GECs
Gurjeev Singh to head Star India international business
MUMBAI: After the big split last month of Star and Zee’s distribution JV MediaPro, Star India has announced that MediaPro former COO Gurjeev Singh Kapoor will head the company’s international business initiatives.
Once the MediaPro transition is complete, Singh will shift to his new base in London and report to Star India COO Sanjay Gupta. In his new role, Singh will handle distribution, syndication, ad sales and new content development in the US, South Afriaca, West Asia, the UK, Europe, south Asia and Southeast Asia.
“The international business has huge growth potential which has not yet been fully tapped and we believe Gurjeev will add tremendous value to the organization and will build on the foundations that have been put in place and take the International business to new heights,” said Gupta.
“Gurjeev shares our values and our focus on the business and he has proved to be an extraordinary leader throughout his stint with Star and its ventures,” he added.
Singh will take up his new posting only after a few months. Speaking on his new role Singh said, “I am looking forward to be back into Star’s fold and delighted with the opportunity to expand our global footprint. Star is uniquely placed to drive aggressive growth in the international markets based on its great content advantage.”
Star India’s channels are available in more than 120 countries globally. And Singh has his task cut out for him: Zee Entertainment Enterprises channels are available in more than 160 countries globally and a very aggressive IndiaCast has been working aggressively to further the distribution of the Viacom18, Network18 channels worldwide.
Concurrent with Singh’s new responsibility, Star India’s national distribution has been split into two: TS Panesar has been given the task of handling national distribution on DTH and in the digitised markets, while Summit Grover has been brought in to look after distribution in the emerging markets of DAS phase III and IV. Both are expected to report into Singh.
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.
