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Tag: VOOT

  • Voot to roll-out 4 new originals in a month under SVoD

    Voot to roll-out 4 new originals in a month under SVoD

    MUMBAI: To lure more users, Viacom18’s over-the-top (OTT) platform — Voot — will roll-out four new Originals under the subscription video-on-demand (SVoD) category on the platform. The launch of these four new Original series will happen anytime within 30 to 45 days, says Viacom18 Digital Ventures, chief operating officer, Gourav Rakshit speaking exclusively to Indiantelevision.com.

    The media and entertainment company earlier this year has already formally announced a subscription-based video streaming service — Voot Select, a premium pay service. The arm of the company’s OTT platform will be helmed by Ferzad Palia, head – youth, music & English, Viacom18.

    “The shooting of Originals being already completed, it was outsourced to production houses”, says Rakshit. “As the platform will roll-out the very first Originals, it had to be Hindi genre, however, it will have a translation to other regional languages.”

    According to Rakshit, “Regional is going to be a growth factor for the next five years. Even though Hindi content will grow, the regional content’s growth would be more excessive.”

    Besides Voot Select, the company had also launched Voot Kids last year, its first paid service to tap into the growing demand for kids’ content. Meanwhile, Hotstar has also introduced a new “Kids” button to its website that filters age-appropriate content with parental control last year.

    The SVoD category will provide exclusive content across a diverse multi-genre marquee, of which four of them will be unveiled in a month’s time. “Originals are the big players in the customer acquisition for subscription business,” says Rakshit.

    The data and content have been the major engine drivers for OTTs. Disregarding both of them, Rakshit says, “Our focus is on users more than the data or content. Users exposed to content will definitely provide the data and the reason for our existence is only because of them.”

    “We are putting out a slate, which is our best guess with respect to upcoming Originals, beyond that we’ll start getting data,” says Rakshit. “We have already been live while in terms of just putting out our select service sans putting out Originals. This is done to get likes and dislikes of the consumer.”

    He adds, “On the AVoD side, there is a lot of content we make ourselves under Voot Night Live, which is like an extra innings of the hit show Bigg Boss.” This attempt itself has given a lot many tractions on the digital platform but it wanted to go beyond TV content on the OTT platform and hence the decision to come up with new Originals soon, explains Rakshit.

    Voot is the third broadcaster-led OTT platform, after ZEE5 and Hotstar, to enter into the SVoD category. It has over 100 million downloads on the Google Play store.

    Stating that it’s just a start for the OTT players, Rakshit says, “Don’t believe 2020 is going to be the transformation year. However, it’s going to be a whole decade. In this context, we are neither late nor early to come up with new Originals and in this decade lot many things are going to change.”

  • Colors Cineplex to premiere Road Safety World Series on 7 March

    Colors Cineplex to premiere Road Safety World Series on 7 March

    MUMBAI: Colors Cineplex and VOOT is all set to bring Unacademy Road Safety Word Series.  The matches will be played in T20 format between India, Australia, Sri Lanka, West Indies, and South Africa starting 7 March to 22 March 2020 in Mumbai, Navi Mumbai and Pune and will stream live on Colors Cineplex, VOOT and Jio.  

    Road Safety World Series is an initiative by Road Safety Cell of Maharashtra in association with Professional Management Group (PMG).
    To bring alive the essence of the sport and energize fans in the country, Colors Cineplex has designed engaging content and network-wide promotions that have seen a playout of 25000+ promos on air across  60 network and non-network channels including Hindi GEC, Hindi Movies, News, Music, Kids and Regional across India in 5 weeks. Bigg Boss grand finale episode saw a special integration featuring Mohammad Kaif and Harbhajan Singh wherein they interacted with host Salman Khan and the contestants inside the house. 

    A special integrated promo has been created with Nick India’s Brand Mascots – Motu Patlu to be aired across the channel. A Pan-India Outdoor campaign will be released during the period of the league at 300+ sites across Mumbai, greater Mumbai, Pune, ROM, and Delhi along with large format ads across key arterial roads of the country to maximise visibility. 

    The league’s core message will be taken to the cinema halls across 3200+ single and multiplex screens through promos with the release of Baaghi 3.  A partnership with Radio Mirchi has been forged to increase local engagement and conversations around the league across 75 cities in the country. It will include 50000 promos along with content integration like RJ mentions, score updates and player interviews. During the matches, the brand mascot Teetar Mausi will interact with fans on ground.

