ITV

Tag: Zee

  • ZEE ONE Shines Bright in Cannes

    ZEE ONE Shines Bright in Cannes

    MUMBAI: When it comes to bold ideas, Zee has always loved doing things differently. And this week in Cannes, the brand took that spirit to dazzling new heights. As the global television industry gathered for Mipcom 2025, Zee made history as the first Asian broadcaster to take over one of the largest LED screens along the legendary Croisette. From sunrise to sunset and long after the massive display of Zee One lit up the promenade, stopping people in their tracks and sparking real excitement.

    With over 15,000 visitors and delegates expected during Mipcom, it was the perfect moment to put Zee One, the company’s French-language FAST channel in the spotlight. The channel, available on Samsung TV Plus, LG Channels, and Rakuten TV, has quickly built a following in France for its vibrant mix of Bollywood films, heartfelt dramas, and colourful family entertainment.

    For many passersby, it was a surprise and a delight to see an Indian media brand taking over one of Cannes most visible spaces

    Zee has built its global presence by constantly trying what others haven’t and this Cannes moment is a reflection of that same spirit.

    Standing tall among the biggest names in international entertainment, Zee One’s luminous display on the Croisette is more than just advertising, it’s a statement of confidence, creativity, and cultural pride.

    And as the lights shimmer over the French Riviera, one thing is clear: Zee knows how to make the world stop and look up
     

  • Sowing seeds of change: Zee 24 Taas honours farmers at Krushi Sanman 2025

    Sowing seeds of change: Zee 24 Taas honours farmers at Krushi Sanman 2025

    MUMBAI: Ploughing ahead with pride! Maharashtra’s most trusted Marathi news channel, Zee 24 Taas, turned the spotlight on the state’s unsung heroes at Krushi Sanman 2025, a celebration of farmers, agri-entrepreneurs and the resilience of rural India.

    More than just an award ceremony, the event blossomed into a powerful dialogue on the future of farming, spotlighting shrinking landholdings, rising input costs, and the mounting impact of climate change, while also celebrating trailblazing farmers who embraced innovation, sustainability and entrepreneurship.

    Graced by agriculture minister Dattatray Bharne, cabinet minister Bharat Gogawale and union minister of state Murlidhar Mohol, the event reinforced the message that agriculture is not just the backbone of India’s economy but the heartbeat of rural transformation.

    “Krushi Sanman 2025 is a movement that celebrates resilience and ushers in change,” said Zee 24 Taas, editor, Kamlesh Sutar. “We want to shift the narrative of agriculture from hardship to opportunity and from survival to success.”

    Echoing the sentiment, Bharne spoke of his own roots in farming and assured the community of the government’s firm support: “Agriculture today is about courage, adaptability, and innovation. Events like Krushi Sanman strengthen our resolve to honour farmers and ensure rural prosperity.”

    Adding perspective, Zee media corporation limited, CEO, Karan Abhishek Singh, described the initiative as “a long-term ecosystem where knowledge, policy, and innovation converge for the benefit of farmers.”

    Viewers can catch the special telecast of Krushi Sanman 2025 exclusively on Zee 24 Taas on Saturday, 20th September at 2:30 pm, and Sunday, 21st September at 2:00 pm.

    By honouring excellence and igniting dialogue, Zee 24 Taas has ensured that Krushi Sanman 2025 is more than an event, it’s a milestone in making agriculture not only a source of livelihood, but also of lasting pride.

  • Swift TV & Hoichoi Partner to Redefine Regional Streaming

    Swift TV & Hoichoi Partner to Redefine Regional Streaming

    Swift TV, India’s rapidly growing Free Ad-Supported Streaming Television (FAST) platform, has partnered with Hoichoi, the leading destination for Bengali and Hindi entertainment, to deliver premium regional content absolutely free.

    With 800K+ downloads and 130+ live channels in 12+ languages, Swift TV offers an extensive catalog of movies, shows, and live entertainment. This collaboration brings Hoichoi’s acclaimed Bengali and Hindi originals, movies, and series directly to the Swift TV app, at no extra cost.

    A major highlight is the exclusive Hoichoi Live Channels—a first-of-its-kind innovation in FAST streaming. The Bengali Hoichoi Live Channel is available internationally (except India), while the Hindi channel is accessible worldwide, including India. This positions Swift TV as the go-to destination for regional entertainment across India, the US, and Canada.

