ITV

Tag: ETV

  • Regional stories steal the show as audiences tune out the usual

    Regional stories steal the show as audiences tune out the usual

    MUMBAI: Lights, camera, localisation! At the 9th edition of The Content Hub Summit 2025, the session on “The Rise and Rise of Regional Content” didn’t just capture attention, it underscored a seismic shift in what India watches and why. Gone are the days when Hindi content ruled unchallenged. From Marathi to Malayalam, Punjabi to Gujarati, regional languages are not only speaking up, they’re roaring loud across platforms and pushing boundaries with content that’s local in soul, but universal in appeal.

    Karan Taurani of Elara Capital, moderating the star-studded panel, noted that the 20th-ranked Hindi film today earns just ₹20 crore, a steep fall from pre-pandemic numbers where the 20th film could clock in Rs 70–Rs 80 crore. Rabindra Narayan, MD of PTC, echoed this, citing how Punjabi film Sehra raked in Rs 100 crore just from Maharashtra, denting a mainstream release like Bhabhi by an estimated Rs 20–Rs 30 crore.

    Rishi Negi of Banijay Asia pointed out that while Hindi struggles with resonance, regional films like Pushpa and KGF succeed because they tell stories rooted in emotion whether it’s a son seeking acceptance or avenging his mother. These narratives, Negi argued, transcend language and connect with audiences across demographics.

    The session also touched on the economics of production. Making content in regional languages isn’t just creatively liberating, it’s cost-effective too. With South Indian films now commanding higher acquisition budgets than Hindi titles on platforms like Netflix, the tide has clearly turned.

    Mamta Kamtikar from Junglee Pictures highlighted how Malayalam film Lones, produced on a modest budget, became a critical and cultural success due to strong storytelling and a buzz-worthy release strategy. “It’s not just about making a film,” she stressed, “it’s about making it travel emotionally and linguistically.”

    This brings us to another hot-button topic: localisation. Avinash Mudaliar of OTTplay noted that dubbing and subtitling in India have undergone a transformation. “Earlier, South Indian action films just needed punchy dialogues. Now, dubbing is almost script-rewriting. It’s no longer a mechanical job, it’s cultural translation.”

    But the challenge isn’t just about turning Tamil into Hindi. As Arpit Mankar of Shemaroo explained, a joke that lands in Delhi might bomb in Bengal. Comedy, drama, even character arcs need regional nuance something only local creators truly understand. That’s why Shemaroo has gone deep into Gujarati OTT, helping three films cross ₹10 crore in the first half of 2025 alone triple the usual annual average.

    ETV Win’s Saikrishna Koinni and others agreed: regional makers have the home-field advantage. They live the language, breathe the culture, and write stories with lived authenticity that no algorithm or distant studio exec can replicate.

    And there’s money on the table too. With over 33 OTTs now bundled into super-subscription packs and growing willingness to pay, regional content is not just filling the gap, it’s the main event.

    In short, India’s entertainment engine is no longer fuelled solely by Bollywood dreams. It’s powered by local love, dubbed brilliance, and subtitles that speak volumes. And if this panel is anything to go by, the future of Indian content is decidedly regional and refreshingly relatable.

  • Bharath C.S. takes the helm as content director at Kuku TV

    Bharath C.S. takes the helm as content director at Kuku TV

    BENGALURU: Bharath C.S.., a seasoned creative director with over two decades of experience in content creation and digital production, has been appointed as the new content director for micro drama at Kuku TV. The move, effective June 2025, sees Bharath bringing his extensive background from industry giants like Amazon and various top television networks to the burgeoning micro-drama segment.

    With a career spanning leadership roles at Amazon, Culture Machine, Udaya TV, Zee TV, ETV, and UTV, Bharath has consistently delivered high-impact content across television, digital, and over-the-top (OTT) platforms.

    During his tenure at Amazon, he was instrumental in spearheading the MPAM automation tool, which significantly enhanced content delivery speed and precision. His impressive portfolio includes producing over 500 television shows (both fiction and non-fiction), more than 1,000 television commercials, and over 100,000 digital assets.

    At Culture Machine, he successfully established regional digital channels, tapping into the unique cultural landscape of south India and boosting engagement for Tamil and Telugu audiences.

    Bharath’s appointment is expected to bolster Kuku TV’s strategic and creative output in the rapidly evolving digital content space, particularly in the creation of concise, impactful narratives

  • Laqshya Media promotes Satyabrata Das to chief alliance officer

    Laqshya Media promotes Satyabrata Das to chief alliance officer

    MUMBAI: There could only be one place he could go: up. And so he has. In his seventh year,  at Laqshya Media group, strategic alliances specialist/COO MediaKeys Satyabrata Das has been elevated to chief alliance officer.

