iWorld
Amagi announces world’s first watermark-Based OTT Ad insertion mechanism ‘Thunderstorm’
MUMBAI: Amagi one of the leaders in cloud-based broadcast infrastructure and targeted TV advertising, today announced Thunderstorm, a new OTT ad-insertion platform that delivers personalised and targeted advertising for premium live sports and news feeds using a patented content watermarking technology. With Thunderstorm, TV networks can dynamically insert ads on the server side, as opposed to the traditional client-side insertion, monetising video on every screen without dependency on device apps. Amagi will showcase the new platform in booth SU13006 at the 2016 NAB Show, taking place April 18-21 in Las Vegas.
“The dynamic nature of live sports and news broadcast on OTT platforms calls for a responsive and accurate ad-insertion capability,” said Amagi co-founder Baskar Subramanian. He further adds, “For the first time in the OTT advertising landscape, we have used watermarking-based ad insertion to simplify the broadcast workflow, increase flexibility, and eliminate huge integration efforts into existing broadcast traffic systems. Amagi’s patented watermarking technology is already in use by TV networks worldwide to deliver millions of targeted ad seconds every month, and through Thunderstorm we have extended this successful platform to OTT feeds.”
Thunderstorm adds more power to the ad-insertion workflow by enabling server-side ad stitching and personalization. When multiscreen ads are delivered via client-based ad insertion systems, broadcasters and advertisers lose control over the advertising playout process. Often, viewers skip or block the ads, and the decision whether ads are played or not, can be left to the OTT service provider. Amagi’s Thunderstorm platform transforms this workflow, enabling TV networks to take control over the ads aired in their content, boost monetization, and enhance viewer satisfaction across the multiscreen environment.
Thunderstorm will also allow broadcasters to integrate multiple ad formats, including bugs, L-bands, and linear video, for ultimate flexibility. Since ads are stitched on the cloud into the linear stream. Thunderstorm eliminates the need to create device-driven OTT ads, making ads compatible across various screens. The platform packages content and targeted ads together into a linear stream, undetected by ad blockers, leading to a smoother overall user experience.
Amagi has a proven track record in watermark-based targeted advertising on traditional TV for well-known international broadcasters. Using Amagi’s content watermarking technology, broadcasters can identify replacement triggers and achieve frame-accurate ad splicing. In addition to Amagi watermarks, Thunderstorm also allows TV networks to use traditional triggers such as SCTE-35. By allowing TV networks to efficiently deliver personalized advertising on OTT streams as well, Amagi expands their media pack and strengthens revenue streams.
iWorld
Tips Music CEO Hari Nair to step down
Girish Taurani and Sushant Dalmia to jointly steer the company as the hunt for a new chief begins
MUMBAI: A leadership shuffle is under way at Tips Music. Hari Nair, the company’s chief executive, will step down on April 30 as the music label begins the search for a successor.
The company said Girish Taurani, executive director, and Sushant Dalmia, chief financial officer, will jointly oversee operations during the transition while the board identifies a permanent replacement.
Nair joined Tips Music in 2023 and set about reshaping the veteran music label into a more digital, data-led enterprise. During his tenure, the company secured licensing and partnership deals with global platforms including Sony Music Publishing and TikTok, while renewing agreements with Warner Music Group.
Drawing on earlier experience in technology and entertainment, including a stint at ByteDance, Nair pushed the organisation towards a performance-driven culture. He built a brand partnerships division and introduced proprietary software systems aimed at strengthening digital distribution and data capabilities.
Kumar Taurani, chairman and managing director, credited Nair with embedding a data-led culture within the company and driving revenue growth in line with shareholder commitments.
In his resignation note, Nair said that after helping transition the label into a modern, digitally focused and process-driven organisation, the time had come to pursue his next leadership challenge.
The leadership change comes as the broader Tips Films group shows signs of financial stabilisation. In the third quarter of FY26 the company reported a net loss of Rs 2.86 crore, narrowing sharply from Rs 14.2 crore in the previous quarter. For the nine months ended December, losses stood at Rs 12.37 crore.
Yet revenue told a more volatile story. Income from operations slid to Rs 4 crore in Q3 FY26 from Rs 56 crore in the preceding quarter, taking total operating income to Rs 4.56 crore.
For a company built on a catalogue of more than 34,000 tracks and decades of Bollywood hits, the next chief will inherit both a digital engine and a volatile music market. The playlist may be familiar, but the next act at Tips Music is only just beginning.
