ITV

Tag: Xstream

  • Airtel Digital TV operating revenue up as bottom line dips for first quarter

    Airtel Digital TV operating revenue up as bottom line dips for first quarter

    BENGALURU: The digital TV services segment from Sunil Mittal’s Bharti Airtel Ltd (Airtel), Airtel Digital TV, which provides direct to home (DTH) satellite television services, reported growth of 0.8 percent in operating revenue at Rs 744.8 crore for the quarter ended 30 June 2020 (Q1 2020, quarter or period under review) as compared to Rs 738.9 crore for the corresponding quarter of the previous year Q1 2019 (y-o-y). However, this is not a true oranges-oranges comparison, since as of 1 March 2020, Airtel Digital TV services has implemented new guidelines of NCF (Network Carriage Fees) under the new tariff order (NTO) from Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). The company says in a media release that Airtel Digital TV revenue witnessed a growth of 9.3 percent y-o-y on an underlying basis, on the back of strong customer additions.

    Airtel Digital TV operating profit for the quarter under review declined 23.5 percent to Rs 276.2 crore (37.1 percent of operating revenue) as compared to Rs 361.2 crore (48.9 percent of operating revenue) for Q1 2020. Airtel reported 1.3 percent growth in Assets to Rs 3,462 crore for Q1 2021 from Rs 3,417.4 crore in Q1 2020. However, Assets in Q1 2021 were 12.9 percent lower than the Rs 3,794.9 crore in the immediate trailing quarter (Q4 2020). The segment’s liabilities for Q1 2021 grew 11.6 percent to Rs 4000.5 crore from Rs 3,585.2 crore in Q1 2020. Liabilities in the quarter under review were however 3 percent lower than the Rs 4,122.4 crore in the immediate trailing quarter Q4 2020.

    The company reported a 5.1 percent y-o-y increase in net DTH subscribers in Q1 2021 at 1.68 crore as compared to 1.6 crore in the corresponding quarter of the previous year.

    Bharti Airtel’s consolidated revenue for Q1 2021 grew 15.4 percent on an underlying basis to Rs 23,939 crore as compared to the year ago quarter. Consolidated EBIDTA for the quarter under review was Rs 10,639 crore (44.4 percent margin). India revenue at Rs 17,589 crore were up 14.6 percent and up 15.1 percent on an underlying basis y-o-y.

    An earnings media release for Q1 2021 quotes Airtel MD and CEO, India & South Asia Gopal Vittal: “We are going through an unprecedented crisis caused by COVID. Despite this, our teams have served the country well and kept our customers connected. Data traffic growth surged by ~73 percent y-o-y even as 4G net additions slowed down to 2 Million caused by supply chain shocks in the device ecosystem. Revenues grew by 15% Y-o-Y and performance was satisfactory across all segments. Our flagship “War on Waste” program, helped improve EBITDA margin by 1.6 percent over the previous quarter. To serve our customers even better, we have launched a company-wide program to improve our customer experience. We continue to invest in the best of emerging technologies to make our networks future ready. We have made rapid strides in our digital business, with nearly 155 million monthly active users across Airtel Thanks, Wynk, Xstream and our payments platforms. Today, 60 percent of Airtel’s entire business goes through its digital channels. We are most excited about the string of partners we are attracting in order to build greater stickiness and ultimately growth from our digital assets.”

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  • IOT group co’s exclusive agreement to stream content to over 100 APAC countries

    IOT group co’s exclusive agreement to stream content to over 100 APAC countries

    MUMBAI: IOT Group Limited subsidiary – OTT Premium Pty Ltd – has entered an exclusive agreement to bring Xstream’s over-the-top media streaming platform to Australia and more than 100 countries across the Asia-Pacific region. Xstream, one of the only independently owned tier-one streaming companies in the world, offers telcos, broadcasters, production and film companies and content owners with the full end to end over-the-top platform to deliver content which can be viewed on any device, at anytime, anywhere.

