Zee Entertainment Enterprises

Zee Entertainment Enterprises (ZEEL) (formerly Zee Telefilms) is an Indian media conglomerate. Headquartered in Mumbai, it has interests in television, print, internet, film, and businesses related to mobile content, and operates 45 channels worldwide.

Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited

Company type	Public
Traded as	BSE: 505537 NSE: ZEEL
Industry	Mass media Entertainment
Founded	15 December 1991; 32 years ago (1991-12-15)
Founder	Subhash Chandra
Headquarters	Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Subhash Chandra (Chairman) Punit Goenka (CEO)
Products	Broadcasting, films, music, streaming, web portals
Revenue	₹2,112 crore (US$250 million) (2022)
Net income	₹−196 crore (US$−23 million) (2022)
Total assets	₹13,239 crore (US$1.6 billion) (2022)
Number of employees	3,429 (2021)
Parent	Essel Group
Website	zee.com
Footnotes / references

History

Independent era

In April 1995, the company launched the premium movie channel Zee Cinema, the first channel of its sort in the country. Until 1999, programming was done by Star TV. In the following years Zee Cinema has also catered to international markets like South-East America, Europe, Middle East, North Africa, Pakistan, Indonesia and Asia Pacific and the Rest of Africa.^{[citation needed]}Zee Cinema (Canada) is available in Canada as a joint ventures with Ethnic Group.

Zee Telefilms launched a Nickelodeon-branded programming block in 1999 as part of a distribution deal between Viacom International and Zee Telefilms. It was replaced by a new Cartoon Network block in 2002.

In 2008, Zee Networks launched Zee Motion Pictures and Zee Limelight (now Zee Studios) for the development, production, distribution and marketing of mainstream films in Indian languages, including Hindi, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Bengali and Marathi.

In 2015, Zee acquired Sarthak TV, an Odia-language pay television channel.

In 2017, the company acquired the majority stake of the Reliance Broadcast Network. It also planned to acquire 9X Media in October 2017 for the cost of ₹160 crore, however, the plan fell through in March 2018. A partially-owned subsidiary, Diligent Media Corporation, is a publisher of Indian daily newspapers and websites. DMC is a joint venture between Zee and the Dainik Bhaskar Group.

In 2018, Zee launched Zee Theatre, which offers a collection of recorded theatre plays also called teleplay- produced in India and internationally.

Sale talks

In February 2019, media reported that Essel Group was in talks to sell their shares from the Zee Entertainment Enterprises to save them from debt.

Top Sony officials including Mike Hopkins, chairman of Sony Pictures Television, and Tony Vinciquerra, chairman of Sony Pictures, had visited Subhash Chandra and his family at his residence shortly after Chandra announced his intent to sell half of the promoter holding in Zee Entertainment Enterprises to a global strategic investor.
On 2 April reports said that some other promoters were willing to sell their shares worth ₹332 crore.
On 3 April media reported Sony and Zee Entertainment Enterprises deal off amid valuation differences which opened the door for Comcast-Atairos.

On 1 August media reports Invesco Oppenheimer Fund to buy 11% stake in Zee Entertainment.

In September 2021, it was reported that Invesco Developing Markets Funds and OFI Global China Fund LLC, who jointly holds a 17.88% stake, wanted Punit Goenka (also the son of founder) to step down as MD and CEO. It was also reported that Essel Group owns a sum of 3.99% minority stake.

In 2024, Zee Entertainment Enterprises partnered with Sony Pictures Entertainment.

Attempted merger with Sony Pictures Networks India

On 22 September 2021, the company announced its intent to merge with Sony Pictures Networks India. Sony Pictures will hold a majority stake in the proposed merged entity, which will be headed by Zee's Punit Goenka. In December 2021, the merger was approved by the two companies boards. Sony will hold a stake close to 51% in the company, with Zee controlling the remaining stake.

On 10 August 2023, the National Company Law Tribunal approved the proposed Sony/Zee merger.

