ITV

Tag: Streaming service

  • Disney+Hotstar appoints Shalini Poddar as EVP & head of ad sales

    Disney+Hotstar appoints Shalini Poddar as EVP & head of ad sales

    Mumbai: Disney+ Hotstar has appointed Shalini Poddar as executive vice president and head of ad sales. Poddar replaced Gulshan Verma who had quit the streaming service in July to join Jio Ads as chief executive officer.

    At Disney+Hotstar, Poddar will lead ad sales revenue and strategy for the service in India and lead a team of 140 across all aspects of the ads business from business planning, sales, sales strategy including pricing and format, revenue management, operations, data partnerships, programmatic, brand lab, measurement/RoI and customer marketing.

    She was previously associated with Google as head of business development, Google Play Apps, India, Southeast Asia and Australia. She had joined Google in March 2016 as industry manager for telecom, gaming and payments. In a career spanning 17 years, she has had stints at Accenture Management Consulting and Kotak Mahindra Bank.

    She completed her graduation from Delhi University and is an alumnus of Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta.

  • Yash Raj Films to enter streaming biz with YRF Entertainment: Reports

    Yash Raj Films to enter streaming biz with YRF Entertainment: Reports

    Mumbai: Film studio Yash Raj Films (YRF) is planning to enter the OTT space with the launch of its own streaming platform called YRF Entertainment, according to a report by PTI. The service will be helmed by YRF chairman and managing director Aditya Chopra and the firm has earmarked Rs 500 crore as an investment for the business venture.

    The OTT service will host a library of more than 78 films produced by YRF including hits like “Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge,” “Ek Tha Tiger,” “Chak De India,” “Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi,” “Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehena,” “Fanaa,” and many more. Chopra has also been developing original content for the platform over the last two years.

    In October, it was revealed that the studio had signed a deal with Amazon Prime Video for the digital release of four titles including “Bunty Aur Babli 2,” “Prithviraj,” “Shamshera,” and “Jayeshbhai Jordaar.” Reports indicate that the plans to launch its own streaming service will not affect licensing deals with other OTT players.

    YRF Entertainment will compete with existing OTT players including Disney+ Hotstar, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Zee5, SonyLIV, and Voot. According to Ormax Media, an estimated 110 million are accessing paid content online. YRF Entertainment will join the burgeoning Indian OTT ecosystem which already has 40+ players.

  • PallyCon, Nexdecade offer multi-DRM solutions and scalable streaming services to Toffee app

    PallyCon, Nexdecade offer multi-DRM solutions and scalable streaming services to Toffee app

    Mumbai: PallyCon – a global player in providing multi-DRM SaaS and forensic watermarking solutions to OTT platforms – has entered into a partnership with the Bangladeshi streaming service provider Nexdecade Technology. This partnership protects the streaming content of the Bangladeshi OTT platform Toffee by Bangalink Telecom, against piracy and lets it create user management policies across devices.

    The Toffee app, owned by the Bangladeshi telecom and content major Banglalink, has the highest number of TV channels as well as independent content, such as exclusive videos and telefilms, for Bangladeshi viewers inside and outside the country. The popularity of the app makes its content prone to piracy. PallyCon addresses this issue for the app, said the statement.

    “Nexdecade Technology is the streaming backbone to Bangladesh’s state-owned Bangalink’s most successful streaming app Toffee. By associating with PallyCon, Nexdecade has further strengthened its security infrastructure,” stated PallyCon head of global business Govindraj Basatwar. “Its clients, like Toffee, can now manage their users with fine-grained permission policies using PallyCon’s multi-DRM SaaS. It allows Toffee to maximize the revenue potential of its premium content.”

    Nexdecade is a seasoned player in the Bangladeshi market, manufacturing hardware and software for the broadcasting industry, among other segments. It is one of the biggest companies in the country that provides IT infrastructure for the emerging OTT industry.

    “We wanted to bring onboard our vast network of cloud and streaming infrastructure a global player that could enhance security right from the server to the client device with minimum fuss. We chose PallyCon as it has experience in dealing with international clients which manage apps with millions of users,” said Nexdecade Technology chief business officer Bankim Chandra Roy. “It offers a multi-DRM SaaS solution which processes premium content of any duration with a few clicks of the mouse. It seamlessly integrates popular DRM licensing technologies, like Google’s Widevine, Microsoft’s PlayReady, and Apple’s FairPlay, with OTT apps, thus giving a comprehensive coverage across devices and browsers.”

