iWorld
ZEE5 goes big on south; brings Asianet News and Suvarna News on its platform
MUMBAI: ZEE5, India's fastest growing ConTech brand,has partnered with Asianet News Network (Asianet and Suvarna News) to offer live news streaming in Malayalam andKannada. This is the first time since its launch in February 2018, that ZEE5 will offer live streaming of news in Malayalamand Kannada languages to its subscribers. This collaboration will offer ZEE5subscribers a holistic viewing experience, including news and entertainment on the go.
Asianet News Network is one of the leading news networks in South India, and Asianet News and Suvarna News are among the most popular in the states of Kerala and Karnataka respectively.The collaboration additionallyoffers five content pieces every dayand catch-up content for both languages i.e. Malayalam and Kannada respectively.
Aparna Acharekar, Programming Head,ZEE5 India said,“While we have some of the biggest names in national news broadcast on our platform, we are now thrilled to welcome Asianet News and Suvarna News into our portfolio. Consumers will now be able to catch up on their day’s dose of entertainment and news at a single click – web series, movies, music, news in their favourite language. Through this association, we have further showcased our commitment to fortify ZEE5’s position as one of the preferredregional OTTplatforms in the country today.”
Abhinav Khare, CEO, Asianet News Groupsaid“Digital is one of the fastest evolving platforms in the news industry today. The alliance plays to bothpartner's individual strength in which the viewer emerges the winner. With growing number of people who prefer one touch solutions to avail information on trends and developmentsit will give both of usan opportunity to widen our reach among the audience. ZEE5 is, today, one of the top regional content producers in the OTT space, and hence collaborating with them seemed a natural next step. We hope this partnership will allow our viewers across the country to access news on our channels, no matter where they are.”
Since its launch,ZEE5 has been focused on bringing a wide range of content to its regional viewers including catch-up TV, Original Content, digital premieres of blockbuster movies and so on. ZEE5 has rolled out around 25 original shows across genres, and the platform is committed to launching 72+ shows by March 2020. It has crossed 70 million+ gross downloads since launch on the Play Store and had 76.4 million global monthly active users globally as of June 2019.
iWorld
Amazon MX Player launches free micro-drama destination Fatafat
New platform offers serialized short-form stories with Munawar Faruqui campaign.
MUMBAI: Amazon MX Player just made micro-dramas free because the only thing shorter than the episodes is now the price tag (zero). Amazon MX Player has launched Fatafat, India’s first completely free premium micro-drama destination, giving mobile-first audiences access to fast-paced, serialized short-form stories without any paywall. Designed for quick viewing bursts, Fatafat features a growing catalogue of romance, drama, thriller and youth-led narratives in bite-sized episodes that are instantly bingeable. Unlike most micro-drama platforms that charge for access, Fatafat removes the barrier entirely, expanding the format’s reach across India.
The launch is supported by a humorous digital campaign fronted by comedian-actor Munawar Faruqui. The spots playfully highlight how small spends on paid micro-drama apps could be better used elsewhere, positioning Fatafat as the smarter, no-cost choice for engaging entertainment.
Amazon MX Player head Karan Bedi said, “Our vision has always been to make premium entertainment accessible to everyone, free of cost. With Fatafat, we are extending that promise to the rapidly growing micro-drama category quick, engaging and mobile-first while remaining completely free for viewers across India.”
Amazon MX Player head of content Amogh Dusad added, “Micro-dramas open up exciting creative possibilities for storytelling. With Fatafat, we are building a diverse slate of serialized stories across genres while keeping the experience fast, engaging and accessible to viewers everywhere.”
Munawar Faruqui said, “Today’s entertainment landscape is defined by content that is fast, engaging, and instantly accessible. Shooting for the campaign was a thoroughly enjoyable experience, especially as the scenarios felt incredibly authentic and relatable.”
Fatafat will continue to expand its library with several new titles in the coming months. The destination is available to stream for free on the Amazon MX Player mobile app.
In a country where attention spans are shrinking faster than episode lengths, Amazon MX Player isn’t just joining the micro-drama party,it’s throwing the doors wide open and telling everyone the snacks (and stories) are on the house.
