MUMBAI: Star India has launched a new network-wide TV campaign ‘Sirf dikhaane ke liye nahi, dekhne mein bhi real HD experience’ to build awareness among television lovers who, despite owning an HD TV and HD set-top box (STB), continue to view their favourite Star channels in standard definition (SD).
Consumers often think that having an HD TV by itself provides the complete HD viewing experience, which is a myth the campaign aims to bust with a touch of humor. Based on the findings from a study conducted by Star India, only 25 per cent of consumers are aware of the fact that apart from having an HD TV and an HD set-top box they also need to subscribe to HD channels to get the complete HD viewing experience.
The campaign also highlights the features of Star HD channels such as wider picture, 5X sharper picture, and 5.1 Dolby surround sound that help make the viewing experience far more superior and immersive.
Star & Disney India president – TV distribution, India and international Gurjeev Singh Kapoor said, “There is a huge potential to further increase affinity towards our content with the large portfolio of 26 Star HD channels across genres and languages; with a strong live cricketing calendar this year and Vivo IPL 2021 just around the corner, we want consumers to experience the sheer delight and stadium-like feeling that our HD channels can provide. It is the right time for consumers to enhance their viewing experience with a Star HD channel subscription. Hence, this campaign is aimed at bridging the awareness gap and in helping consumers realise the relevance of recharging their Star HD channels.”
The campaign is driven by a well-conceptualised film that draws a parallel to people’s innate habit of keeping things in their homes for show value rather than using it for their intended purpose. Owning a fancy, flat-screen HD TV is something that elevates the social status of an individual, and the campaign cheekily nudges the consumer to elevate the value of their HD TV ‘Apne HD TV Ka Naam Roshan Kijiye’ by subscribing to Star HD channels. The campaign will also feature some of the most loved characters from the Star India Network endorsing the Real HD experience.
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KOLKATA: 2020 was a tough year for broadcasters as major live sports events were cancelled. Cricket fever resumed in India with the Indian Premier League (IPL) returning in September after a six month hiatus, which helped rights-holder Star India garner Rs 3,000 crore in advertising revenues, including the digital segment.
According to a Moneycontrol report, the broadcaster saw 100 new advertisers despite the economic slowdown. Hence, it is expected that advertisers will be upbeat about IPL 2021 as well.
While last year Rs 12.6- 12.7 lakh was charged for a 10 second ad spot on TV, Star India is charging Rs 14 lakh for a slot of the same duration this year. The network has already sold out most of the ad inventory this year. Experts project that Star India's TV segment will likely see a 15 per cent jump in ad revenues from IPL 14.
On the other hand, Disney+Hotstar is charging a 20-25 per cent premium for ad rates. CPMs (cost per mille) are in the range of Rs 200-350 depending on the type of advertisements. The streaming service has priced a 10-second spot at Rs 180. BFSI, telecom, d2c platforms, e-commerce platforms and FMCG brands are interested in the slots this year too. Last year, the streamer earned around Rs 400 crore from ad revenues, up from around Rs 250 crore in 2019.
Disney+Hotstar has already signed 10 sponsors for this year's tournament. Dream11 is the co-presenting sponsor, Upstox and Vimal Pan Masala are the co-powered by sponsors. Phone Pe, Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI), Unacademy, Pharmeasy, Livspace, Swiggy, and Parle Agro have come on board as associate sponsors.
The network is already raking in the moolah in terms of TV advertisers. Dream11, Byju’s, Phone Pe and Just Dial have signed as co-presenting partners of the league, while Chinese handset manufacturer Vivo has returned as the title sponsor this year.
MUMBAI: 31 December 2020. A chapter ended in the history of Disney Star India. According to public announcements by the mouse house, it was the last working day for chairman Uday Shankar at Star India, a company he steered – along with the Murdochs – into its arms over a decade. No announcement has been made regarding his replacement. Not much is known about where he is headed.
Mutterings have been heard in the media that he is setting up an investment fund along with other high net worth individuals (the gossip is that it is James Murdoch’s Lupa Systems) to help talented young entrepreneurs polevault their start-ups to the next level and even unicorn status. Which he might end up being very successful at as his track record has shown. Star India has had quite a few CEOs – Andrew Carnegie (general manager), Gene Swinstead, Rathikant Basu, Peter Mukerjea, Sameer Nair and then Uday. He probably has the distinction of being the longest running head of the network.
