Tag: U.S.

Max gets a manga-nificent makeover with Japanese drama rollout

MUMBAI: Is it a romcom? A legal thriller? A dark comedy with a deadly title? Max says: Why not all of the above? In a bold eastward expansion of storytelling, Warner Bros. Discovery and Japanese streaming powerhouse U-Next are taking their relationship to the next level by giving Japanese dramas a global passport.

After launching Max within U-Next in Japan last year, the partners are now flipping the narrative. A curated bouquet of 10 Japanese series, including TBS’s much-awaited Love is for the Dogs and TV Tokyo’s deliciously morbid Please Die My Beloved, will be released across key international markets starting with the U.S., Brazil and Southeast Asia.

Also in the lineup: Ignite (a legal drama with teeth), Mr. Mikami’s Classroom, Who Saw the Peacock Dance in the Jungle?, La Grande Maison Tokyo, its special episode Light of My Lion, Until I Destroyed My Husband’s Other Family, and Baby Assassins. The slate cuts across genres from slow-burn psychological thrillers to culinary family sagas and assassin-led chaos ensuring there’s more than one flavour for every binge palate.

This cross-cultural programming exchange is no accident. U-Next president and CEO Tenshin Tsutsumi confirmed that since their exclusive tie-up with WBD in September 2024, expanding Japanese IP globally has been a core focus. “We’re handpicking shows that don’t just do well at home but hit the right emotional notes internationally,” he said.

U-Next currently offers the largest SVOD catalogue in Japan, per GEM Partners, with add-ons like e-books, e-manga, e-magazines, and a seven-year Premier League streaming deal thrown into the mix. Its 2023 merger with Paravi has also deepened its access to local favourites from TBS and TV Tokyo making it a treasure trove of binge-worthy content.

For WBD, it’s another power move in its global localisation playbook. Operating across 220+ territories in 50 languages, the media giant is leaning into regional partners to give local stories international wings, proving that you don’t need subtitles to go viral, just good storytelling.

The international rollout of the Japanese drama collection on Max will begin later this year. Dates? Still hush-hush. But the message is loud and clear: Japan’s dramas are no longer just for Japan. And Max is ready to stream the love.

May 26, 2025
Tata’s ‘Himalayan’ mineral water enters U.S.

MUMBAI: Tata Global Beverages’ natural mineral water brand Himalayan has entered the U.S market.

Alliance with Talking Rain Beverage Company to distribute and market the Himalayan water brand in the U.S Tata Global Beverages’ (TGB) premium natural mineral water brand ‘Himalayan’, will now enter the USA market in a phased manner, through an agreement signed by its subsidiary with Talking Rain Beverage Company, the maker of Sparkling Ice flavored sparkling waters to distribute and market the brand. This makes Himalayan which is backed by the trust and credibility of the Tata brand, one of the first premium Indian FMCG brands to target the broader American audience . This agreement will give Himalayan the benefit of Talking Rain’s extensive go to market and execution capabilities in
the U.S, which synergize well with TGB’s product expertise and marketing capability. The premium end of the water market in the country is growing rapidly and Himalayan is well positioned to leverage the growth in this segment.

Himalayan water is a premium source water, from a pure and pristine underground moving stream aquifer, which is about 400 feet below the surface, in the foothills of the Himalayas. Every drop travels through layers of rock, sand and silt for over 20 years. These layers act as natural filters and during this journey, allow the water to pick up essential minerals from which it acquires its unique composition and taste.

Himalayan is currently available in India and Singapore. The brand recently launched a Sparkling variant in select markets in India and is piloting its flavoured water ‘Orchard Pure’ in the Delhi/NCR region.

TGB managing director and CEO Ajoy Misra said “We’re happy to be partnering with Talking Rain Beverage Company® for a phased launch of Himalayan in the U.S market. The strength of their distribution network and category expertise will help the brand make a strong foray into the U.S market. Himalayan is a key part of our functional waters portfolio. We believe in the product’s potential and are confident it has the attributes to become a global premium brand. The brand has been making steady progress in India and we are expanding its reach and strengthening the product portfolio.”

Talking Rain Beverage Co. president Marcus Smith, “Since 2012, we have worked diligently to create a strong and strategic direct-store-delivery distribution network, comprising more than 300 distributors covering every county in the United States. We are thrilled that the groundwork laid by the company and our distributor and retail partners has allowed the opportunity for a partnership of this kind, and we look forward to playing an instrumental role in the successful U.S. market entry for Himalayan Natural Mineral Water.”

