Event Coverage
BVITV, HRT Croatia sign multi-year licensing agreement
MUMBAI: Building on its long-term relationship with the Croatian public broadcaster HRT, Buena Vista International Television (BVITV) has concluded a new multi-genre, Multi-year agreement with the broadcaster for the licensing of features, live action series, animated series and a new Disney branded timeslot. This has been announced by BVITV vice president, sales EMEA Alison Homewood at MIPCOM in Cannes.
With this agreement, HRT will broadcast a Disney branded timeslot for the first time, which will run once a week from January 2005. The show will showcase a selection of Disney animation, such as Disney’s Aladdin: The Series and Disney’s Timon & Pumbaa.First-run features in the package will include the M Night Shyamalan thriller Signs, Bringing Down the House, with Steve Martin and Queen Latifah, the family comedy Snow Dogs, and the 2002 action-adventure The Count of Monte Cristo. Repeat feature titles include the Jerry Bruckheimer-produced Armageddon, Con Air, and Enemy of the State.
In addition, HRT has licensed season three of the international hit series Alias, Scrubs and According to Jim, plus year two of the comedy series 8 Simple Rules. HRT will also start broadcasting the hit comedy My Wife and Kids, starring Damon Wayans, for the first time.
This agreement was negotiated for BVITV by Rory Buckley, senior sales executive, Central and Eastern Europe.
Homewood said, “We are pleased to be working again with HRT, with whom we have a long term association, in developing their channel’s programming. With this agreement HRT will receive a great new driver of younger audiences in the form of the new Disney branded show, and also a broad selection of hit live action programming for older age groups.”
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.
