Welcome to News Views, CASBAA’s news round-up culled from sources across the industry for the week ending Dec 23th. Curated by CASBAA, News Views keeps you in the loop. We always value your feedback, so tell us what you think!
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Bermuda and Hong Kong – 23 December 2016, ABS and Nepal Digital Cable (NDC) signed a multitransponder agreement to deliver Direct-to-Home (DTH) broadcast service into Nepal.
The new platform will broadcast over 170 TV channels of local and international content. Audiences will be able to enjoy an array of high quality programming. This new service will commence in February 2017 on ABS-2, South Asia Ku-band beam at the prime location of 75°E covering Nepal and neighboring South Asia countries.
“NDC is providing a ground breaking option from a dominated marketplace.” said Laxmi Prasad Paudyal, Managing Director of NDC. “We are thrilled to work with ABS to deliver the next-generation DTH service in Nepal, with the most sophisticated and state-of-the-art technology. Our subscribers will enjoy more than 170 high quality channels, including around 50 High Definition (HD), as well as 3 Ultra High Definition (UHD or 4K) channels, the first in Nepal. Customers can also look forward to a very attractive package from NDC.” He added, “Our goal is not to meet the competition but go way beyond it and set a new milestone in Nepalese Pay TV Industry”.
“Partnering with NDC to further expand our broadcasting services to Nepal is exciting. This will be the new addition to our existing DTH platforms in Indonesia, Russia/CIS, South Asia, Bangladesh and Africa,” said Tom Choi, CEO of ABS. “We are eager to facilitate regional broadcasters with their business growth, at our prime broadcasting orbital slots of 75°E, 159°E and 3°W, where our newly launched satellites for video broadcasting are strategically located. It is our mission to deliver quality television to the wider population at an affordable cost.”
ABS-2 was launched in 2014 as one of the most powerful satellites in the Eastern Hemisphere with 89 transponders. It is a versatile SSL 1300 spacecraft, and is designed to serve DTH requirements.
About ABS
ABS is one of the fastest growing global satellite operators in the world. ABS offers a complete range of tailored solutions including broadcasting, data and telecommunication services to broadcasters, service providers, enterprises and government organizations.
ABS operates a fleet of satellites: ABS-2, ABS-2A, ABS-3, ABS-3A, ABS-4/Mobisat-1, ABS-6, and ABS-7. The satellite fleet covers over 93% of the world’s population across the Americas, Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, CIS and Russia.
Headquartered in Bermuda, ABS has offices in the United States, UAE, South Africa and Asia. ABS is majority owned by funds managed by the European Private Equity firm Permira.
For more information, visit: www.absatellite.com
About Nepal Digital Cable
Nepal Digital Cable is the first 4K and largest market place of Nepal, a joint venture of Gospell Digital Technology Co. Ltd, Shenzhen China and Nepalese entrepreneurs. It is the widest and largest ever platforms of Nepal. NDC is aiming to start its operation early Feb 2017 and wishes to reach the mass and class together. Set up by an experienced team and the state-of-the-art technology, it will be on a front line of Nepalese Pay TV market soon. NDC is aimed to provide a wide range of programs and above par excellence on digital TV industry of Nepal. NDC is expanding its services to digital cable and high speed broadband as well.
For more information, visit: www.hamrotv.com.np
Deal Includes Wide Ranging Partnership with and Investment in IHQ, Inc. and Acquisition of Local Channels
NEW YORK (December 21, 2016) – A+E Networks® has committed to a major expansion of its footprint in South Korea via a partnership with entertainment media powerhouse, IHQ Inc., in which it will acquire a strategic stake. In addition, A+E will purchase two local channels – FoodTV and TVIS – which, via a partnership with IHQ and its majority shareholder, D’Live Co., Ltd., will be widely distributed across a range platforms to the market’s digitally savvy audience that includes more than 20 million homes. The announcement was made today by Edward Sabin, Executive Managing Director, International, A+E Networks and Mr. YJ Jeon, CEO of IHQ and D’Live.
TVIS and FoodTV are intended to be rebranded as A+E’s genre-defining global brands, HISTORY® and Lifetime® in 2017. With access to IHQ’s strong relationships with Korean talent and production capabilities, both channels will feature a significant pipeline of local original content alongside A+E’s blockbuster franchises.
A+E will launch digital content and products, and take advantage of Korea’s highly evolved digital ecosystem through its cooperation with IHQ. IHQ and A+E Networks will also work together to exploit regional growth opportunities for IHQ brands and content outside Korea.
“This is a broad and ambitious partnership that enables A+E Networks to create a content production engine across all platforms, and will provide growth opportunities across a region that is of critical strategic importance to us,” said Sabin. “In addition, the acquisition and partnership underscore A+E Networks’ commitment to creating high quality content and growing the relevance of the HISTORY® and Lifetime® brands among Korean audiences. All of this on the back of two well-penetrated local channels that give us powerful launch pads for our brands, both corporately for A+E Networks as well as for History and Lifetime. We look forward to working closely with IHQ to execute on this vision.”
“A+E Networks venture into the Korean market is truly a groundbreaking event. A deal of this significance is unprecedented in the Korean media and content market. It is also meaningful in that A+E Networks’ entry will pave the way for further advancement of the Korean content industry,” noted Mr. Jeon. “The alliance is also a major step forward for IHQ as it will help with our efforts to expand at the global level and enable IHQ to be more aggressive in expanding its content and media operations. Furthermore, we expect the strategic investment to further increase the potential value proposition of D’Live and IHQ.”
