DISH Cuts Deals with Reliance Group

MUMBAI/NEW YORK/ENGLEWOOD: The U.S. pay-TV provider DISH has agreed to offer BIGFlix, an Indian film on-demand service from Reliance Entertainment Digital, and BIG Magic International, a variety entertainment channel from Reliance Broadcast Network.

BIGFlix will feature 1,000 online movies that are available in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Bengali. Using their DISH ID, subscribers can access movies instantly on BIGFlix‘s official website. The service, which will add as many as 30 titles per month, will provide recent releases, classics, dramas, romance, thrillers and action films.

BIG Magic International will offer a variety of sitcoms, socio-mytho shows, crime series and dramas from BIG Magic India. It will also include daily news from Bloomberg TV India.

BIGFlix and BIG Magic International can be purchased as add-ons for a monthly fee of $4.99. The movie service and channel are meant to target the country’s growing South Asian population. 

Manish Agarwal, the CEO of Reliance Entertainment Digital, commented: "There is a huge dearth of a South Asian movies-on-demand destination in the U.S. DISH is one of the largest entertainment providers in the U.S. and the right partner for us to reach South Asians and showcase BIGFlix‘s extensive Indian movie catalogue. I am certain that through this association South Asians now shall be able to catch up on their favorite Indian movies at a click of a button."

Tarun Katial, the CEO of Reliance Broadcast Network, said: "Backed by the success that Big Magic International has seen in Canada, we are excited to enter the United States. We are confident that the channel will resonate well with audiences, while offering an effective platform to marketers. We are progressing as planned, with our international expansion and growth strategy and look forward to continuing to deliver value to all our stakeholders."

Andy LeCuyer, the VP of programming at DISH, added: "We are pleased to become the nation’s exclusive provider of BIGFlix and BIG Magic International. DISH is a leader in delivering TV channels from across India to those in the U.S. seeking news and entertainment from their home country, and the addition of this channel demonstrates our continued commitment to serve South Asian communities."