Uday himself is worth a few hundred crore (some say, the stocks he has accumulated during his tenure with 21st Century Fox over the years are valued at between $100-150 million). He has been appointed as the president of industry lobbying body Ficci – reportedly the first media and entertainment executive to be given that position. Which puts him centre stage in Indian industry – amidst some of the top businessmen and industrialists in the country – and gives him tremendous access to different ministries. His track record and public profile is enough to open many a door but the Ficci handle would really come handy.
That track record saw Star India being valued at around $17 billion in the acquisition price of $72-odd billion that Disney paid for Fox’s entertainment assets. Clearly, Uday had a big hand to play in that growth.
Uday, however, is leaving behind the company in good hands. K Madhavan is managing director Star and Disney India. He has the impeccable track record of transforming an ailing business, Asianet, in the previous decade into a hugely profitable one, which Star finally acquired. And he worked very closely with Uday to build its regional language business. President & head infotainment, kids & regional entertainment channels, Disney & Star India Kevin Vaz has seen and participated in the broadcaster’s growth curve for more than a decade in different roles. President & head English and Hindi entertainment Star India Gaurav Banerjee is a long-timer Uday has had tremendous trust in and he has delivered by keeping the network on the top of the ratings charts. Star veterans CFO Sanjay Jain and chief legal counsel Deepak Jacob and the highly respected HR head Amita Maheshwari have domestic and APAC responsibilities for The Walt Disney Co. President of TV distribution Gurjeev Singh Kapoor, India and International for Star and Disney knows the ins and outs of getting the channels into Indian and international homes, having seen the network report increased revenues year on year.
President ad sales Disney and Star India Nitin Bawankule too has tremendous pedigree with experience in companies such as Google, Dell, and Motorola.
Then there is the new hire Sunil Rayan, who is heading the OTT business in the shape of Disney+ Star India, and has had international experience leading Google Cloud for Games before hopping on board for his new challenge. Head corporate development direct to consumer business APAC, The Walt Dsiney Co Prateek Garg too has a respectable track record with experience at Ernst & Young, HSBC, Sun group and many years at Star India. Finally, Uday has left the fortunes of the studios business for both Disney and Star India in the hands of Bikram Duggal, who too has a long track record in the business.
Will the mouse house find a replacement for Uday? Or will it let the current structure continue? Probably The Walt Disney Co CEO Bob Chapek and international operations & direct to consumer chairman Rebecca Campbell know. And we will have to wait until early 2021 when Campbell said Uday’s successor would be announced.
MUMBAI: Consumers’ viewing habits are changing, and it’s landed a clear impact on the overall broadcast sector. Despite the challenges posed by the Covid2019 pandemic and other setbacks, broadcasters are seeing virtue in launching new channels. Even during the lockdown, people turned to television to keep themselves engaged and entertained, with BARC reporting a 43 per cent increase in India's TV viewership during this period, compared to the pre-Covid2019 figures.
The rise in TV consumption signifies viewers’ appetite for content – and clearly, the time is ripe to green-flag new channels catering to different tastes and smaller sub-segments across geographies. Let’s have a look at all the new channels that arrived on the idiot box in 2020.
ZeeL
ZeeL’s first lifestyle channel Zee Zest started airing 1 October 2020. The channel presents content that is a perfect encapsulation of food, travel, lifestyle, home improvement, wellness, culture, and DIY. Zee Zest brings some original shows like 100% South Indian, India’s 50 Best Dishes, Ghar Sa Yummy – Swaad Familywala, Food Veda, and Meetha toh Banta Hai. Also in the pipeline are popular global shows making their debut in India, such as Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown Season 5, Jaime: Keep Cooking & Carry On, Far Flung with Gary Mehigan, MasterChef Australia – Season 9, MasterChef USA Junior Season 5, and more programmes across various genres.
Hopping towards a wonderland of delicious experiences, the junior chefs have signed up for an adventurous and a fun filled ride!
Are you ready to join?
The broadcaster forayed into the regional music space with the launch of its Marathi music channel – Zee Vajwa. It will offer 3,000+ playlists, and also have a non-fiction show in the comedy genre, a category first. The network has already captured 57 per cent viewership share in Maharashtra with Zee Marathi, Zee Yuva and Zee Talkies.