    OTT Premium will be headed up by Bob Morrison who joined Xstream as managing director, Asia Pacific in 2015 to launch, manage and grow Xstream’s operations across the region, after earlier spending 12 months on the board of Xstream. Bob is a known business strategist and respected industry leader bringing with him over 25 years of entertainment, media, television, content and OTT experience.

    The Xstream technology will allow global content to be delivered instantly and seamlessly to Australian audiences – and Australian content to be delivered to new audiences around the world. Existing Xstream clients include Telenor (the world’s fourth biggest telco), Spark New Zealand (formerly Telecom New Zealand) and Bollywood’s largest production studio – Balaji Telefilms and is in discussion with some major players in the APAC region. In addition, OTT Premium will be adopting Xstream’s dynamic business model which means no matter the size of the client, OTT Premium will cohesively scale with each client’s individual needs.

    “This partnership will expand the reach of an Australian tech company across the entire region,” said IOT Group Executive Director Duffell. “There is a gap in the market for customers looking for unique content delivered as and when they want it. There’s numerous streaming and VOD services offering mass content, few of which offer tailored viewing or multilingual channels to address unique tastes. The Xstream platform already has access to over 10,000+ hours of homeland television and continues to grow.”

    “This partnership presents a huge opportunity for Australian broadcasters and telcos to bring previously unseen global TV content to local audiences, and provides a platform for Australian artists and production companies to bring their new content to a global stage,” Morrison said.

    Xstream CEO Simon Hoegsbro commented: ““The entire Asia Pacific region is experiencing tremendous growth in online video viewership. Entering this new era with OTT Premium will allow us to meet the increasing demand for our technology in this region. We are honoured that OTT Premium has chosen Xstream to spearhead its reach into the Asia-Pacific region and we are committed to working with OTT Premium to offer a flexible, best in class OTT platform across the Asia Pacific continuing our commitment to simplify the complexity of Internet TV for our customers “

    Over-the-Top (OTT) applications and services are the platform that delivers streaming and video-on-demand services to use on mobiles, tablet, web, smart TV, set-top-box and consoles and mobile devices. OTT providers are poised for scale and growth as they deliver user content over the Internet bypassing traditional distribution channels more generally, at a lower cost. Examples include Netflix and Apple TV (replacing your regular TV provider) or Skype (replacing your long distance provider).

  • IOT group co’s exclusive agreement to stream content to over 100 APAC countries

    IOT group co’s exclusive agreement to stream content to over 100 APAC countries

    MUMBAI: IOT Group Limited subsidiary – OTT Premium Pty Ltd – has entered an exclusive agreement to bring Xstream’s over-the-top media streaming platform to Australia and more than 100 countries across the Asia-Pacific region. Xstream, one of the only independently owned tier-one streaming companies in the world, offers telcos, broadcasters, production and film companies and content owners with the full end to end over-the-top platform to deliver content which can be viewed on any device, at anytime, anywhere.

    OTT Premium will be headed up by Bob Morrison who joined Xstream as managing director, Asia Pacific in 2015 to launch, manage and grow Xstream’s operations across the region, after earlier spending 12 months on the board of Xstream. Bob is a known business strategist and respected industry leader bringing with him over 25 years of entertainment, media, television, content and OTT experience.

    The Xstream technology will allow global content to be delivered instantly and seamlessly to Australian audiences – and Australian content to be delivered to new audiences around the world. Existing Xstream clients include Telenor (the world’s fourth biggest telco), Spark New Zealand (formerly Telecom New Zealand) and Bollywood’s largest production studio – Balaji Telefilms and is in discussion with some major players in the APAC region. In addition, OTT Premium will be adopting Xstream’s dynamic business model which means no matter the size of the client, OTT Premium will cohesively scale with each client’s individual needs.

    “This partnership will expand the reach of an Australian tech company across the entire region,” said IOT Group Executive Director Duffell. “There is a gap in the market for customers looking for unique content delivered as and when they want it. There’s numerous streaming and VOD services offering mass content, few of which offer tailored viewing or multilingual channels to address unique tastes. The Xstream platform already has access to over 10,000+ hours of homeland television and continues to grow.”