    Toffee director Abdul Muqit Ahmed knows the importance for piracy-control mechanisms for OTT apps. Muqit said that Nexdecade already gives us speed and robustness to deal with millions of simultaneous users with lowest possible latency. He added, “Now, with the PallyCon advantage, we know that we can reach the last client device without bothering about revenue loss due to leakage of premium content in the piracy market.”

    PallyCon is a trusted brand in multi-DRM management for established as well as emerging OTT players. It adheres to security standards prescribed by major Hollywood studios and consortia of technology companies that define security standards. In a single workflow, PallyCon clients can manage their video assets in an on-demand as well as live scenarios and plug revenue leakage caused by international hacking groups.

  • Disney Plus subscriber growth decelerates with 2.1 mn additions in Q4 2021

    Disney Plus subscriber growth decelerates with 2.1 mn additions in Q4 2021

    Mumbai: Disney Plus added 2.1 million subscribers in the fourth quarter 2021 much lower compared to the previous quarter where it added over 12 million subscribers. The streaming service saw subscriber growth in domestic and international markets except in India (Disney Plus Hotstar) where the number of total subscriptions decreased.

    The Walt Disney Company’s total subscriptions for its direct-to-consumer (DTC) business stood at 179 million including Disney Plus at 118.1 million, Hulu at 43.8 million and ESPN+ at 17.1 million subscribers.

    The overall subscriber growth stood at 48 per cent on a year-on-year basis whereas for Disney Plus it was 60 per cent. The Walt Disney Company chief executive officer Bob Chapek affirmed that the company would reach its target of 230-260 million subscribers by 2024 and achieve profitability for its streaming service Disney Plus by then.

    Beginning next year, Disney Plus will be doubling its slate of original content from its tentpole brands including Disney, Marvel, Pixar, Star Wars and Nat Geo. The company has 340+ local original titles in various stages of development and production and expects its total content expense to be about $ 8 to 9 billion by 2024.

    While the company is not expecting linear subscriber growth on a quarter-on-quarter basis, it does expect to see an increase in subscriptions based on two factors – its expansion into new markets and increasing cadence of content during the third and fourth quarters of the year.

    In two years, Disney Plus expanded across 60 countries in 20 languages. The streaming service expects a further expansion into 50 additional countries by the end of next year and reach a total of 160 countries by 2023. It recently launched in Japan and will launch in South Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong on 12 November which is also Disney+ Day. It will continue to expand into markets like Central Eastern Europe, Middle East and South Africa in the future.

    The direct-to-consumer business revenues increased by 38 per cent to $4.6 billion. The average monthly revenue per paid subscriber for Disney+ decreased from $4.52 to $4.12 due to a higher mix of Disney+ Hotstar subscribers in the current quarter compared to the prior year quarter. Disney Plus Hotstar subscribers account for 37 per cent of Disney+ paid subscriber base.

    “As we celebrate the two-year anniversary of Disney Plus, we’re extremely pleased with the success of our streaming business, with 179 million total subscriptions across our DTC portfolio at the end of fiscal 2021 and 60 per cent subscriber growth year-over-year for Disney Plus,” said Bob Chapek. “We continue to manage our DTC business for the long-term, and are confident that our high-quality entertainment and expansion into additional markets worldwide will enable us to further grow our streaming platforms globally.”

  • The Walt Disney Co announces Disney+ Day global event on 12 Nov

    The Walt Disney Co announces Disney+ Day global event on 12 Nov

    Mumbai: The Walt Disney Company is set to host Disney+ Day global event on 12 November to celebrate the second anniversary of its streaming service Disney+. The streaming platform will also expand to new Asia-Pacific markets on the day of the event.

    Subscribers to Disney+ Hotstar will access exciting content releases including Hotstar Specials’ series “Special Ops 1.5” helmed by Neeraj Pandey, starring Kay Kay Menon. Marvel Studios’ “Shang-Chi and  The Legend of The Ten Rings,” “Jungle Cruise,” and “Home Sweet Home Alone” will premiere digitally along with fresh content from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, and Star in international markets. 

    Disney+ will give non-subscribers access to preview 100 hours of content across genres to promote its service, said the statement.

