Some time last month, Hindi entertainment television channel Star Plus aired 15 films in a week. Of these, at least eight were shown without a break for commercials. Result? Star Plus regained its leadership position and toppled Colors, the Viacom 18 channel, from the number one position. Because of “break-free” cinema, the channel garnered additional 24 gross rating points (GRPs).
Colors too used the tactic for pushing its GRPs, though it was Star Plus which made the first move when it felt that the Viacom 18 channel was closing in. According to a senior Colors’ executive, dropping commercial spots is a tactical move to improve GRPs which are then flaunted to sell commercial airtime to advertisers.
Currently, it seems to be the easiest ploy to boost GRPs. Commercial breaks can cause a 20-25 per cent drop in viewership of a show and thereby pull its average rating down. Seamless (break-free) viewing experience improves audience stickiness to a channel, which, in turn, adds to the total ratings.
It’s easy to see why Colors and Star Plus have been dropping advertisements to gain ratings. “It was crucial to be number one around this time when companies are allocating advertising budgets for the year. Bigger GRPs determine the market leader who can then swing better advertising deals,” points out an executive at NDTV Imagine.
This was also the time when IPL and the General Elections were the flavour of the season for advertisers. Clearly, it was not the “high season” for the general entertainment channels (GECs). “So GECs can minimise their breaks as their inventory is not full. The loss is insignificant (Rs 1 crore a week, according to some estimates) compared to the overall GRP increase,” says an advertising sales expert.
Zee News apparently launched its Non-Stop News at 9 three months ago and protected its revenue too. The 24-minute “break-free” bulletins — for the benefit of the viewers — are sponsored by Aircel and there’s a six-minute advertisement capsule either before or after the bulletin.
Critics argue that dropping advertisements is not a sustainable strategy for TV channels which are advertising revenue driven. But nobody’s complaining as long as it’s working as a short-term tactic.
