ITV

Category: GECs

  • How ‘Bigg Boss’, ‘Chhoti Sardarni’ are driving Colors to the top

    How ‘Bigg Boss’, ‘Chhoti Sardarni’ are driving Colors to the top

    MUMBAI: Reality TV shows have practically dominated television in recent years, but do channels really benefit by airing cost-intensive, star-studded, high-impact shows?

    Colors Hindi – the GEC from the Viacom18 stable – seems to know the answer. And the answer is Bigg Boss.

    In its thirteenth season, the Salman Khan-hosted show has once again helped the channel reclaim the top position in BARC India week 45 ratings in HSM urban prime time slot, with decent help from Chhoti Sardarni, which that completed 100 episodes earlier this month.

    Launched on 29 September, Bigg Boss opened with a viewership of 6.9 million, making it the second-best launch in the category (year to date FY20 – YTD FY20). However, as the show progressed and viewers got familiar with the new contestants in its latest edition, its viewership saw a positive rally. Within six weeks of its launch, Biggg Boss has already reached 139 million viewers across India, according to data provided by the channel team.

    In the latest two weeks – BARC week 44 and week 45 (26 October to 8 November) – data for which is available, Bigg Boss has emerged as  the number 1 non-fiction show on weekends and the undisputed slot leader on weekdays with 27 per cent market share in HSM Urban 2+ and 29 per cent market share in AB 15+ category.

    Bigg Boss is not only leading its slot  (weekdays 2230 to 2330; weekends 2100 to 2200) but its huge-viewership during the last two weeks has also helped Colors regain the much-coveted number 1 spot in the crowded Hindi GEC market, according to channel data. 

    On the weekends, however, as seen in the picture above, Bigg Boss is facing stiff competition from Sony’s Indian Idol and The Kapil Sharma Show.

    Speaking on the success of Bigg Boss Season 13, Viacom18 chief content officer Hindi mass entertainment Manisha Sharma says: “Bigg Boss is doing very well – its popularity has only increased with the years. It opened with a viewership of 6.9 million on HSM Urban and has already reached over 140 million Indians, which is a very big number. On digital as well, the show is getting amazing numbers.  It’s the second-best launch this year in non-fiction shows.”

    Notably, Bigg Boss has also helped Viacom18 in getting more eye-balls on Voot. “Voot had nearly 60 million monthly users. But since the launch of Bigg Boss, that number has shot to 80 million. Bigg Boss Kannada is also getting a lot of traction on Voot,” reveals Sharma.

    She is also upbeat about reality shows despite the high-input capital required in their production.

    “Reality shows are high-impact properties and almost every network in the world is investing in them. They generate a lot of impact and grab eyeballs, which attract big sponsors. Colors is doing very well with its impact properties. There is Bigg Boss, Fear Factor – Khatron ke Khiladi, Rising Star, and Dance Deewane. All these shows are doing very well.”

    Colors ratings, however, have also been helped by a decent performance by Chhoti Sardarni. Based in a small village, Choti Sardaarni narrates the story of Meher, who is fighting for the rights and safety of her child. It has emerged as the number 1 show on Colors and is also a slot leader (weekdays 1930-2000), cornering a whopping 40 per cent market share in HSM Urban during BARC India week 42 – week 45. The show consistently features in the top five  fiction shows and became the number 1 fiction show in BARC India week 43 (17 October to 25 October).

    “Chhoti Sardarni has become the slot leader in its category within a short span of four months. It has finished 100 episodes but it feels like we have just started. The lead character, Meher already features in Ormax’s Top five loved characters and it happens to be the fastest character to enter the top 10 most loved characters across India on the Ormax characters India loves study. This is a testament to how much its characters are being loved by the viewers,” Sharma adds.

    Together, these two shows have helped Colors reclaim the top spot in Hindi GEC in week 45. Overall, from week 38 to week 45, Colors was the number two channel in Hindi GEC Urban category. 


     
    The Hindi GEC is a crowded space with the likes of Sony Entertainment, Sony SAB, Zee, Star Plus and Colors slugging it out for the top spot. While Colors was at the top spot in week 45, Sony and Star Plus aren’t much behind. In fact, all three channels (Sony, Star and Colors) have been at the top in Hindi GEC during the last two weeks, a testament to the tough competition in this category.

    Sharma has no qualms in acknowledging the tough competition in the Hindi GEC category.

