While the service was launched in Indian three years back, ZEE had to wait for the US launch as its existing distribution contract with US pay-TV operator Dish Network didn’t allow the broadcaster to launch a digital offering till March 2021.
ZEE5 has kept the price of the annual pack at $84, but as a launch offer, the one-year pack will be available for $49.99 for a limited period.
The company said that the US is the final and largest launch for ZEE5, as the market already has a 5.4 million diaspora audience that has a deep cultural and language connect to this content.
ZEE claims that ZEE5 is the world’s largest streaming platform for South Asian content with over 130,000 hours of exclusively curated Indian, Pakistani, and Bangladeshi content across 18 languages.
The content library includes over 20 years of TV shows, latest dramas, new original shows, Bollywood and Indian language films and more.
“The US represents our most significant market and the last bastion in our global journey as we launch an ad-free subscription service,” said Amit Goenka, President, Digital Businesses & Platforms, ZEE.
“The United States is home to millions of people whose families have strong connects with South Asia, and we are glad to bring them the largest and most diverse catalogue of culturally relevant entertainment across Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi stories. These stories have the power to engage deeply and go well beyond the South Asian audience to entertain and delight even mainstream audiences with their authenticity and allure. I am confident that ZEE5 will become the go-to platform for all Americans who love great storytelling,” added Archana Anand, Chief Business Officer, ZEE5 Global.
The ZEE5 app will be available on Google Play Store, iOS App Store, Roku devices, Samsung Smart TVs, Apple TVs, Android TVs, and Amazon Fire Stick.
