GECs
MTV US launches interactive entertainment division
MUMBAI: MTV in the US has launched a new division MTV Games.
Dedicated to developing, producing and promoting unique and creative gaming experiences that resonate with MTVs audience, MTV Games will work in-house through its newly created interactive entertainment studio, along with industry partners, to produce and market original video game titles.
MTV Games will incubate original game franchises in partnership with independent game developers. In addition, the new division will forge strategic marketing partnerships with game publishers to connect with the MTV audience across multiple platforms. MTV will work closely with publishers, leveraging its unique brand and marketing capabilities to maximise the success of each MTV Games release.
MTV Networks Music/Logo/Films Group president Van Toffler said, In 1996 we launched MTV Films with the hopes of discovering some risky and bold stories to tell. Nine years later, I am ecstatic about what we have accomplished, and we have launched MTV Games with a similar objective. We are looking to incubate breakthrough gaming concepts that embrace creative risk-taking, and push the boundaries of interactive entertainment.
MTV, Logo Enterprise Group executive VP Keff Yapp said, Technology, creativity and entertainment have continually adapted, expanded and melded together to create successful new industries. MTV Games is an exciting new division with enormous possibilities within an ever-evolving industry. We are forging into new territory and are enthusiastic about this unique and exciting new way of working with game publishers and independent game developers.
MTV Games has unveiled a strategic relationship with Midway Games an interactive entertainment publisher and developer. The two, parties will market, jointly sell in-game advertising, and collaborate on soundtrack development for three upcoming games. Under the deal, MTV and Midway will partner in a mutually beneficial royalty sharing structure.
The first release from this partnership will be L.A. Rush. This is a high-octane, arcade racing game that allows users to fully embrace the car-tuning culture with creative design assistance from West Coast Customs, the automotive customization authority featured in the hit MTV series Pimp My Ride.
MTV Games will also be a dedicated gaming laboratory and interactive studio for the creation, incubation, and development of new original game titles culturally relevant to MTVs audience. In addition, MTV will tap MTV Games as a new creative hub, extending game concepts into larger entertainment franchises that have the potential to transition into television, film and more.
In addition through strategic marketing partnerships, MTV Games will market a diverse slate of releases to core gamers and casual gamers alike, with unparalleled audience reach via broadcast platforms including MTV, MTV2, mtvU and others, online portals, wireless applications, outdoor platforms, MTV Films, and much more. MTV Games will also partner with publishers to sell in-game advertising, collaborate on game soundtrack development, and develop complementary television programming. In the coming months, MTV Games will announce additional publisher partnerships.
GECs
Zee scales syndication with global tie-ups, 350 plus channel MCN
Vertical, dubbed and audio formats boost digital reach
MUMBAI: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. is giving its content library a fresh passport. The company has stepped up its syndication push, signing global partnerships, experimenting with new-age formats and building a multi-channel network that now spans more than 350 channels.
With the newly secured MCN licence, Zee can manage, distribute and monetise content across leading digital platforms at scale, strengthening its presence in the fast-growing creator and short-form ecosystem.
To keep pace with changing viewing habits, the company is also reshaping its content into formats built for the small screen in your hand. In a tie-up with micro-drama platform Story TV, select titles are being reworked into vertical, short-duration episodes tailored for mobile-first audiences.
Beyond India, the syndication team is widening its global footprint with foreign-language dubbing and regional partnerships across Europe, Africa and Latin America, opening up fresh markets for Indian stories.
Zee is also tapping into the audio boom. It has begun licensing audio remake rights for legacy properties such as Zee Horror Show, with several more titles lined up for audio-first adaptations.
On the digital front, the company has made progress in monetising non-exclusive rights for library films, while converting select shows and movies from horizontal to vertical formats to improve discoverability on short-form platforms.
Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. business head syndication Vinod Johri, said syndication has emerged as a strong growth lever for the company. He noted that the combination of a large MCN network, global partnerships and new formats such as vertical video and audio is helping build a future-ready engine that extracts more value from the content library.
Together, these moves signal a platform-agnostic approach to storytelling, as Zee repackages, localises and redistributes its IP across geographies, formats and screens, ensuring its catalogue keeps working long after the first broadcast.
