MxMIndia

Tag: ZEEL

  • Maharashtra gears up for a true identity & status upgrade

    Zee Marathi now available on HD platform

    By A Correspondent

     

    Zee Marathi launched its HD channel, Zee Marathi HD on Sunday (Nov 20). Having been in the business for 17 years, the channel has evolved with changing times and has aspired to represent the changing mindsets and ideology.

     

    The channel will feature simulcast content with an enhanced viewing experience on HD. launch campaign is based on an HD experience that the viewers will go through while watching their favorite shows on Zee Marathi HD. The launch is supported by a focused television, print, DTH and outdoor campaign.

     

    Said Sharada Sunder, Cluster Head:  “Offering HD channels to our viewers is a part of our ‘future ready’ vision.  ZEEL has started its regional HD offering with the launch of Zee Talkies HD last month. We are happy to launch the HD versions of our popular brands Zee Marathi and Zee Bangla. Zee Marathi has always inspired and entertained with great content offering and I am confident that the viewers will love the superlative viewing experience on HD as well”.

     

    Added Nilesh Mayekar, Business Head-Zee Marathi: “This is a proud moment for all of us. Our shows have essentially preserved and depicted family relations in a manner that is relatable, inspirational, and connects emotionally with the audience. We believe that we play an by Advertise” href=”#66377277″> important role in the evolution of the consumer and treat the same with a great degree of responsibility. As the consumer evolves and moves up in life we ought to give them the experience that they rightly deserve and this is the way forward for technology in broadcast.”

     

  • Acquires UAE's first and leading Radio Station, Hum 106.2 FM

    Zee’s foray into radio with UAE’s Hum 106.2 FM

    By A Correspondent

     

    Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) has announced its foray into radio with the acquisition of UAE’s leading radio station, Hum 106.2 FM. Zee now becomes the only entertainment network in the region to provide an extensive media solution to its partners through television, radio and digital.

     

    After being a pioneer with the launch of India’s first Hindi satellite channel, Zee TV in 1992, Zee Entertainment was the first to launch a Bollywood TV channel, Zee Aflam in 2008 for the Arab audience as well introduce the Arab world to Hindi programs dubbed in Arabic with Zee Alwan in 2012.

     

    Speaking on this acquisition, Amit Goenka, CEO – International Broadcast Business, ZEEL said, “Radio has been an area of interest for Zee for quite some time and after extensive planning and studying of the brand values, ratings and revenue generated by various stations, we felt that an investment in Hum FM was the best option. Hum FM has a legacy of almost two decades and with a current market share of 26%, it is the top Hindi radio station in the UAE. Zee is confident that it can leverage its very strong South-Asian brand connect onto Radio, and offer a synergy of television, radio and digital that could revolutionize the entertainment industry in the UAE.”

     

    “We are excited about our new business ventures. Radio comes immediately after our foray into film production and distribution where movies like ‘Rustom’ and ‘The Flying Jatt’ have done extremely well globally and specifically in the UAE and Middle East markets. The acquisition of Hum FM in UAE is a step in that direction and we are upbeat about its prospect in the coming years;” Amit further added.

     

  • Zee Entertainment takes on a new credo under Zee CBO Sunil Buch. Primetime to include fresher content (&beyond Pak & Turkish fare) – Text + Video

    Zindagi takes on a new life

     

    Text and Video by Santosh Jangid

     

    Zindagi, the Zee Entertainment channel, is undertaking a renewed offensive. Having gained leadership over 27 weeks in the Alpha Club ratings from amongst premium entertainment channels, the channel is adopting a new credo and will see a renewed thrust on its differentiated content.

