ITV

Tag: Tata Sky

  • TDSAT asks Mahua Media for Tata Sky’s payment schedule

    TDSAT asks Mahua Media for Tata Sky’s payment schedule

    NEW DELHI: Mahua Media has been directed by the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Arbitration Tribunal (TDSAT) to file the payment schedule in respect of Tata Sky by 14 October.

     

    Listing a batch of petitions by different petitioners including Tata Sky on 26 November, TDSAT chairman Justice Aftab Alam and members Kuldip Singh and B B Srivastava directed Mahua to come with post dated cheques on the next hearing date in favour of all the decree holders in this batch according to the respective payment schedules. 

     

    Mahua had sought an adjournment on the plea that the project for revival of the company had made good progress and it would shortly be in a position to make payments to the decree holders.

     

    The counsel for decree holders agreed for further adjournment but on the specific condition that the respondent should file the payment schedule in respect of Tata Sky and on the next date should come with post dated cheques in respect of all the decree holders.

             

    Apart from Tata Sky, the other petitioners are Den Networks, Wire and Wireless (India) Ltd, Digi Cablecomm Services Pvt. Ltd and Indian Cable Net Company Ltd. 

  • Star Gold to premiere ‘Bajrangi Bhaijaan’ in 4K on DTH

    Star Gold to premiere ‘Bajrangi Bhaijaan’ in 4K on DTH

    MUMBAI: Breaking new ground every now and then in the television space, Star India is yet again taking the lead by premiering the Salman Khan starrer Bajrangi Bhaijaan in 4K on three direct-to-home (DTH) platforms.

     

    Bajrangi Bhaijaan will be the first Hindi movie to be premiered in 4K on Tata Sky, Videocon and Airtel DTH’s Star Gold 4K channel. This also marks the launch of the Star Gold 4K service, which is especially delivered for the film premiere. However, it will be available only for two days (10 & 11 October) on the three DTH platforms.

     

    Along with Star Gold 4K, the movie will also be simulcast on the Star Gold HD and SD on 11 October, 2015 at 12.30 pm.

     

    With the service, the channel aims to provide its viewers a superlative viewing experience of the film. As a build up to the 4K premiere, the channel will showcase specially created promos and short format content videos in the same service. The content will be delivered in the same way as Video On Demand content is housed by the respective DTH operators.

  • Tata Sky looks to up VAS, VOD revenue; partners Suniel Shetty for fitness service

    Tata Sky looks to up VAS, VOD revenue; partners Suniel Shetty for fitness service

    MUMBAI: Eyeing a larger share of revenue from the Value Added Service (VAS) and VOD (Video on Demand) pie, direct-to-home (DTH) operator Tata Sky has partnered with Suniel Shetty and Adarsh Gupta’s lifestyle and health initiative Brilliant Living TV to launch a fitness-based interactive service – ‘Actve Fitness.’

     

    The new service will allow subscribers to get access to fitness trainers and wellness experts 24×7 at the cost of Rs 59 per month.

     

    The DTH operator recently added ‘Actve Fitness’ to their bouquet of VAS. While on-air fitness programs have been tried many times on TV, this is the first time a DTH player in India has introduced an on demand fitness solution for its customers.

     

    The new service was unveiled by Salman Khan, who also explained the advantages of Actve Fitness from a fitness enthusiast’s perspective.

     

    Tata Sky chief commercial officer Pallavi Puri says, “In line with our attempt to keep innovating the VAS section, we are constantly researching. Our research showed that our users are very health conscious. They want to look fit and live a healthy lifestyle. But not everyone has the access to gyms, fitness equipments or proper trainers. Even if they have access to such facilities, availability of convenient time becomes an issue for many who lead a busy life. I would say this service is a smarter and personalised way to take control of one’s health from the comfort of your homes.”

     

    Effective 5 October, Tata Sky subscribers will be given a ‘missed call number’ that will lead them to activate this new service. Interested users can also send SMS requests, or  log in to the DTH player’s website, or subscribe to the service through their television sets. Puri expects the service to appeal to their customer base from all demographies.

