GECs
Zee Telefilms to restructure distribution business
MUMBAI: Zee Telefilms Ltd is reviewing its entire film distribution business plan, following a hit of around Rs 50 million and a need to change the traditional model.
The film production activity will also slow down as a consequence and a definite scheduling plan will be in place only after finalising a restructured distribution model. The alliance with Rajshri Pictures for the exclusive theatrical distribution of all Hindi pictures has been called off after the eight movies that were channelised through the pipeline did not turn out profitable.
Zee is weighing various options including getting into the film distribution business on its own. “We incurred a loss of around Rs 50 million for the eight movies we distributed. We feel that the distribution model needs to change,” says Zee Telefilms chief executive officer of film production and exhibition Nitin Keni.
One of the options could be setting up a distribution network in selected territories on its own. Taking over old distribution networks and modernising them could be another model.
A new plan on film production and distribution will be ready and into play only in the next financial year. Zee Telefilms will stop procuring movies for distribution till then. The company had spent about Rs 100 million to acquire the eight Hindi movies for distribution through the Rajshri network. “We will not push any new product into the pipeline unless we understand the distribution,” says Keni.
Zee had decided to partner with Rajshri Pictures for distribution of Hindi movies after box office hit Gadar (its own production) failed to recover about Rs 500 million from the system. Under the commercial agreement in December 2003, Zee was to procure the rights for the theatrical distribution of Hindi movies. Rajshri, which has 20 distribution offices covering more than 13,000 screens across India, would provide its network for exploitation.
“We lost money in each of the movies that we distributed,” says Keni. Among the movies that were distributed through this chain were Who Tera Naam Tha, Lakshya, Yuva and Kyon Ho Gaya Na.
Zee, however, has fared better in overseas distribution. The company is using its existing offices in the US, UK and South Africa to go for a direct distribution model. So far, it has distributed just one movie – Mujhse Shaadi Karogi. “We will continue with our overseas distribution,” says Keni.
GECs
ZEEL overhauls sales structure to chase growth across TV and digital platforms
New structure sharpens digital push as viewing habits fragment fast
MUMBAI: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. is reshuffling its sales playbook as it looks to keep pace with a fast-changing media landscape, where audiences are scattered, screens are multiplying and advertisers are following the data.
According to media reports, the rejig is anchored in the company’s push to build a more integrated, data-led monetisation engine, one that can straddle both traditional television and fast-growing digital platforms with equal ease.
At the heart of the move is a reworked sales architecture designed to deliver cross-platform solutions. With connected TV gaining ground and digital consumption surging, ZEEL is aligning its teams to move quicker, think broader and sell smarter.
The restructuring is being led by chief operating officer, advertisement revenue, Sandeep Mehrotra, at a time when the company says it is seeing tremendous growth. The idea is simple: match the right talent to the right opportunity in a market that is anything but static.
As part of the overhaul, several long-serving executives have been elevated to chief sales officer roles across regions and content clusters. Sanjoy Chatterjee will head the east market, while Gunjarav Nayak takes charge of the west along with high-margin verticals such as hmg, brand works, intellectual properties and digital sales. Rajnish Gupta will oversee bengaluru and chennai markets alongside the kannada and tamil clusters.
In other key moves, Divjyot Dhanda will lead hyderabad and kochi markets and manage zee tv, zee keralam and the telugu cluster. Roshan Vasu Kotian will supervise a diverse portfolio including Zee Marathi, &tv, Zee Punjabi, Zee Anmol, Big Magic and Zee Biskope.
The company is also strengthening its bench, appointing national sales heads across retail, regional clusters, digital and brand solutions. Ankur Kapila’s appointment to lead digital sales signals a sharper push into a segment that continues to outpace traditional formats.
Behind the scenes, dedicated strategy and operations roles have been carved out for both linear and digital businesses. Nitin Shetty, Rajkiran Shrivastav and Priya Nambiar will take on key responsibilities to ensure the new structure runs with precision.
The broader aim is clear. ZEEL wants a bigger slice of advertising budgets that are steadily drifting towards digital and connected TV ecosystems. By integrating its offerings, the company hopes to deepen client relationships while unlocking new revenue streams.
The new structure takes effect immediately, with Mehrotra continuing to report to chief executive officer Punit Goenka and steer the company’s advertising revenue strategy. Senior executive Laxmi Shetty will support the transition, with her revised role expected to be announced soon.
In a market where content is everywhere but attention is scarce, ZEEL’s latest move is less about rearranging the org chart and more about staying in the game.
