ITV

Tag: Star Gold

  • Channel V’s musical reboot

    Channel V’s musical reboot

    MUMBAI: It has already happened Down Under. Earlier this year, in Australia, Foxtel merged two of its channels Channel [V] and [V] Hits into a new service called [V] Hits running back to back music clips, shuttering all its long form music shows. Huge groans were heard amongst all those who had got used to its cutting edge programming over the 20 years of its existence.

    Something similar is being repeated in India too. Channel [V], was earlier known for its razz-m-tazzy VJs and great shows between the late nineties and up to 2005 and was quite a cult brand. That’s when the management of Star India decided to move it into fiction and non-fiction television, reducing the amount of music played out on the channel. Cut to 1 August 2016, and it’s back to music for Channel [V], almost mirroring what has happened in Ozland.

    Popular Channel [V] shows such Sadda Haq, Gumrah, Mastaangi, Dil Dostii Dance, D4, which had defined it over the past few years are being shipped out to its Hotstar OTT platform. Replacing them will be round the clock music – Hindi, English and popular aired around specially packaged programs. Among the shows that have been introduced include: Hit Machine, Late Night, Most W@anted, V Shuffle, Dance with V, ‘V Hangover, V-non-stop, V international, and V rush.

    The channel has also gone in for a brand refresh with a new look and logo. The two square brackets around the V have disappeared finally, which is indeed refereshing. In a beautiful mix of real world meets contemporary digital design, the origami-inspired logo manages to create a distinct, youthful and approachable form connecting to the youth. The new logo and channel packaging have been created by the in-house design team.

    “Music channels today feature a cluttered environment where the visual experience is compromised. Three fourths of screen is covered with ads or banners with one ticker moving in two directions,” points out general manager & executive VP Channel [V], Star Gold, Movies OK, Utsav Movies Hemal Jhaveri. “Space is blocked for random selfies, there’s a bug on the top left. I always used to wonder where the music and the video is? We observed what was happening and decided to revamp Channel [V]. An uncluttered look, great music videos, minimal graphics on screen will ensure a high-quality experience to the viewer, promising an unparalleled visual experience.”

    According to Jhaveri Indian music channels on air today lack a unique voice, and the category has been dormant for quite some time. According to the Ficci KPMG report 2015 – the last one for which music channels were reported – the music television genre had seen an erosion in viewership and ad revenues dropping from a 3.6 viewership share in 2013 to 3.2 per cent in 2014 and from four per cent ad share in 2013 to three per cent in 2014. Among the players in the segment include: Music India, MTV Indies, National Geographic Music, VH1, B4U Music, Music Xpress, Zing, Mastii, Sony Mix, 9XM, 9XO, ETC, 9X Jalwa, Music India, MTunes etc.

    Jhaveri is quite sanguine that advertising will continue with the channel and newer ones will hop on with the new positioning. “Advertisers serving our target group will remain to be in our portfolio. They pay for eyeballs. If a product is well distributed and the content talks to the target group, advertisers will love to get on board with us,” he says.

    A media planner however adds a note of caution. “Air time on music channels is a commodity,. The entire genre does revenues of not more than Rs 250 crore, even that is a bit on the higher side, ” she says. “Hence, Channel V cannot expect to get the same rates it used to enjoy. The stickiness on music television is simply not there as most music video watchers tend to switch between different channels a lot. There are other B2B ad revenue models and native content deals that Channel V should consider. The advantage for Channel V is that it is a part of the Star India network. It can cross sell between its channels and even its hotstar platform, which should work in its favour.”

    Jhaveri points out to what he claims is another USP for the channel. Says he: “V will be the only channel which will play the best of Indian and International music on the same platform. The global Indian youth today enjoys latest Indian hits as well as popular international music. Staying true to its image, V will be the only channel to deliver a complete package at the consumer’s doorstep.”

