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Tag: DD Sports

  • Prasar Bharati and AEx Sport partner to launch India’s first pro-wrestling league

    Prasar Bharati and AEx Sport partner to launch India’s first pro-wrestling league

    NEW DELHI:   Public broadcaster Prasar Bharati has inked a strategic memorandum of understanding with AEx Sport the sports innovation arm of UK-based AdiGroupe, to launch  the Global League Wrestling (GLW) — the first professional wrestling league of its kind in India and the Asia-Pacific.

    The collaboration combines Prasar Bharati’s national reach across DD Sports, All India Radio and digital platform Waves, with AEx Sport’s global firepower in production, IP, and marketing. GLW is set to be unveiled on 17 September and will hit the screens from 4 October 2025, airing weekly over a 40-week season of high-octane, family-friendly programming.

    “This marks a new era for Indian pro-wrestling,” said Prasar Bharati chairman Navneet Kumar Sehgal. “GLW reinforces our vision of taking Indian sport to global heights and giving our youth a credible platform to shine.”

    Positioned as a cultural milestone in Indian sport, GLW will blend traditional Indian storytelling with world-class wrestling theatrics, introducing original characters, cinematic plots, and a production style aimed at mass appeal. It is also seen as part of the government’s broader push to promote youth engagement through sport.

    “GLW brings a new genre of content that’s rooted in our culture but built for the world,” said Prasar Bharati CEO  Gaurav Dwivedi. “We’re creating something truly unique for Indian audiences.”

    Backing the league’s ambitions is AdiGroupe and AEx Sport chairman Sanjay Viswanathan, who described GLW as “an immersive, youth-led cultural experience that puts Indian talent centre stage”. He added: “We’re dedicating GLW to India to inspire pride, competitiveness and global ambition among Indian youth.”

    Wrestling icon The Great Khali joins as GLW’s brand ambassador and talent commissioner, bringing star power and mentorship to the ring. “GLW offers a serious and structured path for Indian athletes to shine — on our terms,” said Khali.

    With the inaugural season already generating buzz, the tie-up between India’s national broadcaster and a global sports IP developer signals a watershed moment for homegrown sports entertainment.

  • Kabaddi gets a capital lift as UPKL hits Rs 238 crore in valuation

    Kabaddi gets a capital lift as UPKL hits Rs 238 crore in valuation

     MUMBAI: Mat talk turns money talk and UPKL is wrestling its way to the top of India’s sports scene. The Uttar Pradesh Kabaddi League (UPKL) has thrown down the gauntlet and picked up a valuation tag of Rs 238 crore, cementing its status as one of India’s fastest-growing sports properties. Its creator and operator, SJ Uplift Kabaddi Pvt Ltd, has not only built a regional league, but a nationwide movement with global potential all in its very first season.

    Launched in 2024, the debut edition of UPKL featured eight franchise-based teams, capturing hearts in small towns and big cities alike. The data tells the story: according to BARC, over 30 million television viewers tuned in across India, while digital platforms clocked 300 million impressions.

    Sony Sports Network (on Sports Ten 1 and Ten 3), DD Sports, and Fancode collectively broadcast the matches, ensuring a multi-platform footprint that reached deep into Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities.

    SJ Uplift’s Founder and Director Sambhav Jain attributes the league’s soaring valuation to “the growing popularity and resonance” of the UPKL format. He added, “This valuation reaffirms our belief in grassroots sports and the immense, untapped potential of regional talent. The overwhelming response from fans, franchises and brands proves we’re building something bigger than just a league.”

    Backed by a vision to scale kabaddi into a globally recognised sport, Jain sees UPKL not just as a commercial vehicle but as a cultural movement. With plans to build a sustainable ecosystem for athletes, fans and sponsors, SJ Uplift is already eyeing expansion, new partnerships, and greater professionalisation in the seasons ahead.

    UPKL’s debut season is not just a sporting win, it’s a statement. With a Rs 238 crore valuation, deep-rooted audience traction, and a hyperlocal-to-global narrative, it’s making regional kabaddi not just prime-time entertainment, but premium IP.

