GECs
ETC Punjabi claims victory in live telecast battle
MUMBAI: ETC channel Punjabi’s live telecast of the historic celebration of 400 years of Sri Guru Granth Sahib’s installation on 1 September beat Star Sports’ live telecast of the India-England match on the same day, claims the channel.
Quoting TAM figures the channel says during its 18 hours live telecast, ETC Channel Punjabi had a share of 54 per cent whereas Star Sports and Star Plus combined channel share was 35 per cent.
According to an official release, ETC Channel Punjabi registered a channel share of 54 per cent while Star Plus and Star Sports had a channel share of 30 per cent and 5 per cent respectively and Sony Entertainment had a share of 11 per cent (Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Himachal Pradesh, Total Market, C&S, 15+ABC, All Day) on 1 September. ETC Channel Punjabi can already boast of having more than 80 per cent channel share during its live telecast of Gurbani from Golden Temple, in the morning and evening.
Says ETC Channel Punjabi business head Rabindra Narayan, “This was a historic occasion for all Sikhs and keeping in mind the sentiment we decided to telecast the whole event LIVE so that the entire world could view the historic proceedings from Amritsar on that auspicious day”.
“These figures reaffirm the fact that the wisdom of Gurus is more powerful than any game of Cricket or any soap opera,” says, programming VP Rajiee M. Shinde. She also adds, “We had deployed 12 cameras to cover the various locations in Amritsar”. This itself speaks for the enormity of the coverage on a day when an estimated number of more than 2 million devotees visited the city, including the Prime Minister, President, Dalai Lama, Sri Ravishankar and many other political and religious dignitaries.
ETC Networks Ltd. CEO Jagjit Singh Kohli expressed, “It was a bold decision for us to not to run a single second commercial and thereby let go our day’s earnings. But the occasion demanded this sacrifice and our viewers have reasserted their faith in us.”
GECs
Samsung TV Plus launches Kings of Comedy channel
New free FAST channel brings iconic Hindi comedy shows to millions of Samsung Smart TV owners.
MUMBAI: Samsung TV Plus has just turned up the laughter volume and it’s completely free. The leading free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) service in India has launched Kings of Comedy, a premium comedy channel featuring some of the country’s most beloved primetime shows. Available exclusively on Samsung TV Plus, the channel delivers back-to-back hits including Comedy Nights with Kapil, Khatra Khatra Khatra, and Comedy Nights Bachao, with no login or subscription required.
The launch marks a milestone for free streaming in India, offering audiences a dedicated comedy destination directly from their Samsung TV home screen. It arrives as Samsung TV Plus India celebrates its 5th anniversary, during which the service has grown its monthly active users by 42 per cent and more than doubled its total viewing hours. The platform now offers over 180 free channels across 14 languages.
Samsung TV Plus India general manager and head of business development Kunal Mehta said, “Comedy is the heartbeat of Hindi entertainment, and Kings of Comedy brings together the shows Indians already love, completely free on their Samsung TV. Our focus remains the same take the content people know and make it effortless to access.”
Globally, Samsung TV Plus has surpassed 100 million monthly active users across more than 4,500 channels, solidifying its position as one of the world’s leading free streaming services.
Kings of Comedy is now available on all compatible Samsung Smart TVs. For viewers seeking non-stop laughter without any cost, this new channel delivers a royal treat proving that sometimes the best entertainment really does come with no strings (or subscriptions) attached.
