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Tag: Zeel

  • Zee World tops the GEC pay platform in Zambia

    Zee World tops the GEC pay platform in Zambia

    MUMBAI: Zee World, ZEEL’s English general entertainment channel is gaining steam in Africa, revealed the company.

    At the Content Upfront in Lusaka on May 29, Zee World announced that it has captured the number one GEC position on Pay TV platform in Zambia.

    “The growing success of Zee channels paves the way for further expansion in the continent,” said a buoyant Zee Africa, CEO, Harish Goyal

    The Content Upfront was held at the Southern Sun Ridgeway Hotel. In the next quarter, Zee World is likely to host more editions of the Content Upfront  in Botswana, Namibia, Ghana, Malawi and Zimbabwe.

    Zee World, the first offering from ZEEL for mainstream viewers in Africa, was launched in 2015.

    The other channels  in the Zee Africa bouquet include Zee Bollymovies, Zee Bollynova, Zee TV and Zee Cinema.

    Also Read:
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    Zee World lines up three new shows

    Zee to air Pantene Zee World Teen queen 2003

     

  • ZEEL gets aggressive with &flix launch

    ZEEL gets aggressive with &flix launch

    MUMBAI: And now following in the footsteps of &Prive HD, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) has announced that it is rolling out &flix come 1 pm on 3 June 2018 on major DTH and digital cable TV platforms. The target audience for the new offering: the striver, which the channel defines as those who are always pursuing new experiences, are ready to upgrade and take that quantum leap.  

    Thus &flix will feature 52 premiers of hit movies – amongst a total roster of 400 – that have stories that show not just what is, but what could be. Among the top notch titles –  that it has acquired from 10-11 independent Hollywood players and studios such as Sony, Paramount and Disney – that will debut on &flix feature: Spider-Man: Homecoming, Baby Driver, Life, The Emoji Movie, The Atomic Blonde, Jumanji and Blade Runner 2049.

    &flix is initially seeking a market in the six metros and will be available on Dish TV, Tata Sky, Airtel Digital TV, Sun TV, Hathway and TCCL to name a few to start with.

    According to ZEEL premium channels- business cluster head Aparna Bhosle, 60 per cent of the total English content viewership comes from mega cities and has been growing at a CAGR of an impressive 35 per cent over the past three years.

    “Out of the 183 million TV households, 51 million households consume English movies in India,” she elaborated.

    Keeping in mind, that it is targeting millennials, its agency Publicis and the in-house team has laid out an expansive digital and print campaign in combination with cross promotions on sister HD channels and the great outdoors.

    The idea is to get 350 million impressions over six weeks with messaging going out on platforms such as Youtube, Facebook, BuzzFeed, HuffPost and many more. The Twitter integrated outdoor innovation to unveil the channel’s first communication saw movie fans tweeting 10,000 tweets along with the channel’s hashtag, generating more than 52 million impressions in just 24 hours in the process.

    “The brand proposition, Leap Forth, was created with the thought that you can have an extraordinary life with unlimited possibilities if you dare to take the leap,” shared ZEEL CMO Prathyusha Agarwal with indiantelevision.com.  “Our marketing campaign has been chalked out keeping in light the awe-inspiring larger than life experience we wish to offer. Our innovations, across mediums, reflect the magnitude of our offering, surely making it one of the biggest launches in our sector this year.”

    Sources reveal that a marketing and promotional budget in excess of Rs 5 crore has been kept aside for the launch activity.

    “For our ever-evolving audiences who are spoilt for choice, &flix will fuel the drive to take a quantum leap and break out of their orbits,” added Agarwal. “Our research led us to understand that over 60 per cent of all English movie viewers fall under the category of un-satiated strivers. With &flix, we aim to enthral the audience which is persistent in its pursuit of new experiences and is not easily satiated.”

    &flix’s packaging was assigned to Canadian design agency Zink which is behind &Prive HD’s look as well.

    At stake is a piece of the Rs 550-crore-600-odd crore spend that brands and media fork out on the English movie genre. Five brands have come on board as launch sponsor partners.  Among these feature Fiama (ITC), Lloyd (Havells), 100 Pipers (Pernod Ricard), Amazon Fire TV stick and Domino’s Pizza, revealed ZEEL EVP Sales Mona Jain.  She adds: “The strong brand proposition has helped us connect with some of the key like-minded brands across sectors. The response has been extremely positive from our clients and such partnerships further validate our belief in our offering. We are hoping to drive synergies with more brands as we embark on this new journey.”