ZeeL chief consumer officer Prathyusha Agarwal said, “With Zee Vajwa, we identified a need gap in the lifestyle genre to serve a holistic entertainment experience to the focused Sec A target audience. These viewers seek experiences from around the world but from the comfort of their own homes. That’s where Zee Zest seamlessly comes in, with diverse lifestyle content themes such as wellness, travel, lifestyle, food, home improvement, and culture.”
Another offering, Zee Thirai was launched on 19 January 2020. The channel offers the latest blockbuster Kollywood movies and premieres.
Agarwal stated that all of Zeel’s new launches not only established themselves strongly in their respective markets but also aided market growth. Zee Punjabi captured a third of the viewership pie in the first four weeks of its debut, and consumption of Punjabi language content grew by 23 per cent compared to the one per cent growth in total TV viewership in Punjab/Chandigarh. Even during the lockdown, Zee Punjabi capitalised on the surge in demand for content as viewership grew by nearly 60 per cent (BARC data: weeks 12-15). The network’s new movie channels – Zee Biskope, Zee Picchar and Zee Thirai – captured a significant share in the movie genre, which rose by 28-29 per cent in a growing TV pie. (BARC data: weeks 12-15).
Enterr10 Television Network
The network expanded its footprint in south India with Dangal Kannada, close on the heels of its Bhojpuri offering, Enterr10 Rangeela.
Dangal Kannada underlines the network’s aggressive expansion into the growing regional broadcast entertainment space. Armed with dubbed versions of shows such as Ramayan, Mere Sai, Phir Laut Aayi Naagin,Tenali Rama, etc, the channel started airing from 30 September. Kannada film and TV actress Hariprriya is the brand ambassador for the channel and plays an integral part in its marketing campaigns.
After Bhojpuri Cinema, Enterr10 Rangeela is the network’s second offering for Bhojpuri audiences. The channel has launched a strong mix of fiction and non-fiction content ranging across series and reality shows, awards, and blockbuster films and world television premieres. Ramayan (Bhojpuri) is the channel’s launch pad serial.
Star Vijay, owned by Disney-Star, came out with Tamil music channel Vijay Music. Priced at Re 1 per month, Vijay Music hopes to compete with other channels in the segment such as Raj Television Network’s Raj Musix, Sun Network’s Sun Music, Jaya TV Network’s Jaya MAX.
Star India has also postponed the launch of three new channels, Star Movies Select, Star Sports 3 HD, and Disney Channel HD. It is also rebranding Movies OK as Star Gold 2. It has not provided a new date of release.
The broadcaster has decided to add Star Movies Select to cater the audiences in standard definition (SD) category as a premiere movies channel, in addition to Star Movies Select HD (high definition).
To give larger-than-life experience to customers, the broadcaster will offer Star Sports 3 HD at a price of Rs 5 per month, in addition to existing Star Sports 3 in the SD category. Meanwhile, it plans to launch a second HD kids’ channel, Disney Channel HD, that will cost around Rs 10 per month.
With the revamping of Movies OK to Star Gold 2, the broadcaster will end the ‘OK’ branding. Previously, it had renamed the Life OK channel to Star Bharat. Star Gold 2’s SD version will cost Rs 2 per month, while for its HD variant customers will need to shell out Rs 5 per month.
DD Free Dish
The state broadcaster run free-to-air DTH platform DD Free Dish added three new channels – ANB News, Aryan TV National, and News India 24×7 hese channels won the bid during the forty seventh e-auctions held on 26 August. They are allotted slots for the period between 1 September 2020 to 31 March 2021.
All three channels have a presence on other DTH platforms and fall under the news category – ANB News is a Punjab-based Hindi news channel, Aryan TV National caters primarily to Bihar, and News India 24×7 is a Hindi news channel focused on Rajasthan.
Tata Sky
In a move to further strengthen its regional slate, the DTH operator launched Tata Sky Malayalam Cinema, for which it joined forces with leading Malayali GEC Asianet.
Tata Sky Malayalam Cinema offers an uninterrupted movie-viewing experience to film enthusiasts, across the content spectrum – action, romance, drama, and comedy on television. The service will showcase the biggest blockbusters of Mollywood with exclusive movie premieres before television. The channel is now available to all subscribers on #1805 (SD) at a minimal cost of Rs 1.5 per day. With this, Tata Sky has regional cinema offerings in all four major south Indian languages – Tata Sky Telugu Cinema, Tata Sky Tamil Cinema, Tata Sky Kannada Cinema, and now Tata Sky Malayalam Cinema.
