Movie Channels
Star Movies claims clear lead over HBO
NEW DELHI: Which is the best of the lot? Star Movies, armed with TAM data, has claimed that it is dominating viewership (target group: C&S SEC AB 4+ homes, nine cities for Fri, Sat, Sun 1900-2400) for the weekend slot : in June, Star Movies had an audience share of 1.49, almost double of HBO (0.76), and far higher than the others like AXN (0.39), Zee MGM (0.24) and Hallmark (0.03) over the weekends.
An official release states Star Movies beat HBO every week this year, across 15 markets. To buttress its argument the release makes the following points:
• Star Movies, early this year, was the top performing channel in India with this year’s broadcast of the Oscars.
• It holds the ratings record for the top three movies Titanic, Jurassic Park and Lost World ever to air in India (see ratings chart)
• Watched by over 40 million people over the last three months.
• The channel reaches 3 out of 4 upmarket men with cable across the last quarter (April to June).
• The largest studio portfolio of any movie channel.
• Exclusive access to the most successful movie franchises of all time – James Bond and Star Wars films
• Exclusive rights to Live broadcast of the Oscars, and also some special events like World Heavyweight Championship Boxing (the Lewis Vs Tyson bout was shown on the channel).
To read the full power point presentation made by Star Movies – click here
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.
