iWorld
hoichoi launches live TV with FTA channels
MUMBAI: hoichoi has another innovation up its sleeve – it’s incorporating a Live TV section on the hoichoi App and website.
As the name suggests, Live TV will have certain ‘Free-To-Air Channels’ that will simultaneously broadcast on hoichoi. However, hoichoi went up a notch to create its own segment titled ‘hoichoi Channels’ which will have carefully curated content from hoichoi’s vast library of movies and shows where the user does not have to go through discovering or searching a specific content. This segment is differentiated by genres; an initiative by hoichoi to increase engagement on the platform, to cater to audience of all ages.
Over time, hoichoi has seen significant growth in its consumption on TV devices like Fire TV, Android TV, Mi TV, Apple TV and Roku. A major reason for this spike has been the growth in its 35+ users who have now become one of the top demographic segments for hoichoi. Most of these people prefer and enjoy the functionality of a TV channel. As such, hoichoi decided to curate some of the best content from its library to cater to these users.
Though a few OTT platforms in India have already consolidated a Live TV section, hoichoi stands out as the first OTT platform to create its own segment of Live Content Binge Watch; the user gets the look and feel of television with various premium movies and web series, all in one app.
The hoichoi channel sections have been divided genre-wise and is part of the current hoichoi subscription. The FTA (Free-To-Air) segment is free of any cost for customers along with the hoichoi free tab. The details given below:
hoichoi Blockbusters
A channel that promises to keep you entertained with its blockbuster Bengali movies, non-stop! Get closer to your favourite Bengali actors from Prosenjit to Dev, Anirban Bhattacharya to Mimi, Abir to Parambrata, and their superhit films like Durgeshgorer Guptodhon to Amazon Obhijaan, Shah Jahan Regency to Crisscross, Chander Pahar to Baishe Srabon and the list is endless. For the first time, you have never-ending collection of Bengali Blockbusters at your fingertips, curated to your taste.
hoichoi Comedy
A channel to provide you endless laughter…enjoy a laughter riot with a bouquet of Bengali web series like Eken Babu, Japani Toy or Dupur Thakurpo and an array of films starting from classics like Sharey Chuattor, Mouchak or Bhanu Pelo Lottery, to recent hits like Bibaho Obhijaan, Roga Howar Sohoj Upay, Obhishopto Nighty, Haripada Bandwala and so on. Take a tour through this channel and let the laughing saga continue.
hoichoi Free
Non-stop entertainment and that too for Free, isn't that a stellar deal? Here's the one stop location for all genres of entertainment starting from Bengali movies, like Bidhatar Khela, Aandha Prem, Agni Juddho to Bengali Short Films, like Biulir Dal o Alo Posto, Audition and Wallet. On top of that get a taste of their Originals like Hello, Dhanbad Blues, Charitraheen for which some the episodes are available for free consumption and so much more.
hoichoi Family
Binging on blockbusters or classics, with the whole family around – what's better than that? A one-stop destination for non-stop Bengali entertainment, perfect for your family with variety of Bengali movies like Posto, Mukherjee Dar Bou, Shubhodrishti, Prem Amar, Bibaho Diaries, Haami and the list is endless. Fix a movie date and enjoy binge watching with the youngest and the eldest member of the household.
hoichoi Classics
Take a trip down the memory lane with characters from Pather Panchali, Sanyasi Raja, Mouchak or with the iconic duo Goopy Bagha in Hirok Rajar Deshe. Let Sata Bose from Chowringhee welcome you to a plethora of Bengali classic cinemas, anytime, anywhere. So, if you want to submerge yourself into non-stop nostalgia, this is the place.
hoichoi Thrillers
If you are in the mood to have a chill run down your spine with mind-bending thrillers, search no more! Be it the eccentricities of Byomkesh or your next door Bouma Detective, spend your day solving mysteries and busting crimes with your favourite sleuths. From the drama and thrill of Hello or Paap, from the darkness of the internet in Dark Web or Six, hoichoi has lined up a crazy list of top-notch thrillers to keep you hooked to #WatchFromHome.
In addition to the above, hoichoi will have several TV channels on the platform, all free to watch, for its audience. hoichoi has segregated this to 24*7 news, music and music videos and other forms of entertainment a television provides as a medium.
The TV channels section currently include:
Kolkata TV
One of the top Bengali news channels that not only provides news 24*7 but also entertainment with multiple interviews of Bengali artistes, events and latest blockbuster songs.