    According to insiders, the spot rates that it is asking for from agencies are even higher than &Prive HD as &flix is available in both HD and SD feeds.

    Bhosle is sanguine that the heightened activity in the English movie genre is likely to work positively in its favour and she sees it growing faster and at a higher rate than in the past two years.

    Shall we say Amen to that?

  • Zee Entertainment Honoured with 16 Awards at PromaxBDA India

    Zee Entertainment Honoured with 16 Awards at PromaxBDA India

    MUMBAI: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. (ZEEL), a worldwide media brand made a clean sweep of 16 prestigious awards for excellent work in the media marketing arena at the PromaxBDA Awards announced yesterday. The event is regarded as the most coveted awards for creative endeavors in the broadcast media space. ZEEL won multiple awards across various categories listed below:

    GOLD: Best Image Campaign (OUT-OF-HOUSE)- Brand refresh- Aaj Likhenge Kal, Zee TV, ZEEL
    GOLD: Most Outstanding Marketing Initiative (Out-Of-House)- Zee TV- Aaj Likhenge Kal, Zee TV, ZEEL
    GOLD: Best Integrated Marketing Campaign (Out-Of-House) – Aaj Likhenge Kal, Zee TV, ZEEL
    GOLD:  Best On-air Branding Design – &Privé HD, ZEEL
    GOLD:  Best Entertainment / Comedy Promo-  Meri Hanikarak Biwi, &TV, ZEEL
    GOLD:  Best Themed Campaign- Meri Hanikarak Biwi, &TV, ZEEL
    GOLD: Best Drama Promo Not in Hindi Or English Tuza Maza Breakup Song Promo, Zee Marathi, ZEEL
    GOLD: The Small Big Idea Best Use of Digital- Twin Screen Trailer, &Privé HD, ZEEL
    SILVER: Best Content or Long Form the Other Side – Onir About Moonlight, &Privé HD, ZEEL
    SILVER: BEST OUTDOOR- &Privé Launch, &Privé HD, ZEEL
    SILVER: Best Movie Promo -The Wolf of Wall Street, &Privé HD, ZEEL
    SILVER: Best Drama Promo- Poove Poochoodava, Zee Tamil, ZEEL
    SILVER: Best Drama Campaign -Yaaradi Nee Mohini, Zee Tamil, ZEEL
    SILVER: Best Children’s Promo-  Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Li’l Champs, Zee TV, ZEEL
    SILVER: Best Themed Campaign- BBC First, Zee Café, ZEEL
    SILVER: Best Copywriting Not in Hindi Or English -Jadu Bai Jorat – Launch Promo, Zee Marathi, ZEEL

    On being recognised for this excellence, ZEEL, Chief Marketing Officer, Ms. Prathyusha Aggarwal said, “It has been a defining year for us with ZEEL setting its agenda for the next 25 years through a fresh articulation of its brand purpose -‘Extraordinary Together’. We follow hearts with all our minds. Across the network, our marketing artillery swung into overdrive to communicate our core proposition in the most inventive manner.  The campaigns we rolled out were strong, viewer understanding and insight-led  and they not only delivered in terms of impact and reach but touched hearts with memorable creatives that will linger on in the public mind-space for years to come. We are happy to be conferred with sixteen awards cutting across the Hindi General entertainment space, regional channels and premium channels at PromaxBDA for our marketing endeavors. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all our partners and viewers who have helped us achieve this honour. We will continue to strive to offer extraordinary entertainment to all.”

    Twenty-five years ago, Zee Entertainment Enterprises started off with its flagship channel, Zee TV, beaming unique shows and curated content to an audience hungry for new-age entertainment. Highlighting the list of campaigns that have been conferred with awards:

