MxMIndia

Tag: The Walt Disney Company

  • To oversee overall business operations in India

    Sajith Sivanandan joins Disney+ Hotstar as EVP

    By Our Staff

     

    Disney International Content and Operations Group has announced the appointment of Sajith Sivanandan as Executive Vice President and Head of Disney+ Hotstar. Sivanandan, who joins Disney+ Hotstar from Google, will take up his new role in October with a dual reporting line to Rebecca Campbell, Chairman of Disney’s International Content and Operations Group and K Madhavan, President, Disney Star.

     

    Sivanandan will oversee Disney+ Hotstar’s overall business operations in India with direct responsibility for defining the streaming service’s strategic business priorities and charting a product roadmap for Disney+ Hotstar’s sustained and exponential growth in the years ahead.  He will also work closely with local leadership in international markets as well as with the Disney+ team in the US to drive Disney+ Hotstar’s continuous growth which, with its unrivalled scale, innovation and breadth of content, has become the leading streaming service in India.

     

    Said Campbell, Chairman, International Content & Operations, The Walt Disney Company: “I am delighted to have Sajith join our executive team and lead the innovative team at Disney+ Hotstar. His deep experience in the region, combined with his strong leadership and business management skills will greatly benefit Disney+ Hotstar as the platform embarks on its next phase of growth.”

     

  • Three distinct offerings – Disney+ Hotstar VIP, Disney+ Hotstar Premium and an ad-supported basic tier will be available for consumers

    Hotstar will be Disney+ Hotstar set from April 3

    By A Correspondent

     

    Star India has announced the upgrade of Hotstar to Disney+ Hotstar from April 3, 2020. With a fresh new look and enhanced user interface, Disney+ Hotstar will offer content from Disney and technological expertise of Hotstar, giving users an unparalleled video streaming experience.

     

    Three distinct offerings – Disney+ Hotstar VIP, Disney+ Hotstar Premium and an ad-supported basic tier will be available for consumers.

     

    Said Uday Shankar – President, The Walt Disney Company APAC and Chairman, Star & Disney India: “With the success of Hotstar, we ushered in a new era for premium video streaming in India. Today, as we unveil Disney+ Hotstar, we take yet another momentous step in staying committed to our promise of delivering high-quality impactful stories for India that have not only entertained but also made a difference in people’s lives, a promise that is even more meaningful in challenging times such as this. We hope the power of Disney’s storytelling, delivered through Hotstar’s technology, will help our viewers find moments of comfort, happiness and inspiration during these difficult times.”

     

     

  • There has been a mixed response to the announcement that Newscorp will buy ESPN’s equity stake in ESPN Star Sports

    Mixed response to Newscorp’s total control of ESS

    By A Correspondent

     

    The News Corporation and ESPN announcement that the latter would buy ESPN’s 50 per cent equity interest in ESPN STAR Sports (ESS) has been welcomed by the industry.  The transaction will allow News Corporation units to own and operate all of the ESS businesses while providing ESPN more independence and flexibility in future support of The Walt Disney Company’s overall efforts in Asia.

     

    There has been a mixed response to the development. For one, they say it’s an internal matter between the two shareholders and will not impact the bidding or media selling process. ESPN and Star Sports (and the other channels) were being sold as one unit, said one observer. Yes, even though it was a 50:50 jv, the feeling was that it was a little more aligned to Disney than Star, remarked a senior official in a rival network.

     

    Talking about the development, Hemant Kenkre, cricket analyst and a senior communications professional said: “I’m excited about the news as everyone knows that the News Corporation is an innovative organization. For instance, when they bought KBC to India, it changed the whole Indian GEC scenario. Even now they are one of the first organizations to launch fully HD channels. When one thinks of cable TV, News Corporation is the real king in India. Thus, one can say that they think differently so the sporting world too should get ready for a dhamaka. I’m sure even cricket fans will be happy with it because it will bring other sports on the forefront too.”

     

    Commenting on the news, Mahesh Ranka, founder & CEO, Indus Sports and Sponsorship said: “This only means that the war between sports channels in India will intensify. ESPN will now be able to launch new channels and I’m sure they will as they are a major player globally. It will also mean that now a broadcaster might have to dig deeper into his pocket as it might push broadcasting rights in the near future. Having said that, it is good news because it signifies the growth of sport broadcast industry in the country.”

     

    MxMIndia was unable to ascertain whether the terms of ESPN’s exit from ESPN Star Sports stipulates a cool-off period whereby ESPN will not be able to operate any similar channels in the region for a certain period. For instance, when Star pulled out its brand from the MCCS news channels, it was clear that it would not be able to launch Star News for the next 18 months after serving the notice (said to have been in January 2012).

     

    With inputs by Meghna Sharma

     

  • Disney to acquire controlling interest in UTV Software Communications Limited (UTV) in India

    Ronnie Screwvala to be Disney India MD as Disney, UTV ops to integrate

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS) announced on Wednesday that it will acquire, through a subsidiary, a controlling interest in UTV, one of India’s premier media and entertainment companies. The acquisition will be completed through a successful delisting offer and will enable Disney to integrate UTV’s current operations. In addition, UTV CEO Ronnie Screwvala has been named Managing Director, The Walt Disney Company India. Mr Screwvala will be reporting to Andy Bird, Chairman, Walt Disney International.

     

    “Increasing our brand presence and reach in key international markets is a cornerstone of our growth strategy. This acquisition expands our footprint significantly and allows us to more effectively build, monetize and brand multi-platform franchises, and deliver a rich library of content to the world’s second largest population,” said Mr. Bird. “We couldn’t be more pleased that Ronnie, with his vast experience and proven track record, will now run our operations in India. Under his leadership, we will be able to deliver more programming on more platforms to this considerable audience.”

     

    As a result of this acquisition and building on UTV’s success in the market, Disney will be India’s leading film studio and will produce both UTV and Disney-branded local films.

     

    UTV is the leading TV producer in India with distribution in 20 countries in seven languages and across 27 channels. Its six owned channels have emerged as the fastest growing cable and satellite network in India. In three years UTV has also become a leading broadcast network in the country. After the transaction, Disney will be one of the leading broadcasters reaching more than 100 million viewers weekly in households across India. Disney will also gain a significant presence in digital media with the addition of UTV’s Indiagames, the country’s number one mobile gaming company, to its portfolio.

     

    “In combining the creative capabilities of each company we will integrate a large stable of vibrant brands and franchises in the branded entertainment space,” said Mr. Screwvala. “With the middle class expected to grow from 50 million to more than 500 million people by 2025, this market offers huge potential for us to deliver quality branded entertainment to consumers,” he said.

     

    Disney currently owns India’s leading kids’ television networks – Disney Channel, Disney XD and Hungama and is the largest retail character licensor in the country.

     

    UTV is a leading media and entertainment company in India reaching more than 247 million consumers with a presence in motion pictures, television and interactive media.