ITV

Category: GECs

  • Discovery Jeet postpones 2 show launches to late March

    Discovery Jeet postpones 2 show launches to late March

    MUMBAI: The newly launched general entertainment channel, Discovery Jeet has planned to halt the launch of two yet to be released shows Gabru – Hip Hop Ke Shehzaade and Man Vs Wild with Sunny Leone.

    An official from Discovery communication confirmed the news to Indiantelevision.com about the shows being re-launched at a later date by the end of March.

    Gabru producer Anand Tiwari said that Jeet has just started and the channel is monitoring its prime shows’ viewership. The show consists of 35 episodes and the season will be over inseven weeks. The network doesn’t want the show to start off with average ratings.

    He further added, “I’m happy with the decision that once the channel garners traction and all the eyeballs are at the screen during the prime time, the network will air our show.”

    The channel went live with much fanfare on 12 February and claimed record-breaking viewership in its first week. According to Chrome DM, day two of the channel going live saw OTS of 87.1 per cent across urban Hindi speaking markets, 20 percentage points higher than the launch week of Arnab Goswami’s Republic TV last year.

    Also Read:

    Discovery Jeet signs content deal with Netflix

    Discovery Jeet gets good spread at launch

  • Scary times for horror shows

    Scary times for horror shows

    MUMBAI: Ssshhhh…koi hai is today the trademark dialogue of any horror-related conversation, thanks to the namesake show some years ago. In the early years of television in India, when the genres were just adapting, horror was a popular resort for producers (even films). The horror escapades of the 1990s don’t have strong contenders today. But is it that the horror value is lower or have we just become smarter?

    For years, TV shows such as Zee horror show Aahat, Woh, Ssshhhh… Koi Hai, X Zone, Fear Files etc, worked their magic on audiences but lately people laugh them off as horror comedy. If we were to revisit earlier shows, we would probably even kid ourselves for being scared in the first place.

    The Zee Horror Show of the Ramsay Brothers and Aahat of Fireworks Productions gave goosebumps in the early 90s and, in late 90s, we sampled Woh, another horror TV series, on Zee TV.

    Zee TV predominantly relied on horror shows in the 90s with a string of series like Saturday Suspense and X Zone. The earliest success in the genre was Aahat, which first aired in 1995 on Sony Television. Star Plus began its horror journey in 1997 with the show called Kohra and hit the right notes with Ssshhhh… Koi Hai in 2001. The poor graphics, amateur sound effects and logic-defying sequences didn’t stop us from being scared while the shows reigned the ratings chart. In 2015, Bipasha Basu, an actress known for her horror film roles, anchored a show Darr Sabko Lagta Hai that only attempted to scare people.

    Bodhi Tree Multimedia is currently producing Fear Files season 3. The studio’s founder, Mautik Tolia, said that the horror genre is still alive and the show picked well with 2.3 and 2.5 [ratings] at the 10.30 pm time slot.

    However, horror content carries the baggage of restrictions. Tolia says, “The one major constraint with horror shows is that they have to be shown on the television after 10 pm as per the broadcasting guidelines. This also hampers repeat value during the day and so time slots are fewer.” Weekends were a popular time for this genre earlier but now with the advent of big budget shows, horror cannot sustain viewership.

    Regular shows today have some horror or supernatural elements interspersed. Daily soaps like Ek Deewana Tha, Brahmarakshas, Kavach, Kaal Bhairav Rahasya etc. and, in earlier days shows like Woh, Kya Hadsaa Kya Haqeeqat, have scored higher success than the proper episode format horror shows. Tolia adds that these shows are actually categorised as supernatural horror. He says that some shows have done phenomenally well like Naagin, Brahmarakshas, Kavach and more.

    The maker of Sony TV’s thriller romantic horror show Ek Deewana Tha Prateek Sharma, who is the founder of LSD films is now into the idea of romantic horror. “With Ek Deewana Tha, the idea was never to scare the viewers. Our intention was to give a thrill and supernatural drama but with the core family surrounding drama to make it more appealing.”

    Sharma says that the volume of horror shows has increased and this could be a reaction to the increased exposure to international content and all major Hollywood films and shows releasing in India. But he feels Indian content needs to evolve. Today we rely on special effects and graphics rather than scary faces.

