2. Amazon Prime Video, the Jeff Bezos owned platform, also released Gulabo Sitabo , Shakuntala Devi and several others. Netflix jumped on the bandwagon with the likes of Ludo, and  Gunjan Saxena. Platforms like SonyLIV, Zee5 also turned to old, unreleased films. This trend is not only limited to India but is reflected globally. For instance, WarnerMedia has announced to release its entire 2021 movie slate on HBO Max and simultaneously in theatres. At the same time, ShemarooMe also launched Box Office to release small budget Bollywood movies. 

    Higher investment in original content:

    As the user base, consumption rate grows; appetite for quality premium content amongst India’s massive populace has also ballooned. For consumer stickiness, broadcaster led OTT platforms are heavily investing in original content. One of the early movers in the OTT segment SonyLIV has reinvented itself this year with a higher focus on churning out original content like its runaway hit Scam 1992. The idea was to increase its subscriber base significantly. Viacom18’s Voot also launched a subscription service called Voot Select with a promise of releasing more than 30 originals. Other international OTT players like Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Disney+Hotstar are also upping their content significantly. London-based technology research and consulting firm Omdia has projected that the three OTT players are expected to collectively spend approximately Rs 2824.9 crore ($383 million) on original content in India in 2021.The OTT players are collectively expected to spend Rs 4,905 crore ($665 million) in 2021. However, Covid2019 restrictions have postponed around 30 per cent of the projects programmed to start in 2020.

    Enriching content library with diverse content, new features:

    Many of the OTT players are aiming to build themselves as super apps. ZEE5 has forayed into short-video category HiPi, gaming. Times Internet’s MX Player has also built a short video platform Mx TakaTak which has been considered as one of the most successful user generated apps post the  TikTok ban. To provide more value to users, ZEE5 partnered with an edu-tech platform at the beginning of the year. During the lockdown, Disney+Hotstar, Voot expanded their health and wellness portfolio on the back of new partnerships. Another niche area,  the kids segment , has also emerged as a big area of attention. While Voot already launched Voot Kids in 2019, ZEE5 added a dedicated section for kids this year with content focused on a blend of fun and learning. Amazon Prime Video which has already established a stronghold with its rich original content, has forayed into live sports acquiring rights for broadcasting New Zealand cricket matches in India. 

    Rising regional market:

    A recent BCG-CII report has shown that 35-40 per cent of the consumption on OTT services happens in local languages. And the hours of original programming in local languages have tripled in the past two years standing at 1,400-1,800. Throughout the year, a number of hyperlocal platforms have sprung up. Many among them, like the Telugu language Aha have committed huge investments to release more than 50 originals in a year. Bengali OTT platform Hoichoi has also announced a huge line up of content on its third anniversary. SunNXT is also looking at investing Rs 200 core for original content in FY 22. National players like ZEE5, Voot, and MX Player have strengthened their local offerings producing many hits across languages. Even international players have also gone deeper into regional markets as digital infrastructure across tier-II and III cities and  rural areas has increased, gradually leading to more traffic.

    Business models expand

    The year 2020 also saw attempts being made at unearthing a new business model transactional video on demand, with ZEE5, Shemaroo and bookmyshow announcing initiatives in this direction. The latter two at least have been planning their services seriously in building such a model. They are taking heart from the tremendous success that Universal’s Trolls World Tour had from digital rentals logging in almost $100 million in collections.

    Of course, the most prevalent model in the OTT ecosystem is the AVoD one or one that depends on advertising and offers free content to subscribers. Amongst the biggest players in this space is MX Player which claims around 200 million subscribers. Of course all the Indian majors – Disney + Hotstar, ZEE5, SonyLiv, Voot – have skin in this game, but their premium shows, sports events, and films are behind pay walls. The free content is used to upsell subscribers to premium services. Advertising is expected to contribute 43 per cent of all OTT revenues.

    Almost every player experimented with pricing during the year. Netflix was the prime example with the introduction of the mobile only plan of Rs 199 per sub in 2019, followed by a mobile+ package of Rs 349 in 2020 which offered streaming to handsets, tablets or laptops. Others too launched varying pricing points to cater to different audiences.  

    Connected TV viewership growth:

    The lockdown has not only increased consumption but has brought significant change in how online content is consumed. While India has been always described as mobile centric market, the growth in high-speed broadband connectivity, and affordable smart TVs has brought more users to connected devices. Moreover, the spike in family viewing has boosted connected TV viewership. A few leading players like ZEE5, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+Hotstar has seen it as a potential trend which can emerge soon. In addition to that, the steady rise in home broadband and increasing OTT partnerships with internet service providers will boost the viewership.

