MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT SPECIAL

THE ECONOMIC TIMES FEBRUARY 22-28, 2017 INSIDEBE SWIMMING WITH

HOW OTT PLAYERS STACK UP ON USERS & TIME SPENT ON PLATFORM THE NEW FACES OF {All January 2017 fi gures} ENTERTAINMENT THE STREAMING AIB, TVF, QYUKI, Y-FILMS Interview With one of highest number soon with switching on its service in +63 mn active users in January last year, followed by Voot from IN DEFENCE minutes Viacom18 and Amazon’s Prime Video finally 11.3 bn OF TV of on-demand video spent on the platform SULAGNA launching in December last year. CHATTERJEE platforms in any global Ajit Mohan, CEO, Hotstar, says, “We believed On XX 2 market, players are that the market was stunted because no sin- VOOT gle company had chosen to thoughtfully in- going OTT to woo Indian vest in creating a great consumer service 13.2 mn active users with depth in content and leveraging world viewers. BE finds out how class technology.” He tells us that they 2.8 bn minutes spent on the platform the big six stack up were also convinced that, given a choice, consumers will gravitate towards high quality, curated long form content. BY GAURAV LAGHATE While Hotstar was the first catalyst in the evolutionary process, the chain reaction (launched in December 2016) TURKISH DELIGHTS was set in motion with the launch of Reliance TURKEY: THE WORLD’S inge watching your favorite Jio in October 2016, which got into the main- 9.48 mn active users SECOND LARGEST EXPORTER NITESH KRIPLANI “We show on a video-streaming service stream over 70 million mobile internet users , director and country head, Amazon Prime Video India: OF TV DRAMAS have seen great traction from customers and the impact is evident in the fact can kill your social life and cause with free hi-speed 4G internet. That opened the that Prime sign-ups have more than doubled since we launched.” NETFLIX CHEATS concerned acquaintances in your floodgates for OTT players, and helped the com- On XX 3 WhatsApp groups to send “R U panies add new subscribers and increase time B OKAY???” texts. But the rise of on- spent on the platforms. SONY LIV demand, marathon viewing has And while there is bandwidth available now, 4.6 mn active users given life to many over-the-top (OTT) players in the key factors remain compelling content and minutes the country and, indeed, the world. seamless user experience, which is what these 422.9 mn spent on the platform In India, content is increasingly being consumed Market was stunted players are now focussing on. on handheld devices (read mobile phones) on OTT because no com- platforms as the current generation doesn’t have pany had invested Whose content is king? UDAY SODHI, executive VP and head - Digital Business at Sony Pictures the patience to wait for a show or movie to air on a in creating a great For most players, catch-up TV is the mainstay. Networks India: “Sony Liv has a total download of 28-30 million, while our linear platform like television. This viewer wants According to Uday Sodhi, executive VP and head active user base stands at about 10 million at any given point of time. Usually her content just like Maggi noodles - masaledaar, consumer service - digital business at Sony Pictures Networks the trend is that one-third of the subscribers are active on the platform.” BY INVITATION: instant and on-demand. Ajit Mohan India, “Largest contributor for us is catch-up TV, BARC’S PARTHO DASGUPTA Hotstar ON THE MYTH OF MEDIA- Between Hotstar, Voot, Sony Liv, Ozee, Netflix followed by sports. However, when it comes to DARK RURAL INDIA and Prime Video, an Indian consumer has more films, on digital there is a slightly higher skew NETFLIX choice for content than consumers anywhere in While technol- towards more artistic films, which may not be big 4.2 mn active users the world. Brand Equity takes a deep dive in ogy will become commercial hits, or classics and others which are the world of these OTT players and find out how hard to get.” 495.4 mn cheaper, players minutes spent on they stack up. will be in a state of For Hotstar too, TV shows and movies drive con- the platform land grab sumption. “Bringing together current TV shows, Voice of 2015: The Watershed Year new movies and live sports on a single platform OZEE Before 2015, many content companies tried their Uday Sodhi is fairly unique for a streaming platform even Sony Pictures Networks India +Trump hands at the play, but nobody could make a dent by global standards. And, the power of what we 2.4 mn active users with the right mix of technology and content. have managed to build is that no one thing powers INTERVIEW WITH However, the turning point was when Star India launch of Hotstar, supported by multi-million Hotstar. Of course, sports is getting big eyeballs 679.4 mn COMEDIAN GREG minutes spent on SHAPIRO launched Hotstar in 2015, which got the mix dollar marketing and promotion blitzkrieg, en- but, sports is less than 15% of our overall watch the platform on XX 4 right. Though Sony Pictures Networks India’s sured a top-of-the-mind recall of the product. time,” Mohan of Hotstar adds. Sony Liv was already in the market, the big bang The international and national players followed >Continued on Page 4 Source: App Annie GRAPHIC: BHAVIN GAJJAR What’s New In Nayi Soch ? Why has Star Plus embraced the purpose-driven branding route?

