ITV

Tag: Viacom18

  • Nickelodeon sees a 40 per cent jump in ad sales in a year

    Nickelodeon sees a 40 per cent jump in ad sales in a year

    MUMBAI: The market size for the kids entertainment genre has been growing by leaps and bounds with a  possible target audience of 400 million (40 crore). That’s about a third of the population of the country! The genre commands 6 per cent of the total viewership share on television on an all India basis. In the case of urban areas, the share goes up to 8 per cent. Though the genre’s share of the total television ad sales pie is still 3 percent, the category is definitely on a growth trajectory.

    Nickelodeon, as a network and a franchise, has more than just keep pace with this rapid growth by registering revenue growth of 34 per cent with 10 to 15 percent subscription growth and an increase in ad sales revenue by 40 percent in the last one year. Nickelodeon’s ad sales revenue contributes 10 per cent of the network’s yearly earnings. Increases in viewership and market share in the genre has been the driving forces for this growth, as Nick bagged the number one spot in the genre’s viewership for 20 months in a row according to data furnished by the network. This includes the channel’s consistent top position on the ratings chart since the BARC data roll out.

    As per BARC data shared by the network, between week 41 of 2015 and week 13 of 2016, Nick and Sonic have a 28 per cent of the viewership pie, while Nick alone leads the genre with 23 per cent share. Sonic, which is mainly on the DTH platforms of major operators, has also added to this growth story, more so in the last couple of months.

    It is the network’s strength in content and storytelling that attracts advertisers to its channels, says Viacom18’s Kids Cluster EVP and business head Nina Elavia Jaipuria. Between 2014 and 2015 there has been a considerable growth in number of advertisers. “While kids contribute to 3 per cent of the ad sales pie, I am happy to share that several advertisers even from the non- kids sectors are coming through more and more to be part of the Nick and Sonic growth journey,” informs Jaipuria with a smile.

    This growth in advertisers is aided by the wholesome advertising solutions that the network can provide. These solutions range from Free Commercial Time (FCT), merchandising offers, non-FCT, on ground amplification of campaigns and licensing and in film branding. The network says that it can tailor such solutions for brands based on their requirements.

    “Most of the significant growth has come from yield and ER growth, signifying that it’s the rates that are doing well for us. Having said that, we have also made great inroads in the non-FCT part of the ad sales pitch, because of the flexibility we have with the number of characters. We offer licensing deals to our advertisers as part of the package which allows them to use our resources more flexibly,” Jaipuria shares, while laying stress on the need to optimally monetise IPs. She also cites example of the several branded integrations and in film placements that channel has carried out for brands like Horlicks, Britannia, Boost, etc.

    While Non FCT alone won’t sustain the channels ad revenue wise, it will definitely supplement their revenue growth and offerings for the advertisers while engaging kids at the same time.

    Nickelodeon has also seen a jump of 60 per cent in its merchandising business going from 20 categories to 40 categories, out of which the ‘Back To School’ range of products will soon hit the markets this summer.

    A combined growth in ER, ancillary revenue,  subscription revenue and ad sales revenue has pushed up  the topline for the network, which in turn has helped the network push up its bottom line as well i e,  EBITDA tripled three years in a row.  “I am happy to say that it has grown by three times in two years in row. We are now a significant profit contributor to Viacom 18,” states a jubilant Jaipuria before signing off.

     

  • IndiaCast appoints Sanjay Jain as head of International Business; restructures Organisation

    IndiaCast appoints Sanjay Jain as head of International Business; restructures Organisation

    MUMBAI: IndiaCast, the domestic and international distribution arm of Viacom18 and TV18, has announced an organizational realignment within its top management, where in  Chief financial officer Sanjay Jain has been additionally appointed as head of international business and will continue reporting to IndiaCast Group CEO Anuj Gandhi. All the International Business heads along with Outbound Sales and International Operations teams will report into Jain. IndiaCast also announced a series of leadership changes by establishing empowered business responsibilities across regions. 

