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Tag: Punit Misra

  • Punit Misra quits as ZEE’s president of content and international markets

    Punit Misra quits as ZEE’s president of content and international markets

    Mumbai: In yet another jolt, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd’s (ZEEL) president of content and international markets Punit Misra has handed over his resignation to the MD & CEO.

    In an official resignation letter addressed to Mr Punit Goenka, Misra wrote, “Please accept my resignation from the services of ZEEL. It has been an incredible seven years and six months of learning, contributing and growing the people and business along with the team, and I am proud of what has been achieved. Thank you for all your support and guidance over these years, without which achieving what has been achieved would not have been possible.”

    He added, “It’s the right time to now move on to the next phase of my professional journey, and I seek your best wishes for the same. I will work out the specifics of the next steps with Animesh, under guidance from you. Thanks once again for all your support through these years.”

    In his role as president, Punit was responsible for overseeing content across ZEE’s television network and its digital platform, ZEE5, on both domestic and global scales. Additionally, he was tasked with managing ZEEL’s international operations, which extended to 190 countries.

     

  • ‘Zee Family Pack’ unveiled on YouTube TV

    ‘Zee Family Pack’ unveiled on YouTube TV

    Mumbai: Embark on an immersive journey into South Asian entertainment with the much-anticipated launch of Zee’s new video packages, now gracing screens nationwide on YouTube TV. Unveiling the “Zee Family” package, this strategic partnership introduces an impressive selection of 18 premium channels on the YouTube TV platform, dedicated to captivating the diverse and vibrant South Asian community across the United States.

    Asia TV USA Ltd and YouTube TV are thrilled to announce the successful launch of 18 channels from Zee Entertainment in the USA. This partnership marks a significant milestone in catering to the diverse needs of the South Asian population in the USA, particularly regional language speakers such as Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Marathi etc, the regional languages have seen tremendous growth in the last decade as per the data released in the 2020 US Census.

    This landmark collaboration not only reaffirms the availability of the flagship Hindi general entertainment channel Zee TV, but also introduces a total of 17 additional ZEE channels, offering a rich variety spanning multiple languages. The expanded lineup includes popular channels such as Zee Cinema, &TV, Zee Bangla, Zee Tamil, Zee Telugu, Zee Kannada, Zee Keralam, Zee Marathi, Zee Punjabi, Zee World, and others.

    Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd president of content and international markets Punit Misra, emphasized the strategic significance of the U.S. market within ZEE’s global strategy. “The rising South Asian population in the U.S. not only underscores our commitment but also presents a unique prospect for us to fulfill the evolving content preferences of this expanding demographic in the U.S. The strategic partnership with YouTube TV will enable viewers in USA, access to a vast repertoire of rich, multi-lingual content from India showcasing the Country’s culture and traditions, ensuring an immersive and fulfilling viewing experience for consumers.

    This collaboration with ZEE marks a significant stride in delivering a premium suite of channels tailored to the South Asian audience to YouTube TV customers nationwide. Emphasizing the importance of this alliance, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd chief business officer for international business Ashok Namboodiri affirmed, “Our partnership is pivotal in realizing our growth objectives in the U.S., guaranteeing the provision of a diverse range of entertainment options specifically curated for the South Asian audiences subscribing to YouTube TV.”

    For more details on our South Asian TV packages on YouTube TV, immerse yourself in the India Family pack experience at https://tv.youtube.com/store. Elevate your entertainment and embrace the diversity!

  • Zee Entertainment launches four channels in the UK on Freeview connected

    Zee Entertainment launches four channels in the UK on Freeview connected

    Mumbai: In an exciting development for television enthusiasts across the United Kingdom, Zee Entertainment is pleased to announce the launch of four channels on Freeview Connected. With this expansion, Zee Entertainment aims to offer a diverse range of content to cater to the varied tastes of viewers, all accessible through Freeview’s extensive platform. Now, viewers can enjoy Zest, Zing, Zee World, and Zee Punjabi, enhancing their entertainment experience on Freeview Connected Channel No. 278.