    From dusty courts to digital charts the future of Indian kabaddi is looking like a full-body slam dunk.

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  • DD Sports, Fancode to broadcast two-match bilateral series between India and Germany

    DD Sports, Fancode to broadcast two-match bilateral series between India and Germany

    Mumbai: DD Sports, the key public sports broadcaster in the country, along with FanCode will broadcast the highly anticipated two-match bilateral hockey series between the Indian Men’s Hockey Team and the Germany Men’s Hockey Team, scheduled to take place on 23 and 24 October 2024 at the iconic Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium in New Delhi.

    FanCode and DD Sports’ combined reach will mean that hockey action will be accessible to fans in every corner of the country, with interest around the game at an all-time high after India’s successful Olympic campaign where the men’s team finished with a bronze medal. Germany ended their campaign with a silver medal.

    Hockey India president Dr Dilip Tirkey enthusiastically said, “We have had a fruitful partnership with FanCode through the Hockey India National Championships. They have played a vital role in making hockey more accessible to sports fans nationwide. With India vs. Germany Test Series set to be streamed on their platform alongside telecast on DD Sports, one of the largest sports channels in India, this partnership will provide a significant boost to our mission of reaching a wider audience.”

    Hockey India secretary general Bhola Nath Singh added, “We are thrilled to associate with FanCode and DD Sports for the two-match bilateral series. We are confident that this will enhance the viewing experience for passionate hockey fans in India and contribute significantly to our larger vision of making the sport accessible and visible across India.”

    FanCode co-founder Yannick Colaco said, “We are proud to extend our partnership with Hockey India with the bilateral series between India and Germany. The series showcases the best of international hockey, and we’re excited to bring the action to hockey enthusiasts in India.”

    As part of Hockey India’s vision to promote the sport across the country, this series marks the return of men’s international hockey to the national capital after a decade, with the last match played in January 2014 during the Hero Hockey World League Final – Men’s Round 4.

    Having successfully hosted the Men’s Asian Champions Trophy in Chennai, the Women’s Asian Champions Trophy, and the FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifier in Ranchi, Hockey India has expanded its efforts beyond Odisha to grow hockey’s presence in India. The organization is also gearing up to host the upcoming Women’s Asian Champions Trophy in Rajgir, Bihar, in November 2024.

  • Eurosport, DD Sports to broadcast the Indian Veteran Premier League from 23 Feb

    Eurosport, DD Sports to broadcast the Indian Veteran Premier League from 23 Feb

    Mumbai: Eurosport and DD Sports will broadcast the upcoming first edition of the much-awaited Indian Veteran Premier League (IVPL) which will be played from 23 February to 3 March 2024, at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Dehradun.

    Organised by the Board for Veteran Cricket in India (BVCI) and managed by 100 Sports, the IVPL promises an extraordinary showcase of cricketing talent, bringing together International cricket sensations such as Virender Sehwag, Munaf Patel, Suresh Raina, Rajat Bhatia, Chris Gayle, Praveen Kumar, Yusuf Pathan, Herschelle Gibbs, Anrureet Singh, and many more.

    This proud moment for all veteran cricketers registered with BVCI will be part of the action towards fulfilling their dreams to play with international stars for the first time.

    Scheduled to run from 23 February to 3 March 2024, in the picturesque city of Dehradun, the IVPL will witness six strong teams vying for glory in this unique cricketing spectacle. The matches will be broadcasted live in India on the Eurosport channel and DD Sports.

    BVCI acting president and IVPL chairman Praveen Tyagi said, “We are excited for our first season which will be a highly attended event, and all live matches will be on Eurosport, DD Sports and too. We are trying to create one of the best leagues in  India after IPL, we have added the World’s best cricketers for the stature of Veteran Cricket, such as Chris Gayle, Virender Sehwag, Suresh Raina. This will  infuse a new energy for Veteran Cricket in India as well as it will work like magic for Veteran Cricketers, who are living their passion for playing with International Cricketers from the World.”