     

    Apart from creating a buzz by inviting Khan for the launch, Tata Sky has also put in place a marketing strategy for the new service. “We are targeting communication towards our customers through our landing channel No 100, which will showcase advertisements informing viewers about the new service. We are also looking digital promos, and tele-calling as ways to promote the service among our customers,” explains Puri.

     

    Puri further adds that having Brilliant Living TV as a partner broadened their scope and quality of the content they can offer through the service. “Brilliant Living TV is delighted to be associated with Tata Sky to bring Actve Fitness to Indian homes. Our focus has been on creating passion and excitement for fitness amongst all Indians by guiding them through fitness exercises such as work-out videos, yoga and meditation. Now for the first time these services will be available to viewers at home through a DTH platform,” said Brilliant Living TV founder Adarsh Gupta.

     

    Available in both Hindi and English, the content for the service has been curated by Brilliant Living TV, with Suniel Shetty being an active part of it. “With the inception of Brilliant Living TV, we could gather industry experts under one roof and with the help of Tata Sky Actve Fitness we are able to reach out to the mass. Continuing my effort, I am looking forward to a healthy India in the near future,” says Shetty.

     

    Shetty has roped in celebrity fitness trainers like Yasmin Karachiwala, Kaizzad Capadia, Abbas Ali and Grand Master Shifuji amongst others for Actve Fitness. Each of them have shared workout and yoga sessions, self-defence and celebrity fitness tips that anyone can follow at home, without the need of any professional equipment. The interactive service also lets one set a Weight Tracker and check the Calorie Counter for the kind of food they consume. 

     

    Each day of the week will focus on a different body part for exercising, with Monday dedicated to full body workout. Apart from that, the service also offers half hour modules for the subscribers, who can choose from a category of wellness regimes to customise according to their needs.

     

    Specials include different schools of yoga such as Ashtang yoga, Vinyasa Yoga, Hatha yoga; meditation, work outs like a kickboxing, fusion martial arts, and more. They also offer women’s special fitness trainings that cover self-defence, dance workout and event pre-natal yoga.

  • The Epic Channel goes HD on Tata Sky

    The Epic Channel goes HD on Tata Sky

    MUMBAI: With increasing penetration of High Definition (HD) television sets, more and more channels are now adding the HD feed for a better consumer experience.

     

    The Epic Channel, which focuses on the Indian history, folklore and mythology genre, recently launched its HD version on Tata Sky. 

     

    The Epic Channel HD will be available on the direct-to-home (DTH) platform’s channel no 133.

     

    The Epic Channel will shoots all its content in HD so viewers can experience the shows on Indian history and mythology in HD.

     

    The Epic Channel managing director Mahesh Samat said, “Since the inception of the channel, Epic has stood out for its unique and unparalleled content offering. We have grown considerably and built a loyal viewer base over the course of the year and with the channel now being available in High Definition on Tata Sky, the viewer’s experience is only going to get enhanced. This makes it a complete viewing experience for Tata Sky subscribers, letting them watch the best in Indian history and mythology.”

     

    Tata Sky chief contend and business development officer Paolo Agostinelli added, “High definition content truly does justice to the intriguing historic and mythological story telling that Epic channel brings to the viewers. We continue to bring the best viewing technology for our Tata Sky subscribers and this is one of the biggest reasons why we have a growing subscriber base.”

     

    The channel’s standard definition (SD) feed is currently available across key DTH players like Tata Sky, Airtel, Videocon d2h, Dish TV, and Reliance Digital TV along with major cable players like Hathway, Den and more.

  • EMVIES 2015: Mindshare named agency of the year

    EMVIES 2015: Mindshare named agency of the year

    MUMBAI: The battle between siblings in EMVIES 2015 was as one sided as the match at Arthur Ashe Stadium where Serena Williams overpowered sister Venus rather easily. WPP’s media agencies Mindshare and Maxus both were neck in neck in the initial stages but eventually Mindshare won the agency of the year award with 30 metals (5 Gold, 8 Silver, 17 Bronze) and 240 points.

