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Tag: Zee Entertainment Enterprises

  • Zee reels in record highs with a blockbuster show of movie magic

    Zee reels in record highs with a blockbuster show of movie magic

    MUMBAI: In a cinematic twist worthy of its own premiere, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. (‘Z’) has pulled off a blockbuster of its own recording a three-year high share of 28.7 per cent in the Hindi movie cluster in Q2FY26. Proving that great storytelling never goes out of style, the content and technology powerhouse has reaffirmed its dominance in India’s ever-competitive movie broadcast landscape.

    Leading the charge is Zee Cinema, which reclaimed its position as the No. 1 Hindi movie channel (15 plus HSM Urban) this quarter. Its line-up of premieres from the rural rumbler Jaat to the slick actioner Game Changer pulled in massive audiences. But it was Pushpa: The Rule – Part 2 that truly stole the show, delivering the highest-rated movie premiere of FY26 so far. The last film to achieve a similar feat? Gadar 2, also a Zee Cinema triumph from November 2023.

    Meanwhile, Zee’s Free-to-Air dynamos Anmol Cinema and Zee Action flexed their reach muscle, becoming the most-watched channels across all languages and genres. Each channel drew in more than 116 million viewers, proving that free TV still holds unbeatable sway in Indian households.

    The story doesn’t end in Hindi. Zee’s regional clusters continue to script their own success stories. In Marathi, Zee Talkies, Zee Yuva, and Zee Chitramandir maintained their near-50 per cent market share, with the world television premiere of Phullwanti delivering the highest ratings of the quarter. Down south, Zee Thirai (Tamil) and Zee Cinemalu (Telugu) kept their leadership intact, while Zee Biskope in the Bhojpuri belt ranked among the top three in its market, a cinematic sweep across regions.

    “The growth of our movies cluster across languages is a strong reflection of our content strategy focusing on new super-hit premieres, classic titles from our library and data-driven curation,” said a company spokesperson. “The genre’s unmatched reach and strong resonance amongst male viewers and the youth also enable it to deliver scale and strategic value to advertisers across markets.”

    And those advertisers are clearly tuning in. The genre’s steady viewership and distinct audience base make Hindi movie channels a mainstay in media mixes for India’s top ten advertisers. In September 2025 alone, Zee’s 22 movie channels across six languages reached over 550 million viewers, a testament to the scale and staying power of its cinematic empire.

    From Hum Aapke Hain Koun and Karan Arjun to RRR and Bobby, Zee’s vast film library continues to bridge nostalgia and novelty. Some titles have reached iconic status Hum Aapke Hain Koun, for instance, has been watched by a staggering 250 million people over the past five years, roughly equal to the population of the world’s fifth most populous country.

    As Zee continues to blend data with drama and strategy with storytelling, it’s clear the brand isn’t just broadcasting films, it’s curating a cultural phenomenon. For millions of viewers across India, the show must go on and with Zee, it most certainly will

  • Zee Media appoints Raktim Das as new CEO

    Zee Media appoints Raktim Das as new CEO

    MUMBAI: Zee Media Corporation has named seasoned media professional Raktimanu Das, popularly known as Raktim Das, as its new chief executive officer, effective 4 November 2025. His appointment follows the resignation of former CEO Karan Abhishek Singh.

    The company’s board of directors approved the appointment at a meeting on 3 November 2025, as per its filings with the BSE and NSE. Das has also been designated as key managerial personnel of the company.

    A media veteran with over two decades of experience, Das has worked with leading organisations including TV9 Network, Zee Entertainment Enterprises, Network18, Direct News, India Today, and The Times of India. His career spans revenue leadership, editorial strategy, brand monetisation, and digital transformation.

    Before joining Zee Media, Das served as chief growth officer (digital & broadcasting) at TV9 Network, where he played a key role in building high-performing teams and driving growth through innovation and intrapreneurship.

    A pioneer in the Indian media landscape, Das has been credited with creating industry-first branded content practices and media IPs across broadcast, digital, and OTT platforms.