    After successfully managing the business in UK, Govind Shahi  has now been elevated to manage the US region along with his existing remit as business head UK & USA, followed by Sachin Gokhale,  who will also oversee the companies’ activities in APAC, in addition to his current role as the business head of the MEA. Debkumar Dasgupta is now the business head of Syndication, New Media & South Asia. 

    Commenting on the organizational restructuring, IndiaCast Group CEO  Anuj Gandhi said, “Over the last several years our top management has demonstrated innovative approaches in content monetization and marketing across the globe. Sanjay brings to the table nearly two and half decades of financial and general management experience. I am confident that Sanjay’s proficiency and experience coupled with our bold growth agenda will help us excel in our business ambitions.”

  • IndiaCast appoints Sanjay Jain as head of International Business; restructures Organisation

    IndiaCast appoints Sanjay Jain as head of International Business; restructures Organisation

    MUMBAI: IndiaCast, the domestic and international distribution arm of Viacom18 and TV18, has announced an organizational realignment within its top management, where in  Chief financial officer Sanjay Jain has been additionally appointed as head of international business and will continue reporting to IndiaCast Group CEO Anuj Gandhi. All the International Business heads along with Outbound Sales and International Operations teams will report into Jain. IndiaCast also announced a series of leadership changes by establishing empowered business responsibilities across regions. 

    After successfully managing the business in UK, Govind Shahi  has now been elevated to manage the US region along with his existing remit as business head UK & USA, followed by Sachin Gokhale,  who will also oversee the companies’ activities in APAC, in addition to his current role as the business head of the MEA. Debkumar Dasgupta is now the business head of Syndication, New Media & South Asia. 

    Commenting on the organizational restructuring, IndiaCast Group CEO  Anuj Gandhi said, “Over the last several years our top management has demonstrated innovative approaches in content monetization and marketing across the globe. Sanjay brings to the table nearly two and half decades of financial and general management experience. I am confident that Sanjay’s proficiency and experience coupled with our bold growth agenda will help us excel in our business ambitions.”

  • Viacom18 promotes Soumen Ray as CFO; appoints Narayan Rajan as chief of staff

    Viacom18 promotes Soumen Ray as CFO; appoints Narayan Rajan as chief of staff

    MUMBAI: Viacom18 has appointed Narayan Ranjan to a new and strategic role of Viacom 18 chief of staff. In his new role, Narayan Ranjan would be responsible for mergers & acquisition, internal audit, internal control as well as the admin function while continuing work on improving group level governance.

    Viacom18 has also promoted Soumen Ray as the Chief Financial Officer of the company. Soumen joined as the Deputy CFO at Viacom18 in 2013 and has played a pivotal role in the company’s growth trajectory. Both the managerial changes have been made with effect from April 15, 2016.

    Commenting on the management restructuring, Viacom18 Group CEO Sudhanshu Vats said, “With a 30X growth in topline since inception, we are one of India’s fastest growing M&E companies. As we gear up for a more streamlined growth phase, it is imperative to align our corporate functions so that we can leverage both the experience and the expertise that our leaders possess. Narayan Ranjan, one of our more experienced and senior leaders, will now take on a more strategically aligned role that streamlines our business and administrative processes across the ever-growing brands of Viacom18. Soumen Ray, who as the Deputy CFO, has been pivotal in streamlining the network’s financial performance, will now take over as the Chief Financial Officer.”

    Ranjan had joined Viacom18 twelve years back to head the finance function after having successfully managed critical roles within the broadcast industry and outside and was part of the team that forged this JV back in 2007. He has been a recipient of numerous awards including the “CFO100” awards in 2016 and 2015; winner of 100 “Most Influential CFOs in India” award in 2015 and the “Best Finance Team of the Year” award in 2015 by Chartered Institute of management accountants.

