Movie Channels
Zee Cinema, Star Gold both claim numero uno status
Revamped programming and an innovative initiative seem to be paying dividends to Zee Cinema.
Zee Cinema quotes TAM to prove its superiority over rivals
The channel that rejigged its programming line up in December 2002 under the stewardship of Yogesh Radhakrishnan, claims that 85 of the top 100 slots for Hindi movie channels go to Zee Cinema. Quoting TAM ratings, the channel has staked claim to being the front runner among Hindi movie channels once again. GRPs which hovered around 112 in November 2002, have reached an all time high since revamp at 157 as of 18 January 2003.
Rivals Max, Star Gold and B4U are way behind Zee Cinema, if the GRPs put out by Zee Cinema are to be believed.
Better packaging, shorter breaks, marketing-driven scheduling of films and better quality of film prints have helped it lick rivals, says Zee. But Star Gold, which has started a spiced up ‘nimbu maarke’ campaign, lays its own claim to the top slot.
Star Gold quotes channels shares to says its way ahead of rivals in its genre
Star Gold says it has topped weekday prime times with a share of 3.0, and put Max and Zee Cinema at 2.7 and 1.9 respectively. Even on weekends, asserts Star Gold, its share is at 4.9 while that of Max is at 3.6 and that of Zee Cinema is at 4.5. (source – TAM C&S 4+, Hindi speaking markets, week 2-8 February 2003).
While Zee Cinema has a library of over 1,200 titles and an edge in its reach, Star Gold has launched initiatives like dubbed versions of Hollywood blockbusters. Zee Cinema meanwhile, has launched India’s only daily Bollywood based show called Bollywood Tonight; hosted by Samar Khan and also has a few new initiatives lined up for 2003.
The Ek Ka Teen premiere, says Zee Cinema, is paying dividends to the channel in terms of heightened viewership
Zee Cinema’s innovative Ek Ka Teen Premiere, which involved the premiering of latest moderate hits over different time slots over Friday, Saturday and Sunday, has also paid rich dividends, says the channel.
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.
