Executive Dossier
‘Our business model in India will be driven by subscription revenues’ : Bruce Tuchman – MGM Networks executive VP
The English movie channel genre will have a new aggressive player in MGM. After making the channel available on Dish TV, the largest direct-to-home operator in India, MGM Studios has inked a five-year distribution deal with Star Den. The aim is to make the channel widely available across cable TV networks, DTH and IPTV platforms.
MGM is looking at subscription revenues and will be advertising-free – at least for the time being. The channel is priced at Rs 6 for the cable TV market and Rs 3 for DTH.
In an interview with Indiantelevision.com’s Ashwin Pinto, MGM Networks executive VP Bruce Tuchman talks about the expansion plans for the channel in India and other markets.
Excerpts:
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Why did it take MGM so long to enter the Indian market? |
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Didn’t you realise the opportunity a bit too late as channels have to now contend with carriage fees not just on cable but on DTH as well? |
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Why did MGM choose Star Den for distribution? |
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Will carriage fee not hurt the business in a genre that is not growing too fast? |
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Would you look at presence on analogue cable and still not pay carriage? |
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Will MGM carry advertising? |
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In a genre that already has established players like HBO and Star Movies, what value does MGM bring to the table?
Besides, digitalisation offers room for many players. In India there are tens of millions of people who want to watch Hollywood films. In the US there are scores of film channels and not just five or six. Consumers want this kind of choice. It is key to have a brand that people stick to and trust. |
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Could you offer an overview of the programming strategy?
Our channel caters to people who want to expose themselves to sophisticated and eclectic film choices. We are not looking to just get attention through new releases. While there is a value to that, people often watch that film and then forget about it. Our library is classic and modern. We have films from different eras. |
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Will your core target audience be more elderly skewed? |
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Does MGM acquire movies from other studios to show on the channel? |
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Would you look at a dubbed feed to expand penetration in India? |
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What kind of marketing activities are being planned? |
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How has MGM gone about strengthening its worldwide TV distribution business?
We are growing well. We keep adding new countries. Three weeks back, we announced that we had a great summer across Central and Eastern Europe. Just to give you a frame of reference, in 2002 we had no branded channel presence in Europe. Now we are in over 30 European countries. In June we launched in Italy on Sky Italia. In Asia we did not have a presence five years back. Now we are in most countries in Asia. We have three channels in South Korea. We are also present in Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam and Indonesia, among other countries. Our aim is to be as widespread as possible. We will keep an aggressive pace of development. |
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Outside the US, which are your key markets?
We have penetrated Western Europe nicely. Italy, Spain, Germany are key markets. |
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In the US, MGM has tied up with Comcast for an action-oriented VoD offering. How did this deal come about?
There is big demand in the US for on demand content. Comcast is a leader in this space. It was a god idea and launched with fanfare. In Germany, the MGM channel is being distributed on the mobile. We want to get our content delivered across all forms of distribution. |
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How has MGM stayed as an independent firm even after Sony took a 20 per cent stake in the company?
A couple of years back, people were asking whether MGM was independent. We have clarified that MGM is a vibrant and independent entity. We were also innovative in our approach. We came up with an innovative partnership with Tom Cruise. We brought him in as a partner owner of United Artists. We are co-producing The Hobbit. We are also embracing new media. We are featured on itunes. We do not just have a legacy but are also vibrant and look to the future.
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MUMBAI: Game faces on, pressure high India’s gaming ambitions are levelling up. Good Game, billed as the world’s first as-live global gaming reality show, has officially launched in India with a bold mission: to crown the country’s first Global Gaming Superstar.
Blending esports with mainstream entertainment, the show brings together competitive gaming, creativity and on-camera performance in a format that tests more than just joystick skills. Contestants will be judged on gameplay, screen presence and their ability to perform under pressure, reflecting how gaming has evolved from pastime to profession and pop culture currency.
Fronting the show are three high-profile ambassadors: actor and entrepreneur Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Indian cricket star Rishabh Pant, and gaming creator Ujjwal Chaurasia. The winner will take home Rs 1 crore ($100,000) among the largest prize pools for any Indian reality show along with the chance to represent India on a global stage.
Backed by a planned annual investment of up to Rs 100 crore, Good Game is also courting brand partners, promising a minimum reach of 500 million among India’s core youth audience. The creators position the show as a bridge between entertainment and interactive culture, offering long-format content, community engagement and commercial scale.
Auditions are now open to Indian citizens aged 18 and above, inviting amateur and professional gamers, creators and performers alike. Shortlisted candidates will be called for in-person auditions in Mumbai on 14 and 15 February, and in Delhi on 28 February and 1 March 2026.
With big money, big names and even bigger ambition, Good Game signals a shift in how India views gaming not just as play, but as performance, profession and prime-time spectacle.
