MxMIndia

Tag: Disney Star

  • To empower children with special needs

    Disney Star contributes to Different Art Centre, Kerala

    Disney Star is poised to collaborates with the Different Art Centre (DAC),  a project under the Kerala Social Security Mission to empower children with special needs through art. K Madhavan, Country Manager and President of Disney Star, visited the centre to explore opportunities to support this inspiring cause and announced a contribution of INR 1.8 crores from the Disney Star CSR Fund.

    During his visit, K Madhavan toured the facility, interacted with over a hundred children and engaged in meaningful discussions with Gopinath Muthukad, Founder and Executive Director of the Different Art Centre, and directors, including Mahesh Gupta, Shail Thomas, and Jaya Dali. They discussed potential collaborations to further enhance the impact of centre’s programmes.

    Notes a communique: “His visit underscores Disney Star’s commitment to social responsibility and its support for initiatives that make a positive impact on society. This contribution will aid in various welfare activities conducted by the Different Art Centre, furthering its mission in identifying, training, and refining the basic talents of differently abled children in various art forms.”

  • In association with India Signing Hands (ISH)

    Disney Star announces Indian Sign Language feed for T20 WC

    On the occasion of Global Accessibility Awareness Day (May 16), Disney Star in association with India Signing Hands (ISH), announces the availability of an Indian Sign Language (ISL) feed for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, starting June 2.

    This will be applicable for 10 matches including the India matches, semi-finals and finals. The company will also support an audio descriptive feed, along with the ISL feed on Disney+ Hotstar and Star Sports Network.

    Said Sajith Sivanandan, Head, Disney+ Hotstar India: “We are thrilled to embrace accessibility features making the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup available to more fans of the sport. This underscores our commitment to promote inclusivity and serve all users. With these enhancements, we aim to ensure that the excitement of cricket knows no bounds.”

    Added Sanjog Gupta, Head – Sports, Disney Star: “The descriptive and Indian sign language feeds on Star Sports during Tata IPL 2024 were met with an overwhelming response. Disney Star is extending this endeavour to make cricket fandom and experiences more inclusive by introducing, for the first time ever, these feeds on the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. Our mission of serving sports fans is powered by such pioneering initiatives which seek to remove barriers of access and engagement for fans from all walks of life. The initiative also serves to present a more inclusive picture of India’s favourite sport and is of immense pride for the sporting fraternity.”

    Said Alok Kejriwal, Founder and CEO, India Signing Hands (ISH News): “This feed has fostered the love of cricket into so many differently abled individuals during IPL. With Disney Star continuing this initiative for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 at a larger scale with both Star Sports Network and Disney+ Hotstar supporting this feed, I am confident that it will open doors to the exciting world of cricket to many more people from the Deaf and Visually Impaired communities. This collaboration is really close to my heart since it makes the sport truly accessible and inclusive.”

  • The tournament is set to take place from March 8 to 19 in Sri Lanka

    Star Sports is broadcaster for Legends Cricket Trophy

    The Legends Cricket Trophy, the premier cricket extravaganza uniting iconic players (as in old favourites) has announced Star Sports as its official broadcast partner for the tournament set to take place from March 8 to 19 in Sri Lanka.

    Spanning over 12 days, the 90-ball format tournament will feature seven teams competing in 22 matches starring legends like Chris Gayle, Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh, Aaron Finch, Suresh Raina, Robin Uthappa, Ambati Rayudu, and TM Dilshan, among many others, in action once again.

    Commenting on the association, Shavain Sharma, Director, of Legends Cricket Trophy, expressed enthusiasm, stating, “We are thrilled to have Star Sports on board as our broadcaster for the upcoming tournament. With their extensive reach and expertise in sports broadcasting, we are confident that they will bring the excitement and drama of the Legends Cricket Trophy to cricket fans across the world.”

    Added Harry Griffith, Executive Director, Syndication and Acquisition – Sports, Disney Star: “We are thrilled to announce our association with the Legends Cricket Trophy. At Star Sports, we take pride in offering cricket fans unparalleled experiences and unforgettable moments. With this tournament, featuring top-notch legends and cutting-edge broadcast technology, we aim to elevate the viewing experience through our distinctive storytelling and programming.”

