Eros and International Networks, a Comcast subsidiary, have come together in a content-distribution alliance to launch the US’ first Bollywood subscription video-on-demand service branded 'Bollywood Hits On Demand'.

The service, which goes live today, will allow subscribers to get popular Indian movies on demand, including the latest releases, blockbusters and evergreen classics. "We were looking for the largest aggregator of Bollywood content that could help us build a successful SVOD model and Eros was the logical partner," said Scott Wheeler, Senior Vice President, International Networks, the subsidiary of Comcast that has agreed this collaboration. "We chose this genre because it has such a popular following. There is also a loyal base of South Asian customers on cable so there is already a demand for more Bollywood product."

Ken Naz, President of Eros' US operations said, "We are delighted to announce the launch of our Bollywood service on Comcast's platform, which is the largest cable network provider in the US. This is another significant milestone in Eros' new media strategy."

The service will initially offer 50 hours of content per month and refresh 50% of its offerings each month. At first, approximately 20 Bollywood movie titles will be featured monthly, and Bollywood music and television series' will be added at a later date. The service will be offered to customers on an a la carte basis and will also be packaged

with other South Asian channels. Some of the blockbusters available at launch include ‘Devdas’, ‘Sholay’, ‘No Entry’, ‘Lucky’, ‘Company’ and ‘Sarfarosh’.