The new channel, according to Todd Miller, senior vice-president and managing director, Asia, SPTI, "is completely focused on a more adult audience -- people in the 15 to 24 age band.
"It won't compete with kids' channels like Cartoon Network and Pogo. This makes sense as India has a large untapped youth market and we will be locally aligned, fun and hip."
But as Carat India vice-president Pat Vinayak said, "cracking the youth audience with animation will be tough for the channel, unless they are looking at the kids who will graduate into watching animation. Even with adult content, I doubt whether it will attract the youth."
Animax has a 'Youth hour' followed by 'Mega zone' in the 10pm to 11pm band, and programmes like Ghost in the shell, which target a mature audience and will not be "candy-floss programming".
Sony Pictures itself is not new to airing adult content with some amount of sensuality, with its other channel in India, AXN, airing programmes such as Wild one and Hot and wild, which have proved highly popular with audiences.
SPTI targets more 'adult' audience for Animax India
Sony Pictures Television International (SPTI) has again raised debate with the launch of Animax in India this month - targeting the animation channel not at children, but an adult audience.
