Mumbai: Prashant Shetty has joined Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. (ZEEL) as Head of Ad Sales, taking charge of the broadcaster’s advertising revenue business across its linear television and digital platforms, according to people familiar with the development.
In his new role, Shetty will spearhead Zee’s integrated advertising strategy, overseeing monetisation across the company’s television network and digital assets. His appointment comes as broadcasters increasingly adopt unified sales models to meet advertiser demand for cross-platform campaigns spanning television and digital media.
Shetty’s move concludes an almost seven-year stint with JioStar, where he most recently served as Executive Vice President – Ad Sales. During his tenure, he was part of the broadcaster’s advertising leadership team, playing a key role in strengthening strategic client relationships and driving revenue across several of India’s largest entertainment and sports properties. His departure also comes at a time when JioStar is consolidating its advertising operations following the merger of Reliance Industries-backed Viacom18 and Disney Star India.
With more than 25 years of experience in media sales, advertising and broadcast monetisation, Shetty has built a career spanning television, print, radio, news and digital media. His expertise covers sales strategy, pricing, client partnerships, sponsorships, branded content and integrated advertising solutions.
Before joining JioStar, Shetty held senior leadership positions across several leading media organisations. He joined Star India in 2015 as Vice President – Hindi General Entertainment Cluster (West Region), where he led sales, pricing strategy and new business development for the network’s Hindi entertainment portfolio.
In 2017, following Sony Pictures Networks India’s acquisition of the Hindi music channels Sony Mix and Rox HD, he moved to Sony Pictures Networks India as Senior Vice President – Sales, leading monetisation for the broadcaster’s music portfolio while expanding advertiser partnerships across key categories.
Earlier in his career, Shetty served as Assistant Vice President and West Region Head at NDTV, overseeing advertising sales for the network’s English news business and election programming. He also headed national revenue at Sakal Media Group, where he drove integrated multimedia advertising initiatives and intellectual property-led revenue programmes.
His professional journey began in client servicing at Angel Broking before he transitioned into media sales with Tata Infomedia. He also served as Sales Head for Big 92.7 FM at Adlabs Films and has held multiple leadership assignments within Star India during different phases of his career.
Industry executives regard Shetty as one of the country’s experienced advertising sales leaders, having played a pivotal role in monetising some of India’s biggest broadcast franchises while working closely with advertisers, media agencies and brand marketers.
At Zee Entertainment, Shetty is expected to strengthen the company’s advertising leadership as it sharpens its focus on integrated revenue solutions and expands monetisation opportunities across its television and digital ecosystem.
