Movie Channels
AXN to launch in 6 European territories on 17 October
CULVER CITY: Sony Pictures Entertainment’s (SPE) action and adventure channel AXN is expanding its reach. AXN launches in six East European countries – Poland, Hungary, The Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania and Bulgaria – on 17 October.
AXN general manager for Central Europe Tom Davidson made the announcement yesterday.
AXN will feature top Hollywood, European and international programming that includes action series and movies, adventure reality and action animation aimed at thrill-seeking, advertiser friendly 18-34 year olds, says a company release. The subscription and ad-supported basic channel, will deliver local language versioned content to viewers across the region, an official release says.
While making the announcement, Davidson stated, “The response to AXN has been phenomenal. To exit the gate with one million total subscribers is a testament to the strength of the AXN proposition and confirmation that our strategy to localise in each market has been embraced by cable operators across the region.”
AXN’s primetime schedule will feature action with the latest US adventure, sci-fi and animated-action series featuring the regional premiere of Spider-Man: the Animated Series; Street Time, the urban action drama starring Rob Morrow (Northern Exposure ); Odyssey 5, the first-run, outer space adventure series starring Peter Weller (Robocop ); and the global sci-fi hits Mutant X and Gene Roddenberry’s Andromeda.
Primetime will also feature a movie line-up of star-studded Hollywood and independent films like the acclaimed Boyz n the Hood with Academy Award winner Cuba Gooding Jr., Jerry McGuire, the gritty crime drama Where The Day Takes You, with Christian Slater, Lara Flynn Boyle and superstar Will Smith (Men in Black I and II ); and Body Double – the Brian de Palma classic starring Melanie Griffith.
Wednesdays on AXN will take reality into a new dimension with series such as Ripley’s Believe It Or Not!, hosted by Dean Cain (Lois & Clark: the New Adventures of Superman), and Worst Case Scenario – based on the global best-selling book of the same name. Adventure programming combines the best in human endeavor with breathtaking scenery from around the world in North Face Expedition, Global Adventures and the AXN global franchise property, Eco-Challenge, the world’s premier expedition race, created by Mark Burnett (Executive Producer of Survivor), added the release.
With the new launches, AXN will now reach more than 87 million households in over 46 countries throughout Asia, Europe and Latin America, the release says.
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.
