Film Production
Q1-17: Diversified mix boosts Eros revenue
BENGALURU: The Sunil Lulla-led Eros International Media Limited (Eros) reported 22.2 percent increase in total revenue including other income (TR) for the quarter ended 30 June 2016 (Q1-17, current quarter) as compared to the corresponding quarter of the previous year (Q1-16).
Eros reported lower revenue of Rs 411.08 crore in the current quarter as compared to total revenue of Rs 480.59 crore in Q1-16, but considering the one-time sale of digital rights of Rs. 1,44.20 crore, its revenue for Q1-16 works out to Rs 336.39 crore. The company says that a diversified movie mix that included worldwide releases of
Housefull 3, Ki and Ka, Nil Battey Sannata, Sardaar Gabbar Singh (Telugu), 24 (Tamil), amongst other releases helped in the double-digit increase in revenue.
Total comprehensive income including other income after taxes in Q1-17 increased 42.9 percent year-over-year (y-o-y) to Rs 73.87 crore (18percent margin) from Rs 51.70 crore (15.4 percent margin on Rs 336.39 crore, 10.9 percent margin on TR).
Finance cost in the current quarter increased 9.7 percent y-o-y to Rs 9.40 crore from Rs 8.57 crore. Total Expenditure in Q1-17 declined 14.4 percent to Rs 329.37 crore from Rs 384.94 crore in Q1-16. Employee Benefit Expense in the current quarter increased 52.6 percent to Rs 17.50 crore from Rs 11.54 crore in Q1-16.
The company also had a diversified revenue mix comprising Theatrical Revenues – 52.1%, Overseas Revenues – 17.2% and Television & Others – 30.7% as a percentage of Income from Operations.
Company speak
Commenting on the performance of Q1-17, Eros, executive vice chairman & MD Sunil Lulla said, “Fiscal 2017 has begun on an excellent note for Eros International with notable progress on operational and strategic parameters. Our approach towards investing in high quality portfolio of film content, which is greenlit at appropriate budgets and is monetized across various revenue streams, continues to yield positive results.”.
“This year is also marked by strong pre-sales of majority of our film slate including, Dishoom, Baar Baar Dekho, Rock On 2, Banjo as well as regional films to leading satellite channels, as a part of our de-risking strategy and ensuring revenue and cash flow visibility,” Lulla said.
“Q2-17 has also begun well with the power packed performance of Dishoom and Happy Bhaag Jayegi and our Telugu release Janatha Garage is heading to be the biggest Telugu grosser of this year,” Lulla added.
Film Production
Priyanka Kaur Dhillon joins SVF Entertainment as lead for music distribution
A seasoned content dealmaker with 16 years in digital and satellite media joins the Bengali entertainment powerhouse as it pushes into the pan-India music market
Mumbai: Priyanka Kaur Dhillon has made her move. The content acquisitions and commercials veteran, most recently commercial manager at Sony Pictures Networks India, has joined SVF Entertainment as lead for music distribution, stepping into one of the more interesting briefs in regional entertainment right now.
SVF is no ordinary regional label. Over 30 years it has built a formidable legacy in Bengali cinema and music, driven by culturally resonant storytelling and a catalogue that consistently punches above its weight. Its recent success with Chiraiya underlines the point. But the Kolkata-based powerhouse now has its sights firmly set beyond Bengal, most visibly through Legacy, a rap reality series produced in collaboration with hip-hop label Kalamkaar that signals a deliberate push into the pan-India music ecosystem.
Dhillon brings precisely the kind of muscle SVF needs for that expansion. At Sony Pictures Networks India, she led film acquisition and commercials and handled music licensing across the entire satellite network. Before that, she spent nearly 15 years at Hungama, rising to assistant general manager and leading strategic content licensing for the platform’s digital entertainment business, with a particular focus on international markets. Her label relationships span the full roster: Sony Music, Universal Music, Warner Music, Believe International, Tunecore, The Orchard and a clutch of smaller aggregators. She has negotiated and closed deals with Hollywood studios, Bollywood production houses and regional content players alike, building pricing models and deal structures off data analysis rather than instinct.
Announcing the appointment, Dhillon said she was “thrilled to begin this journey with an iconic Bengali music label and content powerhouse,” adding that SVF’s “constant drive to push boundaries” was what drew her to the role.
SVF has spent three decades proving that regional does not mean limited. With a sharp commercial operator now steering its music distribution, its bid to go national just got a good deal more serious.
