Warner Bros. Discovery India
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Warner Media Entertainment Networks India (2020–2022)
Discovery India (1995–2022)
2022 (merger with Discovery India)
 | |
| Formerly | Turner Broadcasting System India (1989–2020) Warner Media Entertainment Networks India (2020–2022) |
|---|---|
| Company type | Division |
| Predecessor | WarnerMedia India (2019-2022) Discovery India (1995–2022) |
| Founded | 1995 2022 (merger with Discovery India) |
| Headquarters | India |
Area served | India |
| Products | |
| Parent | Warner Bros. Discovery International |
Warner Bros. Discovery India (also known as WBD or WBDI) is a division of Warner Bros. Discovery Asia-Pacific that operates several television channels in India. The division is responsible for delivering a range of content across various genres, catering to diverse audience interests. Additionally, Warner Bros. Discovery India manages the Discovery+ streaming service, which offers on-demand access to a variety of programming.[1][2][3]
The company was initially established as two separate entities: Turner International India and Discovery India, both launched in 1995. Following the merger of their parent companies in the United States, these two entities subsequently combined to form Warner Bros. Discovery India, thereby consolidating their operations in the Indian media market.
Turner International India (TimeWarner)
In 1995 Turner came to India with the launch of Cartoon Network, the first kids channel in India.
In 2004 the company launched Pogo.[4]
Turner's CNN International only reached the urban population in India. To reach the Indian masses Turner Broadcasting System together with an Indian company, Global Broadcast News (currently TV18 Broadcast Limited), launched the channel in India as CNN-IBN (now known as CNN-News18) on 18 December 2005. The channel was completely run by TV18 Broadcast Limited, which only used the Cable News Network (CNN) brand name.[5]
The company launched WB Channel on 15 March 2009.[6] The channel featured a mix of Hollywood films and (formerly) television dramas from the Warner Bros. Vault.
In 2009 Real TV was launched, Real was a Hindi entertainment channel launched by Turner International India in a 50:50 joint venture with Alva Brothers Entertainment on 2 March 2009 based in Mumbai, Maharashtra. The channel ceased all its operations in March 2010 due to low GRPs and minimum viewership. Also, the channel lacked sponsors and new shows since September 2009 and aired re-runs of its former shows.[7][8][9][10][11]
On 8 December 2009, it was announced that Turner Asia Pacific Ventures (a wholly owned subsidiary of Turner Broadcasting System) had acquired a 92% stake in NDTV Imagine Ltd.[12] NDTV's 76 percent stake in NDTV Imagine would be given to Turner for $67 million, and the Time Warner company would acquire fresh equity worth $50 million to get 92% control. NDTV Imagine Ltd. ran NDTV Imagine, NDTV Lumiere and NDTV Imagine Showbiz television channels and film production transfer of shares, amounting to 85.68% of NDTV Imagine Ltd, by NDTV Networks Plc to Turner Asia Pacific Ventures.[13] The three channels will be under Turner General Entertainment Networks, a holding company that will infuse fresh capital to fund the network's growth. The 'NDTV' brand was dropped, and the channels were relabeled Imagine TV, Lumiere Movies and Imagine Showbiz. Imagine Showbiz was sold in January 2011 to Reliance Broadcast Network.
In 2015, the company launched Toonami.[14]
Before the launch of HBO India, HBO Asia tried replicating the premium model in India. But then HBO decided it wasn't commercially viable, so the channel was launched in India and also in Bangladesh, Pakistan and Maldives.[15]
TiimeWarner in collaboration with Eros International launched HBO Defined and HBO Hits across India on 21 February 2013 on Tata Play, Dish TV and Airtel Digital TV. These channels were advertisement-free. Content on both channels included movies as well as most HBO original programming. When the channels launched, the main HBO channel stopped airing the original series.[16]
In 2015, HBO Asia had decided to exit the Indian market and license the channel to Turner International India previously it was handled by Asian feed.[17] The channel was revamped in February 2016 after a survey conducted by the channel team to better suit the masses.[18][19] HBO Defined and HBO Hits would be handled by Star India, however HBO Defined and HBO Hits SD was shut down on 31 December 2015 while HBO Hits HD was replaced by HBO HD on 4 September 2016.[20]
On 15 May Toonami got shut down and Cartoon Network HD+ was launched on 18 May 2018.
WarnerMedia
After AT&T acquired Time Warner in the US, the company became known as WarnerMedia worldwide.
On October 15, 2020, WarnerMedia announced that HBO and The WB channel would shut down on December 15, 2020. As a result, the HBO channel ceased to be available in India and Pakistan, while The WB channel was discontinued in India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and the Maldives.[21]
HBO India closed down at midnight, with the last movie aired on the SD channel being Mad Max: Fury Road (which completed just one hour before the shutdown), and the last movie on the HD channel being Memoirs of a Geisha.[21]
Warner Bros. Discovery
In July 2022, Discovery Communications and WarnerMedia merged in India. And announced a new team.[22]
In 2023 Warner Bros. Discovery and Viacom18 announced a new multi-year agreement, making JioCinema India's new streaming home of HBO, Max Original and Warner Bros. content.[23]
