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Tag: Viacom18

  • BBC Studios inks licensing deal with Colors Infinity for Top Gear

    BBC Studios inks licensing deal with Colors Infinity for Top Gear

    MUMBAI: BBC Studios has announced a licensing deal with Viacom18 Media, which will see the latest series of Top Gear air on the Indian entertainment network’s premium English entertainment channel – Colours Infinity. The deal for the world’s biggest motoring entertainment show, was revealed today at Showcase, BBC Studios’ spectacular trade event held in Liverpool each year.

    This multi-platform deal with Viacom18 will make series 27 of Top Gear available to Indian viewers that are looking forward to watch their favorite motoring show.

    Top Gear is the world’s biggest and longest-running motoring entertainment show which has had a huge global following across 200+ territories, making it one of the world’s most widely watched factual TV programmes. The much-loved series features gruelling challenges, epic adventures and state-of-the-art supercars with a hint of mayhem, humour and mischief.

    Series 27 introduces a shiny new presenter line up, with comedian and TV presenter Paddy McGuinness and cricketing legend Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff joining motoring journalist Chris Harris. Also back in the driving seat is the enigmatic white-suited professional driver, known across the globe as The Stig.  

    From the brutal heat of the Ethiopian desert to the sweltering Borneo rainforest, from the wilds of Iceland to the pedestrianised shopping district of a British market town, Top Gear is bigger than ever. The team tackle the fastest, hottest, toughest Top Gear challenges to date, pushing their cars and themselves to the limits. At the world-famous Top Gear test track, a fresh batch of celebrities demonstrate their driving prowess (or lack thereof) and face challenges set by the presenters.

    The new presenting line up has been a hit with fans and their debut series on BBC Two in June last year was particularly well received in the UK, with an average consolidated audience of 3.8 million.  Following the success of their first series together, the trio have recently returned to UK screens with even higher audience ratings, with the new series premiere opening to a consolidated audience of more than 4.3 million, the highest in over four years. In between series, they also filmed the Top Gear Nepal Special, which saw Freddie, Paddy and Chris embark on an epic high-altitude voyage from Kathmandu to the Forbidden City of Lo Manthang, thrilling UK audiences when it aired in December.

    BBC Studios South Asia distribution vice president Stanley Fernandes says, “We’re thrilled to partner with Viacom18 to bring the latest series of Top Gear to India. Audiences are going to love the new line up taking control of the wheel and taking the series to another level. Expect plenty of thrills, spills and laughs”

    Viacom18 Youth, Music & English Entertainment, VOOT Select head Ferzad Palia says, “Indian viewers are big fans of fast-paced and adrenaline-pumping automotive content. Globally, Top Gear is recognised as the most popular motoring entertainment show, and we’re thrilled to showcase series 27 of this iconic show to viewers in India. Adding another genre to our bouquet of offering, Viacom18 continues to deliver the best of English entertainment to its audience.”

  • Millennials seek local and purpose-driven content on TV and OTT

    Millennials seek local and purpose-driven content on TV and OTT

    MUMBAI: Seventy-one per cent of youth in our country are inspired by content. The number has moved from 58.4 per cent in 2016 to 71 per cent in 2018, revealed a new study by MTV Insights Studios ‘Mera Bharat Amazeballs’. Millennials are digital natives and they seek content beyond the confines of traditional TV. So what kind of content do they like? Which are the platforms they prefer to consume content and how is it helping the youth to overcome the challenges in their lives?

    Whether its Bhuvan Bam’s roleplay, Ashish Chanchlani’s gyan or Jose Covaco’s parenting on social media platforms, or the rise of thoughtful entertainment like Pad Man, Toilet, Dangal, Mary Kom and other movies or even dozens of stand-up comedy specials available on different platforms, there is an upsurge of local/Indian digital content being consumed by the youth. The report informed that there is more diversity than ever within digital content.

    The study revealed some interesting numbers, read below

    Why youth watch what they watch: 52 per cent of millennials watch content to learn something new; 30 per cent watch to distress and refresh themselves and 27 per cent watch content to help them to get through their life’s problem.

    What drives them towards new piece on content: 35 per cent of youth choose content based on the uniqueness of concept; 18 per cent like entertaining content; 14 per cent choose content based on the relatability of story; 10 per cent prefer content on ease of understanding story; seven per cent pick stories because of credibility and narrative and three per cent choose emotional narrative.

    What really gets them: As per the report 75 per cent of youth like stories where people struggle to win; 71 per cent of youth prefer stories based on real life people; and 62 per cent youth prefer watching real stories.

    What do they do when they discover a new show: 37 per cent of youth discusses it with friends whereas 21 per cent binge-watch the show. 20 per cent check out trivia about the show; 14 per cent try to find more similar shows; five per cent discuss with family and three per cent talk about it on social media.