     

    Said Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL), Chief Business Officer, Sunil Buch who is also spearheading the channel: “Zindagi was launched with the promise of bringing the best shows from across the world to Indian television screens. Our compelling content has always been our calling card. A thought leader in premium entertainment with a distinct character, Zindagi presents finite world stories with bold narratives which unveil universal emotions. The Alpha Club numbers give us resounding encouragement that we are on the right path of providing premium entertainment. What sets the channel apart is its consistent commitment to show Finite, Real, Vibrant, and Premium world stories. Zindagi will enhance its slate of shows from October 3, 2016. Handpicked stories from India, Turkey, Spain, Italy, Pakistan, Latin America and Korea will now be available on the channel. For our bi-lingual premium audiences, Zindagi will also soon be available on a dual feed of Hindi & English.”

     

    “The channel’s positioning ’Yeh Lamha Hi Hai Zindagi’ mirrors the essence of the word Zindagi. Anywhere in the World,  Life is a finite procession of moments and it’s important that we live each and every one of them. There is no sense in doing Rewind – Play and lose our today, our moment in the quest of analyzing / living in the past. That’s the top line of the channel, literally. Again a departure from traditional base lines associated with most brands/channels and true to the thought leader grain of Zindagi,” adds Buch.

     

    An aggressive marketing campaign will be unveiled to across all traditional and digital mediums about Zindagi. There will be a roadblock across the Zee network of 33 channels on September 30. The publicity campaign will build advocacy through unique experiences that evoke the brand proposition and mirror the viewer’ premium lifestyles.

     

    Sunil Buch-speak:

     

    On the new tagline and how the content is different from other channels:

    Unlike many other brands, we don’t have a baseline because Zindagi is such an awesome name that we have a top line. Our learnings and evolution of the channel has got us to this place where we say that ‘Yeh Lamha Hi Hai Zindagi’. Life is all about living the moment and not doing rewind play, and to stop living in the past. There is a lot to enjoy and to look ahead and that’s what the new push is all about.

    Our stories continue to be thought leader stories, selected well, written very well, executed even more brilliantly, great casting, great screenplay, great dialogue writing and real. There is no typical stuff that you are used to seeing on the television and that’s what sets us apart.

    Essentially we are looking to have a 50-50 per cent of content on the channel where 50 per cent will be  indian content and the rest 50 per cent will be content from around the world.

     

    On how will Zindagi will ensure a significant presence in the space:

    We started off with Zindagi to be the channel for the whole world and if we look at the languages we speak, hindi has got a lot of Turkish and Persian. So our thought was, if there is world in a language why can’t there be world in a content. That journey we started off a couple of years ago by bringing Turkish shows which have had a resounding success, both Ferihaand Fatimagul. As we go along, as there is no dearth to great stories around the world, we will look into other countries like Russia, Spain, Korea, Italy and Germany. Wherever there is a great storytelling, we will look at it.

     

    On BARC Alpha Club ratings:

    In the alpha club ratings of BARC, we continue to be the No 1premium channel in the country. Our belief with this evolution is that the market is right for content which is differentiated, content which has done well. So we see that many people will come in fold with this approach of ours.

     

  • Launches 'Zee Mundo', the first ever Spanish-language Bollywood movie channel

    Zee Entertainment enters the US Hispanic market

    By A Correspondent

     

    Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) has become the first-ever Indian company to enter the Hispanic market with the launch of its Spanish-language Bollywood movie channel, Zee Mundo.

     

    Zee Mundo is a premium HD movie channel presenting the very best of modern Bollywood cinema, dubbed in Spanish.

     

    Amit Goenka

    Commenting on ZEEL’s entry into the Hispanic market, Amit Goenka, CEO – International Broadcast Business, ZEEL said, “Both the markets share strong cultural similarities in terms of family structure, socio-economic conditions, food, music, art and culture. We are confident that Zee Mundo’s programming will cross frontiers with storylines and themes that are relatable to the Hispanic audiences. With Zee Mundo, we have an exclusive Hollywood-quality product that is designed to attract and captivate Pay-TV subscribers through the best of Bollywood productions.”

