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Tag: Zeel

  • ZEEL launches new movie channel in Germany

    ZEEL launches new movie channel in Germany

    MUMBAI: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) has launched a new movie channel titled Zee.One for its Germany market.

    The channel was launched in Germany by ZEEL MD and CEO Punit Goenka, ZEEL International broadcast business CEO Amit Goenka, Asia TV Gmbh (Zee TV) CEO Friederike Behrends and Bollywood supertstar Shah Rukh Khan.

    On the launch of new channel, Punit Goenka said, “As a global media conglomerate, ZEEL is present in 171 countries entertaining over one billion viewers across the world. With our entry into Germany, we are now present in one of the most important and competitive TV markets worldwide. This is what makes the launch of Zee.One special for us.”

    Zee.One – I Feel Bollywood promises to deliver high-quality entertainment from the cinematic Mecca of Asia: Bollywood. The free-to-air channel will broadcast a great variety of movies and series, starring popular international megastars like Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone. The movies will span across all genres including romance, comedy, action among others. Furthermore, music clips with outstanding dance performances as well as in-house productions will add to the entertainment.

    “The launch of Zee.One in Germany is a step further as part of our international expansion strategy. We want to establish a lasting presence and of course, grow in the German television market. With our highest levels of entertainment, we are confident of being able to offer viewers an attractive enrichment to the existing range of television offerings. We are proud and happy to welcome the German community into our ZEEL family,” added Amit Goenka.

    Targeting women between the ages of 19 and 59, Zee.One’s content will be specifically adapted for the German market. Most of the content will be premiering on German television and will be broadcast in HD. From autumn on, the channel plans to develop and produce its own show formats like magazine shows. Zee.One will be receivable via satellite (Astra) and cable (Vodafone, Unitymedia, Telecolumbus) and will soon be available on more platforms in the German market.

    Behrends further added, “From today, the German TV landscape will be enriched by a unique, new channel, Zee.One. We want to entertain our viewers with the best of films, series, and music daily, making Zee.One a channel for all the senses!”

  • Q1-17: Zeel numbers up on higher ad, subscription revenue, PAT up 22 percent

    Q1-17: Zeel numbers up on higher ad, subscription revenue, PAT up 22 percent

    BENGALURU: The Subhash Chandra led content and broadcast player Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (Zeel) reported a 19.2 per cent  hike in consolidated revenue for the quarter ended 30 June 2016 (Q1-17, current quarter) as compared to the corresponding quarter of the previous year. The growth was driven by a 19.2 percent growth in Zeel’s advertising (ad) revenue, supplemented by a 14.2 percent growth in subscription revenue. Zeel reported consolidated revenue (Total income from operations, TIO) of Rs 1,571.62 crore in Q1-17 as compared to Rs 1,326,68 crore in Q1-16.

    Profit after tax (PAT) for the current quarter increased 21.8 percent to Rs 216.96 crore (13.8 percent margin) as compared to Rs 178.18 crore (13.4 percent margin) in Q1-16.

    Ad revenue in the current quarter was Rs 911.98 crore (58 percent of TIO) as compared to Rs 765.33 crore (57.7 percent of TIO) in Q1-16. Subscription revenue in the current quarter was Rs 528.16 crore (33.6 percent of TIO) as compared to Rs 462.53 crore (34.9 percent of TIO) in Q1-16.

    Zeel’s Operating profit (EBITDA) for Q1-17 stood at Rs 453.15 crore (28.8 percent EBITDA Margin) which was 44.1 percent higher than the Rs 314.57 crore (23.7 percent EBIDTA margin) in the corresponding year ago quarter.

    Total Expenditure in Q1-17 increased 11.2 percent to Rs 1,143.58 crore (72.8 percent of TIO) from Rs 1,028.21 crore (77.5 percent of TIO) in Q1-16.

    Finance costs in the current quarter declined 2.6 percent to Rs 7.5 crore (0.5 percent of TIO) from Rs 7.7 crore (0.6 percent of TIO) in the corresponding year ago quarter.

    Employee benefit expense in Q1-17 increased 14.1 percent to Rs 149.93 crore (9.5 percent of TIO) from Rs 131.40 crore (9.9 percent of TIO) in Q1-16.

    Advertising and Publicity expense in the current quarter increased 23.9 percent to Rs 119.71 crore (7.6 percent of TIO) from Rs 96.65 crore (7.3 percent of TIO) in Q1-16.

    Company Speak

    Chandra added, “The financial results once again highlight the strong underlying fundamentals of the company. The advertising and subscription revenues continue to drive the company’s growth. Taking a long term view of the business trends we are committed to become a global content company and will make suitable investments to achieve that objective.”

    Zeel managing director and CEO Punit Goenka, Managing said, ““We have started the new fiscal on a positive note, delivering successful result in the first quarter. On the back of continued steady economic recovery, the company once again managed to outperform the market. The advertising growth is holding up and the subscription revenue is maintaining a steady growth. While the advertising could receive a fillip if the consumer spending improves, on the subscription front the industry awaits the regulatory guidelines which will shape the subscription revenue growth over the next few quarters.”