    Zee Entertainment’s channels offer a wide array of content, ranging from lifestyle and entertainment to drama and regional programming. With Zee Zest, viewers can indulge in lifestyle and food shows that explore various culinary delights and travel experiences. Zing brings the latest in music, Bollywood, and youth culture. Zee World offers a captivating selection of drama series and telenovelas dubbed in English, while Zee Punjabi caters to the vibrant Punjabi-speaking community with a mix of cultural and entertainment content.

    Content & international markets president Punit Misra expressed his enthusiasm for this milestone, saying, “At Zee Entertainment, we are committed to providing our viewers with the best in entertainment. The launch of our channels on Freeview marks a significant step forward in our mission to reach a wider audience in the UK. We are excited to bring our diverse content to UK viewers and believe that our channels will resonate with the multicultural fabric of this great nation.”

    Zee International Business chief business officer Ashok Namboodiri shared his thoughts on this expansion, saying, “The UK has always been an important market for Zee Entertainment, and we are delighted to collaborate with Freeview to offer our channels to a broader audience. This partnership aligns with our vision of making our content accessible to viewers worldwide. We look forward to entertaining and engaging the UK audience with our unique programming.”

    Zee Entertainment Enterprises is a global media and entertainment powerhouse, recognized for its diverse content offerings that resonate with audiences across the globe. With a strong commitment to creativity and quality, Zee Entertainment Enterprises has consistently set new benchmarks in the entertainment industry.

  • Zee5 announces content slate of 20 Tamil originals for 2022

    Zee5 announces content slate of 20 Tamil originals for 2022

    Mumbai: OTT streaming service Zee5 is all set to launch 20 Tamil original series in 2022, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (Zeel) chief cluster officer – South (linear and OTT) Siju Prabhakaran told IndianTelevision.com. Zee5 Tamil and Telugu language content library is second only to Hindi language content.

    The content lineup was announced at a star-studded gala in Chennai ahead of the Tamil New Year. The event was attended by director, screenwriter, and producer Vetrimaaran who is releasing his first original series “Nilamellam Ratham” featuring Ameer and music by Yuvan Shankar Raja on Zee5.

    He was joined by Prakash Raj who will star in a drama series “Anantham,” veteran actor Radikaa Sarathkumar who will feature in the political drama “Thalamai Seyalagam” and Kalidas Jayaram who will appear in “Paper Rocket.”

     Zee5’s Tamil content slate includes director Vijay’s teen dance drama “Five-Six-Seven-Eight,” “Kolaigara Kairegaial” directed by SR Prabhakaran and the mystical thriller “Aindham Vedham.”

    The showcase included a sneak peek into upcoming titles such as “Alma Mater,” “Ayali,” “Fingertip season 2” and films such as “Yaanai” featuring Arun Vijay and Priya Bhavani Shankar, “Thamezharasan” starring Vijay Anthony, Suresh Gopi, Sonu Sood and Remya Nambeesan.

    The cast and crew for Zee5’s most-watched Tamil original “Vilangu” were present at the event as well as the lead cast and crew of their shows “Malaysia to Amnesia” and “Vinodhaya Sitham.” Recently, Zee5 premiered the film “Valimai” starring Ajith which recorded 500 million streaming minutes of watch time on the platform, it said.

    “It is encouraging to see the momentum Zee5 has gained in expanding entertainment exposure for the creators and consumers alike with real, engaging, and authentic multilingual storytelling,” said Zee5 India chief business officer Manish Kalra. “Tapping into the hotbed of entertainment resulted in exponential success for us in the state of Tamil Nadu. Today, Zee5 has disrupted the Tamil industry with phenomenal response to content, bringing the best of Tamil talent to showcase their artistry across the globe. 2022 will see us double down on our focus for our viewers here and we have ensured the content lineup has something for everyone.”

    “We have been successful in creating a strong content repository for Zee5, offering a diverse range of content to viewers by leaning on our strong legacy and market expertise,” said Zeel’s Siju Prabhakaran. “The year is about to get more exciting as we bring to you over ten captivating original series and some of the most anticipated blockbuster movies, which will be available for our viewers in India and worldwide. The vibrant slate includes shows such as ‘Anantham’ featuring the prolific Prakash Raj, Vetrimaaran’s original series ‘Nilamellam Ratham’, new themes like Paper Rocket by ‘Kiruthiga Udhayanidhi,’ the return of a popular IP ‘Fingertip’ and many more to keep you captivated and at the edge of your seats. Besides, we are also keen to bring to fore stories which are the vision of promising budding makers and showcase fresh talent which may define the future of the Tamil OTT segment.”

