GECs
NTT DoCoMo and Nippon TV in mobile TV partnership
MUMBAI: Japan’s NTT DoCoMo Inc. and Nippon Television Network Corporation (NTV) have inked a business tie-up to develop content and related services that combine mobile communications and conventional TV programs.
Under the agreement, the companies will form a seven-year limited liability partnership, D.N. dream partners LLP, on 3 April 2006 (tentative), with DoCoMo investing five billion yen and NTV five billion yen. The partnership will invest in content and also develop content itself, including TV programs that can be viewed with mobile phones, states an official release.
In addition, the two companies will jointly study new business opportunities, including a service that combines so-called “One-segment” terrestrial digital broadcasting that will begin in Japan this spring, and i-mode services, as well as content developed by NTV for DoCoMo’s conventional services such as V-Live video streaming and i-motion video clip distribution services. NTV entertainment events with special activities for users of “Osaifu-Keitai” phones equipped with IC chips are also planned.
The mobile communications company NTT Docomo offers leading-edge mobile multimedia services. In addition to wholly owned subsidiaries in Europe, North America and Asia, the company is expanding its global reach through strategic alliances with mobile and multimedia service providers in Asia-Pacific and Europe, the release adds.
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.