     

    Sharing further details on the channel, Rajeev Kheror, President – Strategy, International Business, ZEEL said, “With top-rated, worldwide blockbuster masterpieces, our goal is to make Zee Mundo an entertainment destination like nothing the Hispanic market has ever witnessed or imagined before. Zee Mundo will bring Zee’s entire library of HD movie titles to Latino audiences across the US, dubbed in Spanish, crossing five genres (action, romance, suspense, drama and comedy) and featuring some of the world’s biggest movie stars including Priyanka Chopra, Shah Rukh Khan, Anil Kapoor, and Irrfan Khan.”

     

    Speaking on the plans for the region, Javier Lopez Casella, Head of Business, US Hispanic & Latin America, ZEEL said, “Showcasing a sensational foreign film genre that is feverishly adored by more than a billion fans, Zee Mundo will premiere global blockbusters and feature the biggest worldwide stars the Americas have yet to fully discover. After successfully capturing the US Spanish market, we will be expanding over the next few months, into other LATAM markets including Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Peru and Chile. Zee Mundo is available on DISH Latino, the first of several planned distribution deals in the US Hispanic market, which will eventually take the channel to other LATAM countries as well.”

     

  • Once regulatory permissions are in, Sony will have Six, ESPN and TEN in its sports portfolio

    Mother-of-all-deals! Sony acquires Ten from Zee @ Rs 2.6k crore, Zee to exit sports for 4 yrs

    NP Singh of Sony Pictures Network and Punit Goenka of Zee Entertainment signing the agreement for the sale of the Ten Sports​ bouquet

     

    By A Correspondent

     

    Okay, we did know that the Zee group was keen on hiving off its sports channels. And we did know that Sony Pictures Network has major plans with sports, and has been hungry for acquisitions. But this announcement was big by all standards, and involved two broadcast superpowers.

    On Wednesday, Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) announced that SPN and its affiliates have entered into definitive agreements to acquire TEN Sports Network from Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEE) and its subsidiaries for 385 million US dollars. The completion of the acquisition is subject to regulatory approval.

    The Ten Sports channels being acquired include Ten 1, Ten 1 HD, Ten 2, Ten 3, Ten Golf HD, Ten Cricket, Ten Sports that operate in several countries including the Indian sub-continent, Maldives, Singapore, Hong Kong, Middle East, Caribbean.

    What this means is that the Zee group which had pioneer private league sports with the Indian Cricket League,  will now exit sports for the moment. For, as part of the deal, there is a non-compete clause which prevents Zee from getting into sports. This will also prevent Zee from participating in the auctions for the Indian Premier League due next year.

     

    It may be noted Ten Sports holds broadcast rights to major cricket boards (South Africa, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, West Indies and Zimbabwe). In addition, Ten Sports holds rights to wrestling (WWE), football (UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, French League, English Football League Cup), tennis (WTA Events, ATP events), golf (European Tour, Asian Tour, Ryder Cup, US PGA Championship, LPGA Tour, Professional Golf Tour of India and Golf Channel Block), athletics (Asian Games, Commonwealth Games), motor sports (Moto GP) and cycling (Tour de France) events.

     

    Commenting on the acquisition, NP Singh, CEO, Sony Pictures Networks India said: “I welcome Ten Sports to the Sony family. The acquisition of Ten Sports Network will strengthen SPN’s offering for viewers of cricket, football and fight sports, complementing our existing portfolio of international and domestic sporting properties. It also aptly demonstrates SPN’s commitment to providing a broad range of sporting entertainment to fans across India and the sub-continent.”

     

    Andy Kaplan, President, Worldwide Networks, Sony Pictures Television added: “India has been a strong driver of Sony Pictures’ growing networks business for two decades, and sports continue to play a significant role in that growth. The acquisition of TEN Sports, following the launch of SONY ESPN channels, will mean that our Indian networks would reach over 800 million viewers and broadcast many of the most popular and prestigious sporting events in the world.”