    This year, Zee TV re-articulated its brand philsophy as Aaj Likhenge Kal. Through its inspiring characters and stories, the channel endeavours to provide a spark to the great indian middle class that encourages them to draw from their own inner strength and take charge of their destinies.
    While &TV’s Meri Hanikarak Biwi campaign was designed to dismiss stereotypes and highlight the sensitive issue around vasectomy in a light hearted manner
    Catering to a distinct set of non-conformist audience, ZEEL launched a premium destination for nuanced cinema – &Privé HD in September 2017. The English movie channel reached the no.1 position in its category within just six months of its launch. The response to the content and marketing campaigns has been truly overwhelming and reflects clearly with five PromaxBDA awards. The channel continues to be committed to the larger vision of bringing extraordinary content to its audiences
    For Zee Tamil, Yaaradi Nee Mohini and Poove Poochoodava have both emerged as distinct fiction properties of Zee Tamil. Having completed over 250 episodes, both shows have become favourites of almost every Tamil-speaking household today; Yaaradi Nee Mohini in fact, is one among the top 10 shows in the Tamil market as per BARC ratings

    Meant to bring to light the ever-evolving role that marketing plays in the monetization of media, PromaxBDA is a truly international organization uniting the individuals who are in charge of the media marketing industry across the globe. The PromaxBDA Awards are a result of this mission to promote and market professionals working in the media and entertainment sector.

  • ZEEL appoints Shariq Patel as CEO of Essel Vision Productions

    ZEEL appoints Shariq Patel as CEO of Essel Vision Productions

    MUMBAI: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL), one of India’s leading media and entertainment companies, has appointed Shariq Patel as the chief executive officer of Essel Vision Productions Ltd. Patel will report to ZEEL MD & CEO  Punit Goenka.

    Along with its other leading businesses, film and television content production have been fundamental business verticals for the media conglomerate, both having immense growth potential.

    Essel Vision Productions produces soap operas, reality TV, comedy, game shows, entertainment and factual programming in several Indian languages. 

    Patel has more than 20 years of experience across various industries spanning financial services, radio, internet, telecom, sports management and films. He has earlier worked with Radio One 94.3 FM as Vice President, Marketing & Station Head, post which he had a short stint with Essel Sports as Senior Vice President, Marketing & Operations – Indian Cricket League. He then moved to Viacom 18 Media as Executive Vice President, (STUDIO18) Production before starting out with his own venture Trigno Media Pvt Ltd. His appointment further enhances ZEEL’s approach in strengthening its films and television content production arms.

    Also Read:

    Zeel numbers up on higher ad revenue in third quarter

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

    ZEEL elevates Atul Das as president – affiliate rev & dist

  • Zeel operating profit up; board recommends 290% dividend

    Zeel operating profit up; board recommends 290% dividend

    BENGALURU: Subhash Chandra-led Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (Zeel) reported higher operating profit (EBITDA) for the year and quarter ended 31 March 2018 (FY 2018, the year under review; Q4 2018, the quarter under review) as compared with the corresponding periods of the previous year (FY 2017, Q4 2017). Profit after tax (PAT) for the quarter and year under review was, however, lower due to higher tax and lower extraordinary/exceptional items as against the previous year. The Zeel board of directors has recommended an equity dividend of 290 per cent per share of face value of Re 1.

    Zeel’s EBITDA for FY-2018 increased by 7.7 per cent to Rs 2,076.14 crore (31.1 per cent margin) from Rs 1,926.86 crore (29.9 per cent margin) in fiscal 2017. EBITDA for Q4 2018 rose by 8 per cent to Rs 506.20 crore (29.3 per cent margin) from Rs 468.70 crore (30.7 per cent margin). PAT for FY 2018 declined 33.4 per cent to Rs 1,477.75 crore from Rs 2,220.11 crore.

    Zeel’s operating revenue for FY 2018 was 3.9 per cent higher at Rs 6,685.68 crore than the Rs 6,434.13 crore in FY 2017. Operating revenue for Q4 2018 grew by 12.9 per cent year-on-year (yoy) to Rs 1,725.31 crore from Rs 1,527.95 crore. Total revenue for FY 2018 increased by seven per cent to Rs 7,126.30 crore from Rs 6,658.17 crore in the previous year. Total revenue for the quarter grew by 14.6 per cent yoy to Rs 1,813.43 crore from Rs 1,582.89 crore. Revenue growth during both periods can be attributed to growth in advertising revenue partly offset by a decline in subscription revenue.

    Advertising revenue in FY 2018 increased by 14.5 per cent to Rs 4,204.76 crore from Rs 3,673.50 crore in the previous year. The company said in its earnings release that on a comparable basis— excluding sports, RBNL and Indian Web Portal Pvt Ltd (IWPL)—domestic advertising revenue grew by 15.9 per cent to Rs 3,848.88 crore. International advertising revenue increased by 26.2 per cent in FY 2018 to Rs 214.3 crore. International business revenue in Q4 2018 was Rs 66.2 crore.

