GECs
Zee acquires telecast rights to ‘Kyon Ki…’ & ‘Garam Masala’
MUMBAI: Kyon Ki… on Zee TV? No, we are not talking about the ‘mother of all soaps’. Zee Telefilms has acquired the telecast rights to the Diwali releases Kyon Ki… and Garam Masala, both directed by Priyadarshan.
Zee Cinema will premiere the movies within the next four to eight months.
According to industry estimates, Zee has paid Rs 40 million each for the rights of the two movies. While the Bollywood trade has already labelled Garam Masala a hit, Kyon Ki…, produced by Sunil Manchanda and Mukesh Talreja, is struggling at the box office. Garam Masala is a Venus Films production.
Zee Cinema business head Bharat Ranga, while refusing to enter into any discussion on acquisition costs, did confirm to indiantelevision.com that the two films were with his channel and that they would be premiered in the next four to eight months. “Presently, both the movies are having their run in the theatres. Hence, we are not planning anything at this moment,” Ranga said.
On Zee’s movie acquisition strategy, Ranga divulges, “The last big movie we acquired was Aitraaz in 2004. We don’t believe in going after all the big releases. After Aitraaz, these are the two big acquisitions we have done. In between, we had acquired some low-profile movies as well as old flicks. But they had been delivering us good numbers. For example, the (flop) Amitabh Bachchan starrer Ganga Jamuna Saraswati recorded 2.8 TVRs when it was telecast recently.”
This development could well point to a move on Zee’s part to get more aggressive on the acquisitions front. More so with rivals like Star going into overdrive to revive its as yet still struggling movie channel, Star Gold. The channel premiered one of Pryadarshan’s hit comedy movies Hulchal this September, which is why the news that these two films had gone to Zee Cinema came as a bit of a surprise. Other mega movies Star has bought this year are Virudh, Black and Paheli.
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.