  • Inaugurates s with ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023

    Star Sports takes Hindi feed global

    By Our Staff

     

    Star Sports, the official broadcaster of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, has announced the global expansion of its Hindi feed. Fans in the United States, Canada, Australia, and the Middle East can now get uninterrupted coverage of all the action in Hindi.

     

    Said John Lasker, senior vice president of ESPN+: “Anchored by ESPNcricinfo, the leading digital destination for cricket news and information around the world, ESPN has a long history covering top-level international cricket for fans in the U.S. Presenting the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 in both English and Hindi on ESPN+ is part of our continued commitment to growing an established audience of cricket fans in the States and around the world.”

     

    Added Sanjog Gupta, Head- Sports, Disney Star: ‘’The global response to Disney Star’s Hindi coverage for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 has been tremendous as we take the excitement of the tournament to hearts and homes of millions worldwide and deepen their engagement. The coverage in Hindi, in addition to the World Feed, not only makes it more accessible to the Indian diaspora but more importantly, galvanises the sense of belonging and deep emotional connection with Indian Cricket. The Hindi feed, with India-focussed storylines, distinctly Indian perspectives on non-India narratives, unique visuals including customised graphics and powered by an incredible line-up of talent, will significantly bolster the unifying experience of watching Cricket for Indians worldwide and hopefully deepen the sense of pride in being an Indian cricket fan.”

     

    Next: Malayalam for the Gulf, Gujarati for across the world, Telugu for the diaspora in the US, Punjabi for Canada…

     

  • Star Gold Thrills and Star Gold Romance

    Disney Star launches two new Hindi movie channels

    By Our Staff

     

    Disney Star network has announced the launch of two new Hindi movie channels, Star Gold Thrills and Star Gold Romance, under the Star Gold Network. The new channels will cater to diverse audiences and deliver content across genres. Star Gold Thrills and Star Gold Romance will be available for subscription starting 15th March 2023 across cable networks, HITS, IPTV and DTH platforms.

     

    Said, Kevin Vaz, Head – Network Entertainment Channels, Disney Star: “With the launch of Star Gold Thrills and Star Gold Romance, we now have a bouquet of five Hindi movie channels under the Star Gold brand umbrella, elevating Star Gold from a movie channel to a unified network of movie channels. Audiences today have a high interest in blockbuster movies from around the world, but language remains a barrier for many. Research highlights that 68% of TV-Movie audience expressed their preference for watching Hollywood movies in Hindi and we are happy to break the language barrier and present movies that our audiences want to watch with Star Gold Thrills. Female viewers consistently show a higher affinity for Hindi movies led by romance & drama, however there is not a single movies destination that caters to female audiences on TV. In fact, 98% of female TV-movie viewers would prefer a new Hindi movie channel dedicated to love and romance, and this makes Star Gold Romance a strong proposition.”

     

    Speaking on the launch of Star Gold Romance, Akshaye Widhani, CEO of Yash Raj Films added: “In India, the idea of love & romance is formed through the magical lens of cinema! And, for more than five decades, YRF movies have captivated India and Indians who have discovered various shades of love & also expressed and celebrated it in their relationships. Our iconic characters from timeless hits like Chandni, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Mohabbatein, Dil To Pagal Hai, Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, Kabhi Kabhie, etc. continue to spread joy among generations of fans. We are delighted that some of our cult blockbusters will now have a new home in – Star Gold Romance – India’s New destination on TV for Love, Warmth & Romance.”

     

  • Will be responsible for overall advertising revenues

    Disney Star appoints Ajit Varghese as Head of Network Advertising Sales

    By Our Staff

     

    Disney Star today announced the appointment of Ajit Varghese as Head of Network Advertising Sales. In this role, he will be responsible for overall advertising revenues of Disney Star’s television and digital businesses and for driving growth through transformative sales and channel strategies, creating alliances and business development. Varghese will also develop the long-term vision and define the strategic direction of the sales organization. He will report to K Madhavan, President & Country Manager, Disney Star.