    Challenges ahead:

    2020 has definitely been the tipping point for Indian OTT market, albeit few challenges. The regulatory intervention into online content has ignited the fear of censorship with a negative sentiment looming over the players, and the creative fraternity. A number of petitions are pending before several Indian courts challenging a number of shows. While users flock to OTT platforms for more progressive content, it would be a challenge for the latter to balance between creative freedom and the regulatory noose.

  • The biggest buzz on Facebook in 2020

    The biggest buzz on Facebook in 2020

    KOLKATA: This year brought a wave of surprises which united people across countries and made them realise the power of doing ‘More Together’ while practicing social distancing. As we prepare ourselves to embrace what the coming year has in store for us, Facebook has given glimpses of some of the moments that united people across its family of apps.

    For instance, people came to Facebook to commemorate the figures who left a lasting legacy around the world. Kobe Bryant’s passing was this year's most discussed moment on Facebook, with the US, Mexico and Philippines sharing the most posts and photos celebrating his life. US Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was commemorated in more than six million posts in one day across Facebook and Instagram, with many using the hashtag #restinpower. The passing of prominent personalities including Irrfan Khan, Rishi Kapoor, Sushant Singh Rajput, S P Balasubrahmanyam, and Pranab Mukherjee echoed deeply in the conversations in India.

    The incident which reshaped the year, Covid2019, was also discussed highly.  Throughout March, more than 1.5 million Spaniards posted to express their gratitude for medical staff using #aplausosanitario. Instagram and Facebook Live views doubled in Italy when lockdowns hit, as residents sang on balconies and broadcasted under quarantine. Meanwhile, in the US, Facebook Live viewership jumped 50 per cent, with many tuning into fitness classes, connecting with artists and more. Live broadcasts in India tripled in June 2020 compared to the same time last year. With the launch of the fundraiser feature in India,  ‘I for India’ fundraiser concert witnessed over 85 artists raise funds for people affected by the pandemic.

     Facebook’s global community elevated important issues that mattered to them more than ever. In the three weeks following George Floyd's death, conversations around Black Lives Matter tripled, with an average of 7.5 million mentions on the platform every day.  With 1.8 million members, The Blackout Coalition — a FB group supporting Black businesses, is the No.1 largest group among US users.

    People used Facebook platforms to build and maintain community, even at a distance. Communities rallied to shop local, as more than 47 million stories using the ‘Support Small Business’ sticker were created on Instagram globally in the past three months. With in-person services on hold due to Covid2019lockdowns, the holiday week of April 6 (Easter and Passover) was the biggest for group video calls on Messenger and the most popular week of Facebook Live broadcasts from spiritual pages, ever.

    With Diwali being a big cultural moment in India and social interactions taking a virtual route, more than four million people across the country made over 7.5 million posts and comments about Diwali on Facebook from 20 October till 10 November. Uniting the whole nation as well as cricket enthusiasts from across the globe, Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 was a big conversation driver, registering as many as 10 million mentions on Facebook led by fervent fans around the world.

    With stakes high, people came to the platforms to make their voices heard. Kamala Harris’ vice presidential selection announcement was the most mentioned moment in August, drawing more than 10 million posts in one day. Further to that, her Indian lineage acted as a catalyst for conversations in India around her appointment.  Nearly all adults on Facebook and Instagram in the US saw access to our Voting Information Center, which offered authoritative information on how to register to vote, and well as key facts about voting deadlines.

     More than 1.3 million people globally contributed to the years’ largest Facebook fundraiser, its largest ever, raising more than $35 million to provide relief for those affected by the Australian wildfires. To date, more than 2.6 million people have raised more than $87 million through Facebook Fundraisers this year to combat climate change, promote ocean clean up, animal protection efforts, and much more.  In India, communities witnessed fundraiser concerts including ‘#BeForBENGAL’, held on World Music Day to raise funds for the victims of Amphan, along with many others.

  • Flipkart sees tier 3+ markets as the new frontier for e-commerce

    Flipkart sees tier 3+ markets as the new frontier for e-commerce

    KOLKATA: With the need for social distancing and prioritising safety, the pandemic has led to millions of people turning to e-commerce this past year, not only in metros but in tier-3 regions and beyond as well. Etailers have focused on ecosystem partnerships, technological advancements and new tools that enable ease of experience for first-time users and to meet the needs of consumers this year, while ensuring business continuity for millions of MSMEs and sellers.

