MxMIndia

Tag: Viacom18

  • To launch an exclusive range of the children’s song Baby Shark merchandise

    Viacom18 Consumer collaborates with Pinkfong

    By Our Staff

     

    Viacom18 Consumer Products has inked a deal with Pinkfong, a South Korean entertainment company, credited with recording popular children’s rhyme,  Baby Shark

     

    Commenting on the launch of the exclusive Baby Shark merchandise, Mahesh Shetty, Head-Network Sales, Viacom18, said: “At Viacom18 Consumer Products, we have been expanding our reach to build a relationship with consumers across multiple touch-points and act as a catalyst to create fandom for iconic characters.  Kids across the globe adore Baby Shark, thereby making it a global phenomenon. The addition of Baby Shark to our growing portfolio will further consolidate our position as a leader in the kids category and add depth to our wide consumer products portfolio for kids as we aim to provide our young viewers with an opportunity to interact with their most-adored character beyond television screens.”

     

  • The league will air on Voot, the network’s broadcast channels as well as on Jio

    Viacom18 bags TV & digital rights for Italian Serie A

    By Our Staff

     

    Viacom18 has announced that it has acquired the broadcast and digital rights for Italian Serie A for the Indian sub-continent region for the next three seasons. The latest edition of Italian Serie A will kick off tomorrow, that’s August 21 at 10pm IST. Matches will be available live across Voot, Viacom18’s TV channels and Jio. This is close on the heels of multi-year partnerships for Spanish La Liga (football) and Abu Dhabi T10 League (cricket).

     

    Said Gourav Rakshit, Chief Operating Officer, Viacom18 Digital Ventures: “One of the core propositions of our network is the promise of variety in content. Sports is a whitespace that we have been consciously experimenting with for some time now. The response to our initiatives, thus far, has been very encouraging. Italian Serie A is one of the most exciting & competitive leagues in Europe and we are excited to bring it to our viewers across digital and broadcast platforms.”

     

    Added Ferzad Palia, Head – SVOD and International Business, Viacom18 Digital Ventures: “We are delighted to host the Italian Serie A across our network. The league enjoys great affinity with football lovers in India. Some of the world’s top clubs, coaches and players make the Serie A stand out as one of the best leagues in the football world. We are confident of growing the fan base through a slew of initiatives that are lined up.”

     

    Viacom18 has entered into a partnership with Infront, whom Italian Serie A has appointed to manage its international media rights for all platforms across many geographies. Added Amikam Kranz, Vice President Media Sales and Operations, Infront said: “This is the start of what we hope will be a positive relationship between Infront and Viacom18. Serie A already has a significant resonance with Indian football fans and this will help us further grow the audience in the country. We believe this is the beginning of what we hope will be a promising future.”

     

  • To further enhance cricketing action in India

    Viacom18 bags TV and digital rights for Abu Dhabi T10

    By Our Staff

     

    Viacom18 has bagged the TV and digital rights for the Abu Dhabi T10. Facilitated by sports management firm Rise Worldwide, Viacom18’s multiyear partnership with Abu Dhabi T10 will further enhance cricketing action in India.

     

    Speaking about the partnership Nina Elavia Jaipuria, Head – Hindi Mass Entertainment and Kids TV Network, Viacom 18 said: “Sporting events have always attracted a wide spectrum of audiences and we have been successfully experimenting with sports content on our network. The Abu Dhabi T10 collaboration is a bold step in further enhancing our sports content mix and we are hopeful it will help us expand our viewer and sponsor base.”

     

    Added Rohan Lavsi, Business Head – Hindi Movies Cluster, Viacom18: “We are excited to bring to our extensive cricket fanbase in India the unique, snackable, high-energy T10 format. It is our vision and constant endeavour to present our viewers with an unmatched entertainment experience that doesn’t require an episodic commitment. Movies and sports fit this vision and in that sense are quite complimentary as a variated content mix. This belief has been validated by both our viewers and advertisers as we witnessed significant uptakes whenever we have showcased sports – be it the NIDAHAS Trophy or the RSWS.”

     

  • On offer: one new non-fiction and four fiction shows

    Colors Bangla launches new content lineup

    By Our Staff

     

    Colors Bangla, the Viacom18 channel, may not be numero uno in the stack of Bangla channels as per BARC data, but has its eyes set on that slot. It has just announced a line-up of five new shows including one musical reality show and four fictional dramas all of which will premier this month (August) and the next.