    Where do they discover new content: 26 per cent youth discover new show on the internet and watch it online or download it to watch later; 24 per cent of them discover a new on TV and only watch in on TV; 24 per cent of youth discover new show on the internet and then find out when and where it comes on TV and watch it there; and 21 per cent discover new show on TV but they go online to watch it.

    Millennials' most preferred genre of shows: 30 per cent of youth like comedy; 13 per cent prefer romance; 12 per cent like family shows; 10 per cent looks for fantasy shows; eight per cent like action genre; seven per cent like documentary; seven per cent like crime genre; four per cent like historical genre; four per cent prefer music and dance genre; three per cent prefer Quiz shows and two per cent like animation.

    Where do they watch their favourite shows: 37 per cent of youth watch shows on both the platform but more on online than TV; 26 per cent watch shows only online; 20 per cent watch shows only on TV; and 14 per cent of youth watch shows on both but more on TV than online.

    Preferred device and platform: 75 per cent of millennials prefer watching shows at home on TV; 55 per cent of youth watches content on laptop; 41 per cent prefer streaming platform and 39 per cent opt for theatre.

    How MTV uses this study

    MTV Insights Studios has been doing this study since 2002 once in every two years to understand its target audience and cater tothem with better content. “Doing the study and sharing the facts with marketers have given them positive affinity that we know youth better than anybody else. That's one primary reason for us to do that from the external perspective. From internal it also helps form our choice of both new shows, tweak existing shows and even brand marketing,” says Viacom18 youth, music and english entertainment marketing head Navin Shenoy.  

    This year the channel will be tweaking its flagship show Roadies’ theme. The study revealed that the youth are purpose-driven, they want to get behind the cause and they are action-oriented. Therefore, this year Roadies’ theme is called Roadies Revolution, which means the contestant will not only be doing normal physical challenges, but there are also causes behind which they'll get and they'll have to perform actions to support that cause and showcase the impact.

    Last year, one of the insights that people felt more about was plastic pollution. “So we took up this issue and on the day of Dussera we called upon a message which was ‘Plastic is the new Raavan’ with TrashAsur. And what activities like these do is they reinforce brand affinity in the consumers’ mind, they realise that this brand understands what causes matter to them and they are actually taking action in that space. So in a nutshell, that's how it works for both existing shows, choosing new shows and for brand marketing; these insights inform most of our decision,” said Shenoy.

    This year one big theme that has emerged is women empowerment. He opines, “I think every aspect of that space seems to be something that bothers young people, and hence it equally bothers us, which is whether it's the brutal crimes against women or the fact that they are not getting enough of opportunities, or that society, in its thinking is more likely to be patriarchal, and gender stereotypes being enforced on women. There is very little positivity on how the system is structured, so that's likely to be a space we would want to explore.”

    The channel has doubled its viewership compared to last year. He informs, “A flagship show for us like Hustle has been key to the strategy of pulling more viewers, because it has pulled in both time from an existing viewer who's had a new MTV show and also a new kind of viewer whose destiny is hip hop music but may not have consumed so much of MTV’s other shows in the past. So that pretty much has been the key. And now the challenge is to keep the momentum going in season two.” 

  • Colors to premiere ‘Naati Pinky Ki Lambi Love Story’ on 27 Jan

    Colors to premiere ‘Naati Pinky Ki Lambi Love Story’ on 27 Jan

    MUMBAI: Colors will bring heart-warming love story Naati Pinky Ki Lambi Love Story from 27 January. The show will trace the journey of Pinky who is short but feisty, a fighter but also a dreamer, perceived as flawed but hope to find her true love.  Produced by Bodhi Tree Multimedia, Co-powered by Pravin Masalewale, the show will air every Mon-Fri at 9:30 pm.

    Viacom18 Hindi Mass Entertainment and Kids TV network head Nina Jaipuria said,“We started the year on a high note with Bigg Boss and Naagin ruling the charts. Keeping up the momentum, we bring to viewers a love story, a genre that is revered by the audience. As storytellers, we always attempt to make our stories relatable and heard and Pinky’s journey resonates the same. Questioning society’s definition of perfection, we present the love story of a free-spirited Pinky who is of short height but stands tall to inspire people to live life wholeheartedly. This saga of love, emotions and insecurities will strike an emotional chord with the viewers and at the same time entertain them.”

    A typical Delhi girl, Pinky Kashyap (played by Riya Shukla) is born and brought up in an orthodox Brahmin family. Standing tall at 4 feet 8 inches, she wants nothing beyond a conventional, married life. While her life comes with its own share of drama but Pinky tactfully uses her strength to counterweight what society defines as her physical drawback. Raised in a tightly knit family with a strict and reserved father, a loving and supportive dadi, a melodramatic mother, Pinky believes in living life to the fullest.  Just like every other girl, even Pinky’s parents want her to get married, her height always poses as a hurdle. But while Pinky is determined, she soon finds out that going the conventional way is not always easy. Will she find the Amitabh to her Jaya? Will she get married to her true love?