    Subscription revenue during the year under review declined by 10.3 per cent to Rs 2,028.73 crore from Rs 2,262.91 crore in FY 2017. The company said in its release that adjusted for sale of Zeel’s sports business, subscription revenue actually grew by 11.8 per cent. The company also said that subscription revenue growth for the year was slightly impacted by the delay in phase-III monetisation due to the uncertainty regarding TRAI’s tariff order. Domestic and international subscription revenue for Q4 2018 declined by 0.7 per cent yoy and eight per cent yoy, respectively, primarily on account of the sale of the sports business. Subscription revenue in Q4 2018 decreased by two per cent yoy to Rs 546.52 crore from Rs 557.92 crore. International business subscription revenue in Q4 2018 declined to Rs 94.4 crore.

    Zeel’s other sales and services include revenue from its movie production business, content syndication, music label and commission on sales. Other sales and services revenue decreased by 9.1 per cent in FY 2018 to Rs 452.19 crore from Rs 497.72 crore in the previous fiscal. For Q4 2018, other sales and services revenue increased by five per cent yoy to Rs 129.24 crore from Rs 123.09 crore in Q4 2017. Other sales and services revenue from the international business in Q4 2018 was Rs 53.7 crore.

    Other income, during the year under review, soared by 96.5 per cent to Rs 440.35 crore from Rs 224.04 crore whereas, during the quarter, increased by 60.4 per cent to Rs 88.12 crore from Rs 54.94 crore.

    For FY 2018, total costs increased by 2.3 per cent to Rs 4,609.50 crore. The underlying increase was higher but offset by the sale of the sports business. On a like-to-like basis, programming cost increased due to higher original content hours across the network and higher movie amortisation cost while the reported programming cost declined due to the sale of the sports business. Advertising, publicity and other expenses increased by 25.6 per cent to Rs. 1,416.4 crore on account of brand refresh, launch of ZEE5 and costs related to silver jubilee events.

    Zeel’s total expenditure in Q4 2018 at Rs 1,219.1 crore was higher by 15.1 per cent as againt Q4 2017. Programming cost for the quarter at Rs 689.3 crore increased by 6.7 per cent yoy. This increase was driven by higher original programming hours in regional channels, higher movie amortisation costs and content cost for ZEE5. Advertising, publicity and other expenses for the quarter grew by 44 per cent yoy to Rs 3,66 crore on account of the ZEE5 launch expense and increased marketing activities for new properties. Additionally, the expense base for Q4 2017 was lower as some marketing and promotion events were held back due to demonetisation, the release stated.

    Zeel chairman Subhash Chandra said, “Looking at our performance one might not realise that the first half of the year was not as smooth, which is a testimony to the strength of our team. Being the number one TV entertainment network is a result of our strategy and the consistent hard work we have put in over the years. With the launch of ZEE5, we have taken a major leap towards our preparation for the future and we are confident that like TV business we will be in the leadership position in the digital space as well.”

    Zeel CEO and managing director Punit Goenka said, “We launched our new digital platform ZEE5 with over 100,000 hours of content across 11 languages. We are happy with the initial response and are confident that the sheer depth and breadth of our content offering will enable it to become the number one digital entertainment platform in India. We have also focused on the peculiarities of Indian market and designed technological features to improve the user experience. Unlike most of the existing apps which are either focused on the English-speaking segment or the youth audience, ZEE5’s vast content catalogue is designed with an objective to cater to all sections of video viewing audience.”

    Goenka added, “We are delighted with the strong operating and financial performance during the quarter. Domestic ad revenue growth of 24 per cent is driven by broad based recovery in advertising spends. With high visibility of product campaigns, improving consumer demand and GST related benefits trickling down to ad spends, we are confident of continued traction in advertising spending. The full-year domestic subscription revenue growth of 12 per cent is a tad lower than our initial expectations due to some unforeseen events. However, there is no change in our medium-term outlook for the same.”

    Also Read :

    Zee Media reports higher ad revenue growth in Q3 2018

    Zee, Turner to work independently for subscription revenue

  • SPN becomes broadcaster of the year at Abby 2018

    SPN becomes broadcaster of the year at Abby 2018

    GOA: After an engaging second day of Goafest 2018, that brought about creative discussions and knowledge sharing amongst stalwarts across consulting, technology, creative arts, marketing, news media and policymakers, the 50th Abby Awards continued.