    The disadvantage is from the advertising side since brands aren’t very friendly to these shows. “Traditionally horror content does have fewer buyers and also because of its late night viewing. People will not notice kids’ related brands advertising during these shows,” says Tolia. He adds that this problem is solved in shows where it is blended in the normal series. But he adds that if a horror show manages to really spook you and make you return, the advertisers will also come chasing.

    Though horror may have died down in popularity, the genre is still alive in regular shows where it is used for impact. This also allows shows to circumvent the limitations that a pure horror show has to endure.

    Also Read :

    Sony to launch Marathi GEC

    ‘Porus’ viewership soldiers on

    Regional OTT content more than just catch-up TV

  • Bollywood actress Minissha Lamba enters Tenali Rama as Vishkanya

    Bollywood actress Minissha Lamba enters Tenali Rama as Vishkanya

    MUMBAI: A new twist awaits the fans of Tenali Rama. An assassin is hired by the enemy kingdom of Vijayanagar to harm King Krishna Dev Raya.

    Beautiful Bollywood actress Minissha Lamba will play the character of the Assassin Chandrakala, a Vishkanya, who has poisonous blood. Chandrakala is a beautiful woman and can entice her enemy with her beauty. From a very young age, she has been raised on a carefully crafted diet of poison and antidote, and so has become immune to poison. Over the years, her body has become venomous.

    Chandrakala will be entering Vijaynagar and plot her way to get close to the King. She will be using Tathacharya (Pankaj Berry) as a gateway into the palace and slowly gain the trust and friendship of Queen Tirumalamba to murder The King! A master in disguise, Chandrakala will be seen in various different attires who is ready to go to any height to complete her mission.

    Will Chandrakala gets succeeded in her evil plans? Will Tenali come to know about her ulterior motive and save the king?

    Speaking on the track, actor Minissha Lamba playing Chandrakala said, “I have always been excited playing fun characters and taking up work. In Tenali Rama my character is sultry and mysterious. I am playing the role of antagonist Chandrakala which is very interesting to watch .”

  • Jeet storms the market with big debut week reach

    Jeet storms the market with big debut week reach

    MUMBAI: After entertaining the Indian audience for more than 20 years with world-class documentaries on food, science and survival, Discovery Communications India (DCIN) has entered the Hindi general entertainment category (GEC) with a bang thanks to Discovery Jeet. The channel, which launched on 12 February 2018, has backed up the rave reviews for its differentiated content with phenomenal reach.

    According to Chrome DM data on 13 February 2018, Jeet secured high launch numbers with a Day Two OTS of 87.1 per cent across urban Hindi-speaking markets. The channel’s OTS was around 20 percentage points higher than the recent debut of Arnab Goswami led-Republic, which stood at 66.9 per cent during its launch in Week 20 of 2017. Chrome Data analytics and media CEO and founder Pankaj Krishna said, “Discovery Jeet has made an unprecedented distribution debut in the history of Indian television. With the Naaptol tie-up and multiple landing pages, Jeet has had a phenomenal launch.”

    RANK

    LAUNCH WEEK

    CHANNELS

    HSM (%)

    1

    WK-06, 2018

    Discovery Jeet

    87.1*

    2

    Wk-20, 2017

    Republic TV

    66.9%

    3

    Wk-10,2015

    &TV  

    64.2%

    4

    Wk-26, 2014

    Zindagi

    59.1%

    Source Chrome Track 2.0, 9 am, 13-02.2018

    *Excluding Rural data; Rural data to be released once the weekly rural data is compiled

    The channel is also available in the base pack of all the direct-to-home (DTH) channels, which means that even if a consumer purchases a pack with the minimum number of GECs, Discovery Jeet will be a part of the pack. This only ensures that the channel reaches most households across India. The channel is available in standard as well as high-definition feed, reaching 120 million households during the launch.

    Moreover, DCIN, which launched the channel with distribution to more than 100 million households in the country, has signed on Netflix as the exclusive global OTT platform. With Jeet, DCIN is aiming to break the clutter in the Hindi GEC arena riding on purpose-driven entertainment content that is available in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. The network, however, does not intend to add more regional languages anytime soon. Jeet has launched with five hours of programming daily out of which three hours is bespoke, ground-up original programming built on the thesis of the underdog winning.

