ITV

Tag: Zeel

  • Man Jit Singh re-elected IBF president

    Man Jit Singh re-elected IBF president

    MUMBAI: The 14 annual general meeting (AGM) of the IBF took place late yesterday in Mumbai, proceeding which multi screen media (MSM) CEO Man Jit Singh was re-elected as the president of the foundation for the year 2013-14.

    Discovery Networks Sr VP and GM south Asia Rahul Johri has been elevated as the new vice-president along with existing vice-presidents Zeel MD and CEO Punit Goenka as well as India TV chairman and editor in chief Rajat Sharma. Times Television Network (TTN) CEO Sunil Lulla is the new IBF treasurer.

    On his re-appointment Singh said “I am delighted that my industry colleagues continue to have faith in me to guide the IBF. The last year has been very eventful for our industry with digitisation phases I and II, considerable progress on a new measurement system under BARC, and a shift from TRPs to TVTs. Substantial challenges continue in the current year. We need to build on the success of content regulation, continue the process of digitisation and work collaboratively with the broader industry.”

     

  • Romil Ramgarhia is new commercial head for ZEEL

    Romil Ramgarhia is new commercial head for ZEEL

    MUMBAI: From V to Z. Z as in ZEEL. That’s how Romil Ramgarhia’s route is taking him up the ladder. From handling just one channel at Viacom 18 – Colors – he will now be the commercial head of ZEEL with the responsibility of a larger band of channels in the Zee Network.

    He will be reporting directly to ZEEL MD and CEO Punit Goenka. Speaking on his appointment Goenka said, “I am glad to have Romil join the ZEE family, and I am confident that his rich experience will bring in immense value to the organisation.”

    Ecstatic about his new role with Zee, Ramgarhia said, “It is always an honour to join a global brand like ZEEL. I have personally been an admirer of the pioneering steps taken by this organisation in the past 20 years, and I look forward to being a part of the ZEE family.”

    The appointment is effective from 13 September 2013 and the whole commercial team will report to Ramgarhia. Prior to Viacom 18, he was also associated with Bharti Airtel, Asian Paints and ACC.
    Last month, ZEEL’s former commercial head Utpal Das shifted to Viacom 18 as its new chief commercial officer. It looks like the two networks are busy playing musical chairs with each other.

  • Ten Golf changes course

    Ten Golf changes course

    MUMBAI: It is teeing once again and it surely is good news for golf lovers and players. 24 hour Zeel group golf channel Ten Golf, will now be available in India on both DTH and cable TV as part of  high end packages. It is close to announcing deals with three DTH players and some MSOs. The channel which is available at an a la carte subscription fee of Rs 200 per month for subscribers will now see a significant shift in pricing on both DTH and cable TV.

    The first among the three DTH operators is Airtel Digital TV which now has Ten Golf as part of its Ultra pack. “We are now a part of a package for which the DTH platform charges anywhere between Rs 400- Rs 500 a month,” says Ten Sports CEO Rajesh Sethi. Close to half a million viewers on Airtel Digital have signed on to the service, he says.

    There’s a shift in pricing strategy on the anvil he reveals. “On 1 September we have made a filing with the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) for price revision. We are looking at a reduction in rates to both promote golf and make it available to larger viewership base,” says Sethi. “I am looking at reaching out to 1.4 million subscribers once we get on the high end offerings like magnum, platinum packs etc on the other two DTH platforms. This should happen by October,” informs Sethi.

    Ten Golf was initially targeted at avid golf players, and hopes to address  aspirational golfers with its expansion in distribution and price lowering. “Aspirational golf players are mostly corporate executives and they are huge in number. Also Ten Golf today is seen as a lifestyle channel. People not only watch the channel for the sport, but also for the beautiful landscape it offers. All this called for a bigger reach and lower subscription fee,” he adds.

    Sethi is also hopeful to get advertisers to use the channel as an advertising platform.   “The positioning will help us with more advertisers. The channel has its own unique niche value and there are partners and corporates who want to advertise.”

    Ten Golf will in the next six to eight weeks be also clubbed together in high end packages offered by major MSOs like DEN, Hathway and Siticable, reveal industry sources.  “The subscription fee for the channel on the package provided by the MSOs will be much lower as compared to the DTH players. All this will take traction in next six to eight weeks,” informs Sethi.

    Shall we say fore?

