ITV

Tag: warriors

  • Lionsgate sets up shop in India; appoints Rohit Jain as country head

    Lionsgate sets up shop in India; appoints Rohit Jain as country head

    MUMBAI: Global American content leader and NYSE-listed Lionsgate has finally set up shop in India to tap one of Asia’s biggest media markets. It has appointed Rohit Jain, a media industry veteran, to head the ops here as managing director.

    Jain, who till some time back worked with DTH operator Videocon d2h as deputy CEO for seven years contributing to the company’s growth in size and its Nasdaq listing, confirmed to Indiantelevision.com over phone his appointment and opening of the Mumbai office.

    Lionsgate India will spearhead all licensing to local linear and digital platforms in the territory from feature films, television series and library content under the Lionsgate and Starz brands.  It will work closely with the studio’s theatrical distribution partners to maximise box office for Lionsgate films, and it will partner with local production companies to develop intellectual property for theatrical release as well as distribution across other media platforms.

    Apart from that, Lionsgate India, a 100 per cent subsidiary of its American parent, will also explore investment opportunities throughout the Indian media market.

    “We’ve been focused on the enormous opportunity created by the Indian marketplace for years, and Rohit checks off all the boxes as the right executive to lead our business there,” said Lionsgate chief executive officer Jon Feltheimer in an official statement. 

    Feltheimer added: “Lionsgate brings to this territory a global content platform, an entrepreneurial mind set, and the agility of a next generation digital age company. Rohit is ideally qualified to leverage these strengths into accelerating growth and new business initiatives in the years ahead.”

    Lionsgate has been steadily expanding its global content platform with the continued growth of Lionsgate UK into a leading film and television production and distribution company, a growing operation in China that has established strong relationships with nearly all major platforms in the territory and increased the studio’s box office gross by 63 per cent from last year, and a new Canadian office that was opened in Toronto earlier this year.

    “I’m thrilled to join Jon and the rest of the Lionsgate team as we continue to build the company’s brand in India,” according to Jain, a 20 years veteran of the Indian media industry.

    Jain further pointed out that as India was the next logical frontier for Lionsgate’s multi platform content creation, marketing expertise and digital initiatives, he was “incredibly excited” at the opportunities that lie ahead.

    Boasting the world’s second largest consumer population and fastest-growing middle class, India has achieved double-digit annual growth across television, film, interactive games and delivery of content to digital platforms.  With over 800 television channels, more than 30 over-the-top platforms, 8,500 theatrical exhibition screens and an evolving interactive game business, opportunities for content producers and distributors are continuing to increase, according to Lionsgate.

    In the past few years, the company said it has tripled its revenue from India and made Hindi-language film `Brothers, a remake of Lionsgate’s critically-acclaimed `Warrior. A Hindi-language remake of the studio’s action hit comedy `Red is also in the works with a possible involvement of Hindi film star Anil Kapoor.

    Rohit Tiwari of Morris Street Advisors, who had previously served as Lionsgate’s local sales agent in India, has transitioned to a consulting relationship to Lionsgate India, the company said.

    The first major new studio in decades, Lionsgate is a global content platform whose films, television series, digital products and linear and over-the-top platforms reach next generation audiences around the world.  In addition to its filmed entertainment, Lionsgate claims its content drives a growing presence in interactive and location-based entertainment, gaming, virtual reality and other new entertainment technologies.

    ALSO READ:

    Lionsgate properties in film and TV on Amazon Prime Video India

    Endemol India and Lionsgate collaborate on a project

    Warner Bros’ Chad Kennedy joins Lionsgate as SVP current programming

  • ZyXEL Launches 802.11ac Adapter Line to Deliver Enhanced Speed and Range to Desktops, Laptops, and Mobile Devices

    ZyXEL Launches 802.11ac Adapter Line to Deliver Enhanced Speed and Range to Desktops, Laptops, and Mobile Devices

    NEW DELHI– ZyXEL Communications, a world-class broadband networkingcompany providing a wide-ranging portfolio of Internet-enabled wired and wireless solutions, has introduced its NWD6505 and NWD6605 802.11ac Dual-Band Wireless USB adapters. The inconspicuous little devices enable home users and travelers to upgrade their desktops, laptops 

    and portable devices to the latest 802.11ac Wi-Fi technology, greatly improving media streaming and online communications.

    The ZyXEL NWD6605 Dual-Band Wireless AC1200 USB Adapter delivers data transfer rates of up to 300 Mbps on the 2.4 GHz channel or 867 Mbps on the 5 GHz channel . It features two antennas, enabling it to deliver wider coverage and provide better wireless performance. It’s ideal for HD video streaming, online gaming, multiple downloading, and sharing multiple large files simultaneously.

    The NWD6605 also uses a USB 3.0 interface for the fastest networking experience. USB 3.0 interface is 10 times faster than USB 2.0 with transfer data rates of up to 5 Gigabit per second.

