ITV

Tag: Kundali Bhagya

  • What Are Overseas Viewers Loving About Indian TV in 2025?

    What Are Overseas Viewers Loving About Indian TV in 2025?

    Indian TV is no longer just for Indian households. Viewers from the U.S., UK, Canada, and Australia are tuning in like never before. Shows from Mumbai, Delhi, and Hyderabad are building global fanbases. This isn’t just Bollywood spillover. People are watching daily soaps, thrillers, game shows, and reality series. And they’re sticking around.

    So what’s pulling international viewers in? What shows should they watch? This guide answers that. It breaks down the trends, the titles, and how to jump in.

    Why Is Indian TV Getting Global Attention?

    Streaming platforms made Indian TV easier to find. Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Hotstar now offer subtitles, better curation, and global access. Shows that were once stuck behind time zones and language barriers are now front and center.

    Viewers Want Emotion and Drama

    Western shows often focus on subtlety. Indian shows bring the opposite. Big drama. Strong emotions. Larger-than-life characters. That contrast is refreshing for new viewers.

    A UK college student said, “I started watching Anupamaa as a joke with my roommate. Three episodes in, we were crying and yelling at the screen.”

    Shows like Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai and Kundali Bhagya are slow-paced but heavy on relationships and emotion. For some, that’s the point. They want time with the characters.

    Stories Feel Personal

    Family tension. Cultural values. Sacrifice. Indian TV hits these themes hard. And it turns out, they’re universal. You don’t need to be Indian to connect with a mother trying to support her kids, or a couple fighting family pressure.

    A viewer in Toronto explained, “My mom is Egyptian, not Indian. But when we watched Ghum Hai Kisikey Pyaar Meiin, we both got it. The aunties. The guilt. The family drama. It felt like home.”

    What Genres Are Popular with International Viewers?

    Soap Operas and Dramas

    This is the big one. Indian daily soaps are still dominating. Viewers love the long arcs and family themes.

    Top choices in 2025:

    ●  Anupamaa (Hotstar)

    ●  Imlie (JioCinema)

    ●  Parineetii (Voot)

    These shows air nearly every day in India but are available with subtitles overseas. New fans binge through hundreds of episodes in weeks.

    Mythology and History

    Viewers want stories they haven’t seen before. Indian TV delivers with epics and historical tales. Shows like Mahabharat and Chakravartin Ashoka Samrat bring Indian legends to life with colorful costumes and massive sets.

    Netflix recently added a remastered version of Ramayan and saw a 40% spike in South Asian sign-ups in the UK that month.

    Crime and Thriller

    This is where Indian TV is gaining new fans fast. Indian police procedurals and crime thrillers are picking up steam. Series like Crime Patrol, Sacred Games, and Delhi Crime bring suspense, corruption, and high-stakes investigations.

    Even fictionalized stories like Asur and Rudra offer a mix of culture, mystery, and edge.

    One American fan posted, “Asur was way better than most crime shows on HBO. It’s weird, smart, and totally messed up in a good way.”

    Reality and Game Shows

    People outside India are discovering the chaos and charm of Indian reality TV. Whether it’s cooking, dancing, or singing, the emotion is always on full blast.

    Top picks:

    ●  Indian Idol

    ●  Dance Deewane

    ●  Kaun Banega Crorepati (India’s version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?)

    These shows often go viral on YouTube too. Full clips with subtitles bring in millions of views from outside India.

    What Makes Indian TV Different?

    Indian TV doesn’t hold back. Characters cry hard, love harder, and argue louder. The sets are colorful. The music is constant. The stakes feel huge even when the plot is small.

    New fans enjoy how immersive it is. Watching Naagin might feel like stepping into a whole other world of shape-shifting serpents and epic curses, but that’s exactly why people like it.

    Another key difference is the length. Indian series can run for years. Some have thousands of episodes. That’s a lot of screen time, but it also means you get attached.

    How Can Overseas Viewers Start Watching?

    Use Subtitled Streaming Platforms

    The best platforms for Indian TV in 2025:

    ●  Hotstar: Great for StarPlus and Star Bharat shows

    ●  Netflix India: Best for crime, thrillers, and originals

    ●  Amazon Prime Video: Wide mix of drama and comedy

    ●  ZEE5: Strong in regional content (Marathi, Bengali, etc.)

    ●  Sony LIV: Good for soaps and sports

    Most of these platforms offer subtitles in English. Some are adding French, Spanish, and Arabic too.

    Don’t Start in the Middle

    Some shows have long histories. Jumping in at episode 1472 won’t help. Find recap videos or start with new seasons. YouTube channels often post “story so far” clips.

    Explore Different Languages

    Indian TV isn’t just Hindi. Try Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, or Malayalam shows. Each brings a different style and pace.

    One Australian viewer shared, “I watched Koodevide (Malayalam) with subs. I don’t speak a word, but the acting pulled me in. Now I’m learning bits just to follow better.”

    What’s the Cultural Impact?

    As more people watch Indian TV globally, it’s shaping how India is seen. Not just Bollywood, but real India. Families, food, arguments, humor. This kind of media spreads soft power.

    It also boosts language interest. Duolingo reports that Hindi and Tamil enrollments from U.S. users rose 22% year-over-year in early 2025.

    And it builds community. Facebook groups, Reddit threads, and TikTok edits connect fans across borders. Some viewers even learn how to remove google search result pages to hide spoilers before watching new episodes.

    Final Thoughts

    Indian TV is loud, long, and full of life. That’s why global viewers love it. In 2025, it’s not just about watching from afar. It’s about joining the party.

    If you’re new, start with Anupamaa or Delhi Crime. Then try a regional language show. Explore genres. Share clips. Get hooked.

    Because once you’re in, you’re in. Indian TV doesn’t just tell stories. It pulls you into them. 
     

