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Tag: Viacom18

  • DAS Phase II: Indiacast-Hathway- GTPL slugfest on DAS deals

    DAS Phase II: Indiacast-Hathway- GTPL slugfest on DAS deals

    MUMBAI: A war of sorts has broken out between India‘s second largest content aggregator IndiaCast Media Distribution and Hathway Cable and Datacom, the country‘s biggest Multi System Operator (MSO) and its affiliate GTPL, Gujarat‘s largest MSO with footprints in other states too.

    This is happening at a time when the entire broadcast and cable TV industry and government have been grappling with how to deal with the Phase II digitisation (DAS) of India‘s cable TV. And it clearly reveals how much more needs to be done to make the government‘s agenda to professionalise and spruce up India‘s cable TV sector a reality. (MIB wants MSOs-b‘casters to sign DAS agreements within 15 days )

    Now on to the problem between IndiaCasat and GTPL and Hathway. Both Hathway and GTPL have switched off IndiaCast channels in multiple markets across India including Gujarat, Maharashtra, West Bengal, and Madhya Pradesh as the latter is demanding a reduction in carriage fee and growth in subscription fee.

    IndiaCast distributes 35 channels from the TV18, Viacom18, Disney UTV and A+E Networks spanning across Hindi general entertainment, news, kids, youth and regional genre.

    Hathway, on the other hand, has cable operations that straddle across key Indian geographies and offers cable television services across 140 cities and towns.

    However, Hathway and GTPL feel IndiaCast‘s demand is unjustified. Their contention is that the time is not ripe for a carriage fee reduction or an increase in subscription fee payouts as they have hardly started collecting money from the ground.

    IndiaCast though feels that its demand is justified as the analog cable TV networks around the country are being digitised in a phased manner which will lead to broadcasters getting their fair share of subscription revenue due to transparency in subscriber base of LCOs.

    The content aggregator alleges that both Hathway and GTPL want to maintain status quo by doing deals similar to that in the analogue era. According to IndiaCast, the two MSOs also want to revisit phase I deals which were done on cost-per-subscriber basis.

    Hathway Cable and Datacom MD and CEO Jagdish Kumar feels the broadcasters‘s maw is increasing and they are unwilling to support the MSOs in this transition phase.

    “Broadcasters have become too greedy. They are behaving like ostriches. They want a reduction in carriage fee and a growth in subscription revenue. Reduction of carriage fee is not going to happen overnight. As far as growth in subscription revenue goes, the MSOs themselves have not started collecting money from the ground,” thunders Kumar.

    Kumar‘s suggestion to broadcasters is to do “equitable” deals till the situation on the ground stabilises particularly since the MSOs have made large investments in making digitisation a reality.

    “We also have to look at returns on the investments that we have made so far,” adds Kumar.

    The dispute that began end of December has reached the sector regulator‘s door. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has asked GTPL to respond by 10 April to a complaint filed by IndiaCast alleging abuse of its dominant position in Gujarat.

    Says IndiaCast COO Gaurav Gandhi, “GTPL‘s intention is to use these coercive methods on broadcasters and aggregators to pressurise them to keep DAS deals in line with what was there in the analogue regime – at any cost they don‘t want a reduction in their carriage income. Almost all our deals in DAS Phase I were done on a cost-per-subscriber model. We have written to Trai on the violations done by GTPL & Hathway and the regulator has now asked GTPL to respond by 10 April.”

    In its complaint, IndiaCast has alleged that Hathway and its affiliate GTPL illegally collided to coerce IndiaCast into acceding to their demands including increasing the placement fees, reducing subscription fees and also to re-open DAS Phase I deals already executed.

    Giving his perspective on the dispute, GTPL president Sumit Bose says that the MSO has followed Trai regulations in letter and spirit while dealing with IndiaCast. GTPL, he says, had an agreement with IndiaCast till 31 March 2013.

    He claims that IndiaCast itself did not respond to GTPL‘s offer of working on a new deal for phase II for almost two and a half months. IndiaCast officials did get in touch with GTPL by that time the company‘s management had decided against entering into a new deal with IndiaCast.

    “IndiaCast was never inclined to sit across the table to discuss the deal with us despite our keenness. We waited for more than two and a half months but there was no response from them (IndiaCast). Since we did not get any response, the GTPL management decided to switch off the channels as we had to look at our own business objectives as well,” affirms Bose.

    The MSO then switched off IndiaCast channels in Gujarat citing financial unviability.

    However, IndiaCast‘s Gaurav Gandhi is amused with the idea. On the contrary, he feels that the deal is unviable for IndiaCast as its analogue deal had it paying out more in carriage fees than the subscription fees that accrued to it courtesy GTPL.

    “Both GTPL and Hathway have cited financial unviability and financial constraints as reasons for discontinuation of deals for IndiaCast channels. This is the basis of the notice they sent for their existing deals – and these existing deals are where we were paying them more carriage, then they are paying us for subscription. So how can a deal be financially unviable for the MSO if they are receiving more than they are paying? This clearly demonstrates the strong-arm tactics and the intentions of GTPL and Hathway,” avers Gandhi.

