Cable Television Channels Starting with Z

Explore specialty networks including international programming, wellness content, and niche entertainment channels available on US cable and streaming platforms

8+

Active Channels

43

Zee Networks

1998

Zee TV USA Launch

18+

US Platforms

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

International Broadcasting Networks

Zee TV International

Owner: Zee Entertainment Enterprises (ZEEL)

Founded: October 1, 1992 (India), 1998 (USA launch)

Genre: Hindi General Entertainment

Description: Zee TV is India's oldest privately owned television channel and the first Hindi general entertainment channel launched in the United States. Operating under Asia TV USA Ltd., the network has grown to 43 channels with operations across 5 locations throughout USA, Canada, and the Caribbean. Zee TV was the first Asian channel to launch in HD and became the first Hindi network measured by Nielsen in the US. The channel offers diverse programming including TV serials, movies, reality shows, and cultural content aimed at the South Asian diaspora.

Availability: Available on 18+ US platforms including Comcast, Cablevision, Time Warner Cable, Cox Communications, RCN, Charter, AT&T U-verse, Verizon Fios, YouTube TV, and FuboTV

Notable Achievement: Most widely available Hindi general entertainment network on all major DTH, cable, telco, and IPTV platforms in North America

Zee Cinema Movies

Owner: Zee Entertainment Enterprises

Founded: April 1995

Genre: Hindi Movies / Bollywood

Description: Zee Cinema is the first and most popular Hindi movie channel broadcasting from India, featuring the largest privately held Indian video library. The channel broadcasts 24 hours daily, airing over five movies per day along with film-based programming. With a collection boasting more than 4,200 movies, Zee Cinema features content from varied genres including action, comedy, romance, and family entertainers showcasing leading Bollywood superstars.

Content Library: 4,200+ movies including recent hits and in-production titles

Availability: USA, UK, UAE, Canada, Singapore, Australia via cable and digital streaming platforms

Programming: Acquires recent Bollywood hits alongside classic films from multiple decades

Zee Cafe Entertainment

Owner: Zee Entertainment Enterprises

Founded: March 27, 2005 (rebranded)

Genre: General Entertainment / International Programming

Description: Zee Cafe is part of the extensive Zee TV Channels lineup, offering entertainment programming for Indian audiences. The channel is available in HD format and caters to viewers seeking international and contemporary entertainment content. As part of Zee Entertainment's diverse portfolio, Zee Cafe complements other Hindi networks including Zee Action, Zee Select, Zee Studio, and Zee Kasturi.

Availability: Available in Zee's channel packages across multiple platforms

Format: Zee Cafe HD available as premium offering

Additional Zee Networks Available in USA

Alpha ETC Punjabi Regional

Owner: Asia TV USA Ltd. (Zee Networks)

Genre: Punjabi Entertainment

Description: One of four leading South Asian entertainment channels distributed by Zee Networks in the US, offering Punjabi-language programming including music, dramas, and cultural content for the Punjabi diaspora community.

Zee Gujarati Regional

Owner: Zee Entertainment Enterprises

Genre: Gujarati Entertainment

Description: Part of Zee Networks' 24x7 South Asian television lineup, providing Gujarati-language programming for viewers in USA, Canada, and Caribbean markets seeking regional content from Gujarat, India.

Zee Sports Sports

Owner: Asia TV USA Ltd. (Zee Networks)

Genre: South Asian Sports

Description: Sports channel focusing on cricket, kabaddi, and other sports popular in South Asian communities. Available on DISH Network and other major US cable and satellite providers serving the Indian subcontinent diaspora.

Zee Kannada Regional

Owner: Zee Entertainment Enterprises

Founded: May 2006

Genre: Kannada General Entertainment

Description: 24-hour Kannada general entertainment channel featuring TV serials, movies, soap operas, game shows, talk shows, and current affairs programming. Caters to Kannada-speaking audiences in the United States and globally.

Zing Music

Owner: Zee Entertainment Enterprises

Genre: Bollywood Music / Lifestyle

Description: Bollywood music channel featuring music videos and lifestyle programming primarily in Hindi. Beyond music, Zing features humor, animation, spoofs, and celebrity lifestyle content appealing to younger South Asian audiences.

