GECs
ETV buys single telecast rights to 207 movies from Sony
MUMBAI: ETV Network has signed a deal to buy 207 movies from Sony Entertainment Television for single telecast rights, strengthening the trend towards syndication of content.
ETV will receive a bulk of 20 movies each month, a source in the company said. The transaction is routed through Goldmines Media Ltd, a Mumbai-based listed company which is in the business of movie acquisitions.
ETV will telecast these movies on its four regional channels for the Hindi heartland – ETV Bihar, ETV Uttar Pradesh, ETV Madhya Pradesh and ETV Rajasthan. The acquisition price is estimated at Rs 13 million, according to market sources.
The movies from Sony include Rocky (Sanjay Dutt’s debut film), Johnny Mera Naam (Dev Anand and Hema Malini), Sadma (Kamal Hasan and Sri Devi), Utsav (Rekha and Shekhar Suman), Majboor (Amitabh Bachchan), Khoon Pasina (Amitabh Bachchan, Vinod Khanna and Rekha), Zamana Deewana (Shahrukh Khan), Zindagi Ek Jua, Dostana and Moksha.
ETV has earlier done bulk deals with Star India and Zee Telefilms for single telecast rights of Hindi movies. Broadcasters see syndication of movie content as another revenue stream which has opportunity to grow. “We do not buy rights for a longer period. All our movie purchases for these four channels are based on single telecast rights,” the source said.
ETV’s four regional channels for the Hindi heartland air’s one movie a day. A major part of content on these channels is non- fiction. News-related content is the prime driver and no soaps are telecast on these channels. “We have soaps on our other regional language channels. But it makes no sense to air soaps on the four channels for the Hindi heartland as there are strong general entertainment channels like Star Plus, Sony and Zee TV catering to these audiences,” the source said.
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.
