ITV

Tag: Television

  • PE firm CVC Capital proposes to buy out ATP, WTA tennis tours

    MUMBAI: Changes may be afoot as far as broadcasting rights of professional male and female tennis calendars are concerned if reports emerging over the past two days are to be believed. Sky News first reported that Luxembourg headquartered private equity firm CVC Capital Partners is in unconfirmed talks with the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) and the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) to buy a 15 per cent stake into a new entity One Tennis which will combine their two itineraries. It is willing to serve a cool $600 million for the privilege of managing the broadcasting rights to the two tours, as well as selling data rights to gambling companies.

    CVC Capital has discussed leaving the running of the two sports to the two associations; all it wants is that the women and men’s tournaments should have a unified calendar (meaning female and male tennis players should play at the same competitions) – just like they do in the Grand Slam championships – Wimbledon, the US Open, and the Australian Open, and the French Open. The latter four contests are ruled by a different governing body.

    The private equity firm believes it can extract greater value than both ATP and WTA are doing currently by glamourising the tours, upping prize money, improving broadcast production quality, and setting up a global digital platform for tennis fans.

    Reuters reported on 8 June that the two associations had issued a joint statement which said that they are “continually looking for ways to bring the sport closer together to provide an enhanced experience for fans, players and tournaments.”

    CVC Capital is no stranger to managing sports; it had been the owner of the F1 from 2006 to 2017 when it sold it to John Malone’s Liberty Media. Over that period, it squeezed out billions of dollars in revenue from the racing sport; in the process, it helped turn around its fortunes. CVC Capital has recently invested in the six nations Rugby and the International Volleyball Federation.

    CVC is proposing that ATP Media (ATP’s existing sales and broadcasting arm) will be absorbed into the new entity with the former’s CEO Mark Webster leading One Tennis. Most of the broadcast rights to the ATP Tours for India lie with the ATP’s tennistv.com, with rights to the ATP 250s being shared by it with Discovery. Prior to Discovery, Sony Pictures Sports Network was the rights holder from 2015 to 2020. Hardcore tennis fans can watch matches online at tennistv.com with the annual subscription package running at $119.9.

    But apparently, a lot more could be done to popularise tennis and the tours among younger audiences, commentators and critics have averred. Tennis has alienated young tennis buffs as they have been drawn to other sports that have more excitement and entertainment. Statistics have shown that the tennis fan is beginning to age and to get back in the game, the sports need a rejuvenation.

    The ATP and WTA boards are expected to meet later this month on the proposal. Their decision will make it clear whether they believe that CVC Capital can be that white knight – who will inject some life into the sport.

  • How television can increase time spent viewing with interactivity

    MUMBAI: With streaming video services like Netflix, Amazon, Disney+Hotstar, and Zee5 grabbing a majority of the headlines, and becoming the flavor of the moment, many believe that linear television in India is losing its moxie. Yes, broadcasting companies are indeed responding aggressively to Netflix and Amazon’s invasions into what was once solely their territory by acquiring, merging, and launching their own OTT platforms. Not just in the US, but almost every nation, including India.

    Yes, it’s true that India alone has around 70-80 streaming platforms – if you include those with dubious titillating content, and which are available on the google play store. Yes, it’s true that almost every trade and business publication has raised the alarm that streaming video platforms are going to steal viewers and pull the rug from under television’s feet.

    But the fact is that the reality is as far from this fear-mongering, as is mount Everest from Mumbai. Television is only on the rise in India. That is quite evident from the television data the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) reported recently. The number of Indian television households grew to 210 million by the end of 2020. Some 13 million homes were added to the TV universe since the last BARC study in 2018; of this rural India accounted for nine million. TV viewership also rose to 892 million individuals from 836 million. Add to that the fact that more than 90 million households have yet to own a TV set.

    Now if you compare those figures with the OTT universe: the biggest OTT platforms in India – Disney+Hotstar and Zee5 – have monthly active users which are around one-third of TV’s viewing population and other streamers have significantly lower numbers. Subscribers to the premium OTT services are also only in the single and double-digit million range. Revenues too are not comparable; the free ad-supported television streaming platforms are dwarfed by the ad revenues that Indian television –both pay and free to air channels are mopping up.

