ITV

Tag: Zee

  • NTO 2.0 verdict: Who wins what?

    KOLKATA: One of the major issues that has dominated the pay TV ecosystem in India is in constant conflict between stakeholders and the sector regulator, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai).  With the Bombay high court pronouncing its verdict on the amended new tariff order matter, one of the long-fought battles between the two may have come to an end. It upheld the constitutional validity of Trai’s NTO 2.0 but set aside the second clause of twin pricing conditions. The court’s decision is receiving mixed reviews from senior industry executives.

    On Wednesday, the division bench of Justices Amjad Sayyed and Anuja Prabhudessai passed judgement on several petitions filed by broadcasters and industry bodies like the Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF). The bench stated that the challenge to the constitutional validity of the 2020 rules and regulations of Trai does not hold any water. At the same time, it termed one of the twin conditions arbitrary according to which the maximum retail price of an a-la-carte channel could not be more than one third of the maximum rate of a channel in the bouquet.

    “We welcome this verdict of the honourable Bombay high court on amendment in tariff regulation. The full implementation of the amendment will bring more transparency in industry and give more choices and power to the customer. We are hopeful that this will get implemented soon. It is good for all stakeholders in the industry value chain,” GTPL Hathway cable TV head & chief strategy officer Piyush Pankaj said.

    Others in the business are not so sure because they believe it will definitely lead to a decline in subscription revenues. Considerably, major broadcasters have not already witnessed a fall in subscription revenue after partial implementation of NTO 2.0.  But they fear that after this verdict, there will be a faster movement towards a-la-carte from bouquets thus leading to lower ARPUs.

    One of the senior executives with a leading broadcaster said squashing the second twin condition can be looked at as a big win for broadcasters. This clause had the potential to effectively hamper broadcasters from packaging their channels as they had to bundle similarly priced offerings together as part of the bouquet. 

    However, the grounds that it has been struck down on are not very solid, another senior executive added. This battle was unnecessary and a fight for power, he noted, especially given the cost. Moreover, very few broadcasters were looking at pushing high pricing for channels anyway. Even these broadcasters also cannot go for high pricing now due to changed market dynamics in the last one year due to pandemic. As Trai still has substantive grounds to reclaim whatever has been lost, they might look at rechallenging it, the executive noted.

    “We believe there is a high likelihood of this being contested in the supreme court by Trai as the entire reasoning of getting the NTO 2.0 was to cap discount and move to selective viewing which the NTO 1.0 did not fulfil,” Elara Capital VP research analyst (media) Karan Taurani said in a note.

    “We continue to believe that the negative impact of NTO 2.0 is highest for Star whose bouquet prices have a higher discount factor and lowest for Sun TV whose discounting of bouquet vs ala carte is already at very low levels, which will lead to continued outperformance for Sun TV on subs revenue front despite NTO 2.0. On the other hand, this order is low to moderately negative for Zee,” stated Taurani.

    Back in 2018, Madras high court had also set aside the capping of discounts to 15 per cent mentioned in the Tariff Order and Interconnection Regulations of 2017. However, the battle reached the supreme court where the regulator won the case. Within a year of implementation of the regulation, the authority brought changes which irked broadcasters starting the second battle. Now are we in for the third?

  • YuppTV re-launches Zee channels in US

    New Delhi: Streaming platform for South-Asian content, YuppTV has re-launched Zee Network channels in the US and Canada.

    YuppTV viewers will now be able to catch a wide mix of relatable fiction, high voltage non-fiction, marquee events, and blockbuster movies in Hindi & regional languages from Zee channels, announced the platform on Wednesday.

    ‘’We are delighted to once again join hands with Zee Entertainment, to bring back its premium entertainment channels to the US and Canada markets,” said Yupp TV founder, and CEO, Uday Reddy. “The US market has been at the forefront of digitization, not only in access but also in Ad Sales. With our platform now, Zee can offer its advertisers not only the incremental HHs but also structure deals based on delivery (impressions) both at a national or local level, an advantage that no other platform offers to its programmers. Every Ad on Yupp can be measured to the last dot and that is a game-changer for the South Asian Advertisers in the US”. 

