Indian Entertainment Channels caters to a particular audience and has been gaining popularity ever since their commencement. Indian channels have had directed themselves to the infotainment of the Indian mass and Indian Entertainment channels are conveniently indulging in the similar scenario. These channels, as the name suggests, have the objective of providing a wholesome entertainment to a range of viewers, from kids to youngsters, from middle-aged people to old people. Thus, they have their daily-soaps, movies, reality shows, comedy shows, action & drama programmes and much more. Different channels have different target audiences and different time-slots for their varied range of targets. There are exclusive movie channels like Star Movies, HBO, Sony Pix, Zee Studio and Movies Now for English movies and Zee Cinema, Set Max, Star Gold etc. for Hindi Movies. There are other channels, which only broadcast action, comedy, educational and several other types of programmes.

Star Plus has been rated as the Number one Hindi Entertainment channels with its huge success of Ekta Kapoor`s "Saas-Bahu" dramas and the ever popular Kaun Banega Carorepati which was hosted by Amitabh Bachchan and ShahRukh Khan. Entertainment channels have come a long way from just soaps and daily dramas and quiz shows or countdown shows to reality TV, like Indian Idol & Big Boss on Sony TV, or game shows like Antakshari on Zee TV, which is a new concept and has been gaining popularity since its inception.

The following are a list of the most popular Indian Entertainment Channels-

Zee TV & Other Zee Channels
Zee TV was amongst the first Indian satellite channels that aired various Hindi serials and soaps, with high production value. Zee TV is a 24 hours Hindi entertainment channel that telecast a range of programmes from popular serials to reality shows. The Zee networks owns many other channels under its banner Zee Cinema, Zee smile, Zee Trendz, Zee Cafe, Zee Studio, Zee Bangla and many more channels.

Zee Cinema
Zee Cinema broadcasts six movies a day and other film-based programming. Zee Cinema garners strong viewer ship in the morning, afternoon and evening time bands as well as the night slot, making it a complete movie channel for all sections of the audience.

STAR Plus
STAR Plus is another Hindi entertainment channel that broadcasts numerous Hindi serials and dramas and many popular reality-based programmes. STAR Plus has been one of the leading Indian Entertainment Channels since its beginning. Currently the most popular programmes aired consist of Gulaal, Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai, Tere Mere Sapne, Sapnon Se Bhare Naina, Sasural Genda Phool, Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon and the very recent Just Dance, featuring Hrithik Roshan.

Star One
Star One is another Hindi entertainment channel under the Star-TV network and shows programmes like Pyaar Kii Ye Ek Kahaani, Dhoondh Legi Manzil Humein, Yeh Ishq Haaye, Geet Hui Sabse Parayi and reality based comedy shows.

Sony Entertainment Television
Sony is amongst the most viewed general entertainment channel in Hindi. Sony has a few sister channels like SET Max, Pix, AXN, Animax and SET Sab TV. The programmes of Sony are generally targeted at the family audiences and it telecasts shows on various genres like reality, soaps and drama, comedy shows, horror, film award events etc. some of the most noteworthy shows are C.I.D., Indian Idol, Entertainment Ke Liye Kuch Bhi Karega, Aahat, X Factor India, Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa etc.

Colors Colors, launched in 2008, has become one of the leading Indian Entertainment Channels in a short period of time. Owned by Viacom 18, the channel telecast a range of hit shows like Bigg Boss featuring Salman Khan, Khatron Ke Khiladi, featuring Akshay Kumar, Laagi Tujhse Lagan, Uttaran, Na Aana Is Des Laado and Balika Vadhu.

SET Max
SET Max is part of the bouquet of channels distributed by the `The One Alliance`, which is a joint venture between SET India Pvt. Ltd. and Discovery Communications India. SET Max brings to its viewers, the biggest and the best of Bollywood movies in their weekly specials. Max provides its viewers with the biggest and best of Hindi Movies and sporting events including - ICC Cricket tournaments and the Indian Premier League.

Channel V
Channel V is an Indian music channel, and generally telecasts various music based shows and songs from Hindi films. Channel V has almost always been on a different path in this cluster of TV channels of the nation. Instead of trying to appeal to the largest possible audience, Channel V chooses to target the individual music fan. Moreover, the channel shows several unique reality shows like Dare 2 Date, Truth Love Cash, Axe Ur Ex, U R Fired, Love Net and the recent Perfect Couple. Hosted by a range of popular VJs like Juhi Pande, VJ Andy Manish and Karan Singh Grover, Channel V has started giving strict competition to its rival MTV. Channel V has also started a few soaps like Dil Dosti Dance, Roomies, Ye Parindey and others.

