MxMIndia

Category: TV

  • The Voice India goes on air on June 6, 9pm on &TV and will be aired every Saturday and Sunday at 9pm.

    &TV gears up for The Voice on weekends

    By A Correspondent

     

    Internationally acclaimed reality music show The Voice makes its way to India starting next month on &TV. Produced by Endemol and brought to us by Talpa Media, the show is unique in its concept as participants are judged only on the basis of thir voice.

     

    Speaking at the unveiling of the show on Tuesday, Rajesh Iyer, Business Head, &TV said, “This show is our first step towards presenting a high impact weekend property in the reality space. The format of the Voice has been widely accepted worldwide and gained popularity and we expect the same to work in India.”

     

    The show will be judged by some of top talent like Shaan, Sunidhi Chauhan, Mika Singh and Himesh Reshammiya, who will also double up as coaches for participants.

     

    The Voice has a unique format that begins with the Blind Auditions, wherein the coaches have their back faced to the performer, so that they cannot see, but can only hear the performance. If they like what they hear, they can press a red buzzer on their seat that will turn their chair around and see the performer. The performer then automatically goes into that coach’s team. However if more than one coach turns around, then the performer can choose a team. In the next round, that is the Battle Round, the coach will pit two of his/her own team members against each other to perform the same song. One out of these moves ahead, the other moves out. In the final round, the Live, the contestants will be coached by their mentors and a team of professionals. The top contestants will do a final performance and the audience is left to vote for their favourite.

     

    “The format of the show is one of a kind and has never been done before in India. I am excited to be a part of it and look forward to giving a break to at least five to six participants from the show. More than for the channel, the TRPs here are more important for the contestants who wish to make it big,” Himesh Reshammiya said.

     

    Said Deepak Dhar, Managing Director and CEO, Endemol India who are the producers of the show: “This is the first show in India, wherein emphasis is given only to the voice and nothing else. The blind audition is what distinguishes this show from all other reality music shows in India.”

     

    All four coaches are ecstatic to be a part of the show. “The Voice India is here to redefine the music reality space in India, and I am happy to be on board,” Sunidhi Chauhan said. Mika Singh added, “I am thoroughly looking forward to finding a voice that has an exceptional quality, something real and versatile that will make heads turn.” Singer Shaan couldn’t make it to the announcement; however he left a video message, “What clicked for me is that every round on The Voice is very different and innovative. If you want to be on television and on a music show, it has to be The Voice.”

     

    The Voice India goes on air on June 6, 9pm on &TV and will be aired every Saturday and Sunday at 9pm.

     

  • Punit Goenka, MD and CEO, Zee Entertainment on his association with Melt 2015 and his focus on curating the event with Kyoorius

    No gyaan, only learning

     

    This interview was conducted around Melt 2015 was announced in April this year, but the views Punit Goenka, MD and CEO, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited are still valid and relevant given Melt (or Zee Melt 2015, to be precise) starts today (May 21) and Zee Mindspace, the conference for CMOs, happens tomorrow. We asked Mr Goenka on why he associated himself with Kyoorius, will it impact his linkages with Goafest, on how speakers have been chosen for the event and finally with Rajesh Kejriwal, founder and CEO of Kyoorius.

     

    This is fourth edition of Zee Mindspace. What have been the learnings so far and what made you switch to a much larger scale?

    In this fast changing world, our own teams feel that the learning for the changing world is not happening at the pace that it needs to happen. We have got that feedback from our Mindspace series that we’ve been running so far. And when Rajesh [Kejriwal] approached me for Melt, I was of the opinion that we need to scale up Mindspace to a bigger level and why not put it as part of the industry initiative, which means it will be created for the industry by the industry. Normally, we do a half- day session, but this time we are extending it to the full day. Instead of just two speakers, we’re targeting many more to come in and speak up on different aspects of marketing and challenges and their learnings from other markets and bring it on the platform for the CMO world at large.

