MxMIndia

Tag: Endemol

  • To support emerging women Unscripted Creators

    Banijay unveils Global Accelerator Programme

    By Our Staff

     

    Media and entertainment firm Banijay has launches a new global accelerator programme designed to exclusively support women creators with promising unscripted formats. Unveiled at a prestigious breakfast in Cannes for MIPCOM 2023, Banijay Launch is geared towards discovering and incubating untapped talent, to support the next generation of global franchise-makers.

     

    Initiated by Sharon Levy, Chief Executive Officer, Endemol Shine North America, and co-led by James Townley, Chief Content Officer, Development at Banijay, Banijay Launch will provide a selected women mentorship by Banijay’s global collective of creatives to aid them in developing bold new formats from concept to pitch to sale, thereby supercharging the group’s burgeoning pipeline.

     

    Said Sharon Levy, CEO, Endemol Shine North America: “As a group, Banijay is constantly exploring new ways to support the broader content community, diversify its pipeline and ultimately, sharpen its creative edge. With an undisputed track record of travelling IP, expansive cross-territory network of first-class producers, and industry-leading unscripted infrastructure led by Creative Networks, the business is primed to open its doors to yet-to-be-discovered creative minds. Through Banijay Launch, and the partnership with the Geena Davis Institute, we hope to welcome women creators who may be struggling to have their voices heard, setting a new narrative for the industry, and fostering the next generation of break-out unscripted formats.”

     

  • To oversee the existing team, day-to-day affairs, and its productions

    Rishi Negi is Endemol Big Boss

    By Our Staff

     

    Rishi Negi
    Rishi Negi

    Banijay, the independent content producer/ distributor, has announced the appointment of Rishi Negi as its new CEO for Endemol Shine India. He will oversee the existing team, day-to-day affairs, and its productions.

     

    Negi joins from Banijay Asia, where, until now, he has served as Chief Operating Officer. There, he supported CEO, Deepak Dhar, and the wider business, with all operational, commercial, financial, and general business-driven strategic matters. He joined the group with over two decades of experience in hospitality, entertainment, and retail, having worked for the likes of the Taj Group of hotels, and Emerald Asia Media Fame India limited among others.

     

    In the new role, he will report to Banijay’s COO, Peter Langengerg, who oversees the region.

     

    Added Langenberg: “Banijay prides itself on the development and retention of its talent, and with that in mind, it is great to be supporting Rishi in his next role as CEO, Endemol Shine India. Since he began in his post with Banijay Asia, he has been a strong backbone for the business and partner for Deepak Dhar in maintaining the entity’s growth trajectory, particularly through the pandemic. We look forward to seeing him continue to flourish in this new position.”

     

  • Lioness is the award-winning author Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni’s next novel based on the life of the last queen of India

    Endemol acquires rights to the book ‘Lioness: The last Queen’

    By A Correspondent

     

    Endemol Shine India announced that it has acquired the rights for Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni’s yet unreleased book ‘Lioness: The last Queen’. Mumbai-based book-to-screen company – The Story Ink has put the deal together and will also be involved as one of the producers.

     

    Abhishek Rege

    Said Abhishek Rege, CEO, Endemol Shine India: “Endemol Shine India is pleased to collaborate with an acclaimed author such as Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni. The stories she tells and the characters she etches are as inspiring as they are intriguing. With ‘Lioness’ she brings alive a hero whose story is largely unknown. Authentic, motivational, patriotic yet tragic, we can’t wait to bring alive the story of this legendary queen.”

     

    Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

    Added author Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni:  “Lioness: The Last Queen is a truthful & complex tale of an amazing woman with great qualities and fatal flaws.  Her indomitable spirit and the determination with which she continued fighting the British with whatever weapons she had available to her is inspiring to us even today. I am thrilled to collaborate with Endemol Shine India and Sidharth to bring to screen, this fascinating story of a queen who fought against the tyranny of the British and stood tall against the insidious cultural colonization of the time. I hope that this story is an apt ode to this lioness of India!”

     

    Said Sidharth Jain, Chief Storyteller and Producer of The Story Ink: “I have been patiently waiting since years to produce a project based on Chitra’s book, so when she told me about Lioness, I jumped at the opportunity. Endemol Shine India was the first company I reached out to for a collaboration and they were excited to come on board & lead the project. Couldn’t have celebrated the completion of two years of The Story Ink, with a better announcement than this. Excited to get this going.”

