GECs
SET India stakeholder Jackie Shroff says may dilute holding
NEW DELHI: The Indian and NRI shareholders may dilute their stakes further in Sony Entertainment TV (SET) India, according to one of the Indian shareholders of the company.
“I, like any other shareholder, am not averse to diluting the stake in the company in favour of the public or Sony. I have the option to do that and may exercise that right too,” Jackie Shroff, Bollywood film star and one of the Indian shareholders in SET told indiantelevision.com on the sidelines of a party hosted on Sunday by the Sahara group and politician Amar Singh here to felicitate Kapil Dev who has been declared as the Wisden’s Indian cricketer of the century.
In India, SET looks after the affairs of Sony, AXN and SET Max, distributes CNBC India and has a distribution joint venture with Discovery India.
According to Shroff, looking quite spiffy and a far cry from the character of Chunni Babu, which he ineptly essayed, in the latest blockbuster Devdas, he, however, has not made up his mind how of much of his shareholding he will dilute. He also did not spell out his personal holding in SET.
“It has been almost seven years since we made the investment in SET and naturally we would also like some good returns on it,” Shroff said in between posing with his fans for photographs, “But I must admit it has been a wise investment.”
When asked specifically whether he is aware of SET’s plans to go public in India sometime next year if the market conditions are okay, Shroff said, “I have heard something of that sort, but I don’t have any details or specific information on that aspect.”
According to the information available, the shareholding in SET India currently is as follows: Sony Pictures Entertainment, USA holds a 61 per cent equity stake, while 31 per cent is held by Indian partners and NRIs, and 8 per cent by Capital International, Japan.
In July, SET India chief executive Kunal Dasgupta had told journalists on the occasion of the launch of the Madhuri-anchored K3H that Sony Entertainment Television, part of the Japanese conglomerate Sony, was in a restructuring mode both in Singapore and India.
“We are undergoing some restructuring both in Singapore and India as part of which the Indian operation has undergone work-related changes,” Dasgupta had then told indiantelevision.com.
When he was asked to respond to the sentiment among media analysts that the changes in SET in Singapore and India may lead to an IPO in India, Dasgupta had reluctantly admitted: “At some point of time we have to bring the two entities together for valuation
Bringing the Indian and Singapore operations under one company has to be done as the Singapore SET is the broadcasting company, while SET India is the marketing, ad sales and distribution company.
Only merging the two entities will unlock the real valuation of Sony Entertainment if it wants to go in for an IPO, media analysts had opined.
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.
