Zee New Media, the digital arm of Subhash Chandra-owned Zee Entertainment Enterprises, will offer live television content and video-on-demand on tablets, smartphones and all internet enabled devices to users who subscribe to Ditto TV, its newly launched mobile TV application developed by Siemens Communication and Media Technology.
?Research shows that mobile TV is becoming the first choice for entertainment and Ditto TV is a timely offering,? said Punit Goenka, managing director and chief executive, Zee. ?This will work in the Dish TV model and we look to gain 1 million subscribers within a year.? Both Siemens and Zee, declined to share investment details.
Media consultants say this offering is a ?sound strategy decision? by Zee, which will provide a necessary fillip to the Zee Group, whose flagship channel Zee TV lost viewers last year.
?Though entertainment consumption on wireless broadband is still a niche market, broadcasters and content owners realise that it is one area which will grow exponentially in the coming years,? said Jehil Thakkar, executive director, KPMG India. ?This is a clear strategy from Zee to gain a first-mover advantage. By the time the broad wave hits, they would have already learnt their lessons.?
According to viewership data from television audience measurement agency TAM Media Research, Zee TV?s viewership fell from 224 gross rating points (GRPs) in the first week of 2011 to 155 GRPs in the last. The channel, however, has regained the third position in the GEC space securing 222 GRPs last week.
Ditto TV will offer 21 channels. It will also offer movies from Zee?s archives.
?We will scale up our offering to 100 channels in 6-8 months,? said Vishal Malhotra, business head, Zee New Media. ?Live-streaming of music and games will also be made available.?