MUMBAI: Champions - MOVIES NOW the channel responsible for revolutionizing the way we consumed English movies last year kick-started the trend of showcasing films based on martial arts! With the popular Shaolin blockbuster movie festivals - Shaolin Masters & Shaolin Master Level 1, MOVIES NOW brought some of the most entertaining martial art films on television.

Keeping with the fact the highest rated movies of 2011 on the channel were from the Shaolin genre, this month, MOVIES NOW has taken a step to elevate the genre to a new level by premiering a heartwarming story of endurance and the triumph of human spirit - ‘Champions‘ for the first time in HD.

Champions will introduce viewers to Wushu - the technique of Chinese martial arts which was patronized by none other than action superstar Jet Li! Set against the backdrop of Chinese Olympics, the movie is inspired by real-life events.

Based in 1936 the movie premiered coinciding with the Beijing Olympics and was a runaway success. Champions is inspired by a true story on China announcing their first Olympic team with a handful of martial artists to demonstrate Wushu to the world for the very first time. With so many diverse styles and so many skilled, determined fighters the elimination bouts are grueling.The road to the games is fraught with hardships and heartbreak, and in getting there the participants embark on a journey that will test their strength, skill and spirit to the limit, and their willingness to sacrifice in ways they could never have imagined. Catch this fantastic movie on 23rd February, 2012 at 9 PM only on MOVIES NOW.

Mumbai: The landmark year witnessed a revolution in the English Movie Channel category with the launch of MOVIES NOW - India?s First HD English Movie Channel. The channel from The Times Television Network bouquet celebrates its first successful year on 19th December 2011.

Since inception, the channel aimed at challenging the existing status quo in the industry. It has not only dominated the ratings but has also catapulted the entire category viewership by a whopping 50% with an increase in GRPs from 50 to 74 points:

• A phenomenal increase in the reach from 46 million to 56 million viewers!
• An incredible increase in the TSV (Time Spent per Viewer) from 42 minutes to 55 minutes!

Month on month with consistent top deck ratings, MOVIES NOW, the proverbial new kid on the block has now firmly established itself as a leader in the English Movie Channel Category.

MOVIES NOW is the first 24 hour HD channel to launch in India for the discerning viewers. Today, the channel boasts of setting a high audio-visual quality benchmark for all channels hereby creating a new wave in the industry. The TAM ratings for the past 51 weeks (week 52, 2010 - week 50, 2011) across 8 metros are a strong affirmation of the channel?s leadership in the English Movie Channel category. With a relative channel share of 30% across all 8 metros and unrivalled performance in 1mn+ towns, all India & across time-bands, MOVIES NOW is the clear favourite of the audiences. *(Source: TAM, TG: CS 15-34 AB, All 8 Metros, Period: wk 52 ?10 - wk 50 ?11)

Congratulating on the channel success, Mr. Sunil Lulla, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Times Television Network said, ?Times Television Network is committed to deliver distinctive brands to its viewers and advertisers. MOVIES NOW has made a break-through on both fronts by redefining the viewing experience with its stunning picture quality and awesome surround sound experience. We congratulate our audience and our partners on being an integral part of this success!?

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Ajay Trigunayat, Channel Head, MOVIES NOW said ?We had a clear mission for MOVIES NOW when we launched last year to bring a stellar brand to the viewers. The past one year has
been nothing less than a dream come true for all of us. I want to thank all our support groups: from our audiences who are our biggest critics, to our distributors and our business partners. We at MOVIES NOW are working towards ensuring that the product is even more entertaining for our viewers, so that we are loved more and watched more.?

With its superlative content and packaging, MOVIES NOW is the best partner for brands seeking urban affluent audiences! With over 200+ brands already advertising on MOVIES NOW, the channel has become one of the most sought after channels in the country. MOVIES NOW offers the highest Reach & TSV across all English Channels!

MOVIES NOW has always led by example and has been a pioneer of many FIRSTS. From its library led movie collection to innovative programming, from its zany promotional teasers to its reach, the channel has always had the foresight to offer its viewers something that never existed in the English Movie Channel Category. This strategy was backed with the zest of exploring potential markets. Apart from having a homogenous distribution across all 8 metros, MOVIES NOW has also partnered with all DTH platforms ? Tata Sky, DISH TV, Airtel Digital TV, Videocon D2H, Reliance Digital TV, and Sun Direct for a wider audience reach.

On the road ahead Ajay further elaborates ?MOVIES NOW will augment its phenomenal reach by enhancing Digital availability. Also, we are looking at aggressively increasing our reach from all metros to the 1 million + markets. We at MOVIES NOW have always believed that the English Movie Channel Category is a mass product and are continuously expanding the viewership base.?

