Colors Cineplex

Colors Cineplex is a group of Hindi-language 24-hour movie television channels serving viewers primarily in India, with distribution history in the United Kingdom and the United States. The network originated as Rishtey Cineplex, which launched on 8 May 2016 under Viacom18. Its principal service was designed as a broad Hindi-film outlet, combining contemporary Bollywood releases, older Hindi cinema and, at various points, selected sports programming. The channel’s positioning placed it within the competitive Indian movie-channel market, where free-to-air distribution, satellite carriage and recognizable entertainment brands are important to audience reach. The brand expanded beyond India during its first year. Viacom18 introduced the service as Rishtey Cineplex in the United Kingdom in September 2016, where it replaced UMP Movies on Sky. It subsequently reached the United States through Dish Network in October 2016. The UK service was also made available on Freeview in January 2017, although that carriage ended several months later. A further UK distribution arrangement brought the channel to Virgin Media in October 2017. Viacom18 broadened the network’s technical and programming portfolio in 2017 with the introduction of a high-definition movie service, Cineplex HD. On 1 March 2019, the standard-definition service was renamed Colors Cineplex and the HD service became Colors Cineplex HD. The rebrand connected the movie channels more directly with the wider Colors family of Indian entertainment services while preserving the network’s movie-focused identity. The network’s distribution strategy also included free-to-air and platform-specific services. Rishtey Cineplex was relaunched on DD Free Dish in June 2020. In April 2021, Viacom18 launched Colors Cineplex Bollywood as a dedicated Hindi-film channel, separating Bollywood-focused programming from the broader movie offering. Another related service, Colors Cineplex Superhits, launched in India on 1 April 2022 as a free-to-air Hindi movie channel and replaced Rishtey Cineplex. The channel initially carried both Bollywood and Hindi-dubbed South Indian films; after Colors Cineplex Bollywood was introduced, Superhits emphasized Hindi-dubbed South Indian cinema while the Bollywood service focused more narrowly on Hindi films. Although film programming is central to the brand, Colors Cineplex has also carried event-based sports content. Its schedule included the Road Safety World Series, a T20 cricket competition featuring retired international cricket players and organized to promote road-safety awareness. The channel also carried the fifth season of the Abu Dhabi T10 League alongside Rishtey Cineplex and the Voot streaming service. These additions illustrate the network’s use of high-interest sports events to complement its core movie schedule. Colors Cineplex is now associated with JioStar, the media joint venture formed from the relevant Viacom18 and Disney India businesses. The brand’s portfolio approach combines a flagship Hindi movie channel with high-definition, free-to-air and genre-specific services. Its principal business remains the distribution of Hindi-language films through television channels and related media platforms.