    On the digital front, the channel is utilising its Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages by putting across promos, engaging posts on all Viacom18 assets. Curated content will be designed for Tik Tok talking about the biggest cricket faceoff that Road Safety World Series will offer. The next phase of this will see an upsurge in moment marketing – capturing player moments and leveraging it across social media, thereby propelling the fan engagement. The key moments will include engaging with the players at their practice matches, interesting interactions at the dug-out area and dressing room etc. 

    A fantasy league is also being introduced on VOOT, Jio and Colors Cineplex website wherein Contestants can create their own league teams and bet on players to win prizes. Play Along in Jio will allow the fans to predict the consequence of each ball, over, no. of sixes and boundaries and scores. All the spectator coming to watch the match will stand a chance to capture the moment come and share the picture on their social media platforms.  Furthermore, the Colors Cineplex website is set to get a massive make over as the channel readies to host a cricket series for the first time with movies. With a view of engaging with the fans, the site will be populated with a lot of player information along with interesting contests, games and gratification.

    Viacom18 Hindi mass entertainment and kids TV network head Nina Elavia Jaipuria said, “Cricket as a sport binds people of our nation together and we are proud to bring Road Safety World Series ‘live’ for the audience on COLORS Cineplex, VOOT, and Jio. With this new annual property, we plan to add more depth to our HME portfolio and bring two of the country’s biggest obsessions; cricket and Bollywood together on one platform. The audience will get to not only watch their favorite cricket legends taking over the field once again but also experience wholesome entertainment through our special programming. We are also elated to celebrate the one-year milestone of COLORS Cineplex and delighted to take the message of road safety to millions of people through cricket.”

    Presenting a perfect blend of nostalgia and unlimited entertainment, the series will host a fulfilled pre and post-match show – Super Over that will keep fans abreast of the behind-the-scenes updates, match analysis, in-depth players’ performances and more. While there will be lots of action on field, the show will also keep the entertainment quotient high. Cyrus Broacha who is known for his exceptional comic timing will turn host for the show while the suave Television Presenter Karishma Kotak will anchor all the action on the field. The veteran cricketer and commentator, Sunil Gavaskar who is also taking on the role as the league’s commissioner will share his expertise and insights. The match predictions will get a comic twist with Suresh Menon impersonating different characters and performing gags.

    Viacom18 Colors Cineplex head Rohan Lavsi said, “The combination of cricket and Bollywood is undoubtedly a promising proposition. Along with getting a chance to watch the legends ‘Live’ on the field, we will take the game to the next level by adding the element of entertainment to it. A special pre and post-match show – Super Over will provide a detailed analysis of the match innings along with many entertaining acts.  The property opens new doors of opportunities for brand building and we are leaving no stone unturned to create an enhanced viewing experience for the fans. We have designed a marketing campaign with the core messaging Yeh Jung Hai Legendary that will resonate highly among committed cricket enthusiasts. Also, it will be a golden opportunity for youngsters, who have not seen these legends “Live” on the field, to come and experience their magic”

  • The top shows on AVOD services

    The top shows on AVOD services

    MUMBAI: It’s been raining premium originals on streaming services such as ZEE5, Hotstar, Netflix, Hoichoi, Arre, ALTBalaji and MX Player. The genres have been varied, but what makes the shows stand out is the quality of storytelling, production values, and casting. The good ones have a cinematic quality about them. Some of them hide behind pay walls and some are on free services, dependent on advertising. But there’s no doubt they are generating buzz amongst subscribers and viewers – some more than the other.

    What’s also working well on a handful of broadcaster-linked streaming services is the catch-up shows which either debut on their OTTs or on television. Some of these get larger audiences and watch times than do the premium originals made for OTT.

    They also serve to bring viewers back almost daily to watch the release of new episodes or catch up with the ones they have missed. Most of the top notch premium originals are on SVOD services, which release data when they want to.

    Choosing the most popular ones without any metrics or data to rely on is therefore  a challenge. However, we at indiantelevision.com took a shot at drawing up a list of shows on advertising video on demand (AVoD) platforms that we think made an impression and were a favourite amongst the OTT-bingers.

    The list is not definitive, is in random order, and it is subjective without any malice intended towards those who do not feature in it. Read on to find out.

    Kumkum Bhagya :

    Kumkum Bhagya is a ZEE TV drama series about a star-crossed couple Abhi and Pragya, who are now separated. Ranbeer falls in love with their daughter Prachi, while their other daughter Rhea vies for his attention. The show with a very high BARC rating has been running for the past five years on television, but it attracts viewers on Zee TV’s ZEE5 service as well.