    “We’re thrilled to bring Hoichoi’s exceptional content to our audiences,” said a Swift TV spokesperson. “Our bespoke Hoichoi Live Channels set new benchmarks for free, high-quality regional entertainment.”

    For Hoichoi, the partnership opens doors to the FAST ecosystem, expanding its reach beyond SVOD audiences while staying true to its mission of celebrating Bengali narratives.

    With top partners like Viacom18, Zee, Pitaara, Republic TV, and Bloomberg Originals, Swift TV continues to strengthen its premium content lineup.

    Download the Swift TV app today Swift Tv and enjoy Hoichoi’s world-class Bengali and Hindi entertainment—free, accessible, and tailored for every mood, in your language, on your terms. 
     

  • Design trunk calls as Kyoorius hands out Black Blue and Red Elephants

    Design trunk calls as Kyoorius hands out Black Blue and Red Elephants

    MUMBAI: It was an evening where design roared louder than words and elephants ruled the room. The 2025 Kyoorius Design Awards and Kyoorius Young Blood Awards, both presented by Zee, wrapped up in style at the Taj Cidade de Goa, Horizon, with over 1,000 members of India’s design fraternity cheering the winners.

    After three days of Designyatra, India’s biggest anti-disciplinary design conference, the awards night saw the stage lit up by the much-coveted elephants. The spotlight first swung to the Young Blood Awards, the only platform in India dedicated to nurturing the next generation of creatives. Tasked with cracking live briefs from Ather and Bingo! (ITC Foods), young designers delivered big: out of 475 plus entries, 63 made it to The First List, and finally 22 entries claimed Baby Red Elephants. The night then revealed the majestic 6 Red Elephant winners, the ultimate nod to fresh, fearless talent.

    The headline act of the evening was the Kyoorius Design Awards itself. From over 700 entries, only 75 projects managed to take home Baby Blue Elephants. Among them, 23 stood tall as Blue Elephant winners, each piece recognised for setting new benchmarks in creativity and craft. But the true rarities were the 2 Black Elephants, reserved exclusively for the Best of Show. This year, they went to ‘Naatak’, a stunning font project by typography studio Ektype, and ‘Desi Oon’, an animated long-form film by Studio Eeksaurus for the Centre For Pastoralism.

    Unlike traditional award shows that deal in gold, silver and bronze, Kyoorius keeps it delightfully democratic: only work that truly deserves it wins an Elephant. Baby Elephants mark disruptive and showcase-worthy ideas, Blue Elephants signal industry-defining excellence, and Black Elephants represent work that not only takes risks but creates conversations with lasting cultural impact.

    The grand gala capped off what many in the industry now call the “festival of ideas” where design isn’t just celebrated but canonised. For the winners, carrying home a Kyoorius Elephant isn’t just an award; it’s an entry into a creative hall of fame where originality trumps hierarchy and risk-taking is the ultimate reward.

  • Zee hits a high note with 18.2 percent share and 855m viewers tuned in

    Zee hits a high note with 18.2 percent share and 855m viewers tuned in

    MUMBAI: Zee has struck gold on the small screen and the numbers prove it. The content powerhouse has hit a four-year high in the linear TV landscape, clocking an 18.2 per cent market share and reaching 855 million viewers across 99 per cent of Indian TV households. From metros to remote hamlets, the network has entrenched itself as a fixture in family living rooms.

    The broadcaster’s strategy of weaving culturally rooted storytelling with mass-appeal blockbusters has paid off handsomely. Eight of its channels now reign supreme in their genres from Zee TV’s 15 per cent share in Hindi GECs (its best in three years) to Zee Cinema’s chart-topping premiere of Pushpa 2, the biggest Hindi film debut of FY26. Lifestyle too had its moment, with Zee Zest continuing a three-year winning streak.

    Regional dominance has been equally emphatic. Zee Kannada scored an all-time high 44 per cent share thanks to new launches like Karna, while Zee Tamil surged with Ayali and evergreen favourites like Karthigai Deepam. Zee Telugu notched a staggering 18.1 TVR with Sankranthiki Vasthunam, the biggest Telugu TV premiere in two years. Zee Sarthak maintained its Odia GEC crown for five consecutive years, Zee Talkies led Marathi movies with a 54 per cent category share, and Zee Bangla reclaimed leadership in West Bengal.

    “Eight of our channels leading the pack shows the power of stories crafted with cultural depth but tuned to modern appetites,” said Zee chief content officer Raghavendra Hunsur. Zee EVP of network research and planning Rituparna Dasgupta added: “Reaching 855 million people and 99 per cent TV households isn’t just scale, it’s trust. An 18.2 per cent network share cements Zee as a family member in Indian homes.”