  • Zee TV’s Kundali Bhagya welcomes the Zee Kutumb for a Diwali extravaganza

    Zee TV’s Kundali Bhagya welcomes the Zee Kutumb for a Diwali extravaganza

    Mumbai: Zee TV is gearing up to bring special content for its viewers this Diwali. A time of new beginnings, Zee TV invites its audience to join in a grand celebration during its primetime lineup. Channel’s popular show, Kundali Bhagya, has consistently captivated viewers with its compelling story and memorable characters, such as beautiful Shraddha Arya a.k.a Preeta, the charismatic Shakti Anand as Karan, Manit Joura as Rishabh, and Anjum Fakih as Shrishti and the new generation Paras Kalnawat as Rajveer, Sana Sayyad as Palki, and Baseer Ali as Shaurya, Kundali Bhagya that have become household names.

    In the recent episodes, viewers are eagerly following Karan’s quest to locate Preeta, who disappeared from his life two decades ago. On 7 November, the excitement will reach its peak as the Luthra family will welcome Preeta after twenty long years. The Luthra House will be the epicentre of this spectacular event as the channel will light up the television screens with a grand Diwali celebration in its popular show Kundali Bhagya. A night brimming with entertainment, thrill, and a succession of surprising turns that will keep you gripped from 9:30 PM onwards till midnight.

    What sets this Diwali celebration apart is the coming together of some of the most beloved families from the Zee Kutumb. The stage will be set on fire with electrifying performances from your favourite actors. Their fiery performances are guaranteed to dazzle and entertain you thoroughly.

    Zee TV business head Aparna Bhosle, “The entire country is in festive fervour during Diwali and spending quality time with family becomes the top priority. Hence, we have planned a lot of exciting offerings during this period for our viewers to bond with their loved ones and enjoy a shared viewing experience at home. Along with the dramatic high points across our shows, we’re also bringing a special event of Kundali Bhagya filled with a lot of entertainment and dance performances by the Zee Kutumb artists.”

    As the anticipation for this grand Diwali event builds, the Kundali Bhagya family promises an evening full of heartfelt emotions, surprises, and joy, a celebration that cannot be missed.

    Watch the extraordinary Grand Diwali celebration on Zee TV’s Kundali Bhagya on November 7th, 2023, starting 9:30 PM!

  • Zee TV to show fresh episodes of primetime shows from 13 July

    Zee TV to show fresh episodes of primetime shows from 13 July

    MUMBAI: With the lockdown gradually lifting and people across the country stepping out into the new normal, Zee TV is gearing up to resume shoots in line with government directives and bring all-new episodes of its popular shows back into the lives of its loyalists starting 13 July.

    The latest season of Zee TV’s widely followed non-fiction franchise Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Li’l Champs that had connected strongly with audiences with its remarkable talent including Zaid, Sai, Saksham, Aryananda and Madhav as also the easy-going camaraderie between host Maniesh Paul and the judges will be back with fresh episodes starting 18 July.

    Picking up the narratives unfolding across shows before lockdown, Zee TV's popular primetime dramas like Kumkum Bhagya, Kundali Bhagya, Tujhse Hai Raabta and Guddan Tumse Na Ho Payega will return  with their protagonists keeping people engaged with unprecedented twists and turns in the fresh episodes.

  • Zee TV’s #MaaMainTheekHoon initiative puts a smile on faces of mothers

    Zee TV’s #MaaMainTheekHoon initiative puts a smile on faces of mothers

    MUMBAI: As the world grapples with a pandemic and all of us stick indoors during the crucial phase of social distancing, India’s leading Hindi general entertainment channel, Zee TV, has time and again tried to spread positivity through its engaging content offerings and digital initiatives aimed at uplifting moods and beating the gloom. This Mother's Day, the channel launched another innovative and unique campaign, #MaaMainTheekHoon, to reassure mothers across the world that their children are safe and sound during the lockdown.

    That her children are very special for every mother is stating the obvious. We all know how our mothers keep worrying about us and our well-being. Especially during times of crisis such as the current lockdown, many of us stay away from our moms and no matter how old or independent we are, they stay restless with thoughts about our health, what we may have eaten, what challenges may have come our way and so on! That’s exactly how selfless a mother’s love is and to celebrate that, this Mother’s Day, instead of flowers, chocolates or cakes, Zee TV started a campaign #MaaMainTheekHoon that intends to send across a message of assurance that actually matters to all the mothers. The biggest gift we can give our mothers in such difficult times is not a surprise, but re-assurance that we are taking care of ourselves and adapting to these unprecedented events.

    The channel kickstarted the #MaaMainTheekHoon initiative with Kundali Bhagya's Manit Joura who is currently in Mumbai, away from his mother who stays in Delhi. He posted a touching home video reassuring his mom that during these testing times, he has adapted beautifully to all the changes and is taking good care of himself. In less than 24 hours,  several fans from Manit Joura’s and Zee TV’s collective follower base posted similar videos of their well-being as a symbol of reassurance for their mothers. Several Zee TV artistes including the likes of Guddan Tumse Na Ho Payega's Guddan (Kanika Mann) and Akshat (Nishant Singh Malkani), Tujhse Hai Raabta's Kalyani (Reem Shaikh), Qurbaan Hua's Neel (Karan Jotwani) and Chahat (Pratibha Ranta) have also joined in and through the initiative have tried to give their mothers the reassurance that they are fine through a positive message and a picture of them doing a household chore.

    Manit Joura of Kundali Bhagya fame also shared a beautiful message that will surely make everyone realise how mothers play such a huge part in shaping their child’s future. Manit revealed, “I have always been extremely close to my mother and I cannot even imagine being separated from her. But due to the unfortunate circumstances, I’m not around my mother on such a special day. Sadly, this year, I cannot do even a small gesture to show how much I appreciate everything she’s ever done for me, because life wouldn’t have been what it is today, and I wouldn’t have been the best version of myself, if not for her. She always kept telling me how I needed to be self-sufficient, learn how to do household chores all by myself, and today when I’m doing all the daily chores by myself, I just wish I could be half as dedicated and caring as she is! But I’m trying to. My routine these days has been something I have seen my mother do all her life and I finally realise how beautifully and effortlessly she’s handled everything. Kudos to her. I really miss her, and I hope to see her soon and celebrate her.”

