BENGALURU: Sony Pictures Network India’s (SPN) Hindi Movies channel Sony Max once again topped Hindi channels in Broadcast Audience Research Council of India (BARC) list of top 10 channels across genres list (across genres list) for week 31 of 2018 (Saturday, 28 July 2018 to Friday, 3 August 2018, week or period under review). At rank number two, and the only Hindi Movies channel in the list, Sony Max headed all the eight Hindi language channels in the across genres list during the week. Two free to air (FTA) Hindi GEC, one flagship channel each from Hindi GEC and Telugu GEC genres from the Star India stable were also present in BARC’s across genres list for the week under review.

Seven Hindi GECs, one channel each from the Hindi Movies, Tamil GEC and Telugu GEC comprised BARC’s weekly list for top10 channels across genres in week 31 of 2018. From the network’s perspective, besides the four Star India channels, there were two channels each from SPN and Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (Zeel) and one channel each from the Sun TV Network and Viacom18 in the across genres list during the period under review.

Sun TV led the across the genres list in week 31 with 1,046.99 million weekly impressions as compared to 1,048.709 million weekly impressions in week 30 of 2018. Sun TV also led BARC’s weekly list of top 5 Tamil channels in the Tamil Nadu and Puducherry market and all the 5 programmes in BARC’s list of top 5 Tamil programmes during primetime in these markets based on average rating across all airings (original and repeat) in the week under review were aired on Sun TV.

At second place in week 31 of 2018 was Sony Max with 703.748 million weekly impressions as compared to 737.406 million weekly impressions in week 30. The channel was also the most watched channel in BARC’s list of top 5 Hindi Movies channels in the combined urban and rural Hindi speaking market – HSM (U+R), as well is in HSM (U). In HSM (R) Sony Max was ranked fifth in the Hindi Movies genre. Hindi feature films (HFF) that featured on Sony Max – Bahubali the Beginning and DJ were among the top 5 most watched Hindi Movies programmes during primetime based on average rating across all airings (original and repeat) for the week in BARC’s list in HSM (U+R) and HSM (U). A third HFF- Sooryavansham on Sony Max was also on BARC’s list of top 5 Hindi Movies programmes during primetime based on average rating across all airings (original and repeat) in HSM (U).

Zeel’s flagship Hindi GEC Zee TV retained its third rank in the across genres list in week 31 of 2018 with higher ratings of 702.128 million weekly impressions as compared to 675.605 million weekly impressions in week 30. Zee TV was ranked second in BARC’s weekly list of top 10 Hindi GECs in HSM (U+R), third in HSM (U) and seventh in HSM (R) during the week. Two programmes that were aired on Zee TV- The Balaji Telefilms produced Kundali Bhagya, a spinoff of the Balaji Telefilms produced Kumkum Bhagya, was ranked second, Kumkum Bhagya was ranked third in HSM (U+R)  in BARC’s list of top 5 Hindi GEC programmes during primetime based on average rating across all airings (original and repeat) in the week. Kundali Bhagya on Zee TV was also ranked second and Kumkum Bhagya ranked fourth in HSM (U) in BARC’s lists of top 5 Hindi GEC programmes during primetime based on average rating across all airings (original and repeat) in the week.

Star India’s FTA channel Star Utsav climbed up two ranks to fourth place in week 31 of 2018 with 684,843 million weekly impressions as compared to eighth place and 657.357 million weekly impressions in week 30. Star Utsav had re-entered BARC’s across genres list in week 29.  Star Utsav was ranked first in BARC’s list of top 10 Hindi GECs in HSM (U+R), second in HSM (R) and was ranked seventh in HSM (U). The soap Rabba Ve aired on Star Utsav was among BARC’s weekly in BARC’s list of top 5 Hindi GEC programmes during primetime based on average rating across all airings (original and repeat) in the week in HSM (R).

Star India’s flagship Hindi GEC Star Plus re-entered the across genres list in week 31 of 2018 with 665.796 million weekly impressions at fifth place. Star Plus was ranked fifth in BARC’s weekly lists of top 10 Hindi GECs in HSM (U+R) and was ranked first in HSM (U). Director’s Kut Productions produced Hindi soap Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai aired on Star Plus was in BARC’s list of top 5 Hindi GEC programmes during primetime based on average rating across all airings (original and repeat) in the week in HSM (U).

Zeel’s FTA Hindi GEC Zee Anmol dropped two places to sixth rank in week 31 of 2018 with 653.951 million weekly impressions as compared to 674.957 million weekly impressions in week 30. Zee Anmol was also ranked third in BARC’s weekly list of top 10 Hindi GECs in HSM (U+R) and was ranked first in HSM (R). Kumkum Bhagya aired on Zee Anmol was ranked fifth in BARC’s list of top 5 Hindi GEC programmes during primetime based on average rating across all airings (original and repeat) in the week in HSM (U+R) and was ranked first in HSM (R). Another soap from the channel, Mahek, was ranked fourth in HSM (R).

Star India’s flagship Telugu GEC Star Maa also dropped two places in week 31 of 2018 to seventh place with 649.967 million weekly impressions as compared to 668.256 million weekly impressions in week 30. Star Maa was ranked first in BARC’s weekly list of top 5 Telugu channels in the Andhra Pradesh and Telangana market. Five programmes that were aired on Star Maa were present in BARC’s weekly list of top 5 Telugu programmes during primetime based on average rating across all airings (original and repeat) in the week.

Another Star India FTA Hindi GEC Star Bharat was ranked eighth in week 31 of 2018 with 645.100 million weekly impressions compared to seventh rank and 652.260 million weekly impressions in week 30. Star Bharat was ranked fourth in BARC’s list of top 10 Hindi channels in HSM (U+R); was ranked fifth in HSM (R) and was ranked sixth in HSM (U) in BARC’s weekly list of top 10 Hindi GEC channels during the week under review.

Viacom18’s flagship Hindi GEC Colors was ranked ninth in week 31 of 2018 with 630.498 million weekly impressions as compared to eighth rank and 632.332 million weekly impressions in week 30. Colors was ranked sixth in BARC’s weekly list of top 10 Hindi GECs’ in HSM (U+R) and was ranked second in HSM (U). Naagin 3  found the top place while the reality show Dance Deewane was ranked fourth in BARC’s weekly list of top 5 Hindi GEC programmes during primetime based on average rating across all airings (original and repeat) in the week in HSM (U+R). Naagin 3 was ranked first and Dance Deewane was ranked third in HSM (U). Further, Naagin 3 was ranked fourth in HSM (R).

SPN’s women focused Hindi GEC Sony Pal was ranked tenth in week 31 of 2018 with 585.975million weekly impressions as compared to 605.714 million weekly impressions in week 30. Sony Pal was ranked seventh in BARC’s weekly list of top 10 Hindi channels in HSM (U+R), was ranked third in HSM (R) and was ranked eighth in HSM (U). The sitcom Tarak Mehta ka Ooltah Chashmah aired on Sony Pal was ranked second in BARC’s list of top 5 Hindi GEC programmes during primetime based on average rating across all airings (original and repeat) in the week in HSM (R).