    Thinkistan:

    Made by Rajnish Lall of Jigsaw Pictures, it is the story of the Indian advertising world in an era when the industry was just beginning to stand out. Created and written by Paddy, set in an ad agency in the 1990s, it chronicles the journey of two advertising professionals in an entertaining manner. It also touches upon one of the most prevalent problems which was deep-rooted in the industry – inherent bias against languages other than English. India’s answer to Mad Men has already launched its second season too.

    Kundali Bhagya:

    Kundali Bhagya is a ZEE TV drama television series starring Shraddha Arya, Dheeraj Dhoopar and Manjit Joura. The story revolves around the two sisters of Pragya, from Kumkum Bhagya. Her sisters are Preeta and Shrishti who discover the existence of their mother Sarla and sister Pragya, after their father’s death. The sisters try to unite with their mother and sister.

    Big Boss:

    The saga of friendship, betrayal, love, bonding, feud, laugher, tears in a house full of celebrities – the formula to keep the audience glued to a show even in its thirteenth edition. Big Boss changed the meaning of reality shows in the country since its first season. The star-studded contestant list, and the association of Salman Khan with the show for more than a decade have favoured it to sustain the excitement, engagement among its fans. While the 100-day reality show is being aired on Colors, it gets millions of viewers on Viacom18’s digital arm VOOT as well.  

    Sembaruthi:

    Sembaruthi is a ZEE Tamil romantic drama TV series about circumstances that force Parvathy and Aditya, the son of an affluent woman, Akhilandeshwari, to get married secretly. But will the shrewd Akhilandeshwari, who has high hopes for her son, learn their secret? If you are not able to watch it on TV, you can definitely go to ZEE5 to find the answer.

    Queen:

    The MX Player original Queen has really ruled the web-entertainment space after it was launched in December. Shakti Seshadri, the central character of the web-series, bears strong resemblances to the late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa. In the course of portraying a majestic political leader, the narrative does not glorify the character. The realistic emotional tonality of the story makes viewers connect to it. Along with a strong storyline, Queen offers a brilliant screenplay to from its  writers.

    Fuh se Fantasy:

    Fuh se Fantasy , the VOOT original is about the delight in modern relationships that dare to explore their deepest, quirkiest and most exciting desires. The 10-episode series which started streaming on VOOT last year features popular faces such as Karan Wahi, Plabita Borthakur,Naveen Kasturia, Anshuman Malhotra , Gaurav Pandey and Anupriya Goenka. The millennial audience will certainly connect to the anthology as it takes a look at the tabooed and unsaid desires.

    Feet up with the Stars:

    You may like to peep into the lives of your favourite celebrity but all the quintessential interviews make you wane. VOOT has a brilliant alternative, Feet up with the Stars  – a chat show which has caught word of mouth for its intimate and personal conversation. The celebrities here talk more about themselves in a personal and cosy set up rather than taking a dig on others in the B-town. After its first season cut through the clutter of chat shows, the one of its kind chat show came back with the second season last year.

    Agga Bai Sasubai:

    Agga Bai Sasubai on ZEE Marathi tells the story of the loving bond Asawari shares with her daughter-in-law, Shubhra. The women stick together during good times and bad and help each other face the challenges life throws at them. A refreshing and unique take on saas-bahu relationships is also available anytime anywhere on ZEE5.

    Rani Rashmoni:

    Rani Rashmoni is a Bengali television period drama series starring Ditipriya Roy in the lead. The show on Zee Bangla revolves around the life and struggle of Rani Rashmoni, widow of Babu Rajachandra Das of Janbazar, Kolkata. She took charge of the zamindari and business, after her husband's death and proved herself as an effective leader. The show has created a buzz in the Bengali market and has become a part of daily routine in many Bengali households.  If you are keen to look back at the life of a fierce lady of the colonial era, it can be watched on ZEE5 as well.

    Kalyana Vaibhogam:

    Kalyana Vaibhogam is a ZEE Telugu drama television series that also lures viewers to ZEE5 platform too. The Suryadevara Family is cursed and the first wife of all their first sons are bound to be chomped by the jaws of death. While Nithya and Jai, the current heir of the family, fall in love, Nithya’s mother is aware of the curse and replaces her daughter with a lookalike, Manga, an innocent village girl. How things fall in place between Jai, Manga and Nithya forms the crux of the story.

