MAM
Zeotap launches ‘Connect’ – deterministic telecom-based identity matching solution integrated across 7 DSP and DMP channels
Zeotap, the global mobile data platform today announced the launch of its identity solution, Connect, which deterministically matches brands’ offline data to online identifiers. Zeotap is the first and only company to offer this solution at a global scale via its partnerships with telecom operators. Connect is integrated with seven DSP and DMP channels, including Google Marketing Platform, The Trade Desk, Appnexus, Adform and Amobee amongst others.
Zeotap’s Connect has been built around privacy-by-design principles to comply with GDPR and global privacy standards. This identity matching solution, integrated with 3 of the 5 largest telecom operators in India, is based on a unique patented telco identity graph that helps brands connect emails and phone numbers (offline 1st party CRM data) to device IDs and mobile/desktop cookies (online identifiers), allowing brands to unleash the full power of their own data. Zeotap can additionally append further data attributes to these matches, allowing brands to make use of zeotap’s targeting intelligence capabilities. As a result, brands can gain better insight on their users and benefit from an advanced targeting strategy based on zeotap’s accurate socio-demo and behavioral data.
Commenting on the launch, Projjol Banerjea, Founder & CPO said, ‘We are excited to bring Connect to the Indian market, with the quality and accuracy assurance that characterizes us. Connect enables our customers to bridge the offline-online advertising gap, while having a more rounded vision of their target audience’s socio-demo and behavioral composition. Today, Connect is readily available and integrated across major DSP and DMP channels, and we’re confident it will bring nothing but outstanding campaign results.”
Some of the Connect security and privacy measures include working with securely hashed identifiers (hashed email addresses or phone numbers) that are always stored independently. Zeotap also uses its own identifier – the ZeoID – which is a rotating hashkey that securely separates brands’ identity data from zeotap’s targeting attributes. Zeotap has also been granted with several enterprise-grade security and privacy certifications to prove their compliance, including ISO 27001, CSA STAR Silver and the e-privacy GDPR-ready seal in Europe.
Premium brands the world over, across verticals such as QSR/fast-food, FMCG and travel, trust zeotap with activating their 1st party CRM data and optimizing their marketing campaigns.
Brands
TV bills on the rise: JioStar, Sony, and Zee crank up prices by 10 per cent
Broadcasters tune into higher tariffs as JioStar, Sony, and Zee reveal new prices
MUMBAI: If you were hoping for a cheaper night in front of the telly next year, you might want to look away from the remote. India’s broadcasting giants are flipping the script on pricing, with JioStar, Sony, and Zee all tuning into a new frequency of higher tariffs. Ahead of the 2026 financial year, the Big Three have released their updated Reference Interconnect Offers (RIOs), signalling a collective push that will see most monthly bills rise by roughly 10 per cent.
The synchronised move suggests that broadcasters are testing the price elasticity of their audience. In simpler terms, they are betting that your love for daily soaps and live sports is stronger than your annoyance at a slightly lighter wallet.
Sony is making a particularly bold play in the High Definition space. If you enjoy the crispness of Sony Entertainment Television HD or Sony SAB HD, your monthly bill for those channels will jump from 25 rupees to 30 rupees. The same 30-rupee price tag now applies to their sports heavyweights, including Sony Sports Ten 1, Sony Sports Ten 2, Sony Sports Ten 3 Hindi, and Sony Sports Ten 5.
However, Sony is also expanding its horizons. Fans of regional content have new arrivals to look forward to, provided they are patient. Sony Sports Ten 4 Kannada is slated for an April 2026 debut, while Sony Vizha and Sony Vizha HD are expected by June. By August, Sony Telugu and Sony Telugu HD should be live. To keep customers sweet until then, Sony is offering “proportionate discounts.” For instance, the Happy India 2026 Smart Tamil bouquet, normally 42 rupees, will cost just 29.91 rupees until the new Vizha channel officially joins the party.
On the standard definition front, Sony is keeping its “strategic mass price” at 19 rupees for big hitters like Sony Max, Sony Marathi, and Sony Aath. Smaller channels see minor tweaks: Sony Max 2 is nudging up from 2 rupees to 3 rupees, while Sony Yay! sits at 6 rupees and Sony Max 1 remains at 5 rupees.
Zee Entertainment is also getting in on the act with a comprehensive 10 percent hike. Their flagship Standard Definition channels, such as Zee TV, Zee Cinema, Zee Marathi, Zee Bangla, Zee Sarthak, Zee Kannada, and Zee Tamil, are all locked in at 19 rupees. Interestingly, they have matched this 19-rupee price point for many of their HD versions too, including &TV and &Pictures.
For those who prefer the all-you-can-eat bouquet approach, Zee’s All-in-One Hindi SD pack has risen to 58 rupees. Their Marathi and Bangla packs are now 64 rupees, while the Southern trio of Tamil, Kannada, and Telugu SD packs will set you back 85 rupees. If you want those same Southern packs in glorious HD, the price climbs to a steeper 131 rupees. Zee is also shuffling its deck by exiting English entertainment but entering the sports arena, with Zee Cafe and &flix seeing price adjustments to 7 and 8 rupees respectively.
JioStar is perhaps the most aggressive of the bunch when it comes to regional favourites. While they have kept core Hindi staples like Star Plus, Colors, and Star Gold at 19 rupees, they have pushed premium regional channels like Asianet, Colors Kannada, Vijay TV, and Maa TV up to 30 rupees. This move is significant because any channel priced over 19 rupees cannot be included in a discounted bouquet, meaning fans of these channels will have to buy them separately, potentially driving up the total cost of a monthly subscription.
Even the youngsters aren’t spared, with kids’ favourites like Nick SD and Nick HD+ now priced at 19 rupees. As we head towards April 2026, the ball is now in the court of the cable and dish operators. They must decide how much of these increases they can swallow and how much they will pass on to the person holding the remote. For the average viewer, the message is clear: premium content is getting a premium price tag.
