Latest news with #MediaAndEntertainment
Yahoo
29-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
India Reports Over $1.1 Billion in Media Deals at WAVES 2025
India's creative economy ambitions were on full display at WAVES 2025, the inaugural World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit, where a new government report tallies over $1.1 billion in media and entertainment deals and investment commitments inked during the four-day event. Held in Mumbai from May 1–4 and envisioned and inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the summit convened delegates from more than 100 countries, 3,100 companies, and 100,000 participants spanning film, tech, music, gaming, streaming, and policy. According to the official WAVES 2025 outcome report, released on Friday, the event catalyzed new international partnerships, state-backed infrastructure investments, and large-scale commitments to creator development. More from Variety B. Saroja Devi, Icon of South Indian Cinema, Dies at 87 Shah Rukh Khan Makes Surprise Visit to 'DDLJ' Musical Rehearsals Ahead of U.K. Premiere (EXCLUSIVE) India's JioStar Pours $10 Billion Into Content as Streaming Race Heats Up, Vice Chair Uday Shankar Reveals at WAVES Summit Mumbai, the capital of the western Indian state of Maharashtra, is home to the Hindi-language Bollywood film industry. The Maharashtra government led the reported deal flow, signing memoranda of understanding worth INR8,000 crore ($930 million), including a INR3,000 crore ($349 million) commitment from Prime Focus to develop a 200-acre Film City. Additional MoUs were signed with the University of York and the University of Western Australia (each INR1,500 crore / $174 million) and Godrej (INR2,000 crore / $232 million) for education and media infrastructure projects. WAVES Bazaar, launched earlier this year as a permanent global marketplace for M&E dealmaking, facilitated INR1,328 crore ($154 million) in business transactions during the summit, according to the report. The platform hosted over 3,000 B2B meetings and recorded seven key international signings. These included a €30 million ($34.9 million) Indo-European co-production pact between India's Broadvision Perspectives and Luxembourg's Fabrique d'Images, and a U.K.-India television series co-development MoU between The Bridge and Graphiti Studios. The Tiger Shroff-starrer 'Jahaan' also drew attention from global distributors. The Indian Institute of Creative Technology (IICT) signed industry partnerships with Apple, Adobe, Microsoft, Meta, Google, Star India, and NVIDIA to support training, rendering, IP development, and job creation in the creative tech space. Meanwhile, the launch of the Nifty WAVES Index, covering 43 listed M&E firms, signaled a push toward tracking the sector's financial performance on Indian stock markets. The summit's 'Create in India Challenge' drew more than 100,000 registrations from 60+ countries and featured 34 creator competitions across animation, music, XR, film, gaming, and digital design. The initiative's finale was hosted at Creatosphere, a talent discovery and innovation zone that the government plans to expand into a year-round platform. Startups took center stage at WaveX, where 30 companies – selected from a pool of 1,500 – pitched to marquee investors including Lumikai Ventures, Mirae Asset, Microsoft, and WarmUp Ventures. The WAVES report notes that 127 startups were connected to investors and partners through the initiative. Among the 140 conference sessions and plenaries were appearances by Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos, Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen, WPP CEO Mark Read, and Reliance Industries chair Mukesh Ambani. YouTube CEO Neal Mohan announced an INR850 crore ($99 million) commitment to boost India's creator economy, citing the country's scale, multilingual creators, and global reach. 'India isn't just leading in music and film – it's now a creator nation,' Mohan said. The summit also drew major Indian film industry figures including Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, Akshay Kumar, Aamir Khan, Chiranjeevi, Mohanlal, Rajinikanth, Nagarjuna, Hema Malini, Anupam Kher, and Mithun Chakraborty, many of whom served on the official advisory board or participated in key sessions and cultural events. At the Global Media Dialogue, attended by representatives from 77 nations, the 'WAVES Declaration' was adopted – a joint commitment to ethical AI, digital equity, content integrity, and cross-border cooperation in the creative industries. The cultural programming was equally ambitious. 