BENGALURU: The Hindi general entertainment (GE or GEC) space has always been fascinating – be it from the viewers or networks or advertisers point of view. Major networks such as Star India, Viacom 18 (or Network 18), the Subhash Chandra headed Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (Zeel) or Sony Pictures Networks India Private Limited (SPN) have launched multiple channels in standard as well as high definition (HD) format.
How have the channels performed during the first 13 weeks (Saturday 30 December 2016 to Friday 31 March 2017)? This paper, based on Broadcast Audience Research Council of India (BARC) data, attempts to throw some light the most watched Hindi GE channels during the first quarter of 2017. It is based on statistical analysis of Broadcast Audience Research Council of India (BARC) data from the following markets: HSM(U+R), HSM (Rural), HSM (Urban): NCCSAll : 2+ Individuals for weeks 1 to 13 of 2016 (Saturday, 30 December 2017 to Friday, 31 March 2017, HSM means Hindi Speaking Market).
This paper must be read with a caveat: It deals only with the players present in BARC’s top 10 lists of channels per week. The sums/percentages of other genres/players’/channels of other players as well other channels of players in this paper ratings or Impressions (000s) Sums other than those indicated in BARC’s top 10 lists of channels have not been considered/mentioned in this paper during the period under consideration and those numbers could be more/higher. Further, Combined Total or Weekly Impressions (CWI) mentioned in this paper means the sum of all the Impressions (000s) Sums for all the weeks under consideration of a network and/or channel and/or programme/s.
So how did the Hindi GEC channels fare?
While the overall networks’ primary channels - Star Plus, Colors, and Zee TV in that order were the three most watched channels in the Hindi GEC genre during the first quarter of 2017, the numbers for the Hindi GEC (Rural) during the same period tell a completely different story. The networks’ second or third channels ruled the Hindi GEC (Rural) roost. Rishtey, Sony Pal, Zee Anmol, Star Utsav were ahead of their older siblings in the Hindi GEC (Rural) markets during the first 13 weeks of 2017. Reliance Broadcast Network’s (RBNL) Big Magic also found a place in the top 10 most watched channels list for 10 of the 13 weeks of 2017 in the Hindi GEC (Rural) markets.
The Hindi GEC (Urban) market was similar to the overall Hindi GEC market, except that the three most watched channels in this market were Star Plus, Colors and Sony Entertainment Television with Zee TV at fourth spot.
Hindi GEC and Hindi GEC (Rural) audiences preferred the shortened versions of cricket on DD National more than the Hindi GEC (Urban) market during primetime, more specifically some One day internationals and some T20 matches between India and England, if one were to go by BARC’s top 5 most watched programmes list across the three markets (NCCSAll : Prime Time (1800 - 2330 hrs) : 2+ Individuals). Though DD National figured in the top 10 most watched channels list of all the three markets at different frequencies during the period under consideration, during primetime, its cricket programmes featured in the five top programmes list for five and six weeks in the Hindi GEC and the Hindi GEC (Rural) markets respectively, but not in the Hindi GEC (Urban) market.
Hindi GEC
Eleven channels appeared in the top 10 channels weekly list during the first thirteen weeks of 2017. The overall Hindi GEC space was dominated by Star India’s Star Plus during the first thireen weeks of 2017. The Combined Weekly Impressions for the channel were 1,91,85,359 (000s) Sums during the period under consideration. Network 18’s Colors with CWI of 82,58,798 (000s) Sums was second followed by Zeel’s Zee TV with CWI of 61,91,072 (000s) Sums. Network 18’s Rishtey with CWI of 61,25,507 (000s) Sums and SPN’s Sony Pal with CWI of 57,35,709 (000s) Sums were at fourth and fifth place respectively.
Please refer to the figure below for other data:
In terms of frequency of ranks in a week, it was again Star Plus that was ranked 1 for nine weeks out of the 13, followed by Colors which was ranked 1 in three of the 13 weeks. Sony Pal was ranked 1 in one week (week 13) during the 13 weeks under consideration.
Please refer to the Rank table below:
Hindi GEC (Rural)
In the Hindi GEC Rural space, twelve channels appeared in the top 10 channels weekly list during the first thirteen weeks of 2017. Network 18’s Rishtey was the most watched channel in weeks 1 to 13 of 2017 with CWI of 45,99,618 (000s) Sums.SPN’s Sony Pal was next with 43,55,224 (000s) Sums followed by Zeel’s Zee Anmol with 42,19,032 (000s) Impressions at third place.
Please refer to the list below.
Rishtey was ranked 1 as the most watched channel in seven of the first 13 weeks of 2017 in the Hindi GEC (Rural) genre. Sony Pal was next – it was ranked 1 for five weeks during the same period, followed by Star India’s Star Utsav which was ranked 1 for one week during the first 13 weeks of 2017. Zee Anmol was next – it was ranked 2 for 7 weeks, followed by DD National which was ranked 3 for one week of 2017.
Please refer to the list below.
Hindi GEC (Urban)
Twelve channels appeared in the top 10 channels Hindi GEC (Urban) list during weeks 1 to 13 of 2017. Like the Hindi GEC genre, Hindi GEC (Urban) audiences preferred Star India’s Star Plus the most during this period. The channel had CWI of 61,17,130 (000s) Sums. Colors was the second most watched channel in the Hindi GEC (Urban) market with a CWI of 56,12,131 (000s) Sums followed by SPN’s Sony Entertainment Television with a CWI of 38,15,488 (000s) Sums. Zee TV was the fourth most watched channel in the Hindi GEC (Urban) market with CWI of 35,69,444 (000s) Sums.
Please refer to the chart below for the list of most watched channels in the Hindi GEC (Urban) genre during the first quarter of 2017.
Star Plus was ranked first as the most watched channel in the Hindi GEC (Urban) space for 11 of the first thirteen weeks of 2017. Colors was ranked 1 for two of the first thirteen weeks in the same space, followed by Sony Entertainment Television which was ranked third for 10 of the first 13 weeks of 2017. Zee TV was next, with a frequency of three for rank 3 during the same period.
Please refer to the list below:
