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Tag: Zee5

  • TIGMANSHU DHULIA IN ZEE5’S UPCOMING ORIGINAL, RANGBAAZ

    TIGMANSHU DHULIA IN ZEE5’S UPCOMING ORIGINAL, RANGBAAZ

    MUMBAI: Acclaimed director, producer and actor Tigmanshu Dhulia, has joined the cast of ZEE5’s upcoming Original, Rangbaaz. Tigmanshu essays the role of Ram Shankar Tiwari, who has an intimidating personality and is a master class politician.

    Tigmanshu joins Saqib Saleeb, Ranvir Shorey, Aahana Kumra and Ravi Kishan in Rangbaaz, which is set against the rustic background of the UP of the 90s. The story revolves around a man engaging in the dark and dirty world of crime and shows the human side of one of the most feared gangsters of the region from the '90s.

    Talking about the same Tigmanshu Dhulia said, “Rangbaaz has a great narrative and the team working on it is excellent. I am excited to be a part of this project with ZEE5. I was attracted to my character Ram Shankar Tiwari – he is a sharp, relatable politician with power.”

    Manish Aggarwal, Business Head, ZEE5 India said, “Rangbaaz, with a promising storyline and a creative bunch of actors will surely create excitement in the minds of viewers. It is not your regular gangster-cop drama. It is a story inspired by real-life events. With a veteran creative mind like Tigmanshu Dhulia joining the show, this time as an actor, it adds to the overall expectation from the audience. This is one of our biggest Originals at ZEE5 and we will reveal the launch date soon.”

    Aparna Acharekar, Programming Head, ZEE5 India said, “Rangbaaz has a unique flavour and will surely catch the viewers’ attention. Whether it is all the actors essaying their respective characters with full conviction or the fantastic storytelling, Rangbaaz is sure to stand out. The ZEE5 content team led by Nidhi Mishra has done a commendable job of putting this show together. While we already have a fantastic cast, with Tigmanshu Dhulia joining the team as an actor, his inputs and creative expertise will further raise the expectation for the audience.”  

    Produced by JAR Pictures with Creative Director Nishikant Kamat & directed by Bhav Dhulia, written by RJ Siddharth (Siddharth Mishra), Rangbaaz premieres on ZEE5 this December.

  • ZEE5’s Northern Warriors emerge victorious in their first ever season of the T10 League 2018

    ZEE5’s Northern Warriors emerge victorious in their first ever season of the T10 League 2018

    Mumbai: After a spectacular second season of the T10 Cricket League, Northern Warriors, who made their debut this season, defeated the Pakhtoons in a resounding 22 run victory to lift the title of Champions of the T10 Cricket League 2018. The nail biting finals were played at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium, UAE on 2nd December 2018.

    ZEE5, the digital entertainment platform from ZEE Entertainment Enterprise Ltd, is the title sponsor of the Northern Warriors for the tournament, and the team is owned by Mohomed Morani (Managing Director) & Shabaz Elias (Founding Director).

    Congratulating the team on their win, Archana Anand, Chief Business Officer, ZEE5 Global said, “As title sponsors of the team, we are extremely thrilled to have been a part of Northern Warriors journey through the tournament and through each successive victory. The team has displayed an enormous passion to win – the same quality that ZEE5 embodies as we foray into 190+ countries to win the hearts of millions of South Asians across the globe.”

    Northern Warriors defeated Maratha Arabians on 1st December 2018 in the semi-finals. They faced the Pakhtoons in the T10 final battle where they defeated them by 22 runs. With an undefeated 61 runs in 25 balls, Rovman Powell was declared Man of the Match, whereas Hardus Viljoen was declared as the Player of the series.

    ZEE5 has recently gone live in over 190 countries, offering South Asian audiences and beyond the largest width and depth of multi-genre content across English, Tamil, Hindi, Malayalam, Telugu, Kannada, Marathi, Bengali, Oriya, Bhojpuri, Gujarati and Punjabi. ZEE5 comes packed with 1,00,000 hours of On Demand content, including Indian Movies and TV Shows, Cine plays, Music, and Health and Lifestyle videos along with a slew of exclusive Originals, across 12 languages. It also has an extensive Live TV offering with 60+ popular Live TV channels, including ZEE’s best loved channels.

    The ZEE5 App can be downloaded from Google Play Store as well as the iOS App Store and can be accessed by visiting www.ZEE5.com. The app is also available on Samsung Smart TV, Apple TV and Android TV as well as Amazon Fire TV.

