BENGALURU: Viacom 18’s flagship Hindi GEC Colors jumped up to third rank in Broadcast Audience Research Council of India’s (BARC) weekly list of top 10 channels across genres in week 38 of 2018 (Saturday, 15 September 2018 to Friday, 21 September 2018). At its usual first rank was the Sun TV Network’s flagship Tamil GEC Sun TV followed by Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (Zeel) free to air (FTA) Hindi GEC Zee Anmol at second rank. Consequently, Zee Anmol was the most watched Hindi channel and Colors the second most watched Hindi channel across genres, be it Hindi GEC or Hindi movies in week 38 of 2018 (week under review or consideration). It was also the most watched Hindi pay-TV channel during week 38 of 2018.
Six Hindi GECs, two Hindi movies channels and one channel each from the Tamil and Telugu genres comprised BARC’s weekly list of top 10 channels across genres (across genres list) in week 38 of 2018. From the networks’ perspective, there were three channels each from Star India and Sony Pictures Network India (SPN), two channels from Zeel and one channel each from the Sun TV Network and Viacom 18 in BARC’s across genres list during the week under review.
As mentioned above, at its normal first rank in week 38 was the Tamil GEC Sun TV with 1,029.426 million weekly impressions as compared to 1,043.906 million weekly impressions in week 37 of 2018. Sun TV also led BARC’s weekly list of top 5 Tamil channels in the Tamil Nadu and Puducherry market and all of 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.
Continuing on at its second rank in week 38 of 2018 was Zee Anmol with 863.279 million weekly impressions as compared to 816.131 million weekly impressions in week 37. Zee Anmol was also ranked first in BARC’s weekly list of top 10 Hindi GECs in the combined urban and rural Hindi speaking markets or HSM (U+R) and HSM (R) and was ranked eighth in HSM (U). The Balaji Telefilms produced soap Kumkum Bhagya aired on Zee Anmol 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 (U+R) and was ranked first in HSM (R). Another soap from the channel, Mahek, was ranked third in HSM (R).

Also, as mentioned above, Colors which had re-entered the across genres list in week 37 of 2018, was ranked third in week 38 with 727.244 million weekly impressions as compared to 654.144 million weekly impressions and at seventh rank. Colors was ranked third in BARC’s weekly list of top 10 Hindi GECs in HSM (U+R), first in HSM (U) and ninth in HSM (R). The third season of the Balaji Telefilms produced supernatural drama Naagin 3 and the grand finale of the dance show Dance Deewane were among BARC’s 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 HSM (U). Further, Naagin 3 was ranked fifth among BARC’s 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 FTA channel Star Utsav also retained its fourth rank in week 38 of 2018 with 695.203 million weekly impressions as compared to 669.262 million weekly impressions in week 37. Star Utsav was ranked second 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 ranked second 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 (R).
Dropping down two ranks to fifth rank was Zeel’s flagship Hindi GEC Zee TV with 657.866 million weekly impressions as compared to 723.225 million weekly impressions in week 37. Zee TV was ranked fourth in BARC’s weekly list of top 10 Hindi GECs in HSM (U+R) and HSM (U) and seventh in HSM (R) during the week. Two programmes that were aired on Zee TV- Kumkum Bhagya, and its spinoff Kundali Bhagya were at fifth and fourth ranks respectively 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 HSM (U). Kundali Bhagya on Zee TV was ranked fourth in HSM (R) during primetime.

Sliding down a rank to sixth place was Star India’s flagship Hindi GEC Star Plus with 655.169 million impressions as compared to 682.419 million weekly impressions in the previous week. Star Plus was ranked fifth in BARC’s weekly lists of top 10 Hindi GECs in HSM (U+R) and was ranked second in HSM (U) and tenth in HSM (R). Director’s Kut Productions produced Hindi soap Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai aired on Star Plus was ranked third in BARC’s list of top 5 Hindi GEC programmes during primetime based on average rating across all airings (original and repeat) in HSM (U).
Star Maa also dropped a rank to seventh place in week 38 of 2018 with 631.517 million weekly impressions as compared with 668.179 million weekly impressions in week 37. 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 in the same market.
SPN’s Hindi Movies channel Sony Wah climbed to eighth rank in week 38 of 2018 from tenth rank in week 37. The channel garnered 629.401 million weekly impressions in week 38 as compared to 618.353 million weekly impressions in the previous week. Sony Wah was ranked first in BARC’s list of top 5 Hindi movies channels in HSM (U+R) and HSM (R) and fourth in HSM (U). Hindi feature film (HFF) Rowdy Rathore that featured on Sony Wah was 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 (R). Another HFF, Magadheera, was also among the five most watched programmes during primetime in HSM (R).
Another SPN Hindi Movies channel, Sony Max re-entered BARC’s across genres list in week 38 of 2018 with 624.491 million weekly impressions at ninth rank. The world television premiere of HFF Sketch that featured on Sony Max was 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). Other HFFs on Sony Max, Tiger Zinda Hai, Kanchana 3, and Bhairava, were also among the five most watched programmes during primetime in HSM (U).
At tenth rank was SPN’s flagship Hindi GEC Sony Entertainment Television (SET). SET’s ratings in week 38 of 2018 were 594.887 million weekly impressions as compared to 629.656 million weekly impressions in week 37. SET was ranked sixth in BARC’s weekly list of top 10 Hindi GEC channels in HSM (U+R), and third in HSM (U).