such communication was the relative with the setting: a drama in an office is BY RAVI BALAKRISHNAN subtlety with which the message played progressive but in a kitchen, it is regres- MUMBAI out. All of it is part of a deliberate pur- sive.” Adds Narayan Sundararaman, pose driven strategy acknowledges general manager Star Plus, “Given the f you are short on inspiration, ad- Gayatri Yadav, president – consumer context in which our stories are told, ev- vertising works better these days strategy and innovation, Star India. erything need not be confrontational. Ithan tomes from Norman Vincent She says “The measure is the impact on The best way to change is to inspire and Peale. As brands embrace purpose society and not brand equity scores.” move things along gradually and it very driven planks, our airwaves are full While several brands discovered a more seldom happens with a revolution.” of messages exhorting us to be better, purposeful approach along the way, Star Even in its campaigns, Star is careful more compassionate, less self-critical Plus makes the case for a purpose it’s to avoid messaging that says ‘what you versions of ourselves. What started at backed for a while being articulated are doing is wrong’. Instead according least in part to break clutter, is becom- more sharply. Says Yadav, to Yadavv, it’s about “a ing clutter of a different, frequently ag- “We’ve always seen TV as STAR HAS BEEN philosophical reframing gravating kind. perhaps the most power- of reality; making peo- Amid the rash of empowering mes- ful platform and catalyst PURSUING CSR, ple say, ‘Maybe I’ve not sages, what managed to grab attention for social change. To quote thought of it this way.’” this October was when three of India’s (Star india CEO) Uday OR AS THE KV Sridhar aka Pops, best loved cricketers temporarily Shankar, “To be in the me- COMPANY CALLS founder and chief cre- gave up their highly recognisable last dia and not use its power ative officer of Hyper names: Dhoni, Kohli and Rahane for to make a better society is IT CREATIVE Collective who con- Devki, Saroj and Sujata, the names of a wasted opportunity.”” sciously tried to push their mothers. Apart from a film, the A study the network con- SOCIAL positive subtle posi- jerseys with these names even made ducted, speaking to hun- tive societal messages their debut on the field with the bless- dreds of women across the RESPONSIBILITY through his work in ings of the BCCI and Nike. Social me- country had some interesting findings: Leo Burnett believes a brand needs a dia posts made approving noises and women were surging ahead with a de- purpose to stay relevant: “How else do the campaign was even homaged in an sire to influence and impact the world, you distinguish yourself in an age of Amul hoarding. What separated it from but were frequently held back by social formula and commoditisation? It’s by the strident, occasionally shrill tenor of stereotypes. value systems: your purpose of exis- And so Star says its been pursuing tence must find a place in society.” He No matter CSR aka creative social responsibil- believes Star Plus though is still oper- what part of ity, running shows with a greater focus ating in a tactical space and has yet to on stronger roles for women. Some of scale the purpose driven heights of Tata media you these like Naamkaran tackle the ques- Tea with Jaago Re or Idea. work in, if you tions of a woman’s identity. Others like For her part, Yadav is preparing for a are not using Diya Aur Baati Hum showcase positive new campaign to coincide with women’s it to create a male role models: a woman’s desire to day which she promises will be a global better society, become an IPS officer finding an ally in first in thought and showcasing positive her less educated husband. role models. But more importantly she you are miss- But how does this sit with the general doesn’t see a distinction between the ing an oppor- perception that soaps are still about brand’s communication and its content: tunity. ‘saas bahu’ fare and therefore inher- “The division is false. Everything must Uday Shankar, ently regressive? Yadav says dryly, resonate and be consistent.” CEO, Star India “Sometimes ‘progressive’ has to do [email protected] I did TV when people were doing films. But monopolistic MADE FOR INDIA 2 market ended like it always does - Ekta Kapoor THE ECONOMIC TIMES FEBRUARY 22-28, 2017 The New Faces Of Entertainment Brand Equity goes behind the scenes to take a look at what makes the country’s foremost content creators click with brands

ample where Paytm has for the first- time, attempted youth-humour on Push this scale, he shares. The recently JUST PLAY released advertising expenditure report by GroupM (This Year Next How does TVF stack up Humorously Yours (with the mobile Year 2017) also predicts that, the ad amongst the new age brand OnePlus associating), content spends on OTT platforms are likely Tanmay has been the king. Says Arunabh to go up as internet speeds improve Bhat content creators? Kumar, founder & creative experi- and catch up TV gains ground. The ment officer, , “In explosion of the online video con- last 12 months the brands and mar- sumption has also led to a phenom- BY AMIT BAPNA keters have started spending from enal increase in the web-only con- Ashish Rohan MUMBAI their mainstream AdEx tent being made, though Shakya Joshi budgets owing to our BRANDS not all of it is entertain- Samir Gursimran nough and more has been youth focused position- ing. Ramanuj Shastry, Bangara Khamba ARE NOW Ewritten about TVF being ing.” Some of these brands co-founder, Infectious an odd and a winning mix include , ALIGNING finds TVF to be on a good of engineering brains producing Vodafone, One Plus and WITH TVF wicket and also the most & original content. What is new pos- more recent ones like Hero serious amongst the lot. FAMOUS sibly in this equation is the fact that and Paytm. Kumar be- WITHOUT However, in his view, ALGORITHM ROASTED increasingly brands are latching lieves that mobile will be- CORRUPTING their strength of being Why pick AIB when comedy is everyone’s forte? on to the bandwagon, without cor- come the first screen and content-first could also rupting the content itself. In an era attract their majority TG, THE CONTENT be a double-edged sword. & reach out to a wider audience,” says of branded content that has been which is youth-focused. They may need to take BLUES BY SHEPHALI BHATT Pranay Surana, the fashion rental traversing between banal to bi- According to Shankar Nath, chief care of starting from the brand first MUMBAI startup’s CEO. But then, humour is a zarre mostly, one single thing that marketing officer, Paytm, plat- rather than retro-fitting content to Qyuki got its roster of talent using part of the package rest of the players TVF can get props for is its ability forms like TVF with their brand of the brand, he feels. The moot chal- analytics instead of old fashioned A&R. or most branded content play- offer as well. Why AIB? “It’s because to produce content that is engaging humour are finding a resonance lenge is always drawing the fine line Fers, you think of the one man be- of their production