  • ZEE5 and OYO offer discounts to travellers

    ZEE5 and OYO offer discounts to travellers

    MUMBAI: OTT platform ZEE5 has joined hands with OYO Hotels and Homes to offer the travellers some fantastic discounts. OYO Hotels and homes will offer their customers a flat 20 per cent discount on a ZEE5 subscription. Similarly, ZEE5 subscribers will enjoy a flat 60 per cent discount on booking rooms via OYO, with an additional 5 per cent off for OYO wizard members. The offer is valid till 15 January 2019.

    ZEE5 India business head Manish Aggarwal said, “The travel industry in India is growing exponentially and people are consuming content when on the go. Taking a cue from this, ZEE5 has partnered with OYO rooms to provide seamless entertainment options to travellers. Our exhaustive library has content across six languages and multiple genres to suit the travel preference of travellers, regardless of their age and background. With aggressive tie-ups in the travel space, ZEE5 aims to create a multitude of opportunities that enhance customer experience and value and this partnership with OYO Rooms is another step in that direction.”

    OYO Hotels and homes VP- conversions Burhanuddin Pithawala, commented, “At OYO, we thrive on a customer centric approach to innovation, and our partnership with ZEE5 brings alive our shared passion for delighting our customers. Through this partnership, we are excited to offer the ZEE5 entertainment experience to all our valued customers, and extend the OYO hospitality experience to all the subscribers of ZEE5.”

    Recently, ZEE5 has also tied up with MakeMyTrip and RailYatri to give an impetus to its rapidly growing user base and make commuting more engaging.

  • ZEE5 goes global with competitive rates

    ZEE5 goes global with competitive rates

    MUMBAI: If everyone else is coming here, we're going there, said Zee. Within less than a year of launch in India, Zee Entertainment Enterprise Ltd's (ZEEL) digital arm ZEE5 has gone global. In the first leg of the international rollout, the OTT platform has launched a global campaign recently targeting South Asian audience across the world. Talking about the global launch, ZEE5 global chief business officer Archana Anand said it has priced the subscription rates very competitively.

    The TVC of ‘Dil se Desi’, crafted in collaboration with Publicis has a very funky feeling where rap has been used as the medium. While ZEE has been traditionally looking at slightly older audiences, the new campaign intends to attract younger audiences conveying the message that ZEE5 as a global platform aspires to have content for all these audiences. 

    “Apni Bhasa Me Feel Hain was also to say that new age Indians are savvy, millennial, use digital and speak English, but when we speak we like to use references from our language. We want to watch content in our language and we love it. Now, in Dil Se Desi it is taking that context globally saying that the South Asian audience which loves our content lives across the globe and all of them may have advanced and in first world countries. Technology, globalisation all of that happened but their heart is Dil se Desi,” Anand commented.

    The TVC part of it is playing across the ZEEL network globally and right now it isn't going to third parties for inventories. The first phase of the launch is targeted to APAC, MENA and Africa. Later, the markets where connected devices got ready including Europe, Canada and the Caribbean will be targeted. While the short term goal is to become the entertainment destination for south Asian audience immediately, the long term goal is to position the platform as a top entertainment destination going beyond south Asians.

    The new campaign took around five to six months to be rolled out. It worked closely with Publicis, the creative partner in the mandate. There was a rigorous pitching process where multiple agencies took part. BBH and Publicis were neck-to-neck. Interestingly, BBH won the mandate for the Indian campaign earlier.

    “When I created the strategy for India, I wanted say that the new trend is languages, regional and masses. That was my co-proposition for India. For the global creative, I did not want to go too far from that co-thought. It had to be an extension,” Anand commented.

    Going forward, plans are on for two TVCs for Pakistani and Bangladeshi audiences particularly.

    Other than the TVC, the campaign has its counterparts in digital and social media also. The #lovedesi has already gone viral across social media. As the out-of-home marketing will not be very effective abroad as the target audience lives in pockets, there will be a lot of on-ground activity.

    Just like Airtel in India, there are global telecom partners as well.

    While there are several Indian OTT platforms that are already targeting diaspora audience, especially in the presence of international giants like Netflix, Amazon Prime, ZEE5 is confident to make a difference on the back of its language content. Anand said though many other platforms are also boasting about having content in several languages, ZEE5’s boast is very real owing to its depth.

    Anand who has been learning quite a lot in the space, thinks that the final call in content creation should be taken based on gut instinct and data both. According to her, before going into any new market, everyone has to invest a lot in research to understand consumer sights and find a need gap.

    While the subscription rates are very different across the globe, even in APAC itself, in every market it has taken account of competition rates, pay TV costs and priced it competitively. Though targeting a large crowd spread across various locations is not easy, Anand seems confident about her strategy.