    Broadcasters have been actively using landing pages to garner trials and, thereby, viewership for years with the idea being that higher the accessibility, greater the chances that the channel would attract trials and, therefore, repeat viewing. 

    “We have tied up with home-shopping channel Naaptol, which is a popular landing page on most MSOs. Naaptol shows two hours of snippety Jeet content everyday between its own content,” said Discovery Networks Asia Pacific senior VP and head affiliate sales Vijay Rajput.

    Earlier this week, C&S Medianet announced that it had supported Dish TV India Ltd, Videocon D2H Ltd and Siti Cable Network Ltd and successfully brought to conclusion the interconnection agreement with DCIN. With the conclusion of the arrangement, Jeet has been prominently placed on all the three platforms. 

    On the comparison with Colors, Discovery Communications India senior VP and GM (South Asia) Karan Bajaj said that there were parallels to be drawn but the approaches were different. “While Colors was launched with a clear strategy to be number one in the space, Discovery Jeet made an entry into the market with a clear focus on the quality of the content. Our thesis has revolved around quality.” He added that were no concerns with how things turned out with Epic since the emphasis has been on content quality. Jeet’s shows follow the daily soap format so the focus is on engaging the viewer on a day-to-day basis.

    Also Read :

    Discovery Jeet gears up for Feb 12 launch

    Not relying on movies to garner Jeet’s viewership: Karan Bajaj

    Discovery launching Hindi GEC in Q4, re-brands ID as Discovery Jeet

  • FTA GECs bring in revenue despite low ad rates

    FTA GECs bring in revenue despite low ad rates

    MUMBAI: The formulation of the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) had one big advantage for channels. Regional reporting led to increased viewership for free-to-air (FTA) general entertainment channels (GEC) as well as higher advertiser interest. Star Bharat is the only FTA that has original content while others such as Zee Anmol, Rishtey, Sony Pala and Star Utsav show reruns of popular shows from their main channels. Though low on operational cost, are the channels making money?

    Dentsu Aegis Network chairman & CEO – South Asia Ashish Bhasin says that advertisers follow eyeballs, regardless of where it comes from. “Advertisers pay for total target audience. Unlike TAM [the earlier measuring system], rural market is measurable with BARC. It is a fact that many categories are seeing much more growth in rural than in urban since they have reached near saturation in urban markets but rural is untapped.”

    FTA channels are available without subscription but are digitally encoded and geographically restricted. According to SAB & MAX cluster senior EVP & business head Neeraj Vyas, “FTA is a zone which is growing and we are looking at a base between 25-30 million homes now. FreeDish is a very important platform to reach out to masses today. We reach out to those homes, which haven’t seen or sampled the kind of television viewed in the country. So, it is a critical platform to reach out to viewers and in turn, the viewers have also loved our content.”

    FMCG brands dominate ads on FTA channels. MediaCom national director-buying K Srinivas Rao attributes this to their deep penetration in tier II and III cities. He says that the channels get 75-80 per cent of contribution from FMCG while smartphones, telecom players and two-wheelers have scope too.

    For now, these channels don’t seem to be earning much but Vyas expects it to get better. “From an advertising standpoint, I think the bleeding levels will certainly get better. It is a matter of time and things are definitely on the right track. I think most of the channels in this space are making a reasonable amount of advertising money,” he says. Though ad rates are considerably lower, the operating costs are just one fourth of large GECs.

    According to industry sources, prime time ad rates of FTA channels are 30-40 per cent of paid TV ones.

    Rao believes that channels can make money because their only investment is staff cost even though ad rates are low for reruns. According to Bhasin, the ad rates can improve if these channels can increase viewership and sustain it over time.

    Wavemaker India’s managing partner Navin Khemka opines that the FTA channels are high in demand and they are catering to a segmented audience. He added, “The operations costs will only increase as they invest in original content. This trend is on the rise with Star Bharat investing in content. And the results are showing.” He believes that the success of FTA channels is due to DD’s direct feed and penetration in small towns and rural India. He also stated that FMCG players are playing a key role in the patronage of these channels. However, newer categories like two wheelers and telecom are also emerging in rural regions.

