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Tag: TV18

  • HistoryTV18 shines with major recognitions at two Asian awards

    HistoryTV18 shines with major recognitions at two Asian awards

    Mumbai: HistoryTV18 has reinforced its status as a leader in infotainment and documentary content, receiving notable recognition at two prestigious television award platforms in 2024. At the Asian Television Awards 2024, the channel secured four nominations, highlighting the quality of its Indian productions.

    OMG! Yeh Mera India (Season 10) is nominated for best infotainment programme and best short form video series – scripted. Additionally, India Marvels & Mysteries with William Dalrymple received nominations for best direction (documentary or non-fiction) and best editing (documentary or non-fiction).

    Further confirming its creative excellence, HistoryTV18 celebrated two national nominations at the Asian Academy Creative Awards 2024. Krushna Abhishek was awarded best entertainment host – India for OMG! Yeh Mera India, marking his third consecutive win, while India Marvels & Mysteries won best documentary – history.

    These accolades underscore HistoryTV18’s commitment to local stories and innovative storytelling. By consistently delivering content that engages audiences across India and Asia, the channel has solidified its position in factual entertainment.

    TV18 CEO – broadcast Network18 and MD A+E networks Avinash Kaul said, “In today’s evolving entertainment landscape, collaborations that were once unlikely are now driving innovation, with legacy brands joining forces. This is particularly evident in factual entertainment, where HistoryTV18’s award-winning Indian Originals, like India: Marvels & Mysteries with William Dalrymple, are also licensed to Discovery Plus and feature prominently in the streaming platform’s content line-up in India. This is a testament to the strength and enduring quality of our productions.”

    While HistoryTV18 continues to captivate over 100 million loyal viewers on TV with its international shows from A+E Networks and high-quality Indian originals, the brand’s digital presence is also thriving. HistoryTV18 serves its growing social media community of 13 million with a mix of shows and one-of-a-kind, mobile-first content that resonates with audiences across platforms.

  • DesiPlay TV launches on Rakuten TV

    DesiPlay TV launches on Rakuten TV

    Mumbai: DesiPlay TV, Viacom18’s FAST channel featuring premium Hindi content, has announced its exciting launch on Rakuten TV in the United Kingdom and across Europe in Ireland, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland.

    IndiaCast Media, the content monetisation arm of TV18 and Viacom18, is expanding DesiPlay TV’s global reach, allowing audiences greater access to popular content from India. DesiPlay TV’s recent launch on Pluto TV in the UK and Europe, followed by its addition to Rakuten TV, highlights IndiaCast Media’s dedication to bringing entertainment to viewers worldwide. DesiPlay TV is now available on major FAST platforms such as Sling, Plex, Pluto TV, Shahid, YuppTV, and Rakuten TV, covering the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

    “We are thrilled to announce the launch of DesiPlay TV on Rakuten TV, further solidifying our position as the number one provider of premium Hindi content for audiences worldwide,” said IndiaCast Media Distribution Pvt Ltd executive vice president and head of international business, Govind Shahi. “This strategic partnership allows us to reach a wider audience across the UK & Europe and cater to the growing demand for high-quality Hindi entertainment. With DesiPlay TV now available on Rakuten TV, more viewers can explore a world of captivating stories and unforgettable characters, that too in HD quality with English subtitles!”

    DesiPlay TV offers a curated collection of Hindi television shows and Bollywood movies, catering to a variety of tastes. Whether you’re interested in the drama of daily soaps like ‘Uttaran,’ ‘Na Aana Is Des Laado,’ ‘Tu Aashiqui,’ ‘Sanskaar: Dharohar Apnon Ki,’ the suspense of crime thrillers like ‘Code Red,’ cooking competitions on ‘Kitchen Champion,’ or Bollywood films featuring actors like Amitabh Bachchan, Salman Khan, Aamir Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, Akshay Kumar, Madhuri Dixit, Aishwarya Rai, and Katrina Kaif, DesiPlay TV provides a diverse range of content.

