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New Delhi: The merger of media assets of Reliance Industries and the India business of global media house the Walt Disney is expected to be complete by the end of the third quarter of this fiscal, according to a regulatory filing by billionaire Mukesh Ambani-led group. The fair trade regulator CCI has already approved the merger of Viacom 18 and <keyword id="19976122" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Star-India" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Star India" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Star India">Star India</keyword> and NCLT (National Company Law Tribunal) has sanctioned the scheme regarding it. "The companies are in the process of obtaining other requisite approvals for the completion of the transaction and transaction closer is expected in 3Q FY 25," informed Reliance Industries on Monday in its quarter earning statement. The merger of Reliance group-controlled media assets - TV18 Broadcast and E18 - with Network18 Media &amp; Investments has already been sanctioned by the NCLT and was made effective on October 3, it said. Earlier on September 27, the government approved the transfer of licenses relating to Non News &amp; Current Affairs TV channels held by media entities of Reliance Industries to Star India. "The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India, vide its order dated September 27, has granted its approval for transfer of Licenses relating to Non News &amp; Current Affairs TV channels held by <keyword id="19976121" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Viacom18" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Viacom18" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Viacom18">Viacom18</keyword> Media Private Limited in favour of Star India," it had said. Viacom18 is the holding company that owns the media and entertainment business of billionaire Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries and Bodhi Tree Systems. Both sides are in the final stages of the merger, making some adjustments in the business as per the Competition Commission of India (CCI) directions. On August 30, the NCLT had approved the scheme of merger of Viacom18 Media and Digital 18 Media, holding media and entertainment assets of Reliance Industries with Star India. The scheme had proposed the transfer and vesting of Media Operations Undertaking from Viacom 18 and Jio Cinema into Digital18, which is a subsidiary of Viacom 18. This would be followed by "demerger, transfer and vesting of V18 Undertaking from Digital 18 into Star India". The merger of the media assets of Reliance Industries and The Walt Disney Co.'s India business will create the country's largest media empire worth over Rs 70,000 crore. Earlier, the CCI had said it has cleared the "proposed combination involving Reliance Industries Ltd, Viacom18 Media Pvt Ltd, Digital18 Media Ltd, Star India Pvt Ltd and Star Television Productions Ltd, subject to the compliance of voluntary modifications". Viacom18 is part of the RIL group, and Star India is wholly owned by The <keyword id="19986269" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Walt-Disney-Company" source="keywords">Walt Disney Company</keyword>. Star Television Productions, a company incorporated in the British Virgin Islands, is owned indirectly by Walt Disney. The CCI, however, did not disclose voluntary modifications in the original deal made by the two parties. As per the deal, Mukesh Ambani-led RIL and its affiliates will hold 63.16 per cent of the combined entity that will house two streaming services and 120 television channels. Walt Disney will hold the remaining 36.84 per cent stake in the combined entity, which will also be India's largest media house. Reliance Industries has also agreed to invest close to Rs 11,500 crore into the joint venture to give it the muscle to fight rivals like Japan's Sony and Netflix. Nita Ambani, wife of billionaire and RIL Chairman <keyword id="19916798" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mukesh-Ambani" source="keywords">Mukesh Ambani</keyword>, will head the joint venture, while Uday Shankar will be the vice-chairperson.

Reliance expects to complete merger with Disney's India business in Q3

Reliance-owned <keyword id="19910844" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="OTT-platform" source="keywords">OTT platform</keyword> <keyword id="19940563" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="JioCinema" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="JioCinema" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="JioCinema">JioCinema</keyword>, which has live streaming rights for <keyword id="20849034" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Tata-IPL" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Tata IPL" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Tata IPL">Tata IPL</keyword>, saw a 53 per cent growth in viewership at 2,600 crore views in the T20 cricket tournament that concluded on May 26. This was the second season of IPL for JioCinema, in which the platform recorded over 35,000 crore minutes of watch-time, the OTT platform said in a statement. Moreover, the average time spent per viewer touched 75 minutes from over 60 from the last season of Tata IPL 2023. "Keeping the momentum going after an incredible opening night, JioCinema's reach grew over 38 per cent, concluding the season at over 62 crore," it said. This season, JioCinema had a record 28 sponsors and over 1,400 advertisers. "We conclude the TATA <keyword id="17425920" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ipl-2024" source="Orion">IPL 2024</keyword> with a promise to continue to redefine the way sports is consumed in India," said a <keyword id="19976121" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Viacom18" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Viacom18" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Viacom18">Viacom18</keyword> Spokesperson, adding, "The growth we are seeing year-on-year assures us that our viewer-centric presentation is engaged with and appreciated". JioCinema opened the 2024 season with over 11.3 crore viewers on the first day, 51 per cent higher than Day 1 of TATA IPL 2023. "As JioCinema commenced their second season on digital, over 59 crore video views were registered on the platform for the opening day of TATA IPL 2024 which led to 660 crore minutes of watch-time," it said. Reliance-backed Viacom18 acquired the digital rights for IPL for Rs 20,500 crore in June 2022. The television rights for the Indian subcontinent is with Disney Star, which is yet to come with its final number of viewers. After this, JioCinema will focus on the next sports event -- the 2024 Paris Olympics, it added

JioCinema IPL viewership spikes 53% in 2024, amassing 2,600 crore views!

