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Tag: Zee5

  • HiPi launches on android, to be available for ioS soon

    KOLKATA: Short video platform HiPi has announced a separate app in the user-generated content (UGC) market. After being a part of Zee5 as a beta version since its launch in 2020, ‘HiPi ka naya adda’ will now be available for Android users from 18 June and iOS users from 22 June. 

    The app comes equipped with quality features, including the latest trending music tracks, interactive filters, and effects to help brands establish a deeper bond with their audiences. It even allows users to apply 3D face filters, lip-sync edit videos and create dubbing videos to add a touch of magic to their content. 

    As part of this novel journey, HiPi has also rolled out a month-long campaign #EntertainmentKiBaarish to redefine the meaning of fun. It aims to democratise the digital content arena by providing an even break to both the creators and the viewers from across the nation. 

    The campaign will feature tie-ups with renowned brands and allow users to engage with mind-blowing challenges across genres and contests like Dance Bangla Dance, where creators and viewers can win weekly prizes by performing a unique hook step as per the weekly dance theme, which will be curated by the jury and mentors of Dance Bangla Dance. 

    The 22-week contest will be broken into two parts- creator and viewer. The creator contest will feature about 20 Dance Bangla Dance contestants who will post their videos on HiPi while they continue to participate in the reality show. 

    The grand winner will be declared from one of the Dance Bangla Dance contestants who will stand a chance to win a cash prize of Rs two lakhs and a three-month contract with HiPi. Meanwhile, in the viewer’s contest, HiPi will select one participant from the UGC entries who can stand the chance of winning weekly cash prizes amounting to Rs two lakhs through the duration of the contest. The winners for both categories will be selected based on their popularity on HiPi. 

    Commenting on the remarkable announcements, the spokesperson of HiPi, said, “Showcasing our standalone app in the Indian market within one year of our launch is a huge achievement for us. This was an outcome of the overwhelming response and support we received from our users and we want to return the favour through the #EntertainmentKiBaarish. The campaign promises to bring invigorating activities and contests, allowing users to experience the joy of entertainment on their fingertips”.

    Apart from the campaign filled with fun and entertainment, HiPi will also launch a contest, allowing users to upload videos showcasing the best of their talent (dance, singing, lip-sync, food, fitness, fashion, beauty, etc). The winners of the contest will get a cash prize of Rs.50,000.

  • Zee5 unveils new brand campaign to promote Rs 499 subscription plan

    KOLKATA: As Zee5 keeps adding new content to its portfolio, it is also revising its annual subscription package to get more eyeballs. It has priced down its annual subscription to Rs 499 from Rs 999 for a limited period. To communicate the message of a stronger library, affordable pricing, it has unveiled a new brand campaign ‘Dekhtey Reh Jaogey’.

    Zee5 has brought on board Sara Ali Khan, Amol Parashar as brand ambassadors for the campaign. The ‘Dekhtey Reh Jaogey’ campaign is targeted towards younger audiences aged between 18-34 to increase the share of mind, strengthening Zee5’s position as India’s OTT platform of choice. Following a 360-degree approach to target Indian entertainment lovers, Zee5 has planned a high-frequency campaign across TV, social media, and digital, which is slated to go live on Thursday.

    “With the OTT upswing, today, millions of viewers are Binge-Watching content across smaller towns and cities, many of which are underserved in terms of content options and infrastructural set-up. With the ‘Dekhtey Reh Jaogey’ campaign, we want to make quality entertainment accessible to consumers, in the language of their choice, at the tap of a button, without price being a deterrent. Think of it as ‘Entertainment Inclusion’, our single biggest goal going forward,” Zee5 chief business officer Manish Kalra said.

    The new brand ambassadors are elated as well to be associated with the leading OTT platform. “Zee5 is our very own homegrown OTT platform. With ‘Dekhtey Reh Jaogey’, the aim is to entertain everyone, especially during these difficult times. Additionally, for me, Kedarnath and Simmba are my firsts and therefore extra special both of us are on Zee5!”, shared Sara Ali Khan.