    “We are delighted with the exponential growth of Zee5 in establishing itself as a prominent player in India’s exploding OTT ecosystem, especially our success with viewers across Tamil Nadu,” said Zeel’s head of content strategy business unit across TV and digital and international business Punit Misra. “We believe our clear design thinking and strategic approach to building a compelling slate along with our partnerships with the best of talent in Tamil Nadu and other key markets, will help accelerate the platform’s popularity further. What sets us apart is our approach to content design, which we call #SoultoScreen, which rests on an intimate understanding of the culture and people, creating stories and characters that are inspired from their life and crafted to stoke their imagination.”

  • Zee5 announces OTT series on Leander Paes-Mahesh Bhupathi partnership

    Zee5 announces OTT series on Leander Paes-Mahesh Bhupathi partnership

    KOLKATA: Zee5 has announced sports docu-drama “Break Point” with the award-winning filmmaker duo Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari and Nitesh Tiwari at the helm. The series will explore the untold story of the titans of tennis Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi, their partnership and the bitter break-up, the platform said in a statement on Thursday.

    The show will also mark Zee5’s first partnership with the filmmakers under their banner Earthsky Pictures.

    Speaking about the offering, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd content and international markets president Punit Misra said, “Our Content design philosophy is simple – Build a deep understanding of viewers as people, not just as consumers of content. Build a bank of insights about the people, their culture, what interests and inspires them, what are their fears, hopes and aspirations. And powered with these insights, tell stories that connect, inspire, entertain and energize.”

    “To tell these powerful stories in an impactful way, we want to partner with the best creative leaders. I am very proud of our partnership with Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari and Nitesh Tiwari, to tell the amazing story of Lee and Hesh, true champions of our great country. ‘BREAK POINT’ is our effort to bring to our countrymen and to the world the told, but more importantly, the untold story of these adored champions of India,” he added.

    Consumer delight and a seamless user experience have been an integral aspect of Zee5’s approach, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd Digital Businesses & Platforms president Amit Goenka said . With Break Point, the platform is set to further delight its viewers with a gripping story that drove one of the most famous partnerships in sports from India. They see this story opening the floodgates to a new format of narrative and the breadth of content on Zee5, Goenka added.

    Commenting on the partnership with Zee5, Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari and Nitesh Tiwari in a joint statement said, “Break Point is an emotionally moving human story of India’s biggest sports legends and their incredible journey through the ups and downs in their professional and personal life. Through this show, we will witness an exemplary story of hard-work, conflict, belief, emotions and ambitions and showcase some of the most iconic moments of Indian tennis. We are both thrilled to be bringing this interesting story through Zee5, one of India’s largest home-grown video streaming platforms.”

  • ZEE appoints Prathyusha Agarwal as Chief Consumer Officer

    ZEE appoints Prathyusha Agarwal as Chief Consumer Officer

    Mumbai: In order to accelerate its ‘Customer-First’ approach, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. (ZEEL) has announced that Prathyusha Agarwal will take on the mantle of the Chief Consumer Officer for the domestic broadcast business. In this new role, Prathyusha will continue to report into Punit Misra, CEO, Domestic Broadcast Business, ZEEL.

    Having successfully handled important consumer-led initiatives that brought business transformation and resulted in brand and viewership growth, in this new role Prathyusha will be responsible for embedding a ‘customer first’ culture and thinking in all aspects of the broadcast business. This role stems from the company’s strategy of winning in many Bharats and Prathyusha will lead this effort, working closely with business leaders in conceptualising and driving the new workflows, processes and systems to ensure a strong consumer focus across all aspects of the business.

