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Tag: Sunil Punjabi

  • Done my bit at AXN, says Sunil Punjabi

    Done my bit at AXN, says Sunil Punjabi

    MUMBAI: In 2012, AXN Network had created a new position to focus on one of its fast-growing markets, leading it was Sunil Punjabi.

    However, Punjabi has decided to move on from the network as AXN Networks India business head and Multi Screen Media EVP. Confirming the news to Indiantelevision.com, Punjabi whose last day in the network is 15 December says, “I thought it was time to move on as I think I have done my bit here. Today AXN is at a good place.”

    In a move to kill piracy, he can be credited for showcasing some programmes like ‘Sherlock’, ‘Top Gear’ and ‘Orphan Black’ in the same week of their UK/ US releases.

    Punjabi , who was based in Mumbai, was responsible for overseeing the day-to-day management of the channel, with the development of business opportunities and channel equity. In May this year, MSM named Pix EVP and business head Saurabh Yagnik as head of the English channels which meant Punjabi was reporting to Yagnik.

    Prior to AXN, Punjabi was CEO at multiplex company Cinemax and also headed the film production and distribution strategy at Fox Star Studios India for two years.

    On his next move, he says, “I have always been on a run. But will take a break till New Year.”

     

  • MSM elevates Saurabh Yagnik to head English entertainment channels

    MSM elevates Saurabh Yagnik to head English entertainment channels

    MUMBAI: Multi-Screen Media (MSM) today announced that Saurabh Yagnik’s responsibilities have been enhanced and he will now also oversee AXN, thus taking charge of the English language channels in the network, effective immediately.

    The AXN’s current business head Sunil Punjabi will continue to manage AXN and will report to Yagnik.

    Speaking on the occasion, MSM CEO NP Singh said: “With Saurabh’s deep rooted understanding of the English Entertainment genre, I am certain that he will chart a new and exciting journey for the English Entertainment channels at MSM. We wish him all the best.”

    Infact, indiantelevision.com was the first one to report about AXN launching in HD and will launch by the end of the year.

    Yagnik, who joined the MSM group just over two years ago, has over 17 years of varied consumer and television management experience, and has been instrumental in building and driving  the English movie channel PIX to attain market leadership.

  • AXN eyeing July premiere for Steven Spielberg’s Extant

    AXN eyeing July premiere for Steven Spielberg’s Extant

    MUMBAI: Launched in 1998 as the first 24×7 cable and satellite television channel in Asia dedicated to action and adventure programming, AXN continues to stand by its promise of delivering intelligent, edgy and high-energy content for an unparalleled entertainment experience

     

    With programming encompassing the latest in action blockbusters, international hit series, reality and lifestyle sports programs and AXN originals, the channel enjoys a high viewership not just in metros but also tier II and tier III cities across the country.

     

    AXN business head Sunil Punjabi spoke to Aashay Dalvi of indiantelevision.com about the channel’s programming line-up this year, its digital strategy and so on. Excerpts…

     

    Q: How has the audience response been ever since the CBS acquisition deal?

     

    At a macro level, the audience response has been very good. Take for instance, the two shows with which we launched the CBS catalogue i.e. Elementary and Beauty & the Beast. We have seen a fairly growing traction for Elementary while Beauty & the Beast has its own loyal audience. The first season of both the shows premiered sometime ago, with Indian audiences being exposed to Elementary for the first time. Initially, there were comparisons between BBC’s Sherlock and Elementary and people were vehemently opposed to having a female Dr Watson; something we expected.

     

    The difference between the two is that Elementary has more investigation while Sherlock has more drama. This has led to a lot of people slowly getting accustomed to Elementary. So after the initial backlash, we have now seen tremendous growth in audiences, which has been very encouraging for us. We have season 2 airing right now and season 3 will air in September, very close to the US telecast.

     

    The other good news is Hawaii Five-O will have a special episode featuring Mallika Sherawat, and you will soon see it in India. Blue Bloods, the fourth series that we’d taken up is also expected to do well since it is a very strong series. In the US, the show has done phenomenally well. We have also acquired Sex & the City, which we plan to air soon at 11pm. We’re giving it some rest now but once it begins, episodes will air back to back.

     

    Q: Currently, you are airing Beauty & the Beast and Elementary five days a week. Will you be moving to airing them weekly to be closer to the US telecast?

     

    We had two options, the first of which was to run the series close to the US telecast, but for viewers who are not familiar with the older season, that tactic wouldn’t have worked. So, we decided to go with option 2 entailing stripping the first two seasons and allowing viewers to binge-watch them one after the other. This would build enough anticipation by September when season three premieres.

