News

Shemaroo Entertainment ties up with Tata Sky to launch Miniplex

9 November 2015 – To tap other DTH platforms to launch Miniplex

Shemaroo Entertainment announced that it has tied-up with Tata Sky to launch Miniplex, a unique subscription based movie premiere service. Miniplex will Premiere one movie every Friday for the first time on Indian Television. In addition, it will also showcase carefully chosen recent movies. Miniplex is an AD Free, subscription based service.

In addition to DTH platforms, Shemaroo also plans to launch Miniplex across various other platforms, like cable, internet, etc. in a phased manner.

Star India eyes $300 mn EBITDA from entertainment biz this fiscal

Bullish on the Indian market, 21st Century Fox chief executive officer James Murdoch is eyeing a rich harvest from Star India’s entertainment business in the current fiscal.

Star India’s EBITDA from the entertainment business is expected to be over $300 million this fiscal, Murdoch has told investors. For 21st Century Fox and its wholly-owned subsidiaries, the fiscal year starts on 1 July and ends on 30 June.

Murdoch also said that Star has reached an inflection point with peak investments in Star Sports, the sports business of the company.

Sony rethinks its game

9 November 2015 – For close to two years now, Sony Entertainment Television (SET), Multi Screen Media’s (MSM) general entertainment channel has been struggling to get its groove back. Ratings have steadily dropped; from being the second most watched channel in 2013 it has slipped to sixth position as audiences have shifted loyalties and more recently, it has been hit by a new rating system from Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) that has reclassified and expanded the viewership base in the country. To fight the slide, Sony is taking the battle to small towns, while rebuilding its appeal in urban and semi-urban areas with new non-fiction properties, mythological dramas and historical fiction.

Time Warner Cable tests replacing your cable box with a Roku

9 November 2015 – Time Warner Cable customers in New York City and New Jersey will be able to use a Roku box in place of their traditional cable box, the company announced today. The trial service is an extension of the company’s TWC TV app, which lets subscribers access live television on mobile devices and smart TVs while on their home’s Wi-Fi network. The goal is to transition cable from a box customers lease from TWC and onto internet-powered apps and devices.

Reports last month stated that TWC’s internet TV option may be an over-the-top streaming service, potentially available on any internet-connected screen. Company spokesperson Andrew Russell said today in a blog post this is not true, at least for now. “The Roku trial is not an OTT (over-the-top) product or streaming service, like Netflix or Hulu,” he wrote. “The majority of content will be available only in the subscriber’s home. And it’s the same TV and same packages delivered to the home today over our secure network — you just don’t need a set-top box to watch it.”

Zee Talkies’ avatar complete makeover

9 November 2015 – Zee talkies is set for a complete makeover creating a new visual identity in a bid to strengthen its positioning as a film entertainment channel.

“Zee Talkies is to appear in a completely new look and new feel. The channel known as an exclusive Marathi Movie Channel, committed to show quality as well as popular Marathi movies is soon to celebrate its 4th anniversary,” the channel released.

China’s LeTV Looking to Release Phone, Smart TVs, 4K Streaming Box in the U.S.

9 November 2015 – Chinese online video and consumer electronics heavyweight LeTV is getting ready to enter the U.S. market with a number of products, including an Android-based smartphone, a bike with an integrated GPS device as well as smart TVs, a 4K video streaming box and a VR headset. The company could introduce, and possibly even start to sell, its products to U.S. customers as early as this week.

LeTV is little known in the U.S., but has emerged as a significant player in the Chinese online video market. Last year, LeTV generated an estimated $1.6 billion in revenue with online content as well as sales of smart TVs in China. Earlier this year, it launched its first smartphones in the country.

Sony inks broad content deal with Disney for Vue OTT service

8 November 2015 – Sony has reached a broad-ranging deal with Disney and ESPN Media Networks to their content to the PlayStation Vue Internet TV service.

Under the pact, ESPN, Disney Channel, ABC Family and about a dozen other networks will join PlayStation Vue’s linear lineup. Local ABC affiliates also will have the opportunity to opt-in. In addition to live channels, PlayStation Vue will be able to offer a library of video-on-demand and catch-up content.

7 November 2015

Welcome to News Views, CASBAA’s news round-up culled from sources across the industry for the week ending Nov 6th. Curated by CASBAA, News Views keeps you in the loop. We always value your feedback, so tell us what you think!

