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Tag: Shrutish Maharaj

  • FTA market rides growth wave amid pandemic

    FTA market rides growth wave amid pandemic

    Mumbai: Riding high on the launch of new channels, the advertising volumes and values of free-to-air (FTA) has grown by 25 to 30 per cent and is estimated to have a share of 25 to 30 per cent of the Rs 30,000 crore of total TV AdEx. This growth coupled with changes in viewership post the pandemic has charted the growth story of the FTA market during the pandemic.

    Out of the 901 licensed private satellite TV channels, 574 are free to air, according to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). The launch of new channels including Shemaroo MarathiBana, ShemarooTV, Dangal Kannada, Ishara TV, Sun Marathi, Filamchi, Azaad, Dhinchaak, Colors Cineplex Bollywood, Asianet Movies, Filamchi Bhojpuri have grown the advertising share of free TV.

    “The first half of the year has been really good for FTA. The viewership had been very consistent in the early stages of 2021, with the demand peaking in the period before the second wave,” said MediaCom national director Srinivas Rao.

    According to Enterr10 Media Network chief business officer Shrutish Maharaj the FTA genre has grown by 25-30 per cent both in terms of volumes and value. “Had the pandemic and some policy changes not hit the industry, the organic growth had the potential to be much better,” Maharaj added. FTA space has also seen a lot of action with multiple launches in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Punjab etc.

    Earlier only the big broadcasters were able to invest in original programming. However, that has changed over recent time, with a host of original programmes creating a vibrancy on FTA channels. “This is changing because FTA channels are no longer catering only to rural markets where viewers were playing catch-up. They now have significant penetration in urban markets as well,” said Maharaj. Some channels even look at a ratio of 40:60 of original programming to acquired content to be an ideal mix. 

    Traditionally, FTA channels tend to perform well in rural markets and have been mainly supported by FMCG advertisers who may contribute up to 70 per cent of the ad volumes. The reliance on FMCG spends is also believed to have constrained the growth of the FTA channels, as the category is mature.

    Though the FMCG is still the largest spending category on FTA, the dependence of FTA on FMCG has reduced considerably with categories like services, healthcare, education, manufacturing and construction, telecom, media contributing significantly. There has been the advent of new categories and a few others have recorded phenomenal growth.

    Some of these advertisers who came onboard include Amazon, Myntra, Flipkart, BYJU’S, Google, Facebook, indicating a shift towards the FTA audience which is discerning and dependable to drive the next phase of growth for them.

    Since the core audience of FTA channels is mainly from the heartland, most broadcasters try to place their channels on DD Free Dish, the free DTH platform by Prasar Bharati. At a one-time cost of Rs 2,000, any viewer may watch up to 160 channels distributed on the platform at no recurring cost. It is estimated that there are 50 million DD Free Dish set-top-boxes in the country.

    The advantage of being available on DD Free Dish is significant. Hindi general entertainment channel (GEC) The Q grew its client list by six times after launching on the free DTH platform, according to The Q chief executive officer Simran Hoon. “The Q has also not faced any problem of discounted ad rates like other FTA players post launching on DD Free Dish,” she added.

    Depending on the market that FTA channel caters to, viewership may increase up to 50 gross rating points (GRPs) by solely being distributed on the platform.

    “This is because DD Free Dish audience accounts for 30 per cent of the Hindi-speaking market,” pointed out Shemaroo TV, chief operating officer – broadcast business, Sandeep Gupta. “A channel can definitely survive just by being on DD Free Dish and not any other individual platform. It has a significant share of the audience in the core heartland markets such as Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, and Jharkhand.”

    The availability of channels on DD Free Dish also improves the performance of the channel in rural markets drastically, highlight media experts. However, the biggest issue is that the base size of DD Free Dish is low, leading to scale still being low. Hence, the advertiser interest in FTA channels available on DD Free Dish would depend on the markets the brand is targeting,” said MediaCom’s Rao.

    At the end of the third annual e-auction that concluded in February, broadcasters bid as high as Rs 16.5 crore to be on DD Free Dish and Prasar Bharati made Rs 731.34 crore from the sale of 57 MPEG-2 slots.

  • Enterr10 elevates Shrutish Maharaj as group chief business officer

    Enterr10 elevates Shrutish Maharaj as group chief business officer

    MUMBAI: Enterr10 TV Networks has restructured its leadership and has assigned the revenue mandate of its flagship GEC Dangal TV to Shrutish Maharaj as an additional responsibility over his current role. Maharaj will also be overseeing the group’s Media planning & buying and will be reporting to Enterr10 Television Network MD Manish Singhal.

    Maharaj had joined Enterr10 Network as chief business officer to lead the revenue and strategy business for the regional cluster of Enterr10 Network in August 2020.

     Enterr10 Television Network MD Manish Singhal said: “We need the A team for the A game and it's quite heartening to have Shrutish back at the helm of affairs. Investing in the right content mix is our topmost priority right now and it really helps to have the right people walk with us towards the common goal. Shrutish is a fearless young leader who shares my passion and vision for the media and entertainment space.”