     

    Q: There has been no official statement from either CBS or The CW on subsequent seasons of Elementary and Beauty & the Beast. Can your earlier statement regarding the airing of season three of both series be considered official?

     

    As far as we know, both Elementary and Beauty & the Beast have been renewed for sure. However, from the public’s perspective, you will have to wait and hear from CBS and The CW since I cannot speak for them.

     

    Q: Programming-wise, what are your plans for the new fiscal year?

     

    The acquired properties we would like to talk about are some of the big ones like 24: Live Another Day. On Thursday, Variety Magazine reported that the second most expensive ad in the US is benchmarked on 24, with half a million dollars for just a 30-second slot. The entire prospect of 24 has blown out of proportion and this season is set in the UK. Content wise, it is shaping up really well. We believe that it is going to be one very large tent-pole property for us.

     

    After 24, the second large tent-pole property for us is Top Gear, with the new season returning in the month of July, which is where we have seen some tremendous amount of traction. We just had season 21 premiere in January and presently, only the core Top Gear audience is watching it though we want to get a much larger audience. Anybody who currently owns a car should be watching Top Gear, which is a fairly large population of the country by itself.

     

    Also in July, we are trying to get another big property, Extant, produced by Steven Spielberg, which marks the TV debut of Halle Berry. We have the second season of The Hero and we plan to air all episodes of 24: Live Another Day at a stretch. While getting so much new content, the old content tends to get lost. So, while I want new content, the problem lies in scheduling and timing.

     

    Q: AXN programming was earlier known for its male skew but over the past few years, it has been increasingly targeting the female audience. Was that deliberate?

     

    There are two main changes that we’ve seen; one, there has been a systematic change in female consumption, and two, the female audience too wants the thrill factor while watching TV. Shows like Orphan Black, with a female protagonist, have helped us get more female viewership.

     

    But whether we have become a female-skewed channel, we will never be that; we will remain a predominantly male-skewed channel. But, we have seen a lot women come and consume our content. The male vs. female audience ratio earlier was 70:30, but is now 60:40.

     

    Q: Which programmes get more advertisers? Are there any emerging large spenders?

     

    Fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) and telecom services form a significant share of the advertising spends. One very large advertiser that we’ve constantly been adding is automobiles, having already increased its share because of Top Gear. We believe it will be much bigger, going forward and it won’t be just auto but also auto accessories.

     

    Q: What’s in it for these advertisers?

     

    As an advertiser, the two main things you look for are a premium audience and a large brand fix, and we offer both.

     

    Q: How do you plan to engage digital media to increase viewership of your channel?

     

    We’ve now reached a stable point in the digital media initiative that we started a year and a half back. We had a couple of things to consider; the first being a consumer survey of social media and the second, connect, which has almost become equivalent to word-of-mouth. There is pre-launch and post-launch chatter that takes place. That is where we have been pushing ourselves on the digital front; what are people saying before the show is launched, and what are they saying after seeing the show. Engagement at the pre- and post- level helps us get loyalty for the channel.

     

    Q: Which platforms is AXN making its presence felt in terms of social media? Do you plan to add more social platforms?

     

    Facebook and Twitter have been our primary digital platforms. We have received more traction on Twitter than on Facebook. We have got a good response to a lot of good shows on Twitter in the last four to five months. We have trended many a times on Twitter; not just on the days of our premieres but even regular days.

     

    As for the second part of your question, we don’t want to be jumping too many trains. We started with Facebook and Twitter a year and a half ago and we want that to mature before getting onto a new train. The amount of people engaging with us on these platforms is growing almost daily. We want to grow our hold on Facebook and Twitter for the next six to eight months, and we hope other things will follow.

     

    Q: Do you have specific digital marketing strategies to bring out that extra special something?

     

    We have MSE, which handles social media for us. Gone are the days where you used to pay for posts. Now, people are getting more agnostic towards such posts. So, last year, we had a Supernatural Thrillathon and a six city on-ground activation along with it. We did that again at the time of Sherlock to know what people thought of the content. We have seen the community of Supernatural grow nearly 50 per cent in the last year. We are not driving it; we have been only the facilitator in the process. So, the viewers are driving it themselves…

  • AXN Thrillionaire awards celebrates the fandom for the top English shows

    AXN Thrillionaire awards celebrates the fandom for the top English shows

    MUMBAI: After a successful stint with the Action Awards, AXN is back with yet another on air property —AXN Thrillionaire awards. Unlike other Indian awards, AXN Thrillionaire is an award for the viewers who love international English content. Through these awards, AXN will hunt for the biggest AXN Total Thrill Junkie [TTJ] and provide the winner an opportunity to be on the sets of The Voice in Los Angeles.

