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Tag: Subhash Chandra

  • Zeel reports higher numbers on improved ad, subs revenues

    Zeel reports higher numbers on improved ad, subs revenues

    BENGALURU: The Subhash Chandra-led Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (Zeel) reported a 15 per cent year on year (y-o-y) growth in total revenue for the quarter ended 30 June 2018 (Q1 2019, period, or quarter under review) as compared to the corresponding year ago quarter (Q1 2018). The company’s advertisement revenue increased 18.6 per cent y-o-y in Q1 2019, while its subscription revenue increased 8.3 per cent y-o-y. Zeel’s total revenue in Q1 2019 was Rs 1,772 crore as compared to Rs 1,540.3 crore in the corresponding year ago quarter. Advertisement revenue during the quarter under review increased to Rs1,146 crore from Rs 966.5 crore in Q1 2018. Subscription revenue increased to Rs 518.6 crore in Q1 2019 from Rs 479.1 crore in Q1 2018. Other sales and services increased 13.4 per cent y-o-y in Q1 2019 to Rs 107.4 crore from Rs 94.7 crore in Q1 2018.

    Operating profit (EBITDA) during the period increased 16.8 per cent y-o-y to Rs 565.7 crore from Rs 484.4 crore in Q1 2018. Profit after tax (PAT) increased 31.4 per cent to Rs 326.4 crore in Q1 2019 rom Rs 248.4 crore in Q1 2018.

    International Business

    Zeel reported international business revenue in Q1 2019 of Rs 195.1 crore. International advertisement revenue grew 2.1 per cent y-o-y to Rs 59 crore. International subscription revenue in Q1 2019 was 6.6 per cent lower at Rs 93.4 crore. The company reported other sales and services revenue of Rs 42.7 crore from its international business.

    Company speak

    Zeel chairman Chandra said, “The year has commenced on a positive note, for both the company as well as the economy. Government initiatives to aid the farming sector, coupled with the normal monsoon for the third successive year is encouraging for the rural economic growth. The growth in consumption, now being driven by rural as well, bodes well for advertising spends. In addition, increasing availability and adoption of digital medium, across different sectors, will have a positive effect on the country’s growth trajectory.”

    Zeel managing director & CEO Punit Goenka said, “We are happy with the all-round performance of our portfolio during the first quarter of this fiscal. Our domestic advertising growth of 22 per cent was driven by higher ad spends across categories and increase in our network viewership share. Based on our discussions with the advertisers and the visibility on ad campaigns, we believe that the ad growth for the industry could be higher than the initial estimates for this financial year.”

    “On the subscription front, TRAI has notified that the new tariff order will come into effect starting January 2019. We have started discussions with our distribution partners for seamless transition to the new regime. If implemented as envisaged, the regulation would be beneficial for all the stakeholders and could be a catalyst for ARPU growth. Even under the new regime we will be able to grow our subscription revenue at a healthy pace,” added Goenka.

    “ZEE5, our digital OTT offering, is already amongst the top-5 digital entertainment platforms in India. We are confident that the pace of subscriber addition will further accelerate with the roll-out of original content and exclusive movie premieres. We are on track to be the largest producer of digital content in the country and are committed to make ZEE5 the #1 entertainment destination for digital consumers,” revealed Goenka.

    “Our domestic broadcast portfolio further increased its market share and continues to be the leading television entertainment network in the country. The increase in viewership share is across the markets with strong traction particularly in our regional channels. We believe that there is still room for monetising the increase in market share, which will allow us to grow ahead of the market,” assured Goenka.

    Let us look at the other numbers reported by Zeel

    Total expenditure during the period under review increased 14.3 per cent to Rs 1,206.4 crore in Q1 2019 from Rs 1,206.4 crore from Rs 1,055.9 crore in Q1 2019. Employee benefit expense increased 2.7 per cent y-o-y in Q1 2019 to Rs 171.38 crore from Rs 166.89 crore in Q1 2018. Operational cost in the quarter under review increased 14 per cent y-o-y to Rs 668.32 crore from Rs 586.34 crore in Q1 2018.