    It is over to the Indian youth –who are consuming more and more on digital and on handheld devices– to decide on whether that promise is good enough for them to get on to Channel V circa 2016. And whether the channel’s latest reboot ends up being music for Star India’s ears.

  • Channel V’s musical reboot

    Channel V’s musical reboot

    MUMBAI: It has already happened Down Under. Earlier this year, in Australia, Foxtel merged two of its channels Channel [V] and [V] Hits into a new service called [V] Hits running back to back music clips, shuttering all its long form music shows. Huge groans were heard amongst all those who had got used to its cutting edge programming over the 20 years of its existence.

    Something similar is being repeated in India too. Channel [V], was earlier known for its razz-m-tazzy VJs and great shows between the late nineties and up to 2005 and was quite a cult brand. That’s when the management of Star India decided to move it into fiction and non-fiction television, reducing the amount of music played out on the channel. Cut to 1 August 2016, and it’s back to music for Channel [V], almost mirroring what has happened in Ozland.

    Popular Channel [V] shows such Sadda Haq, Gumrah, Mastaangi, Dil Dostii Dance, D4, which had defined it over the past few years are being shipped out to its Hotstar OTT platform. Replacing them will be round the clock music – Hindi, English and popular aired around specially packaged programs. Among the shows that have been introduced include: Hit Machine, Late Night, Most W@anted, V Shuffle, Dance with V, ‘V Hangover, V-non-stop, V international, and V rush.

    The channel has also gone in for a brand refresh with a new look and logo. The two square brackets around the V have disappeared finally, which is indeed refereshing. In a beautiful mix of real world meets contemporary digital design, the origami-inspired logo manages to create a distinct, youthful and approachable form connecting to the youth. The new logo and channel packaging have been created by the in-house design team.

    “Music channels today feature a cluttered environment where the visual experience is compromised. Three fourths of screen is covered with ads or banners with one ticker moving in two directions,” points out general manager & executive VP Channel [V], Star Gold, Movies OK, Utsav Movies Hemal Jhaveri. “Space is blocked for random selfies, there’s a bug on the top left. I always used to wonder where the music and the video is? We observed what was happening and decided to revamp Channel [V]. An uncluttered look, great music videos, minimal graphics on screen will ensure a high-quality experience to the viewer, promising an unparalleled visual experience.”

    According to Jhaveri Indian music channels on air today lack a unique voice, and the category has been dormant for quite some time. According to the Ficci KPMG report 2015 – the last one for which music channels were reported – the music television genre had seen an erosion in viewership and ad revenues dropping from a 3.6 viewership share in 2013 to 3.2 per cent in 2014 and from four per cent ad share in 2013 to three per cent in 2014. Among the players in the segment include: Music India, MTV Indies, National Geographic Music, VH1, B4U Music, Music Xpress, Zing, Mastii, Sony Mix, 9XM, 9XO, ETC, 9X Jalwa, Music India, MTunes etc.

    Jhaveri is quite sanguine that advertising will continue with the channel and newer ones will hop on with the new positioning. “Advertisers serving our target group will remain to be in our portfolio. They pay for eyeballs. If a product is well distributed and the content talks to the target group, advertisers will love to get on board with us,” he says.

    A media planner however adds a note of caution. “Air time on music channels is a commodity,. The entire genre does revenues of not more than Rs 250 crore, even that is a bit on the higher side, ” she says. “Hence, Channel V cannot expect to get the same rates it used to enjoy. The stickiness on music television is simply not there as most music video watchers tend to switch between different channels a lot. There are other B2B ad revenue models and native content deals that Channel V should consider. The advantage for Channel V is that it is a part of the Star India network. It can cross sell between its channels and even its hotstar platform, which should work in its favour.”

    Jhaveri points out to what he claims is another USP for the channel. Says he: “V will be the only channel which will play the best of Indian and International music on the same platform. The global Indian youth today enjoys latest Indian hits as well as popular international music. Staying true to its image, V will be the only channel to deliver a complete package at the consumer’s doorstep.”