values. Quite a few and entertaining, and not reeking with the younger TG particularly between hard sell and messaging so What next? hind them. That’s not the case content providers will get people to sit of the brands on-board as is the case which is pulling out of the prime- subtle that it may get lost out. with AIB (). Each in a room and talk, and they’ll make most often. Whether it was their ear- time viewership. Thus, we are try- [email protected] of its four core members — Tanmay a video out of that. It can get insanely lier productions like Pitchers and ing to create native content using BY RAVI BALAKRISHANAN Bhat, Gursimran Khamba, Rohan hilarious or completely boring. You’re or the more some of these platforms, he shares. MUMBAI Joshi, and Ashish Shakya — have unsure. These guys had a great setup, recent ones like, Tripling (with The recent 4-episode web-series built their own clout on social media costumes, actors, props. Their intern Tata Motors’ Tiago on-board) and ‘Fathers’ on TVF being one such ex- ubroto Geed, Sr VP – marketing at United Spirits over the years. “They are a household even created the Févént app - a fake Shas several guidelines for branded content: it ought name and not just a content company,” events’ app, which was invented to to bring the brand’s purpose to life and be engaging; says Ashish Khazanchi, co-founder indirectly market our app. There are the integration ought to be seamless; the content should be and managing partner of Enormous. 20,000 downloads on that app right easily findable and shareable and finally good production “Whereas, we are just a B2B brand. now. Who does that?” values. It’s a hardworking checklist, born out of the several Our area of influence is What about his own app’s branded content initiatives United Spirits has backed. A re- limited,” he adds. When ALL INDIA downloads though? “In the cent partnership for Jammin created by the Mumbai-based you look at the trajectory BAKCHOD IS A first week of the video’s re- Qyuki gave Geed a great chance to push Signature subtly of the likes of TVF, YRF, lease, the app downloads — because that’s all that’s allowed for an alcohol brand Qyuki, Arré, Dice Media, HOUSEHOLD grew four times, web traffic — via the Signature Startup Masterclass; an initiative or what have you: they be- went up by three times. We where young hopefuls attended sessions with people who came famous (and funded, NAME NOW, didn’t expect the response to quit their presumably more lucrative professions to follow in some cases) on the back AND NOT JUST be that great. We’ve done a their dreams. Jammin helped pair up aspiring musicians, of their content. AIB was bunch of print and BTL stuff with those who’d already hit the big league. The result: 15.4 popular much before it en- A CONTENT in the past. This has been million views, 64 hours of content watched and higher than tered the branded content COMPANY our best initiative to date.” average engagement on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. fray. But popularity comes Surana understands there Says T Gangadhar, managing direc- with a price and they had to pay that are other players in the branded con- GOING tor, MEC South Asia, “Qyuki are fast in the aftermath of the AIB Knockout tent category who are good at building FORWARD, positioning themselves as the go-to - a comedy format in which ce- a series, who can think of a long term guys for brands that seek to build nar- lebrities are mocked. Khazanchi, script. “We didn’t want to do a series. QYUKI NEEDS ratives around music. They have dem- however, feels that the havoc caused Cost was an obvious factor, also the onstrated a knack for identifying and by the ‘Roast’ gave them their biggest fact that we were trying this for the TO CREATE promoting upcoming musical talent.” publicity breakthrough. “You can’t first time.” MORE IPS So how did Qyuki take the calls even buy an ad bigger than that if you Maybe it makes more sense for dot- that landed it YouTube stars like the want to,” he says. com brands to align with AIB, then, BEYOND Sanam Band, Shraddha Sharma and Flyrobe, AIB’s latest client, agrees says Khazanchi. Or clients that need Team TVF (L-R) MUSIC prank acts like Funk U? According to as well. “AIB has been known for its to be put on the map. “Not every Jikku Abraham - GM and Partner, Samir Bangara, co-founder, “We be- humour-based content, especially brand can ride on the comedy band- Amit Golani - Executive Creative Director, lieve the creative director and A&R in our company is ana- Arunabh Kumar - Founder and CEO , after the Roast. And humour was the wagon,” he concludes. Dhawal Gusain - COO and Partner lytics.” The analytics backend helps Bangara and team zero emotion we wanted in our content to [email protected] in on the keepers. While reluctant to tell us what goes into the process, he offers some hints: for instance, the amount of time spent on each video. Bangara points out, “You may For Y-Films convinced. “As we went along we re- Name Is Ranveer Ching and Ranveer have your Eureka moment in the bathtub, but you need hard Ashish alized these g uys know what they are Ching Returns with Rohit Shetty work till you get there.” Once the talent is spotted, Bangara Patil creative range BUSINESS doing. It requires a change in mind- helped food brand Ching’s, operating offers an end to end service including pushing the artist & commercial set because this is not traditional in a heavily distribution-led category, across the right media and linking them with appropriate gains win over advertising!” said Krishnamurthy. go from 70,000 stores to 4 lakh. brand associations. This flips the older and according to Of HUL gave Y-Films’ content the am- Every piece of work from Y-Films’ Bangara, riskier model: talent spotters zeroing on what they clients CONTENT plification it needed to get views in stable has had a major sponsor in hope will be the next big thing and then taking a punt. Baaraat for Lakme and Six Pack millions, international ad and web addition to other advertisers. For However the newness of the model combined with an in- BY DELSHAD IRANI Band for Brooke Bond Red Label. In awards, and a great deal of global at- instance, Durex for Sex Chat with nate uncertainty about branded content means marketers MUMBAI fact, Y-Films was able to convince tention. But the real proof of the pud- Pappu and Papa, Airtel for Love are not particularly queueing up around the block to come brand managers used to selling to ding does not just lie in awards, glory Shots and Mia by Tanishq for Ladies on board. Says Bangara, “If you refer to digital content cre- he most significant testimony Meenakshi from Madurai (and thus and earned media but business im- Room. But here’s some advice for ation with brands coming aboard, it is around `100 crore- Tto Y-Film’s ability to get the have very valid concerns like “what pact. Following the six-month long brands keen on working with this `125 crore, in its purest form.” The big fight is not with other right creative content and if my consumers think this is a chai campaign, Brooke Bond Red Label creator: content led marketing is media but other components of