    The participating teams include VVIP Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan Legends, Red Carpet Delhi, Chhattisgarh Warriors, Telangana Tigers, and Mumbai Champions. Each team is a powerhouse of talent, as cricketing legends and regional stars come together to relive their passion for the game. Each team will have four to five iconic players from across the world.

    The Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Dehradun is all set to be the epicenter of this cricketing extravaganza, providing fans with an unparalleled opportunity to witness their favorite cricketing icons in action. It will be a comprehensive viewing experience for fans as they can watch all the live action on Eurosport and DD Sports.

  • DD Sports to telecast fast-paced action of Yuva Kabaddi Series 2023

    DD Sports to telecast fast-paced action of Yuva Kabaddi Series 2023

    Mumbai: DD Sports, one of India’s oldest and largest sports broadcasters, will telecast the exciting action from the ongoing Monsoon Edition of the CARS24 Yuva Kabaddi Series 2023.

    Launched in 2022, this kabaddi series for the youth has been providing a highly competitive environment for India’s budding stars. With a participation of 300-plus players from 17 states, the Monsoon Edition will be beamed on DD Sports which enjoys wider reach and access across the country.

    8 out of the 12 players who recently contributed to India’s triumphant victory in Junior World Cup have honed their skills through the Yuva Kabaddi Series which provides a platform to the country’s aspiring talents.

    “The CARS24 Yuva Kabaddi Series has received a shot in the arm with telecast of its matches on DD Sports. The wider reach of the tournament will play an instrumental role in inspiring more youngsters to engage from the remotest part of the country as well as introduce the game to the youths in metro cities. It resonates with our mission to be omnipresent and ensure more and more talent gets noticed with the series,” said Yuva Kabaddi Series CEO Vikas Gautam.

    In the recent time, DD Sports has broadcasted all kinds of sports which includes big-ticket events like 2023 Cricket Asia Cup and it also forged strategic partnerships with entities such as the FIFA Women’s World Cup, NBA and PGTA, among others in order to tap the large audience base with fresh sports content.

    The Monsoon Edition of CARS24 Yuva Kabaddi Series kicked off on 24 September at the Fatima College Indoor Stadium in Madurai. The tournament will conclude on 22 October. Currently, Chola Veerans are leading in the promotion round with 19 points followed by Nilgiri Knights on 17 points.

    This tournament provides a professional platform for India’s next-gen players (U-23, Below 80 kgs), grooming them for the biggest stage and also allowing them to showcase their talent within an extremely competitive framework. Till date, the series has witnessed the active participation of over 1400 youth players, who have engaged in 689 matches, facilitated by 76 coaches and overseen by 177 officials. Players from across the country join to be part of the series, making it truly a sport of the nation as the widespread participation highlights the growing popularity and reach of Kabaddi.

    Since the inaugural edition of Yuva Kabaddi Series in 2022, it has been also consistently streamed on FanCode, catering to its strong user base of over 100 million and successfully reaching out to a younger fanbase.

    Beyond creating a viable career pathway in the sport, the series also emphasises the development of well-rounded individuals. Players also receive support in areas such as financial literacy, media training, and training in nutrition during their time with the Yuva Kabaddi Series as part of the tournament gratification.

  • Commonwealth Games 2022 to air exclusively on DD Sports

    Commonwealth Games 2022 to air exclusively on DD Sports

    Mumbai: Doordarshan Sports began to bring all the action live from the 2022 Commonwealth Games ground till the end of the 2022 edition of the Commonwealth Games.

    DD Sports began broadcasting on 28 July 2022, with the grand opening ceremony at Birmingham’s Alexander Stadium. An Indian contingent of 215 sportspeople is competing in 16 sports categories. Because multiple tournaments are taking place at different venues at the same time, the DD Sports broadcast includes extensive coverage of the various events at the games, with a primary focus on all India-related matches, activities, and participation.