    Be it captivating family dramas such as Kumkum Bhagya, the family comedy BhabhiJi Ghar Par Hai, or the reality show ‘Indian Pro Music League’, YuppTV users can access the Zee channels offerings through its platform. The users will also get access to channels such as Zee TV, & TV and Zee Cinema as well as various regional channels such as Zee Telugu, Zee Tamil, Zee Kannada, Zee Keralam, Zee Punjabi, Zee Marathi, and Zee Bangla

  • ZEE MPCG launches new conversation series ‘Chhattisgarh Ki Baat’

    New Delhi: ZEE Madhya Pradesh-Chhattisgarh has announced a series of events and conclaves called Chhattisgarh Ki Baat, which will be held in various Tier two cities, where both the economy and the society have been deeply affected by the pandemic.

    The channel aims to establish a direct connection with the general viewers through these events & help them raise their concerns. All local and micro-level issues will be discussed and put forward in front of the stakeholders and the policymakers. The initiative will also provide a platform for businessmen and industrialists to put forward their challenges and discuss possible solutions.  

    The first event of the series will start from Bilaspur, the administrative capital of Chhattisgarh on 20 June. Multiple panel discussions and interviews with the policymakers, industrialists, and subject experts will be held on topics varying from the ways to tackle the effect of COVID to the further development of the city. ZEE MPCG will also recognize and honour those people who went out of their way during these tough times and contributed significantly to the development of the state and the region.

    Speaking on the occasion, ZMCL CEO Cluster three, Dileep Tiwari said, “ZEE MPCG has always worked as a bridge between the people of the state and the authority. We felt that at this time when the economy is recovering from the impact of the pandemic it is extremely important to take such initiatives at the city level so that each city and their industries get a platform to connect with the policymakers, discuss their challenges, and have a significant impact on the development of their city.”

    ZMCL, chief revenue officer, Manoj Jagyasi said, “With ZEE MPCG’s wide reach, this initiative will engage the viewers, the leaders, and the facilitators to develop a constructive discussion for the development. We are more than just a news channel, we want to be the ultimate solution provider to our business associates and our viewers. We will take this to 60 cities of MP, CG, UP Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana & Himachal. This will be the biggest outreach program done by a network.”

  • Zee5 set to launch in US on 22 June

    Kolkata: In what could be its biggest launch till date, Indian streaming platform Zee5 is all set to enter the United States market on 22 June.

    With this, the platform has set the stage for its rapid growth in a market that has over 5.4 million diaspora audiences with a deep cultural and language connection to its content. Zee5 is currently under beta testing in the US. This direct-to-consumer service launch is especially significant at a time when Indians settled in the US, many of whom remain deeply connected to their roots, are unable to travel home.

    The official announcement will be made at a virtual event where its platform and content will be unveiled. The company will also share key details about its plans for the market and its local partnerships, launch the brand campaign, and more.

    “The United States represents our most significant market and the last bastion in our global journey as we launch an ad-free subscription service. As a Global Media conglomerate, we have had a very deep connection with our diaspora audiences here, so it is a rather happy moment for me to now be bringing this audience the largest aggregation of South Asian content on a single platform through Zee5,” Zee Entertainment Digital Businesses & Platforms president Amit Goenka said.

    With this launch, the streaming platform will also open up access to the largest catalogue of content from South Asia including India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh to diaspora and even mainstream content consumers in the US who have been eagerly waiting to access Zee5’s massive content library. With 1,30,000 hours of content across 18 languages, Zee5 said it plans to offer a premium, highly accessible, and affordable option for viewers to engage with the best of South Asian stories.

    “The United States is home to millions of people whose families have a strong connect with South Asia, and we are glad to bring them the largest and most diverse catalogue of culturally relevant entertainment across Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi stories. These stories have the power to engage deeply and go well beyond the South Asian audience to entertain and delight even mainstream audiences with their authenticity and allure. I am confident that ZEE5 will become the go-to platform for all Americans who love great storytelling,” Zee5 Global chief business officer Archana Anand said.

    With ‘language of your comfort’ being a key promise across Content, Navigation, and even Voice Search, Zee5’s content library promises to be tailor-made for the diverse cultures and languages of Indian and South Asian communities in the US. The languages include Hindi, Bengali, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Marathi, Oriya, Bhojpuri, Gujarati, Punjabi, as well as Malay, Thai, Bahasa, Arabic, Urdu, and Bangla (Bangladeshi). Key titles are also subtitled or dubbed in English.

