Event Coverage
Vidnet 2024: The advertising opportunity beyond AVOD
Mumbai: The OTT business in India is buzzing with new streamers, niche, and language offerings. However, early players are struggling as heavy content spending isn’t matching revenues, and India-specific low pricing hasn’t spurred subscriptions. Growth has plateaued as consumers return to post-COVID normalcy, preferring to binge occasionally.
Adding to the churn is the shift towards AVOD by giants like JioCinema, offering premium events like cricket for free, with Disney+Hotstar following suit. This has strained streaming bottom lines. The rise of FAST channels is also causing industry jitters. Vidnet explores the future of the streaming ecosystem. This event was held on 19 July 2024, at Hotel Sahara Star, Mumbai.
This panel discussed innovative advertising avenues beyond ad-supported video-on-demand (AVOD) platforms and how businesses could seize those new opportunities to reach their target audience effectively.
The session was chaired by Kurate Digital Consulting’s founding partner Uday Sodhi. It included the following panellists: Amazon minitv business head & director Aruna Daryanani, Sony LIV, SPNI Sr. vice president & head of ad revenue Ranjana Mangla, Zee5, South Asia chief revenue officer Gaurav Kanwal, Marico head – media, digital marketing and Brand PR (India and Global COE) Ankit Desai, CereOne director Deepak Karnani, PubMatic senior director – customer success Harguneet Singh.
The discussion highlighted key industry trends and perspectives on content consumption and advertising priorities. Ranjana Mangla emphasized that different video genres cater to diverse audiences, with broad appeal achieved by shows like KBC or Indian Idol, while most content targets specific niches. Understanding the addressable market and tailoring content and sponsorship strategies to meet specific goals is crucial for advertisers.
Gaurav Kanwal pointed out that the persistent issue of trust in digital advertising necessitates a shift from efficiency to effectiveness in media planning. Advertisers should focus on outcome-based strategies and leverage data to address specific challenges and metrics, making campaigns more relevant.
Harguneet Singh noted that advertisers are primarily focused on acquiring cost-effective impressions to maximize reach and frequency. Targeting strategies can vary from geo-specific to audience segments based on advertiser behaviour.
Anand Makhija discussed the common comparison of YouTube’s rates with other platforms, highlighting that CPMs are often higher elsewhere. It is important to communicate the additional benefits of different platforms. The growth of connected and smart TVs is driving the industry towards hybrid models (combining AVOD and SVOD), which help transition users and enhance platform engagement.
Aruna Daryanani shared that as publishers, we will need to meet the diverse needs of advertisers. There is no one-size fits all approach here and all media plans need to be customised based on objectives. The new brands are looking to build upper-funnel awareness, whereas the established brands are looking to build saliency and mid to lower-funnel impact. Given Amazon miniTV is tightly integrated with Amazon, advertisers benefit from Amazon’s rich content and shopping insights.
Ankit Desai highlighted that advertisers are investing significantly in video platforms, with 50-60 per cent of their budgets allocated to video advertising, and some up to 80 per cent. Despite YouTube’s classification as short-form content, consumers perceive all video content similarly, blurring the lines between digital video and OTT platforms.
Event Coverage
Anime India announces Amazon MX Player as co-presenting partner for Anime India Kolkata 2026
MUMBAI: Riding high on the success of its blockbuster Mumbai debut, Anime India is accelerating its nationwide expansion with the announcement of Amazon MX Player as the co-presenting partner for Anime India Kolkata. The partnership marks a significant step forward in the festival’s mission to deliver large-scale, accessible, and fan-first anime experiences across the country.
Scheduled for 14 and 15 February 2026 at the iconic Biswa Bangla Mela Prangan, Anime India Kolkata will launch the first regional chapter of what is set to be a year-long, multi-city tour. As the curtain-raiser for the 2026 circuit, the Kolkata edition aims to fuse the energy of global Japanese pop culture with India’s fast-growing community of anime, manga, and pop-culture fans.
A household name in digital entertainment, Amazon MX Player brings unmatched reach and cultural relevance to the Anime India platform. With its expanding focus on anime and youth-driven content, Amazon MX Player’s involvement as co-presenting partner reinforces Anime India’s vision of making anime culture more inclusive breaking barriers of language, geography, and accessibility to connect with fans nationwide.
Anime India Kolkata 2026 will showcase cosplay competitions, interactive zones led by the Indian Gunpla Community, India-39 Vocaloid Community, The Japan Curry, and Adda-o-Otaku by The Otaku Guild. Fans can join tournaments across fighting games, Pokémon VGC, and more. Acclaimed Japanese director Susumu Mitsunaka (Haikyu!!) will attend as guest of honour, appearing in panels and live sessions. Positioned as an immersive celebration of fan culture and industry collaboration, the Kolkata edition marks the beginning of Anime India’s nationwide expansion.
Sharing their perspective on the partnership, Amazon MX Player director Aruna Daryanani expressed, “Anime in India has evolved from a niche interest into a mainstream cultural movement, driven by an increasingly engaged and passionate fanbase. At Amazon MX Player, our focus is on expanding access by bringing anime to audiences across the country for free and in multiple local languages. Our association with Anime India reflects our commitment to supporting the growth of anime in India and deepening connections with fans, while continuing to build Amazon MX Player as a trusted destination for free, high-quality entertainment.”
“Anime India Kolkata is a celebration of how anime has grown beyond entertainment into a powerful cultural and creative force. By bringing fans, creators, and industry leaders onto one shared platform, the festival is helping define the future of pop culture in India,” said Anime India co-founder and director Neha Mehta.
The debut edition of Anime India 2025 in Mumbai attracted over 29,000 fans, quickly cementing its status as a landmark celebration of anime and Japanese pop culture. Riding on this overwhelming response, the Kolkata chapter is projected to draw more than 40,000 visitors across two days, positioning it as one of the biggest anime conventions ever held in eastern India.
Anime India is focused on bringing together fans from across the country to create a truly pan-India celebration of anime, manga, cosplay, gaming, and Japanese culture. With plans to expand into four key metropolitan hubs in 2026—east (Kolkata), north (Delhi), west (Mumbai), and south (Hyderabad)—the festival seeks to deliver globally benchmarked experiences while supporting and uplifting creators, artists, and fan communities throughout India.