     

    There are quite a few events such as these which keep happening and apart from the likes of

    Goafest you have CII which does a marketing summit and there is AIMA etc. So how is it different from the others that you’re looking at?

    So, first and foremost the clear differentiation that attracted me to this was that I’m not just a sponsor here, I’m actually curating the content along with the Kyoorius team with learnings from my own professional space and what industry professionals are facing whether it be in the media or advertising or content world. So when people leave the venue, they should leave with the feeling that they have learnt something new which will help them in their day-to-day running of their professional life. And it should be clearly beneficial for to them, rather than it being a marketing conference where I talk about how great Zee is and what great thing Zee has done in the past. I want to actually make it a learning experience not just for my own team but for the industry at large.

     

    What made you choose on Kyoorius?

    I’m very happy to be partnered with Kyoorius because I have seen their benchmark in events that they have created and I don’t want to partner anything less than that. I want only improvement in that if at all, and I said yes to the partnership because I know Rajesh will deliver great standard of quality and best practices. And of course, why would I not want to associate my brand with something at that pinnacle of creation and implementation?

     

    You aren’t associated with the Awards though

    No, the Awards are not part of Melt. That’s an independent activity. It’s the culmination of Melt. So, by that definition we are not associated with the Awards as a partner or anything. But of course, I would love to be there and see who wins this year.

     

    With Goafest being an industry event and all creative and media agencies backing it, are you worried of a negative impact your association with Kyoorius can have on business?

    I’m not comparing Goafest with Melt. I know what Melt is all about and I know what it’s going to deliver for the industry, and that’s why I have chosen to partner here. I’ve been associated with Goafest in the past and will continue my association with them. Frankly the difference is that in the case of Melt, I’m working on creating the content for this festival. Whereas in Goafest, I’m not involved at. So I would not want to consider what’s good in Goafest and what’s not good in Goafest? Would those agencies look at Zee in a negative manner because I’ve associated with Melt, well, that’s their business, I can’t tell them what they should do and they should not do. We do so many events and that does not mean we make enemies with competing events.

     

    (Rajesh Kejriwal who was alo present while the interview was on steps in: Just to clarify this case, Melt has no sponsors. Melt has only partners. So, Zee is a principal partner, GroupM is a strategic partner, D&AD is a strategic partner, then there are other partners who are bringing in content in some way or the other. Everybody is a partner at Melt… there are no sponsors.)

     

    You’ve been associated with Kyoorius Designyatra for a while and I find it interesting that that you are actually not part of the event at all in the form of making a speech, presenting awards etc. We’ve also heard stories that Rajesh Kejriwal has told a sponsor that a certain logo doesn’t look very good in the creative, etc etc. Would you say he’s a tough guy to be associated with as an event curator?

     

    Yeah, he can be a pain, but nothing that can’t be fixed over a drink (laughs). There is no problem that you can’t fix over a drink, so let me just keep it at that.

     

    Zee has been associated with several industry events over the years. Is working with him different various others with whom you have dealt with in the past?

     

    As I said, normally people just put an event together and ask you for money and for a sponsorship logo on top of it. Beyond that, there is no value addition that one gets. Here, I’m being part of the team working on what should the event be all about. Rajesh came with certain ideas, my team then looked at the kind of speakers they should invite. What they should talk about. And we are actually considering all that before we take a speaker onboard, because I don’t want people to come and give us gyaan as to how good they are and how they have done great stuff, and what their great companies do. At the end, it has to be learning for the people who attend it, that here is the problem, and here are potential solutions, now debate.

     

     

     

  • You may not be a big fan of the IPL. But you cannot deny the success story that it has proven to be, writes Shailesh Kapoor

    Shailesh Kapoor: 2015: IPL’s Watershed Edition?