'Waves of India,' a collaborative album featuring original compositions by Oscar winners M.M. Keeravani and A.R. Rahman, and Meet Bros, was launched on the opening day. Other highlights included classical and folk performances, fusion acts, and international showcases from Mexico, Malaysia, and Indonesia. According to the WAVES report, the summit will now become an annual fixture in February. Components such as WAVES Bazaar and Creatosphere are set to expand into full-time global platforms supporting year-round dealmaking and talent development. As Prime Minister Modi stated at the inaugural session, 'This is the right time to create in India, create for the world.' 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Yahoo
18-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
India Reports Over $1.1 Billion in Media Deals at WAVES 2025
India's creative economy ambitions were on full display at WAVES 2025, the inaugural World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit, where a new government report tallies over $1.1 billion in media and entertainment deals and investment commitments inked during the four-day event. Held in Mumbai from May 1–4 and envisioned and inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the summit convened delegates from more than 100 countries, 3,100 companies, and 100,000 participants spanning film, tech, music, gaming, streaming, and policy. According to the official WAVES 2025 outcome report, released on Friday, the event catalyzed new international partnerships, state-backed infrastructure investments, and large-scale commitments to creator development. More from Variety B. Saroja Devi, Icon of South Indian Cinema, Dies at 87 Shah Rukh Khan Makes Surprise Visit to 'DDLJ' Musical Rehearsals Ahead of U.K. Premiere (EXCLUSIVE) India's JioStar Pours $10 Billion Into Content as Streaming Race Heats Up, Vice Chair Uday Shankar Reveals at WAVES Summit Mumbai, the capital of the western Indian state of Maharashtra, is home to the Hindi-language Bollywood film industry. The Maharashtra government led the reported deal flow, signing memoranda of understanding worth INR8,000 crore ($930 million), including a INR3,000 crore ($349 million) commitment from Prime Focus to develop a 200-acre Film City. Additional MoUs were signed with the University of York and the University of Western Australia (each INR1,500 crore / $174 million) and Godrej (INR2,000 crore / $232 million) for education and media infrastructure projects. WAVES Bazaar, launched earlier this year as a permanent global marketplace for M&E dealmaking, facilitated INR1,328 crore ($154 million) in business transactions during the summit, according to the report. The platform hosted over 3,000 B2B meetings and recorded seven key international signings. These included a €30 million ($34.9 million) Indo-European co-production pact between India's Broadvision Perspectives and Luxembourg's Fabrique d'Images, and a U.K.-India television series co-development MoU between The Bridge and Graphiti Studios. The Tiger Shroff-starrer 'Jahaan' also drew attention from global distributors. The Indian Institute of Creative Technology (IICT) signed industry partnerships with Apple, Adobe, Microsoft, Meta, Google, Star India, and NVIDIA to support training, rendering, IP development, and job creation in the creative tech space. Meanwhile, the launch of the Nifty WAVES Index, covering 43 listed M&E firms, signaled a push toward tracking the sector's financial performance on Indian stock markets. The summit's 'Create in India Challenge' drew more than 100,000 registrations from 60+ countries and featured 34 creator competitions across animation, music, XR, film, gaming, and digital design. The initiative's finale was hosted at Creatosphere, a talent discovery and innovation zone that the government plans to expand into a year-round platform. Startups took center stage at WaveX, where 30 companies – selected from a pool of 1,500 – pitched to marquee investors including Lumikai Ventures, Mirae Asset, Microsoft, and WarmUp Ventures. The WAVES report notes that 127 startups were connected to investors and partners through the initiative. Among the 140 conference sessions and plenaries were appearances by Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos, Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen, WPP CEO Mark Read, and Reliance Industries chair Mukesh Ambani. YouTube CEO Neal Mohan announced an INR850 crore ($99 million) commitment to boost India's creator economy, citing the country's scale, multilingual creators, and global reach. 