Warner Bros. Discovery and Viacom18 today announced a new multi-year agreement, making JioCinema India's new streaming home of HBO, Max Original and Warner Bros. content starting next month.

The partnership, which includes exclusive content rights across digital and linear, represents a significant step forward for both entities as they seek to deliver unrivalled world-class content to audiences.

Spanning thousands of hours of some of the best and most popular series and movies from around the world, the agreement sees Viacom18 offer an unmatched content slate to its users in India across linear channels and the JioCinema streaming service. HBO Original, Max Original and Warner Bros. Television series are set to premiere on JioCinema on the same day as the U.S.

The deal includes current and future seasons of HBO’s globally acclaimed series such as House of The Dragon, The Last of Us, Succession and The White Lotus, and returning seasons of True Detective: Night Country, Euphoria, Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty and Perry Mason. Also featured as part of the agreement are highly anticipated HBO Original series including The Idol, White House Plumbers, The Sympathizer and The Regime. In addition, HBO’s esteemed series and documentaries, including Game of Thrones, Sex & The City, Big Little Lies, Chernobyl and Veep, will be available for users.

Max Original series including, And Just Like That…, Peacemaker, and The Flight Attendant, highly anticipated premieres such as Dune: The Sisterhood, The Batman spinoff The Penguin, and Duster, from J.J. Abrams and LaToya Morgan, as well as much-loved Warner Bros. Television series like East New York and Gotham Knights are also part of the offering.

Future Warner Bros. blockbuster movies and a vast film library including the Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings and DC Universe movies, as well kids’ animation titles like Dexter's Laboratory and Tom and Jerry Kids will also be available on JioCinema.

Clement Schwebig, President, India, Southeast Asia, and Korea, Warner Bros. Discovery, said: “Warner Bros. Discovery’s brands are incredibly popular across India, and we are pleased to partner with Viacom18 to bring our premium HBO, Max Original and Warner Bros. content to local fans. This new agreement demonstrates our commitment to South Asia as we seek to entertain audiences across more platforms, and further strengthens the scale of our regional business as a whole.”

Ferzad Palia, Head – SVOD & International Business, Viacom18, said: “JioCinema has become the biggest platform for live sports. We are now on a mission to build the most magnetic destination for entertainment for all Indians. The strategic partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery is a big milestone in our journey to offer the best of Hollywood content to our elite consumers. We believe that Warner Bros. Discovery sets the global standards for premium content and this partnership allows us to create the best and the most comprehensive destination for our users.”

Sony LIV and Applause Entertainment are delighted to unveil their upcoming slate for 2023, ushering in yet another exciting chapter in their long-standing partnership.

As India’s leading content studio, Applause Entertainment is renowned for its exceptional storytelling, and their upcoming shows promise to take audiences on a thrilling ride.

Headlining the impressive line-up are two new series ‘Kafas’ (Cage) and ’36 Days’ both of which boast gripping plotlines and an exceptional cast. ‘Kafas’ produced in association with Madiba Entertainment is a social drama series starring Sharman Joshi, Mona Singh, Vivan Bhathena, Preeti Jhangiani and Mikail Gandhi in lead roles and directed by Sahil Sangha.

The second series ‘36 Days’ produced in association with BBC Studios India is a suspense thriller, directed by Vishal Furia, featuring an ensemble cast including Neha Sharma, Purab Kohli, Shruti Seth, Chandan Roy Sanyal, Amruta Khanvilkar, Sharib Hashmi, Shernaz Patel, Faishal Rashid, Chahat Vig, Kenneth Desai in pivotal roles.

Also on the cards is the second instalment of India's most successful OTT franchise – Scam 2003: The Telgi Story. Helmed by Hansal Mehta and Tushar Hiranandani, the story is about the infamous Stamp Paper Scam by Abdul Karim Telgi.

The exciting slate also includes the return of popular shows on Sony LIV with new seasons - Tanaav S2, Undekhi S3 and Avrodh S3. These shows are gearing up to deliver even more drama and entertainment, keeping viewers on the edge of their seats.

All the 6 shows are currently in various stages of production and will soon be available to stream exclusively on Sony LIV.

Danish Khan, Head – Sony LIV, Sony Entertainment Television & Studio Next "We are delighted to strengthen our long running partnership with Applause Entertainment with an exceptional slate of shows in 2023 and beyond.”