  • The Reliance-Disney merger’s impact on the media ecosystem: an Elara perspective

    The Reliance-Disney merger’s impact on the media ecosystem: an Elara perspective

    MUMBAI: We believe the merger of Viacom18 and Star India will have a big impact on the entire M&E ecosystem as the combined entity will command a huge market share. The merger will create a large media juggernaut with 108 plus channels (Star India has 70+ TV channels in eight languages whereas Viacom has 38 TV channels in eight languages), two large OTT apps (Jio Cinema and Hotstar) and two film studios (one each of Reliance and Disney India). Large market opportunity (TAM) for the merged company, as India’s M&E market for print, TV and digital is at $18 billion in CY22, poised to post a CAGR of 8.2 per cent  over CY22-25 (Source: EY FICCI).

    Post the merger, the combined entity will command a TV advertisement/TV subscription (excluding distributors/DTH/MSO revenue)/Total TV market share of 40 per cent /44 per cent /42 per cent  (as of FY23) respectively. The merged entity is expected to command a digital OTT market share of ~34 per cent  in CY23, while the TV viewership share in top 10 channels (according to BARC) is ~40 per cent  as of CY23. The consolidation between RIL and Disney on the India TV side could have a negative impact on other linear TV broadcasters, such as Sun TV, Zee, Sony, and others, as they may not be scale up on market share. The merged entity’s focus on maximizing market share through increased investments in content, synergies, and enhanced marketing power poses challenges for individual broadcasters to compete and grow. With a large customer base across various genres, including regional genres and urban GEC, the combined entity aims to dominate key markets, potentially leading to market share loss and challenges for other players, including the possibility of smaller channels shutting down.

    Jio Cinema + Disney Hotstar merger – potential negative for global OTT giants

    The merger of JioCinema and Hotstar poses a challenge for global OTT platforms, as India’s market values bundling and is price sensitive. The combined entity can offer a comprehensive package including web series, movies, sports, originals, and a global catalogue. This bundled premium plan, possibly in collaboration with Jio’s large subscriber base, may hinder the ability of global OTT platforms to raise Average Revenue Per User (ARPU).

    Better prospects of profitability in the medium to long term

    The merger may result in improved profitability for the combined entity as there may be a reduction in employee cost, production cost and marketing costs on the TV side and content costs, particularly on the OTT side, which could contribute to a more sustainable path to profitability over the medium to long term. Currently, both platforms are facing heavy losses due to high content costs, and Jio Cinema relies solely on AVOD without significant paid subscriber revenue. With the combination of Hotstar and JioCinema, the merged entity can enhance its subscription revenue by increasing subscription prices and attracting a larger subscriber base. Reliance may drive the entire business through Jio Platforms, with a significant influx of ad revenues in digital advertising. The digital advertising market, being a winner-takes-all business, heavily relies on scale. They may also have a pay-based mechanism via Jio Cinema/Hotstar at a larger scale which will propel healthy subscription revenue over the medium term

    Monopoly in sports properties may lead to higher ad revenues

    On the sports front, the merged entity is set to become monopolistic, with Disney and Jio collectively controlling approximately ~75-80 per cent  of the Indian sports market across both linear TV and digital platforms. This dominance in sports, primarily cricket, positions them to command a substantial share of the overall ad market, showcasing strong growth in an industry where sports is a key driver of viewership on both linear TV and digital platforms. In CY22, sports adex (TV+Digital) in India stood at  Rs 71billion (according to GroupM) out of which Disney India had a contribution of ~80 per cent . The combined entity will have lucrative sports properties like Indian Premier League (both TV and digital), ICC cricket tournaments (both TV and digital), Wimbledon, Pro Kabaddi League, BCCI domestic cricket etc.