    The Alok Jalan-run Laqshya Media group, is involved in various activities tight from outdoor, experiential marketing to events.

    Satyabrata Das has many stripes to his credit during his 26-year long career. He worked in cable TV at Ortel Communications after finishing his education, then moved on to ETV, followed up with short stays at SAB TV, and then Zee Telefilms. It was on to Laqshya Media group for four years where he ended up as national business coordinator. STPL was his next stop followed by working in consulting as an executive advisor for 11 years. 

     Laqshya Media was his next destination where he has been for seven years.

     

  • NTO 2.0: ETV publishes new RIO effective 1 December

    NTO 2.0: ETV publishes new RIO effective 1 December

    Mumbai: Eenadu TV (ETV) has published its reference interconnection offer (RIO) issued under telecommunications (broadcasting and cable) services interconnection (addressable systems) regulations, 2017 for all distribution platforms. The new RIO will be effective from 1 December onwards. 

    The tariffs for TV channels mentioned in the RIO adhere to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) new tariff order (NTO) 2.0.

    The channel operates 24 channels and is offering three bouquets to viewers. Its Telugu general entertainment channel ETV Telugu and ETV HD are priced greater than Rs 12. As per new tariff regime 2.0 order, Trai has mandated that a channel’s MRP must not exceed Rs 12 for it to be included in any bouquet.

    The implementation of the new tariff order 2.0 is on hold as broadcasters under the aegis of the Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF) have challenged the Trai order in the Supreme Court. The final hearing on the matter is scheduled for 30 November.

  • Synpronize enters into multiple key African content deals in Ghana, South Africa, and for pan-Africa

    Synpronize enters into multiple key African content deals in Ghana, South Africa, and for pan-Africa

    MUMBAI: Nitin Michael and Hasnaa Descuns, co-founders of Synpronize, a Dubai-based content distribution and production company, announced that multiple program deals were entered into for Africa with eTV, Onua TV, and StarTimes. 

    Drama series Cello was licensed to Onua TV in Ghana. This intriguing tale explores an indecent proposal, following what happens when compelling circumstances prevent a cellist and her pianist husband from starting their life-long dream business project, an unscrupulous businessman steps in with an unscrupulous offer, and the couple find themselves torn between integrity and their desire for money. Cello is originally an Arabic production that aired on MBC which is the Middle East’s leading broadcast network. 

    eTV licensed romantic drama series Piya Naam Ka Diya (aka All for Love) that talks about a simple girl who falls in love with the wrong man without seeing true love that was right in front of her. It takes us on her journey of discovering her feelings, her goals and finding a balance in life.

    A deal was done with major African Pay TV platform, StarTimes for two drama series — Swaragini (aka A Tale of Two Sisters), a tale about the life of two half-sisters bought up witnessing the fierce rivalry of their family, especially their grandparents; and Gathbandhan (aka The Odd Couple) – a gripping story of two opposites: a gangster and a police officer and how their lives intertwine. These programs were originally in Hindi and telecast on one of India’s top-rated TV channels Colors.

    Hasnaa Descuns stated: “ Synpronize is thrilled to have such a great reception for our premium dramas in several African countries with great partners such as eTV, StarTimes, and Onua TV. Synpronize is expanding further into Africa and these partnerships are indicative of the great relationships that help us build our company reach and the high-production and compelling dramas will delight and engage audiences everywhere.

    Media General GH LTD, Ghana programs head Joel Hammond stated: “We are grateful to Nitin and Hasnaa for bringing us Cello for Onua TV. Synpronize is a trusted partner in the region and we look forward to a long and fruitful association. Our audiences are sure to enjoy this superbly produced drama series.”

    eTV content specialist Marli Schulze   added, “We are continuously scouring the globe in search of uplifting stories that will resonate with our discerning viewers. We are excited to test Piya Naam Ka Diya as a fine example of Pakistani-produced content.”

  • Network18 reports lower loss on lower revenue due to Covid2019

    Network18 reports lower loss on lower revenue due to Covid2019

    BENGALURU: Mukesh Ambani’s Network18 Media & Investments Ltd (Network18) reported 34.5 percent decline in consolidated operating revenue for the quarter ended 30 June 2020 (Q1 2021, quarter or period under review) as compared to the corresponding quarter of the previous fiscal (Q1 2020). Consolidated operating EBITDA for the quarter reduced 40.9 percent as compared to the corresponding period of the last year. The company reported lower consolidated loss of Rs 60.60 crore for Q1 2021 2020 as compared to loss of Rs 127.66 crore reported in the the corresponding year ago quarter.

