ITV

Tag: Zoom

  • zoOm styled by Myntra’s ‘The Reunion’ garners more than 30 million views across platforms

    zoOm styled by Myntra’s ‘The Reunion’ garners more than 30 million views across platforms

    MUMBAI: The Zoom Studios first series, The Reunion on zoOm styled by Myntra has created a record over the course of its one month run. The smash hit finite series has garnered more than 30 million views across platforms, while being greatly adulated by the viewers and Bollywood brigade alike for its fresh approach to storytelling, relatable characters and stylish direction. This simple yet ground-breaking series immediately struck a chord with fans and took over the internet in no time since its launch. The show garnered critical acclaim as well as millions of views for its refreshing content. Reunion is also one of the few series in India to create a first-of-its-kind content innovation, with a special rendition of Arjun Kanungo & Momina Mustehsan’s song ‘Aaya Na Tu’, which received an overwhelming response.

    As a strategic approach, The Reunion was purely marketed on content and the storyline, which successfully resulted in an organic success of the show crossing 30 million views, a remarkable milestone for a new series. The finale episode of Reunion was led by a unique innovation, the rendition of ‘Aaya Na Tu’ that captured the chemistry between Dev and Deva, played by Anuj Sachdeva and Shreya Dhanwanthary. The episode trended on twitter along with conversations on other platforms, where the viewers sentiments and reactions were overwhelming. The finale has been the most successful episode, with many viewers confessing that it was the best series that they have watched.

    Not just fans, even the Bollywood superstar, Salman Khan, posted on Instagram that he loved the trailer which received more than 2 million views. Katrina Kaif and Ali Abbas Zafar, too, took to social media to congratulate Karishma Kohli, on her directorial debut. Starring some of the most popular faces on television including Sapna Pabbi, Anuj Sachdeva, Veer Rajwant Singh and Shreya Dhanwanthary, the story has set a benchmark in content uniqueness and engaging storytelling.

    Speaking on the series success, Times Network, President, Nikhil Gandhi said, “The Reunion, is only the beginning of a spectacular content line-up from the Zoom Studios and we are delighted with the overwhelming response from our viewers. Zoom’s refreshed brand identity reflects real, conversational and multi-lingual entertainment that viewers in India are looking for. Our attempt is to continue to drive conversations that reflect the changing consumption patterns of the youth. We are happy that the new Zoom brings the ‘wow’ factor that engages viewers across platforms”.

    ‘The Reunion’ is about a group of friends from Bourbon High’s class of 2008 who reunite after 10 years at a hill station. Unresolved issues surface and play the party pooper, highlighting the fact that sometimes to look forward, it is important to rewind and see how far you’ve come. Fans of the show have been raving about Aarya’s fashion sense, Gaurav’s killer looks and Dev and Deva’s superb chemistry. A crazy rollercoaster ride, the series brings back nostalgia and memories from one’s days of fun and laughter in school and college. The show successfully captivated viewers with its cinematic-like narrative and climbed the heights of success since its launch.

  • Get set for a gripping finale of ‘The Reunion’ as Dev & Deva create magic with ‘Aaya Na Tu’

    Get set for a gripping finale of ‘The Reunion’ as Dev & Deva create magic with ‘Aaya Na Tu’

    MUMBAI: The much-celebrated series ‘The Reunion…Jab They Met Again’ by Zoom Studios Original is all geared for its finale episode, with the release of ‘The Reunion’ rendition of Aaya Na Tu on June 30th on Zoom Styled by Myntra.

    The Zoom Studios is excited to announce one of its kind partnership with VRYL Originals with the launch of ‘The Reunion’ rendition of ‘Aaya Na Tu’ – Arjun Kanungo & Momina Mustehsan’s latest track which is trending with over 18 million hits. Featuring the show’s lead pair – Dev & Deva, Reunion rendition of Aaya Na Tu reminisce their magical journey and perfectly captures the emotions and feelings of love, hope, longing.

    Since the premiere of ‘The Reunion’, fans have been raving about the chemistry between Dev and Deva, played by Anuj Sachdeva and Shreya Dhanwanthary respectively. This chemistry is perfectly depicted in the ‘The Reunion’ version of the song where the fans get to see and relive the special moments between the heartthrob couple over the course of the series. As the first season comes to an end on 30th June, fans can’t wait to find out how it will all turn out between Dev and Deva.