    Lisa Haydon, whose performing career spans movies, television and the stage, will host the AXN Thrillioniare Awards. From her film debut with Ayesha and second outing as an actress in ‘Rascals, Kingfisher’s sultry model is all set to now play a pivotal role in the movie Queen. Watch out for the excitement, spontaneity and thrill that Lisa Haydon will bring to the show.

    Commenting on the pioneering initiative, Sunil Punjabi, Business Head, AXN India says, “We are ecstatic to introduce the very first edition of the AXN Thrillioniare Awards. As one of the pioneers in the English entertainment genre in India, we wanted to reward the AXN fans for their relentless love and fandom for the shows on AXN. Through this initiative, we intend to celebrate and thank the AXN viewers for their unconditional support and hope our viewers are just as thrilled as we are. We believe that Lisa Haydon is the perfect host for the show as she truly defines the class that AXN stands for. Moreover, her versatility and charisma will serve her very well as the host of AXN Thrillionaire Awards.”

    With the Thrillionaire Awards, AXN continues the format of voting wherein the fans will play the most important role of choosing their favorites from the various categories. To find out more on the nominees and the voting procedure, viewers can log on to www.axnawards.com.
    Log on to catch a dose of action entertainment only on AXN!

     Categories:

    •    Thrilling moments

    •    Thrilling premieres

    •    Thrilling series

    •    Thrilling Reality

    •    Thrilling gang

    •    Thrilling man

    •    Thrilling woman

    Watch out for the toxic amalgamation of thrill, adventure and the alluring Lisa Haydon only on AXN Thrillionaire Awards.

    About AXN

    Backed by the powerhouse of Sony Pictures Entertainment, AXN is the first 24 hour cable and satellite TV channel in Asia exclusively dedicated to action and adventure programming. Launched in 1998 in India, it is a leading English general entertainment destination among upscale, affluent adults aged 18-44. The channel delivers four distinctive types of programming which includes the latest global hit series, action movie blockbusters, latest seasons of adventure-reality and lifestyle sports programs and innovative AXN original productions. The channel not only enjoys a high penetration and viewership in the metros, but is also popular in tier II and tier III cities and reaching 110 million viewers in India yearly. As promised by the brand, AXN brings to its viewers intelligent, edgy, exciting, unpredictable, high energy and an unparalleled entertainment experience.

    AXN India is wholly owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, and managed by SPE Networks – Asia. Visit www.axn-india.com for more information.

     

  • Blockbuster year for English entertainment

    Blockbuster year for English entertainment

    MUMBAI: Much like the first two seasons of Sherlock – BBC’s contemporary take on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s classic – AXN’s ongoing season three too has taken viewers by storm. Be it the super sleuth’s resurrection on New Year’s Day or his friend Dr Watson getting married to Mary with him as ‘best man’, actor Benedict Cumberbatch’s Sherlock has had audiences riveted with his histrionics.

     

    The three-episode season opened on AXN on 3 January, within 48 hours of its UK telecast and a fortnight before its US premiere. And the channel is expecting it to be an even bigger draw than its predecessors.

     

    Without divulging the “premium pricing” at which the “premium product” was bought by the channel, AXN programming head Arpit Mankar refers to the series as the ‘TV event of 2014’ and encourages us to refer to AXN as ‘The Sherlock Channel’. He is quick to point out how the channel changed its tagline to “Sherlock lives and AXN is reborn” as part of its repackaging exercise. In a bid to help the uninitiated play catch-up, AXN aired re-runs of seasons one and two of Sherlock through New Year’s Eve. As AXN business head Sunil Punjabi reveals, similar such re-runs have helped hike the ratings of season premieres in the past.

     

    Apart from Sherlock, sci-fi thriller Orphan Black, which debuted on AXN last month, has been the other big thing, with viewers lauding Canadian actress Tatiana Maslany’s turn as several identical women revealed to be clones and embroiled in a deeper controversy. Apparently, all apprehensions about the show melted away after watching the first few minutes where Maslany is witness to a clone kill herself in front of a running train. Not surprisingly, the series opened with ratings greater than those of the chat show, Koffee with Karan.

