TV show time gets bigger

At the end of a rather dormant year, the television industry has just seen two new channels; some more are expected to follow next year. This takes the number of channels in India to 515, of which 150 are pay, according to TAM data.

Big CBS Prime, the first channel from the joint venture between Reliance Broadcast Network and CBS Studios International, went on air late last month, while Essel Group company Zee Entertainment’s new channel, Khana Khazana, started operations last Wednesday.

“Niche is the way forward in the television space and we have India’s largest repertoire of niche channels. A 24-hour Food Channel is the perfect addition to our niche channel bouquet of Zee Café, Zee Studio, ETC, Zing and Zee Trendz,” says Punit Goenka, Zee Entertainment CEO.

Meanwhile, Khana Khazana will soon be followed by FoodFood from Malaysia’s Astro All Asia Networks in partnership with celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor’s television company Turmeric Vision. Even Alva Brothers Entertainment has firmed up plans to launch an exclusive television channel ‘Food First’ to show programmes on food, cooking and related activities.

The target viewership for most of these channels is people in the age group of 13-35 who are comfortable in English. This is what precisely led Big CBS Prime to bet on an English channel, says Tarun Katial, CEO, Reliance Broadcast Network. “With Big CBS Prime’s near-live American content, 37 hours of original programming and programming line-up, we are confident that the audience response will be good”, says Katial.

Manisha Tripathi, business head, Real Global Broadcasting, is also interested in the same space. “Food First will target upwardly mobile English speaking audience above 18 years. “Apart from food, we are working on a few more exciting concepts and will be able to share the details soon,” she says.

The new channels think the segment is big enough to play the volume game which required beefing up distribution. Big CBS Networks, for example, has entered into strategic alliances with leading MSOs – Reliance BIG TV, Digicable, Den Networks and Hathway – leveraging their pan-India footprint to ramp up the network’s reach. It has also inked distribution deals with InCable, Airtel DTH and 7Star taking the total reach to 20 million households .

Big CBS Prime will also be available on AsiaSat3S, the most widely reached satellite platform across Asia and Australia and Katial claims, “through these distribution tie-ups, the channel has achieved nearly 100 per cent target audience coverage to reach over 20 million households.”

Upping its ante, Reliance Broadcast has also obtained exclusive rights for Bellator Fighting Championships to introduce its world popular fighting championship series on Big CBS Prime. Post the success of IPL cricket championships, entertainment-based sports events have acquired a huge fan following in India. Analysts say cricket matches and other sporting events have delivered higher GRPs in comparison to other programming genres.

R C Venkateish, CEO, Dish TV, welcomed the launch Zee Khana Khazana on its platform that reaches over nine million subscribers. The channel will bring Indian programmes as well as well-known international content.