ITV

Category: Viewership

  • Sun TV maintains lead, Star Utsav & Dhinchaak big gainers in 2022: Barc

    Sun TV maintains lead, Star Utsav & Dhinchaak big gainers in 2022: Barc

    Mumbai: Continuing the lead from the last week of 2021, Sun TV began the New Year as the top performer in the first week of 2022. The Tamil GEC garnered weekly AMAs of 3020.98 according to Broadcast Audience Research Council (Barc) data for the period of 1-7 January.

    Disturbing the long-standing status quo of Sun TV, Star Plus and Star Maa at the top three positions once again, Star Utsav lodged itself at No. two this week with 2637.26 AMA. It was at the third spot last week. At 2541.77 (‘000s) Star Plus finished third. It was followed by Star Maa and Star Vijay.

    Climbing up from last week’s tenth position, Dhinchaak grabbed the sixth spot this time. Sony SAB, Colors and Zee TV were in the next three positions. Marathi GEC Star Pravah re-entered the list at the last slot after a gap of a few weeks.

    The mega cities showed a preference for Sun TV (507.75) which was followed by Colors, Star Plus, Sony SAB and Star Vijay.  South market was also led by the Tamil major with AMAs of 3014.22. Star Maa, Star Vijay, Zee Kannada and Zee Telugu were in the next four positions.

    Among the regional markets, Star Pravah was the most viewed channel in Maharashtra/Goa with 1578.27 AMA, Star Jalsha (1278.48) in West Bengal, Tarang (477.06) in Odisha, Zee Kannada (1525.16) in Karnataka, and Star Utsav in Rajasthan (254.1) as well as in UP/Uttarakhand (443.38).

  • Broadcasters cheer, as TRPs for news channels to resume after regulatory reboot

    Broadcasters cheer, as TRPs for news channels to resume after regulatory reboot

    Mumbai: After a year-long wait, the ministry of information and broadcasting (I&B) on Wednesday finally gave its go-ahead to Broadcast Audience Research Council (Barc) India to immediately resume ratings for TV news channels, giving broadcasters a reason to cheer in the new year.

    As per the order, Barc India will have to release ratings for news and niche genres on a ‘four-week rolling average concept’ with immediate effect. But first, it will be required to share the last three months’ data which is expected to give some direction to news channels, and advertisers who had been taking a shot in the dark.

    “I welcome the government’s decision to finally resume ratings for the news genre,” said TV9 Network CEO Barun Das, terming the monthly ratings as the need of the hour. “I have for long been advocating the need to restore ratings while questioning the suspension decision in the first place. News Broadcasters Federation’s (NBF’s) efforts in this direction have been exemplary.”

    In February 2021, over 50 TV news channels had written to the then I&B minister Prakash Javadekar questioning the decision to single out the news genre for suspension.  “News genre commands 12 per cent of the total viewership and 18 per cent revenue of the industry. So, why is that the rating system which is bad for roughly 12 per cent of the TV industry, good for the rest 88 per cent?” Das had written in a separate letter.

    Also read: “Lakhs of livelihood at stake,” TV9 urges MIB to resume TRPs

    Also read : Over 50 TV news channels write to MIB over suspension of TRPs

    In a bid to restore confidence in Barc ratings, the I&B ministry also assured channels that the TV measurement body has undertaken revision in its processes, protocols, oversight mechanism and initiated changes in the governance structure. “The reconstitution of the Board and the Technical Committee to allow for the induction of Independent Members have also been initiated by Barc.  A permanent Oversight Committee has also been formed. The access protocols for data have been revamped and tightened,” the ministry stated.

    Taking a step further, MIB has also set up a ‘Working Group’ under the chairmanship of the Prasar Bharti CEO Shashi Shekhar Vempati for the consideration of leveraging the Return Path Data (RPD) capabilities for the use of TRP services, as recommended by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) and the TRP Committee Report. The group will submit its report in four months’ time.

