GECs
Sony Ent extends Kapil Sharma’s contract by a year
MUMBAI: Speculation has been rife for several months now that Sony Pictures Networks India’s Sony Entertainment Television was going to dump the comedy man Kapil Sharma and his show. The reason: the viewership and following was consistently dropping, and the price that it was forking out for it was really high.
But, the gossip has been put to rest now with SET announcing that it has renewed its partnership with Kapil and his team at K9 Productions. The extended contract between the two is valid for another year. The channel says it decided to go ahead with Kapil as his show continues to reinvent itself as the benchmark in comedy entertainment.
Adds SET EVP & head Danish Khan: “The Kapil Sharma Show bring smiles to millions of viewer every weekend nights across the globe. Kapil is an extraordinary talent and we are delighted to have further cemented our relationship with extension of this contract. We are confident that the show and its talented cast will continue to enthrall the audiences across the globe.”
Sources indicate that the renewed contract has some caveats attached to it. For starters, they say, that its budget has been shaved by close to 25 per cent; in keeping with the shows downward trend in ratings. The cast of the show is also reportedly being pruned in keeping with the lower budget. Reports had suggested that the earlier contract was for Rs 110 crore.
However, that was at a time when Kapil was still ruling the ratings, and he had parted ways with Colors. At that time, Kapil was being paid close to Rs 1.25 crore per episode, which catapulted him into the highest paid TV star list. Forbes had stated that his earnings totted up to Rs 30 crore in 2016.
SET has expanded its weekend programming since by bringing in another comedy show called The Drama Company.
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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.
