Zee Movies to relaunched as Zee-MGM

In a recent development, Zee TV is said to have entered into a joint venture with leading Hollywood studio Metro-Goldwyn-Mayor (MGM) to launch a co-branded Zee-MGM movie channel on an exclusive basis for the South Asian market.

According to indications received from the channel, the existing Zee Movies channel will be relaunched as Zee-MGM Movies channel from the middle of October this year. Officials of the channel claim that Zee Movies reaches over 11 million homes across India and is also received in Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal and the Maldives.

The channel intends to capitalise on MGM's library comprising of 4,100 titles including legendary series such as James Bond, Rocky and Pink Panther. The channel will also showcase films from the Woody Allen series as well as other classics, which form a part of the MGM library. Some award winning titles, forming a part of the library, are Thelma and Louise, Moonstruck, Silence of the Lambs, Rain Man, Fargo and Dancing with the Wolves.

According to R K Singh, chief executive of Zee Network, "this joint venture is the one more step that reinforces Zee's tradition of offering its viewers the very best in quality programs. The MGM library not only fulfils that tradition but also brings to the Indian movie buff a slice of history of major western cinematic oeuvre. It symbolises Zee's philosophy of creating strategic partnerships to leverage its inherent strengths".

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer also handles global television distribution and television program co-productions through MGM Worldwide Television Distribution. Nearly 8,900 television episodes are available to the global television market. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc's operating units include MGM Pictures, United Artists Films, Orion Pictures, MGM Television Entertainment, MGM Worldwide Television Distribution, MGM Networks, MGM Distribution Co, MGM Home Entertainment and Consumer Products Group, MGM Music, MGM Interactive and MGM.com among others.