Movie Channels
Indo-Vietnamese venture brings Greymatter into filmmaking
NEW DELHI: Local content generated through creative storytelling. ‘Sut’ (meaning ‘shoot’ in Vietnamese) set to release in November 2016 is the first venture into film production by the content solutions company Greymatter Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.
Developed in collaboration with Vincent Ngo of the “Hancock” fame, the film is a coming-of-age story of two brothers set against the background of the sport, football. It has been directed by Vietmax, one of the most successful directors in Vietnam.
Greymatter Founder and CEO Chandradev Bhagat said, “We have always been excited about films. ‘Sut’ is a project that came together quite magically. Having worked on and delivered projects across geographies, the idea was to bring together creative talent, international work flows and storytelling abilities from around the world to create strong local content. This marks the beginning of some of our exciting plans ahead”.
Greymatter has been doing some pathbreaking work in both, sports and non-fiction content, including Premier Futsal League and Pro-Wrestling League in the live sports space. It has also developed the hit series ‘The Remix’. In the last year and a half, ‘The Remix’ has been sold in 15 countries. It has been nominated as the top 25 formats in the world at MIPTV – in fact making it the first Asian format to ever feature in the list.
Greymatter is strategically focused on creating IPR (Intellectual Property Rights) properties and churning out creatively distinguished content. It is currently one of the few Indian companies to have sold original formats globally and is a recipient of multiple nominations and awards in India and the A-Pac region including the EMVIES, Spikes Asia and Asian Television Awards.
The agency has worked with some of the biggest brands including Ten Sports, Sony Six, Star Sports, Disney, Viacom Colors and VH1 to name a few on the broadcast end and brands like Google, McDonalds, Tata and Idea in the branded content space.
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.
