BUSINESS
Serum Institute's Adar Poonawalla picks up 20% stake in social media platform Wakau
The community-driven social media platform Wakau offers short video content in entertainment and fashion domains along with video-commerce.
BUSINESS
Cinemas stage strong comeback with Spider-Man, Pushpa, but yet to reach pre-COVID levels
Family audience’s reluctance to return to theatres as the Omicron variant of COVID-19 spreads, and the switch by some filmgoers to streaming platforms keep footfalls low.
TRENDS
From digital assets of Sachin Tendulkar to Jhulan Goswami, more cricket NFTs on offer
The NFT auction will be held in Dubai on December 24 by Cricflix in partnership with sports startup RevSportz and sports travel company Fanatic Sports.
BUSINESS
TV ad volumes continue to see growth in November, advertisers bet on regional content
November 2021 displayed steady growth with 2,911 advertisers and 4,669 brands, the highest for 2021.
BUSINESS
Zee-Sony mega merger: All you need to know
Punit Goenka, managing director and chief executive officer of Zee at the end of November had said that the “proposed merger is in the final stages”. Here’s all you need to know about the deal.
BUSINESS
Meet the sharks: Founders of Mamaearth, BharatPe, Shaadi.com bet on India’s growing startup ecosystem
Founders of BharatPe, Shaadi.com and Mamaearth--Ashneer Grover, Anupam Mittal, and Ghazal Alagh--share their experience on Sharktank India.
TRENDS
GuardianLink announces Stan Lee's comic book NFT collection, bets big on Indian NFT market
The NFT auction which will go live from December 27 to 29, 2021 will offer over 7,000 Chakra verse art pieces.
BUSINESS
Spider-Man outpaces Sooryavanshi at box office, becomes second biggest Hollywood opener
Sooryavanshi hit theatres on November 5 and collected Rs 26.5 crore net on its opening day whereas Spider-Man: No Way Home has garnered Rs 35 crore on day one, according to film trade experts.
BUSINESS
Multiplexes bet on strong content line-up for sharp recovery, see increase in occupancy
Kamal Gianchandani, president, Multiplex Association of India (MAI) and CEO of PVR Pictures, said that the strong performance of Spider-Man: No Way Home is pointing to a sharp recovery in the cinema business.
BUSINESS
Spiderman No Way Home records highest advances in COVID-19 times
Looking at the strong response in terms of advance booking, Kamal Gianchandani, President, Multiplex Association of India (MAI) expects Spiderman No Way Home to surpass collections of Bollywood venture Sooryavanshi.
TRENDS
Trell launches social commerce shopping sale, in-app currency
Social commerce, which is a nascent $800-million segment in India, is expected to grow 65 percent annually till 2025, according to Redseer estimates.
TRENDS
Streaming wars: Will Netflix’s price cut heat up competition in India?
The move may be aimed at increasing subscriber numbers and is unlikely to trigger price cuts by rivals, experts say
BUSINESS
SonyLIV sells 75% of ad inventory for Shark Tank ahead of launch
The streaming platform onboards six sponsors for upcoming show Shar Tank, which will launch on December 20.
BUSINESS
Pay per view platform BookMyShow Stream launches its first original series, expands content library
The platform, which was launched in February this year and offered over 1,500 movie titles, is now coming up with crime thriller mini-series called ‘The Investigation’, launching on December 17 under BookMyShow Stream Originals.
TRENDS
From Kabali suits to iconic songs, more Rajinikanth movie NFTs on offer
While the actor has not officially launched his own NFT, marketplace Diginoor.io, which has partnered with AVM studios, Sivaji productions and V Creations, is offering digital assets from three blockbuster Rajinikanth movies including Sivaji, Chandramukhi and Kabali.
TRENDS
Will brands find Katrina Kaif, Vicky Kaushal lucrative as a star couple?
Actors Katrina Kaif and Vicky Kaushal tied the knot on December 9.
TRENDS
Marketers predict a surge in ad budgets next year, mobile and TV grab attention
Outside of digital advertising, Indian marketers are bullish on mobile advertising, podcasts and linear TV
TRENDS
This power couple beats DeepVeer, Virushka: Check out Top 20 list
Actors Katrina Kaif and Vicky Kaushal, who will be tying the knot on December 9, clocked rank nine in the annual Power Couples survey.
BUSINESS
After Hiccups and Hookups, OTT Lionsgate Play to launch 10 originals, expects high growth in India
The platform which offers subscription plans including Rs 149 per month and Rs 499 per year, sees India as the defining market in the next decade and the world's largest market at least by subscribers in the next 10 years.
TRENDS
Back to office: Some offices have opened fully, others continue with hybrid model
While states have eased pandemic restrictions, not all companies are ready to call employees back to the office. Now, the new variant of the coronavirus isn’t making things easier.
TRENDS
NFT buzz grows in India, 30 celebrities to launch their digital collectibles soon
Celebrities who will be coming up with their digital tokens include music composers Salim-Sulaiman, cricketers Varun Chakravorthy, Dwayne John Bravo, Bollywood and TV stars Tanuj Virwani and Aamir Ali, among others.
TRENDS
Omicron strain to affect film business, Indian box office to see lag in recovery
With the spread of omicron, there will be an impact on sentiment and also in terms of restrictions, including occupancy in theatres which is expected to go back to pre-COVID levels.
BUSINESS
Print media sees strong recovery in ad volumes; services, education top contributors
Ad volumes on the print medium registered a 93 percent spurt in the July-September period from the April-June period this year
TRENDS
Along with TV, crypto platforms hit pause on ad blitz on digital media
Cryptocurrency brands have not just reduced the quantum of ads but also become more cautious, Shrenik Gandhi, CEO and co-founder of digital marketing firm White Rivers Media, told Moneycontrol.