    Sony Pal is currently broadcasting Yam hai Hum, Baalveer, Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah, Kuch Rang Pyaar Ke Aise Bhi, Badi Dooooor Se Aaye Hai, Y.A.R.O Ka Tashan, Sankatmochan Mahabali Hanuman and CID. Sony Pal’s advertiser bouquet consists of Hindustan Unilever, Dabur, Colgate, Patanjali, Telcos brands, handsets brands etc.

    Rishtey’s shows Na Aana Is Des Laado, Belan Wali Bahu, Tere Sang Yaara, Chakravartin Ashoka Samrat, Veer Shivaji and Radhaa Ki Betiyaan Kuch Kar Dikhayeng. Zee Anmol shows Kumkum Bhagya, Ek Mutthi Aasmaan, Laddoo, Santoshi Maa, Jamai Raja, Qubool Hai, Gangaa, Kaala Teeka and more.

    Star Utsav is currently showing some epic shows of Star Plus and Channel V like Bhakton Ki Bhakti Mein Shakti, Ek Hasina Thi, Ishqbaaaz, Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon?…Ek Baar Phir, Sadda Haq – My Life, My Choice, Suhani Si Ek Ladki, Saath Nibhaana Saathiya, Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai and more.

    Star Bharat has a big bouquet of original shows which include Kya Haal Mr. Paanchal, Jai Kanhaiya Lal Ki, Jiji Maa, Kaal Bhairav Rahasya, Nimki Mukhiya, Saam Daam Dand Bhed and more.

    There are few regional FTA GECs but they will mushroom over time as soon as regional advertisers see the merit in them. Advertisers are keen on tapping rural India and with growing viewership, these channels are likely to form an important part of their budgeting portfolio.

    Also Read :

    Sony to launch Marathi GEC

    ‘Porus’ viewership soldiers on

    ‘Prithvi Vallabh’ is 20% history, 80% mystery: Anirudh Pathak

  • Higher taxes fail to dampen demand for Indian soaps in Sri Lanka

    Higher taxes fail to dampen demand for Indian soaps in Sri Lanka

    MUMBAI: In spite of stringent levies on imported content, the popularity of Indian shows is seeing an upward trend in the Sri Lankan market. Indian soaps have resonated well with audiences in the island nation, courtesy the flashier nature of the content in contrast to the rural and simple lifestyle-based Sri Lankan shows.

    Knowing the threat from Indian shores, the country’s creative community–film and TV producers and actors–have for long been lobbying with the government to levy a higher import tax on content. An industry expert talking to Indiantelevision.com said that it is not economically viable to import Indian shows for the Sri Lanka market. “There will be only blockbuster shows short-listed along with the reduction in the content. For example, earlier there were two or three dramas in the prime time, now there will be one drama and one blockbuster, as many of the dramas are becoming non-profitable because of the increase in levy.”

    Earlier in November, Sri Lanka’s Finance and Mass Media minister, Mangala Samaraweera, issued a set of regulations which increases the levy that the government will be imposing on imported dubbed teledramas, films and commercial programmes to SL Rs 150,000 from SL Rs 90,000 earlier.

    The expert revealed that Star Plus’ Yeh Hain Mohabbatein and Diya aur Baati Hum were among the most popular shows on one of the Sri Lankan channels. “Sinhalese culture is very close to north Indian culture,” he added. SL audiences have followed Bollywood and Hindi drama and Shanti was the first Sinhalese-dubbed content on one of the channels in Sri Lanka that garnered great traction from the viewers. Since then, there has been no turning back. Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi was also telecast and the trend continued later on.   

    Shows such as Meri Aashiqui Tumse Hi (Sadahatama Oba Mage) garnered traction when it started off on Derana TV. Other Indian shows like Bandhan (Ali Maliy Mamai) and Meri Durga (Duwana Lamaya) and among others on Derana TV were some of the Indian shows dubbed in Sinhalese.

