MGM is relaunched in India, this time through STAR DEN

Metro Goldwyn Mayer Studios (MGM) is all set to be relaunched in India. Earlier, it was launched in association with the Zee Network as Zee MGM, which was part of the Zee-Turner bouquet. This time, it has entered into a distribution deal with STAR DEN, the distribution joint venture between STAR India and DEN Digital Entertainment Network.

Under the deal, STAR DEN will handle the distribution of the MGM channel in India to the cable, DTH and IPTV platforms.

Bruce Tuchman, executive vice-president, MGM Networks, says in an official communiqué, “Associating with STAR DEN and being distributed in its bouquet of channels is the ultimate seal of approval in the eyes of the cable operators in India.”

Gurjeev Singh Kapoor, chief executive officer, STAR DEN, believes that MGM’s huge library of Hollywood movies will be a great value addition to STAR’s bouquet of channels. MGM is a 24-hour entertainment channel offering movies from the MGM library, which boasts of more than 4,000 titles. This year, the channel plans to offer movies such as Manhattan, A Passage to India, Midnight Cowboy, The Pink Panther Strikes Again and Desperately Seeking Susan.

In 2004, the entertainment industry worldwide was abuzz with reports of Sony planning to buy MGM. In fact, the repercussions were felt in India, with Zee and MGM parting ways and Zee launching its own English movie channel, Zee Studio. The deal, however, fell through.