GECs
Reliance-Disney Star: joint venture to finally fall in place by 18 November
MUMBAI: Here’s more on the Reliance-Viacom18-Disney Star India. Disney Star India distribution and international head Gurjeev Singh Kapoor is moving on. That came across as a shocker to many in the industry as he was known to be close to vice-chairman Uday Shankar and has had a good track record in terms of achieving targets and getting in revenue. Rumours are that he is likely to be headed to Sony Pictures Network India (SPNI) to work closely with CEO Gaurav Banerjee. Others say he is going to be turning entrepreneur.
Questions are being raised as to the fate of IndiaCast COO Piyush Goyal and international head Govind Shahi as the buzz in the organisation is that a new professional is likely to take Gurjeev’s place. Some fingers are being pointed towards SPNI’s Rajesh Kaul hopping on board.
While many have been saying that the new joint venture entity is going to be called JioStar and the email addresses are going to be jiostar.com, others are saying that the merged entity is going to be under Star India and the email addresses will be startv.com. Mails have been zipping around to executives in the two organisations and to clients announcing this, if sources are to be believed.
Sources indicate that the final announcements of the executives who will be staying or moving on are going to be made by 15 or 16 November with everything finally falling into place by 18 November.
Here’s hoping that we, at indiantelevision.com, are not adding to the oodles of speculation being floated around. Only time will tell.
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.
