Event Coverage
Monetisation of content in a digitised market
MUMBAI: With broadcasters upping investments on content and marketing, monetisation from multiple streams becomes crucial in a digitised market.
Multi Screen Media President Ad Sales Rohit Gupta feels the key in a digital market will be to create customised content that suits the need of a specific demographic and market.
The addition of LC1 markets to TAM panel will increase their weightage vis-a-vis the four metros. It will also force broadcasters to rethink their content strategy towards these markets.
“Digitisation is key challenge for broadcasters. Monetisation of content is key. With addition of LC1 markets, their weightage has gone up. Creating different content for different type of audiences will be the key,” Gupta said during a panel discussion on ‘Revisiting Content in Digitised Space and Impact of Ratings in the Changed Scenario’.
Gupta said television as a medium has seen phenomenal growth to become the biggest medium but it remains under-indexed when it comes to ad spends.
“We are adding 15 million consumers every year but we are still under-indexed vis-a-vis advertising revenue growth. Broadcasters are not getting the benefits of additional eyeballs,” he added.
Gupta said it’s high time that the industry works together to create a new television measurement system. A new system is in the interest of both broadcasters as well as media gencies.
Disney UTV Media Networks CEO MK Anand said the ad revenue led business is here to stay. It will co-exist with subscription driven business model.
“The advertising revenue led model is here to stay. Ratings are not anti-thetical to the broadcast business. Digital Addressable System (DAS) will lead to two kind of broadcasters – one who are subscription led and the ones who are advertising revenue led,” he said.
According to Anand, broadcasters irrespective of the genre have to work hard in a digitised market. The packages that MSOs design will also be of paramount importance.
Time spent in digital homes has increased due to bucketing of content genre-wise, he added.
IndiaCast Group COO Gaurav Gandhi said digitisation will change three things: it will change economics, choice of services and accountability and measurement.
“The cost of content has gone up considerably, it‘s on par with international markets. But the revenue growth is not sufficient,” Gandhi said.
Broadcasters will also have to look at other revenue models apart from advertising and subscription to monetise their content.
Natpe President and CEO Rod H Perta said the problem of inadequate measurement system and fragmentation of market is not unique to India. US too has gone through the same path.
Digitisation, he said, will lead to emergence of new business models and opportunities. The question is whether broadcasters are ready for this change, he asked.
He said ratings are an equally “contentious” issue in US but the market over there has matured and advertisers now don’t just look at ratings while making advertising decision.
“In fragmented markets, advertisers don‘t just look at ratings. They also look at the quality of content,” Perta contended.
TAM India CEO LV Krishnan said the issue of reliability of data comes only when the ratings starts falling. Broadcasters, he said, don’t complain when the numbers are in their favour.
He said viewership measurement in multiple-screen era will go from platform-centric to becoming platform-agnostic.
“It doesn’t matter which platform the content is consumed. Parameters will change as content consumption will happen on different platforms,” Krishnan said.
Fremantle Asia MD Paul O Hanlon said, “We have to rethink the way we produce content which made us look at different formats in different ways and segment it to make it flexible for broadcasters.
“The cost of content is going up, so we have to rethink the business model. We are looking at different ways to monetise content like AFP and not just remain dependent on broadcast fee.”
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.
