English Entertainment
Zee Café brings home the biggest show of 2014; House Of Cards
MUMBAI: The American political drama; “House of Cards” is all set for its Indian television premiere this February on Zee Café. Starring Academy award winner Kevin Spacey as the protagonist along with Golden Globe winner Robin Wright, House of Cards is the story of Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey), a politician, who exacts his revenge on those who betrayed him. The show also stars Corey Stoll and Kate Mara in lead roles.
The show is helmed by noted American playwright and screenwriter, Beau Willimon with Hollywood bigwig David Fincher onboard as one of the executive producers. The first few episodes have been directed by David Fincher, who is well known for “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”, “The Social Network” and “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” amongst other Hollywood blockbusters.
Touted as one of the best political drama series of the year, House of Cards more than proved its mettle with the numerous nominations and wins at prestigious award ceremonies. It garnered a total of 9 Emmy nominations and 3 wins including the prestigious “Outstanding directing for a Drama Series”, creating history with this win as it was the first time that a major category award was given to an online video provider. The show also earned 4 Golden Globe nominations including, best drama, best actors for leads Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright and best supporting actor for Corey Stoll, with Robin Wright bagging the Globe for “Best Actress in a TV series-Drama” category. The show also made a mark at the SAGs with Kevin Spacey’s nomination for the Best Actor in a TV series category. Awards aside the show has also become immensely popular with a massive fan following including the likes of President Obama and Amitabh Bachchan amongst others.
Anurag Bedi; Executive VP and Business Head, Zee Café states, ‘House Of Cards is a ground breaking show and there is already a lot of buzz and excitement surrounding it. The content has a universal appeal and the viewers here are definitely going to enjoy watching the show.’
House Of Cards premieres on Zee Café on 20th February, Monday to Friday at 11.00 pm.
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.