the digital mix like search. sponsor fit and its knack for inte- just for chakkas?”) to make the Six outsold the category of packaged tea not instant coffee and success can- Another battle is one of perception. While Qyuki backs grating brands, is the fact that it’s Pack Band, India’s first transgender by 1.5x to 1.8x. This wasn’t a one-off. not be replicated. Y-Films’ head other artists as well – for instance, pranksters and auto en- not just hot startups making a bee- band, a reality. After Mere Dad Ki Maruti aired, the Ashish Patil tells us, “When we did thusiasts, it is still for better and worse, widely associated line for the “startup” within Yash In a previous interview with BE, carmaker witnessed a 30% spike in Mere Dad Ki Maruti, people lined with music, perhaps natural for a firm that counts A R Raj Films. Even traditional, and Shiva Krishnamurthy, category test drives for the Ertiga, launched up again saying ‘mere ko bhi picture Rahman among its co-founders. According to Gangadhar often conservative, marketers like head, tea, HUL, told us that when seven-months prior to the release of bana ke de’. But, for instance, after “Going forward, they need to create more I Ps even beyond HUL, Tata and Maruti have tied up they first heard the idea it was a “bolt the campaign. While Y-Films’ con- I’ve done Mere Dad Ki Maruti and I music.” Bangara himself admits brands deploy the con- with the content creator. HUL is as- from the blue”. But after the 37th pre- tent can’t take all the credit, it’s inter- can’t do Tere Maa Ki Vodafone. It’s nections his firm provides in a more tactical manner “It sociated with two big content pieces sentation to several media, brand esting to note that no other thematic never going to happen.” needs to move from a campaign to a longterm strategy.”. from Y-Films, namely Bang Baaja and category heads, the client was advertising was on at the time. My [email protected] [email protected]

Who is Sulagna Chatterjee a dramatised portrayal of our society, she feels. “Women are always at the forefront and why is she speaking in in these shows. Doesn’t matter if the hus- defence of the current state of Kyunki Main TV Ki Deewani Hoon band is a millionaire. There may be 20 men standing behind Tulsi Virani, but she’s television entertainment? son Ansh: I have it by heart - the script, from the northern and north-western belt going to be the one to talk to the police. It’s the setting, everything.” and that’s doing very well for them.” inspiring for rural women. They feel if the When she’s not in her class or at work, lead character is fighting an abusive mar- BY SHEPHALI BHATT you can see her actively or passively de- Don’t watch. TRPs will drop riage, they’ll be able to fight it too.” MUMBAI fending Indian Television — either on “There’s a lot of regressive stuff on TV but Twitter/Facebook or in real life. “I re- if you don’t highlight and appreciate the The ‘New Wave on TV’ It’s quite odd for a 21 year old BMM alise a lot of people don’t know what goes good stuf f, how will producers create bet- needs new minds student from Mumbai to evangelise on behind the camera. They rant about a ter shows? Producers don’t really have a Digital content seems fresh because the current crop of TV shows on Indian show like Naagin being aired but don’t say in what goes on air and what doesn’t. it has fresh minds behind it, says entertainment channels, when the understand why it’s getting a TRP of 5.” It’s the channels and advertisers who de- Chatterjee. “Everybody senior in the millennial position, at least going by Here’s Sula’s list of five things you “CLOSET termine that. For them it’s about TRP and TV industry has been there since the the memes we’ve seen is by and large should know about TV content before ad revenue. If a ghost track (ref: Naagin) last wave of Saas-Bahu series. They’re 15 highly dismissive. “People can’t digest you diss or dump it: WATCHERS TUNE will get people to watch their channel, years old in this business and work with it. I often get asked why I watch these so be it. I know closet watchers who tune the same mindset. Therefore, most seri- shows when they’re so regressive, It’s about the masses, not us INTO THESE into these shows at night and rant about als follow the same pattern: boy meets when there are so many good interna- “We tend to believe if we like something, SHOWS AT NIGHT them the following morning.” girl, they fight, they marry, they fall in tional shows to watch,” says Sulagna it’s awesome. If we don’t, it shouldn’t exist. love, they consummate. My mentor and Chatterjee (Sula), publicist and digital Remember that overhyped show Sarabhai AND RANT TV is pro-feminist in more TV actress Geetanjali Tikekar had once concepts lead at TheHouseOfOriginals Vs Sarabhai? It gets applauded to date. good ways than bad told me TV needs young people like me (a production house run by ex-Balaji But when the show was actually on air, it ABOUT THEM THE Chatterjee doesn’t support the over-the-top who are fiercely passionate about the me- Telefilms fame Nivedita Basu). barely garnered a TRP of 1-1.5.” The show NEXT MORNING” glossy look of female leads propagated by dium and know the good, bad, and ugly Don’t go by her designation, that’s worked for the urban audience but the ru- some shows but admits it works. “Rural au- so they know what to change and what to pretty new. Her fascination for TV dates ral audience couldn’t connect. “In an audi- Sulagna Chatterjee dience likes the masala, the make-up, the preserve.” back to the time she was all of eight years ence of billions, it doesn’t make business SAHU VARANI trolley effects, the zoom-in and zoom-outs. Chatterjee knows the next wave of fresh- old. Born and brought up in Kolkata, sense to target only the urban audience.” a few urban, pro-feminist shows. It’s do- based fresh stuff. The channel works like It sells. I cringe at some of this myself. But er content on TV will take some time. “I Chatterjee would watch TV shows with ing shows on single mothers which may Anurag Kashyap; it doesn’t care about you know Ekta (Kapoor) has a collection of have asked my family to give me five years. her grandma from the time she was five. A channel for every show be common for us but not for the channel’s TRPs. If something doesn’t make commer- all her shows’ popular clothing and acces- I’ll bring the change.” “That episode of Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi It’s unfair to say all shows are regressive, audience. For them it’s really coming out cial sense, they shut it but at least they try sories online. There’s a market that consid- Read the full story online at Bahu Thi where Tulsi Virani kills her says Chatterjee. “Star Plus is airing quite of their comfort zones. Sony does youth- new things out. Colors brings out stories ers it a part of fashion trends.” TV is largely etbrandequity.com Big will not beat small anymore. It will be the GLOCAL BUZZ 3 THE ECONOMIC TIMES fast beating the slow - Rupert Murdoch THE ECONOMICFEBRUARY TIMES JANUARY 22-28, 4-10, 2017 2017

