iWorld
Sky expands kids VoD offering by 600%
NEW DELHI: UK and Ireland’s connected TV platform Sky, is expanding its kids shows on its on demand library by almost 600 per cent.
From Adventure Time to Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom and iCarly, Sky will offer plenty more kids TV on demand – with the number of episodes of family favourites increasing from 700 to around 4,000 over the coming months.
The ambitious changes mean that Sky’s on demand service will be home to more episodes of the most-watched kids’ shows than any other provider – all ready to watch from one dedicated section on the Sky+ homepage for the first time.
Connected customers will be able to watch previous series of The Octonauts exclusively on demand plus there will be even more episodes of popular series like SpongeBob Squarepants, Dora the Explorer, Horrible Histories and Ben 10.
The 600 per cent increase in programming follows a number of new deals signed with rights holders including Viacom and Turner that form part of a multi-million pound commitment to making Sky a leading destination for kids TV on demand.
What’s more kids TV on demand will be available at no extra cost to customers with the Variety and Family bundles.
Sky brand director – TV products Luke Bradley-Jones said, “I know from my own kids that they just want to watch their favourite TV characters including Ben and Dora whenever they can. And parents want the convenience of a quick and simple way to access lots of episodes all in one place. That’s why we’re massively expanding the variety and number of shows available on demand – and putting them front and centre of the Sky+ TV Guide. For our customers it means a huge library of kids shows, all there at the touch of a button.”
Sky customers will be able to quickly access this huge library of on demand kids TV straight from the Sky+ homepage as part of the latest update to customers’ Sky+HD boxes rolling out from this week. A new tile will open up a one-stop-shop of all the kids shows and movies available on demand, all kids TV recordings, plus a quick view of what’s on now on linear channels like CBeebies and Nick Jr.
Sky, which has almost seven million customers in Britain and Ireland on its on demand services, saw downloads of on demand shows and movies touching over 300 million in the last three months, up by more than 60 per cent year on year.
iWorld
Subedaar puts Indian original cinema on the global map with record-breaking Prime Video debut
MUMBAI: Prime Video has a runaway hit on its hands. Subedaar, the gritty action drama starring Anil Kapoor, has stormed to become the most-watched Indian original movie on the platform in its opening weekend, cracking the Top 10 across 31 countries and landing in 91 per cent of India’s pin codes within days of its March 5 premiere.
The film, a visceral, emotionally-charged story of a retired soldier, Subedaar Arjun Maurya, wrestling with civilian life amid crime and corruption, has struck a nerve. Directed by Suresh Triveni and co-starring Radhikka Madan, Mona Singh, Saurabh Shukla, Aditya Rawal, Faisal Malik, and Khushboo Sundar, the film is already being hailed as a showcase for what Indian original storytelling can achieve on the world stage.
“Subedaar’s success is a reflection of the growing scale and global resonance of Indian storytelling,” said Nikhil Madhok, director and head of originals at Prime Video India. “The film’s emotional narrative, its rooted portrayal of a soldier confronting his toughest battles beyond the battlefield, has struck a chord. Anil Kapoor delivers an acting masterclass, while Suresh Triveni’s solid direction and great performances from the ensemble cast have resulted in love and appreciation from customers across the world.”
Kapoor, 62, has been here before, but rarely at this altitude. Written by Triveni and Prajwal Chandrashekar, with dialogues by Triveni, Saurabh Dwivedi, and Chandrashekar, the film is a production by Opening Image Films in association with Anil Kapoor Film & Communication Network (AKFCN), produced by Vikram Malhotra, Kapoor, and Triveni.
Subedaar streams exclusively on Prime Video in Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu across India, and in over 240 countries and territories worldwide.
For Prime Video, the numbers tell the real story: one weekend, one film, a global footprint, and a very loud signal that Indian original cinema is no longer just travelling well. It’s arriving.
