iWorld
Siddhartha Basu’s ‘Quizzer Of The Year’ to air its championship rounds from 15 April only on Sony LIV
Mumbai: Get ready for the ultimate quiz championship of the year! Sony LIV’s Quizzer Of The Year (QOTY), a nationwide challenge is all set to air and capture the imagination of quiz enthusiasts across the country. As the competition heats up, the platform is excited to announce the launch of its final rounds, promising edge-of-your-seat excitement, and fierce competition like never before! Presented by India’s grand quizmaster, Siddhartha Basu, the show is conceptualised by Anita Kaul Basu and the team at Tree of Knowledge Digital (Digitok).
Quizzer Of The Year aims to give an exciting twist to traditional learning and explores the format of infotainment in India. In today’s world, students are not just focused on academic excellence; they also crave new experiences and knowledge beyond their textbooks, from the world around them. QOTY provides students of class IX to XII a platform to test their abilities and knowledge against peers from across the country.
QOTY is divided into three phases, with phase one of daily quizzes already concluded. 64 teams, progressed to represent each zone, that emerged from a pool of over 2000 schools, spanning across more than 300 cities. Later, top teams from each zone will eventually move ahead and fight to win the National Championship, ‘Quizzer Of The Year’ title and stand a chance to win an educational scholarship of rupees 1 crore. The team that comes second and third will also stand a chance to win an educational scholarship of rupees 50 lakhs and 20 lakhs respectively.
QOTY will begin streaming exclusively on Sony LIV from 15 April, kick-starting with episodes from the Zonal rounds hosted by seasoned quizmasters Joy Bhattacharjya and Col Vembu Shankar, Indian Army veteran. Winning teams will advance to the quarterfinals, semi-finals, finals hosted by Siddhartha Basu, with the ultimate winner being crowned the Quizzer Of The Year.
Presenter and creator Siddhartha Basu, “For the past year, our team at Tree of Knowledge Digital (Digitok) has diligently worked to engage with the top high school quizzers from across India to select teams for the national play-offs. We aimed to make QOTY inclusive, allowing everyone to play, test, and expand their knowledge through quizzing. Even those who didn’t qualify for further rounds can continue playing on the app round the year. With my four decades-long involvement in infotainment, I am excited to venture into the world of OTT with Sony LIV to reach students beyond all barriers. We hope QOTY becomes a tool for fostering a factual culture and building a strong knowledgeable community among young minds.”
Watch Quizzer Of The Year exclusively from 15 April, Mon-Sun at 11 am only on Sony LIV!
iWorld
Prime Video bets big on India with global originals, films and franchise expansion
Execs highlight scale, travelability and new IP bets as India anchors global strategy
MUMBAI: At Prime Video Presents 2026, the message was clear and confident. India is not just part of the plan, it is central to it.
In a lively fireside chat hosted by filmmaker Karan Johar, Kelly Day, vice president of prime video and amazon mgm studios international, Nicole Clemens, vice president of international originals, and Gaurav Gandhi, vice president for Apac and Anz, laid out an ambitious roadmap. Think bigger stories, wider reach and a sharper focus on building franchises that travel.
Kelly Day, a regular visitor to India, set the tone early. Calling the country “one of the most important markets globally”, she pointed to the sheer scale and diversity of audiences as a driving force behind Prime Video’s growth. Indian Originals, she said, are not just local hits but global engines powering subscriptions and engagement.
That global appeal is already visible. According to Clemens, around 25 percent of viewership for Indian content now comes from outside the country. Shows rooted deeply in local culture are finding fans worldwide, proving that specificity, when paired with universal themes, travels well. From gritty dramas to sharp thrillers, Indian storytelling is increasingly crossing borders with ease.
Clemens, who joined recently to lead international originals, was particularly upbeat about India’s creative range. She highlighted a growing slate of over 100 shows in development and production, with more than 60 percent returning for multiple seasons. For her, the formula is simple. Authentic stories, told well, resonate everywhere.
Adding to the buzz, she teased new and returning titles, alongside a fresh superhero universe, the Kalyug Warriors. It signals a push into new genres while doubling down on familiar fan favourites.
If content is king, distribution is the clever courtier. Day outlined Prime Video’s layered business model in India, which blends subscription, rentals, add on channels and ad supported viewing through Amazon MX Player. The idea is straightforward. Give viewers choice, whether they want premium, free or pay per view.
India, she noted, has also become a testing ground for innovation. Tiered pricing, mobile only plans and language diversity have all been sharpened here before being exported to other markets. In many ways, the India playbook is now influencing global strategy.
For Gaurav Gandhi, the next chapter is about scale with intent. He outlined four priorities. Making Prime Video more accessible, pushing Indian content globally, building stronger franchises and supercharging the films business.
On films, the platform is moving beyond licensing into co productions and now theatrical releases in partnership with amazon mgm studios. These films will eventually stream on Prime Video, creating a full circle from cinema halls to living rooms across 240 countries.
Franchise building remains another key pillar. With hits like The Family Man, Mirzapur and Panchayat already enjoying multi season success, the focus is now on creating the next wave of enduring IP. Newer titles are already lining up for second seasons, signalling a steady pipeline.
What stood out through the conversation was a shared belief. Streaming in India is still in its early innings, and the runway is long. With a mix of local flavour and global ambition, Prime Video is betting that stories from India will not just stay at home, but travel far and wide.
Or as the executives seemed to suggest, the world is watching and India has plenty more to show.