  • Zee hits it out of the park with Baseball United broadcast partnership

    Zee hits it out of the park with Baseball United broadcast partnership

    MUMBAI: It’s not just cricket calling the shots anymore baseball is stepping up to the plate. Zee Entertainment Enterprises limited (‘Z’) has teamed up with Baseball United, the first professional baseball league focused on the Middle East and South Asia, to bring the crack of the bat and the roar of the crowd to Indian screens this festive season.

    In a historic move, Zee will air all 21 games of Baseball United’s Season One this November and December, including primetime matches featuring the Mumbai Cobras, India’s first professional baseball franchise. For the first time, Indian audiences will have a homegrown team to root for, complete with six Indian players sharing the field with global stars.

    The games will stream live on Zee5, and be broadcast across Zee Café SD, &Flix SD, and &Pictures HD, in both English and Hindi, ensuring fans from every corner of India can catch the action.

    The lineup for Baseball United’s debut season reads like a continental all-star card Arabia Wolves, Mid East Falcons, Karachi Monarchs, and Mumbai Cobras will battle it out across 21 games in 30 days, with the season finale set for 12–14 December in Dubai.

    Beyond the matches, Zee5 will hit a content home run with player features, ballpark highlights, Baseball 101 explainers, and even a documentary chronicling the making of the league. Zee will back the partnership with a four-week promotional blitz, featuring teasers, ad spots, and social media campaigns to introduce baseball’s flair to India’s massive fanbase.

    “At Zee, we’re committed to bringing world-class international sports to Indian audiences,” said Zee Entertainment Enterprises head of advertisement revenue (broadcast and digital), Laxmi Shetty Ltd. “With ILT20, we celebrated international cricket talent; now, we’re expanding that vision with baseball. India already has a deep bat-and-ball culture, this partnership brings speed, strategy, and spectacle in a whole new form.”

    The collaboration isn’t just about sport, it’s about scale. Zee’s combined digital and linear platforms reach over 800 million viewers across India, positioning it perfectly to help Baseball United tap into the country’s 50 million baseball fans and ignite curiosity among millions more.

    For Baseball United, India is more than just a market, it’s a cornerstone. “This is a major milestone in our mission to bring professional baseball to India and the broader region,” said Baseball United chairman, CEO, and co-founder Kash Shaikh. “For the first time, fans will have their own team to cheer for with Indian players inspiring a new generation.”

    The league’s ambitious debut season, backed by 20 Major League Baseball legends including Mariano Rivera, Barry Larkin, Adrián Beltré, and Albert Pujols, aims to grow the sport across one of the world’s most populous and passionate sporting regions.

    And when the Mumbai Cobras take the field on 14 November in Dubai, it won’t just mark the start of a season, it’ll mark the moment India’s love for bat-and-ball takes a bold, new swing.

     

  • Zee’s profit crumbles as advertisers flee the Hindi heartland

    Zee’s profit crumbles as advertisers flee the Hindi heartland

    MUMBAI:Zee Entertainment’s latest quarterly results lay bare the industrial-scale headwinds battering India’s media and entertainment industry. Profit after tax collapsed by 63 per cent year-on-year to just Rs 76.5 crore in the quarter ended September, whilst EBITDA—already anaemic—shrank by 54 per cent to Rs 146.4 crore. The numbers paint a picture of a company caught between the need to invest for tomorrow and the inability to generate returns today.

    Operating revenue edged up just eight per cent sequentially to Rs 1969.2 crore, but this masks a troubling underlying picture. Advertising revenue, the lifeblood of India’s television industry, fell 12 per cent year-on-year, ravaged by a pullback in fast-moving consumer goods spending. The company has been forced into the classic trap of fighting for market share through costly content investments and higher marketing spend, both of which hammered margins to just 7.4 per cent.

    The half-year performance is equally grim. H1 FY26 revenues fell eight per cent to Rs 3794 crore, whilst operating profit plunged 37 per cent to Rs 374.4 crore. Profit after tax declined 34 per cent to Rs 220.2 crore. Even subscription revenues—heralded as the growth engine—managed only modest growth (five per cent to Rs 1023 crore against Rs 969..9 crore a year ago)  in an increasingly crowded digital battleground, driven by OTT and domestic linear price increases.