    Finance costs declined by 64 per cent y-o-y in Q1 2019 to Rs 5.29 crore from Rs 14.7 crore during the corresponding period of the previous year. Other expenses increased 26.9 per cent y-o-y in quarter under review to Rs 226.52 crore from Rs 178.57 crore in Q1 2018.

    The company incurred 60 per cent lower fair value loss on financial instruments at fair value through profit and loss for Q1 2019 at Rs 21.29 crore as compared to Rs 53.21 crore in Q1 2018.

  • Subhash Chandra Foundation launches ‘SACH Impact’ Incubation Programme for social ventures

    Subhash Chandra Foundation launches ‘SACH Impact’ Incubation Programme for social ventures

    MUMBAI: Subhash Chandra Foundation, the philanthropic initiative of Rajya Sabha MP and ZEE & Essel Group Chairman, Shri Subhash Chandra, has launched ‘SACH Impact’ Incubator – a programme to support early-stage social ventures aspiring to solve the problems of millions of Indians.

    SACH Impact, a first-of-its kind initiative to identify and mentor fledgling social entrepreneurs from various parts of India, has been created, launched and will be run in partnership with LetsEndorse, a collaborative ecosystem of social change-makers and enablers.

    The incubation programme embodies the philosophy of innovating to resolve the modern-day challenges facing the nation. Two annual cohorts of resolute social entrepreneurs shall be constituted every year, with each one working on one of the 8 focal areas (Education, Healthcare, Clean Energy, Agriculture, Inclusion, Waste Management, Livelihood, WASH), aligning with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. The programme aims to equip them with market access for pilots, financial support to do so, necessary mentorship, knowledge networks & more, to take their solutions to the next level and prepare them to scale and serve the large Indian population.

    Commenting on the launch, Shri Subhash Chandra, Rajya Sabha MP and Chairman, ZEE & Essel Group said, “Most entrepreneurs work to earn big but few ideate for the betterment of society. Subhash Chandra Foundation is inviting social entrepreneurs, the change-makers, for SACH Impact Incubator, who want to impact the lives of people to make world a better place.”

    Monika Shukla, Co-Founder & CEO of LetsEndorse said, “There is minimal emphasis given to pilot testing social innovations and following an agile method to solution-demography fit (like problem-solution fit or product-market fit). The incubator is a great opportunity for social entrepreneurs to test their ideas in real setting across multiple geographies by leveraging the wide outreach network that LetsEndorse has to offer. The much needed seed grant shall facilitate social entrepreneurs’ efforts to test the solutions, get necessary feedback and refine their offering.”

    The selected teams will be mentored by the eminent leadership of Essel Group including Shri Subhash Chandra, the Chief Mentor, Punit Goenka, MD & CEO, ZEEL and Amit Goenka, CEO – International Broadcast Business, ZEEL, and senior management of Essel Group.

    The programme will allow early-stage product, technology or process-based solutions which have the potential to solve problems at a large scale, registered as either for-profit or not-for-profit not before 1st April, 2016, to apply for the programme and undergo a selection process through a panel of experts. Ventures with already developed testable versions of their innovative product/technology/software, or those which have just begun conducting pilot tests on-the-ground and have the potential to make transformational impact on the society can apply online through this link: http://bit.ly/SACHImpact.

  • Zeel operating profit up; board recommends 290% dividend

    Zeel operating profit up; board recommends 290% dividend

    BENGALURU: Subhash Chandra-led Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (Zeel) reported higher operating profit (EBITDA) for the year and quarter ended 31 March 2018 (FY 2018, the year under review; Q4 2018, the quarter under review) as compared with the corresponding periods of the previous year (FY 2017, Q4 2017). Profit after tax (PAT) for the quarter and year under review was, however, lower due to higher tax and lower extraordinary/exceptional items as against the previous year. The Zeel board of directors has recommended an equity dividend of 290 per cent per share of face value of Re 1.

    Zeel’s EBITDA for FY-2018 increased by 7.7 per cent to Rs 2,076.14 crore (31.1 per cent margin) from Rs 1,926.86 crore (29.9 per cent margin) in fiscal 2017. EBITDA for Q4 2018 rose by 8 per cent to Rs 506.20 crore (29.3 per cent margin) from Rs 468.70 crore (30.7 per cent margin). PAT for FY 2018 declined 33.4 per cent to Rs 1,477.75 crore from Rs 2,220.11 crore.