    By Shailesh Kapoor

     

    Since its start in 2008, the Indian Premier League (IPL) has managed to grab advertiser and media attention like no other property ever did, before or after IPL launched. Today, it may not seem to be such a big deal, but the success of IPL was never a given. But on the opening night in 2008, when Brendon McCullum got the league zooming at top speed, no one has doubted whether IPL would work. It’s always been a question of how big a success it would be.

     

    2008-10 were strong, settling-in years for IPL. Audiences lapped up the entertainment, and viewership saw steady consolidation. However, it was clear by the end of 2010 that creating franchises with solid fan base will be no child’s play. Only Chennai, Mumbai and Kolkata managed to create a strong base for themselves, while others like Delhi, Punjab, Rajasthan and even Bangalore struggled to build brands.

     

    As a result of this fragile franchise loyalty, IPL became an “entertainment dose” for most viewers, than an emotional rollercoaster. This, in turn, led to low involvement viewership. When the 2011 season started, at the back of a long and highly satisfying World Cup for India, the cracks showed. Viewership dropped, because the need for the entertainment dose was not felt after the World Cup win, and the emotional benefits were missing anyway.

     

    2012-14 were difficult years as well. Viewership was stagnant to declining, depending on whether you consider the newly-introduced LC1 markets in the mix or not. Spot fixing controversies plagued the league’s credibility in the media in particular, and the cricket itself was, at best, semi-competitive.

     

    When the 2015 season started, again at the back of a long World Cup, there were question marks on how well the IPL will perform. But what we have seen this season may well be the turnaround story in IPL’s short history.

     

    To begin with, viewership has increased by a significant notch. Even as the industry gets used to a new currency, there are enough data points, including some run by us, that suggest this has been the best season since 2010 in terms of viewership and engagement levels.

     

    A series of close games have contributed to this success in no small measure. But that’s the cricket part that, unlike what some may like us to believe, is beyond the stakeholders’ control. The part that has been controlled well is the stability of team compositions, which has been a major concern in the past. Key players have now built strong associations with their franchises, and viewers know what to expect from each game, as a result. Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata still remain big draws, but with enough star-power packed in, Bangalore has managed to pull in a sizeable viewer base too.

     

    Equally importantly, this has been a clean season, with no controversies on or off the field. The focus has been more on the cricket and cricketing entertainment, than on the frills that tend to spice up IPL on the face of it, but have damaged its core from within in the past.

     

    You may not be a big fan of the IPL. But you cannot deny the success story that it has proven to be, and the way it has impacted two ends of its stakeholders – the cricket community (players and boards), in whose life IPL is a very significant factor, and television viewers, who continue to be entertained year after year, even as mainstream television entertainment continues to test their patience.

     

    So, more power to IPL. May the two remaining games, tonight and this Sunday, cap off its best season so far.

     

     

     

  • As per data released on Thursday for Week 20, there wasn't much of a change in the pecking order of the all-important Hindi general entertainment channels (sorry, it's not that the others aren't important, it's just that the HGECs are the most talked about 🙂 )

    Pecking order of Hindi GECs same in TAM Week 20 – HH & Individual Data

  • Ten Sports, the exclusive broadcaster of Premier football content in the Indian sub-continent invites viewers to its #MidnightFootballParty

    Ten Sports Network to broadcast the Football Season Finale

    By A Correspondent

     

    With four major finals – the UEFA Champions League, the UEFA Europa League, the German Cup and the Italian Cup lined up over the next few weeks, the football season is approaching its grand finale.

     

    Ten Sports, the exclusive broadcaster of Premier football content in the Indian sub-continent invites viewers to its #MidnightFootballParty – an initiative that has constantly engaged the audiences.

     

    Ten Sports Network & ZEE channels will be used extensively to promote the events along with digital platforms with a two pronged approach – content-led & activation-led. Special programming is also being made where fans will relive the glorious moments of the contestants in this season’s Road to Glory

     

  • Khetarpal is responsible for content syndication, and driving mobile and interactive platforms

    Turner India names Rohit Khetarpal as Director, Network and Content Distribution

    By A Correspondent

     

    Turner International India has announced the appointment of Rohit Khetarpal as Director of Network and Content Distribution for South Asia.