    Clearly, broadcast television has long legs and will continue to stride ahead of streaming services. What can help it proliferate even more is if interactivity can be built into it; with viewers being able to interact with it live from their homes. Just like it is possible with the streaming video which is delivered over internet protocol or the internet as is the case with OTT platforms. Sports fans have been fascinated by what has been playing out on their mobile phones wherein they can make comments while watching the IPL action on their smartphones on Disney+ Hotstar. They can engage with the video on their phones. Fans have also been quite taken up with being involved in Kaun Banega Crorepati with the play-along option available on their smartphones. That has probably added to SonyLiv’s stickiness.

    But today technology is available which can bring similar – if not better – interactivity to television too. One of the best products available today is MegaphoneTV which allows viewers to interact with their programmes from the comforts of their sofas in their homes. It enables them to take part in opinion polls, trivia, social interaction, quizzes, express their fan love, expound their views on what’s going with the storylines and characters of their favourite TV shows – and their responses and names are transmitted to hundreds of millions of viewers all over India simultaneously immediately with a lag of fewer than 200 milliseconds. All they need is a smartphone. Megaphone TV allows TV to transform itself from being a dead one-way device to one with which viewers can correspond, that too without any latency.

    More than 160 channels globally are using Megaphone TV – from US broadcasters ABC, CBS, NBC, Bravo TV, CNN, Sky TV in the UK, and RTL in Germany. And they have benefited immensely from this tool with response rates and engagement with TV viewers going up exponentially.  

    Channels- both entertainment and news – globally have used MegaphoneTV to build loyalty by giving out rewards to loyal participants of the interactivity, thus increasing stickiness and spiking time spent viewing by TV viewers.

    New York-based Megaphone TV founder & CEO Dan Albritton points out that integrating the tool with the channel’s backend is extremely simple, adding that all that is needed are internet connectivity, two computers – one in the playout hub of the broadcaster, and one in the hands of a junior programming executive wherever he is located. He explains: “Being a white-label service, it takes on the channel’s packaging, branding, and look with no indication of Megaphone branding anywhere. The interactivity questions, polls, and quizzes can be entered to appear on-air on a TV channel on the fly by the junior executive after strategizing with the programming team. “

    Brands can be roped in by the channels ad sales team to sponsor the interactivity. And TV commercials by brands can also be created which encourage viewer responses live, thus in the process helping build sales funnels and consumer data, to which the broadcaster’s data teams and marketers have free access. “The American TV industry has recognized the value we are offering through Megaphone TV. We have won an Emmy Award for it, and have been nominated twice for some of the interactivity around other TV programmes,” says Albritton.

    In India, TV channel executives are just about getting exposed to Megaphone TV, he points out.

    “Two channels have been licensed to use this engagement driving tool. They will be coming out with their offerings soon. Some leading media agencies have seen it in action too, and are excited about the possibilities Megaphone TV offers,” he says. “I can visualize a time in the not too distant future when Megaphone TV will become ubiquitous in the very exciting Indian television ecosystem.”

  • Ruchir Khanna joins Asianet News Media & Entertainment as COO

    New Delhi : Asianet News Media & Entertainment Pvt Ltd (AMEL) on Friday announced the appointment of Ruchir Khanna as chief operating officer of the company’s digital business.

    An accomplished digital media professional, Khanna was earlier working with Times Internet as the head of product and growth. During his stint at Times Internet, he led the digital growth of various properties of the group. He has over two decades of experience across product development, growth and marketing, content strategy and P&L management. He has also had leadership stints at Hike messenger, India Today Group and Yahoo! India, said the company.

    AMEL, executive chairman, Rajesh Kalra said, the team is building a media/ent-tech company of the future and building on the strong digital brands. 

    AMEL has multiple digital brands in it’s portfolio including asianetnews.com, indigomusic.com and serves consumers in multiple languages.

    “Our mission is to significantly expand audiences of each of these brands – with more innovation, content and services. Ruchir will provide significant leadership to this mission of ours. He brings with him the experience of building and growing some of the biggest and most successful digital products in India. I am really excited about the leadership team we’ve built. Ruchir joins us soon after Nachiket Pantvaidya took over as managing director. We are now fully geared-up in our mission to make AMEL India’s leading Media-Entertainment Tech enterprise,” said Kalra.