<ul><li><keyword id="19940563" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="JioCinema" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="JioCinema" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="JioCinema">JioCinema</keyword> has announced a new annual ad-free premium plan for individuals.</li><li>The premium subscription plan has been priced at ₹299 per year.</li><li>Here’s everything you need to know about JioCinema’s new <keyword id="21835315" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="annual-subscription-plan" source="keywords">annual subscription plan</keyword>.</li></ul> Mukesh Ambani-owned streaming platform JioCinema has announced a new annual subscription plan, soon after announcing two <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/jiocinema-introduces-new-ad-free-premium-plans-starting-at-29/articleshow/109581033.cms">monthly premium plans</a>. The new annual premium subscription from the digital arm of <keyword id="19976121" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Viacom18" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Viacom18" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Viacom18">Viacom18</keyword> offers ad-free content in 4K. After announcing two monthly plans, JioCinema has now announced an annual plan for individual users. The company is yet to announce an annual plan for family users. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="JioCinema annual plan price" comment="subhead" text="JioCinema annual plan price"><keyword id="17566564" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="JioCinema-annual-plan" source="Orion">JioCinema annual plan</keyword> price</cmsannotation> The JioCinema annual plan is priced at ₹299 per year, which is significantly cheaper than the monthly plan which costs ₹678 per year. While it is priced at ₹29 for the first month, the renewal costs ₹59 per month. The ₹299 annual plan is currently available at a discounted price. After the first year, the plan will cost ₹599. It is currently being offered at a 50% discount as part of an introductory offer. On the other hand, the family plan costs ₹89 per month and there is no annual plan available yet for families. Do note that sports content, including the Indian Premier League (IPL), will continue to be free with Jio’s ad-supported tier. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="JioCinema premium plan features" comment="subhead" text="JioCinema premium plan features"><keyword id="17402458" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="JioCinema-premium-plan" source="Orion">JioCinema premium plan</keyword> features</cmsannotation> The JioCinema <keyword id="21803687" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="premium-plan" source="keywords">premium plan</keyword> offers access to all premium content on the platform without any ads, except sports and live content, which will continue to show ads. JioCinema has announced several partnerships over the last few months, including with HBO and Paramount. The company has said that in addition to English, content from international studios will be available in Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Marathi and Bengali. Users who subscribe to either of the premium plans will also be able to download the content and watch it offline on their device. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Plans from rivals" comment="subhead" text="Plans from rivals">Plans from rivals</cmsannotation> JioCinema’s offerings are considerably cheaper when compared to plans offered by its rivals. Netflix offers a mobile-only subscription at ₹149 a month, while Prime Video has a subscription fee of ₹299 per month of ₹1,499 per year. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/awfis-space-solutions-ipo-allotment-how-to-check-allotment-gmp-listing-date-and-more/articleshow/110467409.cms">Awfis Space Solutions IPO allotment – How to check allotment, GMP, listing date and more</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/samsung-galaxy-f55-with-leather-back-launched-in-india-starting-at-26999/articleshow/110462026.cms">Samsung Galaxy F55 with leather back launched in India starting at ₹26,999</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/lenovo-loq-15-review/articleshow/110456546.cms">Lenovo LOQ 15 review – gaming laptop with a sturdy design</a>

JioCinema launches new annual ad-free subscription plan at a discount

<ul><li><keyword id="19940563" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="JioCinema" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="JioCinema" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="JioCinema">JioCinema</keyword> has announced new ad-free premium plans for individuals and families.</li><li>The premium subscription plans have been priced starting at ₹29 per month.</li><li>Here’s everything you need to know about JioCinema’s new subscription plans.</li></ul> Mukesh Ambani-owned streaming platform JioCinema on Thursday announced its new premium plans after teasing them for a few days. The new premium subscription plans from the digital arm of Viacom18 offer ad-free content. JioCinema has an extensive catalogue, including the ongoing <keyword id="19966825" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-Premier-League" source="keywords">Indian Premier League</keyword> (IPL) and content from HBO, Warner Bros., and Paramount, among others. The new content plans are cheaper than its current plans and are aimed at offering an ad-free experience like <keyword id="21423024" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Netflix-and-Prime-Video" source="keywords">Netflix and Prime Video</keyword>. Do note that sports content, including the IPL, will continue to be free with Jio’s ad-supported tier. Existing <keyword id="20426557" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="JioCinema-Premium" source="keywords">JioCinema Premium</keyword> users will be upgraded to Jio’s new plans for free. “The introduction of JioCinema Premium breaks the numerous cost and quality barriers that exist in accessing premium entertainment. With 4K streaming, best-in-class audio, offline viewing and no device restriction all at a customer-centric pricing is sure to democratise access to quality entertainment for all of India,” Kiran Mani, chief executive officer, <keyword id="21420202" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Viacom18-Digital" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Viacom18 Digital" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Viacom18 Digital">Viacom18 Digital</keyword>. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="JioCinema Premium plans pricing" comment="subhead" text="JioCinema Premium plans pricing"><keyword id="21423025" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Jiocinema-premium-plans" source="Orion">JioCinema Premium plans</keyword> pricing</cmsannotation> The new JioCinema Premium plan is priced at ₹29 per month for the individual plan, offering online and offline access to 4K content on one device. It includes access to all premium content on the platform without any ads, except sports and live content, which will continue to show ads. For families, JioCinema has introduced the new Family plan, which offers all the same benefits as the Premium plan and allows streaming on four devices at once. It is priced at ₹89 per month. Do note that the company has not announced long-term plans and you only have the option to select from the monthly plans. JioCinema has said that these are introductory prices. The actual prices of the plans are ₹59 and ₹149 respectively. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="International content in regional languages" comment="subhead" text="International content in regional languages">International content in regional languages</cmsannotation> JioCinema has announced several partnerships over the last few months, including with HBO and Paramount. The company has said that in addition to English, content from international studios will be available in Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Marathi and Bengali. “On an average, pricing for broadcaster-based OTT’s in India is ₹103 per month (Zee5, Sony Liv, Disney plus premium plan), whereas global giant OTT’s average pricing is ₹358 (Netflix premium plan, Amazon video), which implies that Jio Cinema Premium pricing is at a steep discount of 86% vs average price of peers; however, Jio Cinema’s depth of offerings in originals/global content remains much lower compared to global peers,” said Karan Thorani, Elara Securities. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/gigabyte-aorus-co49dq-49-inch-qd-oled-144hz-curved-gaming-monitor-launched-in-india/articleshow/109563798.cms">GIGABYTE AORUS CO49DQ 49-inch QD-OLED 144Hz curved gaming monitor launched in India</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/realme-narzo-70-narzo-70x-5g-smartphones-launched-in-india-starting-at-11999/articleshow/109557895.cms">Realme Narzo 70, Narzo 70X 5G smartphones launched in India starting at ₹11,999</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/apple-let-loose-event-scheduled-for-may-7-ipads-expected-to-be-launched/articleshow/109553148.cms">Apple Let Loose event scheduled for May 7 – New iPad models expected to be launched</a>

