Tag: GEC

Star India elevates Kevin Vaz as CEO of regional entertainment channels

MUMBAI: Star India has promoted Kevin Vaz as CEO of regional entertainment channels. The regions include Maharashtra, Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala and Karnataka.

Previously, Vaz was CEO of South entertainment channels. He has spent 22 years serving Star India. Before heading the entertainment channels in Southern market, he was the business head of English cluster. In 2015, he was roped in to head the youth and entertainment channel, Channel V.

Vaz, who has also worked as Star India’s president ad sales, became head of English channels (FX, Fox Crime, Star World, Star World HD, Star World Premiere HD, Star Movies, Star Movies Action) and Star Jalsha and Jalsha Movies in March 2013.

Star India has a very large bouquet of regional entertainment channels which includes, Star Jalsha, Star Pravah, Jalsha Movies, Maa Movies with their HD versions, Maa Gold, Maa Music to name a few.

Regional channels are outpacing many other genres in terms of growth and all large broadcasters have or are planning to enhance their regional channel bouquets. Most are entering markets not with just a GEC, but with a combined offering across entertainment, movies, kids and music.

In FY18, however, the ad expenditure on Hindi GECs declined by 9 per cent while the regional channels saw a spike of 5.4 per cent, outlining the overall growth of the regional market in India, according to KPMG in India’s Media and Entertainment report 2018.

According to FICCI 2018 Re-imagining India’s M&E sector report, the top 10 channel genres accounted for 47 per cent of total ad volumes. Of these, 30 per cent of all ad volumes were on Hindi channels, while the balance 17 per cent were from Tamil, Telugu and Bangla.

December 26, 2018
Digitisation leading to higher HD adoption in India

MUMBAI: High definition (HD) TV channels started launching in India years ago but it was only when digitisation happened on a large scale that the adoption of channels grew.

According to Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC), the total HD count in India has increased to 83 channels currently from 59 channels in 2016, witnessing a growth of 41 per cent since 2016. The first HD channel was National Geographic HD in 2010.

Of the 83 HD channels, 34 are English, 13 channels are Hindi and 10 of them have multiple languages feed. On the other hand, 50 channels out of 83 have both SD and HD feed.

While the number of channels has gone up by 41 per cent, the viewership share has grown by more than 160 per cent. The reason behind this viewership growth is most likely technology and distribution. There were 10-12 million subscribers availing HD services at the end of FY18, according to FICCI KPMG’s Media & Entertainment report 2018.

The DTH players have been the front-runners in up-selling HD services to their customers, whereas MSOs only managed to garner about 1-1.5 million HD subscribers.

KPMG partner and head – media and entertainment Girish Menon said, “The new television sets coming in the market are all HD-ready in some form or the other. Even the set top boxes which are coming out, sold by the DTH and cable operators, are all HD boxes. In that sense, from a hardware perspective, the market is steadily moving towards HD. The second trend which is happening from the content perspective is that all the television channels are now essentially converting and up-scaling their feed into HD. The content available in HD is also increasing. You will see more HD conversions happening, SD subscribers shifting to HD and a greater proportion of HD subscribers that are going to come in.”

If we look at the market contributing to HD viewership this year, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have the highest share of the pie with 18 per cent. Maharashtra and Goa contribute 16 per cent to the overall market.

“Maximum consumption in viewership is contributed by sports and GEC followed by movies. We will see more HD regional channels which will lead to growth of regional viewership. On the regional side, Tamil and Telugu markets will drive the HD growth,” he added.

GEC, movies and sports genre contributed 94 per cent to HD viewership this year with 59 per, 25 per cent and 10 per cent for each genre respectively.

The sports genre includes 12 HD channels in India across various broadcasters. As other sporting events apart from cricket are also gaining popularity among the youth, the consumption in HD is also increasing. The viewership share of sports genre is 10 per cent compared to 3 per cent share on SD channels.