Colors Cineplex began on 8 May 2016 as Rishtey Cineplex, a Hindi-language movie channel operated by Viacom18. The service was established to provide continuous Hindi film programming, including Bollywood titles from different periods. Its initial identity was that of a broad movie outlet rather than a narrowly specialized service, and its schedule could include both newer commercial films and older cinema. Viacom18 pursued international distribution soon after launch. In September 2016, Rishtey Cineplex entered the United Kingdom through Sky, replacing UMP Movies. It expanded to the United States through Dish Network in October of the same year. The channel was added to UK Freeview in January 2017, although that availability ended on 1 July 2017. In October 2017, it also became available through Virgin Media. These moves gave the service a presence among South Asian audiences outside India, even though India remained its central market. The network developed a multi-channel structure in 2017 with the launch of Cineplex HD. This service provided a high-definition version of the movie-channel proposition. On 1 March 2019, Viacom18 carried out a brand consolidation: Rishtey Cineplex became Colors Cineplex, and Cineplex HD became Colors Cineplex HD. The naming change aligned the services with the broader Colors entertainment brand while retaining their focus on films. In June 2020, Viacom18 relaunched Rishtey Cineplex on DD Free Dish, an important free-to-air distribution platform in India. The group subsequently refined the portfolio by launching Colors Cineplex Bollywood on 1 April 2021. This channel concentrated on Bollywood movies and created a clearer distinction between the main Colors Cineplex service and a dedicated Hindi-film outlet. On 1 April 2022, Colors Cineplex Superhits launched as another free-to-air Hindi movie channel and replaced Rishtey Cineplex. Superhits had previously been associated with a mixture of Bollywood and Hindi-dubbed South Indian films; after the introduction of the Bollywood-branded channel, it focused more heavily on Hindi-dubbed South Indian cinema. Colors Cineplex has not been limited to film titles. In 2020 it carried the Road Safety World Series, a T20 cricket event featuring former international players and intended to raise awareness of road safety. The network also broadcast the fifth season of the Abu Dhabi T10 League, including the event alongside Rishtey Cineplex and the Voot streaming platform. Sports programming provided an additional source of appointment viewing and broadened the channel group’s entertainment proposition. The brand is currently associated with JioStar, the media joint venture combining the relevant Viacom18 and Disney India operations. Its development reflects the evolution of Indian television networks from single channels into portfolios with standard-definition, high-definition, free-to-air and genre-focused services. Colors Cineplex’s enduring role within that portfolio is as a Hindi movie brand serving mass-market viewers through a combination of Bollywood, classic Hindi cinema, dubbed South Indian films and selected event programming.

• 2022

  Colors Cineplex Superhits introduced

  [1]Colors Cineplexen.wikipedia.org

  The free-to-air Colors Cineplex Superhits channel launches on 1 April and replaces Rishtey Cineplex.

• 2021

  Colors Cineplex Bollywood introduced

  [1]Colors Cineplexen.wikipedia.org

  A dedicated Bollywood movie channel launches on 1 April.

• 2020

  DD Free Dish relaunch

  [1]Colors Cineplexen.wikipedia.org

  Rishtey Cineplex is relaunched on DD Free Dish on 5 June.

• 2019

  Colors Cineplex rebrand

  [1]Colors Cineplexen.wikipedia.org

  Rishtey Cineplex is renamed Colors Cineplex and Cineplex HD becomes Colors Cineplex HD on 1 March.

• 2017

  Freeview and Virgin Media distribution

  [1]Colors Cineplexen.wikipedia.org

  Rishtey Cineplex reaches UK Freeview in January and Virgin Media in October; its Freeview carriage later ends in July.

• 2017

  Cineplex HD launches

  [1]Colors Cineplexen.wikipedia.org

  Viacom18 adds a high-definition movie channel to the Cineplex portfolio.

• 2016

  Launch as Rishtey Cineplex

  [1]Colors Cineplexen.wikipedia.org

  Viacom18 launches the Hindi-language 24-hour movie channel in India on 8 May.

• 2016

  UK and US expansion

  [1]Colors Cineplexen.wikipedia.org

  The channel launches in the United Kingdom on Sky on 29 September and in the United States on Dish Network on 5 October.

A mass-market Hindi movie network combining Bollywood films, classic cinema, Hindi-dubbed South Indian films and selected sports events across subscription, satellite and free-to-air distribution.

• Hindi movie television channel · 2016

  Colors Cineplex

  The flagship service of the network, Colors Cineplex is a Hindi-language 24-hour movie channel focused principally on Bollywood films. Its programming proposition combines contemporary Hindi cinema with older and classic titles, and it has also carried selected sports events. The service began as Rishtey Cineplex in 2016 and adopted the Colors Cineplex name in March 2019.

• High-definition Hindi movie television channel · 2017

  Colors Cineplex HD

  Colors Cineplex HD is the high-definition member of the Cineplex portfolio. It was introduced in 2017 as Cineplex HD and renamed at the same time as the flagship channel in March 2019. The service extends the network's Hindi-film proposition to viewers and distributors seeking high-definition television programming.

• Bollywood movie television channel · 2021

  Colors Cineplex Bollywood

  Launched in April 2021, Colors Cineplex Bollywood is a dedicated Hindi movie service with a primary emphasis on Bollywood films. Its introduction created a more explicit separation between Bollywood programming and the broader Hindi-movie and dubbed-film offerings in the related channel group.