    Every day, the broadcast on DD Sports begins at 12 p.m (IST) and continues until the end of the event. DD Sports’ daily broadcast also includes a half-hour pre-show with sports experts and journalists who provide insight into the day’s events. DD Sports anchors provide viewers with information about upcoming events during the day’s breaks.

    Apart from the live broadcast on the DD Sports channel, All India Radio, DD Sports, and All India Radio Sports Twitter handles provide regular updates on the ground.

    72 nations are participating in the Commonwealth Games 2022 being held in Birmingham, England.

  • FanCode & DD Sports partner for exclusive TV broadcast of India tour of West Indies

    FanCode & DD Sports partner for exclusive TV broadcast of India tour of West Indies

    MUMBAI: The Indian cricket team will play with West Indies in an eight-match series comprising three ODIs and five Twenty20 Internationals. The series will run from 22 July – 7 August 2022. The matches will stream digitally on the Dream11-owned platform FanCode. The company, which has the rights for West Indies Cricket till 2024 has sub-licensed the broadcast rights to free-to-air (FTA) platform DD Sports, which is available in 210 million homes across the country. Sports-only digital platform FanCode has announced the exclusive partnership with DD Sports aims to build accessibility for the tour for television viewers across the country.

    This marks the first time in over two decades that the pubcaster will exclusively telecast Indian cricket on the television. The matches will be on air during primetime. ODIs start at 7 p.m and T20Is start at 8 p.m.

    Prasar Bharati CEO Mayank Kumar Agrawal said, “Cricket is the undisputed leader in sports & entertainment in India. Even in the fast-growing digital age, there continues to be a significant market and audience for sports consumption on television, and we are glad to bring the upcoming India tour of the West Indies to the masses through DD Sports. While FanCode is building a unique digital experience for sports fans, their extension of rights to DD Sports will mean wider access to all sports fans for the series.”

    FanCode co-founder Prasana Krishnan said, ”FanCode’s single-most objective is to provide superlative user experience and solve for accessibility gaps fans to witness in sports consumption and experience, in line with the government’s vision to transform India’s adaptability for digital through initiatives like Digital India. DD Sports’ reach in smaller cities and towns is unbeatable, making it the ideal platform to televise the India tour of West Indies, while we continue to build a superior digital experience for fans nationally.”

    The series for the record will be absent on private channels. Normally DD only airs India cricket on Freedish for which content sharing by the rights holder is mandatory. In this case, the rights holder is a subscription-based digital platform that does not have a TV channel. Last year, FanCode had inked a deal with the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) to air the series until 2024. During the rights period, India is also scheduled to make another visit to the West Indies besides the upcoming series.

    Other teams who will visit the West Indies in the rights period for cricket series include England, Australia, South Africa and Pakistan. Earlier, WICB rights were with Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI).

    FanCode decided to go after consolidated rights (TV+Digital) as it wants to grow its subscriber base. It has been learnt that the rates on DD Sports are Rs 3 lakh for a spot on ODIs and Rs 5 lakh for the Twenty20 Internationals. Vin Global Media is the sales agent that is selling the series on DD Sports to advertisers. Ad revenue is the norm and will be shared 75:25 in favour of the rights holder who in this case is FanCode.

    Advertisers are said to be surprised that the series is on FTA. The last two Twenty20 Internationals will be played in Florida, America.

    Lodestar UM VP Avinash Hegde said that the good news is that the matches are in primetime. At the same time, marketing and promotional activities will need to be done to inform consumers that the matches are going to be available on TV exclusively on DD Sports. “Consumers were used to watching West indies cricket matches on Sony. The need would be to see how Doordarshan manages to communicate to the cricket fans and promote the series effectively. The series not being on a private broadcaster could see a small amount of viewer disconnect. So the communication must be effective. This is where things will settle”. FanCode will also need to do effective marketing to drive cricket fans to its subscription platform.

