More Indian TV channels for UAE viewers on cards

IndiaCast, a joint venture between TV18 and Viacom18, currently beams MTV and Colors to local audiences as plans are underway to bring more Indian content to audiences in the Middle East.

Khaleej Times caught up with Anuj Gandhi, Group CEO of IndiaCast to know more about the company’s plan in the Middle East region.

What does IndiaCast offer as part of its services?

We have 27 channels under IndiaCast. Our job is to ensure all avenues of earning through the content produced by a channel is tapped.

The domestic market in India is huge in both the linear and non-linear format. If we take the content on the channel and package it in the right form, it can be monetised.

Are there any plans to bring more Indian channels to the UAE?

We are in conversation with service providers and we hope to announce new channels and packages for the UAE viewers very soon. We have launched MTV here and we have our own team in Dubai which manages advertising for our channels, as part of IndiaCast.

Do you plan to produce content for the Middle East audiences?

It’s largely the same content as shown in India and I think there is enough traction for the same product to come here. If we see a market big enough for the launch of a hybrid channel with a mix of languages, we will do it. As of now, audiences can look forward to a lot of new shows which will be unveiled in the next few months.

Is content-distribution on different platforms a major challenge?

Television rights are getting blurred as content is becoming more easily available across boundaries.

Different platforms demand various rights and it is important to have all the rights under one umbrella. The coordination between companies and other networks becomes an issue if the rights are not owned by a single entity.

In India, most TV channels own the Intellectual Property Right (IPR) for the shows commissioned by them. This allows a channel to monetise the content in both the domestic and international market. It also allows a channel to offer the content via video-on-demand (VOD).

Syndication of TV shows is still not a popular concept in India? What is the reason for this?

Indian television follows a daily show format and today’s episode become history tomorrow. Sharing content produced on a daily basis is a very big challenge. In the future, I believe some of the weekly shows produced may get syndicated. In the last one year, a lot has changed in the Indian television media, and we can see some more changes.

Do you see traction towards High-Definition (HD) content among content producers?

There are close to 30 HD channels in India. The challenge is with the distribution of HD content, as bandwidth issues and the end-user penetration of HD set-top boxes is comparatively low in India. We are very keen to launch more HD channels internationally and also expand our portfolio in the Middle East region by offering more content from different genres.

What are the key areas of focus for IndiaCast in the Middle East?

We want to explore the market for region-specific channels and see if it is viable from an advertising point of view. Piracy is another issue, which needs to be addressed in the region.

The high-levels of Internet penetration and the exposure to bigger screens with better connectivity make the distribution of HD content less of a challenge. This is something which can be tapped into.

Does the piracy of Direct-To-Home (DTH) services affect the distribution model followed by IndiaCast?

In the last couple of years, there has been an improvement in this region. Some of the Indian DTH services were rampantly available a few years ago.

The UAE authorities and DTH service providers are working hard to bring piracy under control. We are also working towards developing our presence on YouTube and we are very keen to set a new service while bringing regional content. Outside India, the UK, the USA and the Middle East are the top markets for our channels.

What is your outlook for content monetisation and distribution in India?

All the platforms and avenues are here to be exploited for revenue. There will be more revenue with content-monetisation and it will ultimately help make better content. In the short run, there may not be many changes but later on there will be a lot of new shows exploring alternative genres. Reality shows still form a large chunk of the business, which may change a few years later.

muaz@khaleejtimes.com