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
Prime Video unveils trailer for Tamil series Exam, streaming May 15
Dushara Vijayan, Aditi Balan headline scam thriller set in exam world
CHENNAI: Prime Video has dropped the official trailer of its upcoming Tamil Original series Exam, a high-stakes suspense drama set in the murky world of competitive entrance exams.
Backed by creative producers Pushkar and Gayatri under Wallwatcher Films, the seven-episode series is written and directed by National Award-winner A. Sarkunam. It stars Dushara Vijayan and Aditi Balan in lead roles, with Abbas playing a pivotal character.
Set in the fictional town of Thykara, the series follows Jhansi, played by Dushara Vijayan, as she attempts to expose a deep-rooted scam, aided by her mentor Jayachandran, played by Abbas. Standing in her way is DSP Maramalli, portrayed by Aditi Balan, setting up a tense face-off driven by ambition, pressure and moral choices.
The show will stream from May 15 on Prime Video in India and across more than 240 countries and territories. It will be available in Tamil, with dubbed versions in Telugu, Hindi, Malayalam and Kannada, along with subtitles in 15 languages.
Writer-director A. Sarkunam said the story aims to resonate across geographies and social strata, going beyond the scam to explore ambition, pressure and the consequences of personal choices. He added that the narrative unfolds through the intersecting journeys of Jhansi and Maramalli, building tension as their worlds collide.
Dushara Vijayan described Jhansi as a fierce and determined character, calling the role both demanding and rewarding, with the story capturing the difficult choices her character must make.
Aditi Balan said the series offers a hard-hitting look at the exam ecosystem, adding that her character is layered and shaped by both internal conflict and external pressures.
Abbas, marking his return to mainstream Tamil entertainment, said the series stands out for its layered storytelling and unpredictable twists, with his character adding depth to the central narrative.
With its mix of suspense, social commentary and character-driven storytelling, Exam is shaping up to be a tense watch as it dives into one of India’s most high-pressure systems.