    The company’s content strategy has become a costly bet on volume. Zee5 posted a headline-grabbing 32 per cent year-on-year revenue jump to Rs 310.8 crore, but this comes on the back of mounting losses being narrowed down from Rs 244 crore to Rs 31.2 crore. The trajectory is encouraging but the losses remain substantial. Zee Studios churned through 13 film releases during Q2 alone—a scatter-gun approach that signals desperation rather than precision.

    The domestic television network held firm on other parameters.. Zee’s market share rose 100 basis points quarter-on-quarter to 17.8 per cent, with weekly reach steady at 749 Mn viewers. Yet this stability masks stagnation. The company has been forced to launch two new general entertainment channels and ramp up non-fiction content, both expensive propositions that yield uncertain returns.

    On the cost front, operating expenditure surged nine per cent year-on-year to Rs 1822.8 crore, driven by higher programming costs and elevated marketing spend in Q2 FY26. The company’s attempts to trim fat appear half-hearted; personnel costs held steady but content acquisition and production spending ballooned.

    There are fragments of hope. Cash and equivalents stood robust at Rs 2110 crore, with the balance sheet broadly stable. Content inventory declined by Rs 60 crore  during the half-year, suggesting improved discipline in acquisition. Zee Music Co added 3.9 million YouTube subscribers during the quarter, now boasting 172 million followers—a rare bright spot in an otherwise darkening tableau.

    The company has positioned itself as an environmental and social responsibility leader, landing in the 93rd percentile for ESG scores globally. Whether this counts for much in an industry where the bottom line is bleeding red remains a moot question.

    Zee Entertainment faces a brutal choice. Content investment without advertising growth is simply loss-making at scale. The company’s hope rests on a festive-season ad bounce and the long-tail of digital revenue eventually hitting profitability. 

  • Haresh Anil Kumar joins SPR India as head of marketing

    Haresh Anil Kumar joins SPR India as head of marketing

    MUMBAI: SPR India has appointed Haresh Anil Kumar as its new head of marketing, marking a strategic addition to the company’s leadership team.

    Kumar brings more than 18 years of experience spanning media, automotive and real estate marketing. Before joining SPR India, he served as head of marketing at Thanthi One, where he led integrated campaigns across broadcast, digital and OTT platforms. His previous roles include regional manager at Verse Innovation, regional manager for cinema advertising at Inox Leisure, and regional sales and strategy lead (South India) at PVR Limited.

    Earlier in his career, he held leadership positions at India Today Group, Zee Entertainment Enterprises, and Bennett Coleman & Co (The Times of India), driving revenue growth, media partnerships and branded content innovation. He began his career in banking at Yes Bank before moving into media and brand strategy.

    At SPR India, Kumar will oversee integrated ATL and BTL marketing, digital campaigns and brand partnerships, with a strong focus on ROI and measurable outcomes. His appointment comes as the developer sharpens its brand identity in a competitive luxury and mixed-use real estate market.
     

  • Zee Live turns up the volume on Marathi pride

    Zee Live turns up the volume on Marathi pride

    MUMBAI: Move over quiet weekends, Pune’s about to feel the beat of Marathi pride. Zee Entertainment Enterprises has cranked up the decibels on culture with the launch of “Marathi Vajlach Pahije” (MVP), the first flagship event under its new experiential vertical, Zee Live, in partnership with World of Vibes.

    Set to take place on 12 October 2025 at Phoenix Market City, Pune, MVP is no ordinary concert, it’s a full-blown celebration of Marathi youth, rhythm, and rebellion, bringing together over 40 artists from the state’s thriving hip-hop and indie scenes. Expect names like Kratex, Sanju Rathod, Shreyas & Vedang, MC Gawthi, and Patya the Doc to turn the stage into a creative battleground where beats meet identity.

    The festival promises to be a collision of tradition and modern swagger, as today’s Marathi creators remix their heritage with street art, spoken word, and music that speaks straight from the mohalla.

    To amplify its reach beyond the mosh pit, Zee Live has teamed up with Marathi Zee5, taking the festival digital with exclusive content, artist stories, and behind-the-scenes footage, ensuring the cultural pulse of MVP reverberates far beyond Pune.

