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Tag: Viacom18

  • Moloco & Viacom18 forge multi-year partnership for ad serving on JioCinema

    Moloco & Viacom18 forge multi-year partnership for ad serving on JioCinema

    Mumbai: Moloco, a leader in operational machine learning (ML) and advertising technology, has announced a strategic partnership with Viacom18 and JioCinema in India. As part of this multi-year partnership, Moloco is using its advanced machine learning and ad serving capabilities to build a powerful monetization solution for Viacom18/JioCinema, and it began with the Tata IPL last year. The Tata Indian Premier League, featuring 74 matches, providing the ultimate opportunity for streaming media monetization, with advertisers reaching massive global audiences of engaged sports fans. Last year, 449 million cricket viewers watched Tata IPL on JioCinema from March to May 2023. Supported by the Moloco ad-serving technology, JioCinema served targeted ads to a peak concurrent viewership of 32M users.

    Moloco streaming monetisation is an enterprise software solution that empowers streaming services to transform how they monetize content and media in order to unlock profitable growth. Moloco works with streaming platforms to maximize the value of each ad impression from price-driven decisioning to outcome optimization. The rise of streaming video globally coupled with the complexity of serving ads at live events makes this partnership an exciting opportunity to innovate, by delivering engaging ads and profitable advertiser ROI.

    “As the streaming media industry continues to focus on monetization, we’re excited to partner with leading players such as JioCinema to develop their performance advertising engine,” said Moloco’s chief business officer Sunil Rayan. “We have leveraged Moloco’s deep experience in advertising technology over the last decade to build an ad serving solution for JioCinema that ensures stability at scale and improves user experience during peak times. Looking ahead to Tata IPL 2024, we anticipate an even bigger opportunity to engage millions of viewers while also creating measurable value for advertisers,” he added.

    JioCinema CPTO Akash Saxena stated, “By using Moloco’s advanced algorithms and highly optimised ad serving infrastructure, we were able to deliver ads to 32M viewers concurrently during Tata IPL 2023 and offer new monetization opportunities to our advertisers.”

    Speaking on the announcement, Moloco’s general manager for India Siddharth Jhawar said, “India’s 700 million digital population has shown a growing preference for consuming video content online. As streaming platforms scale and look for more monetization opportunities, Moloco Streaming Monetization can help them grow profitably.”

  • Comedy Central redefines shared experiences with ‘Your Happy Place, Happier TWOgether’

    Comedy Central redefines shared experiences with ‘Your Happy Place, Happier TWOgether’

    Mumbai: This Valentine’s Day, Comedy Central, India’s leading English entertainment channel from Viacom18, is set to redefine the way we celebrate love and togetherness! In a connected world where smartphones paradoxically keep people apart, Comedy Central flips the story with a new creative campaign, ‘Your Happy Place, Happier TWOgether!’

    Comedy Central invites fans to share a special moment with their loved ones in a unique, immersive digital experience. In tandem with Sociowash, an integrated advertising agency, the brand turns the device that keeps people distant in real life – their smartphones – into a catalyst for connection. By splitting a short film into two halves, the campaign urges viewers to ‘Watch It Together’, i.e., to watch the complete film by physically putting two phones together.

     

     

    Speaking on the innovation, Viacom18 head – youth, music and English entertainment Anshul Ailawadi said, “The campaign, ‘Your Happy Place, Happier TWOgether’, is a playful nudge for our viewers to stay connected in the digital age. By combining two solitary viewing experiences into one, Comedy Central reminds everyone that it takes two to tango.”

    Experience the magic of Valentine’s Day TWOgether, with Comedy Central, here! – embed this as hyperlink

  • JioCinema amps up advertiser advantage for IPL 2024 with a slew of innovations

    JioCinema amps up advertiser advantage for IPL 2024 with a slew of innovations

    Mumbai: Viacom18 announced the launch of multiple innovations for advertisers around the upcoming IPL season, including unique offerings that are a first for the Indian broadcasting ecosystem. After digital ad revenues surpassed that of linear TV’s last IPL, reinforcing digital as advertisers’ preferred platform, JioCinema has now expanded the breadth of its offerings to aid advertisers irrespective of their marketing goals or the scale of the business. Each proposition being unveiled this year has been carefully curated to enhance the brand’s proposition and increase the potential of scale and targeting possibilities they can extract digitally.

