Event Coverage
PVRs offer huge opportunities, say advertisers
CANNES: The present and the future, it is difficult to figure out which is which, at MIPTV 2005. And that’s because technologies are driving change in the business at such a fast clip that whether discussions are forward looking or placed in the current context, they sound similar to a great extent.
Tuesday’s session ‘Interactive Advertising, Current Successes and Opportunities in the On-Demand World’ rather than looking at the ad zapper devices (Tivo again) in doomsday terms focused on the opportunities new technologies such as these offered.
Featured speaker BSkyB head of interactive services Robert Leach pointed out that the demise of TV advertising had been announced thrice before the advent of PVRs (first when remotes made their entry, then the VCR and after that when the Internet arrived). Leach saw the scenario in terms of a decline in the traditional 30-second spot template to increasingly interactive forms of advertising.
“PVR offers a big challenge but also a huge opportunity through the pause button,” Leach said.
According to Leach, studies have shown that viewers introduced to brands through interactive brands were far more likely to indicate purchase interest (a 44 per cent rise in response compared to non-viewers).
Honda UK marketing communications manager Mathew Coombe highlighted the gains from the highly successful Honda Diesel “Hate Something Change Something campaign, which featured a ‘sing-along’ theme tune, as an example of how well this concept can work if developed properly. The ad was created for Honda by Zip Television, a specialist independent interactive TV company (whose managing director Andrew Howell was also on the panel).
A point that was made was that the communication efforts needed to be towards branded content experience for the consumer. The advantage to the advertiser is that such ads were much more accountable/ measurable in terms of deliveries though it was also stated that genuine rewards don’t have to be tangible but could be termed a success from an experiential sense as well.
One point made by Leach was rather disturbing though, and not just for UK’s TV audience measurement system Broadcasters Audience Research Board (Barb) but raises privacy issues as well.
Leach said Sky is setting up a panel of 20,000 (selected from their subscriber base who would presumably benefit in some way for allowing the intrusion) which will be the largest in the world that would with much more accuracy allow for audience profiling in terms of who watches what and why as also viewers lifestyle choices (every advertisers dream data bank).
Big brother will be watching more and more seems to be the underlying message here.
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.