    Bose strongly denies charges of strong arm tactics by IndiaCast. To buttress his point, he says that Gujarat is as competitive a market as any other market in India is, with the presence of several leading MSOs and DTH operators.

    According to Bose, it is quite optimistic on the part of anyone to think that carriage fees will come down so soon despite digitisation. He also asserts that GTPL has managed to retain its carriage fee level in the deals they have done so far to what they were earlier.

    “I don‘t see the carriage fee coming down in the near term. Particularly the market that we are operating in, we expect to cross our own expectations on the carriage front. The deals we have done so far are in line with our expectations,” declares Bose.

    The last word on the dispute has not yet been said.

  • Jayesh Muzumdar to head Viacom18’s regional movie business

    Jayesh Muzumdar to head Viacom18’s regional movie business

    Mumbai: Viacom18 Motion Pictures has appointed Jayesh Muzumdar to head its regional film business, a space the company is foraying into.

    This will be Mazumdar‘s additional responsibility as he is also Viacom18 Motion Pictures‘ director- commercial affairs.

    In his new role, he will be reporting to Viacom18 Motion Pictures COO Vikram Malhotra, who is serving his notice period at the company till July.

    As reported by Indiantelevision.com earlier, Viacom18 Motion pictures is making its foray into the regional cinema space with a robust slate for 2013.

    This move comes in the light of the brand’s vision to be a pan India studio and hence reach out to the audiences who consume cinema in varied regional languages.

    The studio will be reaching out to audiences across markets and will launch new movies in five languages.

    Viacom18 group CEO Sudhanshu Vats said, “Foraying into regional cinema is in line with our vision for Viacom18 to have a strong presence in the regional entertainment space – both television as well as films. Geographic and linguistic segmentation is a key component of our growth strategy as we move ahead, and the good news is that we’ve already firmed our plans in five key regional markets. As we move into other languages, we hope to replicate our model and success in those markets as well.”

    In its inception stage, the studio’s regional division has a pipeline of six movies across Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, Punjabi and Bengali.

    The Tamil and Telugu titles include the remake of the studio’s 2012 hit ‘Kahaani’. The remake will be directed by Shekhar Kammula and stars superstar ‘Nayanthara’.

    The Marathi movies include the sequel to the popular hit ‘Zapatlela’, which would make it Marathi cinema’s first sequel and 3D film; 72 Miles, a movie based on the commercially successful novel of the same name and directed by the award-winning director Rajiv Patil; and ‘Kumari Gangubai Non-Matric’ that brings a TV character on the big screen for the first time.

    ‘Bhitu’, creatively produced by Neeraj Pandey and starring the Bengali superstar Jeet and ‘Reunion’ (working title) creatively produced by Sujoy Ghosh are the movies lined up in Bengali.

    ‘Bhajji in Problem’ is a Punjabi film featuring Punjabi superstar Gippy Grewal and directed by Smeet Kang. This film will also feature cricketer Harbhajan Singh, Honey Singh and Akshay Kumar (in a cameo) as part of the cast.

    Viacom18 Motion Pictures COO Vikram Malhotra said, “We are now firmly on the path of our ambition to be a pan-India movie studio. With incremental growth coming from regional markets, Viacom18 Motion Pictures will now extend its understanding of path-breaking content and innovative marketing skills to connect with regional audiences. Our partnerships with best-in-class talent across languages underscores the trust and belief that our creative partners put behind our studio".

  • Viacom18 sets up unit for brand solutions across the network

    MUMBAI: Viacom18 has started a new division by the name of Integrated Network Solutions (INS) which will look at partnering with clients to create large format IPs and brand solutions across the network’s brands.

    The INS team will work with teams across the network from the television to motion pictures business and explore ways to best optimise their relationship with their clients. The division had a soft launch around a month back and the first project it worked on was the MTV Video Music Awards India (VMAI) where it partnered with cell phone manufacturer and marketer Micromax.

    INS is headed by Jaideep Singh in the role of Viacom18 – Integrated Network Solutions SVP and business head. Singh has been with Viacom18 for nearly six years now and has contributed extensively in developing MTV as a brand in India.

    Singh says, “Over the past five years or so, the individual brands of Viacom18 have established their presence with the audiences and the advertisers. We thought it was now time to leverage the strength of the individual brands at the network level.”

    Singh reveals that the network has relations with nearly 400-500 clients and the intent is to identify 20-30 like minded ones and create IP properties with them so that the network and the client benefit.

    INS will conceive and deliver strategic, creative solutions that will leverage the Network’s media assets and expertise from both a creative and business perspective. The scope of INS’ portfolio spans across live events, broadcast properties and digital and mobile media.

    INS operates under two verticals – Viacome18 Live which deals with the experiential part of business, and BE Viacom18 (globally known as BE Viacom) which will look at broadcast side of things. Further, BE Viacom18 has been divided into three function areas – motion pictures, multichannel IPs and international business.

    Under Viavom18 Live, the division plans to develop nearly 20 properties across the youth, comedy, kids and regional verticals. In case of youth and comedy, INS has already zeroed in on events like concerts and comedy festivals. “For the kid’s genre, the idea will be to leverage on the huge brand presence that Nick has in terms of Dora the Explorer and Spongebob Squarepants. We want to bring the Dora theatricals to India. We have already started work on bringing the Nick Kids Choice Awards, which are a huge success in the US, to India.”

