iWorld
F1 TV to launch on Amazon Prime
MUMBAI: Formula 1 (F1) recently launched its over the top (OTT) platform F1 TV and is now planning to hop on Amazon Prime. With the deal, F1 TV is expected to grow by more than 100 million subscribers, according to Digiday.
The OTT service was launched in the month of May with two service models F1 TV Pro (Live) and F1 TV Access (non-live) at two different price points. F1 TV Pro is priced at of $70-$150 annually, and monthly rates ranging from $8-12.
Formula 1 head of global sponsorship and commercial partnerships Murray Barnett was quoted as saying, “It makes sense for us to be on there (Amazon Prime) because it’s an open platform and we’re already in discussions with them about distribution in the future. In the US we have an agreement with ESPN that allows us to exploit our own OTT service separately so we’ll definitely be on Amazon Prime (there).”
The service would be made available to Prime subscribers in countries where the local broadcaster has given up its exclusive rights under new or renegotiated deals. Formula 1 must negotiate the freedom to launch its OTT service in each media-rights deal it agrees, as broadcasters who agree to the F1 TV launch in their territory lose some exclusivity.
Barnett sees F1 TV as a stand-alone revenue source exclusive of their relationship with the TV partners. “We want to be one of the smarter channels on the Amazon Prime platform,” he added.
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.
