ITV

Tag: Sony Entertainment Television

  • Most GECs see a fall in ratings in week 38

    Most GECs see a fall in ratings in week 38

    MUMBAI: The week 38 of TAM TV ratings witnessed no change in the ranking order of the Hindi general entertainment channels (GECs). However, on the viewership front, most of the channels saw a drop in the ratings.

     

    Thus, Star Plus continued to lead the pack with 579,978 GVTs, down from 594,923 GVTs. Diya Aur Baati Hum is back to its number one position and recorded 8,074 TVTs, up from 7,730 TVTs. At number two is Saathiya Saath which saw a significant drop in the viewership as it scored 7,062 TVTs, down from 7,708 TVTs, Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai ranks number three with 6,360 TVTs, down from 6,572 TVTs.

     

    At number two stands Zee TV, which reported 442,526 GVTs, up from 431,746 GVTs. Its new offering Bandhan has observed 4,366 TVTs. With this, Bandhan is the second highest opener show across GECs (September 2013 – September 2014), according to the statement by the channel. Other offerings which have seen a rise in the ratings are Jamai Raja which noticed 7,045 TVTs, up from 6,704 TVTs and Sapne Suhane scored 4,027 TVTs, up from 3,556 TVTs.

     

    Colors ranks number three with 412,405 GVTs, down from 416,675 GVTs. The major loss for the channel was its comedy non-fiction property, Comedy Nights With Kapil. It witnessed a major drop in the viewership and rated 3,996 TVTs, down from 6,020 TVTs. On the fiction side, Balika Vadhu too saw a fall and reported 5,067 TVTs, down from 5,443 TVTs.

     

    Despite a drop in the viewership, Life OK continues its hold at number four with 294,679 GVTs, down from 313,012 GVTs. The channel’s biggest non-fiction property with Akshay Kumar as the host – Dare to Dance garnered 2,510 TVTs, down from 2,933 TVTs. Mahadev also witnessed a drop in the ratings and stood at 1,478 TVTs, down from 1,650 TVTs.

     

    Sab at number five registered 269,045 GVTs, down from 292,474. The channel’s most popular property – Taarek Mehta tracked 6,142 TVTs, down from 7,278 TVTs. Chidiya Ghar too lost its viewership and scored 2,343 TVTs, down from 2,618 TVTs and Balveer noticed 2,267 TVTs, down from 2,574 TVTs.

     

    Sony continues to be at the bottom of the chart with 263,802 GVTs, up from 262,507 GVTs. Its crime property CID garnered 3,453 TVTs, up from 3,174 TVTs. Maharana Veer Pratap registered 3,033 TVTs, up from 3,013 TVTs.

     

    As for the new entrant GECs, Zindagi and Sony Pal have witnessed a rise in the viewership. Zindagi noted 31,528 GVTs, up from 30,016 GVTs and Sony Pal is not far with 24,234 GVTs, up from 20,881 GVTs. 

  • Will KBC 8 sustain high numbers?

    Will KBC 8 sustain high numbers?

    MUMBAI: The Indian adaptation of the original format, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, catapulted Star Plus’ popularity when it was launched in 2000 as part of the channel’s revamp, later after exchanging hands, it boosted Sony’s viewership and since then has worked its magic.

     

    After 13 years, two channels, seven seasons, Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) has come a long way.

     

    It has been a tedious task to entertain people season after season and though the show started off like a rocket, it did have to face a few hurdles. The show couldn’t garner enough ratings as expected, season after season.

     

    Nonetheless, produced by Big Synergy, once again climbed the upward trend in its eighth season, raking in viewership of 8.96 million TVTs for its grand premiere episode. The average weekday viewership of the show was 5.2 million TVTs in its first week.

     

    This was the highest rated show in the week under consideration (17-23 August 2014), across channels. Moreover, it outdid other top shows like Diya Aur Baati Hum (Star Plus), Jodha Akbar and Kumkum Bhagya on Zee TV. It also helped the channel to move from its number sixth position to be number four in the TAM TV ratings.

     

    According to media planners what worked wonders for the show was its social connect with the audiences. Woven around the thought of ‘yahan sirf paise nahi Dil bhi jeete jaate hain’, the TVCs garnered many accolades.