  • Sony Sab continues as most watched pay TV Hindi GEC across genres

    Sony Sab continues as most watched pay TV Hindi GEC across genres

    BENGALURU: Sony Pictures Network India (SPN) Sony Sab continued as the most watched pay TV Hindi GEC in week 11 of 2019 (Saturday, 14 March 2020 to Friday, 20 March 2020, week or period under review). The channel had replaced Viacom18’s flagship Hindi GEC Colors which until recently had been the most watched Hindi GEC for a few weeks in 2020.

    Most watched pay channels across genres in week 11 of 2020

    Five Hindi GECs and one channel each from the Hindi Movies, Kannada, Kids, Telugu and Tamil genres comprised BARC’s weekly list of the Top 10 Pay Channels Across Genres for week 11 of 2020. There were three channels from Sony Pictures Network India (SPN), two channels each from Star India, Viacom18 and Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (Zeel) and one channel from the Sun Tv Network. Eight of the channels were GECs’, while there was one each from the Kids and Hindi Movies genres during the week under review.

    The list of top 10 pay channels across genres for week 11 of 2020 was the same up to rank 4 as compared to the previous week. Star India’s flagship Tamil GEC Star Vijay exited the list in week 11 of 2020 and was replaced by Viacom18’s kids channel Nick.Colors climbed up a place to fifth rank, while Zeel’s flagship Hindi GEC dropped a place to sixth rank in week 11 of 2020 from fifth rank in the previous week. SPN’s Hindi Movies retained its 10 rank in the list in week 11 of 2020. SPN’s flagship GEC Sony Entertainment Television also dropped a place to eighth rank in week 11 of 2020 as compared to seventh rank in the previous week.

    Refer to the figure below for ratings of the Top 10 Pay Channels Across Genres for weeks 10 and 11.

    Most watched free channels across genres in week 11 of 2020

    Enterr 10 Television’s Hindi GEC Dangal led BARC’s weekly list of Top 10 Free Channels Across Genres in week 11 of 2020, as it had in the previous weeks. Dangal has generally been the most watched channel across genres ever since BARC recommenced publication of data in week 13 of 2019 after the implementation of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India or TRAI’s New Tariff Order or NTO.

    During the period under review, four channels from the Hindi Movies and three channels from the Bhojpuri from Hindi GEC,two channels from the Bhojpuri and one channel from the Hindi Music genre comprised BARC’s weekly list of Top 10 Free Channels in week 11 of 2020.  Four of the channels were from Zeel and there were three channels from Enterr 10 Television, two channels from B4U and one channel from the SkyStar Network.

    Nine of the channels in BARC’s weekly list of Top 10 Free Channels in week 10 of 2020 were the same as in the previous week with changes in ranks. B4U’s Bhojpuri channel B4UBhojpuri exited the list in week 11 of 2020, while SkyStar’s Hindi Movies channel ABZY Movies reentered the list.

    Please refer to the figure below for ratings of the Top 10 Free Channels Across Genres for weeks 10 and 11

    Most watched channels on all platforms across genresin week 11 of 2020

    Dangal continued its domination of BARC’s weekly lists of Top 10 Channels on All Platforms Across Genres in week 11 of 2020 at rank 1 as it has in the recent past. The first five channels in BARC’s across genres on all platforms weekly list during week 11 were the same in rank and file as in week 10 of 2020. One channel reentered the list -Nick, while Star India’s Telugu GEC Star Vijay exited it.

    Nine of the 10 channels in BARC’s weekly lists of Top 10 Channels on All Platforms Across Genres in week 10 of 2020 were GECs’. Seven of the channels were Hindi GECs’, while there was one channel each from the Kids,Tamil and Telugu genres in the list. From the networks’ perspective, there were three channels from SPN, two channels each from Star India, Viacom 18 and Zeel and one channel from the Sun Tv Network.