    Every proposition from JioCinema this season has been developed to address a specific use case, such as creating better brand impact, sharper brand integration, friction-free lead generation, and driving better engagement through innovation. Here is a snapshot of JioCinema’s offerings for IPL 2024 with their exciting use cases for advertisers:

    Impact

    JioCinema has launched its newest high-impact feature, Brand Spotlight that latches on the IPL’s ability to aggregate India in an unrivalled way, especially on opening day. It elevates brand visibility by providing an industry-first opportunity during the first game for five select brands to unveil their IPL campaigns in the opening moments of the first match. This offering will facilitate a marketer’s moment without the conventional boundaries of a mass media campaign. Having a priority spot to launch their engaging IPL opening day blitz will help these five brands play on the audience’s minds that are on the lookout for the most fun ad campaigns of the season. Brands will be able to even tell the story behind their IPL campaigns through the JioCinema app.

    In addition to Brand Spotlight, JioCinema’s Masthead will also support video from this season, making it the go-to destination for brands to launch new products, announce sales, unveil new creatives, and more. Another impact property entering the scene this year is Scorecard Branding, which will allow advertisers to build salience among an audience set by displaying sticky behaviour by allowing, the advertiser to own a scorecard, stats, and match analytics.

    Innovation

    After piloting more than a dozen feeds last IPL, now JioCinema is offering advertisers a chance to own an entire feed. Custom Feeds can be tailored to a brand’s brief to offer them a way to drive the deepest visibility, storytelling, and consideration possible. JioCinema’s innovation for this season has also stretched itself to include Vertical Highlights, packaging match highlights in a shorter vertical orientation akin to trending social media short-form videos.

    Engagement

    India’s largest live fan engagement opportunity, Jeeto Dhan Dhana Dhan, saw over 50 million participants last season, with over a billion game plays. This season, JioCinema is opening up the high engagement avenue for brands to partner with them offering salience, special brand message integration, deeper engagements on rewards, and an opportunity to gamify their communication at scale.

    Ads for Business

    This season, an entire set from JioCinema’s advertiser proposition is designed to aid seamless lead generation for advertisers without intruding on the fan’s viewing experience. One such feature is Click to WhatsApp which takes the viewer to a brand’s WhatsApp business chat through a click, while the ad plays on the screen. By overhauling the process of redirecting consumers, JioCinema will help brands talk to their audience one-on-one on WhatsApp while they watch the IPL in PIP mode. On the other hand, Auto-fill Ads is devised to simplify consumer data collection by removing several friction layers in this process. These hard-working midrolls reflect already captured data, leaving the user with just one field to fill, no matter what product, service, or experience they are signing up for.

    Integration

    One leg of JioCinema’s proposition also focuses on better integration through which brands will now be able to create their own stories and campaigns to reach a wider audience by accessing Cricket’s biggest social media influencer pool, comprising 100+ cricketing legends/influencers and celebs for their social media activations.

    “The launch of our array of offerings around IPL 2024 showcases the degree to which customisations are possible in digital advertising along with bringing great value to the table,” said Viacom18 Sports Head of Revenue, Anup Govindan. “For the consumer, we continue removing barriers to accessibility, affordability, and language, while for the advertiser, we continue innovating, democratising the process, and setting new industry benchmarks. Brand Spotlight, in particular, will become an anchor offering in the years to come for its compelling proposition.”

    After clocking a record-breaking reach of 450 million during IPL 2023, JioCinema is targeting over 650 million throughout the 2024 season, thus making the launch of JioCinema’s plethora of ad innovations a high-stakes game for advertisers. With the advent of soaring CTV sales and Ultra HD 4K devices commanding a 35 per cent market share within the CTV category, JioCinema will offer advertisers to target the premium universe on IPL for the very first time with the innovative formats available this season.

    The JioPhone and JioBharat 4G enabled feature phones from Reliance have democratized internet access, connecting blue-collar workers, farmers, and artisans across urban & rural India. With IPL streaming on these devices, an incremental 35-40 Mn users are expected to be enthralled in their regional language of choice, making the tournament bigger.

  • TVS Eurogrip comes on board as title sponsor with JioCinema’s Jeeto Dhan Dhana Dhan

    TVS Eurogrip comes on board as title sponsor with JioCinema’s Jeeto Dhan Dhana Dhan

    Mumbai: Viacom18 announced TVS Eurogrip as the title sponsor for Jeeto Dhan Dhana Dhan, JioCinema’s predict and win game that launched last year. With a rise in interactive fan engagement and continued free streaming of premier sporting action beyond IPL such as India cricket, TVS Eurogrip will present the unique play and game to fans throughout the India – England series.