    Hello Mini:

    Someone has been watching, following every move of a girl living alone in Mumbai. Does it sound terrifying? MX Player’s thriller drama series Hello Mini revolves around her life. The protagonist Rivanah Bannerjee who moved from Kolkata to Mumbai seems to have everything at the place in the beginning – a good job, loving boyfriend but as the story goes on her life also goes topsy-turvy. The mystery around the stalker, however, prevails throughout the series making it binge-worthy.

    Gattimela:

    Gattimela is a drama television series on ZEE Kannada starring Sudha Narasimharaju, Rakshith Gowda and others. The story revolves around Vedanth and Amulya, 2 people with contradicting personalities, who are constantly at loggerheads whenever they meet. Whether both of them will turn their sour relationship into a loving one forms the rest of the story. The local users love sampling the show on ZEE5 also. 

  • VOOT skill introduced on Alexa

    VOOT skill introduced on Alexa

    MUMBAI: India’s second largest premium AVOD platform by Viacom18 has always created high engagement and interactive experiences through its diverse and immersive content slate. Adding to this, to amplify the reach of its content, VOOT has now introduced the all new VOOT skill on Alexa for Amazon’s range of Echo devices with screen – the Amazon Echo Show, NEW Amazon Echo Show 8 and Amazon Echo Show 5.

    Enhancing discoverability and convenience, users can now activate and enable the skill on any Amazon Echo Show smart speaker with simple voice commands. So now an Asli Fan of Bigg Boss on VOOT only needs to say “Alexa, watch Bigg Boss on VOOT” to enjoy the national phenomenon.

    VOOT, AVOD Business Akash Banerji, Head said, “At VOOT we have been committed to creating highly interactive and engaging experiences for our users. We’re constantly driven to exceed our efforts beyond industry standards and benchmarks set by ourselves. We have wide ranging, language agnostic content like Bigg Boss Hindi, Feet up with the Stars, Silsila, Bigg Boss Kannada, Bigg Boss Marathi, Kodeeswari Tamil and many more; and now the all new VOOT skill on Amazon Alexa allows us to make it easier and more convenient for our customers to access their favourite content, in a highly technology forward and futuristic environment.”

    “Entertainment is one of the most popular categories on Alexa and we’re very excited that the VOOT Alexa skill is now available for customers,” said Amazon India Alexa Skills and Voice Services Country Manager Dilip RS. “VOOT is extremely popular for some of their flagship shows such as Bigg Boss, Feet up with the stars and a host of regional content. With the new VOOT skill, customers are just an utterance away from enjoying their favorite shows, giving them even more choices for engaging content.”

    With the VOOT skill now on Amazon Echo Show, NEW Echo Show 8 and Echo Show 5, your favorite entertainment needs and best of shows like Bigg Boss, Splitsvilla, MTV Hustle, Kodeeswari Tamil and more are just a conversation away with Alexa. So, enjoy the new enthralling VOOT experience on the Echo Show range of smart displays that come with HD screen and premium sound.

  • What factors drive content commissioning decision of OTT platforms?

    What factors drive content commissioning decision of OTT platforms?

    MUMBAI: From the later part of 2017, streaming players have delivered many “blockbuster originals”. Social media chatters, peer groups, office rooms see numerous discussions on premium content available on ZEE5, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hotstar, Voot , MX Player and so on. But what are the key factors that help OTT platforms to wisely craft their content library?

    In the last two years, a plethora of content was churned out by over-the-top (OTT) players in the country. Despite high investment in production, and marketing, not every show could create a buzz like Sacred Games, Inside Edge, The Family Man, Mirzapur, Karenjit Kaur, Rangbaaz, Thinkistaan. With a curiosity to find the secret sauce of this success, Indiantelevision.com spoke to experts on what are the prime factors they focus on while content commissioning as well as licensing. However, it was evident from the discussions that one simple factor stays at the centre of it – user taste and preference.

    ZEE5 India programming head Aparna Acharekar says data is the first benchmark and the decision starts with that, and ends with that. She reaffirms that data is the new oil that runs the entire industry. According to her, whether it is acquisition or buying, filters will have to be the same. The process has changed massively compared to one or two years back. A lot of their earlier commissioning was based on the overall knowledge of what consumers in OTT like.

    “Depending upon who I have on the platform, who I want to be on my platform, which is that most valuable group that I want to cultivate, acquisition also happens, commissioning happens, green lighting of original projects happen. Everything is guided by that one. Finally who we do this for, the consumer, the demand that is fuelling the supply,” she adds.

