Movie Channels
Viacom and MGM enter into TV licensing pact for 15 James Bond films
Viacom-owned television networks The New TNN: The National Network, CBS, and UPN have announced a licensing agreement involving MGM Worldwide Television Distribution, a unit of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
Under the terms of the agreement the networks have licensed the exclusive US television rights to 15 titles from MGM’s James Bond franchise from October 2002 through most of 2004.
The agreement represents the first time that the three Viacom networks have acquired programming in one negotiation. TNN will begin telecasting the Bond titles this October after the films complete their run on ABC.
The venture aims on capitalising on the fact that James Bond is celebrating his 40th anniversary this year. The 20th Bond film Die Another Day from MGM is due for release on 22 November. Viacom sees the agreement as complementing the previous licensing pact with CBS for the newer Bond films Tomorrow Never Dies and The World Is Not Enough.
Ratings and demographics for the Bond films continue to perform strongly in the US. Prior to the Olympics, the classic Bond pictures ranked number one in males 25-54 against all other network competition for ABC. During the Olympics, the films over-indexed ABC’s primetime average by 17 per cent with males 18-49. The titles available as per the new agreement include Dr. No, From Russia With Love, The Living Daylights and The Spy Who Loved Me.
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.
