GECs
B4U Network appoints Satman Strategies as distributor
MUMBAI: B4U Network India is now awakening from a comatose slumber, on the distribution front.
The network that operates two channels in India — B4U Movies and B4U Music — after a complete overhaul in the management team, has now finalised a distribution deal with Satman Strategies Pvt Ltd.
Satnam Strategies will be handling the distribution of B4U Movies and B4U Music for the territories of South Asia, including India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan.
The company, a part of the Satellite Media Group, works through its network of offices in major cities as well as its 50 strong dealer network and representative offices in neighbouring countries.
In the past, the company has been involved in the design and implementation of the distribution strategies of several satellite channels, such as Sab TV, CMM Music, TV 5, DW TV and Aastha TV. In addition, Satman have also distributed, in selected territories, other channels such as Cartoon Network, HBO, CNN, Zee TV and its associated channels.
Launched in May 2000, B4U network’s B4U Movies is a subscription channel while B4U Music is free to air.
B4U India head of operations Ravi Nair says, “SMG’s expertise and experience in the satellite distribution industry will strengthen B4U’s distribution strategies and further enhance the distribution of its two channels in India. We are looking forward to a fruitful relationship between the two companies”.
According to SMG CEO Sudeep Malhotra, “We have been directly or indirectly involved with B4U since its inception, we now move ahead to the next level and together relaunch both the channels and gain better reach through more effective distribution.”
GECs
Sony ties up with EU for MasterChef India finale
GI-tagged European ingredients headline finale week
MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Networks India has struck what it calls a landmark association with the European Union for the finale week of MasterChef India, marking the first such collaboration between the bloc and an Indian television format.
The tie-up will culminate in the “European Union mystery box challenge”, which opens the much-anticipated finale week. The task will see the top six contestant pairs cook with a curated basket of ingredients bearing geographical indications (GIs) from across EU member states: a nod to provenance as well as palate.
Chef Ajay and Chef Guntas, introduced as chef ambassadors to the European Union, will present the mystery boxes and set the brief: use the fewest ingredients from each category and produce a MasterChef-level dish that marries European produce with Indian flavour sensibilities. Precision and restraint, rather than extravagance, will be tested.
For Sony, the move signals a push towards high-value integrations that blur the line between sponsorship and storytelling. The network said the association underscores the show’s growing global stature and its ability to attract world-renowned institutions to Indian screens.
Chef Ajay Chopra, food ambassador in the European Union, described the collaboration as a strategic opportunity to spotlight the heritage and authenticity of GI-tagged European products to India’s vast food-loving audience.
Over the years, MasterChef India has positioned itself as a gateway to global cuisines. The EU partnership sharpens that pitch, turning the finale into a stage for cross-continental culinary diplomacy.
The finale week will air from 2 March, 2026 at 8 pm on Sony Entertainment Television and stream on Sony Liv.