    Refer to the figure below for ratings of the Top 10 Channels on All Platforms Across Genres for weeks 10 and 11


     

  • Southern channels continue Pay-TV viewership dominance across genres

    Southern channels continue Pay-TV viewership dominance across genres

    BENGALURU: In the recent past, channels in two South Indian languages, Tamil and Telugu, have been the most watched pay-TV channels across genres, according to Broadcast Audience Research Council of India (BARC) weekly data. There have been exceptions to this. The weeks when the annual cricketing bonanza Indian Premier League had been played had sports channels dominating viewership of pay-TV channels. Further, though Viacom18’s flagship Hindi GEC Colors became the second most watched pay-TV channel in the country in the start of 2020, the Sun TV Network’s Tamil GEC Sun TV led pay-TV viewership at rank one.

    Media reports from around the world stated that the World Health Organisation or WHO had declared the coronavirus outbreak as a pandemic on 11 March 2020. BARC data for week 10 of 2019 (Saturday, 7 March 2020 to Friday, 13 March 2020, week or period under review) of the top 10 Pay Channels Across Genres shows that Sun TV and Star India’s Star Maa were the first and the second most watched channels across genres. The duo had led pay-TV across genres weekly ratings for pervious week also.

    Most watched pay channels across genres in week 10 of 2020

    Five Hindi GECs, two Tamil and one channel each from the Hindi Movies, Kannada and Telugu genres comprised BARC’s weekly list of the Top 10 Pay Channels Across Genres for week 10 of 2020. There were three channels each from Sony Pictures Network India (SPN), Star India and Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (Zeel) and one channel from the Sun TV Network. Nine of the channels were GECs, while one was from the Hindi movies genre during the week under review.

    The list of top 10 pay channels across genres during the period was the same up to rank 7 as compared to the previous week. Star India’s flagship Tamil GEC Star Vijay climbed up to eighth place in week 10 of 2020 from tenth place in week 9. ZEEL’s flagship Kannada GEC dropped a place to ninth rank in week 10 of 2020 from eighth rank in the previous week. SPN’s Hindi Movies reentered the top 10 pay channels across genres list in week 10 of 2020, while the Sun Tv Network’s flagship Telugu GEC Gemini TV exited the list.

    Please refer to the figure below for ratings of the Top 10 Pay Channels Across Genres for weeks 9 and 10.

    Most watched free channels across genres in week 10 of 2020

    Enterr 10 Television’s Hindi GEC Dangal led BARC’s weekly list of Top 10 Free Channels Across Genres in week 10 of 2020, as it had in the previous weeks. Dangal has been the most watched channel across genres ever since BARC recommenced publication of data in week 13 of 2019 after the implementation of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India or TRAI’s New Tariff Order or NTO.

    During the period under review, three channels each from the Bhojpuri, Hindi GEC and Hindi Movies genres and one channel from the Hindi Music genre comprised BARC’s weekly list of Top 10 Free Channels in week 10 of 2020.  Four of the channels were from Zeel and there were three channels each from B4U and Enterr 10 Television.

    Nine of the channels in BARC’s weekly list of Top 10 Free Channels in week 10 of 2020 were the same as in the previous week with changes in ranks. Enterr 10 Television’s Marathi GEC Fakt Marathi exited the list in week 10 of 2020, while B4U’s Bhojpuri Movies channel B4U Bhojpuri reentered the list.

    Please refer to the figure below for ratings of the Top 10 Free Channels Across Genres for weeks 9 and 10

    Most watched channels on all platforms across genres in week 10 of 2020

    Dangal continued its domination of BARC’s weekly lists of Top 10 Channels on All Platforms Across Genres in week 10 of 2020 at rank 1 as it has in the recent past. The first eight channels in BARC’s across genres on all platforms weekly list during week 10 were the same as in week 9 of 2020 with a some shuffling of ranks. Two channels reentered the list -Zeel’s Hindi GEC Big Magic and Star Vijay, while two channels – Zeel’s Zee Kannada and Sun Tv Network’s Gemini TV exited it.

