Movie Channels
Despite lower revenues, Eros International delivers blockbuster results for Q1-2014
BENGALURU: Last year (FY-2013), the company entered the Rs 1000 crore club with revenue of Rs 1067.75 crore. In Q1-2014, three movies – Raanjhaana, Go Goa Gone (GGG) and Yeh Jawani Hai Diwani (YJHD) raked in the moolah at the box office for Eros International Media Limited (Eros).
The company says that theatrical revenues during Q1-2014 have showcased the success of global releases of Raanjhaana, GGG and YJHD (Overseas). Raanjhaana achieved an impressive box office collection of Rs 100 crore worldwide; YJHD had an overseas collection of more than Rs 60 crore, while GGG had a worldwide collection of Rs 43 crore.
Eros announced consolidated income for Q1-2014 at Rs 194.2 crore, 25.1 per cent lower than the Rs 259.3 crore during the corresponding period in 2013 (Q1-2013) and 9.2 per cent lower than the Rs 213.9 crore for Q4-2013 (q-o-q).
During Q1-2014, Eros released 12 films – (seven Hindi and five Tamil and other regional languages), almost half of the 23 films – (five Hindi and 18 Tamil and other regional films) in Q1-2013 and almost a third less than the 17 films – (four Hindi and 13 Tamil and other regional films) in Q4-2013.
Eros managing director Sunil Lulla said, “Eros has delivered an encouraging Q1-2014 result in context of the film mix that it released in the Q1-2013. Raanjhaana, YJHD and GGG all delivered at the box office and were subsequently monetised through other revenue streams as well. Relative to their budget, the mix of films performed extremely well and demonstrates our ability to scale and change our mix to take advantage of market trends.
Let us look at some of Eros’ other figures for Q1-2014
Expense for Q1-2014 at Rs 148.03 crore was 28.5 per cent lower than the Rs 207 crore for Q1-2013 and 14 per cent lower than the Rs 172.21 crore for Q4-2013.
Earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) for Q1-2014 at Rs 46.1 crore was 11.9 per cent lower than the Rs 52.3 crore for Q1-2013 and 10.4 per cent more than the Rs 41.75 crore for Q4-2013.
PAT (after minority) for Q4-2014 at Rs 29.3 crore was 6.7 per cent lower than the Rs 31.4 crore in Q1-2013 and 7.9 per cent lower than the Rs 31.8 crore for Q4-2013.
Lulla said, “We are really excited about our collaboration with HBO and believe that the two premium channels will gain momentum with subscribers as we launch on further DTH and digital cable platform. The industry trends are testimony that premium content will be an important factor to drive demand and we are proud to be forerunners in that space.”
“We continue to expand our film content through our diversified approach of acquiring a healthy mix of movies. Our current future slate remains well-funded and we have several high profile movies lined up like Kochadiyan, Ram Leela, Rambo Rajkumar, Happy Ending and a number of high concept movies that are slated to be released in FY-2014. Our business has a natural Q3 skew due to film releases around the festival season and this year is no different and we remain positive on the outlook for FY-2014,” added Lulla.
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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.