    Viacom18 Hindi Mass Entertainment chief content officer Manisha Sharma said,“While most people fight their flaws every day, we present the story of Pinky who has turned them into her strength.Naati Pinky Ki Lambi Love Story is a heart-warming amalgamation of her endeavours to find true love and her exceptional way of living a life that is beyond society’s judgement. Pinky’s compelling personality will stand out and viewers will relate to various stages of her life, the challenges she faces and the hysterical ways in which she conquers them. With diverse characters and an engaging storyline, we hope to create magic with Pinky’s Lambi Love story.”  

    Bodhi Tree Multimedia producer Sukesh Motwani said, “Pinky and her varied moods will not just entertain, inspire but will also compel viewers to be a part of her journey. Right from her unapologetic ways of dealing with emotional complications to her pursuit of finding a life partner. It’s the first-time the audience will witness the love story of a girl with short stature and will also touch upon sensitively the battles she fights every time she is needled. Every character in the show is distinctive and in the most fascinating way will contribute to her life. We hope Pinky finds a way to win the audience's heart.” 

    Riya Shukla, who plays the titular character on the show said, “Having explored the world of Bollywood, I am thrilled to make my television debut with COLORS. Naati Pinky Ki Lambi love storywill take viewers through a beautiful and warm narrative of Pinky’s journey of finding her one true love. While she lives her life wholeheartedly, she does come across a stumbling block, but her quintessential personality promises to touch lives. I hope the viewers fall in love with Pinky’s unusual ways of dealing with uncertainties.”

    Naati Pinky’s incredible love story is going to make you smile, laugh and make you moist eyed as the cast of Riya Shukla, Puneet Choksey in the lead roles and Vishwajeet Pradhan (playing Pinky’s father as Ram Kashyap), Dheeraj Rai (playing Pinky’s love interest as Gagan) and Bharti Achrekar (playing Pinky’s Dadi) will take the viewer on a joyride. 

    Focussing on her ‘short’comings and how she tactfully fights them, COLORS has designed a 360-degree campaign to engage with the viewers. Right from installing handle extensions in metros, Pinky helping the listeners on radio with their short girl problems to introducing Naati Pinky Ki Naati Chai glasses, the entire campaign will highlight many quirks of Pinky’s personality. The entire campaign is backed by strong print, digital, radio, on-ground and television plans to create a major impact. Additionally, the channel will also introduce a digital property #NaatiTales which will embody the essence of the show's lead character Pinky through various content pieces and digital mediums. The short series of stand-up acts will be enacted by two of television's renowned names Kavita Kaushik and Supriya Shukla. Along with these videos, a short story formed creative will also help establish the property #NaatiTales. 

  • Voot to soon launch premium SVOD Voot Select

    Voot to soon launch premium SVOD Voot Select

    MUMBAI: Tiering is coming to the OTT ecosystem in India. AVOD, SVOD, premium SVOD is the direction it seems to be taking. Following in the footsteps of Hotstar which launched its VIP service earlier this year, Viacom18, India’s fastest growing entertainment network  has announced its second subscription video on demand service called Voot Select.  Pricing was not revealed in the announcement sent out a short while ago.

    To be helmed, by Ferzad Palia head –youth, music and English, Voot Select will give users access to diverse multi genre marquee content experiences which includes exclusive originals.

    Says Viacom18 Group CEO & MD Sudhanshu Vats: “The video on demand market is the fastest growing segment in the media and entertainment sector today.  Subscription led business models are going to be the next big growth drivers in the years to come. Having established Voot as India’s second largest premium AVoD platform, we think the time is apt for us to unveil our premium subscription offering, Voot Select.  The new premium offering will bring more bespoke content to our always-on viewers.”

    Adds Viacom18 Digital Ventures COO Gourav Rakshit:  “With Voot, the successful launch of Voot Kids and now Voot Select, our aim is to build a versatile and immersive digital ecosystem that will add value to our users. The new offering will provide them with differentiated content experiences across genres and segments. Currently in its final leg of testing, the all new Voot Select once live will see many untapped genres being made available for our users to experience and enjoy.”

    An exclusive logo has been designed for Voot Select that reflects the company’s commitment to providing exclusive content and quality entertainment for subscribers. “Minimal, premium, and contemporary, this wordmark distinguishes itself from the mother brand through its form, while being intimately connected with the core brand ethos through subtle gradients and rounded edges. It is a visual translation of the brand proposition to provide the best digital content for a discerning audience,” says the release.

