Movie Channels
Nippon TV heads into fall with two new shows
Mumbai: Japan’s multiplatform entertainment company Nippon TV on Monday announced that it will head into the fall season with two new shows – ‘Money or Junk’ and ‘Life’s Punchline’.
Announcing the shows, Nippon TV managing director international business development Mikiko Nishiyama said the two new formats are unique in that their idiosyncrasies and quirks that give them quite the twist. “Following in the footsteps of Nippon TV’s highly successful business format “Dragons’ Den/Shark Tank”, with more than 40 versions in 186 territories, ‘Money or Junk’ was created with a business concept at its core, updated with craft, survival elements for the entire family audience in the digital era,” said Nishiyama.
‘Money or Junk’ hit the airwaves in July 2021 on Nippon TV to stellar ratings among children, teenagers, and 20-to-34-year age group females. With the concept of ‘making’ money out of nothing’, contestants compete by self-monetising in remote locations using available resources to sell various items on e-commerce apps. Due to its high ratings, the format has already earned a second slot on Nippon TV for later this year.
On the other hand, ‘Life’s Punchline’ was broadcast weekly on Nippon TV from April to June 2021 with almost 14 million total views to date on VOD and has now become the most viewed series on the platform from Nippon TV’s Saturday night slot.
“‘Life’s Punchline’ centers around a comedy trio, and each episode opens with a comedic skit which eventually blends into bigger plots of the drama. Vividly depicting each character’s worries and emotional conflicts in their late 20s that stem from their dream, job, family, and romantic interest, viewers are sure to find someone they can relate to,” said Nishiyama.
Other new scripted formats to be produced by Nippon TV later this year and in 2022 include the co-production project of an innovative crime drama series with Envision Entertainment in London, which was announced in July.
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.
