The platform comprises both classic as well as contemporary genres and storytelling in over a dozen languages.
Zee5, a streaming service focused on South Asian content has launched in the US, opening up a world of multicultural entertainment for the South Asian diaspora and mainstream audiences across the United States.
Commenting on the launch, Amit Goenka, President, Digital Businesses & Platforms, Zee Entertainment, said: “The launch of Zee5 in the US is a very significant moment for us. We’ve had a long association of over two decades with this market, bringing our viewers here the best of Indian entertainment through our channels. With Zee5, we now look to offer both these audiences and the younger demographic access to a much wider choice of premium content with our originals, digital premieres and more, on any screen of their choice and with a completely personalised viewing experience.”
Zee5’s launch announcement was made by Archana Anand, Chief Business Officer, Zee5 Global, at an event attended by media and consumers from the US and across the globe. She was joined by Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra Jonas.
Priyanka also joined Archana in unveiling Zee5’s upcoming content slate and its new global brand campaign “Welcome to South Asia: Stories from our world.” The campaign spotlights stories from South Asia, where even ordinary stories are extraordinary, therefore leading to the narrative “if this is our reality, imagine our stories.”
Archana Anand, Chief Business Officer, Zee5 Global, stated: “Bringing Zee5 into the US is so much more than just providing the South Asian diaspora here with a mega entertainment platform through which they can access a vast library of stories. It is a powerful bridge between them, their culture, and their languages. It is also a real-time connect between them and their families as they get to watch the same content across the ocean. And it is a platform through which their stories get showcased on an international stage. With this and the rich library of shows we have, I am confident that we will become the preferred destination for South Asian content and woo both TV and Streaming loyalists across all age groups across both South Asian and mainstream audiences in the shortest possible time.”
The service will bring 130,000 hours of Indian, Pakistani, and Bangladeshi programming to US audiences, including originals, music, Bollywood films, and health and lifestyle content, as well as more than two decades of popular TV shows. Zee5’s arrival in the US, which follows a beta test, will make it the premier destination for South Asian programming, with titles available in 18-plus languages.
Zee5 will be available at $6.99 for a monthly pack, and an annual pack discounted from $84 to $49.99 as an introductory offer. The platform also announced a special discount for the student community with the monthly pack priced at $4.99.
It will also be partnering with MassMutual in the US to reach the latter’s extensive South Asian customer database and jointly serve the South Asian community.
Zee5 also announced that it was available for Canadian audiences and that it would also be launching its campaign in Canada, thereby kicking off its marketing in the country.
Archana also called out a key strategic partnership that the streaming platform had locked in with North American Association of Indian Students (NAAIS), that will help Zee5 build strong connections with a much younger audience.
As a registered non-profit, NAAIS aims to connect, educate, and mobilise over 850,000 students and young professionals of Indian origin in the US. Over the next few months, Zee5 will be exclusively partnering with NAAIS and work closely with Sudhanshu Kaushik, executive director of NAAIS across multiple initiatives, including student outreach programmes across universities and colleges in the US and numerous philanthropic endeavours, including Covid-19 relief efforts.