    It is over to the Indian youth –who are consuming more and more on digital and on handheld devices– to decide on whether that promise is good enough for them to get on to Channel V circa 2016. And whether the channel’s latest reboot ends up being music for Star India’s ears.

  • Star Utsav Movies to launch on 28 May; focuses on being truly rural

    Star Utsav Movies to launch on 28 May; focuses on being truly rural

    MUMBAI: With an extensive portfolio of channels under it, Star India is all set to add one more feather to his hat. The network will launch its free to air (FTA) Hindi movies channel Star Utsav Movies on 28 May.

    The advent of BARC has led rural markets taking the center stage with more than half of the TV viewership coming from the heartland. Entering this space, is this new channel which is completely focussed at the rural market and will play popular Bollywood films for the homes that do not have access to these films.

    Following the motto of being the first truly rural channel, their tagline Har Din Utsav promises an indication of their endeavour to give its viewers a reason to celebrate every day with the biggest and best stars on screen. Aimed at building a strong footprint in the rural market, the new channel will cater to the rural tastes, consumption and need.

    Star Gold, Movies OK, Star Gold HD and Star Utsav Movies general manager Hemal Jhaveri says, “We are excited to announce the launch of Star Utsav Movies on 28th May, India’s first ‘Truly Rural’ Hindi movie channel. Our analysis indicated that there was a clear need gap in this category since 25% of the total viewership came from movies, but the Hindi movie genre share is a miniscule 5 %. This is because of the non-availability of good content from the existing Hindi movie channels in the FTA space”.  

    The channel has done an extensive research over 8-9 months in multiple states like Rajasthan, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, etc to unravel the rural psyche before rolling out the channel. Through their survey, various key elements like afternoon slot, rural entertainment viewing pattern, the availability of screen, etc were considered before laying the channel’s programming schedule.  

    “The study shed light on the key usage and behavior patterns which has been the cornerstone for all acquisition, programming and marketing inputs on this new channel offering”, points Jhaveri.

    Through this data, the channel will look at their content vigilantly to have a sturdy family appeal policy being followed in their line-up.

    “What made this research unique and accurate was the fact that it was tailor made to each respondent surveyed basis their viewing behavior which was captured on close circuit cameras positioned in their homes. The rural markets are the last important frontier and we believe Star Utsav Movies will empower both the consumers and advertisers alike,” he further adds.

    The channel will be initially available exclusively on Doordarshan’s free direct-to-home (DTH) platform Freedish and will later be made available on other platforms according to the channel’s distribution strategy.

    Various advertisers from FMCG, telecoms, tractors, agriculture equipment, etc sectors are expected to get on board. Whereas, the content offering on the channel will be different from the network’s other channels like Star Gold, Movies Ok and Star Gold HD.

    To drive reach and awareness for the new channel, a multi-media launch campaign has already kick-started. Besides a comprehensive high impact TV plan, the promotion also includes a high octane radio plan besides unique brand experiences on ground across villages in key markets which will bring alive the brand promise.

    The channel is leveraging the might of Star India Network to rapidly build awareness.

  • Star Utsav Movies to launch on 28 May; focuses on being truly rural

    Star Utsav Movies to launch on 28 May; focuses on being truly rural

    MUMBAI: With an extensive portfolio of channels under it, Star India is all set to add one more feather to his hat. The network will launch its free to air (FTA) Hindi movies channel Star Utsav Movies on 28 May.

    The advent of BARC has led rural markets taking the center stage with more than half of the TV viewership coming from the heartland. Entering this space, is this new channel which is completely focussed at the rural market and will play popular Bollywood films for the homes that do not have access to these films.

    Following the motto of being the first truly rural channel, their tagline Har Din Utsav promises an indication of their endeavour to give its viewers a reason to celebrate every day with the biggest and best stars on screen. Aimed at building a strong footprint in the rural market, the new channel will cater to the rural tastes, consumption and need.