  • Amit Malhotra appointed managing director for HBO Max in Southeast Asia, India

    Amit Malhotra appointed managing director for HBO Max in Southeast Asia, India

    New Delhi: WarnerMedia on Friday announced the appointment of Amit Malhotra as managing director for HBO Max in Southeast Asia and India. 

    Malhotra most recently served as regional lead for Disney+ in Southeast Asia, where he was responsible for overseeing the launch and operations of Disney’s streaming services in the region, including Disney+, Disney+ Hotstar and Hotstar.

    He will join WarnerMedia later this month and report to HBO Max International head, Johannes Larcher. Malhotra will be responsible for the rollout and management of WarnerMedia’s direct-to-consumer platform in Southeast Asia. He will immediately assume responsibility for the management of HBO GO, WarnerMedia’s existing OTT streaming service available in eight territories across Southeast Asia. In the future, he will spearhead the introduction of HBO Max in these territories and will lead WarnerMedia’s exploration of future opportunities to launch the streaming platform in additional markets, as well as a potential future launch in India, said the company on Friday.

    At Disney, Malhotra also led the content sales and distribution division as part of The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to Consumer & International (DTCI) business in South APAC and Middle East, pivoting Disney’s linear business in the region to streaming by working closely with local telcos and MVPDs, creating localized payment strategies and developing deep content studio relationships throughout Southeast Asia. 

    Johannes Larcher said, “With our upcoming launch across Latin America on 29 June and our plans for Europe on the horizon, we turn our sights toward Asia, where we have an incredible opportunity to bring HBO Max to millions of new fans who are just as excited about streaming as our audiences in the U.S. Amit’s experience launching streaming services in both mature and emerging markets across Southeast Asia and the surrounding region make him the ideal leader to plan and oversee the rollout of HBO Max and its expanded content offering and platform experience.” 

    David Simonsen, who has played an important role in the growth of HBO GO in Southeast Asia to date, will continue to make a significant contribution to WarnerMedia’s direct-to-consumer efforts in the region, and will work closely with Amit as part of his executive leadership team.

    Amit Malhotra said, “I am delighted to be part of the incredible team at WarnerMedia in Asia as we look at bringing HBO Max to this region. WarnerMedia’s brands including DC Universe, HBO and Cartoon Network are extremely popular with passionate fans and audiences across this region. With a focus on consumers our goal will be to bring all of these brands and content together in an exciting new world class streaming experience as we move into the future with HBO Max.” 

    Under Malhotra’s leadership, WarnerMedia expects to launch HBO Max in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam in the future, including an expanded content offering for the entire family and a premium new platform that would be hosted on HBO Max’s tech stack, providing a more stable and consistent streaming experience than HBO GO. Malhotra will also be responsible for exploring possible opportunities to launch HBO Max in new and fast-growing Asian streaming markets such as India.

    HBO Max has witnessed significant success since launching in May last year, adding 11.1 million HBO/HBO Max subscribers in the U.S. as of the end of Q1 2021. The platform will roll out in 39 territories across Latin America and the Caribbean on 29 June, and HBO’s existing OTT services in Europe are scheduled to be upgraded to HBO Max later this year. By the end of 2021, HBO Max is expected to be available in 61 global markets, said the company.

  • Eros Now expands existing partnership with Xfinite’s Mzaalo

    Eros Now expands existing partnership with Xfinite’s Mzaalo

    Mumbai: South Asian OTT platform Eros Now owned by Eros STX Global Corporation announced details of its amended partnership with Mzaalo, a gamified video streaming service owned by Xfinite Global Plc (“Xfinite”).

    Aimed at bolstering Eros Now’s footprint in the emerging segment of advertising video-on-demand (AVOD), the partnership will allow Eros Now to continue building its core subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) service. The agreement also provides ErosSTX with positive optionality on the potential growth in digital assets and blockchain technology, said the company on Wednesday.

    One of the company’s strategic imperatives is to fully monetize the Eros Now platform and expand into ad-supported streaming and this partnership with Mzaalo does just that, highlighted Eros Now, CEO Ali Hussein.

