Bigg Boss' sixth season fares better than previous run

Bigg Boss costs Rs 145-160 crore a season, and, at best, any channel can expect a return of 70-75 per cent from advertising, sources say

The sixth season of Colors’ big-ticket and many times controversial reality show, Bigg Boss, has just ended. Television viewership ratings revalidate the reason behind the Hindi general entertainment channel's fixation with its format.

The final episode on January 12 clocked a 4.4 TVR (television rating points), becoming the highest-rated non-fiction show during the week.

The finale also fared better than its previous season, which had dropped to 3.6 TVR.

In the fourth season, the finale had clocked a 6.7 TVR. The fall in the ratings last year had forced the channel to tweak the format a bit and make it more family-oriented.

The ratings and viewer response of the current season might propel the channel to yet another fresh season.

“With Bigg Boss Season 6, we have changed the game – right from the treatment to the format to introducing never-done-before elements. This season was created to attract more family audiences that pushed us to constantly innovate. Salman Khan’s (the show’s host) charm and audience-connect has also worked in our favour and taken brand Bigg Boss notches up. We are happy we’ve managed to achieve what we set out for,” Manisha Sharma, programming head-weekend, Colors, said.

Bigg Boss costs Rs 145-160 crore a season, and, at best, any channel can expect a return of 70-75 per cent from advertising, industry sources said.

The popular reality show finale also gave the channel a push to recapture the top position among the Hindi general entertainment channels after a three-week gap. According to TAM data for the Hindi speaking markets, (sourced from GECs), the two-and-a-half-hour finale contributed 22 GRPs (gross rating points) to the channel's kitty. The show averaged 3.3 TVR in the week.

Colors had shifted the show to the 9 pm slot this season after ensuring it catered to the whole family.

It was also seeking a premium of about 20 per cent from sponsors, betting on the popularity of Khan, who has delivered six back-to-back super hits.