  • ZEE5 premieres Batti Gul Meter Chalu

    ZEE5 premieres Batti Gul Meter Chalu

    MUMBAI: ZEE5, the fastest growing OTT platform in the country, is all set to stream Batti Gul Meter Chalu,first time on digital,since its theatre release.Starring Shraddha Kapoor and Shahid Kapoor in lead roles, the movie will be exclusively available for ZEE5 subscribers from today, 22nd November.

    Written and directed by Shree Narayan Singh, Batti Gul Meter Chalu is a social drama which highlights the plight of people suffering at the hands of power companies and their constant struggle to make themselves heard. The story grips you with its real-life screenplay, powerful dialogues and gripping performances by the cast.

    Manish Aggarwal, Business Head, ZEE5 Indiasaid, “We are consistently strengthening our World Digital Premiere property with blockbuster titles for our viewers. So far, movies likeVeere Di Wedding, Parmanu, Padman, Mulkand many more across Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, have garnered a positive response across markets. Batti Gul Meter Chalutalks about an important issue and will definitely resonate with our audience. With a strong line-up of latest movie releases, we plan to make ZEE5 the undisputed digital entertainment destination.”

    Vinod Bhanushali, President – Marketing, Licensing and Publishing, T-Seriessaid,“Releasing the movie on ZEE5 will help us multiply the reach and highlight the issue among relevant audiences. This movie is an honest attempt to address a deep-rooted concern and it is made in such a way that itentertains yet gives out a strong message. The World Digital Premiere on ZEE5is be a good development for all those who have missed watching the movie in theatres.”

    From Padman, Veere Di Wedding, Mulk, Parmanu and many more in Hindi to Faster Fene, Gulabjaam, Mercury and so on across languages Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, ZEE5 continues to digitally premiere blockbuster movies across languages.

    With over 3500 films, 500+ TV shows, 4000+ music videos, 35+ theatre plays and 90+ LIVE TV Channels across 12 languages, ZEE5 truly presents a blend of unrivalled content offering for its viewers across the nation and worldwide. With ZEE5, the global content of Zindagi as a brand, which was widely appreciated across the country, has also been brought back for its loyal viewers.

    Availability: The ZEE5 App can be downloaded from Google Play Store http://bit.ly/zee5 and iOS App Store http://bit.ly/zee5ios. Also available at www.zee5.com, as a Progressive Web App (PWA), and on Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV Stick. ZEE5 also supports Chromecast.

    Pricing: Freemium pricing model with both free and paid premium content (including Originals) to cater to a mix of audiences. Viewers who subscribe to the ZEE5 subscription pack will get access to the entire library of content with – 99/- for 1 month and 999/- for a year.
     

  • Vidnet2018: Regionalisation, localisation the way forward for the OTT industry

    Vidnet2018: Regionalisation, localisation the way forward for the OTT industry

    MUMBAI: Over the top (OTT) is no more a baby. The ecosystem has been eating and growing slowly, taking centre stage in several media and entertainment related scenarios.

    On the stage of Vidnet 2018, hosted by Indiantelevision.com, experts from India’s leading OTT platforms were present. ZEE5 India CEO Tarun Katial, Amazon Prime Video India business director and head Gaurav Gandhi, YouTube India entertainment head Satya Raghavan, Voot head marketing and partnerships Akash Banerji and Hotstar consumer and revenue lead Prabh Simran Singh shared their key learning in a session named ‘Lessons from Battlefronts’.

    Moderator of the session, Indiantelevision.com founder, CEO and editor in chief Anil Wanvari made the prelude of the session saying that it has been few years since the OTT ecosystem started in India and how it has been challenging since then. He also mentioned YouTube has been a pioneer much before any other platform. Another leading platform Hotstar came in later. He started the discussion asking market leader YouTube's Raghavan what have been the lessons over the years in terms of consumers, consumption and the way the market is playing out.

    While asked what the industry has learnt, Raghavan mentioned a very important point that is obviously putting consumer the “queen” before anything. He shared how consumer taste and presence dictate the core of content.

    “Second is that it takes a whole village to build this entire ecosystem. It was only when accessibility opened up and all of us saw that it’s not just that 100 or 150 million people who are out there to consume a content. The depth is just amazing that this country has as evident by television. So when we saw access open up, when we saw consumers coming up from every part of the country, creation started to follow. Today, there are creators on YouTube who are uploading content from over 400 locations in the country,” he added.