The deal is subject to customary regulatory approvals.
About A+E Networks
A+E Networks®, LLC. is an award-winning, global media content company offering consumers a diverse communications environment ranging from linear channels to websites, gaming, watch apps and educational software as well as SVOD products, including first-to-market Apps such as HISTORY Vault and Lifetime Movie Club. A+E Networks is comprised of A&E®, Lifetime®, History®, LMN®, FYI™, VICELAND, H2™, A+E Studios™, History en Espaňol™, Crime + Investigation™, Military History™, Lifetime Real Women®, A&E IndieFilms®, A+E Networks International®, A+E Networks Digital® and A+E Networks Consumer Products™. A+E Networks channels and branded programming reach more than 335 million households in over 200 territories and 41 languages. A+E Networks, LLC. is a joint venture of Disney-ABC Television Group and Hearst. Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/aenetworks and Facebook at facebook.com/AENetworks/.
About D’Live Co. / IHQ Inc.
D’Live is one of the largest cable and OTT service provider in Korea with its operations based in the Seoul metropolitan area with approximately 2.3 million subscribers. D’Live was also selected the first Netflix partner in Korea.
About IHQ
IHQ has been one of the most prominent players in Korean entertainment field. Through a recent merger with CU Media, IHQ has grown into a fully-integrated entertainment and media group that has complete control over talent management, content production and channel operation. IHQ’s core business areas are comprised of two main divisions; entertainment division that manages talents as well as drama production, and media division that operates the 6 channels and in-house content production.
For media-related enquiries, please contact:
Vicky Kahn / 1-212-210-9743
Vicky.kahn@aenetworks.com
Shannon Kerr / 1-212-641-3341
Shannon.kerr@aenetworks.com
Welcome to News Views, CASBAA’s news round-up culled from sources across the industry for the week ending Dec 16th. Curated by CASBAA, News Views keeps you in the loop. We always value your feedback, so tell us what you think!
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John Medeiros |
It’s been obvious to everybody that the complexion of the FCC (and its approach to “net neutrality” issues) is going to change when the Trump Administration takes the reins. But partisan wrangling has beset the nomination process for months already, and now there is a benchmark pair of developments: Republicans refused to approve reappointment of Democratic Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel. And Tom Wheeler, who will step down as Chairman, apparently plans to stay on as a member of the Commission. So now there are 2 donkeys and 2 elephants, and any tie-breaking vote will have to await Trump’s nominee for Chairman – months in the future.
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Kevin Jennings |
After announcing its development a couple of months ago, Apple’s new TV app with unified video search finally went “live” in the US this week. In theory the app brings all the TV shows and movies from across all your apps and services in one place – with the notable excepton of Netflix who were not included, apparently by choice. There’s a few kinks that need to be fixed and the jury is still out to its effectiveness but one reviewer says “Apple’s new TV app is a smoking hot pile of garbage”. A little unfair maybe – perhaps our expectations are too high of what can be done across multi-platform streaming systems, despite all the hype.
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Mark Lay |
With the British pound down 16% since the Brexit vote, UK assets are on sale. Perfect timing for the Murdoch family’s 21st Century Fox to make another run at buying the rest of Sky PLC the U.K.-based pay-TV giant, serving 22 million households in Britain, Ireland, Austria, Germany, and Italy. 21st Century Fox will pay £11.7 billion for the 61 percent of the company it doesn’t own, a 40 percent premium over its pre-bid price. Fox is expected to use a “scheme
of arrangement” method for the purchase which would help to “squeeze out opponents.” “AT&T’s successful $85 billion bid for Time Warner in October was one of the triggers pushing Murdoch to grow by bidding for Sky, said one of the sources adding that the two companies started talks shortly after the U.S.
election.”
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Anjan Mitra |
Audience measurement organisation BARC India’s unprecedented moves, like temporarily suspending ratings review of three news channels for alleged malpractices, sent ripples in the broadcast industry. Though two of the news channels got interim reprieve from a Mumbai court and BARC, in deference to the court, deciding to release data of the third one too, pending final legal outcome, the move could mean that stakeholders now are serious about data. While BARC has vowed to fight the case, it augurs well for transparency and credibility of the ratings organisation.
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Kevin Jennings |
In what may be seen as a game changer, Facebook has confirmed it is in discussion with video producers to commission shows specifically for Facebook’s mobile-first video environment. The effort is being led by Ricky Van Veen, the CollegeHumor co-founder who moved to Facebook over the summer to become head of global creative strategy. The project intends to create high-quality content for Facebook’s new video tab, which appears right
next to the newsfeed tab on the mobile app. A range of content is being considered, from scripted to unscripted and sports.
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Mark Lay |
Following on from Kevin’s piece, it’s best to keep an eye on Facebook as, according to Rich Raddon of recode, “2017 will be the year the networks (and media companies) realize they are being disrupted by the very distributors of their content — the platforms.” I linked to this a couple weeks back with BTIG’s must-see presentation, “Has Content Been Dethroned by Distribution?” Recent players in this space are Sky and Cisco who have teamed up to develop an app-based international OTT project called OnPrime TV. According to Mark Cuban, “Facebook is without question in a dominant position, if not the dominant position, for content delivery.”
