Mumbai: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. (ZEEL), one of India’s most iconic media brands, unveiled two innovative hybrid channels—Zee Power and Zee BanglaSonar—at the inaugural edition of ‘Z’ Whats Next, a first-of-its-kind industry initiative designed to showcase Zee’s reimagined content-tech strategy and culturally rooted storytelling.
The launch comes as part of Zee’s ongoing transformation under its new brand promise “Yours Truly, Z”, reaffirming its position as a content-tech powerhouse reaching 854 million viewers across 208 million households.
‘Z’ Whats Next aims to provide partners with a front-row seat to Zee’s evolving vision and platform-fluid storytelling approach. It demonstrated how Zee is designing the future of Indian entertainment through a blend of creativity, culture, and cutting-edge technology, while ensuring its content moves seamlessly across TV, OTT, and social media.
As Kartik Mahadev, Chief Marketing Officer, ZEEL, explained, “With ‘Z’ Whats Next, we are reimagining entertainment through the lens of culture, creativity and technology. The ‘Z’ brand continues to stand as a cultural cornerstone for Bharat. It’s a brand that evolves with its audiences while staying anchored in their realities, dreams and aspirations. The launch of Zee Power and Zee BanglaSonar further symbolises this vision, highlighting our conviction in the strength of Language markets and our commitment to delivering future-forward content that resonates deeply, reflects the pulse of a changing India.”
Zee Power, a next-gen hybrid channel in Kannada, is targeted at younger, semi-urban audiences across Karnataka. The channel blends high-energy fiction, non-fiction and movie content curated for viewers who seek edgier, contemporary narratives. The official launch is set for August 2025, supported by a state-wide multimedia campaign. The launch line-up includes five fiction series, one daily non-fiction show, and movie showcases with occasional World TV Premieres.
Commenting on the launch, Siju Prabhakaran, Chief Cluster Officer – South and West, ZEEL, said, “As market leaders in Karnataka, a region with 99% TV penetration, Zee has a deep understanding of audience sentiment and their cultural nuances. We realise Kannada viewers are not homogeneous today, and differentiated content preferences are emerging, leaving a clear ‘white space’ for progressive, high-intensity narratives. Echoing viewer needs, we’ve developed a robust dual-channel strategy with Zee Kannada continuing to cater to our core family audience, while Zee Power captures a different beat with sharper, grittier, and more contemporary content lens. For us, Zee Power is not merely expanding our regional footprint, it is our way of redefining the landscape of Kannada television.”
Zee BanglaSonar is a first-of-its-kind hybrid channel that blends fiction, non-fiction, movies, and unique formats for culturally rooted but modern Bengali-speaking audiences. The channel is aimed at diversifying the current general entertainment landscape and is curated to also appeal to male audiences. Launching in August 2025, it will be supported by a multi-city campaign across West Bengal.
Speaking on the occasion, Samrat Ghosh, Chief Cluster Officer – East, North & Premium Cluster, ZEEL, shared, “West Bengal is a burgeoning TV market specially in the Bengali General Entertainment Category. It is ready for innovation and a fresh take on entertainment. Zee BanglaSonar launch has been strategically envisioned to complement our flagship channel Zee Bangla by catering to evolving and diverse audience base through differential content offerings. Zee BanglaSonar is being strategically launched, not only with a diverse programming slate, but also with content curated for the male audience. With the launch of Zee BanglaSonar we are about to unlock untapped potential through engaging storytelling that is rooted in tradition and relatable across our fiction, non-fiction and movies, delivering a truly differentiated experience.”
With 50 channels in 11 languages and a deep cultural connect, Zee reiterated its commitment to delivering hyperlocal stories with mass appeal. Through ‘Z’ Whats Next, the network also highlighted its mission to empower characters that influence the real world—“Dilfluencers”—and position storytelling as a dynamic force for both engagement and change.
By launching Zee Power and Zee BanglaSonar, Zee not only expands its regional footprint but also deepens its relevance for a platform-fluid India, reasserting its leadership in the evolving entertainment landscape.
