ITV

Tag: TV9 network

  • IPL 2021: TV9 Network bags Kolkata Knight Riders sponsorship

    IPL 2021: TV9 Network bags Kolkata Knight Riders sponsorship

    NOIDA: TV9 Network has extended its partnership with Indian Premier League 2021 (IPL 2021) team Kolkata Knight Riders for the second year in a row, ensuring that the TV9 brand will be emblazoned on the team’s jersey starting April 9 and until May 30, when the final match will be played. 

    Last year, TV9 Network had also sponsored Trinbago Knight Riders, KKR’s sister franchise in the Caribbean Premier League.

    In addition to KKR sponsorship, TV9 Network has signed a deal with Star Sports for sponsorship of the Action Replay Bug across all IPL matches and multiple feeds of Star Sports. The Action Replay Bug will showcase logos of the network’s key channels, including TV9 Bharatvarsh, TV9 Telugu, TV9 Kannada, and TV9 Bangla. TV9 Bharatvarsh, the network’s Hindi news channel which made television history by catapulting itself to the top three position in record time, will also be taking spots on Star Sports during the two months of IPL.

    The network’s moves come in the wake of some big recent wins, including a high-decibel launch of its newest channel TV9 Bangla, and a massive digital push, which has seen its digital traffic of unique visitors grow by a stunning 97 per cent in February 2021 to 63.7 million, according to ComScore Media Metrix (India).

    TV9 Network CEO Barun Das said: “We became the biggest TV news network less than a year ago, and now it’s the turn of our digital business. To have grown at this dizzying pace feels great but, honestly, we have just begun. You can expect a series of globally benchmark-setting moves from the network in the months ahead.”

    KKR CEO Venky Mysore shared, “TV9 is a perfect partner for KKR because it is a rapidly growing brand across television and digital, with a phenomenally strong regional footprint to boot. So, we are glad to have them on our jersey in IPL 2021 as well. The recent launch of the Bangla news channel, TV9 Bangla from the network is sure to add tremendous value to both our brands by building a connect with the spirit of Kolkata.”

    TV9 Network is also the only news brand to leverage IPL 2021 on Star Sports with strategically deployed commercials. Alliance Advertising & Marketing director Arshad Shawl said: “IPL provides the perfect platform for high visibility in the right frame of entertainment and sports. The positive associations and reach from IPL will help TV9 increase the channel footprint nationally and respective regional feeds as a part of their envisaged growth trajectory.

  • TV9 Network appoints Gaurav Mehra as VP-revenue for TV9 Studio

    TV9 Network appoints Gaurav Mehra as VP-revenue for TV9 Studio

     NEW DELHI: Network has hired Gaurav Mehra as VP of its TV and digital convergence specialist unit, TV9 Studio. He will be reporting to Raktim Das, who recently joined as the COO of this business unit.

    Before joining TV9 Network, Mehra was national vertical head at Zee Innovation Studio. An alumnus of Faculty of Management (FMS), Delhi University and comes with a diverse experience of almost 2 decades in FMCG, Telecom, Radio, & Broadcast. He has held multiple positions with groups like Network18 Group, Reliance Broadcast Network Limited (BIG FM & BIG MAGIC), Idea Cellular Limited (Spice), Vodafone India (Hutch).

    TV9 Studio has been set up as a specialist unit that will enable the convergence of traditional TV and digital. Besides developing content products, TV9 Studio will offer innovative business solutions to brands, design platform-agnostic content to weave brand stories and sustain meaningful conversations with consumers.

    TV9 Network comprises four regional language leaders in TV9 Telugu, TV9 Kannada, TV9 Marathi and TV9 Gujarati, and the national Hindi news channel TV9 Bharatvarsh, which has earned a place for itself in the league of the Top 3.