In10 Media Network
The network recently ventured into the kids’ entertainment space on Children’s Day with a new premium Hindi channel, Gubbare — Masti Ke Phuwarre. The current programming includes a mix of Indian animation such as Appu – The Yogic Elephant, Love U Ganesha, Chhota Hatim and Seven Monsters, and has introduced Billa Jasoos, Marcus Khiladi, My Bhoot Friends, Leo and Tig, The Dabangg Girls, Atchoo to Indian audiences on the channel. Apart from cartoon shows, animated movies are telecast on weekends. Gubbare, a pay channel, is available on all major DTH and cable operators across India.
In10 Media Network MD Aditya Pittie shared that the network is focused on building scalable businesses and strategically expanding its footprint in the industry. He added, “In our country, television continues to be a primary viewing platform for kids’ entertainment among most households.”
Prior to this, the IN10 Media Network launched its first regional movie channel – Filamchi – Filman Ka Laalchi, a 24×7 linear broadcast channel for Bhojpuri cinema fans across the country. With an extensive collection of over 250 Bhojpuri blockbusters, the channel is available on DD FreeDish and will soon be accessible across all major cable operators and platforms.
Shemaroo Entertainment Media Network
On 1 May 2020, Shemaroo Entertainment Media Network launched Hindi GEC Shemaroo TV. CEO Hiren Gada mentioned that the network is always keen to experiment and set milestones in the media and entertainment space. With this industry-first initiative allowing viewers to tune into Shemaroo TV live on Facebook, Gada hopes to reach out to a new and wider set of audience and offer content that they would like to watch and enjoy in their free time.
Other channels that debuted in 2020 include Fun TV, Blue (Naaptol), Satya Movies, Surya Cinema, BDM Bhojpuri, Surya Bhojpuri, 9X Jalwa, Maha Punjabi, C7 and Lord Budhha TV.
NEW DELHI: The ongoing pandemic has brought about many changes to the world of live broadcast. Live sport events around the world, like the IPL 2020, have been held without audiences and the lack of attendees has required many innovative approaches across the industry. Therefore, Dolby Laboratories worked closely with Star India to deliver enhanced audio experiences for its broadcast and digital platform during the cricketing tournament.
The sports production team at Star India used the Dolby On app extensively through the IPL to remotely record voice-overs and reactions from commentators and fans to replicate a stadium-like experience for viewers at home.
In parallel, Dolby has been working with Star India for over a decade to help create and deliver spectacular broadcast experiences that leverage the company’s end-to-end production and delivery workflow powered by Dolby Audio. This long-etched relationship has grown further with the implementation of enhanced audio technologies across the chain, starting with on-ground and studio production workflows that delivered superior viewer experiences during the recently concluded 13th edition of the IPL. Through Dolby On and Dolby Audio, Star India was able to create an engaging fan experience that brought the thrill of a live stadium to the comfort of viewers’ homes.
Dolby Laboratories MD emerging markets Pankaj Kedia said, “It has been a fantastic experience to first usher in the HD revolution in 2011 with Dolby Audio, followed by delivering a live cricket broadcast in Dolby Audio and many others. We are excited to be working with the very talented team to explore and deliver enhanced audio experiences to Star India’s viewers.”
For IPL 2020, Dolby also carried out a complete assessment of the stadiums, pre-production, post-production, audio production, and transmission chain for live and post-produced content. The assessment involved studying the entire audio workflow from its origin at the ground, through the audio mixing tables to transmission and editing stations, playout, and final delivery. Some of the audio processes and workflows were redesigned to better synergise audio from various sources like live matches, on-air promos, and advertising content was optimized for native as well as enhanced 5.1 viewing experience, to ensure that the final audio delivered to the consumer was consistent and maintained a uniform loudness level and clarity regardless of its origin. Extensive audio training modules were designed and delivered to production and technical staff to ensure that they were fully equipped with the knowledge to handle the complexities of live sports broadcasting especially during IPL 2020.
KOLKATA: Star & Disney India has appointed Kevin Vaz as CEO of infotainment & kids genre. However, he will continue to lead the regional entertainment channels as well. He has been given the responsibility following the stepping down of Anuradha Aggarwal who was head of English, infotainment & Kids cluster at the company.