    The preference of the consumers keeps on evolving with time and we have consistently stayed ahead of the curve, and in many cases helped shape it. As an entertainment company, it is imperative for us to experiment with new content and innovate new formats, and we will continue to do so. We are making investments in new growth verticals with an aim that they will start contributing to company’s success in the future. An effort in this direction was the relaunch of company’s paid OTT platform dittoTV with new subscription plans. Our movie production business has started delivering results which is evident with movies like Sairat which became the highest grossing Marathi movie of all time.”

    Note: (1) The unit of currency in this report is the Indian rupee – Rs (also conventionally represented by INR). The Indian numbering system or the Vedic numbering system has been used to denote money values. The basic conversion to the international norm would be:

    (a) 100,00,000 = 100 lakh = 10,000,000 = 10 million = 1 crore.

    (b) 10,000 lakh = 100 crore = 1 arab = 1 billion.

    (2) All numbers in this report are consolidated unless stated otherwise.
     

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  • Q1-17: Zeel numbers up on higher ad, subscription revenue, PAT up 22 percent

    Q1-17: Zeel numbers up on higher ad, subscription revenue, PAT up 22 percent

    BENGALURU: The Subhash Chandra led content and broadcast player Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (Zeel) reported a 19.2 per cent  hike in consolidated revenue for the quarter ended 30 June 2016 (Q1-17, current quarter) as compared to the corresponding quarter of the previous year. The growth was driven by a 19.2 percent growth in Zeel’s advertising (ad) revenue, supplemented by a 14.2 percent growth in subscription revenue. Zeel reported consolidated revenue (Total income from operations, TIO) of Rs 1,571.62 crore in Q1-17 as compared to Rs 1,326,68 crore in Q1-16.

    Profit after tax (PAT) for the current quarter increased 21.8 percent to Rs 216.96 crore (13.8 percent margin) as compared to Rs 178.18 crore (13.4 percent margin) in Q1-16.

    Ad revenue in the current quarter was Rs 911.98 crore (58 percent of TIO) as compared to Rs 765.33 crore (57.7 percent of TIO) in Q1-16. Subscription revenue in the current quarter was Rs 528.16 crore (33.6 percent of TIO) as compared to Rs 462.53 crore (34.9 percent of TIO) in Q1-16.

    Zeel’s Operating profit (EBITDA) for Q1-17 stood at Rs 453.15 crore (28.8 percent EBITDA Margin) which was 44.1 percent higher than the Rs 314.57 crore (23.7 percent EBIDTA margin) in the corresponding year ago quarter.

    Total Expenditure in Q1-17 increased 11.2 percent to Rs 1,143.58 crore (72.8 percent of TIO) from Rs 1,028.21 crore (77.5 percent of TIO) in Q1-16.

    Finance costs in the current quarter declined 2.6 percent to Rs 7.5 crore (0.5 percent of TIO) from Rs 7.7 crore (0.6 percent of TIO) in the corresponding year ago quarter.

    Employee benefit expense in Q1-17 increased 14.1 percent to Rs 149.93 crore (9.5 percent of TIO) from Rs 131.40 crore (9.9 percent of TIO) in Q1-16.

    Advertising and Publicity expense in the current quarter increased 23.9 percent to Rs 119.71 crore (7.6 percent of TIO) from Rs 96.65 crore (7.3 percent of TIO) in Q1-16.

    Company Speak

    Chandra added, “The financial results once again highlight the strong underlying fundamentals of the company. The advertising and subscription revenues continue to drive the company’s growth. Taking a long term view of the business trends we are committed to become a global content company and will make suitable investments to achieve that objective.”

    Zeel managing director and CEO Punit Goenka, Managing said, ““We have started the new fiscal on a positive note, delivering successful result in the first quarter. On the back of continued steady economic recovery, the company once again managed to outperform the market. The advertising growth is holding up and the subscription revenue is maintaining a steady growth. While the advertising could receive a fillip if the consumer spending improves, on the subscription front the industry awaits the regulatory guidelines which will shape the subscription revenue growth over the next few quarters.”

    The preference of the consumers keeps on evolving with time and we have consistently stayed ahead of the curve, and in many cases helped shape it. As an entertainment company, it is imperative for us to experiment with new content and innovate new formats, and we will continue to do so. We are making investments in new growth verticals with an aim that they will start contributing to company’s success in the future. An effort in this direction was the relaunch of company’s paid OTT platform dittoTV with new subscription plans. Our movie production business has started delivering results which is evident with movies like Sairat which became the highest grossing Marathi movie of all time.”

    Note: (1) The unit of currency in this report is the Indian rupee – Rs (also conventionally represented by INR). The Indian numbering system or the Vedic numbering system has been used to denote money values. The basic conversion to the international norm would be:

    (a) 100,00,000 = 100 lakh = 10,000,000 = 10 million = 1 crore.