    ZyXEL’s NWD6505 Dual-Band Wireless AC600 USB Adapter delivers data transfer rates of up to 150 Mbps at 2.4 GHz or 433 Mbps at 5 GHz1. Both the NWD6505 and NWD6605 Dual-Band Wireless USB Adapters take advantage of the latest 802.11ac technology. The accelerated throughput of 802.11ac over the less congested 5-GHz frequency band offers optimal, lag-free experience with streaming video, audio, VoIP, gaming, web browsing, and other entertainment and communication applications. Each is fully backward compatible with 802.11a/b/g/n wireless networks.

    The NWD6505 and NWD6605 adapters are geared for desktop and laptop users who require a dual-band wireless AC network connection for faster HD video, media streaming and online gaming. The compact, stylish, and lightweight design of the ZyXEL NWD6505 and NWD6605 also offers excellent portability for road warriors, vacationers, students, and others on the move.
    The units are Microsoft Windows 8 certified, so users may use them with the latest systems. With the included WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup), it offers a fast and simple secured connection at the touch of a button.

  • Luxury cars, warriors on The History Channel’s plate

    Luxury cars, warriors on The History Channel’s plate

    MUMBAI: It was a few months ago that The History Channel (THC) underwent a brand repositioning from an infotainment channel to an entertainment one.

    With its strenght in historical programming, this allowed the channel to offer a better repertoire of shows. And, in the coming months it will boost the variety on offer.

    Speaking to Indiantelevision.com The History Channel VP marketing Rajesh Sheshadri says, “The History Channel (THC) has planned an interesting mix of content for the next couple of months. Our endeavour has always been to feature movies, mini-series and serials that have never been shown in India before.

    “September will see THC air programmes such as Luxury Cars, Kane Abel, Warriors and many more.”

    Luxury Cars is a 13 episode show about famous cars. They include Ferraris, Aston Martins, Lamborghinis etc. Warriors on the other hand, is a four part series featuring the most famous warriors in the history of the world. This series will highlight their weapons, architecture, famous battles and their eventual downfall.

    In terms of of movies and mini series, the channel plans to air titles like Attila the Hun, Helen of Troy, Rocky Marciano, Archangel (featuring Daniel Craig, the new James bond), First Olympics and Kennedy. Gerard Butler who played the title role in Phantom of The Opera stars as Attila The Hun. During the waning days of Roman Empire, the barbarian Huns are making their way toward Europe. A warrior named Attila violently assumes Hun leadership and unites the warring clans under his banner.

    But this is not enough for him, Attila seeks to form an empire, and he sees Rome, bristling under the leadership of the incompetent Caesar Valentian, ripe for the picking. In an attempt to quell a Hun invasion, ambitious Roman general Flavius Aetius attempts to form an alliance against Attila against their mutual enemy, Visigoth King Theodoric. But this plan backfires, and it soon becomes clear that a violent showdown between all three armies awaits.

    Jon Favreau stars as Rocky Marciano about the only undefeated world heavyweight champion in the history of boxing. Some of the biographies being featured are Henry VIII, Pope John Paul II, Ariel Sharon and Mother Teresa. “We are also in the process of procuring relevant and exciting new titles like The Bronte Sisters, Al Qaeda, Mary Magdalene, Oskar Schindler, Hercules, Charles Dickens, Casanova and Rudyard Kipling.

    “Our films and mini-series are bound together by the fact that they are fun, compelling and entertaining while being set in a historically relevant setting or deal with personalities who have become historical icons such as Helen of Troy or Cleopatra or Spartacus” adds Sheshadri.

    A shift in approach towards clients: Asked about the relationship the channel has with the advertising fraternity, Sheshdari says that the approach has been changed keeping in mind a long term plan. “The revamped History Channel brings with it, its own unique set of challenges. The whole philosophy behind the new content like Jumbo Movies and Double F had to be communicated to our clients. We accomplished this by focussing heavily on content, conveying that this is not a short term shift but a long term strategic investment for the channel.”

    When asked whether advertisers now see THC as an entertainment channel or as an infotainment channel, Sheshadri points out that mass and niche are in the minds of marketers and not consumers. Consumers, he points out, don’t consume brands based on whether they are mass or niche.

    They consume brands based on the connect they form with the brand. “The History Channel is a theme-based channel and no one delivers the theme of History better than us”. The strategy is to bring historically significant events irrespective of the format and that is the core message that THC executives try to convey in all their presentations to clients.

    Sheshadri goes on to clarify that the core idea of the brand repositioning was to consolidate the positioning of the brand and not to increase numbers for numbers sake. The overall approach therefore, has taken into consideration the connect that THC has with its consumers and what THC can do to strengthen it.

    “Hence, we think that going forward THC will continue to cement and own a distinct position in the minds of the consumer and this distinct positioning is what will also give it additional numbers. We are already seeing signs of that and are sure that it will get better going forward. Advertisers follow consumers.”

    As far as the viewer perception of the channel is concerned, Sheshadri notes that viewers have taken note of the change. “New formats like Jumbo Movies and Double F have widely appreciated and followed. They still see us as being an authority on the subject of history. The difference is that now they know that we have a broader spectrum both in terms of the type of shows and type of formats.”