    Star Gold, Movies OK, Star Gold HD and Star Utsav Movies general manager Hemal Jhaveri says, “We are excited to announce the launch of Star Utsav Movies on 28th May, India’s first ‘Truly Rural’ Hindi movie channel. Our analysis indicated that there was a clear need gap in this category since 25% of the total viewership came from movies, but the Hindi movie genre share is a miniscule 5 %. This is because of the non-availability of good content from the existing Hindi movie channels in the FTA space”.  

    The channel has done an extensive research over 8-9 months in multiple states like Rajasthan, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, etc to unravel the rural psyche before rolling out the channel. Through their survey, various key elements like afternoon slot, rural entertainment viewing pattern, the availability of screen, etc were considered before laying the channel’s programming schedule.  

    “The study shed light on the key usage and behavior patterns which has been the cornerstone for all acquisition, programming and marketing inputs on this new channel offering”, points Jhaveri.

    Through this data, the channel will look at their content vigilantly to have a sturdy family appeal policy being followed in their line-up.

    “What made this research unique and accurate was the fact that it was tailor made to each respondent surveyed basis their viewing behavior which was captured on close circuit cameras positioned in their homes. The rural markets are the last important frontier and we believe Star Utsav Movies will empower both the consumers and advertisers alike,” he further adds.

    The channel will be initially available exclusively on Doordarshan’s free direct-to-home (DTH) platform Freedish and will later be made available on other platforms according to the channel’s distribution strategy.

    Various advertisers from FMCG, telecoms, tractors, agriculture equipment, etc sectors are expected to get on board. Whereas, the content offering on the channel will be different from the network’s other channels like Star Gold, Movies Ok and Star Gold HD.

    To drive reach and awareness for the new channel, a multi-media launch campaign has already kick-started. Besides a comprehensive high impact TV plan, the promotion also includes a high octane radio plan besides unique brand experiences on ground across villages in key markets which will bring alive the brand promise.

    The channel is leveraging the might of Star India Network to rapidly build awareness.

  • Zee is most trusted television brand: Brand Trust Report 2016

    Zee is most trusted television brand: Brand Trust Report 2016

    BENGALURU: Last year, the Subhash Chandra led Zee brand was ranked at first place in the Media category in Blue Lotus Communications’ Most Attractive Brands 2015 Report (MAB 2015) by the TRA (formerly Trust Research Advisory). This year, the sixth edition of the Brand Trust Report (BTR) brought out by the same company, ranks Zee as the most trusted brand in the Media–TV category.

    Zee is also the most trusted brand in the Hindi GEC category as per the report.  Zee’s ranking among the top 1,000 trusted brands in India has improved by 15 places to 176 all India in BTR-2016 from 191 in BTR-2015. Overall, across all categories of Media in India, Zee is the third most trusted brand in India as per BTR-2016.

    In the Media-TV category, Zee is followed by Star Gold and Zee News in descending order of BTR ranks.

    In the Television Hindi-GEC category, Zee is followed by Star Gold at second place which at BTR rank of 224. Star Gold has entered the list for the first time. Star Plus at third place has BTR ranking of 328 in 2016 as compared to 579 in 2015.

    As per the report, Zee Media Corporation’s Zee News is the most trusted brand in the Television-Hindi News category and the third most trusted brand in the Media-TV category. Zee News has entered BTR’s most trusted 1,000 brands with a ranking of 226, just two places lower than Star Gold.

    In the Television-Hindi-News category, Zee News is followed by Aaj Tak with a BTR ranking of 238 in 2016 as compared to 947 in the previous year’s edition. ABP News stands at third place in the category with a rank of 436, declining by 84 places from the rank of 352 in BTR-2015. Television-English News has only one entry-BBC with a BTR-2016 ranking of 538 as compared to a BTR-2015 ranking of 583.