    Follow Tellychakkar for the consumer facing news & entertainment

  • Zee TV brings Alt Balaji’s OTT premium content on TV

    Zee TV brings Alt Balaji’s OTT premium content on TV

    MUMBAI: The Covid-19 pandemic is changing the paradigm of the businesses across the world. Now, it’s converging content of linear television and streaming services sooner than expected. It's been touted long that television as a device serves as an extension of digital medium and a collaborative and complementing ecosystem is in making.

    While last year Alt Balaji and ZEE5  stuck a content sharing deal, Zee Tv has come up with an innovative strategy of offering fresh OTT premium content to the television viewers on the back of that partnership. The channel is all set to air the three Alt Balaji's shows – Karle Tu Bhi Mohabbat, Baarish and Kehne Ko Humsafar Hain – to TV viewers. Considerably, these three shows have the potential to attract traditional GEC audience. Moreover, the audience is already familiar with faces like Ram Kapoor, Sakshi Tanwar, Mona Singh, Ronit Roy.

    In the wake of Covid-19 crisis, the Indian film and television industry decided to halt shooting for films, TV and web shows from 19 March to 31. After the recent announcement of 21-day lockdown across the country, it is now uncertain when the shooting will restart. Major TV broadcasters have been impacted mostly by the decision as they are not able to churn new episodes of daily soaps.

    Now, starting March 25, viewers can get hooked on to finite series like Karle Tu Bhi Mohabbat, Baarish and Kehne Ko Humsafar Hain for the first time on television between 9 PM and 11 pm every week. 

    Karle Tu Mohabbat, starring Ram Kapoor and Sakshi Tanwar, is about a struggling superstar recovering from his addiction to alcohol, and his new counsellor. It will follow the story of how the superstar and the counsellor fall in love while at his estranged daughters’ wedding and all the drama that ensues. Karle Tu Mohabbat will air from 9 pm to 10 pm, Baarish will air at 10 pm and at 10.30 pm slot Kehne Ko Humsafar Hain is scheduled on Zee TV.

    Ekta Kapoor tweeted: "We can’t do anything to help our viewers but entertain them during these tough times so this gem from our library for you all! Your favorite pair #SakshiTanwar & @RamKapoor 
    are back from tonight 9-10pm in #karletubhimohabat on TV! Enjoy the show while you're home & be safe!"

    She further says: "Very tough times but we will get through this together. Since we cannot make any more episodes of #kumkumbhagya #kundalibhagya, we have extended our family shows to @ZeeTV so from 9pm to 10pm instead of Karan-Preeta or Abhi-Pragya, you will see tipsy and karan! For all those of you asking for #Baarish on TV. From tonight 10 pm watch this sweet love story on @ZeeTV everyday! We are bringing the rains with this simple drama! Hoping the weather of doom changes! Stay home stay safe."

    Zee TV Business Head Aparna Bhosle said: “In times where social distancing is the need of the hour to curb the outbreak of Covid-19 and people are spending more time indoors, the idea is to provide audiences with the most engaging entertainment for the entire family. We have a new 9 to 11 PM band with three new finite series – Karle Tu Mohabbat, Baarish and Kehne Ko Humsafar Hain, that will reassure viewers that we can conquer the biggest challenges with the power of love. Each of the shows has strong TV faces that the masses are closely attached to. We are also reintroducing classics like Kasamh Se and Brahmrakshas as well as faciltating binge-watches of crowd favourites – Kundali Bhagya and Kumkum
    Bhagya, so that the audience has a wide variety of content to view and can enjoy this extended family time together.”  

    Baarish, airing at 10 pm slot, stars Sharman Joshi and Asha Negi. The show will explore the lives of two strangers from starkly different backgrounds. While Anuj (Sharman) is a Gujarati businessman, who had left studies at a tender age to take over the family business, Gauravi (Asha) is a Maharashtrian girl who feels education is of prime importance and works in Anuj’s company. When the two get married because of their families, will they realise they are like chalk and cheese or fall in love eventually? Only time will tell!

    At 10:30 PM, Kehne Ko Humsafar Hain delves into the love triangle between a chartered accountant Rohit (Ronit Roy), his wife Poonam (Gurdeep Kohli) and an interior designer Ananya (Mona Singh). Initially, everything seems hunky-dory in the family, but when the actual truth comes out, everyone is shocked. Will Rohit stay with Poonam or will he sacrifice his whole family for Ananya? Tune into Zee TV to find out!
    Apart from these three shows, viewers can binge-watch some of the most intriguing episodes of cult favourite shows such as Kumkum Bhagya and Kundali Bhagya, which have been planned from 7 pm to 8 pm and 8 pm to 9 pm respectively, Monday to Friday. Popular Zee TV classics like Ram Kapoor – Prachi Desai’s Kasam Se and Krystle D’Souza, Parag Tyagi and Kishwer Merchant’s Brahmarakshas will also be reintroduced on the channel and will air from 2 pm to 3 pm and 5 pm to 6 pm respectively.

  • BARC week 26: Star Vijay back in across genres list

    BARC week 26: Star Vijay back in across genres list

    BENGALURU: Star India’s flagship Tamil GEC Star Vijay once again made an appearance in Broadcast Audience Research Council of India's (BARC) weekly list of top 10 channels across genres in week 26 of 2019 (Saturday, 22 June 2019 to Friday, 28 June 2019, week or period under review). As was the case in the previous week, Star Vijay was also ranked seventh in BARC’s weekly list of top 5 Tamil channels in the Tamil Nadu/Puducherry market.

    Four Star India channels, two channels each from Sony Pictures Network India (SPN) and Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (Zeel) and one channel each from Enterr 10 TV and Sun TV Network made up BARC’s weekly list of top 10 channels across genres in week 26 of 2019. From the genres' perspective, there were six Hindi GECs, two Tamil channels and one channel each from the sports and Telugu genres that comprised BARC’s weekly list of top 10 channels across genres in week 26 of 2019. Channels from rank one to six in week 26 of 2019 were the same as those in week 25.

    Continuing on at rank 1 in week 26 of 2019 was Star India’s Hindi sports channel Star Sports 1 Hindi on the back of the ongoing ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 in England and Wales. Two of the five matches during the week under review involved India, hence ratings pipped up for the channel. Star Sports 1 Hindi scored 1,263.932 million weekly impressions in week 26 of 2019 as compared to 1,186.783 million weekly impressions in week 25. Star Sports 1 Hindi was ranked first in BARC’s weekly list of top 5 sports channels and four of the top 5 sports programmes NCCS All : Prime Time (1800 – 2330 hrs) : 2+ Individuals featured on Star Sports 1 Hindi during the week under review.