    Amol Parashar chose this campaign because of the messaging it is giving out to people to stay home and be entertained without any interruption during this pandemic, he said.

    “Zee5, our homegrown OTT platform has consistently presented intriguing and amazing content across genres. I started my journey with TVF and recently, the two content creators have joined hands, which shows the trust everyone has in this platform”, Parashar added further.

  • We are working towards a diverse content offering: Zee5’s Nimisha Pandey

    KOLKATA: Zee5 has announced a partnership with TVF (The Viral Fever) as the platform looks at diversifying its library. In the last few months, ZEE’s digital arm has stepped up its content game by acquiring blockbuster Radhe and buying rights for Friends: The Reunion to stream in India.

    “We have been aggressively going after a vast range of consumers, pan-India audience base, and catering to an audience of all kinds of backgrounds. That is why from Radhe to Friends, and now Sunflower, we are working towards a diverse content offering. It is the continuation of that ambition that we bring TVF onboard,” Zee5 India Hindi originals head Nimisha Pandey said.

    She also added that Zee5 does not only want diverse content but wants to be the home to the country’s best storytellers. The platform is focusing on getting good content creators of the platform and the TVF partnership is one of the many to come in the future.

    The latest partnership includes the launch of originals and new seasons of iconic TVF shows on its SVOD platform, along with popular cult favourites that will be accessible to all, on its AVOD platform. Thus Zee5 will have some of the key IPs on the platform which will also be available on another platform but it will have the subsequent seasons of those IPs exclusively. In addition to these subsequent seasons, Zee5 is also creating some exclusive new IPs.

    “People often say that we are targeting youth with this content, I am a firm believer that it’s more about the content you like irrespective of the age group you are in. TVF content resonates with the spirit of youth. That’s the DNA we are going after,” Pandey noted.

    Hence, the audience that Zee5 is targeting through the deal is not tied to not a segment per se, but to a taste cluster itself. Moreover, a huge chunk of the new audience has come on the platform thanks to a new slate of content. The platform hopes to continue to engage them with content from TVF, she added.

    Zee5 has an exclusive line-up of new seasons of acclaimed TVF shows such as Pitchers Season 2, Tripling Season 3, Humorously Yours Season 3 for its subscribers. Iconic titles like Permanent Roommates, Tech Conversations with Dad, Awkward Conversations, PA-Gals, Inmates, Weekends, The Insiders, Zeroes will be accessible to all users.

    “We don’t want to miss an opportunity to have a piece of content that will be loved by the audience. Even if we talk about the TVF deal, we will shoot new seasons. The partnership has not happened because we have not been able to create content. It happened because we wanted to have TVF content,” Pandey answered when asked if Zee5 is going big after the acquisition because of difficulties in shooting in the current time.

  • Zee5 strikes up partnership with TVF

    KOLKATA: OTT platform Zee5 has announced a content partnership with TVF (The Viral Fever). After introducing Radhe: Your Most Wanted Bhai and Friends: The Reunion last month, the platform has now amped up its existing robust content library with more content of inherently Indian stories that resonate with entertainment seekers across the country.

    The partnership includes the launch of originals and new seasons of iconic TVF shows on its SVOD platform, along with popular cult favourites that will be accessible to all, on its AVOD platform.

    Zee5 has an exclusive line-up of new seasons of acclaimed TVF shows such as Pitchers Season 2, Tripling Season 3, Humorously Yours Season 3, and other popular titles like Engineering Girls Season 2 and The Aam Aadmi Family Season 4.  The platform will enrich its bouquet of content offerings with the addition of 13 exciting TVF shows to its AVOD platform, it announced on Monday.  In addition to the existing seasons of these shows, iconic titles like Permanent Roommates, Tech Conversations with Dad, Awkward Conversations, PA-Gals, Inmates, Weekends, The Insiders, Zeroes will be accessible to all.