Wellness & Lifestyle Networks

Z Living Lifestyle

Owner: NIA Broadcasting (Neal Ardman)

Founded: Originally as Veria Living, rebranded to Z Living

Ownership Change: 2020 transition from Essel Group to NIA Broadcasting

Genre: Health, Wellness & Classic Television

Description: Z Living (formerly Veria Living) is an American digital cable and satellite television network originally focused on health and wellness programming. Following the 2020 ownership change to NIA Broadcasting (owned by former Equity Media Holdings and Luken Communications executive Neal Ardman), the network shifted focus to include classic TV series (shared with family-oriented sister network FOLK TV/BINGE) and contemporary entertainment and lifestyle programming from independent producers.

Programming Focus: Originally featured cooking shows, fitness programming, travel content, and lifestyle entertainment. Current programming includes The Dr. Oz Show, Acapulco H.E.A.T., Myth Defying with Dr. Holly, and various health and wellness series. Also features talk programming where Neal Ardman and guests discuss topics with live viewer call-ins.

Status: In October 2018, plans were announced to discontinue its linear channel in January 2019, though streaming presence continues via Z Living apps and platforms

Sister Networks: FOLK TV (now BINGE)

Historical Channels

Z Channel Defunct

Owner: Theta Cable/Group W (Westinghouse), later Cablevision/NBC

Active: 1974-1989

Genre: Premium Cinema / Art Films

Description: Z Channel was one of the early pay television stations in the United States, best known for its devotion to the art of cinema. Launched in 1974 by Theta Cable (a division of TelePrompTer Corporation and Hughes Aircraft Co.), which was acquired by Group W (Westinghouse) in 1981. Under programmer Jerry Harvey's leadership from 1980-1988, the channel expanded to 24-hour service by 1982, airing up to 20 films weekly.

Programming Legacy: Featured eclectic film choices including B movies, silent films, foreign films, and original unedited versions. Known for themed retrospectives of legendary directors including Charlie Chaplin, Stanley Kubrick, and Akira Kurosawa. The channel was influential in bringing art cinema and international films to American cable audiences.

Final Broadcast: June 29, 1989 - The last film shown was John Ford's "My Darling Clementine" before the channel was replaced by SportsChannel Los Angeles

Historical Impact: Documentary "Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession" (2004) chronicled the channel's influence on film culture and programmer Jerry Harvey's legacy

Zone Reality Defunct

Owner: Zone Vision (later Zonemedia), acquired by CBS/Chellomedia

Active: 1999-2012 (as Reality TV/Zone Reality)

Genre: Reality Television

History: Launched as Reality TV on December 1, 1999 as a joint venture between UPCtv and Zone Vision. The channel was rebranded to Zone Reality on June 26, 2006 as part of Zone Vision's corporate rebranding to Zonemedia, unifying all their channels under the "Zone" brand. Broadcast to over 120 million viewers throughout Europe, Middle East, Africa, and Latin America in both analogue and digital formats.

Programming: 24-hour channel dedicated to reality shows featuring real people and true stories with minimal actors, scripts, or stunts. Content covered rescue and survival, crime, animals, natural disasters, and human interest stories. Notable shows included "Cheaters," "Cops," "Doctors' Diaries," "When Good Pets Go Bad," "Little Miracles," and "World's Most Dangerous" series highlighting heroism of emergency services.

Programming Categories: Real crime (courtroom, forensics, investigations, police), real life dramas (disasters, emergency rescue), real stories (human interest, animals), and unexplained phenomena (ghosts, psychics, mysteries, paranormal)

End of Service: On November 16, 2009, CBS Reality, CBS Reality +1, CBS Drama, and CBS Action launched, replacing Zone Reality and other Zone channels in the UK. Zone Reality was fully replaced by CBS Reality across Europe on December 3, 2012

Frequently Asked Questions

The primary channels starting with Z available on US cable and satellite systems include Zee TV (Hindi general entertainment), Zee Cinema (Bollywood movies), Zee Cafe (international entertainment), and Z Living (health and wellness). Additionally, regional South Asian channels like Alpha ETC Punjabi, Zee Gujarati, Zee Kannada, Zee Sports, and Zing music channel are available through international programming packages on major providers including Comcast, Verizon Fios, AT&T U-verse, YouTube TV, and FuboTV.

