MxMIndia

Category: TV

  • The channel went live on December 19, 2011

    Viacom18’s Sonic is 10

    By Our Staff

     

    Viacom18’s Sonic is celebrating 10 years of entertaining kids. It was launched on December 19, 2011 as part of the Nickelodeon franchise.

     

    Said Nina Jaipuria, Head of Hindi Mass Entertainment and Kids TV Network, Viacom18: “When we started our journey with Sonic a decade ago, we took a plunge in the highly competitive kids category. From then to now, Sonic has grown leaps and bounds. The success story of Sonic is a result of our kids first approach in driving innovation with pioneering homegrown content thus making Nickelodeon the leading franchise. We take great pride in Sonic’s success and are truly overwhelmed with the love it continues to receive from kids and advertisers alike. We are happy to have built a brand that is a destination that kids return to for their daily dose of entertainment and look forward to the next phase with enthusiasm and zeal.”

     

    To commemorate Sonic’s decade long journey, a special ‘Tenniversary’ campaign has been devised.

     

  • It’s subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory, shareholder & 3rd party approvals

    One step closer to the merger. Zee & Sony sign definitive agreements

    By Our Staff

     

    Sony Pictures Networks India Private Limited (SPNI) and Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. (ZEEL) have announced that they have signed definitive agreements to merge ZEEL with and into SPNI and combine their linear networks, digital assets, production operations and programme libraries. The agreements follow the conclusion of an exclusive negotiation period during which ZEEL and SPNI conducted mutual due diligence. After closing, the new combined company will be publicly listed in India. The closing of the transaction is subject to certain customary closing conditions, including regulatory, shareholder, and third-party approvals.

     

    Under the terms of the definitive agreements, SPNI will have cash balance of USD $1.5 Bn (assuming an INR:USD exchange rate of 75:1) at closing, including through infusion by the current shareholders of SPNI and the promoters (founders) of ZEEL, to enable the combined company to drive sharper content creation across platforms, strengthen its footprint in the rapidly evolving digital ecosystem, bid for media rights in the fast-growing sports landscape and pursue other growth opportunities.

     

    SPNI is an indirect subsidiary of Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. (SPE). Under the transactions contemplated by a non-compete agreement, SPE, through a subsidiary, will pay a non-compete fee to certain promoters (founders) of ZEEL, which will be used by such promoters (founders) to infuse primary equity capital into SPNI, entitling the promoters (founders) of ZEEL to acquire shares of SPNI, which would eventually equal approximately 2.11% of the shares of the combined company on a post-closing basis. After the closing, SPE will indirectly hold a majority 50.86% of the combined company, the promoters (founders) of ZEEL will hold 3.99%, and the other ZEEL shareholders will hold a 45.15% stake.

     

    Punit Goenka will lead the combined company as its Managing Director and CEO.  The majority of the board of directors of the combined company will be nominated by the Sony group and will include the current SPNI Managing Director and CEO, N P Singh. On closing, Singh will assume a broader executive position at SPE as Chairman, Sony Pictures India (a division of SPE) reporting to Ravi Ahuja, SPE’s Chairman of Global Television Studios and SPE Corporate Development.

     

    As part of the definitive agreements, the promoters (founders) of ZEEL have agreed to limit the equity that they may own in the combined company to 20% of its outstanding shares. This construct does not provide the promoters (founders) of ZEEL any pre-emptive or other rights to acquire equity of the combined company from the Sony group, the combined company or any other party.  Any shares purchased by the promoters (founders) of ZEEL, must be in compliance with all applicable laws including any pricing guidelines.

     

    Commenting on this development, Punit Goenka, MD & CEO, ZEE Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. said, “It is a significant milestone for all of us, as two leading media & entertainment companies join hands to drive the next era of entertainment filled with immense opportunities. The combined company will create a comprehensive entertainment business, enabling us to serve our consumers with wider content choices across platforms. I am immensely grateful to the teams at ZEEL, SPE and SPNI for their efforts, that swiftly led us to this point within the stipulated timelines. This merger presents a significant opportunity to jointly take the businesses to the next level and drive substantial growth in the global arena. I look forward to working with the guidance of the esteemed members of the combined company’s board to unlock the potential of this merger, and I wish N.P. Singh all the best in his new role at SPE. His contribution to the Indian media & entertainment industry has been invaluable. I am most certain that our collective wisdom, rich experience and expertise will lead to a more value accretive and exciting company for our shareholders and employees, and a more engaging one for our customers and partners.”