  • Ditto TV partners with Turner International India

    Ditto TV partners with Turner International India

    Ditto TV, India’s first OTT (Over-The-Top) TV distribution platform from Zee New Media, the digital arm of Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (Zeel), further strengthened its content offering, by partnering with Turner International India adding three of their globally renowned  channels – CNN International, Cartoon Network and Pogo to its bouquet.

    Ditto TV subscribers will have access to top news stories across the globe via a live feed of CNN International. CNN International’s coverage of news and current affairs will be available via news packages and programs such as Amanpour, Fareed Zakaria GPS and International Desk. Subscribers will also be able to get the latest updates and current trends in global economy, travel, environment, arts and entertainment in the expert voices of CNN anchors and special correspondents including Richard Quest, Philippe Cousteau and Anthony Bourdain.

    Ditto TV launches its kids’ genre with the addition of India’s leading kids’ channels, Cartoon Network and Pogo. Cartoon Network comes with a global legacy of being kids’ favourite cartoon channel and Pogo is currently the reigning kids’ channel in India. The looped feeds of Cartoon Network featuring hit series such as Ben 10, Dexter’s Laboratory, The Powerpuff Girls, Johnny Bravo, etc. and Pogo featuring popular shows such as M.A.D., F.A.Q., CIA, etc., will treat Ditto TV subscribers to an exciting blend of the best of international and local shows.

    Speaking about the partnership, Ditto TV business head Manoj Padmanabhan said, “Our focus is to offer consumers access to the largest collection of premium content, spread across diverse genres, along with rich on-demand video capabilities. Kids’ programming is a growing genre, and Turner India enjoys a lion’s share of the market. There is an ever- growing appetite for international news amongst Indian consumers and live feed from CNN International will provide consumers instant access to the latest on the digital device of their choice. This partnership will further accentuate the experience of seamless video viewing and we are confident that our customers will enjoy the variety that it brings to the Ditto TV offering.”

    Since its inception in February 2012, Ditto TV has already partnered for content with Multi Screen Media (Sony Entertainment Television), TV Today Network, BBC, ZEE, BIG CBS Love and BIG CBS Prime. Today, Ditto TV offers 60 channels across leading genres and rich on-demand video content.

  • TVT gives us power to negotiate better: Broadcasters

    TVT gives us power to negotiate better: Broadcasters

    MUMBAI: The month of July saw the tamasha related to the ratings – TRPs vs TVTs and it was for a fortnight that the whole industry awaited for the three stakeholders to reach a consensus on how viewership numbers will be dished out and what will be the metric for evaluating how television is faring.

    Several meetings and exchanges of emails  between the involved parties gave birth to television viewership in thousands, colloquially referred to as TVTs. The format was devised to capture and reflect growth in TV audiences in the country in absolute numbers.

    And so from the past three weeks, the industry has been receiving ratings in numbers rather than percentages. Indiantelevision.com spoke to industry professionals to understand the changing scenario and the road ahead.

    Though most broadcasters feel that it is still too early to expect any major changes, but the numbers have surely put them in a better position to negotiate.

    “It is never too easy to get advertisers on board,” laughs and says Zeel chief sales officer Ashish Sehgal. “Currently, the way transactions are happening people sometimes still tend to refer to both (percentage as well as numbers) as they are habituated to the old ways. But to see the real change happening, we will have to wait for a while – till the whole universe is revamped in January,” he adds.

    He further elaborates, “Things like ad cap and ad rate hike are the roadblocks in adaptation of the new currency. However, broadcasters now have higher negotiating power.”

    On the same lines, a senior executive from a leading GEC is happy that TVT which is the accepted norm globally for gauging TV viewership has been finally adapted in India. “The new method is a true reflection of how many people are really watching TV and hence, it helps our sales team to utilise the data in a profitable manner while discussing ad rates with the clients.”

    The new method has benefitted the niche and regional channels the most which at times received zero per cent TRPs. ETV Marathi and ETV Gujarati business head Anuj Poddar says, “The shift of TAM from GRP to GVT is a healthy thing for everyone and I don’t know why the buyers and advertisers were protesting so much. Now it’s all doodh ka doodh, paani ka paani because it shows absolute numbers. It is very easy to compare across platforms.  You can see the reach of the channels and know the number of homes it reaches.It’s a good starting point where TVT helps all of us get our math right and to also know how and where to spend money.”

    However, there is a catch in the consensus achieved which is keeping all the stakeholders happy. For internal evaluation including planning and buying, percentage TVR weekly and all other data is still available to advertisers and advertising agencies as in the past. Hence, for most advertisers it’s business as usual.

