Asianet (TV channel)

The channel was founded in the mid-1900s by Dr. Raji Menon.[2] In late 2006, he partially pulled out of Asianet Communications, turning over control to Rajeev Chandrasekhar (Jupiter Entertainment Ventures).[3] Star India bought a 51% stake in Asianet Communications and formed a joint venture with JEV in November 2008. In 2014, Star India took full ownership of Asianet Communications.

Asianet was restructured into four companies in June 2008 (general entertainment, news, radio and media infrastructure). This move was to allow separate investments in each company.[4] Star India started talks with the owners of the Asianet channels in August, 2008.[2]

Star India eventually bought a 51% stake in Asianet Communications and formed a joint venture with JEV in November 2008.[5] The joint venture, called "Star Jupiter", comprised all general entertainment channels of Asianet 8 October 2013 Bombay 12 March Communications (Asianet, Asianet Plus, Asianet Suvarna and Asianet Sitara[6]) and Star Vijay. Star India had reportedly paid $235 million in cash for the 51% stake and assumed net debt of approximately $20 million.[4][2] It's not clear how much stake Dr Menon held in the new Star Jupiter venture. Prior to forming the JV, it was known that the original founder had held about 26% stake.[3]

Star India increased its stake in Asianet Communications to 75% in July 2010 (for which Star India paid around $90 million in cash), and to 87%, by acquiring 12% stake for $160 million in June, 2013. The later move was by virtue of acquiring a 19% equity stake in Vijay TV from Chandrasekhar and Asianet Communications MD Madhavan. Following the June, 2013 investment, Asianet Communications was valued at $1.33 billion. Star India acquired 100% stake in Asianet Communications (buying the remaining 13% stake) in March 2014.[4][5]

On March 20, 2019, following the acquisition of 21st Century Fox by The Walt Disney Company, its Indian subsidiary Star India, Star India-owned Asianet Communications and Star India's remaining subsidiaries became a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company India.

Asianet Plus is the second Malayalam language general entertainment pay television channel owned by The Walt Disney Company India, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company. It broadcasts serials, re-broadcasts of Asianet's old serials, and various movies. Indian Super League (ISL) was broadcast on Asianet Plus from 2018 to 2023.

Asianet Movies is an Indian Malayalam language pay television movie channel that was launched on 15 July 2012. The channel is owned by The Walt Disney Company India, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company. The channel usually broadcasts movies that previously broadcast on Asianet and also some premieres. It's HD feed, Asianet Movies HD, launched on March 15, 2023. Asianet Movies HD is the first HD movie channel in Malayalam.

Asianet has an award ceremony for films presented annually by Asianet. Asianet says that awards ceremony has been instituted to honour both artistic and technical excellence in the Malayalam language film industry.

Awards for the Television Serials were started with this name, every year best serials were nominated and presented awards to them.