    Punit Misra, CEO, Domestic Broadcast Business, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd., said: “The needs of our consumers are dynamic and ever-evolving. Over the last few years, across all functions and teams in the domestic broadcast business, we have embarked on a journey towards making consumer/customer centricity a key strategic priority for us. While this structural change may be seen as a simple merging of the marketing and the strategy and insights functions, our vision is much larger than that. We endeavour to create this new function as an epicentre for driving consumer/customer centricity across the organisation.”

    This epicentre will serve the following two purposes:

    (1) Reshape the conventional thinking of the marketing and strategy & insights functions to create a more holistic approach to listening and communicating with consumers and help content teams with insights that fuels great content.

    (2) Embed the concept of consumer centricity across the organisation and work in close coordination with all functions to help them develop their own consumer-driven agenda.”

    “Prathyusha has been instrumental in leading and successfully implementing several customer-centric initiatives and under her dynamic leadership, we believe the new function will meet the dynamic needs of the consumer in a fast-paced world,” he further added.

    Prathyusha Agarwal said: “Our viewers are evolving at a pace never seen before, and the only way to win their hearts is to be fully tuned in and translate this understanding into compelling offerings. We need to break the wall and all the layers between viewers and creators to build a seamless soul to screen storytelling and connecting conversations with our consumers and customers. I am honoured and thrilled to take on this new role and build our customer centric ZNA that is factful in decision making and mindful of the viewer’s perspective in everything we do.”

    Under her leadership, the team will strengthen the television business’ capability to anticipate, understand and meet the needs of its consumers. Prathyusha will be instrumental in driving consumer centricity as the core philosophy of the business capturing the mind and choices of the consumers to fuel the business through data and insights, translating into tangible propositions across all the complex delivery touchpoints.

  • ZEE Entertainment – Only Indian Content Brand to be Felicitated at the prestigious World Branding Awards!

    ZEE Entertainment – Only Indian Content Brand to be Felicitated at the prestigious World Branding Awards!

    MUMBAI: World Branding Awards (WBA), a globally renowned awards property hosted by World Branding forum (WBF) announced India’s leading media and entertainment organisation, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. as the only Indian brand in the Satellite TV category to be honoured with this prestigious award. In its 26th year, the global media conglomerate has successfully evolved into an all-encompassing entertainment company offering quality content across multiple platforms and languages reaching 1.3 billion viewers across the globe. Striving to continuously offer extraordinary entertainment to its viewers, ZEEL has built an entrenched position in content creation through not just strong in-house abilities but also through strategic content creation partnerships and business models designed to create an ecosystem that focusses on delivering extraordinary results.

    Viewed as the ultimate global brand recognition accolade, the participating brands are uniquely judged through three key streams: brand valuation, consumer market research, and public online voting. Approximately 70% of the scoring process comes from consumer votes wherein each brand is named "Brand of the Year" in their respective categories. Winners are classified in three tiers: Global, Regional and National. In the past, over 3,000 brands from 35 countries were nominated for the 2017-2018 Awards in multiple categories, and more than 135,000 consumers from around the world participated during the voting period. 245 Brands from 32 countries were awarded. This year’s edition of the award ceremony was held on October 31, 2018 at the Kensington Palace London.

    On being honoured with this prestigious award, Mr. Punit Goenka, MD & CEO at ZEEL said “ZEE has always been a cultural ambassador of our Nation, and with its rich and engaging content, it has showcased the precious culture and traditions of India, to the world at large. I am extremely glad to note that ZEE has been recognised at a global platform such as World Branding Forum. We are committed to building content brands that aim to deliver extraordinary entertainment solutions, for all our audiences.”

    Adding to the celebratory occasion, Mr. Punit Misra, CEO- Domestic Broadcast Business, ZEEL said “It is an extremely proud moment for us at ZEE to be the only Indian entertainment brand, to be honoured at the World Branding Awards. The Indian television landscape is indeed a competitive one with 30% of Hindi GEC viewers accounting for 82% of viewership and 3X amount of time spent by viewers on TV on any given day. It only goes on to show the importance of brand loyalty in the category. This win is a testimony to the strong brands we are building and the quality content that lives up to the brand promise. Having kept the ever-evolving needs of our audience at the core of our business, we strive to provide engaging and culturally rooted content to our viewers that connects deeply and is worthy of their loyalty to our brands.”    