    The company says in an earnings press release for Q1 2021 that the COVID2019 linked clampdown on spending by advertisers dragged ad-revenues sharply, especially on Entertainment. However, TV subscription revenue remained resilient, and Digital subscriptions have accelerated. The business strategy and operating methodology were re-engineered amidst a strategic review to address the current challenging environment.

    The company said further that the cost base was comprehensively reset across verticals, as the organisation embraced tech-solutions and a leaner, nimbler approach. Operating EBITDA dipped on account of the revenue drag. However, aggressive and broad-based cost-controls across business verticals limited the fall. Consolidated PAT improved YoY led by a decline in finance costs.

    Network18’s reported consolidated operating revenue in Q1 2021 and Q1 2020 was Rs 807.07 crore and Rs 1,242.12 crore respectively. Consolidated operating EBITDA for Q1 2021 and Q1 2020 was Rs 27.39 crore and  Rs 46.35 crore respectively.

    Network18 reports revenue from two streams – (1) TV18 Broadcast Ltd or TV18 which comprises of News (TV18 standalone) and Entertainment (Viacom18+AETN+Indiacast) and (2) Digital, Print and Others. It must be noted that Viacom18 and AETN18 are 51 percent entertainment subsidiaries of TV18, while distribution-arm Indiacast is a 50:50 JV of TV18 and Viacom18. TV18's 24.5 percent minority stake in Telugu entertainment associate Eenadu TV (Ramoji Rao group) is not included in the TV18’s numbers.

    TV18 Broadcast Ltd's numbers for Q1 2021

    TV18 Broadcast Ltd (TV18) consolidated revenue reduced 35 percent in Q1 2021 to Rs 776 crore from Rs 1,1,98 crore in Q1 2020. TV18 consolidated operating EBITDA declined 43 percent in Q1 2021 to Rs 44 crore from Rs 77 crore in Q1 2020.

    News (TV18 standalone) reported 27 percent decline in operating revenue for Q1 2020 as compared to Q1 2020.  TV18 standalone or News revenue declined in Q1 2021 to Rs 230 crore from Rs 298 crore in Q1 2020. Operating EBITDA for News (TV18 standalone) dropped 82 percent in Q1 2021 to Rs 4 crore from Rs 20 crore in Q1 2020. Its contribution grew to about 30 percent to the revenues of TV18 consolidated revenues in Q1 2021 from about 25 percent in Q1 2020.

    The larger revenue stream for TV18 is Entertainment, which had revenue drop of 39 percent y-o-y during the same period.

    Entertainment revenue was Rs 546 crore for Q1 2021 and Rs 899 crore in Q1 2020. Entertainment revenue also includes subscription revenue – the company reported 6 percent growth in subscription revenue for Q1 2021 to Rs 450 crore from Rs 424 crore in Q1 2020 Operating EBITDA for Entertainment dropped 29 percent during the quarter under review to Rs 41 crore as compared to Rs 57 crore in Q1 2020

    Print, Digital and others and intercompany eliminations (Others) numbers

    Print, Digital and others and intercompany eliminations (Others) operating revenue for Q1 2021 reduced 35 percent to Rs 31 crore from Rs 48 crore in Q1 2020. Operating EBITDA for Q1 2021 was a lower operating loss at Rs 17 crore as compared to an operating loss Of Rs 31 crore in Q1 2020.

    Let us look at the other numbers reported by Network18 for Q1 2021

    All numbers in this report are consolidated unless stated otherwise.

    Total expenditure in Q1 2021 declined 33.4 percent y-o-y to Rs 871.65 crore from Rs 1,307.87 crore in the corresponding period of the previous year. Marketing distribution and promotional expense during the quarter under review decreased 32 percent y-o-y to Rs 171.54 crore in Q1 2021 from Rs 252.13 crore in Q1 2020. Employee benefits expense in Q1 2021 reduced 18.1 percent y-o-y to Rs 222.91 crore from Rs 272.01 crore in Q1 2020. Operational costs in Q1 2021 reduced 48.3 percent y-o-y to Rs 297.04 crore from Rs 574.32 crore in the corresponding year ago quarter. Finance cost declined 15.7 percent y-o-y to Rs 53.06 crore from Rs 62.91 crore in the corresponding quarter of last year. Other expenses in Q1 2021 declined 11.4 percent y-o-y to Rs 88.19 crore from Rs 99.59 crore.