    “This partnership presents a huge opportunity for Australian broadcasters and telcos to bring previously unseen global TV content to local audiences, and provides a platform for Australian artists and production companies to bring their new content to a global stage,” Morrison said.

    Xstream CEO Simon Hoegsbro commented: ““The entire Asia Pacific region is experiencing tremendous growth in online video viewership. Entering this new era with OTT Premium will allow us to meet the increasing demand for our technology in this region. We are honoured that OTT Premium has chosen Xstream to spearhead its reach into the Asia-Pacific region and we are committed to working with OTT Premium to offer a flexible, best in class OTT platform across the Asia Pacific continuing our commitment to simplify the complexity of Internet TV for our customers “

    Over-the-Top (OTT) applications and services are the platform that delivers streaming and video-on-demand services to use on mobiles, tablet, web, smart TV, set-top-box and consoles and mobile devices. OTT providers are poised for scale and growth as they deliver user content over the Internet bypassing traditional distribution channels more generally, at a lower cost. Examples include Netflix and Apple TV (replacing your regular TV provider) or Skype (replacing your long distance provider).

  • Balaji selects Xstream & Diagnal to power OTT service ALT Digital

    Balaji selects Xstream & Diagnal to power OTT service ALT Digital

    MUMBAI: India’s TV and film production studio Balaji Telefilms has partnered with OTT solutions providers Xstream and Diagnal to power its new OTT entertainment service ALT, which is slated to launch in Q2-2016. The service will be available across connected devices, targeting young, connected and new age audiences.

    Xstream’s cloud-based video management system, Xstream MediaMaker, will fuel ALT’s multiscreen solution, whereas Diagnal will be responsible for front-end design, development, big data solution and systems integration. 

    Announced in 2015, ALT is a part of the Balaji’s strategic intent to extend its creative expertise to the digital domain by developing on-demand, original and exclusive content for digital audiences globally.

    “ALT Balaji wants its audience to enjoy compelling stories and does not want technology to be a stumbling block in their experience. We believe that technology is an enabler and if it’s invisible to the consumer then we have done a great job,” said ALT Digital Media COO Sunil Nair. “Xstream gives us world class solutions that are flexible allowing us to offer seamless smooth user experience in video playback. Their experience combined with the depth of knowledge of the Diagnal team has helped us very quickly build a fabulous platform.”

    “Diagnal’s proven market expertise and product delivery capabilities combined with Xstream’s flexible and scalable platform, their impressive track record of managing high-end, customised Internet video services, proven technology and their ability to act as a solution partner, truly sets them apart from others and made them a natural partner and first choice for us. With Diagnal and Xstream we’ve gained partners who truly understand the complicated OTT ecosystem and we have built a future-proof solution. This enables us to continue to build a platform for our next generation OTT service on multiple devices that we can grow and develop with as we move forward in a speedily evolving market,” adds ALT Digital Media Entertainment head of product Ashish Bhansali.

    Launching this summer, ALT will utilise Xstream MediaMaker and Diagnal’s robust technology services to offer the audience in India and abroad an enjoyable experience across various devices.

    Xstream MediaMaker is designed to enable operators, broadcasters and content owners to seamlessly create, manage, deliver and monetise future- proof Internet TV solutions across regions and countries with multiple languages & currency on multiple devices- all with an easy and transparent workflow management- simplifying the complexity in Internet TV and allowing their customers to focus on their core business, not the complexity in OTT.

    “As the pioneering studio in India, Balaji continues to propel the entertainment industry forward with innovation and quality content. We look forward to support their passion for creating quality content with our flexible, proven and scalable cloud- based OTT platform for delivery of multiscreen video solutions and other innovative and personalized services for engaging and delighting subscribers. ALT Balaji is a great example of a true innovator in Direct-to-consumer OTT services and we are delighted to be working together,” said Xstream CEO Simon Hoegsbro.

    “We’re incredibly proud of what the partnership between ALT Balaji, Xstream and Diagnal has achieved in a short period of time – a world class OTT product that is suited to the content needs of the Indian market and is also a pleasure to use,” added Diagnal CEO Reuben Verghese.

