iWorld
Tastemade continues to expand its linear OTT footprint with Amagi
MUMBAI: Amagi, a global leader in cloud-based technology for TV and OTT broadcasters, today announced that Tastemade, a Santa Monica-based global media company with a mission to inspire the taste of a generation, has added its latest distribution partner for its linear channel and VOD content offering – now on Comcast, YouTube TV, Philo TV, Sony’s PlayStation Vue, and T-Mobile, all powered by Amagi.
“We have grown our TV audience rapidly across several distributors in less than a year. Having a single technology solution that has allowed us to scale in this way played a key role in this success, setting the foundation for further expansion domestically and internationally,” said Jeremy Strauss, Head of Business Development at Tastemade.” Amagi’s award-winning playout solutions and experience with digital first networks were key ingredients – it gave us the technical superiority, flexibility, and scalability to expand our TV footprint”.
For Tastemade, Amagi deployed CLOUDPORT – a true cloud playout platform built on Amazon Web Services (AWS) public cloud infrastructure, supporting both linear OTT and VOD content delivery to multiple platforms. It packed in advanced features such as automation, dynamic graphics, and remote monitoring to create a broadcast-grade TV experience for viewers. The entire workflow was configured and managed using CLOUDPORT’s simple web-based interface which improved overall broadcast efficiencies, reducing transition and training time for Tastemade.
“Tastemade, in a short period of time, has built a very attractive and loyal audience,” said Deepakjit Singh, CEO, Amagi. “We are delighted that they have chosen Amagi cloud solutions to create engaging viewer experiences and enhance their content availability across platforms. Our expertise in linear OTT and VOD delivery puts us in a very unique category of technology suppliers who can provide a holistic solution.” added Deepakjit Singh.
Amagi has deployments in 40+ countries and delivers more than 160 channels to audiences worldwide. In addition to Tastemade, Amagi clients include industry heavyweights such as Turner Broadcasting, Viceland, Discovery, Viacom18, Quest TV, Zee TV, and digital networks – Cinedigm, CuriosityStream, TYT Network, Shout! Factory TV and more.
iWorld
Banijay Asia’s The 50 tops OTT charts with 8.1 million JioHotstar views
Reality competition becomes most watched show on JioHotstar in debut week.
MUMBAI: Fifty contestants walked into a palace, but millions of viewers showed up for the drama. Reality competition The 50, produced by Banijay Asia, has emerged as the most watched show on JioHotstar, clocking 8.1 million views in its debut week. The figure, reported by Ormax Media, places the show at the top of the OTT viewership charts and marks a strong opening for the digital reality format.
Adapted from a popular French format, The 50 brings together 50 personalities from television, digital platforms, music and reality shows inside a grand palace setting. Over the course of a 50 day competition, participants form alliances, compete in unpredictable tasks and navigate eliminations as the field steadily narrows.
Guiding the game is a mysterious figure known as The Lion, an unseen game master whose voice introduces twists, challenges and strategic turns throughout the show, adding an extra layer of suspense to the contest.
What distinguishes The 50 from typical reality competitions is its audience driven prize structure. Instead of the winner taking home the final reward, the prize is awarded to one of the winner’s registered followers through the show’s dedicated app. The mechanism effectively turns viewers into participants, allowing fans to have a direct stake in the outcome.
The contestant lineup features a mix of television actors, reality stars and digital creators, including Karan Patel, Urvashi Dholakia, Divya Agarwal, Mr Faisu and Dushyant Kukreja, each bringing their own fan following to the show.
With its blend of celebrity personalities, strategic gameplay and interactive viewer participation, The 50 has quickly carved out a strong foothold in India’s digital entertainment landscape. Its 8.1 million views in the opening week underline the growing appetite for large scale reality formats designed specifically for OTT audiences.
