GECs
MTV and MTV Beats launch digital innovations amidst lockdown
MUMBAI: MTV and MTV Beats are here to ensure that the audiences are in for daily dose of entertainment during lockdown. Be it on TV or on social media, there is a host of content to offer that will surely keep the young guns engaged and entertained.
Viacom18 youth, music and English entertainment marketing head Navin Shenoy said: “We have always believed in a hybrid approach i.e. inclusive of TV and digital when it comes to our young audiences. Therefore, amidst this lockdown, we have created a strong proposition on both these platforms. Television consumption for youth in India has risen by 12 per cent* while there is an 87 per cent* surge in social media usage. Our content, therefore, is reflective of this paradigm shift and designed to pique consumer intrigue and interest.” He further added, “While on TV we are bringing back some of the most popular seasons of our tentpole properties, on social media we have created content capsules such as MTV Adda and Lockdown Stars that cater to the varying interests of our fans and curate a more personalized interface for them with their favourite celebs while being at home. Music From Home on MTV Beats is an apt offering to make social distancing an entertaining experience.”
MTV Adda comes as the ultimate recipe to kill quarantine boredom. To help the audience get the best out of social distancing, this initiative lets the fans get up, close and personal with their favorite celebrities from the house of MTV. From the OG Roadie Rannvijay Singha and beauty with brains Neha Dhupia, to the ever-gorgeous Anusha Dandekar, designer Masaba Gupta, the very witty Vikas Gupta and the suave Nikhil Chinappa, MTV Adda has the most loved celebs give away easy home workouts and beauty tips, dance lessons, culinary guidelines and much more only on Instagram. Some lucky fans will also get a chance to be a part of the LIVE and interact with their favourite celeb while showing off their in-home skills.
Catering to its whopping following of over 25 million on social media, MTV has also introduced a one of a kind offering to tap into the diverse talents of its fans and help them be the next social media sensation. Hosted by the super gorgeous VJ Gaelyn Mendonca, MTV Lockdown Stars is an innovative talent hunt show that gives MTV fans a chance to impress everyone with their talent but in less than a minute. All they need to do is upload a video of a performance on Instagram, tagging @MTVIndia with the hashtag, #MTVLockdownStars. From dancing, singing, cooking to mimicking and even standup comedy, MTV Lockdown Stars has a place for everyone to excel. The best entries shortlisted by Gaelyn along with MTV will get a chance to perform their acts in an hour-long LIVE event on Instagram as part of the final artist line-up, curated by the channel.
Tapping the popularity of gaming amongst the youth, MTV also brings MTV After Hours, a unique initiative that lets the users interact with the MTV squad in an innovative format, every Friday at 11 pm. For the first time, MTV will step into the world of popular online games and dabble with the players. As part of the property, MTV will reach out to the superstars of digital cult games and bring together novices and pros alike, engaging them on MTV’s buzzing social media.
And there's more to indulge in. Hustle from Home is yet another exciting initiative to get up and close with some aspirational rappers on how they’re honing their skills amidst the lockdown. On the Instagram page of @mtvhustle, top contenders of the first season will go live and interact with budding rappers, every day at 6PM to discuss how they are utilizing this phase to improve their writing and composing skills.
To add a splash of music to the monotony, MTV Beats has launched Music from Home to make ‘work from home’ more musically +VE. As a part of this, fans can log into the Instagram page of MTV Beats and witness a stellar line up of artists like Darshan Raval, Kailash Kher, Shreya Ghosal, Papon, Dr. Palash Sen, Shalmali, Jonita Gandhi and many more go live from their homes and jam to their most popular tracks. Fans can also dedicate songs to their loved ones with MTV Beats Farmaaish, where the artists will perform to the song requests during the LIVE and also call out their endearing dedications. Not just that, fans will also get a chance to do a Social-Distancing Chat and interact with the artist during the LIVE using the dual video feature on Instagram. The channel has also curated a special Work From Home and a House Party playlist to dabble through the never ending work tasks with some fine soulful Bollywood melodies and refreshing upbeat music.
On television, amidst the lockdown, MTV and MTV Beats has brought back some of its highly rated shows to let its audience relive the drama and excitement. Some of the most loved shows like Ace of Space S1, Love School S3, MTV Hustle and Splitsvilla X along with Roadies Revolution are back on MTV, FitStop with Sunny Leone, Dil Beats with Darshan Raval on MTV Beats are there to ensure there isn’t a dull moment for its fans.
MUMBAI: Lights, camera… connection because this time, the game isn’t just about winning, it’s about who’s with you. Sony Pictures Networks India is gearing up to launch a new reality game show, Tum Ho Naa, expanding its unscripted slate with a format that promises both emotion and engagement.
The show will premiere soon on Sony Entertainment Television and stream on Sony LIV, with Rajeev Khandelwal stepping in as host. Known for his measured screen presence and selective choices, Khandelwal’s return to television adds a layer of familiarity and credibility to the upcoming format.
While specific details of the gameplay remain under wraps, the positioning suggests a reality format that leans as much on emotional resonance as it does on competition, an increasingly popular blend in Indian television, where audiences are gravitating towards content that offers both stakes and storytelling.
Khandelwal, reflecting on his return, noted that his choices have often been guided by instinct rather than convention, describing Tum Ho Naa as a project that feels “close to the heart”. His association also signals Sony’s continued focus on anchoring new formats with recognisable faces who bring both relatability and depth.
The launch comes at a time when broadcasters are doubling down on original non-fiction formats to drive appointment viewing, even as digital platforms expand parallel reach. By placing the show across both linear television and OTT, Sony appears to be aiming for a dual-audience strategy capturing traditional viewers while engaging digital-first consumers.
As the countdown to premiere begins, Tum Ho Naa positions itself not just as another game show, but as a reminder that sometimes, the biggest prize on screen isn’t the jackpot, it’s the journey shared along the way.