An Ambani disruption in OTT: At just ₹1 per day, you can now enjoy ad-free content on JioCinema

Mumbai, Viacom 18 has bagged the <keyword id="6391629" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bcci-media-rights" source="Orion">BCCI media rights</keyword> in both TV and digital for the next five years, announced Jay Shah, the <keyword id="6354756" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bcci" source="Orion">BCCI</keyword> Honorary Secretary. Viacom18 beat competition from Sony Sports Network and Disney Star in an e-auction held on Thursday. "Congratulations @viacom18 for winning the @BCCI Media Rights for both linear and digital for the next 5 years. India Cricket will continue to grow in both spaces as after @IPL, and @wplt20, we extend the partnership @BCCI Media Rights as well. Together we will continue to capture the imagination of Indian cricket fans," said Shah on the social media platform "X". Viacom18, a relative newcomer in the broadcasting world through its TV channel Sports18 and digital platform Jio Cinema, is also the holder of TV and digital rights to the Women's Premier League (WPL) till 2027. It also has the rights to Cricket South Africa matches to be broadcasted in India from 2024-31. Viacom18 has taken the BCCI bilateral media rights from Disney Star, who had won the television and digital rights for the 2018-23 cycle for INR 6138 crore. Disney Star had won the rights to the 2012-18 cycle of broadcasting Indian cricket in the country for INR 3851 crores. "Also, a big thank you to @starindia @DisneyPlusHS for your support over the years. You played a key role in making India Cricket reach its fans across the globe," added Shah, also the President of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC). The BCCI has opted for an e-auction for the bilateral media rights, with a base price of INR 25 crore for India digital and rest of world TV &amp; digital rights and INR 20 crore for India television rights, continuing the trend from IPL media rights auction. It brought the combined rights value to INR 45 crore per game for a total of 88 matches for the 2023-28 cycle. Viacom18's cycle of showing India's matches will begin with the three-match ODI series against Australia from September 22-27, a preparatory series before the Men's ODI World Cup. --IANS nr/bsk

Viacom 18 bags BCCI media rights in both digital and TV for next five years

The Viacom18 secured the Women's Indian Premier League (<keyword id="6354312" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ipl" source="Orion">IPL</keyword>) media rights value for the 2023-2027 cycle for a whopping Rs 951 crore which means per match value of INR 7.09 crore for next 5 years. The <keyword id="6354756" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="bcci" source="Orion">BCCI</keyword> will unveil the five <keyword id="4804667" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="wipl" source="Orion">WIPL</keyword> franchises on January 25. The news comes as a massive development for women's cricket on Monday as <keyword id="15065481" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="women-indian-premier-league" source="Orion">Women Indian Premier League</keyword> (WIPL) media rights was auctioned. The news was confirmed by Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary <keyword id="210899" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="jay-shah" source="Orion">Jay Shah</keyword> on his Twitter account on Monday. "Congratulations @viacom18 for winning the Women's @IPL media rights. Thank you for your faith in @BCCI and @BCCIWomen. Viacom has committed INR 951 crores which means per match value of INR 7.09 crores for next 5 years (2023-27). This is massive for Women's Cricket," Jay Shah tweeted on Monday. Viacom has pledged INR 951 crore, and INR 7.09 crore for each match, for the next five years. The Women's T20 Challenge was initially held as an exhibition tournament, but the BCCI last year eventually made the decision to introduce the WIPL, with the first season's opening match scheduled for March. The BCCI has not officially released the tournament's schedule, but it is widely believed that the first season, which would consist of 22 matches, will take place between March 5 and March 23. Uncapped cricketers have been given two alternatives, while players with caps--those who have represented India or are currently on a central contract--can select either Rs. 30 lakh, Rs. 40 lakh, or Rs. 50 lakh as their base pricing (Rs. 10 lakh and Rs. 20 lakh). Prior to the WIPL, the base price has been separated into five categories, ranging from Rs. 10 lakh to Rs. 50 lakh. The auction's registration cutoff date is January 26. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/sports/news/india-creates-world-record-for-highest-margin-win-in-odi-cricket/slidelist/97021299.cms">India creates world record for highest margin win in ODI – here are India’s biggest wins</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/sports/news/ipl-2023-schedule-time-and-match-details/articleshow/96572695.cms">IPL 2023 schedule, time and match details</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/sports/news/here-are-the-most-expensive-players-sold-at-the-ipl-2023-mini-auction/slidelist/96473422.cms">Here are the most expensive players sold at the IPL 2023 mini-auction</a>

