GECs
Zee Marathi embarks on a transformational journey
Mumbai: The words Mi Marathi Zee Marathi evoke a deep emotional connection with Marathi viewers, stirring feelings of pride, joy, and love, with a strong sense of Maharashtrian culture and family ties. This profound bond is celebrated through the channel’s new look, which embodies a fresh and vibrant representation of Maharashtrian traditions with a focus on growth and transformation. The refreshed packaging embodies dynamic energy, cultural richness, and joyful symbols honouring Marathi heritage through the Sonchafa flower.
With changing market trends and consumer preferences, the channel has refreshed its approach to content viewing that resonates with today’s audience of all age groups. It is the only channel in the Marathi General Entertainment Channel (MGEC) flourishing alongside high-impact sports properties. This success speaks volumes about content quality and appeal. In the past six months, innovatively designed non-fiction shows like ‘Jau Bai Gavat’ drove a 41% increase in the original slot viewership, and a significant 12% increase in Time Spent Viewing (TSV), alongside the launches of new fiction shows ‘Paaru’, ‘Shiva’, ‘Navri Mille Hitlerla’, and ‘Punha Kartavya Aahe’ marking a growth journey. Extensive consumer work guided the creation of new content tailored for Maharashtrian households, revealing a progressive mindset among viewers. Zee Marathi aims to inspire, particularly women, to shape their destinies. Existing and upcoming shows reflect this diversity in characters, concepts, and narratives.
ZEE Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. chief cluster officer for South & West Sinu Prabhakaran shared his enthusiasm for the channel’s refreshed look. He expressed, “Zee Marathi has garnered significant admiration over the past two decades among the viewers, resonating deeply with their socio-cultural values and portraying stories that mirror their everyday experiences. Our fresh narratives and characters are tailored to connect with the modern woman, who is embracing a new perspective, broadening her horizons, and finding a deeper sense of purpose. This essence is beautifully encapsulated in the new look of the channel.”
Zee Marathi & Zee Kannada chief content officer Raghavendra Hunsur, expressed, “Our commitment to ground-breaking content shines through our recent successes. ‘Jau Bai Gavat’ marked a pioneering move into the Marathi space, resonating deeply with viewers. By strategically scheduling 7 days of original fiction during IPL, we not only boosted viewership but also stood out in the industry. Our prime-time content line-up refresh has kicked off with 4 launches in FY24- Q4 – ‘Paaru’, ‘Shiva’, ‘Navri Mile Hitler La’, and ‘Punha Kartavya Aahe’ and they have received great buzz and audience response. On the back of the refresh, we are excited to announce 2 more new shows ‘Lakhat Ek Amcha Dada’ and ‘Drama Juniors’, promising a fresh and diverse viewing experience.”
Zee Marathi chief channel officer V. R Hema added, “To fortify consumer love, we initiated a content transformation, delivering on our promises to viewers before reinforcing the shift with our brand’s refreshed look. Content depth and execution excellence drive our engagement strategy, guiding our journey to growth. As the sole channel in MGEC to increase GRPs and market share despite the peak cricket season challenge, we take pride in our new line-up’s appeal. The channel’s refreshed appearance reflects our commitment to delivering innovative, aesthetically pleasing content, fostering a deep connection with viewers, and embodying the spirit of ‘Mi Marathi, Zee Marathi’.”
GECs
ZEEL overhauls sales structure to chase growth across TV and digital platforms
New structure sharpens digital push as viewing habits fragment fast
MUMBAI: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. is reshuffling its sales playbook as it looks to keep pace with a fast-changing media landscape, where audiences are scattered, screens are multiplying and advertisers are following the data.
According to media reports, the rejig is anchored in the company’s push to build a more integrated, data-led monetisation engine, one that can straddle both traditional television and fast-growing digital platforms with equal ease.
At the heart of the move is a reworked sales architecture designed to deliver cross-platform solutions. With connected TV gaining ground and digital consumption surging, ZEEL is aligning its teams to move quicker, think broader and sell smarter.
The restructuring is being led by chief operating officer, advertisement revenue, Sandeep Mehrotra, at a time when the company says it is seeing tremendous growth. The idea is simple: match the right talent to the right opportunity in a market that is anything but static.
As part of the overhaul, several long-serving executives have been elevated to chief sales officer roles across regions and content clusters. Sanjoy Chatterjee will head the east market, while Gunjarav Nayak takes charge of the west along with high-margin verticals such as hmg, brand works, intellectual properties and digital sales. Rajnish Gupta will oversee bengaluru and chennai markets alongside the kannada and tamil clusters.
In other key moves, Divjyot Dhanda will lead hyderabad and kochi markets and manage zee tv, zee keralam and the telugu cluster. Roshan Vasu Kotian will supervise a diverse portfolio including Zee Marathi, &tv, Zee Punjabi, Zee Anmol, Big Magic and Zee Biskope.
The company is also strengthening its bench, appointing national sales heads across retail, regional clusters, digital and brand solutions. Ankur Kapila’s appointment to lead digital sales signals a sharper push into a segment that continues to outpace traditional formats.
Behind the scenes, dedicated strategy and operations roles have been carved out for both linear and digital businesses. Nitin Shetty, Rajkiran Shrivastav and Priya Nambiar will take on key responsibilities to ensure the new structure runs with precision.
The broader aim is clear. ZEEL wants a bigger slice of advertising budgets that are steadily drifting towards digital and connected TV ecosystems. By integrating its offerings, the company hopes to deepen client relationships while unlocking new revenue streams.
The new structure takes effect immediately, with Mehrotra continuing to report to chief executive officer Punit Goenka and steer the company’s advertising revenue strategy. Senior executive Laxmi Shetty will support the transition, with her revised role expected to be announced soon.
In a market where content is everywhere but attention is scarce, ZEEL’s latest move is less about rearranging the org chart and more about staying in the game.