Zee TV launched in the United States in 1998, becoming the first ever Hindi general entertainment channel available to American audiences. While Zee TV originally launched in India on October 1, 1992 as the country's oldest privately owned television channel, the US expansion in 1998 marked the beginning of Zee Entertainment's North American operations. Over two decades later, Zee Networks has grown to 43 channels with operations across 5 locations throughout USA, Canada, and the Caribbean, serving the South Asian diaspora community.

Z Channel, a pioneering premium cinema network (1974-1989), ceased broadcasting on June 29, 1989, replaced by SportsChannel Los Angeles. Known for art films and director retrospectives under programmer Jerry Harvey, Z Channel's legacy lives on through the 2004 documentary "Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession." Zone Reality, originally launched as Reality TV in 1999, operated until 2012 before being replaced by CBS Reality across Europe. Zone Reality specialized in reality programming featuring real-life rescue, crime, and human interest stories. Neither channel currently broadcasts, though their influence on niche cable programming remains significant.

Zee networks are available on 18+ different platforms across the United States, making them the most widely distributed Hindi entertainment channels in North America. Major cable providers include Comcast Communications, Cablevision, Time Warner Cable, Cox Communications, RCN Telecom Services, and Charter Communications. Telecom providers include AT&T U-verse and Verizon Fios TV. Recent expansions include YouTube TV (18 ZEEL channels added March 2024) and FuboTV (Zee Family bundle with 18 linear channels launched February 2025). Zee networks are also available on Xfinity, Optimum, and various IPTV platforms, serving the growing South Asian diaspora community throughout USA, Canada, and the Caribbean.

Zee Cinema is the first and most popular Hindi movie channel from India, broadcasting 24 hours daily with over five movies per day. The channel features the largest privately held Indian video library with more than 4,200 movies spanning multiple genres including action, comedy, romance, and family entertainers. Zee Cinema showcases leading Bollywood superstars and acquires both recent hits and in-production titles. The programming includes classic films from multiple decades alongside contemporary releases, providing comprehensive Bollywood entertainment for South Asian audiences in USA, UK, UAE, Canada, Singapore, and Australia via cable and digital streaming platforms.

Z Living's status changed significantly after 2018. In October 2018, plans were announced to discontinue the linear cable channel in January 2019. Following a 2020 ownership change from Essel Group to NIA Broadcasting (owned by Neal Ardman, formerly of Equity Media Holdings and Luken Communications), the network shifted programming focus from pure health and wellness content to include classic TV series and contemporary lifestyle programming. While the traditional cable channel may have limited availability, Z Living maintains a streaming presence through digital apps and platforms, continuing to offer health, wellness, cooking, fitness, and travel content alongside classic television series shared with sister network FOLK TV (now BINGE).

Zee Entertainment offers several regional language channels serving diverse South Asian communities in the USA. Alpha ETC Punjabi provides Punjabi-language programming including music, dramas, and cultural content. Zee Gujarati delivers Gujarati entertainment for viewers from Gujarat, India. Zee Kannada, launched in May 2006, offers 24-hour Kannada general entertainment with TV serials, movies, game shows, talk shows, and current affairs programming. These regional channels complement Zee TV's Hindi programming, allowing families to maintain connections with their linguistic and cultural heritage. All regional channels are distributed by Asia TV USA Ltd. as part of Zee Networks' comprehensive 43-channel portfolio serving USA, Canada, and Caribbean markets.

Z Channel (1974-1989) was revolutionary in bringing art cinema and international films to American cable audiences. Under programmer Jerry Harvey's leadership from 1980-1988, the channel expanded to 24-hour service airing up to 20 films weekly, featuring eclectic selections rarely shown on other pay television services. Z Channel showcased B movies, silent films, foreign films, and original unedited versions of theatrical releases. The network became famous for themed retrospectives of legendary directors including Charlie Chaplin, Stanley Kubrick, and Akira Kurosawa. Z Channel's devotion to cinema as art influenced film culture and cable programming, immortalized in the 2004 documentary "Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession" which chronicles Jerry Harvey's visionary programming and the channel's lasting impact on how Americans discovered international and independent cinema.

Last updated on November 27, 2025