    In BTR-2016, Hindustan Times leads all media brands across all media categories in India with a BTR rank of 112, with an improvement of 316 ranks. Last year Hindustan Times had a BTR rank of 428. As mentioned above, overall among all Media brands, Zee stands at number 3, behind Fever FM which has entered the BTR rankings with a rank of 156 this year.

    In the Media-Radio FM category, Fever FM is followed by 92.7 Big FM with a BTR rank of 370 in 2016 as compared to a BTR rank of 890 last year. At third place is 98.3 Radio Mirchi FM with a BTR rank of 533 in this year as compared to a BTR rank of 904 last year.

    Hindustan Times leads the Media-Print category in Newspapers-English, followed by The Times of India with a BTR ranking of 205 in 2016 as against a ranking of 340 last year. ZMCL’s print publication DNA stands third in the category with a BTR rank of 240 in this year as compared to a rank of 626 last year.

    The Brand Trust Report, India Study, is a comparison of the trust held in brands. TRA says that BTR-2016, the sixth in its series, is the result of a comprehensive primary research conducted on the proprietary 61-Attribute Trust Matrix of TRA. This year’s study involved 18000 hours of fieldwork covering 2,500 consumer-influencers across 16 cities in India and generated 6 million datapoints and 20,000 unique brands from which the top 1000 brands have been listed in this year’s report. The 200 page, hardbound report is available for Rs. 14,000/-.

  • Zee is most trusted television brand: Brand Trust Report 2016

    Zee is most trusted television brand: Brand Trust Report 2016

    BENGALURU: Last year, the Subhash Chandra led Zee brand was ranked at first place in the Media category in Blue Lotus Communications’ Most Attractive Brands 2015 Report (MAB 2015) by the TRA (formerly Trust Research Advisory). This year, the sixth edition of the Brand Trust Report (BTR) brought out by the same company, ranks Zee as the most trusted brand in the Media–TV category.

    Zee is also the most trusted brand in the Hindi GEC category as per the report.  Zee’s ranking among the top 1,000 trusted brands in India has improved by 15 places to 176 all India in BTR-2016 from 191 in BTR-2015. Overall, across all categories of Media in India, Zee is the third most trusted brand in India as per BTR-2016.

    In the Media-TV category, Zee is followed by Star Gold and Zee News in descending order of BTR ranks.

    In the Television Hindi-GEC category, Zee is followed by Star Gold at second place which at BTR rank of 224. Star Gold has entered the list for the first time. Star Plus at third place has BTR ranking of 328 in 2016 as compared to 579 in 2015.

    As per the report, Zee Media Corporation’s Zee News is the most trusted brand in the Television-Hindi News category and the third most trusted brand in the Media-TV category. Zee News has entered BTR’s most trusted 1,000 brands with a ranking of 226, just two places lower than Star Gold.

    In the Television-Hindi-News category, Zee News is followed by Aaj Tak with a BTR ranking of 238 in 2016 as compared to 947 in the previous year’s edition. ABP News stands at third place in the category with a rank of 436, declining by 84 places from the rank of 352 in BTR-2015. Television-English News has only one entry-BBC with a BTR-2016 ranking of 538 as compared to a BTR-2015 ranking of 583.

    In BTR-2016, Hindustan Times leads all media brands across all media categories in India with a BTR rank of 112, with an improvement of 316 ranks. Last year Hindustan Times had a BTR rank of 428. As mentioned above, overall among all Media brands, Zee stands at number 3, behind Fever FM which has entered the BTR rankings with a rank of 156 this year.

    In the Media-Radio FM category, Fever FM is followed by 92.7 Big FM with a BTR rank of 370 in 2016 as compared to a BTR rank of 890 last year. At third place is 98.3 Radio Mirchi FM with a BTR rank of 533 in this year as compared to a BTR rank of 904 last year.