  • Looking inside MTV Nishedh, an initiative to break social stigma

    Looking inside MTV Nishedh, an initiative to break social stigma

    MUMBAI: MTV is attempting to take the bull by its horns. With its new launch it aims to break the stigma around several health-related issues, make the youth aware about healthier social norms, talk about tabooed topics. The MTV Staying Alive Foundation has partnered with Viacom18 to bring a new campaign, “MTV Nishedh” to India. The campaign which has been adapted from The MTV Staying Alive Foundation’s multi-award-winning campaign ‘MTV Shuga', features a 13-episode fictional series.

    MTV Nishedh, produced by Mumbai-based production company Victor Tango, will premiere on MTV India starting 25 January every Saturday and Sunday at 8:00 PM and on COLORS Rishtey starting 1 February, every Saturday and Sunday at 10:30 pm. While youth audience will be targeted through MTV, Colors Rishtey will bring the message to a wider audience. MTV Nishedh will also be available anytime on VOOT.

    “The marketing budget will be skewed a little bit like this, but it will be based on what is required of the program. We will try and target the people whom we want to reach out to and therefore, we will use digital extensively,” Viacom 18 group CEO and MD Sudhanshu Vats said in a media roundtable while he was asked if marketing will be more digital-oriented.

    “We have to see as we go forward, so I think it's important. So basically, depending on how the first one performs, depending on how savvy we are with everything, depending on how committed all our partners are. I'm very hopeful they will be but I think it's incorrect for me to say as of now," Vats commented on the possibility of a second season.

    The MTV Staying Alive Foundation executive director and MTV Nishedh executive producer Georgia Arnold also explained how the research went on behind this project. Before starting off anything, they had a talk with the partners about the issues that partners are most concerned about. They also conducted a lot of formative researchs, and particularly in some of the key markets where they are trying to see a change. During focus group discussions with the youth,  they spoke about not only the issues but also about lifestyle. According to Arnold, all of these helped them to build a three dimensional picture of the audience that they are trying to reach.

    Moreover, the key story outline was also shared with young people unlike traditional research. The focus group’s inputs were also incorporated in the script. After the filming was done, the entire series was shown to them. In a unique way, the conversations that came up from watching the series was turned into a teaching guide.

    However, the social message will be delivered in an entertaining way to keep youth hooked to the show.

    Viacom18 also promotes social messages through Colors shows as well. “For primetime Colors, our challenge as of now is the ability to mount a more finite series in because I think India is still not ready for that. Because what happens is our series start building up in six to eight weeks, which is 30 to 40 episodes, whereas some of these shows are only those many in total. So, that is the challenge we have because most of our finite series are 100 or 150 episodes,” Vats answered while he was asked if the approaches are different for MTV initiatives. 

  • Viacom18 to showcase 77th Golden Globe Awards on its English entertainment channels

    Viacom18 to showcase 77th Golden Globe Awards on its English entertainment channels

    MUMBAI: Viacom18, kick-starting the year with a big bang, will showcase coveted movies and television awards – 77th Golden Globe Awards through its English entertainment channels. Hosted for the fifth time by the sensational Ricky Gervais for the record, the gala held at the Beverly Park, California will simulcast exclusively on Vh1, Comedy Central and Colors Infinity on Monday 06 January at 7:30 AM IST, with a repeat telecast at 9 PM.

    Viacom18 head of programming, English entertainment Hashim Dsouza said, “Marking the start of 2020 looks to be a promising year for entertainment, as we step into another year and look forward to a year full of exciting shows, films and events. Considered as one of the most respected award ceremonies in the film and television industry, attended by the biggest names, the Golden Globes celebrates and commemorates the best of the year gone by. The popularity of international awards among Indian viewers is palpable and the epic showdown across categories in the 77th edition of the Golden Globes makes it a must-watch for fans. With viewers rooting for their favorites, films like Joker, The Irishman and shows like Chernobyl, Unbelievable and The Crown with multiple nominations, will surely go down to the wire making it almost impossible to predict the winners.”

    The battle for Best Actor (Drama) will see Joaquin Phoenix (Joker) going up against Christian Bale (Ford Vs Ferrari), Adam Driver (Marriage Story), Antonio Banderas (Pain and Glory) and Jonathan Pryce (The Two Popes), while Oscar-winner Rami Malek (Mr. Robot) goes up against Brian Cox (Succession), Tobias Menzies (The Crown), Billy Porter (Pose) and Kit Harrington (Game of Thrones).

    But the competition in the Best Actress (Drama) category is much more fierce, with Scarlett Johansson (Marriage Story), Charlize Theron (Bombshell), Renée Zellweger (Judy), Saoirse Ronan (Little Woman) and Cynthia Erivo (Harriet). Also, lead pair of The Morning Show – Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston is nominated in the same category along with Olivia Colman (The Crown), Jodie Comer (Killing Eve) and Nicole Kidman (Big Little Lies).

