Pay per view is a tough model not just in India but everywhere: Kranti Gada
The COO of Shemaroo Entertainment on the launch of ShemarooMe Box Office, the big four broadcasters coming back on FTA space & the partnership with Jio TV
Launched in 2019, ShemarooMe, the OTT offering from Shemaroo Entertainment, has been consistent in adding multiple offerings to its platform with the latest being ShemarooMe Box Office.
The platform working on the pay-per-view model gives cinema curators and producers an opportunity to unlock the true value for their films by offering them access to digital avenues. Under this business model, Shemaroo is marketing films to a wider audience base and building awareness about the new releases. This will further assist film producers to unlock newer monetization opportunities for the films as well.
Post the viewing window on ShemarooMe, these films can be offered to satellite, SVoD and other syndication avenues as well.
In a conversation with exchange4media, Kranti Gada, COO, Shemaroo Entertainment, spoke about the launch of the latest offering - ShemarooMe Box office, the big four broadcasters coming back on the FTA space and the partnership with Jio TV.
What led to the launch of ShemarooMe Box Office, the pay per view offering, while other OTT platforms are providing digital premier with its existing subscription pack?
There were two-three things which led to the launch of ShemarooMe Box Office. Firstly, during lockdown consumption increased on digital and consumers wanted to watch more content. Secondly, there was a break on the theatrical releases - one of the ways in which consumers get its dose of movies by going to the movie theatre, the whole excitement around the next release, having that experience which was missing during this time. Thirdly, a lot of production went on hold both for television or new movies. It's a rare situation where it's a paradox. The consumer has a lot of time but he's not able to watch new movies or enjoy the thrill of watching a new film.
From the industry point of view, a lot of producers’ money invested in producing films was stuck on exploitation because the theatrical window is the first point of exploitation for any film.
During that period the whole buzz and marketing machinery that kicks into place gives a film a platform to go into other modes of distribution - SVOD or TVOD in digital and broadcasting.
We found that a maximum number of producers were left high and dry.
The unique thing about our model is that it's a platform and anybody can approach us and we will help in getting the film released. It gives a level playing field to any producer who wants to release the film. We also deploy a lot of marketing around the film right from television publicity across channels, getting the music promoted to doing the reviews through different publications. We are unlocking the monetization of the film as the producer can later sell the film to TV or any other SVOD platform.
We're trying as much as possible to replicate the theatrical experience from the consumer point of view. The consumer doesn't have to commit a very high amount of money or an annual pack. He doesn’t have to subscribe to ShemarooMe. He can just pick a film, buy a ticket from a bookmyshow, watch a film and move out.
Do you think a pay per view model will work in India?
Pay per view is definitely a tough model anywhere not just in India. That said, I will say that in the current period a lot of innovation has happened. Even if the audience may not be fully ready at this point but if I want to choose a time this was the right point for us to launch this offering because there is a severe demand. There's a gap in the content supply and consumers are trying to experiment and find new ways to entertain. Also, this is a time when money has moved from a lot of other entertainment options. Today's consumer is not going out and he has some spare money at hand towards entertainment.
What are your key markets or target audiences? How was the response for the first film in terms of numbers?
The willingness or a propensity to pay for entertainment is the one layer that we are using. And then that genre of the movie would be the second layer to target. In terms of pricing we are trying to keep it as uniform as possible. Currently, it is priced at Rs 79 per film but we are flexible and can change depending on the demand.
Numbers at this stage are too early for me to go public with but I'm positively happy and delighted with the kind of response that we've got. I do hope that we increase the traction going forward as people experience and enjoy it. We hope to increase it from here, but it's a good beginning. Right now we have five movies lined up and we are talking to around 8-10 producers. It is completely going to be supply led in terms of producers willing to come on board.
Is it going to be a long term offering on ShemarooMe? Will we see any big star cast-led release on the platform?
We do see that eventually. This could become an opportunity for smaller films because such films get very small theatrical windows and few screens. Many a time they struggle for the date and time. If we're able to generate enough traction it could become a platform for smaller films to consider for a release or a simultaneous release.