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Christopher Slaughter |
Anybody else remember the idea of “The Long Tail”, which described an Internet filled with infinite niches? Back in the day, Chris Anderson cited Netflix as an example of that, but it turns out that lately, when it comes to movies in particular, the Netflix tail isn’t quite so long any more. Which comes as very little surprise, given the service’s huge investment in original content and acquiring rights to TV series; the movie part of its library is 40% smaller than it was just four years ago. And while it is entirely possible that Netflix doesn’t actually care, users have definitely noticed that the movie libraries kind of suck. None of which has stopped Netflix from becoming the top-grossing iOS app in the US for the first time, by the way.
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John Medeiros |
Rumors flow like water around our industry in Southeast Asia – and frequently they’re about who is not paying their bills. One such case burst into the limelight this week, as Fox sued Bangkok Bank for US$71 million for defaulting on guarantees written to underpin multi-year, multi-channel carriage contracts with Thai pay-TV companies wrapped up in the collapse of Cable Thai Holdings (CTH) earlier this year. Bangkok Bank responded they were ready to pay the guarantee, but their client (CTH) insisted Fox was at fault. (You can make up your own mind, but after spending years in Thailand I know who I believe……) It seems CTH’s bankruptcy hearing will be later this month. In any case, the bank said, they were holding enough collateral that if they have to pay up it won’t hurt their bottom line. (Hope that’s true…a “surge” in their other bad debts got a lot of press earlier in the year.) Anyway, this has the potential to be the biggest finTV spectator sport since the 10-year-long Lippo/Astro arbitration battle, which – despite big headlines every now and then – still drags on.
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Mark Lay |
How can this not get its own piece…three CASBAA members partnering!! BBC, ITV and AMC (taking a non-voting minority stake) are teaming up to offer BritBox, an ad-free streaming service for the US market. “BritBox will offer a streaming experience like no other, with thousands of hours of programs across a wide variety of genres”, said Ann Sarnoff, president, BBC Worldwide North America. BritBox will launch in the first quarter of 2017 in the U.S.; details about price will be revealed then.
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Andrew Lin |
YouTube recently blocked the North Korean state television channel — not
because of the content it produces, but because it was earning money from
Google advertising in violation of U.S. sanctions against Pyongyang. Analysts researching North Korea are understandably disappointed with the decision, as it has closed a window into one of the world’s most “impenetrable” states.
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John Medeiros |
Irdeto’s new report on the piracy landscape makes the very telling point that piracy businesses are now well past the start-up phase; they are sophisticated multinational enterprises quite successful at enticing customers away from the pay-TV industry. If you don’t like reading reports, just have a look at the infographic.
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Andrew Lin |
A
landmark decision was handed down in the UK, as a court sent a seller
of ISD “black boxes” to jail for four years. Interestingly, the conviction came on a “conspiracy to defraud” charge (and not copyright charges.) This points up the urgent need for governments everywhere to find ways to reform copyright law to meet the growth of the “massive black market” in piracy devices.
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Christopher Slaughter |
Last week, we predicted there would be more Best Of lists this week, and sure enough, take your pick: The 25 Best Returning Shows, shows with the Best
Nielsen Ratings, the Ten Best Shows, the best of New TV Shows, the twenty Best Comedy Sketches (most of which are geo-blocked), and the biggest Billion-Dollar Entertainment Deals. And did someone say predictions? Because those are starting to roll out too: looks like 2017 will be the Year
of Programmatic TV, or the Year Media Companies Wake Up, or possibly the Year of No Rest For The Weary In Media.
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Anjan Mitra |
The Delhi High Court has finally removed all legal hurdles to the implementation of Phase III of digitisation in India and paved the way for completion of last and Phase IV too. TRAI chairman RS Sharma has promised to further smoothen the road ahead by reiterating the regulator would come out with its final recommendations on broadcast tariff, QoS and interconnect issues by month end. It’s to be seen whether MIB can push stakeholders to stick to the original schedule of December 31, 2016
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Christopher Slaughter |
And so it begins… awards season is upon us, with the Golden Globe nominations first out of the gate. And depending on who you ask, the real shocker is that the TV nominees are actually great this year. As usual, there were plenty of snubs and surprises in the list; among the biggest, though, is how few series from Netflix and Amazon made the cut. But on trend was HBO as the most-nominated network, with fourteen shows in contention. The awards show will be hosted by Jimmy Fallon on January 8th.
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John Medeiros |
Governments around the world continue to grapple with finding the right mix of policies on internet TV. In the UK, they’re trying to ban online ads that promote junk food to kids. (As the ad industry’s self-regulatory body is behind the initiative, it may even work, sort of.) Local content quotas are the focus in other countries: In Oz, the content producers’ lobby came out to urge taxation of foreign SVOD services to support Aussie content creation. The Liberal government in Canada is also mulling new taxes on online content to support local content. (Last year, the CRTC regulatory commission looked at the issued and decided – mirabile dictu – not to institute new taxes and instead it actually reduced (well, a little bit) the quotas and other constraints on existing TV suppliers, to allow them to confront the online competition.)
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Christopher Slaughter |
Oh, that cheeky YouTube rascal PewDiePie, what a scampy little trickster! Turns out when he said if he reached 50 million subscribers he’d delete his YouTube channel, it was all just a joke! After hitting his mark, he actually deleted a fake channel he had set up, adorably naughty Swede that he is! You decide…. was his prank an act of marketing genius, or a valuable lesson about not trusting the media?