    Zee5’s Annual pack, priced at $84 will be available across all major devices at a limited launch offer price of $49.99. Zee5 subscribers in the U.S. will also be the first to stream Salman Khan’s Radhe: Your Most Wanted Bhai.

  • Get a jab, industry urges staff, workers as it resumes operations

    New Delhi: With the second wave of the pandemic beginning to show signs of a slowdown, organisations across the country are gearing up to welcome their employees back to the office. But with the threat of a third wave looming large, they are taking no chances and making arrangements for their employees to get vaccinated on time. The media and entertainment industry was also hit hard by the pandemic. With TV, film shoots suspended, the losses only mounted. Now as states begin to unlock and restrictions ease, the industry is also taking steps to resume business.

    “Vaccination is the only wave to combat this dreaded disease. I’m sure it will eliminate the disease to a large extent and pave the way for a fearless and anxiety-free shooting in Maharashtra,” said Indian Film and TV Producers Council (IFTPC) president Sajid Nadiadwala.

    IFTPC has already begun vaccinating about 10,000 media and entertainment workers. The trade association has tied up with Kokilaben Ambani Hospital for the vaccination drive at the IFTPC office in Andheri West. It has decided to add two to three more vaccination centers once the return journey of crews shooting outside Maharashtra begins.

    “Vaccination will be given free of cost to all the workers, but a nominal fee will be charged from high-end professionals and technicians,” said IFTPC chairman (TV and web), J D Majethia, adding that the first vaccination drive is being funded by Motion Pictures and TV Producers’ Welfare Trust, the philanthropic wing of IFTPC.

    On 8 June, the Federation of Cine Technicians and Workers of Eastern India (FCTWEI) also conducted a mass vaccination drive and inoculated as many as 108 people, including artists, technicians, executive producers, and writers. 

    The Producers Guild of India (PGI), the association of Indian film, television, and digital content producers also conducted a mass vaccination campaign for its guild members and associated production crews on a multi-day drive on 1 June. “Mass vaccination drives will help to facilitate safer shooting as the production has been resumed in limited hours,” it stated.

    Broadcasters are not far behind either. Zee Entertainment has begun the vaccination drive for artists, technicians, crew members, other associates, and partners. Zee Kannada and Zee Bangla have already conducted the first drive, Zee Telugu will follow suit. Soumi Chakraborty, who plays Kamala in ‘Rani Rashmoni’ received the first dose of the Covid vaccine at the Zee Bangla office on 7 June.

    “As a responsible broadcaster and one of the important broadcasters in the TV ecosystem, we have taken the initiative to provide free vaccination for all our artists, technicians, the crew of production houses, and other associates and partners. This initiative has been driven by a core sense of health and safety first for all the partners and members who are associated with our various projects,” said Zee Entertainment cluster head (East) Samrat Ghosh.

    Yash Raj Films has also opened its studios for the first phase of the vaccination drive, in which it plans to inoculate as many as 4,000 workers. YRF had pledged to sponsor Covid-19 vaccines for 30,000 members of the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE).

    As the second wave recedes further, it may also become necessary for workers and staff to show proof of vaccination, when they resume work. The organizations are thus making efforts to dispel any concerns that their staff may have regarding vaccination and urging them to take the jabs.

  • Zee Chithramandir debuts as #1 free dish channel in Maharashtra

    Mumbai: Zee Chithramandir, the latest movie channel from Zee Enterprises Ltd (ZEE) has emerged at the top spot on the free dish platform within a week of its launch. According to a statement issued by ZEE, the channel has garnered two-thirds of the market share in the Marathi speaking cluster in its debut week. 

    The statement noted that Zee Chithramandir was the most viewed channel with the highest time shift viewing (TSV) of 368 minutes and an opening reach of 39.1 percent on the free dish platform in the state. The channel was launched with the premiere of Sairat, the blockbuster Marathi movie directed by Nagraj Manjule, and it was followed by the telecast of several superhit titles. 

    “We are extremely delighted to receive such a phenomenal response from the audience, despite launching the channel during the pandemic. At ZEE, we are obsessed with a consumer-first approach, our hyperlocal strategy is based on our in-depth understanding of consumers’ interests as well as deep market intelligence, thereby helping us achieve undisputed leadership by garnering over two-thirds of the market share in the Marathi entertainment space. ZEE’s Marathi cluster entertains 43.8 million viewers every week,” said Zee Enterprises Limited, cluster-head, north, west & premium channels, Amit Shah. 