    As the last rays of the sun kissed the Goan sand on day two, it was time for the presentation of the broadcaster, public relations, still craft, video craft, design and direct Abbys. The awards celebrate the best-in-class creative geniuses and works of stellar significance in creativity. While Sony Pictures Networks led the tally for the Broadcaster Abbys with six metals, it was ZEEL that took home the gold for the night.

    While Design Abbys showed favour to Open Strategy and Design with six metals including one gold, Pi Communications took home four metals where direct specialist Abbys was concerned. While a total of 13 gold were handed out to top honours in public relations amongst other metals, it was Value 360 Communications that ate into the pie with a total of eight metals.

    Still Craft Abbys saw dominance by The Social Street who grabbed four metals including two gold. But the happiest faces for the night clearly belonged to Early Man Film Pvt Ltd, who took home a whopping 16 metals in the video craft specialist category which included five gold, four silvers and seven bronzes!

    With industry-specific conclaves to expert seminars, the Goafest Abbys 2018 presented by The Advertising Club and The AAAI has once again set the benchmark high in celebrating excellence in creativity across media platforms and genres.

     

  • Diverse language content the pivot for ZEE5’s growth

    Diverse language content the pivot for ZEE5’s growth

    MUMBAI: The Zee Group’s much anticipated new digital platform ZEE5 (Z5) has finally launched, a few months down the brand refresh that was given to media behemoth’s entertainment channels. Offering everything from Indian and international original content, movies, TV shows, music, live TV and health and lifestyle content, Z5 gives viewers the opportunity to pick their entertainment from 11 browsing (and content) languages—English, Hindi, Bengali, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Marathi, Bhojpuri, Gujarati and Punjabi.

    During the launch event, Zee International and Z5 global CEO Amit Goenka said, “As a global content company, our biggest strength is how well we understand our consumers and translate this into content they love. Every aspect of Z5 is based on our deep understanding of our consumers and their local ecosystem. It is both local and global at the same time and we know it is going to change the way you watch content.”

    Z5 is seeking to addresses the entertainment demands of a young India that is increasingly digital savvy and globally connected, yet fundamentally rooted in its culture. Aggregated and original content is offered in the 11 languages as well as Odiya. “Digital will play a critical role in fuelling this growth and we wanted to ensure that we had a strong offering and presence in the space. With the launch of Z5 we see ourselves catapulting into the next phase of growth,” added Amit.

    A silent preparation of 1.5 years went into Z5 to include content and features that cannot be found on any other Indian platform. While revealing the mystery of the silence Zee Entertainment Enterprises MD and CEO Punit Goenka said, “We have invested immense amount of time and energy in creating and acquiring rich and engaging content for Z5, which I am sure will be cherished by our viewers across the nation and worldwide. The launch of Z5 further strengthens us as a media and entertainment powerhouse.”

    While talking about the strategies for India, ZEE5 digital head Archana Anand said, “We see ZEE5 as filling a definite need-gap in the Indian market for strong language content and navigation experience across Indian languages. Our platform will be as relevant to the urban elite as it is to the new digital audiences experiencing Internet for the first time. India’s digital story is going to be fuelled by new language consumers and that’s exactly who ZEE5 is for. 

    Our Brand Anthem celebrates this spirited new India, globally savvy, yet happiest in the language of their comfort. We believe this market to be hugely underserved and hence, see this approach as key to driving our India win.”
    Z5 is banking on India’s rich diversity of languages to bag it the popularity. “Our brand anthem celebrates this spirited new India, globally savvy, yet happiest in the language of their comfort. We believe this market to be hugely underserved and hence, see this approach as key to driving our India win,” she added. Tie ups have been made with regional producers for language content. 

    The platform’s brand anthem has been directed by Dangal director Nitesh Tiwari, composed by Amit Trivedi and written by Amitabh Bhattacharya. Keeping in mind the distinct audiences, two versions of the anthem have been created – one for the North market and one for the South, each catering to the specific market nuances for authenticity and connect.