     

    Khetarpal is responsible for content syndication, and driving mobile and interactive platforms including mobile, broadband, DTH, IPTV, gaming services for Turner’s portfolio of industry-leading news and kids entertainment brands including CNN International, Cartoon Network, and POGO. In addition, he leads CNN International’s hotel partnership program and broadcast partnerships in South Asia. He also manages the distribution of all Turner channels in South Asian markets outside of India.

     

    Siddharth Jain

    Based in Delhi, Khetarpal reports into Siddharth Jain, Turner’s Senior Vice President and Managing Director for South Asia. Commenting on the appointment Jain said, “With his proven track record in growing our linear distribution vertical in India, I am confident that Rohit will take this varied and business-critical portfolio to its next level of success in the South Asia region.”

     

    Khetarpal joined Turner’s Network and Content Distribution team in 2008 and has been managing the distribution of Turner’s portfolio of channels in India: Cartoon Network, POGO, Toonami, HBO and WB. He has over 15 years of experience in the television distribution business and has previously worked with Viacom 18, Zee Turner and ESPN Software in India.

     

  • The English news channel of the TV Today Network adopts the name of the parent media group's flagship magazine. Aaj Tak's name is unchanged

    Headlines Today is rechristened India Today Television

    By A Correspondent

     

    From the evening of Saturday, May 23, 2015, Headlines Today was renamed India Today.  Named after the flagship English and Hindi language magazines of the India Today group, Headlines Today adopted the new name with a pledge to serve news, and not views. Aaj Tak’s name stays unchanged even though the English and the Hindi editions of the newsmag carry the same title.

     

    So what’s the new channel going to be all about:

    “Well, here’s what the advertising of the new channel has to say:

    For over 40 years, India Today has set the gold standard of journalism.

    It now extends the same ethos to India Today Television, a channel that is set to bring you news just as it happens, unadulterated and unbiased.

    We are here to help you form opinions, not give them to you.

    We are here to report facts, not twist them

    We are here to keep you ahead, not to keep you titillated.

    Our revolutionary approach, experience anchors and all-day primetime reporting will transform your news viewing experience.

    No more swinging stands, circling issues and one-sided arguments.

    Circus is over. News is back.”

    Hmmm.

     

  • National award-winning director Pradeep Sarkar, who has filmed movies such as, Parineeta and Mardani, has directed the TVC

    ‘Shop a new trend’ says Shop CJ in new campaign

    By A Correspondent

     

    When home-shopping and e-commerce players in the market are offering deals and discount to attract customers, Korea based home-shopping player Shop CJ has taken a different approach. The differentiating strategy is to offer products associated with trendy lifestyle, which aims to improve the lifestyle of people by helping them shop a new trend. As part of its rebranding initiative, the company created its first TV commercial, directed by the national award-winner Pradeep Sarkar. The film conveys company’s new philosophy and brand identity. It shows the name of Star CJ alive being changed to Shop CJ.

     

    Kenny Shin

    Kenny Shin, CEO, Shop CJ, says, “We are trying to change the overall perception of the home–shopping industry. Additionally, the TVC rebranding showcases our aim to bring ultra-trendy, durable, innovative, customer-friendly and cost-effective products to the customers.”

     

    Donald Kwag, head of marketing, says, “The television commercial is to convey company’s new philosophy and the name change. We are pushing it aggressively on social media as well.”

     

    The new brand tagline – ‘shop a new trend’, which is  unveiled in the TV advertisement, signifies company’s product offering that are in synch with customers lifestyle and latest trend. The TVC is featuring real life people sharing their story and proud moment with Shop CJ’s products.

     

    The film is conceptualized by the creative agency Percept H, which is a 50:50 joint venture between India’s Percept and Japan’s Hakuhodo Inc. The 30 and 60-second versions of the commercial will air on various channels of Star Network from May 2015.