    (b) 10,000 lakh = 100 crore = 1 arab = 1 billion.

    (2) All numbers in this report are consolidated unless stated otherwise.
     

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  • Zee puts up tough competition in Marathi space with ‘Yuva’

    Zee puts up tough competition in Marathi space with ‘Yuva’

    MUMBAI: A few weeks back, Viacom18 launched another general entertainment channel Colors Super to expand its reach in Karnataka market. Soon after, one of the leading media conglomerates, Zee Enterprises Entertainment LTD (ZEEL) announced new channel launch in Marathi space with Zee Yuva. Zee Networks’ Zee Yuva will be the new entrant in the Marathi space to encash the network’s upper hand in being a pioneer in the region.

    The new channel will offer some light hearted refreshing content, which the channel claims is different from what the other players in the Marathi space currently offer. ZEEL’s regional language offerings within India are performing extremely well.

    “We are able to leverage content strengths across the network by replicating successful formats. Our understanding of audiences is reflected in our leadership and improving network performance,” reads ZEEL annual reports 2015-16.

    According the report, Zee Marathi maintains dominant leadership in Marathi general entertainment space with 50 per cent market share. The channel was once again the slot leader in all the nine prime time slots led by top rated fiction shows like Jai Malhar, Nanda Saukyabhare, Ratris Khel Chale and non-fiction shows such as Chala Hawa Yeun Dya and Home Minister.

    In Maharashtra, 54.8 per cent is rural population whereas 45 per cent is urban population, as per Maharashtra Economic Survey. Zee Talkies and Zee Yuva business head Bavesh Janavlekar says, “In Maharashtra, 17 per cent of population is Marathi viewing audience, which means there is big chunk of the audience is consuming Marathi content. Hence, we thought there is scope to further explore the space with Zee Yuva.”

    Zee Yuva will be the network’s fourth presentation in the Marathi genre. It already operates GEC Zee Marathi, movie channel Zee Talkies and news channel Zee 24 Taas.

    The channel will be a paid and is scheduled to go on air from 22 August. With no particular restriction to TG, the channel will cater to all the age groups of Maharashtra. “It is not a youth centric channel; it is more about youthfulness, more about the value of forever young at heart. Therefore we didn’t put an age to it.”

    While leading channels in the category like Zee Marathi, Colors Marathi and Star Pravah mostly target female audience in the state, off-late Marathi films aimed at the young people have also quite done well. ZEEL sees an opportunity in this. “We feel that there is huge opportunity to explore and grab the Marathi audiences, who are young at heart. We will target the heartland of Maharashtra,” claimed Janavlekar. He added, “Yuva is not about age. It’s about a mindset. So our content will be light with storylines revolving around friendship.”

    With the launch of Zee Yuva, ZEEL is not only focusing on the Maharashtra but also planning to tap in the global Marathi audience through its digital platform Ditto TV.

    Zee Yuva’s differentiated proposition is strengthened by its content that is distinctive and based on audience insights, which the international audience will relate to. “I feel that this new and innovative step will definitely win the hearts of the audience of Maharashtra. The audiences of Maharashtra have showered immense love on Zee Marathi, Zee Talkies and Zee Studios and I believe that the audiences will welcome the new channel Zee Yuva with the same love and warmth.”

    The channel will start off with five fiction shows of different genres like college and romance. It would have a weekend show as well. There will be music in the morning and movies in the afternoon band. “We will have shows around music in the future. The primetime here will be 7 pm to 9.30 pm. We will have movie premieres every day, informed Janavlekar. The channel will also premiere Hollywood movies dubbed in Marathi.

    Zee Yuva revealed the first look of its first show Love, Lagan and Locha. The channel has roped in production houses like Iris Production and I me Production for the content.

    When it comes to attracting advertisers, he informed that it doesn’t matter if the brand is based in Delhi, Bangalore or Bombay as long as Maharashtra is the priority market for them, as the channel is positive to gain the confidence of audiences residing in the interiors of Maharashtra.

    Fortunately there are many channels selling youthfulness to people. “We are focusing on maximizing the viewership on television and digitally and we know that brands will be on board therefore we are not too much worried about the brands. Primarily focus will be on building the viewership through differentiated content strategy.”

    The channel’s digital campaigns were received well and had a reach of 5 million in a day. It also trended on Twitter and recorded 28.6 million impressions in a day. Apart from this the channel has more than 50,000 likes on Facebook.

    Zee Yuva has also rolled out a music video composed by Jashraj Joshi, Hishikesh Datar, Saurabh Bhalerao, sung by Jashraj Joshi and Soniya Mundhe.

    “We will be rolling out network promotions and non-network promotions followed by print and outdoor campaigns,”Janavlekar added in parting.

