iWorld
In a first, BookMyShow Stream rolls out TV series on-demand
Mumbai: Big Tree Entertainment-owned transaction video-on-demand (TVOD) service BookMyShow Stream has announced the launch of TV series on the platform. With this, BookMyShow Stream will become the first TVOD platform in India to introduce on-demand TV series to audiences.
The newly-launched TV series catalogue will feature exclusive titles and mini-series. Curated from across genres and languages (English, Spanish, French, German and others) the slate will also include the platform’s owned content under the BookMyShow Stream originals banner. The service premieres with the Danish-Swedish mini-series “The Investigation” on 17 December.
BookMyShow Stream will be offering users the option to either rent a TV series of their choice for a finite duration or buy it for unlimited access. “The Investigation” will be followed by a slew of titles being released every fortnight over the next few months. These will include “The Trip Franchise” (English), “Miramar Murders” (Spanish), “The Sketch Artist” (French), “The Sister” (English), “Hard Sun” (English), “The Witnesses” (German), “Dark Woods” (German), and “Dalgleish” (English). Most of these titles will be available under BMS originals.
“BookMyShow Stream has been extremely well received across age groups and languages. We are thrilled to offer cinephiles an enhanced experience with the launch of yet another content format on the platform,” said BookMyShow COO – cinemas Ashish Saksena. “With a multitude of genres and titles that span languages across the world, cinephiles can now access exclusive TV series and content titles every fortnight along with the rich ‘BookMyShow Stream Originals’ repertoire.”
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.
