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Bhojpuri channels & Covid2019 viewership challenges

Published

6 years ago

July 20, 2020

NEW DELHI: With shooting and other production activities kept on hold during the three-month-long lockdown, Bhojpuri channels resorted to innovative content strategies until shootings finally resumed. Now, the sector is finally seeing a revival.

“Overall, as an industry, and specifically talking about Zee Biskope and Big Ganga, everyone in the team pulled themselves up and reacted to it and implemented new ways of coping with this situation both in terms of content and marketing strategy,” Zee Biskope and Big Ganga’s business head Amarpreet Singh Saini says. “Within the Bhojpuri cluster, we saw a huge increase in viewership, about 30-40 per cent increase during the lockdown. Zee Biskope gained leadership position and we benefited a lot during this period.”

Saini also reveals that Big Ganga viewership suffered due to repeated content. “There was a setback. However, like every other platform, we also quickly got into getting original content. We did a lot of shoot-at-home content, like the Sa Re Ga Ma Pa- 25-year celebration. The idea was to tell viewers that we are here to entertain you with original content despite the limitation. Our strategy to bounce back will be to offer a bouquet of fresh shows on topicality and innovation.”

Bhojpuri channels are pulling all the strings to keep viewers glued to their television sets. Zee Biskope is treating its viewers with a host of monsoon memories by showcasing film festivals: Sawandaar Somwar Cinema & Aaaya Sawan Choom Ke. Big Ganga, on the other hand, is entertaining viewers by presenting a bouquet of five new offerings for its viewers.

Comparing the share of GECs in H1-2019 with H1-2020, the share came down from 49 per cent to 46 per cent, according to the recently released BARC data. The comeback of fresh episodes will mean stronger growth in viewership especially during primetime and improvement in both ad volumes and revenue.

Some of the advertisers including health brands and universities started advertising heavily during this period. Saini adds, “Apart from regular sponsorships and activity-based revenue, we are also looking forward to showing integrations and getting the brand closer to the consumer through showcasing the value proposition of the brands.”

Saini also highlights that indoor shootings and lesser number people on the set were challenging. “In the initial few days, the output has been lower. But now as people are becoming accustomed to it. As you start doing it day in and day out, it becomes normal.”

B4U Bhojpuri associate vice president Sandeep Singh states that the only problem with Bhojpuri channels is that the audience that consumes Bhojpuri content also consumes Hindi content. And the recent challenge that the Bhojpuri channels are facing is the return of three big broadcasters (Sony Pal, Star Utsav and Zee Anmol) on DD Free Dish.

“One of our biggest challenges will be to keep the numbers steady even after the pandemic. To bounce back, we have to keep innovating and working on the content. Due to the three broadcasters, we have seen a sudden drop in the GRPs, because they are also somehow taking our share but the good news is that we still have scope by offering good content. In the last few years, Bhojpuri market has evolved exponentially becoming one of the biggest markets. We wish to understand our audience better,” says Singh.

The channel is currently conducting World Television Premium to keep the viewers hooked. Every week B4U Bhojpuri is offering new movies from Chotki Thakurain, Mili Ta Mili Na Ta Jai Siyaram, Raja to name a few. A genre like family comedy, emotional drama and action drama works best for Bhojpuri audiences, Singh shares.

To reach out to more people, B4U Bhojpuri is also trying to gauge the audience through WhatsApp. “We have a Bhojpuri community on Whatsapp. It’s a medium to reach out to more people and update them about what’s new on the channel. We are focusing heavily on digital,” shares B4U senior marketing executive Siddhanth Shetty.

Vizeum India senior vice president (west) Kaushik Chakraborty mentions that a significant drop in ad volumes during the initial days of lockdown was noticeable. However, in June, there has been an improvement. As per the latest estimate, overall ad volume in Bhojpuri market is still 30 per cent lower than the pre-COVID2019 level.

However, Chakraborty says that the return of Sony Pal, Star Utsav and Zee Anmol on DD Free Dish is a piece of encouraging news for this market. “These channels with differential content will attract a newer audience to this genre driving significant viewership growth. Simultaneously, this will bring in a new challenge to existing players like Dangal and Big Ganga to counter the nature of the content,” he states.

As the lockdown eases, has there been an improvement in advertiser sentiment? Chakraborty said, “We feel there is optimism. However, it all depends on how the situation emerges in the coming days. But, since this pandemic is beyond anyone’s control, there will be volatility and we need to be watchful. With the start of shoots, original content will be available to GEC players, in turn, helping increase viewership for the genre.”

Out of home (OOH) mobility has started but people are cautious, only venturing out for work-related requirements or grocery/medicine shopping. “With low clutter level, innovative OOH approach will help in enhancing brand visibility. OOH near residential clusters, grocery centres, workplaces and key arterial routes will stay relevant in the interim. Digital OOH inventory in and around these will see an uplift,” he adds.

With festivities around the corner including ‘Saavan’ and ‘Chhath’, Chakraborty feels that one can expect a revival from September onwards.

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Netflix’s reinvigorated strategy for the next decade & India’s growing role

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iWorld

Netflix celebrates a decade in India with Shah Rukh Khan-narrated tribute film

Published

1 week ago

January 31, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: Netflix is celebrating ten years in India with a slick anniversary film voiced by Shah Rukh Khan, a nostalgic sprint through a decade that rewired how the country watches stories. The campaign doubles as both tribute and reminder: streaming did not just enter Indian homes, it quietly rearranged them.