    “The inaugural Disney+ Day will be a grand-scale celebration of our subscribers across the entire company,” The Walt Disney company chief executive officer Bob Chapek. “This day of appreciation brings to life our mission to entertain, inform, and inspire fans and families around the globe through the power of unparalleled storytelling, and will become an annual tentpole event to be amplified across our global businesses.”

    On the day of the event, viewers can watch the content premieres of titles like Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Olaf Presents,” and “Frozen Fever.” Oscar-winning shorts “Feast” and ”Paperman,” and Oscar-nominated Mickey Mouse short “Get A Horse!”.

    The content slate also includes an animated short film “Ciao Alberto” from Pixar, featuring characters from this summer’s animated hit breakout film “Luca.” A new short from “The Simpsons.” The first five episodes from season two of “The World According to Jeff Goldblum” from National Geographic.

    Furthermore, a special celebrating the origins and legacy of Star Wars’ legendary bounty hunter, Boba Fett. A special celebrating of the Marvel Cinematic Universe on Disney+ with an exciting look towards the future. “Dopesick” an original series starring Michael Keaton, will be released in international markets as part of the Star general entertainment content offering.

  • hoichoi to double spending on content, announces 20 new shows

    hoichoi to double spending on content, announces 20 new shows

    Mumbai: The Bengali OTT platform hoichoi has bolstered its content library with as many as 20 new shows as it marked its fifth year in the streaming space. The streaming service brand recorded 2x growth in active monthly subscribers and now planning to double its investment in content to power the next phase of growth, it shared during the virtual event #HoichoiSeason5 held on Friday.

    The go-to-market strategy will now rest on the pillars of content, tech and distribution, and expansion. “Since we only have a yearly subscription, it is very important for us to have high engagement on the platform. At (minimum) Rs 600 and Rs 900, it’s no way cheap to be on hoichoi, and hence we must continue to offer a great catalogue of films and shows on a regular basis for our premium users in order to drive subscription and engagement,” said hoichoi co-founder Vishnu Mohta.

    hoichoi currently has over 80 originals and is eyeing to reach the target of 100 shows by the end of 2022. Going forward, the main focus will be to drive subscriptions by bolstering its content offering and expand in both Bengali and non-Bengali markets in India and globally, said the platform.

    Content – Bengali/Dubbed Regional and Branded

    Of the 12 world premiere films planned for next year, five titles will be led by noted directors such as Srijit Mukherji and Anjan Dutt, which will add to the existing catalogue of 600+ films.

    Some of the originals revealed at Friday’s event include “Srikanto,” “Byomkesh 7,” “Mahabharat Murders,” “Eken Babu 5,” “Troilokkyo,” “Mandaar,” “Rudrabinar Obhishaap,” “Montu Pilot 2,” “Khyapar Shohor,” “Gora,” “Tiktiki,” “Swapan Kumar Obolomboney Bottolar Goyenda,” “Uttaran,” “Indu,” “Boli” (Bangladesh), “Karagar” (Bangladesh), “Sabrina” (Bangladesh), “Kaiser” (Bangladesh), and “Bodh” (Bangladesh).

    The platform also announced that it has witnessed a 2X growth in its overall watch-time and monthly active streaming users as well as a 4X growth in viewership, not only in India but in Bangladesh as well. It has recorded 60 minutes of average daily watch-time among subscribers, with each user visiting the platform thrice every day on an average.

    “We are overwhelmed with the response we have received for hoichoi in both the regional and as well as national OTT space in the span of past four years,” said co-founder Mahendra Soni. “hoichoi’s relevant and dynamic content has made it possible for us to build a diverse audience base, and as we step into the fifth year, the goal is to curate more remarkable content in collaboration with the best creators and talents of the industry.”

    The platform’s monthly subscription numbers in Bangladesh have also doubled every month since last year. Buoyed by the success in the neighbouring country, it intends to produce at least seven to nine originals for the Bangladesh market in association with local talent.

    While the pandemic-induced lockdown catapulted OTT platforms into accelerated growth, co-founder Vishnu Mohta believes the OTT culture began setting in among people for a few years now, and the pandemic only amplified it. “Since the pandemic surfaced, generally, people started getting accustomed to direct-to-digital releases along with the wide array of web series presented by the platforms. Post the lockdowns, OTT platforms have hardened their space in society. Therefore, this trend is here to stay. It will continue even in the post-pandemic world,” he said while talking to Indiantelevision.com ahead of the event.