     

    AXN boasts some of the best English premium content but is going all out to acquire newer titles this year. Starting with the launch of Undercover and Justified this month, the channel will premiere the new season of Top Gear and Hannibal late February or early March as well as CSI’s latest season. Also lined-up is a Bulgarian TV series named Crossover, where AXN has got Bulgarian natives to dub in English to retain the show’s authenticity. Last but not the least audiences can look forward to 24: Live another Day, which AXN is betting big on, given that Indian viewers have already seen 24, both the original and the adaptation.

     

    On the reality shows’ front, Total Blackout will debut next month where contestants will perform tough tasks in pitch darkness, often evoking a very amusing response from the audience. Amazing Race and Ninja Warrior are the other new reality shows in queue.   

     

    AXN’s main objective is to give viewers an ‘adrenaline rush’ through its programming. The channel acquires content that it feels will garner a cult following. It also tries to balance between fiction and reality-based content.

     

    Informs Mankar: “Right now, we are only buying shows with content that excites us. We have deals with various networks for content. We are in the midst of getting some exciting new content from CBS, which includes shows like Beauty & the Beast, Elementary, Amazing Race, Blue Bloods, Hawaii 5.0 and Reckless.”

     

    With so much high-value content, the marketing budget has been upped from a mere 5-6 percent to nearly 12 percent of revenue, which too has seen significant increase; reveals Punjabi.  

     

    Elaborating on the marketing strategy, he says: “For old shows like Supernatural – which already has a huge fan base – word-of-mouth itself has helped us bring back our loyal audiences. However, it’s not the same with our new shows. For them, we have had multimedia campaigns, like what we did for Hannibal. And that has undoubtedly amplified the audience’s anticipation and eventual response.”

     

    While on the topic of programming in 2014, it would be interesting to see what’s lined up on AXN’s rival channels.

     

    Beginning with Star India, of its two English entertainment channels, Star World will debut the all new comedy drama Bunheads about a Las Vegas showgirl who ends up a ballerina in a sleepy seaside town plus latest seasons of old favourites like Melissa and Joey. The channel will also launch Suburgatory which follows the life of a single father and his attempts at giving his daughter a better life.

     

    On the network’s other English entertainment channel, Star World Premiere, viewers can catch the new crime thriller Intelligence starring Josh Holloway and the new comedy drama Rake featuring Greg Kinnear. Not to be missed is the latest season of American Horror Story: Coven which revolves round things like witches and voodoo.

     

    Meanwhile, Zee Café from the Zee stable will bring the latest seasons of popular reality shows – American Idol, America’s Got Talent and The X-Factor to Indian drawing rooms.

    Not to be left behind, Comedy Central promises a bigger laugh riot with new shows: House of Lies starring Don Cheadle, World’s Craziest Fools featuring people across the globe in ridiculously silly acts, Just for Laughs and the latest season of Arrested Development.

     

    Indeed, it’s going to be some serious competition for AXN. But for viewers, they’re in for a ball…

  • Zee Cafe not running scared of competition

    Zee Cafe not running scared of competition

    MUMBAI: Zee Cafe is unfazed by the entry of newer players in the English entertainment space. The reason being that one of the pioneers in what was once a niche category follows the simple mantra of gauging viewer appetite coupled with the right marketing to stay ahead in the game.

    Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (Zeel) senior vice president and business head – niche channels Anurag Bedi puts it as, “The year has been fantastic for Zee Café as we are the undisputed leaders of FY 2013. Zee Café has been the number one channel in the genre for an average of 28 weeks, beating competition with a share of 21 per cent. Our key strengths have always been a strong line-up of world class content and dynamic marketing campaigns.”

    Zee Café stakes claim of bringing popular international shows to Indian shores at the earliest. In keeping with this tradition, it plans to air Big Bang Theory season 7 and The Vampire Diaries season 5 starting November, very close to their US premiere, as well as House of Cards from early next year. The channel is aware that viewers today want to see fresh new shows as also the latest seasons of their favourite shows without much of a time lag.

    Agrees Maxus India national director – insights Priti Murthy: “Viewers don’t want to wait and usually prefer to watch the latest content online. Therefore, the whole genre has to work towards getting this audience to its kitty.”

    Earlier too, AXN’s business head Sunil Punjabi had told indiatelevision.com that people want to watch shows which are airing currently closer to their airing in the US and in the last one year, the channel has been doing this consistently – adding shows closer to their telecast in the US.

    Spelling out who constitutes the target group (TG) of the new channel, Star India business head Kevin Vaz had said it is the most premium audience in India, comprising the one per cent of top Sec, A+ and between the age group of 20 to 35, indiantelevison.com had reported when Star World HD was launched.