    Naagin (Prema Dadayama) on Sirasa TV also bagged good viewership from all age groups but the second season was a dud. Likewise, Kumkum Bhagya (Adarei Man Adarei) did well when it started but later the viewership dwindled. The expert revealed that the makers of Kumkum Bhagya first had negotiations with Sirasa TV but the show eventually went to Hiru TV.

    The decision to syndicate a particular show is always a 50-50 proposition because viewers’ tastes are fickle and change from time to time. Shows are picked on gut feelings that a particular kind of content would work. Over time, its acceptance is likely to see a more scientific approach.

  • ‘Porus’ viewership soldiers on

    ‘Porus’ viewership soldiers on

    MUMBAI: Sony’s magnum opus Porus has been the talk of the town–first for being the first show wherein the IP is with the creator and later for its not-so-spectacular viewership. In fact, rumour mills were abuzz that the show would struggle to shrug off its sluggish start and build on its viewership. Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) data for the show, however, paints a different picture.

    According to the data, the ratings (U+R) of the show are significantly higher than the ratings of the channel’s prime time daily soap Rishta Likhenge Hum Naya (Rishta Likhenge) and another prime-time show Vighnaharta Ganesh. While Porus is aired at 8.30 pm, Vighnaharta Ganesh precedes it at 8 pm, whereas Rishta Likhenge is shown at 9 pm on weekdays.

    Porus’ launch week bagged it 3.6 million impressions in week 48 of 2017’s BARC data. The second week saw a drop of 0.6 million impressions. After 10 weeks of being on air, the latest ratings of week 5 for 2018 show Porus at a consistent 3.3 million impressions.

    On the flip side, the week 48 of Vighnaharta Ganesh garnered 3.4 million impressions and Rishta Likhenge got 1.9 million impressions. There was no impact of Porus on Vighnaharta Ganesh’s ratings that was apparent in week 49, whereas Rishta lost 0.1 million impressions from week 48.

    Swastik Productions founder Siddharth Kumar Tewary says, “Porus has been consistent in its ratings since its launch and this was our plan to be consistent in the beginning and then grow slowly. We held on to our ratings from the beginning to now. The first episode was a one-hour content and now we are showing 22 minutes content.” He says that comparing the current 3.3 million figure with the initial 3.6 million one shows that the show has actually grown. “We have made Porus with a huge amount of conviction. People have really appreciated us for keeping the promise of giving them differentiated concept and the way of storytelling,” he adds.

    “Porus is a premium product. We have been happy with the viewership we have got and we are expecting it to grow up by 20 percent from February onwards,” said Sony Entertainment Television EVP and business head Danish Khan. During the ten weeks, the highest impressions that Vighnaharta Ganesh holds is 3.8 million impressions, Porus has 3.6 million impressions, and Rishta has 2.1 million impressions.

    SonyLiv EVP & digital business head Uday Sodhi says, “Porus is very popular and among the best performing shows like Taarak Mehta, Yeh Un Dinon Ki Baat Hai and Super Dancer on SonyLiv. The scale and impact of the show is amazing. It is perfect for digital audiences and it is able to capture the scale & the size fruitfully. We are seeing significant consumption of the show on SonyLiv. There is a huge jump in the month of January over December. The viewership of Porus has grown 30 per cent in January as compared to December.” 

    Porus has successfully travelled to Sri Lanka with a new name Digvijaya. The buyer for the 260-episode series is Maharaja Television (MTV) and the show will be dubbed in Sinhala. Earlier, Porus was acquired by Workpoint Entertainment of Thailand for exclusive TV and non-exclusive digital rights.

     

    Weeks

    VIGHNAHARTA GANESH

    PORUS

    RISHTA LIKHENGE HUM NAYA

    Week 48

    3.4 million Impressions

    3.6 million Impressions

    1.9 million Impressions

    Week 49

    3.4 million Impressions

    3.0 million Impressions

    1.8 million Impressions

    Week 50

    3.6 million Impressions

    3.3 million Impressions

    1.9 million Impressions

    Week 51

    3.3 million Impressions

    2.8 million Impressions

    1.7 million Impressions

    Week 52

    3.8 million Impressions

    3.1 million Impressions

    1.7 million Impressions

    Week 1

    3.3 million Impressions

    3.1 million Impressions

    1.7 million Impressions

    Week 2

    3.8  million Impressions

    3.4 million Impressions

    2.1  million Impressions

    Week 3

    3.8 million Impressions

    3.2 million Impressions

    1.8 million Impressions

    Week 4

    3.3 million Impressions

    3.0 million Impressions

    1.7 million Impressions

    Week 5

    3.4 million Impressions

    3.3 million Impressions

    1.8 million Impressions

     