     

    Punit Goenka, Managing Director, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEE) said: “This is a landmark deal for Zee and a step towards a strategic portfolio shuffle as we grow our general entertainment business both in the domestic and overseas markets. While we have grown our sports business over the last 10 years through acquisition of content at competitive prices, our focus now is on transforming ourselves into an all-round media and content company, comprising of five verticals, viz. broadcast, digital, films, live events, and international business; and we continue to move rapidly towards our set business goals. While I have always been proud of our sports business, I strongly believe that Sony will add more value to it by taking it to even greater heights. I wish them all the success.”

     

    According to industry and market observers, the move should help shore up the bottomline for Zee Entertainment. Sports has been a downer for Zeel, having not been able to measure up to the power of Star India in terms of rights for various sporting events, said an analyst on anonymity. “It’s better to not be a laggard, then just be in business for the sake of having your fingers in every pie.”

     

  • Hindustan Unilever bagged five awards, followed by LG with 3 wins, and Mondelez & Coca-Cola with 2 wins each

    HUL tops Zee Mindspace Awards winners

     

    By A Correspondent

    Video by Santosh Jangid

     

    On Saturday, amidst a cross-section of the advertising and marketing fraternity, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited announced the winners of the first edition of ‘Zee Mindspace Awards’ with the aim recognising brands that have captured maximum ‘MindSpace’.

    Hindustan Unilever led the awards tally with wins across five categories, followed by LG Corp with three category wins, Mondelez and Coca-Cola with two category wins each. The winners were decided on the basis of a nationwide survey that was carried out by Nielsen, evaluating 288 brands across 36 categories. The awards ceremony was held on the second (and last day) of #ZeeMelt 2016.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJEcze7oMls

    Speaking at the awards function, Punit Goenka, MD & CEO, ZEEL said, “Zee Mindspace Awards is a property which gives marketers a true reflection of their efforts sown in building brands. The very essence of the awards is its USP – the winners are not chosen by a jury but by the consumers themselves. The structured research conducted across the nation by Nielsen has empowered the consumers to select the most recalled brands as the winners, in a unique and transparent process. Congratulations to all the deserving winners!”

     

    Said Sunil Buch, Chief Business Officer, ZEEL who spearheaded the initiative, “For any brand to get into the Mindspace it requires all the elements of marketing and sales to come together. Today there are standalone awards for creativity, marketing, media etc. but none that holistically represents the orchestra required to get into and stay in the mind of the consumer. The Zee Mindspace Awards 2016 are the first to recognise the success of all the elements that go into occupying the Mindspace.”

     

    Added Prashant Singh, Managing Director, South Asia, Nielsen: “Zee Mindspace Awards is the first forward-looking, future-oriented awards property that looks at not just a part of the marketing process, but at the entire outcome. After an extensive online survey of over 12,000 consumers, it was impressive to see which brands in India command the maximum consumer ‘mindspace’ based on our parameters of top-of-mind recall, popularity, the kind of advocacy the brand commands, the desire to own the brand and finally the buzz it generates.  Congratulations to these winners who have managed to carve the maximum mindspace in consumers’ minds.”

     

    The awards event was hosted by actor and television presenter, Gaurav Kapur

     

    List of winners of ZEE Mindspace Awards 2016 across categories:

    Category

    Brands

     

     

    Air Conditioners

    LG

    Airlines

    Air India

    Banks

    State Bank Of India

    Bathing Soap

    Dove

    Biscuits

    50-50

    Cereals/Oats

    Kellogg’s

    Chocolates

    Dairy Milk

    Cold Beverages (Aerated)

    Coca-Cola

    Cold Beverages (Non Aerated)

    Maaza

    Confectionaries (toffee, gums, mint)

    Cadbury Choclairs

    Deodorants

    Fogg

    Fabric care items [Washing powder/soap, fabric softeners]

    Surf Excel

    Face Wash

    Himalaya

    Fast food chains

    McDonald’s

    Four-Wheeler

    Maruti Suzuki

    Hair Color and Dyes

    Garnier

    Hair Oil

    Parachute Advansed

    Life Insurance

    LIC

    Mobile Service Providers

    Airtel

    Mobile/Smartphones

    Samsung

    Moisturizer/Body Lotion

    Vaseline

    Mosquito Repellents & Home Insecticides

    Good Knight

    Noodles/Pastas

    Maggi

    Online Shopping

    Flipkart

    Packaged Savoury Snacks (chips, extruded snacks, bhujiyas/ namkeens)

