English Entertainment
Star Movies & Star Movies Select HD lines up two premieres
MUMBAI: Star Movies and Star Movies Select HD is all set to premiere two family movies this festive season. While Star Movies will air Penguins of Madagascar on 25 December at 1 pm and 9 pm, Star Movies Select HD will air Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day on 26 December at 9 pm.
Penguins of Madagascar is directed by Simon J. Smith and Eric Darnell and features penguins namely Skipper, Kowalski, Rico and Private joining forces with a chic undercover organisation, The North Wind to stop the villainous Dr. Octavius Brine from destroying the world.
This 3D animated action comedy adventure film star the voices of Tom McGrath, Chris Miller, Conrad Vernon, Christopher Knights, Benedict Cumberbatch, John Malkovich and Ken Jeong.
The troop will hide Christmas gifts on the channel’s Twitter handle for the fans. The onlookers have to spot the gift and tweet about it using the #PenguinsOnStarMovies handle. The chosen few who crack the code of the movie get a chance to win a gift of their choice.
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day from Disney follows the exploits of 11-year-old Alexander played by Ed Oxenbould as he experiences the most terrible and horrible day of his young life. But when Alexander tells his upbeat family about the misadventures of his disastrous day, he finds little sympathy and begins to wonder if bad things only happen to him. He soon learns that he’s not alone when his mom played by Jennifer Garner, dad enacted by Steve Carell, brother played by Dylan Minnette and sister played by Kerris Dorsey all find themselves living through their own terrible day.
English Entertainment
ZEE5 UK partners Narrative Entertainment to add UK channels
Six FAST channels added as platform sharpens hybrid play in Britain
LONDON: ZEE5 UK struck a first-of-its-kind deal with Narrative Entertainment, bringing mainstream UK television channels onto an Indian streaming platform as it pushes to deepen its footprint in a crowded, mature market.
The partnership adds six of Narrative’s FAST channels to the service, including Great! Movies, Great! Romance, Great! Mystery and kids brands POP, Tiny Pop and POP UP, widening ZEE5 UK’s appeal across genres and age groups.
The move reflects a clear shift in strategy. ZEE5 UK is betting on a hybrid model that blends on-demand content with curated, always-on channels to drive discovery and increase time spent on the platform.
“This partnership represents a meaningful evolution in how we serve audiences in mature markets like the UK, where viewers are defined by habits, convenience and choice rather than geography or language alone,” said Parul Goel, territory head, Europe, Zee Entertainment. “By bringing trusted mainstream UK channels together with our premium originals, movies and kids’ content, we are building a more consumer-centric platform that simplifies viewing while increasing depth and relevance.”
Fateha Begum, commercial director, Narrative Entertainment, said the tie-up would fuel growth for both sides. “Our portfolio of quality programming, with such wide and enduring appeal, is a perfect complement to ZEE5 UK. This is a strong partnership that will support growth for both parties, and we share Zee Entertainment’s vision of an increasingly partnership-led future for the industry.”
ZEE5’s global library spans over 4,000 films and more than 500 originals, with over 130 new titles added annually. The addition of Narrative’s channels strengthens its kids offering and introduces genre-led linear experiences alongside its on-demand catalogue.
The deal also gives Narrative access to ZEE5 UK’s fast-growing user base, extending reach without diluting brand identity, while reinforcing ZEE5 UK’s network of more than 40 live channels.
As streaming wars intensify, ZEE5 UK is widening its playbook, blending content, convenience and partnerships in a bid to win screen time in one of the world’s toughest markets.
