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Tag: Sunder Aaron

  • ‘We are looking at localising further’ : Sunder Aaron – Pix business head

    ‘We are looking at localising further’ : Sunder Aaron – Pix business head

    Pix is lapping up new movies to shed its image of being an English movie channel that showcases only classic films. Its most prize catch: Oscar-winning movie Slumdog Millionaire.

     

    The channel from the Multi Screen Media stable, which is up against stalwarts like HBO and Star Movies, has been able to draw in a slightly younger audience base while having a wider age appeal.

     

    Pix has also been flirting with sports properties to bring more sampling into the channel. It has been showcasing the FA Cup to grow its reach while trying to connect with brands to be constantly visible in the viewer’s eye.

     

    In an interview with Indiantelevision.com’s Ashwin Pinto, Pix business head Sunder Aaron talks about the channel’s focus in content acquisition and its growth plans.

     

    Excerpts:

    How would you describe the progress that Pix has made since launching three years back?
    We have evolved over time in terms of the schedule. In the beginning, we had mainly library films. Today while library films are shown, we air current films as well. While we are not the number one English movie channel at this stage, we are in the top three.

    How is the channel perceived in the market?
    We frequently do dipsticks and studies from time to time to find out what is the perception of the channel. Data shows that we are skewed towards a younger audience. When we launched, we were viewed by an older TG 25+. Today, our TG is 18-44 years.

     

    Earlier, the perception was that Pix shows all classic movies. That has changed with us bringing in current films like Honeydripper, I’m Not There and Slumdog Millionaire.

    Pix has focussed on building up a current crop of films this year. What strategy has been followed in this regard?
    We focussed on bringing in current films without losing the premise of showing very good films. We have to remember that just because a film is new, it doesn’t necessarily make it good. Acquiring new films has helped boost our reach and increase sampling.

     

    Slumdog Millionaire is our biggest acquisition and this airs on 27 June. This kind of acquisition sends a positive signal to the market. We will also air a film called Push.

    Is variety a factor in acquiring titles?
    While variety is important, we find that the action and thriller genres fare the best. We buy from independent producers and distributors; we also source some content from the studios. Studios are already selling to HBO and Star Movies. While this is a handicap, we are able to find other suppliers and also do studio deals. This year we acquired films from NDTV, PVR, MGM, Icon, Pathe, SPTI and AMG.

     

    Our first and foremost aim is to find films that have good stories. We also focus on getting films with recognisable stars. Our aim is to improve the ratio of current films that we air.

    In terms of pricing, what is the scene as far as English films are concerned?
    With the economic slowdown, the entire industry has had to change their budgets. We are a smaller and specialised category. While pricing has not changed much, suppliers abroad are closing deals at lower prices just because they understand that channels might not be as successful as they once were due to the current economic situation.
    ‘Acquiring new films has helped boost our reach. Slumdog Millionaire is our biggest acquisition. This kind of acquisition sends a positive signal to the market‘

    Has Pix been able to improve its viewership performance during the last six months?
    We are looking to solidify our primetime slots as well as the afternoon bands over the weekend.

     

    During the IPL we adjusted our schedule so that we could catch the audience after they finished watching a match. This has done well for us. In some weeks, we could catch up with HBO and even beat Star Movies in Kolkata or Mumbai. But we need to be more consistent.

    Are you refreshing the look and feel of the channel?
    We are looking at refreshing the look of the channel. We want it to remain fresh and contemporary. We are encouraged at the response Sony Entertainment Television has received after its repackaging.

    Did the blackout of Bollywood films on multiplexes boost viewership of the English movie channels?
    No! While viewers would have been at home, there are several viewing options. DVD sales went up.

    What programming innovations is Pix coming up with?
    We are looking at localising further. We are examining two to three concepts that can further build our equity. We have had success with ‘Chicks on Flicks.’ Unfortunately, as not many films were released during the producers’ strike, viewership took a dip. Now that it is over, the ratings should pick up.

    What feedback have you received for the film review show Chicks on Flicks?
    It has done well. In a lot of instances, the two hosts have not agreed with their assessment of a film. It is completely non scripted. The girls attend press screenings. They have a passion for cinema which is key in making the show work. We engage viewers by giving them references of the clips that the reviewers are talking about. Now our hosts are permanent invitees of studios who release films in India.