    Company speak:

    Network18 chairman Adil Zainulbhai said: “The quarter that went by was the most challenging period that the industry has witnessed in many decades. That we are emerging on the other side bears testimony to our ability to question and modify established ways of operating, realign priorities and maintain focus, all while keeping our workforce safe and our audiences engaged. Our staff and employees undertook a heroic effort to adjust to the challenges posed by the pandemic, and kept our channels and properties running. We are proud of the personnel that kept the show going amidst trying circumstances, especially for the News18 network that provided peerless coverage and relevant campaigns during the pandemic. As we resume original content production in Entertainment amidst tight protocols, we wish to thank our audiences who have stood by us over the years. Growing TV and Digital media consumption, a nimbler business strategy and further-strengthened core brands in our portfolio…..we believe this is indeed the new normal.”

  • Entertainment drives Network18, TV18 numbers up

    Entertainment drives Network18, TV18 numbers up

    BENGALURU: Mukesh Ambani’s Network18 Media & Investments Limited (Network18) reported 4.7 per cent growth in consolidated operating revenue for the year ended 31 March 2020 (FY 2020, year under review) as compared to the previous fiscal (FY 2019). Consolidated operating revenue for the quarter ended 31 March 2020 (Q4 2020, quarter under review) grew 19 per cent as compared to the corresponding year ago quarter (Y-o-Y).  Consolidated operating EBIDTA for the year and the quarter grew 191.2 per cent and almost twentyfold (up 1,888.1 per cent) as compared to the corresponding periods of the last year. The company reported profit after tax for FY 2020 and Q4 2020 as compared to losses reported in the previous year and the corresponding year-ago quarter. 

    Network18’s reported consolidated operating revenue in FY 2020 and FY 2019 was Rs 5,375.15 crore and Rs 5,116.18 crore, respectively. For Q4 2020 and Q4 2019 it was Rs 1,464.51 crore and Rs 1,230.93 crore. Consolidated operating EBIDTA for FY 2020, FY 2019, Q4 2020 and Q4 2019 was Rs 616.92 crore, Rs 211.88 crore, Rs 225.11 crore and 11.34 crore, respectively. 

    Network18 reports revenue from two streams – (1) TV18 Broadcast Limited or TV18 which comprises News (TV18 standalone) and Entertainment (Viacom18+AETN+Indiacast) and digital, print and others. It must be noted that Viacom18 and AETN18 are 51 percent Entertainment subsidiaries of TV18, while distribution-arm Indiacast is a 50:50 JV of TV18 and Viacom18. TV18's 24.5 percent minority stake in Telugu entertainment associate Eenadu TV (Ramoji Rao group) is not included in the TV18’s numbers.

    Network18 reported profit after tax (PAT) of Rs 56.14 crore for FY 2020 as compared to a loss of Rs 177.60 crore in the previous year. For Q4 2020, PAT was Rs 60.19 crore as compared to a loss of Rs 75.57 crore in Q4 2019. 

    TV18 Broadcast Limited numbers 

    TV18 Broadcast Limited (TV18) consolidated revenue grew five percent in FY 2020 to Rs 5,175 crore from Rs 4,943 crore. TV18 consolidated revenue for Q4 2020 grew 21 per cent to Rs 1,425 crore from Rs 1,182 crore in Q4 2019. 

    TV18 consolidated EBIDTA grew 124 per cent in FY 2020 to Rs 703 crore from Rs 314 crore in FY 2019. Consolidated EBIDTA for Q4 2020 grew 365 percent to Rs 240 crore from Rs 52 crore in Q4 2019. 

    Though News (TV18 standalone) reported seven per cent growth in FY 2020 as compared to FY 2019, it contributes about 22 per cent to the revenues of TV18 consolidated revenues. The larger revenue stream for TV18 is entertainment, which had revenue growth of four per cent during the same period. TV18 standalone or news revenue grew seven per cent in FY 2020 to Rs 1,150 crore from Rs 1,079 crore in FY 2019. 

    Entertainment revenue grew four percent as mentioned above to Rs 4,025 crore from Rs 3,863 crore. Entertainment revenue also includes subscription revenue – the company reported 43 per cent growth in subscription revenue for FY 2020 to Rs 1,811 crore from Rs 1,269 crore in FY 2019. This implies that without subscription, revenue from other streams of entertainment declined in FY 2020 as compared to FY 2019. 

    News (TV18 standalone) operating EBIDTA grew five per cent in the year under review to Rs 97 crore from Rs 93 crore in FY 2019. Entertainment operating EBIDTA grew 174 per cent in FY 2020 to Rs 606 crore as compared to the Rs 221 crore in the previous year. 

    News (TV18 standalone) revenue for Q4 2020 grew 4 per cent to Rs 301 crore from Rs 288 crore in Q4 2019. Entertainment revenue for the same period grew 26 per cent to Rs 1,124 crore from Rs 893 crore. Subscription revenue for Q4 2020 grew 41 percent to Rs 468 crore from Rs 332 crore. 