    Telco customer retention and bundling

    Telecom companies have used OTT as a value-add to retain/gain subscribers. And OTT companies piggyback on telecom plays to scale up their subscriber base – TSPs (telecom service providers) have larger access to a wide variety of customers. With the vast content library of Jio and Disney, the merged entity’s content, spanning 1) international movies, 2) web series, 3) sports content and 4) catch-up TV content, could prove advantageous for Jio subscribers and make it a one-stop content hub. There might be initiatives such as a Jio Prime offering, providing subscribers access to content at an affordable or even free price through last mile resource and 5G wireless access. The company will have a big advantage of last mile with Jio having a subscriber base of more than 450 million smartphone users This will hit Bharti Airtel as it has tried to tie up with OTT players in the content ecosystem to offer value-add. Thus, Bharti Airtel may have to invest heavily in own content or shape partnerships with global OTT giants such as Netflix and Amazon or other OTT platforms to generate clout in the content ecosystem.

    Synergy prospects

    – The ad revenue potential from IPL is expected to increase significantly with the merged entity having exclusive rights (TV+Digital) to IPL. This consolidation may result in bundled advertisement revenues, potentially mitigating the higher cost of IPL rights and reducing overall losses; due to IPL rights being split between TV and digital between two different platforms and digital platform offering IPL free, there was a big dent in the IPL revenues on TV, which could see some respite.

    – The merger is anticipated to bring about restructuring in employee costs, reduced production expenses, and lower advertisement costs for TV. These potential cost synergies could contribute to improved margins for the merged entity. On the sports side too, content costs may pare sharply for TV, digital over the medium to long term, given that fewer platforms may bid aggressively for expensive properties.

    – In digital, content cost inflation (content cost for web series 3-5x higher than for TV non-fiction shows, per episode) has been sharper due to heavy fragmentation in the OTT market and entry of global giants with deep pockets. With the merger, content cost in digital may see much lower growth, which may improve the unit economics for the OTT business, potentially resulting in lower EBITDA losses for Jio Cinema and Hotstar.

    – Considering the critical role of technological advancements in the success of OTT platforms, the integration of Disney’s technological expertise is expected to enhance the user experience on Jio Cinema. This improvement may subsequently drive higher subscriber numbers and revenue growth.

    Risks

    – Post CCI approval, NCLT (National Company Law Tribunal) approval may take another eight to 12 months

    – A below par customer experience on the video apps despite a wide variety of content may not augur well in subscribers paying for the same; global OTT giants like Netflix have a very superior experience to command a premium ARPU

    – Continuance of hefty losses of the merged entity over the near to medium term due to high costs sports properties (IPL, ICC tournaments & BCCI bilateral rights) could negatively impact valuation prospects for the merged entity

    Shareholding pattern of the merged entity

    After the merger, the ownership structure of the combined entity will be as follows: Reliance will hold 53 per cent  stake through cash infusion, after acquiring Paramount’s balance stake and factoring TV18 and Viacom 18 stake in JV, which are RIL’s subsidiaries;  Disney will hold 36.8 per cent , whereas the Bodhi Tree (stake through Viacom18) /TV18 (ex of Reliance stake) will hold balance 6.2 per cent /3.8 per cent  stake respectively.

    Valuation

    The joint entity, including cash infusion, is valued at  RS 704bn. This valuation comprises  Rs 115 billion in cash,  Rs 330 billion for Viacom18 (including Jio Cinema) and the remaining  Rs 260 billion (~USD 3.2 billion) is the combined valuation of Star India and Hotstar. This valuation of Star India and Hotstar is much lower compared to pre-covid valuation of $12-13 billion which may be due to 1) loss of IPL digital rights leading to ~50 per cent  ad revenue decline and 40 per cent  subscription revenue decline for Hotstar, 2) TV ad revenue remaining flat over FY19-23 and 3) sports content which may continue to incur hefty losses in linear TV due to slower revenue growth. From a valuation standpoint, the impact on TV18 (which owns 13 per cent  in Viacom18) is minimal to negative, as the combined entity is expected to generate substantial losses in the near term due to sports content. Additionally, TV18’s stake in the merged entity is valued at  Rs 42 billion, implying a hefty premium for its news business at  Rs 40 billion (considering TV18’s overall current market cap of  Rs 82 billion).

  • TV18’s News business records 23 per cent revenue jump in Q3

    TV18’s News business records 23 per cent revenue jump in Q3

    Mumbai : TV18’s news business has registered a strong jump of 23 per cent in revenue in the third quarter of the current financial year.

