MxMIndia

Tag: RTL Group

  • 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.”

  • Sunil Kumaran, Business Head, Language TV at Reliance Broadcast Network Ltd on why the decision to launch BIG RTL Thrill in Uttar Pradesh

    Jaldi 5 with Sunil Kumaran: UP has much affinity to action content

    It’s been action time for a while for Sunil Kumaran, Business Head, Language TV at Reliance Broadcast Network Ltd. The channel has been in the works ever since a jv with leading European network, the RTL Group, was inked last year. Mr Kumaran spoke to MxMIndia soon after announcing the launch of the BIG RTL Thrill next month.

     

    01. Yours will be the first national Hindi channel doing a phased-wise launch. Why this strategy?

    The strategy for the channel is to enter the different markets with local language feed, catering to the need of the respective market. UP is part of the first phase as it has affinity to action content.

    Our strategy is to consolidate our position further in the markets where we already enjoy a significant presence with our Radio and existing TV offerings.  This gives us a significant edge over the others in the space as we already reach a very large part of the population.

    Also the Hindi-speaking markets contribute to more than 65% of total advertising spends across television, radio, print etc. and the idea is to create a media network that rides on the consumer boom in the tier II and III markets.

     

    Does the UP launch mean consumers in Mumbai will not be able to access it?

    BIG RTL Thrill will be available on DTH platform across India, so people across all metros including Mumbai will able to see it. We have already tied up with Reliance Digital TV and are in the process of closing the rest

     

    Will you also be looking at dialects of UP being used in the dubbing?

    We will be dubbing it in Hindi for UP but with regional undertones.

     

    Will we see it entering southern markets too with local dubbed feeds?

    Too early to comment.

     

    02. Will we see any ‘Made in India’ programming on the channel?

    Yes, that is part of the programming line-up in the future…

     

    03. What has been the response from advertisers thus far?

    We have got a good amount of response especially the brands which have Male as the primary TG. They are also excited to be part of channel which provides differential offering… across Automobile, telecom, FMCG, BSFI, Consumer Durables

     

    04. Any special promotions to hook viewers?

    Apart from big marketing campaign, we are looking innovative on-ground and rural activations. We are also hunting for local Action ka Baap’s

     

    05. Given that action programming lends itself to loads of on-ground activity, do we see that happening?

    Yes, on-ground activation and programming is going to be part of the promotional strategy and sustenance.

     

    Akhadas, et al?

    We are not only limiting it to Akhadas, but also extending it to action stunts in local mela and local talent hunt etc.

  • Logo unveils across Reliance Broadcast Network’s television bouquet on May 10

    BIG RTL Thrill gears for launch and unveils logo

    By A Correspondent

     

    The recently named BIG RTL Thrill from the Reliance Broadcast Network and RTL Group joint venture will unveil their logo through a multi-media campaign on May 10. The logo will be revealed through an extensive campaign across its television channel bouquet BIG CBS Prime, Spark, Love, Spark Punjabi, BIG Magic and UTV Bloomberg, which will run through the summer as the channel gears for launch.

     

    The logo of the new channel, which is positioned as the country’s first action entertainment channel, was designed by Singapore-based BDA and will be seen extended across various on-air elements like promo-packaging, on-air graphics and the channel id.

     

    Targeted at male audiences across metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas in the Hindi-speaking markets, the look and the feel of the logo is strong, solid and in-your-face. The red colour signifies energy, aggression and high action. The big, bold and sharp fonts and the rectangular block perfectly reflects the personality and core values of the channels – daring, action-packed, electrifying, sporty, challenging and adventurous. The channel, which is a result of detailed audience mapping and insight mining among Indian audiences, has a logo that is simple, yet impactful and promises to connect well with the mass male audiences in India.

     

    The present joint venture marks RTL Group’s entry into the burgeoning Asian television market and is Reliance Broadcast Network’s second international joint venture, following on the heels of its successful joint venture with CBS Studios International.

     

    Reliance Broadcast Network Limited is a multi-media entertainment conglomerate with play across radio, television, intellectual properties and out of home. It houses the following verticals: 92.7 BIG FM -India’s largest FM Network; BIG CBS – A joint venture with CBS Studios International; BIG MAGIC – which marked the Company’s entry into the regional entertainment space. The company also distributesBloomberg UTV,India’s premier business news channel. In the space of live entertainment the company has BIG Live a division which develops, executes and markets Intellectual Properties, and synergizing excellently with this division is BIG Productions a division which functions as a television content production house catering to the diverse creative needs of the Indian television landscape.

     

     

  • Positioned as the first action entertainment channel, the channel is slated to launch by end of Q1FY12-13

    Reliance Broadcast & RTL name JV channel ‘Thrill’

    By A Correspondent

     

    BIG RTL, the television joint venture between Reliance Broadcast Network and RTL Group, has named its soon-to-be-launched action channel Thrill.  The thematic action channel, positioned as the first action entertainment channel, is the result of a detailed audience mapping and insight mining among Indian audiences to determine entertainment need gaps. The joint venture channel will address this need gap and serve the very best of international content from across the globe, dubbed in Hindi. The channel is slated to launch by the end of the Q1FY12-13.

     

    With several options to choose from, the internal team set out to test names with the potential core target group: male audiences across metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas in the Hindi-speaking markets. With focus groups spread across the country and moderators mapping feedback closely, Thrill emerged as the hands-down winner for the name for the channel. The name is easily comprehensible across all social strata and encapsulates the core values of the channel – ‘daring’, ‘action-packed’, ‘electrifying’, ‘sporty’, ‘challenging’ and ‘adventurous’.

     

    The core viewers of the channel would be Thrill-seeking males in the age group of 15-44 years, who are action and adventure lovers.

     

    As part of the plan to offer a diverse programming mix, the channel has signed strategic deals with various leading international content providers for successful global formats and series across a variety of genres: action reality, action thrillers, fighting and wrestling championships, shocking, never seen before films, extreme sports, late night entertainment and a robust library of hit Hollywood action movies, all dubbed in Hindi.

     

    Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Tarun Katial, CEO, Reliance Broadcast Network Ltd. said, “We are excited to offer India its first action entertainment channel, Thrill which will showcase world-class international content, dubbed in Hindi. The channel fills a need gap that exist in the entertainment landscape and we are confident that our proposition, backed by consumer insights, will resonate excellently with viewers and marketers alike.”

     

    BIG RTL has already teamed up with Reliance Digital TV, India’s leading direct-to-home service provider, to distribute Thrill, giving the channel access to 30 lakh digital television homes across India and the channel is in the process of closing deals with other operators. This partnership marks the beginning of the quest to extend BIG RTL’s top-of-the-line content to maximum audiences across the country. Thrill will be distributed as part of a 7 Channel robust bouquet of Reliance Broadcast which includes BIG CBS Prime, BIG CBS Love, BIG CBS Spark, BIG CBS Spark Punjabi, BIG MAGIC and UTV Bloomberg.

     

    The present joint venture marks RTL Group’s entry into the burgeoning Asian television market and is Reliance Broadcast Network’s second international joint venture, following on the heels of its successful joint venture with CBS Studios International.

     

    Reliance Broadcast Network Limited is a multi-media entertainment conglomerate with play across radio, television, intellectual properties and out of home. It is part of the Reliance Group and specializes in creating and executing integrated media solutions for brands. It houses the following verticals: 92.7 BIG FM, BIG CBS- a joint venture with CBS Studios International which has launched four channels, BIG CBS Prime, BIG CBS Love, BIG CBS Spark and Spark Punjabi. Added to this robust bouquet, the Company also distributes Bloomberg UTV, India’s premier business news channel.