Latest news with #ApplaToon
Mint
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Mint
Long-format content consumption growing on YouTube in India as connected TV penetration deepens
New Delhi: As short-form videos dominate smartphones and attention spans shrink, YouTube is seeing a surprising countertrend in India: surging consumption of long-form videos on connected TVs. This unexpected shift, executives say, is helping turn the world's largest open video platform into the country's biggest over-the-top (OTT) service in living rooms. 'While Shorts is growing, the consumption of content longer than 20 minutes on YouTube is actually also growing tremendously," said Gautam Anand, vice-president and managing director, YouTube Asia Pacific at Google. 'As a platform, we historically went from PC to mobile and now, the fastest growing surface for us is the living room." Read this | Content studios turn to YouTube to launch new originals despite surge in premium streaming platforms The rise of connected TV sets in urban India is reshaping how content is programmed and marketed, with platforms increasingly targeting family-oriented content over mobile-personalized fare. According to media consulting firm Ormax, 36% of the audience for subscription video-on-demand (SVoD) services in urban India now uses connected TVs regularly. 'Family-oriented content, such as movies, reality shows, and children's programming, is often consumed together, fostering shared experiences. The multi-profile features of streaming platforms also allow multiple members of the family to create personalized recommendations, making CTV an ideal medium for group entertainment," said Kaushik Das, founder and CEO of AAO NXT, an Odia-language OTT platform. Read this | Creators expect increase in income after YouTube allows them to place third-party product links in their videos India is now among the top three global markets, alongside Japan and the US, where YouTube ranks as the largest OTT platform on connected TVs, Anand added in an interview with Mint. The TV comeback The platform's deepening presence in living rooms reflects India's rapid expansion in connected TV penetration, fuelled by cheap data, affordable smart TVs, and a broadening appetite for premium content beyond traditional OTT paywalls. To be sure, YouTube already commands a staggering 92% share of all video consumption in India, according to the 2024 Ficci-EY report, leaving paid and ad-supported streaming rivals to jostle for the remainder. But long-form TV consumption is creating new pockets of stickiness. It's also influencing how creators think about content. Some studios that have found success on subscription OTTs are now debuting new shows directly on YouTube. For instance, Applause Entertainment recently launched a kids' animation channel, ApplaToon, on YouTube. The Viral Fever (TVF), known for hits like Panchayat, has put out new series such as MitronPolitan and Very Parivarik on the platform. As YouTube seeks to scale its pan-India appeal, a key enabler has been its multi-language audio feature, which lets creators add dubbed audio tracks in different languages without creating separate channels. The move is helping content from one part of the country travel seamlessly across others, such as Tamil or Telugu-language videos finding new audiences in the Hindi belt. People are discovering languages and personalities, and thanks to the multi-language audio feature, creators can now offer dubbed versions of their content, reaching out to newer audiences without knowing those languages, Anand said. Read this | YouTube AI dubbing raises creator concerns over language advantage This dovetails with broader trends in Indian media: the nationwide popularity of southern films, the rising consumption of regional content, and the increasing linguistic fluidity of younger digital audiences. Beyond ads: The new creator economy While advertising remains a core revenue engine, YouTube is betting heavily on diversified monetization for creators. Memberships, where creators can offer exclusive content to paying subscribers, are gaining traction in India. So is YouTube Shopping, which lets creators embed products and storefronts directly into their videos. 'There are multiple ways in which our partners and creators can generate revenue and we're unique in the fact that we're the only ones that share most of that back with our creators, as well. So we've not only set the foundations of the creator economy, but will also be the ones continuing to fuel that into the future," Anand said. YouTube Premium and YouTube Music Premium are also growing steadily, Anand said, offering users ad-free viewing, offline access, and background playback. While Google doesn't break out India-specific revenue, executives say these services are helping monetize high-intent users beyond ads. YouTube Premium grants ad-free viewing across all of YouTube, including YouTube Music, and allows for offline downloads and background playback of both videos and music. YouTube Music Premium, on the other hand, specifically focuses on the music experience within the YouTube Music app and website, providing ad-free listening, offline downloads, and background playback, but only for music content. To reinforce this flywheel, YouTube is doubling down on creator investments in India. Earlier this month, CEO Neal Mohan announced a planned investment of over ₹850 crore over the next two years to boost India's creator economy. More than 100 million channels uploaded content in the country last year, with over 15,000 of them crossing 1 million subscribers, Mohan said at the inaugural World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit (WAVES) in Mumbai. Also read | The consumer longs for humanity in music, says YouTube's head of music Content from India is also travelling far: it racked up 45 billion hours of watch time from international viewers last year, according to the company. For YouTube, these point to India's evolving role in the global video economy. It's no longer just a massive consumption market; it's becoming a content and monetization hub that's setting the pace for how YouTube adapts to the future of TV.
