Zee Entertainment Enterprises (ZEEL) is navigating a pivotal moment in its evolution, a shift from its roots in linear broadcasting to a dynamic, cross-platform future. The company’s recent rebrand, encapsulated in the tagline “Yours Truly, Z”, signals more than just a change in logo or tagline. It’s a declaration of Zee’s broader ambition to become a media and technology powerhouse, blending the best of traditional television, digital platforms, social media and regional language content into a cohesive whole.
Targeted Channels for Hyperlocal Audiences
On Friday, Zee further solidified its transformation with the announcement of two new channels — Zee Power and Zee BanglaSonar. These channels are designed to cater to distinct regional and niche audiences, each with its own tailored content. Zee Power will target younger, semi-urban viewers across Karnataka, offering programming that resonates with a progressively-minded audience. Zee BanglaSonar, on the other hand, takes aim at a male-centric demographic, providing a blend of fiction, non-fiction, and movies with a focus on themes that appeal to this group’s interests.
The company expects the two new channels to immediately capture double-digit share in these local markets, buoyed by the strong backing of Zee’s established regional giants, Zee Bangla and Zee Kannada.
“The vision has always been to be a family brand that also addresses the needs of individuals,” says Ashish Sehgal, chief growth officer at ZEEL. This reimagining of Zee’s core values reflects a strategic pivot, which is part of a larger, deliberate strategy to expand Zee’s footprint across multiple forms of media. Whether it’s delving deeper into India’s regional, hyperlocal markets or experimenting with new formats of content delivery, Zee is positioning itself at the intersection of tradition and innovation. Moving from its linear roots, the company says it is now a hybrid platform, blending television, OTT, and digital media into a cohesive, cross-channel experience.
Cross-Platform Expansion and Digital Push
The firm’s broader goal is to build content for every screen. Complementing its traditional broadcasting is ZEE5, the subscription-based over-the-top (OTT) service, a micro-drama app called Bullet, a music section within its ZEE5 app, Zee Live for live events and more. “We are becoming platform agnostic and content-first,” Sehgal says.
ZEEL has invested about Rs 6,000 crore on its OTT platform and plans to break-even by FY26. Its group of linear channels own about 18% share of the market, according to the company’s chief marketing officer Kartik Mahadev. Within the OTT space, Zee’s digital platform is bringing in a top line of about Rs 1,000 crore, capturing an estimated 4-5% of the overall video ad market, including YouTube, according to Karan Taurani, senior vice-president at Elara Capital. Excluding YouTube, ZEE5’s market share rises to 10-12%, he adds.
Taurani notes that regional players have given Zee an edge. “They continue to lead in genres like Marathi and Kannada, which contribute to a strong competitive advantage. This continues to be a significant driver of revenue, contributing to nearly two-thirds of Zee’s advertising earnings,” he says.
Despite these successes, Zee faces challenges, particularly in the digital space. “Building brand equity in a fragmented ecosystem is tough. The content must travel fluidly but also hold its identity across YouTube, TV, OTT, and short-form,” points out Ambika Sharma, founder and chief strategist, Pulp Strategy.
Zee recognises that to succeed in this space, it must break new ground with differentiated content such as exclusive web series, fresh storytelling formats, and new engagement methods if it hopes to keep pace with the rapidly evolving digital media landscape. The firm will invest in the development of free-to-air content and homegrown IPs.
However, ad revenues have been under pressure. In Q3 FY25, Zee’s ad revenues fell to Rs 940 crore, down 10.8% year-on-year, reflecting softness in the broader ad environment. Still, Zee remains resolute in its strategy to counter this decline by becoming an all-encompassing solution provider to reach out to India. But while Zee’s regional strength is undeniable, there’s still work to be done in repositioning it as a contemporary brand for the next generation of content consumers and creators, points out Vaibhavi Sanghvi, founder & partner, Relacion Global.
Looking ahead, Zee has set ambitious targets, including a goal to double its domestic ad revenue by FY28. Yet, the key challenge remains: how to truly scale on digital platforms while continuing to grow on traditional TV. “Balancing legacy TV operations with future-ready digital investments without brand dilution or internal conflict will be key to sustaining Zee’s hybrid growth momentum in coming years,” says Yasin Hamidani, director, Media Care Brand Solutions.