Mumbai: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. (‘Z’) has emerged as a dominant force in the general entertainment category, topping fiction charts across six key languages and capturing an average of five spots in the Top 10 rankings.
According to BARC data (15+; respective urban markets; Weeks 4–7, 2026), the Company secured a 48% share in fiction content rankings across Hindi (Pay), Marathi, Bangla, Odia, Kannada and Telugu GECs. The strong performance underscores fiction as a key growth driver under the network’s new content strategy.
Prime time continues to remain a crucial viewing window, with families tuning in together and driving peak engagement. Within this high-viewership daypart, ‘Z’ commands over 20% viewership share across genres, outperforming competitors.
Speaking about the achievement, Raghavendra Hunsur, Chief Content Officer, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. said, “The achievement is a firm testament of our sharply defined content strategy across languages, that is clearly resonating with the consumers. Leading the fiction entertainment chart reflects the ability and depth of our creative team to understand viewer preferences and finer cultural nuances. Fiction shows have always been the heart of entertainment content, and we will continue to build robust fiction and non-fiction offerings that are deeply engaging and authentic for our consumers.”
Strong Regional Performance
In Hindi Pay GEC, Zee TV — the network’s flagship Hindi channel — features four new launches among the Top 10 shows: ‘Tumm Se Tumm Tak’, ‘Ganga Mai Ki Betiyan’, ‘Vasudha’ and ‘Lakshmi Nivas’, all launched within the past 18 months.
In Maharashtra, Zee Marathi recorded a 470-basis-point jump in market share to 34.7% in January 2026 (vs January 2025), with four shows in the Top 10 Marathi GEC rankings, including ‘Kamli’, ‘Taarini’, ‘Veen Doghatli Hi Tutena’ and ‘Lakshmi Nivas’.
In the East, Zee Bangla regained leadership in the Bangla GEC genre (Week 7 ’26; 15+; WB Urban), with five shows in the Top 10 — ‘Parineeta’, ‘Taare Dhori Dhori Mone Kori’, ‘Jowar Bhata’, ‘Amader Dadamoni’ and ‘Chirodini Tumi Je Amar’. Notably, ‘Parineeta’, currently the No.1 show in the market, is built on Gen-Z insights, reflecting evolving audience preferences.
Zee Sarthak has maintained leadership in the Odia GEC space for five consecutive years, with ‘Sathi Sata Janmara’, ‘Suna Jhia’, ‘Tu Khara Mu Chhai’, ‘Tuma Bina’ and ‘Bhagya Rekha’ forming the Top 5 in the category.
In Karnataka, Zee Kannada continues its seven-year leadership streak in the Kannada GEC market, with seven fiction shows — including ‘Karna’, ‘Lakshmi Nivasa’, ‘Annayya’, ‘Amruthadhaare’, ‘Naa Ninna Bidalaare’, ‘Adi Lakshmi Purana’ and ‘Brahmagantu’ — occupying the Top 7 spots.
Meanwhile, Zee Telugu is steadily growing, emerging as the biggest channel across genres in Hyderabad and a strong challenger brand in AP/TL Urban markets. Its fiction line-up — ‘Jagadhatri’, ‘Meghasandesam’, ‘Jayam’ and ‘Chamanthi’ — accounts for four of the Top 10 Telugu GEC shows.
As its general entertainment channels strengthen their regional foothold, ‘Z’ continues to sharpen its content strategy, leveraging deep consumer insights and cultural understanding to craft meaningful narratives that resonate across age groups.
