MUMBAI: It's an epic move. Aditya Pittie of the Pittie Group as has hopped on board Epic TV as a director. He will lead the day-to-day operations of the linear television channel, focusing on all the commercial functions of revenues and costs.
He will be responsible for taking Epic to the next level with stronger monetisation and alliances with advertisers and MSOs.
Epic channel founder & MD Mahesh Samat said, “Aditya will bring in a fresh energy and a new impetus behind Epic. As the channel moves from the first phase of launch to the next phase of consolidation and monetisation, we need leadership that will take Epic to this next key step of its long-term journey. With his drive, focus and result-orientation, Aditya is uniquely qualified to lead the linear television business into the future."
Samat will continue to be on the board of the company and will focus on the strategic and business development areas of the company with a focus on digital and non-linear opportunities.
Apart from spearheading the Pittie group, he has had extensive experience in real estate, media and FMCG. He has successfully turned around Sanskar TV in the past and recently launched a bouquet of channels under the Shubh brand. He has also been responsible in making Patanjali consumer products the success story they are today in modern retail, becoming their biggest distributor.
The channel has been well-received with viewers and met with critical acclaim for its distinctive content.
Pittie adds, "Epic is a strong brand in the television space and it's an honour for me to lead the team and fulfill its legacy. In this phase of the company, we will focus on monetisation and work with our customers very closely to help brands and businesses achieve their goals through unique partnerships, while continuing to grow Epic’s viewership."
Epic's has close to 500 hours of unique and original content in Indian history, folklore and mythology using a very contemporary story-telling approach. The platform used to show case the content so far has been the linear television format. However, the landscape of video streaming is changing dramatically due to the increase in mobile Internet users which is expected to reach to 792 million users by 2018. This represents a huge opportunity to showcase great content to the urban viewer. The Indian diaspora of 27 million people also represent great potential for good quality content.
Adds Samat, “Digital is the most significant opportunity for content creators and EPIC is uniquely positioned to take advantage of this opportunity with its strong and distinctive content. With the app and other syndication opportunities, we expect this to be a strong part of the business model in the coming years."
