Tag: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited

  • Zee acquires UAE’s Hum 106.2 FM

    Zee acquires UAE’s Hum 106.2 FM

    MUMBAI: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) has forayed into radio with the acquisition of UAE’s first radio station, Hum 106.2 FM. The radio station was previously owned and operated by Shamal Media Services.

    The station is a frequency originating from the emirate of Umm Al Quwain and forms a part of Umm Al Quwain Broadcasting Network (UBN). The frequency was one of the first Hindi and Urdu language frequencies to hit the UAE airwaves in the 1990’s. It redefined drive time and boasted of many celebrity Radio Jockeys. It also went on to popularize live cricket commentary on radio and has a lot of pioneering firsts in the radio business.

    ZEEL International broadcast business CEO Amit Goenka said, “In our journey of over two decades, ZEE has always led the industry in its evolution and transformation. At ZEE, we are always looking at strategic acquisitions across the globe to increase our footprint and market share in the entertainment industry. 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.”

    After being a pioneer with the launch of India’s renowned 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.

    “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.

    ZEEL MENA and APAC CEO Mukund Cairae added, “This move is a diversification to our entertainment business portfolio, adding to the numero uno position we possess in Television among South Asians in the Middle East. This investment also shows our commitment to the region and its business landscape. Now we can offer media across Television, Radio and Digital platforms, leading to a great synergy between content and mediums. With an extensive library of music content that includes singing reality shows like ‘The Voice India’, ‘SaReGaMaPa’, ‘Antakshari’ and ‘Asia’s Singing Superstar’ which have produced great singers in Bollywood, an on-going relationship with the big names in the industry and with one of the biggest music labels in Bollywood, Zee Music Company as a part of its portfolio, the new venture has all the ingredients needed to redefine the Radio industry in this market.”

    UBN general manager Ali Jasim Ahmed said,“We are proud to partner with Zee Entertainment, the leading global company in the media industry with a strong presence in the UAE and across the Middle East. Zee Entertainment will provide new content and concepts in the world of entertainment and marketing, and will provide the station the required media expertise of a highly effective and competitive value. Further, we will give all the facilities and backing for ZEE to achieve its strategic station goals and we will work together to support the qualitative superiority of the programs in order to meet the wishes and aspirations of the esteemed listeners.”

    Shamal Media Services founder and MD Shahid Jamal said, “Hum FM pioneered FM Radio in UAE and over the years, we have made it the No. 1 Radio Station. It is now a great opportunity for us to hand over our successful radio legacy to a media network that has been a pioneer of South Asian entertainment globally and in the region. Zee Entertainment, who themselves have had a great legacy in the media business will only take the success of Hum FM to the next level.”

    More announcements are expected in the coming weeks on the future channel programming and its positioning.

  • Zee enters US Hispanic market; to conquer second-largest spoken language

    Zee enters US Hispanic market; to conquer second-largest spoken language

    MUMBAI: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) has set a new milestone by becoming the first-ever Indian company to enter the massive Hispanic market with the launch of its Spanish-language Bollywood movie channel, ‘Zee Mundo’.

    Zee Mundo – ¡Te encanta! (‘Mundo’ means ‘World’ and ‘¡Te Encanta!’ means ‘You’ll Love It’ in Spanish) is a premium, major studio-level, HD movie channel presenting the very best of modern Bollywood cinema, dubbed in Spanish.

    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.”

    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 U.S., meticulously 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.” Zee Mundo’s head office is located in Miami, Florida.

    Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited is one of India’s leading television media and entertainment companies. It is among the largest producers and aggregators of Hindi programming in the world.

  • Zee enters US Hispanic market; to conquer second-largest spoken language

    Zee enters US Hispanic market; to conquer second-largest spoken language

    MUMBAI: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) has set a new milestone by becoming the first-ever Indian company to enter the massive Hispanic market with the launch of its Spanish-language Bollywood movie channel, ‘Zee Mundo’.

    Zee Mundo – ¡Te encanta! (‘Mundo’ means ‘World’ and ‘¡Te Encanta!’ means ‘You’ll Love It’ in Spanish) is a premium, major studio-level, HD movie channel presenting the very best of modern Bollywood cinema, dubbed in Spanish.

    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.”

    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 U.S., meticulously 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.” Zee Mundo’s head office is located in Miami, Florida.

    Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited is one of India’s leading television media and entertainment companies. It is among the largest producers and aggregators of Hindi programming in the world.

  • Ithech Taka Tamboo: dittoTV adds Zee Yuva

    Ithech Taka Tamboo: dittoTV adds Zee Yuva

    MUMBAI: Zee Yuva, ZEEL’s Marathi channel, is now available on dittoTV. The channel offers refreshing, light-hearted, and contemporary content that resonates with younger audiences.