    At the end of the tally, Maxus was spotted at the third slot with 19 metals (6 Gold, 4 Silver, 9 Bronze) and 175 points. Sam Balsara’s Madison Media bagged the second spot with 21 metals (6 Gold, 6 Silver, 9 Bronze) and 195 points.

    With 4 Gold, 3 Silver and 1 Bronze in its kitty, Tata Sky won the client of the year award at EMVIES 2015. In the second spot stood, Procter and Gamble (P&G) with 4 Gold, 1 Silver and 3 Bronze statuettes, while Marico captured the third slot with 3 Gold, 2 Silver, and 3 Bronze metals.

  • DTH operators woo customers with lucrative offerings

    DTH operators woo customers with lucrative offerings

    The year has started on a good note for direct to home (DTH) subscribers. Even as Indian DTH players have seeded close to four million set-top-boxes (STBs) across the country in Q1-2015 alone, with growing competition and increasing digitization push, the companies are now also putting their best foot forward to woo more subscribers, while retaining existing ones.

     

    Going by the latest Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) report, almost 34.90 million DTH subscribers in India are inactive as against the total registered subscriber base of 76.05 million till the quarter ending March 2015. So while the DTH operators have been thumping their chests about adding new subscribers, their constant effort is channelized towards luring existing subscribers to stay on. And one such way to do that is by launching new products and services.

     

     

    As the year kicked off with the ICC Cricket World Cup and Indian Premiere League (IPL), DTH players got into overdrive mode early on with offerings galore. From Tata Sky launching 4K STBs, Videocon d2h rolling out a 4K Ultra HD multi genre channel, Dish TV offering discount packs, Sun Direct giving away an HD DVR connection at the cost of an HD connection on buying Samsung Curve to Airtel Digital TV’s UHD TV, it has been the year when DTH subscribers have been spoilt for choice.

     

     

    Over the past eight months, different players have come up with different strategies to increase subscription as well as add more active subscribers.

     

    Here’s a lowdown on who did what:

     

    Dish TV

     

    The DTH operator, which had in 2014 created a sub-brand called Zing, started the year by launching Zing for the Tamil Nadu market. Dish TV had introduced the sub-brand to cater to the specific needs of consumers in different regions and also give competition to the cable industry. Through this, Dish TV offered more than 145 channels, including 49 Tamil channels and services in a mere price of Rs 99 per month. Soon after, the operator launched Zing for the Kerala region as well. This time, it gave more than 150 channels, including 16 Malayalam channels at Rs 99 per month.

     

    Cashing in on the IPL, Dish TV, which was one of the sponsors for Kolkata Knight Riders, introduced a special Cricket+ package to increase its subscription revenues as well as the entertainment quotient.

     

    Dish TV, in order to get the ‘Art of Living’ lovers onboard launched Anandam Active to showcase the teachings of the spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravishankar. The service was made available to the subscribers of Dish TV with a monthly subscription fee of Rs 59 per month.

     

    “It has been our constant endeavour to make television viewing a wholesome experience for the entire family. We have always believed in offering unique content to our subscribers,” Dish TV COO Salil Kapoor had then said.

     

    Soon after, in order to lure music lovers, Dish TV tied up with Hungama to launch ‘Music Active Service.’ The service was launched to enhance Dish TV’s portfolio in the field of VAS and music and provide unlimited music to subscribers. While it launched the service at an introductory price of Rs 35 till 31 October, it will be priced at Rs 45 starting 1 November.

     

    The platform has something for everyone. In order to satiate the needs of movie lovers, Dish TV launched its first Home Video System – DishFlix. With this first of its kind push VOD service, Dish TV aims to empower consumers to enjoy uninterrupted ad-free entertainment. Through the service, viewers will be able to pause, play, fast forward and rewind movies or TV shows at their own convenience. Another unique feature is that this service will not require an internet connection as the content will be pushed to the customer’s STB via satellite. The customers for the service will need a DishFlix Box, which is priced at Rs 5990 that comes preloaded with 50 movies. Out of these, 15 movies will be refreshed every month on FIFO (First in First Out) basis (one new movie every two days) so that the viewable movie library is always updated. The monthly subscription to Flix studio is Rs 100.