Brought to you by:

Christopher Slaughter CEO	Let’s talk about the “b” word, shall we? We’ve long maintained that “the bundle” provides consumers with the best possible bang for their media buck; now in these troubled cord-cutting times, it seems others are starting to wake up and smell the coffee. And while it’s hardly mainstream media, The Hollywood Reporter has assembled a handy comparison of what US streaming services cost and what they offer. As my old colleague Michael Goodman told the Seattle Times, “…be careful what you ask for.”
John Medeiros Chief Policy Officer	While we were carousing and Convention-ing last week, the European Parliament voted in favor of a single set of rules for “net neutrality” across Europe. According to the EU Commission, the rules ban blocking and throttling of internet content, give users access to the full and open internet, allow for “specialized services” with assured quality (such as streamed TV and video on demand), and give consumers the right to check if they are receiving the internet speeds they pay for, and to walk away from their contract if those commitments are not met. (BTW, all that has pretty much been CASBAA’s position.) But oh, what a cacophony of bleating resulted, from the usual alliances of “netizen” groups and their corporate backers. They lamented that the rules don’t ban network management, prioritization nor zero-rating. “It’s a vote against net neutrality!” “A major blow!” “The web will be in the grip of… (horrors!)… corporate interests!” Yadda yadda yadda. After the smoke cleared, what was interesting was the very large majority of the Parliament that decided to favor investment in quality networks over self-interested “neutrality” ideology. Meanwhile, on the other side, both telecom operators and broadcasters welcomed the rules. Guess if you’re trying to run a business, the simplistic solutions don’t always sound best…
Christopher Slaughter CEO	Private equity juggernaut KKR is buying into The Chernin Group’s Asian investment arm CA Media, and jointly setting up with them a new Asian investment platform called Emerald Media. The US$300 million fund will be the region’s biggest media fund, and will invest “…for both control and significant minority positions (in) media, entertainment, and digital media businesses in Asia.” Emerald Media will be headed by CA Media’s CEO Paul Aiello and COO Rajesh Kamat, and will have offices in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Mumbai.
Mark Lay Vice President, Singapore	The new Apple TV is out and the reviews are starting to come in. What is interesting is how apps from different programming suppliers: traditional broadcast networks and cable channels to new exotic entrants like Periscope are now able to comfortably commingle. I recently coffee’d with a well-known "Independent Media Consultant” who was considering the parallels between the music and the pay TV industries. This topic is discussed in, Why does Apple TV deserve to exist? A lot of truth to the line, "Paying $150/month to watch incontinence and erectile dysfunction ads—at a time not of your choosing—is preposterous for the young."
Anjan Mitra Executive Director, India	BARC’s rolled out its new rural service in India and the data is interesting. For the first time FTA channels made it to the Top 10 Hindi GEC category. Other key trends highlighted 17 per cent of rural India viewers fall in the 15-21 years age group vs 14% of urban India, which is 14 per cent. However, the advertising industry wants to wait for more rural data before moving in for any effective killing. Meanwhile, BARC CEP Partho Dasgupta revealed at CASBAA Convention recently in Hong Kong that BARC is looking at having common panel for multi-screen measurement to capture effectively fragmentation. Seems BARC’s just warming up.
Kevin Jennings Programme Director	The private equity firm Altice has seen a meteoric rise in the past 18 months, transitioning from a company with a diverse range of smaller stakes to a multinational TV and communications company. Pending final approval on its Cablevision acquisition, Altice joins the largest global pay-TV players that control close to 50 percent of the world’s subscription TV revenue. While Altice ranks 5th on the list, it will account for just over 3 percent of global pay-TV revenue.
Jane Buckthought Advertising Consultant	The CASBAA Convention was tackling measurement issues and Nielsen has been doing the same. The company is putting the finishing touches on total audience measurement which it says will forever change the industry. And perhaps unsurprisingly, curmudgeonly media critic Michael Wolff is skeptical, saying, “…it’s an almost comical exercise to try to portray the Wild West nature of current measurement standards."
Christopher Slaughter CEO	SK Telecom is buying a 30% stake in South Korea’s largest cable operator, CJ Hellovision, and plans to acquire the rest of the company by next year for a total price of close to US$1.3 billion. By merging the cable company with its SK Broadband service, the deal will create South Korea’s second biggest pay TV operator. (That’s if the deal goes through; competitor LG claims it is “doubtful” authorities will approve it, as “SK Telecom is abusing its dominant position in the telecommunication business by moving into the broadcast sector.”) Meanwhile, top operator KT Skylife has unveiled a new ratings system that will use real-time data analysis to implement a “cost per perfect view” system, meaning it will only collect ad fees when a spot is watched from start to finish.
John Medeiros Chief Policy Officer	And in case you were wondering, Irdeto has declared that “The Walking Dead” was the most pirated scary show, in the run-up to Halloween. Pirate Zombies! (As opposed to the last Pirates of the Caribbean movie, which was full of Zombie pirates…)
Yegee Chun Regulatory Assistant	Google has highlighted 11 security flaws in Samsung’s flagship Android handset, the Galaxy S6 Edge. This has not been the first security issue that has harmed the Android brand; faults have previously been found in lock screen security, and in an update that was actually designed to fix another security loophole. Unfortunately for Google, it is unable to control the final software that most people use, nor the frequency of users’ OS updates. However, BlackBerry seems to be marketing security and privacy with its new Android phone, Priv, which will have a tool called DTEK built in to constantly monitor for security risks.
Kevin Jennings Programme Director	In a sign of the OTT times the British Film Institute has launched an online movie streaming service called BFI Player+. The monthly subscription service offers a 30-day free trial for all users and was developed to meet the demand for people to view the best of a century of cinema. A total of 300 film titles are available for selection at launch, with films grouped to help users browse around genres, collections and directors. Rights issues aside, the BFI also holds the largest accessible television collection archive of British TV programmes in the world which would make for an interesting business model should they ever find a way to start streaming all of their other content.
Mark Lay Vice President, Singapore	At the New York Times’ DealBook conference this week Reed Hastings had a lot to say. Programming: “Not nearly enough”…."over time we can make a great Bollywood show…we can make a great anime show.” Sports: shouldn’t expect Netflix to move into sports anytime soon. What he’s been most scared of: “TV Anywhere.” This while Time Warner is considering delaying SVOD licensing windows for some shows. Another recent critic of licensing to OTT providers is Discovery’s David Zaslav. He told analysts Tuesday that a Discovery OTT offering could eventually make its way to the U.S. Is Netflix the only threat or could Hulu be worse for pay TV?
John Medeiros Chief Policy Officer	So, I watched the very first season of Star Trek in my family living room, on a black-and-white TV. Loved it. Times change… I’m going to be watching the next season online in HD, it seems. (Geez, I hope it’s available in Asia… are there enough trekkies out here?)

