STAR India PLUS Debuts Local Shows for North American Market

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- STAR India PLUS, STAR TV's flagship general entertainment channel in North America, announced today the launch of 2-weekly shows catering exclusively to local audiences. ICC Cricket World which launches on January 16th will showcase the best of cricket each week, followed by Asian Variety Show (AVS) launching on February 7th which will allow STAR viewers to get a weekly peek at local events and Bollywood related news.

ICC Cricket World, a television program which is produced by Sportsbrand under exclusive license from the International Cricket Council, will keep cricket fans around the world in touch with the latest cricket news. The weekly half hour episode exclusive to STAR in North America will cover recent cricket action including all Tests, Twenty 20s and One-Day International matches, as well as exclusive off-field features and interviews. The show is currently televised by 11 different broadcasters in 110 countries reaching a global audience of over 95 million households. It is slated to launch on January 16, airing every Saturday at 8:30pm ET/5:30pm PT.

Asian Variety Show (AVS) is one of the first Desi programs produced in America. It's a magazine format show showcasing the best of Bollywood entertainment stories - Bollywood Music, movie previews, star interviews with a local focus and programming for Non-resident Indians. The licensed half hour weekly program will launch on February 7, airing every Sunday at 8:30pm ET/5:30pm PT.

"Localizing STAR India Plus allows us the opportunity to take the next step in the natural evolution of our business. We are constantly in touch with our viewers and advertisers and as much as they are all excited about the current (Yeh Rishta, Bidaai) and new programming (Maha Music Muqabla, Pratigya) on our channel, there have been requests for more Bollywood news and cricket related shows," said David Wisnia, STAR's Senior Vice President of Distribution, Sales and Marketing and head of STAR's North American and European offices. "AVS and ICC provide exactly that and are a welcome addition to our already exciting lineup of reality shows, dramas and Bollywood blockbusters. We thank State Farm for partnering with us in our efforts to increase our entertainment offerings as we continue to strive to bring the very best STAR has to offer for our loyal viewers."

"State Farm finds sponsorship of ICC Cricket World/AVS to be an effective way to connect with an important audience of Indian consumers," said Ed Gold, State Farm Advertising Director. "Just as we are there to help bring them programming that fuels their personal interests and passions, so we will 'be there' in their time of insurance need."

STAR India PLUS is one of the most watched Hindi GEC channels in North America and is part of the STAR bouquet of channels available in North America. Since setting up local offices in US in September 2007, STAR has grown to become the only broadcaster having channels on both DTH platforms Direct TV and Dish Network, as well as launching on several major cable platforms including Comcast, Cox, AT&T U Verse and RCN. To subscribe, viewers should reach out to their local Cable or Satellite provider and check availability or go to www.startv.com/usa for subscription details.

SOURCE STAR India PLUS