    Amazon Prime Video India content director and head Vijay Subramaniam says the decision of content commissioning starts with the customer, understanding her tastes and preferences, looking at how its evolving and what meaning the platform makes of it. Accord to him another input is diversity as India has multiple communities, several micro cultures. Hence, he adds it's important to recognise the nuanced changes between all of these communities and be able to tell stories that matter to all. He also says that it's important to respect diversity of individuals as well.

    “What do Indians care about? We know they care about movies. And so then they care about the latest and the greatest movies. It's important to be able to provide that to our customers, you know, young adults care about comedies, making selection there. So I think all this comes from an innate understanding of customers preferences towards content, also looking at everything else that's available to them, and where are the open spaces where there is a need and that is unfulfilled,” he states.

    “User is going to be at centre of this. Product, marketing, tech, content revolves around him. Either it can get me a lot of new users which are not there on my platform today or to my existing audiences it will drive higher views,” VOOT AVoD business head Akash Banerji comments.

    After announcing Q3 result, ZEEL MD and CEO Punit Goenka said that the network would continue to invest in original content for ZEE5 to create a rich content library that will make it a compelling offering for consumers. Recently, Netflix founder and CEO Reed Hastings said that the online video streaming company is investing Rs 3,000 crore in 2019 and 2020 to create more original content from India. Amazon chief Jeff Bezos also recently revealed his intention to double down the investment for the company's streaming service, Prime Video.  Moreover, Times Internet-owned OTT platform MX Player also announced recently a $110 million (INR 775 crore) funding round from Tencent and its parent entity. Hence, it is strongly clear that both homegrown and international players will be churning more premium quality content in the coming years.

    “Content commissioning takes a lot of time but you have to really look at who the show is being made for. We are overall a very consumer and customer-centric company,” MX Player chief content officer Gautam Talwar says.

    Talwar points out another important fact. “We also look at, are we overindexed or under for a certain genre? So we have to look at what is the balance required per genre,” he adds.

    Acharekar notes another clichéd but important factor. Content strategy is derived from business strategy. So what is the business need, how will the platform get more subscriptions? It’s not about getting accolades for content. But it’s about what is that content able to get for the platform as a business.

  • 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.

  • Network18 topline almost doubles in Q3 2020

    Network18 topline almost doubles in Q3 2020

    BENGALURU: Mukesh Ambani’s Network18 Media and Investments Ltd (Network18) consolidated profit after tax (PAT) for the quarter ended 31 December 2019 (Q3 2020, quarter or period under review) was up 92.2 percent at Rs  148.29 crore from Rs 77.16 crore in the corresponding year-ago quarter Q3 2020. The company had reported a consolidated loss after tax of Rs 24.68 in the immediate trailing quarter (Q2 2020).

    The company reported consolidated total comprehensive income of Rs  134.74 crore for the quarter under review which was 189.5 percent more than the Rs 46.55 crore in Q3 2019. Network18 had reported a consolidated total comprehensive loss of Rs 18.78 crore in Q2 2020. Consolidated operating EBITDA for the period at Rs 268.25 crore was 204.3 percent more than the Rs 88.14 crore in Q3 2019 and was 247.4 percent more than the Rs 77.21 crore in Q2 2020.

    Network18 consolidated revenue from operations in Q3 2020 at Rs 1,473.70 crore was 3.3 percent lower than the Rs 1,524.01 crore in the corresponding year ago quarter and was 25.5 percent more than the Rs 1,58.87 crore in the trailing quarter. Consolidated total income for the period at Rs 1,490.52 crore was 3.1 percent lower than the Rs 1,538.04 crore in Q3 2019 but was 25 percent more than the Rs 1,192.09 crore in Q2 2020.

    Let us look at the other numbers reported by Network18 for Q3 2020

    Consolidated total expenses in Q3 2020 at Rs 1,304.38 crore was 14.6 percent lower than the Rs 1,525.88 crore in Q3 2019, but was 8.2 percent more than the Rs 1,205.05 crore in Q2 2020. Consolidated operating costs during the quarter under review declined 18.3 percent year-on-year (y-o-y) to Rs 636.56 crore in Q3 2019 from Rs 779 crore and increased 29.7 percent quarter-over-quarter (q-o-q) from Rs 490.67 crore in Q2 2020.