    Zeel’s operating revenue for FY 2018 was 3.9 per cent higher at Rs 6,685.68 crore than the Rs 6,434.13 crore in FY 2017. Operating revenue for Q4 2018 grew by 12.9 per cent year-on-year (yoy) to Rs 1,725.31 crore from Rs 1,527.95 crore. Total revenue for FY 2018 increased by seven per cent to Rs 7,126.30 crore from Rs 6,658.17 crore in the previous year. Total revenue for the quarter grew by 14.6 per cent yoy to Rs 1,813.43 crore from Rs 1,582.89 crore. Revenue growth during both periods can be attributed to growth in advertising revenue partly offset by a decline in subscription revenue.

    Advertising revenue in FY 2018 increased by 14.5 per cent to Rs 4,204.76 crore from Rs 3,673.50 crore in the previous year. The company said in its earnings release that on a comparable basis— excluding sports, RBNL and Indian Web Portal Pvt Ltd (IWPL)—domestic advertising revenue grew by 15.9 per cent to Rs 3,848.88 crore. International advertising revenue increased by 26.2 per cent in FY 2018 to Rs 214.3 crore. International business revenue in Q4 2018 was Rs 66.2 crore.

    Subscription revenue during the year under review declined by 10.3 per cent to Rs 2,028.73 crore from Rs 2,262.91 crore in FY 2017. The company said in its release that adjusted for sale of Zeel’s sports business, subscription revenue actually grew by 11.8 per cent. The company also said that subscription revenue growth for the year was slightly impacted by the delay in phase-III monetisation due to the uncertainty regarding TRAI’s tariff order. Domestic and international subscription revenue for Q4 2018 declined by 0.7 per cent yoy and eight per cent yoy, respectively, primarily on account of the sale of the sports business. Subscription revenue in Q4 2018 decreased by two per cent yoy to Rs 546.52 crore from Rs 557.92 crore. International business subscription revenue in Q4 2018 declined to Rs 94.4 crore.

    Zeel’s other sales and services include revenue from its movie production business, content syndication, music label and commission on sales. Other sales and services revenue decreased by 9.1 per cent in FY 2018 to Rs 452.19 crore from Rs 497.72 crore in the previous fiscal. For Q4 2018, other sales and services revenue increased by five per cent yoy to Rs 129.24 crore from Rs 123.09 crore in Q4 2017. Other sales and services revenue from the international business in Q4 2018 was Rs 53.7 crore.

    Other income, during the year under review, soared by 96.5 per cent to Rs 440.35 crore from Rs 224.04 crore whereas, during the quarter, increased by 60.4 per cent to Rs 88.12 crore from Rs 54.94 crore.

    For FY 2018, total costs increased by 2.3 per cent to Rs 4,609.50 crore. The underlying increase was higher but offset by the sale of the sports business. On a like-to-like basis, programming cost increased due to higher original content hours across the network and higher movie amortisation cost while the reported programming cost declined due to the sale of the sports business. Advertising, publicity and other expenses increased by 25.6 per cent to Rs. 1,416.4 crore on account of brand refresh, launch of ZEE5 and costs related to silver jubilee events.

    Zeel’s total expenditure in Q4 2018 at Rs 1,219.1 crore was higher by 15.1 per cent as againt Q4 2017. Programming cost for the quarter at Rs 689.3 crore increased by 6.7 per cent yoy. This increase was driven by higher original programming hours in regional channels, higher movie amortisation costs and content cost for ZEE5. Advertising, publicity and other expenses for the quarter grew by 44 per cent yoy to Rs 3,66 crore on account of the ZEE5 launch expense and increased marketing activities for new properties. Additionally, the expense base for Q4 2017 was lower as some marketing and promotion events were held back due to demonetisation, the release stated.

    Zeel chairman Subhash Chandra said, “Looking at our performance one might not realise that the first half of the year was not as smooth, which is a testimony to the strength of our team. Being the number one TV entertainment network is a result of our strategy and the consistent hard work we have put in over the years. With the launch of ZEE5, we have taken a major leap towards our preparation for the future and we are confident that like TV business we will be in the leadership position in the digital space as well.”