    Flipkart has witnessed interesting demand patterns across India in 2020 as it catered to an array of consumer requirements in this unprecedented year. The company focused on consistently addressing the needs of aspiring customers in tier-3+ regions, who seek the latest products but have limited access, and customers in metros who seek new products with a minimum delivery time frame.

    From changes in category preferences, the emergence of the ‘new essentials’ category, to the adoption of native languages, and surge in new-age forms of payments, 2020 has borne witness to an array of unique consumer trends.

    ‘Bharat’ consumers lead the race in a post-pandemic world

    E-commerce established deep inroads in different regions of the country this year. As people turned to online shopping to meet daily necessities as well as non-discretionary purchases, Flipkart witnessed a new user growth of close to 50 per cent right after the lockdown, with tier-3+ regions registering the highest growth of 65 per cent during the Unlock (July-September) phase. Consumers from tier-2 and tier-3+ regions also spent the most time on the platform, signalling a continuing rise in user engagement and a shift in shopping preferences.

    Increased adoption courtesy voice assistant and vernacular interface

    To ensure that first-time users are at ease while shopping, Flipkart introduced two new capabilities to handhold them through the purchase journey – a voice assistant in grocery, and vernacular interfaces across multiple languages including Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada. As more consumers joined the e-commerce bandwagon this year, a growing preference to shop in their local language was seen. This year, the adoption of native languages saw a 2.5X increase from pre-Covid to the festive period (January to November 2020).

    Digital transactions reach new heights with UPI surge

    This year, consumers across India embraced and increasingly relied on the convenience of online financial transactions. UPI adoption on the Flipkart platform increased nationally by 4.5X from January 2020 to August 2020, with Maharashtra taking the lead with a 5.2X growth. Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu were the other states that were at the top of the list for UPI adoption on the platform.

    MSMEs and micro-businesses become atmanirbhar

    E-commerce, over the last few years, has played a significant role in accelerating the growth of MSMEs, micro-businesses, artisans, weavers and handicraft makers across the country. This year, e-commerce played an even more essential role in extending livelihood opportunities and a chance of operational revival as these businesses were hit severely due to the pandemic.

    Flipkart saw close to a 35 per cent increase in sellers onboarded in 2020, in comparison to the same period last year. These sellers came from tier-2 and tier-3 regions such as Tirupur, Howrah, Zirakpur, Hisar, Saharanpur, Panipat, and Rajkot. They primarily catered to categories such as household needs, women’s ethnic wear, grooming, home decor and toys and school supplies.

    To ease the transition of MSMEs to online retail, Flipkart has offered working capital support, constant counsel to leverage unique benefits on its marketplace model, analytics and market intelligence to support business decisions as well as on-ground support to ensure smooth movement of goods.

    The emergence of ‘new essentials’ in 2020

    The term ‘essentials’ got a whole new interpretation in 2020, as consumer needs evolved dynamically throughout the year. Moving beyond what was previously perceived as critical goods, the definition has now shifted to include daily items that a consumer needs, not just for food or health, but also for work and even remote learning. Pre-Covid, the most searched products included personal care, men’s clothing, footwear and women’s clothing. During the lockdown, food and nutrition, household, toys and audio products witnessed the highest demand.

    In fact, this year has been marked by catering to evolving consumer preferences, said Flipkart Group chief corporate affairs officer Rajneesh Kumar said.

    “The emergence of ‘the new essentials’ has seen the creation of greater opportunities and partnerships on our marketplace. This past year, we have strived to expand our offerings across categories to ensure our consumers are well-equipped with everything that they need. We have consistently worked towards creating an ecosystem that serves consumers’ growing needs and also helping Indian sellers and MSMEs access the pan-India market more effectively and efficiently,” Kumar added.

  • In with the new: Zee5 Global to end 2020 with a bang

    In with the new: Zee5 Global to end 2020 with a bang

    KOLKATA: Zee5 Global has lined up a fresh slate of originals to wind up 2020 with a bang. The OTT platform is ending the year with the robust content flow it has maintained throughout the year.

    Darbaan premiering on 4 December is inspired by a Rabindranath Tagore short story on love, loyalty and sacrifice. This Zee5 original film features Sharib Hashmi and Sharad Kelkar in lead roles.