    Hindustan Times leads the Media-Print category in Newspapers-English, followed by The Times of India with a BTR ranking of 205 in 2016 as against a ranking of 340 last year. ZMCL’s print publication DNA stands third in the category with a BTR rank of 240 in this year as compared to a rank of 626 last year.

    The Brand Trust Report, India Study, is a comparison of the trust held in brands. TRA says that BTR-2016, the sixth in its series, is the result of a comprehensive primary research conducted on the proprietary 61-Attribute Trust Matrix of TRA. This year’s study involved 18000 hours of fieldwork covering 2,500 consumer-influencers across 16 cities in India and generated 6 million datapoints and 20,000 unique brands from which the top 1000 brands have been listed in this year’s report. The 200 page, hardbound report is available for Rs. 14,000/-.

  • 60 crore ad revenue, 36% viewership hike: Pro Kabaddi League a hat-trick of success

    60 crore ad revenue, 36% viewership hike: Pro Kabaddi League a hat-trick of success

    MUMBAI: The third season did not make fans wait for the too long a period of a year. After a gap of merely a few months Star Sports Pro Kabaddi league was back in action. The mats were the same and there was no change in the number of teams or formats. The only change was the sport had become popular and the tournament had to deal with the burden of expectation. 

    “Star India is a champion when it comes to dealing with expectations” says a franchisee owner on condition of anonymity. He further adds, “Many media people will tell you about the marketing and packaging, but the distribution push that they have given has done a world of good for the sport. Only Star Sports would have got them 40 per cent of the reach they have got. Star Gold and other channels is what has done the trick.” 

    The broadcaster has roped in six associate sponsors for season 3 in Bajaj, TVS, Flipkart, State Bank of India, Gionee and Idea, while Fair & Lovely, Nissin and Mountain Dew are associated as partners. “The ad revenue generated this time would easily count to Rs 60 crore, which is a twenty per cent growth compared to the last edition. This signifies the smart way of monetising that Star has adopted” asserts a media sports media planning expert.

    The broadcaster did not sell the title sponsor slot as that takes away majority of the inventory, and instead decided to keep it to itself. “The biggest reason why it’s successful is because the broadcaster is the primary owner and the selling is packaged. The brands get the ROI by having presence both on ground and on television, hence they show immense interest.” opines a senior media planning expert.

    The 20 per cent hike in revenue is well complemented by a 36 per cent rise in viewership.  While viewership at All India Urban level increased by 36 per cent from 54.5 TVMs in season 2 to 74 TVMs in season 3, Rural India also joined the Star Sports Pro Kabaddi fan bandwagon, delivering a staggering 135 TVMs according to the BARC CS4+ Rural for its first week in season 3. 

    On the rise of viewership Star India CEO Uday Shankar had said in a media statement, “No other sport has grown so fast and gained such wide and deep following with fans across urban and rural India, across audience segments – men, women and kids and across screens (television and digital). The sport has truly become a unifier in its appeal, second only to cricket. This brings us a great sense of pride and is a reflection of our commitment to promote a multi-sports-culture in India.”

    The moment the twice a year concept was unveiled, critics started prophesising, possibilities of fatigue were magnified, and the quality of matches was questioned. “The seasons so far have answered all those questions, I believe” says Mashal Sports director Charu Sharma. He further adds, “The debate of exploitation does not exist in the case of Kabaddi because we are not there for a good 40 weeks time. The nature of the game is such that we need to be there twice at least for our fans.”

    The organisers are also toying with the idea of roping in more teams to make it a 12 team format. The new franchises will certainly be sold at a higher price when compared to the first set of buyers. “The game is now established and evolved, but all this will at least take more than a year. The plan is to make it a longer running tournament and then we might have a once a year outing” adds Sharma.

    Defending champion, U-Mumba is again in the semis and this makes a 100 per cent success ratio for the team. For all the three, seasons U-Mamba has managed to reach the semis which twice before they have won to qualify for the finals. “They are a formidable force with quality players in the team. The way it is managed, Ronnie and his team also plays a vital role behind their progress. I am happy with the fact that Bengal has made it to the semis, Earlier, Bengal was lacking when it comes to Kabaddi and this is a success of the tournament that new teams are reaching the knockouts” explains Sharma.