    For hoichoi, the growth was also led by its Hindi dubbed content, which has been very well-received on partner platforms, said Mohta. “In order to replicate this success across regional markets and establish a connect with Indian and global non-Bengali audience, the platform is now planning to dub its content in other languages like Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam,” he added.

    Running into its fifth year, hoichoi has also stepped up its branded content and launched a ‘Freemium’ service that allows users to watch ad-free shows without having to pay. So far, two shows have been released in collaboration with jewellery brands – Turu Love with Senco Gold & Diamonds and Subharambha with PC Chandra Jewellers. “While we stick to our strategy of offering ad-free content, we believe that branded content does not interrupt the viewing experience. Freemium section is primarily intended to cater to different brand needs while ensuring the content remains engaging and high-quality,” he added.

    Expansion, distribution, and partnership

    Running into its fifth year, one of the main focuses for hoichoi now is to drive more subscriptions on its platform through both direct subscription and subscription bundling partners. In India, besides its existing partnership with Jio Fibre for broadband subscription bundling, it has now partnered with Airtel as its preferred partner for mobility, broadband, and DTH bundling. There are other collaborations with ISP players like Alliance, Wishnet, Meghbela in India, and Link3 and Grameenphone and Sohoj in Malaysia.

    In 2022, the brand aims to have more such subscription bundling partners across telecom, ISPs, e-commerce, and DTH services.

    In order to reach out to tier 2 and 3 towns, hoichoi has also recently entered the retail vertical to enable subscription through offline payment mode where users can simply visit a local partner store and purchase a subscription by paying in cash. Sohoj and Paynearby are some of the current retail partners. Tie-ups with over 500 retail stores in both India and Bangladesh are planned for the next six months.

    At present, at least 40 per cent of hoichoi’s direct subscription revenue is contributed by the international market. With an aim to deepen its presence among the large Bengali population in South-Asian countries like Malaysia and Singapore and the middle-east, hoichoi is looking to partner with key telecom operators in the region. The launch of sachet pricing for both these markets is also on the anvil.

    Additionally, it will be launching digital gift cards offering special pricing plans for this Durga Puja across many countries like the US, UK, Australia, Singapore, and the Middle East. Mohta shares that as part of the recurring payment ecosystem that exists in most international markets, hoichoi subscription charges hover at nine dollars per month.

    Technology

    On the tech front, hoichoi will soon be available with a new interface displaying added features such as content description, trailer auto-play feature on the content details page, new and improved search layout functionality, Hamburger Menu Navigation, and new signup, streaming player, and login page.

  • Zee5 launches OTT-first ‘Intelligence Monitor’

    Zee5 launches OTT-first ‘Intelligence Monitor’

    Mumbai: Streaming service platform Zee5 on Friday announced its plans to launch an industry-first fortnightly knowledge series ‘Zee5 Intelligence Monitor’ to decode the latest and imminent consumption trends, consumer preferences, and new insights across various product and service categories. 

    According to a statement, the new offering aims to add incremental value to the brands’ range of advertisers.

    With its audience spread across the country, the ‘Zee5 Intelligence Monitor’ will track transformative consumer behaviour across industry verticals spanning diverse categories such as auto, beauty, health and wellness, smartphones, gaming, cryptocurrency and more, said the statement.

    This model will bring together renowned industry leaders for expert viewpoints especially pertaining to the new-normal accelerated by the rapid adoption of the internet and technology, it added.

    “The ZEE5 Intelligence Monitor knowledge series will bring on board brand custodians and product leaders from diverse industries to analyse and examine the deep implications of the emerging and imminent trends, consumer perceptions and outlooks, and further discuss how each product category can take maximum advantage of these disruptive transformations,” said Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd COO for revenue Rajiv Bakshi. “Our objective is to offer our advertiser partners a multidimensional understanding to traditional and emerging product categories, coupled with insights into the minds of consumers and to effectively drive targeted engagement, combat ambiguity and boost smarter business decisions.”

    “It is intriguing and exciting to hear about the imminent launch of the ZEE5 Intelligence Monitor. We all read category analyses from different forums, but I believe this is the first time an entertainment major is publishing perspectives on emerging and established categories,” remarked Madison Media & OOH group CEO Vikram Sakhuja.