    Zeel CEO and managing director Punit Goenka said, “We launched our new digital platform ZEE5 with over 100,000 hours of content across 11 languages. We are happy with the initial response and are confident that the sheer depth and breadth of our content offering will enable it to become the number one digital entertainment platform in India. We have also focused on the peculiarities of Indian market and designed technological features to improve the user experience. Unlike most of the existing apps which are either focused on the English-speaking segment or the youth audience, ZEE5’s vast content catalogue is designed with an objective to cater to all sections of video viewing audience.”

    Goenka added, “We are delighted with the strong operating and financial performance during the quarter. Domestic ad revenue growth of 24 per cent is driven by broad based recovery in advertising spends. With high visibility of product campaigns, improving consumer demand and GST related benefits trickling down to ad spends, we are confident of continued traction in advertising spending. The full-year domestic subscription revenue growth of 12 per cent is a tad lower than our initial expectations due to some unforeseen events. However, there is no change in our medium-term outlook for the same.”

    Also Read :

    Zee Media reports higher ad revenue growth in Q3 2018

    Zee, Turner to work independently for subscription revenue

  • Living Foodz to add Tamil feed in FY 18-19

    Living Foodz to add Tamil feed in FY 18-19

    MUMBAI: The flavours of regional India have not failed to touch food channels. In a bid to tap this market, Living Foodz plans to launch a Tamil feed in financial year 2018-19.

    Speaking to Indiantelevision.com, Living Foodz COO Shaurya Mehta said that the network, Living Network, was exploring feeds in southern languages. “There is strong potential for having a feed in Tamil. It will be around the coming financial year.”

    The channel was launched in September 2015 and garnered great traction in its opening week, topping the charts in the food and lifestyle space according to Broadcast Audience Research Council data. Even in the latest week 9 of 2018, Living Foodz has maintained its leadership with 1206 (000) impressions.

    When asked whether lifestyle channels should market themselves more in order to create a buzz around their programming, Mehta said that the question was about effectiveness. Speaking in relation to the network, he pointed out that the network undertook adequate representation. “What we do is adequate representation in terms of new content created and the show that is being launched. We do market the shows a lot. By and large, we have seen a great response in term of marketing efforts,” he added.

    Mehta said that GST and demonetisation did not heavily impact the network’s operations, adding that the channel was just growing. “We may have been affected but we didn’t really deviate from our plans,” he clarified.

    Talking about the upcoming shows, Mehta said that Femme Foodies season 2 was round the corner. Quarter is another show lined up for May 2019 with a unique concept of exploring the station master’s tiffin. The show will be hosted by chef Ranveer Brar and will explore a variety of food on a train journey.

    Living Foodz will be launched on UK’s Sky platform and a date will be announced soon. It is expected to be added to the Sky line-up towards the end of March or beginning of April. The broadcaster has already firmed up its programming output and is expected to add a number of local shows to localise the feed of the channel. Living Foodz has also finalised its electronic programme guide (EPG) slot.

    Also Read :

    GST fails to spoil Food Food’s party

    Food content dominates viewership on lifestyle channels

  • India’s first global news network WION spreads its wings

    India’s first global news network WION spreads its wings

    From small steps within South Asia, World Is One News (WION), the first global English news network from India, is now taking giant strides across the world.  It has been 1 year since its first telecast and already, Indian viewers are rivetted by the country’s first truly international news channel. Particularly appealing is the fact that for the first time, Indian viewers can enjoy in-depth coverage of stories from far-flung corners of the world through a perspective and prism of their choice.

    WION has now entered the Middle East. The channel has been launched on Etisalat – one of the biggest networks in the Middle East – in the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.  Viewers in those countries can also watch WION on Du & Ooredoo.  WION’s Middle East debut comes on the heels of its launch in seven African countries: Nigeria, Kenya, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Ghana, Botswana & Rwanda. WION is now one of India’s fastest-growing news networks. Come the months February to April, WION will be spreading its outreach to other South Asian countries like Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Myanmar.

    Celebrating 25 years of ZEE in Dubai, Rajya Sabha MP Subhash Chandra said, “After a successful start in India, WION is gearing up to bring world-class journalism to the people of UAE & Qatar who have long been waiting for a global network from India.” 

