Kids
Disney reaches content deal with Verizon
MUMBAI: US communications services provider Verizon and media conglomerate Disney have signed a long-term, wide-ranging programming agreement for multiple Disney and ESPN networks and services.
Under the agreement, Verizon will carry 12 television services on Verizon FiOS TV’s expanded basic, including ABC Family, Disney Channel and ESPN. Verizon will also be granted retransmission consent of ABC’s owned and operated television stations as part of the agreement.
Verizon will carry a Disney and ESPN broadband product portfolio including ABC News Now, Disney Connection, ESPN360, Movies.com and a newly launched broadband soap opera product ESPN Deportes, ESPN’s 24-hour Spanish-language sports network, and Toon Disney en Espanol on Verizon’s Hispanic expanded basic and Hispanic tier packages.
Verizon and Disney have also agreed to cooperate, consistent with the US Digital Millennium Copyright Act, to help curb infringement of Disney’s copyrighted works over the Internet while at the same time appropriately safeguarding the privacy of Verizon Internet service subscribers.
Under the agreement, Verizon would forward and track notices to its subscribers allegedly engaged in the unauthorized distribution of Disney’s copyrighted works, without identifying the subscribers to Disney, and either provide subscriber identifying information pursuant to lawfully served subpoenas or terminate Verizon Internet service provided to subscribers who have infringed Disney copyrights and received multiple notices.
Kids
Mukta Arts and Green Gold ink MOU to animate iconic film IPs
Kalicharan, Karz, Hero, Karma, Ram Lakhan to spawn animated shows plus features.
MUMBAI: When classic hindi movie meets animation, the result is a fresh reel of nostalgia with a cartoon twist. Mukta Arts Ltd. and Green Gold Animation have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to collaborate on animated shows and feature films drawn from Mukta Arts’ four-decade treasure trove of iconic IPs. The partnership taps Mukta’s SGM Animation Studio launched in 2025 as its dedicated animation and games arm and Green Gold’s proven track record in building scalable, homegrown franchises. Creative teams from both sides have already kicked off discussions, with the first project currently in development.
The slate will draw inspiration from landmark Mukta films including Kalicharan, Karz, Hero, Karma, Ram Lakhan, Khalnayak, Saudagar and Iqbal, plus character-led spin-offs from those universes. The aim is to reimagine these stories for today’s young, global audiences while preserving their emotional core.
Green Gold Animation (home of Chhota Bheem) founder and CEO Rajiv Chilaka said, “This partnership with SGM Studios allows us to apply our experience in building long-lasting animation IPs to a truly iconic film catalogue. Together, we aim to create animated worlds that are rooted in these legendary stories, yet designed to connect with today’s young, global audiences.”
Mukta Arts Ltd. filmmaker and founder Subhash Ghai added, “Mukta Arts has always believed in creating stories with lasting emotional value. Through animation, we are extending our IP into a new medium for the next generation.”
In an industry where timeless tales never go out of fashion, this collaboration promises to bring beloved characters back to life with a modern, animated glow proving that some stories are too good to stay in live-action. Stay tuned for the first animated frame to drop.