    “Happy that exactly a year later, the recommendations of the TRP committee report have been accepted by MIB India. Thankful to fellow members of the committee for the hard work put in. Looking forward to achieving cross-industry consensus on the use of Return Path Data (RPD) for TRPs,” tweeted Prasar Bharati CEO.

    Also read: I&B ministry forms Joint Working Group for audience measurement sampling

    The announcement was also welcomed by the News Broadcasters Association (NBA). In a statement, one of the members of the association, who is CEO of a news channel said, “NBA’s stand is vindicated as ministry stamps the room for improvement, acknowledges the deficiencies, and puts a timeline to ratings’ release and systematic corrections.”

    The news broadcasters also gave a thumbs up to the transition from weekly to monthly ratings. “I’m very much in favour of monthly ratings. I think news channels’ content cannot be moulded on the basis of ratings, like the way GECs content can be moulded,” said a senior representative from a national news channel. “The sole purpose of ratings is to give a measuring base to advertisers, and they take a minimum of two to three months to establish a fair and equitable representation of true trends. So, we don’t need ratings on a weekly basis.”

    According to industry representatives, the new ‘four-week rolling average concept’ will also be better equipped to deal with inconsistencies related to inadequate sample size.

    While the decision to scrap out weekly ratings got a positive response, some industry veterans also suggested that releasing news ratings quarterly or twice in a year would be a better proposition. “The global news industry is transforming itself into a “news product” that people can pay for. Ideally, the news genre should be subscription-oriented, as most newspapers are now these days. Globally too, that’s the trend – shifting to an advertising-driven, pay-TV model,” he said.

    The ministry’s go-ahead comes just weeks ahead of an intense election season in five states, including an electoral battle for India’s most populous state. With news channels, all geared up to grab maximum eyeballs, it will be interesting to see how the latest system of news ratings will change the game, especially with several new channels entering the race. “We will have to see whether the scenario has actually changed over the last year or not. But, hopefully, it will only get better from here,” said a senior representative from a news channel.

    The overhaul in the television rating system in India kickstarted in October 2020 when Mumbai Police claimed in a press briefing that they probed a case of manipulation of TRPs and found some incriminating evidence. The police said the accused were allegedly bribing the households to keep a particular channel running, leading to several arrests, and FIRs against three news channels.

    The controversy had forced Barc India to temporarily suspend the publishing of weekly data for news channels, which remained in limbo for over 1.3 years. “A pause was necessitated to enable the industry and Barc India to work closely to review its already stringent protocols and further augment them,” the then Barc India chairman Punit Goenka had said.

  • Discovery Inc invests in advanced TV ad company OpenAP

    Discovery Inc invests in advanced TV ad company OpenAP

    Mumbai: Discovery Inc has joined FOX, NBCUniversal, and ViacomCBS to buy a minority stake in OpenAP, the advanced advertising company which is working on a goal to “bring simplicity and scale to audience-based campaigns in television. The decision comes as media companies worldwide look for improved ways of audience measurement.

    The joint venture created by several media industry giants, centralises data activation on behalf of premium national TV publishers, bringing efficiency and scale to audience-based campaigns.

    The recent announcement furthers Discovery’s strategy of building a technical framework that enables cross-platform audience-based buying and creating collaborative support for alternative currency standards, it said in a statement. The factual-life entertainment giant will join OpenAP’s board of directors with chief US Advertising sales officer Jon Steinlauf, and executive VP digital ad sales and advanced advertising Jim Keller, both representing the company.

    “Discovery is excited to take an active role shaping the future of advanced audience buying,” said Discovery’s executive VP digital ad sales and advanced advertising Jim Keller. “Given our current momentum, influence, and growth of audience-based sales, we believe Discovery can help further the work OpenAP has been doing to initiate meaningful change in the market.”