     

    Planners believe that through its new theme, KBC is going back to the roots. “This season, it has had a very strong social connect. They are bringing up a lot of social issues and women empowerment issues in the programme and that has caught people’s attention,” asserts Maxus managing partner north and east region Navin Khemka. Khemka further goes on to say that this time the social issues it is highlighting are topical and well told.

     

    The three TVCs were launched in July, ‘Kohima’ was followed by the ‘Hindu-Muslim’ and ‘Community’, received positive responses from the industry pundits as well as viewers. The channel had bought around 10,000 ad spots in over 45 TV channels, including the MSM network channels.

     

    Moreover, it was also promoted in 15 cities through 2,000 OOH sites in cities like Mumbai, Delhi and selected ones in Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra.

     

    On the digital front also, it was active than before. It launched an app called KBC Play Along, by which a viewer could play the game on his mobile and stand a chance to meet Bachchan on the sets. Taking the marketing efforts a notch up, it had also done a 100-city-on-ground activity.

     

    Media planners believe that, though the channel saw a good opening response, a lot of KBC ratings was dependent on the social impact and celebrities it got hold on to appear on it. “Celebrity episodes drive the viewership. In the coming weeks, because it is the festival time, a lot of new shows will get launched. So if they are able to get good celebrities and good content, they should be able to hold on to the ratings,” says another media analyst.

     

    This season also saw re-invention of KBC. The grand premiere of the Bachchan-helmed show was shot in Surat with a live audience of around 7,000 people. The evening’s proceedings included comedy acts by Kapil Sharma, the anchor of Colors’ Comedy Nights with Kapil, song and dance sequences and Bachchan’s interactions with the live audience.

     

    Cadbury remains the presenting sponsor while Idea continues to be the ‘powered by’ sponsor. Samsung, Maruti Suzuki, TVS, and Cisca LED are the associate sponsors.

  • Life OK drops to number 6 in the ratings chart

    Life OK drops to number 6 in the ratings chart

    MUMBAI: Continuing the fall, the week 35 of TAM TV ratings witnessed Life OK landing at number sixth position. It saw a huge drop in its viewership and scored 266,952 GVTs, down from 287,861 GVTs.

     

    All its offerings have seen a decline in the ratings. The channel’s chart topper Savdhan India stood at 2,253 TVTs, down from 2,473 TVTs, Shapath scored 1,827 TVTs, down from 2,218 TVTs and Mahadev noted 1,643 TVTs, down from 1,718 TVTs.

     

    Star Plus and Colors are the only gainers this week. Star Plus reported 561,897 GVTs, up from 559,230 GVTs. Its new Sunday fiction property Airlines opened decently well. It reported 3,325 TVTs. It seems the charm of Yo Yo Honey Singh has also worked for the channel with its new non-fiction property India’s Raw Star. It registered 4,521 TVTs. On the daily fiction side, Saathiya Saath leads the chart with 7,334 TVTs, up from 7,179 TVTs.

     

    Coming back to Colors, it recorded 388,017 GVTs, up from 376,579 GVTs at number three. Its non-fiction shows performed well. Comedy Nights with Kapil noted 6,967 TVTs, up from 6,521 TVTs and Jhalak Dikhlaja reported 4,552 TVTs, up from 3,879 TVTs. On the fiction side, Meri Ashiqui observed 3,023 TVTs, up from 2,761 TVTs and Beintehaa scored 3,012 TVTs, up from 2,977 TVTs.

     

    Other general entertainment channels (GECs) witnessed a drop in the ratings. Thus, Zee TV which enjoys its strong hold at number two registered 462,476 GVTs, down from 464,660 GVTs. The channel’s new weekend fiction offering, Neeli Chhatri Wale opened at 2,002 TVTs. Other offerings which have seen a marginal drop in the viewership are Qubool Hai at 6,179 TVTs, down from 6,194 TVTs, Jamai Raja at 6,620 TVTs, down from 6,688 TVTs and Jodha Akbar at 8,926 TVTs, down from 8,949 TVTs.

     

    Sony Entertainment Television (SET) saw a significant drop in the viewership but still managed to retain its number four position. It garnered 317,093 GVTs, down from 366,282 GVTs. KBC season eight lost some audiences as it observed 4,412 TVTs, down from 5,216 TVTs. CID noted 3,485 TVTs, down from 3,741 TVTs and Adaalat witnessed 1,148 TVTs, down from 1,200 TVTs.