     

    Said K Madhavan: “Ajit is a highly respected and well regarded professional within the advertising and marketing fraternity. I am confident that under his leadership, we will be able to unlock significant value and create more opportunities to further grow our market leadership.”

     

  • Promo has been conceptualised by in-house team at Disney Star

    Star Sports launches promo film for ICC Men’s ODI World Cup 2023

    By Our Staff

     

    Star Sports, official broadcaster of the ICC Men’s ODI World Cup 2023, launches its new promo featuring India cricketer Hardik Pandya. The three-match ODI series gets underway from January 10th.

     

    The promo, created and conceptualised by the in-house team at Disney Star, is an extension of the fan centric campaign recently launched by the broadcaster. In this fan universe, the enterprising duo of Madhu and Bala assume different roles to try and get as close to Hardik with an endeavour to garner tickets for the upcoming ODI matches. In this film, they assume the role of grounds men curating the pitch to blunt Sri Lankan spin.

     

    A Star Sports Spokesperson said: “2023 assumes greater importance from an Indian context due to the ICC Cricket World Cup at home later this year. We wish to reinvigorate ODI cricket using the bilateral series as tentpoles which can fuel and channelize the support for Team India, leading up to the ICC event. Every bilateral series will be used to grow the chorus of fans through a common narrative and strengthening our #BelieveInBlue proposition. The promo films exemplify the fan universe we are trying to establish through these films which act as voices for Indian fans at large.”

     

  • Zee to be one-stop TV destination for ICC men's tournaments in India

    Zee & Disney Star sign agreement for ICC cricket

    By Our Staff

     

    Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd and Disney Star have signed a strategic licensing agreement. Disney Star will license the television broadcasting rights of the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Men’s and Under 19 (U-19) global events for a period of four years, to Zee. Disney Star will continue to be the exclusive home for streaming of all ICC tournaments through its digital platform – Disney+ Hotstar. ICC has in principle approved this arrangement.

     

    This association enables Zee to be the exclusive television rights holder of ICC men’s events, including the coveted ICC Men’s T20 World Cup (2024, 2026), ICC Men’s Champions Trophy (2025), and the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup (2027) along with key ICC U-19 events.

     

    Speaking about the strategic development, Punit Goenka, MD & CEO, ZEE Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. said: “This is a first-of-its-kind partnership in the Indian media & entertainment landscape, and this association with Disney Star reflects our sharp, strategic vision for the sports business in India. As a one-stop television destination for ICC men’s cricket events until 2027, ZEE will leverage the strength of its network to offer a compelling experience for its viewers and a great return on investment for its advertisers. Long-term profitability and value-generation continue to be our areas of focus across the business, and we will always evaluate all the necessary steps that will enable us to make sports a compelling value proposition for the Company. We look forward to working with ICC and Disney Star, to enable this strategic offering for our television viewers in India.”

     

    Added K Madhavan, Country Manager & President, Disney Star: “By securing the IPL television broadcast rights for 2023-27 and now opting to retain only the digital rights for ICC tournaments for 2024-27, we have in place a balanced and robust cricket offering for our audiences across linear and digital. Over the years, Disney Star has strengthened the appeal of international cricket in India, enabling it to reach diverse age groups and cultural demographics across all parts of the country. As India’s leading media house, we will continue to do so with our strong portfolio of cricket properties across television and digital.”

     

  • 'Swayamvar – Mika Di Vohti'

    Star Bharat rolls out marketing campaign for new show

    By Our Staff

     

    Star Bharat, the Hindi general entertainment channel from Disney Star rolled a major marketing offensive for its new show ‘Swayamvar – Mika Di Vohti’. The show is hosted by singer Shaan.

     

    Speaking about the campaign, the channel spokesperson said: “At Star Bharat, our focus is to ensure our viewers are entertained and deeply engaged. We are excited to add new ideas into our campaigns, and create innovations which are genuinely engaging and fascinating for our viewers. In India, weddings are full of festivities and fun and we have mounted our campaign to bring alive the joy and excitement of a typical Indian wedding for our viewers. We are confident that this interactive and engaging approach will help the show reach a larger audience.”

