Event Coverage
Keshet International has Asia Singing
MUMBAI: Keshet International has sold its trailblazing interactive talent format RISING STAR and its high-rating children’s singing format MASTER CLASS into Asia. The deals mark a first for each format in terms of geographical reach.
RISING STAR will air on Indonesia’s largest private broadcaster RCTI (Indonesian Idol, Masterchef) which reaches a gigantic potential audience of 180 million viewers. An initial 24 x 2 hr episodes have been commissioned and will be produced by RCTI to air in late Summer/early Fall 2014. ABC’s US version of the show will air on June 22 and is available to buyers at MIPTV as a finished 10 episode tape.
Keshet International has closed deals for RISING STAR in more than 25 territories since its launch at MIPCOM 2013, making it the fastest-selling talent format on record (source: The WIT). Sales include the US (ABC), UK (ITV), Argentina (Telefe), Brazil (Rede Globo), Spain (Atresmedia), Portugal (TVI), Italy (Toro), France (M6 Group) Russia (Rossiya1), Germany (RTL), the Nordics (Nordisk), Hungary (TV2), Ukraine (1+1), Greece (MEGA) and Turkey (Acun Medya). Interest in the format continues to grow worldwide following unprecedented ratings for the show’s original series in Israel, the season finale of which peaked with a 58% share of the total domestic audience.
MASTER CLASS will find a home in China on Jiangsu Satellite TV, launching in the last quarter of 2014 with a first season of 12 x 90’ episodes. The show is being adapted into a local version done through a co-development deal with Beijing-based production company 3C Media.
The original Israeli version of MASTER CLASS is a show in which children sing all-time classics with only positive reviews and no eliminations. It is currently the highest performing talent show on Keshet’s Channel 2. It has also performed extremely well in Hungary where its ratings exceeded TV2’s average for the timeslot by 250%.
Kanti Mirdiati, Managing Director of RCTI, said, “It is an honor for RCTI to cooperate with Keshet International and be the first TV Station in Asia that will telecast Rising Star. This is a singing talent search program with a very interesting concept and totally interactive format, where the audiences at home can vote at a real time and decide who will stay or who will leave. We can’t wait to see how great this program will be. It will bring a new reality and voting sensation through the new platform called Mobile App.”
Mr. Liu, CEO of 3C Media, said “We are very happy to be working with Keshet in co-developing this format into a version that’s more suitable to the Chinese audience and market. The core elements of the show remains intact while we bringing in a special local twist to it. We hope to establish a long-term relationship with Keshet in co-developing many future hit shows for China.”
Keshet International CEO, Alon Shtruzman, said, “We’re delighted to see two more jewels in the Keshet crown airing in Asia. Having a strong presence in such rapid growth regions feels like a great frontier to have conquered.”
Elsewhere in Asia, Keshet International has sold its hidden camera game show Deal With It to Mediacorp Channel 5.
RISING STAR is a trailblazing interactive talent format which hails a new era in home entertainment. It enables the first real-time voting by viewers via an innovative free app ‘TV app to you’ which is fully integrated into the show. Making their debut on stage alone, behind a giant wall of TV screens, a performer can only make his or her entry to the studio by securing more than 70% of the viewers’, judges’ and live audiences’ vote. If the bar is met, the screen (which lights up with the face of each voting viewer in real-time) will slowly rise to expose the hopeful to their new fans and the judging panel. From the very first minute of the very first episode, viewers will play an integral role in every decision made on the show and continue to do so throughout the entire season.
RISING STAR, produced by Tedy Productions for Keshet Broadcasting, marked a record-breaking debut on Keshet’s Channel 2 from September to December 2013, maintaining its audience throughout the full first season as the highest-rated show in 10 of its 15 weeks on air. Over 10 million votes were cast through the app during season one, which has been downloaded more than 1.5 million times. RISING STAR has far outperformed all second screen data ever recorded in Israel, with an activity rate 10 times higher than its nearest competitor. It maintained high ratings and conversion rates (i.e. viewers to second screen participation), in excess of 30%, throughout the series.