    Australians, too are enjoying shows by WION. The channel has been launched on Yupp TV there while talks are underway to launch it on other platforms in Australia & New Zealand too. WION is keeping its promise of providing in-depth and non-biased coverage of global stories, a space so far dominated by the western media.

  • Zeel numbers up on higher ad revenue in third quarter

    Zeel numbers up on higher ad revenue in third quarter

    BENGALURU: Subhash Chandra-led Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (Zeel) today reported an 11.5 per cent and 28.3 percent increase in consolidated total revenue and profit after tax (PAT), respectively, for the quarter ended 31 December 2017 (Q3-18) as compared with the corresponding quarter of the previous year (year-on-year [y-o-y]). Zeel’s consolidated operating revenue, which comprises advertisement, subscription and other sales and services revenue, rose by 12.1 percent y-o-y in Q3-18.

    Zeel reported consolidated total revenue of Rs 1,886.11 crore for Q3-18 as against Rs 1,691.58 crore a year ago. PAT for the quarter under review was Rs 321.72 crore vis-a-vis Rs 250.80 crore for the corresponding year ago quarter. Consolidated operating revenue was Rs 1,838.07 crore up from Rs 1,639.12 crore in Q3-17.

    Adjusted earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) for Q3-18 increased by 15.2 percent y-o-y to Rs 594.42 crore (31.5 percent margin) from Rs 515.79 crore (30.5 percent margin). Adjusted EBITDA includes cost of fair value loss on financial instruments at fair value through profit and loss (net) of Rs 41.92 crore in Q3-18 and of Rs 71.35 crore in Q3-17.

    Operating revenue break-up

    Ad revenue in the quarter under review increased by 25.8 percent y-o-y to Rs 1,202.02 crore as compared with Rs 955.45 crore. Zeel said in its earnings release that adjusted for the sale of its sports business, domestic advertising grew by 30.4 percent to Rs 1,137.3 crore. Subscription revenue declined by 15.5 percent y-o-y to Rs 501.69 crore from Rs 593.46 crore. Adjusted for the sale of the sports business, domestic subscription revenue grew by 7.5 percent to Rs 403.6 crore. International subscription revenue stood at Rs 98.1 crore. Other sales and services revenue swelled by 48.1 percent to Rs 134.36 crore.

    Other income decreased by 8.1 percent y-o-y to Rs 48.04 crore in the quarter under review from Rs 52.46 crore.

    Company speak

    Zeel chairman Chandra said, “It is very heartening to see the rebound in the economy after four quarters. The initiatives taken by the government had some short-term impact on the growth but these measures will strengthen the economy in the long run. The Indian M&E sector will be a beneficiary of this growth story as people spend more time and money on consuming entertainment content. ZEEL, with its strong portfolio of entertainment offerings, is well positioned to capitalise on this opportunity.”

    Zeel managing director and CEO Punit Goenka said, “We are delighted to deliver a strong operating performance during the quarter. The slower growth in the last four quarters was due to specific events that required advertisers to recalibrate spends. As the impact of these factors is now behind us, ad spends have bounced back strongly and the outlook remains encouraging. The recent cut in GST rates across a wide category of products should aid the growth. Our domestic ad revenue growth of 26 percent is a testimony to the fact that television continues to remain the most effective medium for brand building. With a dominant time share along with an increasing reach, television will remain an important medium for advertisers in the foreseeable future. On top of this, digital platforms are driving incremental video consumption which represents another growth opportunity for content monetisation. Our new digital platform, Zee5, scheduled to be launched in February, will enable us to capture this growth.

    “The domestic subscription growth for the quarter was at 7.5 percent. The growth so far has been lower than what we had last year as the content deals with our distribution partners are taking slightly longer to conclude due to litigations regarding the TRAI tariff regulation. Last year we had closed majority of these deals in the second and third quarter. However, this does not have any significant impact on our full year outlook for subscription growth.”