     

  • It will televise the BGMI tournament in India

    Star Sports forays into esports, teams up with Nodwin

    By Our Staff

     

    Star Sports and Nodwin Gaming have inked a deal whereby the former will broadcast the BattleGrounds Mobile India (BGMI) Masters Series tournament from June 24 to July 17, 2022, in Hindi, Tamil and English. The tournament will be aired live on Star Sports 2 from the Nodwin Studios in New Delhi.

     

    Speaking about the association with Nodwin Gaming and the broadcast of BGMI Masters, Sanjog Gupta, Head – Sports, Disney Star said, “Esports in India is a fast-growing segment which has seen accelerated adoption over the last two years. It has immense headroom for growth in India when compared with its status in evolved markets around the world. It is also gaining prominence in the ecosystem as a competitive sport. Esports competitions have already developed a niche following on digital platforms. As the preferred destination for sports fandom, Star Sports is always looking for opportunities to engage fans, galvanise communities and recruit new audiences. Our partnership with Nodwin Gaming seeks to shape the future of eSports in India by introducing high quality competition and prominent players to millions of TV viewers around the country. It will hopefully fuel fandom for eSports amongst gamers and elevate aspiration amongst athletes.”

     

    The tournament will see India’s top 24 BGMI squads battling for glory. The teams, with fan bases reaching up to millions that have dominated the digital space, will take their game prowess, star performances and rivalries on linear distribution for the nation to enjoy.

     

    Added Akshat Rathee, MD & Co-Founder, NODWIN Gaming: “We have been working tirelessly through the pandemic to build the foundation for such a big collaboration. This is a very big step for us in the right direction as we now take esports to the masses. So far, esports has always been associated with live streaming on digital platforms. Through this collaboration with a mainstream sports channel, we hope to break that mould. Satellite television does have its advantages like its unrivalled reach across every nook and corner of the country, uninterrupted and timely broadcast that is not dependent on internet connectivity and speed as well as affordability for the masses living in far-out areas. We look forward to spreading the reach of esports, making a connection with the youth across India and bringing esports into the arena of other traditional sports.”

     

  •  To create diverse and new age films for theatrical releases

    Fox Star Studios renamed Star Studios

    By Our Staff

     

    Fox Star Studios, the movie studio known for titles such as MS Dhoni – The Untold Story, Sanju, Neerja, Chhichhore and many more, has announced it has rebranded to Star Studios, introducing a new visual identity. With this brand refresh, Star Studios will present universal story themes with iconic characters and new-age cinematic spectacles backed by cutting-edge technology, for theatrical releases as well as direct-to-digital

     

    Said Bikram Duggal, Head of Studios, Disney Star: “With Star Studios, we aim to harbour the best creative minds and bring unique stories to audiences with an expanding entertainment palate. We are creating a diverse range of stories across genres from grand visual spectacles to family dramas and everything in between. We are delighted to create a collaborative studio environment at Star Studios, that helps create cinematic experiences across theatrical and direct-to-digital films. We have already announced a few of these films, and in weeks and months we will be announcing many more films.”

     

  • Star Kirano will mark the channel's foray into the seventh regional language

    Star to launch Odia GEC, Star କିରଣ

    By Our Staff

     

    Disney Star will launch a an Odia general entertainment channel, Star Kirano in June 2022.

     

    Said Kevin Vaz, Head – Network Entertainment Channels, Disney Star: “Viewers are core to us at Disney Star and we have always set high benchmarks in delivering best-in-class entertainment to our viewers in the language of their choice and in a manner they prefer. We have seen immense success across our regional portfolio with viewers having a strong affinity for our brands and content. We are now delighted to announce our foray into a new market – Odisha, further expanding our regional entertainment footprint, with the hope to replicate the success with our distinct, differentiated offerings that reflect their sentiments and culture. Odisha is a fast-evolving market with a high affinity towards its local language and we look forward to elevating the entertainment experience for the Odia-speaking viewers.”

     

    Disney Star network currently has a presence in six regional languages – Malayalam, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Bangla and Marathi with Asianet, Star Suvarna, Star Maa, Star Vijay, Star Jalsha and Star Pravah respectively. Star Kirano will be the network’s foray into the seventh regional market.