     

    The channel has roped in the leading lights from the Bengali entertainment trade including prominent producers like Nispal Singh Rane (Surinder Films), Snehasish Chakraborty (Blues Production) and Shashi Sumeet. The non-fiction show will be produced by Raj Chakraborty.  The offensive includes actors like Papia Adhikari, Debolina Dutta, Anjana Basu and Sudipa Basu on the small screen. Music mavens like Jeet Ganguly and Anupam Roy have been lined up for the title tracks for the shows.

     

    Sagnik Ghosh

    Speaking on the launch, Sagnik Ghosh, Business Head, Colors Bangla (who has had a successful stint at Star India and Axis Bank amongst others) said: “We at Colors Bangla have always endeavoured to bring to our viewer’s quality and entertaining content and now we are all set for the launch of the first tranche of our content line up. Through our characters & stories we want to alleviate the anxiety & adversities that the Bengali society and our core viewers are facing today. Our shows will encourage people to dream and aspire and provide our existing as well as new viewers with superior quality content and an enhanced viewing experience. “

     

     

  • The mandate also includes filmed business and regional entertainment

    Kaizzen bags Viacom18 corporate mandate

    By Our Staff

     

    Kaizzen has won the PR mandate for Viacom18’s corporate brand communication, filmed business and regional entertainment, post a multi-agency pitch. The mandate covers corporate reputation management, strengthening brand and leadership visibility, as well as network initiatives led by the media giant.

     

    Said Vineet Handa, CEO – Kaizzen:  “Viacom18 has cemented itself as a pioneer in the media and entertainment segment by offering groundbreaking content and innovative concepts. We are thankful to the management team at Viacom18 for believing in our vision, ideas and entrusting us with the responsibility to drive their communication strategy for the corporate brand, regional entertainment, and filmed entertainment. Our team is excited at the opportunity of working collaboratively with the team at Viacom18; to execute innovative, disruptive high-impact PR campaigns that positively impact the business.”

     

    Although the Kaizzen communique does not include a quote from Viacom18, MxM has independently confirmed that mandate has indeed been awarded to Kaizzen. It was earlier handled by Mondial Communications which is now taking charge of Voot Corporate, Youth Music Entertainment and the kids cluster.

     

  • MTV India, Voot, Jio will air the tournament for three years

    Viacom18 bags rights for LaLiga

    By Our Staff

     

    Viacom18 Media has bagged rights for Spanish Football League LaLiga exclusively to the Indian subcontinent for the next three years. Enabled and supported by Rise Worldwide, LaLiga will air exclusively on MTV in India, along with select national and regional network channels and live-streamed on Voot and Jio platforms. The 2021 event kicks off on August 13.

     

    Speaking about LaLiga on MTV, Anshul Ailawadi, Business Head – Youth, Music and English Entertainment said, “We at MTV have always known that football enjoys a groundswell of support amongst young-at-heart Indians. The LaLiga in particular, is a cultural phenomenon all over the World. When the folks from RISE Worldwide introduced us to LaLiga team, we realised that this was a partnership waiting to happen – the vision was common, the vibes were good, and we quickly put pen to paper.”

     

    On the association with Viacom18, Oscar Mayo, Executive Director, LaLiga said: “We are excited to partner with Viacom18 (MTV India) and further bolster the LaLiga fandom to an ever-growing football fan base in India. Having set one of the highest standards of football globally and India gaining tremendous momentum, we are confident that we will reach and engage with the youthful audience that MTV as a destination appeals to.”

     

  • Collaborates with German broadcaster Deutsche Welle

    Voot Studio brings series on inspiring women in Asia

    By Our Staff

     

    Voot Studio has partnered with German international broadcaster, Deutsche Welle, to stream the progressive series ‘Her- Women in Asia’. The series is based on the inspiring real-life transformational stories of women from the Asian sub-continent.

     

    Speaking about the association, Chanpreet Arora, Head AVOD (Voot), Viacom18 Digital Ventures, said: “As an effective partner of choice for brands, Voo Studio has been successful in driving a brand’s message and reach by providing the right platform and relevant audience engagement opportunity. Our collaboration with Deutsche Welle’s ‘HER- Women in Asia’ is a step further in this direction to bring forth stories that are relevant and have a universal appeal. We are happy to partner with them to showcase an engaging and inspiring series that will strike the right chord with our viewers on Voot.”