    With close to 2 decades of experience in financial planning, Soumen Ray had joined Viacom18 three years ago after successful stints at HUL, ITC and Eveready Industries. A Chartered Accountant by qualification, Ray has played a pivotal role in the network’s meteoric growth, over the last few years.

  • Viacom18 promotes Soumen Ray as CFO; appoints Narayan Rajan as chief of staff

    Viacom18 promotes Soumen Ray as CFO; appoints Narayan Rajan as chief of staff

    MUMBAI: Viacom18 has appointed Narayan Ranjan to a new and strategic role of Viacom 18 chief of staff. In his new role, Narayan Ranjan would be responsible for mergers & acquisition, internal audit, internal control as well as the admin function while continuing work on improving group level governance.

    Viacom18 has also promoted Soumen Ray as the Chief Financial Officer of the company. Soumen joined as the Deputy CFO at Viacom18 in 2013 and has played a pivotal role in the company’s growth trajectory. Both the managerial changes have been made with effect from April 15, 2016.

    Commenting on the management restructuring, Viacom18 Group CEO Sudhanshu Vats said, “With a 30X growth in topline since inception, we are one of India’s fastest growing M&E companies. As we gear up for a more streamlined growth phase, it is imperative to align our corporate functions so that we can leverage both the experience and the expertise that our leaders possess. Narayan Ranjan, one of our more experienced and senior leaders, will now take on a more strategically aligned role that streamlines our business and administrative processes across the ever-growing brands of Viacom18. Soumen Ray, who as the Deputy CFO, has been pivotal in streamlining the network’s financial performance, will now take over as the Chief Financial Officer.”

    Ranjan had joined Viacom18 twelve years back to head the finance function after having successfully managed critical roles within the broadcast industry and outside and was part of the team that forged this JV back in 2007. He has been a recipient of numerous awards including the “CFO100” awards in 2016 and 2015; winner of 100 “Most Influential CFOs in India” award in 2015 and the “Best Finance Team of the Year” award in 2015 by Chartered Institute of management accountants.

    With close to 2 decades of experience in financial planning, Soumen Ray had joined Viacom18 three years ago after successful stints at HUL, ITC and Eveready Industries. A Chartered Accountant by qualification, Ray has played a pivotal role in the network’s meteoric growth, over the last few years.

  • Colors Infinity takes its home grown show ‘The Stage’ ‘Live’ across India

    Colors Infinity takes its home grown show ‘The Stage’ ‘Live’ across India

    MUMBAI: Viacom 18 has launched the first edition of its home grown singing reality show The Stage tour. Starting from Chennai on 6 April, concluding in Mumbai on 21 April, the tour will include the winner and top contestant from the first season performing live across cities including Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Gurgaon, Guwahati, Shillong and Pune.      

    The artists travelling in ‘The Stage Tour’ wagon include winner Yatharth Ratnum, along with popular Indie faces Soundarya Jayachandran, Kenishaa Francis, Anushka Shahane and Rupin Pahwa.

    Viacom18 youth and English entertainment head & EVP Ferzad Palia said,  “With The Stage we gave the English music talent of India a platform for the first time. Now we are taking the best of that talent across the country to 8 cities to perform live. They have wooed India with their musical prowess before, and I am certain that they will receive immense appreciation this time around as well. We are extremely excited about the tour and hope that our viewers will enjoy the experience.”

    Soundarya Jayachandran recorded a single called “I Don’t Need Nobody” in collaboration with Qyuki – an initiative by Shekhar Kapoor and A. R. Rahman that promotes artists, musicians, photography and more. A. R. Rahman himself later recommended and promoted the song on social media.

    The versatile artist Anushka Shahaney has signed a deal with EMI Music. The winner of the show, Yatharth Ratnum bagged the lead role in ‘Blue Mountains’, a film that also won the ‘Best Feature Film’ at the Asian Panorama International Film Festival. Yatharth has also lent his voice to four tracks in the film. This eclectic mix of young talent will be performing at various venues as part of the journey of The Stage Tour.