Viacom18 wins Women's IPL media rights for ₹951 crore for 2023-27

<ul><li><keyword id="187712" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="viacom18" source="Orion">Viacom18</keyword>'s Youth, Music and English Entertainment cluster is strengthening its 2022 multiplatform content strategy and has launched its maiden short-form video offering Fully Faltoo, with more than a dozen new web shows.</li><li>It has also set up ‘KaanPhod’, a new business division that will provide emerging musical artists an opportunity to showcase their talent.</li><li><keyword id="7250917" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="anshul-ailawadi" source="Orion">Anshul Ailawadi</keyword>, Head – Youth, Music and English Entertainment, Viacom18 about the new initiatives and how it will set stage for its future growth.</li></ul>Viacom18 has been on a mission, to catch the attention of the younger audience who are slowly moving away from traditional television to digital mediums. To catch the audience where they are, it is strengthening its Youth, Music and English Entertainment (YME) cluster which comprises <keyword id="8959" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="mtv" source="Orion">MTV</keyword>, <keyword id="3630968" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="mtv-beats" source="Orion">MTV Beats</keyword>, <keyword id="261768" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="comedy-central" source="Orion">Comedy Central</keyword>, Colors Infinity and Vh1. The unit recently expanded its digital footprint by launching the Fully Faltoo <keyword id="4668945" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="nft" source="Orion">NFT</keyword> platform that the network says saw over 3000 digital collectibles sold out within a couple of hours. The marketplace is now going to offer another range of digital collectibles from its brands like MTV, Vh1 and Comedy Central. The brand will also launch its maiden short-form video offering Fully Faltoo, with more than a dozen new web shows and snackable content. ‘KaanPhod’, a brand-new business division will provide emerging musical artists an opportunity to showcase their talent. Season one of ‘Mic Test’ on KaanPhod, will introduce 10 promising new artists and their original tracks, which will also be made available for viewers on television (MTV, MTV Beats, and Vh1), social and streaming platforms. To understand the performance of this division so far, and how they are further expanding on it, we spoke to Anshul Ailawadi, Head – Youth, Music and English Entertainment, Viacom18. Excerpts: Q) After 2 difficult years, things seem to be slowly getting back to normal. How has the cluster's performance been? We witnessed significant growth on Television as well as digital for the cluster. In an aggregate sense, total viewership is back in every way, and it is similar for revenue. However, from a consumer perspective, a lot has changed. For young people, 2020-21 has been very difficult as they have the longest future ahead of them and therefore we have seen a lot of interesting changes. People want to go back into the world of escapism, they want opportunities and creator economy has become much more powerful now. For MTV India, viewership has grown on TV and digital. We also experimented with sports and that has given us a very different type of audience, especially the non-prime time ones, the early morning entertainment ones. And MTV Beats, our FTA channel, is in No. 1 position again in the space and continues to remain strong. Our social followings, too, have grown substantially across platforms. Our number of followers and subscribers have increased. Q) While the consumer response to the cluster has been good, how has the advertiser response been? People who were advertising with us came back. In terms of ad growth and pipeline, it has been very robust. There has been a huge growth in volumes and we have seen both MTV and MTV Beats at the receiving end of this. And specifically for MTV Beats, which is a Free Dish channel, we have seen a significant increment. For the overall cluster, we witnessed a double digit percentage growth. Q) What are your key focus areas when it comes to your content strategy for the next financial year? We want to grow every property of our cluster 10x as compared to what it is right now and revamp and rejuvenate it with new insights that we have in terms of new consumer habits. Roadies is the first one with a very different concept. We will dial up our existing properties and also pivot towards digital by launching creator-friendly propositions in the form of Fully Faltoo, Fully Faltoo NFT and KaanPhod. KaanPhod will begin with 10 music videos, 10 artistes and 25 original music tracks; we will further amp it up. These are our priorities. Beyond this, we will come up with new content. We will look at announcing a new IP on MTV in a couple of months. We are also working with a few partners to make our calendars fuller. Q) What was the thought behind launching the NFT platform? What kind of response has it seen? While MTV is a media brand, for us, the way we look at ourselves is based on our bond with our audiences. We have to be present in whatever touchpoints our audiences are at. We saw the NFT space growing very rapidly. We felt that there was an opportunity for people to own a piece of our legacy. So with this thinking, we entered into the NFT space and we will continue to do so. We have more collectibles that are scheduled to drop very shortly. There are yet a lot of aspects about NFTs that haven’t been explored in a big way. We want to look at the utility each NFT can give to our audience and provide them with different formats of NFTs. We will look at doing all of this in the next 6-9 months. Within 36 hours, we sold 3000 pieces and eventually sold the 13 rare collectibles too. We received a very promising response. Q) Tell me a bit about the YouTube channel - Fully Faltoo and the new business division - Kaan Phod that you’re launching. What is your goal with these launches? We have been the first ones to give creators a voice. We realized that our audiences were everywhere and there is a lot of fragmentation in touchpoints with the audience. Each touchpoint is a different canvas and has a different grammar. So when we make content for mainly TV or OTT, it has a very different view with a certain line of content, grammar, vibes, and aesthetic. A lot of young people are consuming content that’s very different, for instance, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram or short format content. And this is an area that we understand very well. We understand creators and short-form content very well. We have been doing it for brands for so many years. And therefore we decided to launch Fully Faltoo and KaanPhod. Fully Faltoo will offer viral content from unique creators. KaanPhod, too, was an equally important choice. We felt that in the music space, there is a lot of asymmetry in opportunities for artists and creators. Fully Faltoo and KaanPhod are two offerings that we are launching where we will give people, who are talented, a chance to be visible on all our platforms and this is a unique spin for us in the coming year. Q) How are you wooing core advertisers to advertise on your channel? Today, advertisers also understand that the value of a property is critical. We are the OGs when it comes to branded content. We have been organically building brands. Last year we had <keyword id="422981" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="livon" source="Orion">Livon</keyword> for Supermodel of the year, <keyword id="13357426" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="unacademy-for-unacademy-unwind" source="Orion">Unacademy for Unacademy Unwind</keyword>. We did Style in 60 with Philips, partnered with Center Fresh for a comic hunt reality show. This is our legacy and we will continue to build on it. We are looking at more branded content partnerships and since our content is available on TV, OTT and digital, this gives brands and advertisers an opportunity to come to us.