     

    Sab at number five recorded 281,456 GVTs, down from 287,686 GVTs. The channel’s chart leader Tarak Mehta registered 5,860 TVTs and Lapataganj garnered 1,412 TVTs, down from 2,014 TVTs.

     

  • Sony strengthens its fiction line-up

    Sony strengthens its fiction line-up

    MUMBAI: Sony Entertainment Television seems to be strengthening its fiction line-up. The channel that believes in content being the king, keeps exploring with different storylines.  With not-so-strong fiction line-up, the Sony is all set to launch a new show which showcases the story of a man’s struggle to strike the perfect balance.

     

    Come 1 September, the channel is will break the stereotype with Hum Hain Na. The Indian woman has always been the epitome of tradition and values in our society, but can the men be left far behind? Every mother has expectations from her son; every wife wants attention from her husband, every sister is possessive about her brother! But will the perfect man be able to live up to these expectations?

     

    The new series dabbles with the subject that gets many women thinking – ‘kya ek perfect beta, ek perfect pati bhi ban sakta hai’?

     

    Produced by DJ’s Creative Unit, Hum Hain Na is set in the beautiful town of Benaras and follows the life of a young and charming boy, Shivprasad Mishra aka Bunty (Kanwar Dhillon). An ideal brother, son and friend, he is the blue eyed boy of his family. His entire world revolves around the three women in his life – his amma, badi didi and chhoti.

     

    In any given situation, he has quick fixes to brighten up the mood of each of his family members. But in a bid to keep everyone happy, Bunty’s own personal life is always in trouble. His life takes a turn when his elder sister makes him promise not to get married until she is married off. Being a true Benarasi, Bunty vows to never go back on his words but is stuck at the crossroads when he bumps into his dream girl, Saagarika (Pratyusha Banerjee), at a family wedding. Saagarika, raised single-handedly by her father who is unaware of a woman’s needs after her mother’s  death, sees a complete contrast in Bunty who is full of affection and is sensitive towards women. When these two opposites meet, what follows is a series of interesting and heart-warming events.

     

    Sony chief creative director Ajay Bhalwankar believes that Indian television has always appreciated women’s contribution to a family, but this time it is celebrating a man’s role in bringing the family together.

     

    “Hum Hain Na is a refreshing yet modern take on how Bunty balances the different women in his life seamlessly. Our protagonist, Bunty transitions from being a doting brother and a caring son to a sensitive boyfriend so impeccably that it seems as if he is almost unreal. His sensitivity and emotional nature might make one feel he is metrosexual, but in reality his heart belongs to the values of the place he belongs to,” adds Bhalwankar.

     

    DJ’s Creative Unit producers Deeya and Tony Singh asserts: “Hum Hain Na is a story very close to reality. It’s about a boy who is a perfect son and a perfect brother, he wants a wife who will embrace his universe which consists of his family. And a girl who wants to be the universe of her man, she desires to have a perfect husband who is sensitive to her needs as a woman. And. Now the question is can a boy who is a perfect son and a perfect brother also be a perfect husband? Will this become a perfect love story?”

     

    The new emotional love story will air four days a week at 9.30pm. It is going to have a tough competition with other popular shows like Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai on Star Plus, Qubool Hai on Zee TV, Rangrasiya on Colors, Tumhari Pakhi on Life OK and Badi Door Se Aaye Hai on Sab.

  • KBC works its charm, Sony number four in TAM TV ratings

    KBC works its charm, Sony number four in TAM TV ratings

    Updated: 5:30 PM

     

    MUMBAI: The charm of Amitabh Bachchan has worked for Sony Entertainment Television (SET). And it’s visible in the TAM TV ratings of week 34. The Hindi general entertainment channel (GEC) that launched the eighth season of Kaun Banega Crorepati on 17 August has finally come out from being at the bottom of the ratings chart, to number four.

     

    What’s even more welcoming for the channel is the fact that the new format for KBC has been accepted by the audience.  The inaugural episode got 8,956 TVTs, while subsequent episodes delivered 5,216 TVTs.