    “There has been no evidence of fatigue and the wear and tear that are common in any sport and to reach the final stages takes hard work. We had a great season and now we are looking ahead towards the semis,” says UMumba CEO Supratik Sen 

    Now steps taken by the franchises will determine the next level of success for the league.

  • 60 crore ad revenue, 36% viewership hike: Pro Kabaddi League a hat-trick of success

    60 crore ad revenue, 36% viewership hike: Pro Kabaddi League a hat-trick of success

    MUMBAI: The third season did not make fans wait for the too long a period of a year. After a gap of merely a few months Star Sports Pro Kabaddi league was back in action. The mats were the same and there was no change in the number of teams or formats. The only change was the sport had become popular and the tournament had to deal with the burden of expectation. 

    “Star India is a champion when it comes to dealing with expectations” says a franchisee owner on condition of anonymity. He further adds, “Many media people will tell you about the marketing and packaging, but the distribution push that they have given has done a world of good for the sport. Only Star Sports would have got them 40 per cent of the reach they have got. Star Gold and other channels is what has done the trick.” 

    The broadcaster has roped in six associate sponsors for season 3 in Bajaj, TVS, Flipkart, State Bank of India, Gionee and Idea, while Fair & Lovely, Nissin and Mountain Dew are associated as partners. “The ad revenue generated this time would easily count to Rs 60 crore, which is a twenty per cent growth compared to the last edition. This signifies the smart way of monetising that Star has adopted” asserts a media sports media planning expert.

    The broadcaster did not sell the title sponsor slot as that takes away majority of the inventory, and instead decided to keep it to itself. “The biggest reason why it’s successful is because the broadcaster is the primary owner and the selling is packaged. The brands get the ROI by having presence both on ground and on television, hence they show immense interest.” opines a senior media planning expert.

    The 20 per cent hike in revenue is well complemented by a 36 per cent rise in viewership.  While viewership at All India Urban level increased by 36 per cent from 54.5 TVMs in season 2 to 74 TVMs in season 3, Rural India also joined the Star Sports Pro Kabaddi fan bandwagon, delivering a staggering 135 TVMs according to the BARC CS4+ Rural for its first week in season 3. 

    On the rise of viewership Star India CEO Uday Shankar had said in a media statement, “No other sport has grown so fast and gained such wide and deep following with fans across urban and rural India, across audience segments – men, women and kids and across screens (television and digital). The sport has truly become a unifier in its appeal, second only to cricket. This brings us a great sense of pride and is a reflection of our commitment to promote a multi-sports-culture in India.”

    The moment the twice a year concept was unveiled, critics started prophesising, possibilities of fatigue were magnified, and the quality of matches was questioned. “The seasons so far have answered all those questions, I believe” says Mashal Sports director Charu Sharma. He further adds, “The debate of exploitation does not exist in the case of Kabaddi because we are not there for a good 40 weeks time. The nature of the game is such that we need to be there twice at least for our fans.”

    The organisers are also toying with the idea of roping in more teams to make it a 12 team format. The new franchises will certainly be sold at a higher price when compared to the first set of buyers. “The game is now established and evolved, but all this will at least take more than a year. The plan is to make it a longer running tournament and then we might have a once a year outing” adds Sharma.

    Defending champion, U-Mumba is again in the semis and this makes a 100 per cent success ratio for the team. For all the three, seasons U-Mamba has managed to reach the semis which twice before they have won to qualify for the finals. “They are a formidable force with quality players in the team. The way it is managed, Ronnie and his team also plays a vital role behind their progress. I am happy with the fact that Bengal has made it to the semis, Earlier, Bengal was lacking when it comes to Kabaddi and this is a success of the tournament that new teams are reaching the knockouts” explains Sharma.