  • Paytm Inbox makeover includes addition of cricket, entertainment

    Paytm Inbox makeover includes addition of cricket, entertainment

    Vijay Shekhar Sharma has always believed in changing the game. On Monday, Paytm made another significant announcement that’s in line with its founder’s motto. With a complete makeover of its Inbox, Paytm is now set to offer a multitude of services including live TV, real-time news and cricket updates, popular videos, and games to its users

    “We are now rolling out the full stack service under ‘Paytm Inbox’ on our super app. We have partnered with several content providers to ensure the best of infotainment is delivered to you,” the company said in a blog post.

    The Paytm Inbox will now contain additional features and not just messages and order details. The new functionality has been rigorously tested and is now available on iOS. Android users will have access to the services later this week.

    To access Paytm Inbox, all you need to do is tap on the inbox tab on the extreme left. While Chat has been a key feature of the in-app messaging service, Paytm is now improving user engagement with addition of more options.

    The Noida-based company has joined hands with several publishers and game brands to provide content within the app to their consumers.

    Aaj Tak, Bloomberg Quint, 9XM, India Today, Mirror Now, Zoom, and ET Now are among Paytm’s collaborators for live TV services.

    Like other news aggregators, the app will offer content from the Indian publishers as well. Not just that, users will also have access to multiple games.

    The Paytm app was overhauled earlier this year in April with a redesigned home and profile page and the Passbook tab.

  • Zoom partners Myntra, expects 40% top line growth in 2018

    Zoom partners Myntra, expects 40% top line growth in 2018

    MUMBAI: Zoom, the entertainment channel from the Times stable, is bridging the gap between the television and online mediums. In order to maximise its reach using three staple diets of Indians- fashion, Bollywood and entertainment-it has partnered online fashion and lifestyle company, Myntra, to form a new revamped identity. Zoom will no longer be called just ‘Zoom’ but rather ‘Zoom styled by Myntra’.

    The “reimaged” (as the company prefers to call it) identity went live last night-19 April 2018 at 9 pm IST. Times Network president Nikhil Gandhi affirmed, “Zoom is not a TV channel, but it is an omnipresent brand and Bollywood in India is like a meta-state. With our focus on original content, we will be targeting the sweet spot of 15-to 24-year olds.”

    Zoom aims to leverage Myntra’s style quotient for a new look and feel, new shows, new web-series, short formats and exclusive experiences. The new logo and packaging reflect style, vibrancy and happiness that are symbolic of the channel’s target audience.

    With ‘Zoom styled by Myntra’, viewers will see fresh new faces, stylised looks and latest trends from Myntra, rising stars, the best of Bollywood and popular music. Moreover, the clothing/apparel that will be worn by the celebs/actors/anchors would be shoppable via a Zoom store on Myntra. Through this partnership, Myntra aims to make #SeeItToBuyIt a reality, wherein what the consumer sees on screen can be easily accessed on Myntra.

    Myntra is using the association to strengthen its position in the fashion space. The deal between Zoom and Myntra is a monetised partnership that Gandhi is optimistic will travel beyond at least three years.

    Myntra head of research and insights Priyanka Bhargav said, “This partnership will help us reach viewers of the channel across the country who are ardent followers. Moreover, core propositions such as styles, looks and brands will get a huge push through celebrity-driven content that the TG looks up to.”

    Times Network MD and CEO MK Anand was of the opinion that Zoom had changed the rules of stereotype partnership deals in the industry with its association with Myntra and the refreshed identity reflects the kind of real, conversational and multi-lingual entertainment that viewers in India are looking for.

    Considering that companies today are in a hurry to jump from offline to online, the reverse done by Myntra may be considered as a major move. Bhargav said, “Television has always been one of the most popular mediums for consumption of content, alongside social and digital mediums that are extremely popular. Television, in this association, will act as a catalyst for greater penetration and overall visibility for both brands.”

    Myntra and Jabong CEO Ananth Narayanan said that by 2020, 75 per cent of the content consumed would be video content and made for India original content would grow substantially. “Fashion as a category lends itself well to the video format, much more than any other category. Each show will be styled by Myntra and you can easily get similar looks on Myntra,” he added.

    “Zoom has good affinity in the Myntra demographic TG, especially millennials and Gen-Z. Zoom has very good reach, not only in metros but also tier 2 and 3 cities and towns, where Bollywood inspires style and people have strong aspirations. Online fashion shoppers are highly indexed on Bollywood, movies and music and one in four Zoom viewers has a strong affinity towards online shopping for fashion,” Bhargava pointed out.