    “We have an opportunity to monetize more the 224 million Eros Now registered users who are fans of our content offering but are also price-conscious. Mzaalo joins our already-substantial ecosystem of Eros Now distribution partners, including Bharti Airtel, BSNL, Tata Sky, Apple, Amazon and Roku. The Mzaalo agreement is purposefully structured to provide ErosSTX with an appropriate mix of fixed and guaranteed cash payments and variable revenue participation as Mzaalo scales,” he elaborated.

    ErosSTX is licensing majority of the existing Eros Now content library to Xfinite on an exclusive basis for global AVOD monetization. However, this agreement does not preclude Eros Now from launching its planned English-language service, Eros Now Prime, or from licensing content to other SVOD services.

    The AVOD platform is also expected to play a key role in Eros Now’s future content strategy and facilitate innovative windowing options. The current plans are to offer premium original titles and movies in the first window to Eros Now paying subscribers.

    Under the amended and restated agreement with Mzaalo, ErosSTX is entitled to a minimum guaranteed cash payment of $42 million over the remaining four-year license term, ending December 2024. ErosSTX has already received $18 million in minimum guaranteed payments under the original contract that started in 2018. 

    Additionally, ErosSTX will receive a 50 per cent share of any Mzaalo revenue generated above the minimum guarantee. Lastly, ErosSTX will receive 400 million XET Digital Tokens in exchange for access to Eros Now’s database of registered users,which totalled 224.0 million as of 31 March, 2021.

    Mzaalo, Xfinite’s first entertainment application, provides consumers with free access to premium content including films, original series, short-form content from Eros Now, and other media platforms, as well as a range of interactive features.

  • CASE STUDY: How the ABP Majha & UNICEF tie-up aided Covid relief

    CASE STUDY: How the ABP Majha & UNICEF tie-up aided Covid relief

    Mumbai: The ten-day-long festival of Ganesh Chaturthi is usually one of the most awaited events in Maharashtra. But as the deadly wave of the Coronavirus outbreak swept through the country last year, the celebrations marking the birth of Lord Ganesha were also muted.

    To mark the occasion amid the pandemic restrictions in 2020, Marathi news channel ABP Majha, in collaboration with UNICEF launched a special donation drive initiative– ‘Be a Vighnaharta’ (Be a Remover of Obstacles).

    The initiative raised funds through a 16-day TV campaign to support the people affected by the pandemic. The funds raised were used to support vulnerable families, through UNICEF’s Jeevan Rath initiative in the state of Maharashtra. The initiative brought over 60 public and private NGOs together to help provide supplies of dry ration kits, conditional cash transfers, and livelihood protection to people who are unable to afford or access these supplies in sufficient quantities.

    Ganesh Chaturthi was celebrated on 22 August last year. ABP Majha ran the campaign from 6 August 2020 to 21 August 2020. The news channel broadcasted 1,350+ minutes of content including stories of people affected by the pandemic, urging viewers to donate and help reach supplies to the affected families. After launching the heartfelt campaign and donation drive with UNICEF, ABP Majha kept the viewers engaged through special programming and a unique virtual engagement initiative – Bappa Maze Game. It committed to adding more zing to the festivities with its flagship property ‘Bappa Majha.’

    The channel broadcasted Live Artis and extensive coverage of Ganapati celebrations last year to keep up the festive pomp and revelry in the bleak scenario of the pandemic, along with telecasting Donation Drive snippets throughout the day. The channel partnered with famous pandals across Maharashtra, such as Siddhivinayak Temple & Dagdusheth Ganapati, to bring the essence of festivities to the viewers’ homes via their TV screens.

    Known for beaming exceptional content during the festive season, ABP Majha usually surpasses all channels in terms of viewership within the Marathi News genre. Last year was no different. The channel was armed with a comprehensive line-up of shows including Bappa Tumchya Ghari – A celebrity-engagement show, which brought alive the celebrations of Ganapati directly from the homes of various eminent personalities; Bappa Majha – a show which included a Ganapati News Bulletin and Ashtavinayak Yatra, covering the eight ancient holy temples of Ganesh with celebrities Sachin & Supriya; ABP Majha Pooja – an everyday show which aired the celebrations straight from ABP Majha’s office to forge a special bond with the viewers; and Majha Vighnaharta – an award show to felicitate ‘humans for humanity’, who have positively contributed towards the betterment of their communities.