    To counter competition, Bedi believes in identifying what appeals to audiences and cushioning it with effective marketing. “Our competitors have lined up some of the best shows that America produces but no point if they are not marketed to Indian audiences correctly,” he says. Fragmentation is inevitable but “We have a strong relationship with our partners so we do not see competition as a threat and will continue to bring the best of English entertainment to Indian audiences,” he adds.

    Zee Cafe’s strategy is not only to bring in soaps but also movies and live and exclusive telecasts of events from across the globe. “Zee Café caters to a premium and relatively niche audience, hence, there is no fixed format and we will continue to experiment with shows that fit with our TG,” points out Bedi, adding there are plans for an HD channel.

    Speaking of marketing, the channel tied up with Eco roots to adopt trees for each pledge taken by viewers for the Green Turn initiative. Digitally too, it has undertaken several successful initiatives. “Our campaigns like Team Grey, Gossip Girl, Happy hour at 3,Tweet hour with the cast of The Mentalist built an immediate connect with our fans and have received tremendous response from them,” emphasises Bedi. The channel is looking forward to more innovative campaigns for upcoming properties like Big Bang Diwali and House of Cards. “We try to do something different each time to delight the audiences and we will keep on doing that,” says Bedi.

    Murthy however feels Zee Café needs to be more aggressive in its approach to marketing. “The way other channels push their content, I don’t think Zee Café does in the same manner. One must understand, in the genre, there are only a few shows for the whole channel, unlike the Hindi counterparts, which is the sad part. Therefore, aggression is needed to cash in more on the growing audience that wants to watch international shows,” she says.

  • AXN-Star World Premier HD: the coming battle

    AXN-Star World Premier HD: the coming battle

    MUMBAI: The other day, we reported about Star Network’s soon-to-be-launched channel, Star World Premier HD, which promises all the latest shows, close to their first US telecast.

    However, there’s at least one other English entertainment channel which claims to be already doing what Star is now planning to do.

    We’re talking about AXN, which maintains it has been thoroughly researching what Indian audiences want to watch for the past one year. It was last year when the channel lured a former Sony Entertainment Television professional Sunil Punjabi from Cinemax as business head to help build a stronger brand in the Indian context. Prior to that, AXN was run out of its regional Singapore office.

    And Punjabi has since been working on a blue print, studying Indian viewing habits with the intention of fine-tuning AXN’s Indian programming accordingly.

    Says a media observer: “With the spread of the broadband internet and availability of current US and international shows online freely and the fact that an increasing number of Indians are travelling internationally, Indian viewers have been spoilt for choice and want to be one with international TV programming and lifestyle trends.”

    AXN’s research also apparently reflected this. And thus was born its new premise.
    Elaborates Punjabi: “People want to watch shows which are airing currently closer to their airing in the US and in the last one year, we have been doing this consistently – adding shows closer to their telecast in the US.”
    Sunil Punjabi beleives that new shows will help the channel build loyal as well as ‘snacky’ fan base

    AXN, which has been around for over 15 years, is therefore adding a host of new shows to strengthen its three programming pillars: soaps, reality shows and films.
    So what about Star’s upcoming channel? “To be frank, we experimented with the same proposition long back that Star is now offering,” quips Punjabi, pointing out that it would be alluring to a much smaller bunch of viewers.

    As compared to Star World Premier HD which is priced at Rs 60 on Tata Sky, AXN is carrying a slimmer price tag of Rs 25. Additionally, the former, says Punjabi, is only available right now on a la carte basis whereas AXN is available in packages too. Besides, he believes AXN also has the first mover’s advantage.

    Among the new offerings, AXN has already launched the End of the World (EOW) series comprising six four-hour-long installments which is airing Monday to Thursday. Whereas, Voice 5 – a singing talent hunt – will be launched within three days of its US premiere on 28 September and Supernatural (Season 9) within two days of its US debut 11 October onwards.

    Meanwhile, Top Gear and The Hero will be telecast on 18 October and Sherlock and So you think you can dance? will premiere during Diwali. Orphan Black, a thriller about human cloning will also premiere around the same time.

    On the subject of Supernatural – one of AXN’s biggest franchises viewed by teens, especially girls and NCSI – which caters to a gender-neutral and more mature audience, Punjabi says: “We have a mix of content; hence, we don’t focus on any particular gender. There is something for everyone.”

    The channel has its loyal set of fans but also wants to create entertainment for its ‘snacky’ viewers. “With the new series including Hannibal and Supernatural that have seasons, we are building on the loyal fan base, while the new reality shows are for these viewers who snack more on such fare,” informs Punjabi.