August 16, 2017
Adidas Running global launch in U.S this week

MUMBAI: Adidas India has announced its collaboration with Saiyami Kher. A rising name in Bollywood and widely known for her involvement in sport & fitness, Saiyami joins a host of world-class athletes in representing the three stripes.

Adidas Running business unit head Sunil Gupta, said, “An athlete at heart, Saiyami embodies the Adidas brand in every sense. She brings authenticity and motivation to every young woman & genuinely believes that empowerment must begin with one’s self. We believe that this message is the single-most important take away for the young women who look up to her and wish to kick-start their own journey to fitness and betterment through Running.”

“2017 is an exciting year for Adidas focusing on women in sport and we have a lot in store with Saiyami – she’s a big part of things to come,” he said.

Delighted about her relationship with Adidas, Kher said: “For me, Adidas represents a passion for sport; it embodies heritage whilst constantly innovating to further the athletes out there. I think it’s important to encourage women to push themselves to carve out their own paths and I look forward to doing that with adidas. My first love is sport and it’s an honour to be a part of something that will hopefully inspire other women in our country to run and embrace fitness passionately.”

Adidas India and Saiyami are all set to kick-off this relationship with a global launch in San-Francisco, USA, later this week.

Join the adidas Energy Running movement by following @adidasrunning on Twitter and @adidasrunningIN on Facebook.

February 3, 2017
Adidas Running global launch in U.S this week

MUMBAI: Adidas India has announced its collaboration with Saiyami Kher. A rising name in Bollywood and widely known for her involvement in sport & fitness, Saiyami joins a host of world-class athletes in representing the three stripes.

Adidas Running business unit head Sunil Gupta, said, “An athlete at heart, Saiyami embodies the Adidas brand in every sense. She brings authenticity and motivation to every young woman & genuinely believes that empowerment must begin with one’s self. We believe that this message is the single-most important take away for the young women who look up to her and wish to kick-start their own journey to fitness and betterment through Running.”

“2017 is an exciting year for Adidas focusing on women in sport and we have a lot in store with Saiyami – she’s a big part of things to come,” he said.

Delighted about her relationship with Adidas, Kher said: “For me, Adidas represents a passion for sport; it embodies heritage whilst constantly innovating to further the athletes out there. I think it’s important to encourage women to push themselves to carve out their own paths and I look forward to doing that with adidas. My first love is sport and it’s an honour to be a part of something that will hopefully inspire other women in our country to run and embrace fitness passionately.”

Adidas India and Saiyami are all set to kick-off this relationship with a global launch in San-Francisco, USA, later this week.

Join the adidas Energy Running movement by following @adidasrunning on Twitter and @adidasrunningIN on Facebook.

February 3, 2017
How ‘internet’ mourned Jayalalithaa’s death

MUMBAI: 5 December, 2016, was a dark day. Not just for Tamil Nadu politics, but for everyone inspired by and believing in the strength of a self-made woman who rose to the senior ranks of leadership.

Tamil Nadu’s former chief minister and AIADMK supremo J. Jayalalithaa’s death was a shock to the entire nation.

The announcement itself shrouded in doubts, rumours, misreporting and impending fear of rioting, it set India, and even people abroad, talking about it through social media.

So much so, that between 4 and 8 December ‘Jayalalithaa – Tamil Nadu Chief Minister’ was the most searched topic on Google search, according to data collated by the digital marketing enterprise Liqvd Asia.

Mention of ‘Jayalalithaa’ also surged during this span of time.

If one were the spread out the reception/ reaction of her death on the internet into various platforms, it was clear that most people were mourning her death on Twitter. Twitter lead the discussions with a staggering 97.2 per cent, followed by comments. A total of 609K conversations on her were recording online during this time, as per the data provided by Liqvd Asia.

Going by regions, Puducherry showed complete interest in the matter with 100 per cent of its online conversation surrounding Jayalalithaa’s death. It followed naturally by Tamil Nadu. 36 per cent of the conversation coming from Andaman And Nicobar Islands too were about Jayalalithaa’s death.

Globally, while almost 75 per cent of the conversation recorded in India was about Jayalalithaa, the U.S., Malaysia and the UK too were talking about the same.