     

    Commenting on the collaboration, Daniel Schulz, Distribution Manager for DW in Asia, said: “We are excited to be joining hands with a partner like Voot to reach out to India’s diverse audience which is interested in both entertainment as well as informative and valuable content. Our goal is to promote versatility and ensure that real life stories on important topics like women’s empowerment, cultural diversity, environment, technology, and sustainability are accessible to people across the globe. We are constantly working not only to meet the audience’s expectations of being a credible news destination, but also to create motivating stories and educational programs for curious minds.”

     

  • Will be responsible for leading branded content and solutions

    Vivek Sharma to head branded content at Viacom18

    By Our Staff

     

    Vivek Mohan Sharma
    Vivek Mohan Sharma

    Viacom18 has announced the appointment of Vivek Mohan Sharma as Head of Branded Content, Viacom18. Sharma will be reporting to Mahesh Shetty, Head – Network Sales, Viacom18.

     

    He will be responsible for leading branded content and solutions at the network level. Individually, he will be responsible for driving branded solutions for Viacom18’s Hindi Mass Entertainment, Regional Entertainment and Kids TV clusters leveraging its broadcast and social reach. In addition to this, he will also work with existing teams at Youth, Music and English Entertainment as well as the network’s digital play Voot to bring in synergies and dial up advertiser funded content-driven growth.

     

    Mahesh Shetty
    Mahesh Shetty

    Welcoming Sharma to the team, Mahesh Shetty, Head- Network Sales, Viacom18, said, “We are living in a world full of too many choices which however have increasingly minimal differentiation amongst them. Branded content has the potential to bring forth this differentiation and connect with audiences in a more engaging and emotional capacity. With his versatile experience in leadership roles across industries, Vivek is best poised to bring collaborations across our brand offerings and create unique propositions for our clients that are relevant and result-oriented.”

     

    Added Sharma: “Brands today are looking at creating moments and mindshare that stays with the audience for long. Branded content acts as the bridge, bringing in solutions that truly connect the brand with its consumers in an engaging and effective manner. I look forward to drive value, innovation and overall growth in my new role at Viacom18.”

     

  • Will be available to Virgin Media’s ‘Asian Mela Pack’ subscribers from 8th June

    Viacom18 launches Colors Gujarati in UK

    By Our Staff

     

    Viacom18 Media has launched its regional entertainment channel, Colors Gujarati, in UK. IndiaCast Media Distribution, jointly owned by TV18 and Viacom18, has partnered with Sky and Virgin Media for the channel launch.

     

    Currently, the network offers flagship GEC Colors along with the premium entertainment channel Colors Rishtey and the movie channel Colors Cineplex in UK. The channel will bring the best of Gujarati content all through the week along with movie premieres every Sunday at 7pm.

     

    Said Faisal Mahomed, Director, BT Media and Broadcast: “As a leading provider of media services in the UK, BT Media and Broadcast is at the forefront of broadcast innovation. With a successful partner track record, we’re pleased to continue to help Viacom18 capture larger UK audiences through our cutting-edge technology, and as always, we look forward to supporting Viacom18 with their growth plans – both in the UK and internationally.”

     

    Added Govind Shahi, Executive VP – International Business, IndiaCast: “We have a large Gujarati speaking population in UK and they have made their presence felt in the social and cultural fabric of the country. But currently, there is no single Gujarati channel in UK even though there are various TV channels for Punjabi, Urdu, Bangla and other regional language audiences. The launch of COLORS Gujarati will fulfil this need-gap in the UK. The channel will constitute of best-in-class Gujarati content from our hugely popular India library – including fiction, non-fiction series and movies”. With this launch on both Sky and Virgin, Colors Gujarati will reach out to a vast majority of subscribers who can sample and enjoy quality content in sync with their strong socio-cultural identity.”

     

  • Chrome Pictures and Miami Design School Mumbai bag one Gold each

    Viacom and MTV win Gold at Montreux Festival

    By Our Staff

     

    This news ought to have appeared on Tuesday, but we were too caught up with the cyclone that thankfully didn’t hit Mumbai, though our friends elsewhere weren’t as lucky. Our apologies.