    Z5 has a freemium pricing model with both free and paid premium content to cater to a mix of audiences. Viewers who subscribe to the subscription pack will get access to the entire library of content at a special launch offer price of Rs 99 per month instead of the actual monthly pack price of Rs 150. The advertisers will have a strong involvement in their free wall offerings. Those with Zee’s older digital platforms, i.e. Ozee will automatically upgrade to Z5, whereas Ditto TV will ask for an upgrade from the viewer. However, originals, international movies, old shows, Zee theatre and many more things will fall under its paid offerings. The live news TV offering will not only provide Zee News but also other news broadcasters’ feeds on it.

    People can watch 100 movies that have never been shown on TV with subtitles and with dubbing in their language of choice. Fresh series will be either launched together or on a weekly basis. Punit said that Z5 will focus towards the production of kids’ content in the near future. Anand also added that they will look at acquisitions in the kids’ space in regional languages. 

    Z5 is also available as a progressive web app (PWA) to address the patchy connectivity and low phone storage scenarios.

  • Avian Media wins the PR mandate for ZEE5

    Avian Media wins the PR mandate for ZEE5

    ZEE5 has mandated Avian Media to lead its India PR duties. Launching soon with content across multiple languages, ZEE5 will be the one stop digital destination for ZEE Entertainment, a global Media and Entertainment powerhouse. The platform will offer a mix of both On-Demand content, including Originals, movies and much more, as well as Live TV.

    Avian Media will be responsible for crafting and managing ZEE5’s key messages, and has a clear mandate to disseminate the richness of ZEE5’s language offering across markets.

    ZEE5 India digital head Archana Anand said, “ZEE5 launches in the Indian market with a very powerful proposition in its strong language focus, and one that fills a clear consumer need-gap. We wanted to work with a PR agency that has a strong network not only in urban markets but also a deep strength in regional markets for great dissemination of ZEE’s key messaging, and Avian Media brings that to the table. We look forward to working closely with them right from our launch to build ZEE5 up into a strong success story.”

    Avian Media CEO Nitin Mantri said, “We are pleased to be the partner of choice for ZEE5. At Avian, we believe that the art of storytelling is what makes a campaign stand out. We are delighted to work on a brand that shares our belief of telling an insight-driven story that influences user behaviour and drives change.”

    With expertise across verticals, extending from Public Relations and Public Affairs to Financial Communications, Digital, CSR and Advocacy, Avian Media currently services client like Deloitte India, Sony English Cluster, McDonald’s, Airbus, PVR Cinemas, Tourism Australia, Qatar Airways, Facebook and Coca Cola.

    Also Read :

    Zee TV new logo unveiled; refreshed digital platform Zee5 launch soon

    Carat bags media account for ZEE5

  • Zee Mundo aims to quench thirst for Bollywood in Hispanic areas

    Zee Mundo aims to quench thirst for Bollywood in Hispanic areas

    MUMBAI: The Hispanic population has always been associated with entertainment and merrymaking. Much of the Spanish-speaking areas are also big television addicts. Given that Spanish is the second most widely spoken languages of the world, there is also a bustling TV market that caters to the vast Spanish regions.

    That doesn’t deter them from experimenting with newer content. Hispanics have also been bitten by the Bollywood bug due to its affinity for fun and frolic in several of its movies. Catering to this demand is Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) channel Zee Mundo. Launched in September 2016 for the Hispanic market in the US and then for the Latin American market in 2017, it is the first pay-TV channel that shows Bollywood entirely dubbed in Spanish with over 200 movies on display and two series.

    It recently underwent a revamp of its website to include a video-on-demand (VOD) catalogue.

    Hispanics are among the fastest-growing ethnic groups in the US and are the country’s youngest demographic, with a median age nearly a decade younger than the population at large. There are 11 million Hispanic pay subscribers in the US.

    The popularity of the platform is covering 12 countries. ZEEL content business evangelist & president strategy – international business Rajeev Kheror says, “Zee Mundo has 3 million subscribers in the Americas including Mexico, Central America, Colombia, Peru, Chile and US Hispanic. It will be launching in Argentina soon. The Facebook fan following is more than 400k with a total reach of 7MM. Furthermore, the launch of its website carrying exclusive content has doubled its page views three months after it launched.”

    Adding to this, ZEEL head of business, US Hispanic & Latin America Javier Lopez Casella says, “The website zeemundo.com is the first to exhibit movies in streaming. We have 3MM subs in 12 countries, launching soon in Colombia, Chile and Argentina. Within 3 months of the launch, we have 300k page viewers.”