~ Content partners Shemaroo to provide 24X7 video content~
Mumbai, December 21, 2016: Tata Sky today launched ‘Tata Sky Gurus’ – a 24X7 ad-free video service providing teachings of spiritual gurus on its interactive platform. Tata Sky subscribers can now have access to the wisdom of Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar (Art of Living Foundation), Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev (Isha Foundation) and Brahma Kumaris (Brahma Kumari World Spiritual University) from the comfort of their homes. The exhaustive content for this service is curated by Shemaroo and will be available exclusively on the Tata Sky platform.
The spiritual gurus will deliver talks & discourses across topics connecting varied human emotions, challenges and complexities of life. These topics delve deep into the understanding of what life is about and are rooted as strongly in mundane & practical matters as they are in inner experience & wisdom. The service aims to cater to subscribers embarking on a journey of spiritual awakening. ‘Tata Sky Gurus’ will include discourses, satsangs, meditations, interviews, explanation of scriptures in a relatable format, special events and exclusive live feeds of meditation sessions and the ashrams of each guru.
At the launch, Tata Sky’s Chief Commercial Officer Ms. Pallavi Puri said, “Curated and targeted content is what today’s consumer asks for. Amidst the cluttered content space, we observed that there was need for a dedicated service for spiritual seekers – people who are looking for spiritual guidance or already follow India’s most popular spiritual Gurus. Tata Sky Gurus is a service where they can have unlimited access to their Guru’s teachings and thoughts, whenever they want. We partnered with Shemaroo to create this service with exclusive and unlimited content including LIVE feeds from the guru’s ashrams.”
Tata Sky Gurus will be the pioneer in providing Live feeds from Sadhguru’s ashram in Coimbatore & Brahma Kumaris ashram in Mount Abu and exclusive guided meditations in Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s voice.
Mr. Hiren Gada, Director, Shemaroo Entertainment Ltd, “With the increasing stress and pressure in individuals’ lives, the importance and urgency for spirituality has grown. We believe this is the right time for a service like Tata Sky Gurus to be launched. Indian consumers have a huge appetite for a subject like this and with high quality content now being easily accessible, we hope the audiences will have a rich experience. Shemaroo Entertainment has been an active player in the devotional space and through this service we are adding a new dimension to our offerings.”
Visit the website for details: http://www.tatasky.com/wps/portal/TataSky/services/tataskygurus
Content Highlights:
Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
From Sadhguru’s Isha Yoga center:
Content on Brahma Kumari:
About Tata Sky
Launched in 2006, Tata Sky is a JV between the TATA Group and 21st Century Fox. The company has invested in state-of-the-art digital infrastructure, partnered with global leaders to provide superior technology and set-up high-end 24×7 call centers in 14 languages across the country manned by multi-lingual customer service associates. Tata Sky currently has 418 SD, 77 HD channels, 16 interactive service, 6 SD and 6 HD movie Showcase platforms. Tata Sky is the only DTH player in the world, to have a successful business model of pioneering interactive services today.
The Tata Sky brand has achieved significant milestones, industry accolades and is rated as the No 1 DTH brand by the ET Brand Equity 2012 most trusted brand survey. Recently Tata Sky+ HD has been rated as the ‘Product of the Year’, 2013 in the DTH category. The company currently has a presence in 1.5lac towns with over 15 million connections in the country.
For more information on Tata Sky, visit www.tatasky.com
For Further information contact:
| Nida Paloba – 09821017561 | Aditya Ravi – 09821299550
aditya.ravi@tatasky.com |
| Arun Thankappan – 09930860706
arun.thankappan@adfactorspr.com
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Gaurav Bhat – 09833057592
gaurav.bhat@adfactors.com |
Leading Tech Company Integrates Augmented Reality Technology in Campaign for Landmark Natural History Series
December 20 2016, Singapore — Blippar, a technology company building a visual discovery browser through artificial intelligence and augmented reality, and BBC Worldwide today announced their partnership to promote BBC’s latest ratings busting landmark natural history television series Planet Earth II – through a multimedia interactive experience.
Shot in UHD, Planet Earth II, presented by Sir David Attenborough, uses the latest camera stabilisation, remote recording and aerial drone technology to take audiences closer to nature and allows them to experience the wilderness as if they were there.
In the UK, the opening episode of Planet Earth II was the most watched natural history programme in the UK for more than 15 years; and in Singapore, and in Singapore, where it premiered on BBC Earth on 14 November, Planet Earth II led all factual programmes in its timeslot. BBC Earth also ranked number one in the factual channel set on the same day.*
The Blippar and BBC Worldwide partnership lets users experience life in all its wonder via the Blippar mobile app. Through an augmented reality experience, a total of 19 common objects (such as shoes, apples, roses, eyeglasses, and more) can be ‘blipped’ (scanned with the Blippar app) with unique content specific to this campaign. Once blipped, users unlock a short AR experience that leads them to Planet Earth II section within the app. This section delivers entertaining and educational facts about the animal’s diet, habitat and reveals the connection between the blipped object and the selected animals. The user can also see short videos from the landmark series Planet Earth II.
The collaboration allows audiences to experience authentic storytelling. “We’re very excited to be partnering with BBC Worldwide to bring the wildlife closer to everyone.” says Ambarish Mitra, co-founder & CEO at Blippar “AR fuses the digital world with the physical world around us and is an unparalleled tool for storytelling. This campaign is a perfect example as it extends the experience beyond the documentary by gamifying it and bringing the wildlife to people wherever they are.”