    All the 10 channels in BARC’s weekly lists of Top 10 Channels on All Platforms Across Genres in week 10 of 2020 were GECs’. Seven of the channels were Hindi GECs’, while there were two Tamil and one Telugu channel in the list. From the networks’ perspective, there were three channels from Star India, two channels each from SPN and Zeel and one channel each from Enterr 10 Television, Sun Tv Network and Viacom18.

    Please refer to the figure below for ratings of the Top 10 Channels on All Platforms Across Genres for weeks 9 and 10

  • Colors’ streak as most-watched pay Hindi GEC across genres continues

    Colors’ streak as most-watched pay Hindi GEC across genres continues

    BENGALURU: Network18/Viacom18’s flagship Hindi GEC Colors became the most watched Hindi GEC on the pay platform across genres in week 2 of 2019. The channel continued its most watched pay Hindi GEC channel across genres streak in week 7 of 2020 (Saturday, 15 February 2020 to Friday, 21 February 2020, period or week under review) according to Broadcast Audience Research Council of India (BARC) weekly data for the top 10 channels across genres on all platforms and top 10 pay channels across genres. Hence week 7 of 2020 was the sixth consecutive week that the channel was the most watched pay Hindi GEC across genres. It must be noted that Enterr10 Television’s free-to-air (FTA) Hindi GEC Dangal continued its run as the most watched channel across genres on all platforms as well as on the FTA platform.

    All the 10 channels in BARC’s weekly list of top 10 pay channels across genres on all platforms in week 7 of 2020 were GECs. Six were Hindi, two were Telugu and there was one channel each from the Kannada and Tamil genres. There were three channels from Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (Zeel), two channels each from Sony Pictures Network India (SPN) and Star India and one channel each from Enterr 10 Television, the Sun Tv Network Ltd and Network18/Viacom18. Nine of the most channels were on the pay platform, while one was FTA. 

    Please refer to the chart below:

    Top 10 Pay channels Across Genres

    As mentioned above, Colors was the most watched pay Hindi GEC across genres per BARC weekly data for top 10 pay channels across genres in week 7 of 2020. BARC commenced publishing data in the public domain of the top 10 pay channels across genres in week 35 of 2020. During the 19 weeks of 2019 for which data was publicly available, the first two ranks in BARC’s weekly pay TV across genres lists were generally held by Tamil and Telugu GECs. Colors has broken that trend in 2020 – the two most watched channels in the country were Tamil and Hindi GECs. The Sun Tv Network’s flagship Tamil GEC Sun TV was the most watched pay channel across genres in week 7 of 2020.

    Nine of the channels were GECs while one channel was from the kids’ genre in BARC weekly list of top 10 pay channels across genres in week 7 of 2020. There were five Hindi GECs, two Telugu GECs and one channel each from the Kannada GEC, kids and Tamil GEC genres in BARC’s weekly list of top 10 pay channels across genres in week 7 of 2020. From the networks’ perspective, there were three channels from Zeel, two channels each from SPN, Star India and Viacom18 and one channel from the Sun Tv Network  in BARC’s weekly list of Top 10 Pay channels Across genres in week 7 of 2020 were same as in the previous week with some shuffling of ranks. ETV Telugu, the Viacom18 associated Telugu GEC exited the list in week 7 of 2020 and was replaced by a kids channel from its own network – NICK. Please refer to the chart below:

    Top 10 Free channels Across Genres

    Dangal and Zeel’s Hindi GEC Big Magic continued to be the most watched free channels in BARC’s weekly list of top 10 free channels across genres in week 7 of 2020 at ranks one and two respectively. Nine of the channels in BARC’s FTA across genres list in week 7 of 2020 were the same as in the previous week. Zeel’s Zing exited the list while its recently launched Bhojpuri channel Zee Biskope entered. 

    There were four channels from Enterr10 Television and three channels each from B4U Network and Zeel. Four of the channels were Bhojpuri, three were Hindi movies, two were Hindi GECs and there was one channel from the Marathi genre in BARC’s weekly list in week 7 of 2020. Please refer to the chart below: