GECs
Hong Kong’s Pay TV piracy civil action settled out-of-court
MUMBAI: A success story in the war against the cable pirate. Only it is far removed from Indian shores.
The Cable & Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (Casbaa), representing 120 member companies has confirmed that civil actions in Hong Kong against the firms for allegedly importing and trading in unlicensed satellite TV signal decoding equipment have been settled.
An out-of court settlement was reached yesterday in the ongoing legal tussle between plaintiffs Star, CNN, Turner Entertainment Networks Asia, ESPN Star Sports, Discovery Asia and NGC Network Asia and defendants Alpha Communications Technology Ltd and Andy Yeung Chun Wah.
Both defendants admitted to the charges and paid an undisclosed sum in damages, a Casbaa release says.
Both firms have been restrained by a court injunction from importing into Hong Kong and selling any “smart cards” or decoders that are obtained from distributors in territories outside of Hong Kong. They also had to surrender all the smart cards and pay-TV decoders in their possession. The retail supplier in Thailand who sold the cards has also been identified, the release says.
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.