    Zee5 India chief business officer Manish Kalra said, the company’s focus for this year is ‘Entertainment Inclusion’, to ensure everybody, irrespective of the demographic and language preference, has access to purposeful entertainment on ZEE5. “Over 60 per cent of our audience comes from Hindi-speaking markets and TVF caters perfectly to that group. Being a customer-obsessed platform, we are delighted to bring these much-loved and iconic TVF shows to our platform to further enhance our extensive library of purposeful, multilingual, and diverse titles. Going forward, we will continue to satiate viewer’s appetite for entertainment by offering them a robust slate of differentiated stories in the language of their choice and at their fingertips, reinforcing our positioning as the Multilingual Storyteller for millions of entertainment seekers,” Kalra added.

    Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd president (content & international markets) Punit Misra said, “Consumer obsession is the cornerstone of our content design thinking on Zee5. Our partnership with TVF is driven by that same obsession, as we seek the love and advocacy of both the OTT native youth audience as well as family audiences. Bringing in a mix of iconic shows and characters on one hand, and heart-warming new shows on the other, we hope to truly delight our viewers.”

    The OTT platform is planning to build a strong repository of purposeful content and democratizing access to quality entertainment across the country, it said on Monday.

    TVF founder Arunabh Kumar, said TVF has been trying to push the boundaries with its characters and stories. “We are confident that with the power of the Zee5 platform, our teams and stories will win the hearts of millions of new viewers across the country and the world over. With this collaboration, we are looking forward to creating real magic, not just bringing the best of TVF on the platform but also creating memorable new seasons and shows that our viewers and fans can thoroughly enjoy,” he added.

    “We are excited to team up with TVF, the creators who put streaming content on the map in this country. Their stories inspire an instant connect as their slice-of-life shows closely mirror the viewers’ lives, with a charming ensemble of characters having relatable quirks brought alive by some very talented actors,” Zee5 India Hindi originals head Nimisha Pandey said.

  • 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.

  • CNN+ to accelerate launch in US

    CNN+ to accelerate launch in US

    Mumbai: This one is for those news channel executives and owners in India who don’t seem to have the confidence to launch their own streaming services. Cable TV news pioneer CNN – part of the WarnerMedia (now WarnerBros.Discovery) group, is working on its OTT service called – what else do you expect –CNN+, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal.

    The platform is likely to be subscription driven and launch plans are being speeded up to allow it to debut much before the merger between CNN owner Warner Media and Discovery gets completed and the combined media behemoth resurfaces as Warner Bros.Discovery.

    CNN+ has signed up deals with its prime anchors led by Anderson Cooper and Don Lemon to create new programmes – aside from the ones they have on the cable TV news service – , offering them higher packages, and possibly even bonuses related to subscriber growth.

    Rivals such as Fox News got into the streaming fray 18 months ago as Fox Nation, offering differentiated programming than what is served on the network. Subscription numbers are just in the hundreds of thousands, but the new streamer has helped the Murdoch owned news service stay relevant to a new generation of digital first customers.

    The Comcast owned streamer Peacock, also has given space to programmes from sister news services MSNBC and CNBC, as has the Viacom owned Paramount+ which has news shows such as 60 minutes  from its CBS News operation.

    Will Indian news channel leaders take a cue from the bustle of activity taking place in the US and also launch their own streaming services? So far they have been happy have a meek presence with their online web site avatars or have their linear channels streamed on other OTTs such as Disney+Hotstar or Zee5. It’s over to the news channel managements.

  • Brands memed FRIENDS on the reunion

    Brands memed FRIENDS on the reunion

    Mumbai: It would not be an exaggeration to say that it was the most looked-forward to, most-talked-about and the most nostalgia-generating event all of last week, on social media. After a wait of more than a decade and a half, diehard fans, the world over, of the most popular sitcom in television history finally got to see their six F.R.I.E.N.D.S get back together at Central Perk – albeit just for a little more than an hour and a half.  

