iWorld
ZEE5 Global’s subscription revenue grows with their Festive Pack Offer
MUMBAI: In October, ZEE5 Global had rolled out a special festive offer in select global markets, offering a 50% discount on their Annual packs. The Diwali Special offer has seen a fantastic uptake across markets, with the annual pack subscriptions growing nearly three-fold over a one-month period.
ZEE5 has also seen a huge surge in revenue with the introduction of this offer, driving a whopping 20% growth in total subscription revenues over the period. The offer has seen the maximum traction from markets like the Middle East, Singapore, Malaysia and the UK, amongst others.
Subscribers availing of the offer now get access to over 100,000 hours of on demand content across genres, and 60+ live TV channels. From catching Bollywood’s latest hits like Jabariya Jodi and Dreamgirl, to watching some of ZEE5’s most popular Originals like Kaafir, Fitrat, and Bhram or catching up on their favorite TV shows like Kundali Bhagya or Sembaruthi, audiences now have unlimited hours of entertainment available for them to watch anytime, and on any device of their choice.
As the largest global digital platform for Indian entertainment content, ZEE5 has time and again seen a superb response to the innovative marketing and content strategies they have rolled out in various markets, be it across their multiple on-ground events and partnerships, or across their differentiated Originals and other content. The surge in the Annual pack subscriptions post this offer only underscores the huge attraction of ZEE5’s massive and constantly refreshed content library, and love for Indian content across markets.
Commenting on the same, ZEE5 Global Chief Business Officer Archana Anand said, “The festive season is a very special time when families come together, and we wanted to make this an extra special Diwali for Indians living abroad by giving them even easier access to their favourite shows and movies with such an attractive offer during this festive period. The response that we have got has been fantastic across markets and only reaffirms the huge demand for our content. We’re thrilled to have made this Diwali such a memorable one for our audiences across the globe.”
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.