    Parle general manager (marketing) Praveen Kulkarni says, “For us, it has not made any difference. We still go by the old currency (TRPs). So, there is no change in our media plans.”

    Similarly, Godrej & Boyce Manufacturing vice-president (sales & marketing) Kamal Nandi states, “The change has just happened so it is too early to say anything. As of now, we still refer to information in percentages.”

    He further elaborates and says that for TVTs to become a reference point will still take some time and it all depends on how fast planners and buyers can cope with the new metric.

    Media planners too think that it is too early to talk about benefits of TVTs over TRPs and continue to refer to the old rating method. A south India based media planner explains, “It is too early to say how it will change the way money is exchanged between the two parties. We are trying our best to make sure that both the parties are in a win-win situation.”

    On this, the GEC executive goes on to say, “Earlier an advertiser who would pay Rs 100 (and if 100 people were watching a channel) will now have to pay Rs 500 as the reach too would have increased to 500 viewers. And that is the main reason they were and are still opposing it.”

    Whatever be the case, one thing which is clear right now is that the broadcasters have engineered change in the way industry views how television programming is being consumed. And that is only phase one of their journey. They still have some road to travel to ensure that TVTs become the currency amongst aadvertisers and agencies.

  • Future of Television

    Circa 2061 – Television in its new form and shape, as a personalised medium will not just continue to exist and will be 130 years old, but would actually wield a true global power.

    I truly believe that television will continue to play a critical role for India to emerge as a developed country and one of the top three economies of the world.

    Two aspects are unlikely to change – human beings will continue to bear the same thirst for entertainment and
    content will continue its reign as the real King….
    _____****_____

    It is not easy to visualise where technology will take us in the future – but two aspects are unlikely to change – human beings will continue to bear the same thirst for entertainment and content will continue its reign as the real King.

    Zee will be a leading brand for entertainment, education and a medium for prosperous growth for every Indian. Burt Manning, founder of J Walter Thomson said 40 years ago when he founded Media Lab at MIT, that the 21st century will all be about personalised segmentation of the media. We are heading towards relevant, curated content consumption. We will move from semantic web (web 2.0) to intuitive web (3.0) and finally to machine to machine talks (web 4.0).

    At Zee, our global focus is to connect to every household, and offer relevant content, to keep them engaged. Having entertained over 670 million viewers worldwide, Zee is now marching towards reaching one billion viewers. We also aim at multiplying our productivity by many folds, in order to re-conquer our achievements in the last 20 years in merely eight years. With the swift pace, at which Zee as a brand is growing worldwide, it makes me extremely confident to state that by 2061, we would be amongst the top global media conglomerate, entertaining more than half of the total television viewers across the globe.

    Zee is a pure family entertainment company. Three generations of a family can sit together and watch our programmes. We will continue in our endeavour for freedom, dignity and prosperity of our viewers and shareholders in the future. Zee as a brand, has achieved global recognition today, and has grown exponentially over the years, establishing a strong connect in the minds and hearts of its audiences globally and has gained a top of the mind recall in the media & entertainment space. Zee has been able to achieve all this through its people-centric programming and keeping its audience at the core of all its offerings.

    Our pioneering vision, has led to the formation of a seven billion dollar industry in India, and has set a foundation for not just Indian, but many international media companies. ZEE being an Indian company, has ventured into the international markets and has earned a global recognition, unlike the international media brands which have ventured in Indian markets. This strong penetration in the global markets, and the immense high brand equity earned in the last 20 years, has taken Zee to the cadre of an emerging multinational. Leveraging its core expertise of a sharp insight in the audience pulse, Zee will continue with its string of innovations and industry firsts, enhancing the media & entertainment landscape by many folds.

    Zee has been a social catalyst in TV programming and dramas, in less than 20 years. Although it surely happens at a subconscious level. When viewers watch middle class people achieve higher boundaries, they appreciate the quality of life. When they witness the rags to riches stories, they celebrate their belief in dreams and destiny.

    In another decade or so, I still expect consumers to catch up with the linear TV content. Although there would be trends of short form content in terms of news, sports, entertainment, etc., but these would never fall in high content consumption patterns. The reason being that, largely depends on the consumers’ moods, their information seeking thirst and their desire to express on social media platforms. These traits are extremely high in the mornings and also in the later part of the evening time bands. Both these activities create a leap in short consumption of content. Even today, the specially created content on new media platforms is largely following traditional media content approach.