    Gandhi, now with Amazon Prime Video India, saw the OTT industry very closely since a nascent stage. According to him, people are hungry for good stories and Prime Video goes bigger with every original show. Added to that, he thinks going regional is essential for streaming services given the diversity of the Indian market. He also highlighted the fact that adding value to service makes customers want to pay.

    “I think given how diverse we are for streaming, regional is essential. The more you go regional, the bigger counts you get. We have now six languages of content. We have seen tremendous growth there. We have introduced Hindi UI, we will be following up it with Tamil and Telugu very soon. So, regionalisation and localisation is the second big thing,” Gandhi commented.

    Agreeing with Gandhi, Katial also highlighted the importance of going more regional and adding more languages to the library. While tech giant Google has been promoting voice search lately, Katial also believed that both in the top and bottom end of the market, searching by ‘type’ is not the way to go. Considerably, ZEE5 has voice search available in 12 languages.

    Voot’s Banerji added to these insights that delivering a good viewing experience for consumers is essential along with good content. Banerji also added that as a platform Voot believes that the depth of content in the library is important along with the width.

    For Hotstar, live sports has been very critical in building its business. Breaking the myth that sports is a large screen experience, Prabh Simran Singh commented that consumers also love to watch it on the small screen. Rather than screen, moment matters. He also added that uni-dimensional focus on business model helps as Hotstar built both SVOD and AVOD category side by side.

    All the experts also agreed on the polarised nature of the Indian market. While there are consumers wanting low bandwidth video, there are plenty of them wanting HD quality video. One segment may fit into AVOD business model, another one for high-end subscription. Smart TVs are emerging as an important device for consumption at the same time with feature phones priced at Rs 1500. While young audience still dominates digital space, consumption of spiritual content in older age group, educational content among kids are likewise prevalent.

    “There is no one type of customer, there are so many kinds of customers and it is how we fulfill their desire. The biggest challenge we have is how our storytelling can keep pace with people’s desire and provide the kind of content they want,” Gandhi commented.

    However, a comment from Raghavan sums up the most unique nature of OTT industry here. According to him rather than a battlefront, the Indian market is an amazing place to partner and collaborate with multiple players in the entire value chain.

  • Vidnet2018: OTT industry says innovation the need of the hour

    Vidnet2018: OTT industry says innovation the need of the hour

    MUMBAI: In the last couple of years, over-the-top platforms have emerged as mainstream entertainment source going beyond “mail-metro-millennial” phenomenon for a sizeable population in India despite television still holding its dominance.

    The beauty of the Indian market is its diversity enabling opportunities for various business models and content in several regional languages along with Hindi and English. However, with the growth of the industry, new challenges in different areas including technology and regulations are cropping up. To delve deeper into the issues, experts across the entire ecosystem came together at Vidnet 2018 hosted by Indiantelevision.com powered by Verizon which had ZEE5 as title partner. The long day summit became a perfect stage to discuss relevant issues concerning the industry as well as to gain new insights.

    At the beginning of the event, a very interesting session with Hulu Japan CCO Kazufumi Nagasawa moderated by Indiantelevision.com founder and CEO Anil Wanvari set the tone for the day. The spokesperson shared the state of Japanese OTT market which is super crowded as well. But in contrast to the Indian market, most players are focused on SVoD service in Japan. However, Hulu Japan stands with 1.8 million paying subscribers with more than 50,000 hours of content. The session was followed by Verizon Digital Media Services EMEA and India managing director Taylor Riese who also said they are listing the challenges in the market with infrastructure in India.

    The attraction of the day was definitely the power packed session with speakers from the most popular OTT services and digital video platforms in India. ZEE5 India CEO Tarun Katial, Amazon Prime Video India business director and head Gaurav Gandhi, YouTube India entertainment head Satya Raghavan, Voot head marketing and partnerships Akash Banerji, Hotstar consumer and revenue lead Prabh Simran Singh shared their key learnings.

    Gandhi debunking the myth that Indians don’t want to pay for digital content saying that if customers see value in product they won’t mind paying and Katial mentioned an important fact that content cost in OTT is not going to be same as TV. While the session was named as “lessons from battlefront”, all the experts more or less agreed that the Indian market gives best opportunities for partnerships and collaborations.

     

    In another impacting session, Green Gold Animation founder and MD Rajiv Chilaka, Pocket Aces founder Ashwin Suresh, Contiloe founder Abhimanyu Singh from, SVF Entertinment president Ravi Sharma and Goldi Behel discussed the power of local storytelling. While five of them have been a part of the experience in creating versatile content targeting a particular audience, they highlighted how the time is perfect for content creators to be in the space owing to the new digital mediums. Applause Entertainment CEO Sameer Nair, another veteran in the production business, mentioned another important fact that content is not a commodity that someone can win with a price war, rather it has to be won with a good story.