    Mrs. Prathyusha Agarwal, Chief Marketing Officer at Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. represented ZEE Entertainment and received the award at the award ceremony. Speaking on this achievement Mrs. Agarwal said, “Having recently completed 26 glorious years of bringing the best in class entertainment to our viewers, we feel humbled and honoured to be the “Brand of the Year” at the prestigious World Branding Forum. With the comprehensive rebranding exercise in 2017 ZEE -Extraordinary Together, we at ZEE have been on a journey building an organization obsessed with viewer needs and delivering the brand promise on a daily basis through our content and communication offerings much like a service brand that lives across every touch point. Whether it’s our Hindi General Entertainment Channel Zee TV with – ‘Aaj Likhenge Kal’ inspiring our viewers, the great Indian middle class to draw from their inner strength and achieve the extraordinary or Zee Bollywood offering 101% Shudh Bollywood for audiences who seek Masaledaar entertainment, our viewer centric brand and content approach is finding strong connect across India and will stay entrenched in the public mind-space for years to come. As we continue to deliver extraordinary experiences, we would like to take this opportunity to thank our viewers who constantly show their love and support making ZEE an Iconic Indian grown global brand”.

    Today, ZEE brings the best of entertainment content to its viewers and has magnificently grown from a broadcasting Company to a Global media and entertainment powerhouse. The diverse entertainment offerings of the company cover the entire spectrum of consumers’ needs. ZEEL continues to stay ahead of the curve, courtesy to its in-depth understanding of its viewers and expertise to offer quality entertainment offering that mirrors the sentiments and growing aspirations of its audiences.

  • &TV gets brand refresh; ad inventories sold out for new shows

    &TV gets brand refresh; ad inventories sold out for new shows

    MUMBAI: Zee took a bold step when it decided to launch channels under a different brand name ‘&’ five years ago. The bet worked and the brand lived. Now, &TV, the GEC, is undergoing a brand refresh with a new lineup of shows as well.

    In 2015, &TV was launched with the philosophy 'Jashn Jeene Ka' – celebrating the spirit of life. Now, the channel is bringing up yet another thought ‘Hai Khaas Har Andaaz’, created by Lowe Lintas that premieres this weekend, breaking first on its new live singing reality show for kids Love Me India at 9 pm. &TV has two more shows in the bouquet named Perfect Pati and Vikram and Betaal.

    ZEEL CEO Punit Misra said, “We believe &TV, the youngest GEC in the ZEEL portfolio, is best suited to cater to &dians – the multifaceted, progressive, young urban viewers who want to be more. With our unique brand point-of-view led content creation approach, the &TV team has crafted stories and characters that &dians will fall in love with.”

    Apart from its flagship show Bhabhiji Ghar Par Hain, that helped the channel gain immense traction from the viewers, it didn’t shy away from going against the tide and introducing a 100kg bahu on television with Badho Bahu or presenting kanha and radha differently. It pushed the envelope further by introducing supernatural-romance in Laal Ishq. 

    Commenting on the advertisers’ growth since its launch, ZEEL CMO Pratyusha Agarwal said that the growth has been phenomenal and ad inventories are already sold out for the upcoming shows. “Since the past three years, advertisers have grown up to 55 per cent,” she added.

    &TV head Vishnu Shankar has been associated with Zee for more than seven years now. He started working with Zee in February 2010 as the programming head of Zing, Zee ETC and Zee Trendz. A year ago he filled Rajesh Iyer’s shoes with a vision to scale-up the cluster’s growth in a bid to entertain audiences. He said, “In the last three years, we have created many marquee properties and the channel had a good 4.5 per cent market share and now we have 7.8 per cent market share.”

    We will soon get to see if the change will pay off.

  • Aparna Bhosle appointed Zee TV business head, Shaurya Mehta to lead premium cluster

    Aparna Bhosle appointed Zee TV business head, Shaurya Mehta to lead premium cluster

    MUMBAI: Aparna Bhosle will lead Zee Entertainment’s flagship channel ZEE TV as its business head. Bhosle will continue to lead the FTA GECs and will report to ZEEL domestic broadcast business CEO Punit Misra.

