Mumbai: Zee TV, the flagship Hindi General Entertainment Channel (GEC) from Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd., has emerged as India’s fastest growing channel in terms of absolute GRP growth (BARC; 15+; India Urban; Jan’25 vs Jan’26; excluding channels that joined DD FreeDish in the second period), outperforming competition across genres.
The channel’s refreshed content strategy over the past few months has delivered sustained momentum, enabling it to secure leadership in core primetime for 17 consecutive weeks (BARC; HSM U+R). As per Week 6, 2026 data, Zee TV further consolidated its position with 126 GRPs (BARC; HSM Urban, 15+), with four shows emerging as slot leaders—marking the channel’s highest viewership in four years and highest share in seven years.
Zee TV has undertaken a comprehensive refresh of its programming slate to align with evolving audience preferences. Its new line-up blends progressive storylines, innovative concepts and strong character arcs in fiction, alongside differentiated non-fiction formats aimed at boosting viewer engagement. These strategic interventions have translated into consistent gains across key engagement metrics, including slot leadership and primetime growth.
The channel strengthened its GEC positioning in January 2026 with five shows crossing the 1.5 TVR mark and four shows featuring in the Top 10 rankings. Its FY26 fiction launches—‘Saru’, ‘Tumm Se Tumm Tak’, ‘Ganga Mai Ki Betiyan’, ‘Jagadhatri’ and ‘Lakshmi Nivas’—have delivered immediate slot growth. Several of these shows are adaptations of successful properties from regional ‘Z’ markets, underscoring the company’s content cross-pollination strategy.
Commenting on the achievement, Mangesh Kulkarni, Chief Channel Officer, Zee TV said, “Over the last few months, we have taken significant efforts to craft a fresh content mix for the consumers, that reflects the evolving consumption patterns, and yet retains the emotional chord. The strong viewership momentum garnered by Zee TV to emerge as the Nation’s fastest growing channel, is a firm testament of this approach and the trust showcased by consumers in our new programming strategy. We remain committed to building on this growth with more engaging and culturally-rooted narratives to continue winning the hearts of our consumers.”
Raghavendra Hunsur, Chief Content Officer, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. added, “At the heart of our content approach lies the consumer and our relentless aim to deliver authentic, relatable stories that aptly reflect their lives and ambitions. We have taken calibrated steps to transform the content strategy across channels with layered storylines and innovative concepts to build sustainable growth in the entertainment ecosystem. The robust gains garnered by the flagship channel along with the strong momentum being showcased by Zee Telugu, underscores our belief in compelling content being the most powerful growth driver for entertainment channels.”
Beyond the Hindi GEC space, the company is also witnessing strong traction in the Telugu market. Zee Telugu has emerged as the second fastest growing GEC in the country (BARC; 15+; India Urban; Jan’25 vs Jan’26; excluding channels that joined DD FreeDish in the second period and those deriving majority viewership from non-GEC content). The channel posted double-digit growth, with viewership rising 15% to 735 GRPs in January 2026 (BARC; 15+ AP/Telangana Urban).
Three of Zee Telugu’s flagship shows—‘Jagadhatri’, ‘Chamanthi’ and ‘Meghasandesam’—crossed the 8 TVR benchmark during the month, reflecting strong audience resonance. The channel’s non-fiction and movie strategy has also paid dividends, with the current season of ‘Sa Re Ga Ma Pa’ registering a 52% increase in viewership over the previous season. Additionally, World TV Premieres of blockbuster films such as ‘Sankrathiki Vasthunam’, ‘Thandel’ and ‘Kantara – Chapter 1’ have bolstered weekend performance.
With two of the country’s fastest growing GECs—Zee TV and Zee Telugu—in its portfolio, Zee Entertainment Enterprises continues to sharpen its consumer-centric content strategy. The company’s focus on creative innovation and character-led storytelling positions it strongly to sustain robust viewership growth across key markets.