Vaz has been associated with the broadcaster for a long period. He joined as a sales executive in 1996 and went on to become the sales manager in 2000. By 2009, he was promoted to president – ad sales, where he built the monetisation engine that allowed Star to invest more aggressively in content and remain profitable at the same time.
Back in 2018, he was elevated to CEO of regional entertainment and was given the charge of heading Star India regional channels portfolio across Maharashtra, Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Andhra & Telangana, Kerala and Karnataka.
MUMBAI: The broadcast space is continuously evolving, with players today no longer solely focused on Hindi general entertainment channels (Hindi GECs); they’re taking to regional content in a big way. Leading broadcast networks are introducing regional channels to their network bouquet. Industry experts have also admitted that the language market is where the growth is coming from, and this will hold in the future. Indian audiences are more than willing to consume content in their respective vernacular languages.
In recent developments in the regional horizon, Star and Disney India launched Vijay Music, targeting Tamil music lovers. Star Pravah, the Marathi GEC from Star Entertainment Media, has garnered the highest ratings in viewership week after week, outstripping competitors and old horses in the game like Zee Marathi. Along with this, Star has gained the leadership position in Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada and Bengal markets.
The company attributes its string of successes in the regional space to its strong content line up. In 2018, the network put Kevin Vaz in charge of its content slate in the regions of Maharashtra, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala. He has spent more than two decades serving Star India before heading the entertainment channels in the southern market.
In conversation with indiantelevision.com’s Shikha Singh, Star & Disney India infotainment kids and regional entertainment channels CEO Kevin Vaz shared his perspective on the evolution of regional content in the broadcast space, the formula for success, and the plans ahead for 2021.
Edited Excerpts:
How do you think regional content has evolved in the Indian broadcast space? Also, how important is the regional market for you?
Regional content has evolved manifold in the past decade due to three main factors: content innovation across screens, growth of the M&E regional ecosystem, and expansion in hours of content which has led to higher consumption.
We have seen tremendous innovation in the regional content space – whether it is in terms of the kind of stories told, experimentation with new formats, enhancement of look and feel using technology, etc. We have also witnessed multiple players enter the regional markets and this has led to higher investment in content overall. Programming hours in regional have grown over the last few years, today the top regional GECs each have about eight to nine hours of original content in a day.
Star India is one of the oldest players in the regional space. From investing in Vijay in 2001 to launching Jalsha and Pravah in 2008, acquiring Asianet that same year and then Maa in 2015 – we have been consistent in our regional ambitions for 15+ years.
How have you seen the content and marketing strategy translate in terms of revenues and viewership?
Great storytelling remains the bedrock of great entertainment. Audiences are fundamentally attracted to a good story that is well told. The unmatched strength of our regional brands combined with their unique style of storytelling gives us the opportunity to forge a connection with audiences of all ages. With the right content strategy in place, everything else falls in place for the success of a channel. To give you an example, in Kerala, Asianet has been a clear leader in the Malayalam GEC space. This is a result of rich content offering (fiction and non-fiction) that continues to emotionally engage with our viewers.
Can you tell us more about how each channel is performing?
In our regional bouquet of channels, we operate in six markets and we are delighted with the stupendous performance of the channels.
· In Kerala, Asianet has a 47 per cent market share (Kerala Urban 15+).
· Star Maa is ruling the roost with a 41.2 per cent prime time market share within Telugu GEC AP/Telangana urban 15+. The introduction of non-fiction shows like 'Bigg Boss' has helped bring in new audiences which have contributed significantly to the overall channel performance. Star India network is the clear leader in Telugu (GEC + movies + music) with a 38 per cent market share.
· In the Bangla GEC space, Star Jalsha has had a strong performance and has maintained its leadership position in West Bengal (U+R 2+)
· Star Pravah has continued its strong streak and has emerged as the preferred Marathi GEC in Maharashtra and Goa (U+R 2+)
· Star Vijay has always been a strong brand in Tamil Nadu, known for its non-fiction shows. Over the last two or three years, with the introduction of strong fiction programming, the channel grew by close to 300 per cent
· Star Suvarna has emerged as a strong #2 in Karnataka (Urban 15+)
Which is the strongest regional market for you?
