GECs
Music, lifestyle channel Zee Arabia launching in August
MUMBAI: Zee Telefilms Ltd (ZTL) is strengthening its presence in the Middle East with the launch in August of Zee Arabia, a music and lifestyle channel targeted at South Asians.
Zee Arabia, which is under the Zee International division, will launch in the first half of August. Zee Telefilms director, special projects, Yogesh Radhakrishnan is heading the initiative.
Former Sahara One non-fiction programming head Kalyan Sundaram, who joined Zee International last month as creative head, will be heading the creative wing of Zee Arabia.
“We believe in interactivity and participation, and I will continue to promote these in my projects for Zee as well,” says Sundaram, who had conceptualised the Sahara One show Dial One aur Jeeto.
Zee’s move emphasises chairman and managing director Subhash Chandra’s plans to have a solid ground presence in the Middle East market. “We have based Yogesh in Dubai as he is an experienced person and the Middle East is an important and big market for us. We would like to have sizable ground presence in the area,” Chandra had said in an interview with indiantelevision.com early this year.
Zee Network presently has Zee TV providing a dedicated localised feed for the Gulf. As reported by this website earlier, Zee is planning to launch a dedicated feed of Zee Music in the region this year.
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.
