Colors beats Star Plus in the ratings game

In less than nine months of its launch Colors, the Hindi GEC from the Viacom 18 stable, has displaced Star Plus from the number one position it held for the last nine years. According to television viewership measurement agency TAM, Colors’ weekly average Gross Rating Points between April 5 and April 11 were 292 ahead of Star Plus at 267. Zee was the number three channel at 235 GRPs.

Speaking to Business Standard, Colors CEO, Rajesh Kamat, said: “It’s one week’s data and there’s a long battle ahead. But what is heartening is that Colors has been the most-watched channel during prime time in the last few weeks.”

Interestingly, Colors has become the market leader even though it registered a decline in total GRPs (298 versus 292) over the previous week. Star Plus, too, lost points and saw its GRPs drop from 307 to 267. Kamat said that the channel achieved market leadership without the usual stunts for spike in ratings. “The good news is that the channel’s position among the top two GECs has stabilised,” he added.

Colors’ new-found leadership during the said week rests mostly on its weekend programming including films. For a start, its horror show Koi Aane Ko hai improved got more eyeballs and saw its TRPs improve from 2.5 to 3.2. Its reality show Chote Miyan, too, did better at 3.2 TRPs opposed to 2.6 the previous week. However, the big spike was driven by the Hindi films it aired over Saturday and Sunday. The channel managed 42 GRPs from its films compared to roughly 26 GRPs of Star Plus. Singh is Kingg on Colors added to the GRPs as the film was aired without commercial breaks.

However, Colors’ leadership position does not mean that Star Plus’ popularity has sunk. The top two shows in the GEC segment still belong to Star. Bidaai and Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai enjoyed an average weekly TRP of 6.5 and 6.3 respectively compared to Balika Vadhu’s 5.7 which is Colors’ numero uno show. Star’s new show Sabki Laadli Bebo, too, is doing well with ratings touching a TRP of 3.7.

A Star India spokesperson said that leadership was not a one-week game. “Star Plus has been a leader and an innovator for the last nine years. Bidaai and Yeh Rishta… continue to top the charts in Hindi entertainment. Our commitment is to provide quality entertainment…We are confident that we will regain our leadership,” the spokesperson said.

Colors’, meanwhile, is pleased with the fact that despite going pay from April 1, the channel’s popularity hasn’t ebbed. Critics explain that the channel entered into a smart deal with One Alliance which markets a bouquet of 18 channels including Discovery, Sony and SET Max, among others. “That Colors relied on One Alliance rather than on its own marketing arm Star-DEN, indicates that there was merit in siding with a bouquet that has the channel with IPL telecast rights,” said a media expert.

With competition heating up in the Hindi GEC segment, there may not be a clear market leader in the category for some time to come. Yet Kamat feels that Colors has room to grow since its reach – at 64 per cent -- is already better than Star Plus’ at 60 per cent. (Reach is the percentage of people who’ve watched the channel for a minute or more).

Besides, it is yet to launch its afternoon band. “Our original programming is 25-27 hours a week compared to Star Plus’ 38 hours. We have a long way to go,” he said.