    To further elevate the engagement quotient, ABP Majha hosted a Gharghuti Ganapati Contest, wherein the viewers were asked to send pictures of their Ganapati & Ganapati celebrations. Out of the submissions, 10 best entries were shown on-air and provided with a gift certificate.

    On the virtual engagement front, ABP Majha launched an innovative game called Bappa Maze, which is based on the idea that Lord Ganesha is our Vighnaharta and through the game, players can remove the obstacles that come in the way of Lord Ganesha by completing the maze. The game was hosted on the Bappa Majha Microsite. At various places in the game, users get a chance to gather ladoos and other items to win bonus points. To heighten the excitement, Weekly Top 10 Winners on the Leaderboard of the game were then declared on the Bappa Majha Show at 6:30 pm from 22nd August to 1st September 2020.

    On the special donation drive, ABP Network CEO Avinash Pandey said, “As a responsible network, we are taking up this initiative as a part of our continuous work in community upliftment. We are committed to making available immediate aid to children and families affected by the pandemic ahead of the biggest festival of India’s financial capital. Festivals are all about vibrancy and high spirits, and during this time, we want to uplift the lives & spirits of low-income groups whose earnings depend on Ganapati celebrations. We hope this effort will help them lead better lives.”

    On partnering with ABP Majha, UNICEF chief of Maharashtra office Rajeshwari Chandrasekar said “We are glad to associate with ABP Majha news channel for our initiative ‘Jeevan Rath’ in Maharashtra. The socio-economic cost of the pandemic on the lives of children and their families is extremely high. Through this campaign, we intend to provide relief to the most vulnerable, excluded, and displaced populations in the fight against Covid-19.”

    With these unique initiatives in partnership with UNICEF, ABP Majha succeeded in raising funds for the Covid-impacted via its special programming as part of its flagship property ‘Bappa Majha’ in 2020.

  • ZEE ropes in Nitin Mittal as president – technology & data

    ZEE ropes in Nitin Mittal as president – technology & data

    Mumbai: Leading media conglomerate Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. (ZEE) on Tuesday appointed Nitin Mittal as president – technology & data.

    Prior to joining ZEE, Mittal was the founder CEO & board member for SOLV, a company focused on creating an open platform for B2B commerce, credit, payment, logistics and skilled workforce for the SME segment in India. At Zee, he will lead strategic initiatives in Tech, Data, Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Machine Learning (ML) and Digital across the company to support the ZEE 4.0 transformation, said the company on Tuesday.

    The announcement is part of the media conglomerate’s strategic plans to support its digital pivot, drive exponential growth across digital platforms and fortify the broader transformation it has embarked on, in line with the ZEE 4.0 approach.

    “We have taken concerted efforts and reworked our digital strategy in order to build robust digital assets to enhance the user experience. We are taking concrete steps to further upgrade our technological capabilities, and I am sure with Nitin’s expertise, we will enhance the value proposition of our digital products to create consumer delight,” said ZEE Entertainment Enterprises Ltd, MD & CEO, Punit Goenka.

    The transformation process aims at creating a digitally adept, data first company that will be a leader, in all formats of content consumption, both linear and digital, across India and key international markets.

    Mittal will also lead the engineering team and work closely with president – digital businesses & platforms, Amit Goenka to enhance the customer experience across ZEE5 and support the growth plans of the OTT Platform in India and across the world.

    “The pace of technology-led innovation in the media and entertainment ecosystem is rapidly rising, and a strong blend of technology, data and talent are the critical determinants to succeed in this space. I am glad to welcome Nitin Mittal to our leadership team to drive the digital transformation journey of ZEE 4.0 forward,” said ZEE Entertainment Enterprises Ltd, president – digital businesses & platforms, Amit Goenka.

    Commenting on his new role, Mittal said, “My job at ZEE is to worry about technology in the future. If you want to have a great future you have to start thinking about it in the present, because when the future’s here, you won’t have the time. (Brockman 2003). I’m committed to helping our clients and various teams’ professional dreams come true. As an organization we aim to create an environment that sparks innovation. I will do my best to support and implement the great ideas the teams come up with.”