(The above story is based on the info-graphics provided by Liqvd Asia)

December 10, 2016
How ‘internet’ mourned Jayalalithaa’s death

MUMBAI: 5 December, 2016, was a dark day. Not just for Tamil Nadu politics, but for everyone inspired by and believing in the strength of a self-made woman who rose to the senior ranks of leadership.

Tamil Nadu’s former chief minister and AIADMK supremo J. Jayalalithaa’s death was a shock to the entire nation.

The announcement itself shrouded in doubts, rumours, misreporting and impending fear of rioting, it set India, and even people abroad, talking about it through social media.

So much so, that between 4 and 8 December ‘Jayalalithaa – Tamil Nadu Chief Minister’ was the most searched topic on Google search, according to data collated by the digital marketing enterprise Liqvd Asia.

Mention of ‘Jayalalithaa’ also surged during this span of time.

If one were the spread out the reception/ reaction of her death on the internet into various platforms, it was clear that most people were mourning her death on Twitter. Twitter lead the discussions with a staggering 97.2 per cent, followed by comments. A total of 609K conversations on her were recording online during this time, as per the data provided by Liqvd Asia.

Going by regions, Puducherry showed complete interest in the matter with 100 per cent of its online conversation surrounding Jayalalithaa’s death. It followed naturally by Tamil Nadu. 36 per cent of the conversation coming from Andaman And Nicobar Islands too were about Jayalalithaa’s death.

Globally, while almost 75 per cent of the conversation recorded in India was about Jayalalithaa, the U.S., Malaysia and the UK too were talking about the same.

(The above story is based on the info-graphics provided by Liqvd Asia)

December 10, 2016
Colors to actively engage viewers through Israeli singing show ‘Rising Star’ in early 2017

MUMBAI: Colors launched its first singing reality show Sur Kshetra in 2012, a musical battle between teams of two neighbouring countries Pakistan and India. The show was indeed one of its kind.

Staying true to its brand value of being at the forefront of innovation and disruptive programming, Colors has joined hands with the world-renowned production and distribution giant Keshet International to bring the Israeli singing reality show Rising Star to India.

The show is one of the world’s most celebrated singing-based reality shows with live viewer engagement at its core. Rising Star is slated for an early 2017 launch on Colors, and will be produced by Optimystix Entertainment.

Originally created and produced by Tedy Productions and Keshet Broadcasting, has, since its inception in 2013, enthralled the global audience with the most vivid talent. With more than 250 episodes globally to its credit, the format has been aired across more than 16 countries including Israel, the U.S, Brazil, Portugal, Argentina, China, Cambodia and Indonesia amongst others.

Commenting on this landmark acquisition, Colors CEO Raj Nayak said, “For the first time, here is a reality show that will not only be Live but will also give the viewers sitting at home an opportunity to engage with the progress and build-up of the show. What is beautiful about the format is that it’s instant & Live. We are delighted to be collaborating with Keshet International to bring Rising Star to India. Our Channel boasts of having one of the biggest consumer engagement platforms in the country and one can assert that a format like Rising Star couldn’t have found a better stage than ours. The show’s USP is that it’s not only high on entertainment quotient but also has the ability to connect and communicate with the viewers directly.”

With Digital India being the new order of the day, Rising Star is a first-of-its-kind futuristic interactive engagement-led format which puts the power of determining a contestant’s fate in the hands of the viewers. Through its app-based mass talent-led format, the show will welcome budding singers from across the country, bringing them together on a common platform.

Keshet International head of Asia Gary Pudney said, “We are beyond excited about bringing Rising Star to the Indian audience. India is embracing technology more ferociously than ever before and, in partnership with our brilliant partners at Colors, we will be delivering prime time entertainment that satisfies viewers’ hunger to become more active and engaged viewers of high end content.”

Apart from Rising Star, the recent adaptations of KIA formats include “Prisoners of War” India which will be aired on Star India’s Hindi general entertainment channel (GECs) Star Plus.

October 17, 2016
Colors to actively engage viewers through Israeli singing show ‘Rising Star’ in early 2017

MUMBAI: Colors launched its first singing reality show Sur Kshetra in 2012, a musical battle between teams of two neighbouring countries Pakistan and India. The show was indeed one of its kind.

Staying true to its brand value of being at the forefront of innovation and disruptive programming, Colors has joined hands with the world-renowned production and distribution giant Keshet International to bring the Israeli singing reality show Rising Star to India.

The show is one of the world’s most celebrated singing-based reality shows with live viewer engagement at its core. Rising Star is slated for an early 2017 launch on Colors, and will be produced by Optimystix Entertainment.