    The investment signals an expansion of Discovery’s existing relationship with OpenAP, having integrated with the central TV identity spine, OpenID in April last year, and more recently partnering with OpenAP on the launch of XPm, the publisher-backed cross-platform measurement framework. For OpenAP, it will help further its ability to grow the overall market for audience-based advertising and expand the breadth and scale of its services across cross-platform identity, measurement, and planning.

    “Discovery has long been a pioneer of TV entertainment with its iconic portfolio of content and direct-to-consumer experiences people love. The last two years have demonstrated the force of change that can happen when we take an audience-first approach to reimagining TV advertising for media owners, advertisers, and consumers alike,” said OpenAP CEO David Levy.

    In a joint statement, FOX senior VP, data strategy and sales innovation Dan Callahan, NBCUniversal president, and chief business officer Krishan Bhatia, and ViacomCBS COO – advertising revenue John Halley at ViacomCBS, stated that Discovery’s commitment further validates OpenAP’s mission and builds on the success and scale of our collective organisations work to build a more advanced model for TV advertising that focuses on audiences.  “OpenAP has been a catalyst for bringing programmers and marketers together to change the model, and we’re proud to now have Discovery join us to accelerate these efforts,” they added.

  • Dangal TV gears up for launch of new shows

    Dangal TV gears up for launch of new shows

    Mumbai: Riding on the success of two of its prime-time shows, the 24 hours’ general entertainment channel (GEC) Dangal TV has entered 2022 on a high.  The channel has now announced a slew of new launches that will be premiered in the coming weeks.

    Apart from its growing fandom across the rural areas, the channel has also extended its viewership in the urban segment with two of its popular shows, ‘Rakshabandhan… Rasal Apne Bhai Ki Dhaal’ and ‘Nath Zevar Ya Zanjeer’.

    Launched in July 2021, ‘Rakshabandhan… Rasal Apne Bhai Ki Dhaal’ is an opening prime time show that is running in its seventh month. Based in Rajasthan, the story of a strong bond between two siblings as they navigate through various setbacks in life, has struck a chord with the masses. The show stars Nishant Malkani and Nyra Banerjee in the lead and has taken to finding its place amongst the top shows on Indian Television.

    Another show that connected with the audience is ‘Nath- Zevar Ya Zanjeer’. Launched in August 2021, the show got moved from a 10 pm slot to 8pm slot owing to its popularity. Starring Arjit Taneja, Chahat Pandey and Vaibhavi Kapoor among others, Nath revolves around the story of a progressive girl who takes on an age-old practice to dissolve caste and class boundaries in its utopian pursuit. A take that has found great rapport with its core audience.

    Dangal TV MD Manish Singhal said, “We at Dangal TV are delighted by the success we have found with both these shows, though it doesn’t really surprise us. We have a great connection with the masses and know the kind of content that keeps them engaged. Our social dramas are rooted in deep societal understanding and offer a progressive modern take on issues close to heart. We are working on many more original shows that will build on our success story in 2022.”

    Amongst the array of new shows, another newly launched show ‘Mann Sundar’ that captures the struggles of a dark-skinned girl Ruchita has resonated with audiences and gained mass popularity. Starting the year with a bang, and hitting the marquee soon is show ‘Rang Jaun Tere Rang Mein’ that was first aired on 3 January – a social drama, deep-rooted in the tradition of marriage. 

  • Sun TV maintains lead; Star Utsav climbs to third spot in week 52: Barc

    Sun TV maintains lead; Star Utsav climbs to third spot in week 52: Barc

    Mumbai: Maintaining hold on the top position, Sun TV garnered 2826.17 (‘000s) AMA in Broadcast Audience Research Council (Barc) week 52 (25 December to 31 December 2021).  With weekly rating of 2625.44 AMA Star Plus was second. 

    Riding on weeks of success as the most-viewed channel in the Hindi heartland (Rajasthan, and UP/Uttarakhand), Star Utsav climbed up to the third spot in the last week of 2021. The channel clocked 2495.18 AMA.