     

    Tata Sky

     

    Tata Sky started its year with the launch of first 4K STB in India at a time when the country was preparing for the biggest cricketing extravaganza, the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015. While for the new subscribers, the 4K box was available for Rs 6400, existing subscribers could avail the box at Rs 5900.

     

    Soon after, the DTH operator decided to disrupt the market by making DTH connections affordable for its customers. Keeping this in mind, the operator launched the ‘Daily Recharge’ voucher, which empowered subscribers to pay only for the day they watched TV at Rs 8. This also became the smallest denomination of recharge voucher in the television-viewing sector globally. Tata Sky’s aim was to make inroads into untapped markets.

     

    “This initiative elevates the DTH sector by redefining the pace of digitization and reach to markets nationwide,” said Tata Sky MD & CEO Harit Nagpal at the time of launching the service.

     

    The latest addition to the DTH operator’s offering is its new upgraded STB – Tata Sky+ Transfer, which will enable users to transfer the recorded content onto alternative screens. The new product addresses the growing consumption of video on the move, through smartphones, tablets and other alternative screens. The new STB, which is priced at Rs 9300 for new subscribers and Rs 7200, for existing customers, will work on a Wi-Fi connection.

     

    Videocon d2h

     

    For Videocon d2h, the highlight of the year has been the launch of the first 24-hour 4K Ultra HD multi genre channel in January. The 4K Ultra HD channel is a content pipe that can carry multi genre feeds like movies, video on demand, travel, infotainment, sports etc provided by international broadcasters or independent content providers. The channel was launched just before the ICC Cricket World Cup, thus enabling subscribers to experience the sport in 4K Ultra HD.

     

    In June, the company unveiled its new initiative aimed at preschool and elementary school aged children with the launch of SMART Services. This comprised value-added bouquet of learning activities and games available exclusively to Videocon d2h subscribers at a subscription rate of Rs 45 per month. The banner included Smart Learning, Smart Kids and Smart Games, all available on subscription basis.

     

    Airtel Digital TV

     

    Airtel Digital TV was the first to launch indigenously manufactured STBs, in keeping with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Make in India’ campaign. The STBs have been made available in HD and soon all of Airtel Digital TV’s STBs will be manufactured in India. These indigenous Airtel Digital TV HD+ STBs offer features like – Full HD 1080p support, MPEG-4 video with Dolby Digital Plus Surround Sound; 5X picture clarity; unlimited recording (via USB-drive); and USB-based Wi-Fi connectivity for On-demand, Anytime TV and Interactive Gaming.

     

    In order to make available DTH account details easily, Airtel Digital TV launched the missed call service for customers. Through this, customers can get their DTH account details on their mobile number by just giving a missed call on 08130081300. The service is completely free of cost for all Airtel Digital TV customers and provides information regarding customer ID, balance and validity, package name, monthly rental, base package rental, top up rental, last recharge date and amount and number of connections to customers on an SMS within five seconds of the missed call.

     

    The company also rolled out an innovative and easy to use Self-Care application for television sets, a first-of-its kind by a DTH service provider. A TV replica of the ‘My Airtel mobile app,’ the Self-Care enables customers within Airtel Digital TV HD STBs could easily access their account details real-time on their TV sets. The app can be accessed by connecting the STB to an internet connection via a LAN cable or with the help of the newly launched plug and play Wi-Fi dongle– Airtel Infinity.

     

    Sun Direct

     

    DTH operator Sun Direct wooed its customers during the two mega sporting events of the year – the ICC Cricket World Cup and IPL. The platform, which believes that events like these help increase its existing subscriber base, came up with special packs during the World Cup and IPL. While it offered the Star Sports bouquet on its bestselling Cinema+Sports pack for the World Cup, it provided Sony Six, the official broadcaster for the league free to new customers in order to incentivize them during the IPL.