    Other than content, topics like the need for unified video measurement for better data was discussed in presence of IPG Mediabrands India CEO Shashi Sinha, MX Player CEO Karan Bedi, BARC India COO Romil Ramgarhia and Eros Now COO Ali Hussein.  Sinha said industry stakeholders need to arrive at a consensus for unified measurement to be a reality in India. Interestingly BARC India COO commented their technology is fully equipped to measure digital video.

    Content is king but it cannot conquer customers alone if distribution is not well enough. Nowadays people watch OTT content via various devices including basics like smart TVs, smartphones. Telcos also bundle OTT apps with their services to acquire more consumers as well as make it easy for those platforms to spread out. Questions related to making better innovations in distributions were discussed by ALT Balaji COO Sunil Nair and Viu head monetisation and distribution Sameer Gogate.

    Even the confab delved deep into the creator’s brains, tech strategies as various production houses, cloud servicing companies were also present in the conference to discuss their play. Ongoing issues like how to regulate OTT platforms were also discussed by two eminent lawyers, Abhishek Malhotra and Nidhish Mehrotra. Other industry stalwarts including Eros Now COO Ridhima Lulla, Hotstar EVP and chief marketing officer Sidharth Shakdher, Facebook entertainment partnerships head Saket Jha Saurabh, Arre co-founder and CEO Ajay Chacko, ZEE5 business head Manish Aggarwal, Vertice Entertainment founder and CEO Varun Mathur also shared key insights through different sessions.

    Though the ecosystem is evolving, it will take more time to say what’s going to work or what not.

  • Tarun Katial fuels ZEE5’s audacious ‘mission 100 million’

    Tarun Katial fuels ZEE5’s audacious ‘mission 100 million’

    MUMBAI: Team ZEE5 returned from its Russian sojourn last month, checking into a new office address in Andheri East. The move away from ZEEL’s Lower Parel headquarters is the latest in a slew of changes being effected at the media conglomerate’s OTT business. Interestingly, a parallel can be drawn from the reforms in 1980s Russia to highlight the shift occurring at ZEE5 India. Perestroika (restructuring) and glasnost (openness) – have been key change drivers of brand ZEE5 under boss Tarun Katial.

    Manish Aggarwal’s promotion to business head was followed by an injection of high-profile talent in the form of Rajneel Kumar – as business head expansion projects and head of products – and Taranjeet Singh – chief revenue officer and business head – new projects; the nucleus around which the brand will now be built.

    ZEE5 has been an effective communicator of its vision as a brand, and has so far been in control of the narrative. From articulating the rationale behind partnerships with Airtel TV and Reliance Jio to being open to dialogue over other low-key deals, the company’s engagement strategy has been simple, effective and on point.

    Another significant development at the company’s congregation in Moscow was the clarion call of ‘mission 100 million’ Tarun seems to have given his team, setting the agenda for the future. Having clocked 41 million monthly active users on last official count; the next big goal now seems to be breaching the three-figure MAU mark.

    If Q2 numbers are anything to go by, then ZEE5 appears to have made significant gains with a 190 per cent growth in users, who spend an average of 31 minutes per day on the streaming app, with a 340 per cent rise in video views since April 2018.

    This can be largely attributed to Tarun’s aggression and instinctive genius in creating unique but mass content. The focus now needs to shift towards stepping up the technology in terms of user experience and robustness, if a serious challenge to Star India’s OTT Hotstar has to be mounted.

    With the impending leadership change at Hotstar, and competition dialing up their investments and fostering new partnerships, the very nature of India’s OTT landscape could alter.

    As the super streamers jostle for second spot in the OTT sweepstakes, here are some insights from one the central figures – Tarun Katial – to this exciting high-stakes play

    There’s a significant upsurge in user engagement. Were Originals the major driver? What was catch-up content’s role?

    Content in regional languages is the clear protagonist of the story we have charted out. Not just have we curated original content in six languages (Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Bengali), but made that content available across all these languages in dubbed versions. In addition, we offer great options of searchability in eleven languages – by text and voice – a first for any OTT platform. These include Gujarati, Punjabi, Bhojpuri, Kannada and English in addition to the six mentioned above. Thus, a subscriber is never at a loss on the platform on account of the language of maneuverability.

