Panchvi may give IPL hiccups

The show, based on the international show Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader? in which adults are quizzed on school textbook material from standards 1 to 5, clocked a television viewership rating (TVR) of 2.8 during 8 pm to 9 pm on its debut on Friday.

During the same time slot, Set Max, IPL's official broadcaster, recorded a TVR of 2.5 for the match between Mukesh Ambani's Mumbai Indians and Preity Zinta's Kings XI Punjab, according to Audience Measurement & Analytics (a-MAP).

STAR's market share was 12.3 per cent while Set Max's share stood at 10.9 per cent during the one hour that Panchvi Pass was telecast.

STAR Plus executives could not be reached for a comment. However, Rohit Gupta, president (network sales, licensing and telephony), Sony Entertainment Television India, said, "There will be audiences for both the properties. Viewers have experienced the IPL matches. They like it and are coming back to watch the twenty20 tournament. We did expect Panchvi Pass to have a good opening. However, the challenge for STAR Plus is to be able to sustain the ratings." On Friday, SET Max's average TVR was 3.2 with a market share of 14.7 per cent.

Media experts believe that the ratings during commercial breaks will fall in case of Panchvi Pass.

"Viewers will switching to the matches during the commercial breaks. This will be affect the brands that are advertising on the show," said an executive from a leading media buying agency. The industry estimates that during a commercial break, the TVR of a show drops by 10 to 15 per cent.

During IPL's inaugural match on April 18 in Bangalore when Shah Rukh Khan's Knight Riders won against Vijay Mallya's Royal Challengers, SET Max captured a market share of 16.8 per cent between 8 pm and 11 pm.