MUMBAI: This December, MOVIES NOW brings back one of Hollywood?s hottest action stars ? Sylvester Stallone! Every Friday at 9pm, Sly will bring to your TV screens explosive stunts with his glorious action movies like The Specialist, Tango & Cash, Rocky Balboa and Escape to Victory. The movies pack a punch only on MOVIES NOW!

Starting with Tango & Cash, in this film Sylvester Stallone teams up with Kurt Russell in this action-adventure. Together, Tango and Cash are the two best narcs in LA, and cause drug - Baron Yves Perret no end of distress. So Yves arranges for Tango and Cash to be framed for a crime which ultimately lands them into a security hell-hole. Thrown into prison with most of the criminals they helped convict, it appears that they are going to have to trust each other if they are to clear their names! Catch the 2 awesome cops in Tango & Cash tonight at 9 pm only on MOVIES NOW.

Get ready to meet the legend as next in line is none other than Rocky V! Rocky holds its rightful place in the chronicles of motion picture history as one of the best-loved film stories and one of the best sports series ever made. In the fifth installment of this illustrious series, Rocky V reluctantly retires from boxing and becomes a trainer. Watch this action packed movie on 16th December at 9 pm on MOVIES NOW.

Next up is ?Escape to Victory?. The movie sees Sly playing the character of a soccer trainer. Set in World War II, a group of Nazi officers come up with a propaganda event in which an all star Nazi team would play a team composed of Allied Prisoners of War in a Soccer game. Robert Hatch (Sylvester Stallone) is enlisted to assist the allied prisoners to train for the event. The prisoners plan to use the game as a means of escape from the camp.

Ending the series is ?The Specialist?, watch Stallone team up with the gorgeous Sharon Stone in this slick action packed thriller. Ray Quick, a retired CIA bomb expert is forced out of his hiatus by May Munro (Stone) to help her get revenge on the powerful organized crime family. Watch these two superstars as they work towards breaking a web of deceit, greed and treachery to destroy a powerful drug-lord in this sizzling block-buster on 30th Dec at 9pm.

Flex on Stallone is powered by Samsung Smart Cameras and Hero Motorcop is the Associate sponsor.

Tune in to MOVIES NOW as excitement and entertainment collide to give viewers some of the best of Hollywood be it the stars or their films! Catch Flex on Stallone every Friday at 9 pm!

Mumbai: Come October the festivities begin; starting with Dusshera which is celebrated to commemorate the triumph of good over evil! With the spirit of the festival in mind, MOVIES NOW has put together a line-up of blockbuster Hollywood films as a celebration of right over wrong; good over evil and are sure to leave you in an inspirational frame of mind! On 6th October, MOVIES NOW has handpicked the best of movies and will be showcasing them back to back, from 9 am - 7 pm, to celebrate Dusshera.

Start your day with the intriguing story of a local sheriff whose son goes missing, and he once again stirs up the calm waters of Lake Placid in search of his son in Lake Placid - 2. Join the sheriff in his quest to save not only his son but the whole town from wrath of the vicious creature plaguing Lake Placid on MOVIES NOW.

Enter the world of mutants as after Lake Placid - 2 follows X-Men! The mega-hit series by Marvel Comics comes to life as super heroes who possess powers strong enough to destroy all fight out with each other in the quest for supremacy. Tune in at 11:45am to catch the nail biting war where each one is equally matched; but as history dictates goodwill always survive the evil to emerge victorious!

Following this action-adventure, MOVIES NOW brings the fantasy-adventure film, Eragon. This epic movie, based on the best-selling novel, centers around a young man named Eragon whose destiny is revealed with the help of a dragon. Eragon, a Dragon Rider, is swept into a world of magic and power, discovering that he alone has the power to save or destroy an Empire. Tune into MOVIES NOW at 2 pm to catch this fantasy-adventure.
Next up is The Day the Earth Stood Still where an alien lands and warns the people of Earth that they must live peacefully or be destroyed as danger to other planets. To catch this sci-fi story unfold, tune into MOVIES NOW at 4.15 PM.

MOVIES NOW concludes the festival with Arnold?s smashing hit film, Collateral Damage. Watch the heart wrenching story of a brave fire fighter, who loses his family in a stray terrorist attack, and promises to avenge the death of loved ones and put an end to the fear of terrorists for the other citizens!

Victory over evil is powered by TVS Apache in association with Standard Chartered Bank.

This Dusshera tune into MOVIES NOW and celebrate victory of good over evil starting 9am to 7pm!