GECs
Cellcast tasked with boosting mobile action on Zee Network
MUMBAI: Zee Network channels are planning to go more interactive. And the technology to support this will be from UK-based Cellcast Group, a global provider of digital and interactive media solutions.
Zee Music and Zee Business will be the first to increase their SMS-driven interactive content. In the business channel, programmes including debates and expert discussions will be used as platforms where audiences can exploit the interactive technology.
“The plan is to provide interactivity to Zee network channels in whatever form they need. The initiatives will be mainly SMS-driven,” Cellcast Group business development director Andrew Wilson told indiantelevision.com.
Cellcast Group is already providing technology solutions to Essel Group’s newly launched gaming channel PlayTV. “We are in talks to expand our portfolio to cater to the whole network including regional channels. Interactivity is giving you opportunities to do a lot of things. We are looking at various ways to exploit this arena. The PlayTV experiment has inspired us to broaden our area of operation,” says Zee Network VP business technology Ishwar Jha.
The advantage interactivity brings is a huge database which broadcasters can exploit for generating advertising revenues. “The database can be used to drive the traffic back to the channel. Viewers will be able to express their opinion, which would be discussed live. Then they would get the responses live in their mobile phone. That way, the feature is going to be two-way interactive,” says Wilson.
Cellcast claims that its applications and TV channels are already building new traffic for mobile networks and generating significant revenue for its broadcast partners in Europe, the Middle East and Asia. The company’s global clientele include Sky, Asiasat, Globecast, Star TV, BT and Future Television.
GECs
Samsung TV Plus launches Kings of Comedy channel
New free FAST channel brings iconic Hindi comedy shows to millions of Samsung Smart TV owners.
MUMBAI: Samsung TV Plus has just turned up the laughter volume and it’s completely free. The leading free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) service in India has launched Kings of Comedy, a premium comedy channel featuring some of the country’s most beloved primetime shows. Available exclusively on Samsung TV Plus, the channel delivers back-to-back hits including Comedy Nights with Kapil, Khatra Khatra Khatra, and Comedy Nights Bachao, with no login or subscription required.
The launch marks a milestone for free streaming in India, offering audiences a dedicated comedy destination directly from their Samsung TV home screen. It arrives as Samsung TV Plus India celebrates its 5th anniversary, during which the service has grown its monthly active users by 42 per cent and more than doubled its total viewing hours. The platform now offers over 180 free channels across 14 languages.
Samsung TV Plus India general manager and head of business development Kunal Mehta said, “Comedy is the heartbeat of Hindi entertainment, and Kings of Comedy brings together the shows Indians already love, completely free on their Samsung TV. Our focus remains the same take the content people know and make it effortless to access.”
Globally, Samsung TV Plus has surpassed 100 million monthly active users across more than 4,500 channels, solidifying its position as one of the world’s leading free streaming services.
Kings of Comedy is now available on all compatible Samsung Smart TVs. For viewers seeking non-stop laughter without any cost, this new channel delivers a royal treat proving that sometimes the best entertainment really does come with no strings (or subscriptions) attached.
