Movie Channels
Star boosts Chinese movie channel with output deal
MUMBAI:: With the aim of dominating the Chinese movies segment across key Asian territories, Star has signed an exclusive multi-territory pay television output deal with Hong Kong’s Emperor Group.
Under the terms of the multi-million dollar agreement, the channel Star Chinese Movies will have exclusive access to Mandarin and Cantonese pay television rights of all films produced by Emperor Motion Pictures (EMP) and movie star Jackie Chan’s JCE Movies (JCE), for Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macau, the Philippines and Singapore for the next three years.
Star Chinese Movies already has output agreements with Hong Kong film studios like China Star, Media Asia, Teamwork and Universe. The new deal secures for the broadcaster 90 per cent of all the current and upcoming Chinese titles.
Star COO Steve Askew is quoted in a company release as saying, “This announcement creates a world record. No other Chinese movie channel has secured as many exclusive new movies as Star Chinese Movies.” Adding, “Such high quality films from EMP and JCE to our programming will set us even further apart from our competitors.”
Chan has been quoted as saying, “I strongly believe that the combination of our well-made films and Star’s strength and dominance in the region will help to elevate the Hong Kong film industry to a new level.”
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.