     

    Added Ahuja: “Today marks an important step in our efforts to bring together some of the strongest leadership teams, content creators, and film libraries in the media business to create extraordinary entertainment and value for Indian consumers,” adding: “I want to thank Punit and his team at ZEEL and the small army of people at SPE and SPNI who have worked so hard to get us to this point. I especially want to thank N.P. Singh, who presented us with the idea to explore this merger well over a year ago.  N.P. has done extraordinary work building SPNI to what it is today, and we look forward to continuing our work with him in his new role after closing.”

     

    Said Singh: “This merger will create a company that’s best in class and will redefine the contours of the media and entertainment industry. As a representative of SPE on the Board of the new merged company, it will be my endeavour to provide strategic guidance and support to the company’s operating team in achieving our vision. I am also excited at the opportunity of being appointed, Chairman, Sony Pictures India, to oversee SPE’s investments and craft a wider footprint for Sony in India.”

     

    SPE was advised on this transaction by Morgan Stanley, KPMG Corporate Finance, and Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co. ZEEL was advised by KPMG, JP Morgan, Trilegal and Boston Consulting Group.

     

     

     

  • Most in the A&M&E arena have welcomed the move. Now one has to just wait out for the regulatory fineprint to be cleared

    #SonyZee Merger in ~8 months, Cricket rights & OTT key to future

     

     

    By Our Staff

     

    As most of the paperwork has been completed with the two parties having signed a definitive agreement, all eyes are now on the regulatory approvals. The 75 per cent shareholder approval is being given much importance, given the problems that Invesco had with the Zee promoters. But that we hear isn’t much of a problem. Invesco wants maximum bang for its invested buck, and is not known to be a predatory investor. Either in India or the rest of the world.

     

    However, it must be noted that while the Zee-Sony merger is being called a done deal, there have been a few instances when the final closure hasn’t happened. The much touted Publicis-Omincom merger, for instance, fell through. In India too, some like HDFC and Max Life, RCom-Aircel, Snapdeal-Flipkart and IDFC-Shriram Finance are said to have failed at the ‘due diligence’ or a variety of circumstances, most often dubbed ‘unforeseen’.

     

    But both Zee and Sony have been wanting to get this done, with each other and with others. Given that it’s been discussed in their own offices for a while, care would’ve been taken to ensure their books and operations are merger-ready.

     

    A lot is being said about what the merger and what it will mean. Other than it becoming a behemoth and the biggest broadcast conglomerate in the currently, there is a great amount of soul searching that the combined entity needs to be done.

     

    01. Other than the Sony Sab in the Tier 2 (or shall we say 1A), none of the general entertainment channels are #1 the pack.

    02. The sports channels have some good properties, but without IPL and the various India cricket matches, it doesn’t have the desired clout

    03. Both Sony Liv and Zee 5 have some good content, but Disney+Hotstar among the Indian entities, and Netflix and Amazon Prime Video are bigger. Plus there’s Voot that’s getting into sports and could emerge as a significant player. It’s gambit for Bigg Boss, for instance, was significant. Perhaps a merger of Zee5 and SonyLiv will be a good idea

    04. The strength of Zee has been in its regional play, but its mainstay Marathi offering has taken a beating in ratings. The others are good, and there is an urgent need to consolidate that franchise

    05. The studio business is good and strong, but the likes of an Endemol, Balaji and now even Applause are doing some great, buzzy work

     

    In the light of the above, and some exceptional talent that both organisations have, there is a clear advantage of a merged entity.

     

    One of the factors discussed in the run-up to the agreement signing on Tuesday was the factor that Zee will be reduced to a minority shareholder, even as Punit Goenka will be the boss. Founder and chairman emeritus Subhash Chandra is known to never be a silent member in the M&E space. He is sure to spring back to something significant soon with a few of his other M&E interests. Also, what about the charges that Invesco had made about Zee and its governance. If indeed they are incorrect as Zee has said, will the conglomerate file a defamation suit against it? Or will there be a settlement.

     

    All eyes are clearly on the merger happening sooner that. Most in the A&M&E arena have welcomed the move.