    Currently, AXN airs currently running US shows on Fridays, while movies and reality shows are aired on weekends. With the English movie genre being bigger, the channel wants to concentrate on that as well.

    But has the AXN team been making a noise about these new shows? Apparently, it’s a 360 degree focus with print, television, outdoor and digital as key elements. Last year, AXN’s Facebook page had a few thousand likes; this year, it has swelled to nearly 1.3 million.

    “The digital front is important to us and we are aggressively strengthening the platform. Because it is one of the primary drivers of conversation related to the channel and shows. Also, we want to show newer content online,” says Punjabi.

    While AXN may claim it has been working at refreshing its programming long before Star announced plans of launching its niche new channel, it is now up to the audience to decide which of the two is really walking the talk.

  • Industry reacts to move to net billing

    Industry reacts to move to net billing

    MUMBAI: After nearly three weeks of speculation, debate and discussions, the advertising agencies, represented by the Advertisng Agencies‘ Association of India (AAAI), and the broadcasters, represented by the Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF), the bodies have come to a consensus about shifting to net billing.

    The decision came as a relief to both agencies and broadcasters as the latter had stopped airing ads on their respective networks. Clients were yelling blue murder at the agencies for not being able to promote their products to TV viewers. Indiantelevision.com spoke to some of the network officials to get their views on what they thought about the settlement between the two:

    Says MCCS CEO Ashok Venkatramani, “I welcome it completely. It‘s the right thing and I am very glad that the issue is resolved and I think we have done the right thing moving to net billing. It should have happened earlier, but it‘s better late than never.”

    AXN Networks India business head Sunil Punjabi feels that the new net billing system is not going to affect broadcasters. “It doesn‘t make a difference from a channel‘s perspective. It is just that things will be more transparent. From a tax perspective things will be clearer.” He however adds that from an agency’s perspective there could be an impact pertaining to commission. “Earlier on a bill of Rs 100 we were paid Rs 85. The rest was the agency‘s commission. Now we will charge Rs 85 and get paid that.”

    Venkatramani adds that the industry was “just hanging to the system which is completely outdated and nobody was gaining. It was just a paper number, paper figure or you can say paper transaction and it doesn‘t make much difference to their (agencies‘) life. They just need to sit with their clients and renegotiate their actual fees.”

    Taking a slightly milder tone, Colors CEO Raj Nayak said, “I am glad that both the IBF & the AAAI have been able to come to a mutually agreeable solution on the net v/s gross billing issue. This is an industry issue and we have to address it together keeping the interests of all stakeholders in mind.”

    NDTV group CEO Narayan Rao is in complete agreement and adds, “We were part of that decision and we fully supported it. I am glad that the IBF leadership and also some of the CEOs of our broadcasting channels have been able to achieve this conclusion.”

    Helios Media CEO Divya Radhakrishnan feels that the standoff between the two stakeholders of the industry served little more than proving a point one way or another. She said, “Broadcasters and agencies are working in the same space of providing communication solutions for brands. Hence there can be no reason for working at cross purposes. An amicable solution works for all concerned. Such stand offs serve no purpose other than wanting to prove a point. Lastly, if a stance has to be taken then it cannot be selective.”

  • AXN to increase marketing spends by 30 to 40 per cent this year

    MUMBAI: English general entertainment channel AXN will increase marketing spends by 30 to 40 per cent this year with more new show launches.

    In fact 20 per cent of its marketing budget for the year is going towards ‘Hannibal‘ which kicked off on 5 April at 10.00 pm.

    The 13-episode weekly television show is a prequel to famous films that featured psychiatrist and psychopath Dr. Hannibal Lecter that include ‘Red Dragon‘ and ‘Silence of the Lambs‘.

    Speaking to Indiantelevision.com, AXN Networks India Business Head Sunil Punjabi said the character Hannibal has strong brand recall due to the film series. “That is why we felt the need for a multimedia campaign. We have been doing activities for a few weeks. A lot of outdoor is being done including hoardings and bus-backs. We also air ads in cinema halls. We use pre roll ads on Youtube, and advertise on the Times of India.”

    The focus of the campaign rests on the fact that the show is about a master manipulator. It is also focusing on the fact that the show has intelligent content and is about the shifting dynamics of the relationship between two people.

    “I don‘t worry about competition. ‘Hannibal‘ is a new genre that has not been seen on Indian television. In terms of quality it is a couple of notches higher than the competition whether you look at the storytelling or the technical aspects like the visual effects and the sound. It will set a new benchmark for quality in English entertainment,” says Punjabi.

