English Entertainment
Zoom lines up New Year specials
MUMBAI: Zoom has lined up a series of specials this New Year with the best of the past. It is offering a complete bonanza of sorts with shows like Maximum Style, Popkorn Newz, Page 3, Santa and Banta Unlimited and more.
Maximum Style, will take a tour of the trends that ruled the ramp in 2006 in the New year special episode on 29 December at 8:30 pm.
The New Year special episode will give an insight into the trends that the fashion guru’s predict for the coming season.
Popkorn Newz will focus on the the top ten Bollywood controversies of the year: from Ash-Abhishek marriage rumours to Aamir’s Fanaa controversy. Popkorn Newz New Year special will also bring to light the trivia of Rakhi- Mika fight.
The Best of Popkorn Newz, the new year special episode, will be aired on 30 December at 8 pm and will also showcase the controversy of Ekta kapoor boycotting Indian Television Awards.
Page 3 New Year special will be a recollection of the exclusive news and controversies of the year 2006. The Best of Page 3 will air on 30 December at 7 pm and will bring minute by minute account of the the biggest of superstar wars from Salman- John’s rift to Amitabh- Shah Rukh’s stand-off.
Santa and Banta Unlimited, Zoom’s foray into comedy, will bring the top five interviews of 2006 on the show. The special interviews of Bappi Lahiri, Shaan, Chunkey Pandey, Arjun Rampal and Riya Sen with Siddharth Kannan and Baba Saigal will be aired on 1 January at 8:30 pm.
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.