    For the regional aspects, Singh believes that while award shoes remain the strongest prospect, there is huge potential in the culture music and art across India. INS, thus, will focus on creating events like cultural festivals, folk music events and art exhibitions.

    BE Viacom18’s motion picture vertical will look after the brand association for films produced by Viacom18 Motion Pictures. “The idea will be to identify brands that are willing to associate with our movies and then integrate the brand into the movie through placement, promotion and on ground activities. If the fit allows, we may even look at embedding the brand in the movie’s script,” explains Singh.

    The team will also work on creating properties which can be telecast across channels on the network (like Big Boss). Apart from this, INS will work with the global team to bring international properties to India and also take a few Indian properties to the global stage.

    “With MTV VMAI, we have accomplished out first project. We hope to continue doing good work through INS so that our clients and audiences benefit. For now, our goal is to make a scalable and sustainable business out of the brand network solutions initiative and I am glad things have taken off on the right note,” concludes Singh.

  • Viacom18 looking at regional play and more channel launches: Bob Bakish

    Viacom18 looking at regional play and more channel launches: Bob Bakish

    MUMBAI: Viacom18, the equal joint venture company between Viacom and TV18, is looking at launching more channels, expanding into regional markets and creating content for new media.

    Viacom is conducting a due diligence on the ETV general entertainment channels (GECs), Viacom International Media Networks President, CEO and Viacom18 board member Robert Bakish said today. "The regional markets are seeing fast growth," he added.

    Indiantelevision.com was the first to report that TV18 had offered Viacom the option to buy 50 per cent stake in five ETV GECs and 24.5 per cent equity interest in ETV Telugu. If Viacom decides to buy stake, the ETV GECs would move to Viacom18.

    When asked about what kept the joint venture alive (the only surviving one in the M&E space between a global media giant and a local company), Bakish said that it is not enough to have a shared vision. “The success of a JV is all about having a cultural fit. Our venture has had challenges and we have been forced to evolve. We decided to get into film production. We launched more channels like Sonic. Then we created IndiaCast to take advantage of digitisation. We see an opportunity to export content from India. We created a channel in the UK, Rishtey, using content from Colors and MTV.”

    The aim of Viacom partnering with Network18 was to make a local cultural connection. “In 2006 we realised that India offered opportunities we could not ignore. Viacom has resources but we felt the need for a local partner. JVs are a tradeoff. You don’t have complete control. Therefore it is important to have productive dialogue. In Korea, we have a JV with SBS which started a year ago,” said Bakish.

    In India, the company realised that brand positioning would be key. Therefore the decision was taken to make Colors edgier and more of a risk taker. “The good news for India is that more local production money is coming in. Out of this will come quality content.” He also noted that a hit television format is the most valuable IP. “After all, a local version of ’Fear Factor’ played a key role in Colors’ launch and success.”

    Network18 Group CEO Sai Kumar said the joint venture had been helped by the alignment between the two companies in terms of the scale of ambition and challenges that would have to be met. He noted that IndiaCast has allowed for reverse migration. Colors is now in 70 countries. “It is not just about the channel going abroad. Even shows like Ballika Vadhu have been being picked up abroad,” he said.

    Talking about new media, Sai Kumar said while platforms like OTT and VoD represent a risk and an opportunity, Viacom18 prefers to focus on the latter. Kumar noted that 13 years ago distribution became king as there was a lack of platforms to showcase content. Today the good news is that content is once again king. "The challenge today is that while consumption of content is at its highest it has gone multi device. The different platform windows are each a kingdom. With these platforms the possibility of milking content for revenue has gone up. The long tail will stand a better chance in the future,” he averred.

    Kumar called IndiaCast the second phase of the JV partnership.

    “Indiacast has a global multiplatform mandate.” Bakish said. “Star and Zee surprised people by coming together. We responded by creating one entity and partnered with Disney UTV to unlock the value of digitisation. While Nickelodeon and Disney compete fiercely with each other globally, the fact is that you have to look at each country differently."

    Referring to film business in India, Kumar noted that it is a great adjunct for Viacom18’s other businesses. “There are opportunities for synergies in our film business with Colors and other channels. At the same time, our exposure to film will be strategically limited. Having two films that are hits does not mean that the next three will also work. With each film you start from ground zero.”

    Bakish noted that film production business is not for the faint at heart. “We had long conversations about why we were in the film production business. We have had hits and misses but that is the nature of the game. Not everything will work.”

    In terms of the challenges facing the media and entertainment industry, Bakish spoke about the lack of reliability in measurement globally due to multiple platforms. “India is great to do business in but it isn’t perfect. Could digitisation have happened sooner? Sure. Could Phase one of DAS have been a solid four cities? Sure! Phase two is now happening and the industry needs to keep up the pressure to see that things work”, he noted.

    Kumar noted that advertising is now at its softest. Things will not change unless the measurement system improves. More homes for SEC A could help the niche genre, he added.