  • Zee puts up tough competition in Marathi space with ‘Yuva’

    Zee puts up tough competition in Marathi space with ‘Yuva’

    MUMBAI: A few weeks back, Viacom18 launched another general entertainment channel Colors Super to expand its reach in Karnataka market. Soon after, one of the leading media conglomerates, Zee Enterprises Entertainment LTD (ZEEL) announced new channel launch in Marathi space with Zee Yuva. Zee Networks’ Zee Yuva will be the new entrant in the Marathi space to encash the network’s upper hand in being a pioneer in the region.

    The new channel will offer some light hearted refreshing content, which the channel claims is different from what the other players in the Marathi space currently offer. ZEEL’s regional language offerings within India are performing extremely well.

    “We are able to leverage content strengths across the network by replicating successful formats. Our understanding of audiences is reflected in our leadership and improving network performance,” reads ZEEL annual reports 2015-16.

    According the report, Zee Marathi maintains dominant leadership in Marathi general entertainment space with 50 per cent market share. The channel was once again the slot leader in all the nine prime time slots led by top rated fiction shows like Jai Malhar, Nanda Saukyabhare, Ratris Khel Chale and non-fiction shows such as Chala Hawa Yeun Dya and Home Minister.

    In Maharashtra, 54.8 per cent is rural population whereas 45 per cent is urban population, as per Maharashtra Economic Survey. Zee Talkies and Zee Yuva business head Bavesh Janavlekar says, “In Maharashtra, 17 per cent of population is Marathi viewing audience, which means there is big chunk of the audience is consuming Marathi content. Hence, we thought there is scope to further explore the space with Zee Yuva.”

    Zee Yuva will be the network’s fourth presentation in the Marathi genre. It already operates GEC Zee Marathi, movie channel Zee Talkies and news channel Zee 24 Taas.

    The channel will be a paid and is scheduled to go on air from 22 August. With no particular restriction to TG, the channel will cater to all the age groups of Maharashtra. “It is not a youth centric channel; it is more about youthfulness, more about the value of forever young at heart. Therefore we didn’t put an age to it.”

    While leading channels in the category like Zee Marathi, Colors Marathi and Star Pravah mostly target female audience in the state, off-late Marathi films aimed at the young people have also quite done well. ZEEL sees an opportunity in this. “We feel that there is huge opportunity to explore and grab the Marathi audiences, who are young at heart. We will target the heartland of Maharashtra,” claimed Janavlekar. He added, “Yuva is not about age. It’s about a mindset. So our content will be light with storylines revolving around friendship.”

    With the launch of Zee Yuva, ZEEL is not only focusing on the Maharashtra but also planning to tap in the global Marathi audience through its digital platform Ditto TV.

    Zee Yuva’s differentiated proposition is strengthened by its content that is distinctive and based on audience insights, which the international audience will relate to. “I feel that this new and innovative step will definitely win the hearts of the audience of Maharashtra. The audiences of Maharashtra have showered immense love on Zee Marathi, Zee Talkies and Zee Studios and I believe that the audiences will welcome the new channel Zee Yuva with the same love and warmth.”

    The channel will start off with five fiction shows of different genres like college and romance. It would have a weekend show as well. There will be music in the morning and movies in the afternoon band. “We will have shows around music in the future. The primetime here will be 7 pm to 9.30 pm. We will have movie premieres every day, informed Janavlekar. The channel will also premiere Hollywood movies dubbed in Marathi.

    Zee Yuva revealed the first look of its first show Love, Lagan and Locha. The channel has roped in production houses like Iris Production and I me Production for the content.

    When it comes to attracting advertisers, he informed that it doesn’t matter if the brand is based in Delhi, Bangalore or Bombay as long as Maharashtra is the priority market for them, as the channel is positive to gain the confidence of audiences residing in the interiors of Maharashtra.

    Fortunately there are many channels selling youthfulness to people. “We are focusing on maximizing the viewership on television and digitally and we know that brands will be on board therefore we are not too much worried about the brands. Primarily focus will be on building the viewership through differentiated content strategy.”

    The channel’s digital campaigns were received well and had a reach of 5 million in a day. It also trended on Twitter and recorded 28.6 million impressions in a day. Apart from this the channel has more than 50,000 likes on Facebook.

    Zee Yuva has also rolled out a music video composed by Jashraj Joshi, Hishikesh Datar, Saurabh Bhalerao, sung by Jashraj Joshi and Soniya Mundhe.

    “We will be rolling out network promotions and non-network promotions followed by print and outdoor campaigns,”Janavlekar added in parting.

  • ‘Movies.Masti.Magic’ at the Pandharpur Mela 2016

    ‘Movies.Masti.Magic’ at the Pandharpur Mela 2016

    MUMBAI: Pandharpur Ashadhi Ekadashi Yatra is a yatra of faith in the Almighty that unites lakhs of warkaris from various places of Maharashtra. The yatra progresses into a colossal Mela at Pandharpur and witnesses the submission of countless warkaris to Lord Vithoba. This year, India’s leading Hindi movie channel -Zee Cinema – staying true to its core proposition of ‘Movies.Masti.Magic’ has made efforts to provide basic amenities during the yatra to the pilgrims so that they have a memorable pilgrimage.

