Re-negotiations will see ZEEL’s 37 live TV channels and content come back on Jio TV platform
Content from India's leading entertainment company Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL) may soon be made available on Reliance Jio's over the top (OTT) platform Jio TV all over again.
According to industry sources, ZEEL management is in advanced negotiations with Mukesh Ambani's telecom firm Reliance Jio to restart the service on the latter's Jio TV mobile application that allows users to watch live TV channels with up to seven days of catch-up TV content. Successful re-negotiations between the two parties will see ZEEL's 37 live TV channels and over two lakh hours of Video-On-Demand (VoD) content come back on the Jio TV platform.
"Both parties are in advanced discussions to arrive at an amicable solution and an outcome will be achieved in the next 2-3 days," said industry sources.
While a Reliance Jio source confirmed the news, Zee sources did not deny it, when contacted by DNA Money.
Earlier last month, ZEEL had pulled out all its content on Jio TV over disagreement on pricing/ commercial terms with Reliance Jio. The broadcaster had subsequently entered into a strategic alliance with Bharti Airtel (Airtel) to drive the growth of its digital/ OTT video content ecosystem in India.
According to a joint statement issued then, ZEEL and Airtel would be working closely to curate innovative and compelling digital/OTT video content solutions for Airtel customers across India. This partnership, the two companies had said, will bring hundreds of millions of new users onto the digital content platforms driven by rapid adoption of smart devices and wider availability of high-speed data services.
The ZEEL-Airtel partnership is expected to deliver further impetus to the growing video content industry in a 360 degree manner – across artists, creators, consumers. It will also help further accelerate the consumption of video and digital first content for the current millions of users and bring onboard the next 100 million users of OTT services, largely from semi-urban and rural markets.
Tarun Katial, chief executive officer, ZEE5, had told DNA Money then that over the next three years, curated / select video content produced by ZEEL, including television (TV) shows, original series and movies will be available exclusively on Airtel's digital properties like Airtel TV, in addition to ZEE's digital platform, ZEE5. "This will enable Airtel's mobile and home broadband customers to enjoy a superior and differentiated content experience," Katial had said.
Accordingly, users of Airtel TV mobile application got access to ZEE5 content including the VoD network content along with the recently launched ZEE5 originals, movies, TV shows, music videos, lifestyle shows, kids shows and plays. The content is also available for download through the Airtel TV app thus adding to Airtel's existing catalogue of over 10,000 shows, movies and over 375 live TV channels.
CLEAR SIGNAL
- Earlier last month, ZEEL had pulled out all its content on Jio TV over disagreement on pricing/ commercial terms with Reliance Jio
- It then entered into a strategic alliance with Bharti Airtel (Airtel) to drive the growth of its digital/ OTT video content ecosystem in India
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Jio TV")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}