Turner and Zee scrap 12-yr partnership in India
June 19, 2014
By Chris Forrester
For the past dozen years Zee Entertainment has been involved in a very harmonious (74-26) joint-venture with Turner Broadcasting to distribute Turner’s entertainment channels throughout India. That agreement has come to end because India’s regulator (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, TRAI) has ruled against bundling of television channels from multiple broadcasters.
Consequently the bright heads at Zee and Turner have come up with a work-around whereby a wholly-owned subsidiary of Zee, Taj Television, will now distribute the channels of both parties, including Turner’s networks and Zee Group’s sports, news and entertainment channels.
The deal is complex, according to local reports, and Turner will not hold an equity stake in the ‘new’ Taj TV deal.