    Introspecting the world of Television

    Television is all about content – irrespective of the advancements from a technology perspective. It has surely transformed India in the last two decades and has effectively brought about changes to hearts and minds of millions. Zee would continue with the same zeal to play a catalyst in the transformation that not just India, but the rest of the world, will witness in the coming decades.

    May be a decade later, i.e. 2020 onwards, we could expect consumers to express new moods and tastes, even when they are on the go, provided the mode of transport gets more comfortable. The content formats would also enjoy a deep paradigm shift, considering the change in consumption patterns. Just to cite some of the experimental content formats, which surely would evolve in the near future on the Non TV Screens – we could expect five to 15-minute comedy films, five-minute exposure slots (back to back new film promos), 30-minute documentaries and factual entertainment for students and business travellers, five-10 minute amateur content – short films, 60-second public service campaigns or five-10 minute highlights of sports, etc.

    TV programmes are benefiting today from the consumer habits, values and lifestyles, and at the same time they are also power feeding new lifestlyes to the consumers.

    Going forward, programming would be more inclined towards relevant issues and concerns, segmenting would
    be the way forward…
    _____****_____

    They need to evolve to a stage where they are able to predict modern India, or modern Indian lifestyles and possibly taking a position on almost all issues that affect society. Whether masses favour your position or stance, would not be that important, but a strong stance/positions will have to be taken. As of now, TV is aiming at making consumers happy with one set of generic content for all the viewers. However, going forward, when programming would be more inclined towards relevant issues and concerns, segmenting would be the way forward. So we might have a channel which only showcases modern value content, or a channel which showcases only non-fiction content, or a channel which showcases only current issues, and so on.

    As television companies adapt to the internet by deciding which shows to offer for free online, internet users accustomed to free content, and the rhetoric that promotes it, have protested that shows should be supported with advertising alone. The problem is that in a world with a hundred channels – let alone a thousand websites – there may not be enough advertising to go around. That’s why, over the course of the 1990s, cable channels that once relied mostly on advertising tried to create hit shows or buy sports rights that would let them demand higher fees from cable companies. When cable channels started to invest in original shows, they did so very differently from traditional networks. Since networks only made money on advertising, they chose shows that would reach as large of an audience as possible, whether or not individual viewers felt strongly about them. Carriage fees gave cable channels a very different incentive: to develop programmes, some viewers cared about so much that they might cancel their subscriptions without them. Not only could channels show more adventurous fare – their success depended on it.

    As we stand, we are on a brink of a revolution and convergence of television and new media platforms. We are heading towards people getting what they want, when they want, and how they want. Although it goes without saying that top quality content will be the king in the new world of TV convergence.

    In my view, TV will woo audiences to interact with the programming. And viewers will not be satisfied on the one way communication and interact with TV.

    A basic social media integration on the content distribution platform will bring in a whole new perspective to
    the viewing experience…
    _____****_____

    Unlike the pre-digitisation era, wherein there was just a monologue between the consumer and broadcaster, a more circular relationship is expected with real time communication, enabling consumers to express their feedback instantaneously. Also a basic social media integration on the content distribution platform will bring in a whole new perspective to the viewing experience.

    Reality shows shall become more and more real and would almost touch the nature of a sports event. From the current era of scripted and fictionalized content formats, there would be a huge paradigm shift to much realistic shows. The only way they can sustain the attention of viewers is by revealing real pacer content and hence as much closer to something like sports content.

    The industry is changing before our eyes and this kind of innovation creates winners and losers. No longer will consumers be forced to overpay for a one-size- fits-all bundle of channels and services.

    As rightly put forth by Robert Levine, “In the digital world, television will be revolutionised once again”. Already, more viewers than ever are using their laptops to download and to watch shows they once saw on a TV screen. The problem is that even legal online services only generate a fraction of the revenue that cable does. Like newspapers, television channels are now reaching more viewers than ever before, but in a medium where they don’t like to pay for content and aren’t worth much to advertisers. And if more viewers begin “cord-cutting”- cancelling their cable subscriptions in favour of online options – it’s hard to see how television producers could avoid the same kinds of cost reductions that are killing newspapers.

    We will be able to watch Live or On-Demand stations, either as merely stations or individual shows on home television sets, tablets, desktops or mobile phones.