  • ‘Sharper market segmentation a must in digital India’ : CEO of Viacom18 Sudhanshu Vats

    ‘Sharper market segmentation a must in digital India’ : CEO of Viacom18 Sudhanshu Vats

     Sudhanshu Vats couldn’t have walked into the crease at a better time to start his innings as the Group CEO of Viacom18, a 50:50 joint venture company between TV18 and Viacom. Colors had settled as one of the leading Hindi general entertainment channels (GECs) while MTV was also sustaining growth.

    Vats’ task was to grow Colors to a new level, chalk out expansion plans and clock faster growth for the company. His focus was also on profitability and a step in that direction was to shelve the launch of a Hindi movie channel.

    Viacom18 saw opportunity in launching segmented channels at a time when India’s cable TV networks were asked by the government to digitise. So Sonic, Comedy Central and Nick Jr. were launched in quick succession.

    Vats’ next big growth pillar could be the addition of the ETV GECs. TV18 Group has offered Viacom the option to acquire the remaining 50 per cent stake in ETV’s five GECs and 24.5 per cent equity interest in ETV Telugu.

    This is a follow-up to the acquisition deal inked by TV18 in January 2012 to acquire 50 per cent stake in ETV‘s Marathi, Bangla, Kannada, Gujarati and Oriya entertainment channels, along with the option of picking up the balance 50 per cent interest. It also has 24.5 per cent stake in ETV Telugu and can add a similar equity interest in the Telugu GEC.

    After getting Viacom’s equity participation, the ETV GECs will get housed under Viacom18. The new owners will, thus, get full ownership of the five ETV GECs (ETV Marathi, ETV Bangla, ETV Kannada, ETV Gujarati and ETV Oriya) while half of ETV Telugu’s equity will get transferred.

    An FMCG industry veteran with over 21 years of experience, Vats feels that the Indian broadcasting industry has huge growth potential with the onset of digitisation and opportunity to correct advertising rates.

    In an interview with Indiantelevision.com‘s Sibabrata Das, the Group CEO of Viacom18 talks about the company‘s portfolio of channels and its growth plans in the backdrop of digitisation.

    Excerpts:

    Q. Has TV18 Group offered Viacom the option to buy the remaining 50% stake in five of ETV’s regional general entertainment channels and 24.5% equity interest in ETV Telugu? 

    Viacom has the option to acquire stake in ETV’s entertainment channels. A due diligence is being conducted.

    Q. Will the ETV GECs be housed under Viacom18?

    That will depend upon Viacom’s approval to pick up equity in the ETV assets.

    Q. So the next pillar of growth for Viacom18 will be the regional channels?

    We have been aggressive all along. We have launched three channels (Sonic, Comedy Central and Nick Jr) within a year’s time to take our total bouquet offering to seven. When the ETV channels integrate, we will have a new growth area in regional-language entertainment broadcasting.

    Q. Will we see regional movie channel launches as well?

    We are not looking at that at this stage. We will, however, be acquiring movies for the regional GECs when they come our way.

    ‘We will definitely evaluate the regional music broadcasting space. We are entering into regional movie production’

    Q. Even the launch of the Hindi movie channel was shelved. Does this mean that there is a focus on segmented products rather than mass entertainment channels that consume huge capital?

    We are committed to most of the genres. We have no immediate plans to look at sports or movies in the broadcasting space.

    The business case for a Hindi movie channel from us looks weak at this stage. We can’t come out with a product that is differentiated enough. The other question we ask ourselves is whether we have the right library. The answer is in the negative. The acquisition prices have also climbed steeply. And our studio business, which can provide captive content for the channel, is growing but needs to size up more.

    Q. So the growth strategy at this stage also fits into your overall philosophy of segmentation and psycho-graphic market approach which you carried out so well during your long stint at HUL?

    We have been sharply segmenting the market, particularly in the kids television space. We have Nick Jr, which targets the preschool segment. Nick addresses the 4-14-year-olds while Sonic has a skew towards young boys. MTV appeals to the youth and so does Vh1. You could probably see us working immediately on more segmentation as the market moves towards digitisation.

    Q. Have the early results of digitisation shown any benefits?

    Digitisation has actually been a shot in the arm for channels like MTV. We are also bullish on the kids TV space as it is a low-powered ad index category. Besides subscription gains, we can build in ancillary revenue streams by developing the ecosystem.

    Having Viacom as a partner also helps as we can leverage on the international parent in terms of content and research. Kids internationally is a hugely researched category and the best part is that the segment is more universal in nature.

    Q. Is the youth genre like MTV showing a particular level of saturation on the ad revenue front?

    Apart from the organic ad growth, an ecosystem can be created to build ancillary revenues. There is scope for live concerts and advertisement-funded programmes. We are taking MTV Block Party to five towns. MTV Video Music Awards India is taking place on 21 March. The youth-cum-music genre will also be able to increase subscription revenues in a digitised environment. But yes, the genre will see more of youth than music content.

    ‘Viacom has the option to acquire stake in ETV’s entertainment channels. A due diligence is being conducted’

    Q. Will Viacom18 also explore the regional music broadcasting space?

    We will definitely evaluate this space.