Sameer Nair, Managing Director, Applause Entertainment says, “In our shared mission to captivate and entertain audiences through the power of storytelling we are excited to create for Sony LIV a diverse and captivating mix of new shows and returning favourites”

Influences FSSAI’s decision of taking strict action against violators

Health Experts discussed Bournvita Controversy and facts about Nutrient-based claims on Zee Business ‘Aapki Khabar, Aapka Fayda’

Bournvita – One of the most common ‘healthy’ chocolate health drink, hit the news headlines in the week gone by, raising questions in the consumers’ minds on reconsidering their purchasing decisions on such health drinks.

Revant Himatsingka, an Instagram influencer claimed that Cadbury's Bournvita contains high sugar content in a viral video. The influencer said Bournvita's tagline "Taiyari Jeet Ki" (preparation for victory) should be ‘Taiyari Diabetes Ki’ (preparation for diabetes) due to its high sugar content. Scientist and Nutrition specialist Dr. Abby Philips supported this claim and listed research papers in this defense on TheLiverDoc @theliverdr. The viral video and scientist’s claim further resulted in damaging the brand’s reputation.

To this. Mondelez International issued an official statement claiming that ‘All Ingredients in Bournvita are safe and within permissible limits as per the regulatory guideline’. However, the influencer deleted the video after receiving a legal notice on the same.

To investigate this controversial matter on powdered products further, Zee Business’ prime time show ‘Aapki Khabar, Aapka Fayda’ , invited a panel of health experts -Dr. Jagruti Sanghvi (Sr. Pediatrician, Nanavati Max Hospital) Dr. Swati Maheshwari (Sr. Physician), and Dr. Shweta Khandelwal (Head- Nutrition Research, PHFI). The panel discussion moderated by Deepak Dobhal, Senior Anchor, Zee Business, discussed facts about natural sugar, added sugars, the claim of ‘clinically proven’ claims by powdered products, responsible parenting etc. This spread awareness among widespread viewers on the importance of reading and understanding the nutrient value of each of the ingredients printed on each of the neatly packed products.

The emphasis on awareness among consumers and policy implementation resulted in FSSAI taking note of Zee Business and other media reports about Bournvita; to take strict action against violators. It reiterated that the mandate of FSSAI is to lay down science-based standards for food products in the country and enforce the same.

FSSAI said that if the companies fail to toe the guidelines, they will be fined heavily. The regulatory body also claimed that strict action will be taken against violators and said "Where a claimed health benefit is attributed directly to the product, it shall be based on statistically significant results from well-designed human intervention studies, conducted by or under the guidance of established research institutions, in line with the principles of GCP (Good Clinical Practices) and peer-reviewed or published in a peer-reviewed reputed scientific journal. To ensure compliance with the said provisions the Licensing-cum-Designated Officers notified both at the Central and State levels are empowered to call upon the FBOs to submit scientific evidence for such health claims being made on the products, failing which or in case of unsatisfactory response the FBO is required to withdraw such claims or modify them as per the provisions of the said Regulations failing which the FBO can be penalized with a fine extending up to Rs.10 lakhs, as per Section-53 of the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006, apart from other stringent punishments like suspension/cancellation of license etc. in case of repeated offenses.”

Highlighting the far-fetched impact of the investigative stance, Anil Singhvi, Managing Editor, Zee Business said, “We, at Zee Business, strongly believe in responsible journalism. Investigating controversies and presenting factual information in shows like ’Aapki Khabar, Aapka Fayda’, ensuring that unfiltered information reaches the Indian households on a timely basis. The latest decision taken by FSSAI post the truth revealed by our investigative team, encourages us to break such controversial chains and continue presenting facts to our viewers The decision on what makes ‘news’ and the need to investigate specific controversial topics across different beats, is taken based on the impact of the ongoing topics and its impact of it on living standards. ”

The One Club for Creativity today announced the finalists entries from 32 countries and regions for the global ADC 102nd Annual Awards.

All finalists entries, as selected by this year’s esteemed jury, will win a Gold, Silver or Bronze Cube or Merit. All winners will be announced on May 17 during Creative Week in New York.

Squarespace New York tops the list with 23 finalists entries, including 11 for “The Singularity”, and seven for “The Singularity BTS”. Rethink in Toronto, Montréal and Vancouver has 20 finalists entries, including five each for IKEA “The Troll”, and Penguin Random House “The Unburnable Book”.

DDB Chicago has 16 entries on the finalists list, including 13 for “Chillboards” on behalf of Coors Light. With 15 is McCann New York, including four each for SAS “The Batting Lab” and Mastercard “Touch Card”.

