Lionsgate Play Sets Additional Streaming Deal With India’s Airtel

By Patrick Frater

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Lionsgate has struck a deal with Bharti Airtel, India’s largest telecoms firm, to further carry streaming service Play. Content will be available on the Airtel Xstream app and Airtel’s web platforms, which already have over 10,000 movies and shows, and 400 TV channels.

Lionsgate Play sees a selection of Lionsgate and Starz content curated for the burgeoning Indian streaming market, available in multiple local languages, and distributed to linear and digital platforms. It includes more than 7,500 television episodes and feature films, including Starz original series and first-run movies, and previously launched with another telco, Vodafone.

Its initial lineup includes the “Hunger Games” and “Twilight Saga” franchises, “La La Land,” and 2017 hit “Wonder.” Older titles include “American Assassin,” “Robin Hood,” “The Spy Who Dumped Me,” “A Simple Favor,” “Saban’s Power Rangers,”  marquee library titles “Divergent,” “Now You See Me 2,” “Gods of Egypt,” “Letters To Juliet” and “Reservoir Dogs.”

“Telcos play a huge role in increasing the availability of premium content on digital platforms, and we’re proud to join forces with a partner like Airtel that combines enormous reach, a powerful brand and unparalleled distribution expertise,” said Rohit Jain, MD of Lionsgate Play in South Asia. Bharti Airtel had over 411 million customers at the end of September 2019.

“Our mission is to make Airtel Xstream the most loved digital entertainment platform in and enable best-in-class experience across a range of connected devices and applications. We will continue to forge long-term strategic partnerships with the top content producers from around the world,” said Adarsh Nair, chief product officer of Bharti Airtel, in a statement.