    India’s one of the largest TV news network registered a revenue of Rs 402 crore in Q3FY24, as compared to Rs 327 crore for the same quarter last fiscal.

    TV18’s portfolio continued to be the highest reach TV news network in the country, reaching 175 million people around the country every week. The TV news portfolio of the network consists of 20 news channels in 16 languages.

    The increase in the revenue comes on the back of the network’s strong viewership gains and leading positions in key markets with CNBC TV18 (80%+ viewership share), News18 India (13.8 per cent evening primetime viewership share) and CNN-News18 (33.2 per cent viewership share) being the number one channels in their respective segments. The news network also has leadership in 3 regional markets, including UP/Uttarakhand, Bihar/Jharkhand, and Gujarat.

    In Q2 FY24 also, the TV news network registered 20% revenue growth, as compared to Q2 FY23. In the first nine of the current financial year, the TV news network posted a revenue of Rs 1095 crore, as compared to Rs 891 crore in the first nine months of last fiscal.

    TV18

    Digital News Business sees 20% growth

    The digital news platforms of the group, housed under Network18, also saw a solid 20 per cent growth. The Digital news business posted a revenue of Rs 111 crore in Q3 FY24, as compared to Rs 92 crore in Q3 FY23. The digital news business of the group includes popular brands such as Moneycontrol, News18.com and Firstpost. Network18 continued to be a #2 digital publisher in the country with 195 mn4 unique visitors every month. The group is also leveraging its product to scale up on Digital.

  • TV18’s news business registers 20 per cent revenue growth in Q2 FY24

    TV18’s news business registers 20 per cent revenue growth in Q2 FY24

    Mumbai: TV18’s news business has registered a solid 20 per cent revenue growth in the second quarter of the current financial year.

    Beating the industry trends, India’s largest TV news network registered a revenue of Rs 3 per cent 7 crore in the first quarter of current fiscal, as compared to Rs 298 crore for the same period last fiscal.

    The increase in the revenue comes on the back of strong viewership gains achieved by the network’s number-one channels. The news network maintained absolute leadership in the largest markets, with an all-India viewership share of 11.4 per cent.

    The digital news business of TV18 and Network18, which includes brands such as Moneycontrol, Firstpost, cnbctv18.com and news18.com, also saw a 20 per cent growth in revenue. It posted a revenue of Rs 104 crore in the second quarter of current fiscal, as compared to Rs 87 crore for the same period last fiscal.

    In Q1 FY24 also, the TV news network registered 26 per cent revenue growth, as compared to Q1 FY23.

    News18 was the highest-reach news network in the country, reaching 190mn consumers on a weekly basis. The network maintained its leadership position in key markets with CNBC TV18, News18 India, and CNN-News18 being number one in their respective genres.

    CNN-News18 was the number one English news channel with 32.8 per cent market share in the genre.

    CNBC TV18 continued to be the undisputed leader in the English Business News genre with 80 per cent overall share and nine per cent per cent plus viewership share during market hours.

    TV18 was also the primetime leader in the Hindi-speaking markets, solidifying its position as the network of choice in the region. The network had leadership in per cent regional markets, including UP/Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, MP/Chhatisgarh. News18 Lokmat, the Marathi language channel, climbed the viewership charts to become the second-ranked channel, driven by the programming initiatives launched over the past year.

    “TV news network delivered a strong growth in advertising revenue despite the continued weakness in advertising environment. The revenue growth was underpinned by the strong viewership share that the network has achieved which has helped it to improve pricing across the network. TV18’s sharp focus on building IP- events business has also helped it drive growth in revenue,” the company said in its results announcement.

     

  • IndiaCast Media all set to visit MIPCOM ’23

    IndiaCast Media all set to visit MIPCOM ’23

    Mumbai: IndiaCast Media Distribution Pvt Ltd, a joint venture between Viacom18 and TV18, will be showcasing the best of Indian content at MIPCOM ‘23. With an impressive library of over 40,000 hours of content, IndiaCast is one of the leading Indian networks for diverse syndication content, reaching audiences in more than 135 countries through adaptation in over 35 international languages.