    “This is not just an event; it’s an expression of a generation,” said Zee Live business head Gareth Eswin Thomas. “Marathi Vajlach Pahije captures the rhythm of youth, energy that can’t be contained, only celebrated.”

    Marathi Zee5 and Zee Marathi business head V.R. Hema added, “By giving these young artists both a local and global stage, we’re not just showcasing music, we’re spotlighting their stories and dreams. MVP marks the next era of regional storytelling: bold, proud and rooted.”

    Presented by Zee Live, Marathi Zee5 and World of Vibes, the Festival of MVP is ready to tune Maharashtra into its most vibrant frequency yet. Tickets are live on Bookmyshow, with extra content dropping on Marathi Zee5 for fans who like their beats served with a side of pride.

  • Kantar Insights & Airtel bag top honour at MRSI’s 33rd research seminar

    Kantar Insights & Airtel bag top honour at MRSI’s 33rd research seminar

    MUMBAI: Held in Mumbai, the event crowned Kantar Insights and Bharti Airtel Ltd as winners for their paper, ‘Reconstructing Bharat: A scientific approach to estimating India’s population demographics at a district level.’ The research tackled the challenge of building a sharper, district-level picture of India’s vast and varied population.

    The runner-up slots went to Knowledge Excel for ‘Guardians of the survey: Fighting fraud to protect research integrity and data quality benchmarking’ and to Zee Entertainment Enterprises with Third Eye Integrated Services for ‘Streaming the paradox: Gen Z and the intergenerational remix.’

    This year’s theme, ‘The Power of And’ attracted over 100 submissions, with 22 shortlisted papers presented on stage.

    The seminar opened with a keynote by Ministry of statistics & programme implementation, secretary, dr Saurabh Garg, who underlined the importance of data-driven policymaking in India’s journey towards Viksit Bharat. He highlighted innovations in AI, machine learning, and geospatial data as tools that are strengthening decision-making.

    Panels through the day kept conversations lively, from the ‘Joys and dilemmas of insight in the age of technology’ to candid discussions on how brands can authentically connect with India’s cultural and economic diversity.

    MRSI, president, Nitin Kamat set the tone and said, “The industry must embrace integration between technology and creativity, data and human stories, clients and agencies to shape the future of market research.”

    Committee chair Rituparna Dasgupta added, “The diversity of ideas, from academic breakthroughs to brand case studies, reflects the ambition of India’s insights industry.”

    With thought leaders from healthcare, hospitality, FMCG, and media in attendance, the seminar reinforced MRSI’s role as the beating heart of India’s research ecosystem and a champion of ethical, future-ready insights.

     

  • Zee packs a travel punch with MP Tourism’s influencer campaign mandate

    Zee packs a travel punch with MP Tourism’s influencer campaign mandate

    MUMBAI: Heritage walks meet hashtags and tiger trails turn into trending tales, that’s the fresh spin Madhya Pradesh Tourism is gearing up for. Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. (ZEE), the content-and-tech powerhouse, has bagged the Influencer and Social Media Marketing mandate from the Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board, announced during the two-day Regional Tourism Conclave for Gwalior and Chambal on 29–30 August 2025.

    The announcement, made in the presence of chief minister Mohan Yadav, tourism & culture minister Dharmendra Singh Lodhi, and managing director of MP Tourism Board Sheo Shekhar Shukla (IAS), puts Zee at the digital helm of promoting the state’s famed wildlife parks, cultural festivals, and hidden heritage gems. Under this year-long pact, Zee will deploy its ‘dilfluencer’ initiative, a network of characters with deep audience connect to craft influencer-driven campaigns that push Madhya Pradesh’s stories beyond state borders and onto global screens.

    Zee chief sales officer for hindi GEC and FTA GEC Cluster Ali Zaidi received the agreement on behalf of the company. He called the collaboration “an opportunity to showcase the cultural richness of Madhya Pradesh through innovative influencer-led campaigns,” adding that it also “takes the dilfluencers initiative to the next level by delivering measurable value while celebrating India’s tourism potential.”

