Media conglomerate Zee Entertainment Enterprises (ZEEL) today said it has entered into an agreement with DISH and Sling TV to strengthen its presence in the US.
Sling TV, an over-the-top (OTT) television services provider, is a subsidiary of DISH Network Corporation (DISH).
"As a part of the agreement, DISH and Sling TV will carry 27 new channels in addition to the existing 10 ZEE channels, which will be available in varied languages like Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Tamil, Bhojpuri, Oriya, Rajasthani and Urdu," ZEEL said in a statement.
The total number of ZEE channels available in the US market will be 37 with a combined reach of 52 million homes that includes English and Spanish households.
Sling TV and DISH will be the exclusive provider in the US of ZEE's premium on-demand library, which includes movies and over 400 additional popular video titles.
Over the time, Sling TV will become the exclusive OTT provider in the US for all but one of ZEE's South Asian channels. In the coming months, ZEE will transition viewers from its direct-to-consumer services to Sling TV or to authenticated access only," the media firm said in a statement.
To broaden the options available to fans of South Asian content, Sling TV and DISH are launching a new 'Hindi Gold Pack,' which will contain all of the ZEE Hindi channels, plus other leading Hindi channels.
In addition, ZEEL's &TV will be added to the existing lineup.
"America is one of the most important markets for our international business. The deal with DISH further consolidates our leadership position and is in line with our ambitious 2020 goals.
"With this deal not only has our reach in the mainstream American market for our Z Living network quadrupled, but we will also now be serving the high potential Spanish language subscribers with two 24x7 networks," ZEEL CEO-International Broadcast Business Amit Goenka said.
"With this deal we will cater to 16 different language groups in America across 5 genres. ZEE and DISH have been natural partners for the last 18 years and we both share our vision on future growth of pay TV in USA," he added.