    Carving a niche in the Hollywood industry and raking in box-office collections, Tom Hanks has multiple Oscars, Emmys and Golden Globe awards under his belt. At this year’s ceremony he will be bestowed upon the Cecil B. DeMille Award – a special and prestigious award for his outstanding contributions to the world of entertainment. Ellen DeGeneres will receive the coveted Carol Burnett Award named after the legendary Carol Burnett and presented annually to an honoree that has made outstanding contributions to television, on or off the screen.

  • 2019: A year that was for English GECs

    2019: A year that was for English GECs

    MUMBAI: 2019 was all about implementation and the impact of new tariff order (NTO). It has been a year of disruption and innovation for the industry. Overall it was a challenging year for niche channels but throughout the year, channels made various efforts to overcome them and retain its consumer base. Going forward in 2020, leading English GECs, Zee Café and Colors Infinity, plan to offer innovative and engaging content to strengthen their subscriber base. The sector hopes for stability and positive growth in the broadcast industry. 

    “NTO implemented in Feb 2019 impacted reach and ad sales and broadcasters have been managing this change to get to a new equilibrium. We hope proposed tweaks to the regulation will further help stability,” says Times Network MD and CEO MK Anand. “Consolidation in the M&E sector will continue in FY'20. This will have a positive impact on cost efficiencies and the overall competitiveness of the broadcast industry.”

    “After months of tepid and negative performance across the board, some ad categories are expected to see a resurgence in FY'20, which will be a welcome respite to broadcasters,” he adds. 

    Zee Café’s big focus for the year ahead is to drive subscriber value. “Consumer experience alongside engaging content will be key to driving growth. Businesses that quickly adapt to the new tariff regime and align growth levers to solve for relevant consumer needs will ultimately benefit,” says ZEE Entertainment premium cluster business head Kartik Mahadev. 

    Similarly, Viacom18’s English cluster will bring unique international content and continue to explore more concepts that attract viewers, partner brands and sponsors. It will continue to consolidate and bolster by engaging with consumers and offer the best of international content, awards, music events and homegrown content. Adding new shows to the existing line-up as well as broadcasting the biggest entertainment events and music awards including the Golden Globe Awards, Billboards, American & Europe Music Awards, Brit Awards, and the Grammy Awards amongst others.

    Viacom18 Youth, Music & English Entertainment head Ferzad Palia says: “2019 has been a year of disruption for the entire entertainment industry and we’ve embraced it to the fullest. These changes challenged broadcasters to retain and expand their consumer base, while making consumers more aware of their entertainment habits and the value that comes with individual choices.”

    “Despite the many industry-wide challenges, we have maintained our leadership position with consistent performance across all our channels thus our ratings continue to surge in an upward trend. In terms of market share, we continue to hold a lion’s share of the pie, currently being around 71 per cent in the month of Nov’19 (GEC + Music), even more than 2017.

    While the expectation has always been for light or infrequent viewers to drop off, the heartening part is that we have managed to increase consumption from our loyal base and also acquire fresh subscribers through a solid content offering and innovative outreach programmes,” he further adds. 

    Strategies adopted by the channels to overcome the challenges in 2019

    Maintaining a balance of quality and variety has been pivotal in adapting rapidly in terms of retaining and attracting new viewers. In a conscious effort to reach newer, younger audiences the channels went beyond conventional promotional methods and practices through innovative and clutter-breaking marketing campaigns.

    “2019 has been a year of significant disruption and innovation for Zee English Cluster. By far, one of our biggest achievements has been to be able to offer World Television Premieres to our viewers, reducing the wait time for Hollywood blockbuster movies’ television release by half. Hollywood movie fans can now watch their favourite movies within months of release. Zee English cluster also gave consumers the choice to watch their favourite movies and World Television Premieres in their native language – Hindi, Tamil or Telugu, alongside English. This has successfully enabled us to widen our audience base delivering a better channel experience to the Zee Prime English pack subscribers,” says Mahadev

    On Zee Café, the third season of BBC First, our flagship programming block, was extremely

    successful and well-received by our discerning audience. The channel has also upheld its legacy by bringing multiple award-winning dramas and mini-series such as the Golden Globe nominee ‘The Loudest Voice’, Season 16 of the Golden Globe winner ‘Grey’s Anatomy’, the Emmy Award winners ‘Counterpart Season 2’ and ‘McMafia’, as part of ‘Along With The US’ and ‘Hollywood On Café.’ Shows that were “TV First” and mini-series as a strategy worked well for Zee Café in strengthening engagement with its audience.

    Examples of Viacom18 English cluster’s innovative campaigns in 2019:

    1) Colors Infinity – BFFs With Vogue – For its 3rd successive season, television’s most riotous Bollywood chat show BFFs With Vogue hosted by the sassy Neha Dhupia, received an overwhelming response from audience, as well as clients. Complementing the extensive ATL campaign that included multi-city Outdoor and Radio promotions, COLORS INFINITY launched ‘The BFF Quiz’ – a pioneering Amazon Alexa voice skill for the show, voiced by the show’s host Neha Dhupia. It further recreated an ARVR-version of Neha’s cosy and exclusive loft for BFFs With Vogue, that gave viewers a life-sized virtual step-in tour to the loft.