    Introduced during the IPL in 2023, Jeeto Dhan Dhana Dhan emerged as a runaway success, with 50 million participants taking a shot at winning an array of exciting prizes, while 60 lucky contestants driving away a premium hatchback. Within just one season of IPL, Jeeto Dhan Dhana Dhan became a platform for heartwarming tales of changed fortunes from India’s heartlands.

    The announcement of a title sponsor for Jeeto Dhan Dhana Dhan comes on the back of a sharp rise in gamification of content, a trend benchmarked in new ways by JioCinema with over a billion game plays last season of the IPL.

    “Digital being a strong focus area for us, we see this partnership with Viacom18 on the TVS Eurogrip Tyres Jeeto Dhan Dhana Dhan contest as an exciting and engaging way to connect with our consumers – the new age, millennial and Gen Z riders,” said P Madhavan, EVP sales and marketing, TVS Srichakra Ltd. “We look forward to more such meaningful associations in the future as well that will help us bring good brand experiences alive.”

    “It is thrilling for us to have TVS Eurogrip partner with us on seeing a tremendous opportunity that lies ahead in gamifying content,” said a Viacom18 spokesperson. “We worked systematically to remove barriers to affordability last IPL, that enabled its free streaming at large. This linked the gap between the masses and brands that are looking for ways to meaningfully gamify and incentivise their communications with their audiences at scale. We truly believe this is just the beginning and we will see more record numbers with TVS Eurogrip coming on board for Jeeto Dhan Dhana Dhan.”

    As spectators become engrossed in the thrilling match-play, advertisers find themselves presented with an exclusive chance to generate excitement for their brands. With the prospect of display exposure in every over, Jeeto Dhan Dhana Dhan serves as a captivating platform for brands to engage with a broad audience. It becomes an avenue to enhance traffic to their landing page.

    When a user receives a coupon, advertisers seize the opportunity to distribute discount coupons in abundance, creating a funnel of impressions, engagement, and redemption—all unfolding seamlessly while the match is in progress. This unique scenario unfolds rarely during live events, making it an exceptional opportunity for advertisers to make a significant impact.

    Users will have an opportunity to win exciting prizes every match day of the five-test match series between India – England. Users can simply hold their phones in portrait mode, where a chat box opens at the bottom of the screen, presenting a question and four options before every over to unlock a plethora of prizes.

  • Disney and Viacom18 set to finalise deal by month’s end

    Disney and Viacom18 set to finalise deal by month’s end

    Mumbai: Disney is set to sell 60 per cent of Its assets to Viacom18 in a strategic agreement as per media reports. The deal is set to close this February.

    According to the report, the pact values the India business at $3.9 billion and the transaction is likely to close this February.

    Both Disney and Viacom 18 signed a non-binding pact in December last year, as per which Reliance was to have a 51 per cent shareholding and Disney 49 per cent.

  • COLORS becomes the No 1 Hindi GEC; breaks multiple records

    COLORS becomes the No 1 Hindi GEC; breaks multiple records

    Mumbai: With 234GRP, Viacom18 owned COLORS has become the No. 1 Hindi GEC in the 15-50 ABC HSM Urban segment – an audience cohort that advertisers keenly follow.

    In a year that saw Hindi GECs fuel overall television viewership resurgence, COLORS has emerged as the most substantial contributor to this progress having, itself, marked an astounding 85 per cent growth (234GRP in Wk4 2024 from 126GRP in Wk14 2023) since the beginning of this fiscal. Interestingly the channel’s impressive lead of 37 per cent over its closest competitor in megacities and 16 per  cent lead in the 15+ HSM 1Mn+ segments solidify its appeal to advertisers as these markets form the bulk of the consumption territories for a vast majority of brands across industries.

    COLORS’ current market share of 27.9 per cent is the highest the channel has achieved in 12 years. The channel also achieved an overall reach of 52 Mn, extending its lead for the 44th week now, going 16 per cent ahead of its closest competitor. Furthermore, COLORS has also achieved an astounding 114 per cent growth in Prime Time since the beginning of the financial year (HSM Urban 15+, wk3 2024 vs wk14 2023)

    Since July 2023, COLORS has been steadily diversifying its content offering – from top rated mythological saga Shiv Shakti – Tap Tyag Tandav to marquee reality shows like BIGG BOSS and Khatron Ke Khiladi to audience favourite social drama Doree to love stories like Neerja Ek Nayi Pehchaan and Chad Jalne Laga and family dramas like Parineeti, the channel has captivated audiences with compelling storytelling and strong characters. The channel’s success is further enriched by standout shows such as Udaariyaan, Mera Balam Thanedar and Suhaagan, each making substantial contributions to the viewership growth.