On 18 January 2024, the anticipated $10 billion merger between Zee Entertainment Enterprises and Sony Pictures India progressed as ZEE's stock increased amid reports that CEO Punit Goenka might step down, potentially resolving a major deadlock in the merger process. However, on 22 January 2024, Sony Pictures Networks India issued a notice to Zee Entertainment Enterprises effectively terminating the merger proceedings due to, among other reasons, the closing conditions to the merger not being satisfied by the given deadline of January 21.

Controversy

Dispute between promoters

On 11 September 2021, Invesco asked Zee management to call shareholders an "extraordinary general meeting" (EGM) to consider its demands. One of the main demands was the removal of Punit Goenka, son of the Zee Network founder. However Zee board rejects a demand from Invesco to convene an extraordinary general meeting. Invesco Developing Market Funds Moves to National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) and Bombay High Court seeking a mandatory order for Zee Enterprises Entertainment Limited (ZEEL) to call the extraordinary general meeting (EGM) that the shareholder has been demanding.

On 11 October 2021 Invesco write an open letter to the other shareholders saying they are disappointed that the leadership of Zee has resorted to a reckless public relations campaign in response to the overwhelming demand from shareholders for leadership changes at Zee network. also, they implemented that they tried to merge Zee with some other Indian company in early 2021 but the Zee board rejected it.

Zee Board replied to Invesco's open letter saying they didn't care about the company, and Invesco is not motivated by concerns related to any corporate governance issue but "by the events that transpired during February–April 2021 pointing Invesco purposed deal with Reliance Industries.

On 21 October, Bombay High Court asks the Zee board to call EGM as demanded by shareholder Invesco, and Counsel appearing for Zee Entertainment said the company will inform the date of the EGM by the morning of October 22.

On 22 October, Zee replied to the court that the board can't give a nod to something that will turn out to be illegal. so HC postponed hearing of the Zee-Invesco matter to October 26.and on October 26 Bombay High Court has restrained Invesco from taking any action in furtherance of their requisition notice (to call an EGM).

On 7 December, Invesco headed towards a resolution expected to back the merger deal with Sony as long as the Goenka family does not get any preferential equity.

On 22 December, Board of Zee signed definitive agreements with Sony after received approval from its board of directors

Zee Music vs Sonu Nigam

Sonu Nigam alleged that he was banned by the Zee Music Company after he tweeted in support of politician Kumar Vishwas.

Owned Channels

India

Channel	Launched	Language	Category	SD/HD availability	Notes
Zee TV	1992	Hindi	General Entertainment	SD+HD
&TV	2015
Zee Anmol	2013			SD
Big Magic	2011
Zee Zindagi	2014
Zee Cinema	1995		Movies	SD+HD
Zee Classic	2005			SD
Zee Action	2006
Zee Anmol Cinema	2016
Zee Bollywood	2018
&pictures	2013			SD+HD
&xplor HD	2019
Zee Anmol Cinema 2	2024			SD	Formerly Zee Ganga
Zing	2009		Youth		Formerly Zee Muzic
Zee Café	2000	English	General Entertainment	SD+HD	Formerly Zee English
&flix	2000		Movies		Formerly Zee Studio
&privé HD	2017			HD only
Zee Zest	2010	Hindi, English	Lifestyle	SD+HD	Formerly Living Foodz and Zee Khana Khazana
Zee Theatre	2018	Hindi, English, Urdu, Marathi, Gujarati	TV Plays	SD
Zee Bangla	1999	Bengali	General Entertainment	SD+HD	Formerly Alpha TV Bangla
Zee Bangla Cinema	2012		Movies	SD
Zee Biskope	2020	Bhojpuri
Zee Marathi	1999	Marathi	General Entertainment	SD+HD	Formerly Alpha TV Marathi
Zee Yuva	2016			SD
Zee Talkies	2007		Movies	SD+HD
Zee Chitramandir	2021			SD
Zee Sarthak	2010	Odia	General Entertainment		Formerly Sarthak TV
Zee Punjabi	2020	Punjabi			Formerly Alpha TV Punjabi
Zee Kannada	2006	Kannada		SD+HD
Zee Picchar	2020		Movies
Zee Keralam	2018	Malayalam	General Entertainment
Zee Tamil	2008	Tamil
Zee Thirai	2020		Movies
Zee Telugu	2004	Telugu	General Entertainment		Formerly Alpha TV Telugu
Zee Cinemalu	2016		Movies