     

     

  • The project will be the first film jointly produced by the two companies in India

    Endemol, Lionsgate to co-produce ‘Warrior’ in Hindi

    By a correspondent

     

    Entertainment company Lionsgate and Endemol India have come together to co-produce the sports drama ‘Warrior’ in Hindi for the Indian subcontinent. Warrior, inspired by Lionsgate’s critically-acclaimed 2011 North American release of the same name, will be the first film jointly produced by the two companies in India.

     

    “Lionsgate is committed to identifying opportunities to produce and deliver motion pictures, television programming and other premium content to one of the largest and fastest-growing markets in the world,” said Lionsgate President of Worldwide Television & Digital Distribution Jim Packer. Lionsgate COO of International Distribution Andrew Kramer added, “Warrior is the kind of locally-produced property based on timeless themes that we expect to resonate with mainstream commercial audiences in India, and our partnership with Endemol’s Eyedentity Motion Pictures will bring valuable local expertise to our venture.”

     

    “We are pleased to partner with Lionsgate in their initial film venture in India by co-producing Warrior,” said Deepak Dhar, Chief Executive Officer of Endemol India.  “Action-filled and emotionally powerful with themes of forgiveness and the enduring bonds of family, Warrior will be a quality film made with top-of-the-line production values that we believe will strike a responsive chord with Indian audiences.”

     

    Inspired by the American film of the same name, Warrior tells the story of two estranged brothers and deals with their struggling relationship with each other and their father.  The film will be adapted for Indian audiences and re-written for Indian tastes. Its focus on contact sport will be integral to the storyline and will position Warrior as one of the few sports dramas made in India.

     

  • Action entertainment channel from Reliance Broadcast Network Ltd and RTL Group jv to launch in UP next week and phase-wise in other markets

    BIG RTL Thrill to launch on Nov 5

    By A Correspondent

    Reliance Broadcast Network (RBNL) and RTL Group, the leading European entertainment network, have announced the launch of their joint venture channel BIG RTL Thrill. To be positioned as an action entertainment channel targeted at male audiences, with the tagline Action ka Baap (Ultimate Action Destination), the channel will launch on November 5 in India.

    Initially, the channel will go on air in Uttar Pradesh, featuring international content dubbed in Hindi. Phased expansion to other Hindi-speaking markets and the SAARC region (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation which include the countries of Sri Lanka, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan) will follow. The channel will cater to a largely untapped market segment, with an entertainment mix developed by detailed sampling of content, focus group research and comprehensive market analysis.

    Thrill will target at male viewers aged 15 to 44  and promises to offer adrenaline rush, ‘edge of the seat’ entertainment with hand-picked content from across the globe including reality shows, action series, wrestling, extreme sports, game shows and movies. Content has been acquired from some of the world’s best production companies such as FremantleMedia, Endemol and Red Bull with key shows including Fear Factor, Cobra 11, Criss Angel, WipeOut and BayWatch. The line-up will also feature a strong library of international action films.

    The channel will complement and provide synergies with RBNL’s 92.7 BIG FM which has six stations in the state, along with its variety entertainment channel BIG Magic. This consolidates Reliance Broadcast Network’s position as a leading media platform in Uttar Pradesh, offering maximum focussed reach to marketers. The channel will be marketed through a holistic multi-media campaign across television, radio, out of home, on ground, print and digital.

    Speaking on the occasion, Tarun Katial, CEO, Reliance Broadcast Network Ltd. said, “BIG RTL Thrill comes as an answer to the Indian males’ quest for action entertainment. The product is world class, served in Hindi, and has been designed to fill a clear void that exists in the market, ensuring high audience engagement. With the launch of this channel, RBNL fortifies its standing in Uttar Pradesh, offering advertisers a robust and unmatched offering in the region, delivering exceptional value for their brands.”

    Andreas Rudas, Executive Vice President Regional Operations & Business Development CEE and Asia of RTL Group, said: “This is an exciting moment for us at RTL Group; it’s our first step into the Indian broadcasting market, which offers very promising growth opportunities. We will contribute our long-term broadcasting and programming expertise to BIG RTL Thrill – with high-quality content targeting a clearly defined audience. The powerful combination with Reliance Broadcast Network will help ensure that BIG RTL Thrill becomes a strong new brand on the Indian market.”

  • After declaring that Bigg Boss is family-friendly this season, Colors has taken the show a step closer to its audiences by flagging off the Bigg Boss Tour, an initiative which will give fans the experience of being close to the stars via a paid tour

    Bigg Boss goes ‘alag’ with tours of ‘house’

    Manoj Gursahani of Bollywood Tourism and Deepak Dhar with Raj Nayak

    By A Correspondent

     

    The intention was made clear at the start when the channel pronounced that Bigg Boss would be slightly different in its avatar through the ‘Alag Chhe’. tagline. After getting it to be a show that can be watched by all in the family, Colors has taken a new step in getting the show a step closer with its audiences by flagging off the Bigg Boss Tour. The initiative would give fans an extraordinary experience of being close to the stars via a paid tour.