     

  • In 2013 Tony Hall, Director General of the BBC, set a target of 500m for the BBC's global reach for 2022

    BBC records good growth in its global audience

    By A Correspondent

     

    New figures unveiled recently show the BBC has a weekly global audience of 308 million people. This represents the combined measured reach of international BBC content – both news and entertainment – for the year 2014/15 and is the first time this figure has ever been measured in this way.

     

    In 2013 Tony Hall, Director General of the BBC, set a target of 500m for the BBC’s global reach for 2022.

     

    The figures – the BBC Global Audience Measure (GAM) – reveal that the BBC’s weekly global news audience, which is measured each year, has increased by 18m people, or7 per cent since last year, to a record-breaking 283 million. This means that one in every 16 adults around the world uses BBC News.

     

    For the first time, television (148m) overtook radio (133m) as the most popular platform for BBC international news, and it is also the first time since we tracked audiences for all three platforms – radio, TV and online (55m) – in English and 28 other languages – that they’ve all grown in the same year.

     

    The BBC World Service’s audience has increased by 10 per cent in its first year of licence fee funding and now stands at 210m, with the biggest boost coming from new World Service TV news bulletins in languages other than English.

     

    The biggest growth for a single service comes for BBC World Service English, which has its highest ever weekly reach ever with an audience of 52m, an increase of more than 25 per cent. The countries where the audience increases for World Service English have been highest are Nigeria, USA, Pakistan and Tanzania.

     

    BBC Global News Ltd’s audience has grown to 105 million with World News TV’s up by 12 per cent, and bbc.com/news growing by 16 per cent.

     

    Fran Unsworth, Director of the BBC World Service Group, said: “These amazing figures demonstrate the importance and impact of the BBC around the world.

     

    “In times of crisis and in countries lacking media freedom, people around the world turn to the BBC for trusted and accurate information. Thanks to our digital innovation we now have more ways than ever before of reaching our audience – from the Whatsapp Service we set up during the West Africa Ebola outbreak to our pop-up Thai news stream on Facebook following the military coup.”

     

    Tim Davie, Director, Global and CEO, BBC Worldwide, said: “Today’s audience numbers show the global reach of the BBC to be strong and growing.  The consumption of branded BBC services across TV, radio and digital platforms speaks to the international appetite for premium content across all the genres for which we are best known – primarily news, but increasingly for drama, factual and entertainment.”

     

    “Having a robust but prudent measurement system in place also helps increase our understanding of our audiences, enabling us to serve them to the very best of our ability in the future.”

     

  • India Today Group CEO Ashish Bagga on the launch of the rebranded news channel last week

    ‘We want India Today TV to be #1 in Viewers’ Faith’

     

    The India Today group has in the recent past been working hard on having all its media brands work in sync with each other. Last Saturday, at 6pm on May 23 to be precise, Headlines Today, the group’s English-language news channel, was rechristened India Today Television, named after the flagship news magazine. In this interview with MxMIndia, Ashish Bagga, Group CEO, India Today talks about the rebranding and how more than ratings, the objective is to make the channel numero uno in viewers’ faith.

     

    Over the last few months, ever since Karan Thapar and Rajdeep Sardesai have come on board, Headlines Today has seen a steady rise in popularity (though I am sure your marketing team will say that rise started even before they came on board). So why change the name?

    The brand equity of a 40 year legacy is incomparable to any product of today. The attributes the new channel will stand for, like Zero bias, Credibility, Neutrality, Depth are best communicated in two words ‘India Today’ – the brand that has defined the national agenda  – A brand that is in itself an institution of purest form of journalism. At a time when this viewer is yearning for meaningful journalism, what better way to deliver it than with a name that’s stood for it and stands for it. Ushering and nurturing top editorial talent was part of the strategy for the launch of INDIA TODAY TELEVISION.

     

    The Hindi edition of India Today magazine (the printed avatar) has the same name as the English one. Will you consider changing the name of Aaj Tak (the TV Channel) to India Today? Why?

