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
ZEEL overhauls sales structure to chase growth across TV and digital platforms
New structure sharpens digital push as viewing habits fragment fast
MUMBAI: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. is reshuffling its sales playbook as it looks to keep pace with a fast-changing media landscape, where audiences are scattered, screens are multiplying and advertisers are following the data.
According to media reports, the rejig is anchored in the company’s push to build a more integrated, data-led monetisation engine, one that can straddle both traditional television and fast-growing digital platforms with equal ease.
At the heart of the move is a reworked sales architecture designed to deliver cross-platform solutions. With connected TV gaining ground and digital consumption surging, ZEEL is aligning its teams to move quicker, think broader and sell smarter.
The restructuring is being led by chief operating officer, advertisement revenue, Sandeep Mehrotra, at a time when the company says it is seeing tremendous growth. The idea is simple: match the right talent to the right opportunity in a market that is anything but static.
As part of the overhaul, several long-serving executives have been elevated to chief sales officer roles across regions and content clusters. Sanjoy Chatterjee will head the east market, while Gunjarav Nayak takes charge of the west along with high-margin verticals such as hmg, brand works, intellectual properties and digital sales. Rajnish Gupta will oversee bengaluru and chennai markets alongside the kannada and tamil clusters.
In other key moves, Divjyot Dhanda will lead hyderabad and kochi markets and manage zee tv, zee keralam and the telugu cluster. Roshan Vasu Kotian will supervise a diverse portfolio including Zee Marathi, &tv, Zee Punjabi, Zee Anmol, Big Magic and Zee Biskope.
The company is also strengthening its bench, appointing national sales heads across retail, regional clusters, digital and brand solutions. Ankur Kapila’s appointment to lead digital sales signals a sharper push into a segment that continues to outpace traditional formats.
Behind the scenes, dedicated strategy and operations roles have been carved out for both linear and digital businesses. Nitin Shetty, Rajkiran Shrivastav and Priya Nambiar will take on key responsibilities to ensure the new structure runs with precision.
The broader aim is clear. ZEEL wants a bigger slice of advertising budgets that are steadily drifting towards digital and connected TV ecosystems. By integrating its offerings, the company hopes to deepen client relationships while unlocking new revenue streams.
The new structure takes effect immediately, with Mehrotra continuing to report to chief executive officer Punit Goenka and steer the company’s advertising revenue strategy. Senior executive Laxmi Shetty will support the transition, with her revised role expected to be announced soon.
In a market where content is everywhere but attention is scarce, ZEEL’s latest move is less about rearranging the org chart and more about staying in the game.