  • TV9 Network to shut English news channel News9 to focus on digital medium

    TV9 Network to shut English news channel News9 to focus on digital medium

    MUMBAI: With the huge audience shift from television to digital, staying relevant in the broadcast industry is challenging. With that goal, TV9 is all set to venture into the digital medium for its English news. In a fireside chat with Indiantelevision.com founder, CEO and editor in chief Anil Wanvari, TV9 Network CEO Barun Das said that the company will shut down its English channel News9 to focus on expanding its digital platform.

    He said, “Traditional format of television would go and it will get more into the digital space. People below the age of 18 years are not watching news channels. If you see English news channels have shrunk to an extent that they will not sustain. We had News9, a Bangalore-based channel, but I believe city-based English news offerings in the Indian market are not ready yet. We had to take a business call, so we are coming up with a national version of that but on a digital platform. We are coming up with digital web TV.”

    He further explained that the television news genre is overly crowded and even the regional channels are exploding. According to Das, news channels have more than “pure business reasons” to launch channels. So, that is the reason why fringe channels come in and the market gets crowded.

    He added, “But I think viewers and advertisers filter them out. In the regional market, there are not more than four big channels. In Hindi it is a larger market, 45 per cent of our population speaks Hindi. Advertisers look at the top nine channels so every leading new channel gets the share of the pie.”

    As per Das, in the past 10 years Hindi and regional news channels have moved in the same way print has moved in 10 years.

    He pointed out that the channel will continue to grow in double digits leaving out exceptions like Covid2019 period and slowly it will taper into single-digit. Das also clarifies that the content on news will not disappear but the way it is being packaged and distributed will change.

    “In India, digital revenue will overtake the traditional medium by 2025. This scenario will happen to Hindi and regional channels by 2028. We still have good seven to eight years to go. Hence we are currently focusing on the digital front. As TV9 group was not digital-savvy, our focus has turned to embark on a major expansion on the digital side,” he said.

    Das highlighted that the channel has already set up an infrastructure for Studio9 where the team will look to work with clients to develop creative solutions. Studio9 will look at the convergence of television and digital revenue with a solution-driven approach. As a major expansion in the digital medium, TV9 Network has set up a new office of 20,000 square feet where it is briefing teams across the country. The company has recruited close to 400 employees.

    He quipped, “Digital is a big game for us going forward. Raktim Das will be looking at the convergence side. Slowly you will see we will be moving with digital but also keeping a stronghold on TV side revenue. I am also planning to do anchoring in the coming future. I am working on a concept that will see the light of the day, but it will be on the English side.”

    You can catch the full fireside chat here:

  • Buoyed by Bharatvarsh’s stupendous success, TV9 strengthens management team

    Buoyed by Bharatvarsh’s stupendous success, TV9 strengthens management team

    MUMBAI: Riding on the back of the stupendous success of its national Hindi news channel, TV9 Bharatvarsh, whose viewership share has grown by more than 100 per cent to catapult it to the number five slot ahead of Zee News and News18 India, TV9 Network today announced that it is strengthening its management team.

    President Vikram K has been promoted as COO south and will drive the group’s flagship channels TV9 Telugu and TV9 Kannada. Amit Tripathi joins as the chief revenue officer.

    As the COO for south, Vikram will have complete P&L responsibility for the flagship channels TV9 Telugu and TV9 Kannada. Amit Tripathi will spearhead the revenue function for the entire TV network.

    “I congratulate Vikram on his elevation; he is a proven leader with twenty years of media experience and will now have greater responsibility resting on his shoulders,” said TV9 Network CEO Barun Das.  “Amit comes with vast media experience and has been a stalwart in the industry for more than two decades now. I welcome Amit to the TV9 family.”

    Vikram said: “It has been a wonderful journey for me with TV9. I have been associated with the group for sixteen years. Now that we are the largest news network of the country, we have aspirations to grow further from here. I am excited to have this new assignment given to me and I am sure that I will be able to live up to the expectations of Mr. Barun Das and the group.”