“When Planet Earth came out a decade ago, it transformed how viewers saw their planet. It was the first natural history series to be filmed in high definition, and it captivated a global audience of over half a billion people by giving them an unprecedented view of life on Planet Earth. The new Planet Earth II promises to give viewers the most immersive wildlife documentary experience to date. With Blippar’s unique visual discovery browser, fans will be able to engage and learn more about some of the Earth’s most iconic habitats featured in Planet Earth II in a unique way” said Julia Nocciolino, VP Brands, Asia, BBC Worldwide.
In Asia, Planet Earth II airs on BBC Earth channel which is available in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea and Vietnam.
The Blippar experience is available in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Hong Kong in English, in Thailand in Thai and in Taiwan in Traditional Chinese. The Blippar app is available for free on Google Play and App stores.
*Source: StarHub SmarTAM. 14 Nov 2016. Individuals age 4+. Channel rating & share based on consolidated viewing.
Factual channel set: BBC Earth, Animal Planet, Discovery Channel, Discovery Science, History, National Geographic, Nat Geo Wild, Smithsonian Channel
Planet Earth II timeslot: 20:00-21:04, on 14 Nov 2016
Timeslot ranking: 06:00-25:59 and 20:00-21:04
Program logs: based on EPGs
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For more information, please contact:
Jeanne Leong
BBC Worldwide Asia
Tel: +65 6849 5292
Email: Jeanne.Leong@bbc.com
NOTES TO EDITORS
About BBC Worldwide
BBC Worldwide is the main commercial arm and a wholly owned subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). Its vision is to build the BBC’s brands, audiences, commercial returns and reputation across the world. This is achieved through investing in, commercialising and showcasing content from the BBC around the world, in a way that is consistent with BBC standards and values. The business also champions British creativity globally.
In 2015/16 BBC Worldwide generated headline profits of £133.8m and headline sales of £1,029.4m and returned £222.2m to the BBC.
For more detailed performance information please see our Annual Review webpage: bbcworldwide.com/annual-review/.
About Blippar
Blippar, Inc. is a leading technology company specializing in augmented reality, artificial intelligence and computer vision. Its flagship product, Blippar™, is the leading augmented reality and visual search app. Utilizing proprietary, best-in-class technology, the Blippar app enables users to instantaneously discover more about the world around them. Using the Blippar app, people can blipp (“scan”) objects they’re curious about and unlock useful and entertaining content. Since launching in the UK in 2011, Blippar has expanded rapidly, partnering with some of the biggest and most exciting media owners and brands in the world — including Nestlé, Condé Nast, TIME Inc., Procter & Gamble, Kraft, Heinz, PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, Anheuser Busch, and Jaguar. Blippar Inc. also includes Blippar Lab, the company’s innovation and R&D unit as well as Blippar Education, which focuses on the educational sector.
In May 2015, Blippar was named to the CNBC Disruptor 50 list. To learn more, visit https://blippar.com/en/
New Delhi, December 17, 2016: Mr. Punit Goenka, MD & CEO of leading Indian content conglomerate Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) today received the coveted Business Today ‘Best CEO Award’ in the Media and Entertainment category for 2016. The award was presented by the Chief Guest, Hon’ble Minister of Law & Justice and Electronics & Information Technology, Government of India, Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad, Chairman & Editor-in-Chief, India Today group, Mr. Aroon Purie, & Vice Chairman, Wave group, Mr. Manpreet Chadha, at the BT Best CEO Awards ceremony which was held at the Taj Mahal Hotel in New Delhi on Saturday, December 17, 2016.
Acknowledging the award, Mr. Punit Goenka, MD & CEO, ZEEL said, “My immense gratitude goes out to the eminent jury and to Prosenjit Datta and his team at Business Today for bestowing me with the prestigious BT Best CEO Award in the Media & Entertainment category. My heartiest congratulations to all the other deserving winners whose passion, focus and drive have steered their respective companies to success.”
Punit Goenka, MD & CEO, ZEEL
“I accept this award with pride on behalf of our visionary Chairman, Dr. Subhash Chandra, and my team at ZEE whose dedication, hard work and support have enabled the organisation to reach newer and greater heights. We have consistently grown ahead of market, expanded our network viewership share and experienced growth of our product bouquet, both in India and internationally. As we approach our Silver Jubilee, I am confident that driven by innovation and creativity, we will move one step closer towards achieving our ambition of becoming the world’s leading media company from the emerging markets,” Mr. Goenka further added.
The methodology of Business Today’s Best CEO Awards focused on the operational performance of companies and their shareholders returns which was conducted by BT’s Knowledge support partner for the process PwC India. To arrive at the BT Best CEO Award winners for 2016, Business Today first used the BT500 list of Most Valuable Indian Companies as a base and then analysed three-year data, using parameters such as growth in total income, total shareholder returns and PBIT. Based on this analysis, an independent jury comprising renowned business leaders, Nimesh Kampani, Founder and Chairman, JM Financial Group; Kalpana Morparia, CEO of JP Morgan India; Haigreve Khaitan, Senior Partner, Khaitan & Co.; and Sri Rajan, Chairman, Bain & Co. India. then chose the final winners for this year.
A few recipients of the BT Best CEO Awards 2016 include Mr. Sunil Bharti Mittal, Chairman, Airtel, Mr. C.P.Gurnani, CEO & MD, Tech Mahindra, Mr. Sunil Duggal, CEO, Dabur India among others.
