English Entertainment
History Channel US expands brand value through multimedia offerings
MUMBAI: After months of research and development, US media firm A&E Television Networks (AETN) has announced the formation of History Education, the channel’s multimedia classroom.
This new business venture which is an extension of The History Channel, develops and sells resources for schools and community colleges. It offers a new multimedia product line based on the network’s acclaimed programming that challenges, inspires and encourages the love of learning.
The first release under the History Education brand is The History Channel Multimedia Classroom, a set of new social studies teaching tools that are specifically correlated to meet national and individual state curriculum requirements.
Created for students in middle school through junior college, each lesson plan combines short clips of original programming with primary source documents, discussion questions, extended activities, maps and images, and suggested reading lists.
The lesson plan components, in CD-Rom format (both PC and Mac compatible), are paired with closed-captioned DVD versions of the full-length programmes on which they are based.
The History Channel Multimedia Classroom product line will launch on 10 February with American History. This set spans six distinct periods in the history of the US. The American History set is comprised of 21 lesson plans within six subsets including Founding of a Nation, Early Expansion, Nation in Conflict, America in Transition, Years of Crisis, and New World Order.
AETN senior VP, corporate outreach and chief historian Dr. Libby O’Connell says, “Over the years, it has been the mission of AETN and The History Channel to actively support teachers’ and parents’ efforts to bring history alive for students in the classroom and at home. History Education is a culmination of the company’s major effort to ensure that the finest multimedia tools are developed, presenting history lessons in an easy-to-use format.”
The set is designed to offer maximum flexibility. Teachers can select entire plans or only the elements they need, allowing them to individually tailor each lesson.
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.