Roll back to 2016 and television still dictated schedules. Viewers waited weeks, sometimes months, for favourite films to appear on prime time. Family-friendly filters narrowed options further, and piracy often filled the gaps. Then Netflix arrived, softly but decisively, carrying a catalogue of international titles rarely seen in Indian theatres and placing them a click away. Old blockbusters and new releases suddenly coexisted on the same digital shelf.

The platform’s real inflection point came in 2018 with Sacred Games, a breakout series that refused to dilute India’s grit for global comfort. Audiences embraced its unvarnished tone, signalling readiness for stories that did not need box-office validation or censorship compromises. What followed was a steady procession of relatable narratives. Competitive-exam anxiety fuelled Kota Factory. College relationships unfolded in Mismatched. Everyday pressures, not grand spectacle, proved bankable.

Language barriers thinned as foreign series arrived with Hindi, Tamil and Telugu dubbing, expanding viewership beyond urban English-speaking pockets. Marketing mirrored the shift. For global releases such as Squid Game, Netflix leaned on regional creators and influencers to localise buzz and make international content feel native.

The library widened beyond fiction. Documentaries stepped out of festival circuits into living rooms. Stand-up comedians found scale. Established filmmakers, including Sanjay Leela Bhansali with Heeramandi, embraced the platform’s long-form canvas. Subscriber numbers swelled to 12.37 million in India, according to Demandsage, and behaviour followed suit. Late-night binges became routine. Friday release rituals loosened. Watch parties turned solitary screens into social events.

Economics demanded adjustment. Early subscription pricing carried a premium aura that deterred many households. Over time, Netflix recalibrated plans to align with Indian spending sensibilities, conceding that accessibility is as critical as content. To extend momentum around marquee titles, the platform also experimented with split-season releases, stretching anticipation and watch time.

The anniversary film, narrated by Shah Rukh Khan, captures the linguistic shift that mirrors the cultural one: from “Netflix pe kya dekha?” to “Netflix pe kya dekhein?” The question moved from recounting the past to planning the next binge. In ten years, Netflix morphed from foreign entrant to familiar fixture, exporting Indian stories abroad while importing global ones home. The remote no longer waits; it chooses, clicks and moves on. In the streaming age, patience is out, playlists are in, and the next episode is always one tap away.

Brands

Delhivery chairman Deepak Kapoor, independent director Saugata Gupta quit board

Published

1 week ago

January 31, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

Gurugram: Delhivery’s boardroom is being reset. Deepak Kapoor, chairman and independent director, has resigned with effect from April 1 as part of a planned board reconstitution, the logistics company said in an exchange filing. Saugata Gupta, managing director and chief executive of FMCG major Marico and an independent director on Delhivery’s board, has also stepped down.

Kapoor exits after an eight-year stint that included steering the company through its 2022 stock-market debut, a period that saw Delhivery transform from a venture-backed upstart into one of India’s most visible logistics platforms. Gupta, who joined the board in 2021, departs alongside him, marking a simultaneous clearing of two senior independent seats.

“Deepak and Saugata have been instrumental in our process of recognising the need for and enabling the reconstitution of the board of directors in line with our ambitious next phase of growth,” said Sahil Barua, managing director and chief executive, Delhivery. The statement frames the exits less as departures and more as deliberate succession, a boardroom shuffle timed to the company’s evolving scale and strategy.

The resignations arrive amid broader governance recalibration. In 2025, Delhivery appointed Emcure Pharmaceuticals whole-time director Namita Thapar, PB Fintech founder and chairman Yashish Dahiya, and IIM Bangalore faculty member Padmini Srinivasan as independent directors, signalling a tilt towards consumer, fintech and academic expertise at the board level.

Kapoor’s tenure spanned Delhivery’s most defining years, rapid network expansion, public listing and the push towards profitability in a bruising logistics market. Gupta’s presence brought FMCG and brand-scale perspective during a period when ecommerce volumes and last-mile delivery economics were being rewritten.

The twin exits, effective from the new financial year, underscore a familiar corporate rhythm: founders consolidate, veterans rotate out, and fresh voices are ushered in to script the next chapter. In India’s hyper-competitive logistics race, even the boardroom does not stand still.

MAM

Meta appoints Anuvrat Rao as APAC head of commerce partnerships

Published

1 week ago

January 31, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

SINGAPORE: Anuvrat Rao has taken charge as APAC head of commerce and signals partnerships at Meta, steering monetisation deals across Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp from Singapore. The former Google executive, known for launching Google Assistant, PWAs, AMP and Firebase across Asia-Pacific, steps into the role after a high-growth stint as chief business officer at Locofy.ai.

At Locofy.ai, Rao helped convert a three-year free beta into a paid engine, clocking 1,000 subscribers and 15 enterprise clients within ten days of launch in September 2024. The low-code startup, backed by Accel and top tech founders, is famed for turning designs into production-ready code using proprietary large design models.

Before that, Rao founded generative AI venture 1Bstories, which was acquired by creative AI platform Laetro in mid-2024, where he briefly served as managing director for APAC. Alongside operating roles, he has been an active investor and advisor since 2020, backing startups such as BotMD, Muxy, Creator plus, Intellect, Sealed and CricFlex through a creator-economy-led thesis.

Rao spent over eight years at Google, holding senior partnership roles across search, assistant, chrome, web and YouTube in APAC, and earlier cut his teeth in strategy consulting at OC&C in London and investment finance at W. P. Carey in Europe and the US.