GECs
Alok Jain joins Viacom18 as president & head of Colors Hindi and Regionals
Mumbai: Former Disney Star executive VP Alok Jain, has joined Viacom18 as head & president of Colors Hindi and Regionals. He will also oversee the rollout of regional digital content.
Before moving on to Viacom18, Jain was with Disney Star for nearly seven years, from September 2021 to June 2023, leading the P&L responsibilities for TV channels and the Disney+Hotstar business. He played a crucial role in managing the Telugu, Bengali, Oriya, and Kannada cluster of TV channels along with Disney+Hotstar.
And prior to Disney-Star, Jain was EVP & business head (Telugu) for five years and one month, and was responsible for the growth and dominance of the Star MAA TV network, achieving top positions in GEC, Movies, and Music genres. Jain served as chief operating officer & business head at HIL Ltd. (Formerly known as Hyderabad Industries Ltd.), where he rapidly scaled up a building products business to a 100 Cr annualised business in 2.5 years.
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.
