Action replay in Hindi
UTV Action is expanding its distribution and content, six months since its launch. Unlike other movie channels which span a gamut of genres, the channel focuses on action movies which rate as the most-watched movie genre on TV. When UTV redid its Bindaas Movies, a youth-centric movie channel, into UTV Action, it had a sharper positioning on its hands. “We were looking to capture a mood of the viewers than just offer a movie. Hence, the entire channel was oriented to action,” says UTV Global Broadcasting CEO MK Anand. It got more undivided attention of audiences and advertisers. The task on its hands now is to get more action movies and reach more of its target audience, before other players launch their specialty movie channels.
For the channel, UTV has chosen to dub Hollywood action films into Hindi. “Action movies are difficult to produce and Hollywood movies offer more choice in this genre,” says Anand. “Hollywood hits are no more monopolised by big studios which tend to favour generic international movie channels. Independent releases with better and bigger content have ensured that our channel can also bid for content alongside the HBOs and Star Movies,” says UTV Action Programming Head Manasi Sapre. The channel has premiered movies such as the Jet Li- and Jackie Chan-starrer, The Forbidden Kingdom, and Universal Soldier III. Blood Rein will follow in November.
UTV Action has also picked up a few lessons in its six-month stint, insights that have helped it in programming as well. “We have learnt that certain sub-genres within action movies do quite well,” says Sapre. Monster Mondays thus put critter-based thrillers on primetime (8:45 pm) on Mondays, a genre that was seen as family-friendly earlier by generic movie channels. Sapre says programming is the key differentiator: “We have a tried and tested scheduling formula now which gives us the first mover’s advantage.” Other sub-genres include Hero of the Week, Sunday Survanash and Big Bang Flicks for primetime viewing.
Targeting a male audience aged 15 years and above has helped the channel get advertisers such as Thums Up, KFC, Gillette and Bajaj. There are three or four advertiser-sponsored theme fests on the channel every month since it leads them to their focus consumers. Sapre points out that TAM estimates of 42 minutes spent per week by the audience is a sure sign of viewer-loyalties.
However, there is still ground to be covered in expanding reach in cities with a population of over a million. UTV Action is part of the basic packages of all but one (Dish TV) DTH operators, taking it to around 12 million homes. For the cable TV households, the distribution team is working on optimising the bands it is present on. “We are aiming to get preferred positions on networks of cable operators to increase the sampling of our channel,” says UTV Action Business Head Sameer Ganpathy. There are around 200 cable network operators who now carry the channel. From the 15 markets in which it used to be aired at the time of launch, UTV Action now reaches 22 markets in the Hindi-speaking belt.
Marketing activations that followed the media blitzkrieg of its launch (hoardings and TV ad spots) have helped get it more visibility. Anand says: “Off-air activities create the impression for the channel that we want the audience to have.” The channel has been promoting freestyle street football, taking trade partners for sky-diving spins in South Africa and participating in the India release of big-banner action flicks such as The Expendables, Knight and Day, and Karate Kid.
With Hollywood movies dubbed in Hindi and other Indian languages raking in the moolah and giving Bollywood releases competition, formats such as UTV Action hold out promise. As it expands in scale, it has to be seen if by way of content it can give the English movie channels a tough fight.