MAM
IRS Q2 2012: Publications see drop in readership
MUMBAI: Daily publications continued to occupy all the spots in the top ten publications list, according to the Indian Readership Survey conducted by the MRUC. In fact, there is no change in the pecking order of the top ten publications.
Hindi daily Dainik Jagran continued to rule the charts with an All India Readership (AIR) of 16.43 million in the second quarter of 2012 (AIR Q1 2012: 16.41 million). Dainik Bhaskar saw a drop in AIR from 14.55 million in Q1 2012 to 14.45 in Q2 2012 while third place occupier Hindustan Times increased its Air to 12.21 million in Q2 2012 from 12.16 million in Q1 2012. Seven out of the top ten publications saw a drop in AIR.
The only change in the ranking of the Hindi dailies is the swapping of places by Navbharat Times and Prabhat Patrika. The former slipped from the No. 7 spot to be replaced by the latter. Navbharat Times’ AIR decreased from 2.588 million in Q1 2012 to 2.584 million in Q2 2012 while Prabhat Khabar’s AIR rose to 2.621 million in Q2 2012 from 2.437 in Q1 2012. Six out the top ten Hindi dailies lost out on readers in the second quarter of 2012.
In case of the English dailies, the Times of India (AIR: 7.643 million) maintained its position at the top of the list followed by Hindustan Times (AIR: 3.767 million) and the Hindu (AIR 2.208 million). The only change in the rankings was Mumbai Mirror (AIR: 795000) replacing Economic Times (AIR: 789000) at number seven and ET slipping to number eight.
Among the language dailies, Malayala Manorama held onto the top position with an AIR of 9.71 million followed by Marathi daily Lokmat at AIR of 7.507 million. In third place is Tamil publication Daily Thanthi with AIR measuring 7.431 million. Malayalam daily Matrubhumi (AIR:6.493 million) displaced Tamil daily Eenadu (AIR: 5.925 million) to take the number six spot.
MAM
Microdrama Specialist COL Group International Builds Out With Narativ, Rock Networks & BlingWood Deals
MUMBAI: Microdrama powerhouse COL Group International is building out its distribution network, with its CEO saying vertical video is about to enter its “next competitive chapter.”
The microdrama arm of publicly-listed Chinese company COL Group appointed Narativ Media as its official distributor in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and CIS regions and Africa, and a struck new content deal with a new Dubai-based microdrama platform.
The deals were unveiled this morning at MIP London, and also included Rock Networks as its exclusive Southeast Asia telco distribution partner for its app, FlareFlow. MIP London is now into its second day at the Savoy Hotel and adjoining IET London complex.
The deals come soon after COL appointed Harbour Rights to represent its titles in Europe and Latin America, as we reported yesterday in our extended feature on microdrama distribution.
COL’s Singapore-based microdrama unit says its “coordinated global distribution architecture and significantly expanded international content slate” would help to scale its catalogue to more than 1,700 microdrama titles worldwide. These hail from South Korea, Japan, Africa, the Middle East, Southeast Asia and the UK and roll out across Sereal+, FlareFlow and 17K.
A deal with Dubai-based BlingWood, which recently launched as an OTT platform, will expand COL’s access to Middle Eastern and Indian microdramas, and includes a broader pipeline of Indian series from storytelling platform Pratilipi, Korean titles from BeLive Studios and British reality-led formats from Tattle TV — the UK’s first dedicated microdrama app, including titles such as Dog Dates.
“Microdrama is entering its next competitive chapter, where quality, retention and monetization standards are increasingly shaped by data and operational discipline,” said Timothy Oh, General Manager of COL Group International.
“As pioneers in both China and the U.S., scaling some of the world’s leading platforms in this space, we understand what it truly takes to win sustainably. Our role is not simply to offer catalogue volume, but to help partners select, position and scale the right content for their platform and audience. By bringing together a broad, constantly refreshed slate from across regions, we enable smarter curation, clearer differentiation and long-term growth for serious industry players.”
Narativ deal
COL and UAE-based Narativ described their deal as a “strategic expansion of premium vertical content distribution across high-growth emerging markets,” and comes as the microdrama continues to boom financially. The growth of the medium will be among the key topics of conversation today at MIP London, where COL chief Oh will be speaking.
The pact extends beyond content representation and is being billed as part of a more “structured micro-drama distribution infrastructure.”
Narativ will spearhead market development, platform alliances, broadcaster relationships and digital monetization frameworks across the MENA and CIS regions and Africa, where they have identified “rapid mobile-first consumption growth and strong demand for short-form, high-engagement storytelling formats.”
“Micro-dramas are reshaping global viewing habits, particularly across mobile-first markets like MENA, Africa and CIS,” said Manjyot Sandhu, CEO and co-founder of Narativ. “Our appointment as official distributor for COL Group in these territories reflects Narativ’s strategy to build sustainable distribution architecture.
“A key pillar of the collaboration includes integration with FlareFlow, enabling strategic telco partnerships, bundled carrier offerings, and alternative monetization pathways designed to accelerate scale across mobile ecosystems and OTT platforms.”
Oh added: “We are building more than a content slate – we are building the global infrastructure for microdrama. With hundreds of new titles launching every quarter, scale and regional strength are critical. Narativ with its deep foothold in MENA, Africa CIS and other key markets makes them a natural strategic partner as we expand FlareFlow and bring microdrama to new platforms, telcos and audiences.
Narativ, which is joint venture Sandhu operates with Copyright Capital, manages around 7,000 hours of content and has a digital network spanning 150 million subscribers across 21 language.
COL Group has emerged as one of the biggest microdrama platforms, running platforms such as FlareFow. It is also a part-owner of ReelShort.