     

    Sony garnered 366,282 GVTs, up from 262,647 GVTs. Apart from KBC, what worked wonders for the channel is its historic property – Maharana Veer Pratap which observed 3,286 TVTs, up from 2,906 TVTs.

     

    On the other hand, Life OK, which slipped to number five position, managed 287,861 GVTs, down from 301,994 GVTs. The channel’s hot property – Savdhan India lost eyeballs and scored 2,473 TVTs, down from 2,721 TVTs, Laut Aao Trisha registered 1,435 TVTs, down from 1,566 TVTs and Gustakh Dil managed 1,365 TVTs, down from 1,530 TVTs.

     

    According to the TAM TV ratings provided by the channel, the gainers this week are Zee TV at number two with 464,660 GVTs, up from 453,012 GVTs and Sab at number six faces neck-to-neck competition with Life OK as it records 287,686 GVTs, up from 278,215 GVTs.

     

    At Zee, maximum properties witnessed a rise in the ratings. The channel’s famous property – Kumkum Bhagya is climbing new heights week after week and reported 8,093 TVTs, up from 8,013 TVTs, historical show – Jodha Akbar noted 8,949 TVTs, up from 7,544 TVTs Jamai Raja witnessed 6,688 TVTs, up from 5,327 TVTs and Aur pyar Ho Gaya stood at 4,676 TVTs, up from 4,418 TVTs.

     

    On the other hand, for Sab, Taarek Mehta has been a huge win. It recorded 6,156 TVTs, up from 5,472 TVTs. Balveer registered 2,209 TVTs, up from 2,072 TVTs. On 23 August, the channel aired Sab Ke Anokhe Awards which observed 3,627 TVTs.

     

    Though it lost numbers, Star Plus continues to lead the pack with 559,230 GVTs, down from 688,618 GVTs and Colors at number three stood at 376,579 GVTs, down from 410,774 GVTs.

     

    For Star, all its properties have witnessed a huge drop in the viewership. Thus, the channel’s chart leader Diya Aur Baati Hum scored 7,343 TVTs, down from 10,696 TVTs, Saathiya Saath reported 7,179 TVTs, down from 9,455 TVTs and Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai stood at 5,942 TVTs, down from 7,367 TVTs.

     

    Coming back to Colors, Sasural Simar Ka noted 6,060 TVTs, down from 6,193 TVTs. Its non-fiction properties, Jhalak Dikhlaja and Comedy Nights with Kapil witnessed a drop in the ratings and reported 3,879 TVTs, down from 4,799 TVTs and 6,521 TVTs, down from 6,847 TVTs respectively.

  • KBC ties up with Radio Mirchi for ‘Kaun Banega Lakhpati’

    KBC ties up with Radio Mirchi for ‘Kaun Banega Lakhpati’

    MUMBAI:  Back with a grand opening, Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) has not left any stone unturned to stay true to its tagline, ‘Yahan sirf paise nahi dil bhi jeete jaate hai’ .

     

     After a stellar opening in Surat, the channel has now joined hands with the leading radio station Radio Mirchi 98.3 FM for an exclusive on air contest ‘Kaun Banega Lakhpati’ in several cities across India.

     

    With this unique innovation, Sony Entertainment Television (SET) intended to bring their fans closer to the show through a different yet successful medium. Radio Mirchi gave listeners and KBC loyalists a chance to not only be part of the mega franchise but also be a double lakhpati.

     

    Speaking about this unique contest, SET senior VP and head  marketing Gaurav Seth said, “This unique contest with Radio Mirchi was specially conceptualised to give our viewers an opportunity to play this great game and engage with our show. Sitting on a hot seat is a dream come true for every viewer and this contest was the perfect platform for them. I am extremely happy at the overwhelming response that the contest has received.”

     

    For the contest, morning RJ’s floated questions from the previous night’s telecast episode on air inviting Mirchi listeners to answer. All they had to do to become a lakhpati was SMS the correct answer to the question. The first person to send across the message with the correct answer (Fastest Finger First) became eligible to be a contending participant in the radio show on that day. The shortlisted contestant was then asked a series of five questions. Prize money for correctly answering the first question was Rs 10000, for the second question it was Rs 25000, for third it was Rs 50,000, fourth was Rs 1,00,000 and finally by answering the fifth and final question the participant became eligible to win the bumper prize of Rs 2 lakh.