    According to Gandhi, Zoom is being distributed to 60 countries out of which Mauritius is its biggest market.

    Last year was a difficult year for broadcasters as they grappled with the challenges of both GST and demonetisation. “At the top-line level, Zoom has grown nine to 10 per cent last year, which was muted growth across the industry. But this year is going to be phenomenal and we are going to grow by 40 per cent at the top line,” Gandhi said.

    Amidst rumours that the channel may launch an over-the-top (OTT) platform, Gandhi said that there were no such plans for now but content syndication was surely on the cards. To engage viewers, the channel decided not to spend millions of dollars on creating originals but focus on the ‘feel’ of the shows. “The cost in which we had executed our web-series is unimaginable against what the OTT players are paying per episode. Our cost is very less compared to OTT players in the market,” says Gandhi.

    The ‘Zoom styled by Myntra’ marketing campaign will enjoy visibility across channels via advertisements and promotions on the Times network will amplify the announcement to the larger audiences in addition to a few print ads and hoardings to keep the communication at the forefront in the traditional format.

    Zoom Originals aims to create experiences beyond screens that will be warm, stylish and relatable, reflecting today’s coming-of-age stories, and viewers’ own lives and relationships. These shows will be shown on the channel as well as on YouTube as web series.

    The channel’s flagship property, Planet Bollywood, will also get a makeover. The anchors will now drive the conversation to reveal the real “story behind the news”. The show will also drive discussions to engage viewers on Zoom’s digital platforms and social media handles.

    Also Read :

    Myntra targets to grow accessories category by 200%

    Mirror Now turns One

    Mirror Now aims to be no. 2 Eng news channel in 2018: Faye D’Souza

  • Times Television Network’s operations affected by Kamala Mills compound fire

    Times Television Network’s operations affected by Kamala Mills compound fire

    MUMBAI: For Times Television staffers that were working the late night shift at Kamala Mills Compound in Mumbai, the night of 28 December 2017 was a bit of a nightmare. The conflagration that swept through restaurants 1 Above and Mojo Bistro and claimed 15 lives could have gutted the Times TV Network premises as well as Zoom’s offices, which were located on the first floor.

    But luckily it impacted only parts of the office that cover almost 150,000 square feet. However, the smoke and heat forced night staff to leave their computer stations. Moreover, the flames damaged the uplinking facilities located on the premises, specially the cables that linked the playout that led to the dishes on the terrace of the building.

    The net result: Times Now, ET Now, Mirror Now, Romedy Now, MNX, and Zoom and others went off air. And most distribution platforms carried an apology notice, in place of the live feed, which stated that the channel signals could not be received because of technical difficulties.

    Sources within Times TV indicate that what could have caused further damage is the fact that the flames from above were threatening to pass down through the air conditioning ducts to the Zoom office and the firefighters turned their hoses spraying hundreds of gallons of water down the chutes that prevented any further damage due to the fire. However, a lot of equipment went kaput thanks to the water and the subsequent flooding, rendering the premises unfit for any activity. As a result, most of the staff is working from home.

    Additionally, other sources claim that it was the quick action of Times TV engineering and technical staffers that helped rescue close to 150 guests in the restaurant above. “There was one exit, which was locked but our technical staff broke it open that allowed them to escape,” says a source. “However, not all could escape the ravaging fire and be rescued.”

    Times Now, Mirror Now and ET Now restarted at 5:58 am following the shifting of the channel’s uplink to Essel Shyam in Noida and to Times TV Network’s Delhi studios.  Anchors such as Faye Dsouza flew overnight to the capital in order to be able to anchor shows from the studio there.

    However, other services like Romedy Now, Movies Now, Zoom and MNX were yet to begin transmission as the servers were damaged during the fire and firefighting operations.

    Other staffers have been moved to the fifth floor of the Times Tower, which is opposite the burnt out premises.

  • Music channels bet on shows to boost viewership

    Music channels bet on shows to boost viewership

    MUMBAI: Seems like music channels are playing second fiddle to online music platforms when it comes to playing tracks. In an attempt to grab more eyeballs, pure-play music channels on television are moving away from the music content and focusing more on the youth-centric shows.

    A study done by video intelligence platform Vidooly Media Tech said that Indian users largely consume music content on YouTube. In the music segment, Hindi and electronic music were the two most popular genres among YouTube users and the music videos generated over 3 billion views.

