Ethnic Channels Group in Toronto has secured distribution rights for Zee Cinema in Canada, bringing the specialty service’s Bollywood programming to cable and satellite platforms across the country, with mobile distribution options in the works.
Zee Cinema, launched in 1999, has amassed a library with some 5,000 hours of classic and new release multicultural movies; progtrammers mention titles such as ‘Agneepath’, ‘Agent Vinod’, ‘Don 2’, ‘Desi Boyz’, ‘Barfee’ etc. along with all time hits such as ‘Taare Zameen Par’, ‘Rock On’, ‘Jab We Met’ and classics such as ‘Awara’, ‘Sholay’, ‘Bobby’ and ‘Padosan’ amongst others.
“We are delighted to partner with the Zee TV Group for the launch of Zee Cinema in Canada. Bollywood today is a global, phenomenon and Zee Cinema is its biggest custodian,” said Slava Levin, Co-Founder and CEO of Ethnic Channels Group.
Hari Srinivas, President Ethnic Channels Group added, “Ethnic Channels Group Believes in the brand equity of its content partners, and it will be our primary objective to increase this for Zee Cinema in Canada.”
ZEE Cinema launched on Rogers and Telus platforms in Canada.
Suresh Bala, CEO, ZEE Americas said, “This is exciting for us in that for the first time ever we are able to focus our marketing and unlock the strength of the ZEE Cinema brand in Canada. Ethnic Channels Group is an expert at marketing to ethnic audiences and expects to grow our distribution and our subscription base significantly. Currently ZEE Cinema is only available as a linear service, but we expect to work out the details of mobile distribution in the not so distant future.”
Ethnic Channels Group provides non-English language digital TV services from its broadcast facility in Toronto.
Content includes news, current affairs, sports, drama series, movies and general entertainment in multiple languages.