  • Colors Infinity takes its home grown show ‘The Stage’ ‘Live’ across India

    Colors Infinity takes its home grown show ‘The Stage’ ‘Live’ across India

    MUMBAI: Viacom 18 has launched the first edition of its home grown singing reality show The Stage tour. Starting from Chennai on 6 April, concluding in Mumbai on 21 April, the tour will include the winner and top contestant from the first season performing live across cities including Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Gurgaon, Guwahati, Shillong and Pune.      

    The artists travelling in ‘The Stage Tour’ wagon include winner Yatharth Ratnum, along with popular Indie faces Soundarya Jayachandran, Kenishaa Francis, Anushka Shahane and Rupin Pahwa.

    Viacom18 youth and English entertainment head & EVP Ferzad Palia said,  “With The Stage we gave the English music talent of India a platform for the first time. Now we are taking the best of that talent across the country to 8 cities to perform live. They have wooed India with their musical prowess before, and I am certain that they will receive immense appreciation this time around as well. We are extremely excited about the tour and hope that our viewers will enjoy the experience.”

    Soundarya Jayachandran recorded a single called “I Don’t Need Nobody” in collaboration with Qyuki – an initiative by Shekhar Kapoor and A. R. Rahman that promotes artists, musicians, photography and more. A. R. Rahman himself later recommended and promoted the song on social media.

    The versatile artist Anushka Shahaney has signed a deal with EMI Music. The winner of the show, Yatharth Ratnum bagged the lead role in ‘Blue Mountains’, a film that also won the ‘Best Feature Film’ at the Asian Panorama International Film Festival. Yatharth has also lent his voice to four tracks in the film. This eclectic mix of young talent will be performing at various venues as part of the journey of The Stage Tour.

  • How ready is India for the digital disruption?

    How ready is India for the digital disruption?

    MUMBAI: The Indian media and entertainment industry is enamoured by the possibilities that the digital world poses for it. Within digital, ‘video’ and ‘mobile’ seem to be most used and often abused words. To tap in and make the most of this ‘digital video’ revolution that  the country is set to see in 2016, several small and big players have rolled out or planned VOD or OTT services..

    But is India ready for this digital disruption? Have those who are betting high on the success of the video business really taken into consideration the groundwork and infrastructure needed to actually make profit?  Moderator and Bloomberg TV India consulting editor Vikram Oza raised these questions at FICCI Frames 2016 during a panel discussion – ‘And the walls came tumbling down : Digital disruption.’ In front of him on the panel were  – SPN digital business EVP Uday Sodhi, Viacom18 Digital Ventures COO Gaurav Gandhi, HOOQ cofounder and content head Krishnan Rajagopalan, Arre COO Ajay Chacko and Elemental Tecnologies SVP Daniel Marshal  – each a pioneer of digital world in his own right.

    Within the first fifteen minutes into the discussion, the audience had a good idea of where things stood in the digital video business. “While a fair bit of 3G and 4G is taking off, the industry is still at a nascent stage to make assumptions. Monetization, bandwidth and content needed to fall in place to set the groundwork going,” said Sodhi summing it up.

    When posed a query on bandwidth costs and subscription issues, Gandhi gave an optimistic perspective. “Currently the data prices are very high. So much of the consumption behaviour we are seeing will drastically change as the bandwidth opens up and becomes cheaper. We need to aim for a setting when data prices become part of everyone’s utility bill. That is when no one will hesitate from paying for an OTT service.”

    Marshal added his take from his experience of the international market and how it played out there. “What I have observed in the US is that there are more users with multiple subscriptions since the combined cost is still less than what people used to pay for their cable subscriptions. If India has to really see the end of this convergence, adaptability and bandwidth needs to be worked on heavily,” he suggested.