The recently concluded FIFA WC 2018 led to a viewership growth of 1.5x on HD channels, compared to pre-FIFA weeks. IPL 2018 which took place earlier this year was telecast on more number of HD channels on Star India’s sports network and saw a 40x growth in HD Impressions over IPL 2017, according to BARC data.

As far as 4K technology is concerned, we are a long way off. “We are still seeing HD penetration growing. For 4K you need enough hardware and 4K TV, which at the moment are not there. Secondly, we don’t have 4K content directly available in India. We are three years away before we start seeing any traction in 4K technology,” he concluded.

September 14, 2018
Higher production values of OTT content won’t put pressure on TV biz: Punit Goenka

MUMBAI: With the growth of OTT market, all the big four broadcasters in India have ramped up their investment in digital ventures. To woo the online viewers, OTT platforms are producing high cost shows especially when it comes to originals. While there have been concerns that higher production values of OTT content might affect the content cost of TV business, Zee Entertainment MD and CEO Punit Goenka does not foresee such a scenario in his case.

Starting from Amazon Prime’s Inside Edge to Netflix’s Sacred Games, ZEEL’s digital venture ZEE5’s Karenjit Kaur, the star cast, and content quality clearly indicates the high budget of the shows, though the exact numbers have never been revealed.

Speaking in an earnings call, Punit Goenka said,“In terms of quality, I think it’s comparable to what television quality is because we use the same equipment. It will not put pressure on the television part because the sheer volume of television content that is being produced and the economies of scale that is being achieved there versus what we are producing for digital, the delta is far apart.” But he agreed that the content being made for digital platforms is of higher production value because of outdoor shoots and bigger stars.

Zee crates 500 hours of original content every week for broadcast while that is a mere 800 hours for the whole year on digital. “There is no per hour concept there, it is all story and concept-based content cost,” he added.

After creating a buzz in the Indian market thanks to its regional content, ZEE5 is expected to be launched globally soon. Commenting on that, Goenka said the global rollout will be completed in a phased manner. By the end of this fiscal year (FY 19), it will be available globally.

Goenka is very hopeful of Zee5’s international success.”If ZEE5 does cannibalise our existing subscription revenue in international markets I will be very happy with that because that’s a direct ownership of the customer that the company gets rather having it through a distributor. So that’s a good problem if it happens that way and that is one of the parts of our strategy of going global with ZEE5,” he said.

With the technological disruptors, the entertainment industry is always in a flux. 10 years ago, the entry of DTH players changed the industry. Then the increasing internet consumption with the entry of Jio bought another disruption. Now, as Jio with its FTHH connection eyes at 50 to 100 million households, there could be some structural changes especially affecting the broadcasters. However, that possibility does not concern Goenka.

“My view has always been, even when DTH came 10-11 years ago, that all technologies will coexist in a country of our size. So, cable will also coexist, DTH will coexist and even ZEE5 will work. So, it’s all going to be different services at different price points. For a content company like us, it doesn’t really matter because at the end all three are pipes. So, as long as my content is relevant, I will still get my value from consumer payout,” he said confidently.

However, with a realistic view, he expects ZEE5 to break even in next five years in stark contrast to several players who expect to break even within two-three years. According to him not only ZEE5 but the industry is still now in investment mode and there isn’t a chance to breakeven in the first three years.

Almost every OTT player has already struck deals with telecom players, but ZEE5 has not yet signed any telecom deal in India or overseas. Till the time it isn’t getting the right value of its content, there won’t be any such negotiation.

August 14, 2018
Zee TV the leader amongst GECs

MUMBAI: As per the recently released BARC HSM weekly data (Urban + Rural) for week 20 ’18, Zee TV has claimed the top position in Hindi GEC space with 316640 impressions in HSM and 199155 impressions in urban markets and saw a robust growth across its primetime fiction shows. The channel continued to be a leader for four consecutive weeks with an average of 327938 impressions’ 000 in HSM.