    Marketing, distribution and promotional expenses in Q3 2020 declined 4.6 percent y-o-y to Rs 230.12 crore from Rs 241.12 crore and declined 6 percent q-o-q from Rs 244.88 crore in Q2 2020. Employee benefits expense in Q3 2020 at Rs 243.65 crore declined 13.3 percent y-o-y from Rs 280.88 crore and declined 9.2 percent q-o-q from Rs 268.45 crore.

    Finance costs in the period under review increased 1 percent y-o-y in Q3 2020 to Rs 56.78 crore from Rs 56.20 crore, but declined 8.1 percent q-o-q from Rs 61.77 crore. Other expenses in Q3 2020 declined 30.5 percent y-o-y to Rs 93.42 crore from Rs 134.36 crore, but increased 1.3 percent q-o-q from Rs 92.20 crore.

    Company speak

    Network18 chairman Adil Zainulbhai said: “Across broadcasting and digital, our emphasis has been on delivering value to the consumer, expanding the partner ecosystem and raising profitability. We are constantly adjusting our programming and business model for the continual technology, consumer and regulatory changes in the business. We continue to invest in key areas of growth, expand our reach, and explore new avenues of monetization.”

    The company says in its investor release that linear TV subscription benefits (B2C) continued to accrue; 40 percent y-o-y revenue growth in Q3 2020. It says that implementation of the NTO (New Tariff Order) has created a transparent and non-discriminatory B2C regime, which continues to boost Network18’s TV subscription revenue. Improved distribution tie-ups across cable and telcos have brought the consumer closer to its content bouquet at an affordable optimum price.

    It says further that monetisation of content through digital partnerships (B2B) was driving step-up in profitability: In line with its strategy of being platform agnostic, the Network 18 group stitched multiple partnerships with notable digital platforms for serving their users a discerning selection of its content.

    The company says that though advertising recovered around the festive season, but it continued to remain under pressure: The prevalent weakness in macro-environment and sluggish spending appetite by advertisers continued to drag ad-revenue down y-o-y for both News and Entertainment. Shift of channels from DD Freedish to the Pay ecosystem continued to impact Hindi GEC ad-revenues for all the top broadcasters. The company feels that government initiatives to boost growth and a natural refresh-and-recalibration of ad-budgets should revive ad-growth as we head towards the new fiscal.

    Network18 claims that its digital-only subscription (B2C) was being incubated as a growth driver for the future. Further, Voot’s freemium version with offerings like digital- exclusive and digital-first broadcast content, as well as original content behind a pay-wall, is slated to be launched soon.

  • OTT platforms should focus more on retention: VOOT’s Akash Banerji

    OTT platforms should focus more on retention: VOOT’s Akash Banerji

    MUMBAI: As more and more users are flocking to over-the-top (OTT) platforms, the contenders in the race are getting aggressive about acquiring new users. Viacom18’s digital arm VOOT has garnered 100 million monthly active users amid this fierce competition. The three-year-old streaming platform is, however, focusing more on retention of users, engagement on the platform and consumer life-time value (CLTV).

    In a media briefing, VOOT Advertising Video Platform (AVoD) business head Akash Banerji stated that the sharp focus on driving constant engagement and reach through partnerships, product and tech innovations, and content strategy has lead to the success. Along with reaching 100 million MAU target, the platform said it's first in terms of engagement (46 minutes) and frequency of visits according to App Annie data.

    Elaborating on the importance of customer retention, Banerji pointed out that 90 per cent of consumers who install an app on day one, do not use or install the app on day 30. He also added that digital video business is about driving habit like TV.

    Banerji who emphasised on good watch time also spoke of a different metric to pay attention to. “Watch-time still is the only story half-told. In this new era, the story is clearly going to be about what is driving CLTV. What is indeed driving the value I am getting out from a consumer versus the cost I am incurring to dish a certain piece of content on my platform. Till the timing I am driving higher CLTV, I am taking tangible steps to make profitability for my business,” he commented.

    After the media briefing we caught up with Banerji for a short chat to delve deeper into the platform’s strategy. Here are the edited excerpts from the interview:

    What are the challenges for consumer retention on platform? How does VOOT ensure that users keep using the platform?

    Retention happens at three levels -content, product experience and technology. A platform which has a rich roster of content that can at different points in time appeal to the varying and changing tastes of consumers has a much higher propensity to be able to retain consumer. Higher the chances a platform offering all your needs and hence a platform which has a massive catalogue of good quality content always in a much better position.