MTV India
MTV India is the most popular music channel in India. It is a 24-hour music channel that primarily caters to viewers in the age group of 15 to 34 years. MTV India has consistently positioned itself as a youth channel, catering to the Indian youth with its mixed offerings of music, humour and fashion. MTV has achieved a new status amongst the Indian youth through its range of original reality shows, such as MTV Roadies, Splitsvilla, Stuntmania, Style Check, True life, MTV Crunch, Girls Night Out and the recent Coke Studio.

AXN
AXN is the only round-the clock action movie & adventure sports channel available in the world. Along with movies, it also airs reality programmes like The Amazing race, Destination Truth, Sports crash, top 20 Countdown etc. The programmes are designed in such a way that it appeals to a predominant male audience aged between 14 and 44 years. Sony Pictures Entertainment, the parent company of Columbia TriStar, owns the channel.

SONY PIX
Sony Entertainment Television launched the movie channel, Sony Pix in August 2006. The channel claims to bring the Greatest Stories Ever Told, right in the viewer`s home. The programming consists of contemporary and classic Hollywood movies with original programming and other elements that reflect the channel`s determination in providing Hollywood based entertainment.

STAR World
STAR World is STAR Group`s premiere English-language Entertainment TV-channel. Also shown in the Asian region, the channel was the successor of STAR Plus, which is now the Hindi-language Entertainment Channel. The shows aired on Star World range from family dramas to comedy to talk shows to reality shows to children`s programming and live international events. Some of the popular shows include Dexter, Castle, Two and a Half Men, Modern Family, Las Vegas, Bold and the Beautiful, Master Chef Australia, The Simpsons, Friends etc.

Zee Cafe
The channel airs dramas, sitcoms, reality shows and variety shows. The channel is one of the most widely viewed English channels in India. Since inception, Cafe has focused on sourcing the best international software relevant to Indian taste and preferences. Zee Cafe currently has the best English language programming in India, and is gaining popularity with the urban and young audiences.

HBO
The HBO service offers the viewers in India and South Asia with the best of Hollywood entertainment. In the year 2004, HBO went one step further and for the first time the channel aired three movies - The Mummy, The Mummy Returns and The Scorpion King - all dubbed in Hindi. HBO has become one leading English movie channel in India, premiering latest Hollywood movies every week.

STAR Movies
STAR movies brings audiences the biggest blockbusters and showcases over 100 movies a month and 30 premieres. Star Movies has some of the most commercially successful films in motion picture history, and range from blockbusters and mainstream Hollywood output to all time classics. STAR Movies has something for everyone: an endless selection of adventure, drama, thrillers, romance and comedy to choose from, making the channel the most complete international movie channel in Asia.

Zee Studio
The channel caters primarily to the SEC AB, 15-34 years audience whose propensity to spend is high. Zee Studio has access to more than 4,000 film titles of MGM. The movie genres in this channel ranges in fixed time and theme slots from Romantic Mondays, Thrilling Thursdays, Man Fridays, Movie Marathon on Saturdays and movie festivals on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Sahara Filmy
Sahara Filmy is an Indian Hindi film channel owned by Sahara One Media and Entertainment Limited. The key USP of the movies and movie-related shows offered by the channel is a mix of narrative and humorous programming. Filmy channel has also set up a platform for short films, in the hope that this venture would generate hype and popularity of this channel.

Star Gold
Star Gold brings to its viewers the best and the biggest Bollywood Blockbusters featuring a mix of cotemporary as well as classic movies from the 1950s to the present time. Genres like Action, Thriller, Romance, Religious, Patriotic flicks, which appeal to every sentiment and heart- Star Gold has it all. Thus, Star Gold is one of India`s most popular Bollywood movie channels, bringing viewers the best that Bollywood has to offer.

other than these there are more channels such as 9XM, Disney Channel India, Cartoon Network, Imagine TV, SAB TV, UTV Action, UTV Movies, B4U Movies, UTV Bindass, Mastiii etc that cater to the audiences of different ages and provides a range of entertainment.