    Q. Don’t you have to work on the English content side as Comedy Central has a long way to go?

    English entertainment is better indexed on both the revenue counts – ad as well as subscription. Segmentation will happen in these genres. Comedy Central is picking up well.

    Q. What is the growth path for Colors in a digitised climate?

    We will have more genres to widen the appeal of the channel. Colors is more urban now; we are making it all inclusive. We are rounding up the genres for the channel – crime, comedy and mythology. We have already demonstrated that we can come out with good fiction and non fiction shows.

    Q. Is there scope for correction in advertising rates?

    I am bullish over a five-year horizon. India is one of the cheapest ad markets in the world. The time regulation on commercial time (as defined by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India) will have a positive impact on rate inflation. However, it should be introduced after digitisation matures. I also see media buyers differentiating between reach and quality reach.

    Q. At a macro level, what are Viacom18’s key thrust areas?

    Sharper segmentation is a must as India moves from a collective to an individualistic content consumption habit. Technology and multiple screens will be available to consume that content. The third force will be digitisation. With the distribution pipe becoming broader, the system will allow a channel to launch and at a lower cost of carriage. This will make the business model viable. The dependence on advertising revenue will reduce as an alternative income system grows.

    The fourth area is something we have to shape up and, to my mind, is more difficult to execute. This is what I call behavioural research, which allows us to move from just idea and gut feel to something more scientific. No doubt the first two are very important to have and will always remain core to the media business. But we need to also have a system that can develop and test the power of that idea.

    Within Viacom18, we are also keen to drive in internal synergies. The challenge is to develop the different lines of businesses into one company – family entertainment channels, music content and movies. We are also seeing experimentation in TV properties like Bigg Boss which are moving across regional channels.

    Q. How much is Viacom18 investing on its movie production business and what is the plan to scale up?

    For us the issue in the film production business is not funding but profitability. The risk-reward ratio today is heavily skewed towards the stars than the studios.

    The peak funding requirement for our movie business is Rs 1 billion. We have a slate across small, medium and big-budget movies. We have decided to do more co-productions and to get early involvement into the project. This will allow us to have control on costs, influence to some extent the creativity of the product, understand the movie better and, hence, be able to market it better.

    We are also looking at entering into regional film production. For starters, we will be doing a few Punjabi and Bengali movies.

  • MTV partners with Swipe to launch co-branded tablet MTV Volt

    MUMBAI: Viacom18‘s music and youth channel MTV has furthered its licensing and merchandising portfolio by associating with Swipe Telecom to launch a co-branded ‘fablet‘ (derived by combining fabulous and tablet) named MTV Volt. The two companies have signed a two-year licensing agreement and intend to launch an array of eight to ten products aimed at the technological and entertainment needs of the Indian youth.

    The device has a 6 inch screen along with an exclusive inbuilt TV-player, offering viewers on-the-go access to MTV. It has a touch screen and can be used as both a portable TV set and a fully functional high-definition Android tablet with wi-fi, dual cameras, FM player and GPS functionality offering the youth information, communication and entertainment (ICE) on the move.

    Dedicated teams from Swipe and MTV got together to design all aspects of the tablet from the look and apps to the packaging. Priced at Rs 12,999 and weighing 239 gms the ‘MTV Volt‘ sports a white velvet body with specially designed textured back for better use, comfort handling and high aesthetic value.

    The fablet comes with in-built apps that allow one to network on Facebook, LinkedIn and allows downloading videos backed by a 2 x 1 GHz dual core processor, HD display and Android Jelly Bean 4.1.1. The MTV Volt has an 8 mega pixel rear camera with flash and 1.3 MP front camera and uses an internal rechargeable marathon battery Li-Ion Polymer 3200 mAh that provides a talk time of 8-10 hours.

    While the design has been created in India using insights and inputs from contemporary Indian youth, the manufacturing has been done in china and the distribution will be handled by Swipe Telecom.

    Viacom18 SVP and business head – consumer products Sandeep Dahiya said, “In Swipe we found a partner who shares our vision and take on the portfolio. MTV VOLT is a ‘made to order‘ product for the generation that‘s constantly communicating, entertaining and socializing. In the future, we also hope to develop exclusive apps for MTV Volt and create an eco-system around the brand itself.”

    Swipe Telecom founder and CEO Shripal Gandhi said, “We at Swipe Telecom are excited to be associated with a youth centric brand like MTV. In the recent past we have seen a paradigm shift in the usage of technology like tablet PCs and Fablets amongst the youth in India which has witnessed a CAGR of 59 per cent. The MTV Volt promises to be a perfect muse for tech enthusiasts of the generation next. In partnership with MTV, we will be launching an array of revolutionary products over the next few quarters; which will be truly disruptive.”

    MTV Volt will be available across 10,000 retail points across India, Swipe e-store and also leading online portals like Flipkart, Snapdeal, Infibeam and eBay amongst others and other youth centric platforms. The offline campaign consisting of launches, banners, hoardings, posters will be complimented by an interactive an engaging campaign in the digital space as well.

    MTV Consumer Products today extends into more than 15 categories, with presence in both, conventional as well as unconventional categories like innerwear, adventure bikes, footwear, lingerie, eye-wear, bags, stationery and paper, debit cards, deodorants and EDTs, mobile phones and tablets. MTV‘s key licensees include Bwitch, Citibank, Crusoe, Firefox, Aureole-Inspecs, BILT, PLG, J K Ansell, Mochi, Swipe Telecom and Global Fragrances.