    The focus of AXN will rest on airing shows as close to their US airing date as possible. “This way we can cut down on online piracy. Having a strip strategy works better for older seasons but not for the latest season. The temptation of viewers after they see the first episode of a new show is to try and download the later episodes. If we air it as soon as possible then there will be no need for them to go elsewhere”.

    He also does not feel that the Indian Premier League will affect viewing of ‘Hannibal‘ by much. That is because fans of the Twenty20 extravaganza are also AXN fans. So they will switch between watching the match and watching the show.

    Punjabi‘s focus since he joined AXN last year has been to have differentiated content, since the genre is getting fragmented with more entrants. Drama content is growing on the channel with the focus now resting on having content that thrills, as opposed to the earlier focus of being the heart of action and adventure.

    “Apart from ‘Hannibal‘ we have recently acquired ‘Sherlock‘ from the BBC. This is also a show that is unique to the Indian audience. Within drama there are five to six genres that are shown on the channel. For instance ‘Justified‘ is a traditional bang bang kind of show. ‘Chuck‘ on the other hand is geeky in nature and will appeal to those who are tech savvy. So it is not about repeating the same thing.”

    Finding sponsors for ‘Hannibal‘ was a challenge. So far only Blue Star has come on-board. Generally an AXN show has around four sponsors. “But I am confident that once the first episode airs, clients will want to come on-board when they see it. We are talking to other companies. Blue Star had conviction in the show and so they had come on-board.”

    “This show is something new and is seen as a kind of experimental. ‘CSI‘ on the other hand has eight sponsors. That is because it is familiar and clients know about it. I think that we should have more screenings for the media fraternity to create better awareness about a new show.”

    But there is a catch 22 situation. If a show airs very close to the US airdate then there may not be enough time to have enough screenings for the media ahead of the show‘s launch. That is something that the broadcaster will have to get around.

    Blue Star GM Corporate Communications and Marketing Girish Hingorani said the show will appeal to the 25-44 TG which is the target group for his company. “Since you cannot buy this genre on the basis of numbers we look at the quality and uniqueness of content, the plans that a channel has for social media, and the buzz that it generates on social media platforms. AXN scores strongly in these areas. ‘Hannibal‘ is intellectual in nature which is why we were drawn towards it.”

  • English GECs bet big on digitisation

    English GECs bet big on digitisation

    The early exit of BBC Entertainment and focus on target segmentation marked the English general entertainment channel (GEC) genre as digitisation propelled change in 2012.

    Audience stickiness continued to be a challenge for the English channels, forcing them to ramp up marketing to ensure that perception fell in line with their product offerings.

    In a digital environment, channels will have to increase their local feel and touch. AXN, which has completed 15 years in India, is getting more aggressive in the marketplace. The India operations is in the process of shifting from Singapore and there will be more local shows.

    “Operationally, we will have the scheduling and programming move to India. We will thus be able to sensitise to the Indian tastes and needs. We will also be able to move to the market quicker and respond to advertiser queries faster,” says AXN‘s newly appointed India head Sunil Punjabi.

    The positioning of the channel also changed from the ‘heart of action and adventure‘ to ‘It‘s Thrilling‘. A survey was conducted in January 2012 and it was found that AXN viewers wanted content that went beyond action. There was craving for a deeper, richer and engaging experience.

    Explains Punjabi, “Our aim is to broaden the genre. Our focus now rests on content that is high on energy and engagement. That is why we moved away from our action position to thrills. We have added layers to our strategy.”

    A part of this strategy is to provide light content early and then move on to the later part of prime time with shows that have substance. The aim: to evenly split between dramas and reality. Says Punjabi, “Unlike our competitors, we don‘t have sitcoms. Serious dramas are not their main focus. And non-fiction and reality shows comprise just 20 per cent of their content lineup.”

    Star World has been striving to bring shows relevant to the English content viewing audience. A case in point is the airing of the Australian TV series ‘Packed To The Rafters‘. And to make the show more relatable to the audience, Star World made Karan Johar the face of the campaign.

    “From our Hindi and regional GECs, one of the biggest learning is that viewers seek life lessons from the daily soaps they watch. The issues faced by the Star World audience, the English speaking, urban Indian youth, is quite myriad and they don‘t get to see shows which reflect their life on TV. Our audience will be able to resonate with the issues faced by the characters in Packed to the Rafters and emulate the way they resolve the conflicts,” says Star India senior VP, English programming Rasika Tyagi.

