GECs
Zee TV to launch gameshow ‘Kam ya Zyaada’ in December
MUMBAI: Zee TV has slotted Kam ya Zyaada, the game show which offers Rs 30 million as prize money, for December. The channel will initiate a month-long promotional activity for the big ticket show with a teaser campaign that kicks off next week.
Kam ya Zyaada is an adaptation of the Scandinavian format Gimme Five (G5), owned by the Denmark-based Zodiak Television World. The acquisition was revealed by Zee and Zodiak last month at the Mipcom summit in Cannes. Optymistix is producing the show for Zee TV.
Zee is investing heavily on the project. The channel will be using the game show as a driver property. The G5 format is unique since the show is interactive when it is off-air, claims Zodiak. At a time when mobile interactivity is being aggressively explored by television players, Zee is looking at Kam ya Zyaada as a strong platform that will drive its ambitious mobile interactive strategies.
Viewers watching the show will have to answer yes/no, higher/lower to the five SMS questions they receive, as fast as possible, and the lucky ones will get to join a weekly TV Quiz. The five SMS questions are used as a casting procedure week by week, says the format information provided on the Zodiak website.
According to Zee Network programming head Kartik Chintamani, Kam ya Zyaada will be a daily affair, running Monday through Friday. “The show has a lot to do with viewer-participation and hence interactivity. Viewers participate in the show by sending their answers through SMS. Hence, the participants will find it as a live show though it would be a recorded one actually,” he says.
Chintamani says viewer-participation will be ensured pre-launch through a series of campaigns which kick off next week.” The message will be conveyed through a 360 degree campaign. We will begin with a series of teasers to raise curiosity and then the final campaign will provide the required information to the public,” he says.
As already reported, Bollywood actor Manoj Bajpai will anchor the show. Justifying the choice, Chintamani offers, “Manoj was an ideal choice because we found him best suited to the format. As an actor and a celebrity, he has got credibility and we believe in his potential to strike a chord with the masses.”
With Kam ya Zyaada, Zee TV will be attempting to make a mark on the Monday – Friday band while Star’s KBC 2 is focused on the week-end band. Sony will launch its Rs 10 million game show Deal Ya No Deal this month while Sahara’s Sanjay Dutt-anchored Mission Ek Crore is expected only next fiscal.
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.
