GECs
Sahara to fund management JV with Percept
MUMBAI: Sahara India Entertainment Management, a joint venture company created to look after Sahara’s media and entertainment businesses, will be funded entirely by the Sahara Group.
Percept, the other 50 per cent partner in the joint venture, will provide human resources and manage the operations. The joint venture company will have a 30-member team with Percept IMC joint managing director Shailendra Singh in charge.
The new company will charge a fee from Sahara. “It is a variable fee structure, linked to how much revenues we manage to garner from the media and entertainment businesses,” says Sahara India Entertainment Management chief operating officer Peter Isaac.
Sahara’s contract with Percept is for five years, but the exit option can be exercised after three years. “It is a unique management contract system in India. There are a few examples of this nature in the overseas market,” says Isaac.
The management company will ideate, form a business plan and be in charge of synergising Sahara’s media and entertainment businesses. The ‘super-structure’ team will strictly supervise the execution of the projects. The old Sahara team will report to the management company.
Already, the four businesses – television, motion pictures, radio and special projects – have been brought under the umbrella brand of SaharaOne. “The underlying philosophy of this joint venture is to entertain India. We will use SaharaOne across all the media and entertainment platforms of the Group,” says Isaac.
Sahara India Entertainment Management will be responsible for putting systems, structures and people into place. While Ernst & Young will be involved in setting up IT processes, KPMG will look at the business part. “We expect KPMG to submit the report by the end of the month,” says Isaac.
The budget and targets for the next one year will be fixed after the company’s board meeting, scheduled this month-end.
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.