Rounding out the top five is Spotify In-house New York with 14 finalists, including six of “Wrapped On Platform Experience”, and four for “Wrapped Design”.

Other agencies scoring high on the ADC 102nd Annual Awards finalists list are Serviceplan Germany Munich and FCB New York with 13 each, Klick Health Toronto with 11, Goodby Silverstein & Partners San Francisco and R/GA US with 10 each, and three agencies — Area 23 New York, INNOCEAN Berlin, and Performance Art Toronto — with nine each.

A total of 782 entries from 32 countries and regions are finalists this year. The top five countries for finalists entries are the US with 367, Canada and Germany with 75 each, mainland China with 74, and Japan with 38.

The complete ADC 102nd Annual Awards finalists list is available here.

Tickets are on sale now for the ADC 102nd Annual Awards ceremony, taking place on Wednesday, May 17 at Terminal 5 in New York during Creative Week 2023.

NYF Taps 20 World-Class Innovators Based in NYC to Judge; Bianca Guimaraes, Partner & Executive Creative Director for Mischief USA is Jury President

New York Festivals® Advertising Awards announced the 2023 NYC Executive Jury of prominent creative leaders recruited to judge entries submitted into the New York Festivals Advertising Awards.

Together these creative industry innovators and thought leaders will join together in live face-to-face Executive Jury sessions. The 2023 NYC Executive Jury is populated with a wide spectrum of award-winning and internationally recognized executives who are known within the industry for their exceptional cutting-edge work. The strategically assembled panel includes a diverse range of creative talent emanating from best-in-class creative agencies.

Bianca Guimaraes, Partner & Executive Creative Director will be at the helm as NYC Executive Jury President. Bianca served on the first NYC Live Executive Jury in 2022 and this year brings her creative expertise and leadership to the 2023 Executive Jury panel. Her culture-creating work and years of industry experience are the perfect combination to foster an atmosphere of collaboration and thoughtful, deliberate discussions during the judging sessions.

“I am honored to work in person with this incredibly talented group of world-class creative leaders,” said Scott Rose, President, New York Festival Advertising competitions. “Their exceptional reputations for crafting innovative creative combined with their global perspective honed working on prestigious national and global brands guarantee that this year’s entries will be judged with both respect and thoughtful attention.”

2023 New York Festivals NYC Executive Jury

Executive Jury President: Bianca Guimaraes, Partner & Executive Creative Director, Mischief

* Stevie Archer, Executive Creative Director, SS+K
* Chantelle Brinkley, Managing Director, Zerotrillion
* Tyler DeAngelo, Chief Creative Officer, StrawberryFrog
* Cedric Devitt, Chief Creative Officer, Big Spaceship
* Kwame Taylor-Hayford, Creative Executive |Co-Founder, Kin
* David Horowitz, Partner & Chief Creative Officer, Mekanism
* Harsh Kapadia, EVP, Chief Creative Officer, MRM
* Camilo La Cruz, Chief Innovation Officer, sparks & honey
* Rob Lambrechts, Chief Creative Officer, Pereira & O’Dell
* JoRoan Lazaro, Executive Creative Director, Jam3
* Suzanne Levesque, Creative, thjnk AG
* Laura Maness, Global Chief Executive Officer, Grey Group
* Heather McTavish, Executive Creative Director, Americas, Virtue
* Cristina Reina, Executive Creative Director/Head of Art, McCann
* Ciro Sarmiento, Former Chief Creative Officer, Saatchi & Saatchi New York
* Gabrielle Shirden, Founder & Chief Creative Officer, The Kitchen Table
* Marc Sobier, Executive Creative Director, Verizon
* Ish Traoreì, Creative, Wieden + Kennedy
* Jason Xenopoulos, Global Chief Creative Officer, WPP on Ford, and Chief Creative Officer, VMLY&R, North America, VMLY&R

The 2023 NYC Executive Jury sessions will take place on June 14th, 15th, and 16th at New York City’s Crosby Hotel state-of-the-art screening room.

New York Festivals Advertising Awards receives entries from more than 80 countries. Entries are judged by more than 400+ members of NYF’s Executive Jury and Grand Jury from 60 countries world-wide, who collectively cast their votes to select the year’s trophy-winning work.

Stay tuned for more New York Festivals Advertising Awards jury announcements.

The official deadline to enter is April 28, 2023. For information about the 2023 New York Festivals Advertising Awards categories, rules and regulations or to enter, visit HERE.