Star India launches English film channel
DetailsRebecca Hawkes | 09 July 2015
Star India launches an English channel Star Movies Select on 9 July, promising the Indian TV premiers of Gone Girl, Boyhood, The Theory of Everything and Birdman, among other Hollywood blockbusters.
Having concluded deals with US studios 21st Century Fox, Disney and NBCUniversal, the HD channel expects to offer premieres of over 30 titles a year, including Oscar and Golden Globe winning films.
The Fault in our Stars and The Grand Budapest Hotel are also among those scheduled to air on the new pay-TV channel.
Star Select Movies is targeted at the 4.5 million HD households in the country and aims to be available across India's six commercially operated direct-to-home (DTH) satellite platforms.
"We have curated content from the biggest Hollywood studios, and created a programming line-up that will need no introduction to our select audience," said Star India business head, English cluster, Kevin Vaz.
Currently around 80% of the English language films broadcast in India are action films, according to Star.
"As much as viewers need their action and superhero blockbuster, English movie viewers are also looking for freshness and new stories ranging from drama, comedies, thrillers and animation. Star Movies Select HD comes with a promise of offering a new movie through the year, every day at 9pm," added Vaz.
As well as offering seven out of ten Oscar-winning titles, some of the movies to be aired on Star Movies Select were never given a theatrical release in India.
The news comes a week after Viacom18 announced the launch of its Hollywood channel Color Infinity, which will provide English-language content to Indian audiences from the end of July,
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