KOLKATA: Zee5 has announced a partnership with TVF (The Viral Fever) as the platform looks at diversifying its library. In the last few months, ZEE’s digital arm has stepped up its content game by acquiring blockbuster Radhe and buying rights for Friends: The Reunion to stream in India.
“We have been aggressively going after a vast range of consumers, pan-India audience base, and catering to an audience of all kinds of backgrounds. That is why from Radhe to Friends, and now Sunflower, we are working towards a diverse content offering. It is the continuation of that ambition that we bring TVF onboard," Zee5 India Hindi originals head Nimisha Pandey said.
She also added that Zee5 does not only want diverse content but wants to be the home to the country’s best storytellers. The platform is focusing on getting good content creators of the platform and the TVF partnership is one of the many to come in the future.
The latest partnership includes the launch of originals and new seasons of iconic TVF shows on its SVOD platform, along with popular cult favourites that will be accessible to all, on its AVOD platform. Thus Zee5 will have some of the key IPs on the platform which will also be available on another platform but it will have the subsequent seasons of those IPs exclusively. In addition to these subsequent seasons, Zee5 is also creating some exclusive new IPs.
“People often say that we are targeting youth with this content, I am a firm believer that it's more about the content you like irrespective of the age group you are in. TVF content resonates with the spirit of youth. That’s the DNA we are going after,” Pandey noted.
Hence, the audience that Zee5 is targeting through the deal is not tied to not a segment per se, but to a taste cluster itself. Moreover, a huge chunk of the new audience has come on the platform thanks to a new slate of content. The platform hopes to continue to engage them with content from TVF, she added.
Zee5 has an exclusive line-up of new seasons of acclaimed TVF shows such as Pitchers Season 2, Tripling Season 3, Humorously Yours Season 3 for its subscribers. Iconic titles like Permanent Roommates, Tech Conversations with Dad, Awkward Conversations, PA-Gals, Inmates, Weekends, The Insiders, Zeroes will be accessible to all users.
“We don’t want to miss an opportunity to have a piece of content that will be loved by the audience. Even if we talk about the TVF deal, we will shoot new seasons. The partnership has not happened because we have not been able to create content. It happened because we wanted to have TVF content,” Pandey answered when asked if Zee5 is going big after the acquisition because of difficulties in shooting in the current time.
