Week at a glance: JioPhone’s disruption, SPN’s sports plans, key exits

The week (July 17-22, 2017) ended with a bang with Mukesh Ambani heralding another disruption in the mobile space in the country with the launch of the JioPhone. Priced at zero rupees (albeit with a security deposit of Rs 1,500), JioPhone could also have an impact on the way India watches television. The phone comes along with the Jio App, which offers most of the Indian TV channels. What’s more, the JioPhone also features a mobile-to-TV cable through which the phone can be plugged to any television set, thus, the device can also act as a set top box. 

Reliance’s JioPhone to take the wind out of cable & DTH players’ sails?

Meanwhile, Reliance Industries further firmed up its foray into the media space with its investment in Ekta Kapoor’s Balaji Telefilms, through a preferential issue of 2.52 crore equity shares of Balaji at Rs 164 each, aggregating to Rs 413.28 crore. The proceeds from the transaction would be utilised to further speed up content development initiatives, especially for ALTBalaji, the multi-device subscription video on demand platform from Balaji Telefilms. 

Reliance picks up 2.52 crore shares of Balaji Telefilms for Rs 413.28 cr

Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) has grouped its sports brands together under the business vertical – Sony Pictures Sports Network (SPSN). The broadcaster has reinforced its position as one of the largest broadcaster of sports in the Indian subcontinent with the addition of 2 new HD channels – Sony Ten 2 HD and Sony Ten 3 HD, taking its sports channels count to 11. 

Sports will be the driving factor for SPN: NP Singh

Also this week, Movies Now 2, the fourth English movie channel from Times Network, revealed its quirky side with its new brand identity as MNX. To fuel its new identity, MNX has rolled out new movie properties such as Xtreme Nights Weeknights (Monday to Friday, 9 pm), Wild Ones Weeknights (Monday to Friday, 11 pm), and Bad Ass Weekends (Saturday and Sunday, 9 pm), among others. 

MNX is a genre that we are evangelising for the future: Vivek Srivastava

While in the broadcast space, Zee TV announced the return of its horror docudrama – ‘Fear Files’ – for its third season after missing from the screens for three years. The 30-episode series is going on air from today (July 22, 2017) and has been produced by Bodhi Tree Productions, with Sukesh Motwani and Mautik Tolia at the helm. 

Zee TV out to scare the living daylights with the return of Fear Files

Meanwhile, Sony Entertainment Television’s new show, ‘Pehredar Piya Ki’, which went on air on July 17, 2017, has been garnering negative reviews on social media as well as from a section of the television fraternity. Many have called the shows’ plot depicting a 9-year old boy romantically obsessed with an 18-year old girl, who happens to be his guardian and care-giver, ‘bizarre’ and ‘regressive’. 

On a positive note for women empowerment in the workplace, Mathrubhumi Group’s television division has announced a monthly extra leave privilege to its women staff during their first day of period. This bold step has been taken in consideration of the long hectic working hours the women reporters have to put in while on field. Currently, the provision has been implemented in Mathrubhumi News and will be soon extended to its other divisions, which include Mathrubhumi online and print verticals. 

After setting up a robust TV viewership measurement system, BARC India is gearing for a successful launch of EKAM, its digital viewership measurement venture. In keeping with its policy of transparency and inclusivity, BARC India, is hosting a series of multi-city roadshows for members of the digital ecosystem. Themed ‘EKAM: Unifying Measurement’, this is the first digital roadshow which has been planned to familiarise the industry with EKAM digital measurement products. The EKAM roadshows will be held in Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru between July 31 and August 2. 

BARC India to host multi-city digital measurement roadshows

In the advertising space, the biggest development this week was Joseph George (Joe), Group Chairman and CEO, MullenLowe Lintas Group, India and Regional President, MullenLowe Group South & Southeast Asia, announcing his decision to move on from the agency network at the end of September 2017, after a long stint of over 26 years with the company. Joe now plans to pursue what he calls “his big dream”. 

Joseph George to quit MullenLowe Lintas Group, to pursue his big dream

Madison Media announced two senior appointments this week for two of its key clients. Saif Shaikh has come onboard as Vice President to head the Godrej media AOR based in Mumbai. The AOR comprises of key Godrej companies including Godrej Consumer Products, Godrej Industries, Godrej Agrovet, Godrej Properties and Godrej Natures Basket. Saurabh Tyagi has been appointed as General Manager to head the Titan media AOR based in Bangalore. 

Madison Media appoints Saif Shaikh as Vice President to Head Godrej Media AOR

Madison Media brings on board Saurabh Tyagi as General Manager to head Titan media AOR

Indigo Consulting, Leo Burnett India’s full-service digital agency, has appointed Jose Leon as President to lead its Digital Design and Build vertical. Jose comes in from Adobe, where he was responsible for the Digital Marketing business across multiple domains in BFSI, Retail, Education, Automotive, among others, in collaboration with digital agencies. 

Indigo Consulting brings Jose Leon on board as President

And on an end note: Union Textile Minister Smriti Irani was given the additional charge of the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting. This is following Venkaiah Naidu tendering his resignation as Union I&B Minister and Housing & Urban Development Minister after being elected as the NDA nominee for the Vice Presidential elections in August. 

And finally, winter is here as the seventh season of ‘Game of Thrones’ begins...