    The Premium Cluster will now be led by Shaurya Mehta, in addition to his current role as the chief operating officer, Living Entertainment. He too will also to Misra.

    Bhosle has been with ZEEL for more than six years. She joined the company in 2012 as the business head of ZeeQ and Zee Anmol. In 2017, she was elevated as business cluster head of premium & FTA GECs.

    Before joining ZEEL, Bhosle worked with Astro Malaysia as Food Food head – programming, production and broadcast operations for more than two years.

    She also had a stint with The Walt Disney Company as director – programming, production and broadcast operations of Hungama TV/Disney Channel/Disney XD. Bhosle has also worked with companies like UTV, Wisden India, Diageo and Reckitt & Colman.

    Shaurya Mehta started his career in 2003 as systems associate at GE healthcare. After serving the company for about two years, he joined Deloitte Consulting as the senior consultant. In 2012, he was the co-founder and COO of Ekstop.com and after three years, in 2015, he was the head of Ecommerce at Godrej. Last year, Mehta was appointed as the Essel Group’s lifestyle channel-Living Foodz COO and now, in addition to his current role, he will also look after the premium cluster that Bhosle used to head.

  • ZEEL CEO Punit Misra says: “We intend to compete fairly”

    ZEEL CEO Punit Misra says: “We intend to compete fairly”

    MUMBAI: Last year in October,  Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL) appointed Hindustan Unilever (HUL) sales and customer development executive director Punit Misra as ZEEL domestic broadcast business CEO.  Coming from the FMCG sector Misra has entered the television industry with an advantage – ‘ both the businesses depend on consumer behaviour’.

    ZEEL is now the largest broadcaster in India.  First it acquired Anil Ambani led Reliance Broadcast business and recently bagged 9X Media.

    In a conversation with Indiantelevision.com’s Sonam Saini, Misra shares his one year experience and plans going forward.

    Excerpts:  

    How do FMCG and TV broadcasting compare since both of them depend on understanding audience behaviour?  

    As you said rightly, it’s all about consumer and consumer practise and not building brands. Building brands happens through content- that’s the difference because people use soap once in a day for those 3-5 minutes, but here people sit and consume and get emotionally attached. They can talk about hours but I don’t think consumers can sit and talk about consumer brands this much, so that’s the difference.

    You have completed a year in ZEEL. How has been the experience of heading a broadcast business?

    I am loving every minute here. I began with knowing nothing but there are a lot of things to do.

    Did you initiate the change after you took charge?

    It’s our initiative, not any one individual’s. Nothing works in any industry or any company because of one person. Deepak Rajadhyaksha has been raising and crafting a lot of things. Pratyusha is there and the agency team. I can’t even claim that I have done something.

    Did Punit Goenka take you through the company’s process in your first few days? How did he guide you?

    He is guiding me today as well. He’s just an amazing person. He guiding and gives space and I marvel at how he manages both at the same time. It is just incredible to have him as coach.

    What were the challenges that you faced? What milestones are you personally proud of?

    Firstly, we are supposed to learn before we start taking decisions. For me that was important because coming from a non-TV background I had to spend time to know the business, the people and the brand.

    Along with the team we are fantastically proud with the fact that we are the number one network. The fact that Zee TV is the number channel in HSM, I am proud of that.  I am  proud of the team that I have. We have retained key talent in the company since so many years.

    How do you view Zee’s presence in the market given competitors like Star and Sony are ramping up properties?

    They all have been in the market while competing. We are proud that we are number one in the Hindi speaking market Zee TV and Zee Anmol. Competition is good for the industry and for us as well.  We intend to compete fairly. KBC has grown fantastically, Sony has done a really great job. Star got IPL and congratulations to them. Colors suddenly took a hit but are back from the lead. Things to learn from them. We are all friends but otherwise we are competing tooth and nail in the space to win the viewer.  

    What was the idea behind 9X acquisition? What is the strategy for it?

    It’s the number one group in music genre that’s the reason we acquired the channels. We are still conceptualising the strategy.

    Why are you doing this channel refresh? Was there a need?

    All brands will come to a stage and think that now is the time to change and we believed that we were not doing well last year. We slipped to be in the middle. As today you know we are on number one and the timing is right.