Movie Channels
Turner appoints IndiaCast as exclusive distribution agent
MUMBAI: Turner International India Pvt Ltd (Turner) has appointed IndiaCast Media Distribution Pvt Ltd as its exclusive distribution agent from 1 April 2018 for distribution of Turner channels—CNN International, Pogo, Cartoon Network, WB, HBO and HBO HD-to consumers in India, Nepal and Bhutan.
A TV 18 and Viacom18 venture, IndiaCast is known to bring quality content to viewers spanning genres such as general entertainment, kids, news, music, infotainment and movies.
Turner South Asia managing director Siddharth Jain said, “I am delighted to announce the appointment of IndiaCast as our exclusive distribution agent for India, Nepal and Bhutan. I am very confident they will enable us to further enhance our footprint and bring the choicest content to our fans in the Indian subcontinent. We look forward to a long term strategic relationship with IndiaCast.”
Added IndiaCast group CEO Anuj Gandhi, “At IndiaCast, it is our constant endeavour to curate the best possible exposure for our content creator partners. Turner has a fantastic bouquet of channels catering to a bespoke audience. As we ramp up the distribution network for its channels, I look forward to a long-term association that is founded on mutually beneficial economics.”
After nearly two decades of collaboration, Zee Entertainment Enterprises (ZEE) and Turner mutually decided to work independently in order to drive up subscription revenue, release issued yesterday stated. ZEE and Turner joined hands back in 2002 to manage distribution and trade marketing for a bouquet of channels in India.
Also read:
Zee, Turner to work independently for subscription revenue
We place a very high premium on fan experience: Turner’s Rohit Bhandari
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.
