iWorld
Netflix outperforming traditional TV, YouTube in the US
MUMBAI: Netflix is outperforming traditional TV in the US. It has reached the top spot among platforms for watching entertainment on TV leaving traditional cable and broadcast television networks as well as YouTube and Hulu behind. A recent survey of US consumers by Wall Street firm Cowen & Co. has revealed the fact.
The survey conducted in May included 2,500 US adults. The participants were asked which platforms they use most often to view video content on TV. 27 per cent of the total respondents choose Netflix. Other sources of entertainment like basic cable, broadcast and YouTube stood at 20 per cent, 18 per cent and 11 per cent respectively.
More importantly, millennials give Netflix higher preference. 40 per cent of adults aged 18 to 34 prefer the platform most often to view video content on their TVs. Only 17 per cent of them use YouTube, 12 per cent basic cable, 7.6 per cent Hulu and 7.5 per cent broadcast.
“Over the long term, assuming [Netflix] is able to continue to increasingly offer great content, this lead clearly bodes well for further value creation,” Cowen & Co. analysts led by John Blackledge wrote in a research note as quoted by Variety.
Other than US, Netflix is trying to strengthen its foothold in other countries too. In India, it has recently launched Lust Stories that has been critically acclaimed. It’s also being very bullish about its original content. The company hopes to add five million international subscribers at the end of this quarter.
“Owning a leading international content-production footprint and ramping relationships across the talent ecosystem should prove beneficial to Netflix’s ability to increase production in those markets, much of which is produced at a lower cost than similar content produced in Hollywood,” the Cowen & Co. analysts wrote.
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Netflix announces new Indian original film ‘Lust Stories’
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.
