Movie Channels
India Bulls promoter Sameer Gehlaut to buy 25 per cent in B.A.G Films
MUMBAI: India Bulls promoter Sameer Gehlaut is showing interest in the media business. The Delhi-based entrepreneur is buying around 25 per cent stake in TV content company B.A.G Films for Rs 262 million.
The acquisition is through a preferential allotment of up to 20,250,000 equity shares of Rs 2 each at a price of Rs 13 per share. Gehlaut will have to make an open offer for a further 20 per cent stake which if subscribed totally, would make him the largest shareholder in the company.
The promoters of B.A.G Films will hold around 37.5 per cent on the expanded equity. But their stake will go up after conversion as they are being issued preferential allotment of up to 10,000,000 warrants. The conversion price is fixed at Rs 13 per warrant. Gehlaut’s shareholding will also see change after the conversion.
“Gehlaut has come in as a pure financial investor. We will be using the funds to meet our expansion plans,” says B.A.G Films managing director Anuradha Prasad.
B.A.G Films will be investing Rs 160 million in new media and the animation business. “Besides, we will be retiring a part of our debt to Yes Bank,” says Prasad.
B.A.G Films’ radio venture, run through a subsidiary company B.A.G Infotainment, has an investment outlay of Rs 480 million including the licence fee paid for 10 stations. B.A.G Infotainment rcently roped in IDBI Bank and Bank of Baroda for picking up 10 per cent each.
B.A.G Films will also be issuing stock options of up to 10,000,000 equity shares to its permanent employees at Rs13 per equity share.
The scrip touched a high of Rs 15.68 on Monday after opening at Rs 13.40. “The price of the scrip will stay firm and may see one more surge before steadying,” says an analyst in a broking firm.
Movie Channels
Zee5 launches five free FAST channels on Samsung TV Plus India
New genre-led channels bring comedy, drama, horror, classics and South films to Smart TVs.
MUMBAI: Zee5 just turned Samsung Smart TVs into a free entertainment buffet because when premium content costs nothing, even the remote control starts smiling. Zee5 has launched five curated free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channels on Samsung TV Plus India, making high-quality, genre-specific entertainment available subscription-free to millions of Samsung Smart TV owners across the country.
The five channels now live are:
Zee Comedy Nation – Popular comedy shows and movies
Zee Dil Se – Compelling drama series
ZEE Horror Nights – Horror and supernatural content
ZEE Cine Classic – Timeless Indian films
ZEE South Flix – High-energy South Indian films dubbed in Hindi
All content is drawn from Zee5’s extensive library and programmed in a lean-back, always-on format ideal for large-screen viewing. This launch strengthens Zee5’s Connected TV strategy at a time when 64 per cent of its premium content watch time already comes from connected devices.
Zee5 chief business officer Siju Prabhakaran said, “At Zee5, we believe accessibility and scale will define the next phase of digital entertainment growth in India. Our presence on Samsung TV Plus strengthens our Connected TV strategy, enabling viewers to discover curated, genre-led content in a seamless, free, and premium environment.”
Samsung TV Plus India head of partnerships Kunal Mehta added, “Local partnerships are at the heart of how we grow Samsung TV Plus in India. Zee Entertainment is one of India’s most iconic media brands, and bringing their channels to our service means millions more Samsung Smart TV owners can enjoy premium local content, subscription-free.”
The channels are available directly through the pre-installed Samsung TV Plus app with no login or subscription required. This marks another milestone in Zee5’s CTV expansion and builds on its growing international presence, with Zee channels already available on Samsung TV Plus across Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand.
In a streaming world where paywalls often block the fun, Zee5 and Samsung have quietly opened the gates, proving that sometimes the best things in life (and on your TV) really are free especially when they come with a side of comedy, drama, horror, classics and South Indian blockbuster energy.
