Zee Entertainment Africa has launched its Free to Air (FTA) television channel called Zee Dunia to the Kenyan market. Zee Entertainment Africa is a leading multinational media conglomerate seeking to diversify entertainment options to growing audiences.
Zee Dunia represents the company’s first venture into the continent’s FTA media landscape and is expected to provide viewers a convenient and affordable avenue to access premium content.
The move is an indicator of Zee Entertainment’s confidence in Kenya’s entertainment industry which is regarded as one of the most advanced in the region. In addition to creating quality content, Zee intends to boost capacity amongst local production talent.
“As part of our longstanding legacy of excellence in production and innovation, we are dedicated to support and empower creatives through collaboration and content diversification incorporating local components. We have invested heavily in our distribution for a greater reach in order to contribute to the growth and development of the media and entertainment economy,” said Somnath Malakar, Chief Executive Officer at Zee Entertainment – Africa & Indian Ocean Islands.
Vice President East Africa, Zee Entertainment Africa – Neha Sharma said, “Kenya’s evolving media and thriving content creation space influenced our decision to launch our first free to air channel in this market. It also marks a significant milestone in our commitment to the industry as we are excited to offer holistic family viewing, bringing diverse and engaging programming to households across the nation, while simultaneously investing in Kenyan talent and resources. This so as to drive its wider economic progress while ensuring visibility and access with a strong distribution of 41 sites across the country through PANG and Signet.”
Zee’s significant investment is expected to create additional opportunities for media professionals, content creators and production companies operating in Kenya. In addition to capitalizing on Kenya’s substantial viewing population, the channel hopes its award-winning content will help attract a new demographic.
It will be an exciting addition to the diverse television options that currently exist in Kenya offering a variety of content including movies, series, and lifestyle shows that cater to different audiences. The market has over sixty FTA channels available on a variety of linear and digital platforms.
Zee Entertainment Africa already has a presence in Kenya through pay TV providers including DSTV, Star Times. It was established in 1996 by Zee Entertainment Enterprises with its head office in Johannesburg. It broadcast in over 50 territories across Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands to over 50 million viewers.