iWorld
YouTube’s Primetime Channels to bring more than 30 services in one single place
Mumbai: Digital video social network YouTube has announced the launch of ‘Primetime Channels.’ Users will be able to sign up, browse, and watch TV shows, movies, and sports from streaming services such as Showtime, Starz, Paramount+, AMC+, ViX+ and more, all directly on YouTube.
In a blog post, YouTube director of product management Erin Teague wrote that the digital video social network will roll out an early version of ‘Primetime Channels’ in the US. To sign up, users can head to the movies and TV hub, where they will see over 30 channels that they can buy directly through YouTube, with streaming services such as NBA League Pass and more coming soon.
“‘Primetime Channels’ adds even more content that you just can’t miss to our collection of thousands of movies and shows available for rent or purchase, or for free with ads. Choosing between sci-fi or horror? Well, we got both options covered with the Paramount+ original Star Trek: Picard and Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire on AMC+. Are you itching to see Spider-Man: No Way Home for the hundredth time? We have that too, through Starz. Or maybe you’ve been meaning to catch up on a great drama. From 1883 on Paramount+ to The Chi on Showtime, you can enjoy it all right on YouTube,” wrote Teague.
“We are excited to expand our partnership with YouTube to offer customers of Paramount+ another way to stream the content they love. This new feature gives us the opportunity to expand our presence on YouTube, broadening our reach and giving consumers even more choice when it comes to streaming the best in entertainment,” said Paramount Streaming chief strategy officer & business development officer Jeff Shultz.
“Once users sign up, content from your ‘Primetime Channels’ will be reflected in the YouTube experience you know and love. For fans who like to go deeper into what they’re watching, ‘Primetime Channels’ will feature shows and movies with curated trailers, behind-the-scenes footage, and cast interviews. When searching for content from your purchases, you’ll be able to quickly identify and access them in the search results, alongside videos from your favourite creators. And YouTube recommendations will also include programmes from ‘Primetime Channels,’ delivering a personalised selection of content across YouTube that appeals to all your interests.
“People already come to YouTube to watch trailers for highly anticipated movies or clips of scenes from their favourite TV episodes. Now you can continue watching directly on YouTube. And you will continue to have choice and control over your accounts with the ability to manage all of them in one place.
“Whether it’s subscribing to Nerdist to find favourite clues after watching a Yellowjackets episode on Showtime or finding makeup tutorials from Trixie Mattel to recreate your favourite looks from Paramount+’s original series RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars, you can now immerse yourself in all the content YouTube has to offer.”
“We’ll continue working with our partners to bring even more content options to ‘Primetime Channels,’ build new unique features that only YouTube can deliver, and expand to our international users, so please let us know what you’d like to see next!”, wrote Teague.
iWorld
Subedaar puts Indian original cinema on the global map with record-breaking Prime Video debut
MUMBAI: Prime Video has a runaway hit on its hands. Subedaar, the gritty action drama starring Anil Kapoor, has stormed to become the most-watched Indian original movie on the platform in its opening weekend, cracking the Top 10 across 31 countries and landing in 91 per cent of India’s pin codes within days of its March 5 premiere.
The film, a visceral, emotionally-charged story of a retired soldier, Subedaar Arjun Maurya, wrestling with civilian life amid crime and corruption, has struck a nerve. Directed by Suresh Triveni and co-starring Radhikka Madan, Mona Singh, Saurabh Shukla, Aditya Rawal, Faisal Malik, and Khushboo Sundar, the film is already being hailed as a showcase for what Indian original storytelling can achieve on the world stage.
“Subedaar’s success is a reflection of the growing scale and global resonance of Indian storytelling,” said Nikhil Madhok, director and head of originals at Prime Video India. “The film’s emotional narrative, its rooted portrayal of a soldier confronting his toughest battles beyond the battlefield, has struck a chord. Anil Kapoor delivers an acting masterclass, while Suresh Triveni’s solid direction and great performances from the ensemble cast have resulted in love and appreciation from customers across the world.”
Kapoor, 62, has been here before, but rarely at this altitude. Written by Triveni and Prajwal Chandrashekar, with dialogues by Triveni, Saurabh Dwivedi, and Chandrashekar, the film is a production by Opening Image Films in association with Anil Kapoor Film & Communication Network (AKFCN), produced by Vikram Malhotra, Kapoor, and Triveni.
Subedaar streams exclusively on Prime Video in Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu across India, and in over 240 countries and territories worldwide.
For Prime Video, the numbers tell the real story: one weekend, one film, a global footprint, and a very loud signal that Indian original cinema is no longer just travelling well. It’s arriving.