Despite the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL), Zee TV remained unaffected and was the only channel that grew 3% during the season. It was also No. 1 in prime time with 182894 impressions in ‘000 on the back of its top shows including Kundali Bhagya, Kumkum Bhagya and Ishq Subhaan Allah. The channel was also the leader across its primetime slots from 9:00 P.M. to 11:30 P.M. on weekdays with its shows – Kumkum Bhagya, Kundali Bhagya, Ishq Subhan Allah, Aap Ke Aa Jaane Se and Jeet Gayi Toh Piya Morre and weekends 9:00 P.M. to 10:30 P.M. with DID Li’l Masters.

Commenting on the ratings, Zee TV, Deputy Business Head, Deepak Rajadhyaksha said, “The continuous success of our fiction and non-fiction offerings is truly overwhelming. Zee TV has grown by leaps and bounds on the back of interesting concepts and storylines and our success stands proof to our steadily strengthening relationship with our viewers. We are extremely thrilled to be the number one Hindi general entertainment channel and humbled by the constant support of our partners and audience.”

May 24, 2018
SPN India appoints Ajay Bhalwankar to spearhead its upcoming Marathi GEC

MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) has appointed Ajay Bhalwankar as the Business Head for its upcoming Marathi general entertainment channel (GEC).

Byspending more than two decades in the media and entertainment industry, Ajay has a well-rounded understanding of all facets that define this sector. He has been associated with SPN since 2014. Prior to taking charge of the Marathi GEC, he was the Chief Creative Director at Sony Entertainment Television (SET) where his role was to provide creative leadership and direction to propel the channel amongst the top players across genres. Ajay has also served as content head for Hindi GECs at ZEE.

Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) N.P. Singh MD & CEO said, “The Marathi content viewers have a growing appetite for local content which resonates with their cultural fabric. By catering to this audience, SPN will expand its regional footprint. Ajay will play a vital role in delivering a channel experience that is relatable yet compelling. With extensive experience and in-depth understanding of the industry, I am confident that under Ajay’s leadership, SPN will make an impressive debut in the Marathi entertainment space.”

May 8, 2018
New GEC Star Prime in the works for Star India

MUMBAI: Star India is gearing up to spread its wings by adding a premium-offering channel to its bouquet of offerings. The new general entertainment channel (GEC) will offer premium content to the audience.

According to an industry source, the new channel will be called Star Prime. What is interesting about the development is that Star Prime could either be a television channel or be a part of the digital platform Hotstar or both.

However, when Indiantelevision.com reached out to Star India, a company official denied the news.

Star India is one of India’s largest media conglomerates, a fully owned subsidiary of 21st Century Fox. Star India is home to Star Plus, one of India’s top Hindi GECs. The network also owns a number of popular channels such as Star Bharat, Star Gold, Channel V, Star World, Star Movies, Star Utsav and Movies OK.

The company’s sports portfolio, Star Sports, consists of 12 channels across Hindi, English and Tamil. The company has a major presence in sports, most notably for its Rs 16,347.5 crore purchase of the Indian Premier League’s media rights for 2018-2022.

Also Read:

Sony to launch Marathi GEC

GECs aim to retain viewership with 8 show launches in March

Crime reality shows maybe doing more harm than good

March 15, 2018

Jeet storms the market with big debut week reach

MUMBAI: After entertaining the Indian audience for more than 20 years with world-class documentaries on food, science and survival, Discovery Communications India (DCIN) has entered the Hindi general entertainment category (GEC) with a bang thanks to Discovery Jeet. The channel, which launched on 12 February 2018, has backed up the rave reviews for its differentiated content with phenomenal reach.

According to Chrome DM data on 13 February 2018, Jeet secured high launch numbers with a Day Two OTS of 87.1 per cent across urban Hindi-speaking markets. The channel’s OTS was around 20 percentage points higher than the recent debut of Arnab Goswami led-Republic, which stood at 66.9 per cent during its launch in Week 20 of 2017. Chrome Data analytics and media CEO and founder Pankaj Krishna said, “Discovery Jeet has made an unprecedented distribution debut in the history of Indian television. With the Naaptol tie-up and multiple landing pages, Jeet has had a phenomenal launch.”