For us, the entire regional offering is of great significance and we continue to push the boundaries to unlock its potential in every market we are present in and offer great stories and narratives to the local audiences.
Sun TV is clearly dominant across genres, what will it take to crack the Tamil market?
Star Vijay is a very strong brand in Tamil Nadu today. It has had phenomenal growth of close to 300 percent over the last few years which is a significant achievement. The channel has attained the leadership position in prime time and we are happy that our viewers are enjoying high-quality entertaining shows like Bigg Boss, Super Singer, Start Music, Mr & Mrs Chinnathirai, Enkitta Modhadhe, Cook with Comali, and more. We will continue to innovate and present content that the viewers can relate to.
Which other markets look like a white space to you?
Currently, we have a strong and well-spread regional market presence. We will continue to focus on these and bring in rich and compelling programming for families to enjoy.
Star Pravah has acquired a leadership position in Maharashtra, what led to the success?
Star Pravah has always strived to provide an eclectic mix of entertaining content to Marathi-speaking viewers. Every show we have launched in the past year is based on deep-rooted consumer insights and every story has relatable characters that break a social stigma. We have introduced shows which offer entertainment to its viewers, which includes Comedy Bimedy, a laugh riot for the family, Jai Deva Shree Ganesha, an 11-part mythological show based on Lord Ganesha’s most popular stories, and Jyotiba, a mythological show revolving around one of the most revered gods in Maharashtra especially in the regions of Kolhapur, Sangli, and Satara.
You already have two channels in the West Bengal market. How is the audience response?
In our Bangla offering, we have a Star Jalsha (GEC) and Jalsha Movies (movie channel). Both the channels enjoy great affinity and are the top two channels in the market. We continue to expand on content offering that resonates with the Bangla-speaking viewers.
With Star Jalsha, how difficult it was to gain a leadership position in the West Bengal market?
Star Jalsha has been an iconic brand in West Bengal from its early days. It shook up the Bangla GEC market in 2008 and steered to the top position within eight months of launch. In 2019, we felt it was time to reinvent the wheel and change the overall offering to stay relevant. We asked the Bangla viewers what kind of content were they looking for and the answer we received was they want to watch strong, yet rooted female protagonists and a milieu that had a greater local flavour. So we wanted our shows to focus on three things – relevant, relatable, and progressive. From these insights were born the iconic shows – Sreemoyee, Mohor, Debi Choudharani and Mahapith Tarapith. Of these, Sreemoyee has been remade across the network, including on Star Plus, and has become a hit.
Star Vijay has recently launched a music channel, considering the pandemic, do you think it’s a viable option to launch a new channel?
We believe there is always scope for us to grow in the markets we are present in. In Tamil Nadu, the young generation is very musically inclined and we felt there was a gap for a dedicated music channel suiting their needs. Vijay Music is targeted at the new generation of Tamil music lovers and the channel is also determined to be a platform for nurturing new talent with an exciting line-up of reality shows. Enga pulingo lam bayangaram, Kanna paatu paadam asaiya are a few of the shows in this genre, and expect many more soon.
The Gujarati ad revenue market size is pegged at Rs 100 crore, it is a growing market. Do you have plans to expand to new markets?
At present, our focus is to bring wholesome quality programming for families to enjoy in the markets we are present in.
Regional languages are predicted to be the growth driver for all the brands. How well-placed are you across the regional languages to leverage the opportunity?
We are happy with the performance across all the regional markets we are present in. We believe that there is a lot of scope for growth and we will continue to provide high-quality content and tap into the next tier of markets for further growth.
What growth targets do you have from regional businesses?
As per our company policy, I will not be able to share this information.
MUMBAI: Here’s another stripe he’s adding to the numerous ones he has got during his fascinating career. Disney Star India chairperson and Walt Disney Co Asia Pacific president Uday Shankar will take over as FICCI president–elect for 2020-21 during the lobbying body’s ninety third AGM on 11, 12, and 14 December 2020. He will succeed Apollo Hospitals managing director Sangeeta Reddy.
In the process, he will become the first ever media and entertainment industry executive to lead the national chamber . Prior to this he was chairman of FICCI’s media & entertainment committee, apart from being president of the Indian Broadcasting Foundation.
Uday currently leads Disney’s direct-to-consumer business in over 30 countries and has been behind the tremendous success Star India has achieved in entertainment and sports broadcasting, apart from the streaming service Disney +Hotstar.
