In this episode of Inside Content, I sat down with Parul Goel, the Territory Head for Europe and CFO for Europe and North America at Zee Entertainment. With over 17 years at the company, Parul shared his unique insights into how Zee has navigated the European broadcast landscape, adapted its content strategy for diverse audiences, and embraced evolving media consumption habits.
One of the standout aspects of our conversation was Zee’s Innovative work on FAST platforms. “FAST is a name given by us in the media sector. Technically, it's free TV, but it's not as free as it sounds,” Parul explained, highlighting how households investing in premium smart TVs represent a valuable audience segment. Zee’s launch of dubbed and subtitled content in German and French on FAST channels like Samsung TV Plus and Rakuten has been remarkably successful. He noted, “FAST consumption is happening in good net worth households… our audience is premium.”
Importantly, Zee has avoided cannibalization between its FAST, linear, and OTT offerings by tailoring content to each platform. Their Zee One channels in Germany, France, and the UK offer curated, localised content designed for specific regional tastes. This careful segmentation helps Zee extend the lifecycle and value of its content, including re-running successful series in repeat-heavy markets like Germany.
Parul also discussed the challenges of discoverability in a saturated media ecosystem. Zee's strategic social media campaigns and even user-generated TikTok tutorials on accessing Zee content demonstrate innovative audience engagement. “Our viewers love the programs so much, they make TikTok videos… It was amazing,” he shared.
We also touched on Zee’s pragmatic approach to AI. While AI dubbing hasn’t yet met Zee’s quality standards, AI-driven subtitling and analytics for social media engagement are being explored. “There is no human emotion at all in AI dubbing,” Parul said, emphasizing their commitment to content quality.
Looking ahead, Parul hinted at exciting developments in the works, particularly around Zee5, their OTT platform. He praised recent tech improvements like seamless integration with Apple TV and hinted at new initiatives on the horizon.
This conversation offers a deep dive into how a major media player like Zee is blending tradition with innovation across diverse international markets.
Key Topics Covered:
- Zee’s strategy for FAST vs. linear and OTT platforms
- Localisation challenges and successes in European markets
- Use of archival content and social media for discoverability
- AI's current and future role in content localisation
- Performance and innovation in Zee5 OTT platform
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