ZEE5 has announced a compelling content line-up in Tamil. The upcoming originals feature veteran auteur Vetrimaaran’s first original series, Prakash Raj and Kalidas Jayaram’s next and a specially curated content slate for Tamil audiences featuring stories across genres that celebrate life.
By 2022, ZEE5 is planning to launch 12-14 originals in the Tamil and Telugu markets and 8-10 blockbusters in both markets. The platform’s original content line-ups have witnessed success rates in the last 3-4 months.
Talking about the focus on the Tamil market, Manish Kalra, Chief Business Officer, ZEE5 India said, “It is encouraging to see the momentum ZEE5 has gained in expanding entertainment exposure for the creators and consumers alike with real, engaging, and authentic multilingual storytelling. Tapping into the hotbed of entertainment resulted in exponential success for us in the state of Tamil Nadu. Today, ZEE5 has disrupted the Tamil industry with phenomenal response to content, bringing the best of Tamil talent to showcase their artistry across the globe. 2022 will see us double down on our focus for our viewers here and we have ensured the content line-up has something for everyone. It features some of the biggest names in the Tamil entertainment industry and we are eagerly awaiting the audience’s response to this carefully curated roster of stories. Tamil being one of our key markets, ZEE5 is committed to tapping into its potential, setting our standards high, as we look forward to the continual support of our partners and viewers as always.”
“We are seriously investing in content in South India. Our Objective remains to emerge as the winners in these markets. We believe with our content creation capabilities and consumer insights we have acquired during the journey, it’s a huge opportunity to cater to the consumers in the South Indian market and win their hearts during the process.”
In 2021, ZEE5’s subscription grew by more than 100 percent across the country.
“If we talk about South India, it will be 1.5X of the average or more,” said Kalra.
Elaborating on the marketing initiatives in non-metro markets, Kalra said, “Last year we witnessed growth in urban cities. The right kind of content is the right way to enter the heart of the audience in Tier 1, 2, & 3 and non-metros. High-speed internet penetration in smaller cities and the affordability of smartphones have solved the issue of technology barriers. We are launching campaigns in vernacular ad campaigns in both traditional and digital media.”
The platform is planning to acquire more movies in Kannada and Malayalam markets.
Talking about the content mix of the platform, Kalra said, “We are investing majorly in originals in Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu markets and other markets are more movies dominated. Ultimately, we cater to the consumers and their content requirements.”
Speaking on the subscription strategies of the platform Kalra said, ”Different players will have different strategies; international players have to cut down their subscription rates significantly while entering Indian markets. Similarly, we might have to charge 5-6 times more than what we charge the Indian consumers when we enter international markets.“
“We understand the purchasing power of the masses in the country. ZEE5 wants to stay affordable and wants to ensure that the platform is reaching the masses and getting them on board as subscribers,” Kalra concluded.