    “Content consumption patterns in India have evolved and younger audiences consume entertainment on-the-go. With dittoTV, youth can enjoy shows anytime and anywhere,” said Zee Yuva and Zee Talkies business head Bavesh Janavlekar.

    Shows on Zee Yuva include, Bun Maska, which portrays the life of fun-loving girl, with a confused philosophy of love; Freshers, a show that revolves around college-goers; ShravanBal Rock star, a show about an aspirational rock star who is trying to balance his own dreams and the aspiration of his parents; Yuvagiri, a show which journeys through colleges across different parts of Maharashtra and interacts with the youth to understand their opinion on various issues; Love Lagan Locha, a story which revolves around boys who are trying to find their perfect match; Ithech Taka Tamboo, a story of a man who escapes from the superficial world and tries running a beachside hotel in a small town in the state..

    dittoTV business head Archana Anand said, “Zee Yuva strikes a connect with our subscribers, especially college and hostel students, due to it’s novel content. We have witnessed a high consumption of regional GECs on dittoTV. Going forward, we will continue to expand the variety of channels across languages and genres to suit audiences across different target groups.”

  • Ithech Taka Tamboo: dittoTV adds Zee Yuva

    Ithech Taka Tamboo: dittoTV adds Zee Yuva

    MUMBAI: Zee Yuva, ZEEL’s Marathi channel, is now available on dittoTV. The channel offers refreshing, light-hearted, and contemporary content that resonates with younger audiences.

    “Content consumption patterns in India have evolved and younger audiences consume entertainment on-the-go. With dittoTV, youth can enjoy shows anytime and anywhere,” said Zee Yuva and Zee Talkies business head Bavesh Janavlekar.

    Shows on Zee Yuva include, Bun Maska, which portrays the life of fun-loving girl, with a confused philosophy of love; Freshers, a show that revolves around college-goers; ShravanBal Rock star, a show about an aspirational rock star who is trying to balance his own dreams and the aspiration of his parents; Yuvagiri, a show which journeys through colleges across different parts of Maharashtra and interacts with the youth to understand their opinion on various issues; Love Lagan Locha, a story which revolves around boys who are trying to find their perfect match; Ithech Taka Tamboo, a story of a man who escapes from the superficial world and tries running a beachside hotel in a small town in the state..

    dittoTV business head Archana Anand said, “Zee Yuva strikes a connect with our subscribers, especially college and hostel students, due to it’s novel content. We have witnessed a high consumption of regional GECs on dittoTV. Going forward, we will continue to expand the variety of channels across languages and genres to suit audiences across different target groups.”

  • Sony Pictures to acquire Ten Sports from Zee

    Sony Pictures to acquire Ten Sports from Zee

    MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) today 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 U.S. dollars. Completion of the acquisition is subject to regulatory approval. The acquisition will add South Asia’s leading sports network to SPN’s existing portfolio of channels.

    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.

    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.

    Long a television destination for sports fans, SPN sports properties include cricket (IPL, CPL, Ram Slam), football (FIFA 2018 World Cup Russia, UEFA Euro 2016, FIFA World Events including FIFA U-17 World Cup 2017 in India, European and South American Qualifiers for FIFA WC 2018, FIFA Confederations Cup, LaLiga, Serie A, FA Cup, Copa America Centenario, International Champions Cup), tennis (Australian Open, ATP 1000 and 500 World Tour Events, Champions Tennis League), fight sports (TNA, UFC, Pro Wrestling League), basketball (NBA) as well as NFL and Premier Futsal.

    Comment from NP Singh, CEO, Sony Pictures Networks India

    “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.”

    Comment from Andy Kaplan, President, Worldwide Networks, Sony Pictures Television

    “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.”

    Comment from Punit Goenka, Managing Director, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEE)

    “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.”

  • Sony Pictures to acquire Ten Sports from Zee

    Sony Pictures to acquire Ten Sports from Zee

    MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) today 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 U.S. dollars. Completion of the acquisition is subject to regulatory approval. The acquisition will add South Asia’s leading sports network to SPN’s existing portfolio of channels.

    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.

    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.

    Long a television destination for sports fans, SPN sports properties include cricket (IPL, CPL, Ram Slam), football (FIFA 2018 World Cup Russia, UEFA Euro 2016, FIFA World Events including FIFA U-17 World Cup 2017 in India, European and South American Qualifiers for FIFA WC 2018, FIFA Confederations Cup, LaLiga, Serie A, FA Cup, Copa America Centenario, International Champions Cup), tennis (Australian Open, ATP 1000 and 500 World Tour Events, Champions Tennis League), fight sports (TNA, UFC, Pro Wrestling League), basketball (NBA) as well as NFL and Premier Futsal.