    Also maintaining its previous week’s rank 2 was Sun TV Network’s flagship Tamil GEC Sun TV with 904.751 million weekly impressions in week 26 of 2019 as compared to 851.935 million weekly impressions in week 26. Sun TV also headed BARC’s weekly list of top 5 Tamil channels in the Tamil Nadu and Puducherry markets and four of the top 5 Tamil programmes in this market based on NCCS All : Prime Time (1800 – 2330 hrs) : 2+ Individuals were aired on Sun TV.

    At its previous week’s third rank was Enterr 10 TV’s Hindi GEC Dangal in week 26 of 2019 with 801.504 million weekly impressions as compared to 788.059 million weekly impressions in week 25. Dangal also headed BARC’s weekly lists of top 10 Hindi GECs in the combined urban and rural Hindi speaking market -HSM (U+R) and HSM (R). Dangal was ranked seventh in HSM (U). Indian mythology programme Mahima Shanidev Ki and a family drama Baba Aiso Var Dhundo on Dangal were in BARC’s list of top 5 Hindi GEC programmes based on NCCS All : Prime Time (1800 – 2330 hrs) : 2+ Individuals in HSM (R).

    Continuing on at fourth rank was Zeel’s flagship Hindi GEC Zee TV in week 26 of 2019 with 701.711 million weekly impressions as compared to 701.670 million weekly impressions in week 25. Zee TV was ranked second in HSM (U+R) and HSM (U) and third in HSM (R) in BARC’s weekly list of top 10 Hindi GECs. The Balaji Telefilms-produced Kumkum Bhagya, its spinoff  Kundali Bhagya and another drama  Tujhse Hai Raabta aired on Zee TV were among the top 5 Hindi GEC programmes based on NCCS All : Prime Time (1800 – 2330 hrs) : 2+ Individuals in HSM (U+R), HSM (R) and HSM (U).

    At fifth rank in week 26 of 2019 was Star India’ flagship Hindi GEC Star Plus with 688.432 million weekly impressions as compared to seventh rank and 682.166 million weekly impressions in week 25. Star Plus was also ranked third and fourth in BARC’s weekly list of top 10 Hindi GECs in HSM (U+R) and HSM (R) respectively and was ranked first in HSM (U). Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai on Star Plus was amongst BARC’s weekly list of top 5 Hindi GEC programmes on NCCS All : Prime Time (1800 – 2330 hrs) : 2+ Individuals in HSM (U+R) in HSM (U).

    At sixth place was Star India’s flagship Telugu GEC Star Maa with 651.535 million weekly impressions as compared to 663.013 million weekly impressions in week 25. Star Maa was also ranked first in BARC’s weekly list of top 5 Telugu GECs in the Andhra Pradesh/Telangana markets and all the five programmes in BARC’s weekly list of top 5 Telugu programmes based on NCCS All : Prime Time (1800 – 2330 hrs) : 2+ Individuals in these markets were aired on Star Maa.

    As mentioned above, Star Vijay re-entered BARC’s weekly list of top 10 channels across genres in week 26 of 2019 with 549.005 million weekly impressions at seventh rank. Star Vijay was also ranked second in BARC’s weekly list of top 5 Tamil channels in the Tamil Nadu and Puducherry markets.

    Dropping a place to eighth rank in week 26 of 2019 was Zeel’s Hindi GEC Big Magic with 536.294 million weekly impressions as compared to seventh rank and 566.278 million weekly impressions in the previous week. Big Magic was ranked fourth and second in BARC’s weekly lists of top 10 Hindi GECs in HSM (U+R) and HSM (R) respectively. Big Magic was ranked eighth in BARC’s weekly list of top 10 Hindi GECs in HSM (U).

    Climbing up a place to ninth rank was SPN’s flagship Hindi GEC Sony Entertainment Television (SET) with 529.078 million weekly impressisons in week 26 as compared with 479.487 million weekly impressions in week 25 of 2019. SET was ranked fifth and seventh in BARC’s weekly  lists of top 10 Hindi GECs in HSM (U+R) and HSM (R) was ranked third in HSM (U). The talent reality show Super Dances Chapter 3 on SET was among BARC’s weekly list of top 5 Hindi GEC programmes NCCS All : Prime Time (1800 – 2330 hrs) : 2+ Individuals in HSM (U+R) and HSM (U).

    Dropping down two places to tenth rank was SPN’s Hindi GEC Sony SAB with 525.403 million weekly impressions as compared to eighth rank and 536.918 million weekly impressions. Sony SAB was ranked sixth BARC’s weekly lists of top 10 Hindi GECs in HSM (U+R) and HSM (R) and was ranked fourth in HSM (U).

  • BARC week 25: Live cricket matches catapult Star Sports 1 Hindi to top spot across genres

    BARC week 25: Live cricket matches catapult Star Sports 1 Hindi to top spot across genres

    BENGALURU: The live telecast of the India Pakistan ICC cricket world cup match in week 25 of 2019 (Saturday, 15 June 2019 to Friday, 21 June 2019, week or period under review) was among the most watched sports programme on three channels – Star Sports 1 Hindi, Star Sports 2 and DD Sports. One ICC World Cup other match – the live telecast of the Australia-Bangladesh on Star Sports 1 Hindi was the fifth most watched programme in Broadcast Audience Research Council of India (BARC) weekly list of 5 most watched programmes during primetime during the week under review. Besides, the live telecast of Philips Hue Cricket on Star Sports 1 Hindi was the fourth watched sports programme during the week under review. These matches catapulted Star Sports 1 Hindi to first rank in BARC’s weekly list of top 10 channels across genre in week 25 of 2019.