  • Nick India teams up with Mahindra Retail for a range of adventure toys

    MUMBAI: Viacom18‘s kids brand Nick India has introduced a new range of adventure toys – Play Nation Royal Express & Play Nation Speed Racing in association with Mahindra Retail.

    This collection of toys will help kids experience a combination of thrill and excitement, plus enable them to build their own racing paths right from scratch. The range of DIY (Do It Yourself) toys will consist of a train set called Play Nation Royal Express and a car set called Play Nation Speed Racing. Both the sets will be available in three versions and will be priced between Rs 1499 and Rs 4999. The toys sets will be available in over 100 retail stores across the nation.

    Viacom18 Media senior vice president – consumer products and communications Sandeep Dahiya said, “We‘re happy to partner with Mahindra Retail to extend our brand to ‘Royal Express‘ and ‘Speed Racing‘. Given their unique features, the range is sure to excite our young consumers with its action, speed and engineering aspects.” He further added, “This partnership is in line with our plan to extend brand ‘Nickelodeon‘ to categories that are relevant as well as exciting, through interesting collaboration like this.”

    Mahindra Retail executive vice president, distribution business and beanstalk Deepinder Kapany added, “We are extremely delighted with this new association with Nickelodeon. The launch of the Play Nation Royal Express and the Play Nation Speed Racing is only the beginning to excite kids to make their very own railway and racing tracks! It‘s more than just fun, as these products can help build teamwork abilities, develop the kids motor and coordination skills while the child has fun and is being entertained in a healthy manner. Our association with Nickelodeon is a perfect platform to launch these toys that are synonymous to fun, entertainment, development and adventure, just like Nickelodeon.”

    The association will also include marketing activities like on-air promotion, consumer interactivity, digital and radio that will help in engagement with kids. The range will be promoted through various social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter as well as on the Nick India website.

  • Viacom18’s Inkaar gets Siyaram’s Mistair as style partner

    Mumbai: Mistair, a division of Siyaram Silk Mills, has associated with Viacom 18 Motion Pictures‘ next ‘Inkaar‘ as a style partner.

    Mistair has launched special collection called “Powerplay” in association with the movie that is set to release on 18 January.

    Siyaram Silk Mills managing director and chairman Ramesh Poddar said, “We are very happy to be associated with Viacom 18 motion pictures movie ‘Inkaar‘ as their Style Partners. This gave us an opportunity to display our corporate collections by Mistair from the house of Siyaram Silk Mills for the New Age fashion conscious youth who opts for stylish formal wear to create an impression in their workplace.”

    The entire range of Powerplay is available at select retail outlets. Keeping in mind the young age segment that Mistair caters to, Powerplay has been offered in vibrant colours, thereby making it a complete techno-commercial collection, the company said.

    Viacom18 Motion Pictures chief operating officer Vikram Malhotra said, “Inkaar is a story set in Corporate India. The story revolves around the relationship and aspirations of two characters, Rahul and Maya, played by Arjun Rampal and Chitrangda Singh, who work in the same office. The film, like its lead stars, is contemporary, chic, glamorous, hard-hitting and powerful. We are pleased to be associated with a brand like Siyaram‘s Mistair which reflects the same values and talks to the target audience of Inkaar”.

    The association between Mistair and ‘Inkaar‘ was facilitated by Carat Fresh Integrated, an experiential marketing agency of Aegis Media India Group.

  • ‘Segmentation in kids TV genre makes biz sense in digital era’ : Viacom18 EVP & business head – Kids Cluster Nina Elavia Jaipuria

    ‘Segmentation in kids TV genre makes biz sense in digital era’ : Viacom18 EVP & business head – Kids Cluster Nina Elavia Jaipuria

    Kids channels, bogged down in an analogue cable TV environment, suddenly find space to grow. Segmented channels is the new mantra. After launching an action and adventure channel Sonic in 2011, Viacom18 has launched another dedicated offering in the form of Nick Junior, a preschool channel targeted at 2-6 years.

     

    Nickelodeon‘s move follows Disney‘s foray into the preschool space and Zee‘s entry into the kids broadcasting space with the launch of its edutainment channel ZeeQ. The common thread between the three channels is that they are pay-driven, unlike the earlier ad supported models.

     

    Nick Jr. makes its arrival at a time when India is moving towards mandatory digitisation of cable networks.

     

    In an interview with Indiantelevision.com‘s Javed Farooqui, Viacom18 EVP & business head – Kids Cluster Nina Elavia Jaipuria shares her enthusiasm about why she is bullish about the preschool segment and the impact that digitisation will have on the kids TV genre.

     

    Excerpts:

     

    Preschool blocks had existed on kids channels. Now we are seeing full-fledged channels being launched targeting preschoolers. How has the business climate changed?
    The biggest change is digitisation. We are seeing that happen now. The segmentation in the kids TV genre makes more business sense now because we will have transparency. Subscription revenues will also increase.

