VOOT harnesses Viacom18’s multiple brands and businesses, goes local to travel global
Digital Ventures,
Regional Entertainment and Viacom18 Motion Pictures join hands to produce 18 multi-lingual,
multi-genre VOOT Originals
VOOT will launch its
international distribution, starting with United Kingdom, in November 2018
At a star studded
event in Mumbai today, India’s second most viewed premium advertising led
video-on-demand platform VOOT by Viacom18, showcased the first bundle of its
upcoming VOOT Originals – 18 multi-lingual premium web series cutting across
genres. In its bid to utilize the strength of storytelling that runs across
Viacom18’s various businesses, VOOT has created and collaborated with various
brands of the network to create bespoke content. Leveraging its prowess of
creating critically and commercially successful films, Viacom18 Motion
Pictures, the network’s movie studio, will now be producing web-series for
VOOT, under the banner of Tipping Point Films. Furthermore, diving deeper into
the regional markets of India, the Regional Broadcast Entertainment cluster of
Viacom18 will be producing multi-lingual VOOT Originals specifically for the discerning
digital audience. VOOT will also be adding news to its increasingly varied
content offering, starting with a partnership with India’s foremost news media
organization Network18. VOOT is ramping up its content and product play as it
sets sight to take the platform international, beginning with the United
Kingdom, in November 2018.
“VOOT is integral to our strategy as we
gear up for a future-ready Viacom18 that is screen, platform and pipe agnostic.
We are building a digital-first brand to harness Viacom18’s strengths across
its brands, creative franchises and businesses in multiple Indian
languages.” Explained Sudhanshu
Vats, Managing Director, Viacom18, adding, “Furthermore, the inherent synergies with
Reliance Jio, both as a platform for showcasing content and as a carrier of our
service, have only dialled up the business roadmap for VOOT.”
Partnering with the best in class creators, producers and talent, the 18 VOOT
Originals will provide an immersive content experience with storytelling across
multiple genres like Psychology, Mystery, Sports Biopic, Comedy, Drama,
Thriller, Politics, History, Crime and Suspense amongst others. The diversity of the VOOT Originals slate
will be brought to life through driving synergies within the network.
“The
digital medium brings us close to the consumer at a very personal level. Owing
to the last mile measureablity that the medium provides, our entire content
strategy is based on a deep data backed analysis of the needs and desires of
our consumers and their consumption preferences and patterns. Thus our play
across a diverse bouquet of genres and languages,” Monika Shergill, Head –
Content, Viacom18 Digital Ventures, explained,
adding, “At an execution level, we have
been extremely lucky to be partnering with a galaxy of very talented and
committed actors, writers and directors to bring forth our second bundle of
VOOT Originals, starting with 18 multi-genre and multi-lingual series.”
VOOT will continue its journey towards next
echelons of growth through its foray into new growth areas, as defined below:
News
on VOOT: Expanding its genre spread, VOOT will now
see the addition of news on its platform with the inclusion of TV18 news. 16
live channels across 13 languages will now bring the latest in current affairs
to its viewers, adding to the range and reach of the platform.
Teching
it Up: VOOT will also strengthen its engagement and
user interactivity experience with superior technology adoption and innovation.
Adding to the user search experience and facilitating easy discoverability will
be the adoption of Google Watch Action, an industry first in APAC for premium OTT
players. VOOT’s future ready platform will also enhance the content experience
with the introduction of Dolby Surround Sound for all VOOT Originals, a first
amongst Indian OTT Players.
Global
Foray: VOOT
has continuously ensured superior technology adoption and content diversity
thereby paving the way for the platforms Global foray. Catering to the vast
Indian diaspora and the international community that seeks immersive Indian
stories, VOOT is all set to debut Internationally starting November 2018 with
its entry into the United Kingdom. With an Indian origin population of around 1.825 Mn, the UK market presents a significant reach opportunity for
VOOT to leverage.
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