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Note to Editors
About Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL):
Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited is one of India’s leading television media and entertainment companies. It is amongst the largest producers and aggregators of Hindi programming in the world, with an extensive library housing over 222,000 hours of television content. With rights to more than 3,818 movie titles from foremost studios and of iconic film stars, ZEE houses the world’s largest Hindi film library. Through its strong presence worldwide, ZEE entertains over 1 billion viewers across 171 countries.
Pioneer of television entertainment industry in India, ZEE’s well-known brands include Zee TV, &TV, Zee Cinema, Zee Action, Zee Classic, &pictures, Zee Anmol, Zee Anmol Cinema, Zee Café, Zee Studio, Zee Salaam, Zing, Zee ETC Bollywood, Zee Q, Zindagi, Ten 1, Ten 2 and Ten 3. The company also has a strong offering in the regional language domain with channels such as Zee Marathi, Zee Talkies, Zee Yuva, Zee Bangla, Zee Bangla Cinema, Zee Telugu, Zee Cinemalu, Zee Kannada, Zee Tamil and Sarthak TV. The company’s HD offerings include Zee TV HD, Zee Cinema HD, &TV HD, Zee Studio HD, Zee Café HD, &pictures HD, Zee Marathi HD, Zee Talkies HD, Zee Bangla HD, Ten 1 HD and Ten Golf HD.
ZEE and its affiliate companies have leading presence across the media value chain including television broadcasting, cable distribution, direct-to-home satellite services, digital media and print media amongst others. ZEEL also operates multiple digital offerings like dittoTV, OZEE, and india.com. More information about ZEE and its businesses is available on www.zeetelevision.com.
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Media Contact:
Abhishek Shrivastav / Arantxa Gonsalves
Corporate Brand – Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL)
Mobile: +91 9999362623 /9820336890
Email: abhishek.shrivastav@zee.esselgroup.com / arantxa.gonsalves@zee.esselgroup.com
STAR India’s remarkable journey is intimately linked to the evolution of the modern Indian identity. Through the lens of Indian media’s history — specifically the role of STAR TV — we see a shining example of television blazing a pathway toward national self-knowledge.
India’s first major state-run satellite broadcast INSAT didn’t arrive until 1982, and for nearly a decade viewers were “restricted to the fare served by state television, known as Doordarshan, a diet of tedious discussions by government bureaucrats, ancient Hindi movies, generous amounts of singing and dancing, and news programs often distinguished by their heavy censorship and age,” according to The New York Times.
When the company was launched in 1991, its strategy was to focus on “the top 5 percent of Asian elites who spoke English and had buying power,” leaving out 95 percent of the Asian market.
21CF places its bet
STAR TV launched as a clarion symbol of upward mobility, one that quickly captured the interest of 21st Century Fox (then News Corporation). In July 1993, 21CF acquired 63.6 percent of STAR TV, buying the rest a year later. In terms of Western media, 21CF was one of the earliest of the rivals to place a bet on India, but homes receiving satellite and cable broadcasts were predicted to explode from 14 million to 53 million between 1995 and 2005, growing from 8 percent to 25 percent penetration.
In reality, STAR lost nearly $500 million between 1995 and 1999, largely because the majority of programming was English-speaking content. Some companies would’ve simply moved on. 21CF took a longer-term view. The opportunity was there.
When STAR was finally able to create localized content for Hindi speakers, the big hits were Indianized versions of American and European content, like the Indian version of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.” The game show launched in July 2000 and immediately skyrocketed to the top of the ratings charts, reaching 100 million viewers within a year.
Meanwhile, STAR News had launched in 1998. In 2003, several competitors lobbied for new restrictions: foreigners could now own no more than 26 percent of televised news operations, and top execs and editorial directors had to be of Indian descent. The restructuring left STAR News in a bit of a tailspin.
“I always felt that the business of media was about getting into that virtuous spot where you were in perfect sync with the society. You were pushing the society and you were allowing the society to push you… STAR was doing that better than anybody else.”
Uday Shankar, Chairman and CEO of STAR India
STAR TV rises under a new leader
Television journalist Uday Shankar left news leader Aaj Tak for STAR News. For Uday, it wasn’t about chasing competitors; it was about STAR doing things its own way, carving out an identity for itself. STAR began building larger stories that had a direct impact on the lives of its viewers. Though not explicitly concerned with ratings, STAR News leapfrogged its competition to No. 1 within a year and a half.
In 2007Uday was tapped to run all of STAR TV, shaping the network’s many brands and, in the process, catalyzing a coming-of-age for both Indian television and the Indian national identity. STAR broadened its entertainment offerings beyond the typically male-centered Bollywood style of storytelling, developing progressive content focused on strong, ambitious female characters.
21CF has always taken risks in international markets and in 2007, as the company was simplifying and divesting its presence in countries such as Russia and China, it increased its investments in India.
“We looked at markets that we thought could, in essence, really change our lives,” said 21CF CEO James Murdoch, “and we thought India in Asia was really that place with scale, with opportunity, that it could be a huge business, it could really drive growth.” The company believed, and still believes, that India could be the largest and most profitable market outside the United States.
“SMJ” shines a light on the social agenda in India
This maturation of both culture and commercial potential culminated on May 6, 2012, when STAR launched “Satyamev Jayate” (“SMJ”), “at a time when there was a huge debate on the role and behavior of media in India,” according to Uday. “Media had just got into gathering eyeballs. It was forgetting the larger social agenda.”
