Movie Channels
Sony Max SD & HD’s Sultan premiere locks big ad revenues
MUMBAI: How much can a single telecast of a Hindi film on a channel earn in ad revenues? Well, if estimates are to be believed, it could be Rs 50 crore for the premiere of the Salman Khan starrer Sultan which aired on Sony Pictures Network India (SPN India) Hindi movie channel Sony Max on 15 October, according to a PTI report. The film focuses on Sultan Ali Khan (played by Salman Khan), a wrestling champion from Haryana, whose successful career creates a rift in his personal life
As expected, SPN India president (sales & international business) Rohit Gupta refused to put a fix on the exact figure while speaking to PTI. All he said was : “It is one of the biggest blockbusters and it has been the biggest movie for us in terms of revenue. It is the highest grossing movie revenue which we have got, but we cant disclose the revenue.”
SPN India business head for Hindi movies and music cluster Neeraj Vyas also highlighted that Sultan allowed it to gross its highest ever ad sales for a movie premiere on the network. But once again he provided no figures. “We’ve had a 20 per cent increase in ad rates – over the previous large movie premiere that we had sold last year around the same time for Bahubali- which is why the numbers have gone up to what they have ”
SPN India had slapped a pricing of Rs 10 lakh per 10 second ad spot for its standard definition channel and Rs 2 lakh per 10 seconds for its Sony Max HD services. Those are the kind of numbers it charges for some of its premium IPL matches.
Amongst the brands which hopped on board included: Chinese handset maker Oppo and Reliance Jio as the co-presenter sponsors, while FMCG megalith Hindustan Unilever and auto major Mahindra as co-sponsors. Bajaj Auto, Colgate, Mondelez, Reckitt Benckiser and Samsung Electronics chose to be signed on as associate sponsors, while brands such as Apple, eBay India, Ford India, Google India, Huawei Tele, Intel, Intex Technologies, Lenovo, Loreal, Pernod Ricard, Raymond and Vivo Mobiles brought spots.
SPN India claimed to PTI that the inventory had been sold out days before – a bit of a first for the network.
Movie Channels
Zee5 launches five free FAST channels on Samsung TV Plus India
New genre-led channels bring comedy, drama, horror, classics and South films to Smart TVs.
MUMBAI: Zee5 just turned Samsung Smart TVs into a free entertainment buffet because when premium content costs nothing, even the remote control starts smiling. Zee5 has launched five curated free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channels on Samsung TV Plus India, making high-quality, genre-specific entertainment available subscription-free to millions of Samsung Smart TV owners across the country.
The five channels now live are:
Zee Comedy Nation – Popular comedy shows and movies
Zee Dil Se – Compelling drama series
ZEE Horror Nights – Horror and supernatural content
ZEE Cine Classic – Timeless Indian films
ZEE South Flix – High-energy South Indian films dubbed in Hindi
All content is drawn from Zee5’s extensive library and programmed in a lean-back, always-on format ideal for large-screen viewing. This launch strengthens Zee5’s Connected TV strategy at a time when 64 per cent of its premium content watch time already comes from connected devices.
Zee5 chief business officer Siju Prabhakaran said, “At Zee5, we believe accessibility and scale will define the next phase of digital entertainment growth in India. Our presence on Samsung TV Plus strengthens our Connected TV strategy, enabling viewers to discover curated, genre-led content in a seamless, free, and premium environment.”
Samsung TV Plus India head of partnerships Kunal Mehta added, “Local partnerships are at the heart of how we grow Samsung TV Plus in India. Zee Entertainment is one of India’s most iconic media brands, and bringing their channels to our service means millions more Samsung Smart TV owners can enjoy premium local content, subscription-free.”
The channels are available directly through the pre-installed Samsung TV Plus app with no login or subscription required. This marks another milestone in Zee5’s CTV expansion and builds on its growing international presence, with Zee channels already available on Samsung TV Plus across Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand.
In a streaming world where paywalls often block the fun, Zee5 and Samsung have quietly opened the gates, proving that sometimes the best things in life (and on your TV) really are free especially when they come with a side of comedy, drama, horror, classics and South Indian blockbuster energy.