    Also Read :

    ‘Porus’ launched as ‘Digvijaya’ in Sri Lanka

    Thai broadcaster Workpoint acquires TV rights for Porus

    ‘Porus’ will alter the economics of the ecosystem, says SET’s Danish Khan 

  • Discovery JEET rewrites history with a reach of 140 million plus on the launch day

    Discovery JEET rewrites history with a reach of 140 million plus on the launch day

    MUMBAI: Discovery JEET, the new entertainment channel from Discovery India, with meaningful content spanning biopics, historicals, crime and comedy was launched on February 12 with a reach of 140 million across India. Discovery Communication India has tied-up with leading MSOs and DTH players to ensure that Discovery JEET is available in base pack with a top 10 EPG position.

    Speaking on the occasion, Vijay Rajput, SVP & Head – Affiliate Sales, Discovery Communications India, said, “We are delighted with the overwhelming support that we have received from the cable fraternity. We thank all the affiliate partners in helping us rewrite history. It is a matter of pride that Discovery JEET has launched with a reach of 140 million plus – a feat never achieved before in the annals of TV history in India.”

  • Star TV extends deal with OSN for MENA

    Star TV extends deal with OSN for MENA

    MUMBAI: Star TV has expanded its carriage deal with pay-TV platform OSN (Orbit Showtime Network) in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).

    OSN Pehla subscribers will be able to watch the South Asian fare both live and on demand on OSN Play.

    OSN chief content officer Emad Morcos said, “The extension of OSN’s long-term partnership with Star reinforces our commitment to continue to deliver leading content from the subcontinent for South Asian expatriates in MENA on OSN Pehla. Additionally, the introduction of the new movie channel, as part of this renewed agreement, adds increased value for customers.”

    Star TV MENA and APAC business head Sudhir Nagpal said, “The renewal of Star’s long-standing association with OSN is a testament to Star’s commitment towards delivering world-class entertainment to South Asian audiences in the region. Star, with its multilingual portfolio, will continue to drive local relevance and be the one-stop solution for South Asian entertainment”.

    OSN remains the regional platform for Star Plus, Star Gold, Star Bharat, Star Jalsha, Star Pravah, Star Vijay, ABP News, Asianet News and Asianet Middle East, while the expanded carriage deal also sees these channels joined by Malayalam film channel Asianet Movies.

    Also Read:

    IPL 2018 gets a makeover with Star India

    Star ushers in IPL’s new era with a bang

    Star to air IPL on 10 channels, in 6 languages; live on Hotstar

  • Discovery Jeet gets good spread at launch

    Discovery Jeet gets good spread at launch

    MUMBAI: Discovery Jeet, the latest entrant from Discovery Communications India, makes its debut in the Hindi GEC genre with a Chrome OTS of 66.6% translating to 54.5 million households across a universe of 81.9 million households in Urban India. Within the Hindi speaking markets, this translates to an OTS of 78.1% equivalent to 45.4 million households across an HSM universe of 58.2 million households. Within the 6 metros, this translates to an OTS of 72.6% equivalent to 22.4 million households – As per the Chrome DM data at 1pm, 12-02.2018. (While the channel has got its distribution in rural households, the data is not represented in this current study. The number would be much higher if one were to take the figure for both Urban+ Rural ).

    For a perspective, a comparative analysis on the availability of Discovery Jeetvis-à-visStar Plus and Star Bharathasbeen done,the following are its numbers:

    public://chrome.jpg

    OTS is the actual census based, percentage connectivity of a channel covering 168 million homes, reported by Chrome Data Analytics and Media, spread across Analog cable, Digital Cable and DTH. The same is updated and reported to 400+ channels on a daily basis in Chrome Track 2.0.