    In a tweet today, Goenka had this to say:

    Let us look at the other numbers reported by Zeel

    Zeel’s total expenditure increased by 8.9 percent y-o-y in the quarter under review to Rs 1,338.38 crore from Rs 1,228.60 crore. Operating costs reduced by 4.3 percent y-o-y to Rs 672.98 crore from Rs 703.50 crore. Employee benefits expense in Q3-18 increased 8.2 percent y-o-y to Rs 153.54 crore from Rs 141.88 crore. Advertising and publicity expenses increased by 71.2 percent y-o-y to Rs 179.62 crore from Rs 104.90 crore. Other expenses increased by 37.2 percent to Rs 237.51 crore from Rs 173.05 crore.

    Also Read:

    Zeel ad revenue & profit up in Q2 despite GST impact

    ZEEL reports steady Q1 FY2018 results

    Launch of ZEEL’s lifestyle channels round the corner

  • ZEEL’s Amit Goenka: Target 3 billion audiences in the next 5 years

    ZEEL’s Amit Goenka: Target 3 billion audiences in the next 5 years

    MUMBAI: To conquer half the world – that is the aim of the 25-year old Zee Network. Barely weeks into the channel refresh of Zee Entertainment Enterprises (ZEEL) channels, the conglomerate has a new brand philosophy – ‘Extraordinary Together’.

    ZEEL CEO Punit Goenka admits that for the last 25 years it has been choosing the time slot for people to watch television. “But in next 25 years we have to listen to the consumers and where he wants to consume, in which format and through which medium. That is the biggest change we see going forward,” he adds.

    The company has reached 1.3 billion viewers globally with the presence in over 173 countries since 23 years. The foray into producing international content is recent and today Zee produces content in nine different languages. “We plan to produce more global content but 80 per cent will stay Indian content. We plan to target three billion audiences in the next five years,” says ZEEL International broadcast business CEO Amit Goenka.

    In India, ZEEL will soon enter the Malayalam market. Along with this, the network plans to launch its consolidated digital platform Z5 soon.

    Punit Goenka is optimistic that the company’s content will differentiate it from others. It will span Hindi and 11 regional languages, and a large film library in multiple languages. Though TV content will be on Z5, there will be original ones too.
    He also said and expressed his wish to take theatre to extreme heights both in India and abroad.

    Goenka clarified that ZEEL isn’t abandoning its earlier philosophy of Vasudeva Kutumbakam, but it is rather encompassing it all together.

  • Zeel ad revenue & profit up in Q2 despite GST impact

    Zeel ad revenue & profit up in Q2 despite GST impact

    BENGALURU: The Subhash Chandra led Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (Zeel) reported a 2.9 percent increase in advertising revenue for the quarter ended 30 September 2017 (Q2-18, current quarter) as compared to the corresponding year ago quarter (y-o-y). Zeel says in a press release that despite the adverse impact of GST on advertising, domestic advertising grew by 5.8 percent y-o-y, on a comparable basis (excluding sports, RBNL and IWPL) to Rs 9028 million.

    Zeel’s net profit after tax (PAT) for the period more than doubled (2.48 times) y-o-y in the current quarter to Rs 5908 million as compared  to Rs 2384 million due the slump sale of its sports broadcasting business that resulted in a net gain of Rs 1346.1 million for the current quarter. Zeel’s subscription revenue declined 14 percent y-o-y to Rs 5014.1 million in the current quarter as compared to Rs 5833.4 million. However, adjusted for the sale of sports business, domestic subscription revenue grew by 7.2 percent to Rs. 4043 million. International subscription revenue stood at Rs 971 million. Other sales and services revenue in the current quarter was lower y-o-y at Rs 939 million as compared to Rs 1529.4 million.

    Overall, Zeel’s revenue increased 2.7 percent y-o-y in Q2-18 to Rs 17,851.8 million on higher other income as compared to Rs 17,386.7 million in Q2-17. Other income in the current quarter more than quadrupled y-o-y to Rs 2031.3 million as compared to Rs 432.3 million. EBIDTA in the current quarter was almost flat y-o-y (up 0.4 percent) at Rs 4912 million as compared to Rs 4892 million.

    Company speak

    Zeel chairman Subhash Chandra said, “We are now a 25 years old organisation and it is with great satisfaction and pride that I look back at this journey and the numerous milestones we have achieved. Starting as India’s first private television channel, we have grown into a truly global entertainment content company with a worldwide footprint and a strong presence across all forms of entertainment. Indian M&E industry has grown by leaps and bounds but it is just the beginning. I am confident that we will continue to shape the entertainment industry, much like we have done over the last two and a half decades.”

