Bharti Airtel makes its Media & Entertainment debut – launches Digital Media Business

Great initiative and key development given that Airtel has all the requisite assets (delivery & aggregation platforms), is a neutral entity as far as content goes and has strong Media & Entertainment interests given its DTH, IPTV & Mobile VAS platforms. Will help it strongly further its interests in the Media & Entertainment business given the burgeoning demand for digital content across personal (Mobile, PC, TV) and public (cinemas) platforms and the consequent need for an integrated content delivery and aggregation platform that can repackage content for all formats.

Brings me back to 5 yrs ago when I was pitching Triple Play & IPTV to a number of stakeholders in the industry in India (telcos, internet cos, media houses, VCs, etc.), well before anybody else (the rest came ~ 2yrs later) and everybody thought we were absolutely delirious with little work at the beginning. The arduous but eventually successful trials with BSNL and Bharti Airtel however were turning points.

Press Release

March 11, 2010

Bharti Airtel makes its Media & Entertainment debut – launches Digital Media Business

One of its kind integrated approach to the Global Digital Media Business by an Asian telco • Creates a Digital Media exchange for integrated content delivery • Marks its entry into the Digital Cinema Delivery market • Airtel’s Teleport Services to enable content gathering and its distribution across the Globe

Bharti Airtel, one of Asia’s leading integrated telecom services providers today made its debut into Media & Entertainment with the launch of the Airtel Digital Media Business. With this, Bharti Airtel will be able to offer Content Delivery Solutions for media and entertainment sector. The creation of its Digital Media Exchange offers the industry, a secure digital distribution capability across multiple media platforms. This ensures that content producers can have an integrated content delivery and aggregation platform that repackages content for all media formats. According to Sanjay Kapoor, CEO-India and South Asia, Bharti Airtel, “There is a clear demand for secure digital distribution capability across multiple platforms. Airtel Digital Media Business will help establish India as an innovation hub for global content and format delivery. This significant step takes Brand Airtel ahead from being just a telecom brand to a lifestyle enabler.” “Airtel’s Digital Media Business is integrated with our global network of submarine cable systems, international points of presence (PoPs) and our Content Delivery Network (CDN) services. It will now be able to deliver on a secure platform, high quality content across geographies” says Rajan Swaroop Executive Director, Enterprise Services, Bharti Airtel. The move will also pave the way for over 16,000 cinema screens across the country to potentially offer high quality international viewing experience for consumers in India. Addressing critical areas of operations for media organizations, Airtel through its Teleport services would offer content gathering, distribution services to television channels. This would also include complete content management services such as playout, archival, collocation and storage. Besides, Airtel will also offer content producers- an integrated content delivery and aggregation platform that can repackage content for all formats. Being both content and access agnostic, Airtel’s Digital Media Business will open up the market opportunity for the Indian media and entertainment industry that is estimated to grow from Rs. 611 bn to Rs.929 bn at 11% CAGR over 2009-2013. (Source: PWC Entertainment &Media Outlook 2005-09) This platform will benefit a range of users including producers, creative agencies, production and post production houses, animation, gaming firms, visual media firms, news channels, cinemas, banking institutions, and distribution agencies.