Movie Channels
HBO looking for ‘The Mummy’ magic to strike twice
MUMBAI: Last year in January the horror film The Mummy gave HBO a place in TAM’s top 100. Since then, no other blockbuster has seen that kind of a response. Now the channel is hoping that the sequel to that film The Mummy Returns repeats the performance of its predecessor.
The Mummy Returns airs on 22 October at 9 pm. Not surprisingly the channel has pushed it as the movie event of the year. The sequel sees Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz reprise their roles. Eight years have passed since Fraser and Egyptologist Weisz saved the world from a 3000-year-old villain called Imhotep.
The Rock
The film is noteworthy for the film debut of World Wrestling Entertainment’s wrestler The Rock. He plays the Scorpion King. In fact the character proved to be so popular that another film was made with The Rock in the lead.
HBO is running spots promoting a contest it is having in association with contests2win.com. It offers an all expenses paid trip for two to Hollywood. All viewers have to do is answer a simple question which will be displayed during the film. They can then SMS HBO to 8558. Other prizes on offer include the LG DVD Movie Station and LG Platron Plus.
In the meantime contests2win is running a warm up contest as a prelude to the main contest. At stake is an HBO gift hamper. The question is – In the movie The Mummy Returns, Rick O’Connell and Imhotep battle to control whose army? The options are Scorpion King, Lizard King and Lion King.
Movie Channels
Zee5 launches five free FAST channels on Samsung TV Plus India
New genre-led channels bring comedy, drama, horror, classics and South films to Smart TVs.
MUMBAI: Zee5 just turned Samsung Smart TVs into a free entertainment buffet because when premium content costs nothing, even the remote control starts smiling. Zee5 has launched five curated free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channels on Samsung TV Plus India, making high-quality, genre-specific entertainment available subscription-free to millions of Samsung Smart TV owners across the country.
The five channels now live are:
Zee Comedy Nation – Popular comedy shows and movies
Zee Dil Se – Compelling drama series
ZEE Horror Nights – Horror and supernatural content
ZEE Cine Classic – Timeless Indian films
ZEE South Flix – High-energy South Indian films dubbed in Hindi
All content is drawn from Zee5’s extensive library and programmed in a lean-back, always-on format ideal for large-screen viewing. This launch strengthens Zee5’s Connected TV strategy at a time when 64 per cent of its premium content watch time already comes from connected devices.
Zee5 chief business officer Siju Prabhakaran said, “At Zee5, we believe accessibility and scale will define the next phase of digital entertainment growth in India. Our presence on Samsung TV Plus strengthens our Connected TV strategy, enabling viewers to discover curated, genre-led content in a seamless, free, and premium environment.”
Samsung TV Plus India head of partnerships Kunal Mehta added, “Local partnerships are at the heart of how we grow Samsung TV Plus in India. Zee Entertainment is one of India’s most iconic media brands, and bringing their channels to our service means millions more Samsung Smart TV owners can enjoy premium local content, subscription-free.”
The channels are available directly through the pre-installed Samsung TV Plus app with no login or subscription required. This marks another milestone in Zee5’s CTV expansion and builds on its growing international presence, with Zee channels already available on Samsung TV Plus across Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand.
In a streaming world where paywalls often block the fun, Zee5 and Samsung have quietly opened the gates, proving that sometimes the best things in life (and on your TV) really are free especially when they come with a side of comedy, drama, horror, classics and South Indian blockbuster energy.