    We, at ZEE5, also make the most of the inherent strength of the Group in terms of the rich portfolio of viewing content that ZEE has developed over time. And we bring that entire repertoire of content on the platform so as to encourage viewers across the globe who have missed out on any of their favourite shows to get up-to-speed. ZEE5 provides subscribers the choice to binge watch from 1 lakh hours of On Demand Content and 90+ live TV channels.

    The OTT audience is a very unique one and recognising the evolved nature of the sensibility, we have developed innovative marketing tools that has kept them on the platform. In addition to this, we also have discount offers for the price-sensitive first-time user.

    What have been the major reasons for the rise in MAU?

    Content has been our mainstay, and our edgy, relatable content line-up has found a huge audience not just in the main metros, but also tier II and III cities of the country. Our audience has developed great affinity with our originals across Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Marathi and Bengali. This is in addition to all the content via our partner channels and fed onto the platform for those who may have missed the programmes during the airing time.

    This, complemented by the state-of-the-art technology we have deployed on the platform, offers our audience a winning combination. Tools such as Variable Bit Rate, P2P CDN and Latest Content Encoders have reduced the data usage for content consumption. For example – a film that required 2 GB data to watch earlier, now consumes a maximum of 200-300 MB data only. With a view to making our systems smarter, we have partnered with CDN providers to transmit data to the user’s phone basis his / her location so as to render an experience without impacting viewing quality.

    Our marketing team has been aggressively forging innovative partnerships and alliances to add value to the digital journey of our subscribers. This includes partnerships with travel portals including makemytrip.com considering the immediate synergy, as also EZMall.com and payment gateways such as PhonePe, considering their online behavior.

    How will you keep up the pace of this upsurge?

    For digital entertainment players like us, there’s huge scope in this data-rich consumer landscape. Industry reports and data clearly shows that the demand and propensity to consume exists.

    In the coming months, you will see us better engaging with OEMs to facilitate embeds into the handsets, while the association with Airtel, Amazon Fire Stick and Xiaomi continue. This will be in addition to our tie-ups with payment wallets such as PhonePe for additional benefits, value-adds for our subscribers with other digital players as listed above. Thus, our subscribers have enough and more reasons to come back to us, in addition to the exciting content line-up.

    Our content line-up with the additional uploads every month and an improved experience of recommendations using AI and Machine Learning will be an added incentive for subscribers to explore the platform and stumble on hitherto undiscovered content pieces.

    After Karenjit, what's going to be your flagship show?

    Our strong content library has shows ranging across crime, thriller, comedy, biopic, family drama genres in different languages. One of our marquee shows releasing this year is the Saqib Salim and Ranvir Shorey-starrer Rangbaaz. Set against the rustic background of Gorakhpur, the crime/ thriller series is inspired from a true story. 

    We are releasing a mix of originals across languages to keep the users entertained and wanting for more. Some of our big ongoing and upcoming properties include the ZEE5 Film Festival, Malayalam Shorts – comprising three Malayalam short films, Row No. 26 – a web series on renowned author Priya Kumar’s book, etc. Thus, there will be an entire set of shows on the platform on a monthly basis.

    Can you talk a bit about content pipeline for next 6 months?

    Our upcoming Bengali original Paoli Dam starrer Kaali, Row No. 26 – an adaptation of Priya Kumar’s novel, Saie Tamhankar starrer ‘Date with Saie’ are few of the exciting shows to watch out for. This, in addition to some big 2018 blockbuster digital releases and much more.

    Recently ZEE had a film festival. Are consumers showing enough interest in original films?

    The response to the ZEE5 Film Festival has been phenomenal. The views generated by the Indian and Pakistani movies have reinforced our belief that the OTT audience is looking for engaging content. Stories said interestingly will always draw an audience.

    ZEE5 is now available in 150 markets. Which international markets will be prioritized?

    We have recently announced our plan for international expansion for ZEE5. Under this, the mobile application will be released in more than 190 countries across the world in Android, iOS and web formats. Starting from next April, we will start reaching out to our audiences in countries such as Indonesia, Thailand and Russia where we will have originals made in accordance to their taste and preferences along with dubbed content. We will design our strategies keeping in mind that the audience is not the same everywhere. While the developed markets will entirely be on the subscription model, Middle East and North Africa will have a combination of AVoD and SVoD.

    Subscriber growth in terms of percentage.

    The number of ZEE5 active users have gone up by 190% per cent since April 2018. Considering that we have clocked in these numbers in just eight months of launching the platform, we are very proud of our performance. Statistics also indicate that our video views have grown by 340 per cent as compared to the last month indicating significant improvement in user engagement.

    Are you going to tie up with any local cable broadband providers?

    We will soon announce our alliances with renowned cable broadband providers. This will further enhance our reach and connectivity.