     

    Sun Direct offered the Cinema+Sports package at Rs 195 per month during WC and focused on the pack in order to fulfill the requirements of its customers, during the cricketing season.

     

    During IPL, the operator also provided IPL add-on free for customers, who recharged beyond six months. That apart, Sun Direct also came up with an add-on for Rs 44, which allowed customers to watch the T20 matches for the entire duration of the tournament. “We see the IPL as a good tool to win back customers and improve our recharges substantially,” Sun Direct CEO Mahesh Kumar had earlier told Indiantelevision.com.

     

    While DTH operators have been putting their money where the mouth is by launching innovations as well as technological upgrades, the fact remains that close to 45 per cent of DTH subscribers are inactive in India. Going by this figure, DTH players will have to ramp-up their offerings to ensure that those coming onboard stay with them on as loyal customers in the long run.

  • Subhash Chandra’s Living Ent. to launch 5 channels; eyes Rs 1000 crore revenue in 4 years

    Subhash Chandra’s Living Ent. to launch 5 channels; eyes Rs 1000 crore revenue in 4 years

    MUMBAI: Essel Group’s Living Entertainment is looking at launching five new channels in the Indian market.

     

    The first channel to go on air will be an international food and lifestyle channel christened Living Foodz. Hitting Indian airwaves on 11 September, 2015, this foodtainment channel will have dual feed in Hindi and English.

     

    Additionally, the group also plans to launch Zee Living in India, which is already an established channel in the US. Apart from this, channels that will be launched under the Living Entertainment’s umbrella are: Living Rootz, which will concentrate on the rich civilization of the country, Living Homez focusing on home décor and Living Travelz, which will emphasise on the traveling aspect. The launch dates of these four channels have not yet been decided. 

     

    What’s more, the Living network, which has generated revenues of Rs 80 crore from global operations, is eyeing global revenue of Rs 1000 crore in the next four years.

     

    “In the next six months, we will add Rs 30 crore from India operations, which will take our business to around Rs  110 – 115 crore. In next four years, Living network will reach the Rs 1000 crore mark,” informed Zeel and Essel Group chairman Dr Subhash Chandra.

     

    According to him, 12 – 13 per cent of the global television viewership comes from the lifestyle category, while in terms of revenue generation the percentile goes up to 18 to 20 per cent, hence offering a huge space to explore.

     

    “This is yet another endeavour from our group to bring the world closer through entertainment. Living is all about global mindsets and experiences. This is also in line with our group philosophy of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ – The world is my family. Our group has always believed in creating not just great content but building genres and brands that are milestones,” he added.

     

    According to Dr Chandra, the American market, where Living network’s Zee Living has already established itself, is the most closed economy. “I have no hesitation in saying that, though people say US is the father of market economy, it’s the most closed economy I have ever seen in my life. We had to tussle hard to get distribution and even today out of 110 million homes, we managed to reach only 30 million homes,” he asserted.

     

    Zeel MD & CEO Punit Goenka added, “With Living, we intend to make global content for global audiences. This will be for the first time ever  that original content from India will be available to audiences across the globe. We are very proud to present this new form of entertainment to our audiences.”

     

    Drawing light to the business aspiration of the first channel to be launched from the bouquet, Goenka said, “Living Foodz will be a profitable from year one. Given the quality and content we have, I am sure of the fact that Living Foodz will go a long way.”

     

    Living Foodz will specialise in exploring the evolving social status of food: moving out of the confines of the conventional kitchen into a world of entertainment and adventure with food. Having food at its core, Living Foodz will explore different perspectives towards food and the way it touches people – from lifestyle, travel, wellness to food infotainment and reality.

     

    “Living is our endeavour to showcase audiences with great lifestyle content. Growth of digitisation is leading to fragmentation of audiences, thereby creating an opportunity for differentiated and genre specific content. Moreover, increasing digital households are giving rise to increased audience expectations and demand for more diverse viewing opportunities. Under this scenario we are providing Living Foodz to people who love exploring and knowing more about food,” opined Zee Living – India & APAC CEO Piyush Sharma. 