    That was enough to spawn a million memes and dominate endless Instagram stories and conversations, with many declaring this was their best one hour 40 minutes of 2021 so far!

    Then why would brands be left behind?

    So, here goes a pick of some of the creatives for the FRIENDS: The Reunion that celebrated the friendship and got the nostalgia on spot. Could we be more excited!

    ZEE5

    The OTT platform which streamed the special episode in India, very usefully came up with some creative excuses we could use to bunk office to watch the reunion episode the moment it was launched- 12.32 pm to be precise! Could we be more grateful?

    “The world will be on a BREAK tomorrow. Which excuse will you use to watch the #FriendsReunionOnZEE5 at 12:32 pm with the rest of the world?”

     

     
     
     

     
     
     
     
     

     
     

     
     
     

     
     

    A post shared by ZEE5 (@zee5)

     

    Godrej Appliances

    The consumer brand came up with a series of posts which recreated some of the iconic scenes and dialogues from the show:

     

     

     

     

     

     

    JSW Paints

    The Paint brand paid tribute to the famed couch in the coffee shop where the group of six used to hang out: “Can we be… any more excited to embrace every colour of this reunion!”

     

     

    Amul

    The dairy brand continued its legacy of staying ahead of the curve when it comes to tapping topical trends with a cutesy take:

     

     

    Zomato

    The food delivery platform brilliantly called out the #1 trending restaurant of the day, Central Perk  in its post:

     

     
     
     

     
     
     
     
     

     
     

     
     
     

     
     

    A post shared by zomato (@zomato)

     

    Kotak Life

    The Insurance brand creatively used the words of the familiar theme song ‘I’ll Be There For You’ and the backdrop behind the famous series to promote its service: “People come and go but true F.R.I.E.N.D.S will always stick around, even in the toughest situation. Let Kotak Life Insurance be that friend of yours.”

     

     

  • 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.  

  • When can you watch Friends: The Reunion in India?

    When can you watch Friends: The Reunion in India?

    KOLKATA: In another piece of good news for the fans of the iconic TV show Friends, OTT platform Zee5 announced on Tuesday that it will stream the highly anticipated Friends: The Reunion in India simultaneously with the US and the world on 27 May.

    Talking about the excitement ahead of the premiere, Zee5 India chief business officer Manish Kalra said: “We received an overwhelming response from the audience after recently announcing that the show will stream exclusively on ZEE5 in India. We are proud to share that we will bring this event to India along with the world on 27 May at 12.32 pm!”

    Kalra said viewers can also avail Friends: The Reunion Special unlimited viewing offer at least 12 hours in advance before the launch for a seamless experience. “We are all geared up to make this a resounding success in India along with the rest of the world,” he added.

    The trailer has already set the social media ablaze and raked up millions of views across several channels. HBO Max will debut the famous sitcom special on Thursday, May 27 in the US, marking the first anniversary of HBO Max’s launch. The show’s actors Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, and David Schwimmer will return to the iconic comedy’s original soundstage, Stage 24, on the Warner Brothers Studio lot in Burbank for a real-life unscripted celebration.

    It will feature a variety of special guest appearances including David Beckham, Justin Bieber, BTS, James Corden, Cindy Crawford, Cara Delevingne, Lady Gaga, Elliott Gould, Kit Harington, Larry Hankin, Mindy Kaling, Thomas Lennon, Christina Pickles, Tom Selleck, James Michael Tyler, Maggie Wheeler, Reese Witherspoon and Malala Yousafzai. Ben Winston directed the special and executive produced along with “Friends” executive producers Kevin Bright, Marta Kauffman, and David Crane.

