iWorld
Samsung’s free video service TV Plus launches in India
KOLKATA: India’s online video ecosystem has seen exponential growth in the last couple of years, especially after the pandemic. All the tech, media, and electronic giants are eying to capitalise on the booming OTT space.
Samsung is the latest addition to the list, with the launch of Samsung TV Plus, a service which offers its smart TV users free TV content, as well as ad-supported select live channels and on-demand videos, with no additional device such as a set top box. To access the service, all that the consumers will need is a Samsung Smart TV (2017 model onwards) and an internet connection.
With the introduction of TV Plus, consumers will get instant access to exciting content across genres such as news, lifestyle, technology, gaming and science, sports and outdoors, music, movies and bingeable shows, without any subscription.
TV Plus will also be available on most Samsung Galaxy smartphones and tablet devices with O OS or higher software version. Services for Galaxy smartphones are expected in April 2021. The TV Plus app can be downloaded from both the Samsung Galaxy Store and Google Play Store.
The innovative service is being introduced keeping in mind the change in consumer behaviour during the pandemic led lockdown period, when consumers, especially millennials and Gen Z, began to explore their televisions more and more for new and exciting content. In India, Samsung TV Plus will immediately be live across all Smart TV models from 2017 to 2021 and users will be able to access 27 global and local channels. More partners will be on-boarded soon to make the service more robust.
“Over the last one year, consumers have been spending more time at home. Their television sets and smartphones have become the centers of their lives, for both entertainment as well as information. We also noticed that consumers now immensely value great media content, the reason why we chose to introduce Samsung TV Plus in India. Over the next few months, we expect to scale TV Plus to add more channels and content,” Samsung India services director Reshma Prasad Virmani said.
Samsung is India’s top brand of televisions for over a decade and offers a range of smart TVs, ranging from Rs 18,900 to Rs 15,79,900.
With the launch in India, Samsung TV Plus is now available in 14 countries including the US, Canada, Korea, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, UK, Italy, France, Spain, Australia, Brazil and Mexico.
iWorld
Subedaar puts Indian original cinema on the global map with record-breaking Prime Video debut
MUMBAI: Prime Video has a runaway hit on its hands. Subedaar, the gritty action drama starring Anil Kapoor, has stormed to become the most-watched Indian original movie on the platform in its opening weekend, cracking the Top 10 across 31 countries and landing in 91 per cent of India’s pin codes within days of its March 5 premiere.
The film, a visceral, emotionally-charged story of a retired soldier, Subedaar Arjun Maurya, wrestling with civilian life amid crime and corruption, has struck a nerve. Directed by Suresh Triveni and co-starring Radhikka Madan, Mona Singh, Saurabh Shukla, Aditya Rawal, Faisal Malik, and Khushboo Sundar, the film is already being hailed as a showcase for what Indian original storytelling can achieve on the world stage.
“Subedaar’s success is a reflection of the growing scale and global resonance of Indian storytelling,” said Nikhil Madhok, director and head of originals at Prime Video India. “The film’s emotional narrative, its rooted portrayal of a soldier confronting his toughest battles beyond the battlefield, has struck a chord. Anil Kapoor delivers an acting masterclass, while Suresh Triveni’s solid direction and great performances from the ensemble cast have resulted in love and appreciation from customers across the world.”
Kapoor, 62, has been here before, but rarely at this altitude. Written by Triveni and Prajwal Chandrashekar, with dialogues by Triveni, Saurabh Dwivedi, and Chandrashekar, the film is a production by Opening Image Films in association with Anil Kapoor Film & Communication Network (AKFCN), produced by Vikram Malhotra, Kapoor, and Triveni.
Subedaar streams exclusively on Prime Video in Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu across India, and in over 240 countries and territories worldwide.
For Prime Video, the numbers tell the real story: one weekend, one film, a global footprint, and a very loud signal that Indian original cinema is no longer just travelling well. It’s arriving.
