GECs
Sony YAY! adds Naruto to its licensing & merchandising portfolio in India
Mumbai: Sony YAY!, India’s kid’s entertainment brand, has established a licensing and merchandising portfolio, in the last six years. With a toonverse of over 120 characters, the brand offers its partners value-based additions that help brands resonate with the spirit of this generation.
The channel’s dynamic toonverse comprises of an eclectic mix of homegrown and acquired toons, such as cat duo Honey Bunny, Oggy, from Oggy and the cockroaches, the super boy Kicko with his super car from Kicko Superspeedo and many more. 2022 also saw Sony YAY! introduce Naruto, for the first time ever on television. Adding another feather to its cap, the channel has now also bagged the title of being the first master licensee for the anime in India. In its first Direct-To-Etailor partnership with The Souled Store, the Naruto product line has already broken records with the biggest first day sale. As a part of this partnership, The Souled Store already offers a wide range of categories of official Naruto merchandise, spanning across apparels, accessories, footwear, and personal care. Not just this, very soon the fans of Naruto will also be able to avail the merchandise across many more categories which include – home furnishings, consumer electronics, toys, crockery and much more.
With brand partnerships like these, Sony YAY! endeavours to use its expertise of understanding audiences and equity of its characters to consistently bridge the gap between brands and their target group. By lending its characters and expertise in communication, Sony YAY! always works towards partnerships that echo the spirit of the new generation, with each association bringing a unique value addition. These partnerships range from promotional licensing with Honey and Bunny on Dabur milkshake and frappe packs, to experiential mobile games with Zapak and App On, customised apparels with Best Seller, or even funky home furnishings with comfy bean bags.
Sony YAY! business head Leena Lele Dutta said, “At Sony YAY!, we believe in creating an ecosystem of characters that will lend themselves to not just engaging with kids, but also help in expanding the width of the business. While we already have the licensing rights for our homegrown IP’s, we have also obtained the licensing rights for our acquired content which will help us to stay committed to our promise of always bringing fans closer to the characters that they love.”
The Souled Store co-founder & director Harsh La said, “This was an opportunity we simply couldn’t miss and we jumped at the chance to partner with Sony YAY!, the leading kids’ entertainment brand. We were thrilled to offer anime enthusiasts the official Naruto merchandise that they had been yearning for. Our collaboration has proved to be a resounding success, with sales skyrocketing from day one. We look forward to uncovering many more opportunities for collaboration with Sony YAY! in the future.”
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.