    Star Maa slipped to the fourth position. It was followed by Star Vijay, Colors, Sony SAB, Zee TV, Zee Kannada and Dhinchaak.

    Sun TV led the mega cities at 473.13 (‘000s). Star Plus, Colors, Star Vijay and Sony SAB grabbed the remaining slots. The South market was also dominated by the Tamil major where it registered a weekly rating of 2817.58. Star Maa, Star Vijay, Zee Kannada and Zee Telugu were at the positions from two to five.

    Among the regional markets, Star Pravah was the most viewed channel in Maharashtra/Goa with 1457.32 AMA, Star Jalsha (1334.12) in West Bengal, Tarang (484.16) in Odisha, Zee Kannada (1576.18) in Karnataka, and Star Utsav in Rajasthan (262.2) as well as in UP/Uttarakhand (412.6).

  • National Geographic India brings new adventurous series – ‘Snakes SOS: Goa’s Wildest’

    National Geographic India brings new adventurous series – ‘Snakes SOS: Goa’s Wildest’

    Mumbai: National Geographic in India has announced its new adventure series – ‘Snakes SOS: Goa’s Wildest’ which is all set to premiere on 10 January.

    Keeping with the channel’s philosophy, the latest series focuses on the rescue efforts of two Indian wildlife activists – Benhail Antao and Louise Remedios. The two are luxurious wedding planners by profession, but wildlife rescuers by passion, and the show will follow their exciting lives, taking the viewers on an immersive journey through the city of Goa.  The 10-part series promises to show the duo in action and give an up-close and personal experience of their techniques and contributions in rescuing the varied snake species and other undomesticated animals through the city of Goa. The series also focuses on informing and enhancing the knowledge of viewers on the rich and diverse wildlife present in Goa the city and breaking the myths and misconceptions that people have come to believe about snakes in particular.

    “At National Geographic in India, we believe in showcasing purpose-driven narratives to help deepen engagement and drive meaningful conversations among our viewers. With adventure and entertainment as a backdrop, we wanted to bring a local narrative of two very inspiring individuals and challenge the myths and pre-established beliefs around snakes and reptiles. We hope that our efforts inspire viewers to care about the magnificent wildlife we have in our country and encourage them to play their part in preserving and protecting it,” said Star and Disney head of entertainment Kevin Vaz.

    Ben and Louise, said they were thrilled to bring their story to a large base of audiences through the channel. “We both have been extremely passionate about wildlife. Every day presents us with a new adventure and we have truly been enjoying the process of rescuing snakes; sometimes in the most unexpected circumstances. But more importantly, we have managed to rescue people from the perceptions they carry about these beautiful creatures. We hope that our stories inspire more people to change their attitude towards snakes by highlighting and showcasing how important they are to our ecosystem,” 

    ‘Snakes SOS: Goa’s Wildest’ will premiere on National Geographic Channel in India at 8.00 pm on 10 January. The episodes will be aired every Monday and Tuesday and will be available across Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Bengali, and Kannada.

  • Sun TV rules the charts in week 51: Barc

    Sun TV rules the charts in week 51: Barc

    Mumbai: According to recently released data by the Broadcast Audience Research Council (Barc), Sun TV was the most-watched channel with weekly ratings of 2739.54 AMA in week 51 (18-24 December). The Tamil GEC has been rulings the charts in close competition with Star Plus and Star Maa for five weeks now.

    It was followed by Star Plus which bagged 2738.76 AMA for the week. Star Maa finished third at 2552.71 (‘000s).

    Star Utsav, Colors, Star Vijay, Sony Sab, Zee Kannada, and Zee TV were at number four to nine. Bengali GEC Star Jalsha was the new entrant in the last position.

    The mega cities were also dominated by Sun TV with weekly ratings of 467.0 (‘000s). Star Plus, Colors, Sony Sab, Star Vijay followed. At 2729.87, Sun TV led the south circuit as well. The remaining slots were grabbed by Star Maa, Star Vijay, Zee Kannada, and Zee Telugu.