    Operating EBIDTA for News (TV18 standalone) grew 11 percent in Q4 2020 to Rs 35 crore from Rs 31 crore in Q4 2019. Operating EBIDTA for Entertainment grew 901 percent during the quarter under review to Rs 206 crore as compared to Rs 21 crore in Q4 2019. 

    Print, digital and others and intercompany eliminations (others) numbers 

    Print, digital and others and intercompany eliminations (others) operating revenue in FY 2020 increased five per cent to Rs 182 crore from Rs 173 crore in FY 2019. Others operating EBIDTA in FY 2020 was a lower operating loss of Rs 86 crore as compared to an operating loss of Rs 102 crore in FY 2019. 

    Others operating revenue for Q4 2020 reduced 20 per cent to Rs 40 crore from Rs 49 crore in Q4 2019. Operating EBIDTA for Q4 2020 was a lower operating loss at Rs 15 crore as compared to an operating loss in Q4 2019. 

    Company speak: 

    Network18 chairman Adil Zainulbhai said: “The COVID-19 pandemic is a major blackswan event, which has dragged the economy and the advertising environment as a result. The

    immediate impact on the ad-driven media industry will be significant; however an increasing proportion of subscription revenues will help us pull through. Amid uncertain times, the strength of our brands and our class-leading content creation capabilities continues to shine through. We are proud of the coverage being provided by the News18 Network despite trying circumstances. The growth in media consumption witnessed augurs well for the future, as some of the increased engagement will be sticky even once the pandemic tapers off. We have stayed the course on our digital impetus and sharp focus on profitability.”

  • Football Series ‘Supa Strikas’ from Moonbug to be launched in India

    Football Series ‘Supa Strikas’ from Moonbug to be launched in India

    MUMBAI: Moonbug, a global entertainment company that develops and distributes fun and safe content for kids, today announced its hit video series Supa Strikas will now be showcased in India. The series has been licenced to Disney India. 

    Supa Strikas is a beloved South African digital and linear sports brand that follows the leading football team as they journey across the globe and to outer space on a quest to win the prized Super League trophy.

    “Supa Strikas’ lessons of fun, sportsmanship, respect and teamwork are incredibly relatable for audiences from all backgrounds,” said Nicolas Eglau, Head of EMEA of Moonbug. “The program is already a top-viewed show on Disney Southeast Asia and Cartoon Network across Africa and will soon be available for viewers in India as well.”

    Supa Strikas, which debuted in 2009, is available in 27 languages and in over 100 countries worldwide. The show can be enjoyed across a variety of platforms, including: YouTube, Amazon, DisneyXD, Cartoon Network, ETV, MBC, TVP, Crave, Suria, Studio 23 and Zoom among others.

    Moonbug is an award-winning global entertainment company providing fun and safe content for children. Moonbug acquires, creates and distributes content for pre-school kids. The company, which is amongst the largest digital kids IP owners in the world, was co-founded by media veterans René Rechtman, CEO, and John Robson, COO, with main offices in London and Los Angeles.

    Moonbug’s IP includes global sensations Little Baby Bum, My Magic Pet Morphle, Supa Strikas, Go Buster, Playtime with Twinkle, Gecko’s Garage and many more. Moonbug shows are available on global platforms such as YouTube, Netflix, Hulu, Roku, Sky, Amazon Prime Video and many more.

  • 2018’s most watch South Indian channels

    2018’s most watch South Indian channels

    BENGALURU: The South Indian television market is huge with a television penetration of about 95 percent. This paper is based on performance in terms of viewership –  and refers mainly to weekly impressions of top 5 channels in each of the four South Indian languages as per Broadcast Audience Research Council of India (BARC) data.

    The four major South India languages are (in order of populations of the major territories they are spoken in) Telugu in Andhra Pradesh/Telangana, Tamil in Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry, Kannada in Karnataka and Malayalam in Kerala. In terms of television households, Tamil Nadu leads because of its higher television penetration, followed by Andhra Pradesh/Telangana, Karnataka and Kerala in that order.

    Among the major networks, Star India, Sun TV Network, Viacom18/ETV and Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (Zeel) have channels that cater to the viewership pleasure of speakers of at least three of the four languages.

    Here below is the performance of the top channels for each of the four languages.

    Kannada Channels

    There were four Kannada channels – three Kannada GECs and one Kannada movie channel that featured in BARC’s weekly list of top 5 Kannada channels for all the 52 weeks of 2018. Two channels were from the Sun TV Network and there was one channel each from Viacom18/ETV Network and Zeel. In alphabetical order, they were: Colors Kannada (Viacom18/ETV), Udaya Movies and Udaya TV (Sun TV Network) and Zee Kannada (Zeel).

