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Dailymotion secures Bollywood premium and free content

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venusmoviedDailymotion has agreed content deals with Indian movie company Venus to launch premium and free offerings of Bollywood movies.

The partnership will see over 100 Bollywood movies uploaded to the online video site over the coming few months. Dailymotion will also hot Venus’s premium movie catalogue, which will be made available on a paid-for basis.

Dailymotion offers premium short format Bollywood content from Yash Raj films, Dharma Films and Eros and a catalogue of more than pay and free 500 films.

The latest deal means it will be able to offer a mix of free and paid short forma and long form movies from partners including Venus, Rajshri, Shemaroo, Nirvana, Cinecurry, Hungama, Lehren and Shotformat, in addition to regional Indian content from partners including Whackedout Media, Shotformats and Vega Entertainment.

“The internet has made broadcasting truly global, so partnerships like our deal with Venus allow us to provide popular content to both domestic audiences and fans in other countries,” said Marc Eychenne, head of EMEA content and Dailymotion. “For example, Dailymotion has a huge Indian audience in the UK, and this is largely due to our commitment to providing high quality content from India. We aim to expand the number of deals with Indian content owners to further grow our audience in the territory and abroad by increasing the quantity and quality of content available.”


Liberty Global eyes Indian DTH business

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Liberty Global is reportedly in talks to buy a stake in Indian telco Bharti Airtel’s DTH business. 

According to Indian business newspaper The Economic Times, Bharti Airtel is looking to sell a 25% stake of the business at a US$1.5 billion valuation for the unit.

Other companies reported to have expressed an interest in taking part of the business include US cable giant Comcast as well as private equity funds Temasek, Carlyle and ICICI Venture.

Bharti Airtel’s unlisted DTH business reportedly holds an 18% subscriber share of the domestic market, with the country’s digital TV market tipped to grow dramatically in the coming years.

One in four homes to receive satellite TV by 2018

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satelliteBy 2018 almost 400 million homes will receive TV signals via satellite, up by almost 100 million compared to the end of 2012, representing a quarter of global TV households.

According to the new Digital TV Research stats, the number of pay satellite TV (DBS or DTH) homes will reach 251 million by 2018, up from 178 million at end-2012 and 103 million at the end of 2008.

Free-to-air DTH households will also rise, reaching 142.6 million households in 2018, compared to 118 million in 2012.

Combined this will result in some 393.8 million homes receiving satellite TV in 2018 out of a total 1.58 billion TV households, according to the study, which looked at 97 countries.

“From the 73 million pay satellite TV subscribers added between 2012 and 2018, India will provide 24.4 million, Brazil 9.2 million, Indonesia 6.8 million and Russia 5.9 million. However, the Global Satellite TV Forecasts report estimates that pay satellite TV subscriber totals will fall in 11 countries between 2012 and 2013 as subs convert to other platforms,” said Digital TV Research.

In 2018 the top four pay satellite TV countries by subscribers will be India with 61.1 million subscribers, USA with 36.6 million, Brazil with 19 million and Russia with 16.7 million.

The US will remain DTH market leader by revenues generated, although its share of the total will fall from 43.5% in 2012 to 38.7% in 2018.

Brazil will add the most DTH revenues between 2012 and 2018, the research said, though satellite TV revenues will decline in 20 countries between 2012 and 2018, thanks mainly to greater competition, forcing satellite TV platforms to offer cheaper packages.

Sky Italia channels boss leaves for Tata

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Paolo Agostinelli, a senior channels executive at Sky Italia, is leaving the Italian pay TV operation to head up programming operations at Tata Sky.

Sky Italia is owned by Twenty First Century Fox Indian DTH platform Tata Sky is a joint venture between Indian conglomerate Tata Group and Star, which is also owned by Twenty First Century Fox.

Agostinelli’s departure has led to new appointments within Sky Italia programming department: Luca Revelli will take charge of relations with third party channels in addition to his current position as head of digital activities & special projects. Giovanni Uboldi will be in charge of the pay per view and VOD. Both will report to executive VP of programming Andrea Scrosati.

At Sky, Agostinelli was VP, partner channels, PPV & VOD. From the 23rd of this month he will be chief programming officer and business strategy officer at Tata Sky where he will report direct to company CEO Harit Nagpal.

He joined Sky in 2008 having previously been at management consultants Bain & Company.

Commenting on the appointments, Sky Italia CEO Andrea Zappia said: “This appointment makes me proud because it shows that in Italy we are able to grow talents able to fill the most coveted and prestigious roles in other markets. It also demonstrates the tremendous value created from belonging to a successful global group such as 21st Century Fox.”

