MAM
Fremantle, Fluid Audio ink online deal on ‘American Idol Underground’
MUMBAI: FremantleMedia Licensing Worldwide, Americas (FLW, Americas), the US licensing division of FremantleMedia, co-producer and licensor of American Idol, and Fluid Audio Networks, has announced the launch of the first ever online incarnation of American Idol — American Idol Underground.
American Idol Underground will bring American Idol to an Internet audience by offering talent competitions in a number of different music genres, including pop, rock, country, R&B, classical, jazz, spoken word and rap. The announcement was made at Licensing Show 2005 in New York, states the press release.
The American Idol Underground website, which will launch later this year, will be powered by Fluid Audio’s proprietary self-publishing software. The musicians will directly upload their music to one of thirteen genre specific music channels for review by internet listeners and celebrity judges.
Fluid Audio Networks CEO and founder Justin Beckett says, “After developing the technology our main objective was partnering with the premier entertainment brands; American Idol represents the holy grail of entertainment brands and FremantleMedia’s support has been fantastic. Whether they’re looking for a recording contract or just to get their music heard, this service will give musicians from every genre the platform to reach the masses like only American Idol can.”
FLW Americas VP, Integrated Marketing and Interactive Keith Hindle said, “Fluid Audio is providing an entirely new format for aspiring American Idols to make their dream a reality. We anticipate that American Idol Underground will become one of the most talked-about online services and a highly trafficked site in the coming year.”
FremantleMedia, the co-producer and licensor of American Idol, would be announcing that the details of developing the American Idol as a lifestyle brand.
The annual Licensing show, — Licensing 2005 International, which gets underway at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City, will see leading retailers, consumer product manufacturers, promotions and marketing strategists will congregate to discover the latest trend-setting properties.
International Licensing Industry Merchandisers’ Association (LIMA) president Charles Riotto said, “In today’s competitive marketplace, the value of licensing cannot be measured in just actual dollars and cents. Enhanced brand awareness is a bonus to its impact on the bottom line as a lucrative source of revenue.
“The continually growing roster of properties featured at the Licensing Show demonstrates the strength of licensing as a powerful, cost effective and profitable tool in the marketing mix.”
According to a media release, an exhibitor roster featuring the biggest names in entertainment, including four kids entertainment, Disney, MGM, New Line Cinema, DreamWorks SKG, Nickelodeon, Sesame Workshop, Sony Pictures Consumer Products, Universal Studios Consumer Products, Warner Bros. Consumer Products and more.
Other, high-profile consumer brands such as Lysol, LEGO, Procter & Gamble, Jeep, McDonald’s, H.J. Heinz, Kellogg’s, Ford, Mattel, Hasbro, Campbell Soup Company, Time Inc., The New York Times, Timex, Crayola, Pepsi, Rubbermaid, The Stanley Works, Harley-Davidson and more.
Entertainment, being the largest category in licensing, the release adds that the latest blockbusters, much has been made in the last few years of the franchising of the movie business with such multiple successes as Shrek, Spiderman, and Lord of the Rings, the trend continues. With the newest installments of Batman and Superman movies, another trend capitalizes on such retro classics as Archie (Miramax), Pink Panther (MGM), King Kong, Curious George (Universal Studios) and Bewitched (Sony Pictures). All of the major film studios are returning this year to showcase their hottest new and classic properties.
In the sports category, beyond the major leagues, some of today’s fastest growing sports are represented on the show floor including soccer’s AC Milan and the Fifa World Cup 2006, represented by Warner Bros. Consumer Products; Tour de France, represented by Amaury Sport Oganisation; and two of the nation’s fastest growing sports, NASCAR and Professional Bull Riders; as well as the 500 Home Run Club representing baseball’s elite including Hank Aaron, Reggie Jackson, Ernie Banks and more.
New to dealing with the licensing industry and represented at the show are the World Series of Poker and the World Poker Tour. And in the area of sports entertainment World Wrestling Entertainment makes a return engagement.
