Viacom 18 enters English GEC space with Colors Infinity

The two channels – Colors Infinity and Colors Infinity HD – will be co-curated by Karan Johar and Alia Bhat. Viacom 18 has signed multi-year deals with some of the biggest international production houses

BestMediaInfo Bureau | Mumbai | July 1, 2015

Almost eight years after entering the Hindi general entertainment space with Colors, in 2008, Viacom 18 is now all set to enter the English GEC space with the launch of Colors Infinity and Colors Infinity HD. The announcement was been made at a press conference here today. The channels will be available across DTH and digital cable platforms.

The two channels will be co-curated by Karan Johar and Alia Bhatt. Their contribution to the channel would be to design a disruptive and addictive show line-up with a blend of insight and finesse.

In an unprecedented acquisition strategy for the Indian market, the network has entered into a multi-year deal with Warner Bros, International Television Distribution, NBC Universal, Sony Pictures, Twentieth Century Fox, Lionsgate, MGM, BBC and Endemol Shine, amongst others.

The content will span across genres such as drama, crime & thrillers, superheroes, comedy, fantasy, etc. Additionally, there will be a special focus on reality television across dancing, cooking, magic, singing and other lifestyle interests. The channel will also air global live events and award shows as well as biopics, mini-series and documentaries.

Sudhanshu Vats

On the latest offering from the Viacom 18 stable, Sudhanshu Vats, Group CEO, Viacom 18, said, “Today we are the world's second largest English-speaking population and live in an environment where English is seen as a ladder to personal progress. The market is widening its appeal across viewers who think and speak in English, but haven't been invited to consume international entertainment yet. Colors Infinity aims to speak to this larger audience which goes beyond the metros and has never been addressed by the category. English is an extremely important space for us and, with this move, we will further strengthen our share in the category.”

Ferzad Palia

Ferzad Palia, EVP, Viacom18 and Head - English Entertainment, said, “Globally, television series have become a force to reckon with, be it in terms of scale of production, Hollywood actors being cast, quality of storytelling, writing and in many other ways. This is the 'golden age' of television. Colors Infinity, with its sheer breadth of offering and carefully selected content from across global markets, will be the definitive platform for the best in English language entertainment across genres. Freshness will be at the core of what we do, be it the content we air, scheduling strategy or marketing. Our objective is to grow the category by broadening the appeal and reaching to a wider base.”

On having Karan Johar and Alia Bhat as co-curators, Palia said, “Karan and Alia have been an integral part of our decision-making process. Their perfect blend of insight and finesse has helped shaped our content selection and brand.”

Viacom 18's other English genre offerings Comedy Central and music channel Vh1.

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