    Aaj Tak has been an undisputed leader for 14 years since inception and has lately achieved a continuous 100 week nonstop leadership streak. It is a symbol of unshakeable trust and the nation turns to only one news channel when it really matters…. Trust is built with a lot of hard work and sincerity over many many years… A question to rename, therefore definitely does not arise.. India Today and Aaj Tak are both mega brands and playing their roles very very well in respective spaces.

     

    We see the aggressiveness in English news channels really hard to beat – quite like it took a long, long time to get over the ‘angry young man’ image of Amitabh Bachchan era of the 1970s and early 80s. In the Hindi genre too, we have seen that the dumbing down has played rich dividends? Do you think a serious news channel will ever work in terms of ratings?

    News consumption habits have evolved considerably with people consuming news content across media and platforms. TV news is still linear and gives only one story at a time leading to lot of missed news and viewer disconnect. What this space awaits is revolutionising the delivery and integrating with digital. An involvement level of the consumer needs to be built in. If you’ve got these elements right, there is definitely not just space but a very strong opportunity for a serious news channel. On Hindi, I disagree with dumbing down. Talking the people’s language and dumbing down are two very different things. I think all the channels in leading position are taking their news and content very seriously.

     

    Running an English channel obviously requires huge investments of monies. Is it really worthwhile making such huge investments at a time when the environment is uncertain and the ‘achche din’ haven’t really arrived?

    We’ve had an increasing rate of return on the investments made on the English channel. If the product is drawing quality audience, revenue will follow. Yes, costs are high, but they also bring along disproportionate returns if the strategy is right and the brand is strong. More so in the English news space than any other.

     

    Given the current scenario in English news television, do you think the one-upmanship which typically exists in the space can also mar the image of India Today, which has a 40-year-old legacy, brand dominance and is much trusted?

    The purpose of India Today Television’s entry is to try and move the genre away from one-upmanship. The only person who should be one up, should be the new news consumer. A consumer who has options, a consumer who sees through the claims, a consumer who prefers depth over breaking news, a consumer who doesn’t want forced opinions. If we keep our consumer ahead, we believe we keep ourselves ahead

     

    As per information that we’ve got from the market, the ad rates of Headlines Today were much, much lesser than those of a Times Now. Will all of that change?

    The feedback has been very positive. While we wouldn’t like to disclose our commercial rates or to enter a comparison, we are surely seeing an upward tick even before the launch

     

    The India Today group also has some other English products in the general news space – Mail Today and Daily O. Will see a rechristening there too?

    No plans

     

    Any targets of by when do you hope to see yourself as the #1 All-India?

    The space in TRP terms is very small and rankings change week by week. Therefore, our attempt is to first become No.1 in the viewer’s faith – his/her reliability on our news. To become the destination channel when it matters to him/her. To stand out as a news channel that makes sense. The rankings will follow… is a matter of time. What is more important is to become the viewer’s knowledge source and not an entertainment hangout.

     

  • The Essel group company has awarded its creative mandate to Scarecrow Communications after a comprehensive pitch process

    Zee Learn Appoints Scarecrow as its creative agency

    By A Correspondent

     

    Zee Learn, an arm of the Essel Group and one of the leading education companies in India, has awarded its creative mandate to Scarecrow Communications. The agency was selected after a comprehensive pitch process. It may be noted that Scarecrow already handles multiple brands of the Essel Group including &Pictures, Zee Khana Khazana and DittoTv.

     

    Zee Learn pre-schools chain Kidzee (which has 1350+ pre-schools in more than 500+ cities), Mount Litera Zee schools, Brain Cafe, Zee Institute of Creative Art and Zee Institute of Media Arts.