    With the fact that ‘The real India lives in villages’ and education being key to the development of India’s economy, Zee Cinema takes its first steps at the Pandharpur Mela this year. The channel is distributing books and pens to generate enthusiasm about learning amongst the youth. And, adhering to ZEEL’s ‘Zee is Green’ initiative, the stationary is being given along with eco-friendly cloth bags to more than fifty thousand pilgrims. Another concern in the region is the acute water shortage. Pilgrims wait endlessly in long queues for Lord Vithoba’s darshan in the scorching heat. The channel has made arrangements to distribute cold drinking water to the devotees to ensure a comfortable hassle-free darshan.

    An LED screen will also provide live feeds from the inside of the temple to all the devotees in the surrounding areas. On the banks of Chandrabhaga river, the channel has organized an all-day open theatre that showcases films on Zee Cinema for people to sit and relax. There will also be an exclusive movie screening in the evenings, showcasing the latest blockbusters.

  • ‘Movies.Masti.Magic’ at the Pandharpur Mela 2016

    ‘Movies.Masti.Magic’ at the Pandharpur Mela 2016

    MUMBAI: Pandharpur Ashadhi Ekadashi Yatra is a yatra of faith in the Almighty that unites lakhs of warkaris from various places of Maharashtra. The yatra progresses into a colossal Mela at Pandharpur and witnesses the submission of countless warkaris to Lord Vithoba. This year, India’s leading Hindi movie channel -Zee Cinema – staying true to its core proposition of ‘Movies.Masti.Magic’ has made efforts to provide basic amenities during the yatra to the pilgrims so that they have a memorable pilgrimage.

    With the fact that ‘The real India lives in villages’ and education being key to the development of India’s economy, Zee Cinema takes its first steps at the Pandharpur Mela this year. The channel is distributing books and pens to generate enthusiasm about learning amongst the youth. And, adhering to ZEEL’s ‘Zee is Green’ initiative, the stationary is being given along with eco-friendly cloth bags to more than fifty thousand pilgrims. Another concern in the region is the acute water shortage. Pilgrims wait endlessly in long queues for Lord Vithoba’s darshan in the scorching heat. The channel has made arrangements to distribute cold drinking water to the devotees to ensure a comfortable hassle-free darshan.

    An LED screen will also provide live feeds from the inside of the temple to all the devotees in the surrounding areas. On the banks of Chandrabhaga river, the channel has organized an all-day open theatre that showcases films on Zee Cinema for people to sit and relax. There will also be an exclusive movie screening in the evenings, showcasing the latest blockbusters.

  • Consistency &Change in ZEEL’s topline FY ’15-16 growth

    Consistency &Change in ZEEL’s topline FY ’15-16 growth

    MUMBAI: Consistency and change are the buzzword in Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (Zeel)’s new swanky office, spread over several floors, in India’s financial capital. And these two words also are also the guiding factors for the company as it continues to spread its wings globally even while consolidating its position at home.

    While company chairman and promoter of India’s first private satellite TV channel(s) Subhash Chandra feels digital is the way forward, taking a macro view, the team at ZEEL, led by Chandra’s elder son, Punit Goenka, peg away at initiatives to make the company bottomline blacker and live up to the visions of the visionary chairman.

    That’s why even in the international market, the group has successfully taken ZEEL’s popular domestic content in the original as well as repurposed form to focus not just on the South Asian diaspora, but on a wider cross section of global audiences in 171 countries.

    Media mogul Subhash Chandra led Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (Zeel) has registered the net profit for the year 2015-16 Rs 10, 267 million representing a margin of 17.5 percent.  This paper is based on Zeel’s Annual report for FY-2015- 16.

    “We are a local player in the markets we enter, identifying content The lines between global and local are getting increasingly blurred. ZEEL is focused on enhancing reach and emerging as a truly world-scale player in the M&E segment,” ZEEL said in its annual report for FY 2015-16 ending March 31, 2016.

    Sample some consolidated facts put out in the annual report: net profit of Rs 10, 267 million representing a margin of 17.5 percent; consolidated revenues of Rs 58,515 million representing a growth of 19.8 percent over previous year; operating profit (EBITDA) of Rs 15,095 million registering a 20.4 percent growth and resulting in a margin of 25.8 percent; Rs 34,297 million in ad revenue; Rs 20,579 million subscription revenue; 33 domestic channels and 38 international channels; Facebook fanbase of 5,10,000 plus and a 1,98,000 plus Twitter family.