     

    Beginning October 19, 2012, Bigg Boss fans will get to unravel all the live action direct from the house, experience the reality and magnitude of the production and the complex set-up besides other attractions associated with the format. As part of the opportunity, Colors has introduced special buses that are designed to simulate the Bigg Boss experience and give fans the ultimate ride from Mumbai to the Bigg Boss house at Lonavala. The project is managed by Bollywood Tourism for Colors and has been introduced keeping in mind the need to satiate the curiosity around Bigg Boss.

     

    The paid tour will be operational every day of the week, except for Thursday till the season ends. The attractions will include a ‘House Tour’ via a secret passage and a look through a special viewing gallery that would allow one access to live action in the house; Hall of Fame, a spot where visitors can relive moments from their favourite seasons and have a look at iconic memorabilia of the most popular housemates; Control Room, the centre of all production activity and a view of the numerous cameras capturing every move; Confession Room, a room for viewers to get a chance to play Bigg Boss housemate and lastly a view of Salman’s Chalet, a place where the host unwinds during the shoot. The Friday tours will be a highlight as the visitors will get an opportunity to view the shoot of the eviction episode by host Salman Khan.

     

    When asked about the novelty factor behind the idea and the need for such an initiative at this juncture, Colors CEO Raj Nayak said, “We decided to do such a thing with a show like Bigg Boss because the format allows us to do something like that. It’s one of the biggest and most expensive reality shows in this country today. Also it is one of the shows which has a cult following and is talked about a lot.”

     

    And that’s not the only explanation. Mr Nayak added, “There is this whole feeling of the show being scripted, so we felt that there is an opportunity where we can bring viewers closer to the channel and that they came and witness for themselves that it is a non-scripted reality show. That’s what led us to get talking with our partner Endemol on the idea, which they readily latched on to. This was followed by the roping in of an experienced team that caters to tourism around Bollywood in Bollywood Toursim. So the three of us came together and recreated this new experience and we think it will fly.”

     

    While the new initiative could be looked as an alternative for the channel to recover the huge costs involved around the show, that is not what its precise aim is. Asserted Mr Nayak, “We are not doing it for revenue at all. In fact I do not know whether we will make money at all out of this and I won’t be surprised if we even lose money. But that is not we are concerned about; we decided that if we cover our expenses great otherwise we will subsidise it. But going by the response I think we will be able to cover our expenses.” According to Nayak, the whole idea behind this venture is to give the viewers an opportunity to come and connect with the show at a reasonable price.

     

    When asked how big a challenge it was in putting together an activity as big as the tour, Deepak Dhar, MD, Endemol India said, “The way the show has been designed it is one human observatory that’s running 24×7. To plug and play into the Bigg Boss psyche was not a challenge; it was an interesting idea that we lapped up. All the three of us then got together to see how we could work this across seamlessly to the extent that the format can allow and what it cannot allow.”

     

    In fact the idea has already attracted the attention of Endemol’s other international teams who have taken note of the activity and are looking at the possibility of emulating it across other properties as well. Asserted Mr Dhar, “It’s just the start now; let’s see how it gets picked up later. There’s already a bookmark on how this can work as of now. But all said and done it’s an innovative thought, an idea that can be replicated to other properties as well.”

     

    While the channel is hopeful of attracting huge ratings in the first week, what it is also excited about is the huge response that Bigg Boss is receiving from the advertisers. Affirmed Mr Nayak, “The advertisers have taken to our show very well. We have got five sponsors on board as of now. Vodafone has backed us again; we never had ‘powered by’ in the past seasons but this time we have Samsung who has come by in that slot. Coming next week, we will have two more sponsors on board so for me it’s a success even before the show is on air. As for the investments, we are spending much more this year so we would want to recover that proportionately.”