Some additional links you might be interested in:

Member News

ESPN, Disney and ABC networks finally coming to PlayStation Vue

5 Nov, 2015 – Sony will soon fill a major hole in the channel lineup for PlayStation Vue, its streaming pay-TV service: The company has signed an agreement with Disney and ESPN Media Networks to bring channels such as ESPN, ABC and the Disney Channel to Vue, the companies announced today.

Since its launch in March, PlayStation Vue has offered three of the four major broadcast networks — CBS, Fox and NBC — and upward of 80 additional channels in its most expensive package. But Disney had been the lone holdout among the major media conglomerates that agreed to bring their networks to Vue, leaving the service without key channels such as ESPN and ABC Family.

Singapore Media Festival 2015 Returns with a Stronger Line-up for Global Media Players and the Public

5 November 2015, Singapore – The second edition of the Singapore Media Festival (SMF) will run from 26 November to 6 December 2015, with a stronger line-up of events featuring a new constituent event “Digital Matters”. More than 17,000 are expected to attend the SMF, including members of the public and media professionals such as filmmakers, producers, programme buyers, digital content creators and celebrities.

SMF will bring together five constituent events this year: Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF), Asia TV Forum & Market (ATF), ScreenSingapore (SS), Asian Television Awards (ATA) as well as the latest addition to the festival- Branded Ltd.’s Digital Matters. These events firmly establish the SMF as a key connector for global media players in Asia and beyond.

At the media briefing hosted by the Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA), event partners and the Chairman of the SMF Advisory Board shared their vision and goals for the Festival.

New focus on digital content

The second edition of the SMF will have a stronger focus on digital content. Recognising that digital content is the way forward to reach out to a global audience, SMF has included Branded Ltd.’s Digital Matters as one of its new constituent events. With a combined reach of almost 10 million subscribers, YouTube stars Alfie Deyes and Marcus Butler will be heading the cast at Digital Matters. They will be joined by leaders in the online entertainment and brand marketing space including Bing Chen, Chief Creative Officer from Victorious, Josh Black, Chief Executive Officer of GroupM Entertainment and Susana Tsui, Chief Executive Officer of PHD Asia Pacific.

For SGIFF, the Festival will launch a new The Future of Cinema forum series, focusing this year on digital distribution. The forum will explore how independent filmmakers now have increased access to new platforms that allow them to premiere their works and reach wider audiences. Director of Audience Development and Content Operations at Vimeo, Peter Gerard (USA), heads the panel of speakers, along with filmmakers James Lee (Malaysia), Christian Lee and Jason Chan (Singapore). The forum is moderated by Singapore filmmaker and SGIFF Board Member Tan Pin Pin.