     Shrutish Maharaj said: “I am equally elated to lead Dangal 2.0. The industry saw us create and then re-create benchmarks for the entire genre last time around, but it will be equally challenging and exciting to have a go at it again with a lot of changed variables and only one constant, which is a firm belief in your own brand. Dangal originals give us a lot of edge over competition, not only in terms of positioning and differentiation but also as a great revenue opportunity. I am most confident of orchestrating yet another success story with my team.”

    Shrutish has already taken charge of his new role and will be operating out of the Mumbai office

  • Major re-structuring at Helios Media; Raj Shrivastav elevated to national head

    Major re-structuring at Helios Media; Raj Shrivastav elevated to national head

    MUMBAI: Helios Media has announced a major change in its restructuring. The speciality revenue monetisation company for content owners has elevated Raj Shrivastav as the national head for Living Foodz and Brand Chef business.

    Rahul Jaiswal will lead the northern and western regions for MTunes, EPIC and Fakt Marathi while Avnish Bhagat will be leading the southern and eastern regions for MTunes, EPIC and Fakt Marathi. 

    The company had recently elevated Shrutish Maharaj to chief sales officer.

    Talking about the restructuring, Maharaj says “It’s been quite a journey for us as a team loaded with some amazing experiences and most satisfying accomplishments. However for a young company like us, it’s important to keep redefining ourselves to stay focused and grow faster. The restructuring of our sales team is with an eye on enhanced efficiency and focused approach”

    Helios Media has also acquired mandates for a couple of television channels in the recent past and is on a fast track to growth.

    “The core team of Helios has been with the company since its inception and has grown along with the organisation. With team strength of over 40 people in Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru and Kolkata, we boast of a young and energetic team who are nurtured with the spirit of being partners in the growth of our clients”, says Helios Media COO Bala Iyengar. 

     

  • Major re-structuring at Helios Media; Raj Shrivastav elevated to national head

    Major re-structuring at Helios Media; Raj Shrivastav elevated to national head

    MUMBAI: Helios Media has announced a major change in its restructuring. The speciality revenue monetisation company for content owners has elevated Raj Shrivastav as the national head for Living Foodz and Brand Chef business.

    Rahul Jaiswal will lead the northern and western regions for MTunes, EPIC and Fakt Marathi while Avnish Bhagat will be leading the southern and eastern regions for MTunes, EPIC and Fakt Marathi. 

    The company had recently elevated Shrutish Maharaj to chief sales officer.

    Talking about the restructuring, Maharaj says “It’s been quite a journey for us as a team loaded with some amazing experiences and most satisfying accomplishments. However for a young company like us, it’s important to keep redefining ourselves to stay focused and grow faster. The restructuring of our sales team is with an eye on enhanced efficiency and focused approach”

    Helios Media has also acquired mandates for a couple of television channels in the recent past and is on a fast track to growth.

    “The core team of Helios has been with the company since its inception and has grown along with the organisation. With team strength of over 40 people in Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru and Kolkata, we boast of a young and energetic team who are nurtured with the spirit of being partners in the growth of our clients”, says Helios Media COO Bala Iyengar. 

     

  • Helios Media elevates Shrutish Maharaj as chief sales officer

    Helios Media elevates Shrutish Maharaj as chief sales officer

    MUMBAI: Helios Media has promoted Shrutish Maharaj as chief sales officer. 

    He has been a part of the company’s core team since its inception four years ago.

     

    In the new role, Maharaj will be responsible for spearheading the revenue and content marketing functions at Helios. He has about 12 years of experience and has earlier worked with organisations like India Today Group, HT Media Ltd, Network 18, UTV News ltd and Times Group in various capacities.

     

    Maharaj said, “The last four years haven’t been the easiest but surely most exciting and enriching. We have created benchmarks and then recreated them. We are constantly redefining the way people approach media sales and it’s most satisfying to see larger networks counting on us as experts of specialty products. We have built this team of handpicked people for whom sales is a passion; more than just a career and I would say our people are our biggest assets. I am definitely thrilled at this development and am geared up for all the challenges and opportunities coming our way this year.”

     

    Helios Media currently handles revenue mandate for MTunes HD, Living Foodz, Epic TV, Music F Fatafati, food vertical of Femina (WWM Group), Fashion TV in exclusive capacity.

     

    Apart from the above he will also lead Brand Chef, which is an indigenous initiative by Helios connecting the brand, consumer and content in the food domain.

     

    Commenting on Maharaj’s appointment, Helios Media managing director Divya Radhakrishnan said, “I am glad that the reins are now in the right hands and Shrutish will continue to make us proud. His organisational pride of wearing the Helios Spirit on his sleeve has been heartening and also infectious.”

     

    Helios Media COO Bala Iyengar added, “Shrutish is a perfect example of what it takes to sprint your way to this coveted position, which was waiting for him to occupy. The right persona that a rapidly growing organization likes ours is what Shrutish has worked towards developing and successfully at that.”