     

    Confirming the news, KVS Seshasai, Chief Executive Officer, Zee Learn Limited said, “In Scarecrow, we found the perfect blend of creativity and passion that can empower our journey to the next level. Also, we are poised for strong growth across different categories and this journey with our creative partner will play  a critical role in bringing strong ideas and innovations to life for our brands”

     

    “With Scarecrow Communications as our creative agency, we are confident their passion for creativity will help us communicate our passion and excellence in knowledge building”, added Abhinav Upadhyay, Head – Marketing and Innovation, Zee Learn Limited.

     

    Raghu Bhat

    Said Raghu Bhat, Founder Director, Scarecrow Communications said, “At a personal level, I am very happy to be working on Zee Learn as this is an interest area. But there are two other things that make this mandate even more exciting. Firstly, the sheer audacity of Zee Learn’s vision plus the role of communication in realising it and secondly, the company is very entrepreneurial in its approach.”

     

    Added Arunava Sengupta, Founder Director, Scarecrow Communications: “We are thrilled to be partnering Zee Learn at such an important stage of the brand life cycle. Through this mandate, we have an opportunity to touch of lives of children from the ages of 2 to 18. That is very satisfying.”

     

  • Present across 196 countries worldwide, Zee Entertainment has a viewership of over 960 million viewers globally

    Zee channels launch on YuppTV across the Middle East

    By A Correspondent

     

    YuppTV has announced the launch of the rich repertoire of channels from Zee Entertainment in the Middle East. Middle East viewers will experience the gamut of entertainment offered on key Zee channels like Zee TV Middle East, Zee Cinema International, &TV Middle East, Zee Telugu, Zee Bangla Movies, Zee Living, Zee Bangla, Zee Marathi, Zee Kannada, Zing, Zee News, Zee Smile and many more channels which will be added to the bouquet soon.

     

    Present across 196 countries worldwide, Zee Entertainment has a viewership of over 960 million viewers globally. The bouquet of channels launched in the Middle East will give viewers access to popular Zee serials in Hindi and in regional languages, news coverage, health and living programs as well as movies in multiple Indian languages. Zee TV Middle East and Zee Cinema International are already leaders in their respective genres as per the television ratings released by Ipsos Stat in UAE.

     

    Making a commendable move to embrace the Middle East in its ambit and scope takes YuppTV from strength to strength, in being the only provider delivering 200+ Indian TV Channels worldwide in 13 languages, as Live TV, and 10 days of revolutionary Catch-up TV, along with unlimited Movies via YuppTV App on Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Google App, LGTV, Opera, Panasonic, Samsung TV, WD, Android and iPhone. Presently languages being offered in Middle East include Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Telugu and Kannada.

     

    Uday Reddy

    “Middle East provides a prime viewership base with unlimited potential for Indian television with Hindi and regional languages all set to capture a huge following. Taking Zee Entertainment, one of India’s largest television broadcasters to host its channels on YuppTV for viewers in the Middle East gives us as much pleasure as it will bring to the eager viewers. The increasingly vast South Asian population in the Middle East can now watch their favourite Zee content on our platform. They can now enjoy the shows of their choice on Zee channels whenever and wherever they choose to,” said Uday Reddy, Founder and CEO of YuppTV.

     

    Manoj Mathew, Chief Content and Creative Officer for Zee Entertainment MENAP said, “We are also the only network to offer varied local flavour in our programming for south asian viewers. Our first locally produced drama series for middle east viewers called Parwaaz got us record viewership last year. Similar experiments for content with a local connect is what differentiates us from the other south asian broadcasters and makes us the preferred choice of our viewers. We manage to capture the attention and elicit delight and interest from every segment of viewers, with offerings in every genre. News, Entertainment, Infotainment, lifestyle, we cover it all comprehensively. Our alliance with YuppTV to offer Zee bouquet of channels to subscribers in the Middle East is both exciting and enriching. Availability of YuppTV on various internet enabled devices enhances Zee’s reach multi folds. It is our firm belief that our offerings will be highly appreciated and viewers will enjoy the channels and their content as we create programmes of specific interest to please our various segments of audiences.”