    Second comes experience. You have content but if you are unable to help the user to discover that content, your story is already gone. Now, if your content is there, discoverability is there, you are bombarding him with too many ads, consumer will be pissed. Experience is great, content is great, minimal ads are there but on your 3g phone it does not work, your app us not compatible with it or keeps on buffering, streaming is not great then also consumer will leave.

    So, across these three facets is what eventually drives retention- content, UI,UX, and third is the tech part.

    Across each of these three things, what we have built is good balance of reality shows, drama shows, big roster of content across languages, across audience segment. On UI, UX side we have launched a new version, a V3, refreshed app. At the backend, we are building our own-house expertise.

    What is your strategy to reach the target profitability?

    I think two things we need to do that- to look at each and every user segment, the value that I get from him, value basis the demand from advertisers to chase that audience and what is the content cost, marketing cost, streaming cost, product cost to service that user. If I can do this for one user, 100 users, 1 million, 100 million users, then I exactly know that each and every user at any given point in time is giving me as a value and what is the cost I am incurring to service him. If the cost is high, then I am okay to let go of that consumer. If the user is very very valuable then I will do anything to get him on that platform. The more I am able to drive value higher than my cost, then I can drive profit.

    What is the current ARPU of users on the platform?

    I am looking at CLTV as the whole foundation stone. From the marketing point of view, for marketing cost point of view, my CLTV is higher than marketing cost.

    What will be other key areas in 2020?

    We will keep focusing on driving more revenue, streamlining cost, partnerships, regional content. This year was about big high revenue, big milestone in user, watch time. The story for next year is about not just user and watch-time but all of it eventually leading to profitability where specific intervention on marketing, on product, ad sales are supposed to drive towards that.  

    How are you taking decisions of commissioning or licensing content?

    User is going to be at centre of this. Product, marketing, tech, content revolves around him. Either it can get me a lot of new users which are not there on my platform today or to my existing audiences it will drive higher views.

    Did you feel the heat of economic slowdown as brands cut down on their marketing spend?

    It has affected in a way that people have realised that this proportion of money spending on content and marketing for a sustainable period of time is not going to help the cause. What you need is a very clear focus on hardcore business metrics. And hence I feel the debate is going to be about retention as opposed to acquisition.

  • How has 2019 been for youth and music category?

    How has 2019 been for youth and music category?

    In its 25 years of running, MTV has set many benchmarks in the youth entertainment genre cementing itself as the Universe of the Young. Undisputedly, India’s No 1 Youth Entertainment Brand, MTV reaches out to over 300 million homes today and witnessed a whopping 20 billion minutes of watch time on TV and VOOT in 2019.

    2019 was a defining year for MTV as it continued to be at the core of all things ‘unscripted’ creating definitive concepts and diverse formats of storytelling. We, at MTV continue to believe in the stupendous power of content that engages, entertains and is platform agnostic. We have not only grown on TV but our consumption on VOOT has grown 3-fold which indicates the exponential growth the brand has seen across TV and digital. As a brand, MTV saw a rise of 30% in watch time on VOOT moving from 6 Billion minutes in 2018 to 8 Billion minutes, this year.

    Our most iconic properties continued to garner eyeballs with Roadies fetching an increase of 37% in TSV (improved time spent) over last year and Ace of Space witnessing a 15% rise in TSV just in its second season. While Roadies had 15% more viewers over last year on VOOT, Ace of Space and Love School saw a jump of almost 100%. Riding on our refreshing concepts, we recorded a sizeable 16% growth in views moving from 627 Million in 2018 to 729 Million, this year. We also witnessed a 200% jump in engagement on social media (67 million to 190 million). With 91% jump in time spent over the last two years, MTV continues to dominate the youth genre.

    Our biggest launch in 2019 was the category innovator MTV Hustle that opened the doors to India’s underground talent and emerged as a torchbearer of music formats. We coupled it with a 360-degree marketing campaign to garner buzz including India’s first crowdsourced rap – MTV Swagtantra for Independence Day and engaging the local community – Dharavi Underground. We also activated Hustle Cypher- a 12 hour on ground + Digital contest across 5 colleges + 1 public location where commoners were judged by Hip Hop heads across 4 cities. MTV Hustle raked in cumulative views of 109 MN on television and VOOT. (68 MN TV viewers + 41MN views on VOOT). That’s a combined watch time of 434.6 MN mins of watch time on TV & digital.