Licensing 2005 International is sponsored by the International Licensing Industry Merchandisers’ Association, the worldwide trade association for the licensing industry, serving as the global advocate for the business of licensing.
The trade show kicked off on 21 June 2005 and concludes tomorrow 23 June 2005.
Digital
Content India 2026 opens with a copro pitch, a spice evangelist and a £10,000 prize for Indian storytelling
Dish TV and C21Media’s three-day summit puts seven ambitious projects before an international jury, and two walk away with serious development money
MUMBAI: India’s content industry gathered in Mumbai this March for Content India 2026, a three-day summit organised by Dish TV in partnership with C21Media, and it wasted no time making a statement. The event opened with a Copro Pitch that put seven scripted and unscripted television concepts before an international panel of judges, and by the end of it, two projects had walked away with £10,000 each in marketing prize money from C21Media to support development and international promotion.
The jury, comprising Frank Spotnitz, Fiona Campbell, Rashmi Bajpai, Bal Samra and Rachel Glaister, evaluated a shortlist that ranged from a dark Mumbai comedy-drama about mental health (Dirty Minds, created by Sundar Aaron) to a Delhi coming-of-age mystery (Djinn Patrol, by Neha Sharma and Kilian Irwin), a techno-thriller about a teenage gaming prodigy (Kanpur X Satori, by Suchita Bhatia), an investigative crime drama blending mythology and modern thriller (The Age of Kali, by Shivani Bhatija), a documentary on India’s spice heritage (The Masala Quest, hosted by Sarina Kamini), a documentary on competitive gaming (Respawn: India’s Esports Revolution, by George Mangala Thomas and Sangram Mawari), and a reality-horror competition merging gaming and immersive fear (Scary Goose, by Samar Iqbal).
The session was hosted by Mayank Shekhar.
The two winners were Djinn Patrol, backed by Miura Kite, formerly of Participant Media and known for Chinatown and Keep Sweet: Pray & Obey, with Jaya Entertainment, producers of Real Kashmir Football Club, also attached; and The Masala Quest, created and hosted by Sarina Kamini, an Indian-Australian cook, author and self-described “spice evangelist.”
The summit also unveiled the Content India Trends Report, whose findings made for bracing reading. Daoud Jackson, senior analyst at OMDIA, set the tone: “By 2030, online video in India will nearly double the revenue of traditional TV, becoming the main driver of growth.” He noted that in 2025, India produced a quarter of all YouTube videos globally, overtaking the United States, while Indians collectively spend 117 years daily on YouTube and 72 years on Instagram. Traditional subscription TV is declining as free TV and connected TV gain ground, forcing broadcasters to innovate. “AI-generated content is just 2 per cent of engagement,” Jackson added, “highlighting the dominance of high-quality human content. The key for Indian media companies is scaling while monetising effectively from day one.”
Hannah Walsh, principal analyst at Ampere Analysis, added hard numbers to the picture. India produced over 24,000 titles in January 2026 alone, with 19,000 available internationally. The country now accounts for 12 per cent of Asia-Pacific content spend, up from 8 per cent in 2021, outpacing both Japan and China. Key exporters include JioStar, Zee Entertainment, Sony India, Amazon and Netflix, delivering over 7,500 Indian-produced titles abroad each year. The top importing markets are Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, the United States and the Philippines. Scripted content dominates globally at 88 per cent, with crime dramas and children’s and family titles performing particularly strongly.
Manoj Dobhal, chief executive and executive director of Dish TV India, framed the summit’s ambition squarely. “Stories don’t need translation. They need a platform, discovery, and reach, local or global,” he said. “India produces more movies than any country, our streaming platforms compete globally, and our tech and creators win international awards. Yet fragmentation slows growth. Producers, platforms, and tech move in different lanes. We need shared spaces, collaboration, and an ecosystem where ideas, technology, and people meet. That is why we built Content India.”
The data, the pitches and the prize money all pointed to the same conclusion: India is not waiting for the world to discover its stories. It is building the infrastructure to sell them.
