MAM
Nick Consumer Products to represent Viacom’s properties in Canada
MUMBAI: Nickelodeon Consumer Products (NCP), a division of Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN), has announced plans to take its Canadian licensing and merchandising business in-house effective 1 October.
NCP Canada‘s Toronto based office, led by NCP Canada senior director Tanya Visano, will exclusively represent VIMN‘s portfolio of properties and brands which include Nickelodeon, MTV and Comedy Central and manage all operations and retail and licensee relationships for NCP.
Said VIMN senior VP of consumer products Michael Connolly, “VIMN‘s business and brand portfolio in Canada has grown exponentially since we launched our first licensing program a little more than a decade ago and now encompasses two 24-hour dedicated channel services with our Canadian broadcast partners, multiple digital platforms and mass awareness of our brands and properties. Moving from an agent to in-house representation model is optimal for our continued growth in
the region and, combined with our global scale, we are able to offer even deeper value to our Canadian partners.”
NCP Canada will focus on driving NCP‘s strategic priorities around their Something for Everyone portfolio, including innovative and enhanced retail partnerships, holistic franchise and category management with first in class operational support and product development. Visano and her expanding team of marketing and licensing professionals, who include Jeremy Potvin (Director, Softlines), Jean Brozny (Senior Manager, Marketing and Brand Management), Daniel
Christamtsis (Senior Manager, Hardlines), and Matthew Spataro (Coordinator, Retail Marketing), are based in Toronto at the offices of VIMN’s Canadian subsidiary, MTV Networks Canada.
Visano added, “We are very excited about NCP‘s expanding efforts in Canada and the great potential around our Something for Everyone portfolio. Our team will focus on deepening partner relationships through value added solutions and product innovation that will deliver increased sales and impactful retail merchandising.”
NCP Something for Everyone portfolio spans every demo across pre-school, kids, tweens, teens and adult. Nickelodeon‘s evergreens‘ Dora the Explorer and SpongeBob SquarePants feature newly integrated marketing campaigns and high quality product designs. Nick‘s robust content pipeline keeps delivering the hits such as Victorious (currently broadcasting on YTV) which debuts at Walmart in Canada this summer for Back-to-School. Adult offerings around Comedy Central‘s South Park, now entering its 15th season and MTV‘s The Jersey Shore reflect NCP‘s scope as a true one-stop-shop for partners.
Visano will coordinate operational transition from agent to in-house and is responsible for all day to day NCP business.
NCP’s move to direct representation in Canada will be managed out of VIMN’s Canadian subsidiary, MTV Networks Canada.
MAM
Dish TV shareholders approve three independent directors
99.49 per cent vote of confidence strengthens board as company expands into connected TV, e-commerce and OTT.
MUMBAI: Dish TV has just been served a near-perfect vote of confidence and the shareholders have dished it out in style. Shareholders of the DTH operator have approved the appointment of three new Independent Directors with an overwhelming 99.49 per cent approval. The three appointees are Mr Arun Kumar Kapoor, Ms Heena Naishadh Bhatt and Mr Ashok Anant Paranjpe.
The strong mandate reflects continued investor faith in the company’s strategy, disciplined execution and long-term value creation. It comes as Dish TV focuses on stabilising its core DTH business while actively scaling new verticals connected TV platform VZY, B2B e-commerce ShopZop, and OTT service Watcho to build a more diversified and resilient growth trajectory.
Dish TV India Limited, CEO & executive director Manoj Dhobhal said, “We are encouraged by the shareholders’ approval of the appointment of the Independent Directors and sincerely thank them for their continued trust and confidence. The Board is already benefiting from the Directors’ collective experience, which will further sharpen strategic focus and support disciplined execution.”
With a fresh, strengthened board in place, Dish TV is well positioned to navigate the evolving media landscape. In a sector where every percentage point matters, a 99.49 per cent thumbs-up is the kind of ringing endorsement that suggests the company’s recipe for the future is already tasting right.
