iWorld
Viacom18 opens their innings as the new home of Indian cricket with three-match ODI series against Australia
Mumbai: After securing exclusive media rights for BCCI international and domestic matches, Viacom18 has announced its plans for the three-ODI series between India and Australia starting 22 September.
The first international series in the rights cycle will be presented on JioCinema in 11 languages for free. On linear/ offline TV, the series will be aired live on Colors Tamil (Tamil), Colors Bangla Cinema (Bengali), Colors Kannada Cinema (Kannada), Colors Cineplex Superhits (Hindi), Sports18 – 1 SD, Sports18 – 1 HD (English).
The series is of great significance for both sides as they will look to find momentum leading up to the 50-over World Cup. The expert panel for the series across languages will include Suresh Raina, Kedar Jadhav, Aakash Chopra, Nikhil Chopra, Amit Mishra, Anirudha Srikkanth, Abhinav Mukund, Hanuma Vihari, Venkatpathy Raju, Sarandeep Singh, Reetinder Singh Sodhi, Rahul Sharma, VRV Singh, Kiran More, Sheldon Jackson, Bhargav Bhatt, Jatin Paranjpe, Shreevats Goswami, VA Jagadeesh among others.
After shattering all records, and establishing unprecedented levels of engagement, viewership, and concurrency during the TATA IPL 2023, JioCinema will offer viewers their favourite sport in a never-seen-before presentation for free. Viewers will be able to watch the limited-overs action in English, Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Bengali, Bhojpuri, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam.
“The 3-match ODI series between India and Australia will give viewers a peek into inarguably the new home of Indian cricket and with that responsibility, we will continue to bring the paradigm shift in the way sports is consumed,” said Viacom18 – Sports CEO Anil Jayaraj. “It is our constant endeavour to offer fans what they love the most in never-seen-before ways and digital allows us to continuously push the envelope and combined with linear/ offline TV, we will deliver BCCI events on an unparalleled scale.”
To enhance the live-viewing experience, the series will be streamed in 4K on JioCinema and fans will be offered the popular predict and win fan engagement contest Jeeto Dhan Dhana Dhan. Introduced first during the 2023 TATA IPL, Jeeto Dhan Dhana Dhan was a runaway success as tens of thousands won exciting prizes including over 60 contestants driving away a premium hatchback. The contest also brought out stirring stories of how winning the car changed fortunes for many from India’s heartlands.
iWorld
Tata Play Binge adds Pocket Films to micro drama platform Shots
Over 210 micro dramas and 220 hours of content strengthen short form play
MUMBAI: Short stories are getting shorter and sharper. Tata Play Binge is doubling down on snackable storytelling, adding Pocket Films to its micro-drama hub Shots as it looks to capture India’s fast-growing appetite for quick-consumption content. The move expands Shots into a deeper, more diverse catalogue, now featuring over 210 micro-dramas and 220 hours of short-format programming across genres such as action, drama and thriller. The content spans Hindi and key regional languages, reflecting the increasingly local yet mobile-first nature of viewing habits.
Pocket Films brings with it a library of emotionally driven, culturally rooted narratives, including micro-dramas like Chaturanga, Vidushi, Maasa, Silent Cycle and Pilibhit, alongside short films such as Lock-up, Dubki and The Disguise. The addition builds on existing partnerships with Bullet and Stage, strengthening Shots as a one-stop destination for bite-sized storytelling.
Designed for vertical viewing, the platform leans into scroll-friendly interfaces, auto-play sequencing and seamless discovery mirroring the habits of always-on, digital-first audiences. The content remains ad-supported and is available within the Tata Play Binge app at no additional cost.
The integration also sits within a broader aggregation strategy. Tata Play Binge currently offers access to 30 plus OTT services including Prime Video, JioHotstar, Zee5 and Apple TV+ through a single subscription and interface, aiming to simplify fragmented streaming consumption.
As platforms race to keep up with shrinking attention spans, Tata Play Binge’s bet is straightforward: when stories get shorter, the catalogue needs to get bigger and faster.