    “Competition is tough in Hindi GEC but the stakes are even higher because of the size of the market. In a category like infotainment, the competition might be less, but then, revenue generation is also limited. On the contrary, Hindi GEC, despite being a highly-competitive and sometimes scary space, is a fun place to work as the size of the market is such that just the success of two to three  shows can guarantee you RoI,” she adds.

    For now, Bigg Boss and Chhoti Sardarni, are proving to be just that. And while Bigg Boss can only run for a limited time, Sharma is clear that Chhoti Sardarni has a long way to go.

    “Good shows like Kumkum and Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai have run over 1000 episodes. We have similar plans for Chhoti Sardarni,” she adds. “The Hindi speaking market is very aspirational and I think our shows will be able to capture that sentiment.”

    Her tack seems to be working so far. And it can only mean a more colourful time for Colors in the days ahead. 
     

  • The secret sauce behind long-running Hindi GEC shows

    The secret sauce behind long-running Hindi GEC shows

    MUMBAI: India has a history of long-running soap operas right from Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi to latest ones like Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai and Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashma. In the urban market, both the shows continue to remain in the top five programming list of BARC India in primetime slots.

    How is it that these shows are continuing to thrive in the era of seasonal content and high impact limited episode show on OTT platforms?

    The prime reason for their high attraction is the ability to reinvent and stay relevant. A decade ago, when these shows launched, there were no signs of OTT platforms. As the shows progressed, the creators kept changing the plotlines to suit the evolving tastes of the audiences.

    One key reinvention strategy that has kept Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai on top of the ratings charts is its youth appeal. 
    “We wanted to show Kartik and Niara as real couples and be connected to the reality of life. This was the most calculated risk that I took as a maker. We did not want to sugarcoat reality and keep them perfect. They make mistakes and learn from them and that’s what the audiences like. Imperfection is the new mantra that resonates well with them,” explains Director's Kut Production founder Rajan Shahi.

    Zee TV business head Aparna Bhosle explains that long-running shows are the hallmark of a creative team that truly understands their channel’s audience and tells them stories that hold their attention over a sustained period of time. 

    “Having properties on air that people want to keep coming back to is crucial to any broadcaster as it is this viewer behaviour that defines brand loyalty," she says.

    Sony SAB business head Neeraj Vyas points out that character affinity is one of the key reasons for the popularity of Taarak Mehta. "People watch television not because of the shows, but because of the characters. The characters’ action, relatability and empathy are what drive viewership.”

    Long-running shows also increase the  confidence of advertisers in the show. "Advertisers are interested in reaching out to the largest demographics through our platforms and long-running shows with a dedicated viewership serve this purpose most effectively and hence command a premium," says Bhosle.

    Apart from Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai and Taarak Mehta Kaa Ooltah Chashma, Zee TV's longest-running show Kumkum Bhagya has crossed 1500 episodes. "Kumkum Bhagya is one of our longest-running shows in the current context. Ever since the show launched in 2014, it has consistently found its place amongst the top five fiction shows across GECs week-on-week," says Bhosle.

    Vyas adds that the new TV channel pricing regime on account of the New Tariff Order (NTO)  has made it essential for channels to have marquee shows with a loyal audience base. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to do that today. The earlier shows are still surviving because they were launched when appointment viewing was the norm and OTT did not exist.

    Shahi concurs  with Vyas on OTT posing challenges. But Star India’s OTT platform Hotstar is aiding the growth of Yeh Rishta. “On Hotstar as well as TV, the show is highly rated. Keen audiences can watch the show early in the morning at 7 am on Hotstar while primetime viewers catch up at night with the family on TV,” he explains.

    Another key aspect has been to keep the production team consistent. Shahi says, "Yeh RishtaKya Kehlata Hai is a success for the entire television industry. In this chaotic and unstable market, keeping the team together and getting the show to stay on course for years is an achievement. Our teamhas 90 per cent of the same unit today since the show was launched. My biggest achievement is to have people who would team up for such a long-running show. Over the 11 years, they have been through phases of setbacks and achievements so to keep up the spirit and morale of the team is a challenge."

    With multiple choices available, producers have a hard task to keep shows running. To compete with shows on OTT, TV shows need to understand changing trends and adapt quickly.
    About the future, Bhosle says it’s not about a show being finite or infinite shows that will determine success. “It is a story that touches a chord, a character that grows on you or that palpable chemistry between two endearing characters that make people return to watch more,” she says.
     

