GECs
‘Strategic investor will take stake in the broadcasting entity’ : Shantanu Aditya – UTV Global Broadcasting executive director and V&S Boardcasting CEO
UTV is lining up nine channels and is planning to bet Rs 6 billion in it. The company is in talks with strategic investors to support its broadcasting venture which will be under the umbrella of UTV Global Broadcasting.
The aim is to try and carve out a place in the youth and niche segments. The three TV verticals UTV wants to operate on are Genx Entertainment which will roll out the four youth-centric Bindass channels, UTV News for the business news channel, and V&S Broadcasting for movie and Hindi speciality channels.
The company expects the Hindi movie channel to drive this bouquet of pay channels along with Bindass.
In an interview with Indiantelevision.com's Sibabrata Das and Renelle Snelleksz, UTV Global Broadcasting executive director and V&S Broadcasting CEO Shantonu Aditya chalks out the road ahead for UTV's plans in the broadcast space.
Excerpts:
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How is UTV arranging funds for the slew of nine channels it plans to launch? |
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Is UTV in talks to rope in strategic or financial investors? |
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Will the strategic investor take stake in UTV Software Communications, which is the listed entity, or in the broadcasting arm? |
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Does UTV Software Communications have a stake in UTV Global Broadcasting? |
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UTV had earlier announced that Genx, which would launch the Bindass channels, would be a joint venture with Astro as an equal partner. So is it that the three subsidiaries would be having different partners and still you would have an investor in the parent company? |
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Is there a possibility of Astro picking up stake in UTV Global Broadcasting? |
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Will UTV News Ltd. have a separate structure as news channels uplinking from India come under a 26 per cent cap on foreign investment? |
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Speculation is that a group of Indian investors are going to invest in the news channel? |
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Will you be launching Bindass it in the first week of September? |
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Will they be pay channels? |
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What are the other two channels to be launched by Genx under the Bindass brand? |
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What are the four channels being launched by V&S Broadcasting? |
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| What are the scheduled dates for these channel launches? We are launching the World movie channel in November. The two Hindi speciality channels should be up in January and February. The business channel is targetted for a January launch and we should be ready with the Hindi movie channel in February. |
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UTV had tied up with Palador Pictures for the world cinema venture with Olive as the brand. But with the split and Palador getting back all the titles, isn't it a setback for UTV? |
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Will high-priced DVDs be an important source of revenue and support system for this kind of cinema which will in any case attract niche audiences? |
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How will you make a mark in the Hindi movie channel space when the existing players are entrenched, many more are on eve of launch, and acquisition costs are high? If you have a good acquisition and syndication strategy, you can build a successful model. Movie channels are platform agnostic and audiences are loyal to titles. |
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| While several broadcasters are eyeing the GEC space, why is it that UTV decided to foray into the niche genres of special interest channels? We have consciously decided to stay away from launching a general entertainment channel primarily because there has been a drop in viewership of 30 per cent in the Hindi GEC space in the age bracket of 15 – 35 years. The market needs segment-dedicated channels – and that is the domain we are entering into. |
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Distribution of the new channels is a critical area. Have you set aside huge carriage costs? |
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Have you stitched deals also with the direct-to-home (DTH) operators? |
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Given the current media boom that the industry is witnessing, how are going to attract and retain talent? |
MUMBAI: Lights, camera… connection because this time, the game isn’t just about winning, it’s about who’s with you. Sony Pictures Networks India is gearing up to launch a new reality game show, Tum Ho Naa, expanding its unscripted slate with a format that promises both emotion and engagement.
The show will premiere soon on Sony Entertainment Television and stream on Sony LIV, with Rajeev Khandelwal stepping in as host. Known for his measured screen presence and selective choices, Khandelwal’s return to television adds a layer of familiarity and credibility to the upcoming format.
While specific details of the gameplay remain under wraps, the positioning suggests a reality format that leans as much on emotional resonance as it does on competition, an increasingly popular blend in Indian television, where audiences are gravitating towards content that offers both stakes and storytelling.
Khandelwal, reflecting on his return, noted that his choices have often been guided by instinct rather than convention, describing Tum Ho Naa as a project that feels “close to the heart”. His association also signals Sony’s continued focus on anchoring new formats with recognisable faces who bring both relatability and depth.
The launch comes at a time when broadcasters are doubling down on original non-fiction formats to drive appointment viewing, even as digital platforms expand parallel reach. By placing the show across both linear television and OTT, Sony appears to be aiming for a dual-audience strategy capturing traditional viewers while engaging digital-first consumers.
As the countdown to premiere begins, Tum Ho Naa positions itself not just as another game show, but as a reminder that sometimes, the biggest prize on screen isn’t the jackpot, it’s the journey shared along the way.