    Sun TV Networks flagship Tamil GEC Sun TV pipped Dangal TV to second rank during the period under review, pushing the Hindi GEC to third rank. Seven Hindi GEC’s and one channel each from the Sports, Tamil and Telugu genres comprised BARC’s list of top 10 channels across genre in week 25 of 2019. From the network’s perspective, there were 3 channels from Star India, two channels each from Sony Pictures Network India (SPN) and Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (Zeel) and one channel each from Enterr 10 TV, Sun Tv Network and Viacom18 in BARC’s weekly list for week 25 of 2019.

    Climbing up a place to first rank in week 25 of 2019 was Star Sports 1 Hindi with 1,186.783 as compared to second rank and 763.962 million weekly impressions in week 24. Star Sports 1 Hindi was also ranked first in BARC’s weekly list of top 5 Hindi Sports channels and as mentioned above. Further, the three of five most watched sports programmes as mentioned above were broadcast on Star Sports 1 Hindi during the week under review.

    Also climbing up a place to second rank during week 25 of 2019 was Sun TV with 851.935 million weekly impressions as compared to third rank and 762.213 million weekly impressions in week 24. Sun TV also headed BARC’s weekly list of top 5 Tamil channels in the Tamil Nadu and Puducherry markets and four of the top 5 Tamil programmes in this market based on average rating across all original airings in the week were aired on Sun TV.

    Dropping two places to third rank in week 25 of 2019 was Enterr 10 TV’s Hindi GEC Dangal with 788.059 million weekly impressions as compared to first rank and 806.687 million weekly impressions in week 24. Dangal also headed BARC’s weekly lists of top 10 Hindi GECs’ in the combined urban and rural Hindi speaking market -HSM (U+R) and HSM (R).  Dangal was ranked seventh in HSM (U). An Indian mythology programmes– Mahima Shanidev Ki and a family drama Baba Aiso Var Dhundo on Dangal were in BARC’s list of  Top 5 Hindi GEC programmes based on average rating across all original airings in the week in HSM (R).

    Climbing up a rank to fourth place was Zeel’s flagship Hindi GEC Zee TV with 701.670 million weekly impressions in week 25 as compared to fifth rank and 680.603 million weekly impressions in week 24. Zee TV was ranked second in HSM (U+R), HSM (U) and third in HSM (R) in BARC’s weekly list if top 10 Hindi GECs’. The Balaji Telefilms produced Kumkum Bhagya, its spinoff  Kundali Bhagya and Tujhse Hai Raabta aired on Zee TV were among the top 5 Hindi GEC programmes based on average rating across all original airings in the week in HSM (U+R), HSM (R) and HSM (U).

    Also climbing up to fifth place in week 25 of 2019 was Star India’ flagship Hindi GEC Star Plus with 682.166 million weekly impressions as compared to seventh rank and 624.298 million weekly impressions in week 24. Star Plus was also ranked third and fourth in BARC’s weekly list of top 10 Hindi GECs’ in  HSM (U+R) and HSM (R) respectively and was ranked first in HSM (U). Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai on Star Plus was amongst BARC’s weekly list of top 5 Hindi GEC programmes on average rating across all original airings in the week in HSM (U+R) in HSM (U).

    Retaining its previous week’s sixth rank in week 25 of 2019 was Star India’s flagship Telugu GEC Star Maa with 663.013 million weekly impressions as compared to 626.797 million weekly impressions in week 25. Star Maa was also ranked first in BARC’s weekly list of top 5 Telugu GECs’ in the Andhra Pradesh/Telangana markets and all the five programmes in BARC’s weekly list of top 5 Telugu programmes based on average rating across all original airings in the week in these markets were aired on Star Maa.

    Dropping down three places to seventh rank in week 25 of 2019 was Zeel’s Hindi GEC Big Magic with 566.278 million weekly impressions as compared to fourth rank and 690.539 million weekly impressions in the previous week. Big Magic was ranked fourth and second in BARC’s weekly lists of top 10 Hindi GECs’ in HSM (U+R) and HSM (R) respectively. Big Magic was ranked eighth in BARC’s weekly list of top 10 Hindi GECs’ in HSM (U).

    SPN’s Hindi GEC Sony SAB also retained its previous week’s eighth rank in week 25 of 2019 with 536.918 million weekly impressions as compared to 552.626 million weekly impressions in the previous week. Sony SAB was ranked fifth, sixth and third in BARC’s weekly lists of top 10 Hindi GECs’ in HSM (U+R) and HSM (R) and (U) respectively. One of the longest running Indian sitcom – Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashma on Sony SAB was among BARC’s weekly list of top 5 Hindi GEC programmes on average rating across all original airings in the week in HSM (U+R) and HSM (U).

    Climbing up a rank to ninth place was Viacom18’s flagship Hindi GEC Colors in week 25 of 2019  with 513.035 million weekly impressions as compared to tenth rank and 521.025 million weekly impressions in week 24. Colors was ranked sixth in BARC’s weekly lists of top 10 Hindi GECs’ in HSM (U+R) and was ranked fifth in both HSM (R) in HSM (U).

    Re-entering BARC’s weekly list of top 10 channels across genre was SPN’s flagship Hindi GEC Sony Entertainment Television (SET) with 479.487 million weekly impressions in week 25 of 2019. SET was ranked seventh in BARC’s weekly  lists of top 10 Hindi GECs’ in HSM (U+R) and was ranked fourth in HSM (U)

  • BARC week 24: Dangal regains pole position across genres

    BARC week 24: Dangal regains pole position across genres

    BENGALURU: Enterr 10 TV’s Hindi GEC Dangal regained first place in Broadcast Audience Research Council of India (BARC) weekly list of top 10 channels in week 24 of 2019  (Saturday, 8 June 2019 to Friday, 14 June 2019, week or period under review) after a short hiatus. The channel had been placed second in the list in the previous week. Star India’s sports channel Star Sports 1 Hindi also climbed a place to second rank on the back of the ongoing ICC Cricket World Cup Tourney 2019 in England and Wales. Sun TV Network’s flagship Tamil GEC Sun TV dropped a couple of ranks to third place. All the channels in BARC’s weekly list of top 10 channels across genres in the week under review were the same as in the previous week, but with a shuffling of ranks.