     

  • Endemol India CEO Deepak Dhar on the CA Media investment, Rajesh Kamat and the CA Media role in his operations and plans for the future

    That Rajesh Kamat was 1st CEO of Endemol is not a coincidence: Deepak Dhar

    By Shruti Pushkarna

     

    Deepak Dhar has been responsible for Endemol’s operations since he joined the company in 2006. Dhar has produced popular shows for Endemol such as Bigg Boss, Laughter Challenge, Fear Factor – Khatron Ke Khiladi, Jo Jeeta Wohi Super Star, Wipeout, Chottey Miyaan, operacion Triunfo and Mission Ustaad. Prior to Endemol India, Dhar worked with Star TV as group head, programming. He was instrumental in producing shows such as Pop Stars and The Great Indian Laughter Challenge. Before joining Star where he worked for around five year, Dhar was senior producer at MTV for three years. Deepak Dhar has been Managing Director of Endemol India since 2007 and he will continue to lead the company post the alliance with CA Media, as CEo. Excerpts from an interview with MxMIndia:

     

    From what we in the media knew, Endemol India was the wholly owned India arm of Endemol in the Netherlands. So why go to CA for 49 per cent stake?

    We entered into this, largely from a strategic point of view…we had ambitions to go in the film business, and when we started talking to CA Media, they had strategic insights into the business. So this is more of a strategic investment than a financial one.

     

    Is the balance 51% owned by Endemol, Netherlands?

    Yes, the controlling stake is with Endemol and the balance with CA Media.

     

    Is there a possibility of further liquidation?

    I don’t think so.

     

    Any investor likes to cash out at some time… is that something that has been discussed? How much of a window is CA looking at?

    Well it’s too soon to talk about exit. We’ve just taken our company from being a TV production company to a content production company, so we are not looking at exits at this point.

     

    Also read…
    Two investments done. Many to come!
    CA Media to invest in companies, build brands
    We’re looking at strategic inputs from CA Media, Zodius: Vijay Nair

    It’s interesting that CA in India is headed by Rajesh Kamat who was the first CEo of Endemol India? Coincidence or did that help in this?

    Rajesh brings in a huge strategic insight. So no, it’s not a coincidence. With this investment we have put together the power of Endemol and his insights into the business.

     

    Endemol is essentially known as the Bigg Boss and owner of assorted reality show formats. That’s possibly an unfair comment. What next?

    Bigg Boss was only one part of our business. A huge amount of our content is also fiction, we produce around 900 hours of fiction. So fiction is our next focus area, we will also look at regional, we will look at digital very seriously. More importantly, we will look at movie production business.

     

    How much will CA have a say in operations of Endemol? For instance, that x person should be the guest in Bigg Boss?

    None at all. They are controlling the business but the operational control is entirely with Endemol.

     

    You are looking at expanding to regions: so where next? And what will you take where?

    We are already there in the Southern market, we have shows in Telugu and Tamil. Now we are focusing on Marathi. We will also look into Bengali, very soon you’ll hear announcement on regional players.

     

    There are networks like Zee which have not been buying international formats…?

    See that depends on the channel’s philosophy. A lot of broadcasters are picking up formats but there are still those who don’t pick up formats. So it clearly depends on an individual channel’s philosophy.

     

  • UTV Television's USP is that they deliver scripted and non-scripted content to the broadcaster in six to seven languages says Chief Operating Officer Santosh Nair.

    We’re a one-stop shop for broadcasters: Santosh Nair, UTV

    UTV Television, known to be a pioneer in the TV content business in India, was started by Ronnie Screwvala in the early nineties. Though the group has expanded its wings to being a broadcast major, its television business, which has now, in a way, been overshadowed by the international companies’ foray into India, is slowly but surely taking bigger strides in becoming a significant player in the business.

     

    as put by Chief Operating Officer Santosh Nair, the content house’s biggest USP is the fact that it offers fiction and non-fiction shows, plus the company’s wide experience in the regional space. In a freewheeling interview with MxM India’s Rishi Vora, Nair speaks about the content business in India, UTV’s role in that, company’s plans and much more. Excerpts:

     

    Q: So how was 2011 for UTV Television?

    The year 2011 was very good for us. Saubhagyavati Bhava, which was launched at the end of the year, is doing well. Dor, which aired on Star Plus, was launched early in 2011 too performed fairly well. The non-fiction shows, especially on UTV Bindass, such as Big Switch and Emotional atyachar too have delivered.

     

    Q: Is it tough competing with the likes of Endemol, Freemantle, Balaji and a host of other content houses?

    all businesses are tough in that sense. My sense is that there is space for everybody. Yes, there are international format companies, but we’ve been successful in doing home-grown formats. The first season of Dance India Dance was done by us. and that’s the first and the best example of a successful home-grown format. Ek Khiladi Ek Hasina -India’s first cricket format show too is a great example of a great home-grown format. and not to forget Emotional atyachar – that too is a home-grown reality show.

     

    Q: But not all home-grown formats have been successful.