We want to grow every property of our cluster 10x as compared to what it is right now: Anshul Ailawadi, Viacom18

<ul><li>Big Boss has launched in its digital avatar on Voot.</li><li>Bigg Boss OTT roped in 8 leading brands as sponsors for the exclusive digital season. After <keyword id="6358977" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="swiggy">Swiggy</keyword> and <keyword id="6416838" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="coindcx">CoinDCX</keyword> joined in as the ‘co-powered by’ sponsors, Viacom18’s Voot roped in Vimal Elaichi, <keyword id="9555198" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="MX-TakaTak">MX Takatak</keyword>, <keyword id="2875740" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Netmeds">Netmeds</keyword>, <keyword id="150626" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="HM">H&amp;M</keyword>, <keyword id="270570" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Durex">Durex</keyword> and Lotus Herbal as sponsors.</li></ul>With screens turned from television to digital, Bigg Boss, in its digital avatar, unleashed a super storm of over-the-top celebration and entertainment with its opening episode. With its launch on Voot with 13 contestants, Bigg Boss OTT roped in 8 leading brands as sponsors for the exclusive digital season. The season premiere episode witnessed viewers tuning in from across India registering the highest numbers of subscriber tune-in for a Bigg Boss opening till date. After Swiggy and CoinDCX joined in as the ‘co-powered by’ sponsors, Viacom18’s Voot roped in Vimal Elaichi, MX Takatak, Netmeds, H&amp;M, Durex and Lotus Herbal as sponsors. Joining as Presenting Sponsor, Vimal Elaichi is recognized as a brand to champion pioneering ideas with a strong youth appeal. Vimal Elaichi will leverage Bigg Boss’ fandom to connect and interact with viewers through highly engaging IPs like Video Vichaar and Extraa Masala giving the brand widespread exposure throughout the reality series. While Video Vichaar will enable viewers to share thoughts and opinions around daily developments within the house, Extraa Masala is a successful content around content IP that traditionally attracts hordes of Asli Fans who can’t keep away from the Bigg Boss phenomena. MX Takatak is a recognized brand in the short video format domain and in capacity as Social Media Partner, MX Takatak will deepen synergies with the show and its audience. MX Takatak will foster and drive growth for the Bigg Boss OTT x Voot community on its platform. As Style Partner, internationally loved fashion brand, H&amp;M will spruce up with style quotient on the show. A host of distinctive partners will seamlessly integrate with the daily storyline thus becoming an essential aspect of the overall storytelling. Additionally, Netmeds joins as Pharmacy Partner, Durex as <keyword id="11846994" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="special-partner">Special Partner</keyword> and Lotus Herbal as Beauty Partner will drive engagement through tasks and activities that both contestants and viewers will actively be involved in. Elaborating on the sponsorships, Gourav Rakshit, Chief Operating Officer, <keyword id="2947361" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Viacom18-Digital-Ventures">Viacom18 Digital Ventures</keyword>, said, “Bigg Boss has grown to become a celebrated proposition for brands to connect and engage with viewers. Given the multi-touchpoint offering, the interest the show generates is unlike any other. The diverse brands that have come onboard as sponsors, some of whom have joined the Bigg Boss family for the first time in this exciting edition, is testimony to popularity of Bigg Boss and the wide appeal of the Voot platform. We are excited to be working closely with them to create an ‘Over The Top experience’ for their audiences as well.” Speaking on associating with India’s largest reality phenomena, spokesperson at Vimal Elaichi said, “We are delighted to come on board as the presenting partner of Bigg Boss OTT- a new, pioneering idea for an OTT platform in India. Vimal has always associated with shows and IPs that have a large mass audience connect; testimony to that are our brand ambassadors Ajay Devgn and Shahrukh Khan! An innovative property like Bigg Boss OTT which is watched and loved by millions, fits in seamlessly with the same vision. We are very confident that this partnership will enjoy tremendous success.” On its premiere association with Voot for Bigg Boss OTT, Janhavi Parikh, Business Head - MX TakaTak said, “With this exciting partnership, we bring reality television to short video as well! Bigg Boss OTT shows the real side of celebrities to its viewers while MX TakaTak offers a great platform and encourages users, creators, digital enthusiasts to showcase their real talent across different genres. The natural content synergies that both platforms drive make it a win-win for us and we believe this will make for a great content fit for our users.” With the entertainment phenomenon’s tremendous popularity and reach, the sponsorships aim to provide brands with an opportunity to engage and collaborate through various touchpoints throughout the digital season. With prominence through ad spots, task integrations, special zones and other interactive and innovative branding opportunities, Bigg Boss OTT is all set to further give impetus to the brands to enhance their visibility and influence consumers.