'India isn't just leading in music and film – it's now a creator nation,' Mohan said. The summit also drew major Indian film industry figures including Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, Akshay Kumar, Aamir Khan, Chiranjeevi, Mohanlal, Rajinikanth, Nagarjuna, Hema Malini, Anupam Kher, and Mithun Chakraborty, many of whom served on the official advisory board or participated in key sessions and cultural events. At the Global Media Dialogue, attended by representatives from 77 nations, the 'WAVES Declaration' was adopted – a joint commitment to ethical AI, digital equity, content integrity, and cross-border cooperation in the creative industries. The cultural programming was equally ambitious. 'Waves of India,' a collaborative album featuring original compositions by Oscar winners M.M. Keeravani and A.R. Rahman, and Meet Bros, was launched on the opening day. Other highlights included classical and folk performances, fusion acts, and international showcases from Mexico, Malaysia, and Indonesia. According to the WAVES report, the summit will now become an annual fixture in February. Components such as WAVES Bazaar and Creatosphere are set to expand into full-time global platforms supporting year-round dealmaking and talent development. As Prime Minister Modi stated at the inaugural session, 'This is the right time to create in India, create for the world.' Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts? Final Emmy Predictions: Talk Series and Scripted Variety - New Blood Looks to Tackle Late Night Staples
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Military & Veterans Entertainment Awards Honor PMC Vice Chair Gerry Byrne for Leadership in Media
The inaugural Military & Veterans Entertainment Awards has bestowed its leadership in media honor on PMC vice chair Gerry Byrne. The Marine Corps veteran has been active for decades in building bridges between military communities and media and entertainment business hubs. The event was held May 24 at the Beverly Wilshire hotel in Beverly Hills. The final winners in more than a dozen categories were selected by the National Entertainment Awards Academy for Military and Veterans. The organization sponsors the Veterans Media Advancement Scholarship initiative designed to support servicemembers and alums as they pursue careers in media and entertainment. More from Variety Penske Media Vice Chairman Gerry Byrne Receives U.S. Navy's Distinguished Public Service Award Byrne, a former publisher of Variety and veteran New York media insider, credited his long career to the benevolence shown him by executives at the New York Daily News. Byrne's service in the Marines spanned 1966 to 1969, the final two years of which were tours in Vietnam. When Byrne returned home to New York, a group of Korean War vets at the Daily News took the Vietnam vet under wing as a 'rescue dog' and vowed to teach him the media business, as Byrne recalled. 'I was part of their veterans' family. I never forgot that,' Byrne said in accepting his award. Another thing Byrne never forgot was the inscription on the Zippo lighter that a fellow Marine showed him shortly after he arrived in Vietnam: 'For those who have fought for it, freedom has a taste that the protected will never know,' he recited for the crowd. RELATED CONTENT: Penske Media's Gerry Byrne Receives U.S. Navy's Distinguished Public Service Award Among the other honorees were Traci Park, the Los Angeles City Council member respresenting the Westside's 11th district, which includes the sprawling West Los Angeles Veterans Administration Medical Center and campus. The daughter of a U.S. Army veteran, Park was recognized for her work on veterans issues and strengthening neighborhoods. The inaugural Military & Veterans Entertainment Awards was presented by American Legion Ronald Reagan Palisades Post 283. It was supported and co-sponsored by True Religion Brand Jeans, SAG-AFTRA, Paramount Studios, New Dawn Treatment Centers, Heroes Linked, USS IOWA, Vet Stream TV, You Matter Not Alone and III Worlds Management. PMC is the parent company of Variety. Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Emmy Predictions: Talk/Scripted Variety Series - The Variety Categories Are Still a Mess; Netflix, Dropout, and 'Hot Ones' Stir Up Buzz Oscars Predictions 2026: 'Sinners' Becomes Early Contender Ahead of Cannes Film Festival