Business Standard
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Standard
Applause Entertainment Launches 'ApplaToon' - A New Animation Channel on YouTube
PRNewswire Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], April 22: Turning the page to an exciting new chapter in its storytelling journey, Applause Entertainment today announced the launch of its dedicated kid's animation channel, 'ApplaToon', exclusively on YouTube. Created for young minds, ApplaToon kicks off with its first original animated series Kiya & Kayaan -- based on popular Amar Chitra Katha Junior Library. The makers released the official trailer today, offering a first glimpse into the magical world of the show. The series premieres on April 25 on the ApplaToon YouTube channel. * Debuts Original Animated Series Kiya & Kayaan, based on ACK junior from Amar Chitra Katha Aimed at children aged 4 to 8 years, Kiya & Kayaan follows the adventures of two imaginative siblings who stumble upon VR headsets that whisk them away to Storyland, a spellbinding world built on iconic stories from Indian mythology and folklore. As they journey through fantastical realms, they encounter ancient wisdom, mythical beings, and thrilling quests, all while discovering the values of curiosity, courage, and compassion. Applause Entertainment, in a landmark partnership with Amar Chitra Katha, has acquired rights to adapt over 400 iconic stories from its celebrated comic book universe. Kiya & Kayaan is the first in a vibrant slate of animated series reimagining India's timeless tales. Created by Applause Entertainment and directed by Sanjeev Sahoo, the production partners on the series are Popcorn Animation Studio, Prayan Animation Studio Pvt. Ltd., Living Pixels, and Warnick Studios. Sameer Nair, Managing Director, Applause Entertainment, said, "With ApplaToon, we're venturing into an entirely new creative space -- kids animation and it's both exciting and deeply purposeful. This is not just a new vertical for us; it's a chance to shape young imaginations through powerful Indian storytelling. With Kiya & Kayaan, based on the timeless Amar Chitra Katha Junior Library, we're bringing heritage to the here-and-now, combining technology, mythology, and heart. YouTube gives us the perfect playground to do this at scale, taking Indian stories to global audiences." Preeti Vyas, President & CEO, Amar Chitra Katha, said, "For decades, Amar Chitra Katha has introduced generations of readers to the richness of Indian heritage through its iconic comics. We're thrilled to see our stories come alive in a new format with Kiya & Kayaan. Animation opens up magical new possibilities for children to engage with Indian mythology, folk tales, culture, history, and values. Our collaboration with Applause Entertainment is a step towards making timeless tales both accessible and exciting for today's digital-first kids." Catch the magic of Kiya & Kayaan starting April 25 on ApplaToon. New episodes drop on every Tuesday and Friday. About Applause Entertainment: Applause Entertainment is a leading Content & IP Creation Studio with a focus on premium drama series, movies, documentaries and animation content. A venture of the Aditya Birla Group, led by media veteran Sameer Nair, the studio has produced and released popular series across genres and languages which includes shows like Black Warrant, Criminal Justice, Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story, Scam 2003: The Telgi Story, Rudra: The Edge of Darkness, Mithya, Undekhi, Kafas, Bhaukaal and others that have gone on to win acclaim and applause. The content studio has recently forayed into theatrical movies with the acclaimed film 'Zwigato', Tamil hit 'Por Thozhil', a rom-com 'Do Aur Do Pyaar', direct to streaming 'Sharmajee Ki Beti' and a docu-series 'Modern Masters'. Currently in production is also a robust slate of film, animation and docu-series. Applause has partnered with leading platforms like Netflix, Disney+Hotstar, Amazon Prime Video, Sony LIV and ZEE5 for its creative output.
