MUMBAI: Music reality shows, as well as talent shows that have previously aired on Vh1 will soon be broadcast on Viacom’s new English GEC ‘Colors Infinity’. In addition to those, documentaries and biopics of well-known music personnel will also be aired on the channel. For the same, the network has brought on board international partners like FreemantleMedia, Endemol Shine, BBC and many others. The channel will also be available in High Definition as ‘Colors Infinity HD’, when it launches within the next few months.
Along with series, fiction and non-fiction, ‘Colors Infinity’ will also broadcast major music awards that have previously aired on Vh1, while also negotiating terms to broadcast music awards that have not been aired in India.
The new channel is under Viacom’s flagship brand- Colors. Speaking on the reason behind prefixing the channel with the ‘Colors’ brand, Viacom18 Group CEO Sudhanshu Vats said, “When we first launched ‘Colors’, it redefined Hindi entertainment in the country, and with ‘Colors Infinity’, we aim to reshape the consumption of English entertainment in the country.” He further added, “Colors Infinity aims to speak to this larger audience which goes beyond the metros 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.”
Speaking on the new channel, English Entertainment Viacom18 and head EVP Ferzad Palia said, “This is the ‘golden age’ of television. Colors Infinity, with its sheer breadth of offering and carefully selected content from across global markets, will be the definitive platform for the best in English language entertainment across genres. Freshness will be at the core of what we do, be it the content we air, scheduling strategy or marketing. Our objective is to grow the category by broadening the appeal and reaching to a wider base.”
Viacom has entered into major multi-year deals with Warner Bros. International Television Distribution, NBC Universal, Sony Pictures Television, Twentieth Century Fox, Lionsgate, MGM, BBC and Endemol Shine, among others. From these acquisitions, the network now has a library of 2000 hours of content, which according to the company, is its “biggest acquisition till date.”
The channel will be co-curated by producer-director Karan Johar and actor Alia Bhatt. ‘Colors Infinity’ will be available across all DTH and digital cable platforms in the next few months.