American streaming platform Netflix says price cuts across plans in India have helped improve subscriber additions and audience engagement in 2022, as the service has attempted to supplement it with content that appeals to wider segments.
While many distribution platform operators (DPOs) feel the pay-TV consumers are not ready for a price hike, TV broadcasters maintain that the hike is nominal and will not pinch the consumers hard. Leading broadcasters had recently come out with new rates for TV channels. The broadcasters have hiked the MRP of several channels and bouquets. This has not gone down well with the DPOs.
Netflix has unveiled its plans for one of the largest fully integrated production facilities in the world in Fort Monmouth, New Jersey. The streamer bid $55 million for the 293-acre parcel at the former military base, in line with the appraised value, according to Rajiv Dalal, Netflix’s director of content and studio affairs.
New Jersey has given Lionsgate a “Studio Partner” designation as the state expands its tax credit program to draw more high-profile film and TV projects to shoot locally. The Hollywood studio, long with an eye to controlling production costs, will now see additional above-the-line wage and salary costs as qualifying expenses to be offset by New Jersey’s film tax credit program.
Netflix, a video streaming company, plans to curb password sharing from early 2023, as per a report. Earlier this year, it was much speculated that the password sharing feature from the company will be rolled out by the end of 2022.
Movie theatres are re-releasing old hits, and curating special screenings on birth anniversaries of popular yesteryear stars to bring audiences back to the cinemas as new films are failing to draw audiences.
Video streaming platforms in India that have been premiering films directly on the service, helping many bypass the theatrical route, are upping the marketing game for these movies. Titles like Monica O My Darling, Darlings, Blurrr and Govinda Naam Mera, among others, are primarily targeting influencers and content creators on YouTube and Instagram who connect better with Gen Z and millennial audiences.
"I think India can be a shining example. Look at what India has accomplished with the UPI, Aadhaar and the payments stack, and you will see the value of having an open, connected stack which works. And that is what the internet is. Having responsible regulation which preserves all of this are some of the core elements. India will stand to benefit a lot as it will be a successful exporter in this digital economy. So, I think, it’s a balance and that's what I see in a lot of the proposals (by the Indian government). We will be a constructive partner," says Pichai.
“We think Bob Iger is returning to Disney to make big changes. Spinning [off] ESPN/ABC is the best path forward, and we see it as a reasonably probable late-’23 event.” Wells Fargo analyst Steven Cahall opened a Tuesday report on The Walt Disney Co., led again by Iger as CEO, with a big call that is certain to cause debate.
The Indian government on Tuesday said it is not considering to ‘harmonise’ telecom and broadcast regulator TRAI’s powers with any other law, including IP rules.