Voot onboards 8 sponsors for Bigg Boss OTT as it opens its digital-first exclusive season

<ul><li>Whether it was surviving the second wave or breaking viewership records during Diwali, 2021 was a rollercoaster year for the television industry.</li><li>Broadcasters spent the first half of 2021 recovering from the impact of multiple lockdowns but the festive season helped the industry get back on its feet.</li><li>As we move forward this year, a few industry experts tell us about new opportunities that 2022 will bring forth for the broadcast industry.</li></ul>With cancellations of live events and sports and no scope to produce fresh General Entertainment Content, the broadcast industry faced a huge creative challenge and financial burden in 2020. However, the television industry was quick to find its ace card -- they started re-airing their classic shows and movies to woo their audience. The return of old mythological shows like Ramayan and Mahabharat from the 90s not only led to an exponential rise in viewership but also increased advertisers’ count. These shows soon became the main source of entertainment among Hindi GECs, and both adults and kids watched the epic stories together. With the audiences stuck at home, television was quick to break its viewership records. Doordarshan had announced that Ramayan became the world's most-watched show on April 16, 2020 with 7.7 crore viewers. Doordarshan’s average daily viewers also grew by 62 million. The need for escapism, news updates and knowledge also increased in times of trouble, creating a need for content. As the lockdown restrictions eased in the country, GECs resumed their production in phases and the great advertising carnival of IPL brought the much-needed cheer for the broadcast industry and consumers in September. The year 2020, undoubtedly, had a far-reaching impact on consumer behaviour and their viewing patterns changed in 2021. Despite economic challenges that were accelerated with the second wave of COVID-19, legacy advertisers continued to increase spends on TV and starts-up were the biggest advertisers on IPL 2021. The second wave did take the industry a step back but television recovered gracefully as the festive season began in August. As per BARC, Ad Volumes on TV for September 2021 was the highest since 2019, which was 15%. The highest spurt was observed for Bhojpuri language channels, where ad volumes were more than double that of 2019, and 38% higher than in 2020. While Hindi language channels account for the largest share of TV advertising, Tamil and Telugu language channels witnessed robust growth over 2020. At the same time, with new changes in viewing patterns after the pandemic, over-the-Top platforms also posed a big threat to television viewership. However, broadcast players started realigning their goals, understanding these changing patterns and adopting agile approaches for content development. As a result, broadcasters have been working towards tailor-making their content that is adept to multiple platforms’ front-end user interfaces. This approach accelerated digital transformation in the broadcast industry by a few years and helped us believe that television and digital are indeed capable of growing hand-in-hand in India. This trend will continue to take shape further in 2022 as well. So as we move forward this year, the broadcast industry is optimistic about rising to its full strength together. We spoke to a few industry experts to discuss what lies ahead. Here’s what they said: Abhishek Dutta, South Asia Network Head, POGO and Cartoon Network: Homegrown kids’ content is definitely the one trend to watch out for. In 2021, WarnerMedia India’s kids’ entertainment channels, Cartoon Network and POGO launched several successful shows that celebrate Indian flavors as relevant localized content continues to hold sway among Indian viewers. According to FICCI-EY media and entertainment industry report (March 2021), regional languages will make up 60% of television consumption by 2025. This has dictated our strong hold on the pulse of the Indian audience and is reflected in our continued investment in homegrown content. This trend also means there is a massive opportunity for the wider animation industry sector in India – from creation and production to developing talent. Our fans-first strategy has shaped the “glocal” approach to our kids’ business in India. One that is focused on world-class animation and relatable stories. 100% homegrown shows and international content localized to suit Indian viewing preferences will continue to rule the roost. Anu Sikka, Head of Content Creation, Channel Strategy &amp; Research at Kids Cluster, <keyword id="187712" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="viacom18" source="Orion">Viacom18</keyword>: Engaging viewers in a language they best understand is essential in order to deliver great experiences. As content creators, it is important to narrate stories in a way that young dynamic minds can understand, relate and build a strong affinity. In India, with an exponential growth in the consumption of regional language content, viewers are keen on engaging with the characters in a language of their choice, thereby leading to larger brand visibility and deeper engagement levels. An increase in multi-lingual content will be the key driver for growth in the television industry. Curating multi-lingual content will lead to audiences developing an unbreakable bond with the storyline and its characters and further strengthen the relationship with the brand. Ruchir Tiwari, Cluster Head - Hindi Movie Channels, ZEEL: In 2021, there was a lot of acceleration because of the pandemic in terms of content consumption. It is evident in the way many billions of Indians have consumed long form content, multi-language content. Predominantly for the Indian market, expectations of the audience are very, very clear. What this is going to do is force all content makers to make good content. I think, right now, whatever the ratio of good content is -- the success rate was never very high because good content is a complex game plan. Now, 2022, it will be an opportunity as well as a challenge to the content creators to make compelling content and then the creators will start from this point of personal development. For me, compelling good content is a must have. Without that, there is no way out and that's the biggest opportunity we all have as an industry. Simran Hoon, CEO, The Q: With the hyper-dynamic market confusion and change in viewers’ preference, the manner and method of storytelling has gained prominence. Innovation in storytelling is hence the need of the hour and this will be one of the strongest trends that will emerge in the coming year. GEC’s will have to re-strategize to showcase content that is not just original and relevant but also interactive and engagement-driven. Another trend for 2022 is how content on Television is viewed. TV will be seen as a medium of entertainment and not ‘the destination.’ The Q has been an early adopter of this trend and has built itself in a unique style with our multi-platform availability. Anshul Ailawadi, Business Head – Youth, Music and English Entertainment, Viacom18: While 2021 was about optimism and perseverance, 2022 will be about taking bold bets and experimenting with content. The last 2 years have accelerated several shifts in consumer preferences and habits. Creators are now focussing on different feedback loops as markers of success instead of conventional viewership metrics. Content is being consumed in so many ways, it’s hard to assess (accurately) the potential of a story at the time of greenlighting it. We will see new concepts, new storylines and new faces across genres as age-old rules are tested, and at times, even broken.