ATF’s pre-market conference will also be helmed by notable business leaders who will shed valuable insights on the Asian content industry including digital content trends and evolving business models in content creation and consumption.

Greater opportunities for investment into the region

This year, the SMF will open up more avenues for strategic partnerships, creative collaborations and investment opportunities into the region. ATF will host several TV masterclasses for producers, including sessions by Melodie L. Shaw, from the Writers Guild of America, and Dave Winnan, Executive Producer, International Formats from ITV Studios. Those in the film business will also benefit from ScreenSingapore’s new partnership with the Southeast Asian Audio-Visual Association (SAAVA) to run the Southeast Asian Film Financing Project Market, where 10 in-development fiction and non-fiction feature film projects will partake in the project market. They will be matched with commissioner, investors and co-production partners to bring their project to fruition.

Robert Gilby, Chairman of the SMF Advisory Board and Managing Director of the Walt Disney Company (SEA) said, “Our stronger focus on digital content at this year’s SMF promotes greater collaboration and partnership across the Film, TV and digital sectors – a key differentiator from other traditional film and TV events”. He added, “The new elements at this year’s SMF will also strengthen investment opportunities for media players, establishing SMF’s valued position as a key connector and platform for global media players venturing into Asia, and for Asian media professionals going global.”

Celebrating and showcasing the best of regional talent and beyond

The SMF will continue to showcase quality works from Singapore and the region on an international stage. The SGIFF will pay tribute to acclaimed Iranian filmmaker Mohsen Makhmalbaf with an Honorary Award, and a special retrospective of five of his works. Makhmalbaf’s films have featured regularly in the Festival over the years, each reflecting his unyielding perseverance and conviction to convey the stories of Iran and its people through film. In recognising his lifelong dedication and contribution to cinema, the Festival hopes that Makhmalbaf’s efforts will inspire future filmmakers in Singapore and the region to continue telling the Asian story in profound ways.

The spirit of celebrating the best talent and content from the region also remains a key element of SMF. The ATA will unveil a series of “Firsts” for the prestigious awards. For the first time, ATA will be broadcasted “live”, expanding the reach of the awards to more than 80 million households across Asia. The ATA will also award the achievement award this year to Mr Liu Changle, founder, Chairman and CEO of Phoenix Satellite Television, to honour and celebrate his contributions. Under his charge, the group has gone on to own six Satellite TV Channels and merged many business fronts, including new media, outdoor LED, weekly magazine, publishing, radio broadcasting and education, covering over 180 countries and regions. Mr. Liu is also the Chairman of the iEMMYs Festival, which is run by the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and recipient of numerous titles including “Top 10 Most Innovative Media Entrepreneurs in Mainland China”, “Leader of Global Mandarin TV Program Providers” and “Outstanding Figure in Media Branding”.

SMF offers exciting line-up for the public

The public can expect to see an exciting showcase of the best talent and content from Singapore and the region at the SGIFF and ATA. As part of the SGIFF’s key role in the discovery of independent cinema, members of the public can look forward to a quality line-up of screenings. The international premiere of Taiwanese indigenous film, Panay, is set to open the Festival on 26 November, while two iconic films of Singapore cinema – Eric Khoo’s Mee Pok Man and Yonfan’s Bugis Street Redux – have been included as part of the Classics segment, both marking their 20th anniversaries this year with special cast reunions. ATA’s celebrity line-up will feature some of Asia’s most outstanding acts and individuals. The star-studded show will include performances from Indonesia’s very own gem Anggun, and see Allan Wu, Joey Mead King, Max Loong and Stephanie Carrington join as hosts for the evenings.

Digital Matters will showcase the future of online entertainment by mixing content industry professionals and leading social media influencers together with their followers in a conference setting. With an eye firmly on developing future talent, Digital Matters will also introduce a slew of teen-focussed creative workshops and meet-and-greet sessions with online stars.

“We achieved several milestones and successes in our inaugural year for the Singapore Media Festival, and we hope to continue building on these to make the festival a signature event not just for media professionals, but also everyone in Singapore,” said Angeline Poh, Assistant Chief Executive (Industry) of Singapore’s Media Development Authority. “The public can look forward to a host of exciting events and screenings, which makes the SMF a great platform for film buffs and digital media fans to appreciate regional content and meet local and regional talent,” she added.

For its inaugural year, more than 15,000 people took part in the SMF. Its constituent events also celebrated success, with ATF and SS welcoming 4,800 attendees, 1,300 exhibitors and registering SGD 355.1 million in sales deals; while the Singapore International Film Festival returned with an impressive line-up of 147 films from 50 countries.