  • Zeel promoter stake sale gets confidence vote from SBICap and Edelweiss

    Zeel promoter stake sale gets confidence vote from SBICap and Edelweiss

    MUMBAI: There’s a sense of relief at Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (Zeel). Chairman Subhash Chandra, and managing director & CEO Punit Goenka said they would go the whole hog to repay their obligations. Even if it meant dropping the promoter holding in the group to never-before-imagined levels. On the morning of 20 November, Chandra, Goenka and their team of hardworking financial men and number crunchers did exactly that. Their offer putting on sale 16.5 per cent of the Essel group’s pledged holding in Zeel, was quickly mopped up by existing and long term investors in Zeel at a price of Rs 304 per share.

    While news items pegged  the the sale proceeds Rs 4,343.18 crore, those in the know believe the figure is higher at Rs 4,560 crore. The money raised would help the Essel group pay back a majority of its debt. Following this, the promoter group still owes Rs 2,400 crore to its debtors.

    Two brokerage and investment advisory firms –  SBI Cap Securities and Edelweiss – expressed their confidence and continue to be bullish on the Zeel stock, in research reports sent out to investor clients. They have revised their target price estimate to Rs 400 and Rs 443 respectively. The Zeel share was trading at around Rs 340-350 level at the last closing.

    The SBI Cap Securities report says:  “We believe Zee remains well poised to continue with its market share gains. We expect the ad revenue growth to remain tepid in FY20 estimate, but pick up in FY21 estimate  (+13  per cent YoY), and subscription revenues to maintain their strong growth trajectory in FY20e (+27 per cent  YoY) and FY21e (+14 per cent YoY). We raise our (discounted cash flow) DCF based TP (target price)  to Rs 400 (from Rs 333 as we roll forward to FY21 estimates  and build for marginal improvement in working capital with better focus and execution.”

    “While FY20 suffered a slump in advertising, FY21 is likely to be better owing to the anticipated GDP revival and benefits from corporate tax cut. Given that a significant portion of the pledging has been now resolved, we are raising the target price earning multiple to 20x (from 18x), which yields a revised target price of Rs 443 (INR399 earlier). The stock is trading at 15x/13.5x on FY20/21E earning per share,” the Edelweiss report expounded.  

    Both did not give much weightage to the concerns around the promoter’s holding in ZEEL due to the sharp fall in shareholding. After this deal, the Essel group promoters will hold just 5 per cent stake in the company as against 42 per cent in December 2018 with Punit Goenka continuing to act in his current role as MD and CEO at ZEEL.

    Earlier, 96 per cent of the promoters’ stake was pledged in Zeel and the group had Rs 7000 crore worth of shares pledged. The brokerage firm Edelwieiss said the stake sale would remove the overhang related to promoter pledge—down from 96 per cent to 20 per cent (1.1 per cent of company stake).

    Analysts at Edelweiss further added:  “Despite multiple setbacks over the last 12 months such as group-level issues, new regulatory framework (NTO), liquidity crunch, and ad slowdown, ZEE sustained a strong business performance. In face of a sluggish advertising environment, the business managed to deliver better advertising growth than peers such as SunTV Network. We expect the advertising revenue growth to pick up in FY21 on the back of the anticipated GDP revival, increased product launches and strong market share position attained by ZEE’s channels portfolio.”

    SBI CAP Securities’ report says:  “We acknowledge that the existing promoter group has established a robust template of profitability and market share gains by establishing Zee as one of the most valuable franchises in the Indian media market. The management’s focus is expected to get clearer from hereon and reflect in better on the ground execution, in our view.”

    According to SBICAP Securities, divestments in other media or infra assets would gain more importance now in resolving promoters’ remaining debt issues. It has a deadline of April 2020 by which it has to clear its reaminder Rs 2,400 crore in debt.

    In November last year, Zeel had revealed the decision of its promoters to sell up to 50 per cent of their equity in the company to a strategic partner.

    Earlier in August, ZEEL reached an agreement with US-based Invesco-Oppenheimer Developing Markets Fund for 11 per cent (around Rs 400 per share) of the promoter stake for Rs 4,224 crore. At that time, ZEEL MD and CEO Punit Goenka did not rule out selling more stake in the company.

  • Essel Group to sell 16.5% stake in ZEEL to repay loan obligations

    Essel Group to sell 16.5% stake in ZEEL to repay loan obligations

    MUMBAI: Debt-ridden Essel Group  is planning to sell a 16.5 per cent stake in its flagship property  Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL) to financial investors to clear off its massive debt. After this transaction, Essel Group’s overall holdings in ZEEL will be five per cent, as mentioned in a statement to the Bombay Stock Exchange.