    Among the regional markets, Maharashtra/Goa was led by Star Pravah (1396.85), West Bengal by Star Jalsha (1316.09), Odisha by Tarang (433.38), and Karnataka by Zee Kannada (1596.42).

    At 220.05 and 402.19 AMA, Star Utsav was the most-viewed channel in Rajasthan and UP/Uttarakhand.

  • India’s M&E industry to reach $55-70 bn by 2030: CII – BCG Big Picture 2021 Report

    India’s M&E industry to reach $55-70 bn by 2030: CII – BCG Big Picture 2021 Report

    Mumbai: Currently valued at around $27 bn, India’s media and entertainment industry is all set to grow at 10-12 per cent CAGR to become a $55-70Bn industry by 2030, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Boston Consulting Group (BCG) have projected in their new report, released on Thursday.

    Ending the year on an optimistic note, the report highlighted how the industry has already revived to pre-Covid levels and its next phase of growth will be led by OTT, gaming, VFX and animation.

    “Our industry has always been at the forefront of disruption and we will continue to innovate over the next decade. We will now need new answers and will need them fast, even on the most fundamental things like talent pool to run our companies and methodology for measuring the impact we are delivering to advertisers on our platforms. We will need to continue to embrace change going forward,” said CII National Committee on M&E – chairman and The Walt Disney Company India and Star India president K Madhavan.

    Robust growth for TV

    According to the report – ‘Blockbuster Script for the New Decade: Way Forward for Indian Media and Entertainment Industry’, TV as a medium is expected to remain robust given its function as a platform for family viewing, strong user base, and the evolution of content to meet everyone’s needs. Unlike global markets, India’s TV penetration has remained flat and ARPUs have also been steady, with both trends expected to continue in the medium term. Subscriptions will be driven by the strong performance of regional channels and cost advantage vis-à-vis OTT. Cord cutting is nascent and is expected to be limited in the medium term. TV ad volumes have bounced back to pre-Covid levels, and are expected to continue growing in the future, driven by an increase in advertising on regional channels & growth in new advertisers.

    OTT sector in the scaling stage

    The Indian OTT segment is currently in scaling stage with strong subscription growth and increased investments in premium & original content, stated the report. More affordable data has led to an increase in internet access and digital payments, thereby improving access to OTT platforms and digital videos. The industry is one of the most competitive amongst emerging markets with 40+ players representing all types of content providers. SVOD revenue has seen a remarkable surge over last few years and is expected to overtake AVOD in the coming years.

    “The share of traditional media is slowly declining with increased digital adoption but there is still high headroom for penetration with only 54 per cent of Indian households having a pay TV connection compared to more than 70 per cent in China. For many households, TV continues to be the center of the home and a significant part of family time,” said BCG India MD and partner Mandeep Kohli.

    Film industry’s road to recovery

    According to the report, the film industry has shown encouraging signs of recovery post a difficult 2020. There are a few growth factors for the future – continued growth in regional, direct to digital releases and the rise of “content films” and others. The Indian Postproduction, VFX and Animation industry accounts for <10 per cent share of the global market and has the potential to be a booming sector this decade on the back of several Central and State Government initiatives.

    “After a long period of shutdown, cinema halls are now back in business with a bang. A record number of big-ticket movies are lined up for release well into 2022. That augurs well for the sector but caps on occupancies, closures of cinemas and modified audience behaviour might impact the speed of recovery,” said CII National Committee on M&E co-chairman and founder & MD Roy Kapur Films Siddharth Roy Kapur. “On the other hand, streaming has provided new avenues for screening and broad-based the options available for producers, artistes and technicians. Along with the rise of regional cinema, this marks the start of a truly fantastic decade ahead for the Indian content business.”

    Way ahead for the industry

    According to Technicolor India country head Biren Ghose, who is also CII National Committee on Media and Entertainment vice chairman, the success of India’s media and entertainment will ultimately depend on the ability to scale world-class creative talent in order to capitalise on the global opportunity, especially in the gaming sector.