    Lay’s

    Paint

    Asian Paints

    Refrigerators

    LG

    Shampoo & Conditioner

    Dove

    Skin Cream

    Pond’s

    Tea/Coffee

    Tata Tea

    Toothpaste/Toothbrush

    Colgate

    TV Sets

    Sony

    Two-Wheeler

    Honda

    Tyres

    MRF

    Washing Machine

    LG

    Water Purifiers

    Aquaguard
  • His appointment is with effect from October 1s, 2016

    Former HUL ED Punit Mishra to helm broadcast at ZEEL

    By A Correspondent

     

    Punit Misra, former Executive Director – Sales and Customer Development at Hindustan Unilever (HUL) will be take charge as CEO - Domestic Broadcast Business at Zee Entertainment. Misra will report to Punit Goenka, MD and CEO, ZEEL for his role. His appointment is with effect from October 1, 2016.

  • The first-of-its-kind awards property which aims at recognizing brands that have captured maximum 'MindSpace'

    Zee Mindspace Awards to be hosted at #ZeeMelt 2016

    By A Correspondent

     

    Leading content company, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) announced the launch of the first edition of ‘ZEE Mindspace Awards’, a property which aims at recognizing brands, which have captured maximum mind-space. The awards ceremony will be held on 27th August 2016, at #ZEEMelt 2016 - India’s biggest festival for creativity and innovation in marketing and communications.

     

    Commenting on ZEE Mindspace Awards 2016, Sunil Buch, Chief Business Officer, ZEEL said, “Achieving ‘consumer mindspace’ is every marketer’s ultimate goal. The thought of extending our 3-year old brand intellectual property ‘ZEE Mindspace’ also as an awards property, was based on this very essence. The marketing fraternity is an integral part of our overall business value chain and in today’s digital era it is indeed a challenge for the marketers to arrive at the right marketing mix. The proof of the pudding is being present in the ‘Mindspace’, which is the foundation of ZEE Mindspace Awards.”

     

    The winning brands will be awarded at the ZEE Mindspace Awards 2016 in the presence of 500+ CMOs and stalwarts from the marketing and advertising industry. Going forward, ZEE Mindspace Awards aims to serve as an additional independent barometer for marketers. While there are numerous awards targeted towards rewarding the creative campaigns undertaken by brands, ‘ZEE Mindspace Awards’ is the only property which recognizes the overall marketing mix implemented by the brand owners to carve a ‘Mindspace’ within the consumers.

     

    Prashant Singh

    Prashant Singh, Managing Director, South Asia, Nielsen said, “Nielsen’s research methodology is a brand assessment among consumers who have adopted new age media in addition to traditional media and provides brand owners’ insights into how brands are adapting to this fast-evolving space. More than 12000 online surveys were conducted to evaluate 288 brands across 36 categories. The research was broken into multiple phases – from initial screening of brands to final rounds focusing on understanding what makes a brand resonate in the consumer’s mind. The winners were identified after undertaking a rigorous process, based on top-of-mind recall, popularity, the kind of advocacy the brand commands, the desire to own the brand and finally the buzz it generates. Above all, it’s the brand’s ability to pop-up in mind at the first instance that holds maximum weightage.”

     

    #ZEEMelt 2016 will also witness the 4th edition of ZEEL’s brand intellectual property – ‘ZEE Mindspace Conference’, which aims at bringing the marketing fraternity together to connect, discuss and explore new possibilities. The sessions under ZEE Mindspace Conference comprise of two main themes, Previewing Tomorrow – where we get insights into the future of several areas in the industry and Open Possibilities – introducing us to the many advantages that data, content, consumer analysis and branding offer in transforming businesses.

