Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. (ZEEL), a leading media and entertainment powerhouse, recently concluded a first-of-its-kind Codathon event – #JustCode. The 60-hour non-stop coding marathon, held from May 3rd to May 5th witnessed over 400 participants divided across 30+ groups. The unique engagement initiative was an exciting opportunity for the Technology and Innovation Centre’s coding enthusiasts to showcase their programming skills, brainstorm new ideas, and take on new challenges.
Codathon offered participants the chance to unleash their coding potential while working alongside like-minded individuals. The event centered on leveraging cutting- edge technology to develop innovative features for ZEE’s digital platforms. The challenges presented were advanced and aligned with the Company’s business goals and objectives. Participants created solutions that added value to the Company’s offerings, making them more user-friendly, accessible, and engaging. The winning team received a trophy, while the top three initiatives were awarded cash prizes.
In reference to the undertaking, Kishore A K, the Chief Technology Officer of ZEE5, expressed that “Our commitment is to maintain our position at the forefront of technological advancements in this rapidly-changing world. We have been trailblazers in the industry for over three decades, producing groundbreaking content that reaches over 1.3 billion viewers worldwide. Our Technology and Innovation Centre is dedicated to enhancing ZEE’s capabilities by utilizing the latest AI & ML technologies to deliver exceptional experiences to our consumers. With an impressive 70% participation rate from our staff, Codathon has successfully fostered a disruptive mindset that has paved the way for new frontiers and redefined entertainment by delivering robust experiences across all platforms.”
The Codathon event featured several innovative initiatives that promise to revolutionize the entertainment industry, including advancements in VR, AR, and content delivery. Additionally, the event showcased Fast Channels – a free ad-supported linear format on the television layered with a guide. This feature is expected to enhance the user experience by providing an uninterrupted viewing experience while also generating revenue through ads. The event also showcased the introduction of the ‘Immersive Content Discovery’ experience to ZEE5 users in the form of reels, which provides an easy sampling of content to improve viewership and Ads revenue.
A new watch party feature for ZEE5 was successfully implemented on a few select platforms during this event. With this new feature, users can now enjoy movies and TV shows with friends and family, even when they’re not in the same location.
The company announced its association with partners such as Amazon and Conviva for this successful event. The participants leveraged the Technology and Innovation Centre’s state-of-the-art infrastructure. The event aims to foster a culture of innovation and experimentation to empower employees to become early adopters of various new- age technologies, aiming to enrich the consumer experience on the company’s digital platforms.