Tag: BBC First

  • Zee Café, BBC Worldwide launch second season of premium British dramas

    Zee Café, BBC Worldwide launch second season of premium British dramas

    MUMBAI: Zee Cafe has partnered with BBC Worldwide to once again entertain Indian audiences with premium British dramas.

    Starting 16 July 2018, the channel will host the second edition of the BBC First content block featuring 12 shows, weeknights at 10 pm.

    Speaking to Indiantelevision.com, ZEEL business cluster head – premium channels Aparna Bhosle says,“After the phenomenal response to the BBC First content block last year, we are thrilled to bring the best of British dramas once again for our audiences in association with BBC Worldwide. Our research found out that 90-94 per cent of the content in the English space was from the US, hence through this alliance we wish to bridge the gap and cater to the need for great stories with superior quality British dramas.”

    For the first season, the shows were not available for the digital platforms, but for the second season the channel is planning to add some of the shows to the Zee5 library. The second season of the shows like Doctor Foster, Maigret and Top Of The Lake will be there on ZEEL’s digital arm because its first season was showcased last year.

    Talking about the response of season one last year, she says, “For the first season at the 10 pm slot, the GTVTs went up to 600 per cent and the time spent doubled from three minutes to 6.3 minutes. In terms of performance, the time band worked very well, increasing the channel’s reach by 26 per cent and added one lakh additional viewers.”

    Brands like Domino’s, Brookside, L’Oreal, Philips and Vicks dominate the band. The exciting line-up of shows include Doctor Foster Season 2, Top Of The Lake Season 2, Maigret Season 2, Paula, Wolf Hall, Unforgotten, Broken, In The Dark, Burton and Taylor, The Inceptor, Born to Kill and The Collection. 

    In terms of total revenue, the channel has exceeded the season one numbers, according to Bhosle.

    Keeping in line with its proposition, Zee Café has chalked out a robust marketing campaign #GreatBritainGreatStories. The channel will be engaging its viewers through high impact out-of-home, print and digital mediums across key three mega cities which are Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai.

  • ‘BBC First’ block to launch on AXN Mystery in Japan

    ‘BBC First’ block to launch on AXN Mystery in Japan

    MUMBAI: BBC Worldwide and Sony Pictures Television Networks in Japan have launched BBC First on AXN Mystery, marking the global debut of the BBC First-branded programme block.

     

    AXN Mystery is Japan’s only dedicated mystery channel, bringing together premium mystery drama from around the world.

     

    The BBC First block, which will launch in Japan on 7 May at 10 pm, will provide a home for award-winning and premium crime, mystery, and thriller programmes from the UK. The block will air for two hours every Thursday. Viewers will also be able to catch-up on some of their favourite programmes on the block via AXN Mystery Plus, a free on-demand service for AXN Mystery subscribers on their TVs, PCs, tablets and smartphones.

     

    AXN Mystery viewers will have access to top rated and awarding winning British dramas including Sherlock, starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman; Doctor Who, the longest running science fiction series in the world;  as well as The Game, the stylish edgy spy thriller set in the Cold War, which will make its Asia premiere on the channel. 

     

    “AXN Mystery has had great success with British dramas, which have attracted a strong Japanese following with their high production value and unique style of storytelling, so it made perfect sense to create a destination for them on our schedule. We are confident that the carefully curated programme lineup for BBC First will bring even more audiences to the channel,” said Sony Pictures Television Networks, Japan general manager – AXN Mystery Hiroko Ozawa.

     

    “The BBC has a world-class reputation for drama. With this at its core, the BBC First programme block will offer Japan’s audiences an unrivalled opportunity to view a wealth of original and unforgettable British content. Over the months ahead, we will be offering viewers more opportunities to catch the best and latest crime, suspense and mystery dramas from the UK,” added BBC Worldwide, North East Asia VP and GM Soojin Chung.

     

    The BBC First programming block in Japan is the second launch of the genre brand worldwide. In August 2014, BBC First channel launched in Australia on Foxtel’s pay TV platform.