     

  • A dedicated Bollywood movie channel specially adapted for the German market

    Germany gets a taste of Bollywood with Zee.One

    By A Correspondent

     

    India’s leading media conglomerate, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL)  announced the launch of Zee.One, its dedicated Bollywood movie channel for the German market. The channel was launched in Germany by Punit Goenka, MD & CEO, ZEEL, Amit Goenka, CEO - International Broadcast Business, ZEEL,  Friederike Behrends, CEO – Asia TV GmbH (Zee TV) and international Bollywood Superstar, Shah Rukh Khan.

     

    Punit Goenka, MD & CEO, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) said: “As a global media conglomerate, ZEEL is present in 171 countries entertaining over one billion viewers across the world. With our entry into Germany, we are now present in one of the most important and competitive TV markets worldwide. This is what makes the launch of Zee.One special for us.”

     

    Amit Goenka, CEO – International Broadcast Business, ZEEL added: “The launch of Zee.One in Germany is a step further as part of our international expansion strategy. We want to establish a lasting presence and of course, grow in the German television market. With our highest levels of entertainment, we are confident of being able to offer viewers an attractive enrichment to the existing range of television offerings. We are proud and happy to welcome the German community into our ZEEL family.”

     

    Friederike Behrends, CEO – Asia TV GmbH German speaking countries (Zee TV) said: “From today, the German TV landscape will be enriched by a unique, new channel, Zee.One. We want to entertain our viewers with the best of films, series, and music daily, making Zee.One a channel for all the senses!”

     

    Zee.One – I Feel Bolly.Good will deliver high-quality entertainment from Bollywood. The free-to-air channel will broadcast a great variety of movies and series, starring popular international megastars like Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone. The movies will span across all genres including romance, comedy, action among others. Furthermore, music clips with outstanding dance performances as well as in-house productions will add to the entertainment.

     

  • Chawla will continue to be Business Head of Essel Vision Productions Limited/Zee Studios

    Akash Chawla to be Biz Head of Zee TV, Deepak Rajadhyaksha is Dy Biz Head

    By A Correspondent

     

    Akash Chawla

    Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd has announced the appointment of Akash Chawla and Deepak Rajadhyaksha as Business Head and Deputy Business Head respectively of flagship channel Zee TV.

     

    In the new structure, Akash Chawla, in addition to his current portfolio as Business Head- Essel Vision Productions Limited/Zee Studios for content creation on films, television and digital will now also take charge as Business Head of Zee TV.  In his earlier broadcasting stint, Chawla has spearheaded the marketing function for the flagship and national channels like ZeeTV, Zee Cinema and Zee Classic. He has also played a key role in the launch of channels like &pictures, Zee Anmol and Zindagi. All the functions of Zee TV like marketing, research and PR will align with Chawla going forward.

     

    Deepak Rajadhyaksha, who has been Business Head of  Zee Marathi will now take charge as the Deputy Business Head, Zee TV. The entire programming, OAP and Operations team would align and report to Rajadhyaksha and he will report to Akash Chawla. Both will work closely with ZEEL – MD & CEO, Punit Goenka.

     

  • Become the first Indians to receive this coveted award

    ZEEL’s Punit and Amit Goenka conferred the Medaille d’Honneur’

    By A Correspondent

     

    Punit Goenka and Amit Goenka, leaders of Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) have received the highest television honor at MIPTV — the Médaille d’Honneur Award. The award recognizes executives who have made an exceptional contribution to the international television business and who, through their talent, leadership and passion, continually drive the global TV industry forward. This is the first time any Indian broadcast executive has received the prestigious award. The awards were presented in Cannes, France at the Carlton Hotel during a black-tie gala, held last week. Amit Goenka, CEO – International Broadcast Business, ZEEL accepted the award from Paul Zilk, Reed MIDEM’s Chief Executive on behalf of both.