     

    Amongst many contest winners, Sultan Mohammedbhai Dalal won Rs 2 lakh on Hi Mumbai and Sunita Pokhriyal won Rs 1 lakh on Hi Delhi.

     

    Commenting on this, Radio Mirchi Mumbai cluster head Preeti Nihalani said, “KBC is one of the biggest and most admired shows on television. Radio Mirchi is delighted to associate with a show that is so close to the hearts of people around the country. The tie-up amplified the interest level of the TV audience as well as the radio listeners and gave them a chance to be a lakhpati sitting at home.  We received a tremendous response on air and appreciation from our listeners on Twitter and Facebook. This activity has definitely got the audiences closer to the show.”

  • GECs go patriotic this Independence Day!

    GECs go patriotic this Independence Day!

    MUMBAI: With a long weekend stretching ahead, Hindi general entertainment channels (GECs) don’t want to miss the opportunity to keep people inside their homes. Come 15 August, along with the whole of India, GECs will also celebrate the 68th Independence Day.

     

    Commemorating the upcoming Independence Day, Colors has planned a special two-hour recorded event titled Jashn-E-Azaadi that will display India’s rich culture from Kashmir to Kanyakumari.

     

    A dose of humour will be given by popular comedian Kapil Sharma with gags and parody by the entire cast of Comedy Nights with Kapil (CNWK). Along with the CNWK cast, other artists who will be seen performing on the latkas and jhatkas are Eijaz Khan, Sophie Chowdhry, Karan Wahi, Dadi as dadi,  Vishal Singh (representing Punjab), Rashmi Desai, Shakti Mohan (representing UP), Karishma Tanna (representing Gujarat) and Akshat (representing South). It will air twice on Independence day- 1pm to 3pm and from 5pm to 7pm.

     

    Apart from the special event, the theme of I-Day will be reflected in Balika Vadhu also, where Shiv will save the CM who’s going to be assassinated through a ticker bomb at an Inauguration ceremony held on 15 August.

     

    Talking about Sony Entertainment Television, it will celebrate Independence Day on 15 August and 16 August at 10pm. A special episode of its oldest and highest rated properties – CID will show a terrorist attack.

     

    Talking about Star Plus’s sister channel Life OK, it will celebrate the flavor of Independence with Bollywood diva Kareena Kapoor Khan on the very famous Life OK Now Awards. With Independence as the central theme, viewers will see some spectacular performances by some of the biggest names in Bollywood and television. The anchors for the evening Chintu aka Sunil Grover and Varun Sharma, will keep everyone in splits with their gags and comic timing.

     

    The audience will get to witness some power packed performances that wont only kept them entertained, but also brought out the spirit of patriotism. Actors who will perform include Sushant Singh Rajput, Shraddha Arya, Esha Gupta, Prateek and Sneha.

     

    While media planners says that channels witness a 10-15 per cent hike in their revenues during special occasions like Holi, Women’s Day and Valentine’s Day, for Independence Day, channels which have a special line up plan earn some extra bucks, but regular programming does not see a huge shift or hike in the revenues.

  • Zee TV’s ratings fall, all other GECs rise

    Zee TV’s ratings fall, all other GECs rise

    Updated:7.00 PM

     

    MUMBAI: In the week 32 of TAM TV ratings, Zee TV is the only channel that witnessed a drop in the viewership by recording 414,540 GVTs, down from 438,207 GVTs. However, there was no change in the ranking order of the other channels this week.

     

    Maximum of Zee’s properties witnessed a drop in the ratings. Thus, the channel’s most famous historical property – Jodha Akbar observed 7,332 TVTs, down from 8,580 TVTs, Qubool Hai recorded 5,428 TVTs, down from 5,550 TVTs. On the other hand, the properties that gained are – Doli Armano Ki that got 4,398 TVTs, up from 3,510 TVTs and Kumkum Bhagya scored 7,560 TVTs, up from 7,467 TVTs.

     

    Star Plus continues to be the chart leader. It witnessed a huge hike and clocked 711,648 GVTs, up from 676,578 GVTs. Almost all its offerings have seen a tremendous rise in the ratings. Thus, the channel’s chart leader Diya Aur Baati Hum scored 10,024 TVTs, up from 9,311 TVTs, Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai noted 7,326 TVTs, up from 6,958 TVTs, Ye Hai Mohababtein recorded 6,380 TVTs, up from 5,814 TVTs and Saath  Nibhana Saathiya reported 7,150 TVTs, up from 6,930 TVTs.