Moving from the lo-fi trappings of Turkish Star Wars, the country’s soaps are making it a cultural force to reckon with BY DELSHAD IRANI the MUMBAI twitter fter the Turkish drama Binbir Gece (1001 Nights) aired in Chile in 2014, there was a index sudden rise in the number of Turkish Delights The weekly Twitter Advertiser Index lists Achildren named Onur and the brands which have generated most Sehrazat, names of the show’s engagement with users on the platform two central characters. Binbir Gece beat popular telenovelas, a staple in Latin Icerde PRESENTING THE BRAND ENGAGEMENT INDEX American living rooms, to become the A S ON FEBRUARY 15, 2017 most viewed show in Chile. History re- The index looks at the live list of all advertisers peated itself when Fatmagül’ün Suçu on the platform and measures the total number of user engagements with all the tweets that they Ne? – a show about one woman’s fight for sent out that week - specifically this is a sum of justice - aired in over a dozen Central and all the replies, retweets and favourites across all South American countries. tweets that week. In Gaza, there were reports, unverifi- 1) @oppomobileindia: In the able though, of lulls in fighting from 3 pm days leading up to Valentine’s Day, @ to 4 pm when another popular Turkish oppomobileindia came up with a video drama was broadcast. While that might featuring actors Bipasha Basu and Karan seem like a gross exaggeration, the fol- Singh Grover, to encourage fans to gift lowing however is #RealFact: So popular their loved ones the OPPO F1s Rose Gold was the show The Magnificent Century, Limited Edition. Users also had a chance about Ottoman ruler Süleyman, in Kurt Seyit to win the phone signed by their favourite ve Sura Greece that a Bishop decreed, “Nobody celebrity if they shared the tweet and must watch Muhtesem Yulzil. Watching tagged the celebrity. Turkish soaps is tantamount to telling stories have generous doses of tradition them we’ve surrendered”. And Greek thriving in a modern, “westernized” television actress, Nikoleta Karra told country, social issues, family life and local media, “Sila in the morning. Sila tles. Among them is the crime and action strife, intrigue, action, beautiful land- in the afternoon. Sila 24 hours a day. We drama Icerde (Insider), that’s currently scapes and views of the Bosphorus from can’t take anymore.” In Western Europe, storming the charts in its native market. every angle. Many tend to walk the fine people are showing a growing appetite The firm, which has a deal with one of line between melo and dramatic, but in for more than just Turkish doner kebabs. Kuzey Turkey’s leading producers, Ay Yapim, the best way possible. However, while that Guney In Addis Ababa the Turkish ambassador also works closely with Star, but the works in Turkey, Chile and India, not so said that as the popularity of Turkish bring a younger audience to its mass pre- broadcaster’s strategy so far has mainly much in Scandinavia: A scene from Son shows in Ethiopia grows so does its peo- mium Hindi channel, Zindagi, perhaps been to adapt Turkish scripts. (The End), which showed a character cry- ple’s interest in Turkish culture. not yet hooked to its Pakistani fare (this Eccho Rights’ managing director, ing for four minutes, had to be cut down 2) @YouTubeIndia: In Pakistan, the last episode of Ask-i was before the boycott of Fawad Khan Fredrik af Malmborg, says, “It started to 30 seconds when it aired in Sweden. All it took was tweets of bite sized content Memnu (Forbidden Love) was seen & Co); the channel launched a Turkish in the Middle East followed by Eastern Often there’s a story line that appeals to and sneak previews to show their follow- by over 90 million people. In Iran and show called Feriha - a college romance Europe, but in recent years, its success the traditional female audience but there ers the diverse content that can be found Afghanistan, viewers are trading with more obstacles than a steeplechase. has spread all over the world. In LatAm dramas and Netflix aims to become one is almost always a strong male story tied on their platform. Content included movie Indian entertainment for Turkish dra- Since then Zindagi, which now also airs countries Turkish series dubbed into of its most vocal ambassadors.” in, like a police drama mixed with a very trailers and original music by users. mas, which represent a culture far more South Korean and Ukrainian series, Spanish are taking 3-5 places in the top 15 powerful love or relationship story. familiar to the two central Asian nations. has brought three other Turkish shows chart of the most watched TV programs. Flixing its muscle But all Turkish dramas have one thing 3) @HyundaiIndia: To promote From LatAm and Africa to the Balkans dubbed in Hindi. The list includes global It’s now seeing strong growth in India, The country on the edge of two conti- in common - high production value. #New2017Grandi10 the brand tweeted and the Indian Subcontinent, Turkey’s hits like Fatmagul and Kuzey Guney, a Malaysia, Philippines and Vietnam.” nents has indeed expanded its sphere of They are some of the costliest produc- about the car’s #Wowsome features and brand of dramas is captivating diverse tale of two brothers, with vastly differing Recognising the growing mass appeal cultural influence across the world. But tions, with budgets per episode (typical also released an official television com- audiences. The country has, in fact, in dispositions and ambitions, in love with of Turkish drama, Netflix has been what makes the Turkish telly drama so duration: 120 to 150 minutes) sometimes mercial announcing the comeback. a few years, developed from nothing to the same woman. Says Sunil Buch, chief building a formidable library of shows appealing to everybody from Jorge to exceeding half a million dollars. The the world’s second largest exporter of business officer, ZEEL; “All the Turkish and last year launched a fully localised Jaya? For starters, the stories and story- Turkish entertainment industry is also 4) @TheOfficialSBI: Any news TV dramas after the US. According to dramas fared tremendously well and re- service in the country. Reed Hastings, telling. Viewers in Latin America, for in- heavily aided by the government that has related to demonetisation is of interest the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce rev- ceived immense appreciation from audi- co-founder and chief executive officer of stance, have, in recent years, expressed a in recent years realised the power of en- to users. Particularly if it’s an announce- enue from overseas sales of TV shows ences and trade alike. Feriha consistently Netflix, said: “Turkish people are great saturation point with US dramas, which tertainment to exercise greater cultural ment saying that with effect from 20 surpassed $350 million in October 2016. held the No1 spot in terms of ratings on storytellers with their hugely popular are usually loaded with violence and sex. influence in the region and the world. February 2017, withdrawal limit on It was $10,000 in 2004. Executives at the channel and the show’s ratings have and internationally recognized Turkish Distribution companies have seen a solid Futhermore, entertainment exports Savings Bank accounts will be increased