More information on SMF can be found at: http://www.sgmediafestival.com/

About Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA)
The Media Development Authority of Singapore (www.mda.gov.sg) promotes the growth of globally competitive film, television, radio, publishing, games, animation and interactive digital media industries. It also regulates the media sector to safeguard the interests of consumers, and promotes a connected society. MDA is a statutory board under the Ministry of Communications and Information (www.mci.gov.sg).

About Singapore Media Festival (SMF)
The Singapore Media Festival, hosted by Media Development Authority is set to become one of Asiaʼs leading international media events, where the industry meets to discover the latest trends, talents and contents in Asia for Film and TV. It brings together established media events – Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF), Asia TV Forum & Market (ATF) and ScreenSingapore (SS), Asian Television Awards (ATA) and Digital Matters, which will take place from 26 November to 6 December 2015. For more information about the Singapore Media Festival, please visit www.sgmediafestival.com.

Media Contacts

Yvette Lim
FleishmanHillard
Direct Line: +65 6424 6959
HP: +65 9451 8478
Email: Yvette.Lim@Fleishman.com

Priscilla Gan
Executive, Industry Communications
Communications
Media Development Authority
Tel: +65 8322 0337
Email: priscilla_gan@mda.gov.sg

Natalie Ahl
FleishmanHillard
Direct Line: +65 6424 6381
HP: +65 8338 2892
Email: Natalie.Ahl@Fleishman.com

Joannah Zhong
Executive, Industry Communications
Communications
Media Development Authority
Tel: +65 9728 9956
Email: joannah_zhong@mda.gov.sg

Annex A

Quotes from SMF partners

Cindy Ng, Managing Director of Asian Television Awards, is pleased that ATA will be collaborating again with Singapore Media Festival, “We are glad to be part of a creative group that unites and endorses creative professionals in the region. This collaboration recognises every spectrum of media that empowers our screens today. This includes quality films screened by SGIFF and ScreenSingapore; a marketplace to produce, distribute and exchange ideas presented by ATF and Branded’s Digital Matters and last but not least, a platform by ATA to celebrate and honour the very best in Asian television. As we celebrate our 20th anniversary, ATA continues to recognise excellence in programming, production and performance, and received well over 1,400 entries from across 16 countries this year. This year, with our first ever LIVE broadcast, we strive to bring the show to over 80 million household in the region. This will not only promote Singapore’s efforts in recognising each territory’s home-grown talent, but also spread to unite Asia-Pacific to collectively witness the Awards from the comfort of their homes.”

Yeow Hui Leng, Senior Project Director of Reed Exhibitions Singapore said “Reed Exhibitions is thrilled to once again bring the Asia Television Forum (ATF) and ScreenSingapore to content buyers, distributors and industry players within the region. In conjunction with the Singapore Media Festival (SMF), the ATF and ScreenSingapore continue to remain the premier content conference and market for television and film in Asia. Participants can look forward to engaging in intensive workshops and knowledge transfer as they learn insights from the industry’s thought leaders through the conference, while the market promises endless possibilities for partnerships and content deals.”

Jasper Donat, Chief Executive Officer of Branded Ltd said, “If you want to understand the future, ask a teenager! I am delighted that we can showcase a whole new world of online entertainment through the lens of the fans themselves. Through our best in class industry conference and our fan focused creative workshops for teens, Digital Matters hopes to add unique insights and collaboration opportunities to the already impressive line-up of events during the Singapore Media Festival.”

Mike Wiluan, Chairman of Singapore International Film Festival said “The Singapore International Film Festival aims to be a catalyst in the development of our film and media industry, nurturing and bringing together a rich mix of established and emerging talents. By paying tribute to acclaimed Iranian filmmaker, Mohsen Makhmalbaf – a man who has used cinema profoundly as a tool to create change and convey hope – we also hope to expand conversations and perspectives on filmmaking, and inspire future generations of filmmakers to continue telling the Asian story.”

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Christopher Slaughter

CEO

John Medeiros

Chief Policy Officer

Christopher Slaughter

CEO

Mark Lay

Vice President, Singapore

Anjan Mitra

Executive Director, India

Kevin Jennings

Programme Director

Jane Buckthought

Advertising Consultant

Christopher Slaughter

CEO

John Medeiros

Chief Policy Officer

Yegee Chun

Regulatory Assistant

Kevin Jennings

Programme Director

Mark Lay

Vice President, Singapore

John Medeiros

Chief Policy Officer