Eros Now Ties with Microsoft for Next-Gen Online Video Platform powered by Azure AI Tools

Eros Now, a South Asian entertainment OTT (over-the-top) video platform by Eros International Plc, a Global Indian Entertainment Company, the ultimate one-stop destination for the internet generation to consume captivating content, today announced a collaboration with Microsoft to build a next generation online video platform on Microsoft Azure targeted at its consumers across the globe. This is a unique collaboration for Microsoft in India in the online video space.

Building on its history of innovation, Eros Now will leverage Microsoft Azure on three areas of technology development:

1. Intuitive Online Video Platform: Using Microsoft Azure and Azure Media Services, Eros will develop a new, intuitive online video platform. The new platform will provide seamless delivery of content for its consumers across geographies and languages, supported by a robust infrastructure including Azure Content Delivery Network (CDN).


2. Interactive Voice Offerings: Eros will work to create new interactive voice offerings for consumers, powered by Azure AI tools, including OTT app video search experiences and voice search for video content across 10 Indian languages.


3. Personalized Recommendation Engine: To increase consumer satisfaction and loyalty, Eros will create an engine to deliver personalized content recommendations for consumers by leveraging its own user data, combined with Azure AI, analytics, Cloud Data Warehousing solutions and Azure Media Services

Commenting on the announcement, Rishika Lulla Singh, CEO- Eros Digital, said, “The Online Video market has brought a paradigm shift in the way technology is used and will be used to enhance the customer journey and user experience. We at Eros Now have been the earliest movers in the adoption of technology which is a core strength of the brand. The objective and the goal of this collaboration is to ensure we become the primary innovators for the video business and a gold standard for the others to follow. We have immense respect for Microsoft as a company to help us innovate and pave the path for the next generation of online video."

Peggy Johnson, Executive Vice President, Microsoft, Corp. said, “As an innovator in on-demand video, Eros Now has been transforming the way millions of people access and consume content. By using our combined expertise across technology and media, we have an opportunity to build on that foundation and re-imagine entertainment for the rapidly growing audience of digitally-connected consumers in India."

“India is one of the fastest-growing digital entertainment and media markets worldwide, driven by the growth in online video content.  AI and intelligent cloud tools will be the next drivers of the media business and will impact everything from content creation to consumer experience.  We are very excited to work with Eros Now to redefine the online video watching experience for consumers,” said Anant Maheshwari, President, Microsoft India.

Eros’ work with Microsoft will help it transform not only how it delivers streaming services to its consumers but also to reimagine the offerings it can provide. This news today is a step forward in the age of digital transformation to enhance the online video streaming experience and better serve its users globally.

About Eros International Plc 

Eros International Plc (NYSE: EROS) a Global Indian Entertainment company that acquires, co-produces and distributes Indian films across all available formats such as cinema, television and digital new media. Eros International Plc became the first Indian media company to list on the New York Stock Exchange. Eros International has experience of over three decades in establishing a global platform for Indian cinema. The Company has an extensive and growing movie library comprising of over 3,000 films, which include Hindi, Tamil, and other regional language films for home entertainment distribution. The Company also owns the rapidly growing OTT platform Eros Now. For further information, please visit: www.erosplc.com.

About Eros Now 

Eros Now is Eros International Plc’s On-Demand South Asian Entertainment Video Service accessible worldwide to viewers across internet enabled devices including mobile, web and TV. With 12,000 plus Movie titles, Music Videos, Television Programming and others Eros Now caters to more than 154.7 million registered users and 18.8 million paying subscribers worldwide with the promise of endless entertainment Product features, such as video in HD, multi-language subtitles, movie downloads, and high-quality original drama series differentiate the Eros Now entertainment offering. To see, watch now: www.erosnow.com

About Microsoft's India presence, currently the Microsoft entities in India have over 10,000 employees, engaged in sales and marketing, research, development and customer services and support, across 11 Indian cities – Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, New Delhi, Gurugram, Noida, Hyderabad, Kochi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Pune. Microsoft offers its global cloud services from local data centers to accelerate digital transformation across Indian start-ups, businesses, and government organizations.

Eros Now Partners With Ola’s Connected Car Platform, Ola Play

Eros Now, one of the fastest growing over-the-top (OTT) Indian entertainment platforms owned by Eros International Plc, today announced a strategic integration deal with India's leading mobile app for transportation, Ola’s connected car platform for ridesharing, Ola Play. This strategic revenue-sharing partnership through Eros Now subscriptions will enable an immersive and personalized experience which customers can seamlessly control through their smartphones as well as a device mounted at the back of the seat.

Powered by proprietary in-car and cloud technologies from Ola, Ola Play brings advanced car controls, choice of personalized content and a fully-connected interactive experience for its customers. Eros Now offers the widest library of films, music, premium television, and regional content that has the potential to enhance the experience for many Ola customers.

Ola commuters will now have easy access to a vast array of unlimited entertainment options through Eros Now on Ola Play. Content will be customized depending on customer preferences and ride information like time and destination to provide the perfect connected in-car experience. The association particularly adds value to the superior experience proposition of Ola Rental and Ola Outstations categories that are widely used by customers. Long, traffic-filled journeys are now going to be easier rides with Eros Now’s broad selection of entertainment choices on display.

The offering is currently available in four cities: Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, and Hyderabad.

Commenting on the integration, Rishika Lulla Singh, CEO - Eros Digital said, “Connected cars are a reality now in India with Ola Play. We are excited to join hands with Ola as our vision remains to provide easy access to premium experience on-the-go. This strategic integration enables increased user engagement and will help us increase our reach to millions of Ola customers.”

Speaking on the development, Ankit Jain, Sr. Director and Head of Ola Play, said, “At Ola, we are tirelessly working towards enhancing customer experience, Ola Play is a strong step in that direction. In line with such efforts, our association with Eros Now is sure to offer our discerning customers an unparalleled entertainment experience. A boon for our Outstation customers who spend hours at a stretch in the cab, they now have an even stronger reason to choose Play on our platform. With partnerships such as these, Ola is well on its way to transform the consumer’s ride experience, giving them the power to control their time spent inside the car, and building an experience that is intelligent, contextual, and unique.”

With this association, Ola Play customers will have access to a vast and diverse range of popular movies on Eros Now. Currently, the offering is available in four cities in the country: Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, and Hyderabad.