    Looking ahead, Barun Das said he expected the economic environment to be highly challenging. “But the television news industry will possibly be better off compared to other genres, and with our four regional language leaders in TV9 Telugu, TV9 Kannada, TV9 Marathi and TV9 Gujarati and the national Hindi news channel earning a place for itself in the big league, our network is well placed to meet the challenges of the economic slowdown,” Das noted.

    The TV9 Network is India’s largest news network with more than 53 crore impressions as per the most recent data from television audience measurement body BARC.

  • TV9 network on sale; Zee group front-runner?

    TV9 network on sale; Zee group front-runner?

    MUMBAI: Consolidation in the Indian news television business is but a foregone conclusion, thanks to the plethora of channels operating in the space. The only question is when and who.

    Well, here’s another news television network which is possibly on the auctioneer’s table. Associated Broadcasting Co Pvt Ltd is reportedly looking for a buyer for its seven regional TV news channel bouquet under the TV9 brand, says a report by Business Standard this morning. ABCL employs over 5000 people across three countries.

    The report also quotes TV9 founder & CEO Ravi Prakash saying that “private equity investors typically follow a seven-year horizon for their exit strategy while our investors stayed with the company for 12 years. We have been in touch with a couple of people for possible stake sale. But no final decision has been taken till now.”

    The front-runner in this stake sale is reportedly the cash-rich Subhash Chandra-run Zee TV group.

    The investors of TV 9 had reportedly been seeking the right valuation for a majority stake sale and Zee seems to be up for it. The Zee group is likely to purchase a majority stake in ABCL, the Hyderabad-based media firm, which owns the TV9 brand.

    Chintalapati Srinivasa Raju, a venture capitalist, owns around 60 per cent of ABCL, Saif Partners, the US-based private equity firm, holds around 20 per cent while TV9 CEO and ABCL founder Ravi Prakash and his associates own the remaining 20 per cent stake.

    Under CEO Ravi Prakash’s leadership, ABCL’s mission has been to continually advance and improve the dissemination and quality of news and bring to viewers media services in their local languages. ABCL covers television, filmed entertainment, cable network programming, internet services operating direct broadcast satellite television, in India, United States of America and Africa.

    ABCL CFO MKVN Murthy brought to TV9 rich acumen gained decades of experience in the entertainment and communications industry. In addition, he has a deep understanding of the ins and outs of cable and satellite distribution platforms. Murthy has been the lead player in the company’s aggressive expansion to new markets in Karnataka, Gujarat, Mumbai and its partnership forays into Kerala and Kolkata.

    Saif Partners and Raju have reportedly been waiting for the expected valuations to sell their ABCL stake for quite some time now.

    Incorporated in May, 2003, ABCL had started with first 24-hour Telugu news channel under TV9 in the following year and expanded subsequently to other regional languages. It currently runs seven news channels including the TV9 Kannada, TV 9 Marathi and the popular TV 9 Gujarati news.

    The deal between the promoters of ABCL and Zee Group is expected to be closed in a couple of months, sources said. Zee was one of the four companies that had signed NDAs (non-disclosure agreements) with the promoters of ABCL some time ago, a senior ABCL official said.

    Zee group, which runs 35 news and entertainment channels in Hindi, English and other major languages, had closed down its Telugu news channel around four years ago. The potential purchase TV 9 may give Zee an opportunity to re-enter the Telugu market on the strength of a strong local brand and would also help it to expand its presence in important markets such as Gujarat, the Business Standard report explains.

    Srini Raju had promoted iLabs Capital (which later became Peepul Capital LLC) had invested around Rs 80 crore in ABCL’s first round of funding in 2004. Saif Partners acquired 20 per cent stake from Peepul in 2009.

    ABCL is committed to professional and social journalism. This is reflected in its dynamic style of news coverage and the corporate social responsibility work undertaken by the various TV9 channels in India and through Simba Television Network in Africa.

    Ravi started the first TV9 channel in Telugu which changed the dynamics of media and breaking news in Andhra Pradesh. Named as the “catalyst for progressive change”, Ravi’s news network has consistently focused on how media can facilitate a fair, equal modern society through its news and programming. Known for his impeccable anchoring skills his programme “encounter” an interview based political show has been widely appreciated for its analytical and presentational style.