    “The group seeks to sell up to 16.5 per cent stake in ZEEL to financial investors, in order to repay loan obligations to certain lenders of the group for whose benefit such shares are currently encumbered (and who have consented to such share sale by the Group). Out of the aforesaid the group seeks to sell 2.3 per cent stake in ZEEL to OFI Global China Fund, LLC and or its affiliates,” the company stated in a statement.

    “This development reaffirms the group's positive progress on its overall asset divestment approach, undertaken to generate adequate liquidity for the repayment process. The group is alsoworking actively on further divestments including its medial non-media assets and remains confident to complete the same,” it added.

    Earlier in August, ZEEL reached an agreement with US-based Invesco-Oppenheimer Developing Markets Fund for 11 per cent (around Rs 400 per share) of the promoter stake for Rs 4,224 crore. At that time, ZEEL MD and CEO Punit Goenka did not rule out selling more stake in the company.

    In November last year, Subhas Chandra-led Zeel had revealed the decision of its promoters to sell up to 50 per cent of their equity in the company to a strategic partner. 

  • OFI Global China Fund to buy further 2.3 per cent stake in ZEEL

    OFI Global China Fund to buy further 2.3 per cent stake in ZEEL

    MUMBAI: Essel group is planning to sell 16.5 per cent stake in its flagship property Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) to financial investors, of which 2.3 per cent will be sold to OFI Global China Fund — which already holds 8.7 per cent stake in the media company.

     “The Group seeks to sell up to -16.5 per cent stake in ZEEL to financial investors, in order to repay loan obligations to certain lenders of the group for whose benefit such shares are currently encumbered (and who have consented to such share sale by the Group). Out of the aforesaid the Group seeks to sell-2.3 per cent stake in ZEEL to OFI Global China Fund, LLC and or its affiliates,” the company stated in a statement. OFI Global China Fund is a subsidiary of Invesco Oppenheimer Developing Markets Fund.

    “This development reaffirms the Group's positive progress on its overall asset divestment approach, undertaken to generate adequate liquidity for the repayment process. The Group is also working actively on further divestments including its medial non-media assets and remains confident to complete the same,” it added.

    Earlier in August, ZEEL reached an agreement with US-based Invesco-Oppenheimer Developing Markets Fund for 11 per cent (around Rs 400 per share) of the promoter stake for Rs 4,224 crore. At that time, ZEEL MD and CEO Punit Goenka did not rule out selling more stake in the company.

    In November last year, Subhas Chandra-led Zeel had revealed the decision of its promoters to sell up to 50 per cent of their equity in the company to a strategic partner.

  • ZEE and Helo App crafts in partnership

    ZEE and Helo App crafts in partnership

    MUMBAI: Delivering on its promise of meeting brand objectives by  providing solutions with exceptional incremental value to its clients through a platform agnostic approach, the Content & Partnerships vertical of Zee Entertainment Enterprises  Ltd (ZEEL) has taken brand solutions to newer avenues. By keeping the platform with the single largest reach – Television at the core along with other mediums to further amplify  the message, an integrated campaign was curated with the social media app Helo on Zee TV’s dance reality show- Dance India Dance Season 7 that secured an exceptional reach of 35 M+.

    Keeping the key purpose of providing innovative brand solutions on Television at its core, this pioneering initiative aims to offer exclusive multi-platform content programming running parallel to on-air content. The initiative will thereby enable its viewers to have an  immersive experience and generate personalized content.

    A 360-degree promotional strategy was formulated by bringing exclusive and engaging  content from Dance India Dance’s latest season to Helo’s 50 M monthly active users. The campaign secured a cumulative reach of 35 M+ for its content from Dance India Dance. The show’s social media engagement increased to 725 M+ views, increasing the follower base  by 1.3 M+ followers. 

    With 9.2 M+ interactions, Helo provided a platform for exclusive Dance India Dance  content to drive social native content and build better brand connect through 925M+ Hashtag views, 96M+ Video views, 9.2M+ interactions & 723K+ likes.

     Advertisement Revenue, ZEEL, Chief Growth Officer, Ashish Sehgal, commented “While Television remains a strong platform to  deliver value to our clients, ZEE aims to build an ecosystem wherein brands leverage multiple mediums to create content with us for audiences across platforms. Through this  partnership, we are highlighting our expertise of helping brands achieve an incremental reach with social-first native content, using our mediums for content marketing to amplify  their presence across platforms. We will continue to innovate and develop customized  platform-agnostic solutions for brands, which will achieve specific campaign objectives  focusing on organic engagement and delivering maximum reach, amplification and  community impact.”

