Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. (ZEEL) has announced the launch of two new hybrid television channels—Zee Power in Karnataka and Zee BanglaSonar in West Bengal—as part of a broader effort to reposition itself as a content-tech network. Both channels are set to go on air in August 2025, accompanied by state-wide multimedia campaigns.

Zee Power is designed as a Kannada hybrid channel targeting younger and semi-urban audiences with a sharper, high-energy content mix. The initial programming line-up will offer five fiction shows, a daily non-fiction program, and regular movie showcases including World Television Premieres.

This is in addition to the already present Zee Kannada channel of the network, catering to the family audiences.

“As market leaders in Karnataka, a region with 99% TV penetration, Zee has a deep understanding of audience sentiment and their cultural nuances. We realise Kannada viewers are not homogeneous today, and differentiated content preferences are emerging, leaving a clear ‘white space’ for progressive, high-intensity narratives. Echoing viewer needs, we’ve developed a robust dual-channel strategy with Zee Kannada continuing to cater to our core family audience, while Zee Power captures a different beat with sharper, grittier, and more contemporary content lens,” said Siju Prabhakaran, Chief Cluster Officer – South and West, ZEEL, in a statement.

In West Bengal, Zee is launching Zee BanglaSonar, a Bengali-language hybrid channel that will blend fiction, non-fiction, films, and new formats. It has been designed to appeal to a wider audience base, including male viewers, and aims to complement the network’s flagship Zee Bangla channel.

“Zee BanglaSonar is being strategically launched, not only with a diverse programming slate, but also with content curated for the male audience,” said Samrat Ghosh, Chief Cluster Officer – East, North & Premium Cluster, ZEEL, in a statement.

Both the channels will officially be launched next month.

Industry-facing platform ‘Z’ Whats Next

The launch of the two new channels was part of Zee’s new initiative, ‘Z’ Whats Next, a platform aimed at showcasing its shift toward tech-driven, multi-platform storytelling and content delivery. The recurring industry-facing initiative is intended to give partners and marketers a first-hand look at Zee’s evolving vision and innovations in content creation.

Through ‘Z’ Whats Next, the company also reiterated that while digital consumption is on the rise, television continues to remain a dominant platform, especially in regional markets. The initiative also highlighted how the network is increasingly designing content that travels seamlessly across TV, OTT, and social platforms.

The network currently operates a bouquet of 50 channels in 11 languages. In a time when linear TV sees declining viewers with OTT becoming the norm across country, Zee is repositioning itself not just as a content creator but also as a content-tech entity responsive to platform-agnostic audience behaviour.