Movie Channels
‘Empire’ returns on Star World and Star World HD
MUMBAI: Golden Globe nominee Eva Longoria (“Desperate Housewives,” “Devious Maids”) will guest-star on broadcast’s No. 1 drama, Empire, this spring on Star World. Longoria will play “Charlotte Frost,” the formidable director of the all-powerful state gaming commission. Charlotte has the power to make-or-break Lucious’ (Terrence Howard) dreams of expanding Empire’s reach to Las Vegas and beneath her alluring facade, lies a force of darkness and corruption.
The battle between Lucious and Cookie explodes into their biggest war yet, when Empire returns every Thursday from 23 March, 2017 onwards at 9 pm on Star World and Star World HD.
After launching a deadly missile at Angelo, Lucious announces his new music project, Inferno, and puts everyone on notice – especially Cookie, who then vows to knock him off his throne for good. The two engage in an epic clash – fueled by a history of love, loyalty and betrayal.
From Imagine Television in association with 20 Century Fox Television, Empire was created by Academy Award nominee Lee Daniels and Emmy Award winner Danny Strong, and is executive-produced by Daniels, Strong, Academy Award- and Emmy Award-winning producer Brian Grazer, Ilene Chaiken, Francie Calfo and Sanaa Hamri.
Longoria joins previously announced actors and musicians who appear on Empire this spring, including Taye Diggs, Phylicia Rashad, Rumer Willis and Nia Long.
Longoria is a Golden Globe-nominated, Screen Actors Guild- and ALMA Award-winning actress, producer, director, entrepreneur, philanthropist and “Desperate Housewives” alumnus. She stars opposite Academy Award nominee Demian Bichir in the upcoming feature film “Low Riders,” slated for release on May 12. She also is featured in the British miniseries “Decline and Fall,” opposite U.K. comedy star Jack Whitehall, which premieres this spring. Additionally, she directed an episode of the Golden Globe-nominated series “Jane the Virgin,” and is set to direct the Emmy Award-winning series “Black-ish.” Longoria recently celebrated 10 years as a Global Brand Ambassador for L’Oreal Paris. She owns BESO Restaurant in Hollywood, the production company UnbeliEVAble Entertainment and fragrances “EVA” and “EVAmour.” She also has a New York Times best-selling cookbook, “Eva’s Kitchen,” and a home collection line with JC Penney. Her greatest work is as a champion of women, the Latino community and youth with special needs. She is founder of The Eva Longoria Foundation, to help Latinas build better futures for themselves and their families through education and entrepreneurship; co-founder of Eva’s Heroes, which enriches the lives of those with intellectual special needs by providing an inclusive setting built on the four tenets of interact, grow, learn and love; and is the National Spokesperson for “Padres Contra el Cancer,” a non-profit organization that is committed to improving the quality of life for Latino children with cancer and their families.
Movie Channels
Zee5 launches five free FAST channels on Samsung TV Plus India
New genre-led channels bring comedy, drama, horror, classics and South films to Smart TVs.
MUMBAI: Zee5 just turned Samsung Smart TVs into a free entertainment buffet because when premium content costs nothing, even the remote control starts smiling. Zee5 has launched five curated free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channels on Samsung TV Plus India, making high-quality, genre-specific entertainment available subscription-free to millions of Samsung Smart TV owners across the country.
The five channels now live are:
Zee Comedy Nation – Popular comedy shows and movies
Zee Dil Se – Compelling drama series
ZEE Horror Nights – Horror and supernatural content
ZEE Cine Classic – Timeless Indian films
ZEE South Flix – High-energy South Indian films dubbed in Hindi
All content is drawn from Zee5’s extensive library and programmed in a lean-back, always-on format ideal for large-screen viewing. This launch strengthens Zee5’s Connected TV strategy at a time when 64 per cent of its premium content watch time already comes from connected devices.
Zee5 chief business officer Siju Prabhakaran said, “At Zee5, we believe accessibility and scale will define the next phase of digital entertainment growth in India. Our presence on Samsung TV Plus strengthens our Connected TV strategy, enabling viewers to discover curated, genre-led content in a seamless, free, and premium environment.”
Samsung TV Plus India head of partnerships Kunal Mehta added, “Local partnerships are at the heart of how we grow Samsung TV Plus in India. Zee Entertainment is one of India’s most iconic media brands, and bringing their channels to our service means millions more Samsung Smart TV owners can enjoy premium local content, subscription-free.”
The channels are available directly through the pre-installed Samsung TV Plus app with no login or subscription required. This marks another milestone in Zee5’s CTV expansion and builds on its growing international presence, with Zee channels already available on Samsung TV Plus across Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand.
In a streaming world where paywalls often block the fun, Zee5 and Samsung have quietly opened the gates, proving that sometimes the best things in life (and on your TV) really are free especially when they come with a side of comedy, drama, horror, classics and South Indian blockbuster energy.