    “Zeel has grown steadily since inception establishing itself as a dependable brand and organisation that is efficiently managed, well-governed and forward thinking. Our performance in FY 2015-16 is a further testimony to these practices. Our growth has been ahead of the market growth trajectory, duly reflected in the growing viewership share of our network (17.9 percent),” company MD and CEO Punit Goenka said in his director’s report in the annual report.

    To further strengthening the viewership share in the domestic market through a right-fit content strategy, Zee’s new Hindi GEC, &TV, built onto its successful launch and increased its popularity with the urban audience.

    Noting that the new audience measurement system rolled out by BARC is a welcome change especially as rural audiences are also been counted, Chandra observes, “This (rural audience measurement) is an important reset for all players as strategies are being revisited or drawn afresh. For Zee this is a welcome step given the depth and breadth of our content offerings and the reach of our channels.”

    The Zee network in India has four Hindi general entertainment channels, including Zee TV, Zee Anmol, Zindagi and &TV. While in the regional category, the brand has six channel under its umbrella and four channels under the Hindi movie cluster. The group has two channels under music genre and two in its English entertainment section even as Zee Q is categorised under special and niche genre.  

    We list here some highlights of the Zee family as enumerated in the annual report.

    Hindi GEC highlights

    Zee’s first Hindi GEC Zee TV has ranked third amongst the HGEC in the FY 2015-16. The channel delivered a weekly average of 10 shows among top 50 shows, led by the highly- rated shows like Kumkum Bhagya, Jamai Raja, Tashan E Ishq and Ek Tha Raja Ek Thi Rani.

    The free to air channel Zee Anmol continued to maintain its number 1 position in the FTA GEC category. Shows like Jodha Akbar, Choti Bahu and Bandini were the top performing shows on the channel as per BARC rural data.

    Zindagi, a channel showcasing a mix of content of various hues, including some sourced from Pakistan, introduced original productions in FY 2015-16 starting with the first non-fiction show Shukriya. The channel also introduced Turkish content with the show Feriha, aimed at attracting younger audiences.

    The youngest member of the Zee family, &TV, which completed a year of operations in March 2016 continued to grow in popularity with urban audiences. It achieved 50 percent viewership growth since its launch month and 64 percent viewership growth in weekday primetime.

    Regional GEC

    As per the Annual Report, Zee Telugu increased its market share to become the number two channel in the Telugu GEC genre and number one channel in the urban Telugu market with 27.5 percent relative share in urban markets. The channel dominated the fiction genre with 35.4 percent relative share and the non-film viewership with 32.2 percent  relative share in urban market.

    ZEEL’s other regional channel, Zee Kannada, maintained the number two ranking in the urban Kannada GEC genre during the financial year under review.

    Zee Tamil’s growth is steady in the urban market with 6 percent relative share among Tamil GECs, whereas Zee Marathi maintained dominant leadership in Marathi general entertainment space with 50 percent market share.

    Zee Bangla grew to a stronger number two player with a 40 percent share in urban market, while Sarthak TV   maintained its no. 1 position in the Oriya market with over 50 percent market share.

    Hindi Movie Cluster

    The Hindi movies cluster was the market leader in its genre where it increased its viewership share to 34 percent despite a competitive environment with a significant increase in share of Zee Action and Zee Classic.

    Music Genre

    ZETC gained a 14 percent increase in urban and rural viewership since the inclusion of rural markets. Relative share of ZETC increased to 6percent in the music genre.

    Another music channel, Zing, witnessed a 28 percent increase in urban and rural viewership since the inclusion of rural markets in audience measurement. Relative share of Zing increased to 36 percent in the Youth GEC genre.

    English GEC

    Zee Café maintained its position as the most watched English GEC with a 24 percent market share. The channel boasts of an extensive library of some top US shows like House of Cards, Gotham, The Big Bang Theory, Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, Two and A Half Men, The Vampire Diaries and Pretty Little Liars.

    Zee Studio had a packed year with Indian television premieres to woo audience. The channel has grown from a 9 percent share to a 13 percent share in FY 2015-16.

    Niche & Special Interest Genre

    Zee Q achieved a stable and consistent rating during a volatile period of market fluctuations. It is the default destination for all things ‘DIY’ or do-it- yourself.

    Sports Channels

    Ten Sports in FY 2015-16 focused on content acquisitions to increase revenue streams and expanding existing ones. Ten Sports concentrated on acquiring/ creating content that created long-term strategic value, a strong programming backbone and also strengthened production as a function.

    New initiatives

    In FY 2015-16, the brand created a new entertainment vertical – Zee Theatre. Zee Theatre created over 30 unique theatre productions during 2015-16 that are ready for showcasing, ZEEL said in its annual report. Of this, nearly 12 will be available as live performances while the entire catalogue will be available for screenings and broadcast. This initiative’s aim is introduce theatre to a larger audience, making it accessible to viewers at their convenience and position theatre as a viable career opportunity for talent.