India’s Zee TV launches Sky offer for DittoTV

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Indian broadcaster Zee is making its online live TV and VOD service, DittoTV, available free of charge to UK customers that already subscribe to the Zee channel on Sky.

The recently launched online live TV and VOD service is aimed at viewers in the UK and the rest of Europe, with non-Zee TV customers are able to choose from a number of pay options – including pay-monthly subscription and pay-as-you go.

Zee said DittoTV makes it possible for viewers to access 17 Zee channels without a TV package for the first time.

Global pay TV subscribers to pass 1 billion, driven by BRIC growth

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BRICThe global pay TV subscriber base will “eclipse 1 billion by 2018” driven by growth in the emerging economies of Brazil, Russian, India and China, according to new stats. 

ABI Research claims that the BRIC countries will account for 68% of total net additional subscribers by 2018, and that by this year the pay TV market will generate service revenue of US$229.6 billion.

“Emerging markets are key drivers of global growth in pay TV subscribers as developed markets are experiencing flat growth rates,” said Jake Saunders, vice president and practice director at ABI Research.

The firm’s latest ‘Pay TV ARPU and Revenues’ data says that at the end of Q3 2013, global pay TV subscribers passed 886.5 million, a 6% year-on-year increase. Service revenue in the third quarter amounted to US$62.6 billion.

In Western Europe, the pay-TV subscriber base in Q3 grew by less than 2% year-on-year, stunted in part by losses in the Spanish and Italian markets.

“Respectively, pay-TV service providers in Spain and Italy lost over 7% and 2% of their total subscriber base compared to a year ago. Operators blame the weak economic environment for declining subscriber counts, but it is not all doom and gloom in Europe as other markets, such as France, Germany and UK, contributed to regional market growth,” said ABI.

IPTV subscriber additions were the “prime driver of pay TV regional growth” with other pay TV platforms only seeing “marginal increases,” according to ABI.

Tata Sky to roll out Technicolor 4K boxes next year

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Technicolor is to provide volume supplies of 4K-enabled set-top boxes to Indian DTH pay TV provider Tata Sky early next year – the first time a 4K box has been shipped in volume, according to Technicolor.

Technicolor, which has supplied technology to Tata Sky since 2005, says it is building on its compression and colour science to deliver an augmented content experience capable of delivering Hollywood-grade picture quality to viewers.

“Technicolor once again leads the market in landing the first high-volume deal to deliver 4K set-top boxes to consumers. This deal further solidifies our leadership in the 4K marketplace,” said Michel Rahier, president connected home, Technicolor.

“With the promise of an unparalleled immersive viewing experience and the predicted rapid growth of the 4K market, this agreement is a valuable strategic business opportunity for Technicolor and our long term partner, Tata Sky.”

YouTube launches for international gay channel Here TV

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US-based gay cable net Here TV has launched paid-for YouTube channels in 16 international markets.

Here launched on YouTube in ten markets last year including the Australia, France, Japan, Spain and the UK and it has now expanded its reach on the video platform.

The new markets for the subscription YouTube channel include Argentina, Belgium, Italy, Hong Kong and India.

Customers subscribe to the premium service via their Google Wallet account. The channel has Here TV shows including dating and advice series Threesome, marriage show Pride & Groom and political talkshow For & Against.

“Focusing on our YouTube channel provides us the ability to reach markets not often served with LGBT content in a fully accessible and simple-to-use platform,” said Josh Rosenzweig, Here TV’s senior vice-president, marketing and affiliate relations.


WWE Network gets global OTT launch

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WWEOver-the-top wrestling channel WWE Network has launched outside the US for the first time.

The network, which sports entertainment giant WWE launched earlier this year in the States, is rolling out in 170 territories including Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Singapore, Mexico, Spain, and the Nordics.

The WWE expects the network to be available in the UK by October, and launch dates for Italy, UAE, Germany, Japan, India, China, Thailand and Malaysia will follow at a later date.

Consumers will be able to access the service via WWE.com, with a commitment to a six-month contract at US$9.99 a month giving them access to 24/7 programming, 12 live pay-per-view- events and the WWE library on-demand.
Alternatively, a monthly US$12.99 contract allows customers to cancel at any time.

The WWE has also announced WWE Network will be available through Sony net-connected TVs, Blu-ray Disc players and Blu-rau home theatres. Samsung Smart TV devices, Blu-ray players and home theatres systems will be added on Friday.

The service has struggled to attract subscribers since launch in the US despite the attractive price points.