Trends that will shape the broadcast industry in 2022

<ul><li>Shares of <keyword id="7982474" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="ViacomCBS">ViacomCBS</keyword> extended its two-day decline to nearly 30% on Thursday after its planned $3 billion equity offering.</li><li>Investors had fueled a more than 100% year-to-date rally in ViacomCBS prior to the offering.</li><li>ViacomCBS plans to use proceeds from the offering to invest in its new <keyword id="572624" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Streaming">streaming</keyword> platform, Paramount+</li><li><a href="https://newsletter.businessinsider.com/join/4np/10-things-opening-bell?utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingest?utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingest?utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingest?utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingest?utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingest?utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingest?utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingest?utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingest?utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingest?utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingestutm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingest" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sign up here for our daily newsletter, 10 Things Before the Opening Bell</a>.</li></ul>The epic year-to-date rally in shares of <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/viac-stock">ViacomCBS</a> is on hold after the company decided to take advantage of its recent share price gains and launch <a href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210322005772/en/ViacomCBS-Announces-Offerings-of-Class-B-Common-Stock-and-Mandatory-Convertible-Preferred-Stock">a $3 billion equity offering.</a>ViacomCBS extended its two-day decline to nearly 30% on Thursday. Shares were off by 23% on Wednesday, and fell an additional 6% on Thursday. The $3 billion share offering is comprised of class B common stock and its series A convertible preferred stock. ViacomCBS is selling 20 million class B common stock <a href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210324005438/en/ViacomCBS-Prices-Offerings-of-Class-B-Common-Stock-and-Mandatory-Convertible-Preferred-Stock">at $85 per share</a>, and 10 million series A preferred stock at a liquidation preference of $100 per share.The company plans to use the proceeds to invest in <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/paramount-plus-streaming-service">its new streaming business, Paramount+.</a> The rebrand and relaunch of the new streaming platform was largely responsible for driving a more than 150% rally in shares over the past few months as investors welcomed the company's direct to consumer content offering. Paramount+ was previously called CBS All Access, but heavy spend in Super Bowl advertisements helped solidify the new name among consumers.Shares of ViacomCBS topped out at $100 per share before falling to $66 on Thursday. Even after the two-day sell-off, shares of ViacomCBS are up 77% year-to-date.

ViacomCBS extends 2-day decline to 29% after it launches $3 billion equity offering to fund streaming business

