iWorld
ZEE5 celebrates sixth anniversary with 580+ million viewers globally
Mumbai: ZEE5, India and Bharat’s largest home-grown video streaming platform, and the OTT arm of ZEE Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. (ZEEL), completes six glorious years of providing exceptional streaming experiences and quality watch time to billions of people across 190+ countries. Launched in 2018, ZEE5 has over the years become a household name, not just in India but also globally, with a robust digital-first consumer-centric strategy backed by a strong content funnel. Home to 200,000 hours of premium South Asian entertainment in 20 languages, ZEE5 possesses an unrivalled library, featuring more than 6000 titles and 230+ originals. Today, the platform boasts a significant presence in India and is the No. 1 South Asian streaming platform across international markets, as per App Annie data.
On the content front, in the last year, ZEE5 has been home to some of the most prominent titles like ‘RRR’, ‘Gadar 2’, ‘Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan’ in Hindi; ‘Vidhuthalai – Part I’ in Tamil; Karthikeya 2’ in Telugu; ‘Vedha’ in Kannada; and Shabash Feluda’ in Bangla, amongst others. The platform also launched successful originals across languages like ‘‘Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hain’, ‘Taj: Divided by Blood’, ‘Mrs. Undercover” in Hindi; ‘Koose Munisamy Veerappan’, ‘Ayali’, ‘Sengalam’, ‘Oru Kodai Murder Mystery’ in Tamil; ‘Vyavastha’, ‘Puli Meka’, ‘Maya Bazaar For Sale’ in Telugu; and ‘Abar Proloy’, ‘Chhotolok’, ‘Swetkali’, ‘Shabash Feluda’, ‘Roktokorobi’ in Bangla, to name a few.
While ‘Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai’ stood out with the highest watch-time across ZEE5 movies, ‘Taj: Divided by Blood’ topped the watch-time list among all ZEE5 titles released in the last 6 years. Popular originals like ‘Abhay’, ‘Rangbaaz’, ‘Sunflower’, ‘State of Siege: 26/11’, and ‘Rangbaaz: Darr Ki Rajneeti’ also feature in the top 10 shows on the platform, while ‘Uri: The Surgical Strike’, ‘Radhe – Your Most Wanted Bhai’, ‘RRR’, ‘Antim: The Final Truth’, ‘Silence…Can You Hear It?’ and ‘The Kashmir Files’ feature in the top 10 movies list. Going forward, 2024 promises to be yet an exciting year for ZEE5 with multiple power-packed releases, like ‘Sam Bahadur’, ‘Kaatera’, ‘The Kerala Story’, ‘Sunflower S2’, ‘Broken News S2’, Guneet Monga’s ‘Gyarah Gyarah’, and the Telugu spy-thriller series ‘Mission Tashafi’, amongst others.
Speaking on the occasion, ZEE Entertainment Enterprises Ltd president – Digital Businesses & Platforms Amit Goenka said, “Over the last six years, ZEE5 has played a pivotal role in delivering accessibility and affordability to its consumers across the globe. As we cross yet another milestone in our journey, our aim is to further fortify the synergies between content and technology to build a robust consumer experience across connected devices. While we remain committed to offering immersive entertainment experiences to our consumers across our digital platforms, the parallel growth trajectory of the linear and digital ecosystem will enable us to further strengthen our capabilities. As the digital landscape matures steadily, and improved infrastructure further proliferates the ability for transactions on digital platforms, the opportunities remain endless. As pioneers in the industry, we will continue to maintain a strong focus on growth and innovation, simultaneously enabling a conducive environment for the industry at large.”