     

    The annual advertising festival in Switzerland, the Golden Award of Montreux, announced 2021 Winners with India winning five Golds and six Finalists. Viacom18 won two Golds while MTV, Chrome Pictures and Miami Design School Mumbai were awarded one Gold each. Viacom won Gold in the category Creative Use of Media with “Naati Pinky Ki Lambi Love Story” and in Digital/Interactive category with #CGPCLive (Colors Golden Petal Club)”. MTV’s  “Organ Daan” in the category Direct Marketing won a Gold. Chrome Pictures Media LLP was awarded with Gold for “Pooja Didi” in the Television-Cinema Category.Chrome won a Finalist for The 2021 Ad of the Year.

     

    The Grand Prix of the Golden Award of Montreux was presented to Energy BBDO Chicago for their work ‘The Kentucky Turtle Derby’. Old Forester, also from BBDO Chicago, was awarded two Golds in Digital and Media.

     

    The Golden Award of Montreux awards only Golds and Finalists – there are no Silvers or Bronzes. It is developed in conjunction with adforum.com. Veteran adperson Ajay Chandwani is on the jury from India and has, kind-of, been the ambassador and evangelist for the awards in India for many years.

     

  • Will provide strategic direction to create new opportunities

    The Q appoints Simran Hoon as CEO

    By Our Staff

     

    Simran Hoon
    Simran Hoon

    Hindi GEC Q has announced the appointment of Simran Hoon, a senior mediaperson and until last year with Viacom18, as Chief Executive Officer. In her new Hoon, Simran will leverage her experience and insight to provide strategic direction to create new opportunities for The Q in India thus driving the organization’s overall growth.

     

    Said Curt Marvis, Co-Founder and CEO of QYOU Media: “As we gear for even greater growth and expansion in India,  it is the right time to add someone with Simran’s extraordinary capabilities to our leadership team. Our growth in India has been exponential and we are confident that Simran, with her keen business acumen and  in-depth understanding of the industry, will immediately propel The Q forward. Simran’s distinguished record and forward-thinking approach will help us stay ahead of the curve.”

     

    Added Sunder Aaron, Co-Founder & MD, The Q India: “We are delighted to have Simran on board. She is a seasoned professional with extensive knowledge of the media and entertainment industry, who brings with her rich experience and enormous expertise that we believe fervently will take The Q to the next level. Her expansive knowledge and understanding of the Indian television market will be of immense value to our company.”

     

    Said Hoon: “In today’s dynamic and evolving business environment, it is of extreme importance to stay differentiated, relevant and meaningful. I am excited  to embark on this journey with The Q and grateful for having been entrusted with the responsibility of leading the team at The Q India as its first CEO. I look forward to working closely with the team here as we scale newer and newer heights.”

     

     

  • Appoints Chanpreet Arora as Business Head – AVOD and Vineet Govil as Chief Technology Officer, Digital Ventures

    Viacom18 strengthens Digital Ventures with senior hires

    By Our Staff

    Viacom18 has announced the appointment Chanpreet Arora as Business Head – AVOD (Voot), and of Vineet Govil as Chief Technology Officer at Viacom18 Digital Ventures. In her new role. Arora will drive the AVOD business – VOOT and will be responsible for leading AVOD-led partnerships that are key to VOOT’s overall growth. Vineet will be responsible for strengthening the product’s tech play by offering a more seamless and immersive experience for consumers.

    Said Gourav Rakshit, COO, Viacom18 Digital Ventures: “We are delighted to welcome Chanpreet  and Vineet to our team as we accelerate our growth to transform the digital streaming space for our users. While Chanpreet is a recognized expert in the Indian media industry with an in-depth understanding and knowledge of the entire digital ecosystem, Vineet is a domain expert and is recognized for building world class products through continuous technological innovations. Together with their, exemplary leadership and ability to innovate, we are certain of taking Viacom18 Digital Ventures to greater heights. We are confident that we will further consolidate our position through a more digital-first focused approach.”

    Added Arora: “It’s a pleasure to join the Viacom18 Digital Ventures Team to lead the AVOD Business. My journey in the digital ecosystem has been enriching so far. I look forward to working with the team at Viacom18 to grow the business further and deliver significant value to our partners.”

    Said Govil: “I am excited to be a part of a business that is young and successful with 3 distinct offerings. I look forward to working with the digital team on enhancing the platforms and hope to bring in some excitement from a viewers’ perspective. Streaming is all about experience and this is something we will work closely on to accelerate growth”