• Free-to-air Hindi movie television channel · 2022

  Colors Cineplex Superhits

  Colors Cineplex Superhits launched in India in April 2022 as a free-to-air service and replaced Rishtey Cineplex. It initially carried both Bollywood and Hindi-dubbed South Indian movies. Following the launch of Colors Cineplex Bollywood, Superhits became more closely associated with Hindi-dubbed South Indian cinema.

• 2020Road Safety World Series

  India

  Colors Cineplex broadcast the inaugural Road Safety World Series, a T20 cricket competition featuring former international cricket players and intended to promote road-safety awareness.

  Outcome. The series aired from 7 to 22 March 2020 and gave the movie channel a prominent event-sports property connected to a public-awareness cause.

  Source

• 2022

  Expand the free-to-air movie portfolioProduct launch

  Background

  The group continued to develop free-to-air Hindi movie distribution after the DD Free Dish relaunch of Rishtey Cineplex.

  Action taken

  Colors Cineplex Superhits launched on 1 April 2022 and replaced Rishtey Cineplex.

  Aftermath

  The portfolio gained a free-to-air service that became associated primarily with Hindi-dubbed South Indian movies after the launch of Colors Cineplex Bollywood.

  Source

• 2021

  Create a dedicated Bollywood channelProduct launch

  Background

  The Cineplex portfolio carried a mixture of Hindi cinema and Hindi-dubbed South Indian movies, creating an opportunity to separate Bollywood programming into a distinct service.

  Action taken

  Viacom18 launched Colors Cineplex Bollywood on 1 April 2021.

  Aftermath

  The new channel became the portfolio's more specifically Bollywood-oriented outlet, while related services could emphasize broader or dubbed-movie programming.

  Source

• 2019

  Align the movie channels with the Colors brandStrategy

  Background

  The original Rishtey Cineplex name had been used since the channel's 2016 launch, while the wider Colors portfolio provided an established entertainment identity.

  Action taken

  On 1 March 2019, Viacom18 renamed Rishtey Cineplex as Colors Cineplex and Cineplex HD as Colors Cineplex HD.

  Aftermath

  The rebrand gave the standard-definition and HD movie services a common identity within the Colors family.

  Source

• 2022

  Colors Cineplex Superhits launches[1]Colors Cineplexen.wikipedia.org

  Product launch

  A free-to-air Hindi movie channel launches in India, with programming later emphasizing Hindi-dubbed South Indian films.

• 2021

  Colors Cineplex Bollywood launches[1]Colors Cineplexen.wikipedia.org

  Product launch

  Viacom18 introduces a Hindi movie channel focused primarily on Bollywood films.

• 2020

  Rishtey Cineplex returns to DD Free Dish[1]Colors Cineplexen.wikipedia.org

  Product launch

  Viacom18 relaunches Rishtey Cineplex on India's DD Free Dish platform.

• 2019

  Rishtey Cineplex becomes Colors Cineplex[1]Colors Cineplexen.wikipedia.org

  Product generation

  The standard-definition movie service is renamed Colors Cineplex, while Cineplex HD is renamed Colors Cineplex HD.

• 2017

  Cineplex HD introduced[1]Colors Cineplexen.wikipedia.org

  Product launch

  Viacom18 adds a high-definition movie service to the Cineplex channel portfolio.

• 2016

  Rishtey Cineplex launches in India[1]Colors Cineplexen.wikipedia.org

  Product launch

  Viacom18 launches the Hindi-language movie channel that later becomes Colors Cineplex.

• 2016

  Rishtey Cineplex expands to the United Kingdom and United States[1]Colors Cineplexen.wikipedia.org

  Product launch

  The channel launches in the United Kingdom on Sky and later reaches the United States through Dish Network.

1. 1Colors Cineplexen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Colors Cineplex official websitecolorscineplex.com