Ahmedabad Times
SO FAR A TIE!
The game is getting more and more entertaining on the tube as IPL 4 and soaps are locked in the TRP battle
Navya Malini
The
pitch has been prepared.While the T20 format offers fully loaded
entertainment,general entertainment channels (GECs) are doing their best
to grab their share of viewership.After following the last three
seasons of IPL,GECs have devised new strategies to garner the requisite
number of eyeballs.As a result the viewer is pampered for choice this
summer.
Wondering who managed to score brownie points in the rat race
A close look at market statistics tells us that in IPL 3 the first
match between Team Kolkata and Team Hyderabad got a TVR of 6.95
percent.In IPL 4 the first match between Team Kolkata and Team Chennai
got TVR of 7.77,which shows that the IPL fever has gripped India.
This,however
does not affect the GECs motto to get going.Anupam Vasudev,executive
vice president,marketing and communications,of a leading GEC,says,The
existence of any competition between cricket and GEC show doesnt hold
true.As far as the viewership is concerned,past data clearly shows that
even during IPL there was an increase in our channels viewership by 10
per cent.
Producer Asit Modi feels,There is no doubt that television
serials offer drama.But the drama that IPL offers outpaces any
tearjerker.A huge chunk of our target audience gets hooked to cricket
and loyalty s h i f t s f ro m shows to cricket.
E ve n d u r i n g
the World Cup 2011,m a ny n ew shows were launched.We launched three new
shows for the weekend slot during WC.It seems unlikely that our viewers
would enjoy our shows any less over the weekends even when countered by
the IPL, says Anupam.
The match between Team Kolkata and Team
Kochi,registered 5.01 percent TVR thereby leaving behind the daily
Sasural Genda Phool which garnered a TVR of 3.72.
When Team Mumbai
played Team Chennai,the cricket tempo managed to keep the viewer more
entertained as it got a TVR of 6.70 percent TVR wherein IPL managed to
pip shows like Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai(4.68),Pratigya (4.24) and
Saathiya S a a t h N i b h a n a (4.21).
At the same time,the star
power too has its own brand equity,cant be ruled out.As on the same day
when Team Kolkata played Team Bangalore,the show received a rating of
3.32.This clearly shows that MS Dhoni and Sachin Tendulkar ride high on
the popularity bandwagon.At the same time,repeat telecast of popular
shows too seems to be enabling even the more loyal telly viewer to be a
part of the IPL.And according to industry sources,there will be
competition in the days to come but it does not deter the GECs.
Despite IPL 4,new prime time shows have been launched on GECs.Ahmedabad Times explores...
Shruti Jambhekar
In
the battle for the remote,no one knows who will win especially when the
visual offering is impressive.At a time when viewership loyalties are
divided between the frenzy that is whipped up by IPL 4 or the
interesting platter of new shows on general entertainment channels
(GECs) the obvious question that comes to mind is has IPL lost some of
its sheen Unlike the previous seasons where GECs trod carefully and
either introduced twist in the storyline of their prime time shows to
wean away audiences from IPL,or waited to launch their shows until IPL
got over,this year,GECs witnessed launch of shows like N a v y
a,SuryaThe Super Cop,Beendh Banunga Ghodi Chadhunga,Chhoti Si Zindagi
barely weeks before IPL 4 and during IPL 4Dance Ke Superstars,Sasural
Simar Ka,Aap Ki Kachehri.Is IPL 4 less of a threat for GECs Or is it
cricket over-dose post World Cup Actor-producer JD Majethia,whose show
Chhoti Si Zindagi launched four days prior to IPL 4,says,Now television
audiences get back to the show they prefer watchingit is just on the
days of some important league matches that they might drift towards an
IPL match.Otherwise,post World Cup and the shuffle that has happened in
the IPL teamsthe interest in IPL seemed to have waned. His Bhale Bhi Hum
Burey Bhi Hum had to be wrapped up during IPL 2 (as its launch collided
with IPL 2).
Some producers are of the opinion that GECs audience
remain faithful to their shows,IPL or not.Rashmi Sharma,producer of
Sasural Simar Ka,says,GECs audience and cricket audience are two
different entities.Within few matches,TRPs are affected but overall,the
GEC audience is loyal.If the content of a particular soap is good,the
audience will continue watching the show.In our soap,we are confident
that the story telling is so interesting that audience will love it.
Producer Sidhharth Tewary of Navya chips in,Both IPL and GECs have their
niche audience.If a daily soap or any TV show fails to make its mark,it
is because of its own content based reasonsIPL telecast has got nothing
to do with a shows success or failure. He adds on,I launched Agle Janam
Mohe Bitiya Hi Kijo during IPL and it was a successful stint.
Even
channel professionals have the same say about their confidence on the
content.Ashish Golwalkar,non-fiction content head for a leading GEC
says,Overall,TRPs do get affected slightly due to cricket
broadcast.But,if youre looking at a worked formula on TV that spells
success,you dont have to worry much.
In the game of numbers all that
matters are eyeballs.So while the final verdict is not out yet,at least
for now looks like our daily soaps are TRP-trippers in their own
right.Did someone say IPL 4
shruti.jambhekar@
timesgroup.com
Navya and Sasural Simar Ka (left)
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