    Some screens may discontinue along the way, but there will be other screens that will emerge as life continues
    to evolve…
    _____****_____

    The rise of the DVR gave access to shows on the viewer’s timetable, and the explosion of apps are putting control in consumers’ hands – who can now watch anything, anytime, anywhere. Speaking of control, a number of new TV sets- turn viewers into a remote. A remote has a touch-sensitive track pad on one side, and a Qwerty keyboard on the other. An advanced version of the same remote functions like a magic wand, allowing TV watchers to move a pointer on the screen. On the other hand, some just function based on the movements of the viewers hands. Some very advanced sets, now have an in-built voice recognition
    intelligence, enabling the viewers to literally dictate their search preference.

    To summarise, I truly believe that TV will not die. At Zee, we no longer term ourselves as merely broadcasters, but “Content Creators” and will focus on reaching out to audiences at the end of any screen that they are available on. Some screens may discontinue along the way, but there will be other screens that will emerge as life continues to evolve.

    I think there will be several technologies and platforms that are going to emerge that we have to consider and migrate. Ditto TV, which is Zee’s yet another pioneering step in the over the top television space, is something that we have foreseen and we do believe that it is going to be a big opportunity for us, in the years to come.

    The future of television is all about viewers experiencing entertainment and information content on their preferred devices, time and place.

    (Excerpted from the India 2061- A Look at the Future of India Copyright Cogito Consulting Publication) 

  • Never-Ending Movie generates more than a million impressions!!

    Never-Ending Movie generates more than a million impressions!!

    MUMBAI:Whoever said ‘Too many cooks spoil the broth’ would never have thought that India’s first interactive movie channel ‘&pictures’ would take that quote and turn it around. In just two days of the digital film going live, the country’s first crowd-sourced film has already sent the digital audiences into a frenzy, engaging around 15,000 users! Of these more than 30% of them have accessed the film through their mobile phones. The specially created Twitter hashtag #GiveMovieNamesWithAnd trended organically on the very first day of the never ending film going live in cyberspace.

    With the vibrant campaign page andpictures.in bringing in the most traffic, engagement levels are phenomenal with users who access it from desktops staying on the microsite for 5+ minutes, mobile net users staying on the site for 4.2+ minutes and page views reaching over 4 views per person. Though users have the option to participate through Twitter and Facebook, there is maximum fun on the campaign micro site which has led to exceptionally high stay time per user.

    Debashish Ghosh, Chief Knowledge Officer – EsselGroup, Technology and Digital Strategy while talking about the high user engagement on ‘the never &ing movie’ says “All innovative campaigns do well for obvious reasons. But this one has really surpassed even my expectations. Counting all social shares, mentions, tweets etc, exposure for the Brand ‘&Pictures’ as a result of the ‘never &ing movie campaign’, has gone to several hundreds of thousands, possibly crossed million. All of this essentially drives home the point that the initiative is perhaps tending to become one of the better case studies of Ideation Led Digital initiatives in India and perhaps even the world. The fact that there is almost 50% mobile engagement proves that people are constantly following the campaign and engaging at will. This is PURELY because of the power of the idea and digital execution. “

    He further added, “The compelling part of the idea is that it hands control to consumers … and consumers love it! Especially when brands recognize that consumers are cognitive and intelligent in their approach. In my opinion – that’s what made consumers align so easily with the concept. They felt ONE with it and a part of it. And most importantly – it is a TOTALLY FUN experience which is yet serious and non-frivolous. It lends a sense of fulfillment to consumers in co-creating that ultimate ‘Junta Scripted’ movie. This innovative idea is in sync with the brand ethos and helps showcase &pictures as being significantly different from all existing movie channels. The results have proven that we were right in our choice – so far – and the participation by consumers have been phenomenal.“

    Talking about the phenomenally high response to the digital film, Mr. Akash Chawla, Marketing –Head, National Channels, ZEEL, says “The digital film has been extremely successful in reaching out to the right kind of audiences and creating a huge buzz for ‘&pictures’ as a brand. As a movie channel, it has been the perfect medium to engage users with the brand through the creation of a film that is ‘for the people and by the people’. We have urged users to get their creative juices flowing and there have been over 2200 responses for the script and dialogues with thousands liking and following dialogues through the day.”

    “Our data on the campaign has shown us that we have gained a large group of loyal followers who have been following the progress of the film from the stage of inception. These users follow the campaign as they leave their places of study and work leading to a huge spike in traffic between 7-11 PM. Though digital trends in the past show that people have been averse to the idea of signing up, it is encouraging to see that they haven’t resisted the process or let it stop them from participating in the campaign.”

    Join us as we premiere the film that YOU made possible! The film premieres on Monday, August 12 on andpictures.in. Stay tuned!

