English Entertainment
Moana, Doctor Strange & Star Wars on Star India with multi-year deal with Disney India
MUMBAI: Disney India has signed a multi-year output deal with Star India to telecast some of its successful films across the latter’s network in multiple languages including Hindi, Tamil, English, Telugu and Bengali.
The collaboration between Disney India and the Star India, over the years, has engaged viewers with blockbuster movies such as “Captain America: Winter Soldier”, Disney.Pixar’s “Inside Out”, Marvel’s “Avengers: Age of Ultron” and Disney’s “Cinderella”.
The new deal will include titles such as “Moana” and “Doctor Strange” and “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”, IANS reported. The extended partnership kicked off with of 2016’s biggest Hollywood blockbuster in India — Disney’s “The Jungle Book”s television premiere.
Disney India, vice president, studios Amrita Pandey stated that they believed in bringing quality, family focused entertainment to the audience across all age groups and Star was an ideal platform to take its bouquet of movies across the country.
Star India CEO-Entertainment Amit Chopra said that the partnership with Disney India was a testimony of its commitment to deliver the best Hollywood content to its viewers.
Meantime, Hulu, a JV with 21st Century Fox, Comcast’s NBCUniversal and Timer Warner’s Turner Broadcasting System, reached its first licensing pact for theatrical features with The Walt Disney Studios (DIS).
The new, multi-year, deal allows the streaming service the exclusive subscription VOD (video on-demand) rights to a collection of successful movies and family favorites from Disney’s library of blockbuster films.
Owing to the pact, Hulu became the exclusive S-VOD (subscription video on demand) home to a selection of Disney favorites including Mulan, Pocahontas, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Hercules, Sister Act and Air Bud, which are all available to stream on Hulu now.
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.
