English Entertainment
Star China, Canxing sign co-production deal with Syco Entertainment
MUMBAI: Canxing Production and Star China International Media Limited signed a major three-year development deal with the globally renowned creative company Syco Entertainment.
The agreement’s primary aim is to co-develop large scale global entertainment formats with appeal for Greater China; and the potential for international distribution. The deal was signed in London today, after a four-day creative conference last week between high level producers of both companies.
The conference was led by Canxing Production CEO Tian Ming and Star China executives — Star China chief director Jin Lei (Sing! China, Sing My Song, and The Voice of China) and deputy general manager Iris Xia, alongside Syco global head of television Nigel Hall, and Syco head of international George Levendis.
“Canxing/Star China is thrilled to partner with Syco. We just completed a very inspiring week-long creative session with Syco and our team is excited for the future projects we will co-create. This is the first time Canxing/Star China has entered into such a major collaborative deal with a company outside China,” said Tian Ming.
Nigel Hall said: “Syco Entertainment is delighted to partner with Star China in this long-term development deal. Star China has a first class pedigree of production in China and, for our part at Syco, we believe our visions will help this partnership be truly creative and successful.”
Canxing/Star China’s recent hit program Sing! China aired on Zhejiang Satellite TV, earning the # 1 position every week of its 13-week run. The show also received major online visibility throughout the season. Within the first 2 days of the initial airing, the show received more than 500 million total views on Tencent and Youku video sites and broke online records by receiving more than 37 billion views for the entire first season. There were over 47 million views on Tencent and YouKu in just 24 hours alone after the finale. In October, Zhejiang announced the commission of Season 2 for Spring 2017.
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.