    From the flagship Hindi general entertainment channel, ‘Colors’, IndiaCast offers a wide range of Indian series, including women-centric shows, love stories, drama series, and telenovelas. Their rich collection of animation series from Nickelodeon India, the number 1 kids’ channel in India, surpasses the likes of other channels in the category.

    In addition to the impressive lineup, IndiaCast boasts a captivating selection of factual entertainment content from HistoryTV18, along with innovative and engaging formats from MTV India. The content from the network’s immensely popular OTT app, Jio Cinema, offers a unique collection of edgy, thrilling, short-format shows that are sure to captivate global viewers. To top it all off, the vast catalog of movies from Viacom Motion Pictures, Jio Studios, and more, providing an unparalleled cinematic experience are crowd favorites at global markets.

    IndiaCast Media executive vice president and head of international business Govind Shahi said, “Our extensive product catalogue is a testament to our commitment to delivering high-quality content across various genres. We are excited to announce our presence at MIPCOM ‘23 and warmly invite everyone to join us to explore potential collaborations and evaluate how our remarkable content can add value to your offerings.”

    You can find IndiaCast at booth P-1/ K-51 from 16 – 19 October 2023 at MIPCOM ’23. 

  • Network18’s consolidated revenue grew 12 per cent YoY to Rs 1,549 cr for Q2FY23

    Network18’s consolidated revenue grew 12 per cent YoY to Rs 1,549 cr for Q2FY23

    Mumbai: On Tuesday, Network18 Media & Investments announced its financial results for the quarter that ended 30 September, 2022. Amidst a challenging macro environment, the company reported that its consolidated revenue from operations rose to Rs 1,549 crore (year-on-year) as against Rs 1,387 crore in the corresponding quarter of the preceding fiscal. They have reported a consolidated net loss of Rs 28.84 crore.

    Total expenses were at Rs 1,592 crore, up by 33.88 per cent in Q2FY23, as against Rs 1,189.04 crore earlier. The network’s consolidated operating Ebitda fell 87 per cent year on year to Rs 32 crore in Q2FY23, from Rs 253 crore in Q2FY22.

    According to a regulatory filing, TV news revenue was down three per cent YoY in the second quarter, owing primarily to a decline in advertising revenue. News ad inventory declined by 10 per cent at industry level and the drop was even higher for the network as they continued to optimise inventory on key channels. However, the impact on revenue was much lower as the scale-up of events-led monetisation partially offset the loss of display advertising.

    TV18’s entertainment portfolio had a viewership share of 9.9 per cent in the non-news genre in Q2FY23. Its full-portfolio offering across national, regional, niche, sports, infotainment, and digital has diversified revenue streams and makes it future-ready.

    Network18 continued to invest in content, marketing, and distribution initiatives in order to lay a solid foundation for long-term growth, resulting in a 34% increase in operating costs.

    Growth in revenue was primarily driven by the movie segment, as ad revenue was flat due to the subdued advertising environment. Adjusting for the impact of the withdrawal of Colors Rishtey from DD FreeDish, ad revenue grew in the high single digits on a YoY basis, despite the challenging environment.

    Operating expenses increased by 15 per cent (excluding film production) due to increased content and marketing spending. The higher number of hours (TV and digital), higher episodic costs, and increased spending in regional markets all contributed to the increase in content costs.

    The business’s profitability suffered as advertising revenue fell short of expectations, despite content investments helping us strengthen our ratings in certain markets.

    In addition, increased investments in digital and a drop in Colors Rishtey ad revenue also impacted Ebitda.

    Viacom18 Studio’s Laal Singh Chaddha and Shabaash Mithu received a mixed response from Indian theatre-going audiences but received great traction in international markets and on digital platforms.

    Key highlights:  

        TV18’s CNN News18 and News18 India join CNBC TV18 as undisputed leaders in the English and Hindi markets, respectively.