    It is also one of the first channels in the free-to-air market to come up with a one-of-its-kind consumer engagement activity to facilitate the returning of the FTA dish boxes to increase channel sampling and strengthen the connection with consumers. As part of the engagement initiative, viewers can convey their wishes to their loved ones across Maharashtra, on special occasions. The activity witnessed participation with over 30,000 entries within two weeks of its launch. 

    Zee Enterprises Ltd, chief growth officer -advertisement revenue, Ashish Sehgal said, “Since the Covid outbreak, the media and entertainment space has witnessed the emergence of multiple new trends and has broken certain age-old norms. Regional content viewership across the country has registered double-digit growth, suggesting viewers’ reliance on TV as the most preferred medium for entertainment. On a national level, the movie genre has registered significant growth in viewership and ad volumes driven by the rise of family viewing. Zee Chitramandir is tailor-made to suit the palette of viewers in Maharashtra, which has further boosted the advertisers’ response towards the channel.”

  • ZEE5’s Avi Kumar appointed as CMO, Join Ventures

    ZEE5’s Avi Kumar appointed as CMO, Join Ventures

    Mumbai: Direct-to-consumer (D2C) platform Join Ventures has announced the appointment of Avi Kumar as its new chief marketing officer (CMO). In this new role, Kumar will lead global marketing for Join Ventures and its portfolio companies – IGP.com, IGP for Business, and Interflora India. 

    Kumar is recognized among the top 30 CMOs by the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) and brings over a decade of experience in online business and marketing leadership roles. As the CMO, Kumar will be responsible for accelerating the market awareness and growth of Join Ventures’ D2C ecosystem. 

    Speaking on Kumar’s new role, Join Ventures founder Tarun Joshi said, “Avi is a natural addition to our leadership team as he is a highly experienced, much-admired marketing leader with a proven track record of helping consumer companies build new disruptive categories and drive sustainable growth. Avi’s entrepreneurial mindset and vision will build on this foundation and help propel Join Ventures forward during our next phase of growth.” 

    “The internet ecosystem and evolving consumer needs have led to the emergence of direct-to-consumer (D2C) businesses as a strong value proposition. Join Ventures with its amazing team, strong brand proposition, agile DNA, world-class tech and operational processes is at an inflexion point ready to take off and transform consumer experience and D2C landscape, and I am looking forward to being part of that growth trajectory,” said Kumar. 

    As the head of SVOD and brand marketing for OTT platform, ZEE5, he was responsible for the growth of the D2C and B2B business through a host of multimedia campaigns and industry-first innovations. Prior to that Kumar had led the marketing for India’s largest radio brand Big FM and was instrumental in the growth of Oriflame in India.

  • Zee5 amassed over million views for Friends: The Reunion

    Zee5 amassed over million views for Friends: The Reunion

    KOLKATA: To the delight of fans across the world, Friends: The Reunion returned to television screens on 27 May. While globally released on HBO Max, Indian viewers could also watch it on Zee5. On day one itself, the much-awaited return of the popular franchise registered over one million views, only hours after being aired.

    “We at Zee are extremely delighted to note the roaring response that Friends: The Reunion received on Zee5, by amassing one million+ views and (still) counting, from across the country. We feel extremely proud to have played a part in understanding and serving the cult-loyal audience of the show, by streaming it across millions of screens. Consumer delight and a seamless user experience was an integral aspect of our approach across platforms and this step reinstates our commitment towards our viewers and partners,” Zee digital business and platforms president Amit Goenka said.

    Zee5 announced last Sunday that it had picked up the rights of the show for Indian markets. For a generation and after, Friends, which ran from 1994 to 2004, had a massive following all over the globe, as in India as well. It continues to be one of the more popular series on Netflix, even after 27 years since its first episode was aired on TV. The special reunion episode’s trailer racked up hundreds of millions of views across several channels on YouTube, and wherever else it was released.

    The current franchise offering features Jenifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc, David Schwimmer, Matthew Perry and Lisa Kudrow touring their old sets on the Warner Brothers studio lot that is followed  by a sit down question and answer session with funny man James Corden before a live audience. Corden’s conversations with the six witnesses a lot of re-enacting from old episodes, reminiscing, leg pulling, and poignant moments leading to a lot of laughs and even tears for the stars.