    2) Comedy Central – FRIENDS – Marking the milestone 25th anniversary of Friends, Comedy Central India and Warner Bros. Television Group brought a specially created replica of the iconic Central Perk orange couch to India. This unique experience gave loyal fans an opportunity to re-enact and re-live the countless indelible moments from the show. Taking the anniversary celebration a few notches higher it also rewarded the winner of the ‘Wackiest Friends Fan’ contest with a paid trip to New York and a visit to the sold-out Friends 25 Pop-Up Experience along with a friend.

    3) Vh1 – World Music Day – For the first time ever, two music powerhouses – MTV Beats and Vh1 India curate a 24-hour LIVE music festival on World Music Day on Facebook and Instagram. In this 24-hour long musical gig, that transcended beyond genres, over 40+ India’s most popular musicians, including a string of B-town artists like Darshan Raval, Aparshakti Khurana, Aastha Gill alongside Indie musicians like Zaeden, Sickflip, Su Real and many more, collaborated to perform their best songs live. Giving fans an experience of a lifetime. The campaign reached 60Mn+, 25Mn+ impressions, 5Mn+ engagement and overall, 10Mn+ people viewed the live across 24 hours.

    Plans for 2020

    “We’re also the first-choice for brands when it comes to AFPs (Advertiser Funded Programming). In 2019, Comedy Central partnered with Sterling Reserve to create a talent hunt for the next comedy sensation with Sterling Reserve Comedy Project hosted by the witty Varun Thakur. And we’ll continue to explore more concepts that attract viewers, partner brands and sponsors. Additionally, our unique on-ground and digital marketing initiatives that engage the massive new-age audience, continues to deliver higher visibility in the market,” said Palia.

    The year ahead promises to be very exciting for the Zee English cluster. It is a milestone year for Zee Café, the pioneering English entertainment channel, as it turns 20! To commemorate the occasion, the channel has special plans to engage with its discerning consumers. Drama being the biggest strength of the channel, it will continue showcasing award-winning and compelling shows. 

    “With our upcoming property ‘Greatest Of All Time’ we are very excited to showcase the most iconic and anticipated dramas such as Star Trek: ‘Discovery’, ‘Dynasty’ and ‘Penny Dreadful’. Continuing to feature diverse genres, the channel will also curate light-hearted conversational content with shows that are locally nuanced such as ‘Not Just Supper Stars’ and ‘Starry Nights – Gen Y’ which will go on- air early next year. The upcoming season of Starry Nights features the next generation of Bollywood stars who are hyper-connected and have a following, in an unfiltered conversation that is real and relatable,” informed Mahadev.

  • Nodwin Gaming, MTV join hands for premium esports content

    Nodwin Gaming, MTV join hands for premium esports content

    MUMBAI: India’s biggest esports company Nodwin Gaming and India’s no.1 youth entertainment brand MTV have partnered to bring quality esports content to the masses.

    The move by Nodwin Gaming and MTV comes in as a big leap towards mainstreaming esports and taking it to the general audience. The recent boom in the number of esports players and professional tournaments in the country have served as the perfect setup for this monumental partnership.

    MTV India’s latest offering “Esports Mania” encompasses a variety of shows that will go on air this December.

    Viacom18 youth, music and english entertainment head Ferzad Palia said,“At MTV we are always looking for new offerings for the young Indian and esports as a category has been gaining popularity with our audiences. In Nodwin Gaming, we have found partners who are already doing ground-breaking work in the space of gaming and we are glad to bring in the next wave of growth for esports in India.”

    Nodwin Gaming founder and chief executive officer Akshat Rathee commented on this association, “We are delighted that esports has found a fitting destination on Indian television with MTV joining hands with us. With our property Esports Mania, we believe we can showcase the best of esports to the television audience. TV goes a long way in furthering the consumer connect of our nascent sport and our approach of curated programming for the MTV viewer is directed to make esports mainstream in India. In MTV, we at Nodwin Gaming have a partner which is the de-facto destination for youth in India.”

    The esports mania line-up includes:

    ● Match of the week- The best esports matches with the most thrilling moments handpicked from tournaments in the country and around the world. Tune in every Thursday at 10 p.m. starting December 12.

    ● Esports 360– Weekly dose of latest esports news and updates, starting December 17, tune in every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 4.55 p.m.

    ● World of esports- A general informative and fun show around esports with conversations with pro players, insights on new developments in the industry, memes and lot more. Tune in every Friday at 10.30 p.m. starting December 20.

    ● Documentary series- Documentaries and stories surrounding esports players and big tournaments. Documentary series showcases the lesser known side of some of the individuals, their hardships and their path to success. Tune in every Saturday at 9.30 p.m. starting December 21.

