Entertainment
Sony eyeing M&A opportunities in India post termination of Zee deal: Tony Vinciquerra
Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is in discussions for potential merger and acquisition deals in India following the collapse of its merger deal with Zee Entertainment. The deal between Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) and Zee couldn't go through due to regulatory issues and the deterioration of the Indian entertainment giant's financials. SPE's India arm held discussions with Viacom18 in 2020 to combine the two businesses.
JioCinema New Plan : Price and discount, validity, perks, how to get, Netflix comparison
Mukesh Ambani's OTT platform business JioCinema has quietly launched two exciting new subscription plans to cater to its customer base, which is Indian. The company, keeping in mind the needs of Indian consumers, has come up with discounted rates for the new Premium Ad-free subscription plans.
ICC, FanCraze extend multi-year partnership
As part of the partnership, ICC Crictos SuperTeam, a Web3 fantasy game featuring officially licensed ICC digital video collectibles, will be launched, allowing fans to build fantasy teams using their ICC Crictos and compete in contests for daily rewards.
What happened to our ad-free TV?
As streaming services initially promised an ad-free experience, the landscape is rapidly changing with ads becoming increasingly difficult to avoid. Major players like Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon Prime Video have started incorporating commercials in exchange for lower subscription prices. Even live sports on these platforms now include built-in commercial breaks regardless of the subscription tier.
Indian films are making a comeback in Russia
Industry players and authorities are working to reignite the old cultural affiliation by increasing film shoots and screenings of Indian films in Russia.
Indian movies, shows clock over 1 billion views on Netflix in 2023, says streamer in new report
Netflix's second engagement report for 2023 revealed that Indian series and movies surpassed 1 billion views on the platform. The report, titled "What We Watched: A Netflix Engagement Report", showed that subscribers worldwide watched about 90 billion hours of content in the second half of 2023. The most watched movies from India were "Jaane Jaan" by Sujoy Ghosh, followed by "Jawan" by Shah Rukh Khan and "Khufiya" by Vishal Bhardwaj. Other popular titles included "OMG 2", "Lust Stories 2", "Dream Girl 2", and "Curry & Cyanide".
Reliance, Disney seek India antitrust nod with cricket rights assurance
Reliance Industries and Walt Disney have applied for antitrust clearance for their $8.5 billion media merger in India, arguing that their combined influence, particularly in cricket broadcasting, will not negatively impact advertisers. The deal, announced in February, is anticipated to face close scrutiny due to its potential to establish India's largest entertainment entity, with extensive TV channels, streaming services, and cricket rights. The companies have assured the Competition Commission of India (CCI) that the cricket rights were obtained through a competitive bidding process, and competitors can bid when these rights expire in 2027 and 2028.
Tech Mahindra, Japan's Fuji TV partner to produce content globally
Tech Mahindra announced a partnership with Fuji TV to develop and produce content for the global entertainment industry. By combining Fuji TV's original content with Tech Mahindra's services, the deal aims to bring Fuji TV's content library to Indian audiences in various local languages. The pact will cater to major content markets like India and Japan. There are plans to localise content, provide dubbing, subtitling, and animation services.
Investors will take final call on Zee leadership: Punit Goenka
Goenka, who is part of the promoter family that holds a 4% stake, is the longest-serving CEO of Zee. In 2019, Goenka was reappointed as the MD and CEO of the entertainment giant, beginning January 2020. The Securities and Exchange Board of India is investigating Goenka and his father, Subhash Chandra, for allegedly diverting the entertainment company's funds to promoter-owned firms.
PVR Inox looks to grow pre-ticketing F&B biz post its JV with Devyani
PVR Inox has partnered with Devyani International to expand into the food and beverage sector. Devyani will hold a 51% stake, while PVR will have 49%. This joint venture aims to boost pre-ticketing F&B revenue through branded food courts adjacent to cinemas. In FY24, PVR Inox's F&B sales rose 21% to Rs 1958 crore. The company plans to open 5-6 food courts initially. PVR Inox is also shifting to a capital-light model, reducing capex and adding new screens through a franchise model.
Must Watch
Banita Sandhu joins 'Bridgerton Season 3' Netflix series as Miss Malhotra: Know full star cast and other details
Banita Sandhu joins 'Bridgerton Season 3' as Miss Malhotra. Her inclusion in the acclaimed series has sparked excitement among fans. Premiering today on Netflix, the season promises romance between Penelope Featherington and Colin Bridgerton. Sandhu's Welsh-Indian background adds depth to her portrayal, marking a significant moment in her career, which began in community theater before her breakout role at age 11.
450 single screen cinema theatres in Telangana to shut down for two weeks
Telangana's single screen cinema theatre owners have stopped screenings due to low revenue, with no major films releasing until June 15. President Vijayender Reddy highlighted the financial challenges faced by theatre owners and the possibility of resuming screenings with upfront payments from producers.
Navrattan Group's Himansh Verma announces launch of new OTT platform
"We aspire to present something distinctive that deeply resonates with our viewers, merging the essence of Indian cinema with the global allure of blockbuster content," Navrattan Group's Himansh Verma said about the launch.
Anime Kingdom: OTTs step up investments to draw youth
Anime content is taking centre stage on over-the-top (OTT) platforms in India as streamers look to ape the traditional TV model of offering diverse content slate that caters to different age groups and demographics, amid the summer vacation for schools and colleges.
Jio bundles 15 apps' premium services including Netflix basic subscription with broadband plan for Rs 888/month
Jio has bundled premium services of 15 apps, including Netflix, Amazon Prime Lite, Disney+ Hotstar, with its 30 mbps broadband plan for Rs 888 a month. This new postpaid plan offers exclusive access to over 15 leading OTT apps, including popular platforms like Netflix's basic plan, Amazon Prime, and JioCinema Premium.