    The most watched Kannada channels in terms of the sum of weekly impressions for all the 52 weeks of 2018 were – Colors Kannada, Zee Kannada, Udaya TV and Udaya Movies in that order.

    Colors Kannada was ranked no 1 in BARC’s list of top 5 Kannada channels during all the 52 weeks of 2018. The channel garnered a total of 21.997 billion impressions (Average weekly impressions 423.011 million) during the 52 weeks of 2018. At second place for each of the 52 weeks of 2018 was Zee Kannada. Zee Kannada scored a total of 17.825 billion impressions (average weekly impressions 342.787 million) during the 52 weeks of 2018. 

    The third-most watched channel in terms for total impressions was Udaya TV which had 11.362773 billion impressions Average weekly impressions 218.515 million) during the 52 weeks of 2018. Udaya TV was ranked third for 46 weeks and fourth for 6 weeks in BARC’s weekly list of top 5 Kannada channels during the 52 BARC weeks of 2018. The fourth most watched channel was Udaya Movies – the channel was ranked fourth for 44 weeks, third for six weeks and fifth for two weeks of 2018. Udaya Movies scored 10.164323 billion impressions Average weekly impressions195.468 million) during the 52 BARC weeks of 2018.

    Two other channels that featured in BARC’s weekly lists of five most watched Kannada channels were Star India’s Kannada GEC Star Suvarna and Viacom18/ETV’s HD channel – Colors Kannada HD. Star Suvarna was present in BARC’s Kannada channels list for 46 of the 52 week of 2018 and Colors Kannada was present for 6 of 52 weeks of 2018. Please refer to the figure below:

    Malayalam Channels

    Four Malayalam GECs made it consistently to BARC’s weekly lists of top 5 Malayalam channels during all the 52 weeks of 2018. These channels were from Star India, Insight Media City and Malayala Manorama (MM) TV and Sun TV. In alphabetical order they were: Asianet (Star India), Flowers TV, Mazhavil Manorama (Malayala Manorama (MM) TV) and Surya TV (Sun TV).

    In order of total impressions for all the 52 weeks of 2018, the channels are ranked as Asianet, Surya TV, Flowers TV and Mazhavil Manorama. 

    Asianet was ahead of the pack by far – it garnered 15.766 billion impressions during the year with a weekly average of 303.186 million impressions. It was always ranked 1 during all the 52 weeks of 2108. Surya TV was second with 5.134 billion impressions during the year and a weekly average of 98.73740385 million impressions. Flowers Media was ranked third with 4.919 billion impressions during the 52 weeks of 2018 and a weekly average of 94.587 million impressions. At fourth rank was Mazhavil Manorama which had 4.891 billion impressions for the year at a weekly average of 94.062 million impressions. 

    Please refer to the figure below for weekly trends for these channels.

    Tamil channels

    As in the case of Kannada and Malayalam, there were four Tamil channels that appeared in BARC’s weekly list of top 5 Tamil channels during all the 52 weeks of 2018. Three channels were GEC, while one was a Tamil movie channel. Two channels were from the Sun TV Network and there was one channel each from Star India and Zeel. The four channels, alphabetical order, were KTV, Star Vijay, Sun TV and Zee Tamil.

    Sun TV was by far the most watched Tamil GEC in 2018. The channel clocked a massive 48.490 billion impressions during 2018 with weekly average impressions of 932.508 million during the period. At second rank was Star India’s flagship Tamil GEC Star Vijay with 22.697 billion impressions during the 52 weeks of 2018 and a weekly average of 436.477 million. 

    At third rank was Zeel’s flagship Tamil GEC Zee Tamil with 21.948 billion impressions during the year and a weekly average of 422.080 million impressions. At fourth rank was the Sun TV Network’s Tamil movies channel KTV with 15.896 billion impressions during the year and a weekly average of 305.696 million impressions during the 52 BARC weeks of 2018. Please refer to the figure below.

    Telugu Channels

    Like the other three South Indian languages markets, there were 4 channels that were present consistently in BARC’s weekly list of top 5 Telugu channels during all the 52 weeks of 2018. All four were GECs spread over four different networks – Viacom18/ETV, Star India, Sun TV Network and Zeel.

    In alphabetical order, these channels were ETV Telugu (Viacom18/ETV), Gemini (Sun TV Network), Star Maa (Star India) and Zee Telugu (Zeel).

    Star Maa was the most watched Telugu channel in 2018 with 29.184 billion impressions during the year at a weekly average of 561.236 million. Zee Telugu was ranked second with 25.274 billion weekly impressions at a weekly average of 486.029 million. At third place was ETV Telugu with 23.435 billion impressions during the year at a weekly average of 450.682 million impressions during BARC’s 52 weeks of 2018. At fourth place was Gemini TV with 22.818 billion impressions at a weekly average of 438.804 million impressions.