    With 50 domestic channels across 11 languages and two new launches, Zee Power (Kannada) and Zee Bangla Sonar, the broadcaster continues to fine-tune its role as both entertainer and cultural mirror, one that India, clearly, can’t switch off.

  • Rajiee Shinde returns as CEO to lead PTC Entertainment’s next chapter

    Rajiee Shinde returns as CEO to lead PTC Entertainment’s next chapter

    MUMBAI: Lights, camera, comeback! Rajiee M. Shinde, one of Indian media’s most formidable forces, is back in the director’s chair at PTC Entertainment. Effective 1 August 2025, she takes charge as chief executive officer, reporting directly to Sukhbir Singh Badal, the promoter of PTC Network. And yes, this isn’t just a reunion; it’s a reinvention.

    Known for her razor-sharp programming instincts and a CV that reads like a greatest hits album, Shinde helped catapult PTC Punjabi to the No. 1 spot during her earlier nine-year stint from 2008 to 2018. Now, she’s back for the sequel with a vision that’s bolder, more global, and unmistakably desi.

    A Dadasaheb Phalke Film Foundation Award winner, Shinde brings with her over two decades of experience across content, music and entertainment businesses. She previously launched Showbox for IN10 Media, headed Epic Channel India as president, and helmed ETC Punjabi at Zee, where she pioneered India’s first Punjabi music channel. In recent years, she’s led Sai Mehar Media and served as CEO of Wild Music Records.

    Her new innings at PTC will involve scaling up original programming, unlocking new digital strategies, and tapping into international viewership all while keeping the core audience firmly at heart. She will operate out of both Mohali and Gurugram.

    “Rajiee’s return marks an exciting new chapter for PTC Entertainment,” said a source close to the network. “She brings not just leadership but legacy and she’s already proven that she knows how to win audiences across borders and platforms.”

    Shinde’s appointment also signals PTC’s intent to double down on regional content with global ambition, at a time when vernacular storytelling is commanding centre stage in Indian entertainment. From boardrooms to backlots, she’s set to steer the brand through a new era of digital disruption, international expansion, and audience-first content innovation.

    And if her track record is anything to go by, she’s not just holding the mic, she’s about to drop it.

  • Zee posts Rs 1,115 crore profit as legal heat with Star rises

    Zee posts Rs 1,115 crore profit as legal heat with Star rises

    MUMBAI: Just when you thought the drama was reserved for primetime, Zee Entertainment’s first quarter of FY26 delivered its own plot twist, a cocktail of climbing profits, flat revenues, and a billion-dollar legal cliffhanger.

    For the quarter ended 30 June 2025, Zee posted a standalone profit of Rs 1,115 million, up from Rs 469 million in Q4 FY25. Revenue from operations stood at Rs 16,839 million, a steep drop from Rs 20,042 million in the previous quarter and Rs 20,007 million a year ago. Yet, the bottom line perked up thanks to lower operational costs (Rs 9,574 million), subdued ad spends (Rs 2,531 million), and a positive fair value gain of Rs 185 million.

    Consolidated numbers tell a slightly flashier story: Zee clocked Rs 18,498 million in revenue and a net profit of Rs 1,437 million from continuing operations, despite a decline from Rs 22,203 million in the previous quarter. No surprises ad revenue dipped to Rs 7,585 million from Rs 8,375 million, while subscription revenue held steady at Rs 9,817 million.

    Zee managed to tame the finance cost dragon just Rs 77 million this quarter and depreciation remained under Rs 600 million. Tax outgo was Rs 535 million on a consolidated basis, including Rs 473 million current tax.

    What’s missing from this quarter? Exceptional items. After a Rs 2,024 million pre-tax profit in Q4, Zee reported no one-offs this time, a marked shift from the Rs 361 million in restructuring costs and write-offs reported in the same quarter last year.

    Still, the real cliffhanger lies in the 1,003 million dollars legal dispute with Star India. Star claims the termination of their Alliance Agreement was valid and now wants damages that have ballooned from 940 million dollars to over a billion dollars as of April 2025. Zee’s defence? A robust counterclaim and demand to recover 8 million dollars plus interest with arbitration hearings slated for November.

    Meanwhile, Zee has been busy spinning off new stories. It incorporated two new entities lbullet Enterprise Limited and Advance Media Distribution Limited in June 2025 to bolster distribution and vertical synergies.

