Currently, Maa TV Telugu has four channels; Maa Gold, Maa Music, Maa Movies and Maa general entertainment. These four channels are expected to get an increased amount of exposure in the Telugu market with the acquisition of MaaTV by Star India.
Star India will acquire the broadcast business of Maa TV Telugu
STAR India has signed a deal with Maa TV to acquire its broadcast business. The deal will be completed in three to four months, said the company. The deal will give Star access to the Telugu market, where it is a minuscule player. It will also give the media giant more presence in the southern part of the country.
The deal will also strengthen the Maa brand. The Telugu television industry is ranked as the second largest regional market in India, after Tamil. It has an annual revenue of about Rs 1,800 crore. The industry is expected to grow in the coming years due to cable TV digitisation.
The Maa Television Network has four channels in the Telugu language. The network was established in 2002 by Muralikrishnam Raju. It has been promoted by actor-turned-politician Chiranjeevi and film personality Nagarjuna. These personalities have been associated with the channel for several years.
According to reports, Star will buy Maa’s broadcasting business for approximately Rs 2,500 crore. The deal will be finalized after regulatory formalities are completed.
The deal will allow Star to take advantage of Maa’s strong growth trajectory. The company has grown from 120 employees in 2002 to more than 500 today. The network has been ranked among the top twenty TV channels in India. It is known for its interactive programming. It has satellite telecast rights to 700 films. The network also aims to offer differentiated entertainment content to the Telugu diaspora.
Star Maa TV Telugu’s four channels are Maa Gold, Maa Music, Maa Movies and Maa general entertainment
STAR Maa TV is one of the leading Telugu TV channel network. It is based in Hyderabad and operates four channels. These channels are Maa Gold, Maa Music, Maa Movies and Maa general entertainment. Maa Music focuses on Telugu language music. Maa Movies is a movie channel and Maa general entertainment is a comedy channel.
The Maa TV Network was founded in 2001 by Murali Krishnam Raju. It was initially a corporate entity. In 2003, it became a pay TV channel with 18 hours of programming per day. The company began with a capital investment of Rs 25 crore. However, its initial growth was slow. In 2007, the company was acquired by Mylan Inc for $736 million.
In 2006, Nimmagadda Prasad bought a 60% stake in Maa TV. He then sold the Matrix Labs company to Mylan. He and his family owned 20 percent of the company. Akkineni Nagarjuna held 10 percent.
In February 2015, STAR India acquired Maa Television Network’s broadcast business. The deal will come into effect after regulatory formalities are completed. This will allow STAR India to integrate Maa with its business. In addition, it will provide differentiated entertainment content to the Telugu Diaspora worldwide. The two companies plan to launch new shows to showcase the new brand.
Star India will benefit from the channel’s growth into the Telugu market
STAR India, a subsidiary of 21st Century Fox, has bought Maa TV, India’s biggest Telugu-language broadcaster. The deal marks the company’s biggest acquisition in the country. The acquisition has made Star better positioned to serve southern India audiences, according to company CEO Jehil Thakkar. He said the deal would open a window for major content innovation in the Telugu television market.
“We are delighted with the acquisition of the Telugu television market and are looking forward to the new opportunities it presents us in the future,” Thakkar told reporters at a press conference. MaaTV will become part of the Star’s network, after regulatory formalities are completed.
The acquisition of Maa TV will give Star the opportunity to offer more rich content to viewers in the Telugu speaking market, Thakkar added. Having a strong presence in the fast-growing regional market is a necessity as digitisation takes hold, he added.
MaaTV has been around for almost two decades and has emerged as one of the top players in the Telugu television market. The channel has proven itself with advertisers, and it has earned a good reputation for its programming and viewership. The network is also known for its events. The CineMaa Awards, a major event for the film industry, is its flagship event.