     

    Does digitisation make more sense for segmentation in the kids TV genre primarily because of carriage being corrected or you see a substantial gain in subscription revenue as well?
    It‘s both. It will allow us to try very focussed segmentation which we could have not done in analogue cable TV environment. Today in digital, we can segment as much as we can. Carriage payouts will no longer be a deterrent and pay revenues can only grow. So we are all riding the wave of digital right now and hoping that while we cater to need gaps, we also make business sense.

     

    That is not to say the launch of Nick Junior is a sudden development. Since I started working with Nickelodeon, I always wanted to bring Nick Jr. to India. But then it had to make business sense for everyone.

     

    Are we in a situation where full-run preschool programming on a channel is not yet commercially viable?
    I don‘t think so.

     

    Why then did BBC shut CBeebies in India despite knowing that digitisation of cable TV networks is happening?
    Actually, I am very suprised that it happened so abruptly. I am sure they have their reasons for moving out of the country.

     

    Why do you then have this dual slot (Nick Jr. and Teen Nick) on Nick Jr.?
    We could have gone either way — done a 24-hour channel or have the model of preschool content till 7 pm and teenage programming after that. We have the product and the content that is our own, so it‘s just a matter of dishing it out to them.

     

    But we seriously believe that towards the evening this channel will get switched off as most toddlers and their mothers are winding down for the day. So it‘s a good idea to use a frequency that is going to be switched off and wanting to keep them switched on. We are also assuming that in a one television household you always have younger siblings and older siblings and when the younger siblings go away, the older siblings take care of the remote.

     

     ‘We will see a lot of localised content as digitisation picks up. In all this, what will continue is animation. No matter how hard you try, live action can never help children to transport to their imaginary world. We will stick to animation‘

    How do you differentiate Teen Nick from Nickelodeon?
    Nick is hardcore animation and will run from 6 am to 7 pm. Teen Nick, on the other hand, is only live action and has all the sitcoms and dramas that are rocking internationally. Most of the kids in India are watching them on YouTube. So you will have Victorious and Unfabulous and those kind of shows which have made it really big in the West but haven‘t really got the chance to come to India. They are very teenager shows because they are based on college, music, internet, digital and a lot of comedy. So there are sitcoms and drama that are very different from Nick.

     

    Since Nick Jr. is targeting 2-6-year-olds, wouldn‘t the upper end of this age group want to watch television even after seven in the evening?
    We have seen that post 7 pm, kids are winding down; most of the remotes are also not in toddlers hands. Even at dinner time, it‘s not the toddler that has the remote. I don‘t think even the kids category has the remote post 7 because it‘s the GECs and News channels that take over. You have this trend in a single television household. That way the battle for remote will continue across every segment.

     

    What kind of research went into launching this channel?
    There was no rocket science really about the research. To me every parent would like to do what is best for their child and in today‘s competitive world you want your child to learn and develop fast. Therefore, parents are doing everything they possibly can to ensure that their kids are learning and developing and this (Nick Jr.) is filling that need gap to my mind. There certainly was a gap there and there was no offering. The research to that extent is that there is a need gap and parents are looking for this kind of learning and development. What happens in school is hardcore education. We are only complementing that with edutainment.

     

    What is researched is the content and we do this internationally. It‘s content that is made worldwide, so the curriculum is set in place. Every show, therefore, teaches a particular skill . So if you look at Team Umizoomi, it‘s really maths.

     

    And you must remember that we are getting our international content here. There is even research going on there before they produce any preschool content. We are very careful in keeping Nick Jr. a destination for safe viewing with no violent content.

     

    How important is the preschool segment within the kids genre?
    It‘s very important from perspectives. One is it allows you to cater to the entire range of kids right from zero to teenage which is what we are now looking at. This was the missing gap that we had in Viacom18. But it‘s also important from the consumer products business point of view. We all are trying to create ancillary revenue streams for ourselves outside of ad sales and outside of subscription. Nick Jr. will play a very large role in driving this part of the business.

     

    Will it be an ad-free channel?
    Currently it is an ad-free channel, but I don‘t think we can continue to be ad-free. Despite everything being said about digitisation, the ratio of subscription-to-ad sales is still skewed. In the Western world, subscription contributes about 65 per cent of the revenues and in India we are not even half of that. However being a responsible broadcaster, we will be very selective of how much and what ads we put.

     

    How much is the subscription revenue for kids channels?
    It is under-indexed, I don‘t think it will even hit Rs 200 crore (Rs 2 billion).

     

    What kind of an upside do you see with digitisation?
    Nobody has any answer to this question.

     

    Why is Nick Jr. only in English?
    It is inherent in India for every parent to learn English. This is an aspirational channel which teaches your child English. If we do this in regional languages, it will defeat the very purpose of being aspirational. The shows are very easy to understand. So when Dora teaches to say A for Apple, that is what causes the child to learn.

     

    So is Dora the link between Nick and Nick Jr.?
    Dora has been on Nick and we will keep her there as well because that is the driver show. It also help us from the consumer products perspective.