RANK	LAUNCH WEEK	CHANNELS	HSM (%)
1	WK-06, 2018	Discovery Jeet	87.1*
2	Wk-20, 2017	Republic TV	66.9%
3	Wk-10,2015	&TV	64.2%
4	Wk-26, 2014	Zindagi	59.1%

Source Chrome Track 2.0, 9 am, 13-02.2018

*Excluding Rural data; Rural data to be released once the weekly rural data is compiled

The channel is also available in the base pack of all the direct-to-home (DTH) channels, which means that even if a consumer purchases a pack with the minimum number of GECs, Discovery Jeet will be a part of the pack. This only ensures that the channel reaches most households across India. The channel is available in standard as well as high-definition feed, reaching 120 million households during the launch.

Moreover, DCIN, which launched the channel with distribution to more than 100 million households in the country, has signed on Netflix as the exclusive global OTT platform. With Jeet, DCIN is aiming to break the clutter in the Hindi GEC arena riding on purpose-driven entertainment content that is available in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. The network, however, does not intend to add more regional languages anytime soon. Jeet has launched with five hours of programming daily out of which three hours is bespoke, ground-up original programming built on the thesis of the underdog winning.

Broadcasters have been actively using landing pages to garner trials and, thereby, viewership for years with the idea being that higher the accessibility, greater the chances that the channel would attract trials and, therefore, repeat viewing.

“We have tied up with home-shopping channel Naaptol, which is a popular landing page on most MSOs. Naaptol shows two hours of snippety Jeet content everyday between its own content,” said Discovery Networks Asia Pacific senior VP and head affiliate sales Vijay Rajput.

Earlier this week, C&S Medianet announced that it had supported Dish TV India Ltd, Videocon D2H Ltd and Siti Cable Network Ltd and successfully brought to conclusion the interconnection agreement with DCIN. With the conclusion of the arrangement, Jeet has been prominently placed on all the three platforms.

On the comparison with Colors, Discovery Communications India senior VP and GM (South Asia) Karan Bajaj said that there were parallels to be drawn but the approaches were different. “While Colors was launched with a clear strategy to be number one in the space, Discovery Jeet made an entry into the market with a clear focus on the quality of the content. Our thesis has revolved around quality.” He added that were no concerns with how things turned out with Epic since the emphasis has been on content quality. Jeet’s shows follow the daily soap format so the focus is on engaging the viewer on a day-to-day basis.

Also Read :

Discovery Jeet gears up for Feb 12 launch

Not relying on movies to garner Jeet’s viewership: Karan Bajaj

Discovery launching Hindi GEC in Q4, re-brands ID as Discovery Jeet

February 19, 2018

FTA GECs bring in revenue despite low ad rates

MUMBAI: The formulation of the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) had one big advantage for channels. Regional reporting led to increased viewership for free-to-air (FTA) general entertainment channels (GEC) as well as higher advertiser interest. Star Bharat is the only FTA that has original content while others such as Zee Anmol, Rishtey, Sony Pala and Star Utsav show reruns of popular shows from their main channels. Though low on operational cost, are the channels making money?

Dentsu Aegis Network chairman & CEO – South Asia Ashish Bhasin says that advertisers follow eyeballs, regardless of where it comes from. “Advertisers pay for total target audience. Unlike TAM [the earlier measuring system], rural market is measurable with BARC. It is a fact that many categories are seeing much more growth in rural than in urban since they have reached near saturation in urban markets but rural is untapped.”

FTA channels are available without subscription but are digitally encoded and geographically restricted. According to SAB & MAX cluster senior EVP & business head Neeraj Vyas, “FTA is a zone which is growing and we are looking at a base between 25-30 million homes now. FreeDish is a very important platform to reach out to masses today. We reach out to those homes, which haven’t seen or sampled the kind of television viewed in the country. So, it is a critical platform to reach out to viewers and in turn, the viewers have also loved our content.”

