Mumbai – BIG RTL, the television joint venture between Reliance Broadcast Network and RTL Group, is launching action channel THRILL by the third quarter of this year.

Positioned as the first action entertainment channel, it is the result of a detailed audience mapping and insight mining among Indian audiences to determine entertainment need gaps. The joint venture channel will address this need gap and serve international content from across the globe, dubbed in Hindi.

With several options to choose from, the internal team set out to test names with the potential core target group: male audiences across metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas in the Hindi-speaking markets. With focus groups spread across the country and moderators mapping feedback closely, THRILL emerged as the hands-down winner for the name for the channel.

As part of the plan to offer a diverse programming mix, the channel has signed strategic deals with various leading international content providers for successful global formats and series across a variety of genres: action reality, action thrillers, fighting and wrestling championships, extreme sports, late night entertainment and a robust library of Hollywood action movies, all dubbed in Hindi.

The present joint venture marks RTL Group’s entry into the burgeoning Asian television market and is Reliance Broadcast Network’s second international joint venture, following on the heels of its successful joint venture with CBS Studios International.