GECs
Star India’s FY19 losses widen due to IPL
MUMBAI: Star India’s bet with the Indian Premier League (IPL) seems to have made a dent in its pocket for the financial year ending March 2019. The company reported a loss of Rs 1216.13 crore as against a profit of Rs 287.69 crore a year ago, according to a report by Economic Times.
Star India booked IPL expenses of Rs 4000 crore. Even though the company’s revenue increased by 35 per cent, it was hit by the IPL expenses.
Economic Times also quoted a Tofler report which indicated that Star India’s total revenue from operations was Rs 12,314 crore in FY19 which was Rs 9149 crore a year ago. Ad revenue was up by 49 per cent while distribution revenue saw a hike of 9 per cent.
The total expenditure was up by 58 per cent, mainly due to a 66 per cent increase in programming and operating cost, 34 per cent higher employee cost and 57 per cent hike in marketing cost. While the company has high hopes from the future of Hotstar, currently it also contributed to the losses. IT reported a net loss of Rs 558.38 crore showing revenue of Rs 1112.74 crore.
FY2019 was also the first year when Star India had both TV and digital rights to the IPL.
As if this wasn’t enough, Star India also took a hit in its regional business. It saw a 9 per cent drop in net profit from Rs 298.22 crore to Rs 271.85 crore. The regional business revenue was up by 11 per cent touching Rs 1445.10 crore.
The company recently saw the exit of managing editor Sanjay Gupta, who has moved on to Google India.
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.