    With an impressive lineup of new shows slated to launch later this month, COLORS looks set to keep the forward momentum going strong. From the love story Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak to historical drama Pracchand Ashok to family drama Mangal Laxmi to reality show Dance Deewane, the channel will be launching 4 new shows in a variety of genres within the next 1 month. Buoyed by the emphatic growth of COLORS at 84 per cent, the entire Hindi GEC category has clocked a robust 21 per cent growth which in turn has led to the entire TV viewership growing, a fact recently underlined by IBDF. 

  • Vh1 announces the launch of ‘Vh1 AniNation’

    Vh1 announces the launch of ‘Vh1 AniNation’

    Mumbai: Vh1, Viacom18’s and India’s leading international music and English entertainment channel has announced the launch of ‘Vh1 AniNation’, a first-of-its-kind innovative, diversified content segment for anime enthusiasts. Catering to the burgeoning fandom across the nation, Vh1 AniNation will serve as an exciting platform that fuses visually stunning animation, engaging community discussions, and a curated musical experience, to celebrate the rich cultural tapestry of Japanese anime.

    Speaking on the launch, Viacom18 business head, youth, music, and English entertainment cluster Anshul Ailawadi said, “Vh1 has always been a trendsetter when it comes to showcasing emerging pop-culture trends. With Vh1 AniNation, we’re betting on the immense potential of Anime with its compelling storylines, genres, music, and characters – thereby giving our viewers another solid reason to tune into Vh1.”

    Vh1 AniNation will offer fans an immersive experience including AniBites, AniPinion, and Ani-Music. AniBites will provide viewers with snackable, high-energy entertainment with anime cartoons featuring a diverse cast of characters, varied themes and genres, and unique animation styles. To make anime more accessible and foster a sense of community amongst passionate anime fans in India, AniPinion will feature influencers and celebrities discussing opinions and perspectives while reviewing new anime. Ani-Music on the other hand will feature a playlist that will shine a spotlight on the genre’s iconic composers, musicians, and soundtracks, keeping in mind the powerful connect anime music has with its fans.

    The IP will be further amplified with a robust 360-degree marketing plan, that will cater to fans and fortify consumer engagement with innovation.

    Join the cultural celebration that invites viewers to explore the world of Japanese anime in the vibrant and dynamic universe of Vh1 AniNation.

  • CEAT Indian Supercross Racing League partners with Viacom18

    CEAT Indian Supercross Racing League partners with Viacom18

    Mumbai: CEAT Indian Supercross Racing League co-founder and director Veer Patel said “Our partnership with Viacom18 signifies a major step forward in expanding the reach of Supercross racing in India. Through JioCinema and Sports18, we aim to bring the thrill and excitement of our races to a diverse and enthusiastic audience, elevating the sport to new heights. With Viacom18’s extensive reach and expertise in live sports streaming and broadcasting, we are confident that this partnership will elevate the CEAT ISRL experience for fans across the country.”

    Viacom18 spokesperson said, “We are proud to partner with the inaugural season of the CEAT Indian Supercross League. Adding to our unique array of sporting properties, we will deliver fans the best of Indian riders competing against top international talent across digital and TV platforms.”

    CEAT ISRL’s partnership with Viacom18 will facilitate streaming of the races on JioCinema, reaching millions, enabling them to catch all the live action on the go, at their convenience, and on devices of their choice. Additionally, the league will also be broadcast live on the Sports18 network, enhancing viewership.

    JioCinema has consistently been setting new benchmarks over the past year in live sports streaming. The IPL 2023 final on JioCinema set a new peak concurrency record for the league as 32.1 million viewers hit play.

    For more information on the CEAT ISRL Season One Rider Auction and updates on team selections and riders, please visit the official website at

    https://indiansupercrossleague.com/

  • FIH signs four year partnership with Indian broadcaster Viacom18

    FIH signs four year partnership with Indian broadcaster Viacom18

    Mumbai: The International Hockey Federation (FIH) announced that it has signed a major media rights agreement with Indian broadcaster Viacom18. This agreement runs for a four year cycle (2023-2027) and includes all FIH events, except the FIH Nations Cup.