MASTER CLASS is a talent show full of heart, and no heartbreak! It is a music talent show for children singing old classics with only positive reviews and without elimination. It has become a critically acclaimed program that taps into the global trend of family viewing because of its warm and humane approach. MASTER CLASS avoids the intrigue and harsh judgment of a ruthless competition, focusing on the nurturing relationships formed between the teachers and their young students, as they become familiar with the country’s rich musical history and cultural heritage.
The sixteen stars of the show are children aged 8-14, with the most promising voices in the country. Four teachers – leading artists in the music industry – train them to make the most of their potential and become the best singers they can. The program is set at the music school and its auditorium, where the weekly performances take place. Towards the end of the season the best student in each performance is awarded a place in the graduation show. In this way, the six will sing for the last time in front of the committee, where one will be selected as the best in the class. Still, all the students continue their studies and perform at every show, including the final one.
Entitled School of Music in Israel, MASTER CLASS became a breakthrough hit oh Keshet Broadcasting Channel 2 – it was the 2nd highest rated show in in 2011, with a season average of 48.1% share and 32.5% rating.
Event Coverage
Anime India announces Amazon MX Player as co-presenting partner for Anime India Kolkata 2026
MUMBAI: Riding high on the success of its blockbuster Mumbai debut, Anime India is accelerating its nationwide expansion with the announcement of Amazon MX Player as the co-presenting partner for Anime India Kolkata. The partnership marks a significant step forward in the festival’s mission to deliver large-scale, accessible, and fan-first anime experiences across the country.
Scheduled for 14 and 15 February 2026 at the iconic Biswa Bangla Mela Prangan, Anime India Kolkata will launch the first regional chapter of what is set to be a year-long, multi-city tour. As the curtain-raiser for the 2026 circuit, the Kolkata edition aims to fuse the energy of global Japanese pop culture with India’s fast-growing community of anime, manga, and pop-culture fans.
A household name in digital entertainment, Amazon MX Player brings unmatched reach and cultural relevance to the Anime India platform. With its expanding focus on anime and youth-driven content, Amazon MX Player’s involvement as co-presenting partner reinforces Anime India’s vision of making anime culture more inclusive breaking barriers of language, geography, and accessibility to connect with fans nationwide.
Anime India Kolkata 2026 will showcase cosplay competitions, interactive zones led by the Indian Gunpla Community, India-39 Vocaloid Community, The Japan Curry, and Adda-o-Otaku by The Otaku Guild. Fans can join tournaments across fighting games, Pokémon VGC, and more. Acclaimed Japanese director Susumu Mitsunaka (Haikyu!!) will attend as guest of honour, appearing in panels and live sessions. Positioned as an immersive celebration of fan culture and industry collaboration, the Kolkata edition marks the beginning of Anime India’s nationwide expansion.
Sharing their perspective on the partnership, Amazon MX Player director Aruna Daryanani expressed, “Anime in India has evolved from a niche interest into a mainstream cultural movement, driven by an increasingly engaged and passionate fanbase. At Amazon MX Player, our focus is on expanding access by bringing anime to audiences across the country for free and in multiple local languages. Our association with Anime India reflects our commitment to supporting the growth of anime in India and deepening connections with fans, while continuing to build Amazon MX Player as a trusted destination for free, high-quality entertainment.”
“Anime India Kolkata is a celebration of how anime has grown beyond entertainment into a powerful cultural and creative force. By bringing fans, creators, and industry leaders onto one shared platform, the festival is helping define the future of pop culture in India,” said Anime India co-founder and director Neha Mehta.
The debut edition of Anime India 2025 in Mumbai attracted over 29,000 fans, quickly cementing its status as a landmark celebration of anime and Japanese pop culture. Riding on this overwhelming response, the Kolkata chapter is projected to draw more than 40,000 visitors across two days, positioning it as one of the biggest anime conventions ever held in eastern India.
Anime India is focused on bringing together fans from across the country to create a truly pan-India celebration of anime, manga, cosplay, gaming, and Japanese culture. With plans to expand into four key metropolitan hubs in 2026—east (Kolkata), north (Delhi), west (Mumbai), and south (Hyderabad)—the festival seeks to deliver globally benchmarked experiences while supporting and uplifting creators, artists, and fan communities throughout India.