Eurosport secures Indian Super League rights

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EurosportEurosport has secured the pan-European rights to the first season of Indian Super League football. The channel will broadcast 16 matches of the opening season between October 12 and the December 20 final on Eurosport 2. 

Internationalex-professional players, such as France’s David Trezeguet and Nicolas Anelka, England’s David James and Sweden’s Freddie Ljungberg, will participate in the event, which is designed to help increase the profile of football in India. The Super League is co-promoted by IMG Reliance and Star India and includes eight Indian teams with 22 players in each squad. The opening match between Atletico de Kolkata and Mumbai City will be broadcast on Eurosport 2 at 15:30 CET on October 12.

Times of India eyes European TV opportunities

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Naveen Chandra

Naveen Chandra

Times Television Network, the TV arm of newspaper publisher The Times of India Group, is looking at broadcasting opportunities in Europe, according to head of international business Naveen Chandra.

Speaking at the GS Summit in Saint Petersburg, Chandra, who oversees the international operations at Times Television Network, confirmed that the firm aims to expand into Europe, claiming it to be the “one big missing thing” in terms of its coverage.

Times Television network currently runs five channels across 75 countries in four continents, aimed at Indian diaspora audiences. These are: English-language news network Times Now; business news channel ET Now; Bollywood channel Zoom; high definition English film channel Movies Now (HD); and “love and laughter”-focused entertainment channel Romedy Now.

Though Chandra did not reveal specific channel launch plans, he cited the different regulations, legal frameworks and diaspora audience numbers in different European countries for Times Group’s failure to date to make a European TV play.

“There is no one aggregated player, which has aggregated subscribers. Orange is a classic example. Orange France is very different from Orange Spain and Orange Italy,” said Chandra. However, he agreed that BSkyB’s takeover of Sky Italia and Sky Deutschland to form Sky Europe could help ease the way for Times Television Network to launch services in multiple territories.

Tata Sky partners with Ericsson to bring 4K to India

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Tata Sky 4kIndian direct-to-home (DTH) operator, Tata Sky, has partnered with Ericsson to launch what the pair claim is the first commercial 4K video service in the subcontinent.

Announcing the deal at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Ericsson said will provide HEVC (High Efficiency Video Codec) compression technology to support 4K distribution using the high resolution 1080P50 format. This will allow Tata Sky to have cost-effective bandwidth efficiencies while meeting increasing network and consumer demands.

The pay TV provider launched its its 4K set top box in February in time for the ongoing cricket World Cup, which is available to viewers for the first in Ultra HD.

“Tata Sky is committed towards delivering a world class TV viewing experience to its customers. As the discerning customers of today look towards the future of TV, we are pleased to extend our partnership with Ericsson to deliver next generation 4K ultra high definition technology to our customers in India,” said Tata Sky CEO Harit Nagpal.

Chris Houghton, head of Ericsson’s India region, said: “Ericsson is delighted to partner with Tata Sky to roll out India’s first commercial 4K video service. Superior technology, proven industry leadership and service excellence from Ericsson enables Tata Sky to offer a differentiated and future proofed digital experience to its subscribers.”

Tata Sky chooses Elemental for 4K service

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Tata Sky 4kIndian DTH provider Tata Sky is using technology provider Elemental’s sofrtware encoding platform to to process 4K live linear content in HEVC/H.265 for delivery to its 4K set-top boxes. 

Tata Sky, jointly owned by Tata Group and 21st Century Fox, launched its 4K service in advance of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 tournament currently underway in Australia and New Zealand. Software-based ElementalLive systems perform real time processing of Tata Sky 4K content in HEVC at 60/50fps for linear streaming to Tata Sky 4K set-tops.

“We pride ourselves for being at the forefront of technology and delivering world class TV experiences to our viewers. The Tata Sky 4K service is an example of not only keeping up with changing times, but in fact giving our viewers a pioneering technology that the world would follow,” said Harit Nagpal, CEO and managing director for Tata Sky.

“The seamless integration between Ericsson and Elemental HEVC compression technology for live 4K streaming enables us to reinforce our technology and industry leadership positions, further adding to our delighted subscriber base.”

Netflix rival Hooq to launch in India

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hooqSony, Warner Bros. and Singtel-backed SVoD service Hooq is about to launch in India one of the international markets where Netflix has yet to roll out.

Hooq was announced in January, at which point the three partners outlined plans to launch in Indonesia, the Philippines, India and Thailand. It has already launched in the Philippines and Thailand.

The Indian launch has now been confirmed and a beta version launches today ahead of a full roll out next month. Priced at RS199 per month, Hooq will have a line-up of Hollywood movies from partner studios and third parties.