MIPCOM, where the world’s TV industry been highest in Week 45 of 2015 – 368,000 decline in US drama in the world. In the have helped augment the economy after to `50,000 per week from the current gathers, estimate the market to cross its impressions in the Urban Hindi Speaking Middle East it’s plummeted by over 50% Turkey’s tourism industry was hit fol- `24,000 per week. target of $1 billion from exports by 2023. Markets (NCCS 4+Yrs). Fatmagul also THEIR STORIES & STORY- in the last 5 years. lowing a series of terror attacks and the has helped the channel maintain its posi- TELLING MAKE TURKISH Turkey has stepped in with an alterna- 2016 attempted coup d’état. 5) @Lenovo_in: Keeping with the The Turkish Super Soap tion as the No 1 Premium Entertainment tive to other foreign shows: the Turkish While that coup was unsuccessful, spirit of Valentine’s Day, @Lenovo_in The Turkish TV drama wave hit Asia Channel with 710 average GTVTs.” DRAMAS APPEALING TO super soap. The tales typically revolve Turkey is mounting an attack on some gave followers a chance to win its starting with Pakistan and Indonesia (Source: BARC) around epic romances, in centuries both of the foremost sources of entertain- new smartphone, the Lenovo P2. All when, a few years ago, the leading channel The channel recently signed a licens- EVERYBODY FROM current and past, between impossibly ment for the world. Here’s looking at you, participants had to do was share their suddenly aired 3 to 4 Turkish series back- ing deal with Sweden-based distribution good looking people, who, more often Hollywood and . #LongLastingLove story. to-back in prime time. When Zee needed to company, Eccho Rights for four more ti- JORGE TO JAYA than not, are fairly proficient actors. The [email protected]

SIDETAKE: Almost half of couples ‘Netfl ix cheat’ on each other Almost half of couples who watch Netflix to- gether have “cheated” on each other by watching episodes of a T V show ahead of their partner, according to a new survey by Netflix. Netflix found that of the 46% who had “Netflix cheated,” 81% had done it multiple times, with 44% doing it more than three times. The cheating varied by country. The biggest culprits were Brazil (57%) and Mexico (58%), while Netherlands was the most loyal with only 27%. How can you stop your partner from Netflix cheating? Last year Cornetto, the British ice cream com- pany, came up with a fun way. The company created “Commitment Rings,” which used NFC technology to make sure you were only watching a show when your partner was there. The idea was to select a particular show using an app, and then have it only be able to play when the rings were physically close together. SOURCE: NETFLIX Though the concept METHODOLOGY doesn’t seem to have *The survey was conducted by SurveyMonkey from December 20-31, 2016 and based on 30,267 re- caught on, the technology sponses. The sample was balanced by age and gender and representative of an adult online population could definitely work (if who watch TV shows via streaming services as a couple in The United States, Canada, UK, Australia, Netflix allowed the inte- New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, India, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Hong Kong, UAE, Mexico, Chile, gration). Colombia, Brazil, Argentina, Spain, Portugal, Turkey, Poland, Italy, Germany, France, Sweden, Norway, Source: Business Insider The Netherlands, and Denmark.

IN GRAPHIC DETAIL: The M&E Outlook 2017 Key findings from EY’s Global Capital Confidence Barometer report on mergers and acquisitions in the Media & Entertainment sector

number of deals registered in the media 56 and entertainment US$1.8 billion sector in India cumulative disclosed deal value in 2016

The largest merger of Dish TV and Videocon D2H, deal of the which signals that consolidation is the sector was US$1.2 billion way forward in the DTH space

MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS: The need to respond to USING BIG DATA AND ANALYTICS TO IDENTIFY GROWTH AND VALUE challenges while navigating a complex environment is As well as being a driver of today’s deal marketplace, big data and analytics are elevating dealmaking as a strategic priority. being adapted as an enabler of a more robust and sophisticated deal process for companies. expect to actively pursue 56% acquisitions How do you To identify growth options and potential targets 55% in the next 12 months use analytics To better identify synergies and determine and big appropriate valuation of the targeted asset 52% Of companies have more data for To enhance the post-closing monitoring and 41% 48% than fi ve deals in their executing optimisation of the investment assumptions pipeline your M&A To review our current portfolio of assets 41% process and To enhance the due diligence process Are using big data and strategy? 33% 93% analytics as part of their We are not using, but we are considering it 5% deal process We are not using at all 2% INFOGRAPHIC: BHAVIN GAJJAR BHAVIN INFOGRAPHIC: That’s the real trouble with the world. Too many people CLASSIC BE 4 ECONOMIC TIMES are grown up - Walt Disney THE FEBRUARY 22-28, 2017 ‘Many used car companies would like Donald Trump to talk about their amazing low prices’ Brand Equity for our political show at Boom Chicago BY DELSHAD IRANI North Korea’s Kim Shapiro pulls a theatre in Amsterdam. At some point, Trump face caught up MUMBAI Jong-Un and Trump we realised Trump doesn’t have a typical look-alike s New York accent. Just to be silly, I tried with the voice s we write this, nations are cam- him once as a California surfer dude. of Donald paigning to be second in the And we realised that’s closer to the way world after the fist-thumping Trump actually talks. ‘We’re going to Trump from US President Donald J Trump go catch some awesome rays, we’ll catch the famous Asaid, “From this day forward, some gnarly waves, it’s going to be to- it’s going to be only America tally tubular.’ To me, Trump is this uber- ‘America first, America first.” The first coun- NewYorker who embodies a California First, The try to throw its hat in the ring was the accent, but he can only get elected by ap- Netherlands. In the Zondag met Lubach SHAPIRO EXPECTS TRUMP-FATIGUE TO SET IN SOON.HE pealing to everywhere but those places. Netherlands video, ‘America First, The Netherlands ALSO EXPECTS THAT THE US PRESIDENT WOULD HAVE My comedy partner Pep Rosenfeld and Second’ Second’ that has entertained millions I have been doing election shows since across the globe, a Trump voice makes “GIVEN UP AND RESIGNED” BY THEN 2000 and ‘Angry White Men: Trump Up video which the case for the Dutch to be No 2 in the the Volume’ since the 2016 primaries. world. Because, well, it’s got the best lan- We had no idea it would be funny after triggered a guage in the world, a wall and an ocean Election Day. But here we are still per- worldwide it got Mexico to build, and not only does forming and updating it. All I have to do the Netherlands have the best tax eva- is repeat Trump’s quotes word for word. sensation sion system in the world, it also has the Iran’s plea: Iran It just gets funnier. best, the greatest pony park