    Has Pix introduced thematic blocks to woo different audience segments?
    While we have festivals, it does not pay off to have too many blocks. Then there is an inventory problem. If every Tuesday, for instance, you have a block dedicated to action, then you need to have enough movies in that genre. You could run out of content after a certain number of weeks and then start to duplicate.

     

    What could also happen is that viewers think that you only have a certain set of films to dip into. The English genre does not have much appointment viewing happening and blocks do not help in this regard. There is a lot of snacking that takes place.

    So how do you build viewer loyalty?
    Viewer loyalty is a challenge that all of us face, particularly film channels that are title driven. In general, you create an environment that viewers find attractive. Then you frequently deliver films that suit their taste.
    Would you look at dubbing and subtitling to boost reach?
    No! Subtitling can distract the viewer. Many channels put incorrect subtitles illegally. They do not use the official subtitles from the supplier’s side. They may not have taken the permission of the film’s distributor to do this. If you watch some of these channels, you will see that the subtitling has been poorly done.
    Pix started airing soccer last year with the FA Cup. Given the escalating costs of sports rights, to what extent does it make sense for a niche channel to showcase such programming?
    It makes a lot of sense. When you want to grow reach, you need to bring in special events. We have done things like concerts. The good thing about the FA Cup is that it is not soccer every week. It happens on one weekend a month. Then the timings do not disrupt our primetime schedule. Also, the TG is a fit. So we increase sampling for the channel.
    Are you looking at other sports events?
    It has to be special enough to raise our profile. I am not actively going out there looking for sports content. We had aired a boxing bout with Oscar De La Hoya live a few months back.
    Should there be a block for A rated content?
    It would be good if this was to come in. Frankly, it is a question the content code has to take a view on. We will have to see what the CBFC comes up with. Some other Asian markets are more relaxed in terms of what is allowed. Others like Malaysia, though, are stricter.

    What kind of marketing activities does Pix do to create awareness?
    We do campaigns periodically around big properties. We will be pushing Slumdog Millionaire actively. We will have visibility in places like Planet M. We have also tied up with a hotel in Dubai called Atlantis. This will be in the shape of a contest and offers viewers the chance to live the life of a millionaire.

     

    The other strategy is to constantly connect with consumers. One way is to constantly spend a lot of money every month. A better way, though, is to tie up with brands.

     

    We are looking at tying up with restaurants like a Firangi Pani or a Sports Bar. We have a tie up with DNA. We are trying to do something with The Times of India. We are also tying up with out of home screens at McDonald’s and Café Coffee Day where our promos run on a continuous basis. These will be yearly tie ups. We have a promotional deal with VH1. We are looking at one with MTV as well. To succeed we need to constantly be in the consumer’s eye.

    What about tying up with studies to promote theatrical releases?
    This is an area that we are increasing our focus on. This is not restricted to just what Sony Pictures is releasing on the big screen. We recently tied up with Fox for the release of Wolverine where we had clips and interviews. We also do contests around upcoming releases.

     

    The marketing, thus, is not just about films that we show. What we bring to the table when a studio wants visibility for a new theatrical release is much more than what a competing channel can offer.

    How do you see new entrants like MGM affecting the scene?
    The category is growing organically. Homes with television sets are growing by about 10 per cent. New channels are coming in, but the English film genre is about three channels – Star Movies, HBO and Pix. The rest of them are in a sort of jumbled up pecking order. MGM and Warner Bros, for instance, are coming in and spending money to get distributed.

     

    The question is whether they will make the necessary investments to do what it takes to become a leading player. It requires a sustained investment on all fronts – programming, marketing and distribution. I feel WB will really have to step up; their campaigns will have to be sustained across the country and not just in a couple of Metros.

    What about the impact of the economic downturn on the genre?
    Obviously we will have to be savvy with how we spend our marketing dollars and also our programming budget. There is at the same time a flight to quality. While advertisers reduce their budgets, the top channels in each category are the ones that are in demand the most.

     

    In a downturn you do not want to spread the money around too much. You want to go with what you know is safe.

    On the ad sales front do you offer customised solutions in addition to spots?
    We try to be creative at a time when clients want more added value. We have Fiama d’Wills doing a campaign in our 4 pm block on Sundays. We air films that target women in this block. We have also done stuff on the ground with clients.