    Zeal for Unity is another unique endeavour that aims to bring people of India and Pakistan together by creating a cultural bridge. Launched at the historic Wagah-Atari border, Zeal for Unity brought together 12 accomplished filmmakers from India and Pakistan. Their task: to collaborate and make films that change the way citizens of the two countries think about each other.

    It would be quite apt to summarise ZEEL’s journey in the words of company chairman, quoted in the annual report, Chandra as saying, “Just as consistency has been a hallmark of our journey, so has change!”

  • Consistency &Change in ZEEL’s topline FY ’15-16 growth

    Consistency &Change in ZEEL’s topline FY ’15-16 growth

    MUMBAI: Consistency and change are the buzzword in Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (Zeel)’s new swanky office, spread over several floors, in India’s financial capital. And these two words also are also the guiding factors for the company as it continues to spread its wings globally even while consolidating its position at home.

    While company chairman and promoter of India’s first private satellite TV channel(s) Subhash Chandra feels digital is the way forward, taking a macro view, the team at ZEEL, led by Chandra’s elder son, Punit Goenka, peg away at initiatives to make the company bottomline blacker and live up to the visions of the visionary chairman.

    That’s why even in the international market, the group has successfully taken ZEEL’s popular domestic content in the original as well as repurposed form to focus not just on the South Asian diaspora, but on a wider cross section of global audiences in 171 countries.

    Media mogul Subhash Chandra led Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (Zeel) has registered the net profit for the year 2015-16 Rs 10, 267 million representing a margin of 17.5 percent.  This paper is based on Zeel’s Annual report for FY-2015- 16.

    “We are a local player in the markets we enter, identifying content The lines between global and local are getting increasingly blurred. ZEEL is focused on enhancing reach and emerging as a truly world-scale player in the M&E segment,” ZEEL said in its annual report for FY 2015-16 ending March 31, 2016.

    Sample some consolidated facts put out in the annual report: net profit of Rs 10, 267 million representing a margin of 17.5 percent; consolidated revenues of Rs 58,515 million representing a growth of 19.8 percent over previous year; operating profit (EBITDA) of Rs 15,095 million registering a 20.4 percent growth and resulting in a margin of 25.8 percent; Rs 34,297 million in ad revenue; Rs 20,579 million subscription revenue; 33 domestic channels and 38 international channels; Facebook fanbase of 5,10,000 plus and a 1,98,000 plus Twitter family.

    “Zeel has grown steadily since inception establishing itself as a dependable brand and organisation that is efficiently managed, well-governed and forward thinking. Our performance in FY 2015-16 is a further testimony to these practices. Our growth has been ahead of the market growth trajectory, duly reflected in the growing viewership share of our network (17.9 percent),” company MD and CEO Punit Goenka said in his director’s report in the annual report.

    To further strengthening the viewership share in the domestic market through a right-fit content strategy, Zee’s new Hindi GEC, &TV, built onto its successful launch and increased its popularity with the urban audience.

    Noting that the new audience measurement system rolled out by BARC is a welcome change especially as rural audiences are also been counted, Chandra observes, “This (rural audience measurement) is an important reset for all players as strategies are being revisited or drawn afresh. For Zee this is a welcome step given the depth and breadth of our content offerings and the reach of our channels.”

    The Zee network in India has four Hindi general entertainment channels, including Zee TV, Zee Anmol, Zindagi and &TV. While in the regional category, the brand has six channel under its umbrella and four channels under the Hindi movie cluster. The group has two channels under music genre and two in its English entertainment section even as Zee Q is categorised under special and niche genre.  

    We list here some highlights of the Zee family as enumerated in the annual report.

    Hindi GEC highlights

    Zee’s first Hindi GEC Zee TV has ranked third amongst the HGEC in the FY 2015-16. The channel delivered a weekly average of 10 shows among top 50 shows, led by the highly- rated shows like Kumkum Bhagya, Jamai Raja, Tashan E Ishq and Ek Tha Raja Ek Thi Rani.

    The free to air channel Zee Anmol continued to maintain its number 1 position in the FTA GEC category. Shows like Jodha Akbar, Choti Bahu and Bandini were the top performing shows on the channel as per BARC rural data.

    Zindagi, a channel showcasing a mix of content of various hues, including some sourced from Pakistan, introduced original productions in FY 2015-16 starting with the first non-fiction show Shukriya. The channel also introduced Turkish content with the show Feriha, aimed at attracting younger audiences.

    The youngest member of the Zee family, &TV, which completed a year of operations in March 2016 continued to grow in popularity with urban audiences. It achieved 50 percent viewership growth since its launch month and 64 percent viewership growth in weekday primetime.

    Regional GEC

    As per the Annual Report, Zee Telugu increased its market share to become the number two channel in the Telugu GEC genre and number one channel in the urban Telugu market with 27.5 percent relative share in urban markets. The channel dominated the fiction genre with 35.4 percent relative share and the non-film viewership with 32.2 percent  relative share in urban market.