    “As the country’s youngest OTT platform, Zee5 will continue to win hearts, not just in India, but across the globe. We remain committed to delivering compelling content that caters to the consumers’ unique tastes and preferences and enhances the value for our partners. We will continue to augment our offerings with a bespoke catalogue of premium and original content for audiences in India and across the globe,” Goenka added further.

    Currently, Zee5 is available at Rs 499 for a 12-month premium plan. The streaming platform has been striving to sign on new subscribers; and picked up the rights to Salman Khan’s Radhe at Rs 230 crore, which led to some 4.2-odd million concurrent viewers logging on for the film’s premiere.  

  • ZEE Biskope serves weekend entertainment with TV premiere of Kayamat

    ZEE Biskope serves weekend entertainment with TV premiere of Kayamat

    Mumbai: Bhojpuri channel ZEE Biskope is all set to bring fresh content for its viewers this weekend with a special line-up including the world TV premier of blockbuster movie Kayamat.

    The movie featuring Namit Tiwari and Poonam Dubey will be telecasted this Sunday at 6 PM in Jila Top band. The story revolves around the life of Ajay (Namit), an honest and brave police officer, who risks his life to serve in the line of duty and justice. Ajay goes through a host of challenges in his quest to unravel the truth and provide justice to a couple in a murder case.

    Apart from the world premiere, the channel also plans to bring Hollywood movies dubbed in Hindi, as part of a new content band ‘Hollywood Garda’ on Sundays at 12 noon. It will broadcast the 2018 American live-action animated horror comedy film Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween on 23 May. Making the day all the more engaging, it will also telecast the winning entries of its Mother’s Day campaign ‘Tu Chinta Mat Kar Maai’ throughout the day. There will be some heartfelt messages of viewers giving an assurance to their mothers on how they took care of themselves during the pandemic.

    Zee Biskope & Big Ganga, business head, Amarpreet Singh Saini said, “At ZEE Biskope our core objective now is to meet the content upswing while people are homebound. Being with family would mean increased need for family entertainment. The channel has already seen an upsurge in its weekday and weekend viewership. Hence, we plan to cater to the loyal audience base with more variety and offer them a rich family viewing experience aimed at providing an emotional cushion during a difficult reality.”

    Along with headlining a host of category first initiatives, ZEE Biskope has brought novelty to the category and continues to break new ground in the industry as the ultimate Bhojpuri entertainer. Zee Biskope is available on Airtel (channel no 663), Tata Sky (channel no 1120), DEN Bihar (channel no 840), DEN Jharkhand (channel no 839), DD Free Dish (channel no 31), d2h (channel no 859), Dish TV (channel no 1555), Siti Cable (channel no 214) and Darsh Digital (channel no 189). It’ll soon be available on all other major cable platforms.

  • Radhe streams on pirated websites, Zee files complaint at Cyber Cell

    Radhe streams on pirated websites, Zee files complaint at Cyber Cell

    Mumbai: Hours after its release, the much-awaited movie Radhe got leaked on pirated websites, compelling the producers to take action. After appealing to the public to say no to piracy, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEE) has now filed an official complaint at the Cyber Cell against the pirated version of the film.

    According to an official statement from Zee, a pirated version of the film is being circulated across messaging platforms, including WhatsApp and Telegram. The officials are now actively tracking down the phone numbers involved in this act of piracy, taking the required legal actions, it said on Sunday.

    ZEE has also appealed to the public at large, seeking their support in bringing an end to piracy, not just for the film Radhe, but for any kind of content. “Films create livelihood, employment and a source of income for millions of people working in the industry. They also contribute to the economy with the taxes paid to the government. People engaged in spreading the illegal version of the film are not just embracing piracy, but are also negatively impacting the growth of the industry and the livelihoods of people working round the clock,” said Zee as it appealed to all people to consume entertainment content only through official platforms.

    Actor Salman Khan also took to Twitter on Saturday night to warn people against watching pirated versions of the movie.

     

     

    The first-ever multi-platform release of its kind, Radhe: Your Most Wanted Bhai was released on 13 May on Zee5 with ZeePlex, theatres worldwide keeping the Covid protocols in mind, and across all leading DTH operators – Dish, D2H, Tata Sky, and Airtel Digital TV. The movie had garnered 4.2 million views across platforms on Day 1.