     

  • Sixth Sense Global conducts research on parent-child relationship as marketing activity

    Colors Marathi launches ‘Project KYC- Know Your Child’

    By Our Staff

     

    Colors Marathi has launched ‘Project KYC- Know Your Child’, a show which speaks about a single mother-daughter relationship. As an extension of its marketing activity for the show, the channel has conducted a research by Sixth Sense Global that will provide a comprehensive overview of Parent – Child relationship pertaining to Maharashtrians.

     

    Said Aniket Joshi, Business Head, Colors Marathi: “2021 is a year which changed many things on personal and professional front of many people, this is also the contributor to the changes in the relationship. This research is pivotal which will help us to add the value in creative front. Parent and Teen relations are ever changing, and this research will help in the long run for show messaging and will help the brand to develop strong bonding with audience.”

     

    Added Viraj Raje, Programming Head of the channel: “We all know one of the purest bonds in this universe is that of a mother-child. Her unconditional love for her child is irreplaceable. However, in today’s world, we see that this bond is rapidly changing, whether it is between a mother and a son or a mother and a daughter. This shift can be attributed to a variety of factors in our society. As a parent or a child, we never noticed this problem or what is missing in the relationship. To study this most important aspect of the Parent-Child relationship, Colors Marathi conducted a KYC study across Maharashtra for the first time, which will also help us on the creative front.”

     

  • Amitabh Bachchan has joined Legends League Cricket as its ambassador

    SPN acquires rights for Legends League Cricket

    By Our Staff

     

    Legends League Cricket (LLC) has announced its partnership with Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) to live telecast all the matches of the league to be played in January 2022, on Sony Ten 1 and Sony Ten 3 channels as well as livestream the matches in India on SPN’s premium OTT platform, SonyLIV.

     

    Said Raman Raheja, CEO of Legends League Cricket: “We are extremely happy to announce this partnership with Sony Pictures Networks India. They have a very credible history of making sporting events a grand success, including the most premium T20 cricket leagues in the world. We wish to walk a long mile with them and ensure viewers are treated with a very competitive and entertaining form of Cricket. The league starts January 20th 2022.”

     

    Added Rajesh Kaul Chief Revenue Officer, Distribution and Head – Sports Business, Sony Pictures Networks India: “It’s a very exciting partnership to get into and having these stalwarts on the ground playing competitive cricket will definitely engage our viewers across India. Sony Sports has always served its viewers with its diverse portfolio of premier sports content and with the Legends League Cricket, we will present our viewers a great viewing experience of watching these legends in action on our sports channels.”

     

    Actor Amitabh Bachchan has joined Legends League Cricket as its ambassador and will be promoting the League. The League also has former India Head Coach, Ravi Shastri, as its Commissioner looking after the cricketing aspect. As a host Oman has presented itself a very promising destination for cricket after successfully hosting the 2021 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup matches recently.

     

  • John Abraham and Tiger Shroff roped in to launch Garnier Men BroCast

    Zee5 partners with Garnier & Wavemaker for male-grooming podcast

    By Our Staff

     

    Zee5, has entered a partnership with Garnier and Wavemaker exclusively to stream – Garnier Men BroCast, a celebrity podcast on male grooming, conceptualised in partnership with Schbang. The brand has roped in actors John Abraham and Tiger Shroff.

     

    Commenting on the engagement, Zeenia Shroff, General Manager – Marketing (Garnier), L’Oréal India, said: “As India’s leading men’s skincare brand, Garnier Men is happy to launch ‘The Garnier Men BroCast’ to equip Men with life hacks, ‘Bro Tips’ about skincare, grooming, biking and so much more. It is the first-ever, celebrity hosted, video podcast dedicated to men starring true Bollywood “Bros”, John Abraham and Tiger Shroff. Leveraging tech in beauty in collaboration with Zee5’s reach, we are confident of reaching the right audience, to drive talkability and consumer love for Garnier Men.”

     

    Speaking on the Association, Gaurav Kanwal, Chief Revenue Officer – Digital & SMB, South Asia, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited, said: “Gone are the days when conversations around grooming had to be gender specific. Care routines are no longer limited to women, and today’s man is cognizant of it. In fact, now they are more eager to explore grooming choices. We are glad to partner with Wavemaker to exclusively host the show, created by Garnier Men to lead conversations around this subject, along with lifestyle problems with their solutions. John and Tiger being the epitome of charm, will be the best examples to immerse and inspire across this trend of men’s grooming.”