Sangeet Bangla
The no. 1 Bengali music channel – serves as a suitable platform for the film and music industry of Bengal, acting as a perfect media partner to reach the target viewership. It is an endeavour to showcase the resplendent Bengali culture through its music and movies, which is unique and typically a characteristic of the land.
Bangla Talkies
Good packaging, high production standards and quality content have positioned the channel as one of the most preferred choice of the Bengali music loving audience. From break-free compilations to karaoke and retro to romantic, BT offers a variety of shows showcasing different genre of music and moods serving an audience of all age groups.
DD Bangla
The classic Doordarshan in Bengali language. The network’s programming consists of a library of serials, infotainment series, cartoons, news and current affairs, social programs and even films. the network's programming consists of soap operas.
Aamar Cinema
A 24-hour Bengali Movie Channel for the mass! It is a mirror of daily life, happiness and sorrow, struggle and enjoyment, relations and deviation. All kinds of flavours are explored in this channel – “Bangliana” will be reflected like a spectrum through this kaleidoscope.
Sadhna News
Catering to the contemporary and the traditional viewers, this Hindi 24*7 news channel focusses on News and Entertainment.
iWorld
Diljit Dosanjh’s Dil-Luminati tour generates Rs 943 crore impact
EY report says 14 concerts across 13 cities sparked jobs, tourism and spending
MUMBAI: What began as a music tour quickly turned into an economic crescendo. The India leg of Diljit Dosanjh’s Dil-Luminati tour has generated a measurable economic impact of nearly Rs 943 crore, according to a socio-economic impact report prepared by EY.
Spread across two months in late 2024, the tour travelled through 13 cities with 14 performances, drawing more than 3.2 lakh fans and selling out shows in roughly 10 minutes on average.
The concerts began in New Delhi on October 26 and wrapped up with a New Year’s Eve finale in Ludhiana, the singer’s hometown. In between, the Punjabi superstar turned stages across cities such as Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Guwahati into high-energy gatherings where music, fandom and travel blended into a nationwide spectacle.
According to the EY analysis, the tour generated Rs 276 crore in direct revenue for organisers through ticket sales, sponsorships and food and beverage spending at venues. Indirect spending by fans pushed the economic ripple effect even further, contributing an estimated Rs 553 crore through travel, accommodation, tourism and shopping.
Government revenues added another Rs 114 crore, including Rs 111 crore in GST and around Rs 2.5 crore in local permissions and fees.
Ticket sales were the main driver, accounting for about 80 per cent of direct revenue, with prices ranging from Rs 2,499 for silver tickets to as much as Rs 60,000 for premium lounge access. The gold category emerged as the most popular, generating more than half of the ticketing revenue.
The concerts were not just local gatherings. Nearly 38 per cent of attendees travelled from other cities to catch the shows, turning the tour into a travel magnet. Many extended their trips by two to three days, boosting hotel stays, dining and tourism activities in host cities.
Air and rail travel together accounted for around 70 per cent of inter-city travel costs linked to the concerts, while nearly half of travelling fans stayed with friends or family.
Cities hosting the tour also saw noticeable spikes in travel bookings. Flight bookings to Chandigarh, for instance, rose by about 300 per cent year on year around the concert dates, while cities such as Delhi, Ahmedabad and Indore saw booking growth of roughly 100 per cent.
Beyond the stage lights and thumping speakers, the tour also created a significant employment surge. The report estimates that more than 118,000 man-days of work were generated, including about 69,000 direct man-days and over 48,000 indirect man-days across sectors such as security, logistics, hospitality and technical production.
Security, safety and crowd management alone accounted for roughly half of the direct employment created during the concerts, reflecting the scale of operations required to stage such large events.
More than 15 brands partnered with the tour, turning concerts into a playground for creative marketing. From themed merchandise drops to experiential campaigns and exclusive ticket access deals, companies tapped into the singer’s massive fan base to amplify their reach.
The official ticketing platform recorded over 62.5 lakh visitors during the sales window and processed more than 1.2 lakh ticket orders, underscoring the intense demand for live events anchored by home-grown artists.
The tour also doubled as a cultural roadshow. At each stop, Dosanjh embraced local traditions, sampled regional cuisine and showcased India’s diversity through his social media posts and stage interactions, turning concert stops into mini travel diaries.
For the wider entertainment industry, the Dil-Luminati tour is being seen as a marker of how large-scale live concerts can drive economic activity well beyond the stage. The report suggests that India’s live music sector could grow rapidly in the coming years as demand for large events continues to surge.
In other words, the Dil-Luminati tour did more than fill stadiums. It moved crowds, boosted city economies and showed that when live music hits the right note, the ripple travels far beyond the final encore.