    The ALT Balaji solution by Xstream is fully cloud- based, using Amazon Web Services. Using AWS, Xstream is able to deliver unparalleled performance and durability to ensure a quality delivery to ALT Balaji subscribers. With EC2 Xstream have access to a perfect solution to operate API’s and customer facing services. S3 is used for robust storage of content and assets, which is then served using Cloudfront. Lastly RDS and Redshift are used databases for metadata and statistics. Xstream is proud to be an Amazon Web Services Advanced Technology Partner.

  • Balaji selects Xstream & Diagnal to power OTT service ALT Digital

    Balaji selects Xstream & Diagnal to power OTT service ALT Digital

    MUMBAI: India’s TV and film production studio Balaji Telefilms has partnered with OTT solutions providers Xstream and Diagnal to power its new OTT entertainment service ALT, which is slated to launch in Q2-2016. The service will be available across connected devices, targeting young, connected and new age audiences.

    Xstream’s cloud-based video management system, Xstream MediaMaker, will fuel ALT’s multiscreen solution, whereas Diagnal will be responsible for front-end design, development, big data solution and systems integration. 

    Announced in 2015, ALT is a part of the Balaji’s strategic intent to extend its creative expertise to the digital domain by developing on-demand, original and exclusive content for digital audiences globally.

    “ALT Balaji wants its audience to enjoy compelling stories and does not want technology to be a stumbling block in their experience. We believe that technology is an enabler and if it’s invisible to the consumer then we have done a great job,” said ALT Digital Media COO Sunil Nair. “Xstream gives us world class solutions that are flexible allowing us to offer seamless smooth user experience in video playback. Their experience combined with the depth of knowledge of the Diagnal team has helped us very quickly build a fabulous platform.”

    “Diagnal’s proven market expertise and product delivery capabilities combined with Xstream’s flexible and scalable platform, their impressive track record of managing high-end, customised Internet video services, proven technology and their ability to act as a solution partner, truly sets them apart from others and made them a natural partner and first choice for us. With Diagnal and Xstream we’ve gained partners who truly understand the complicated OTT ecosystem and we have built a future-proof solution. This enables us to continue to build a platform for our next generation OTT service on multiple devices that we can grow and develop with as we move forward in a speedily evolving market,” adds ALT Digital Media Entertainment head of product Ashish Bhansali.

    Launching this summer, ALT will utilise Xstream MediaMaker and Diagnal’s robust technology services to offer the audience in India and abroad an enjoyable experience across various devices.

    Xstream MediaMaker is designed to enable operators, broadcasters and content owners to seamlessly create, manage, deliver and monetise future- proof Internet TV solutions across regions and countries with multiple languages & currency on multiple devices- all with an easy and transparent workflow management- simplifying the complexity in Internet TV and allowing their customers to focus on their core business, not the complexity in OTT.

    “As the pioneering studio in India, Balaji continues to propel the entertainment industry forward with innovation and quality content. We look forward to support their passion for creating quality content with our flexible, proven and scalable cloud- based OTT platform for delivery of multiscreen video solutions and other innovative and personalized services for engaging and delighting subscribers. ALT Balaji is a great example of a true innovator in Direct-to-consumer OTT services and we are delighted to be working together,” said Xstream CEO Simon Hoegsbro.

    “We’re incredibly proud of what the partnership between ALT Balaji, Xstream and Diagnal has achieved in a short period of time – a world class OTT product that is suited to the content needs of the Indian market and is also a pleasure to use,” added Diagnal CEO Reuben Verghese.

    The ALT Balaji solution by Xstream is fully cloud- based, using Amazon Web Services. Using AWS, Xstream is able to deliver unparalleled performance and durability to ensure a quality delivery to ALT Balaji subscribers. With EC2 Xstream have access to a perfect solution to operate API’s and customer facing services. S3 is used for robust storage of content and assets, which is then served using Cloudfront. Lastly RDS and Redshift are used databases for metadata and statistics. Xstream is proud to be an Amazon Web Services Advanced Technology Partner.