English Entertainment
AXN gets set for a new season of the ‘The Amazing Race’
Action channel AXN has announced the second season of the reality show ‘The Amazing Race’. AXN will broadcast the first two episodes of ‘Amazing Race 2’ this Friday, 15 March back to back, from 8-9 PM and 9-10 PM
Subsequent episodes will air every Friday at 9 PM, with rebroadcasts on Sundays at 1pm and 5pm, and on Mondays at 10 PM
Commenting on the first performance of the first installment, Rohit Bhandari, senior marketing manager, AXN, said it did reasonably well with an average share of 20 per cent among the international channels. Ratings were no doubt helped by the fact that participants had come to India for a couple of days, Bhandari said.
The format is the same as the first season. Eleven new couples with a pre-existing relationship race around the world to win $1 million.
‘AXN HAS CORNERED 9 PM SLOT’: Referring to the channel’s viewer base, Bhandari said AXN had seen a shift in its demographic profile. When the channel started operating in 1998 the male female ratio was 70:30. Now it is a more balanced 57:43. He said that the two reality shows which recently commenced on the channel ‘Fear Factor’ and ‘Scariest Places On Earth’, have cornered the most share in the crucial 9 PM prime time slot as opposed to movie based programs on rivals like HBO and Star Movies.
Referring to other programming initiatives, Bhandari said eight episodes of the new season of ‘Who Dares Wins’ will be shot in India. This will basically comprise of street dares. The more adventurous will be flown to Australia to compete in the main dares. Bhandari said that the main dares need to take place in Australia as the tasks are complex and require technical expertise to ensure safety of participants.
People can nominate those whom they want to see on the tube. An on air campaigns will be conducted telling people to send in entries and then a lucky draw will be held.
As for the upcoming attractions the channel has on offer, April will see the launch of the second season of Crime Scene Investigation. Besides this ‘The Agency’, about the manoeuverings of the CIA will enthrall viewers.
May will witness the airing a stunt awards show which will take place in Los Angeles. The aim is to honour people behind action scenes. The channel will organise a marketing initiative around the event. Watch this space for further details.
As far as film-based programming is concerned AXN claims a viewership of 2.33 million for ‘Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon’ which had its premiere on the channel in December. Films that will air later on in the year on AXN include the Kevin Bacon scare fest ‘Hollow Man’, the chick action flick ‘Charlies Angels’, and ‘6th Day’ with Arnold Schwarzenneger getting cloned.
English Entertainment
ZEE5 UK partners Narrative Entertainment to add UK channels
Six FAST channels added as platform sharpens hybrid play in Britain
LONDON: ZEE5 UK struck a first-of-its-kind deal with Narrative Entertainment, bringing mainstream UK television channels onto an Indian streaming platform as it pushes to deepen its footprint in a crowded, mature market.
The partnership adds six of Narrative’s FAST channels to the service, including Great! Movies, Great! Romance, Great! Mystery and kids brands POP, Tiny Pop and POP UP, widening ZEE5 UK’s appeal across genres and age groups.
The move reflects a clear shift in strategy. ZEE5 UK is betting on a hybrid model that blends on-demand content with curated, always-on channels to drive discovery and increase time spent on the platform.
“This partnership represents a meaningful evolution in how we serve audiences in mature markets like the UK, where viewers are defined by habits, convenience and choice rather than geography or language alone,” said Parul Goel, territory head, Europe, Zee Entertainment. “By bringing trusted mainstream UK channels together with our premium originals, movies and kids’ content, we are building a more consumer-centric platform that simplifies viewing while increasing depth and relevance.”
Fateha Begum, commercial director, Narrative Entertainment, said the tie-up would fuel growth for both sides. “Our portfolio of quality programming, with such wide and enduring appeal, is a perfect complement to ZEE5 UK. This is a strong partnership that will support growth for both parties, and we share Zee Entertainment’s vision of an increasingly partnership-led future for the industry.”
ZEE5’s global library spans over 4,000 films and more than 500 originals, with over 130 new titles added annually. The addition of Narrative’s channels strengthens its kids offering and introduces genre-led linear experiences alongside its on-demand catalogue.
The deal also gives Narrative access to ZEE5 UK’s fast-growing user base, extending reach without diluting brand identity, while reinforcing ZEE5 UK’s network of more than 40 live channels.
As streaming wars intensify, ZEE5 UK is widening its playbook, blending content, convenience and partnerships in a bid to win screen time in one of the world’s toughest markets.