  • Viacom tops earning estimates in Q4; reports revenues of $3.43 billion

    Viacom tops earning estimates in Q4; reports revenues of $3.43 billion

    MUMBAI: Viacom Inc topped earnings estimates in its fourth quarter earnings reporting revenues of $3.43 billion. The company adjusted earnings of 79 cents per share in the quarter.

    Revenues of the company surpassed Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.4 per cent and earnings per share beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 3.9 per cent. The company’s domestic advertising revenue rose 6 per cent for the quarter and 1 per cent for the full year.

    “Our strong performance in the fourth quarter capped off a pivotal year for Viacom and reflects the successful execution of our strategic priorities to evolve the company for the future. We achieved several important milestones. First, we grew domestic ad sales for the full year, driven by the continued acceleration of Advanced Marketing Solutions,” Viacom president and CEO Bob Bakish said.

    “We also grew full year domestic affiliate revenue, driven by the extended reach of Viacom's distribution across more viewing platforms. And, for the first time in four years, we returned Paramount to full year profitability – a testament to the strength of our strategy and content slate. As we look to the future of a combined ViacomCBS, we’re thrilled with the momentum we have to create one of the world’s preeminent content companies,” he added.

    Viacom Media Networks achieved full year growth in domestic advertising and affiliate revenue, driven by continued acceleration in Advanced Marketing Solutions and advancement in Viacom’s distribution strategy.

    At 30 September , Viacom’s gross debt outstanding was $8.74 billion, a 13 per cent reduction from 30 September, 2018 and adjusted gross debt was $8.09 billion.

  • Over-regulation can hurt M&E industry: Viacom18 CEO Sudhanshu Vats

    Over-regulation can hurt M&E industry: Viacom18 CEO Sudhanshu Vats

    MUMBAI: Indian M&E industry is on the cusp of a “transformational growth” trajectory and can be a huge driver for PM Narendera Modi’ dream of USD 5 Trillion Indian economy, provided the sector is not over-regulated, Viacom18 group CEO and MD Sudhanshu Vats said today, in his address to CII Big Picture 2019.

    Speaking on the topic ‘Create, Connect & Converge for Transformational Growth’ at the 8th edition of the CII Big Picture Summit in New Delhi, Vats warned against the dangers of over regulating a creative sector like M&E industry.

    Drawing an analogy between overprotective parents and over-regulative governments, Vats said that regulators and policy makers today might be making the same mistake as was made by parents in 1990’s when ‘helicopter parenting’ was popular.

    “It meant hovering around your children to ‘swoop’ in and help them in case they needed support. Over time, this led to over protective parents who actually stunted the ability of their children to transition into independent adulthood.”

     Addressing the policy makers, Vats added: “No one is doubting your intention, but the outcome could be different. This might be disastrous if you recall the…potential for transformational growth. ‘Over parenting’, like over regulating makes it impossible to ‘cut the (umbilical) cord.’ And there’s no way we can compete globally if we don’t cut the cord!”

    Suggesting, instead, a ‘free range’ parenting model, Vats said, “The methodology behind this parenting style is to avoid hovering like a ‘helicopter parent’ by letting children experience life as it happens. We need our policy makers to replicate a similar philosophy of regulation for us. Let us be. Let the dust settle. Yes, we will make mistakes. Yes, we will be naughty at times. But we will learn. And that will make us globally competitive.”

    Vats lauded the TRAI NTO, issued in February this year, but at the same time underlined the dangers of tweaking it frequently every now and then.

    “We’ve just witnessed the most landmark reform in the world of Indian Pay TV broadcasting, ever. Of course, it’s not perfect – but tweaking it every month and quarter will have disastrous consequences. Maybe, in ‘free-range’ style, taking a break for say 2 years – and watching us closely – will be more beneficial for us in the long run,” he added.

    Underlining the huge potential for growth in Indian M&E industry, Vats said that the sector, which currently provides employment to 5 million Indians, can employ more than 10 million people in next 3-4 years.

    “Our export potential is USD 10 billion – more than 10x of what it is today – and we don’t need exhaustive, difficult to negotiate multilateral agreements to get there. We just need the freedom to create, connect and converge,” he said, adding “this is totally in sync with PM Modi’s vision of maximum governance and minimum government.”

    Vats also commended the recent success of Andhadhun and Sacred Games in global markets and said that the Indian content has the potential to make ‘global dent’.

