GECs
ETC’s Ashutosh is now Sahara ‘Filmi’ channel’s biz head
MUMBAI: Sahara is finally gearing up to go ‘Filmi’. The company is putting in place a senior team to launch ‘Filmi’ – its movie channel.
Ashutosh, who had quit ETC channel, has joined as the business head of Sahara’s movie channel called Filmi. Also joining the channel as creative director and on air promo head is Mukul Mishra.
While Ashutosh was business head of ETC, Mishra was Sony head of on-air promo.
Confirming the development, Sahara India Entertainment Management COO Peter Isaac said the hunt was on for a COO. The movie channel is slated for a launch within three months, he added. Sahara India Entertainment management is a 50:50 management joint venture between Sahara and Percept, formed to ideate, plan and supervise the execution of different projects.
Sahara had earlier announced that it will launch its movie channel in January 2005. The company has made movie acquisitions to feed the channel which will also have a good amount of non-movie content.
Meanwhile, SaharaOne has taken on Hungama TV’s on-air promo head Abhijit Mitra as head of promos for their general entertainment channel.
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.