  • Prime Video rolls out Amazon original profile image feature in India

    Prime Video rolls out Amazon original profile image feature in India

    Mumbai: In continuation of its recently launched global feature, Amazon Prime Video customers in India will now be able to take on the persona of their favourite character from Amazon India originals as their profile avatar on the streaming service.  

    Available on all devices that support Prime Video, the images can easily be used by customers to update their profiles. From Munna Tripathi in “Mirzapur” to Srikant Tiwari in “The Family Man”, Siddhi Patel in “Four More Shots Please” and Haathiram Chaudhary in “Paatal Lok”, and many more – viewers have an array of characters to choose from for their profile avatars.

    “Born out of deeply local and authentic narratives, our originals have introduced customers to characters that have not only become a part of pop culture but have also made their way into everyday lives,” said Amazon Prime Video India director of marketing Sushant Sreeram. “The launch of these avatars is just another way for us to enable fans to engage deeper with the shows and characters they love.”

  • Lucinda Martinez joins Netflix as VP, multicultural marketing

    Lucinda Martinez joins Netflix as VP, multicultural marketing

    Mumbai: Netflix has brought on board veteran marketing executive Lucinda Martinez as vice president of multicultural marketing. She is set to take on her new role later this month and will report to Netflix CMO Bozoma Saint John, reported Variety.

    In this newly created position, Martinez will build a multicultural marketing team and lead Netflix’s targeted marketing efforts to the Latino, Black, Asian, LBGTQ, and faith audiences.

    She is a strategic marketing and management professional with a strong record of contributions in sales, marketing, new business development, new product launches, promotions, and brand management, for both business-to-business and direct-to-consumer products & services.

    Martinez previously served as executive vice president of HBO and HBO Max brand marketing for more than 20 years. She was responsible for developing a distinct, resonant and inclusive brand narrative for HBO and HBO Max. She also led the expansion of talent development and emerging artist programs across all WarnerMedia brands.

    “We want our marketing to be just as entertaining and inclusive as our films and shows, and want to ignite conversations about our brand worldwide,” said Bozoma Saint John, as mentioned by Variety. “Lucinda is a leader in the space and under her direction, we will continue to sharpen the inclusion lens in our marketing and engage our audiences in authentic and culturally relevant ways.”

    “When I received the call from Netflix with the opportunity of building from the ground up a global multicultural marketing team, it was a pivotal moment that I could not resist,” said Martinez about her new role. “I look forward to amplifying Netflix’s authentic storytelling and continue to elevate and celebrate diverse audiences worldwide.”

  • Eros Now expands digital footprint in Africa

    Eros Now expands digital footprint in Africa

    Mumbai: Eros Now, the video streaming service owned by Eros STX Global Corp, on Friday announced the partnership with Digital Media 333 (DM 333), an African OTT entertainment platform.

    With this association, Eros Now’s premium Bollywood content line up with new and classic Bollywood films, originals, exclusive online premiers, and more wide-ranging content in Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, Punjabi, Gujarati languages will be available with English subtitles for audiences in African countries such as South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, DRC, Mozambique, and Tanzania.

    DM 333 will be offering seamless entertainment through the recently launched AVVATTA, a complete digital mobile entertainment experience.

    “As a leading global premium SVOD platform, it is our constant endeavour to deliver entertainment to audiences worldwide,” said Eros Now, CEO, Ali Hussein. “Indian content has been receiving greater interest globally and Africa remains one of the most significant markets for players offering the best of Indian entertainment. The partnership enables Eros Now to build a deeper connect in African countries and cater to their growing demand for online streaming.”

    As per the Digital TV Research report, the African OTT market is set for an explosion over the coming years, with the market set to reach $1.7 billion by 2026. SVOD services will continue to make up the bulk of the market. 

    “With the growing Indian content consuming population in the African region, this association will further strengthen and satiate the demand for Indian entertainment content amongst its viewers and expand Eros Now’s reach in international markets,” the platform said in a statement.

    “African people are constantly looking for premium entertainment experience and are in love with Indian content. I spotted this gap and realised it is the right time to offer premium content to South Africans at an affordable subscription,” said DM 333, founder, Surie Ramasary.