    Most of them have done fairly well. Dance India Dance is doing well season after season. The show is now in its fourth season. These are tried and tested formulas. and that’s one reason I feel there is space for everyone in the industry.

     

    Q: While there are home-grown formats done by Zee and various other channels, international formats like KBC, KKK, Bigg Boss and others are more popular. Why is that so?

    International formats are formats which have worked internationally – they have worked well in many countries and hence are successful formats. There is a big market for international formats in India and that’s one of the main reasons why international production houses like Endemol, Freemantle and others have entered India.

    Look at KBC for example. That’s a show that has seen a lot of success. Some have worked, some have not. But broadcasters will always look to do international formats more as these are the shows that have seen some success in overseas markets.

     

    Q: are you also doing an international format show?

    Yes, there is one in the pipeline.

     

    Q: For a content house like yours, are non-fiction shows profitable?

    Non-fiction shows are seasonal and each season lasts for about 13 to 26 weeks. So often they turn out to be more profitable because fiction shows usually takes about 200-250 episodes to break even. It takes that much time to understand how your fiction is doing on the ratings front, whether it is a good call to continue or not.

     

    Q: UTV Bindass is a sister company, so if I may ask: How do reality shows like Emotional atyachar and Big Switch benefit you and the channel from a cost perspective?

    These shows target the youth. So from a cost perspective, it is working out well for the channel and for us, too. That’s the reason why we’re doing them every year. So I’m pretty certain that the channel makes a fair amount of profit on these shows.

    To be very clear about how we deal with Bindass: We treat the channel as any other broadcaster, the way we work with Star or Sony or Imagine, it’s the same way we work with Bindass. We pitch to them – and if in case they don’t like it – we take the project to someone else.

     

    Q: So Bindass also works with an Endemol for example?

    Yes, Bindass works with Endemol.

     

    Q: Which means UTV Television is not much inclined with Bindass.

    No-no, it’s not that way. What I’m saying is we are one of the content houses for Bindass.

     

    Q: There is a buzz that some of the non-scripted shows are not really non-scripted in the true sense.

    No-no. The kind of shows we have done, we have never done any doctoring, purely in terms of making a non-scripted show a scripted one. I can’t comment about other shows, but my fair sense is that nothing is scripted in non-scripted shows, apart from anchor lines.

     

    Q: What is it that makes UTV Television stand out in the clutter?

    Look at any content house right now in the Hindi space vis-a-vis UTV, which is the only content house that delivers both scripted and non-scripted content. That for us is our USP. We are doing some work in the southern market. We are doing shows languages such as Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam or Telugu. apart from being present in the Southern market, we’re also doing shows in Marathi. We recently did two fiction shows in Marathi, so the kind of programming we do – we are into six or seven languages.

     

    Q: So where do you focus more: fiction or non-fiction?

    We’re strong on both – fiction and non-fiction so we focus on both the formats. We’re a one-stop-shop for any broadcaster to look at fiction as well as non-fiction.

     

    Q: a lot of content is being produced in regional languages, so is it a beginning of a trend in the content space?

    apart from UTV, I don’t think many players have made a foray into the regional space. The reason why I’m saying this is because we have a decade old relationship with the network and we have been doing quite a bit of work down south. apart from the local players, I don’t see many of the Hindi players getting into the regional space.

     

    Q: What is your view on the issue of IPR, where the broadcaster owns it when it is the content house that is producing the show…?

    The broadcaster owns the IPR because he commissions the content house to produce the show. There is a budget which is rolled out, the content house keeps its margins and that price is fixed. That’s the model which is operational in the industry now minus Sun Network. With Sun Network, we spend the money on producing a show, we pay them slot fees and the IPR lies with us. So that’s a slot model.

     

    We are doing Shubh Vivaah on Sony, a remake of a Tamil show; Saubhagyavati Bhava too is a remake of a Telugu show…

     

    Q: So for all these shows, the IPRs lie with you?

    Yes. In fact, there are two other shows in the pipeline which are remakes of south shows (we are currently in talks with broadcasters) and we own the IPRs.

     

    Q: What is your view on broadcasters’ interference in terms of storylines or tweaks?

    It’s team work. Broadcasters respect our expertise in terms of creative formats that we bring to the table. While we respect them in terms of their understanding about the business, so it’s a mutual thing.

     

    Q: What are we going to see from UTV television this year?

    We’re doing Shubh Vivaah on Sony, an international format show with one of the GECs. Two more fiction shows are lined up with top broadcasters and we will be launching a few fiction shows in the south. So a lot happening this year.