Mumbai : The recently launched Big B big ticket “Yudh” which failed to have any effect on the channel, it has further declined with ratings falling even further to 0.7 TVMs in week 31 from 0.8 TVMs in the previous week. The channel had consequently slipped to number six on the ratings chart.
The channel has had to lean instead on long running shows such as CID (3.9 TVMs in week 31) and Crime Patrol (1.6 TVMs in week 31). Maharana Patap (3.1 TVMs in week 31) which was launched last year has had an average performance. While the channel brought back popular game show Entertainment Ke Liye Kuch Bhi Karega (1.9 TVMs in week 31) after a gap of two and half years, it hasn’t quite had much of an effect on the channels viewership. The channel also attracts a higher amount of male viewership with shows such as CID and Crime Patrol in their portfolio and has launched a new Hindi GEC Sony PAL
All this has created a situation for Sony TV to lean on KBC 8 to create a path to perk up the channel from deep down and avoid heading towards the fateful direction of Imagine TV, which was winded up due to their permanent inability to find a fortune to revitalize the channel.
However, with changes in the format of the show such as introduction of new lifelines and pre-launch campaigns like ‘Kohima,’ ‘Hindu-Muslim,’ ‘Old Man,’ etc., aiming at establishing an emotional connect with the audience through their new themes the channel is attempting to go to the audience, literally. The show will now leave behind Mumbai and travel to four other cities in India, Surat being one of the cities which has been finalized. KBC 8 was launched inside a stadium in front of a live audience in Surat.
Gaurav Seth, SVP & Head Marketing, Sony Entertainment Television (SET) said, “Whenever you do something with large promotional campaigns the expectations are always high. And because it is a shaking up of the format a little bit, it is going on ground, we got Kapil (Sharma) to host the show and we have a lot of other entertainment plans. We have received good response from the people. Of course that is the intent (to move to other cities in order to boost the ratings of the show). We wanted to bring the show closer to the people, we wanted to help them engage with the show, we wanted them to feel through the show that anybody can have the chance to transform their lives, and hence that was the idea behind why we went on ground”. Though he hoped it to do well for the channel, he however did not agree to the fact that the channel’s fate rested on this show alone. “Of course KBC is a limited time property. It comes in and goes, it is seasonal. We will obviously use the success of KBC to build on other shows which we will launch in the upcoming months,” he added.
Whereas, with the current performance of the channel in the Hindi GEC space the channel is hoping that Amitabh Bachchan’s charm will still be enough to woo the audiences. It is set to face tough competition from Star Plus who also will be premiering their singing reality show India’s Raw Star with Yo Yo Honey Singh. While on the weekdays, which the show will be featured on, it will be pitted against Star Plus’ new show “Nisha Aur Uske Cousins” which will replace top rated show Mahabharat and KBC might have a chance in gaining traction. While on Zee TV it will face less challenge from India’s Best Cine Stars Ki Khoj on the opening night, it will however definitely face a challenge on weekdays from Kumkum Bhagya, a top rated show (7.5 TVMs week 31) on Zee TV. On Colors too it will face competition from The Anupam Kher Show and Jhalak Dikhhala Jaa on Sunday, while will have a chance during the regular weekdays as it goes head to head against new show Udann on Colors. With Life OK, on Sunday it will be pitted against The Adventures of Hatim which has a low ratings performance (1.6 TVMs week 31) and may also not face much competition from shows such as Ek Boond Ishq (1.5 TVMs week 31) and Naadan Parindey (1.2 TVMs week 31) which have been low in ratings. So the fortunes of KBC season 8 look bright as it is the only show with an already built brand name than some of the other newly launched shows on other channels.
Despite all such positivity for KBC 8, Chandru Kalro, COO, TTK Prestige states that “There is a diminishing viewership for KBC. There is no youth support for the show in terms of viewership. It is tough for the channel, but if they work hard, you might count on it to do well and it might push up viewership for the channel.”
While the popularity steam of KBC 8 created by the Promo campaign is dwindling day by day. Sony TV is under severe pressure to perform and pinning all its hopes on KBC 8
