GECs
New avtaar HBO for South Asia launched
Now here’s a channel that will definitely give Star movies a run for its money. Come 1 September and Home Box Office or HBO as it is popularly known will air movies as a new entity in South Asia.
The new entity will have four of the worlds biggest studios with an equal stake in the venture. These studios banners include Warner Brothers, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Universal Studios and Paramount Pictures.
With a library from all these banners available, the channel promises that there will be 52 new premiers throughout the year – one every week.
HBO was launched in India earlier this year on March 27. But then it had a very limited library because of a standoff between Turner and Sony Entertainment Television. The latter had insisted that it be given the distribution and ad sales contract for the channel in India. Otherwise, it would not part with its Columbia/Tristar library for the Indian HBO channel.
But then Sony decided that it would put an end to the quarreling and withdraw its distribution and marketing bid, thus allowing its library to be used for the India service. The other two participating companies also concurred thus lifting the obstacles for the launch of the mega-movie channel in the region.
According to channel officials, these changes would not result in a rise in the cable rate per subscriber, which currently is Rs 6. The channel will also introduce ad slots. HBO till now was an ad free movie channel.
The new channel will be a feast for the couch potatoes with an impressive line up of movies like Godzilla, The Mask of Zoro, Forest Gump, The Trueman Show and the likes.
MUMBAI: Lights, camera… connection because this time, the game isn’t just about winning, it’s about who’s with you. Sony Pictures Networks India is gearing up to launch a new reality game show, Tum Ho Naa, expanding its unscripted slate with a format that promises both emotion and engagement.
The show will premiere soon on Sony Entertainment Television and stream on Sony LIV, with Rajeev Khandelwal stepping in as host. Known for his measured screen presence and selective choices, Khandelwal’s return to television adds a layer of familiarity and credibility to the upcoming format.
While specific details of the gameplay remain under wraps, the positioning suggests a reality format that leans as much on emotional resonance as it does on competition, an increasingly popular blend in Indian television, where audiences are gravitating towards content that offers both stakes and storytelling.
Khandelwal, reflecting on his return, noted that his choices have often been guided by instinct rather than convention, describing Tum Ho Naa as a project that feels “close to the heart”. His association also signals Sony’s continued focus on anchoring new formats with recognisable faces who bring both relatability and depth.
The launch comes at a time when broadcasters are doubling down on original non-fiction formats to drive appointment viewing, even as digital platforms expand parallel reach. By placing the show across both linear television and OTT, Sony appears to be aiming for a dual-audience strategy capturing traditional viewers while engaging digital-first consumers.
As the countdown to premiere begins, Tum Ho Naa positions itself not just as another game show, but as a reminder that sometimes, the biggest prize on screen isn’t the jackpot, it’s the journey shared along the way.