  • Zee strengthens its primetime band with ‘Do Dil Bandhe Ek Dori Se’

    Zee strengthens its primetime band with ‘Do Dil Bandhe Ek Dori Se’

    MUMBAI: ‘Adjustments in a marriage’ is a universal topic as all around us, we see couples striving hard to have a harmonious relationship with their spouses. Adjustment in the relationship occurs between an individual and the environment that he/she lives in. Couples face difficulties when they have to share their lives with a partner who was raised with different values, morals and rules. Whether united by love or an arranged marriage, the adjustment period of a marriage is the crucial litmus test of a relationship.

     

    Come 12 August at 8:30 pm, Zee TV’s upcoming primetime drama Do Dil Bandhe Ek Dori Se lends to this thought beautifully and delves a little deeper into the heart of one such woman who marries a man who is unequal to her in every respect. The story unfolds in Jodhpur where Shivani and Raghu share a master – servant equation respectively. Hailing from two very different strata’s of society, Shivani is a privileged girl who lives a luxurious life with her grandfather Balwant Chauhan. He is an overprotective guardian who an aide in the house has named Raghu. Circumstances conjure up a situation where Shivani, the girl born to riches is married to an underprivileged Raghu.

     

    Zeel content head Ajay Bhalwankar said, “The beauty of Do Dil Bandhe Ek Dori Se is its simplicity. The protagonists from two different backgrounds had different dreams while destiny etched out quite another plan for them. The story outlines the lives of Raghu and Shivani who are suddenly bound together by the design of destiny. It’s a wonderful and poignant story that showcases Raghu and Shivani’s journey from resistance to acceptance and embracing their destinies.”

     

    Producer Kalyan Guha and his wife Rupali of Film Farm Productions have signed on an impressive cast for the show. Said Rupali on the occasion, “It’s with Zee TV that we began our television journey with a series called Chausat Panne followed by Tumhari Disha and Rakhi. It’s an honor to produce our next show Do Dil Bandhe Ek Dori for Zee TV.”

     

    Arhaan Behl will enact the role of Raghu and Mansi Shrivastav will play the female lead, Shivani. Shivani’s grandfather will be enacted by veteran actor, Alok Nath as Balwant Rana. Rucha Gujarati and Vikas Sethi will be seen as Mahima and Jaswant Rana (Shivani’s bhabhi and bhaiyya) respectively.

     

    At the time of telecast, the drama series will complete shooting of 10 episodes. There are two studios setup at Elora Studios, Dahisar one Raghu’s house and second Shivani’s house. The channel promises to go big on digital platforms like Facebook and Twitter.

     

    The launch campaign of the show will include the use of audio visual mediums such as TV, DTH and cable in the Hindi speaking markets (HSM). Differentiated properties will be used in DTH such as Shifting LCN, whereby a new channel will be created between any two existing channels where the show related content will be telecast, and Live streaming where as soon as one switches on their set top box, they will be diverted to the channel.

     

    This phenomenon will be on Dish TV and Airtel on the launch day of the show. Marketing initiatives have also been aligned around upcoming movies like Chennai Express. The sustenance campaign will highlight how destiny plays a catalyst in bringing two people together through both on-air as well as off-air mediums.

  • Zing and Zee Cafe now available for Virgin Media

    Zing and Zee Cafe now available for Virgin Media

    MUMBAI: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (Zeel) has branched out to UK wide audiences with the debut of two more of its channels, Zing and Zee Café, on Virgin Media.

    With local shows, Bollywood entertainment, Hollywood insights, movies, music, drama, reality shows and more, Zing covers a novel blend of programmes that make it exclusive in the British Asian space.
     
    The channel will target its audience across various platforms, including millions of Virgin Media homes, Sky, Freesat, Yamgo Mobile, TouTube, Facebook and Twitter.

    Virgin Media audience will now be able to view the UK‘s first ever British Asian drama Cloud 9 on Zing, Monday to Friday 6.30 pm and 10.30 pm. Setting a record in the South Asian entertainment space, Cloud 9 is an English drama series. Zing will now be available on channel 813.

    Zee Cafe will be available to watch on Channel 811 with a mix of entertainment for everyone, including soaps, historic dramas, mythology, news, lifestyle, horror, cookery, movies and business.

    Both channels will be making quality content available to Virgin Media‘s pay TV subscribers and will be an addition to Zee‘s subscription channels already on Virgin Media‘s Asian Mela Pack which include: Zee TV, Zee Cinema and Zee Punjabi.