    “There has been no evidence of fatigue and the wear and tear that are common in any sport and to reach the final stages takes hard work. We had a great season and now we are looking ahead towards the semis,” says UMumba CEO Supratik Sen 

    Now steps taken by the franchises will determine the next level of success for the league.

  • Sun retains No. 1 spot; Zee Cinema, Star Gold enter top 10 list across genres: BARC week 5

    Sun retains No. 1 spot; Zee Cinema, Star Gold enter top 10 list across genres: BARC week 5

    MUMBAI: Witnessing a spike in ratings, Sun TV with 1027311 (‘000s) continued to hold its top position across genres in week 5 as per BARC India All India (U+R) : 4+ Individuals.

     

    On the other hand, Hindi general entertainment channel Star Plus also continued to hold its place in the second spot with 773808 (‘000s) in week 5 as compared to last week’s 763739 (‘000s).

     

    Colors, which had dropped down to the third position in week 4, held its spot with 756373 (‘000s) and also saw an increase in ratings from last week’s 745916 (‘000s).

     

    Witnessing a drop in ratings from last week, both Zee TV with 736837 (‘000s) and its FTA sister channel Zee Anmol with 541811 (‘000s) managed to retain their positions in the fourth and fifth spots respectively.

     

    Climbing up the charts this week was ETV Telugu with 448885 (‘000s), which came up to the sixth position in week 5 as compared to last week’s eighth place.

     

    Rising up to the seventh place this week was Life OK with 440315 (‘000s) from its ninth spot in week 4.

     

    New entrants in the Top 10 channels list across genres in week 5 were movie channels Zee Cinema with 432528 (‘000s) in the eighth spot and Star Gold with 416222 (‘000s) in the ninth place.

     

    Sony Max, which was in the seventh place in week 4 dropped to the bottom of the list at number 10 in week 5 with 390616 (‘000s) and also witnessed considerable drop in ratings from last week’s 468771 (‘000s).

     

    Bowing out from the charts in week 5 were Star Utsav and Sony Pal, which were in the sixth and tenth slot respectively in week 4.

  • Sun retains No. 1 spot; Zee Cinema, Star Gold enter top 10 list across genres: BARC week 5

    Sun retains No. 1 spot; Zee Cinema, Star Gold enter top 10 list across genres: BARC week 5

    MUMBAI: Witnessing a spike in ratings, Sun TV with 1027311 (‘000s) continued to hold its top position across genres in week 5 as per BARC India All India (U+R) : 4+ Individuals.

     

    On the other hand, Hindi general entertainment channel Star Plus also continued to hold its place in the second spot with 773808 (‘000s) in week 5 as compared to last week’s 763739 (‘000s).

     

    Colors, which had dropped down to the third position in week 4, held its spot with 756373 (‘000s) and also saw an increase in ratings from last week’s 745916 (‘000s).

     

    Witnessing a drop in ratings from last week, both Zee TV with 736837 (‘000s) and its FTA sister channel Zee Anmol with 541811 (‘000s) managed to retain their positions in the fourth and fifth spots respectively.

     

    Climbing up the charts this week was ETV Telugu with 448885 (‘000s), which came up to the sixth position in week 5 as compared to last week’s eighth place.

     

    Rising up to the seventh place this week was Life OK with 440315 (‘000s) from its ninth spot in week 4.

     

    New entrants in the Top 10 channels list across genres in week 5 were movie channels Zee Cinema with 432528 (‘000s) in the eighth spot and Star Gold with 416222 (‘000s) in the ninth place.

     

    Sony Max, which was in the seventh place in week 4 dropped to the bottom of the list at number 10 in week 5 with 390616 (‘000s) and also witnessed considerable drop in ratings from last week’s 468771 (‘000s).

     

    Bowing out from the charts in week 5 were Star Utsav and Sony Pal, which were in the sixth and tenth slot respectively in week 4.