MUMBAI: After building a pan India cable TV network, founder-promoter Sameer Manchanda is beginning to cobble together a bouquet of global channels for launching them in India.

Den Networks has floated a television and media services subsidiary company, IME Networks, for this purpose.

For starters, IME Networks has entered into a joint venture partnership with BFTV LLC, broadcasters of BabyFirst, the international television channel for babies, toddlers and parents.

The JV, in which IME Networks holds 75 per cent, marks Den’s foray into introducing international channels of genres currently “underserved” in the Indian market.
 
The JV will house all rights for BabyFirst’s businesses in India and other select territories, including the distribution of the channel and related businesses. It will draw on BFTV’s internationally renowned content for babies and parents and leverage Den’s strengths in the Indian media industry and television distribution.

Den Network CMD Sameer Manchanda said, “We are very pleased to partner BabyFirst through our JV. We see tremendous potential for a focused channel for babies and parents in a young country like India. The Indian television industry is at the threshold of the next wave of channels in genres that are virtually absent today. This JV marks our first step in introducing such channels to Indian audiences.” 
 
BFTV CEO Guy Oranim added, “We consider the Indian market a top priority for our company due to its size, young population and strong family values. We believe that introducing high quality, age-appropriate educational content, as we have done in more than 30 countries, will benefit both Indian children and their parents by offering them another way to bond and interact. Den is the ideal partner for us in India, and we have the utmost respect for the quality of its management, their expertise and their commitment to the success of this JV.”