    Nodwin Gaming is India’s biggest esports company with years of expertise in tournament organization, execution and esports content creation. With this association, esports has found a new home with MTV, the most loved entertainment destination for Indian youth.

  • Netflix, Viacom18 Studios partner for three original series

    Netflix, Viacom18 Studios partner for three original series

    MUMBAI: Netflix has announced three new original series in partnership with Tipping Point, the digital content arm of Viacom18 Studios. The three inventive series join the diverse and growing slate of Netflix’s original productions made in India and watched by the world.These boundary-breaking stories, ranging from thriller to romance to drama, are produced by Tipping Point. 

    The series are helmed by some of India’s finest storytellers. Jamtara – Sabka Number Aayega explores the conflicts that emerge when a small town is identified as India’s phishing capital. She is a gritty story of an undercover cop’s journey discovering her sexuality and breaking stereotypes while taking down a drug cartel. Taj Mahal 1989 is a nostalgic exploration of love and longing set against the monument of enduring love. 

    Netflix International Originals Director Monika Shergill said, “We believe that great stories can come from anywhere and be loved everywhere. It’s exciting to partner with Viacom18 Studios and take these gripping stories to our members across India and the world. We can’t wait for fans to discover these beautifully crafted, well-produced series made by passionate and incredibly talented teams.”  

    Viacom18 Studios COO Ajit Andhare said, “I am delighted to partner with Netflix to debut Tipping Point’s series to the world. Each series is motivated by a film-scale mindset, honed over many years at Viacom18 Studios. We look forward to these distinctive series, with our trademark narratives, entertaining audiences in India and around the world.”

  • Viacom18, FHF inaugurates 5th edition of Film Preservation & Restoration Workshop India 2019

    Viacom18, FHF inaugurates 5th edition of Film Preservation & Restoration Workshop India 2019

    MUMBAI: The 5th edition of the Film Preservation & Restoration Workshop India (FPRWI) 2019 was inaugurated on December 8, at Hyderabad’s State Gallery of Art. Supported by Viacom18, the initiative of Film Heritage Foundation (FHF) and International Federation of Film Archives (FIAF) in collaboration with Annapurna Studios is being held from 8th to 15th December, 2019 in Hyderabad.

    The workshop had Shyam Benegal and Chiranjeevi Konidela as the Guests of Honour. The ceremony was held in the presence of celebrated luminaries including Akkineni Nagarjuna, Amala Akkineni, S.S. Rajamouli, Suresh Babu, Jamuna J, Allu Arvind, Shobu Yarlagadda, Raghavendra Rao, T. Subbarami Reddy, Ramesh Prasad and Govt. of Telangana  IT & Industries and Commerce Principal Secretary Jayesh Ranjan.  Film Heritage Foundation Founder & Director Shivendra Singh Dungarpur spoke about the foundation’s preservation, education and outreach initiatives devoted to save the moving image heritage in India and the subcontinent.  Also present at the opening were David Walsh, Training and Outreach Coordinator, FIAF and eminent members of the international faculty.

    Dr. Nora Kennedy, Sherman Fairchild Conservator in Charge of the Department of Photograph Conservation, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York was conferred with the Film Heritage Foundation Outstanding Achievement Award and Dr. Ray Edmondson, founder of the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia was given the Lifetime Achievement Award during the ceremony.

    Commenting on bringing the workshop to Hyderabad this year, Dungarpur said, “Over the last four years, we’ve been the Pied Pipers of film heritage drawing over 200 conservators, librarians, film scholars, academics, cinematographers, editors, colourists and technicians into our fold, eager to learn to save remarkable film patrimonies from our part of the world and showcase the richness and diversity of a heritage that has been lying dormant and forgotten for decades. And this number will cross the 270 mark this year. We are now ready to consolidate and build the country’s first world-class Centre of the Moving Image, an institution devoted to the art of film and we hope that we can count on the support of the film industry, the government and the public to make our vision a reality.”

    Speaking on the association with this initiative, Viacom18  Group CEO and MD Sudhanshu Vats said, “India is a country of storytellers and the oldest stories in the world originate from here. Over the years, our cinema has portrayed the culture and heritage of India. At Viacom18, we realise the importance of preserving these stories that form a part of the Indian culture for the benefit of our future generations. As India’s foremost storytellers, we connect deeply with this ethos and our support to Film Heritage Foundation is a conflux of this shared sentiment. The Film Preservation & Restoration Workshop is a step in that direction and we at Viacom18 are proud to be associated with this initiative.”