in the world, Before Iraq, please among other great miniature things. We Meme machine caught up with the voice of Trump in that I’m fully expecting Trump-fatigue to set now legendary video, Amsterdam-based in soon. I also expect that by that point American stand-up comedian, Greg he’ll have given up and resigned already. Shapiro, who came over in 1994, “’just for one summer’ and never left”. Because, a worldwide competition: everysecond- Advice for nations campaigning Favorite world leader hey, ponies. counts.eu. I love it that is uniting to be second in the world to do an impression of the European Union. Give it a twist. Arjen Lubach and the I started out doing a Bill Life after ‘The Netherlands Zondag met Lubach writers are brilliant, Clinton voice, and that’s still Second’ Other requests from countries and their script is quite counterintuitive. my favourite. He’s the last I had a feeling the video would do well in and brands If you try to copy it, you’ll probably miss. great democratic communi- the Netherlands, but I had no idea it would The first country that asked me to voice I’ve been wondering when one of these cator. Just this year he had be worldwide. I had people from all over their video was Russia. Then Turkey. I videos would take it to the next level. Iran a great quote: “Americans the world saying ‘Did you see this?’ And I even had a request for North Korea. did a nice job. have one remaining bigotry, we don’t told them ‘Yeah, that’s me.’ There are many used car companies who want to be around people who disagree Greg I have to give credit to German comedi- would like Donald Trump to talk about Trump-ing it up with us.” Shapiro an Jan Boehmermann for making it into their amazing low prices. I’ve been working on a Trump impression [email protected]

PHOTO : ADRIE MOUTHAAN Continued from Page 1 >> BY INVITATION While Netflix and Amazon Prime Video are ad-free services, other plat- SWIMMING WITH ... forms are dependent on advertising Dark As Day bucks. The trend is similar at OZEE, where apart According to Gopa Kumar, It may be time to put to rest the myth of media-dark rural from the popular Hindi GEC shows across VP at Isobar India, in 2016, Zee channels, Archana Anand, head of digi- the advertiser demand grew India. A perspective from BARC’s Partho Dasgupta tal - India, Z5 Business, Zee Digital, says the “a lot” in the OTT space. company is seeing strong traction for re- Sony’s Sodhi adds that most Close to 344 million Indians have gional shows as well, especially in Marathi, of the OTT players are seeing been watching television in rural Telugu and Tamil. great traction from advertis- areas for the last few years but no However, for Voot, it’s not just fiction ers and many brands are put- one had an idea what exactly they and realty shows from TV, but also digi- ting in money given the high were watching. This changed in tal series tailor made for the platform, visibility and surety of ads being watched 2013, when Broadcast Audience which are working. Says Gaurav Gandhi, on the digital platform. Research Council (BARC), an COO at Viacom18 Digital Ventures, “Big re- However, there is also a concern over mea- industry body to design, commis- ality shows (like BIGG BOSS, Roadies etc surement of viewership. “Globally, advertis- sion, supervise and own an accu- – and not just the TV episodes but a signifi- ers are asking for a standardised measure- rate reliable and timely television cant amount of exclusive content just cre- ment matrix for digital. Once BARC starts audience measurement system for ated for VOOT from these shows); VOOT digital measurement, the space should see India was set up. Originals; Big drama series like Naagin; The OZEE app is more advertisers coming in,” feels Sirohi. From the day the first rural data VOOT Kids and regional language content witnessing strong from BARC came out in October from Kannada and Marathi are big for us.” traction But… The tyranny of data 2015 till today, with close to 16 Interestingly, in absence of local TV con- for regional According to Hotstar’s Mohan, the only months of measurement, the data tent library, foreign players like Netflix and constraint to explosive growth in online from 76 million TV households is Amazon Prime Video are investing heavily shows as well video, especially video around real con- robust enough to initiate a strate- into acquiring TV shows, films and originals. Archana Anand tent, whether TV shows, movies, or sports, gy change for all the stakeholders. Nitesh Kriplani, director and country Zee Digital is the cost of data. “If the data meter is con- Take the advertising industry. A head, Amazon Prime Video India, says, stantly running, then no surprise that number of things changed. “Amazon Prime Video has the largest selec- Local wins over global consumers are hyper conscious of how We have seen a 13% rise in the tion of latest and exclusive movies and TV While for Hotstar, Voot, OZEE and Sony much time they are spending. It is not even number of advertisers on rural shows, ad-free across Indian and Hollywood Liv majority of the content is local, most- about free data. It is about giving certainty focused channels. The biggest ANIRBAN BORA movies, US TV shows, popular Indian and ly from their TV broadcasting business, on data cost so that consumers can be un- spike was seen in Hindi Speaking international kids’ shows, award win- these players have tried to carve their leashed from the tyranny of the tick-tock Markets (HSM) channels. A huge ning Amazon Original shows, and coming niche too. Hotstar, for instance, on the data meter,” he said. spike was also observed across the PKL and PWL get as much as 65% both urban and rural it is cinema. soon… Indian Originals shows with top tal- allows users to watch local as Sodhi also has a positive out- Free to Air (FTA) channels. From and 64% of total viewership from So a Salman Khan or Shahrukh ent and filmmakers.” well as international TV shows, ENTRY COST look. He says 2017 will be a cru- a 31% share of total advertising, rural India. Even soccer ISL gets Khan film, be it Prem Ratan Dhan While Amazon doesn’t share the invest- films as well as sports, all under FOR NEW cial year with a lot of new play- FTA share rose to 39%. Some of nearly half (49%) of its viewership Payo or Dilwale, or the magnum ment figures, according to media reports, one platform. Apart from catch ers coming in, creating more the larger beneficiaries were Sony from rural India. opus Bahubali, each was viewed the ecommerce giant has earmarked over up TV and Indian cricket, it also PLAYERS buzz in this space. “Expanding Pal, Star Utsav, Zee Anmol, DD For those investing in growing by as many as 24 million in rural $300 million to be invested into India for has premium content from HBO, footprint of 3G/4G and broad- Rajasthan, DD Madhya Pradesh these leagues and sports as well as India making the three the biggest original content, an amount which is higher Disney and Fox. Voot, meanwhile, WILL BE band will drive the consump- among others. broadcasters and advertisers, this hits across rural markets. than the annual programming budgets of has created a destination for