    The special hails from Warner Bros. Unscripted Television in association with Warner Horizon, Fulwell 73 Productions, and Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions. Aniston, Cox, Kudrow, LeBlanc, Perry, and Schwimmer executive produced the special. Emma Conway, James Longman, and Stacey Thomas-Muir co-executive produced.

  • Zee5 pockets Friends Reunion; delights Indian fans

    Zee5 pockets Friends Reunion; delights Indian fans

    MUMBAI: This is one show special which is setting social media ablaze. Ever since, Friends Reunion special’s premiere date on HBO Max in the US was announced as 27 May, many an ardent fans’ pulse was racing, wondering which platform would  do the honours in India. Well, it’s Zee5 which has beaten the likes of Netflix, Prime, Disney+Hotstar  to the final post and picked up the rights. The announcement was made on Sunday by Zee5 chief business officer Manish Kalra

    For a generation and after, Friends, which ran from 1994 to 2004,  had a massive following. In India too. To date, it is one of the more popular series on Netflix, even after almost 27 years since its first episode was aired on TV.

    The special episode’s trailer has racked up hundreds of millions of views across several channels on YouTube, and wherever else it has been released.

    It shows Jenifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc, David Schwimmer, Matthew Perry and Lisa Kudrow touring their old sets on the Warner Brothers studio lot followed  by a sit down question and answer session with funny man James Corden in front of a live audience. Naturally Corden’s conversations with the six sees a lot of re-enacting from old episodes, reminiscing, leg pulling, and poignant moments leading to a lot of laughs and even tears for them.

    For those who came in late, Friends –  which was created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, who executive produced the series with Kevin Bright through Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television – featured six mates – . Rachel Green (Jennifer Aniston), Monica Geller (Courteney Cox), Phoebe Buffay (Lisa Kudrow), Joey Tribbiani (Matt Le Blanc), Chandler Bing (Matthew Perry), and Ross Geller (David Schwimmer) – in New York and their journey into adulthood.

    A gaggle of celebs is slated to join the cast: David Beckham, Justin Bieber, BTS, James Corden, Cindy Crawford, Cara Delevingne, Lady Gaga, Elliott Gould, Kit Harington, Larry Hankin, Mindy Kaling, Thomas Lennon, Christina Pickles, Tom Selleck, James Michael Tyler, Maggie Wheeler, Reese Witherspoon and Malala Yousafzai.

    The show had also caused major waves towards its ninth and tenth seasons when the six main leads were paid a million dollars in remuneration for each episode. And it is also known for the cameos that some of the biggest stars in Hollywood at that time  made in some episode or the other, right from Brad Pitt to Julia Roberts to Bruce Willis to Sean Penn to Dermot Mulrooney to Winona Ryder to Robin Williams to Billy Crystal to George Clooney to Susan Sarandan to Bonnie Somerville.

    The Friends Reunion special credits Aniston, Cox, Kudrow, LeBlanc, Perry, and Schwimmer as executive producers with Ben Winston directing and executive producing alongside Kevin Bright, Marta Kauffman, and David Crane. A production of Warner Bros Unscripted Television in association with Warner Horizon, Fulwell 73 Productions and Bright/ Kauffman/ Crane Productions, it features Emma Conway, James Longman and Stacey Thomas-Muir as  co-executive producers.

    Observers wonder, why Zee5, which has been focusing on producing originals in different Indian languages, took a decision to acquire the rights for an American show in English and coughed up top dollars for a one-off program.

    Kalra gives the reason why. Says he: “Friends is amongst the world’s most watched and loved sitcoms and it is a great opportunity for us to present their reunion, something that the world has been talking about, on Zee5 for Friends fans in India.”

    Currently, Zee5 is available at Rs 499 for a 12-month premium plan. The streaming platform has been striving to sign on subscribers; hence it picked the rights to Salman Khan’s Radhe at Rs 230 crore, which led to some 4.2-odd million concurrent viewers logging onto the film’s premiere.  Hopefully, the Friends Reunion gamble will pay off and lead to a similar surge.