    Another variable that is a hindrance for digital convergence is the complicated and poor payment gateways. “It is true that in India the present payment gateway options are a major challenge to both the service provider and the consumers. From my experience, a huge part of willing consumers put off payments because of the payment method. It is indeed a big challenge and a part of it is that people are still hesitant to trust their money with online payments. Thus the adoption is lower. TRAI tried to deal with the issue by strengthening the security process in the transaction and sort of got overzealous with it, which is costing the industry in a different way. I would say it will take another 5 years for the payment options to be easy and secure and ready to handle the digital disruption,” Sodhi opined.

    With everyone jumping on the mobile video bandwagon and promising an on demand video service, was there a need for the players to differentiate their offerings? After all, according to Google research, the current range of smartphones in the market allowed users to have only few apps before their devices slowed down. While the industry remained a free market, this clearly meant that only few services would survive this tough competition and make their way to the users’ handsets.

    To put matters into perspective, Gandhi said, “Currently 85 per cent of the content is owned between the five major TV networks and the two TV studios. The content offered by their OTT players may look homogenous because our first natural instinct is to put forth the existing content from our TV and movie library. But newer original content for the web is also being produced currently.”

    Rajagopalan shared that his OTT service HOOQ, which already has a large presence in the international market, is banking on its large Hollywood movie library as the differentiating factor. “Apart from that we have also identified regional and smaller studios that don’t have a contract with major broadcasters’ networks in India to provide us with fresh content. So ours is an international and regional approach.”

    Acknowledging the need to create web only content, instead of banking on existing libraries, Chacko added, “What an audience individually consumes is different social viewing. The content itself needs to be disruptive if it were to survive these initial years of just investment and to break even eventually. Each player will work on its strengths and try everything and anything between micropayments (or pay per view revenue model) to ad-funded content.”

    It is obvious from the discussions that there is a long way to go for India to reach a point when these OTT players can reap the optimum benefits of what they are sowing as investment today. Will they be able to make it through the dry years ahead until the infrastructure and country is ready? Is it worth the time and money that they are putting in?

    Chacko addressed this with a simple comparison to the eCommerce markets. “Compared to the eCommerce business there is almost no customer acquisition cost when it comes to digital media. What we gain organically is what these eCommerce brands pay millions of dollars for. Therefore, with an almost zero marketing budget one can sustain oneself in the industry as long as one has strong content,” Chacko said.

    The panel also pointed out that digital video business paves way for an exponential growth. With better devices and network, the business will grow not just by tens but thousands so it made sense to invest in it.  

    The moderator then rolled the ball in the panellists court by asking them if their advertisers were buying these arguments that they gave in favour of the OTT/ digital business. The panellists unanimously agreed that media planners and buyers were excited about this newly evolving media. They were happy about giving an alternative to their clients and so were the advertisers, given the measurability and reach the media gave them.

  • How ready is India for the digital disruption?

    How ready is India for the digital disruption?

    MUMBAI: The Indian media and entertainment industry is enamoured by the possibilities that the digital world poses for it. Within digital, ‘video’ and ‘mobile’ seem to be most used and often abused words. To tap in and make the most of this ‘digital video’ revolution that  the country is set to see in 2016, several small and big players have rolled out or planned VOD or OTT services..

    But is India ready for this digital disruption? Have those who are betting high on the success of the video business really taken into consideration the groundwork and infrastructure needed to actually make profit?  Moderator and Bloomberg TV India consulting editor Vikram Oza raised these questions at FICCI Frames 2016 during a panel discussion – ‘And the walls came tumbling down : Digital disruption.’ In front of him on the panel were  – SPN digital business EVP Uday Sodhi, Viacom18 Digital Ventures COO Gaurav Gandhi, HOOQ cofounder and content head Krishnan Rajagopalan, Arre COO Ajay Chacko and Elemental Tecnologies SVP Daniel Marshal  – each a pioneer of digital world in his own right.

