Movies Now+ changes to MN+, bolsters Times Network's HD offering

Launching today, MN+ is not just an extension of the Movies Now SD offering; it has completely different content – right from a new identity and on-air look to its own movies library

Aanchal Kohli | Mumbai | July 1, 2015

Times Network's journey that started in 2004 with just one channel, 'Zoom', has come a long way – Times Now was launched in 2006 while ET Now was launched in 2009, followed by Movies Now in 2010 and Romedy Now in 2013.

The latest from the Times Network bouquet is its premium HD offering – MN+, which seeks to bring 'the Gold Class of Hollywood movies' with both popular and critically acclaimed titles in HD quality. The channel goes on air from today.

Interestingly, Times Network had done a soft launch of MN+ under the Movies Now+ some time back to get a deeper understanding of the market and the traction that the channel would garner. The channel was available only on some select Direct to Home (DTH) platforms.

MN+ is not just an extension of the Movies Now SD offering; it has completely different content – right from a new identity and on-air look to its own movies library.

Vivek Srivastava

Vivek Srivastava, Senior Vice-President & Head, English Entertainment Cluster, said, “We are delighted to launch MN+ today. The channel has been hand-crafted for not just the informed, intelligent and discerning movie lovers, but indeed for the cineastes as well. MN+ is an all-new English channel experience that will showcase must-watch movies in HD – movies that are universally celebrated and debated. It will offer an experience that will make every moment valuable for the viewer, and thereby give them the Gold Class Experience of Hollywood.”

Sharing the current scenario of Hollywood movies in India, Srivastava remarked that the English movies category had been stagnant for quite some time now, but there had been movies that had garnered theatrical revenue of more than Rs 100 crore in India hence, there was a growing need and demand for movies which were different.

Adding further he said, “MN+ and Movies Now are two complementing channels that together provide the most holistic and complete movie viewing experience for movie lovers.”

Sharing more information on the core TG of the channel, Srivastava said, “MN+ is for those premium audiences that have the temperament to be choosy about what life has to offer and have evolved to value only the best. Our target-audience member is a focused individual in the age group of 15 to 20 years, who, by virtue of his intelligence and sensitivity, has the time and ability to appreciate only the best that life has to offer.”

Along with showcasing great titles, the channel will also package them in interesting on-air properties like Center Stage, Great Adaptations, Opening Night and Hollywood Select, among others.

MN+ comes at a time when the network properties have received positive response. Srivastava said, “The rapidly growing reach and ratings of Movies Now over the past year bears testimony to this and Movies Now leads the category in BARC ratings too. The channel commands a 26 per cent market share and has the highest reach in the category (Source: BARC, Wk. 21-24, 2015 NCCS AB, 15-50 years, All India 1Mn+ towns, Individuals), which marks the success of the channel.”

“Over the past year, almost all the major brands have been present on Movies Now and we are increasing that count every day,” he added.

Speaking about the ad rate, Srivastava said that currently they worked on the six-minutes advertising model and would continue with it as they believed in keeping the channel as clutter-free as possible. He added, “The subscription charges also remain the same and the channel will be part of any HD package. We will not be following the Star RIO model.”

Though the packaging of MN+ channel has been done in-house, the creative has been designed and created by their agency Famous Innovations. Srivastava also mentioned that it took them around 45 days to work on the packaging.

“We are confident that MN+ will add immensely to viewer and advertiser numbers and delight. India is on a high aspirational curve, and TV audiences across markets are familiar with the best of international world-class entertainment. The implementation of DAS in Phase 3 and 4 markets will push the envelope for world-class content even further. I am confident that our English Cluster entertainment offerings will be at the forefront of the growth curve,” Srivastava concluded.

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