     

    We recently did a ‘Hollywood Picks Your Brain’ initiative and ITC was a big sponsor. This was done across six metros and one could win prizes like ipods. We are now looking at doing a similar initiative targetted at media outlets.
  • Ratings: AXN maintains lead in English entertainment; Star World, Zee Café neck and neck

    Ratings: AXN maintains lead in English entertainment; Star World, Zee Café neck and neck

    MUMBAI: The English entertainment scene is witnessing a fair bit of action. The History Channel (THC) underwent a repositioning from infotainment to entertainment. AXN unfortunately got banned by the I&B Ministry last month on the dubious charge of showing inappropriate content.

    Tam data c&s 4+ all India from 15 July 2006 – 13 January 2007 shows that AXN has enjoyed a share of over 50 per cent over the past six months compared to Zee Café and Star World.

    Zee Café has, meanwhile, been steadily improving its share. From 15 July – 15 August its share among was 13 per cent. This has risen to 22 per cent for the period 1 January – 13 January 2007, with Star World slightly ahead at 24 per cent.

    However for the period 15-30 December 2006 Zee Café was ahead with a share of 22 per cent compared to Star World’s 17 per cent.

    For the metros, AXN’s share is 44 per cent, while Star World and Zee Café each have a share of 22 per cent. THC has a share of 11 per cent for the period 31 December 2006 – 13 January 2007. This marks a fall from 20 per cent for the period 15-30 December 2006 where it was on even terms with Star World and Zee Cafe. In fact for the most part, until 2007 THC has been on level terms with Star World and Zee Cafe in terms of channel share in the Metros.

    AXN’s Special Focus On Prime Time
    Talking about the performance over the past six months, AXN India business head Sunder Aaron says that a special focus was given to primetime. So the channel came out with the concept of Elite Weekdays and Elite Weekends. This is where its premium shows like CSI, 24 air. In the weekdays it is post 11 pm while on Saturday and Sunday it airs at noon. Aaron adds that what gives the channel further appeal are shows like Guinness, Ripley’s which go beyond the metro centric.

    On the local front he is satisfied at how The Amazing Race Asia fared in India. This was a pan Asian initiative and showed that regional fare with an Indian touch will work with viewers. The channel, Aaron says, has a few ideas on the table. One of this involves the second season of A Man’s World. It also appointed Sumona Roy as marketing manager. This is in line with the channel’s commitment to boost its operations in India.

    The problem still is the ban. Aaron declined to comment on when the channel would be back on air but said that care would be taken to ensure that content would not be offensive to anybody. The I&B Minister had issued the ban on the grounds of AXN showing ‘obscene programmes’. The ban will last till 15 March 2007.

    A Period Of Restructuring For Zee Café
    Zee Café business head Neil Chakravarti says that the programming lineup has gone through a significant restructuring over the past year. “Our endeavour was to become the only ‘true English GEC’ in the country. The aim is to offer the widest variety of entertainment across drama, comedy, thrillers, reality, soaps, fashion, lifestyle, music, movies and local English content.

    “As of February, the plans are largely in place. We have recently introduced America’s number one soap, The Young and the Restless which runs across weekdays at 8 pm. Our most exciting new product is Café Xtreme, which has action/ adventure/ thrills oriented programming, and will run every single day from 11 pm – midnight. In addition, we have introduced a movie band, Saturday Night Lights to showcase the best of Hollywood.”

    Zee Café last year launched among other shows the ninth season of the hospital drama ER, Bikini Destinations and the second season of Full House. No doubt the second show gave a bit of oomph to the channel. It also added some action to the mix with Without A Trace. Of course since both Zee Café and Star World focus on oven fresh shows from the US there is the occasional overlap. For instance both air Orange County, which recently came to an end in the US.

    Chakravarti adds that Zee Café recently started an initiative of running strip shows across the same time band during primetime on weekdays. The Tonight Show and E! News are telecast delayed live every day from the US, via satellite uplink. Young and Restless and Café Xtreme also run in stripped format, every weekday (and even weekends, in case of Xtreme)

    Star World Stays With Its Strategy
    Elaborating on Star World’s strategy, Star India GM content Harsh Rohatgi reiterates the efforts being made to bring the most popular and best shows from across the globe on the channel. The last six months saw the launch of various new shows and seasons on the channel.

    One of these was Rockstar Supernova. This was a global talent hunt show to find a new singer for a band formed by Motley Crew, Metallica and Guns & Roses. Then there was the comedy Two and Half Men with Charlie Sheen. Its core properties include Desperate Housewives, which came back for a second season as did the hospital soap Grey’s Anatomy.

    To give a boost in terms of variety there are award shows like the Golden Globes. It has also aired music specials like the Andrea Bocceli concert.

