GECs
UTV acquires STV Studios
MUMBAI: UTV’s post-production and special effects division, USL-WOA has acquired a specialized post-production studio, STV.
Close on the heels of acquiring Western Outdoor Advertising (WOA) earlier this year, USL has signed the management and franchising agreement with STV, says UTV Allied Content COO Sandeep Bhargava. STV, says USL, has made investments close to Rs 250 million for two high end Domino machines, plus special effects and computer graphics as well as state-of-the-art reverse telecine facilities that will allow films shot on video to be mastered on 35mm and for the big screen.
USL-WOA, so far centralized at Worli in South Mumbai will now have suburban operations too, says a company release.
“We cater to the Ad Films, Television, Broadcasting and Film Industry. Expansion was a must and with STV, we have further consolidated our market share at the same time become closer to our 150 customers located just in Bombay” adds Bhargava.
UTV now plans to further strengthen USL- Delhi and open a full-fledged branch in Chennai where UTV’s TV division is active in the Tamil space. Among the deals USL-WOA has recently closed are a Rs 40 million, three year deal for live coverage of horse races to be broadcast on Ten Sports and a Rs 30 million deal on creation of captive content for terminals for an on-line lottery company.
The company has also taken on multiple movie SFX projects, the big one being almost 22-minutes of SFX for their in-house co-produced forthcoming block buster – Lakshya, for which it has appointed two professionals from the UK and Germany to head the SFX and High End Telecine.
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.
