GECs
Shemaroo fortifies its leadership team with two more appointments
Mumbai: Shemaroo, India’s media and entertainment powerhouse, has announced the appointment of two more key executives to further strengthen its leadership team. Arpit Mankar has been appointed as head – non-Bollywood category and Abhishek Joshi will be head of ShemarooMe, the OTT platform of Shemaroo.
As head of Non-Bollywood Category, Mankar will be responsible for developing an overarching content strategy for various regions in India and abroad. Mankar comes with over 20 years of experience in the media & entertainment industry, having worked in leadership roles at Star India Pvt. Ltd., Sony – AXN Networks and Reliance group. In his last stint at Disney-Star, he served in key positions including head of programming strategy for Star Plus and general manager – Star Bharat, responsible for delivering viewership and profitability targets for the Hindi GEC. In this new role, he will be reporting to Shemaroo COO Arghya Chakravarty, and will be a part of the executive committee.
Joshi will be overseeing the strategy, planning and operations of the platform. He will be responsible for driving revenue, subscriber acquisition and will be leading a team of cross-functional executives to maximize growth. In his last role, Joshi was the business head of SVOD & head of business partnerships at MX Player. Through his career spanning more than two decades he has worked with leading M&E players like Sony Pictures Networks India, Zenga Media Pvt. Ltd. (ZengaTV), Reliance Big Pictures, Sony Liv & ABP Group. He will be reporting to digital business COO Zubin Dubash.
Chakravarty said, “We are excited to onboard Abhishek and Arpit in our leadership team at Shemaroo. Their proven track record and diverse skill sets will be invaluable assets as we continue to drive growth and innovation across various B2C businesses. I extend my heartiest congratulations and wish them great success in their new roles.”
Shemaroo is committed to fostering a culture of innovation and excellence, and these new seasoned industry leaders are a testament to that commitment. The company is excited to onboard Mankar and Joshi and watch them thrive in their career at Shemaroo.
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.