    In terms of where it lies in the English general entertainment space, Rohatgi points out that that as a genre English entertainment has a very niche audience base. The preference is more on the qualitative aspect of programming.

    “Star World’s programming speaks for itself and has successfully built a loyal audience base over the years that it continues to retain while adding on new audiences. As far as AXN goes we are poles apart in the programming structure. We classify ourselves as a family English entertainment channel with a mix of comedies/action series/dramas/ special events etc.

    “AXN is clearly a male skewed English entertainment channel. Hence comparing both the channels would not be fair.”

    English Entertainment Viewership Stagnating?
    Then there is the issue of viewership for English entertainment stagnating. Rohatgi counters by saying that there has been a marked increase in the spread of what an English entertainment viewer can watch.

    “Earlier English entertainment used to be demarcated quite clearly. But now infotainment/ Lifestyle channels/ English news channels are also wooing the same viewer. Hence we don’t think the genre is stagnating. On the contrary its expanding and the challenge is to keep up and expand the offerings with it.”

    Rohatgi says that for Star World constant research is being done to understand what are the needs, likes and dislikes of the viewers. “Koffee with Karan season two has been improved based on the feedback from viewers. We are also working on various local formats.”

    Star World Confident Of Success in Cas Environment
    Rohatgi is also confident about how the channel will fare in a Cas environment. “Our programming is the best, which is constantly revamped and updated as per the latest and best properties in the global scenario. Hence a viewer is assured of finding only the best fare on the channel. In a digital environment, channels in niche genres will be bought on both perception and the quality of programming.”

    Brands Cherry Picking Shows
    On the advertising front he says that there definitely has been a shift in the way the genre is being sold. Now the preference is to go along with properties that fit the brands rather than doing a broad based deal. Hence a lot of brands now look at handpicking shows they would want to associate with. Hence the sales teams have been pitching property specific deals to the clients.

    Chakravarti says that based on the feedback received Zee Café’s perception among the viewer universe as well as the media fraternity is quite positive at the moment.

    Cas, DTH Will Be The Final Levellers?
    A contention partially backed by OMS media director Madan Mohapatra, who says that while Zee Café’s perception has improved over the past year, it is still a little behind Star World. “However as Cas and DTH get entrenched, the perception gap will come down further. The push that Zee Café has given to its content over the past year has not gone unnoticed. The advantage that Star World has is that it made a sustained push earlier.” In Mohapatra’s opinion Star World benefits from high profile shows like Koffee with Karan.

    Says Mohapatra, “Besides the RODP route, clients often put money behind new shows on these channels like Orange County (the third season kicks off on Zee Cafe next month) if they feel that there is good traction and these shows will add new viewers to the channel due to marketing activities being done. However as a show gets older the enthusiasm of the client also goes down.”

    He notes that Zee Café compared to the other two players is more open to experimentation in terms of content and how it deals with clients. “They work with clients on customised and contextual programme breaks (ICI Pens did branded brake bumpers). This means that an ad appears depending on the mood of the show. I would draw a parallel to what happens with cricket where a pop up comes on depending on what has happened.”

    AXN, he says, is a little bit behind Star World perception wise because of its mostly male skew. It has gotten polarised as a result. The good thing for AXN is that it has followed a very clear path and has not deviated. While the effect of the ban has yet to be seen, it is likely that the lifestyle shows might take a hit. What is interesting is that Zee Cafe in the past year started airing some lifestyle shows like the earlier mentioned Bikini Destinations.

    Speaking about THC’s positioning, Mohapatra evers that that it is taking the right approach by broad basing its content.

    In conclusion one can say that the new platforms of DTH and Cas will help the channels segment those who watch them regularly from those who merely surf through them. Viewing habits will be more clear. It is up to the players to constantly finetune strategies to make sure that viewers will pay to watch them.

  • Animax goes all English from 15 August

    Animax goes all English from 15 August

    NEW DELHI: Animax, the international animation channel, adopts a complete English language feed as a continuation of the Animax Refresh to meet the requirements of an ever growing and discerning Indian viewership starting this month.

    With slick blockbuster animation series and shows that are more youth and young adult focused, Animax is punching into a different market segment to better attract the 15 to 24 years old, an age group with the real purchasing power. Operating a single English language feed is meant to better serve this segment.

    Animax has been a pioneer seeking to change the face of animation in India by offering Indian viewers animation for grown-ups, and not just cartoons for kids. Animax programming tends to be more developed, dramatic animated series portraying human emotions and conflicts.

