English Entertainment
Zee English to kick back with ‘Best Comedy and Drama’ tag
MUMBAI: May be it doesn’t always pay to innovate. And Zee English seems to have learnt it the hard way. Despite Star World having a better brand recall, Zee English had ruffled up some tough competition owing to its sitcoms and dramas.
In recent times the channel had digressed and tried to experiment by introducing a variety of genres. But the channel will soon reiterating its brand positioning ‘Best Comedy and Best Drama’.
So out go the likes of hastily brought in action series Kung Fu and the like. The channel will be ushering in new seasons of its ‘stellar shows’ like Friends (season 10), Sopranos, West Wing, and La Femme Nikita.
While the majority of shows (about 80-90 per cent) are still sourced from Warner brothers, the channel is also currently in talks with variety of producers to for an interesting show mix.
“Although Star World is perceived as channel, we have built up a loyal following owing to our content. People talk about our shows like Full House, Friends, Sopranos, even our earlier shows like Seinfeld and Mad about you are still talked about,” says Zee English, ZMZ, MX and Trendz business head Ajay Trigunayat.
Speaking exclusively to indiantelevision.com, Trigunayat says, “While we can create a buzz by putting up hordes of banners over night in each of the six metros that we are strong, if we don’t have content to back it up we would be in a big soup. So we have decided to concentrate on building up our niche ‘comedies and drama”.
“The best example is our sitcom Will and Grace, which despite not much of a promotional push rakes in better TRPs almost 0.7 per cent,” Trigunayat says to emphasis his point.
While Trigunayat claims that there has been a jump in the viewer base number from 25 per cent to 30 per cent in recent times, he would ideally like to talk about numbers after the systems that he has set up, help gain momentum. Zee English, he claims, is still strong in SEC AB in 15 to 45 years age bracket.
“We are looking at overhauling the 7 to 11:30 pm band and offer best comedies and drama’s back to back. But we will be in a position to talk about time lines once we freeze on the shows,” Trigunayat adds.
The timing for damage control seems quite interesting since Star World is also geared to make a splash with new shows. But better late than never.
English Entertainment
ZEE5 UK partners Narrative Entertainment to add UK channels
Six FAST channels added as platform sharpens hybrid play in Britain
LONDON: ZEE5 UK struck a first-of-its-kind deal with Narrative Entertainment, bringing mainstream UK television channels onto an Indian streaming platform as it pushes to deepen its footprint in a crowded, mature market.
The partnership adds six of Narrative’s FAST channels to the service, including Great! Movies, Great! Romance, Great! Mystery and kids brands POP, Tiny Pop and POP UP, widening ZEE5 UK’s appeal across genres and age groups.
The move reflects a clear shift in strategy. ZEE5 UK is betting on a hybrid model that blends on-demand content with curated, always-on channels to drive discovery and increase time spent on the platform.
“This partnership represents a meaningful evolution in how we serve audiences in mature markets like the UK, where viewers are defined by habits, convenience and choice rather than geography or language alone,” said Parul Goel, territory head, Europe, Zee Entertainment. “By bringing trusted mainstream UK channels together with our premium originals, movies and kids’ content, we are building a more consumer-centric platform that simplifies viewing while increasing depth and relevance.”
Fateha Begum, commercial director, Narrative Entertainment, said the tie-up would fuel growth for both sides. “Our portfolio of quality programming, with such wide and enduring appeal, is a perfect complement to ZEE5 UK. This is a strong partnership that will support growth for both parties, and we share Zee Entertainment’s vision of an increasingly partnership-led future for the industry.”
ZEE5’s global library spans over 4,000 films and more than 500 originals, with over 130 new titles added annually. The addition of Narrative’s channels strengthens its kids offering and introduces genre-led linear experiences alongside its on-demand catalogue.
The deal also gives Narrative access to ZEE5 UK’s fast-growing user base, extending reach without diluting brand identity, while reinforcing ZEE5 UK’s network of more than 40 live channels.
As streaming wars intensify, ZEE5 UK is widening its playbook, blending content, convenience and partnerships in a bid to win screen time in one of the world’s toughest markets.
