MUMBAI: Viacom18‘s kids entertainment channel Nick has edged out market leader Cartoon Network (CN) to enjoy life at the top for the first time across the Hindi speaking market (HSM).

According to the latest Tam data (C&S 4-14, HSM), Nick has climbed 31 points up the GRP (gross rating points) ladder over week ended 11 April to pocket 148 GRPs in the week ended 18 April. The channel‘s market share in the Hindi belt has also gone up by 4 points over week 15 to capture 24 per cent of the genre pie.

CN has slipped from 139 GRPs to 126 GRPs, a tumble of 13 points which allowed it to be dethroned. Sibling channel Pogo also shed 14 GRPs to stay in the third place with 121 GRPs for the week ended 18 April.

Table below shows the channel share of the kids channels.

Source: Tam data for HSM, CS 4-14 years

The table below indicates the GRPs garnered by the kids channels.

Source: Tam data for HSM, CS 4-14 years

CN, however, continues to hold fort in the all-India market with 132 GRPs, despite dipping by nine points from the earlier week. CN‘s channel share also dropped to 24 per cent (from 27 per cent for week ended 11 April).

Nick has improved its ratings over the earlier week, but remains in the third spot with 111 GRPs (from 90).

The table below reveals the channel share of the kids channels on a national scale.

All India, CS 4-14 years

The table below points out the GRPs the kids channels garnered on a national scale.

All India, CS 4-14 years

So what helped Nick see this rise across the HSM space?

According to Nick India VP and GM Nina Elavia Jaipuria, the push came from the new episodes of Ninja Hattaori along with the channel‘s flagship properties Dora The Explorer, Chibi Maruko Chan, Mighty Cat Masked Niyander and Perman.

While Ninja, Nick‘s top rated show, saw a fall in its peak TVR to attract 1.98 peak TVR in week 16 (2.03 in week 15), Dora, Mighty Cat and Perman captured peak TVRs of 1.42 (0.88), 1.11 (0.93) and 1.03 (0.91) respectively. Chibi, meanwhile, made it to the channel‘s top five list with a peak TVR of 1.09 for the week ended 18 April.

Nick also claims that while its reach has increased to 33 per cent this week, the time spent on the channel has grown from 116 minutes to 144 minutes."Sticky content supported by extensive marketing campaign beyond the television space over the past 12-18 months has also helped the channel expand its viewership," says Jaipuria.

"We had created a touch and feel factor for the Nick brands through various on-ground initiatives and merchandise products. We tangiblised the brand through various activations across schools and cities that helped Nick grow its presence in the kids market," she explains.

So does Nick‘s win in the HSM market pose a threat to CN‘s position at the top?

Says Turner International India deputy general manager and vice president– entertainment South Asia Monica Tata, "We have a long-term view for the country and we have a definite vision for both Cartoon Network and Pogo. Importantly, we have always led from the top and not shifted or changed our strategies in reaction to competition. Our vision is to be a major kids‘ lifestyle brand in the next few years. And we have been working very hard to move aggressively and rapidly towards that vision. We are extending the brands across various platforms to ensure that we reach out to kids at every possible access point. We are very much in line with our strategy for the country and look forward to another exciting year."

What is next on the agenda for Nick? Besides trying to sustain its new-found position in the Hindi speaking market, the drive will be to push the channel‘s presence in the southern region. Avers Nina, "We are still to mark our presence in the southern market which we are planning to enter by the end of this year. Once that happens, we hope to perform better on a national scale too."