    Within the first fifteen minutes into the discussion, the audience had a good idea of where things stood in the digital video business. “While a fair bit of 3G and 4G is taking off, the industry is still at a nascent stage to make assumptions. Monetization, bandwidth and content needed to fall in place to set the groundwork going,” said Sodhi summing it up.

    When posed a query on bandwidth costs and subscription issues, Gandhi gave an optimistic perspective. “Currently the data prices are very high. So much of the consumption behaviour we are seeing will drastically change as the bandwidth opens up and becomes cheaper. We need to aim for a setting when data prices become part of everyone’s utility bill. That is when no one will hesitate from paying for an OTT service.”

    Marshal added his take from his experience of the international market and how it played out there. “What I have observed in the US is that there are more users with multiple subscriptions since the combined cost is still less than what people used to pay for their cable subscriptions. If India has to really see the end of this convergence, adaptability and bandwidth needs to be worked on heavily,” he suggested.

    Another variable that is a hindrance for digital convergence is the complicated and poor payment gateways. “It is true that in India the present payment gateway options are a major challenge to both the service provider and the consumers. From my experience, a huge part of willing consumers put off payments because of the payment method. It is indeed a big challenge and a part of it is that people are still hesitant to trust their money with online payments. Thus the adoption is lower. TRAI tried to deal with the issue by strengthening the security process in the transaction and sort of got overzealous with it, which is costing the industry in a different way. I would say it will take another 5 years for the payment options to be easy and secure and ready to handle the digital disruption,” Sodhi opined.

    With everyone jumping on the mobile video bandwagon and promising an on demand video service, was there a need for the players to differentiate their offerings? After all, according to Google research, the current range of smartphones in the market allowed users to have only few apps before their devices slowed down. While the industry remained a free market, this clearly meant that only few services would survive this tough competition and make their way to the users’ handsets.

    To put matters into perspective, Gandhi said, “Currently 85 per cent of the content is owned between the five major TV networks and the two TV studios. The content offered by their OTT players may look homogenous because our first natural instinct is to put forth the existing content from our TV and movie library. But newer original content for the web is also being produced currently.”

    Rajagopalan shared that his OTT service HOOQ, which already has a large presence in the international market, is banking on its large Hollywood movie library as the differentiating factor. “Apart from that we have also identified regional and smaller studios that don’t have a contract with major broadcasters’ networks in India to provide us with fresh content. So ours is an international and regional approach.”

    Acknowledging the need to create web only content, instead of banking on existing libraries, Chacko added, “What an audience individually consumes is different social viewing. The content itself needs to be disruptive if it were to survive these initial years of just investment and to break even eventually. Each player will work on its strengths and try everything and anything between micropayments (or pay per view revenue model) to ad-funded content.”

    It is obvious from the discussions that there is a long way to go for India to reach a point when these OTT players can reap the optimum benefits of what they are sowing as investment today. Will they be able to make it through the dry years ahead until the infrastructure and country is ready? Is it worth the time and money that they are putting in?

    Chacko addressed this with a simple comparison to the eCommerce markets. “Compared to the eCommerce business there is almost no customer acquisition cost when it comes to digital media. What we gain organically is what these eCommerce brands pay millions of dollars for. Therefore, with an almost zero marketing budget one can sustain oneself in the industry as long as one has strong content,” Chacko said.

    The panel also pointed out that digital video business paves way for an exponential growth. With better devices and network, the business will grow not just by tens but thousands so it made sense to invest in it.  

    The moderator then rolled the ball in the panellists court by asking them if their advertisers were buying these arguments that they gave in favour of the OTT/ digital business. The panellists unanimously agreed that media planners and buyers were excited about this newly evolving media. They were happy about giving an alternative to their clients and so were the advertisers, given the measurability and reach the media gave them.