     

    Sharma further informed that the network will launch an app in six months’ time as well as a website in the next two months. “The channel will have 100 per cent original content,” he added.

     

    Speaking to Indiantelevision.com, Living Foodz business head Amit Nair said, “We will have 80 per cent of Indian content, while 20 per cent will be English. The entire programming will be in-house. We have a very good in-house team who will handle that part.”

     

    In terms of marketing, the channel will emphasize more on digital platforms while there will be a 360 degree presence.

     

    For the Indian market, Living Foodz will be the international food & lifestyle channel that will have a universal feel and will appeal to new age groups in digital households. The core audience set will comprise the well travelled and connected people with high interest level of food. 

     

    The launch of Living Foodz will also mean curtains down for Zee’s Khana Khazana channel. “We are proud of the achievements and accolades Khana Khazana has garnered so far but now we believe audiences’ taste has changed and hence we decided to come up with Living Foodz. We will use Khana Khazana content and re-package it for our digital platforms, but since Living Foodz is going to have 100 per cent fresh content we cannot have its content on television,” said Sharma.

     

    The shows that Living Foodz is launching with are: Food Xpress: Rocky & Mayur, Chef on Wheels, Vickypedia, with Chef Vicky Ratnani, The Great Indian Rasoi with chef Ranveer Brar, Good Food America and Peggy’s Kitchen Cures.

     

    The channel will be available across all direct-to-home (DTH) platforms like Dish TV, Tata Sky, Airtel Digital TV and Videocon d2h as well as leading cable networks.

     

    Living Entertainment in India will be an extension of the Living network belonging to Essel Group, which already exists in international markets.

  • Tata Sky to ‘un-box’ entertainment with new STB; launches digital ad campaign

    Tata Sky to ‘un-box’ entertainment with new STB; launches digital ad campaign

    MUMBAI: On the move video consumption is growing at an aggressive rate in India thanks to the lightning fast penetration of smartphones, tablets and other alternative screens. Addressing the growth, direct-to-home (DTH) operator Tata Sky is set to launch its new upgraded set top box (STB) – Tata Sky+ Transfer, which will enable users to transfer the recorded content onto alternative screens.

    While this service immediately raises concern of piracy and content security, Tata Sky has taken care of that aspect. Tata Sky chief communications officer Malay Dikshit says, “The content will be available on the app and will not be transferred as a video file, so sharing that file or uploading it for mass is not possible. Moreover, the content is self destructive, the duration of the content varies from broadcaster to broadcaster, but after a certain period the content will get destroyed automatically.”

    All that the new STB needs is a Wi-Fi connection. All other devices connected to the same Wi-Fi network can access the recorded content. Not only that, consumers don’t need to lose hefty chunk of their data (bandwidth) to get the recorded content transferred on their mobile devices. The content gets transferred through the wireless local area connection to the locally connected devices. To transfer 30 minutes of content, the preparation procedure takes 30 minutes of time. The resolution is automatically selected by the app as per the infrastructure of the device the content is viewed on. Thirty minutes of content occupies around 200 MB of storage.

    The STB, which is priced at Rs 9300, is targeted towards metro centric consumers. Existing Tata Sky customers, can purchase the new STB for Rs 7200.

    To generate awareness amongst the DTH subscribers, Tata Sky in association with Ogilvy One, will be orchestrating a digital campaign called Transferkars. The campaign will have one main film, which will be launched on 4 September. Three teasers will grab consumer attention until then.

    The campaign introduces Tata Sky’s latest product the Tata Sky+ Transfer, which enables the STB recording to be available on the subscribers’ tablets and phones.

    This campaign uses Tata Sky’s trademark style of using hyperboles and humor to drive home the product messages in an interesting manner. The protagonists Transferkars are a TV addicted family of six, each madly passionate about their shows. The campaign is a series of films that will bring alive the lengths that they go to carry their favourite TV shows with them. The commercial portrays Tata Sky+ Transfer as an innovative product, which solves these problems by enabling subscribers to transfer recorded content on their mobile devices and view it at their convenience. Hence, the campaign concludes with the sign off ‘Record. Transfer. Carry.’