We find that bigger films or bigger players may find it difficult to take this kind of risk. They are selling digital rights at prices which cover those theatrical collection risks but we hope that there will be some courageous producers who are willing to take this risk. At this point of time we don’t have any big budget film coming in. I would appeal from Shemaroo to the entire movie industry to come out on a platform where they can truly test whether it's working for them or not.
Shemaroo launched two TV channels since December last year. How has the channel performed in these three months - both in terms of viewership and revenue?
We launched our first TV channel in December - Shemaroo MarathiBana and on May 1 we launched Shemaroo TV - free to air (FTA) Hindi GEC. For MarathiBana the viewership grew very quickly and within three months, it was almost in the top five and continues to remain there.
For Shemaroo TV, the channel was launched in a period where, again, viewers were at home, there was a lot of viewing happening and people were open to sampling new things, which they have not experienced earlier. From a sampling point of view, it was a great time for us to launch and especially at a time when the GECs were not putting out new content, so consumers were more open to sampling. Both the channels were received well. Shemaroo TV obviously being a GEC with repeat content has a tough and long journey ahead.
How much has the comeback of FTA channels from big broadcasters impacted Shemaroo TV’s viewership?
The four GECs in FTA have definitely taken a very high viewership share. I cannot deny that, the viewership data speaks for itself. These channels have huge content banks, and they're also very well-known brands. However, we feel that while in the short run that may impact taking viewership away from us but in the longer run it will help really strengthen that DD FreeDish platform itself. We are happy that more consumers will be attracted to the platform which will also increase the interest of the new advertisers to come on free TV platforms. The overall advertising pie will increase in FTA space and we are more than happy to participate in that.
The advertising revenue is increasing and every month is getting better than the previous one in terms of advertising. For instance, June was better than May and August looks better than July or any other previous month.
Last month Jio announced the launch of Jio TV which will have all the OTT platforms including ShemarooMe. How will this partnership impact your business and the ecosystem?
We are present across at least all the big players who are coming in with their boxes over their broadband network. We are on Airtel Xtreme, Tata Sky Binge and also on Jio TV. Definitely it takes entertainment into the homes and in fact the consumption on these platforms is higher in terms of minutes of usage, or hours of consumption. The user is more engaged and it's depending on your consumption and content.
We are more than happy to partner with these platforms and they give us a more solid reach and consumer base and distribution and therefore we are able to provide better content to the consumers. There is a natural synergy with them, their consumers need content and a lot of them don't want to be just an infrastructure provider device. People want to be a value added provider and we would love to partner every broadband or cable operator.
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Sebi case: SAT reserves order on Punit Goenka’s plea
The tribunal has given one week’s time to the parties to file written submissions, if any
By e4m Staff | Sep 27, 2023 2:21 PM | 2 min read
The Securities Appellate Tribunal (SAT) on Wednesday reserved its order on the plea of Punit Goenka against the Securities Exchange Board of India (SEBI) decision to ban him from holding key managerial positions in the company and the merged Zee-Sony entity.
On September 8, SAT refused to give interim relief to Goenka in the matter.
While reserving the order in the matter, the tribunal gave one week’s time to the parties to file written submissions, if any.
SEBI had earlier said that it would complete the inquiry in a span of eight months. Goenka had on August 26 moved SAT against the SEBI order.
“It is a stage of allegation and investigation. Hence it should only focus on being preventive. The public's interest will be in it being preventive. SEBI’s approach is not preventive, but it is punitive. SAT should bring this approach back to being preventive,” argued the counsel appearing for Goenka.
SEBI had earlier said that it would complete the inquiry in a span of eight months. Goenka had on August 26 moved SAT against the SEBI order.
During the arguments, the tribunal was told that the eight months’ time sought by SEBI is merely the beginning of a long-lasting investigation.
According to sources, the counsel for ZEEL said “This is a balanceable situation” and there was no need to pass a “draconian order”.
“Please allow the CFO of the merged company to report to the board directly, if needed. What else can we further do to protect shareholder interest? The board of the merged company will comprise of esteemed members.
