GECs
TAM’s Blink 2005: Digitisation the next big thing for Television
MUMBAI:The digital era will set in motion a whole new revolution in the way television content is produced, distributed and consumed.
“Viewers can have one minute episode of Kyunki on their mobile phones. Fox has already launched one minute mobisodes of TV shows. In India, this kind of compressed content will come sooner rather than later ,” said Star India CEO Peter Mukerjea on Tuesday. He was addressing the last of the Blink Knowledge series on “New Technology and TV Audience Measurement,” organised by Tam Media Research and Press Club, Mumbai.
Broadcasters will have to improve content and expand reach for the digital era, he added. Media consumption habits will change as the next set of viewers will be able to access media on demand.
“We have been very slow to react. Technology is working faster than that and will challenge media orthodoxies,” Mukerjea said.
The delivery mechanism of content is also changing and British Telecommunication (BT) recently announced its intentions of sending video over its phone lines. “We are moving into interactive TV and a digital wireless world,” he added.
Speaking on the occasion, Tam Media Research CEO LV Krishnan pointed out interesting trends across various channels and markets.
Some of the key insights pointed out by him were as follows:
1) With the occurrence of any major disaster/ earthquake, ratings of news channels jump significantly, the Tsunami catastrophe being the record breaker in terms of ratings.
2) DD Sports cashed in a lot during Olympics on account of Anju Bobby George, particularly in Kerala. A similar trend was also witnessed with Star Sports when Sania Mirza played Serena Williams at the Australian Open, with a chunk of ratings coming from Andhra Pradesh.
3) Vijay TV which is usually beaten hollow by Sun TV, managed to divert audiences with the airing of dubbed movies like Titanic and Jurrasic Park in Tamil.
Coming to distribution, he pointed out that Max was a classic case of raising its connectivity to 100 per cent on the back of the World Cup. Promotion and PR were also stated as important factors for increased sampling and TRPs.
GECs
Samsung TV Plus launches Kings of Comedy channel
New free FAST channel brings iconic Hindi comedy shows to millions of Samsung Smart TV owners.
MUMBAI: Samsung TV Plus has just turned up the laughter volume and it’s completely free. The leading free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) service in India has launched Kings of Comedy, a premium comedy channel featuring some of the country’s most beloved primetime shows. Available exclusively on Samsung TV Plus, the channel delivers back-to-back hits including Comedy Nights with Kapil, Khatra Khatra Khatra, and Comedy Nights Bachao, with no login or subscription required.
The launch marks a milestone for free streaming in India, offering audiences a dedicated comedy destination directly from their Samsung TV home screen. It arrives as Samsung TV Plus India celebrates its 5th anniversary, during which the service has grown its monthly active users by 42 per cent and more than doubled its total viewing hours. The platform now offers over 180 free channels across 14 languages.
Samsung TV Plus India general manager and head of business development Kunal Mehta said, “Comedy is the heartbeat of Hindi entertainment, and Kings of Comedy brings together the shows Indians already love, completely free on their Samsung TV. Our focus remains the same take the content people know and make it effortless to access.”
Globally, Samsung TV Plus has surpassed 100 million monthly active users across more than 4,500 channels, solidifying its position as one of the world’s leading free streaming services.
Kings of Comedy is now available on all compatible Samsung Smart TVs. For viewers seeking non-stop laughter without any cost, this new channel delivers a royal treat proving that sometimes the best entertainment really does come with no strings (or subscriptions) attached.