    Lined up for release in the second half of the month is a remake of popular Nordic television series Black Widows, with an ensemble star cast that includes Mona Singh, Raima Sen, Swastika Mukherjee, Shamita Shetty, Sharad Kelkar, Parambrata Chattopadhyay, and Aamir Ali. Bisra Dasgupta has directed this highly-anticipated story of three oppressed women taking the bull by the horns to put an end to domestic violence. Black Widows premieres on 18 December exclusively on Zee5.

    Also lined up for release on 18 December is the world digital premiere of the Bangla movie Password. And on 29 December, Milind Soman and Shaheer Sheikh are set to share the screen in a magnum opus period drama Paurashpur, a Zee5-Alt Balaji collaboration.

    Apart from these, marking its second anniversary, Zee Keralam will be streaming two new serials – Kaiyethum Doorath that premiered on 30 November, and Manam Pole Mangalyam set to release on 21 December.

    Other new TV shows available on Zee5 are the much-awaited Zee Bangla show Aparajita Apu, which debuted on 30 November, Zee Tamil show Thirumati Hitler launching on 14 December, and Zee Punjabi fiction show Maava Thandiyan Chavan, releasing on 15 December.

    The streaming platform will also premiere Zee TV’s latest daily soap Kyun Rishton Mein Katti Batti, the story of a married couple who begin to have differences in their relationship, on 14 December, featuring new episodes every day.

    Among its year ender specials, Zee5 will air the popular Zee Rishtey Awards 2020 on 27 December. The streaming platform is also hosting a Global Content Festival through December, inviting entries for feature films, documentaries and shorts from independent film makers across the world, giving them a chance to showcase their content on Zee5.

  • News apps see explosive growth in 2020: Marked rise in news consumption signals new trend during the global pandemic

    News apps see explosive growth in 2020: Marked rise in news consumption signals new trend during the global pandemic

    In the first half of 2020, consumers have relied on news organizations more than ever to keep them informed about the rapidly evolving situation around COVID-19. New data from app marketing platform Adjust shows consumers are increasingly turning to their phones to consume news, suggesting that their favorite media apps may get a long-term boost in attention.

    The data shows that daily installs of News apps grew by 37% between January and April 2020. Installs peaked in March, before returning to near pre-COVID levels in May. Daily sessions also saw a huge rise, increasing 59% between January and April. 

    While sessions peaked in April, they decreased by just 13% the following month — and sessions are still trending far higher than in 2019, or at the start of 2020. This signals a shift in how users consume media, with more people turning to the convenience of News apps compared to traditional channels. 

    "Consumers have relied more heavily on news organizations during this period of uncertainty, highlighting the media’s essential role in keeping populations informed as the global pandemic has unfolded,” said Paul H. Müller, co-founder and CTO of Adjust. “Our data suggests mobile apps have become a major channel for this increase in news consumption, which could change the way people interact with news organizations more broadly over the long-term.” 

    The data also sheds light on regional trends, as countries around the world grappled with lockdown measures and ever-changing regulations: 

     

    • The United States saw one of the most dramatic spikes in use: daily installs increased 53%, while daily sessions soared 104% between January and April. But daily sessions only saw an 8% decrease between April and May, suggesting many users have stayed the course.  
       
    • In EMEA, daily sessions grew by 69% from January to April 2020 — peaking in March, in line with when lockdown measures came into place across much of the region. Germany and France in particular saw huge spikes in daily sessions, increasing by 75% and 71% respectively.

     

    • In Asia, Japan’s rates followed a similar pattern to the rest of the world, with installs and sessions increasing 23% and 44%, respectively, between January and April, and sessions decreasing 11% between April and May

     

    Follow Tellychakkar for the consumer facing news & entertainment

     

  • Colors gears up for 2020

    Colors gears up for 2020

    MUMBAI: Colors is all set for an action packed 2020. The beginning of the year will witness the finale of its successful nonfiction property Bigg Boss. Post Bigg Boss, the channel will strengthen up its weekend slot by bringing another season of reality show Khatron Ke Khiladi. While in fiction format the channel will also launch two new shows Nati Pinky and Barrister Babu at the beginning of the year. 