    These series attract viewers that want intelligent, substantial themes along with the fun in their animated entertainment. The Animax audience are young adults who enjoy daily viewing of their favorite animated series on Animax.

    Says Animax-Country manager- Sunder Aaron, “We’ve converted the Animax feed into English-only to better meet the interests of our target audience in the metros. We’ve targeted the young adults of India who we all see at cyber cafes, playing video games, downloading music and wearing branded clothes. Animax is focused on engaging this discerning audience with our programming. Broadcast in English also meets the demands of our various user-groups who have expressed this preference to us online. “

  • Animax to air animation movie block ‘Ani-Flix’ on Saturdays

    Animax to air animation movie block ‘Ani-Flix’ on Saturdays

    MUMBAI: Get addicted and be different! Animax is rolling out Ani-Flix, a new animation movie block on Saturday nights, which will air blockbuster animation films.

    The block launches with its first movie on 12 August at 7 pm. Ani-Flix is yet another aspect of the Animax channel refresh, designed to meet the growing appetite for high quality animation in India.

    Through this band, Animax will be airing movies that are more youth and young adult focused attracting a different target group. Movies aired on Ani-Flix will showcase filmmaking that has unleashed a new trend in movie making involving spectacular animation sequences.

    On 12 August, Ani-Flix will premiere with Cowboy Bebop: Knocking in Heaven’s Door. The movie follows the adventures of characters who are living on Mars in the year 2071.

    Animax country manager Sunder Aaron said, “Indian youth and young adults are now becoming familiar with and getting addicted to watching top-flight animation on television, a trend that hit the west 10 years ago. With the onset of band programming, Ani-Flix will relay award winning marvels such as Cowboy Bebop, Ghost in the Shell – the inspiration for the Matrix movies, the international blockbuster Akira, the sci-fi thriller Appleseed – a movie so hot that John Woo is producing the sequel – and many more. These movies, especially Appleseed, will not disappoint the eye.”

    “There is enormous attention to detail, reflections, shading and other small things. Many of the scenes, especially involving the giant city complex, look like art if you froze the frame. Ani-Flixs showcases exceptional movies that have young adult and mature content with edgy animation that should attract our target viewers. Our shift to broadcast only in English also presents these movies the way our viewers want to see them: our various user-groups expressed this preference to us in many ways, including online,” he added.

    Ani-Flix will air Inu Yahsa: The Castle Beyond the Looking Glass on 19 August.

    And, on 14 August, all these movies will be aired back to back on the channel. Inu Yahsa: The Castle Beyond the Looking Glass will be aired at 1 pm, followed by Ghost in the Shell at 3 pm and Cowboy Bebop: Knocking in Heaven’s Door at 5 pm.

  • AXN turns on the heat with ‘Fight Night’

    AXN turns on the heat with ‘Fight Night’

    MUMBAI: The action oriented AXN has launched a block Fight Night, every Wednesday from 9 pm to 11 pm. This will feature reality martial arts and boxing.

    The two shows that will air are the boxing based reality show The Contender Season 2 which will air the same day as it does in the US and the first season of The Ultimate Fighter.

    AXN country manager Sunder Aaron says, “What Indian viewers will appreciate about these two new shows is that they are as real as the Zidane head butt! These are not trained actors, but real fighters and boxers competing in real combat for the ultimate prize!

    “Watching sports with friends is the new lifestyle trend in India, and AXN will be meeting viewers’ needs with two great shows on Fight Night. All on one night, starting 19 July, we are proud to bring our viewers the Contender Season 2, followed by the premiere of The Ultimate Fighter, an extreme sport reality series not for the faint-hearted!”

    On The Contender, boxing legend Sugar Ray Leonard plays mentor to 16 boxers handpicked from all over America. They will fight for a dream career and a million dollars. The show takes viewers into each of the boxer’s personal victories and trials, exposes their ambition and drive while still touching hearts and making the competition about more than just boxing.

    The Ultimate Fighter is a reality series-extreme sports genre. In Las Vegas,16 young men from all over America to compete for a highly coveted Ultimate Fighting Championship contract.

    The fighters are trained by UFC legends Randy “The Natural” Couture and Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell in a wide array of diverse martial arts, including wrestling, boxing, kickboxing, judo and karate,. The show separates the men from the boys with all the blood, sweat and tears televised for all to see. The Ultimate Fighter represents the true spirit of the sport with all the real fights and real action unlike other shows on Indian television.