iWorld
Twitter and BCCI introduce cricket timeline for Android
MUMBAI: It has been a year since the successful #ThankYouSachin campaign was launched along with other partnerships during the Indian Premier League and Champions League T20, and now, BCCI and Twitter have once again come together to launch a new initiative for cricket fans.
During the ongoing Micromax Cup India versus Sri Lanka ODI Series 2014, fans using Twitter for Android in India will be prompted from their Twitter home screen to view a new cricket timeline on every match day. This new timeline will comprise tweets that will help the viewers follow the conversation around the match and tweet with the official series hashtag from within this experience, ensuring a national viewing party where fans can connect with each other on Twitter.
Speaking about the initiative, BCCI honorary secretary Sanjay Patil said, “The BCCI has a rich history of innovation with digital fan experiences and we are excited about inaugurating cricket timelines on Twitter. It’s really easy for fans to keep up with the match and participate in the conversation around it.”
By simply typing the official series hashtag #IndvsSL in the search bar, cricket fans will be able to directly go to the cricket timeline and view the same. Official Tweets from @BCCI will be featured in an exclusive tab during the live match in this timeline.
Twitter India market director Rishi Jaitly commented, “Twitter brings you closer to the interests you care about and this cricket timeline for India-Sri Lanka is another example of that. Kudos to the BCCI for leading the way on delighting fans and giving them opportunities to consume, connect and express around the live, public conversation of the series. Look out for the #Cricket timelines experience on your Twitter Android app soon.”
iWorld
Banijay Asia’s The 50 tops OTT charts with 8.1 million JioHotstar views
Reality competition becomes most watched show on JioHotstar in debut week.
MUMBAI: Fifty contestants walked into a palace, but millions of viewers showed up for the drama. Reality competition The 50, produced by Banijay Asia, has emerged as the most watched show on JioHotstar, clocking 8.1 million views in its debut week. The figure, reported by Ormax Media, places the show at the top of the OTT viewership charts and marks a strong opening for the digital reality format.
Adapted from a popular French format, The 50 brings together 50 personalities from television, digital platforms, music and reality shows inside a grand palace setting. Over the course of a 50 day competition, participants form alliances, compete in unpredictable tasks and navigate eliminations as the field steadily narrows.
Guiding the game is a mysterious figure known as The Lion, an unseen game master whose voice introduces twists, challenges and strategic turns throughout the show, adding an extra layer of suspense to the contest.
What distinguishes The 50 from typical reality competitions is its audience driven prize structure. Instead of the winner taking home the final reward, the prize is awarded to one of the winner’s registered followers through the show’s dedicated app. The mechanism effectively turns viewers into participants, allowing fans to have a direct stake in the outcome.
The contestant lineup features a mix of television actors, reality stars and digital creators, including Karan Patel, Urvashi Dholakia, Divya Agarwal, Mr Faisu and Dushyant Kukreja, each bringing their own fan following to the show.
With its blend of celebrity personalities, strategic gameplay and interactive viewer participation, The 50 has quickly carved out a strong foothold in India’s digital entertainment landscape. Its 8.1 million views in the opening week underline the growing appetite for large scale reality formats designed specifically for OTT audiences.