    ZEE Mundo has access to the entire library of Zee movies and series and plans to premiere two top recent Bollywood movie hits per month exclusively dubbed in Spanish and in HD. To add on, Kheror says that it has launched a new property named Zee Mundo Specials including breathtaking Bollywood show business, red carpet, facts of celebrity life, award events and concerts.

    “Zee Mundo has 100 per cent of rights for all digital platforms: catch up, VOD, OTT and TV everywhere. It is unique in the market, second window of Bollywood and has content that has never seen in Spanish in Pay,” added Casella.

    Both romance and action movies are the most watched as well as the internationally awarded epic stories like Jodha Akbar. However, the most interesting fact is that Spaniards are in love with Shah Rukh Khan. “Shah Rukh Khan leads the list of talent favoured by all Spanish-speaking Americas followed by top talents such as Aishwarya Rai, Deepika Padukone, Ashkay Kumar and Kareena Kapoor,” shares Kheror.

    The expansion for Mundo in the Americas consists of spreading awareness among the consumers to know about the latest of Bollywood content and celebrities through local media in key markets, movie bloggers and influencers. Kheror adds that they will be generating engagement involving the consumer (Bollywood dance contest, become a Bollywood movie critic), educating the consumer of similarities between the Bollywood culture and Latin Americas through ZEEMILITUDES (Zeemilarities in English) campaign, by launching ‘positive acceptance campaign’ of the Spanish word Si (yes) = Zee, by promoting and showcasing celebrity and off-air content via zeemundo.com, partnering with local sites to generate brand and channel awareness and by participating in Bollywood-driven (for example dance and movie showings) and Indian influenced (Holi, the festival of colors) programmes.”

    In the content bouquet of Zee Mundo, movies and shows of different genres like romance, drama, action, comedy, suspense, thriller and more are available. Surprisingly, Zee Mundo has a classic collection of both old and new Bollywood movies including Badlapur, NH10, Don, Shamitabh, Chennai Express, Laksh, Khoobsurat, Naach, Main Prem ki Deewani Hoon, Vivah, Mausam and many more.

    Last year, a notable exception was the Spanish-language Netflix series Narcos that went raging through the world. Many critics and fans appear to have embraced the Spanish stars speaking in their own language instead of English.

    Also Read:

    Regional OTT content more than just catch-up TV    

    2017: The year OTTs went regional in India

    Zeel numbers up on higher ad revenue in third quarter

  • Will clear bills of broadcasters in 4 weeks: Pantel

    Will clear bills of broadcasters in 4 weeks: Pantel

    MUMBAI: Even as Reliance Big TV announced its shutdown, it owed more than Rs 100 crore to broadcasters like Star India, ZEEL, Sony Pictures Networks India, TV18, Viacom18, Sun TV, and Discovery Communications India.

    The tribunal stated that the accommodation has been granted to Pantel and other non-official respondents on the condition that they will make sincere efforts to settle the claims of the broadcasters, particularly those of Star India and ZEEL at the earliest.

    The tribunal had also directed Star India not to disconnect signals to the DTH operator till the next date on the condition that a further amount of Rs 50 lakh will be paid by Pantel by 2 February.

    “We have been assured on behalf of respondent no. 3 that it will make sincere effort to settle the claims of all the petitioners at the earliest and in total it may require about four weeks to do so,” the TDSAT noted.

    Earlier, the tribunal had stayed the disconnection notice by Star India on the condition that an amount of Rs 3 crore will be paid on account by Pantel before the next date 30 January.

    Pantel had paid 50 per cent of the amount within one week while the company’s counsel handed over the cheque for the remaining Rs 1.5 crore before the tribunal. The delay in paying the balance Rs 1.5 crore on time was condoned by the tribunal.

    It also assured of settling Discovery Communications India’s claim of Rs 7.23 crore in the same time frame. The tribunal directed Pantel to settle the dues of Cinema 24×7 also within a week or two.

    ABP News Network, which has also impleaded in the matter, submitted the claim for a small amount of Rs 14 lakh approximately. The Pantel counsel assured that this claim will be settled as per mutual satisfaction within a week or two.

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    Reliance Big DTH to take FTA route under new management?

    Sab Group, Pantel Tech join hands to launch over 20 FTA channels