Channel Distribution to be backed by the Joint Venture of News Corp.'s STAR India and DEN Digital Entertainment Network, one of India's Leading Cable Companies
LOS ANGELES and MUMBAI, India, Sept. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- In a breakthrough distribution deal, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (MGM) today announced it will be launching The MGM Channel on Indian cable television, the world's third largest cable market. Carriage of The MGM Channel will be handled by STAR DEN Media Services Pvt. Ltd. (STAR DEN), the distribution joint venture between News Corp.'s STAR India, the leading television network in India, and DEN Digital Entertainment Network, one of India's leading cable companies.
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The announcement was made today by Bruce Tuchman, Executive Vice President, MGM Networks at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc.
Under the terms of the distribution agreement, entered into by MGM Programming Service India Pvt. Ltd., STAR DEN will handle distribution of The MGM Channel, wholly owned by MGM, to cable platforms operating in a nation-wide cable market of over 70 million homes. This will significantly increase the reach of The MGM Channel which is currently available in India through Dish TV, the country's largest direct-to-home satellite platform. In addition, the STAR DEN carriage agreement will also help The MGM Channel secure carriage on new DTH and IPTV platforms that are emerging across the country.
In announcing the deal, Tuchman stated: "Being backed by STAR India and DEN is the ultimate seal of approval in the eyes of India's cable operators, and we're thrilled that we will be distributed as part of STAR DEN's unrivaled bouquet of channel offerings. By working with STAR DEN, MGM will now have a compelling opportunity to extend and accelerate our channel's reach throughout the widest possible audience in the large and burgeoning Indian television market."
Commenting on the launch of MGM Channel, Gurjeev Singh Kapoor, CEO of STAR DEN stated: "MGM with its huge library of compelling Hollywood movies will bring a great value addition to the STAR DEN bouquet of channels and will indeed complement the best of English Programming it offers to viewers in the country."
As one of the most powerful brand names in film entertainment, the 24-hour MGM Channel offers film lovers in India round-the-clock movies from MGM's celebrated 4,000 title library, the largest modern film library in the world. Highlights among the channel's planned movie offerings in the coming year are Woody Allen's "Manhattan," "Network," "Carrie," "A Passage to India," "Midnight Cowboy," "The Pink Panther Strikes Again," "Mystic Pizza," "Desperately Seeking Susan," and many others.
Note To Editors:
About STAR DEN
STAR DEN Media Services Pvt. Ltd. (STAR DEN), is the distribution joint venture between News Corp.'s -- STAR India, the leading television network in India, and DEN -- Digital Entertainment Network, one of India's leading cable companies.
The market is opening up with several forms of channel deliveries viz analog, digital cable, DTH, IPTV and MMDS. Distribution of channels has evolved way beyond a mere service of delivering channels, to a full blown business in its own right that requires dedicated management focus and strategy. To cater to the changing needs, STAR DEN offers an unrivaled bouquet of channels, each of which is a leader in their respective genres.
STAR DEN currently distributes 22 leading channels and is one of India's most popular bouquets of channels in all genres. STAR DEN bouquet include the highest rated channel in the Indian cable/satellite market -- STAR PLUS, as well as STAR ONE, STAR MOVIES, STAR GOLD, STAR WORLD, The Disney Channel, The History Channel, National Geographic Channel, CNN-IBN and CNBC-TV18, among many other top notch channel offerings. STAR DEN bouquet reaches over 70 million homes and is spread over 4000 cities and towns across India.
The company's consistent performance is attributed to its distribution strength through more than 60 distributors and 6000 cable affiliates. With the mission "To be the largest content aggregator of quality content in the next 3 years" STAR DEN is on its way to establish itself as "One Stop Shop" in the pay channel distribution business in India.
About The MGM Channel
Over the last several years, MGM has focused on growing its channel business in the global marketplace. Currently, there are nearly 20 separate feeds of MGM channels outside the U.S., in over fifteen languages, reaching scores of markets across the Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and the Pacific Rim. MGM Networks manages Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc.'s interests in cable, satellite and other television channels and services that reach over 120 countries and territories around the world.
About Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc., through its operating subsidiaries, is actively engaged in the worldwide production and distribution of motion pictures, television programming, home video, interactive media, music and licensed merchandise. The company owns the world's largest library of modern films, comprising around 4,100 titles. Operating units include Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc., United Artists Films Inc., Ventanazul, MGM Television Entertainment Inc., MGM Networks Inc., MGM Domestic Networks LLC, MGM Distribution Co, MGM International Television Distribution Inc., Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Home Entertainment LLC, MGM ON STAGE, MGM Music, MGM Worldwide Digital Media, MGM Consumer Products and MGM Interactive. In addition, MGM has ownership interests in international TV channels reaching nearly 120 countries. MGM ownership is as follows: Providence Equity Partners (29%), TPG (21%), Sony Corporation of America (20%), Comcast (20%), DLJ Merchant Banking Partners (7%) and Quadrangle Group (3%). For more information, visit http://www.mgm.com
Media Contact for STAR DEN:
Gurjeev Singh Kapoor, CEO, STAR DEN Media Services Pvt. Ltd.
Phone: +91 22 6734 6734
Email: gurjeevs@starden.in
Media Contact for MGM Channel:
Jeff Pryor, Executive Vice President, Corporate Communications
Phone: +1 310 449 3446
Email: jpryor@mgm.com
SOURCE Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc.
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