     

  • To strengthen reputation of the OTT platform through a multi-channel outreach

    No gandi baat! Pitchfork partners ALTBalaji for PR

    By Our Staff

     

    Guess we know the kind of content some of the folks at Pitchfork Partners have been consuming in the recent past. Given their new client, ALTBalaji which has some really edgy software. The Ekta Kapoor company has appointed Pitchfork Partners as its communications partner. It will strengthen reputation for ALTBalaji through multi-channel outreach to increase awareness about the platform, its shows and widen the viewer base.

     

    Said Divya Dixit, Senior Vice-President & Head Marketing, ALTBalaji: “Alternative content being the core ethos of the group, ALTBalaji is focused on building a content bouquet that serves inclusive and individualistic viewing. We are delighted to have Pitchfork on board to support us in our journey and take the platform to the next level.”

     

    Added Jaideep Shergill, Co-Founder, Pitchfork Partners: “We’re thrilled to partner with ALTBalaji. Our diverse experience with entertainment clients will facilitate us achieving milestones together. OTT is an ever-evolving, dynamic space and increasingly so due to the pandemic, ALTBalaji is disrupting the space by introducing content which caters to mass viewers.”

     

  • Its Youth, Music and English Entertainment (YME) cluster launches NFT marketplace Fully Faltoo

    Viacom18 steps into the world of NFTs

    By Our Staff

     

    Viacom18’s Youth, Music and English Entertainment (YME) cluster is now eyeing the big pie of non-fungible tokens with the announcement of the NFT marketplace Fullyfaltoonft.com. It has been setup by GuardianLink.io, an NFT Tech player. The marketplace will offer  ‘fully valuable’ digital art conceptualised and created by the MTV, Vh1 and Comedy Central team in India, and is all set to go live on February 14, 2022.

     

    Speaking on the introduction of Viacom18’s maiden NFT offering, Anshul Ailawadi, Head – Youth, Music and English Entertainment, Viacom18, said: “The global Media and Entertainment industry has recognised the power of NFTs. As one of the world’s largest media markets, India is uniquely positioned to be at the focal point of this ‘Web3 revolution’.  The brands that make our YME portfolio – MTV, MTV Beats, Vh1, Comedy Central and Colors Infinity, have always stayed ahead of the curve when it comes to emerging trends and pop culture. Our entry in the NFT space with Fully Faltoo is another step in the same direction.” He further added, “The Fully Faltoo collection will be edgy and quirky. This is special for us as we’re giving our fans a chance to own a unique piece of our legacy. We look forward to building FullyFaltoonft.com as the go-to destination for must-have digital art.”

     

    Speaking about the new offering, Ramkumar Subramaniam, Co-Founder & CEO, GuardianLink.io, added: “We are elated to work with India’s leading entertainment conglomerate – Viacom18 to launch this NFT marketplace. As a technology framework ecosystem, Guardian has always been on the forefront of the race to build and operate some of the largest Marketplaces and most advanced Creative NFTs in the space. With its foundation in Creative Media, Guardian has led the race in terms of designing high impact creative NFTs protected by our Anti.RIP technology and legitimacy protocol.”

     

  • To air two new brand animated series for young Tamil viewers

    Colors Tamil partners with Nick to launch kiddie segment

    By Our Staff

     

    Colors Tamil has announced the launch of ‘Nick Neram’, a kids’ special segment, partnering Nickelodeon (which is run in India by Viacom18, the owners of the Colors network of channels). As a part of this special initiative, Colors Tamil will air Golmaal Jr and Rudra: Boom Chik Chik Boom, two brand new animated series.

     

    Commenting on the new shows, Rajaraman S, Business Head, Colors Tamil, said: “After the success of our current shows, we are elated to introduce two animated series to our lineup. While all our fiction and non-fiction shows have been popular among the Tamil viewers, we are now confident that Nick Neram will help us gain prominence among children as well. We are certain that this fresh, relevant, localised and compelling segment is another landmark for Colors Tamil in its journey to become the most preferred family entertainment channel in the Tamil entertainment space.”

     

    Speaking on synergising its content for Tamil viewers, Anu Sikka, Head, Creative, Content and Research, Kids TV Network, Viacom18, said: “At Nickelodeon, it has always been our endeavour to make our stories and characters to travel and reach out to a wider audience set. Tamil is an important market for our kids cluster and Colors Tamil’s popularity will help us establish a deeper relationship with our existing viewers while attracting new viewers with home-grown content that is relatable. We are excited on this integration with Colors Tamil and will continue to synergise and explore similar possibilities going forward.”