    Given that your leadership style is pretty aggressive, how are you expanding the ZEE5 operations going forward?

    At ZEE5, we are a very passionate team that is driven by the desire to succeed.

    While this is the team that puts together the platform, we are also consumers of OTT content. And hence, we become the best judge of the efficacy of the experience that our subscribers are privy to. So, outdoing our own expectations is what drives us, and we have loads of fun doing it day in and day out!

    Our aim eventually is to make ZEE5 a platform that is extremely intelligent in predicting consumer tastes and preferences, such that the home screen is a bespoke version for every subscriber.

    You say ‘ZEE5 is the second most popular OTT platform’. On what parameters is this based?

    According to public numbers and data, we are the second largest OTT platform in the country.

    You’ve now had some time to settle down in your new role. What are the holes that need to be plugged?

    The past eight months have been an absolute roller-coaster ride for us at ZEE5, and this has been possible only on account of the forward-looking and dynamic team we have here. As a Group, we have always believed in nurturing internal talent, while continuing to attract the best in the industry.

    As we continue on our journey, we will continue to build the platform with a focus on consumer, technology, data and content as its pillars.

  • ZEE5 LAUNCHES ITS THIRD TELUGU ORIGINAL – B.TECH

    ZEE5 LAUNCHES ITS THIRD TELUGU ORIGINAL – B.TECH

    MUMBAI: After the success of recent Telugu Originals such as Nanna Koochi, Chitra Vichitram,ZEE5 now announces its next dose of Telugu entertainment –B.Tech.Featuring actors Abhay, Kaushik, Merajand Madhulatha,the show is directed by Upendra Verma and written by TharunBhascker of “Pellichupulu’ fame, the show produced by YuppTV Studiospremieres on ZEE5 on15th November 2018.

    B.Techis the story of 3 empty benches at an engineering college, it delves into the journey of three engineering students whose dreams are very different from what they are pursuing.The drama series introduces you to Vikram and his interest in film making, Akhtar’s bike racing passion and Hari whowishes to become an entrepreneur.

    Manish Aggarwal, Business Head, ZEE5 India said, “The response for our recent Telugu Originals – Nanna Koochi and Chitra Vichitram has been gratifying. We aim to get a step closer to our regional audiences with consistent Original show launches in our key markets. With the addition of B.Tech to our content library, we are further strengthening our regional growth plans for ZEE5. We have a strong content-lineline up for the coming months which will be a delight for our viewers. We are also the first OTT player in the market to introduce language specific packs which includes Before TV content of popular ZEE Tamil and ZEE Telugu shows, World Digital Premieres and Originals.The packs are each priced competitively at Rs. 49/- for one month and Rs. 499/- for a year.”

    UdayReddy, Founder &CEO, YuppTV Studios [YuppTV] quoted, “During our hunt for talent, we approached TharunBhascker to create content for the digital space. Post wrapping the shoot of Pellichoopulu he came on board to start B.Tech with us. Upendra, Director of B.Tech and the team have done a fabulous job with the series. B-Tech is an attempt by YuppTV Studios to change the way regional entertainment is looked at. This series comes as a clutter breaker in the web space with honest storytelling and high production values. We are very happy to associate with ZEE5 and look forward to create some exciting content together.”

    TharunBhasckar, Writer, B.Techcommented,“B.Tech is the first script that I had written with utmost honesty and which came straight from my heart. The stories were inspired by real people around me. I am so glad that the script is finally coming to life as a ZEE5 Telugu Original and is produced by Yupp Studios. With ZEE5 being one of the fastest growing platforms in the OTT space, it will definitely give B.Tech the momentum it deserves.”

    He further added, “Itis directed by my childhood friend Upendra Varma who was always rooting for this script from the time I wrote the first draft. I was extremely nervous about how it would turn out but the moment I saw the rushes I realised that he has taken total control of the project. There couldn’t have been a better team to work on this. One exciting aspect about B.Tech is the music,done by renowned musician Raghu Dixit. Vivek – Camera, Pratik – Direction Dept and Tanvi- Production are the main pillars of B.Tech.”

    Upendra Verma, Director, B.Techcommented, “We are glad to associate with ZEE5 which has grabbed the attention of Telugu viewers in a very short span of timeand happy that Yupp Studios supported us throughout. This project was special and important to all of us. Tackling a project with over 80 locations, racing sequences, 80 secondary characters was no small challenge, but we managed to pull it off within the resources available without compromising on the story.Vinoothna Geetha’s short films have earlier inspired people to follow their dreams. We hope this project does the same. It’s definitely a story that has inspired us to never give up on our dreams and we want everyone to know through these three biographical stories that they should continue chasing their dreams.”