FMCG brands dominate ads on FTA channels. MediaCom national director-buying K Srinivas Rao attributes this to their deep penetration in tier II and III cities. He says that the channels get 75-80 per cent of contribution from FMCG while smartphones, telecom players and two-wheelers have scope too.

For now, these channels don’t seem to be earning much but Vyas expects it to get better. “From an advertising standpoint, I think the bleeding levels will certainly get better. It is a matter of time and things are definitely on the right track. I think most of the channels in this space are making a reasonable amount of advertising money,” he says. Though ad rates are considerably lower, the operating costs are just one fourth of large GECs.

According to industry sources, prime time ad rates of FTA channels are 30-40 per cent of paid TV ones.

Rao believes that channels can make money because their only investment is staff cost even though ad rates are low for reruns. According to Bhasin, the ad rates can improve if these channels can increase viewership and sustain it over time.

Wavemaker India’s managing partner Navin Khemka opines that the FTA channels are high in demand and they are catering to a segmented audience. He added, “The operations costs will only increase as they invest in original content. This trend is on the rise with Star Bharat investing in content. And the results are showing.” He believes that the success of FTA channels is due to DD’s direct feed and penetration in small towns and rural India. He also stated that FMCG players are playing a key role in the patronage of these channels. However, newer categories like two wheelers and telecom are also emerging in rural regions.

Sony Pal is currently broadcasting Yam hai Hum, Baalveer, Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah, Kuch Rang Pyaar Ke Aise Bhi, Badi Dooooor Se Aaye Hai, Y.A.R.O Ka Tashan, Sankatmochan Mahabali Hanuman and CID. Sony Pal’s advertiser bouquet consists of Hindustan Unilever, Dabur, Colgate, Patanjali, Telcos brands, handsets brands etc.

Rishtey’s shows Na Aana Is Des Laado, Belan Wali Bahu, Tere Sang Yaara, Chakravartin Ashoka Samrat, Veer Shivaji and Radhaa Ki Betiyaan Kuch Kar Dikhayeng. Zee Anmol shows Kumkum Bhagya, Ek Mutthi Aasmaan, Laddoo, Santoshi Maa, Jamai Raja, Qubool Hai, Gangaa, Kaala Teeka and more.

Star Utsav is currently showing some epic shows of Star Plus and Channel V like Bhakton Ki Bhakti Mein Shakti, Ek Hasina Thi, Ishqbaaaz, Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon?…Ek Baar Phir, Sadda Haq – My Life, My Choice, Suhani Si Ek Ladki, Saath Nibhaana Saathiya, Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai and more.

Star Bharat has a big bouquet of original shows which include Kya Haal Mr. Paanchal, Jai Kanhaiya Lal Ki, Jiji Maa, Kaal Bhairav Rahasya, Nimki Mukhiya, Saam Daam Dand Bhed and more.

There are few regional FTA GECs but they will mushroom over time as soon as regional advertisers see the merit in them. Advertisers are keen on tapping rural India and with growing viewership, these channels are likely to form an important part of their budgeting portfolio.

Also Read :

Sony to launch Marathi GEC

‘Porus’ viewership soldiers on

‘Prithvi Vallabh’ is 20% history, 80% mystery: Anirudh Pathak

February 19, 2018
Eleven years on, ‘Bigg Boss’ still bankable as ever

MUMBAI: Ever since its launch more than a decade ago, reality show Bigg Boss has never failed to be an entertainment proposition for audiences. The first edition, with Arshad Warsi as the host on Sony Entertainment Television, saw a TRP rating of 2.72. After shifting to Colors for the next 10 years, it got the highest TRP rating of 6.99.

Bigg Boss 11 got a rating of 6.35 TRPs and the finale garnered 8.93 TRPs. This year, the show was also streamed on the Viacom18’s OTT app Voot, giving it a big boost in terms of views. A large chunk of the app’s viewers were hooked to the reality show. Those who couldn’t catch the live show, had the option of watching it on MTV or Voot (where it was available the next day).

