MUMBAI: The Rs 2.5 billion-strong Hindi movie channel space will welcome its fifth player when Sahara One Media and Entertainment Limited officially launches Filmy on 12 February.
As already reported on Indiantelevision.com, Filmy will begin beaming on 26 January, but initially as a test feed.
Instead of the tried and tested five-movie per day strategy, Filmy will telecast three movies per day and film-based programmes will occupy the rest of the space.
Shantonu Aditya & Ashutosh with the Filmy anchors'

Filmy will indulge viewers in a mix of narrative and humorous programming, which, the channel claims as its key USP. The channel has created three anchors to drive the programming formats.
"We are upbeat about the way Filmy looks and feels, and about its innovative content and style of presenting Hindi movies on television. We are confident that the channel will help our network of entertainment businesses deliver even better on its promise of 'Entertaining India,'" states Sahara One Media and Entertainment Limited CEO Shantonu Aditya.
"Filmy is a unique entertainment channel with a focus on Hindi movies. It will have strong original programming in innovative formats to complement the movie content," adds Filmy business head Ashutosh.
The channel will offer its daily dose of three movies at 10 am, 3 pm and 8 pm. A big movie will be telecast every Sunday in the 8 pm slot. According to Filmy marketing and content head Shailesh Kapoor, the channel has an aggressive strategy for the weekends.
"On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, the 8 pm movie will be packaged with lots of interactive features. Our anchors will engage the viewers with a variety of wrap-around programming. The whole experience will take almost four hours," Kapoor says, adding that Filmy will have two world premieres every month on Sundays at 3 pm.
Filmy has identified its target group (TG) as CS4+ Hindi speaking markets (HSM). "However, the channel will be more skewed towards SEC A and B," adds Kapoor.
MARKETING STRATEGY
The first phase of the marketing campaign for Filmy will kick off on 26 January while the theatre campaign breaks on the next day. "The channel will be promoted outside the Sahara Network in channels such as Aaj Tak, NDTV, Headlines Today, Channel7, MTV and Cartoon Network. The on-air campaign will also run in cable channels across the country," states Kapoor.
Another publicity initiative, The Filmy Yatra, will cover 30 cities in 45 days. The channel will have popular films stars as well as film-makers associating with the Yatra, according to Kapoor.
"Filmy will be promoted through upcoming films. We will have various programming as well as marketing initiatives around these films. We will be running contests and other activities through this initiative," states Kapoor.
An outdoor campaign will be unveiled in 10 cities in the Hindi speaking markets. Radio also has been involved as the channel has associated with all the leading FM stations in eight cities.

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Filmy promises different menu for movie buffs, launches 26 January