kids tion of content on digital plat- The top three categories which data came as quite a shocker. No More people watch one TV set in the top three Hindi GECs put together. and while majority of content is QUITE HIGH forms. We might also see some have significantly increased ad- one had expected these numbers rural India as compared to urban “The players with deep pockets will try to local and exclusive, it also offers movement towards subscrip- vertising on TV were auto tyres because no one had been measur- India where there could be more get most of the content and muscle out the some international content from NOW tion ecosystem,” he sums up. (81% growth), DTH ing rural India viewer- than one TV set in a single house. competition. So you will see a lot of invest- Viacom’s global library. OZEE has Once the tyranny of data ends service providers (44%) ship so far. Around 98% of the homes in ru- ments, some of which will be at unrealis- no original content so far and of- that is when users move away and detergent cakes NOBODY While sports has been ral are single TV HHs still where tic prices. The game is to become the big- fers only catch-up TV. from snacking on content to spending time / bars (34%). Some of the game changer, the entire family watches content gest player in future,” explains Shantanu Amazon’s Kriplani says, “Our content mix on high quality, curated content. In fact, the top brands which HAD ANY the GEC’s viewership together. Sirohi, COO at Interactive Solutions. is significantly local and we have already with falling data prices and free service increased their Free IDEA WHAT perspective is also Yet, there is still a lot of head- Sony’s Sodhi echoes the sentiment. He premiered movies within a few weeks of from Jio, between the months of June 2016 Commercial Time different from urban room for growth. In the coming feels that the entry cost for new players their theatrical release in multiple languag- and January 2017, total time spent on social (FCT) on the top four RURAL viewing. While ru- years, rural data will play a more will be quite high now in terms of content. es while also showing Indian customers the media witnessed a 40% jump, while on video FTA GECs were Ponds ral viewers love their significant role for the entire eco- “While technology will become cheaper, latest US TV shows (day-after-broadcast in apps it was up by 13 5%. Hotstar, meanwhi le, India, Reckitt Benkiser, INDIA WAS daily dose of soaps the system. As per the latest Broadcast they will be in a state of land grab. The ex- the US). And we are only getting started.” saw a 400% jump in its time spent during the Dabur, Godrej only show that goes as study conducted by BARC, TV in- isting players have a pipeline and library same period. Consumer products WATCHING a hit across rural and dividuals in rural have increased content, but new players will have to spend Are advertisers biting? So, what it boils down to is that in the hotly Ltd, ITC and Nestle. urban is Naagin from by 23% from 344 million to close money on acquisitions. And as this is a con- The Indian OTT space is rather different contested battles in the OTT space, data is The above data gave the Colors stable while to 422 million. What’s more inter- tent game, compulsive content will keep get- from matured western markets, where vid- the great leveler. a deep insight into an area which the romance of Jodha and Akbar esting is that the young ‘Bharat’ ting expensive,” he says. eo services are mostly subscription driven. [email protected] is critically important to the ad- from Zee also woos the eyeballs, (15-40 years) forms the mainstay vertising community, especially the family value centric Saath of the rural viewership with as the FMCG sector who are heavily Nibhana Saathia from Star Utsav much as 47% of the total rural pop- TAKE: Before fake news exploded, Google’s motley crew fi ltered out fake news sites dependent on rural consumption. has hit a home run. Even the chil- ulation watching TV. With urban SIDE One of the new factors that BARC dren’s program Bal Veer from TV penetration slowing down, the For the small team maintaining one practices of the companies are brought in was the NCCS (New Sony Pal has attracted some good next phase of exponential growth of the world’s most popular news increasingly under scrutiny, espe- consumer classification system) numbers from children. News is set to come from rural India. sites, the job was straightforward: cially with fake news on the rise. as a basis of measurement. And as watching is pretty active in rural This is because in spite of the fast weed out liars and scammers. Several people described a team of But amid a sea of online informa- full-time Google employees, work- much as 3 8 mi l lion of the 76 mi l lion India giving a spike in numbers growth, TV penetration in rural tion and misinformation, the ing out of the company’s Mountain households of the rural population for the news channels. For ex- still stands at 54% of the total rural Google News staffers had a some- View, California headquarters a form the affluent base (NCCS A & ample, news viewership spiked HHs. times tricky task. few years ago. However, Google The editorial team carrying out B individuals). So any premium / by 54% during demonetisation In a nutshell, rural India has has changed the organisation in re- the job was nothing like a tradi- high end product, targeting need week. In terms of daily TV view- made inroads into the Total TV cent years, instead relying entirely tional newsroom. Some members not be limited to urban anymore. ing, rural India, in fact spends viewership and is slated to make on outside contractors to vet the of the team had journalism bona The stupendous numbers that around close to three hours and 10 a significant impact in the coming fides, others came from the world publishers that appear on Google of customer service, and still oth- News. But the main editorial inclu- sports like the Pro-Kabaddi minutes watching TV dai ly. Rural years. ers were contractors based in India Decisions about which publications several former members said.As sion guidelines, which Google cre- League (PKL), Pro Wrestling South tops the list with audienc- The author is Broadcast or other parts of the world. were worthy of being included internet companies like Google ated in 2011, were part of the pro- League (PEL) and even the Indian es in Andhra Pradesh watching Audience Research Council “We were a weird, motley crew,” on the Google News site were not and Facebook play an increasingly cess described by multiple Google Soccer League (ISL) have been en- about 4 hours 4 minutes of daily (BARC) India CEO. one former member of the Google always as obvious — or as trans- prevalent role in news distribu- staffers Business Insider spoke to. joying is because of the eyeballs TV viewing the highest so far. Follow him @parthodasgupta. News team told Business Insider. parent — as the public guidelines, tion, the editorial standards and Source: Business Insider that come from rural India. The If there is one thing that binds Views expressed are personal.

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