The tribunal was told that it was not a fair basis to prosecute Goenka with a ban and that all transactions are different in nature and each are absolutely legitimate against business considerations.
“Punit Goenka’s involvement is based merely on conjectures, presumptions and hypothesis; right from the start of the investigation,” his counsel told SAT.
The tribunal was also told that Goenka does not have any control on other Essel Group Companies and that “the decisions taken by other companies, cannot result in an order which penalises him.”
“If this order is not set aside there will be huge repercussions,” the counsel for ZEEL submitted.
In its confirmatory order, SEBI had restricted Goenka and Subhash Chandra from holding any directorship or other key managerial positions in the company and any other organisations.
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e4m-Samsung Ads CTV roundtable to be held in Gurugram today
At the exclusive roundtable, experts will share insights on the theme ‘How to Leverage the Power of Screen’
By e4m Staff | Sep 27, 2023 7:52 AM | 2 min read
The exchange4media Group is excited to host the exclusive e4m-Samsung Ads CTV Roundtable in Gurugram today, September 27. In today's competitive marketplace, it is important for advertisers and marketers to understand how to maximize TV budgets and prepare for a larger addressable CTV universe. Marketers now have to consider how incremental reach can help capture viewers across OTT and CTV campaigns and level up their game to stand out from the rest.
At the roundtable, industry heads, digital marketing experts and top leaders from the advertising and marketing world will come together to share insights on the theme ‘How to Leverage the Power of Screen’. The experts will explore the evolving TV landscape, discuss the rise of ad-supported services, and explore how brands are leaning into the power of the screen to create deeper engagement with audiences.
The seasoned professionals will discuss the challenges that agencies and media owners are facing in their business, industry, and market at large. The roundtable will also include discussions on several key topics like what advertisers and marketers expect from CTV in the coming years, how to leverage the power of the screen to curate and tailor their strategies to resonate with the changing trends, measuring business impact in CTV, the challenges in investing more in CTV and more.
Our speakers include Anupam Tripathi, Media Head, Lenskart; Anusha Srinivasan, Digital Media Activations Manager, Reckitt Health, Reckitt India; Archana Aggarwal, VP – Media, Airtel; Bhawna Sikka, Category Head; Oral Health Care, Haleon; Kunal Dhrangadharia, Global Brand Lead, Royal Enfield; Monika Mishra, Director – Marketing, Mobikwik; Sahil Rawal, Vice President - Brand Product Platforms Marketing, Max Life Insurance; Samir Sethi, VP and Head of Brand Marketing, Policybazaar.com; Siya Wadhawan, Senior Brand Manager, boAt Lifestyle and Syed Sibtain Imam, Media Head, Honasa Consumer Ltd (Mamaearth). The discussion will be moderated by Prabhvir Sahmey, Senior Director, Samsung Ads while Abbhishek Chadha, Executive Vice President, North & East, Interactive Avenues will be the co-moderator.
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NDTV gets permission from MIB to launch 3 HD channels
The three high definition channels that received the nod are NDTV 24x7 HD, NDTV India HD and NDTV Profit HD
By e4m Staff | Sep 27, 2023 7:40 AM | 1 min read
New Delhi Television Ltd. (NDTV) has been granted permission from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to launch three high-definition (HD) channels.
According to the company's disclosure under Regulation 30 of the SEBI (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015, it said, "This is to inform you that in reference to the application filed by the Company before the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MIB), the Company has received a letter dated September 25, 2023 from MIB conveying its intention to grant permission to the Company to uplink and downlink three (3) news and current affairs channels in High Definition namely ‘NDTV 24x7 HD’, ‘NDTV India HD’ and ‘NDTV Profit HD.'
NDTV added that it will inform the stock exchanges of the launch of the said HD channels.
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ICC World Cup 2023: Disney Star onboards IndusInd & Emirates as sponsors on TV
According to sources, around 50-60 advertisers have signed up for the upcoming cricket tournament on TV
By Sonam Saini | Sep 26, 2023 1:22 PM | 1 min read
Disney Star, the official broadcaster of ICC Cricket World Cup for both TV and digital, has bagged two more sponsorships from IndusInd and Emirates for television.