Airing on Sunday mornings, typically a family time, “SMJ” dives deep into societal issues — everything from female feticide to sexual assault to mental illness and gay rights — explaining to “ordinary individuals and citizens of this country how they could make a difference,” Uday said. Now in its third season, “SMJ” has become a rallying point for a more socially conscious and active India, raising $3.7 million during its first season to support NGOs working to improve the social issues discussed on the show.
STAR Sports turns local
In June 2012, News Corp bought out Disney’s 50 percent equity stake in ESPN STAR Sports (ESS) and rebranded as simply STAR Sports on that foundation, moving the headquarters from Singapore to India. Following a similar path as the entertainment and news offerings, the sports network aimed to create and cater to a more localized audience, doubling down on cricket while also making investments in soccer and badminton — favorites of the subcontinent.
Then STAR Sports placed an unlikely bet on the ancient sport of kabbadi — an “Indian version of capture the flag” — giving it a professional, glossier makeover for national television and broadcasting in native Hindi. It became an overnight ratings success, drawing 200 million viewers in its first two weeks on air.
Hotstar and India’s digital revolution
Meanwhile, a kind of digital coming-of-age allowed this transformative content to reach more viewers in India and across the greater Indian diaspora. STAR’s original programming in eight different regional languages, as well as hotstar, its industry-leading, mobile-first streaming service, have broadened its reach considerably.
After its beta launch in 2015, STAR’s hotstar digital app has become one of the world’s fastest growing digital platforms and one of India’s leading over-the-top services. The confluence of entertainment, sports and digital distribution platforms has led the company to set ambitious growth targets for STAR, projecting $1 billion in earnings contribution by 2020.
STAR’s impact on the nation and its people
The true impact of “SMJ,” and STAR in general, on the collective and individual Indian psyche may be harder to measure quantitatively. It is felt on a more core level, certainly by its leader.
“STAR in many ways allowed me to give my own form a final shape,” Uday claims. “And part of it is that my bosses have given me the space to become myself.”
From a closed society; to one offering only English content; to the development of distinctly Indian news, sports and entertainment, STAR India has led a young country in establishing its national identity, at home and abroad, ever becoming itself.
Singapore – FOX Networks Group Asia announced today the appointment of Italo Zanzi as Executive Vice President and Managing Director for its Sports network. The veteran sports executive leads the management of the FOX Sports business and team across Asia-Pacific and the Middle East. Zanzi joins FOX from Italian Serie A football club A.S. Roma where he was CEO for three and a half years, overseeing all aspects of the club’s operations and business. His tenure at Roma was marked by financial improvements and competitive success for the club, including two-second place finishes in Serie A and qualification to the knock-out stage of the UEFA Champions League in 2015-16.
“I am very excited to take on this truly special role and challenge. With the power of FOX Sports – and its commitment to innovation across all media – the potential for growth is tremendous. Most importantly, I am confident FOX Sports will be a valued home for fans across this dynamic region by delivering a unique and compelling experience”
Zanzi reports to Simeon Dawes, EVP and MD, Hong Kong, Southeast Asia & the Middle East, FOX Networks Group, and is responsible for all aspects of the FOX Sports Network, including Production, Acquisitions and Marketing across the region, stretching from Japan to Dubai. He is based in Singapore.
Dawes added, “Italo is the kind of dynamic individual that we need to lead the FOX Sports business. With the knowledge and experience that he brings to the company, I am confident that he, together with the core team at FOX Sports, will be able to drive growth and innovation.”
Zanzi earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Chicago in 1996, and Juris Doctor and MBA from Emory University in 1999. He is a licensed attorney in New York State. He started his career at Major League Baseball, where he spent nearly eight years, eventually serving as Vice President, International Broadcast Sales & Latin American / US Hispanic Marketing. He then served as Deputy General Secretary of the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) overseeing the confederation’s events, communications and marketing. Before joining A.S. Roma, Zanzi worked on behalf of the America’s Cup Event Authority in 2012, overseeing media rights licensing.
Zanzi is also an accomplished athlete, having represented the US national handball team as goalkeeper from 1997-2007 and winning a bronze medal with the team at the 2003 Pan American Games. He was named the United States Olympic Committee’s Team Handball Athlete of the Year in 2000, 2002, and 2004.
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About FOX Networks Groups
FOX Networks Group (FNG) is 21st Century FOX’s international multi-media business. We develop, produce and distribute 300+ wholly- and majority-owned entertainment, sports, factual and movie channels in 45 languages across Latin America, Europe, Asia and Africa. FNG’s core channel brands include FOX, FOX Sports, FOX Life, FOX+ and National Geographic Channel. FNG’s movie channels include FOX Movies, FOX Movies Premium and SCM (formerly Star Chinese Movies). Our non-linear brands include FOX Play, FOX Play+ and Nat Geo Play. These networks and their related mobile, non-linear and high- definition extensions, reach over 1.825 billion cumulative households worldwide. In addition, FNG owns and operates two production studios and produces thousands of local programming hours for its wholly owned channels and third parties.
About FOX Sports
The FOX Sports network comprises FOX Sports, FOX Sports 2 and FOX Sports 3, Asia’s premier Live sports destination, delivering thrilling action from Formula One, MotoGP, all four Tennis Grand Slams, the Golf Majors, the UFC, MLB, Bundesliga, AFC Football and more; FOX Sports Play, the broadband network providing LIVE and on-demand sports properties and additional exclusive content; and www.foxsportsasia.com, the online destination for comprehensive sports content. Fans looking for an authentic sports experience need not look any further than FOX Sports.
