GECs
Zee will launch a new GEC towards the end of FY15, says Punit Goenka
MUMBAI: The delay in digitisation of phase III and IV markets has got even the industry giants to speak up. And adding to the list is ZEEL MD and CEO Punit Goenka who feels that the delay in digitisation will invariably have negative impacts on the overall industry.
In an interview with CNBC-TV18’s moneycontrol.com as part of the IDFC Annual India Conference, Goenka spoke about the delay in digitisation, a new GEC launch and his expectations from the advertising revenue in FY15.
“The growth levels have slowed down for the industry and therefore for us, as well. The consumer billing has not started to happen the way it was envisaged. All this is having a negative impact on the overall industry,” he said.
When asked if the delay caused a drop in subscription revenues, Goenka explained that the dip in subscription revenues was mostly due to some accounting changes.
He elaborated, “The dip is largely on account of some accounting changes that we have had since the aggregate of paper that came out of TRAI. Like-for-like, these are flat or just low single digit kind of growth but as I said, it is attributable to the ongoing delay in the digitisation process. But I do expect that this will pick up hopefully in the next fiscal itself.”
Goenka also revealed that Zee Entertainment plans to launch a new Hindi general entertainment channel (GEC) towards the end of FY15.
“It will be in line with the cost structures of any other GEC because it is a mainstream GEC launch competing with the current incumbent players in the market. So, it will not be very different from those,” he said.
Speaking about the sports business, Goenka explained that the losses seen in the sports business were envisaged by the company and they had guided that the losses would be similar to that seen last year.
Goenka added that he expects advertising revenues to see 11-12 per cent growth in FY15 as from 8-9 per cent seen in earlier two fiscals. He said, “We have seen some improvement in the ad spends especially during the first half of the year. I do expect that the advertising revenues will be seeing healthy numbers from 8-9 per cent that we have been seeing over the past few years to 11-12 per cent.”
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.