ZEE5 India CBO Manish Kalra, said, “At ZEE5, we envision to be the platform of choice for billions of viewers with real, relatable, and relevant stories in languages that resonate with them. Over the last few years, we have focused on improving user experience and launching multiple blockbuster movies and originals while using technological innovations to improve our platform experience significantly. 2023 has been eventful with many firsts and multiple successful projects strengthening our presence across markets with significant penetration in the tier III and IV cities. Tech adoptions across business touchpoints for increasing efficiency and enhancing in-app experience have been a priority. 2024 has already started on a strong note with the release of ‘Sam Bahadur’ and “The Kerala Story”. As the industry scales newer heights, ZEE5’s unwavering commitment will remain centered around delighting our users with more focus on delivering quality content seamlessly.”
ZEE5 Global CBO Archana Anand said, “From the initial idea of taking our South Asian content global, to growing out the business to become the No.1 South Asian streaming platform internationally, it has been a remarkable journey. Today, ZEE5 Global stands as the premier destination for South Asian content, connecting the diaspora across the world with their language content. And as we continue to grow out our massive leadership in the US., our recent pivot to becoming an Aggregator of South Asian streaming platforms with the launch of ZEE5 Add-ons, only further cements our position in the market as the singular largest hub for South Asian content. South Asian stories are finally claiming their well-deserved spotlight on the global arena, and we look to be at the forefront of this conversation, setting the stage for even more disruptive growth.”
iWorld
Prime Video unveils biggest India originals slate yet
Nearly 55 titles across languages signal deeper push into films, series
MUMBAI: Prime Video is turning up the volume on Indian storytelling, unveiling its largest-ever Originals slate at the ‘Prime Video Presents’ showcase, with close to 55 series and films spanning languages, genres and formats.
The new lineup, which stretches across Hindi, Tamil and Telugu, signals a clear intent: go bigger, go wider, and meet audiences wherever they are watching, whether on streaming screens or in cinemas. Alongside Originals, the platform also announced a fresh theatrical slate under Amazon MGM Studios, marking a deeper step into the big-screen business.
Among the headline acts is The Revolutionaries, a large-scale drama from Nikkhil Advani starring Bhuvan Bam and Rohit Saraf. The slate also features Matka King with Vijay Varma, Raakh starring Ali Fazal and Sonali Bendre, and Lukkhe, which marks rapper King’s acting debut. Adding a genre twist is Vansh – The Kalyug Warriors, positioned as India’s first homegrown Hindi superhero series for streaming.
Familiar favourites are also making a return, with new seasons of Farzi, Panchayat, Call Me Bae, Dupahiya, Dahaad and The Traitors in the pipeline, reinforcing the platform’s bet on established franchises.
Regional storytelling gets a notable push. Highlights include a Telugu adaptation of The Traitors hosted by Teja Sajja, the drama Guvvala Cheruvu Ghat, and Tamil titles such as Exam and returning seasons of Vadhandhi and Inspector Rishi.
The slate also opens new creative partnerships. Hrithik Roshan’s HRX Films steps into streaming with Storm and Mess, while Alia Bhatt’s Eternal Sunshine Productions backs Don’t Be Shy. Production houses including Excel Entertainment, Tiger Baby Films and The Viral Fever further deepen the creative bench.
On the theatrical front, the platform is lining up five films, including Raftaar starring Rajkummar Rao and Keerthy Suresh, VIBE directed by Kunal Kemmu, Dilkashi with music by A. R. Rahman, Nayyi Navelli featuring Yami Gautam, and Kuku Ki Kundli starring Wamiqa Gabbi.
According to Prime Video India director and head of Svod business Shilangi Mukherji, India remains central to the platform’s global growth, ranking among its top markets for new subscribers. She noted that nearly two-thirds of users watch content in more than four languages, underlining a growing appetite for diverse storytelling.
Prime Video India director and head of originals Nikhil Madhok, said the new slate reflects a continued push towards bold, culturally rooted narratives with global appeal.
In short, Prime Video is not just adding titles, it is widening the lens. From small-town dramas to superhero sagas and cinema-ready spectacles, the message is simple: more stories, more voices, and far more ways to watch them.