Season four and 11 have been the series with the highest ratings and both had Salman Khan as host. Season four got 5.10 TRPs and 6.90 during the finale. There was a struggle to keep viewers hooked in season 8. Starting off with 5.65 TRPs, it nosedived to between 3.72 and 3.42 TRPs when Farah Khan hosted the show for a few episodes. The finale then got back to 6.14 TRPs.

Reports state that about Rs 4-5 crore is spent per episode, and it is the most expensive show for Colors. In a media report, Viacom18 COO Raj Nayak stated that renewals have been on a 12-15 per cent increase and spot buys for advertisements are being given at the rate of Rs 3-4 lakh per second.

Season nine saw record low ratings when Prince Narula was the winner. The tenth season saw a good spike, most likely due to the addition of commoners in the show and Manveer Gurjar was the winner. It got average TRP ratings of 3.54.

Bigg Boss 11 was watched by more than 151 million viewers in the first four weeks of its launch and the finale garnered 10.6 million impressions with 3.9 TVRs making it the highest ever viewership for any episode of non-fiction or reality show across Hindi GECs in the last one year.

Though Colors has time and again proved its mettle, we must see how long it can sustain the Bigg Boss phenomenon raging through India.

Also read:

What viewers say about Bigg Boss: Chrome DM survey

Viacom18’s social expt ‘Bigg Boss’ has ‘Super Bowl’-like fandom, says Raj Nayak, Salman to play ‘peacemaker’

“You call ‘Bigg Boss’ scripted or non-scripted you will end up watching it”- Abhishek Rege

February 8, 2018
Jeet draws first blood in GEC showdown

MUMBAI: After entertaining the Indian audience for more than 20 years with world-class documentaries on food, science, survival and more, Discovery Communications India (DCIN) is all set to entertain Indians with its general entertainment channel (GEC) Jeet. Slated to launch on 12 February 2018, the channel is already earning rave reviews for its content. The channel, which will launch with distribution to more than 100 million households in India, has already signed Netflix as the exclusive global OTT platform and has added another feather to its cap a week prior to its launch. The company has announced unprecedented consumer engagement for the entertainment domain with content trailers of Jeet achieving record high completion rate of 65 per cent on YouTube and 40 per cent on Facebook, more than double the industry benchmark of 30 per cent completion rate on YouTube and 20 per cent on Facebook.

According to DCIN’s release, Jeet’s content-led trailers have cumulatively delivered more than 300 million impressions, more than 100 million views in just over of 2 weeks on YouTube and Facebook. The two trailers of 21 Sarfarosh and Swami Ramdev Ek Sangharsh have crossed 50 million views on YouTube and Facebook.

This week, Discovery JEET will release another 100 plus pieces of digital content with an aim to further intensify its reach on digital and give consumers a glimpse of the range of content on offer.

Jeet’s differentiated content philosophy has found many natural partners and helped achieve pre-launch inventory sales targets. The channel’s brand-led partnership approach has seen multiple brands from major conglomerates, including Reckitt Benckiser, Hindustan Unilever Ltd, Marico, Mondelez International, Johnson and Johnson, Yellow Diamond and Quickheal come on board even before the launch.

“We started speaking about entertaining and inspiring content in all our sales pitches a while ago, but the moment we started showcasing rushes of our shows to advertisers, the response started to change dramatically as they were able to experience Discovery Jeet’s line-up of dramatic, compelling stories of real, relatable characters presented in a cinematic, larger than life format,” said DCIN senior VP and GM (South Asia) Karan Bajaj. “We are enthused with the response that Jeet has been able to garner from the consumers, the advertising community as well as the affiliate partners. We will be dialing up an aggressive marketing campaign even further as we get closer to the launch of the channel.”

Jeet is aiming to break the clutter in the Hindi GEC arena riding on purpose-driven entertainment content. The channel will launch with five hours of programming band daily out of which three hours will be bespoke, ground-up original programming built on the thesis of the underdog winning. Jeet will be available in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.

Also Read:

Discovery Jeet gears up for Feb 12 launch

Discovery India ties-up with Reliance Animation to produce kids IP

February 5, 2018