    “We already have around 60,000 views in an hour and we are expecting to cross the 100,000 mark today itself. We want to have 400 million impressions for this campaign, which will run for next three months,” added Dikshit.

    Shedding light on the consumer behaviours that drove this innovative campaign, he said, “Today, time comes at a premium. The consumer is increasingly finding it difficult to be constrained by fixed timing and location for viewing even recorded content. Thus there is demand for convergence and portability of content. The rapid increase of Wi-Fi enabled homes open up new possibilities and potential for new offerings. The Tata Sky+ Transfer box delivers on this sweet spot allowing subscribers to use their connected homes to enjoy their space and identity. Our focused digital-approach with this new campaign along with the launch of an interactive micro-site would surely intrigue existing and prospective subscribers.”

    “It is just the beginning of our endeavours to un-box entertainment for our subscribers,” he added. 

    Talking about the campaign’s creative, Ogilvy One senior creative director George Kovoor said, “Tata Sky has once again set the benchmark through this unique digital first campaign. At the heart of the campaign is a family of obsessive TV show fans who not only engage the consumers but also demonstrate the Transfer product in a simple yet entertaining story. Fans can follow this family and their quirks on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and even an interactive microsite.”

    Differing on the perception that digital content has no production cost and comes free, Kovoor said, “We have used a lot of resources to bring the best out of the campaign. A lot has been spent on the campaign and I hope the creative piece makes a mark in the audiences’ mind.”

    “The task for us was to create a high impact campaign centered around digital devices like smartphones and tablets, demonstrating clearly and in in a memorable way how to and in what situations this product is used,” he said.

    Campaign Credits:

    · Creative Agency: Ogilvy & Mather

    · Creative Team: OgilvyOne Worldwide senior creative director George Kovoor & creative director Anand Gharat

    · Account Management Team: OgilvyOne Worldwide president Vikram Menon 

    · Production House: Corcoise Films

    · Director: Bhavesh Kapadia

  • BBC Worldwide inks VOD deal with Tata Sky

    BBC Worldwide inks VOD deal with Tata Sky

    MUMBAI: In its first VOD deal in India, British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) Worldwide has signed an agreement with direct to home (DTH) provider Tata Sky’s SVOD and TVOD services.

     

    As a part of this deal, subscribers in eight Indian metros will have the opportunity to access the best of the BBC’s drama and comedy via BBC On-Demand, on Tata Sky. Viewers can also access it online via their TVs, PCs, tablets and mobiles.

     

    Programmes that will be available on the service includes Luther, starring Idris Alba, who won a Golden Globe for his role as a brilliant but emotionally impulsive murder detective; The Honorable Woman starring Maggie Gyllenhaal who won a Golden Globe for her portrayal of a powerful businesswoman haunted by events from her past in a thriller set in the Middle East; and Burton and Taylor, based on the legendary acting duo, Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor starring Dominic West and Helena Bonham Carter.

     

    The block will kick-start with the classic hit Yes, Prime Minister, contemporary comedy, Citizen Khan and the endearing drama, Being Erica.

     

    “In a study commissioned by BBC Worldwide earlier this year, we found that quality of content, British humour, and a love of original British dramas were the top reasons why people, including Indians, enjoy British television programmes. We are very excited to be working with Tata Sky to bring these award winning and high quality programmes, many never before seen in India, to Tata Sky’s subscribers, where they can access them anytime, anywhere,” said BBC Worldwide India SVP and GM Myleeta Aga.

     

    Tata Sky chief content officer Paolo Agostinelli added, “We are very pleased to be partnering with BBC Worldwide to launch BBC-on-demand, Viewing habits and customer needs in the industry are evolving as fast as ever. We are committed to remain the best choice in the country when it comes to premium entertainment, which means we must be able to offer top branded content and the best viewing experience, including increasingly popular time-shifted and device-shifted binge viewing content. We are confident that this is only the start of a very fruitful relationship with BBC.”

