Max 2 to woo audiences with evergreen hits

Multi Screen Media (MSM), the network that runs channels like Sony Entertainment Television, Max, Sab TV, Sony Pix, AXN and Sony Six has launched the latest addition to its portfolio with Max 2. The Hindi movie channel will specialize in airing movies from the 1970’s to the mid to late 1990’s and has in its library, classics like Aaradhna, Amar Prem, Chupke Chupke and Golmaal.

The channel is present on direct-to-home platforms Dish TV and Airtel DTH. Among the multi system operators, the channel is available to subscriobers of Den Networks and Hathway, and the network is in talks with other platforms on DTH and cable digital operators.

Neeraj Vyas, senior EVP and business head, Sony Mix, Sony Max and Max 2 says, “The idea is to provide audiences with evergreen movies, which are not so frequently available on the other movie channels these days. Though it is named Max 2, the proposition and packaging of the channel is very distinct and we intend to occupy a niche.”

ENTERTAINMENT BIZ

• The channel’s library boasts of close to 250 movies, which includes the vast movie slate from Yash Raj Films with whom the network has a long standing relationship
• The channel is present on direct-to-home platforms Dish TV and Airtel DTH

Considering the content is not contemporary cinema, the channel will automatically appeal to an audience above the age of 25 years. However, Vyas says that the risk of alienating the younger audience is worth taking, since the movie library has genuinely good content which lends itself to family viewing at the end of the days. “When we started Sony Mix, people had the same question – won’t you end up alienating the youth? And today, we have a very strong viewership in the 15 to 24 age group across markets,” points out Vyas.

The channel’s library boasts of close to 250 movies, which includes the vast movie slate from Yash Raj Films with whom the network has a long standing relationship. The cost of acquisition of the library is fairly low since the classic movies are not as expensive as the new ones. Vyas informs that the cost is less than fifty percent of the new releases. This in turn gives enough legroom to invest in original programming on the channel.

Apart from movies, the channel also has original content from the start. Tapping into the insight that the audience laps up movie trivia enthusiastically, the channel has created three minute films on the journey of different stars.

These films have been created using the motion comic technique where the imagery resembles a comic book (much like the informative comics from Amar Chitra Katha and/or India Book House). The segment, called Sitaare, currently features four super stars of indian cinema - Rajesh Khanna, Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan and Madhuri Dixit. Another original production on the channel is a segment called Take Two where Max 2 employed senior film journalists to dig out hitherto unknown information around the movies in its library to provide new nuggets of trivia to the viewers.

Apart from classic Hindi movies, Max 2 will also feature commercially hit regional movies dubbed in Hindi. "This is something no movie channel has done yet, and we would be the first to do it. We have identified some commercial successes from regional cinema, mainly Bengali, Punjabi and Marathi cinema, and will be airing the Hindi dub versions soon," informs Vyas. These will be the newer productions.

The channel's marketing campaign hinges around the ideology that some films are evergreen and Max 2 will be bringing those movies to viewers consistently. The channel's tag-line reflects this ideology with "Jab Dekho Tab Naya". Very soon, the channel will be launcing a digital campaign which will add to the on-going communication on traditional media.