    Comment from NP Singh, CEO, Sony Pictures Networks India

    “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.”

    Comment from Andy Kaplan, President, Worldwide Networks, Sony Pictures Television

    “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.”

    Comment from Punit Goenka, Managing Director, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEE)

    “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.”

  • Zee Mindspace Awards 2016 to acknowledge marketing fraternity

    Zee Mindspace Awards 2016 to acknowledge marketing fraternity

    MUMBAI: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) has instituted the Zee Mindspace Awards to give recognition to brands.

    The awards ceremony will be held on 27 August at #ZEEMelt 2016 in the capital.

    ZEE Mindspace Awards aim to serve as an additional independent barometer for marketers. It will recognize the overall marketing mix implemented by the brand owners to carve a mindspace within the consumers.

    ZEEL chief business officer Sunil Buch said, “Achieving ‘consumer mindspace’ is every marketer’s ultimate goal. The thought of extending our three-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 network has partnered with market research company Nielsen to execute a nationwide research to identify brands which have created maximum impact on the minds of the consumers. The primary criteria to arrive at the winning brands are popularity, advocacy, desire and buzz. Brands which have a top of mind recall are also a part of the structured research methodology.

    Nielsen has targeted a sample size of 12000+ audiences, covering key zones across the country.

    The winning brands will be awarded at the ZEE Mindspace Awards 2016 in the presence of over 500 CMOs and stalwarts from the marketing and advertising industry.

    Nielsen South Asia MD Prashant Singh 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 Zee Mindspace Conference which aims at bringing the marketing fraternity together to connect, discuss and explore new possibilities. The sessions under conference comprise of two main themes: Previewing tomorrow – where one gets insights into the future of several areas in the industry, and Open possibilities which introduces the many advantages that data, content, consumer analysis and branding offer in transforming businesses.

    The speakers at the conference are Constellation Research founder and chairman and principal analyst R Ray Wang, News Works deputy chief executive Vanessa Clifford, Havas Media SVP of strategy and innovation Tom Goodwin, strategist and speaker Jeff Bullas, Financial Times chief data officer Tom Betts, Semcon corporate communication and marketing director Per Nilsson, XAxis global CEO Brian Gleason, technology and media author, strategy consultant Tomi Ahonen.

    ZEEL has embarked on an extensive promotion campaign in key markets targeting print, outdoor, digital, social media platforms and PR. Further, as a part of integration with Twitter, the awards ceremony will be live-streamed on Periscope and extensively promoted on the social media platform. Actor and Television presenter, Gaurav Kapur who would be the event anchor, will also interact with the users through Twitter’s #BlueRoom today at 6.30 pm.

  • Zee Mindspace Awards 2016 to acknowledge marketing fraternity

    Zee Mindspace Awards 2016 to acknowledge marketing fraternity

    MUMBAI: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) has instituted the Zee Mindspace Awards to give recognition to brands.

    The awards ceremony will be held on 27 August at #ZEEMelt 2016 in the capital.

    ZEE Mindspace Awards aim to serve as an additional independent barometer for marketers. It will recognize the overall marketing mix implemented by the brand owners to carve a mindspace within the consumers.

    ZEEL chief business officer Sunil Buch said, “Achieving ‘consumer mindspace’ is every marketer’s ultimate goal. The thought of extending our three-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 network has partnered with market research company Nielsen to execute a nationwide research to identify brands which have created maximum impact on the minds of the consumers. The primary criteria to arrive at the winning brands are popularity, advocacy, desire and buzz. Brands which have a top of mind recall are also a part of the structured research methodology.

    Nielsen has targeted a sample size of 12000+ audiences, covering key zones across the country.

    The winning brands will be awarded at the ZEE Mindspace Awards 2016 in the presence of over 500 CMOs and stalwarts from the marketing and advertising industry.

    Nielsen South Asia MD Prashant Singh 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 Zee Mindspace Conference which aims at bringing the marketing fraternity together to connect, discuss and explore new possibilities. The sessions under conference comprise of two main themes: Previewing tomorrow – where one gets insights into the future of several areas in the industry, and Open possibilities which introduces the many advantages that data, content, consumer analysis and branding offer in transforming businesses.

    The speakers at the conference are Constellation Research founder and chairman and principal analyst R Ray Wang, News Works deputy chief executive Vanessa Clifford, Havas Media SVP of strategy and innovation Tom Goodwin, strategist and speaker Jeff Bullas, Financial Times chief data officer Tom Betts, Semcon corporate communication and marketing director Per Nilsson, XAxis global CEO Brian Gleason, technology and media author, strategy consultant Tomi Ahonen.