    “We are more or less diaspora focused, and our addressable market comprises (mainly) South Asian diaspora, but recent successes of India digital originals Sacred Games and Andhadhun in China demonstrate that we have the potential to make a global dent,” Vats said.

    CII Big Picture Summit is an annual gathering aimed at discussing, deliberating and decoding policy options to unlock the potential of our M&E sector.

    The summit will be held on 14 and 15 November in Le Meridian, Windsor Place, New Delhi.

  • COLORS’ to air Children’s Day Special show on Nov 16

    COLORS’ to air Children’s Day Special show on Nov 16

    MUMBAI: Children Day is one special day wherein even grown-ups let their guard down and have fun like kids again. Making this day even more special for everyone will be COLORS’ Children’s Day Special event which will be packed with lots of fun, games and unlimited entertainment. Celebrations will galore as the television’s comedian couple  Bharti Singh and Haarsh Limbachayaa along with celebrity kids Garvit Parekh and Kavya Ramani host a party and have Salman Khan and many other celebrities in presence.

    Kickstarting the event on a funny note, Garvit and Kavya decide to teach their on-screen parents Harsh and Bharti a lesson for not pampering them on Children’s Day and take up the responsibility to organize a party for all their friends.  The party will have popular television faces attending it including Rubina Dilaik, Arjun Bijlani, Surbhi Chandana, Jasmine Bhasin, and Tejaswini Prakash. The celebrities will not only grace the evening but will also add their glamour with special performances along with the kids. 

    Arjun Bijlani and Dance Deewane’s talented contestants will groove to ‘First Class’ and ‘Dhating Naach’. Dancing to ‘Ghungroo Tut Gaye, Surbhi Chandana will pump up the atmosphere while Rubina Dilaik will give a special performance giving out a message about deforestation.Jasmine Bhasin and Tejaswini Prakash will take you down the memory lane with their quiddler act to ‘Ladki Pagal Hai’. To add to the fun,  Sanaya Irani and Gurmeet Chaudhry will give a glimpse of their new song ‘Intezaaar’ along with being a part of some fun tasks.  A major surprise will be in store for everyone’s favorite Salman Khan as Chulbul Pandey will take over the stage and join the bacha party to further the celebrations. With this and much more, the evening will be filled with many more entertaining gags and funny games that will be both fun and educative. 

  • Sun TV reports flat PAT on 7% increase in revenue

    Sun TV reports flat PAT on 7% increase in revenue

    BENGALURU: The Kalanithi Maran-headed Sun TV Network Ltd (Sun TV) reported 5.9 percent y-o-y increase in consolidated operating revenue for the quarter ended 30 September 2019 (Q2 2020, quarter or period under review) as compared to the corresponding year ago quarter Q2 2019. Sun TV reported consolidated operating revenue of Rs 852.52 crore for Q2 2019 as compared to Rs 779.65 crore for Q2 2019. Total Income (revenue) for Q2 2020 increased 6.8 percent y-o-y to Rs 900.74 crore as compared to Rs 843.44 crore in Q2 2019.

    Consolidated profit after tax (PAT) for Q2 2020 was almost flat (up 1 percent) y-o-y at Rs 368.79.87 crore as compared to Rs 364.99 crore in Q2 2019. Calculated simple consolidated EBITDA for Q2 2020 at Rs 479.24 crore  was 15.2 percent lower y-o-y than the Rs 565.07 crore.

    Sun TV reported standalone subscription revenue of Rs 397.39 crore for Q2 2020, which was 17 percent higher than the Rs 339.79 crore for Q2 2019.

    Following closely on the heels of the dividend already declared in the first quarter, the board of directors of Sun TV has recommended a second interim dividend of Rs 2.50 per equity (50 percent) share of face value of Rs 5 each for Q2 2020.

    Let us look at the other consolidated numbers reported by the company:

    Consolidated Total Expenditure (TE) in Q2 2020 increased 66 percent to Rs 499.54 crore as compared to Rs 301.0 crore in the corresponding quarter of the previous year.

    Consolidated Operating expense in Q2 2020 almost doubled (increased 91.1 percent) y-o-y to Rs 185.41 crore from Rs  97.01 crore in the corresponding quarter of the previous year. Employee Benefits Expense in Q2 2020 increased 2 percent y-o-y to Rs 82.24 crore as compared to Rs 80.61 crore in Q2 2019. Other expenses (OE) in the Q2 2020 more than doubled (increased 112.7 percent) y-o-y to Rs 78.63 crore as compared to Rs 36.96 crore in the corresponding quarter of the previous year.