    ZEEL’s other regional channel, Zee Kannada, maintained the number two ranking in the urban Kannada GEC genre during the financial year under review.

    Zee Tamil’s growth is steady in the urban market with 6 percent relative share among Tamil GECs, whereas Zee Marathi maintained dominant leadership in Marathi general entertainment space with 50 percent market share.

    Zee Bangla grew to a stronger number two player with a 40 percent share in urban market, while Sarthak TV   maintained its no. 1 position in the Oriya market with over 50 percent market share.

    Hindi Movie Cluster

    The Hindi movies cluster was the market leader in its genre where it increased its viewership share to 34 percent despite a competitive environment with a significant increase in share of Zee Action and Zee Classic.

    Music Genre

    ZETC gained a 14 percent increase in urban and rural viewership since the inclusion of rural markets. Relative share of ZETC increased to 6percent in the music genre.

    Another music channel, Zing, witnessed a 28 percent increase in urban and rural viewership since the inclusion of rural markets in audience measurement. Relative share of Zing increased to 36 percent in the Youth GEC genre.

    English GEC

    Zee Café maintained its position as the most watched English GEC with a 24 percent market share. The channel boasts of an extensive library of some top US shows like House of Cards, Gotham, The Big Bang Theory, Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, Two and A Half Men, The Vampire Diaries and Pretty Little Liars.

    Zee Studio had a packed year with Indian television premieres to woo audience. The channel has grown from a 9 percent share to a 13 percent share in FY 2015-16.

    Niche & Special Interest Genre

    Zee Q achieved a stable and consistent rating during a volatile period of market fluctuations. It is the default destination for all things ‘DIY’ or do-it- yourself.

    Sports Channels

    Ten Sports in FY 2015-16 focused on content acquisitions to increase revenue streams and expanding existing ones. Ten Sports concentrated on acquiring/ creating content that created long-term strategic value, a strong programming backbone and also strengthened production as a function.

    New initiatives

    In FY 2015-16, the brand created a new entertainment vertical – Zee Theatre. Zee Theatre created over 30 unique theatre productions during 2015-16 that are ready for showcasing, ZEEL said in its annual report. Of this, nearly 12 will be available as live performances while the entire catalogue will be available for screenings and broadcast. This initiative’s aim is introduce theatre to a larger audience, making it accessible to viewers at their convenience and position theatre as a viable career opportunity for talent.

    Zeal for Unity is another unique endeavour that aims to bring people of India and Pakistan together by creating a cultural bridge. Launched at the historic Wagah-Atari border, Zeal for Unity brought together 12 accomplished filmmakers from India and Pakistan. Their task: to collaborate and make films that change the way citizens of the two countries think about each other.

    It would be quite apt to summarise ZEEL’s journey in the words of company chairman, quoted in the annual report, Chandra as saying, “Just as consistency has been a hallmark of our journey, so has change!”

  • ZEEL deploys NexGuard forensic watermarking system in Mumbai

    ZEEL deploys NexGuard forensic watermarking system in Mumbai

    MUMBAI: In an effort to deter piracy, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. (ZEEL) has announced that it will deploy NexGuard forensic watermarking system at its Mumbai facilities. The technology will enable the forensic watermarking of its valuable video content with a unique identifier in post-production, making its worldwide distribution traceable and secure.

    This level of protection is particularly important for content owners looking at preserving the value of their content before it is aired.

    “Online piracy in India and worldwide is indeed a major threat for the overall media and entertainment industry. With Peer-2-Peer platforms and illegal re-streaming services flourishing in the subcontinent, we sensed a strong need to deploy solutions to protect our most important asset our content,” said ZEEL chief business officer Sunil Buch. “Using NexGuard forensic watermarking, we can now trace the source of illegal copies of each video asset at any point of the content lifecycle. This enhances our content security by many folds, and above all, it acts as a powerful deterrent against piracy.”

    ZEEL has chosen to deploy the NexGuard system in the form of software plug-ins for their transcoder farms, thereby ensuring a seamless fit in its existing content post-production and distribution workflow.

    “ZEEL’s content and channels are among the most popular in India and worldwide,” said NexGuard managing director Harrie Tholen. “With a global audience and very valuable assets at play, it was crucial for ZEEL to deter piracy and act quickly if it does take place. We are proud to be involved in helping ZEEL safeguard revenues through deterring piracy.”

    According to the Motion Picture Distributors Associations (India), India with over 1,000 original productions every year is the world’s most prolific movie producer. However, the South Asian power also ranks fourth among English-speaking countries for piracy, leading to significant potential revenue loss for content producers and distributors.

    NexGuard provides watermarking plug-ins for most commercially available transcoders as well as solutions for other file, tape and disc workflows. It has solutions for 4K/UHD and HDR support is under testing by the Hollywood studios.

    ZEEL is a global content company with a presence across 171 countries. With a rich bouquet of 33 domestic and 38 international channels, ZEEL reaches over 1 bn viewers across the world.