    Mittal has two decades of experience, during which he has worked with National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) to build the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) framework for the country and with the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) on reframing the Aadhar platform to drive the exponential growth of its coverage in India. He was also associated with Standard Chartered, IBM, TESCO, BNY Mellon, Wipro and the Future Group in the past.

  • Star Sports to air 2021 NBA playoffs, finals for fans in India

    Star Sports to air 2021 NBA playoffs, finals for fans in India

    New Delhi: The National Basketball Association (NBA) announced that Star Sports will broadcast the 2021 NBA Playoffs and the finals for fans in India. The playoffs will witness 16 teams including the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers compete to win the Larry O’Brien Trophy.

    Star Sports will air the entire Conference Finals and the finals in July as well as a weekly selection of games throughout the first two rounds of the NBA Playoffs, live on Star Sports Select. The coverage, which tipped off 23 May, will also feature daily highlights from the 2020-21 NBA season and classic NBA content, said the channel on Monday.

    “We are delighted to collaborate with Star Sports to provide the excitement of the NBA Playoffs to millions of fans across India,” said NBA India head of global content and media distribution, Sunny Malik. “As we embark on another highly anticipated postseason, fans in India can watch the best players in the world compete for the championship on the country’s leading sports broadcaster.”

    The NBA is a global sports and media business built around four professional sports leagues: the National Basketball Association, the Women’s National Basketball Association, the NBA G League and the NBA 2K League. 

  • EPIC launches digital originals on YouTube

    EPIC launches digital originals on YouTube

    New Delhi: Expanding its digital footprint, EPIC – the infotainment channel from the house of IN10 Media Network has launched EPIC Digital Originals with a 12-episode historical series on food titled – Power Foods and Veshbhusha.

    While the digital space continues to witness numerous offerings from various broadcasters and creators in multiple genres, EPIC Digital Originals will specifically cater to the 18-40 age group and aims to break the clutter with exclusive Indian-specific content in the non-fictional space.

    The channel is now set to launch the digital slate on Travel & History namely Epic Explorers and Epicpedia, respectively. The two shows will explore voyages that have documented the evolution of India and dig deep into unknown facts about the country.

    Commenting on EPIC Digital Originals, EPIC, AVP-content, and strategy, Nisha Thakkar at IN10 Media Network said, “The launch of EPIC Digital Originals is a step towards our commitment, of showcasing premium factual content, as we look to expand our reach among the digital-savvy audience. Our vision is to create best-in-class original content that is made for the digital platform and is culturally relevant.”

    The EPIC Digital Originals plans to deepen the channel’s engagement with its audience via YouTube and Facebook and further solidify its standing in the infotainment genre in the country, said the company on Monday.

  • Zee Bangla salutes the spirit of motherhood

    Zee Bangla salutes the spirit of motherhood

    New Delhi: Mothers have been a symbol of care, nurturance, and sacrifice of self over others. A year into the pandemic the sheer desperation and helplessness around us have made all of us more compassionate and caring.

    In these troubled times, Zee Bangla pays homage to ‘motherhood’ by celebrating the latent motherly instinct in all of us. Leveraging a unique linguistic facet of the Bengali language and culture which does not distinguish action between genders, Zee Bangla has developed a digital video to celebrate the inherent motherly affection in all of us. This film builds on the “concept of motherhood” from a parenting lens.

    The channel has developed a digital video in conceptualization with L & K Saatchi & Saatchi to celebrate the inherent motherly affection in all of us.

    Sharing his views on the campaign, Zee, cluster head, east, Samrat Ghosh said: “Zee Bangla, in line with its brand promise to stay closer to the spirit of Bengali culture and language, has always celebrated the peoples’ desire to overcome their inner shackles to chart a path towards a better tomorrow. This campaign further builds a new way of looking at the true spirit of motherhood to imbibe a sense of compassion and care amongst all. We believe this campaign will manifest our brand belief ‘Notun Chande Likhbo Jibon (orchestrating life in a new rhythm) and strengthen it further.”