    Six Hindi GECs and one channel each from the Hindi movies, sports, Tamil and Telugu genres made up BARC’s across genres list for week 24 of 2019. From the network’s perspective, there were three channels from Star India, two channels each from Sony Pictures Network India (SPN) and Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (Zeel) and one channel each from Enterr 10 TV, Sun TV Network and Viacom18 respectively.

    As mentioned above, at first rank was Hindi GEC Dangal TV in week 24 of 2019 garnered 806687 million weekly impressions as compared to third rank and 805.510 million weekly impressions in week 23. Dangal also headed BARC’s weekly lists of top 10 Hindi GECs in the combined urban and rural Hindi speaking market -HSM (U+R) and HSM (R).  Dangal was ranked seventh in HSM (U). An Indian mythology programmes– Mahima Shanidev Ki and a family drama Baba Aiso Var Dhundo on Dangal were in BARC’s list of  Top 5 Hindi GEC programmes based on average rating across all original airings in the week in HSM (R).

    Moving up to second rank with 763.962 million weekly impressions in week 24 of 2019 was Star Sports 1 Hindi as compared with third rank and 784.016 million weekly impressions in week 23. The channel was also ranked first in BARC’s weekly list of top 5 Sports channels during the week under review. Further, three of the top 5 sports programmes on average rating across all original airings in the week were aired on Star Sports 1 Hindi.

    With 762.613 million weekly impressions in week 24 of 2019 was Sun TV at third rank as compared to first rank and 811.795 million weekly impressions in the previous week. Sun TV also headed BARC’s weekly list of top 5 Tamil channels in the Tamil Nadu and Puducherry markets and four of the top 5 Tamil programmes in this market based on average rating across all original airings in the week were aired on Sun TV.

    Maintaining its previous week’s fourth rank was Zeel’s Hindi GEC Big Magic with 690.539 million weekly impressions as compared to 695.790 million weekly impressions in week 23. Big Magic was ranked second in BARC’s weekly lists of top 10 Hindi GECs in HSM (U+R) and HSM (R). Big Magic was ranked eighth in BARC’s weekly list of top 10 Hindi GECs in HSM (U).

    Climbing up two places to fifth rank was Zeel’s flagship Hindi GEC Zee TV in week 24 of 2019 with 680.603 million weekly impressions as compared to seventh rank and 612.470 million weekly impressions in week 23. Zee TV was ranked third in HSM (U+R), HSM (U) and HSM (R). The Balaji Telefilms produced Kumkum Bhagya, its spinoff Kundali Bhagya and Tujhse Hai Raabta aired on Zee TV were among the top 5 Hindi GEC programmes based on average rating across all original airings in the week in HSM (U+R), HSM (R) and HSM (U).

    Dropping a rank to sixth place in week 24 of 2019 was Star India’s flagship Telugu GEC Star Maa with 626.797 million weekly impressions as compared to fifth rank and 653.203 million weekly impressions in week 23. Star Maa was also ranked first in BARC’s weekly list of top 5 Telugu GECs in the Andhra Pradesh/Telangana markets and three of the five programmes in BARC’s weekly list of top 5 Telugu programmes based on average rating across all original airings in the week in these markets were aired on Star Maa.

    Also dropping by a rank to seventh place in week 24 of 2019 was Star India’s flagship Hindi GEC Star Plus with 624.298 million weekly impressions as compared to sixth rank and 626.032 million weekly impressions in week 23. Star Plus was also ranked fourth in BARC’s weekly list of top 10 Hindi GECs in both HSM (U+R) and HSM (R) and first in HSM (U). Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai on Star Plus was amongst BARC’s weekly list of top 5 Hindi GEC programmes on average rating across all original airings in the week in HSM (U+R).

    SPN’s Hindi GEC Sony SAB retained its previous weeks rank at number eight with 552.626 million weekly impressions as compared to 541.665 million weekly impressions in week 23. Sony SAB was ranked fifth in BARC’s weekly lists of top 10 Hindi GECs in HSM (U+R) and HSM (R) and was ranked second in HSM (U). One of the longest running Indian sitcom – Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashma on Sony SAB was among BARC’s weekly list of top 5 Hindi GEC programmes on average rating across all original airings in the week in HSM (U).

    Climbing up a rank to ninth place in week 24 of 2019 was SPN’s Hindi movies channel Sony Max with 524.681 million weekly impressions as compared to tenth rank and 526.994 million weekly impressions in the previous week. Sony Max also topped BARC’s weekly lists of top 5 Hindi movies channels in HSM (U+R), HSM (U) and HSM (R). Hindi feature films Bahubali The Beginning and KGF Chapter 1 were in BARC’s weekly list of top 5 Hindi Movies programmes on average rating across all original airings in the week in HSM (U+R), HSM (R) and HSM (U).

    Viacom18’s flagship Hindi GEC Colors dropped a place to tenth rank in week 24 of 2019 with 521.025 million weekly impressions as compared to ninth rank and 536.369 million weekly impressions in week 23. Colors was ranked sixth in BARC’s weekly lists of top 10 Hindi GECs in HSM (U+R) and HSM (R) and was ranked fourth in HSM (U).

  • BARC week 23: Sun TV claws back to first place across genres, Star Sports 1 Hindi re-enters list

    BARC week 23: Sun TV claws back to first place across genres, Star Sports 1 Hindi re-enters list

    BENGALURU: The Sun TV Network’s flagship Tamil GEC Sun TV was ranked one in Broadcast Audience Research Council of India’s (BARC) weekly list of top 10 channels across genres in week 23 of 2019 (Saturday, 1 June 2019 to Friday, 7 June 2019, week under review). Enterr 10 TV’s Hindi GEC Dangal, the normal occupier of first place in non-IPL week’s after the implementation of TRAI’s new tariff order climbed down to second place during the week under review.

    And now that ICC’s World Cup 2019 cricketing tourney is on, Star India’s Hindi Sports channel – Star Sports 1 Hindi re-entered BARC’s weekly across genres list at third rank in week 23 of 2019. Consequently, a number of channels dropped a rank in week 23 of 2019 as compared to their ranks in the previous week. Sony Pictures Network India (SPN) Hindi movies channel Sony Max also re-entered BARC’s across genres list on the back of SS Rajamouli’s Bahubali The Conclusion and old faithful Sooryavansham among other movies at tenth rank.