        News18 Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, and Himachal is the first channel launched by a major news network to cover the region.

        Colors fortifies the number two position in the Hindi GEC segment.

        Viacom18’s proposed transaction with Bodhi Tree and Reliance got CCI approval.

    Network18 chairman Adil Zainulbhai said, “The first half of the fiscal has been challenging for most sectors. However, we believe that this phase should only be a minor bump in the long runway for growth. Our presence across the full spectrum of content segments and platforms places us in a unique position to leverage the combined strengths of our assets. We have set clear objectives for our different business segments and are working on executing our plans in that direction. Despite the macro environment being less than ideal for growth currently, we continue to make investments which will help us create a strong foundation for the long term and will hold us in good stead as growth returns.”

  • Network18’s Q1 consolidated revenue grows 10% to Rs 1,340 crore YoY

    Network18’s Q1 consolidated revenue grows 10% to Rs 1,340 crore YoY

    Mumbai: Network18 Media & Investments on Tuesday announced its financial results for the quarter ended 30 June, 2022. The company reported that its consolidated revenue from operations rose to Rs 1,340 crore year-on-year, amidst a challenging macro environment. It has witnessed 10 percent growth. During the same period, the company posted a 67.52 per cent decline in consolidated net profit at Rs 39.46 crore.

    According to a regulatory filing, Network18’s net profit stood at Rs 121.51 crore during the April-June period a year ago. However, its total expenses were Rs 1,349.78 crore, up 24.88 percent from Rs 1,080.79 crore during the same period last year.

    Network18’s entertainment business revenues grew 13 per cent in Q1 FY23 despite its free-to-air Hindi general entertainment channel (GEC) going off DD FreeDish.

    Digital News revenue continued to grow at a fast pace, said the report, but added that “TV News revenue was flat YoY despite multiple state elections in the base quarter.”

    TV18’s news channels established strong positions in key markets with CNBC TV18, CNN News18 ranked #2 and News18 India ranked #1, #2, and #3 (refer: source) in their genres, respectively.

    During the quarter, three dedicated sports broadcasting channels were launched by Viacom18- Sports18, Sports18 HD and Sports18 Khel.

    On digital media rights for IPL

    Viacom18 has acquired the non-exclusive rights to digitally streaming of 18 matches in every season of the Indian Premier League in the Indian sub-continent for the seasons starting from 2023 to 2027.

    “After announcing a deal with Bodhi Tree and Reliance, Viacom18 made a giant leap towards building a compelling digital consumer proposition by acquiring the Indian subcontinent exclusive digital rights of the Indian Premier League (IPL),” read the statement.

    Highlights for Q1 FY23:

    • Viacom18 has acquired the exclusive digital streaming rights of the Indian Premier League for the Indian sub-continent for the next five seasons (2023-2027) for Rs 23,757.5 crore. It also won the rights for three out of five international territories, which include major cricketing nations like South Africa, Australia, and the UK, for Rs 594.5 crore.
    • IPL is the highest-reaching sports property in the country and will provide a strong entry point for consumers to come to Viacom18’s digital platform. It will play a pivotal role in helping establish it as India’s leading digital media, entertainment, and sports destination.
    • With rights to a slew of diverse sports properties like football (FIFA World Cup, La Liga, Serie A, and Ligue1), basketball (NBA), badminton, and tennis already acquired, Viacom18 is building one of the largest sporting destinations in the country, offering a compelling proposition for both core and casual sports fans.
    • Viacom18, while continuing to strengthen its broadcasting vertical, is building a digital platform of the future to provide best-in-class products and user experience to the fast-growing Indian digital audience. The platform will utilise a combination of exciting sports action and captivating entertainment content across Hindi and regional languages to build a winning consumer value offering.