     

    Will you have local productions for Nick Jr.?
    No, because we believe that for this kind of a product there is no boundary. In fact, even as kids grow older it doesn‘t matter to them whether it‘s a Japanese show or an American show. Therefore you will see a lot of animation featuring on normal kids category. There is no need to create so much desi content and the pipeline we are creating for Nick where we have Keymon Ache and Motu Patlu for this audience is done after a lot of research. It takes a lot of time to make a show.

     

    Disney also launched its preschool channel. What impact will competition have on the genre?
    It will only grow the category as there will be more choice. It‘s the best thing that can happen to the category. It will only grow the preschool category that was almost non-existent until all of us launched.

     

    How do you see segmentation within Nick?
    Nick is the mother brand and it delivers a very core need of a child, which is humour. Nick will continue in that space. While we talk about Nickelodeon audience being very universal, I think it‘s 4-14 years, so I never like to box it at any level. I think the core really lies at 6-12 if you really ask me and we will continue to cater to them in humour and comedy.

     

    Within comedy, you have action comedy, family comedy, silent comedy and slapstick comedy. The character either becomes a role model or a superhero and it‘s the character that takes over after a point. As you move along, you will see newer episodes of Ninja coming in and that‘s how we drive our viewership. You will see the mother brand engaging on the television platform and outside the platform. The Keymon game had 3 million downloads on Nokia Ovi, so we are dealing with what I call the ‘screenagers‘. It‘s all about staying ahead of the curve and engaging with kids across various screens.

     

    Will Nick have more localised content?
    I see more localisation happening on that front. But that is also a chicken and egg situation and we have to look at the investment-to-revenue ratio. We don‘t know when the subscription revenues will start getting corrected. After that happens, you will see more focus on local content. But having said that, we have two shows and we have a third in the pipeline; you will see a lot more progress on that front. In all this, what will continue is animation. No matter how hard you try, live action can never help children to transport to their imaginary world. We will stick to animation.

     

    Will we see more movies coming out?
    We had Keymon Ache & Nani in Space Adventure movie
    and you will see movies from Motu Patlu because Bollywood and Hollywood have become not just kids but also family entertainment. As we move from kids to family, you will see more extensions happening.

     

    But till now Nick has not been airing movies?
    Series is the bread and butter for us. Kids like to watch, as Farah (Khan) was saying, repetitive content. They want to watch more of the same, so that‘s what we give in the weekend as well. We don‘t miss not having movies on the channel.

     

    Has ad growth stayed flat for the kids genre this year?
    Ad revenue will grow anywhere between 10 to 14 per cent. If you look at the last five years, the CAGR is 14 per cent.

     

    Isn‘t the space tough as we have 12 channels fighting for Rs 2.5-3 billion ad revenue market?
    It is a hugely under-indexed market. From viewership perspective, we have eight per cent genre share while ad revenue share is just two per cent. Correction is bound to happen. A few years back, this revenue share was just one per cent. So we are growing, although we don‘t get what we deserve.

     

    Do you see room for local players entering this space?
    We saw UTV launch Hungama years ago. Zee has already made an entry. Let digitisation complete, then only there will be space. In the current scenario, it will be a tough proposition for local players.

  • Nick introduces sub brands; Nick Explore first to roll out

    Nick introduces sub brands; Nick Explore first to roll out

    MUMBAI: Taking its licensing and merchandising strategy forward, Nickelodeon India is set to introduce its own sub brands in the Indian market, Nick Explore, Nick Sports and Nick Action.

    The first edition from this kitty is ‘Nick Explore‘ in association with Mexus Education, one of the leading providers of hands-on educational toys for kids. The Nick Explore range of hands-on-learning toys and instructive games exposes kids to the fundamentals of science & technology, thus increasing their imagination and analytical skills.

    These edutainment toys are targeted at eight years and above, with 24 different models and priced from Rs 199 to 2499. Nick Explore includes toys like rocking chairs, quad bikes, 360 degree cannons, walking robots, retro planes, earthquake meters and many more. The components in all the toys are interchangeable, re-usable and comes with infinite possibilities of making new models and machines. The range will be available at Hamleys, Landmark, Reliance Time Out, Shoppers Stop, Beanstalk and several toy stores across the country.

    Speaking on the launch of Nickelodeon‘s sub brands, Viacom18 Media SVP – Consumer Products & Communications Sandeep Dahiya said, “This collaboration marks our entry into a new domain – both from a brand as well as a category perspective. The ‘Nick Explore‘ range of kits, developed by Mexus Education, will help unlock the creative potential in older kids, while exposing them to basics of science in a manner that‘s fun and interactive.”

    Mexus Education MD Rohit Jain adds, “We are delighted to launch our latest innovative designer toys as Nick Explore. This is in continuation with our efforts of making learning enjoyable for kids. Nick Explore series will give a new dimension to the way kids perceive toys and studies by delivering the rare mix of analytical skills and creativity. Now kids can make new designs everyday and experiment with their ideas to make real machines and life size models with world class quality components in Nick Explore products.”

    Nickelodeon‘s association with Mexus Education will include a 360-degree marketing promotion that will include on-air promotion, on-ground activities, digital and radio that will help in consumer engagement. The new product range will be promoted through various social media platforms on Facebook, Twitter as well as on the Nick India website. There will also be contests and retail promotions planned around the range.