     

    ‘’The MIPTV Médaille d’Honneur is presented to industry leaders who have had a real impact on the international television business. Punit and Amit have taken Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited worldwide, with ZEE channels now reaching a global audience of almost one billion viewers. Their vision for making ZEE one of the world’s leading global media conglomerates by 2020 is truly exciting and I hope MIPTV and MIPCOM help them achieve their goals,” said Paul Zilk, Reed MIDEM’s Chief Executive.

     

    Punit Goenka, MD & CEO, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited) said: “We thank Reed Midem for this honor. We wouldn’t have been able to achieve this level of success without the continuous support and commitment of all our stakeholders that comprise the ZEE family. The Indian Media & Entertainment industry is going through a period of enormous change, boosted by key technology advancements and a conducive environment. As the industry witnesses a wave of digital disruption, we at ZEE are ready to lead the next phase of growth. Being content focused, we have diversified into new areas of content such as movie production, music publishing and theatre production.”

     

    Amit Goenka, CEO-International Broadcast Business, ZEEL said: “ZEE is a major player on the global television landscape and we are honored to be recognized as the first Indian broadcaster to receive this prominent award. Today, we have gone beyond the South-Asian diaspora and are reaching out to local viewers globally. As a company our aim is to continually bring ZEE content to new audiences. Going ahead, we are focusing on Germany, APAC, Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East as key markets for expansion.”

     

    This year’s fellow awardees are: Ms. Rola Bauer, Managing Director, STUDIOCANAL TV GmbH, Germany; Mr. Ben Pyne, President Global Distribution – Disney Media Networks, USA; and Mr. Marcel Vinay, President, Comarex, Mexico.

     

  • Launches 'Zee Sine', a dedicated Bollywood movie channel

    Zee Entertainment enters Philippines

    By A Correspondent

     

    After unveiling two Bollywood channels in the APAC region, namely Zee Bioskop in Indonesia and Zee Nung in Thailand, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) has announced foray into Philippines with its third movie channel.

     

    Amit Goenka

    Amit Goenka, CEO – International Broadcast Business, ZEEL said, “ZEE has been the cultural ambassador for Bollywood and Indian content in overseas markets. In line with our Vision 2020 goals, we have chalked out an aggressive international expansion plan, with APAC being one of the key regions. We already have 5 dedicated localized channels in APAC, comprising of GEC and movie genres, and our entry into Philippines will only further strengthen our presence. With the Pay-TV industry projected to grow at an average of 13% Y-o-Y in the next 5 years, we see huge potential in this market.”

     

    Zee Sine – Bollywood Na Tayo (‘Sine’ means ‘Cinema’ and ‘Bollywood Na Tayo’ means ‘Let’s Go Bollywood’ in Tagalog) is a 24/7 Bollywood movie channel customized and packaged for the local audience. The channel features Blockbuster movies from ZEEL.

     

    Sushruta Samanta

    Speaking on the launch of Zee Sine, Sushruta Samanta, Business Head – Asia Pacific, ZEEL said, “Both India and Philippines display strong affinity for music and dance. Our research shows that Indian Bollywood Films are relatable as the stories hit close to home, reflecting similar emotions and values shown in Filipino movies. While other content from around the world has entered Philippines already, we plan to bring a fresh and unique perspective by launching Zee Sine in Philippines. We felt it is the right time for us to enter this market and showcase our heart-warming and larger-than-life Bollywood movies to the Filipino audience.”

     

    “Maria Liza Ginting, who currently heads our Indonesia market, will also be heading the Philippines operations along with the local team in Manila,” Sushruta further added.

     

    Maria Liza

    Sharing more details on the channel, Maria Liza Young - Ginting, Country Head, Indonesia & Philippines said, “Zee Sine will take you to a new world of entertainment with high-voltage Bollywood dramas, love triangles, comedies and song and dance. To reach out to the local audience, we have hand-picked movies from the library,dubbed in Tagalog, re-christened movie titles and character names in English while promos and special movie properties are being locally created. The channel is being distributed through one of the leading cable distributorsin the country, Cable Boss, and will soon be available on more platforms in the market.”