    Thanks to this partnership, the numerous Indian hockey fans will be able to watch on Viacom18 channels the upcoming FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers, the first ever FIH Hockey5s World Cup, the FIH Hockey Pro League, the 2026 FIH Hockey World Cup and many more events!

    With India being such a historic powerhouse of global hockey, this agreement is a great asset to boost the popularity of the game in the country even further.

    Matches will be available on OTT platform JioCinema and Viacom18’s linear channels network Sports18.

    Viacom18 Sports head of strategy, partnerships & acquisitions Hursh Shrivastava said, “Hockey has been one of the most loved, followed and storied sports in India. The recent success of the Indian Men’s and Women’s National Team bodes well for the continuous growth of Hockey, and we are excited to bring unbridled access to millions of sports fans in India. The addition of world-class Hockey coverage reiterates our commitment to provide fans all-inclusive offerings of globally-acclaimed sports events.”

    Commenting on the agreement, FIH president Tayyab Ikram said: “As we’re enhancing our commercial and broadcast approach, this agreement with Viacom18 is a major step forward. It’s great support to be partnering with such a strong broadcaster in a country where hockey is so fundamentally and historically anchored, and where we continuously want to develop the game. On behalf of FIH, I would like to thank Viacom18 for joining our efforts to promote hockey in India even further.”

    #HockeyEquals

    #HockeyInvites

  • COLORS ends the year with a bang, thanks to exponential growth in viewership

    COLORS ends the year with a bang, thanks to exponential growth in viewership

    Mumbai: COLORS crossed the vaunted 200 GRP mark as it clocked 207 GRPs in the latest BARC ratings. This feat comes as a culmination of an upsurge that the channel has been seeing all through the second half of 2023, growing from 117 GRPs in wk22 to 207 at the close of the year. At the heart of COLORS’ success lies its differentiated strategy in programming a varied content offering, an approach that has been pivotal in driving the viewership to the channel, firmly establishing its position as a beloved entertainment destination for the entire family.

    “The past 6 months have seen our viewership share surge by ~80%, helping us open the new year by crossing a significant milestone with 207 GRPs. At the heart of this exponential surge lies our strategic content approach, meticulously designed to cater to the entire family through a harmonious blend of fiction and non-fiction programming. Today, we are the only complete family entertainment GEC in the HSM market. From mythos to social dramas to non-fiction content, COLORS is a microcosm of the diversity of our viewers.  Our content strategy reflects this belief and our rapid climb through the ratings charts reflects India’s faith in our content.”

    Viacom18 president – general entertainment Alok Jain observed, adding, “I’d also like to take a moment to acknowledge the team effort that goes into this – from understanding viewer preferences, to creating content that resonates, to amplifying, analysing and iterating it – our institutional adoption of the viewer-first approach is a truly differentiating factor.”

    COLORS has consistently taken the lead in creating societal and behavioural impact while offering a diverse range of content, staying true to its philosophy. The shows on the channel cater a myriad of emotions and stories, from mythological narratives such as Shiv Shakti– Tap Tyag Tandav to inspiring tales like Doree and Neerja to blockbuster shows including BIGG BOSS and Khatron Ke Khiladi. The channel’s fiction and non-fiction flagship properties have successfully transcended age and gender boundaries, appealing to a broad spectrum of viewers. Notable shows such as Shiv Shakti – Tap Tyag Tandav and Parineeti have consistently dominated the rating charts, showcasing their widespread popularity. The longest-running show on COLORS, Udaariyaan, has emerged as a fan favourite, further affirming the channel’s ability to create content with enduring appeal. Suhaagan, airing in the early prime-time slot, has also significantly contributed to the channel’s success. Social dramas that are rooted in COLORS’ ethos such as Doree and Neerja Ek Nayi Pehchaan continue to maintain a firm grip on the audience, highlighting COLORS’ dedication to providing compelling and thought-provoking storytelling. Marquee shows such as Khatron Ke Khiladi and BIGG BOSS have also been the highest rated non-fiction shows in the category during their run. A testament to the success of the content variety that COLORS offers, it ended the year with 6 of the Top15 most viewed shows.

    Following the trailblazing success of 2023, COLORS now has plans to scale up its content play – both in variety and scale. With a strong line-up featuring eagerly awaited fiction and non-fiction shows including Mera Balam Thaanedar, Dance Deewane, the magnum opus Prachanda Ashoka, and many more exciting shows COLORS is poised to further strengthen its position as the leading powerhouse of entertainment with engaging and compelling narratives that resonate across demographics.a