    In March 2012, Star World created a block called ‘Crime At Ten‘ that imbibed the American style of showcasing programmes in a checkered format. The property showcased the latest seasons of crime shows, including ‘Dexter‘, ‘Castle‘ and ‘Criminal Minds‘ that aired on weekdays at 10 pm.

    Big CBS, the JV between RBNL and US media conglomerate CBS, is pushing CBS flagship shows as well as adding layers through localisation.

    According to Big CBS business head Anand Chakravarthy, DAS (digital addressable systems) is one of the biggest things to have happened for the genre. “With the first phase of digitisation having started, the genre penetration has grown substantially in Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata – the three biggest markets for English GEC. Carriage fee reduction has also happened,” he says.

    But not everybody shares this sense of optimism. BBC Worldwide Channels was not willing to wait for digitisation to take matured shape. Two channels – BBC Entertainment and CBeebies – were shut late in the year. BBC Worldwide Channels, Asia senior VP, GM Mark Whitehead bemoaned the fact that India was the only country where they had to pay carriage fees. “The nature of the Indian market for pay-TV channels make the economics of running channels very challenging at this time. We have reluctantly concluded that we need to close our channels.”

    For those who cared to wait, wider distribution of channels is beginning to happen. A case in point is FX and Fox Crime, both uniquely positioned in this space.

    Comedy Central, which has completed a year, is hoping segmentation would start paying in a digital form of distribution. Viacom18 Media senior VP, GM English entertainment Ferzad Palia says that he is encouraged by feedback received on Twitter and Facebook. “Even with digitisation, you need to get more English language speaking homes into the overall sample. We find that comedy works both with mature and new audiences. But there is room for improvement in terms of things like scheduling.”

    Converting Snacking into loyalty: To get viewers to stick on, some English GECs are trying out a better balance of content. Also, a stripped strategy is being followed which makes it easier for fans of a certain show to follow what is going on.

    Punjabi says that the genre would continue to have this challenge of converting snacking to loyalty. AXN‘s strategy is to have branded slots which will help viewers to recall the type of programming on a particular time band. “Hence we are building loyalty on slots. AXN has the highest spread of programming genres and we believe we have a lot more to offer to our viewers.”

    Another way to building loyalty is airing seasons back to back. Before a new season kicks off, older seasons are aired. This helps market these shows and more sampling takes place. “But this strategy is not followed for reality content as that does not make sense,” avers Punjabi.

    Zee Network business head niche channels Anurag Bedi also feels that longer seasons of shows are key to building loyalty. “Longer seasons in prime time are what our current focus is on. Currently we have brought on ‘Numbers‘ on Zee Cafe which will air on the channel till its sixth season. Then we have ‘Gossip Girl‘ season four, five and six. Bringing newer seasons of the popular shows and understanding the viewership needs builds loyalty,” he says.

    Zee Cafe implemented the stripped strategy with the understanding that Indian viewers have a set way of consuming television, which is Monday to Friday. “The Indian viewers prefer daily shows and clubbing number of seasons together helps retain the viewer over a long period of time. Stripped format coverts snacking into loyal viewership,” says Bedi.

    Big CBS took the simulcast route to build stickiness. ‘X-Factor‘, ‘America‘s Got Talent‘ and ‘American Idol‘, for instance, were simulcast across the three channels. “Now we will no longer simulcast. We are building our primetime band,” says Chakravarthy.

    To increase reach and boost sampling, many channels in the genre air movies. Sporting properties are also seen as an opportunity by Big CBS Prime which shows martial arts and wrestling. Chakravarthy explains that movies are shown on the weekend. “Movies become a great destination for sampling the channels as they pull in a larger audience. They also offer good sponsorship opportunities. The aim of having sporting properties is to broad base the channel. Sports bring in both younger and older audiences.”

    The ad pie: English general entertainment channels raked in about Rs 1.3 billion in 2012.

    Multi Screen Media president networks sales, licensing and telephony Rohit Gupta believes that shifting AXN‘s operations to India will help the broadcaster to work more closely with clients. “AXN has seen a 20 per cent revenue growth. We will be able to focus on shows that work well in India and offer more tailored solutions to clients,” he says.

    Palia claims that 150 brands advertised on Comedy Central. “Many TVCs are funny. So people on our channel are more receptive towards them as they are in a similar frame of mind,” he said.

    The Future: The genre can expect more channel launches amid digitisation as better distribution revenues are realised.

    Chakravarthy expresses satisfaction that digitisation is forcing broadcasters to focus more on content. “Everybody is trying to bring in really good quality shows. The genre and the audience will gain,” he says.