      Network18 chairman Adil Zainulbhai said, “First quarter of FY23 has set the tone for the journey that we have undertaken towards making Network18 as India’s leading destination for  content. The big development for us this quarter was the acquisition of exclusive digital rights of  IPL. With strong tailwinds favouring digital consumption, it gives us a perfect opportunity to scale-up  our OTT offering. Coupled with the partnership with Bodhi Tree and Reliance, it will enable our  entertainment business to grow to a multiple of what it is today. We are also working towards  creating a 360 degree news offering with depth and breadth, which not only gives the user seamless experience across platforms, but also optimises for relevance. We are laying down strong foundations on which our businesses can continue to grow for the foreseeable future.”
       

    Source: BARC, All India, News genre, TG:15+, Wk 23’22 to 26’22

    Source: BARC, All India, Non-news genre, TG: 2+, Wk 14’22 to 26’22

    Source: BARC, All India, TG: 2+, Wk 23’22 to 26’22

  • Indiacast partners with ABS Broadcast to launch Viacom18 channels on Sky Glass

    Indiacast partners with ABS Broadcast to launch Viacom18 channels on Sky Glass

    Mumbai: IndiaCast Media Distribution has partnered with ABS Broadcast to launch Viacom18’s marquee channels – Colors and Colors Rishtey on the streaming TV platform Sky Glass. Launched in October last year, the custom-designed 4K TV doesn’t require a satellite dish or box for it to work.

    Viewers in the UK can now watch shows such as “Bigg Boss,” “The Big Picture,” “Dance Deewane” and others on the Sky Glass platform with more content added every day.

    “We wanted to expand onto Sky Glass, and choosing ABS Broadcast to deliver proved to be a decision which has more than paid off,” said IndiaCast Media Distribution executive vice president and head international business Govind Shahi. Indiacast is a multi-platform content asset monetisation entity jointly owned by TV18 and Viacom18. “It’s important that our channels are accessible across as many platforms as possible, and I am pleased to say that Colors and Colors Rishtey are now available on Sky Glass for our UK audiences.”

    ABS Broadcast managing director Sass Jahani said, “I am very proud of the teams at ABS, Viacom18 and IndiaCast for getting this service launched with such a fast turnaround, whilst also dealing with the many hurdles along the way.”

    The addition of Viacom18 channels has set ABS Broadcast as the provider with most launches on Sky Glass.

  • NTO 2.0: Indiacast publishes new RIO effective from 1 April

    NTO 2.0: Indiacast publishes new RIO effective from 1 April

    Mumbai: Indiacast, the distribution company jointly owned by TV18 and Viacom18, has published its new reference interconnect offer (RIO) in compliance with the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s (Trai) new tariff order (NTO) 2.0 effective from 1 April.

    The revised RIO contains the a-la-carte and bouquet prices of 59 channels owned and operated by Network18, TV18, and Viacom18. The RIO contains the MRP of the new sports channels launched by Viacom18 tentatively named Sports18 and Sports18 HD and priced at Rs 12.

    As per clause 23 (a) of the RIO, “The availability of Sports18 and Sports18 HD channels (Sports18 channels), as well as bouquets comprising of Sports18 channels, are dependent on introduction of Sports18 channels.”

    “In case TV18 decides not to introduce and/or there are any changes in the introduction date of Sports18 channels, then intimation of the same will be sent by TV18 to affiliate in writing,” it added.

    “In case of any change in introduction date of Sports18 channels, then the availability of Sports18 channels as well as bouquets comprising of Sports18 channels shall be effective the last intimated date of introduction of Sports18 channels.”

    “Further, until the introduction of Sports18 channels, the validity of the remainder provisions of this agreement shall not be affected and any stipulations so far as they are related to Sports18 channels will come into force only from the date of introduction of the Sports18 channels.”  

    Viacom18 channels, including their flagship GECs – Colors (Rs 21), Colors HD (Rs 23); their regional language channels – Colors Kannada (Rs 21), Colors Kannada HD (Rs 23), and Colors Marathi HD (Rs 17) will not be included in any bouquet. As per NTO 2.0, Trai mandated that a channels’ MRP must not exceed Rs 12 for it to be included in any bouquet. The broadcaster has also intimated affiliates its free-to-air channel Colors Cineplex Bollywood will be converted into a pay channel effective from 1 April and will be priced at Rs 0.10.