MAM
KBC propels Sony to new heights
MUMBAI: The angry “old” man of Indian cinema, Amitabh Bachchan, has once again proved his charisma as he took the fifth season of the game show Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) to new heights on Sony Entertainment Television.
Albeit, it was a joint effort as in the history of KBC, it was the first time that a winner was taking home the grand prize of Rs 50 million. The two episodes, on 1 and 2 November, clocked a TVR of 7.2 and 8 respectively, as audiences swelled to watch a common man – Sushil Kumar from Motihari, Bihar, win the amount.
KBC has helped Set to add 51 GRPs (gross rating points) during the week ended 5 November as it marched ahead of Colors, which was at par with the channel last week.
As per TAM data (C&S, 4+, HSM), Set closed the week with 287 GRPs (last week 236), second among the Hindi general entertainment channels.
Set senior EVP and business head Sneha Rajani said, “We are extremely satisfied with the ratings of KBC and humbled by the way audiences have connected to the show. It strengthens our belief and philosophy ‘koi bhee insaan chhota nahi hota‘. The success of Sushil Kumar in KBC is an emphatic endorsement of the fact that KBC is not just a game show, but a melting pot of knowledge and aspirations of the aam aadmi.”
The Wednesday episode (2 November) of KBC5 has, in fact , became the highest TVR grosser among all shows since 2009 when Uttaran on Colors had achieved a 8+ TVR.
Set said that KBC reached out to 25 million people on Tuesday and 27 million people on Wednesday, with 18 per cent reach and 43 minutes of average time spent, the highest for this season.
Set‘s climb was also supported by other fiction properties including Crime Petrol (4.2 TVR), C.I.D. (4 TVR) and Bade Acche Lagte Hain (3.7 TVR).
Set has also broken its nine-year record to reach highest ratings. However, last time, it was on the back of the blockbuster film 3Idiots while the present rise is on pure programming.
Even after scaling to 287, Sony stayed behind genre leader Star Plus which climbed to 335 GRPs (last week 273). All the fiction properties of the channel saw an increase in viewership, helping it to surge ahead.
Colors closed the week with 240 GRPs (last week 236), while Zee TV ended with 143 GRPs (last week 131).
Sab remained in fifth position with 121 GRPS (118 GRPs last week) followed by Imagine TV with 70 GRPs (from 61 GRPs).
Star One closed with 43 GRPs (from 40 last week) and Sahara One with 34 GRPs (30 last week), according to TAM data.
Brands
ConfirmTkt rolls out 1 per cent cashback for summer train trips
Unlimited wallet rewards valid till 31 May boost holiday travel
GURUGRAM: ConfirmTkt has announced a limited period 1 per cent cashback offer aimed at making summer train travel a little lighter on the wallet.
The authorised B2C online train ticketing platform, part of the Ixigo Group, will credit 1 per cent cashback directly into users’ ConfirmTkt Wallet for every train ticket booked through its app. The offer runs until 31 May 2026, neatly covering the peak summer holiday rush.
There is no cap on how much cashback users can earn during the offer window. The credited amount can be redeemed on the next train booking within 90 days, making it particularly useful for families planning return journeys, students heading home for the holidays, or travellers ticking off multiple destinations in one season.
Importantly, the process is automatic. Cashback is credited after booking, with no codes to enter and no hoops to jump through, keeping the reward simple and seamless.
Ixigo Trains and ConfirmTkt CEO Dinesh Kumar Kotha, said summer remains one of the busiest travel seasons in India, as families, students and professionals take to the rails to reconnect and explore. He noted that by keeping the cashback uncapped and redemption straightforward, the company aims to help travellers extract greater value from both outbound and return trips during this high demand period.
Beyond the seasonal offer, ConfirmTkt continues to position itself as a tech driven, customer first platform. Its features include high accuracy waitlist prediction, nearby trains and alternate travel plan suggestions when seats are scarce, live train status updates, seamless PNR tracking, instant refunds, seat availability alerts and UPI enabled payments. Users can also order food on train for delivery to their seats at selected stations.
Taken together, the platform’s tools are designed to reduce uncertainty and add a layer of reassurance to rail journeys. With this summer cashback in play, ConfirmTkt is not just helping travellers book tickets, but giving them a small return ticket on their spending too.
