Vuclip a PCCW media company and the leading premium video on demand (VOD) service for emerging markets, has announced the unveiling of Viu Originals on its OTT platform Viu with the cricket comedy chat show series ‘What The Duck’. Hosted by Vikram Sathaye, the show, produced and co-created by Fluence, CA Media Digital’s celebrity network, will feature cricketing greats such as Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Zaheer Khan, Harbhajan Singh, Gautam Gambhir, Murali Karthik, Irfan Pathan among others.
The series kicks off today on Viu with the interview of the Nawab of Najafgarh, Virender Sehwag, opening the series innings in the same swashbuckling manner that he does on the cricket field. It will be available exclusively only on Viu.
At the intersection of cricket and comedy, ‘What The Duck’, is a freewheeling chat show that will reveal the funnier side of India’s cricketing legends. A dream come true for cricket fans, the show marries two of India’s greatest passions – cricket and entertainment. Laced with the host’s signature humour, each installment of the ten-episode series will feature a cricket celebrity along with some fascinating anecdotes and insightful stories. New episodes will be uploaded each week on Viu.
The quirky chat show hosted by Vikram Sathaye, stand-up comedian, cricket humourist and author of the best seller ‘How Sachin Destroyed My Life’ will be the first offering from Viu Originals. Each episode will have a total run time of 13 minutes. This format has been established basis eight years of consumer behavior data and mobile consumption pattern analysis of millions of consumers. This research demonstrates that this time length is the magical threshold for a mobile consumer before boredom sets in, the consumer moves on to other pressing tasks or they meet their limit of mobile internet data costs.
Arun Prakash, COO, Vuclip said, “For us Viu is not just a business, it is a fiery passion and a commitment to entertaining billions of consumers in the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia and the Middle East. It is this passion that drives us to push the boundaries of technology and creativity and sets us apart from rest of the pack. We at Vuclip are a fun bunch. We idolize Sachin, Sehwag and the rest of the cricketing legends, and we place a high value on a good sense of humor. We are confident that the show’s uniqueness in conjunction with Vikram’s ability to curate stories of world famous and beloved cricketers will resonate with the audience.”
Speaking on the behalf of Fluence, Rishi Negi said, “Fluence’s core has always been at the intersection of brands, consumers and celebrities. Our vision is to create exclusive, interactive content and own the digital entertainment space. India, as we know, is undergoing a digital revolution and video consumption is growing in double digits. ‘What the Duck’ on Viu is another step towards our growing focus on creating unique and differentiated content in this space. A must watch for cricketing enthusiasts, this series hosted by Vikram Sathaye, brings the viewer, a humorous insider’s perspective from their favourite cricketing idols, infused with interesting incidents, both on and off the cricket field.”
“As a cricket humorist and fan, I have been very fortunate to have had the chance to travel with the Indian cricket team for over 12 years. Through my many interactions with them, I caught a glimpse of the lighter side of their personalities and discovered a treasure trove of cricketing stories. Through this show on Viu, I endeavor to reveal that side of cricketers for all the fans to enjoy.” said Vikram Sathaye, Host – What The Duck.