Movie Channels
Zee Cinema to telecast WWE in Hindi
MUMBAI: Come 13 September and the action of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) will expand its viewership platform. The sport, which is currently broadcast on Ten Sports, will also be aired on Hindi movie channel Zee Cinema. The channel will telecast WWE in Hindi from 7 – 9 pm.
WWE is one of the top rated shows in the sports genre, according to the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) India report. “Zee Cinema wanted to do something new and thus decided to air WWE on the channel,” said a source close to the development.
Zee Cinema, which as per the BARC India week 33 ratings data, is at the second position in the movie channel space, is looking at getting new audience on to the channel by airing WWE.
“Action entertainment is the preferred genre on the channel and thus the decision to telecast WWE, which will be a fresh breather from the movies,” added the source.
According to the channel, WWE is still a niche property, which is broadcast on sports channels and is mostly in English. “We are hoping to make it a more mass sport and thus bringing it on Hindi movie channel and with Hindi commentary,” informed the source.
Christened Action Mania, the sport will be aired everyday for the first two weeks, starting 13 September. “After two weeks, the show will be aired once a week. It is a strategic decision taken by the conglomerate to take WWE to a new set of audience,” said another source from the sports channel.
Airing popular sport properties on Hindi movie channels by networks is not new. Be it the Indian Premiere League (IPL) on Sony Max, or Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) on Star Gold, Hindi movie channels have gained traction for sport properties. Whether airing WWE will take Zee Cinema from the current number two position to the numero uno remains to be seen.
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.