    South India is an exciting place for television viewers today as broadcasters vie for attracting more and more sticky eyeballs to their fares. There are about 225 channels spread across the four South Indian languages that beam into India, besides many more that beam South Indian language content into other geographies. New channel launches, HD channel launches were the name of the game in 2018. Viacom18/ETV lunched its Tamil GEC – Colors Tamil in 2018, Zeel lunched a Malayalam channel in 2018 – both the pan-India networks wanted to mark their presence in these markets.

    Besides, Star India has been wooing sports viewers in South India -it now has 3 sports channels in South Indian languages – the last one to be launched near the end of 2018 – Star Sports 1 Kannada. Earlier, on 7 December, the network had launched Star Sports 1 Telugu to join Star Sports 1 Tamil. The launch of Star Sports 1 Kannada took the Star Sports channel count to 15 with 10 standard definition and five high definition channels.

    As many as nine HD channels were launched by two pan India networks in South India. Seven of the new HD channels were Telugu– five GEC and two movies and one each GEC HD channel was launched in Kannada and Malayalam. Network18 through Viacom18 and ETV launched five, while Zeel launched four HD channels. Zee Kannada HD was launched on 3 November 2018, while Zee Telugu HD and Zee Cinemalu HD were launched on 1 January 2018. Zee Keralam HD was launched on 5 December 2018.

    As is obvious from above, among the 4 languages, it was Sun TV that topped BARC’s weekly ratings in Tamil, Star Maa that generally topped the weekly ratings in Telugu, Colors Kannada that topped the ratings in Karnataka and Asianet that topped the ratings in Malayalam during 2018.

    BARC data for top10 channels across genres NCCS All India 2+ reveals that the Sun TV Networks flagship Tamil GEC Sun TV is the most watched channel in the country. In 2018, Sun TV headed BARC’s list of top 10 channels across genres for 48 of the 52 weeks of 2018.It was only during some weeks of the eleventh edition of the Indian cricketing bonanza IPL that channel lost its prime position in BARC’s list of top 10 channels across genres for four of the seven IPL weeks. Sun TV, one of the earliest players in the Indian television industry, has continued to dominate the Tamil television market despite the entry of national level big networks in the Tamil market. However, the Sun TV Network channels in the Kannada and Telugu markets had to concede numero uno status to national level players.

    With the entry of strong players such as Viacom18/ETV and Zeel, ratings could have a shakeup, especially in the Tamil and Malayalam language space. Over the next few years time will tell which player will top the ratings. In the meantime viewers will be spoiled for choice with quality content being beamed into their televisions.
     

  • Sun continues to shine on its namesake broadcaster

    Sun continues to shine on its namesake broadcaster

    BENGALURU: Television penetration is high in South India about 95 per cent as compared to the national average of about 65 per cent. A little less than forty per cent of television viewership in India is from South India. According to a Sun TV Network investor presentation, the addressable television advertisement market for South Indian television broadcasters, which comprises national, regional and local level advertisers, is pegged at Rs 6,000 crore.

    The four major South Indian languages are (in order of populations of the major territories they are spoken in) Telugu in Andhra Pradesh/Telangana, Tamil in Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry, Kannada in Karnataka and Malayalam in Kerala. Besides, there is a global diaspora from South India that speaks one or more of these four languages. The largest regions in terms of population is Andhra Pradesh and Telangana combined, followed by Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala. In terms of television households, Tamil Nadu leads because of its higher television penetration, followed by Andhra Pradesh/Telangana, Karnataka and Kerala in that order. There are about 225 channels spread across the four South Indian languages that beam into India, besides many more that beam South Indian language content into other geographies.

    Networks, be they regional or pan-India, have been trying to attract as many eyeballs in these regions to their channels as they can. The focus in new channel launches seemed to be Telugu and to some extent Kannada in 2018. Though channels were launched in Tamil and Malayalam languages by major networks, it seemed more as efforts to enter these spaces, rather than to consolidate further.

    Among the major networks, Star India, Sun TV Network, Viacom18/ETV and Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (Zeel) have channels that cater to the viewership pleasure of speakers of at least three of the four languages. All of them would like to lead in each of the four languages. The Sun TV Network has channels across genres such as GEC, movies, music, kids and comedy in all the four languages. The network also has news and ‘life’ channels in Tamil and Telugu.

    As things stood, until 2018, only Sun TV Network and Star India had major channels in all the four languages. Zeel launched its Malayalam GEC Zee Keralam on 19 November 2018 and completed its quartet. The network had catered to only the Telugu, Tamil and Kannada audiences until then. With the launch of Zee Keralam, Zeel had five channels for South Indian viewers – Zee Telugu, Zee Kannada, Zee Tamil and Zee Cinemalu, a Telugu Movies channel.