    As for MTV Beats, the viewership share increased to 16% in FY’20 vs 14% in FY’19 with 30% rise in TSV (time spent) across India. Riding on our marquee shows like Baba Ki Chowki, Beats Top 20, we catered to close to 500 million lovers of Bollywood music and triggered the same through partnerships and clutter breaking content.

     MTV also consistently bolstered its efforts in marketing and consumer engagement initiatives and turned 2019 into a year of clutter breaking campaigns, each devised to tap into the young psyche on issues that matter. Our Biryani Emoticon campaign was an effort to unify all food lovers and secure a place in the millennial glossary through a petition. Another successful campaign was MTV Trash Talk, which was an initiative to turn negativity on social media into something meaningful on-ground.

    On World Music Day, MTV Beats along with Vh1 presented India’s first-of-its-kind 24-hour online music festival with 40+ distinguished artists that was very well received by audiences.

     MTV’s success is not limited to the realm of broadcasting anymore. As a creative powerhouse, the channel through its branded content arm MTV Brand Studios enabled brands to create their unique stories keeping audiences at the core. Some of our key properties this year included Lakme Academy presents Winged, MTV Pantaloons Style Superstars, Airbnb Live There and LinkedIn MTV Get A Job. MTV also introduced Esports on television through a partnership with Nodwin Gaming along with innovations in on-ground properties like India Music Summit, Social Nation and Bollywood Music Project.
    Going forward, we will continue to keep onto our ethos of offering engrossing and contemporary content to our audiences, focus on stories that are relevant and explore multiple avenues to get closer to the end consumers.

    (The author is head- youth, music and English entertainment, Viacom18. The views expressed are his own and Indiantelevision.com may not subscribe to them.)

  • Colors Tamil’s ‘Kodeeswari’ ropes in Colgate as presenting sponsor

    Colors Tamil’s ‘Kodeeswari’ ropes in Colgate as presenting sponsor

    MUMBAI: Viacom18’s Tamil general entertainment channel, Colors Tamil is all set to launch Kodeeswari starting 23 December. The show adapts the popular television game format of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire to have only female contestants with the aim of empowering women from all walks of life, and give wings to small dreams. The show has bagged Colgate as the presenting sponsor, with overall seven sponsor in their bucket. On the video-on-demand platform VOOT, the show has roped in Medlife as the online pharmacy partner while Nippon Paint has come on board as the co- powered by sponsor.

    Last week the channel has announced six sponsors coming on board of Kodeeswari- Nippon Paint, Arun Excello and RIN as powered by sponsors; Kotak Mahindra Bank as the banking partner; and Tamil Matrimony App and Helo App as special partners.

    The show will be hosted by the iconic superstar of Tamil Cinema, Radikaa Sarathkumar and in a first ever, there will be only women on the Hot Seat. Even before the launch, the show has witnessed a lot of attention from brands across categories.

    Viacom18  network sales head Mahesh Shetty says, “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire has been a trailblazer on television and has been loved by audiences across the world and in India. Being the first ever all-women edition, our endeavour through this show is to encourage strong willed women to challenge stereotypes and live their dreams. Kodeeswari has garnered a lot of attention and interest even before its launch, not only among viewers but also brands. The purpose of this show is so focused and powerful that we have a plethora of brands which have jumped on board across platforms. We have roped in seven sponsors for the show on Colors Tamil. For VOOT, the show has caught the attention of brands with two sponsors. We have also secured five sponsors for our international feed which will take this show to Tamil audiences in Singapore, Malaysia and USA.”

    VOOT will keep its digital viewers attuned with  various opportunities to Watch, Play Along and Win every day! With interactive offerings such as Play Along on VOOT , presented by Medlife, the users can enjoy the thrill of the game show by participating and simultaneously matching their power of knowledge with the contestants on the hot seat, and win prizes every day. Furthermore, viewers will get a chance to win Ghar Baithe Jeeto Jackpot, sponsored by Nippon Paint.  The viewers will have to log on to VOOT to answer the question and the first person to answer will be chosen as the winner.

    For its international feed, Colors Tamil has roped in Sivanesan Company (Premier Range of Products) as the Title sponsor, while the show is being powered by Gits (Gits Foods). In addition to this, Tamil Nadu Tourism- Enchanting Tamil Nadu and GMT (GMT Jewellers) have come on board as Special Partners while Gooday Beauty Parlour has been roped in as the Grooming Partner.

    Kodeeswari will go on-air starting 23 December at 8 pm from Monday-Friday on Colors Tamil and Viacom18’s video-on-demand platform VOOT.