Originally created and produced by Tedy Productions and Keshet Broadcasting, has, since its inception in 2013, enthralled the global audience with the most vivid talent. With more than 250 episodes globally to its credit, the format has been aired across more than 16 countries including Israel, the U.S, Brazil, Portugal, Argentina, China, Cambodia and Indonesia amongst others.

Commenting on this landmark acquisition, Colors CEO Raj Nayak said, “For the first time, here is a reality show that will not only be Live but will also give the viewers sitting at home an opportunity to engage with the progress and build-up of the show. What is beautiful about the format is that it’s instant & Live. We are delighted to be collaborating with Keshet International to bring Rising Star to India. Our Channel boasts of having one of the biggest consumer engagement platforms in the country and one can assert that a format like Rising Star couldn’t have found a better stage than ours. The show’s USP is that it’s not only high on entertainment quotient but also has the ability to connect and communicate with the viewers directly.”

With Digital India being the new order of the day, Rising Star is a first-of-its-kind futuristic interactive engagement-led format which puts the power of determining a contestant’s fate in the hands of the viewers. Through its app-based mass talent-led format, the show will welcome budding singers from across the country, bringing them together on a common platform.

Keshet International head of Asia Gary Pudney said, “We are beyond excited about bringing Rising Star to the Indian audience. India is embracing technology more ferociously than ever before and, in partnership with our brilliant partners at Colors, we will be delivering prime time entertainment that satisfies viewers’ hunger to become more active and engaged viewers of high end content.”

Apart from Rising Star, the recent adaptations of KIA formats include “Prisoners of War” India which will be aired on Star India’s Hindi general entertainment channel (GECs) Star Plus.

October 17, 2016
Discovery Channel HD World to air ‘Running Wild with Bear Grylls’ featuring Obama

MUMBAI: Discovery Channel is all set to premiere Running Wild with Bear Grylls – a one hour special programme, which will feature the President of U.S. Barack Obama.

It will air Discovery Channel HD World and Discovery Tamil on 31 December at 10 pm.

The film will see the President trekking through the Alaskan wilderness with survival expert Bear Grylls while on a visit to observe the effects of climate change on the area. The duo will be on a journey across a glacial outwash and through a dense forest on their way to Alaska famed Exit Glacier.

The feature will show the President’s love for his family, to his overwhelming duties as the president of United States, seeing the effects of climate change first hand; showcasing his culinary and selfie clicking skills, no subject will be off limits. Bear Grylls will enlighten the President a true taste of the Alaskan wilderness, which will leave the audience informed about the global warming and its effects.

Discovery Networks Asia Pacific EVP & GM-South Asia Rahul Johri said, “Running Wild with Bear Grylls has been one of the most successful and special shows on Discovery Channel. Bringing two of the most prominent and world famous personalities makes Running Wild with Bear Grylls and Barack Obama an unprecedented experience for Indian viewers.”

December 18, 2015
The Salvatore are back on Zee Cafe

MUMBAI: Zee Café is all set to take you on a trip back to Mystic Falls, where the American teen drama unfolds among our favorite vampires. Watch the show exclusively, along with the U.S. as Zee Café airs the brand new season seven of The Vampire Diaries, at 11:00 p.m on 23^rd October onwards.

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With a huge fan following in India, the premiere of season seven, along with the U.S. has been much awaited. The show stars Ian Somerhalder, Steven R McQueen, Sara Canning, Katerina Graham, Candice Accola and Paul Wesley in the upcoming season.

The new season promises to add a lot of spice as the Salvatore brothers navigates through love. Unfortunately, Nina Dobrev fans will definitely miss the character of Elena Gilbert after her adieu in the sixth season. What remains to be seen is how the characters shape up in the absence of one of the main protagonists of the show.

Will Damon survive the loss of Elena from his life? Will Lily succeed creating a rift between the Salvador brothers Damon and Stefan? In the middle of all this unrest will Stefan and Caroline’s love story survive till the end? What kind of havoc will the heretics bring in the lives of our favorite mystical beings?

You will get the answers to all these and more in the season. What’s more interesting is that you get to be at par with the audience in the U.S. as you enjoy the love stories and heartbreaks that develop in Mystic Falls.

So hold on to that bucket of popcorn while you watch The Vampire Diaries. Season premieres on Friday 23^rdOctober at 11 pm.

October 21, 2015