    Six Hindi GECs, and one channel each from the Hindi movies, sports, Tamil and Telugu channels comprised BRAC’s weekly list of top 10 channels across genres in week 23 of 2019. From the network’s perspective, there were three channels from the Star India fold, two channels each from SPN and Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (Zeel) and one channel each from Enterr 10 TV, Sun TV Network and Viacom18 in the list.

    As mentioned above, Sun TV was ranked one in week 23 of 2019 with 811.795 million weekly impressions as compared to second rank and 765.397 million weekly impressions in week 22. Sun TV also headed BARC’s weekly list of top 5 Tamil channels in the Tamil Nadu and Puducherry markets and four of the top 5 Tamil programmes in this market based on average rating across all original airings in the week were aired on Sun TV.

    Dangal TV at second rank in week 23 of 2019 garnered 805.510 million weekly impressions as compared to first rank and 884.884 million weekly impressions in week 22. Dangal also headed BARC’s weekly lists of top 10 Hindi GECs in the combined urban and rural Hindi speaking market -HSM (U+R) and HSM (R).  Dangal was ranked seventh in HSM (U). An Indian mythology programmes– Mahima Shanidev Ki and a family drama Baba Aiso Var Dhundo on Dangal were in BARC’s list of  Top 5 Hindi GEC programmes based on average rating across all original airings in the week in HSM (R).

    Star Sports 1 Hindi entered BARC’s weekly list of top 10 channels across genres in week 23 of 2019 with 784.016 million weekly impressions at third rank. The channel was also ranked first in BARC’s weekly list of top 5 Sports channels during the week under review. Further, four of the top 5 sports programmes on average rating across all original airings in the week were aired on Star Sports 1 Hindi.

    Dropping a place to fourth rank in week 23 of 2019 was Zeel’s Hindi GEC Big Magic with 695.790 million weekly impressions as compared to third rank and 732.325 million weekly impressions in the previous week. Big Magic was ranked second in BARC’s weekly lists of top 10 Hindi GECs in HSM (U+R) and HSM (R). Big Magic was ranked eighth in BARC’s weekly list of top 10 Hindi GECs in HSM (U). The Indian mythology drama Parmavtar Shree Krishna aired on Big Magic was present in BARC’s weekly list of top 5 Hindi GEC programmes based on average rating across all original airings in the week in HSM (R).

    Star India’s flagship Telugu GEC Star Maa also dropped a rank to fifth place in week 23 of 2019 with 653.203 million weekly impressions as compared to fourth rank and 643.989 million weekly impressions in week 22. Star Maa was also ranked first in BARC’s weekly list of top 5 Telugu GECs in the Andhra Pradesh/Telangana markets and four of the five programmes in BARC’s weekly list of top 5 Telugu programmes based on average rating across all original airings in the week in these markets were aired on Star Maa.

    Dropping down a place to sixth rank was Star India’s flagship Hindi GEC Star Plus with 626.032 million weekly impressions as compared to fifth rank and 641.814 million weekly impressions in week 22. Star Plus was also ranked third, fourth and first in BARC’s weekly list of top 10 Hindi GECs in HSM (U+R), HSM (R) and HSM (U) respectively. The reboot of  Balaji Telefilm’s  Indian soap opera Kasauti Zindagi Kay on Star Plus was amongst BARC’s weekly list of top 5 Hindi GEC programmes on average rating across all original airings in the week in HSM (U).

    Zeel’s flagship Hindi GEC Zee TV also dropped a place to seventh rank with 612.470 million weekly impressions as compared to sixth rank and 628.588 million weekly impressions in week 22. Zee TV was ranked fourth in HSM (U+R), fifth in HSM (U) and was ranked third in HSM (R). The Balaji Telefilms-produced Kumkum Bhagya its spinoff Kundali Bhagya aired on Zee TV were among the top 5 Hindi GEC programmes based on average rating across all original airings in the week in HSM (U+R), HSM (R) and HSM (U). Another programme on Zee TV -Tujhse Hai Raabta was also in BARC’s weekly list of the top 5 Hindi GEC programmes based on average rating across all original airings in the week in HSM (U+R).

    SPN’s Hindi GEC Sony SAB retained its previous week’s eighth rank in week 23 of 2019 with 541.665 million weekly impressions as compared to 535.117 million weekly impressions in week 22. Sony SAB was ranked fifth in BARC’s weekly lists of top 10 Hindi GECs in HSM (U+R) and HSM (R) and was ranked fourth in HSM (U).

    Viacom18’s flagship Hindi GEC Colors dropped two ranks to ninth place in week 23 of 2019 with 536.639 million weekly impressions and seventh rank and 612.337 million weekly impressions in week 22. Colors was ranked sixth in BARC’s weekly lists of top 10 Hindi GECs in HSM (U+R) and HSM (R) and was ranked third in HSM (U).

    As mentioned above, SPN’s Hindi movies channel Sony Max entered BARC’s weekly list of top 10 channels across genres in week 23 of 2019 with 526.994 million weekly impressions. Sony Max was ranked second in BARC’s weekly lists of top 5 Hindi Movies channels in HSM (U+R) and HSM (U) and was ranked first in HSM (R). Three movies on the channel – Bahubali 2 The Conclusion, Sooryavansham and Nela Ticket were among BARC’s weekly list of top 5 Hindi Movies programmes in HSM (U+R) and HSM (R), while Bahubali 2 The Conclusion and Sooryavansham were in the top 5 Hindi movies channels list in HSM (U).

  • Zee TV most watched Hindi channel across genres in BARC week 5

    Zee TV most watched Hindi channel across genres in BARC week 5

    BENGALURU: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (Zeel) flagship Hindi GEC  Zee TV was the most watched Hindi channel according to Broadcast Audience Research Council of India (BARC) weekly data for week 5 of 2019 (Saturday, 26 January 2019 to Friday, 1 February 2019, week or period under review) of top 10 channels across genres (across genres list). At second rank in the list, Zee TV pushed down its younger free to air Hindi GEC sibling Zee Anmol to third place. At its regular rank one in the list was the Sun TV Network’s flagship Tamil GEC Sun TV.

