iWorld
BSE seeks & gets clarification on Eros Now-RelianceJio deal
MUMBAI: The Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which had sought clarification from Eros International Media Ltd on a partnership with Reliance Jio, has been told that the deal pertains to US-based parent Eros International Plc and not the India-listed entity.
On 25 August, Eros International had announced a deal between its over-the -top (OTT) platform Eros Now and Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Jio, which is slated to launch its telecom services soon offering subscribers high- speed broadband and other related services.
The Eros Now service with its huge library of Bollywood movies, including recent blockbusters such asBajrangi Bhaijaan, Bajirao Mastaani, Tanu Weds Manu Returns, Prem Ratan Dhan Payo, will power Jio’s on-demand entertainment offering.
The company in its announcement yesterday claimed the “game changing partnership” with Reliance Jio will allow consumers to access high quality Eros Now service within the Jio ecosystem. Jio will provide Eros Now with an opportunity to acquire new subscribers throughout urban and rural India, the company had stated.
Eros International group CEO and MD Jyoti Deshpande was quoted in an official statement as saying , “As a market leader in the film business, Eros has always strived to bring our users the best of Indian entertainment, offering them the same unified experience across screens and networks. Eros Now’s philosophy is to be platform agnostic and embrace the very best in technology as we continuously enhance our content offering. With the broadband and 4G stage set to explode, our alliance with Jio is part of our philosophy to provide consumers entertainment whenever and wherever they want it.”
Eros Now has over 44 million registered users across Web, WAP and APP globally and is available across 135 countries with a vast majority of users from India. Currently it’s focused on monetization and achieving a target of one million paying subscribers by the end of fiscal year 2017.
With a pricing of Rs. 49 ($0.73) per month for a streaming service and Rs. 99 ($1.47) per month, which has additional features such as offline viewing, high definition, subtitles and progressive viewing, the Eros Now service is competitively priced in India compared to other OTT services offering Indian language and international content, the company had claimed.
iWorld
Anirudh Ravichander and Universal Music India join forces to take South India’s sound to the world
The composer behind 13 billion streams launches Albuquerque Records with UMI as its exclusive global partner
MUMBAI: Universal Music India has struck an exclusive partnership with Albuquerque Records, the freshly minted independent label of singer-composer Anirudh Ravichander, in a deal that bets big on South India’s booming pop and hip-hop scene going global.
The arrangement, announced on 17 March, will see Universal Music India handle future pop and hip-hop releases by Anirudh himself, as well as artists signed to the new label. A first release is already in the pipeline for April, featuring Anirudh.
The numbers behind the man are hard to ignore. Debuting in 2012 with the viral sensation “Why This Kolaveri Di”, Anirudh has since clocked over 13 billion audio streams across more than 770 tracks, cementing his position as the No.1 South Indian artist on Spotify by total streams. His fingerprints are all over some of the Tamil film industry’s biggest musical moments, from Hukum and Vaathi Coming to Arabic Kuthu and the A23 Theme.
But Albuquerque Records is a different beast. Built for the non-film space, it is designed to nurture independent talent and champion the next wave of Indian pop voices. “Universal Music India’s leadership in pop and hip-hop made them the natural partner,” said Anirudh. “I’m excited to take independent voices to audiences around the world.”
Universal Music India’s chairman and CEO Devraj Sanyal was equally effusive. “Anirudh represents the future of Indian music, bold, original, and with enormous potential,” he said. “Identifying transformative talent is our superpower, and this partnership reflects that belief.”
Sanujeet Bhujabal, managing director of Universal Music India, framed the deal as more than a distribution play. “Albuquerque Records represents Anirudh’s bold artistic vision in the world of pop and hip-hop,” he said. “True to his legacy of innovation, this partnership is set to establish yet another landmark creative space, this time for the emerging world of iPop and beyond.”
For Universal Music India, the deal deepens a long-running push into South India’s four key language markets: Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada and Telugu. The label already has regional imprints, film partnerships with Maddock Films and Excel Entertainment, and a growing non-film roster. Landing Anirudh, arguably the south’s most bankable music brand, is a statement of intent. South Indian music has the streams. Now it is coming for the world.
