English Entertainment
Sony Pix bids adieu to 2020 with a slew of Hollywood blockbusters
MUMBAI: As India prepares to bid adieu to 2020, Sony Pix too has plans to end the year on a high with a special programming line-up through the month of December. In addition to the Indian television premiere of Yesterday and Last Christmas, there’s ‘Premieres 2020’; ‘Thank God it’s 2021’; ‘Christmas special’; ‘Superhero special’ and ‘The Rock for 2021’.
Starting off is the movie festival ‘Premieres 2020’ consisting of all the movies which premiered on Sony Pix through the year. Catch these movies every night at 9 pm from 5 December to 19 December and relive the premieres of How to Train your Dragon: The Hidden World, Cold Pursuit, The Secret Life of Pets 2, Rampage, Mortal Engines and more.
There’s also the Indian television debut of Yesterday starring Himesh Patel. The movie celebrates the legacy of the Beatles and through the premiere of this movie, Sony Pix will pay tribute to 60 years of the band.
Then there’s the specially curated festival ‘Thank God it’s 2021’ from 21 December to 30 December, 7 pm onwards. The festival will celebrate the end of 2020 with 20 most viewed and loved titles of the year. This ten day movie festival includes blockbusters like Furious 7, King Kong, Jurassic World, The Mummy Returns, Godzilla and more.
Additionally, there’s the festive line-up ‘Christmas special’ on 25 December, 10 am onwards which will include movies like Dennis the Menace, Fantastic Beasts, Mr. Bean’s Holiday, How to Train your Dragon: The Hidden World and the Indian television premiere of romantic comedy Last Christmas starring Emilia Clarke and Henry Golding.
And finally, there’s the Superhero special on 31 December, 10 am onwards. This incredible line-up calls in the superhero movies like Hulk, The Incredible Hulk, Wonder Woman, Justice League, The Dark Knight, Hellboy 2 and more to end 2020 with a bang.
After an amazement-packed 2020, the start of 2021 also has to be special and hence Sony Pix will have ‘The Rock for 2021’ programming special to kickstart the new year. This line-up will include a Dwayne Johnson Pixathon including movies like Journey 2: The Msyterious Island, Rampage, Central Intelligence, Furious 7 and Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw on 1 January, 12 pm onwards.
Sony Pictures Networks India English cluster business head Tushar Shah said, “2020 was an exciting year with many new programming line-ups and blockbuster premieres. We are grateful for the support of the fans and are ecstatic to start the New Year with a rocking line-up. Sony Pix has and will continue to showcase the best of Hollywood blockbusters and keep the amazement quotient high for the fans.”
English Entertainment
ZEE5 UK partners Narrative Entertainment to add UK channels
Six FAST channels added as platform sharpens hybrid play in Britain
LONDON: ZEE5 UK struck a first-of-its-kind deal with Narrative Entertainment, bringing mainstream UK television channels onto an Indian streaming platform as it pushes to deepen its footprint in a crowded, mature market.
The partnership adds six of Narrative’s FAST channels to the service, including Great! Movies, Great! Romance, Great! Mystery and kids brands POP, Tiny Pop and POP UP, widening ZEE5 UK’s appeal across genres and age groups.
The move reflects a clear shift in strategy. ZEE5 UK is betting on a hybrid model that blends on-demand content with curated, always-on channels to drive discovery and increase time spent on the platform.
“This partnership represents a meaningful evolution in how we serve audiences in mature markets like the UK, where viewers are defined by habits, convenience and choice rather than geography or language alone,” said Parul Goel, territory head, Europe, Zee Entertainment. “By bringing trusted mainstream UK channels together with our premium originals, movies and kids’ content, we are building a more consumer-centric platform that simplifies viewing while increasing depth and relevance.”
Fateha Begum, commercial director, Narrative Entertainment, said the tie-up would fuel growth for both sides. “Our portfolio of quality programming, with such wide and enduring appeal, is a perfect complement to ZEE5 UK. This is a strong partnership that will support growth for both parties, and we share Zee Entertainment’s vision of an increasingly partnership-led future for the industry.”
ZEE5’s global library spans over 4,000 films and more than 500 originals, with over 130 new titles added annually. The addition of Narrative’s channels strengthens its kids offering and introduces genre-led linear experiences alongside its on-demand catalogue.
The deal also gives Narrative access to ZEE5 UK’s fast-growing user base, extending reach without diluting brand identity, while reinforcing ZEE5 UK’s network of more than 40 live channels.
As streaming wars intensify, ZEE5 UK is widening its playbook, blending content, convenience and partnerships in a bid to win screen time in one of the world’s toughest markets.
