NDTV launches video portal, Tubaah.com

The video aggregation portal currently carries videos hosted by six NDTV channels. It will soon be opened to other mainstream TV channels, which can upload their video content as well

NDTV Convergence, the digital arm of NDTV group, has launched a dedicated video aggregation portal, Tubaah.com, which will host video clips across various content categories, such as lifestyle, fashion, sports, spiritual and travel.

Additionally, news related videos are already hosted on NDTV.com.

Speaking to afaqs!, Sanjay Trehan, chief executive officer, NDTV Convergence, says, “Video consumption on NDTV.com has gone up six times in the last nine months. This acted as a trigger to launch a dedicated video clips aggregating site.”

Unlike YouTube.com and other online video aggregating sites, the access to upload videos will remain restricted in the initial phase and only NDTV owned content will be uploaded. In the next phases, the portal will be opened up to other parties.

Already, 50,000 short-duration video clips, sourced from six NDTV channels, including NDTV 24X7, NDTV India, Metro Nation and NDTV Good Times, have been uploaded on Tubaah.

The company will soon upload video content sourced from NDTV’s archives. Even video footage, which has not been aired on any of the NDTV properties yet, will be uploaded to the site. Trehan says, “Predominantly lifestyle and news based videos, which were never released on the NDTV network, will be uploaded.”

About the name of the portal, Trehan says that Tubaah is a mix of two words: ‘Tube’, which has now become generic for videos and ‘Aah’, which signifies delight. The portal’s name is not prefixed with ‘NDTV’, since the company wants this online video platform to be brand and channel agnostic.

Other mainstream TV channels and film producers will soon be able to upload their videos to Tubaah. “By the end of February, we will announce a partnership with a TV channel, not owned by NDTV group, which will upload their videos on Tubaah.com,” says Trehan.

The company is eyeing to partner with channels that offer lifestyle, news, entertainment, spiritual, fashion, travel, sports and regional language content.

After opening the site to other media companies, Tubaah.com will be offered to users as well. After 12 months or so, users will be able to shoot and upload their videos. Currently, consumers can share or embed the videos hosted on Tubaah on their blogs or websites.

The launch of Tubaah is a clear indication that the company wants to tap the rise in the video consumption pattern of netizens in India. The portal will be used as an additional source of revenue through video advertising, whose market is estimated to stand at Rs 30 crore. Currently, NDTV Convergence earns around 8-10 per cent of its revenue from video advertising.

Trehan says, “We will be offering pre-roll, mid-roll, post-roll, branded skin and text-ads as video advertising formats. Air France and Vodafone have already started to advertise on videos hosted on Tubaah.com.”

Apart from monetising its own video content on the Internet, NDTV plans to earn revenue through the videos hosted by other TV channels as well. For video ads displayed on the content hosted by third parties, revenue sharing models will be worked out with the respective TV channels or media companies.

Trehan points out that there are plans to offer the Tubaah platform to advertisers as well, who could then create sub domains within the Tubaah URL and host their branded video content on it.

The company has started promoting the site through its own media properties and search marketing. Interactive agency, Quasar Media is handling the search marketing campaign.

The company will launch the mobile version of the Tubaah.com in the next three to four months.