iWorld
Eros Now Partners with Sony India
KOLKATA: Eros Now today announced its collaboration with one of the leading and most trusted television brands, Sony India, to provide unlimited online entertainment to consumers in India. This alliance between the two renowned household brands enables a large base of existing (BRAVIA E series and newer TV models) as well as prospective Sony BRAVIA customers to access Eros Now's pre-installed app seamlessly on their smart TVs and enjoy its massive content catalogue on high definition, superior quality screens.
Indian families have been watching television together more frequently since the coronavirus lockdown began in March. At a time when consumers are increasingly enjoying content along with their families on smart screens, this partnership caters to the demand of audiences across demographics.
India's smart TV market has witnessed exponential growth in recent times, and it demonstrates the growing trend of co-viewing in the country. According to Counterpoint research, in 2019 India has seen a substantial 25 per cent growth in demand for smart televisions fuelled by overall industry growth of 15 per cent, to a record 15 million units per annum.
Under lockdown, with homes transformed into theatres, the audience can now binge-watch Eros Now's original shows, over 12,000 movie titles, music videos, short-format content Quickies and more on the Eros Now app on their Sony BRAVIA TVs most evenings, with their entire family.
Commenting on the announcement, Eros Now CEO Ali Hussein said, "The recent surge of online video streaming on smart TVs offers a massive opportunity for leading OTT players and Smart TV manufacturers to join hands and picture a new growth story. There is a vast audience base across demographics who have now started enjoying online video content, and smart TV is boosting this habit. Thus, the partnership with Sony TV helps in further increasing the co-viewing experience in India with family-friendly video content offered on Eros Now platform becoming a growing trend and resonating across all age groups."
Sony India BRAVIA Business head Ranvijay Singh added, "Our consumer-centric approach led us to partner with one of India's leading OTT player, Eros Now. Eros Now's massive movie library, originals and music will certainly add to the entertainment services on Sony BRAVIA smart TVs and offer wholesome entertainment to our audience seamlessly."
iWorld
Banijay Asia’s The 50 tops OTT charts with 8.1 million JioHotstar views
Reality competition becomes most watched show on JioHotstar in debut week.
MUMBAI: Fifty contestants walked into a palace, but millions of viewers showed up for the drama. Reality competition The 50, produced by Banijay Asia, has emerged as the most watched show on JioHotstar, clocking 8.1 million views in its debut week. The figure, reported by Ormax Media, places the show at the top of the OTT viewership charts and marks a strong opening for the digital reality format.
Adapted from a popular French format, The 50 brings together 50 personalities from television, digital platforms, music and reality shows inside a grand palace setting. Over the course of a 50 day competition, participants form alliances, compete in unpredictable tasks and navigate eliminations as the field steadily narrows.
Guiding the game is a mysterious figure known as The Lion, an unseen game master whose voice introduces twists, challenges and strategic turns throughout the show, adding an extra layer of suspense to the contest.
What distinguishes The 50 from typical reality competitions is its audience driven prize structure. Instead of the winner taking home the final reward, the prize is awarded to one of the winner’s registered followers through the show’s dedicated app. The mechanism effectively turns viewers into participants, allowing fans to have a direct stake in the outcome.
The contestant lineup features a mix of television actors, reality stars and digital creators, including Karan Patel, Urvashi Dholakia, Divya Agarwal, Mr Faisu and Dushyant Kukreja, each bringing their own fan following to the show.
With its blend of celebrity personalities, strategic gameplay and interactive viewer participation, The 50 has quickly carved out a strong foothold in India’s digital entertainment landscape. Its 8.1 million views in the opening week underline the growing appetite for large scale reality formats designed specifically for OTT audiences.