    Observing the trend in the television space, the channels that kick-started their existence as a pure-play music channels are now experimenting with reality shows or shifting their focus to youth-centric content. Several music channels have changed their programming line-up in a bid to put their finger on the viewer’s pulse.

    Launched in 1996, MTV rolled out its first reality show in 2003 – Roadies. After that, there was no turning back as the channel cut down music content in favour of youth-based shows. Roadies has completed 15 seasons while Splitsvilla is on its 10th. The list goes on with Dropout, Girls on Top, Kaisi Ye Yaariyan, India’s Next Top Model, Love School etc. Bigg Boss 11 is the latest addition which will be its first time on the music channel.

    One can ask the question – what happens to the music content ratio? It might have decreased because of the captive audience in India, or it might be a deliberate strategy to move towards youth-centric shows or because of the report by Vidooly that said about the music content consumed more over YouTube.

    Adding more to the context, Channel V launched in 1994 and during its heydays, the channel launched several iconic campaigns. Later, In search of greener pastures, Channel V became youth focussed. Attempts were made to rebrand Channel V as a reality show channel, moving away from its music-only programming. The plans, however, did not come to fruition as the channel shifted its focus away from music and it lost much of its popularity and TRPs. Therefore, viewership dropped drastically. In 2016, this mistake was corrected: it went back to playing music videos on loop. Nevertheless, it was too late for Channel V to regain popularity, and Star India decided to shut down operations.

    There comes another channel called Zing, formerly known as Zee Muzic and Music Asia, which is an India-based music television channel owned by Zee Entertainment Enterprises, which broadcasts in Hindi and other regional languages. It also features humour, animation, spoofs and celebrity lifestyle in addition to music. Shows like Pyaar Tune Kya Kia, Aye Zindagi and Love Diaries are among the shows added to the list with an intention to grab the eyeballs of the viewers.

    The Times Group’s Indian glamour and entertainment television channel—Zoom which started out as a music, Bollywood and serial channel, pulled serials quite quickly off the air, within months it was a music + Bollywood news channel.  The OTT platform Viu is now experimenting with the OTT-to-TV format. It has tied up with lifestyle channel Zoom to broadcast its shows, Spotlight and Gehraiyaan to bring in larger audiences. 

    Breaking away from the mould, Sony Mix still stays pure to music. MTV Beats is one that shows celebrity-curated theme-based music shows like Fit Stop with Sunny Leone and House Party with rapper Badshah. Mastiii has shows that are related to music too.

    Also, Zee Entertainment Enterprises’ 9XM has the popular The Bakwaas Show where film stars come to promote their films. Do Pal Ka Interval is a humorous take on the upcoming Bollywood movies based on their trailer and story.

    Although the music content on music channels is steadily diminishing, the jury is still out on whether consumption of music will become an online phenomenon. Only time will tell if the move to reality shows will pay dividends in the long run for the channels.

  • Zoom turns on temp, Planet Bollywood completes 3000 episodes

    MUMBAI: From being the first TV channel solely focused on India’s biggest entertainment brand – Bollywood to hosting the best music and celebrity countdowns, hottest entertainment news, interviews, trends and shows, ZOOM is the one-stop destination for all things in Bollywood. Planet Bollywood – the daily show on ZOOM that gives its viewers their dose of Bollywood gossip and updates reached yet another milestone by completing 3000 episodes on 20 April, 2017.

    The show enjoys love and admiration of not just its audience but also the entire Bollywood fraternity with celebrities like Hrithik Roshan, Alia Bhatt, Varun Dhawan, Anushka Sharma, Shahid Kapoor, Karan Johar and Urvashi Rautela amongst many others who congratulated the show on achieving the 3000 episode milestone.

  • Nikhil Gandhi joins Times Network as president – revenue

    MUMBAI: Times Network has announced the appointment of Nikhil Gandhi as president – revenue. He will report to Times Network MD and CEO MK Anand. His key responsibility will be growth of profitable monetisation of the entire bouquet of channels under the network.

    This is his second stint with the network. He was a part of the core team at Zoom during the launch of the channel in 20064. Gandhi replaces Ashit Kukian who was appointed in November 2015.

    Anand said, “It gives me great pleasure to welcome Nikhil into the Times Network family as president – revenue. His strong  leadership skills, people management abilities and operational expertise along with his extensive background in the M&E space will definitely add value to Times Network. Nikhil embodies the Action Orientation that Times Network is known for, and is a great business leader.”

    He further added that, “Ashit Kukian has decided to move on and pursue other opportunities and we would like to wish him all the best for his future endeavours.”

