NEW DELHI: Indian tv’s high actuality exhibits, together with the likes of Kaun Banega Crorepati, Bigg Boss, are but to totally bounce again from the 50% dip in viewership witnessed in 2020. This 12 months, too, viewership of the 2 premier exhibits on Sony and Colours respectively, is down 25-30%, mentioned media patrons and leisure business specialists.
Tv monitoring company BARC (Broadcast Viewers Analysis Council) India and channels like Sony, Zee and Colours didn’t share viewership numbers or touch upon decline in rankings sought by Mint.
Broadcasters and media patrons mentioned actuality exhibits on TV had been impacted by tentpole sports activities properties such because the second half of the cricket Indian Premier League that resumed mid-September after a covid-induced break and the Cricket World Cup that lasted from mid-October to mid-November. The dwell sports activities occasions coincided with the telecast of those exhibits on TV.
Surprisingly, a brand new present The Huge Image on Colours hosted by actor Ranveer Singh additionally misplaced steam after its debut in October, mentioned a media purchaser on situation of anonymity.
“A lot of the non-fiction franchises telecast throughout 2020-21 have seen a major drop of 25-40% in rankings from their pre-covid seasons. Whereas the second lockdown and the postponement of the IPL each years has had its impression on the non-fiction cycle, most franchises haven’t been capable of match the pre-2020 efficiency,” mentioned Keerat Grewal, companion at media consulting agency Ormax. Aside from films and net exhibits, Ormax tracks the recognition of TV exhibits, characters and contestants.
Media specialists mentioned actuality TV style could also be affected by excessive prices, restricted returns and minimal experimentation. “There isn’t any components to success, there are main channels which have introduced actuality exhibits which didn’t work,” mentioned Sujata Dwibedy, group buying and selling director, Amplifi India, dentsu, emphasising that rankings will solely drop, regardless of how a lot channels might put money into non-fiction given the plain emergence of the digital medium.
“The shift to related TV and OTT platforms is a actuality that’s being seen in metros, non-metros and even the smallest cities. Viewers fragmentation has been at its peak as individuals are consuming content material throughout varied mediums and platforms. There’s good and unique content material accessible all over the place,” Dwibedy mentioned. She factors to the behavioural change main viewers to surrender their cable TV connections in addition to DTH (direct-to-home) subscriptions, a phenomenon referred to as cord-cutting.
Chandrashekhar Mantha, companion at Deloitte, mentioned that exhibits primarily based on fiction have both come again to their pre-covid ranges or delivered higher however the identical is just not true for non-fiction. “One motive could possibly be the overlap with sporting occasions however there may be content material angle to it. These codecs have been round for lengthy and maybe broadcasters have to revamp them to maintain audiences engaged,” Mantha mentioned.
Fiction, alternatively, has a loyal fan base and audiences often develop connections with particular person characters whose journeys they need to observe. On the similar time, the dip in rankings may imply the viewership has diversified, and that the goal group for non-fiction has shifted to a second machine, he identified.
Whereas it’s seemingly that some viewers watch these exhibits on streaming platforms and related televisions, these aren’t measurable but.
“The companies and advertisers will ultimately additionally charge the excitement round these non-fiction exhibits, their social rankings, conversations and so forth. The analysis metric should be nonlinear and impartial of accessible rankings solely,” Dwibedy mentioned.
That mentioned, a have a look at the packed advertiser and sponsor listing signifies the draw and would possibly of non-fiction exhibits that command almost twice the CPRP (value per ranking level) of fiction exhibits, mentioned Mansi Datta, chief shopper officer and head, north and east at media company Wavemaker India.
A senior govt at a broadcast community mentioned fiction exhibits might have made a stronger comeback put up the pandemic however non-fiction has been a protected, albeit stagnant style even earlier than covid.
Supply: Live Mint