Uday has also been a vociferous advocate of the entertainment and broadcasting sector, speaking out at times against regulation which has slowed down the TV ecosystem. He has been at the forefront of landmark initiatives in television broadcasting, such as self-regulation of content and digitisation of the broadcasting sector. He holds an M. Phil in economic history.
KOLKATA: ‘Will OTT platforms be put on leash?’ is the question being discussed and debated lately, especially after being brought under the ambit of the ministry of information and broadcasting (MIB). It is very much evident that the industry will have some regulatory framework sooner or later but what matters is the regulatory lens, as Star & Disney India president Uday Shankar said at the HT Leadership Summit 2020.
“More than anything else, it is an official decision. I don’t really think it matters. What is important is what will be the lens of regulation. Do we really want to be over-prescriptive or do we want creativity and imagination to have a role in this?" Shankar commented on the matter of government monitoring OTT content.
According to him, the country and consumers have always been way ahead of where the government and regulators believe they are. They are far more open and mature but regulators assume that a huge filter needs to be applied before they consume content.
However, he cautioned that global streaming services must not be insensitive to India’s diversity and culture by offering content simply tailored to grab eyeballs. “I’m not a fan of censorship, I don’t believe in it…the kind of gratuitous content, the amount of sex, abusive language or violence, even though it is part of all our lives…a lot of the times it is just done to pander to attention," he said.
In light of the recent controversies and calls for boycott of certain OTT platforms over shows that purportedly wounded religious sentiments, Shankar averred that foreign players need to take some responsibility for the content they put out, because in the end, India is a sensitive country.
“We should not take the freedom for granted. I think this is what happens when the global services come into the country and disregard everything. They believe that what works in one country can work in every country. This is the backlash,” he noted.
NEW DELHI: Strengthening its cricket portfolio, Star India has acquired the media rights to Cricket South Africa (CSA) till the end of the 2023/24 cricket season across Asia, Middle East and North Africa.
The agreement grants Star India exclusive rights across linear and digital mediums including all India tours to South Africa in this period. The association will commence with England’s tour to South Africa starting on 27 November 2020, marking the return of cricket on Star Sports Network since the conclusion of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Star India already has the global rights for ICC, BCCI, and the IPL, apart from other cricket rights.
“We are delighted to collaborate with Cricket South Africa. This alliance fortifies our commitment to cricket and our belief in the significance of sport in Star India's consumer proposition. South Africa has some of the most highly recalled cricketers and competitive teams, which pride themselves in taking on the best from around the world. We look forward to hosting the best of South African cricket till 2024," said Star India CEO – Sports Sanjog Gupta.
He went on to add that the network has made significant investments over the years to deepen the relationship that fans have with the game via enhanced story-telling, innovations in broadcast and regionalisation. Going forth, Star India hopes to apply the same approach and elevate the consumer experience of CSA's matches.
“The partnership will kick off with the England tour of South Africa on 27 November 2020 during which the three T20Is will be broadcast in Hindi for the very first time. This will give these matches significant reach in the Hindi-speaking markets," Gupta said.
CSA acting CEO Kugandrie Govender said, “There are few social events on the South African sporting calendar that rally our fans up as much as the cricket-showdown between South Africa, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, so we wholeheartedly welcome this agreement with Star India. Knowing that the sport reaches millions of people all over the world, which is now further amplified by this Star deal, will see our Protea teams even more powered up to impress fans and to outperform their rivals.”
The agreement will cover all international cricket matches played by the South African men’s cricket team. As per future tour plans, South Africa will be playing 59 matches at home including series against top teams such as India, England and Australia. With the Indian cricket team scheduled to tour South Africa thrice in this period, this deal comprises 20 South Africa vs India bilateral matches across formats, with the first of these tours commencing in 2021/22 and comprising three Tests and three T20Is. The agreement will also cover women’s international cricket matches played by the Momentum Proteas as well as CSA’s domestic men’s franchise matches.
Cricket resumes on the Star Sports network with the T20I matches for South Africa vs England series. This will be a first for Star India for a non-India bilateral cricket tournament to be produced in Hindi on SS1 Hindi, in addition to the English feed. England’s tour of South Africa will consist of three T20Is and three ODIs, beginning on the 27 November.
