Event Coverage
batteryPOP announces first brand partnerships
CANNES: Burgeoning kid’s cross-platform network, batteryPOP has announced its first strategic brand partnerships with the MLS, HarperCollins Children’s and VEVO. Through these partnerships, batteryPOP will host custom channels that feature each brand’s unique content.
With a continued mission to bring fun, safe and educational content to kids online, these brand sponsorships will serve to inspire young viewers to increase their daily activity level, amplify their excitement for reading and inspire their interest in music.
batteryPOP co-founder and CEO Greg Alkalay believes that video is the perfect way to engage with the audience. “Our new custom channels give kid-focused brands the opportunity to connect with the 6-12 year old demographic in a safe, curated environment.”
MLS will be supplying content from its ‘Anatomy Of A Goal’ series that highlights in-depth breakdowns of thrilling goals from some of the top MLS pros, the ‘Top 5’ series featuring a roundup of some of the league’s most action-packed moments and the ‘MLS Trivia’ series that grills MLS stars on league knowledge.
HarperCollins Children’s will deliver a wide range of video offerings to ignite an excitement for reading among the batteryPOP viewership. This will encompass a number of their ongoing series including “How a Book is Made,” a range of “How To” videos such as a step-by-step guide to creating a Radio Transmitter as inspired by “Alien in My Pocket,” colorful book trailers, interactive videos that immerse readers into the world of the book and fan videos.
Additionally – just in time for Halloween – batteryPOP will be collaborating with HarperCollins Children’s to craft original content on the site surrounding the Zombie Chasers series.
batteryPOP’s partnership with VEVO will deliver kid-friendly music videos to viewers that will provide positive role models for kids along with catchy tunes.
Event Coverage
Anime India announces Amazon MX Player as co-presenting partner for Anime India Kolkata 2026
MUMBAI: Riding high on the success of its blockbuster Mumbai debut, Anime India is accelerating its nationwide expansion with the announcement of Amazon MX Player as the co-presenting partner for Anime India Kolkata. The partnership marks a significant step forward in the festival’s mission to deliver large-scale, accessible, and fan-first anime experiences across the country.
Scheduled for 14 and 15 February 2026 at the iconic Biswa Bangla Mela Prangan, Anime India Kolkata will launch the first regional chapter of what is set to be a year-long, multi-city tour. As the curtain-raiser for the 2026 circuit, the Kolkata edition aims to fuse the energy of global Japanese pop culture with India’s fast-growing community of anime, manga, and pop-culture fans.
A household name in digital entertainment, Amazon MX Player brings unmatched reach and cultural relevance to the Anime India platform. With its expanding focus on anime and youth-driven content, Amazon MX Player’s involvement as co-presenting partner reinforces Anime India’s vision of making anime culture more inclusive breaking barriers of language, geography, and accessibility to connect with fans nationwide.
Anime India Kolkata 2026 will showcase cosplay competitions, interactive zones led by the Indian Gunpla Community, India-39 Vocaloid Community, The Japan Curry, and Adda-o-Otaku by The Otaku Guild. Fans can join tournaments across fighting games, Pokémon VGC, and more. Acclaimed Japanese director Susumu Mitsunaka (Haikyu!!) will attend as guest of honour, appearing in panels and live sessions. Positioned as an immersive celebration of fan culture and industry collaboration, the Kolkata edition marks the beginning of Anime India’s nationwide expansion.
Sharing their perspective on the partnership, Amazon MX Player director Aruna Daryanani expressed, “Anime in India has evolved from a niche interest into a mainstream cultural movement, driven by an increasingly engaged and passionate fanbase. At Amazon MX Player, our focus is on expanding access by bringing anime to audiences across the country for free and in multiple local languages. Our association with Anime India reflects our commitment to supporting the growth of anime in India and deepening connections with fans, while continuing to build Amazon MX Player as a trusted destination for free, high-quality entertainment.”
“Anime India Kolkata is a celebration of how anime has grown beyond entertainment into a powerful cultural and creative force. By bringing fans, creators, and industry leaders onto one shared platform, the festival is helping define the future of pop culture in India,” said Anime India co-founder and director Neha Mehta.
The debut edition of Anime India 2025 in Mumbai attracted over 29,000 fans, quickly cementing its status as a landmark celebration of anime and Japanese pop culture. Riding on this overwhelming response, the Kolkata chapter is projected to draw more than 40,000 visitors across two days, positioning it as one of the biggest anime conventions ever held in eastern India.
Anime India is focused on bringing together fans from across the country to create a truly pan-India celebration of anime, manga, cosplay, gaming, and Japanese culture. With plans to expand into four key metropolitan hubs in 2026—east (Kolkata), north (Delhi), west (Mumbai), and south (Hyderabad)—the festival seeks to deliver globally benchmarked experiences while supporting and uplifting creators, artists, and fan communities throughout India.