    The projections showed that the industry is at a critical juncture of transformation, offering rapid growth in some areas. “But, to realise this growth, companies must tweak their strategies to take advantage of the current market situation,” said BCG India MD and senior partner Kanchan Samtani. “In addition to investing in content and technology to improve user experience, companies should also leverage suitable distribution models to enhance reach, focus on providing integrated ad solutions and offer innovative marketing formats to enhance the value proposition to advertisers.”

    “This year’s report put together by BCG with the help of CII Media and Entertainment Committee, looks at the decade ahead, and will help businesses chart their growth path and aide the government in framing enabling measures to facilitate further expansion of the sector,” said CII director-general Chandrajit Banerjee.

  • Sun TV maintains lead in week 50: Barc

    Sun TV maintains lead in week 50: Barc

    Mumbai: Sun TV maintained its hold over the top spot in week 50 (11 December to 17 December), according to recently released Broadcast Audience Research Council (Barc) data. The channel garnered weekly ratings of 2748.43 (‘000s), against last week’s 2790.42.

    Swapping their positions this week Star Maa emerged as the second most-viewed channel with 2702.64 AMA while Star Plus was at number three with 2668.97 (‘000s).

    They were followed by Star Utsav, Star Vijay, Colors, Sony SAB, Zee Kannada, Zee Tv and Dhinchaak in that order.

    With weekly AMAs of 453.17 (‘000s) Sun TV was the top performer in the Mega Cities list, followed by Colors, Star Plus, Sony SAB, and Star Vijay. The south market was also dominated by the Tamil major at 2740.81. Star Maa, Star Vijay, Zee Kannada, and Zee Telugu clinched remaining spots.

    Among the regional markets, Maharashtra/Goa was led by Star Pravah (1425.54), West Bengal by Star Jalsha (1228.95), Odisha by Tarang (486.04), and Karnataka by Zee Kannada (1590.84).

    At 226.25 and 388.79 AMA, Star Utsav was the most-viewed channel in Rajasthan and UP/Uttarakhand.

  • Over 200 categories record growth in TV Ad volume in Nov ‘21: TAM Data

    Over 200 categories record growth in TV Ad volume in Nov ‘21: TAM Data

    Mumbai: Over 200 categories saw a surge in TV ad volume this November, compared to pre-pandemic levels, according to the data shared by Tam Media Research.

    Tea category led the charts with the highest growth compared to November, 2020. It was followed by Milk Beverages, hair removers, e-com/media, coffee, software, chocolates, face-wash, cars, and life insurance.

    According to the data, as many as 390 categories including 2,780 advertisers and 4,410 brands advertised on TV during the month. While the tally of categories remained relatively unchanged compared to November, 2020, the count of advertisers and brands witnessed a marginal drop of one to three per cent over last year.

    HUL and Reckitt Benckiser top advertiser list

    Hindustan Unilever and Reckitt Benckiser India remained the top two advertisers like last year, followed by Ponds India, Brooke Bond Lipton India, Godrej Consumer Products, Cadburys India, P&G, Colgate Palmolive India, Lakme Lever and Marico.

    Brooke Bond Lipton India, Lakme Lever, and Marico were the new entrants in the Top 10 advertisers’ which together occupied a 39 per cent share of the total ad volumes in November.

    Horlicks tops the brand list

    Cashing in on the festive season, over 4,400 brands advertised on TV in November. The top 10 list of brands was dominated by Horlicks followed by Harpic Power Plus 10X Max Clean. The top 10 brands had a nine per cent share of ad volumes, out of which, two belonged to HUL and six belonged to Reckitt Benckiser India.

    Eyewear lenses category topped among the exclusive categories during the month, followed by Doors in November. Flipkart was the top exclusive advertiser and Dettol Foaming Handwash topped among exclusive brands followed by Tata Sky Binge app.