Highly placed sources have confirmed the news to e4m. According to the sources, over 50 advertisers have signed up for the upcoming marquee tournament and the broadcaster is still in talks with other advertisers.
PhonePe, Mahindra Auto, Coke, MasterCard and Hindustan Unilever are the other big brands that have come on board as sponsors for the tournament.
As earlier reported by exchange4media, the broadcaster is seeking Rs 118-120 crore for co-presenting sponsorships and Rs 80-90 crore for the associate sponsorship. For co-presenting opportunities on Disney+ Hotstar, the broadcaster has set a price tag of Rs 150 crore. Brands eager to get high visibility as "Powered by" sponsors will need to invest Rs 75 crore, while those opting for associate sponsorship will have to allocate Rs 40 crore.
The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup kicks off on October 5 with a repeat of the 2019 final as England faces New Zealand in Ahmedabad. Across 10 world-class venues, 48 matches will be played in 46 days culminating in the Men’s Cricket World Cup Final on November 19.
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Zee Media to re-register for BARC data
In September 2022, the news broadcaster pulled out of the TV audience measurement system, citing landing page issues
By e4m Staff | Sep 26, 2023 8:39 AM | 1 min read
News broadcaster Zee Media Corporation Limited (ZMCL) has decided to register back for BARC data, starting in the week of October 12, according to sources.
Emphasizing the significance of this collaboration, Abhay Ojha, CEO of Zee Media Corporation Limited, said, "We, at ZMCL, have always valued the integrity and transparency of data. Our decision to rejoin forces with BARC reflects our firm belief in BARC's commitment towards robust data mechanisms and our anticipation of a productive partnership ahead. We remain committed to delivering trustworthy news and content to our viewers and advertisers."
e4m has reached out for an official confirmation but BARC CEO Nakul Chopra wasn’t available to comment on the development at the time of filing this story.
Earlier in September 2022, the news broadcaster pulled out of the TV audience measurement system, citing the landing page issue as a reason for taking such a drastic step.
ZMCL had then said that it had been consistently requesting BARC India to take corrective measures with regard to the landing page issue. The news broadcaster had said that the landing page data should not be included in the final viewership and the duration for counting viewership be increased to 2 minutes.
ZMCL was the second TV news network after NDTV to pull out channels from BARC.
The media company owns and operates 14 TV news channels apart from 5 digital channels and 17 digital brands.
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Star Plus onboards 14 advertisers for Star Parivaar Awards 2023
Brands such as Dabur, ITC, Emami, Apple, Amazon, Berger Paints and Xiaomi have aligned themselves with the upcoming event
By e4m Staff | Sep 25, 2023 5:12 PM | 1 min read
Star Parivaar Awards 2023 has onboarded advertisers like Dabur, ITC, Emami, Apple, Amazon, Berger Paints and Xiaomi.
The awards have attracted 14 advertisers spanning a wide array of categories, including FMCG, Banking, E-commerce, Technology, Mobile Handsets, Insurance, Paints, and Pharma.
“This presents an unparalleled opportunity for brands to connect with their target audience on linear TV and beyond. The event offers a diverse range of in-content integration opportunities, emphasizing its massive associative value," said an industry observer.
The award show is set to be telecast on 1st October, starting 7 PM, on Star Plus and Disney+ Hotstar.
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MIB makes registration mandatory for MSOs to provide own programming service
Applicants have been advised to refer to guidelines issued by MIB on November 30, 2022
By e4m Staff | Sep 25, 2023 2:53 PM | 1 min read
Applicants have been advised to refer to guidelines for platform services offered by Multi System Operators issued by MIB on November 30, 2022. They are required to apply for registration of their PS channel(s)
Following documents are required to be uploaded at the time of submission of online application:
a. Certificate of Channel Carrying Capacity (Statewise) (Sell'-Certification).
b. Details of PS Channels operated at State Level
c. Details of PS Channels operated at District Level.
d. Filled in MHA Security Clearance Pro-forma.
e. Challan copy of payment made on Bharat Kosh Portal for registration of PS Channels.
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