Movie Channels
Max makes Hindi movies, cricket its signature theme
A point that was emphasised more than once at the recently concluded FICCI-Frames 2001 convention in Mumbai was that 80 per cent of programming on Indian television centred around the film industry.
Working on this as well as India’s love with all things cricketing, Max, part of the Sony Entertainment Television bouquet, yesterday announced a new signature for the channel – “Where your Heroes Belong”. Max will be where “the world of Hindi cinema and cricket share a common platform,” Kacon Sethi, executive vice-president and general manager – Max, said.
Included in the package that make up the new-look channel are a host of new film-based shows, Sethi said, stressing that Sony saw Max as its channel driver and not as an appendage of SET. This could be seen from the kind of effort and investment that was being devoted to Max, Sethi said.
Max is looking at selling itself in a much more aggressive manner in the coming months, Sethi asserted. It is also planning at increasing its subscription rates by between 30 and 40 per cent before the year is out, according to her.
The channel hopes to hit the jackpot with the rights for recent Hindi blockbusters like Mohabbatein, Kaho Na Pyaar Hai, Mission Kashmir and Hera Pheri for which it has paid an undisclosed amount. Sony officials in private say a big blockbuster costs an average of Rs 50 million. Sony is reported to have paid Rs 150 million for the library of films made by top producer-director Yash Chopra.
On the cricket front, Sethi said Max had 33 One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and 18 Tests lined up giving a total of 123 days of live action. Included in the roster is an upcoming three-ODI “masala” series Sony has organised in Mumbai which pits left-handed international cricketers against right-handed ones.
Other than that, cricket featuring India will be seen on Max only in August and September when Sri Lanka plays host to India for a three-Test series in August, to be followed by a ODI tri-series which includes New Zealand.
In terms of revenue this is significant. Sethi said if India had not pulled out of the recently held Sharjah tourney, Sony expected revenues in the region of Rs 300 million. A seven-match international ODI series without India could be expected to bring in anything between Rs 70 million to Rs 150 million, Sethi said. When asked how much the Sharjah series earned, she would only say the figure was in the mid-range.
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.
