ZEE5 Global, the world’s largest streaming platform for South Asian content, has announced a partnership with BBC Studios India, the production and distribution arm of British media conglomerate, the British Broadcasting Company (BBC). The two top entertainment companies will work to build a robust content slate of new ZEE5 Global originals in Hindi across genres exclusively for ZEE5 viewers globally. With this initiative, ZEE5 Global aims to further bolster its existing premium content offerings with captivating and diverse stories based on successful British formats.

The first Hindi project introduced as part of this ongoing partnership is an original drama series titled ‘The Broken News’, which also marks actor Sonali Bendre’s debut on OTT with ZEE5 Global. It is an adaptation of the popular British series ‘Press’, directed by award-winning Director Vinay Waikul with a stellar star cast featuring theatrical favourites like Jaideep Ahlawat, Shriya Pilgaonkar, Indraneil Sengupta, Taaruk Raina, Aakash Khurana, Kiran Kumar, amongst others. The plot of the show features two rival news channels based in Mumbai – Awaaz Bharati, an independent, ethical news channel, and Josh 24/7 News, which offers sensationalist and invasive journalism, and what transpires between the main characters in their quest for news.

Commenting on the partnership, Archana Anand, Chief Business Officer, ZEE5 Global said, “ZEE5 Global has always challenged conventions with powerful and genre-defining stories that resonate with South Asian audiences across the globe. This year, along with a rich line-up of titles announced for the year and especially the quarter, we are thrilled to announce our partnership with BBC Studios India, with a new Hindi Original series The Broken News rolling out as the first project. This partnership is in line with ZEE5 Global’s strategy to build a portfolio of unique and compelling stories from South Asia that continue to delight our viewers.” 

On the announcement of the new title, Ms. Nimisha Pandey, Chief Content Officer, Hindi Originals, ZEE5 said, “The Broken News is an extremely relevant story for the times we live in. We are glad to partner with BBC Studios and director Vinay Waikul to bring this story to life. It is a riveting drama depicting the nuances of the media houses and the daily hustle-bustle of a newsroom. The story revolves around the ideological differences of the protagonists, beautifully played by Shriya Pilgaonkar and Jaideep Ahlawat. The story has a strong, contemporary and compelling narrative making it a perfect addition to our content bouquet.”

Speaking on the partnership, Sameer Gogate, General Manager – BBC Studios India shared, “We are thrilled to join forces with ZEE5 Global as part of this partnership to produce this riveting BBC Studios format, set in the fascinating world of TV news journalism. The strength of our formats lies in their ability to transcend across cultural boundaries and languages. We are honoured that Jaideep Alhawat, Sonali Bendre and Shriya Pilgaonkar will be a part of this journey directed by Vinay Wiakul and we hope ZEE’s Hindi audience will enjoy the gripping personal and professional dramas facing the characters under the pressure of a 24-hour news cycle.”

The original UK series, Press, was created and written by award-winning writer Mike Bartlett (Doctor Foster, King Charles III), and is a Lookout Point, BBC Studios and Deep Indigo production, co-produced with Masterpiece. It aired on both BBC One in the UK and on PBS Masterpiece in the US in 2018, with the original series set in a print newsroom rather than a TV newsroom.

With a rich library of over 3,500 films; 1,750+ TV shows, and 700 originals as well as 40+ Live TV channels, ZEE5 Global offers content across 18 languages: Hindi, English, Bengali, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Marathi, Oriya, Bhojpuri, Gujarati, Punjabi, including six international languages Malay, Thai, Bahasa, Urdu, Bangla and Arabic. The platform’s exciting line-up for 2022 will add to its extensive library of 200,000 hours of content offering a larger catalog to entertainment seekers across the globe.