     

    At number three, Colors clocked 403,053 GVTs, up from 375,025 GVTs. Sasural Simar Ka noted 5,699 TVTs, up from 5,153 TVTs, Balika Vadhu got 4,974 TVTs, up from 4,713 TVTs. Talking about its non-fiction series, Comedy Nights with Kapil also observed a huge hike in the ratings and stood at 8,556 TVTs, up from 6,787 TVTs and The Anupam Kher Show reported 1,864TVTs, up from 1,575 TVTs.

     

    Life OK continues to enjoy the number four position in the ratings chart. It garnered 311,640 GVTs, up from 311,423 GVTs. Thus, Shapath recorded 2,779 TVTs, up from 2,087 TVTs, Savdhan India reported 2,690 TVTs, up from 2,676 TVTs, Gustakh Dil generated 1,829 TVTs, down from 2,033 TVTs and Laut Aao Trisha stood at 1,654 TVTs, down from 1,744 TVTs.

     

    Sony Entertainment Television (SET) retained its fifth position with 278,432 GVTs, up from 275,107 GVTs. Thus, CID, the channel’s leader scored 4,328 TVTs, up from 3,886 TVTs and Maharana Veer Pratap rated 3,446 TVTs, up from 3,054 TVTs. The much hyped show – Yudh, failed to grab eyeballs as it saw a significant drop in the viewership and stood at 703 TVTs, down from 737 TVTs.

     

    Last but not the least, Sab noted 277,018 GVTs, up from 265,377 GVTs. Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah continues to remain the chart leader as it scored 6,552 TVTs, up from 5,343 TVTs and Badi Door se Aaye Hai rated 2,283 TVTs, up from 1,943 TVTs.

  • Raghu-Rajiv and Ravi Luthria team up for new venture ‘Monozygotic’

    Raghu-Rajiv and Ravi Luthria team up for new venture ‘Monozygotic’

    MUMBAI: Days after Rajiv Lakshman quit his as COO of Coloscem, he has announced a new venture with his twin brother Raghu Ram. The duo has come together with Ravi Luthra, a marketing veteran to start a new content and communications hub – Monozygotic. This new startup will mainly focus on content creation across various avenues of media from TV to digital to on-ground.

     

    Speaking about their new venture, Monozygotic co founder and managing zygote Rajiv said, “There has been a tectonic shift in the consumption of media in the past decade and it is critical for any brand manager to not only figure the right media mix but also the right communication for a specific media. This is where Monozygotic steps in with our cumulative experience in building enduring, genre defining brands like Roadies, Splitsvilla and Masterchef India”.

     

    “We have had the opportunity of multifunctional experience in content, both behind the scenes and facing the camera. The experience has helped us not only to understand the business of content but has also to develop a deep insight into audience psyche. I believe Monozygotic will be able to bridge the need gap, catering to audience and advertisers with equal ease. We have been contemplating this venture for a while now. I view Monozygotic as a natural progression in our respective careers”, added Monozygotic co founder and managing zygote Raghu.

     

    While majority of people know them as the face of the cult show Roadies, the dynamic duo Raghu Ram and Rajiv Lakshman, with experience of more than two decades have also been responsible for creating a number of other enduring, genre defining television shows such as Splitsvilla and instrumental in the launch and success of Masterchef India. They have also broken new ground in the digital content space with Roadies Battleground and Jack & Jones Hitched. Ravi Luthra, with 15 years experience, has also made a mark in the industry with companies like Marico Industries, Visa, Star TV, MTV and Sony Entertainment Television among others.

     

     “The twins are masters at content creation and community building. Monozygotic aims to create clutter-breaking content catering to a wide array of audiences and marketers. The duo has a keen understanding of the audience which we plan to leverage with a focus on new media, the future of content consumption.  Unfortunately, a huge gap exists in this space in the connect between brands and consumers. Herein lies a great opportunity to create innovative and customised market driven content that is both sharable and sustainable” said Monozygotic chief executive zygote Ravi Luthria.