<ul><li>Before COVID, summer and winter vacations were the most important period of the year for kids’ TV channels. However, after COVID, kids have been home for a year and a half and are turning to TV and OTT channels to entertain themselves from the safety of their homes.</li><li>Category leader <keyword id="16123" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nickelodeon" source="Orion">Nickelodeon</keyword> has stayed on the number one rank in the kid's entertainment space for seven consecutive years and Sonic has reached number two from number seven in three years.</li><li>Now, to celebrate its 11th year of existence, Nickelodeon is unveiling a fun new show called ‘<keyword id="12298070" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Chikoo-aur-Bunty" source="Orion">Chikoo aur Bunty</keyword>’ based on sibling rivalry.</li><li>We talk to <keyword id="321502" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nina-Elavia-Jaipuria" source="Orion">Nina Elavia Jaipuria</keyword>, Head, Hindi Mass Entertainment and Kids TV Network, Viacom18 about cluster’s content library, growth of local content in television, change in viewership patterns and her vision for <keyword id="910910" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="kids-entertainment" source="Orion">kids entertainment</keyword> genre.</li></ul>The Diwali vacation is almost here and Nickelodeon, the category leader in the kids’ network from Viacom18, is as excited as online school kids are for their vacation at home and is all set to make the most of this time. It is unveiling a new show called ‘Chikoo aur Bunty’ that is based on sibling rivalry. It has already onboarded three sponsors -- Phillips, Pediasure and Flipkart Shopsy for its new show, which is slated to go live on October 18. Telling us why the channel chose October to schedule its launch, Nina Elavia Jaipuria, Head, Hindi Mass Entertainment and Kids TV Network, Viacom18 said, “I think that it's always a good time to deliver new content in the quarters that are very busy from a festival perspective. So, kids are at home, they have a vacation from even online schooling and have more time on their hands. And in the festive quarter, we've always realised that partners and advertisers are also looking to advertise that much more on the genre. And so it's a great marriage of viewership and revenue that that makes us go after this particular quarter, where it's Diwali and Christmas time, kids are having fun, and they're actually watching so much more than they'd love to check out a new show from their favourite franchise.” Nickelodeon is going all out to promote its new show and has pivoted its media plans outside of TV with digital getting the lion’s share. It is advertising across OTT apps, including Disney+ Hotstar during the IPL playoffs. It is launching AR filters, GIF packs and stickers to be a part of daily conversations. Nickelodeon has also partnered with Belgian Waffles, Smoking Joe’s and New York Burrito Company to offer a specially curated Chikoo and Bunty meal. Finding strength in home-grown content The 2-14 year age group forms the universe for kids broadcasters. A mix of local shows and international cartoons are aired daily to keep kids glued in front of the television. However, in the last five years, home-grown content has grown tremendously and is dominating the category. 8 out of top 20 animated characters are from the Nickelodeon franchise and only 2 of them are syndicated. The kids category in India was shaped by Cartoon Network in the 90s as it was the first channel to be launched in the genre in 1995. Since then, the genre has seen about 12-15 players catering to pre-schoolers and tweens. Cartoon Network occupied the majority of the market with its international content for a long time, post that, its sister channel Pogo climbed the top with its local hero, Chhota Bheem. Then came Turner, followed by Nickelodeon which took over with its local content and a few international shows eight years ago. Since then, it has focused on launching one home-grown IP each year to maintain its leadership position and expand its presence further by localising its content. Currently, its home-grown content of 10 IPs drives the majority of viewership on the category. Jaipuria said, “The Nickelodeon franchise and what we deliver to children, at least on Nick and Sonic, is all almost local except for Ninja Hatodi, which is syndicated content. We really are not playing any other international content on the channel outside of Ninja. Local has also grown in its own way. As you create local, you have to keep in mind the dynamic target audience that you have. And you have to therefore write stories accordingly, contemporize, take care of the look and feel and fashion, apparel, and music. The overall local content has evolved over the years.” The kids genre has been growing year-on-year too, despite COVID-19, channel segmentation and other new channel launches. During the lockdown(s), with no friends, no playgrounds -- kids weren't even allowed to step out. In such a scenario, TV and OTT entertainment channels acted as their escape and respite. Egro, kids’ entertainment category has also seen more interest from new advertisers across categories. “We are a mass channel as we enjoy 7% of the total viewership. In the pandemic, particularly where TV has been the primary screen of entertainment for families, co-viewership is actually making the genre even more attractive. We have kids and non-kid advertisers on the channel. We have partners who have been with us for several years, and new partners on board as well. So, we have a good mix of advertisers who are looking to even not just talk to kids who are in-house consultants, they influence almost every other household decision and purchase, but they're also now looking at families and parents, who are actually watching with their children. And therefore you see lots of FMCG brands on the channel. And we've seen right from handwash, and sanitization to cosmetics to Britannia and, Parle and BYJUs, Amazon, Flipkart. So there is this whole robust co-viewership that Nickelodeon as a franchisee enjoys. And that is why you have advertisers who are targeting both kids as well as families,” shared Jaipuria. Co-viewership on the genre has been very crucial from both advertising and viewership points of view. It has been growing consistently, as more and more parents are keen on becoming friends with their kids. Viewership patterns and vision for the cluster The Nickelodeon cluster with three channels (Nick Jr, Nickelodeon and Sonic) grabs 33% of the kids market share. It also has the maximum share in kids ad revenue pie, with a strong 35% lead. It is the network’s robust library with 700+ hours of content that has helped it stay ahead of the curve and consistent with its performance. Due to COVID, the overall television viewership saw a hike. Nickelodeon also witnessed a similar trend. However, as schools open up for kids above 7th grade across the country now, the viewership is likely to go down. Telling us how the viewership might change, Jaipuria said, “It grew at a very robust percentage of almost 39-40% during the lockdown and we have seen a decline of about 10% as of now, but I think at some point it will stabilise and I do feel that it will stabilise slightly above the pre-COVID level. So, we may not go back to the pre-covid level but we will obviously not stay at this very high level of 40% also, that's very unnatural and cannot happen as things open up and as the remote move from person to person in the household. But it will continue to be a very mass genre and I think it will stabilise above the pre-COVID-19 level.” With 11 homegrown IPs, Nickelodeon will now focus on reaching out to its viewers at multiple touchpoints and continue building a content library that caters to India’s diverse needs. “From a kids entertainment perspective, the vision is to ensure that we continue to custom-make and tailor-make content for kids in the country. The vision is to make sure that we continue to curate and conceptualise content that has great potential, which is either relatable, identifiable or has the ability to transport kids it into a imaginary world. I think the vision is to create content, which is agnostic, so that we can cater to their entertainment needs and preferences across any device that they choose to actually consume us. So I think the vision is to create an ecosystem -- a very dynamic evolved engagement ecosystem as an entertainer, where we not only engage them on television, but we are there with them on social media, Ott and we're able to engage with them and give them the ability to play with the characters at various levels, which is in terms of gaming in terms of challenges, DIY, short form long form. So we want to be the one stop shop for entertainment. We want to be an overall kids ecosystem where we are able to engage and entertain with them holistically and responsibly,” shared Jaipuria on a final note.

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