    Zeel managing director and CEO Punit Goenka commented, “At Zeel, it has been an exciting 25 years during which we significantly increased our viewership and expanded our regional as well as global presence. This was achieved while delivering a strong financial performance. It has been possible because of our ability to evolve our content offerings in line with changing consumer preferences. Another step in this evolution would be the launch of our new digital product, ‘Z5’, in the second half of this financial year. It will offer an unrivalled content catalogue appealing to all demographics and bring unique viewing experience to the consumer.”

    “We are satisfied with our performance against the backdrop of tough macro-economic environment during the quarter. Our advertisers were negatively impacted during transition to GST which led to a temporary pull-back on their ad spends. Post the decline in the first half of the quarter, the growth recovered strongly and is back on track. Despite the adversity, our domestic ad revenue grew at 5.8 percent on a comparable basis,” said Goenka.

    “The domestic subscription growth for the quarter was at 7.2 percent. As against the early closure of deals last year, content deals with distributors are taking slightly longer due to litigations regarding the TRAI tariff regulation. However, our full year outlook for subscription growth remains unaltered. Despite the loss of advertising revenue and elevated expenses during the quarter, we have been able to deliver a healthy margin of 31 percent,” assured Goenka.

    “The acquisition of 9X Media follows our stated strategy of expanding into regional markets and niche genres. 9X Media’s six music channels enjoy leading market shares in their respective segments and will further strengthen our entertainment offering to the consumer. The channels will benefit immensely from our network’s strength to achieve higher growth potential and cost synergies,” revealed Goenka.

    Let us look at the other numbers reported by Zeel

    The company’s total expenditure in the current quarter declined 9.6 percent y-o-y to Rs 10,909 million from Rs 12,062 million. Employee Benefit Expense in Q2-18 increased 18.4 percent y-o-y to Rs1814 million from Rs 1533 million. Operating costs in the current quarter declined 24.7 percent y-o-y to Rs 5789 million from Rs 7688 million. Advertising and Publicity expenses increased 22.3 percent y-o-y in Q2-18 to Rs 1410 million from Rs 1153 million in Q2-18. Other expenses increased 12.3 percent in the current quarter to Rs 1896 million from Rs 1688 million in Q2-17.

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    Zee TV new logo unveiled; refreshed digital platform Zee5 launch soon

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  • Zee TV new logo unveiled; refreshed digital platform Zee5 launch soon

    Zee TV new logo unveiled; refreshed digital platform Zee5 launch soon

    MUMBAI: Celebrating its silver jubilee at a grand event here on Saturday, India’s first private satellite TV channel, Zee TV, unveiled a new logo aimed at representing its journey for the next 25 years, while its parent Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL) used the occasion to also showcase the logo of its new digital platform Zee5, which is to be launched over the next few weeks.

    Speaking during the Zee Rishtey Award, organised on Saturday and telecast on Sunday that was attended by the company bigwigs, television stars and a “3,400-strong Zee family”, ZEEL MD and CEO Punit Goenka said that not only Zee was the world’s “biggest joint family”, but is committed to keep entertaining and innovating over the next 25 years also, which is reflected in the new channel logo (tagline being `aaj likhenge kal’ or ‘we’ll write our future today’).

    The stage was perfect to unveil a teaser of Zee group’s soon-to-be-launched new digital platform in the form of its logo. The OTT service, to be called Zee5, is a completely refreshed version of the group’s existing digital services and will ultimately subsume with itself the likes of dittoTv and Ozee. Incidentally, the digital platform logo was dedicated to Zee group chairman- founder-promoter and media baron-turned-Member of Parliament Subhash Chandra.

    “The new identity (of Zee TV) is not an evolution, but a revolution of the belief of being stronger as one family. The new colour of the logo is a sign of transformation,” Goenka was quoted by Zee sibling and newspaper DNA as saying, adding, “Over the next few weeks, we will see the rollout of Zee5 across India and other global markets.”

    ZEEL is a worldwide media brand offering entertainment and news content to diverse audiences. With a presence in over 172 countries and a reach of more than a billion people around the globe connecting in 19 languages, it is among the largest global content companies across genres, languages, and platforms, spanning presence across broadcasting, movies, music, live entertainment, digital and talent businesses.