     

     

  • 'To reward those going over and above their responsibilities.'

    Asianet News rolls out ESOPs

    By Our Staff

     

    Asianet News Media and Entertainment Pvt Ltd (AMEL) has rolled out an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP). The group has multimedia presence across the country in multiple languages via its digital platform (asianetnews.com, indigomusic.com), TV channels (Asianet News and Asianet Suvarna News), print publication (Kannada Prabha) and radio channels (Radio Indigo).

     

    Commenting on the thought process behind this initiative, Ruchir Khanna, Chief Operating Officer at Asianet News, said, “ESOPS form a critical part of employee value proposition and we want to reward those going over and above their responsibilities. The policy has already been initiated and the ESOPS have been granted to the employees who have been an important part of Asianet’s growth. This shall remain open to other employees falling in the eligibility criteria in the future as well.”

     

    Added Samarth Sharma, Chief Business Officer at Asianet News: “It is a matter of great privilege and pride that we are able to recognize our team-members, who have been a part of our business growth story, as shareholders. This initiative should provide a fillip to our employees to work towards a common goal. We’d also like to thank our client and agency partners besides our strategic partners for their support in our growth. Besides strengthening its Indian language footprint across the country, Asianet News has also made significant investments in English and Hindi to extend its dominance pan-India and the newly releasedin ESOP plan should act as a potent force to attract and retain talent for the organization.”

     

  • Kareena Kapoor Khan and Saif Ali Khan have been engaged to promote Tata Play

    Tata Sky is now Tata Play

    By Our Staff

     

    Tata Sky –DTH and Pay TV platform has announced its new name and identity, Tata Play, as its business interests grow beyond DTH services.

     

    The new identity has been created by Venturethree, London and the campaign has been designed by Ogilvy India. Kareena Kapoor Khan and Saif Ali Khan have been engaged to promote Tata Play in national markets and actors R Madhavan and Priyamani will be the face of the campaign for the South markets.

     

    Said Harit Nagpal, MD & CEO – Tata Play Ltd: “Tata Sky leveraged its market leadership in its core business to create an ecosystem of content delivery by foraying into OTT and Broadband. We believe it is time for a brand identity that resonates beyond our DTH business. I thank Tata Sons and The Walt Disney Company for backing this business, which over the years has expanded to 23 million households and made our content distribution platform a formidable player in the market.”

     

    Explaining the ethos of the new brand identity, Anurag Kumar – Chief Communications Officer, Tata Play Ltd., said, “The Tata Play brand mark and play mark takes inspiration from the “Tata” mark – borrowing and reinforcing the trust, quality and recognition of India’s most valuable brand. The word “Play” adds youthfulness, ease & simplicity to an already trusted brand. The brand colours pink and purple along with dark blue and white are vibrant, youthful and add distinctiveness to the overall identity. With Tata Play, we promise you Fun, Personalisation, Flexibility, Freedom, Quality, Innovation and Connection. With Tata Play, you Play Better. And entertainment becomes aur bhi Jingalala”

     

  • Executes 24-hour roadblock to drive awareness

    Disney Star helps Tata Sky rebrand to Tata Play

    By Our Staff

     

    Disney Star network executed a 24-hour roadblock for Tata Sky to drive awareness for their recent rebranding campaign as Tata Play.

     

    Said Kevin Vaz, Head – Network Entertainment Channels, Disney Star: “Disney Star is thrilled to associate with Tata Sky at a critical juncture in their 18-year journey, as they rebrand themselves as Tata Play. This 24-hour network roadblock across all the entertainment channels of Disney Star demonstrates the strength of our network and the pivotal role it can play to support brands in their business transformation efforts. Our entertainment network’s rich experience and unparalleled reach of 700 million monthly unique viewers makes us the platform of choice for advertisers to derive the maximum investment value.”

     

    Added Harit Nagpal, MD & CEO, Tata Play: “The 24- hour roadblock on the Disney Star network has helped create massive awareness across India, of Tata Play and its offerings right on Day 1 of the launch. Disney Star teams across various channels worked closely with the Tata Play team and amplified the message through their well-known characters, and created many other value-adds which added further ammunition to the execution. It was an absolute delight to work with Disney Star network who brought all their resources together to provide a seamless execution for this brand transformation campaign.”