Viacom launching English channels in India

Viacom and TV18 are launching two new English-language channel brands in India through their Viacom18 joint venture.

The pair launched Hindi-language general entertainment service Colors in the Indian market in 2008 and will now roll out English-language spin-offs Colors Infinity and Colors Infinity HD.

The channels, which will launch on cable and DTH, will be fronted by local celebrity pair Karan Johar and Alia Bhatt. It will be programmed with internationally-sourced English-language fare.

The channel will span drama, comedy, entertainment and factual and TV18 has inked programming deals with a raft of distributors including Warner Bros. International Television Distribution, NBC Universal, Sony Pictures Television, Twentieth Century Fox, Lionsgate, MGM, BBC and Endemol Shine.

Sudhanshu Vats, Group CEO, Viacom18, said, “Today, we are the world’s second largest English speaking population and live in an environment where English is seen as a ladder to personal progress.

“Colors Infinity aims to speak to this larger audience, which goes beyond the [big cities] and has never been addressed by the category. English is an extremely important space for us and with this move, we will further strengthen our share in the category.”