English Entertainment
HBO lines up X’mas treat for viewers
MUMBAI: Come December, people don their party hats to usher in the New Year. From decorations on the streets, lighting, singing Christmas carols to gorging on the diverse range of cakes, this month of the year is much awaited by one and all. To add to this devil-may-care season, English entertainment channel HBO has planned a power packed December with the best Hollywood blockbusters.
The lineup titled as Rewind 2015 starts from 7 December to 31 December, 2015 and will air from Monday to Thursday in the prime time slot of 9 pm.
The star studded action packed movies for this campaign include blockbuster movies like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Transformers Age of Extinction, Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams, Ghost Rider, Riddick, Noah and Interstellar to name a few.
The channel will promote the property mostly on-air via promos with digital support and trade. “We believe in providing the best to our viewers. This is our yet another endeavour for our audience to give them an extra reason to celebrate Christmas with more elation. We are already experiencing a lot of buzz about this campaign across all the social platforms. We strive to stick to our vision of keeping the audience entertained with our blockbuster lineup,” says a channel spokesperson.
The campaign is also being promoted on all social media platforms via fun facts, trivia and contests. As far as the marketing strategies for this campaign goes, HBO has chosen the off-air marketing route, which includes digital promotion on the channel’s Facebook and Twitter pages with promoted posts and a contest. The channel will also be releasing a trade mailer.
“The advertisers were quite impressed with our concept and have been a good support to us. We hope and expect that through this initiative, we will go that extra mile to get a smile on the faces on our loyal viewers,” adds another channel spokesperson.
The channel’s property will also be promoted on Instagram.
“I always watch HBO because of the bouquet of various movie genres, which makes my evening lively. I look forward to what HBO is going to offer us this Christmas special,” says a loyal media follower.
However, HBO is not planning any on-ground or print marketing campaigns and will majorly focus on the metro and non-metro cities through the fans that are available on Facebook and Twitter.
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.