    With over 3500 films, 500+ TV shows, 4000+ music videos, 35+ theatre plays and 90+ LIVE TV Channels across 12 languages, ZEE5 truly presents a blend of unrivalled content offering for its viewers across the nation and worldwide. With ZEE5, the global content of Zindagi as a brand, which was widely appreciated across the country, has also been brought back for its loyal viewers.

  • As ‘Dil Se Desi’ as you are:ZEE5 kicks off its international launch with a campaign that will touch a chord with the South Asian diaspora

    As ‘Dil Se Desi’ as you are:ZEE5 kicks off its international launch with a campaign that will touch a chord with the South Asian diaspora

    MUMBAI: The traditional Mehndi is replaced by a funky henna tattoo; Payals (anklets) are paired with stilettos, and rapreplaces classicalas the new embraces the old – in its own inimitable style. Upping the cool quotient of ‘Desi’ by several notchesand capturing the essence of ‘Desi’ pride; the strong sense of belonging and connect with one’s roots felt by every South Asian living abroad, ZEE5 todaylaunched its global campaign‘Dil Se Desi’, officially marking the digital platforms’entry into the International market. 

    An ode to Indians and South Asians around the world, ‘Dil Se Desi’ clearly announces the arrival of ZEE5, the largest, most comprehensive digital entertainment platform for language content, in APAC, Africa and MENA and very soon, in Europe, Canada and Caribbean. It is brought to life in a vibrant TVC that is a celebration of our ‘Desiness’, intricately weaving together our idiosyncrasies with what innately defines us and therefore binds us; our language, our culture and our entertainment. 

    Commenting on the launch,Amit Goenka, CEO, ZEE International and Z5 Global said, “In the first leg of our international foray, we intend to capture the hearts of South Asians across the globe and I think our campaign, ‘Dil Se Desi’ does this beautifully.“

    “Interestingly, both this campaign ‘Dil Se Desi’and the ZEE5 India launch campaign we rolled out in February 2018, ‘ApniBhashaMein Feel Hai’ have their genesis in the same insight; that Indians and indeed South Asians today, irrespective of where they live or how globally connected they are, are fundamentally rooted in their culture and feel a strong sense of pride and belonging. Being ‘Desi’ today has moved from being just cool to being an intrinsic part of one’s identity; and that’s what ZEE5 taps into. The emotion that whoever or whatever I am on the outside, on the inside I am‘Dil Se Desi’and I not only embrace, but celebrate who I am”, saidArchana Anand, Chief Business Officer, ZEE5 Global.

    It is this celebration that is brought alive in the campaign that’s been painstakingly and jointly crafted by the teams at ZEE5and Publicis Capital. And it is this same celebration that is furthercaptured in the creative rendition #Desi. 

    Says Archana Anand, “When living in a different country, it’s the language, festivals, food, movies and music that keeps you connected to home and gives you a sense of pride and belonging, and hence ‘Dil Se Desi’. ZEE5 also celebrates this sense of belonging with its all-encompassing focus on languages across both its content and user experience, and is ‘Dil Se Desi’ in itself. With over 1,00,00 hours of content across 12 languages, ZEE5 is sure to quickly become the only choice for South Asians in any country to access Indian content online, and immediately connect to home.” 

    Bobby Pawar, Chief Creative Officer & Managing Director, Publicis Worldwide (India), said: “There is something that happens when people from South Asia move abroad. We become one vibrant community that is united by what we all have in common, and this community is known as ‘Desi’. The ‘Dil Se Desi’ idea celebrates what we love about being ‘desi’, the quirks, the attitude, the culture, the coolness, the togetherness and the content we can’t do without.”   

    Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited’s digital entertainment platform ZEE5 has gone LIVE in over 190 countries, offering the largest width and depth of multi-genre content across English, Tamil, Hindi, Malayalam, Telugu, Kannada, Marathi, Bengali, Oriya, Bhojpuri, Gujarati and Punjabi.ZEE5 comes packed with 1,00,000 hours of On Demand content, including Indian Movies and TV Shows, Cine plays, Music, and Health and Lifestyle videos along with a slew of exclusive Originals, across 12 languages. It also has an extensive Live TV offering with 60+ popular Live TV channels.

    The ZEE5 App can be downloaded from Google Play Store as well as the iOS App Store and can be accessed by visiting www.ZEE5.com. The app is also available on Samsung Smart TV, Apple TV and Android TV; and will be available soon on Amazon Fire TV.