  • TV9 network on sale; Zee group front-runner?

    TV9 network on sale; Zee group front-runner?

    MUMBAI: Consolidation in the Indian news television business is but a foregone conclusion, thanks to the plethora of channels operating in the space. The only question is when and who.

    Well, here’s another news television network which is possibly on the auctioneer’s table. Associated Broadcasting Co Pvt Ltd is reportedly looking for a buyer for its seven regional TV news channel bouquet under the TV9 brand, says a report by Business Standard this morning. ABCL employs over 5000 people across three countries.

    The report also quotes TV9 founder & CEO Ravi Prakash saying that “private equity investors typically follow a seven-year horizon for their exit strategy while our investors stayed with the company for 12 years. We have been in touch with a couple of people for possible stake sale. But no final decision has been taken till now.”

    The front-runner in this stake sale is reportedly the cash-rich Subhash Chandra-run Zee TV group.

    The investors of TV 9 had reportedly been seeking the right valuation for a majority stake sale and Zee seems to be up for it. The Zee group is likely to purchase a majority stake in ABCL, the Hyderabad-based media firm, which owns the TV9 brand.

    Chintalapati Srinivasa Raju, a venture capitalist, owns around 60 per cent of ABCL, Saif Partners, the US-based private equity firm, holds around 20 per cent while TV9 CEO and ABCL founder Ravi Prakash and his associates own the remaining 20 per cent stake.

    Under CEO Ravi Prakash’s leadership, ABCL’s mission has been to continually advance and improve the dissemination and quality of news and bring to viewers media services in their local languages. ABCL covers television, filmed entertainment, cable network programming, internet services operating direct broadcast satellite television, in India, United States of America and Africa.

    ABCL CFO MKVN Murthy brought to TV9 rich acumen gained decades of experience in the entertainment and communications industry. In addition, he has a deep understanding of the ins and outs of cable and satellite distribution platforms. Murthy has been the lead player in the company’s aggressive expansion to new markets in Karnataka, Gujarat, Mumbai and its partnership forays into Kerala and Kolkata.

    Saif Partners and Raju have reportedly been waiting for the expected valuations to sell their ABCL stake for quite some time now.

    Incorporated in May, 2003, ABCL had started with first 24-hour Telugu news channel under TV9 in the following year and expanded subsequently to other regional languages. It currently runs seven news channels including the TV9 Kannada, TV 9 Marathi and the popular TV 9 Gujarati news.

    The deal between the promoters of ABCL and Zee Group is expected to be closed in a couple of months, sources said. Zee was one of the four companies that had signed NDAs (non-disclosure agreements) with the promoters of ABCL some time ago, a senior ABCL official said.

    Zee group, which runs 35 news and entertainment channels in Hindi, English and other major languages, had closed down its Telugu news channel around four years ago. The potential purchase TV 9 may give Zee an opportunity to re-enter the Telugu market on the strength of a strong local brand and would also help it to expand its presence in important markets such as Gujarat, the Business Standard report explains.

    Srini Raju had promoted iLabs Capital (which later became Peepul Capital LLC) had invested around Rs 80 crore in ABCL’s first round of funding in 2004. Saif Partners acquired 20 per cent stake from Peepul in 2009.

    ABCL is committed to professional and social journalism. This is reflected in its dynamic style of news coverage and the corporate social responsibility work undertaken by the various TV9 channels in India and through Simba Television Network in Africa.

    Ravi started the first TV9 channel in Telugu which changed the dynamics of media and breaking news in Andhra Pradesh. Named as the “catalyst for progressive change”, Ravi’s news network has consistently focused on how media can facilitate a fair, equal modern society through its news and programming. Known for his impeccable anchoring skills his programme “encounter” an interview based political show has been widely appreciated for its analytical and presentational style.