    Holding forth further on Zee5, DNA quotes Goenka (Chandra’s eldest son) as saying, “Zee5 is poised to be the largest digital platform for Indian entertainment in the world, bringing the best of live television, Indian and international TV shows, movies and videos to viewers in the language of their choice and across all internet connected devices.”

    According to ZEEL CEO, international broadcast business Amit Goenka, “I see excitement in the air. We are progressing towards a new global destination. Zee5 is a digital platform that is born out of passion to create something new for the industry, and we are going to create a new history in the coming 25 years.”

    Meanwhile, Chandra tweeted two photos on Saturday from the 25th birthday bash of Zee with the message: “Then: Interacting with my colleagues when we completed 150 days. And Now: Interacting with colleagues tonight while we celebrate 25 years.” Incidentally, Chandra is one of those few businesspeople in the world who, as a local partner, managed to buyout Rupert Murdoch in three joint ventures in a cash and stock deal.

    Speaking on the occasion, Chandra, in what could be a direction to colleagues now managing the affairs of ZEEL, said, “We have to keep going, as it is not written in our fate to stop.”

    “I remember when we celebrated the first anniversary of Zee TV back in 1993. I had only 50 people (around) those days, and today, in 2017, we have more than 3,000 individuals who are a part of Zee. I believe that human resource is the biggest infrastructure that one has, and that is one of the biggest plus points for our nation,” he reminisced.

    public://PG Announcing Zee TV Logo2.jpg

    Over the last 18 months, ZEE has been restructuring its business portfolio shedding unattractive properties like the sports channels, which was sold to Sony Pictures Networks India, and buying GEC channels of Reliance Broadcast as also FM radio channels to expand reach and business that add value to its core value as a corporate entity.

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  • ZEEL CEO Punit Goenka motivates youth, honours his one-millionth Twitter follower and family

    ZEEL CEO Punit Goenka motivates youth, honours his one-millionth Twitter follower and family

    MUMBAI: One of the leading traditional Indian broadcasters ZEEL acknowledges and recognises the importance of new media. It has kept its promise with India’s social media enthusiasts and followers, and honoured them.

    On touching the momentous milestone of ‘One Million Followers’ on Twitter, ZEE Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. (ZEEL) MD and CEO Punit Goenka surprised his one-millionth follower, Manjiri Sonar by inviting her to his office in Mumbai for an exclusive interaction. 

    Sonar, who is a resident of Pune, was driven across to Mumbai, along with her family, in a chauffeur-driven luxury car. Goenka then spent some quality moments with her and family, exchanging thoughts and interests. 

    Expressing her delight, Sonar said, “I feel extremely privileged to be the chosen one to meet and greet with Punit Goenka as his one millionth Twitter follower. It was overwhelming to know that such a successful business leader like Goenka chose to celebrate this milestone with a commoner. I can’t thank him enough to host me and my family in such a grand manner in his office. I was completely awestruck by his simplicity and greatness. His journey to success is an inspiration for me and many others, as I am just stepping into my career.”

    Sharing his experience, Goenka said, “It was a pleasure meeting my one-millionth follower, Manjiri Sonar. This is the least that I can do for my followers. Wish I could do this with all of them. While it’s always a pleasure to interact with them on Twitter, this time, thought I must meet and interact in person. As senior leaders of the industry, we must motivate the youth because that’s the future of our country.”

    Sonar, an aspiring business professional recently graduated with an MBA in HR from Pune University. Even though she joined Twitter in 2015, she recently became active and is more than happy with her 100 followers, and doesn’t call herself a ‘Twitterazzi’. As an aspiring professional, she sees Twitter as a great platform to follow successful personalities and to learn from them. Manjiri and her family are big fans of Dr. Subhash Chandra and they follow his show on TV. 

    During the meeting, Goenka shared his life lessons with Sonar. He also presented her with a personalised signed copy of the much celebrated autobiography – ‘The Z Factor: My Journey as the Wrong Man at the Right Time’ of Dr. Subhash Chandra, Rajya Sabha MP, and ZEE and Essel Group chairman.