    The major GECs from the Star India stable included Asianet for Malayalam, Star Vijay for Tamil, Star Suvarana for Kannada and Star Maa for Telugu. Besides, Star India has been wooing sports viewers in South India -it now has 3 sports channels in South Indian languages – the last one to be launched near the end of 2018 – Star Sports 1 Kannada. Earlier, on December 7, the network had launched Star Sports 1 Telugu to join Star Sports 1 Tamil. The launch of Star Sports 1 Kannada took the Star Sports channel count to 15 with 10 standard definition and five high definition channels.

    Another national network, Network18, through Viacom 18 and ETV, has also been making rapid strides to catch up with its peers in the South Indian space. Earlier in the year, on February 19, Viacom 18 Media Pvt Ltd (Viacom 18) had launched Colors Tamil. The company followed it up by launching a Kannada movies channels – Colors Kannada Cinema. Viacom 18 also started the Kannada feed of two of its kids’ channels – Nickelodeon and Nickelodeon Sonic. Through the ETV brand, the Network 18 group launched ETV Pus HD, ETV Life HD and ETV Aburichi HD, ETV Cinema HD were launched on December 27, 2018.

    As many as nine HD channels were launched by two pan India networks in South India. Seven of the new HD channels were Telugu– five GEC and two movies and one each GEC HD channel was launched in Kannada and Malayalam. Network 18 through Viacom 18 and ETV launched five, while Zeel launched four HD channels. Zee Kannada HD was launched on 3 November 2018, while Zee Telugu HD and Zee Cinemalu HD were launched on 1 January 2018. Zee Keralam HD was launched on 5 December 2018.

    2018 saw elections in a number of states in the country. It also saw launch of regional news channels in the south. NewsX Kannada, a Kannada news channel was launched in 2018, while in the Telugu News space, Thota Chandrasekhar who holds positions in actor-politician Pawan Kalyan’s Jana Sena Party, launched 99 TV on 11 July, 2018. The Jana Sena Party also reportedly supports another Telugu News channel that started test runs on 24 October 2018 -Prime9 News.

    According to a Broadcast Audience Research Council of India (BARC) presentation in April 2018, television viewership in 2017 grew by 32 per cent as compared to 2016. In South India, viewership of Kannada content led the growth, followed by Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam with 63 per cent, 33 per cent, 30 per cent and 16 per cent growth respectively. Comparatively, viewership of the largest language – Hindi, grew by 27 per cent.

    The Sun continues to shine on Sun TV

    BARC data for top 10 channels across genres NCCS All India 2+ reveals that the Sun TVv Networks flagship Tamil GEC Sun TV is the most watched channel in the country. In 2018, Sun TV headed BARC’s list of top 10 channels across genres for 48 of the 52 weeks of 2018. It was only during some weeks of the eleventh edition of the Indian cricketing bonanza IPL that channel lost its prime position in BARC’s list of top 10 channels across genres for four of the seven IPL weeks.

    Among the 4 languages, it was Sun TV that topped BARC’s weekly ratings in Tamil, Star Maa that generally topped the weekly ratings in Telugu, Colors Kannada that topped the ratings in Karnataka and Asianet that topped the ratings in Malayalam during 2018.

    Since week 1 of 2018, BARC has also started putting in the public domain weekly ratings of news channels in these languages – and there are more than forty of them spread across the four languages. Polimer News in Tamil, TV9 Telugu in Telugu, TV9 Kannada, and Asianet News in Malayalam were the regional news toppers according to BARC’s weekly list of top 5 news channels in each respective language during 2018.

    From the financial aspect, the Sun TV Network has been one of the most profitable media and entertainment companies in India. The company has been rewarding its shareholders with dividends for at least three of the four quarters of a fiscal. Financial year 2018-19 or FY 2018-19 (period between 01 April 2018 to 31 March 2019) seems to be no different – the company has already rewarded its shareholders with dividends for the two quarters for which it has declared results so far.

    Despite not having a number 1 position in BARC’s weekly lists of top 5 channels in Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam, the network’s channels have a huge combined viewership. The company claims in his investor presentation that about 29 per cent of the estimated Rs 4,500 crore television ad revenue and 60 per cent of subscription revenue of the four South Indian spaces accrues to it. The Sun TV Network’s revenue for FY 2018-19 was Rs 2,862 crore, profit after tax (PAT) was Rs 979 crore (36 per cent margin). Sun TV Network’s ad and subscription revenues for fiscal 2018-19 were Rs 1,172 crore and Rs 1,116 crore respectively.