Movie Channels
Sony MAX makes an official debut
Sony Entertainment Television officially launched Max, its films, sports and events channel at a glittering bash in Mumbai’s Oberoi Hotel on 10 March. Set CEO Kunal Dasgupta says that the channel has acquired the best of films for airing in the coming year. Hindi blockbusters like Hum Dil de Chuke Sanam, and even more importantly the biggest hit of the year “Kaho Na Pyaar Hain” which is still running to packed houses in India.
“We have acquired a library of 800 movies for the channel.. and it’s a fare that will attract audiences,” says Dasgupta. “This apart also we have got one day cricket in Sharjhah, in March end, the cricketnext.com cup in Bangladesh, and other matches too.” Apart from cricket special events around singing stars Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhonsale, among others are planned.
“The key words are maximum movies, maximum cricket, maximum events – Max,” says Kacon Sethi, who heads Max.
The launch event was attended by a galaxy of television and film personalities: Jackie Shroff, Bhagyashree, Salil Ankola, video rights king Raman Maroo, one of the Taurani brothers, Rajiv Kapoor, Archana Puran Singh, Simone Singh, Fahad Samar, Jaaved Jaffrey, Ravi Behl, Mark Masceranhas, Krishen Kumar of T-Series, Mahesh Anand, Sonu Nigam, et al.
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.