    “As we prepare for a stronger year, Colors will continue presenting bold, disruptive and empowering stories as well as bring alive endearing characters. The strengthening our weekend slot will be the brand-new season of Khatron Ke Khiladi which has been shot in Bulgaria this time. The season will yet again have celebrities from all walks of life, fighting and overcoming their biggest fear while returning as the host would be the taskmaster, Rohit Shetty. On the fiction front, we have two very compelling stories Naati Pinky and Barrister Babu which will be launched in early 2020,” said Viacom18 Hindi mass entertainment and kids TV head Nina Elavia Jaipuria.

    “The first half of 2019 saw a lot of changes in terms of policies and norms with the implementation of NTO resulting in a paradigm shift within the industry. Not only policies but also the evolving taste preferences of the viewers created a challenging atmosphere for broadcasters. But it also won’t be wrong to say that the market is large enough to accommodate varied content. This has happened due to the growing audience as well as the diverse tastes amongst them. We had shows that worked well and resonated strongly with the audience while a few of them did not hit the right chord and were pulled off-air,” said Nina Elavia Jaipuria. 

    She further said, “But we have always believed in breaking out of the monotony and present refreshing storylines and we continued to do so right from the beginning of the year. While we started the year with the power-packed finale of Bigg Boss and launch of a phenomenal season of Khatron Ke Khiladi, we subsequently launched a strong line up of new fiction offerings including Choti Sarrdaarni, Ram Siya Ke Luv Kush, Vidya with the recent being Shubharambh and Naagin further strengthening the prime-time slots. Our focus has been to build character affinity and present stories that connect with people at every level.”

    The channel says that with two shows in top 10 fiction and Bigg Boss being number 1 non-fiction in the industry, the channel ended the year on a high note by being no 2 in all day prime time. The year started with the finale of an outstanding season of Khatron Ke Khiladi and ending with the current season of Bigg Boss being one of the top non-fiction properties in the industry. Strong fiction properties like Choti Sarrdaarni, Vidya and Shakti have propelled the channel's growth and strengthened its position by being the slot leaders. Apart from this our newly launched fiction offering Shubharambh has made a promising opening. In 2019, viewers also witnessed and enjoyed two of the biggest Bollywood extravaganzas on COLORS- IIFA and Filmfare. With the end of this year, it also brought back television’s most popular fantasy fiction, Naagin Bhagya Ka Zehreela Khel.

  • NBC stations renew ‘The Ellen DeGeneres Show’ through 2020

    NBC stations renew ‘The Ellen DeGeneres Show’ through 2020

    MUMBAI: Multiple Emmy Award-winning daytime talk show The Ellen DeGeneres Show has been renewed by the NBC Owned Television Stations in a deal with Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution through summer 2020 (the 2019-20 television season).

     

    The series, from Telepictures Productions, will continue to air on 10 of the NBC-owned stations, including WNBC (New York), KNBC (Los Angeles), WMAQ (Chicago), WCAU (Philadelphia), KXAS (Dallas-Fort Worth), KNTV (San Francisco Bay Area), WRC (Washington, D.C.), WTVJ (Miami-Fort Lauderdale), KNSD (San Diego) and WVIT (Connecticut).

     

    NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations president Valari Staab said, “For more than a decade, Ellen has anchored the daytime lineups of the NBC-owned stations, offering our viewers a great afternoon show, delivering a strong lead in for our early evening newscasts and helping to launch new hits. We’re proud of our partnership with Ellen, her fabulous team and our friends at Warner Bros., and we are thrilled to extend our relationship with them.”

     

    Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution president Ken Werner added, “There’s a very simple explanation as to why Ellen is number one. Day in and day out Ellen delivers the best show on television. Ellen and her team produce a completely unique and exciting hour, which is appointment television for viewers everywhere.  We are thrilled to continue our 13-year partnership with the NBC Stations, which delivers to their communities the entertainment and inspiration of Ellen.”

     

    The Ellen DeGeneres Show continues to be the daytime destination for laughter, generosity and fun, highlighting Ellen’s one-of-a-kind humor, warmth and generosity, and featuring the biggest stars from television, film, music and more. The show has now earned an impressive total of 55 Daytime Emmy Awards. The Ellen DeGeneres Show premiered on 8 September, 2003 and was the highest-rated freshman syndicated show of the 2003-2004 season.

     

    Originating from Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, The Ellen DeGeneres Show is produced by A Very Good Production and WAD Productions, Inc. in association with Telepictures, an industry-leading and Emmy Award–winning producer of syndicated programming, and is distributed by Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution. Ellen DeGeneres, Mary Connelly, Ed Glavin, Andy Lassner and Kevin Leman serve as executive producers.