    And for those keeping score on compliance subplots: the Securities Appellate Tribunal (SAT) overturned SEBI’s order against one of Zee’s KMPs last October, although investigations continue. For now, it’s one less legal plotline to follow.

    With the company’s consolidated EPS at Rs 1.50 and a market bracing for the November arbitration climax, Zee seems to be scripting a cautious yet intriguing comeback.

    Zee may be facing more than just viewer fatigue but for now, it’s dodged the ratings dip where it matters most: the bottom line.
     

  • Zee hits the refresh button with ‘Z’ Whats Next and a bold new content-tech vision

    Zee hits the refresh button with ‘Z’ Whats Next and a bold new content-tech vision

    MUMBAI: In true blockbuster style, Zee has dropped the curtain on its next chapter with the launch of ‘Z’ Whats Next — an industry-first initiative that pulls back the screen on what the network is cooking up next. The house of Zee, known for its deep cultural roots and mass appeal, used the platform to flex its new brand promise “Yours Truly, Z” and show just how serious it is about shaping the entertainment of tomorrow.

    The event gave partners a front-row pass to Zee’s evolution into a content-tech juggernaut. It wasn’t just a sizzle reel, this was Zee laying down the gauntlet, revealing innovations that blend storytelling, tech, and culture with a crisp vision for platform-fluid audiences.

    While OTT is riding high, Zee made it clear: TV’s still the big boss in Bharat. With 50 channels across 11 languages and a reach of 208 million households, the network reaffirmed its status as India’s storytelling powerhouse. But this isn’t the Zee of yesteryears, it’s doubling down on content that moves fluidly from TV to OTT to social, building characters that aren’t just watched, but followed, mimicked, and memed.

    And yes, those characters? They’re not just protagonists. They’re Dilfluencers — hearts-first heroes who spark conversations and shift behaviours across the country.

    As part of this high-octane unveiling, Zee introduced two shiny new hybrid channels:

      . Zee Power: A next-gen Kannada channel tailored for semi-urban and youth audiences in Karnataka. It’s edgy, aspirational, and unapologetically high-energy. Set to launch in August 2025, the channel’s line-up includes five fiction shows, a daily non-fiction fix, movies galore, and World Television Premieres to keep the pulse racing.

     .  Zee BanglaSonar: A first-of-its-kind hybrid channel for Bengali-speaking audiences nationwide. With its golden tagline ‘Sonar Ghar, Notun Kahini’ (A Golden Home for New Stories), the channel blends fiction, non-fiction, films, and never-seen-before formats rooted in local flavour and modern flair.

    As it opens its arms to collaborators and creators, one thing’s clear: the ‘Z’ in Zee now also stands for Zeitgeist.
     

  • Zee shareholders reject preferential issue of fully converible warrants to promoter group

    Zee shareholders reject preferential issue of fully converible warrants to promoter group

    MUMBAI: Minority shareholders of Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (Zeel) have voted against a proposal to issue fully convertible warrants to promoter group entities on a preferential basis. The special resolution, proposed at an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) held on 10 July 2025, failed to secure the necessary majority.

    The EGM, chaired by R Gopalan, commenced at 11:00 a.m. IST and concluded at 12:25 p.m. IST. The company had provided both remote e-voting and e-voting facilities during the meeting for its shareholders.

    According to the scrutinizer’s report, 59.5140 per cent of the total valid votes cast were in favour of the resolution, while 40.4860 per cent were against it. For a special resolution to pass, the votes cast in favour must be at least three times the votes cast against it. As this condition was not met, the resolution failed.

    A company spokesperson for Zeel acknowledged the outcome, noting that 60 per cent of participating shareholders supported the resolution and expressed gratitude for their backing. The spokesperson also stated that the board and management respect the decision of the remaining shareholders and remain focused on maximising and safeguarding shareholder value.

    The company highlighted its ongoing efforts to improve performance and profitability, particularly in boosting margin profile and reducing losses within the digital segment. Zeel intends to continue leveraging its cash reserves and entrepreneurial spirit to build a strong foundation, address market shifts, and outperform competition. The board’s guidance will further fortify the company against unforeseen events and drive growth and investment in technology and innovation.

    The total number of shareholders on the cut-off date (3 July 2025) was 653,378. A total of nine promoter and promoter group shareholders and 114 public shareholders attended the meeting via video conferencing/other audio-visual means. The resolution involved the “issue of fully convertible warrants to the promoter group entities on preferential basis.”