    Shyam Benegal, said, “I grew up in Trimulgherry, a suburb of Secunderabad, which had a sizeable military presence of both Indian and British army units before India became Independent. There were three cinemas in the cantonment area.  Of the three, the Garrison Cinema was in our neighbourhood.  Shows on weekdays consisted of Indian language films – Hindi, Marathi, Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam.  Weekend screenings were reserved for English language Hollywood films. The result was that I saw practically every film shown at the Garrison Cinema during my growing up years.  It is obvious that my ambition to become a filmmaker germinated during that time. Films are an integral part of our lives and archiving films is a way of preserving our visual history, our heritage and our memories. This is why Film Heritage Foundation’s commitment to training film archivists is important not only to preserve Indian cinema, but also the audio-visual history of our country for posterity.”

    Chiranjeevi, who also graced the occasion as the Guest of Honour, added, “Film Heritage Foundation is not just saving physical reels of film, but also our life’s work as well as the memories of the thousands of people who saw and loved our films and the films that the giants of our previous generations have produced. The Foundation’s work will ensure that future generations can watch and appreciate our films and remember us and the craze for films that we saw in our time.”

    Nagarjuna Akkineni, one of the most revered actors of the Telegu Film Industry said, “Here at Annapurna Studios we have created a museum just for the countless awards my father won in his lifetime. When you look back on the incredible films he made – “Laila Majnu”, “Devadasu”, “Missamma”, “Mayabazar”, “Batasari”, “Premabhishekham” it is a magnificent body of work that we must keep alive for future generations to appreciate the work of a truly legendary actor of Indian cinema.”

    Commenting on the inauguration, eminent film director and screenwriter, S.S. Rajamouli, said, “I was very impressed to hear that Film Heritage Foundation has taken up the challenge to preserve every element that makes up the fabric of our cinematic heritage from reels of film to cameras, posters, lobby cards, scripts etc. They have also developed a superb training program in film preservation and have been conducting these workshops around the country over the last few years to develop a local resource of future film archivists. But they cannot do this alone. The film industry, the government and the public must come forward to support this noble cause in any way that we can do to save our films for posterity."

    Veteran actress Jamuna J who was also present at the Opening Ceremony said, “I have acted in close to 200 films in my career not just in Telugu, but in Kannada, Tamil and Hindi. I have received innumerable awards for my work that line the walls of my home and I have photo albums and newspaper articles that capture the richness of my life in cinema, but I don’t know what will happen to all this that I have painstakingly collected over the years to record my life on the silver screen. It upsets me to see the poor quality versions of my films that are available today. I think the Telugu film industry has been very neglectful of their heritage. I have been interacting with Film Heritage Foundation and I am glad that they thought of bringing their film preservation workshop to Hyderabad, the heart of the Telugu film industry. I hope that this workshop will be a wake-up call to the industry that we need to preserve our films.”

    Daggubati Suresh Babu added, “I was very pleased to hear about the work that Film Heritage Foundation has been doing as I know the importance of preserving the work of my father and other pioneers like him. But unlike them we need to think ahead and have a preservation plan in place for all the films that we continue to produce. As a film industry, we must support Film Heritage Foundation’s efforts as it is in our interest to preserve our work so that it can face the challenges of obsolescence and the relentless march of technology in the digital era that we live in.”

    The week-long intensive program certified by FIAF, will train a total of 80 students from India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh Sri Lanka and Afghanistan. Participants will be trained in processes to preserve, archive and restore both celluloid and digital films and film-related paper and photographic materials. Global experts like Dr. Ray Edmondson – legendary film archivist and founder of the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia, Robert Byrne – President of the San Francisco Silent Film Festival, Dr. Adelheid Heftberger – Head of Film Access, Bundesarchiv, German Federal Archive, Dawn Jaros – Head of Library Conservation, Margaret Herrick Library, Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Science, Marianna de Sanctis, Head of Film Repair, L’Immagine Ritrovata among others, will be a part of the esteemed faculty of the workshop.

    The 5th edition, for the first time will welcome 12 film archivists and film technicians from the Presidential Palace ARG Archive and the Afghan Film Organization including Dr. Sahraa Karimi, Director General of the Afghan Film Organization, who were responsible for saving their films from destruction under the Taliban regime. Practical sessions in chemical treatment of film in serious condition will also be introduced in FPRWI 2019. Additionally, practical sessions with the latest and world class ARRISCAN XT will give participants hands-on training on scanning archival film.

    FPRWI 2019 is supported by globally renowned industry bodies like The Film Foundation’s World Cinema Project, The Academy of Motion Picture, Arts & Sciences, Fondazione Cineteca di Bologna, L’Immagine Ritrovata, Bundesarchiv (German Federal Archives), Cinemateca Portuguesa, Institut National de L’Audiovisuel (INA), Haghefilm Digitaal, San Francisco Silent Film Festival, FIAT/IFTA, A.V. Preservation by Reto, Media Inventions s.c., The Criterion Collection, Prasad Film Laboratories Pvt. Ltd. and ARRI. Previous editions of the workshop have been conducted in Mumbai in 2015, Pune in 2016, Chennai in 2017 and Kolkata in 2018.