English Entertainment
Fox Kids Europe increases revenues by 17 per cent
MUMBAI: Pan-European integrated children’s entertainment broadcaster Fox Kids Europe has announced financial results for the six months ended 31 March 2004.
Revenues increased by 17 per cent to $87.4 million and operating income increased from $3.2 million to $9.1 million. Subscribers increased by 4.4 million year-on-year to 37.2 million households in 57 countries. However it anticipated that revenues from programme distribution for the year will be down 25 per cent.
The broadcaster is in the process of undergoing an initiative to create a new global action-adventure network for kids Jetix. As part of the rebranding excercise the company’s name will be changed to Jetix Europe in the coming months. In this respect an Extraordinary GM will be held in order to approve such a change.
Fox Kids Europe chairman and CEO Bruce Steinberg added, ” Our core channel business continues to go from strength to strength. We expect this success to continue as we begin to rename our channels from Fox Kids to Jetix over the next twelve months.
“Being part of a global programming alliance with Disney is a very exciting prospect for our company and, over time, we hope to increase the amount of programming that we co-produce with Disney. This alliance started last year with the co-production W.I.T.C.H, and since then we have already added to that with the co-production Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go!, . This is due for delivery next year.”
Steinberg conceeded that the programme distribution business had experienced a drop in revenues due to a reduction in the volume of rights acquired for shows outside of Europe and the Middle East. He however claimed that the reduction in revenues was not as great as had previously been anticipated.
“We are also seeing tangible signs of improvements in both the quality and quantity of programming that we acquire. The number of episodes added to the library in the period increased from 84 to
122 year-on-year. One of these shows, Tutenstein, has recently won an Emmy
award.”
Holland was the standout performer with a 32 per cent share among kids. The broadcaster further claimed that in France ratings increased by 66 per cent among kids aged 4-10. Meanwhile ad revenues went up by over 50 per cent against a television advertising market in Europe that has shown low single digit growth over the same period.
On the merchandising front he added that Power Rangers merchandise was now on sale in more than 100 Disney Stores throughout Europe. “This should contribute to further growth in our consumer products business.”
English Entertainment
ZEE5 UK partners Narrative Entertainment to add UK channels
Six FAST channels added as platform sharpens hybrid play in Britain
LONDON: ZEE5 UK struck a first-of-its-kind deal with Narrative Entertainment, bringing mainstream UK television channels onto an Indian streaming platform as it pushes to deepen its footprint in a crowded, mature market.
The partnership adds six of Narrative’s FAST channels to the service, including Great! Movies, Great! Romance, Great! Mystery and kids brands POP, Tiny Pop and POP UP, widening ZEE5 UK’s appeal across genres and age groups.
The move reflects a clear shift in strategy. ZEE5 UK is betting on a hybrid model that blends on-demand content with curated, always-on channels to drive discovery and increase time spent on the platform.
“This partnership represents a meaningful evolution in how we serve audiences in mature markets like the UK, where viewers are defined by habits, convenience and choice rather than geography or language alone,” said Parul Goel, territory head, Europe, Zee Entertainment. “By bringing trusted mainstream UK channels together with our premium originals, movies and kids’ content, we are building a more consumer-centric platform that simplifies viewing while increasing depth and relevance.”
Fateha Begum, commercial director, Narrative Entertainment, said the tie-up would fuel growth for both sides. “Our portfolio of quality programming, with such wide and enduring appeal, is a perfect complement to ZEE5 UK. This is a strong partnership that will support growth for both parties, and we share Zee Entertainment’s vision of an increasingly partnership-led future for the industry.”
ZEE5’s global library spans over 4,000 films and more than 500 originals, with over 130 new titles added annually. The addition of Narrative’s channels strengthens its kids offering and introduces genre-led linear experiences alongside its on-demand catalogue.
The deal also gives Narrative access to ZEE5 UK’s fast-growing user base, extending reach without diluting brand identity, while reinforcing ZEE5 UK’s network of more than 40 live channels.
As streaming wars intensify, ZEE5 UK is widening its playbook, blending content, convenience and partnerships in a bid to win screen time in one of the world’s toughest markets.