    Six Hindi GECs, two Hindi movies channels and one channel each from the Tamil and Telugu GECs made up BARC's weekly across genres list for the week under review. From the networks’ perspective, there were four Star India channels, two channels each from Sony Pictures Network India (SPN) and Zeel and one channel each from the Sun TV Network and Viacom18.

    As mentioned above, at its normal first rank in week 5 of 2019 was Sun TV with 991.664 million weekly impressions as compared to 868.845  weekly impressions in week 4 of 2019. Sun TV also led BARC’s weekly list of top 5 Tamil channels in the Tamil Nadu and Puducherry market and four of the five programmes in BARC’s list of top 5 Tamil programmes during primetime in these markets based on average rating across all airings (original and repeat) in the week under review were aired on Sun TV.

    At second rank in week 5 of 2019 was Zee TV with  782.629 million weekly impressions during the period under review as compared to 709.037 million weekly impressions in week 4. Zee TV was ranked second in BARC’s weekly list of BARC’s weekly list of top 10 Hindi GECs in the combined urban and rural Hindi speaking markets or HSM (U+R), first in HSM (U), and was ranked seventh in HSM (R). Full House Media’s Hindi drama Tujhse Hai Raabta on Zee TV was ranked third  and fourth in BARC’s weekly list of top 5 Hindi GEC programmes during primetime in HSM (U+R) and HSM (U) respectively based on average rating across all airings (original and repeat). Besides the Balaji Telefilms produced spinoff Kundali Bhagya aired on Zee TV was ranked fifth in BARC’s weekly list of top 5 Hindi GEC programmes in HSM (U).

    Dropping a rank to third place was Zee Anmol with 761.086 million weekly impressions in week 5 of 2019 as compared to 754.080 million weekly impressions in week 4 of 2019. Zee Anmol was ranked first in BARC’s weekly list of top 10 Hindi GECs in HSM (U+R) and HSM (R) and was ranked ninth in HSM (U). The Balaji Telefilms produced soaps Kumkum Bhagya and its spinoff Kundali Bhagya were ranked second and first respectively in BARC’s list of top 5 Hindi GEC programmes during primetime based on average rating across all airings (original and repeat) in the week in HSM (R). Another two programmes aired on the channel – Mahek and Ek Main aur Ek Tu were ranked third and fifth respectively in HSM (R).

    Climbing up three places to fourth rank in week 5 of 2019 was Star India FTA Hindi GEC Star Utsav. The channel scored 713.295 million weekly impressions as compared to 646.107 million weekly impressions in the previous week. Star Utsav was ranked third, second and seventh in BARC’s list of top 10 Hindi GECs in HSM (U+R), HSM (R) and HSM (U) respectively.

    Dropping down two places to fifth rank in week 5 of 2019 was Star India’s flagship Telugu GEC Star Maa with 693.560 weekly impressions as compared with 712.438 million weekly impressions and second  rank in week 4. Star Maa was ranked first in BARC’s weekly list of top 5 Telugu channels in the Andhra Pradesh and Telangana market. Five of the five top Telugu programmes in BARC’s weekly list of top 5 Telugu programmes during primetime based on average rating across all airings (original and repeat) in the week under review in the same market were from Star Maa.

    Star India’s flagship Hindi GEC Star Plus also dropped a place to sixth rank in week 5 of 2019 with 633.136 million weekly impressions as compared to 694.385 million weekly impression in week 4. Star Plus was ranked fifth in BARC’s weekly lists of top 10 Hindi GECs in HSM (U+R), was ranked second in HSM (U) and eighth in HSM (R).

    Viacom18’s Hindi movies channel Rishtey Cineplex re-entered the across genres list at seventh rank in week 5 of 2019 with 625.332 million weekly impressions. Rishtey Cineplex was ranked first in BARC’s weekly list of top 5 Hindi movies channels in HSM (U+R) and HSM (R) and was ranked fourth in HSM (U). Three programmes on Rishtey Cineplex Hindi Feature Films or HFF Power Unlimited 2, Don No 1 and Main Hoon Surya Singham 2 were among BARC’s weekly lists of top 5 Hindi Movies programmes during primetime based on average rating across all airings (original and repeat) in the week. HFF Power Unlimited 2 was ranked fifth in HSM (U), while five programmes – all five HFFs were in BARC’s weekly list of top 5 Hindi movies programmes in HSM (R).

    Another Star India Hindi pay TV Hindi GEC Star Bharat dropped two places in week 5 of 2018 to eighth place with 622.750 million weekly impressions in week 4 as compared to 666.682 million weekly impressions in week 3 of 2019. Star Bharat was ranked fourth in BARC’s weekly list of top 10 Hindi GECs in HSM (U+R) and sixth and fifth in HSM (R) and HSM (U) respectively.

    SPN’s flagship Hindi GEC Sony Entertainment Television (SET) retained its previous week’s ninth rank in week 5 of 2019 with 601.258 million weekly impressions as compared to 610.917 million weekly impress ions in week 3 of 2019. SET was ranked sixth in BARC’s list of top 10 Hindi GECs in HSM (U+R) and second in HSM (U). The comedy show – The Kapil Sharma Show was ranked third in BARC’s weekly list of top 5 Hindi programmes during primetime in HSM (U).

    Also re-entering BARC’s across genres list in week 5 of 2019 was SPN’s Hindi movies channel Sony Max with 580.196 million weekly impressions. Sony Max was ranked second in BARC’s weekly list of top 5 Hindi Movies channels in HSM (U+R), fifth in HSM (R) and first in HSM (U). The sequel HFF Bahubali 2 the Conclusion on Sony Max was ranked third and first  in BARC’s weekly list of top 5 Hindi Movies programmes during primetime based on average rating across all airings (original and repeat) in the week in HSM (U+R) and HSM (U) respectively.  Two other HFFs-Bahubali the Begionning  and Sarrainodu on Sony MAX were ranked third and fourth respectively in BARC’s weekly list of top 5 Hindi movies programmes during primetime based on average rating across all airings (original and repeat) in the week in HSM (U).