Movie Channels
AXN to create buzz in real time courtesy ’24’
MUMBAI: AXN is going about its mission of providing thrills through the critically acclaimed espionage drama 24. Kiefer Sutherland plays a counter terrorism unit agent trying to prevent an assassination of a senator running for the office of US President. The title indicates both the time span of an entire day as well as the number of episodes.
Speaking on the programme strategy, AXN Asia MD Todd Miller said that in the competitive Indian television market AXN stood out on account of its single minded focus on action and adventure.”Our business is all about the buzz and we work hard to live up to the expectations as a channel that constantly provides an adrenaline rush. We launched 47 new shows last year and this year we will continue at that level,” he said.
Miller also said that with the launch of 24 from 8 April, every Tuesday at 10 pm, the Prime Zone will shift from 8 to 10 pm. The change came about as a result of analysing television viewing trends in the country, he said.
“For us the primetime peak occurs late in the evening. This could be due to the fact that people work late and so take that much extra time to reach home or due to familial obligations. On Prime Zone you will see different series each night, which have both pedigree and buzz,” states Miller.
“Another shift is that all movies will air over the weekends. The film every Sunday at 8 pm will be designated AXN Action Theatre. While these changes are being made what does not change is our aim of offering viewers a potent mixture of action, reality, escapism, daring and irreverence which went put together gives an electrifying buzz,” he adds.
Asked about the delay in introducing 24 Miller said that this year the channel had deliberately been quiet so far on account of the cricket World Cup. Now the April-June period will see the launch of 11 shows including the third season of Crime Scene Investigation, the fourth season of Pacific Blue which has been described as Baywatch on wheels in the Prime Zone. CSI will air every Wednesday at 10 pm from 9 April. Pacific Blue will air every Monday from 7 April. In addition Tia Carriere returns as the Relic Hunter for the third time on Thursday’s.
Later on in the year the channel will introduce The Shield with Michael Chiklis, which has won a Golden Globe. Who Dares Wins India Special will be back for another round. AXN will also introduce a show from the NBC stable Boomtown.
Elaborating on the first hot attraction of the year 24 , Miller said,”The show deals with counter terrorism unit agent Jack Bauer facing the longest day of his life. Not only is a senator about to be assassinated but his daughter has been kidnapped and there is a mole within the CTU. Since launching in the US 24 like many of our shows has won many awards including a Golden Globe for Kiefer Sutherland, an Emmy for the writing. Every hourly episode reflects an hour spent in real time and this makes the show very realistic. In the US in fact it has attained cult like status.”
The show cleverly uses the split screen technique to give viewers a view of different things going on at the same time. A ticking clock shown at regular intervals adds to the intensity of the situation. The ad campaign has cleverly taken a few prominent figures of today’s political world namely George Bush and Osama Bin Laden. One ad picture has Bin Laden saying, “I have nothing to do with this.OK.”
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.
