Airtel joins Lionsgate to deliver premium content in India

Telecom major Bharti Airtel on Wednesday said it has entered into a partnership with global content platform Lionsgate and Starzplay, the international premium subscription platform from Starz, to bring premium content from Lionsgate Play to customers in India.

The partnership will give Airtel customers access to a deep portfolio of Lionsgate feature films content, which will be available on Airtel Xstream app and web platforms, Airtel said, adding that its Xstream app has a catalogue of over 10,000 movies and shows along with 400 TV channels.

The content will be available in multiple Indian languages and spread across the horror, comedy, drama, action, thriller, documentary and other genres.

"We are thrilled to partner with Lionsgate to bring exciting content from their library to our customers as part of Airtel Thanks programme. Our mission is to make Airtel Xstream the most loved digital entertainment platform in India and enable best-in-class experience across a range of connected devices and applications," Adarsh Nair, Chief Product Officer, Bharti Airtel, said in a statement.

"We will continue to forge long-term strategic partnerships with the top content producers from around the world as part of our mission and look forward to collaborating with Lionsgate to delight customers in India," Nair said.

Lionsgate Play's initial offering includes the "Hunger Games" and "Twilight Saga" franchises, multiple Academy Award winner "La La Land", and the critically-acclaimed international breakout hit "Wonder" among its deep slate of box office successes.

In addition, Airtel customers will have access to recent hits like "American Assassin", "Robin Hood", and "The Spy Who Dumped Me", among others.

"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, Managing Director, Lionsgate Play South Asia.

"This is another major step forward in bringing an exciting and unique content experience to our Indian audience," Jain added. IANS