  • Viacom18 launches its AVOD platform VOOT; to move its entire content library

    Viacom18 launches its AVOD platform VOOT; to move its entire content library

    MUMBAI: Finally setting to rest about when it would launch its OTT platform, Viacom18 launched its digital VOD platform VOOT. VOOT will be an advertising led VOD platform and will be available for free on iOS, Android and web.

    In a major move aimed at curating the largest repository of kids’ characters in the Indian OTT space, VOOT will house popular characters from across networks – from Nick characters like Dora, Spongebob, Motu Patlu to external popular characters like Chhota Bheem and Pokemon. In what it claims to be another first for an Indian OTT player, VOOT has launched with the largest repository of original content. VOOT Originals will roll out shows in both long and short formats across genres like comedy and drama. Bollywood actors Gulshan Grover, Baba Sehgal, Alok Nath and a host of celebrity scriptwriters and directors will be front-lining these shows. Furthermore, Viacom18 will move its entire content library, including COLORS, MTV and Nick, to be digitally available only on VOOT.

    Commenting on the launch, Viacom18 group CEO Sudhanshu Vats said, “India is at the cusp of a digital boom with over 400 million (20 crore) internet users and 200 million plus (20 crore plus)smart phone users spending significant amount of time online with entertainment and allied content being the prime driver. As more people move towards consuming content online, it is time for Viacom18 to move into the world of connected screens. Hence VOOT.”

    VOOT’s target audience strategy is in line with Viacom18’s larger strategy – it is a one stop destination for tots to adults. And this is where VOOT brings its unique proposition. Explaining further, Vats added, “With Kids’ content and our entire VOOT Originals line-up, the focus was to get people addicted to happiness. Through our content strategy, that is what we have held true. Our television channels also provide a very robust content bank that we will build upon, for the digital consumers. VOOT will be Viacom18’s singular gateway to quality and differentiated content, in the digital medium.”

    Echoing his CEO’s enthusiasm, Viacom18 Digital Ventures COO Gaurav Gandhi explained further, “As a network we are a content powerhouse, be it through our television channels or through our film studio. Our content strategy for VOOT is true to Viacom18’s philosophy of inclusive entertainment. Between VOOT Originals, VOOT Kids, our network content and content-around-content created exclusively for the platform, the idea is to peddle happiness to the ‘always wanting’ India, racing to go digital. Our marketing campaign, set to kick off in the next few days, also highlights this brand philosophy that is at the core of VOOT. ”

    With digital advertising led video-on-demand category set to develop into a $1 billion business opportunity, Viacom18 has lined up an aggressive mix of business, content and marketing strategies. “From a business standpoint, we are following the advertising led VOD model. As the market matures in the next 12-24 months, we will be evaluating both freemium and subscription led models,” explained Gandhi.

    The VOOT bouquet of offerings will include fresh, new content mix, keeping in mind the varied demands of the consumer base. VOOT has planned six originals through its launch phase, and is all set to introduce India’s first mockumentary – Badman. Written and directed by Soumik Sen and co-written by stand-up comedian Anubhav Pal; this 4-part film has Gulshan Grover playing himself. Soadies, a comic spin off of the ever popular Roadies, was also unveiled at the launch. With Baba Sehgal in the lead role, the web sit-com produced by Frames has all his trademark antics to laugh your guts out.

    Comedy rules the roost on VOOT. With a web series ‘Chinese Bhassad’ written by Raahil Qaazi (Co-writer of Do Dooni Chaar) and directed and produced by Saurabh Tewari and a talk show with a ‘twist; called’Sinskari’ starring Alok Nath and produced by Monozygotic is all set to keep you in splits this April!

    In the ‘Content around content’ category, there will be specially curated and platform exclusive shows, exploring never before seen footage and storylines to get you hooked. Rounding up the VOOT content mix, will be all of Viacom18’s channels’ shows. The OTT platform will offer a personalised experience and intuitive product features to engage the always on generation. With VOOT Viacom18 continues to enrich the lives of every Indian with something for everyone.