Business Upturn
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Upturn
Applause Entertainment Launches ‘ApplaToon' – A New Animation Channel on YouTube
Debuts Original Animated Series Kiya & Kayaan, based on ACK junior from Amar Chitra Katha MUMBAI, India , April 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Turning the page to an exciting new chapter in its storytelling journey, Applause Entertainment today announced the launch of its dedicated kid's animation channel, 'ApplaToon', exclusively on YouTube. Created for young minds, ApplaToon kicks off with its first original animated series Kiya & Kayaan — based on popular Amar Chitra Katha Junior Library. The makers released the official trailer today, offering a first glimpse into the magical world of the show. The series premieres on April 25 on the ApplaToon YouTube channel. Link – Aimed at children aged 4 to 8 years, Kiya & Kayaan follows the adventures of two imaginative siblings who stumble upon VR headsets that whisk them away to Storyland, a spellbinding world built on iconic stories from Indian mythology and folklore. As they journey through fantastical realms, they encounter ancient wisdom, mythical beings, and thrilling quests, all while discovering the values of curiosity, courage, and compassion. Applause Entertainment, in a landmark partnership with Amar Chitra Katha , has acquired rights to adapt over 400 iconic stories from its celebrated comic book universe. Kiya & Kayaan is the first in a vibrant slate of animated series reimagining India's timeless tales. Created by Applause Entertainment and directed by Sanjeev Sahoo , the production partners on the series are Popcorn Animation Studio, Prayan Animation Studio Pvt. Ltd., Living Pixels, and Warnick Studios. Sameer Nair , Managing Director, Applause Entertainment, said, 'With ApplaToon, we're venturing into an entirely new creative space — kids animation and it's both exciting and deeply purposeful. This is not just a new vertical for us; it's a chance to shape young imaginations through powerful Indian storytelling. With Kiya & Kayaan, based on the timeless Amar Chitra Katha Junior Library, we're bringing heritage to the here-and-now, combining technology, mythology, and heart. YouTube gives us the perfect playground to do this at scale, taking Indian stories to global audiences.' Preeti Vyas , President & CEO, Amar Chitra Katha , said, 'For decades, Amar Chitra Katha has introduced generations of readers to the richness of Indian heritage through its iconic comics. We're thrilled to see our stories come alive in a new format with Kiya & Kayaan. Animation opens up magical new possibilities for children to engage with Indian mythology, folk tales, culture, history, and values. Our collaboration with Applause Entertainment is a step towards making timeless tales both accessible and exciting for today's digital-first kids.' Catch the magic of Kiya & Kayaan starting April 25 on episodes drop on every Tuesday and Friday. About Applause Entertainment: Applause Entertainment is a leading Content & IP Creation Studio with a focus on premium drama series, movies, documentaries and animation content. A venture of the Aditya Birla Group, led by media veteran Sameer Nair , the studio has produced and released popular series across genres and languages which includes shows like Black Warrant, Criminal Justice, Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story, Scam 2003: The Telgi Story, Rudra: The Edge of Darkness, Mithya, Undekhi, Kafas, Bhaukaal and others that have gone on to win acclaim and applause. The content studio has recently forayed into theatrical movies with the acclaimed film 'Zwigato', Tamil hit 'Por Thozhil', a rom-com 'Do Aur Do Pyaar', direct to streaming 'Sharmajee Ki Beti' and a docu-series 'Modern Masters'. Currently in production is also a robust slate of film, animation and docu-series. Applause has partnered with leading platforms like Netflix, Disney+Hotstar, Amazon Prime Video, Sony LIV and ZEE5 for its creative output. Photo: View original content to download multimedia: Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with PR Newswire. Business Upturn takes no editorial responsibility for the same.