International

Channel	Launched	Language	Category	SD/HD availability	Notes
Zee World	2015	English	General Entertainment	SD/HD
Zee Bollynova	2017
Zee One (Africa)	2021
Zee Famliy	2023
Zee Zonke	2023	Zulu
Zee France	2005	French
Zee Magic	2015
Zee Bioskop	2013	Indonesian
Zee Mundo	2016	Spanish	Movies
Zee Alwan	2012	Arabic	General Entertainment
Zee Aflam	2008		Movies
Zee Nung	2014	Thai	General Entertainment
Zee Phim	2017	Vietnamese	Movies

Defunct channels and networks

India

Channel	Launched	Defunct	Language	Category	SD/HD availability	Notes
Zee Next	2007	2009	Hindi	General Entertainment	SD
Zee Smile	2004	2014				Formerly Smile TV
9X	2010	2015				Acquired from 9X Media
Zee Jagran	2005	2015		Devotional
Zee Premier	2006	2015		Movies	SD	Formerly Premier Cinema
ZeeQ	2010	2017		Kids	SD
Zee Muzic	1997	2009		Music		Replaced with Zing TV
Zee ETC Bollywood	1999	2020				Formerly ETC and ETC Bollywood
Zee Khana Khazana	2010	2015		Lifestyle		Replaced with Living Foodz
Zee Studio	2005	2018	English	Movies		Formerly Zee MGM and Zee Movie Zone
Zee Trendz	2003	2014		Lifestyle		Formerly Trendz TV
Zee Sports	2005	2010		Sports		Merged with TEN Action
Living Foodz	2015	2020	English, Hindi	Lifestyle	SD+HD	Replaced with Zee Zest
Living Travelz	2017	2017		Knowledge	SD
Zee Ganga	2013	2024	Bhojpuri	General Entertainment		Replaced with Zee Anmol Cinema 2
Zee Gujarati	2000	2009	Gujarati	General Entertainment		Formerly Alpha TV Gujarati
Zee Vajwa	2020	2022	Marathi	Music
Zee ETC Punjabi	2001	2014	Punjabi	General Entertainment		Formerly ETC Punjabi

International

Channel	Launched	Defunct	Language	Category	SD/HD availability	Notes
Zee Bollymovies	2017	2019	English	Movies	SD
Zee One	2016	2020	German	General Entertainment		The channel relaunched in Africa from 2021
Zee Sine	2016	2020	Filipino
Zee Variasi	2006	2016	Malay			Replaced by Tara HD on 19 October 2016, then replaced by Colors TV HD on 1 October 2019
Zee Hiburan	2015	2017	Indonesian			Merged into Zee Bioskop on 1 March 2017

Over The Top (OTT)

In February 2016, Zee Entertainment Enterprises forayed into video-on-demand with the launch of its OTT platform OZEE.

On 14 February 2018, this service rebranded as ZEE5. Since its relaunch as ZEE5, it streams all content from its television network and also movies and original series. ZEE5 claimed 57 million monthly active users in December 2019.

Other assets

Publishing

• bgr
• Mollywood
• cricket country
• The health site
• India.com
• Sugarbox
• Zee5X

Event management

• Zee Live
• Super moon, Arth, Edu care, It's A Girl Thing
• Zee Theatre

Film distribution and music

• Zee Studios
• Zee Plex (movie-on-demand service)
• Zee Music Company

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External links

• Official website