     

    Monozygotic has already started working with some established brands on new, exciting projects.

  • KBC 8: Stays true to its message, wins hearts at Surat

    KBC 8: Stays true to its message, wins hearts at Surat

    MUMBAI: It was a night to remember for people in Surat who were entertained by none other than Amitabh Bachchan and Kapil Sharma.

     

    Sony Entertainment Television took its property, ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’, out of its sets for the first time and created magic at the Surat Stadium for the 7000 plus audience. The live event held on 2 August saw Big B open the season in his inimitable style along with a bevy of dancers with whom he grooved to songs sung especially by him for KBC.

     

    The event was hosted by Kapil Sharma, who left the audience in splits with his impeccable comic timing. He also experienced the tension contestants go through as he sat on the hot seat for the first time. Sharma expressed his happiness of working with Sony again and sharing the KBC stage with Bachchan. “It is always a pleasure to work with him,” he said.

     

    SET senior EVP and business head Nachiket Pantvaidya added that getting Sharma on-board was a good move, considering his popularity among the masses. “He has added a lot of value to the show. Plus, he has worked with Bachchan before so there is a certain chemistry between the two which was an advantage for us,” he informed.

     

    Adding to the excitement were the iconic cops, Dayanand Shetty and Abhijeet from Sony’s popular crime show, ‘CID’, who interacted with the audience.

     

    If that wasn’t enough to leave the audience spellbound, then the valiant warrior and Rajput hero, Faisal Khan from ‘Maharana Pratap’ surely did that with his stellar dance performance. The trio of Neeti Mohan, Meiyang Chang and Anirudh Dave also added to the entertainment quotient of the evening keeping the audience engaged in a musical banter. The charming Shillong Choir gave a heart- warming performance.

     

    This year, the channel wanted to target the cities which usually are ignored. Pantvaidya believes that it is either the state capitals or the metros that get their share of entertainment. “Thus, there was a need to target the smaller cities which are otherwise ignored and not paid much attention to,” he said.

     

    “If we connect across these smaller cities, we will be able to fulfill all those aspirations and we did that with Surat,” added Pantvaidya.

     

    According to SET SVP head marketing Gaurav Seth, it is also a good way to test how both, the brand and the channel, is doing in these cities.

     

    The channel is quite happy to take the show outside the sets for the first time. “I am quite happy that everything went as per plan,” opined Seth.

     

    So what is new this season? Though the prize amount remains the same, Rs 7 crore, to make the show more interesting, two additional features have been added.

     

    The expert advice lifeline has been converted into a panel of three wise men who will sit amongst the audience called ‘Triguni’. Upon being called, these three wise men will give the correct answer along with interesting trivia around the question.

     

    Another interesting lifeline called ‘Code Red’ will let the family of the participants tell them to quit, if needed, by pressing a buzzer placed in front of them. According to Pantvaidya, “This will also increase the number of factors in the game theory. This is not just a knowledge game but it is also about uncertainty in people’s mind.”

     

    At the marketing front, the channel is leaving no stone unturned to create the buzz.

     

    After Surat, it will be travelling to three other cities which have not yet been finalised. However, the aim is to keep the buzz alive at the same scale.

     

    Seth believes that this season’s core message ‘Yahan Sirf Paise Nahi, Dil Bhi Jeete Jaate Hain’ will be the constant catchphrase for the show.

     

    “Keeping in with the promise of our brand, we are happy that we are able to integrate our thought into the content,” added Pantvaidya.

     

    To increase the level of engagement with the consumers, the channel has created a KBC app. For the first time, this year, wherein people sitting at homes can experience in real time and play by answering questions and win prizes.

     

    Apart from this, social media is going to play a major role to drive the point. The channel has rolled on a 100 ground events, where people will share their experience of sitting on the hot seat on Facebook.

     

    Though both the officials refused to disclose any financial details, sources from the industry estimate that around 30 per cent of the entire budget is being spent on marketing.

     

    Four episodes have already been canned and are at the edit phase right now.

     

    Though the channel is betting big and spending loads and loads of cash, media planners believe that like last year, this season will also not add value to the ratings and give the channel those numbers as expected.

     

    Produced by Big Synergy, it will hit the television screens from 17 August, five days a week at 8.30 pm.