It will also have US TV series. Across features and TV, it claims a 10,000-15,000 strong line-up and titles include Harry Potter, Friends and Gossip Girl.

The monthly sub allows customers to watch Hooq’s shows on up to five connected devices. The service is run by former Globe Telecom and Virgin Mobile Australia boss Peter Bithos.

At Hooq’s launch he said: “We are starting this venture to change the way people across Asia view entertainment. Today, across developing markets, there is limited access to quality entertainment, streamed directly to the screen of one’s choice. It’s either illegal, high cost or difficult to get. We aim to fix that.”

SVOD leader Netflix has been expanding rapidly outside of its domestic US market. It has never specifically talked about an Indian launch, but has committed to rolling out in almost all major international territories within two years, suggesting it is inevitable.

Emerging markets to drive satellite pay TV growth

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Digital TV Research pay satellite TV subsGrowth in emerging markets will help push the number of satellite pay TV homes globally up by over 60 million between now and 2020, according to a report by Digital TV Research.

According to Digital TV Research, satellite pay TV homes will grow to 265 million by 2020, up from 203 million at the end of last year. Four countries – India, the US, Russia and Brazil – will account for over half the total. India will continue to lead the sector with 66.9 million pay satellite homes by 2020, followed by the US with 34.1 million, Russia with 18.5 million and Brazil with 15.3 million.

India will also account for the lion’s share of growth between now and 2020, adding 23.5 million homes. Indonesia will take second slot in terms of growth with five million new satellite homes added between now and 2020. Brazil will add 3.4 million and Russia will add 2.7 million.

According to Digital TV Research, total pay TV satellite subscribers will double in 41 countries and will fall in 17 through migration to other platforms. Globally, penetration will grow to 15.6%, up from 13.1% today. Twenty-seven countries will have penetration in excess of 25%, up from 11 in 2010.

In terms of revenues, satellite is expected to overtake cable revenues this year, rising from US$88.4 billion in 2014 to US$94.8 billion in 2020. While revenues will rise in the Asia Pacific region and sub-Saharan Africa, they will fall in western Europe and North America. The US’s share of the total will fall from 44.8% in 2014 to 41.3% by 2020. Brazil will be in number two slot, with revenues of US$6.8 billion, while India will move from number 10 to number five slot in terms of satellite pay TV revenues, adding US$2.5 billion.


Microsoft launches high-end TV dongle in India

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iBall Splendo

iBall Splendo

Microsoft has partnered with Mumbai-based electronics firm iBall to launch a high-end “PC-on-a-stick” HDMI device in India. 

The iBall Splendo is designed to convert a user’s TV into a “fully functional PC and a smart TV”, comes with a wireless mouse and keyboard set, runs on Windows 8.1 and will retail at INR8,999 (€125).

“The iBall Splendo is for people who love devices and want to be connected all the time using multiple form factors. These users are tech enthusiasts who love gadgets, have access to multiple TVs at home, love the smart TV experience and use Windows for browsing, social networking and multimedia consumption,” said Vineet Durani, director Windows Business Group, Microsoft India.

The iBall Splendo is powered by an Intel Atom Quad-core processor and has 2GB of RAM with 32GB built-in memory.

Last year, Microsoft launched the Microsoft Wireless Display Adapter, which is designed to mirror whatever is displayed on a computer or other device onto a TV screen, enabling users to share whatever is on tablets, laptops or smartphones on an HDTV screen.

Netflix reportedly eyeing Indian launch

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netflixA report in India suggests SVoD platform Netflix will launch in the Asian territory before 2016.

Citing unnamed sources, the Times of India reported the US-based platform had “firmed up plans” to enter territory, a move that was concerning local DTH players.

Should Netflix launch in India, it would be the second American-owned SVOD service available there after Hooq, which is owned by US players Sony Pictures and Warner Bros. and Singapore’s Singtel, recently confirmed it was launching.

“We have said we plan to be nearly global by the end of 2016. We have nothing else to share at this point,” a Netflix spokesman told Times of India.

This year Netflix has launched in Australia and New Zealand and will soon be in Japan, and plans to expand further in Europe in Spain, Italy and Portugal.

Indian already plays home to several on-demand platforms such as Hotstar, Ogle, Big Flix and Spuul, but these have suffered due to poor internet connections, TOI reported. With 4G connection expected nationwide soon, Netflix has made its move.

Pace turns in strong performance

Viacom acquires Indian channels stake

YouTube opens creators’ studio in Mumbai

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