    Gandhi added, “Leading the revenue vertical of a network that is growing and leading the Media and Entertainment space is exciting. My efforts will be to propel Times Network to greater heights and achieve the business objectives.”  

    Gandhi comes with over 17 years of experience in media with revenue and business specialization and he last held the position at Disney India Media Networks vice president and head of revenue.

     

  • Movies Now brings back 100 Mania and it’s #NotforLosers

    Movies Now brings back 100 Mania and it’s #NotforLosers

    MUMBAI: Movies Now, India’s favourite English movie channel, brings back its most-awaited mega property ‘100 Mania’, starting 15 December at 9pm. From cars, bikes, smartphones, digital cameras, laptops, fitbits and lots more, 100 Mania Season 4 offers viewers the opportunity to watch and win a 100 prizes by watching 100 blockbusters over 100 days!

    In this unique consumer engagement activity, viewers need to watch the 9pm blockbuster movie, give a missed call and answer simple questions. Movie buffs will find themselves glued to their screens as this property will feature the biggest action blockbusters and franchises that Hollywood has to offer.

    Times Network Vivek Srivastava senior vice president & head, English entertainment cluster, & Zoom Vivek Srivastava said, “100 Mania is an iconic property for Movies Now and we are proud to bring it back in a bigger bolder avatar for its fourth season. Conducting a daily contest over 100 days with 100 mega-prizes on offer is a mammoth task and it is unparalleled in the English movie genre. The property has aided the channel in strengthening its leadership position and this year we are offering a new proposition of #NotForLosers, which will definitely resonate with the youth. Over the years, 100 Mania has created a huge buzz and a loyal audience for the channel while attracting multiple advertisers. I am sure that we will continue to rule audience minds with 100 Mania Season 4.”

    Smartphone brand Vivo has come on board 100 Mania Season 4 as the presenting sponsor while the co-presenting sponsor is Kurlon and Ocean’s is the Associate sponsor.

    Vivo CMO Vivek Zhang said “We are happy to partner with ‘100 Mania’ which is an iconic property for Movies Now. The show has extensive viewer engagement and keeping in mind the vibrancy of the youth, we believe that a partnership with this classic property presents a splendid opportunity to connect with the right audience in a refreshing way. We are constantly making efforts to consolidate our position in the Indian market through thoughtful brand associations and innovative marketing initiatives. We wish ‘100 Mania’, all the very best.”

  • Movies Now brings back 100 Mania and it’s #NotforLosers

    Movies Now brings back 100 Mania and it’s #NotforLosers

    MUMBAI: Movies Now, India’s favourite English movie channel, brings back its most-awaited mega property ‘100 Mania’, starting 15 December at 9pm. From cars, bikes, smartphones, digital cameras, laptops, fitbits and lots more, 100 Mania Season 4 offers viewers the opportunity to watch and win a 100 prizes by watching 100 blockbusters over 100 days!

    In this unique consumer engagement activity, viewers need to watch the 9pm blockbuster movie, give a missed call and answer simple questions. Movie buffs will find themselves glued to their screens as this property will feature the biggest action blockbusters and franchises that Hollywood has to offer.

    Times Network Vivek Srivastava senior vice president & head, English entertainment cluster, & Zoom Vivek Srivastava said, “100 Mania is an iconic property for Movies Now and we are proud to bring it back in a bigger bolder avatar for its fourth season. Conducting a daily contest over 100 days with 100 mega-prizes on offer is a mammoth task and it is unparalleled in the English movie genre. The property has aided the channel in strengthening its leadership position and this year we are offering a new proposition of #NotForLosers, which will definitely resonate with the youth. Over the years, 100 Mania has created a huge buzz and a loyal audience for the channel while attracting multiple advertisers. I am sure that we will continue to rule audience minds with 100 Mania Season 4.”

    Smartphone brand Vivo has come on board 100 Mania Season 4 as the presenting sponsor while the co-presenting sponsor is Kurlon and Ocean’s is the Associate sponsor.

    Vivo CMO Vivek Zhang said “We are happy to partner with ‘100 Mania’ which is an iconic property for Movies Now. The show has extensive viewer engagement and keeping in mind the vibrancy of the youth, we believe that a partnership with this classic property presents a splendid opportunity to connect with the right audience in a refreshing way. We are constantly making efforts to consolidate our position in the Indian market through thoughtful brand associations and innovative marketing initiatives. We wish ‘100 Mania’, all the very best.”