iWorld
BBC Studios inks content partnership with BookMyShow Stream
Mumbai: BookMyShow Stream, the video on-demand (TVoD) service, announced an exclusive content partnership with BBC Studios India. This inaugural partnership will see the launch of a BBC first: a dedicated branded space in the form of a widget on BookMyShow Stream, enhancing its portfolio with a dose of premium, bold, and British drama. Pre-bookings for these coveted titles are now live on BookMyShow Stream.
Sherwood: It was launched to over six million viewers on the BBC (seven-day consolidated) and has been hailed by critics as one of television’s greatest dramas of recent years. The drama, which follows a tense and heart-wrenching investigation into two shocking and unexpected killings that shatter an already fractured community, is award-winning playwright and dramatist James Graham’s most personal work, having been inspired, in part, by real events that occurred in the Nottinghamshire mining village in which he grew up.
Ragdoll: A gruesomely imaginative serial killer thriller, Ragdoll captures the fascinating but flawed friends struggling with the consequences of institutionalisation and trauma. Starring Henry Lloyd-Hughes, Thalissa Teixeira, and Lucy Hale, Ragdoll is executive produced and commissioned by AMC and UKTV’s Alibi, and executive produced by Sid Gentle Films with Freddy Syborn as lead writer and executive producer.
Unforgotten Season 1: This crime drama focuses on a cold case reopened after 39 years. When the body of a young man is discovered in a derelict building, DCI Cassie Stuart-one of the Met’s smartest detectives-is called in to investigate. There are four suspects, each with a secret to hide. As their lies unravel, the people they love most begin to wonder what else they might be capable of. Unforgotten brings together one of the most accomplished acting ensembles seen on British television in years. The multi-award-winning cast includes Nicola Walker, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Bernard Hill, Trevor Eve, Ruth Sheen, Golden Globe and Bafta-winner Tom Courtenay, and Bafta-winner Gemma Jones.
BookMyShow Stream will feature other titles, including Smother (seasons 1-2), Traces (seasons 1-2), The Chelsea Detective, Happy Valley (seasons 1-2) and Unforgotten (seasons 1-4) on its platform over the next two quarters.
BBC Studios’ VP for distribution in South Asia Stanley Fernandes said, “BBC Studios is known for its premium content that is backed by powerful storytelling and the ability to connect with a global audience. We are constantly looking at innovative ways to complement the evolving consumption habits of our audiences and are delighted to embark on this new partnership with BookMyShow Stream to reach new audiences in the dynamic and vibrant streaming landscape of India.”
BookMyShow COO-cinemas Ashish Saksena said, “The TVOD space is gaining traction as more and more entertainment enthusiasts are imbibing the culture of ‘Pay for what you want to watch’, rather than having multiple subscriptions. With BBC Studios taking cognizance of the mammoth opportunity this category holds, we are excited to see this exclusive partnership scale it further. We are thrilled to bring coveted BBC Studios titles into the BookMyShow Stream fold, furthering our aspiration to bring compelling international content to Indian audiences. The BBC First widget on our platform will attract audiences gunning for purposeful content, bringing the best of British content to India. Through this strategic partnership, we aim to take our entertainment quotient a notch higher and offer an unmatched viewing experience to our consumers.”
Fans can ‘rent’ or ‘buy’ on the BBC First dedicated branded space in the form of a widget on BookMyShow Stream. Entertainment enthusiasts can avail a 50 per cent discount offer on Sherwood, Ragdoll, and Unforgotten (season 1) for a limited two-week period on the platform.
With over 2,000 titles available since its launch in February 2021, BookMyShow Stream features a handpicked, specially curated library of content from around the world and India that users can rent or buy and watch. The platform uses over two decades of BookMyShow’s user understanding and data insights to focus on personalised content discovery with access to a selection of on-demand content from across the world.
eNews
KPMG fines partner for using AI in internal AI exam
Partner fined A$10,000 after uploading training material to AI tool
AUSTRALIA: According to an Australian Financial Review report, a partner at KPMG Australia has been fined A$10,000 ($7,000) for using artificial intelligence tools to cheat on an internal training exam focused on AI itself, underscoring the growing challenges professional services firms face as staff adopt the technology.
The unnamed partner was required to retake the assessment after uploading training material into an AI platform to generate answers. KPMG said more than two dozen employees had been caught misusing AI in internal exams during the current financial year.
KPMG Australia chief executive Andrew Yates, said the firm was struggling to keep pace with the rapid uptake of AI. “Given the everyday use of these tools, some people breach our policy. We take it seriously when they do,” he said, adding that the firm was reviewing safeguards under its self-reporting regime.
The incident adds to broader concerns across the accounting profession. The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants last year scrapped remote examinations, citing the growing sophistication of cheating systems. All four Big Four firms have faced penalties linked to cheating scandals across multiple jurisdictions in recent years.
KPMG said it has adopted measures to detect AI misuse and will disclose the number of breaches in its annual results.
The case surfaced during a Senate inquiry into industry governance, where Greens senator Barbara Pocock criticised the lack of tougher consequences. Australia’s corporate regulator, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, said it would not intervene unless disciplinary proceedings were initiated by the profession’s trade bodies.