For further information, please contact:
Paul Tan
Director, Marketing & Communications (Sports)
FOX Networks Group Asia
DID: +65 6809 3364
Email: paul.tan@fox.com
SINGAPORE, 15 DECEMBER 2016 – Presented by Clarke Quay and supported by Singapore Tourism Board (STB), event organizer Magic Rock will bring inaugural Singapore Festival of Fun to Clarke Quay next year from 11 to 19 March 2017, which is slated to entertain Singapore residents and tourists of all ages through three programming segments featuring:
“Magic Rock is delighted to be one of the organisers for Singapore Festival of Fun, which will offer entertainment for everyone – from international street performances, a fun kids and families’ carnival to live stand-up comedy. With its unique setting and rich heritage, Clarke Quay is an ideal venue to host the festival for Singapore residents and tourists alike,” said Matt Bennett, Managing Director, Magic Rock. “We have a great partner in Nickelodeon who will bring an amazing family dimension to the Singapore Festival of Fun through Nickelodeon Fiesta. The long term vision is to grow the festival with more interesting content and offerings with our partners over the next three years.”
“STB is constantly seeking new events and programming to enrich the visitor experience in our precincts. We are therefore pleased to support the first Singapore Festival of Fun at Clarke Quay, which will provide a host of entertainment for persons of every age and further enliven the precinct,” said Ms Carrie Kwik, Executive Director of Arts, Entertainment and Tourism Concept Development, Singapore Tourism Board.
Nickelodeon Fiesta: 11 – 12 March 2017
Kicking off Singapore Festival of Fun, the two-day Nickelodeon Fiesta is inspired by Clarke Quay’s rich Singapore history and will feature:
“We are thrilled to be bringing Nickelodeon Fiesta to the Singapore Festival of Fun, which is definitely a festival not to be missed in Singapore in 2017! We are all about making the world a more playful place through the experiences we create and Singapore Festival of Fun is another fantastic opportunity for us to put into play our expertise in creating large-scale on-ground activations. There’s no doubt it’s going to be an incredible festival as we bring Nickelodeon Fiesta for our young fans, kids and their families in Singapore and from around the region to just have fun!” said Vishal Kurien, Vice President, Advertising Sales, Asia, Viacom International Media Networks.
About CLARKE QUAY
Located along the iconic Singapore River at the fringe of Singapore’s Central Business District, Clarke Quay sits on a historical commercial site dating back to the 19th Century. Today, Clarke Quay has been boldly restored and refurbished into five beautiful waterfront godowns under a climate controlled canopy illuminated by coloured lighting, creating a modern and cosmopolitan ambience amidst the tradition and history. Owned by CapitaLand Mall Trust and managed by CapitaLand Mall Asia, Clarke Quay plays host to a wide array of over 60 restaurants, wine bars, and entertainment outlets, attracting about one million visitors every month.
Clarke Quay was crowned Singapore’s best nightspot at the 2014 AsiaOne People’s Choice Awards, organised by AsiaOne, Singapore’s leading news portal. Last year, Clarke Quay was awarded the 2015 Certificate of Excellence by TripAdvisor and identified by TripAdvsor as one of 50 iconic places to visit in Singapore, based on the travel website’s data on the most-reviewed attractions and eateries.
Website: www.clarkequay.com.sg
Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/ClarkeQuay
Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/clarkequaySG
About NICKELODEON
Nickelodeon is one of the most globally recognized and widely distributed multimedia entertainment brands for kids and family. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The company’s portfolio includes television programming and production around the world, plus special events, consumer products, digital offerings, recreation, books, feature films and pro-social initiatives. Nickelodeon’s brands reach 1.1 billion cumulative subscribers in more than 160 countries and territories, via more than 80+ locally programmed channels and branded blocks. Outside of the United States, Nickelodeon is part of Viacom International Media Networks, a division of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA), one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. For more information about Nickelodeon in Asia, visit www.nick-asia.com.
About VIACOM INTERNATIONAL MEDIA NETWORKS
Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN), a unit of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA), is comprised of many of the world’s most popular multimedia entertainment brands, including MTV, MTV LIVE HD, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., Comedy Central, Paramount Channel, and more. Viacom brands reach more than 3.4 billion cumulative subscribers in 180+ countries and territories via more than 200 locally programmed and operated TV channels and more than 550 digital media and mobile TV properties, in 40 languages. Keep up with VIMN news by visiting the VIMN PR Twitter feed at www.twitter.com/VIMN_PR. For more information about Viacom and its businesses, visit www.viacom.com, blog.viacom.com and the Viacom Twitter feed at www.twitter.com/Viacom.
About MAGIC ROCK
Magic Rock is a Singapore based company, whose managing director was one of the two co-founders of the renowned Beerfest Asia. With over 15 years of event organizing experience, the Magic Rock team is confident it can add a new dimension to the Singapore calendar. The goal is to create Asia’s leading comedy fringe festival – incorporating all aspects of comedy.
Press Contacts:
Empower Marketing Asia on behalf of Magic Rock
Yvonne Phua, Principal Consultant
m: (65) 9236 5356
Viacom International Media Networks
Adeline Ong, Senior Director, Corporate Communications, Asia
t: (65) 6420 7240 m: (65) 9366 7323
Loh Bi Feng, Manager, Communications, Southeast Asia
t: +65 6420 7154 m: +65 9002 9607