    ZEEL has embarked on an extensive promotion campaign in key markets targeting print, outdoor, digital, social media platforms and PR. Further, as a part of integration with Twitter, the awards ceremony will be live-streamed on Periscope and extensively promoted on the social media platform. Actor and Television presenter, Gaurav Kapur who would be the event anchor, will also interact with the users through Twitter’s #BlueRoom today at 6.30 pm.

  • Q1-17: Zeel numbers up on higher ad, subscription revenue, PAT up 22 percent

    Q1-17: Zeel numbers up on higher ad, subscription revenue, PAT up 22 percent

    BENGALURU: The Subhash Chandra led content and broadcast player Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (Zeel) reported a 19.2 per cent  hike in consolidated revenue for the quarter ended 30 June 2016 (Q1-17, current quarter) as compared to the corresponding quarter of the previous year. The growth was driven by a 19.2 percent growth in Zeel’s advertising (ad) revenue, supplemented by a 14.2 percent growth in subscription revenue. Zeel reported consolidated revenue (Total income from operations, TIO) of Rs 1,571.62 crore in Q1-17 as compared to Rs 1,326,68 crore in Q1-16.

    Profit after tax (PAT) for the current quarter increased 21.8 percent to Rs 216.96 crore (13.8 percent margin) as compared to Rs 178.18 crore (13.4 percent margin) in Q1-16.

    Ad revenue in the current quarter was Rs 911.98 crore (58 percent of TIO) as compared to Rs 765.33 crore (57.7 percent of TIO) in Q1-16. Subscription revenue in the current quarter was Rs 528.16 crore (33.6 percent of TIO) as compared to Rs 462.53 crore (34.9 percent of TIO) in Q1-16.

    Zeel’s Operating profit (EBITDA) for Q1-17 stood at Rs 453.15 crore (28.8 percent EBITDA Margin) which was 44.1 percent higher than the Rs 314.57 crore (23.7 percent EBIDTA margin) in the corresponding year ago quarter.

    Total Expenditure in Q1-17 increased 11.2 percent to Rs 1,143.58 crore (72.8 percent of TIO) from Rs 1,028.21 crore (77.5 percent of TIO) in Q1-16.

    Finance costs in the current quarter declined 2.6 percent to Rs 7.5 crore (0.5 percent of TIO) from Rs 7.7 crore (0.6 percent of TIO) in the corresponding year ago quarter.

    Employee benefit expense in Q1-17 increased 14.1 percent to Rs 149.93 crore (9.5 percent of TIO) from Rs 131.40 crore (9.9 percent of TIO) in Q1-16.

    Advertising and Publicity expense in the current quarter increased 23.9 percent to Rs 119.71 crore (7.6 percent of TIO) from Rs 96.65 crore (7.3 percent of TIO) in Q1-16.

    Company Speak

    Chandra added, “The financial results once again highlight the strong underlying fundamentals of the company. The advertising and subscription revenues continue to drive the company’s growth. Taking a long term view of the business trends we are committed to become a global content company and will make suitable investments to achieve that objective.”

    Zeel managing director and CEO Punit Goenka, Managing said, ““We have started the new fiscal on a positive note, delivering successful result in the first quarter. On the back of continued steady economic recovery, the company once again managed to outperform the market. The advertising growth is holding up and the subscription revenue is maintaining a steady growth. While the advertising could receive a fillip if the consumer spending improves, on the subscription front the industry awaits the regulatory guidelines which will shape the subscription revenue growth over the next few quarters.”

    The preference of the consumers keeps on evolving with time and we have consistently stayed ahead of the curve, and in many cases helped shape it. As an entertainment company, it is imperative for us to experiment with new content and innovate new formats, and we will continue to do so. We are making investments in new growth verticals with an aim that they will start contributing to company’s success in the future. An effort in this direction was the relaunch of company’s paid OTT platform dittoTV with new subscription plans. Our movie production business has started delivering results which is evident with movies like Sairat which became the highest grossing Marathi movie of all time.”

    Note: (1) The unit of currency in this report is the Indian rupee – Rs (also conventionally represented by INR). The Indian numbering system or the Vedic numbering system has been used to denote money values. The basic conversion to the international norm would be:

    (a) 100,00,000 = 100 lakh = 10,000,000 = 10 million = 1 crore.

    (b) 10,000 lakh = 100 crore = 1 arab = 1 billion.

    (2) All numbers in this report are consolidated unless stated otherwise.
     

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