  • Colors Infinity poised to redefine English Entertainment; test runs on Tata Sky

    Colors Infinity poised to redefine English Entertainment; test runs on Tata Sky

    MUMBAI: With an aim to redefine the English Entertainment genre in India, Viacom 18’s Colors Infinity has already begun its test run exclusively on Tata Sky so as to give viewers a chance to sample the content.

     

    What’s more, eyeing a larger share of viewership, Colors Infinity has taken the route of premiere marketing to create substantial awareness amongst viewers. 

     

    It may be recalled that the announcement stage of the channel was led by its co-curators Karan Johar and Alia Bhatt, who have played an integral role in curating the line-up and the scheduling innovation.  

     

    On 27 July, the paid channel began running its test signals on Tata Sky. With its official launch slated for 31 July, the four days test runs of the Standard Definition (SD) and High Definition (HD) versions of the channel ensured that viewers could sample one episode of each of the eight shows that would be a part of the initial launch. 

     

    The idea was to add to the conversations and intrigue around the channel. Speaking exclusively to Indiantelevision.com Viacom 18 English Entertainment head and EVP Ferzad Palia says, “The response for the same has been completely overwhelming with people writing in about Colors Infinity being their favorite channel.”

     

    Palia further adds, “The ethos of the campaign is built around the promise of redefining English entertainment in India and taking it toward a new horizon. All our communication as well as the much appreciated TVC stems out of this idea.”

     

    After the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC), India rollout and following the phase one and two of digitization, the English Entertainment channels genre is expected to enhance its market share and go beyond the conventional eight metros. Keeping this in mind, Viacom 18 is planning to run a marketing campaign in 25 cities across the length and breadth of the country.

     

    Buoyed by the response the network garnered from the marketing initiatives, Palia says, “We have received a fantastic and encouraging response on the launch and the surround sound from all over. Digital that gives instantaneous feedback has been buzzing. Our social and digital media assets have been highly active with the Colors Infinity hashtag regularly trending across platforms like Twitter.”

     

    According to Palia, the channel has garnered positive response from tier II cities as well. “This clearly goes on to show the willingness and interest that people have in consuming English entertainment content. It reinforces our endeavour of ensuring that Colors Infinity is an inclusive brand that reaches audiences across India,” he opines.

     

    Since a vast majority of the English content consumers are widely present across digital platforms, the medium plays a vital role in creating word of mouth and generating awareness. “Digital is a very integral part of our media mix and has been an imperative part of our communications plan in all its phases of announcement, pre-launch as well as launch. It is hence that we launched our campaign on digital itself. We have already reached out to about five million people only through the Facebook page since it has become active. The TVC with Karan and Alia has been at the center of conversations garnering around one million views,” informs Palia

     

    The channel created city specific campaigns, giving different weightage to different mediums. So while in certain cities outdoor emerged as the lead medium, in others print took the lead with digital and radio cutting across all markets. “For instance, Mumbai will see extensive outdoor while in Delhi the focus will be on print. We have many innovations that will come alive across multiple audience touch points like malls, cinema halls and through BTL consumer initiatives,” informs Palia.

     

    The special marketing innovations include:

     

    * A toll free number has been activated where viewers in trouble Better Call Saul on 1800 4195 500 for tongue-in-cheek legal solutions to life’s problems from Saul Goodman, the protagonist of the multiple Emmy nominated show. 

     

    * Godrej Nature’s Basket will be seen promoting My Kitchen Rules with interesting recipes, integrated store and home delivery branding and product hampers in 22 outlets.

     

    * To further build “Infinity” the channel has planned a Colors Infinity Food Festival with unlimited offers at 22 premium establishments across India like Hard Rock Café, Shiro’s, California Pizza Kitchen, The Big Kahuna and more.

     

    All the marketing alliances and partnerships have been facilitated by the internal team of Colors. While the on-air campaign was done by the internal team, the off-air campaign communication was curated by Colors’ creative agency Scarecrow. 

     

    “The entire team has delivered a mesmeric campaign that has brand resonance and recall,” concludes Palia.