    The timing couldn’t be better. With MP’s big-ticket Travel Mart around the corner, influencer-led narratives are set to anchor the Board’s larger vision of drawing in new-age travellers through digital-first storytelling. From rural tourism and heritage trails to wildlife safaris and local festivals, every slice of Madhya Pradesh life is poised for amplification.

    Zee, which already prides itself on blending entertainment with tech-led solutions, is pitching this collaboration as more than just an ad brief, it’s a chance to shape conversations, build community-led buzz, and reframe tourism in the language of reels, stories, and viral videos. For Madhya Pradesh, it’s a step toward ensuring that when people scroll for their next adventure, the “Heart of India” pops up first on their feeds.

  • Z rolls out Zee Spotlight; Hyundai drives in as inaugural partner

    Z rolls out Zee Spotlight; Hyundai drives in as inaugural partner

    MUMBAI: Zee Entertainment Enterprises has launched Zee Spotlight, a high-impact advertising package under its Z Rise initiative, with Hyundai Motor India stepping in as the exclusive first partner.

    Billed as a clutter-busting innovation, Zee Spotlight combines premium brand touchpoints across general entertainment and movie channels — from stings, branded windows and in-show funnel placements to carousels, QR-code astons, L-bands and tags. The package is also designed to extend onto Zee5, ensuring brands reach audiences seamlessly across broadcast and digital in line with the AIDA model of awareness, interest, desire and action.

    Laxmi Shetty, head of advertisement revenue for broadcast and digital at Zee, said the move was about “reimagining how brands engage with audiences in a fragmented media ecosystem.”

    Hyundai’s avp and vertical head of marketing, Virat Khullar, called the tie-up “a cutting-edge platform that redefines brand storytelling,” adding that the partnership would deepen connections with consumers across India’s entertainment landscape.

    With Zee Spotlight, the network is pitching a sharper value proposition to advertisers: high-frequency, high-visibility brand presence baked into viewers’ content journeys, with Hyundai leading the charge.

  • Zee Entertainment bets big on micro-dramas and streaming distribution

    Zee Entertainment bets big on micro-dramas and streaming distribution

    MUMBAI: Zee Entertainment Enterprises is placing a Rs 90 crore wager on the future of India’s fragmented media landscape, betting that micro-dramas and consolidated distribution will unlock new revenue streams as audiences scatter across platforms.

    The company’s board approved investments in optionally convertible debentures of two recently incorporated subsidiaries on 14 August. The bigger bet—Rs 50 crore—goes to ZBullet Enterprises, launched just two months ago to develop “Bullet,” a micro-drama application targeting younger viewers with bite-sized series. The remaining Rs 40 crore will flow to Advance Media Distribution Ltd (AMDL), a wholly owned subsidiary designed to consolidate Zee’s entire content distribution empire.

    AMDL represents the more strategic play. The new entity will handle distribution for all Zee Entertainment and Zee Media channels, plus the company’s streaming platform Zee5. It will also take over distribution of Watcho, an over-the-top platform owned by DTH operator Dish TV that Zee currently distributes. Beyond its parent company’s assets, AMDL plans to distribute third-party television channels and streaming services on a commission basis.

    The consolidation strategy follows a well-trodden path in Indian broadcasting. Zee previously shifted its television distribution to Taj TV before bringing it back in-house. Viacom18, now merged with Star India, operated through IndiaCast, while Sony Pictures Networks manages distribution through its own subsidiary.
    The logic is compelling: as audiences consume content across both traditional television and digital platforms simultaneously, a unified distribution approach promises to unlock subscription revenue from both streams. The move also positions Zee to serve smaller channels and streaming platforms that lack the resources and expertise to manage complex distribution arrangements themselves.

    ZBullet’s micro-drama focus, meanwhile, mirrors successful platforms in China where ultra-short episodic content has captivated mobile-first audiences. For a company built on Bollywood films and Hindi soap operas, the shift towards smartphone-friendly formats represents a significant strategic pivot.

    Neither venture has generated revenue yet, with both still preparing to commence operations. The investments will be made in tranches as business plans are finalised. But the timing suggests Zee recognises that India’s entertainment future belongs to companies that can master both content creation and distribution across every conceivable platform.