aha 2.0 launches today powered by Firstlight Media

Firstlight Media's cloud-native approach has built a world-class experience for aha's audience globally

HYDERABAD,India and TORONTO,Nov. 17,2021 -- The aha streaming service is using Firstlight Media's industry-first end-to-end cloud-native OTT platform as the technology foundation to power its next phases of growth in India and beyond,the two companies announced today.

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aha has launched a first-to-market "glocal" strategy that harnesses a 100% cloud-based infrastructure to deliver localized services in discrete markets,all powered by a single,common backend. Running on Google Cloud,the award-winning Firstlight Media technology allows aha to create local storefronts using local languages and local currency,accelerating time to market and significantly reducing costs.

The turbocharged aha 2.0 is a Telugu-language offering that reaches 1.5 million paid subscribers and more than 75 million Telugu speaking users not only in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana,but also throughout India and in more than 190+ countries across the globe. The service features a fast,smooth,smart user experience across multiple devices including mobiles,tablets,browsers,SmartTVs (miTV,AndroidTV,Samsung,LG,ROKU),and connected devices (AppleTV,FireTV,ROKU); multi language capabilities; and enhanced personalization and customized recommendations that are designed to enhance subscribers' engagement with aha's unparalleled lineup of exclusive Telugu content.

aha's lineup of content for the 2.0 service includes digital premieres of highly anticipated Telugu films as well as 10 original shows that are being produced specifically for the aha 2.0 platform. Shows include Unstoppable with NBK,a talk show hosted by Tollywood actor Nandamuri Balakrishna as well as Telugu Idol,modeled on American Idol & Indian Idol,blockbuster movies like Love Story and Most Eligible Bachelor (MEB),and many more premium Telugu movies and originals.

"Our content and technology decisions both have been made with a single purpose: to establish aha 2.0 as the premiere destination in our viewing markets," said Allu Bobby,Promoter & Chief Advisor for aha. "The Firstlight Media Gen5 platform provides the high-quality,high-performance delivery to our subscribers' demand,as well as the enhancements that will convert our viewers into dedicated fans."

"Here's what's going to be behind aha's spectacular growth in the coming months: differentiated content that subscribers' value and the technology that creates the best possible viewing experiences for subscribers," said Andre Christensen,CEO and co-founder of Firstlight Media. "We're pleased to implement the Firstlight Media OTT platform built on our Gen5 architecture so that it dramatically expands aha's ability to scale and create strong connections with viewers,positioning aha 2.0 for continued success" said Goutham Vinjamuri,COO and co-founder of Firstlight Media.

"As we laid out our roadmap for aha 2.0,we knew we would need a technology foundation that could adapt to rapid changes in the OTT landscape," said Ajit Thakur,CEO for aha. "Using Firstlight Media's Gen5 architecture,we've brought aha 2.0 to market in an incredibly short time; as we see new opportunities to delight our viewers,Firstlight Media will help us bring those features and capabilities to every device in days and weeks,rather than months and years."

Firstlight Media's Gen5 OTT architecture uses a sophisticated,cloud-native technology stackto power aha platform from end-to-end – delivering step changes in performance,flexibility,agility,and scale,and offering best-in-class user engagement and monetization. The Gen5 architecture from Firstlight Media will enable rapid time-to-market; will reduce cost and effort by more than 40%; and will future proof aha to enable capitalization on new trends and markets. The aha 2.0 platform powered by Firstlight Media's Gen5 OTT architecture runs on Google Cloud and is integrated with Evergent,the leading provider of customer journey management for media and entertainment.

About aha

Launched in 2020,aha is an Indian video-on-demand streaming service based out of Hyderabad offering premium digital content for Telugu-speaking audiences across the world in more than 190 countries. Owned by Arha Media & Broadcasting Private Limited,a joint venture by Geetha Arts and My Home Group,aha in the last 20 months of its journey has successfully added more than 45 million unique users with 13+ million downloads and 1.5million active subscriptions. Aha offers its 6 million active users original Telugu content across various formats that include movies,web-series,and non-fiction shows. Available at ₹399 annually,aha offers affordable viewing experience to all.

About Firstlight Media

Firstlight Media is expediting OTT's transformation to ultra-scalable,cloud-based platforms that use artificial intelligence to drive true engagement and monetization for Tier 1 operators. Founded by a team with deep OTT video expertise and a strong track record of building successful B2B businesses,Firstlight Media is poised to capture the next wave of growth in premium OTT entertainment services. The company is headquartered in Toronto and has additional locations in Los Angeles,San Diego and Chennai,India. For more information,visit firstlight.ai.

CONTACTS:Paul Schneider,PSPR,Inc. for Firstlight Media,paul@paulschneiderpr.com,+1.215.817.4384;RIdhi Shah,Asst. Manager,Marketing for Arha Media,riddhi.shah@arhamedia.com,+91 81790 93406