iWorld
Pocket Aces partners up with Tinder & Pure Me for Firsts Season 3
MUMBAI: Pocket Aces is back with a new season of the hit Instagram series, Firsts. Presented by Tinder and PureMe, Firsts Season 3 explores a same-sex romantic relationship between two young women, who match on the dating app and experience an exhilarating journey of understanding love, life, and more together. A heart-warming story that blossoms during the lockdown, this season is a tale of acceptance, and coming together to celebrate the beauty of love, which has no labels.
Firsts Season 3 stars the talented young actors Shreya Gupto and Himika Bose, who play the role of the protagonists – Ritu Chatterjee and Lavanya Vijaya, respectively – both in their early twenties. Their first match on Tinder leads to a whirlwind online romance, which sees them decide to move in together, after a mere month of knowing each other. Worlds collide when the carefree Lavanya, and the slightly uptight Ritu explore their many ‘firsts’ as a same-sex couple. Being as different as chalk and cheese, their story is both entertaining and relatable for couples across the board.
The series and its production team is a beautiful representation of the LGBTQIA+ community. One of the protagonists identifies as queer, while the other is bisexual. Drawing from real-life experiences, the story is penned by Sulagna Chatterjee who identifies as queer, and is directed by the talented Bharat Misra. Over the course of the 20 one-minute episodes, Firsts Season 3 showcases how couples from the queer community cope with and navigate being in a live-in relationship in a largely heterosexual society.
From their first confession, and first gift, to the first fight, and first feelings of uncertainty, the show captures the sensitivities of a newfound relationship, especially among those breaking stereotypes in society.
The series, which was shot in the midst of the Covid2019 pandemic, promotes the importance of wearing masks to check the spread of the virus by seamlessly weaving in PureMe’s range of linen masks into the episodes. The partnership is the first of its kind for PureMe and the brands’ message “Be Different” was visibly highlighted throughout the show.
PureMe co-founder Arti Yadav said, “Being our first ever digital partnership, we felt it was the right opportunity to not only showcase our range of cute and trendy masks, but also reinforce their importance. We were also drawn towards the beautiful message of love, and breaking stereotypes, which is what ‘Be Different’ is all about. Having said that, we feel extremely thrilled to have begun this journey with Dice Media and look forward to more such mutually rewarding partnerships.”
Kunal Langer, AVP client acquisition & growth, Pocket Aces said, “Firsts as a property is an extremely unique and a disruptive format for story-telling that we at Pocket Aces introduced earlier this year. So far with all the 3 seasons, brands have shown immense interest in the format as the concept is new and highly relatable in nature. ”
Langer said they zeroed in and decided to focus on a topic that content creators have shied away from, and through this season of Firsts, tried to normalise the conversations around queer relationships.
“Amidst these unprecedented times, we have tried to weave in how dating and romantic relationships are transforming and the sole objective behind this season was very different from its predecessors. In addition, over the last few months, we have consistently pushed our boundaries with different takes on relationships, and this has encouraged us to continue bringing out more such content with different themes. I am exhilarated to have partners like Tinder and PureMe as they bring in their unique identities which called for the perfect fit for this season’s concept,” he adds.
iWorld
Frodoh, Chaupal introduce non-intrusive first-screen ads for OTT platforms
New ad-tech layer unlocks revenue without interrupting OTT viewing
MUMBAI: Frodoh has partnered with regional OTT platform Chaupal to roll out what it calls an industry-first “first-screen” monetisation framework, aimed at helping subscription-led streaming services generate additional revenue without interrupting content viewing.
The new model focuses on connected TV home screens, introducing ad formats that sit within the discovery layer rather than the content itself. In simple terms, viewers may notice subtle brand placements while browsing, but once they hit play, the experience remains ad-free.
The technology is designed to tap into high-attention areas such as session depth, viewing intent and discovery behaviour, turning previously unused interface space into monetisable real estate. For OTT platforms, this opens up a fresh revenue stream without diluting the premium experience that subscribers expect.
Chaupal chief executive officer Sandeep Bansal said the move balances growth with user trust. “By partnering with Frodoh, we are introducing a sophisticated ‘first-screen’ monetisation layer that integrates seamlessly into our UI, ensuring discovery remains native and non-intrusive while keeping content consumption ad-free.”
From Frodoh’s side, the pitch is clear: expand the ad pie without cluttering the screen. Frodoh founder and chief executive officer Russhabh R Thakkar said the framework creates a new category of advertising by unlocking high-visibility home screen inventory that was previously untapped.
Industry watchers see this as part of a broader shift in OTT monetisation strategies, especially as subscription platforms look to diversify revenue without risking churn. With connected TV usage rising steadily, the home screen is quickly becoming the next battleground for attention.
If the model scales, this partnership could signal a subtle but significant shift in how OTT platforms monetise, proving that sometimes, the most valuable ad space is the one you see before the show even begins.
