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RTL confirms two Indian TV channels

Europe’s biggest broadcaster RTL Group has finalised its deal with one of India’s biggest media and telecoms outfits to launch two thematic television channels in India.

Luxembourg-based RTL has partnered with Reliance Broadcast Network to make its long-planned move into India. The two firms have inked an agreement to create a joint-venture that will operate the Indian RTL channels.

First fruits of the pact will include two English-language TV networks: a reality channel with international content, mainly from RTL Group’s production arm FremantleMedia; and a channel primarily targeting male viewers with action-oriented content.

“RTL Group believes strongly in the Indian market – a market with a young population that loves TV and impressive potential for further growth,” said Andreas Rudas, executive VP of regional operations and business development for Central and Eastern Europe at RTL Group.

RTL already operates some 40 TV networks across 10 countries in Germany, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Spain, Greece, Russia, Hungary and Croatia.

Rudas confirmed the two as-yet unnamed RTL/Reliance nets would be RTL’s first broadcasting ventures in Asia. RTL’s alliance with Reliance emerged in March, when the two signed a preliminary agreement.

Reliance CEO Tarun Katial described his company as “at the core of creating a revolution in the Indian English entertainment space. We are committed to offering Indian audiences unprecedented international television content.”

Reliance has previously partnered with LA-based CBS Studios International to launch a number of thematic nets in India, such as Big CBS Love, Big CBS Prime and youth-skewing Big CBS Spark.

Reliance is part of Mumbai-based Reliance Communications, said to be the 16th largest telecom company in the world, with almost 130 million customers. Its pay-TV arm Reliance Big TV launched in 2008.

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