MAM
NTO ambiguity resulting in ad rev drop for small broadcasters, niche channels
MUMBAI: Just when it felt like the dust on the NTO had settled, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) came out with yet another consultation paper reviewing the order, seeking more fundamental changes in channel pricing and bouquet formation. As clarified by TRAI chairman RS Sharma, while the regulatory body does not plan to revise the pricing framework, it is surely looking at fine-tuning the existing parameters as consumers are facing certain issues because of the current set of rules.
This has once again left a big question mark on the fate of broadcasters and might have a bigger impact on advertising revenues as well.
Y&A Collective co-founder S Yesudas told Indiantelevision.com that this uncertainty over the tariff order and channel pricing will impact nice channels the most, resulting into a dip in their revenue.
He said, “The biggest sufferers will be niche channels, particularly those which are mid and bottom-rung. Even as the power to choose rests with consumers and the general mindset of sensitivity for the paid-for options resulting in those always taking precedence, the snacking-in viewership will reduce. Between the two time periods, pre-new tariff order to July 19, there’s apparently already a drop of approximately 7 per cent of the total TV impressions. This will consequently mean revenue reduction.”
HyperCollective founder and CCO KV Sridhar (Pops) also agreed that the past few months have seen a dip in the revenues for broadcasters, barring a few big ones, because of many reasons like the economic slowdown and growth of digital bouquets, along with the NTO.
“The NTO is putting a lot of pressure on the broadcasters and some easing out is required, maybe not so suddenly but definitely. The bigger groups like Star and Sony can survive in the turmoil, but it is difficult for smaller groups, especially independent channels and some regional channels,” he said.
TheSmallBigIdea CEO & co-founder Harikrishnan Pillai shared that this ambiguity over the tariff might result in advertisers taking their money to digital platforms than spending on television.
He said, “One needs to reckon that any industry with fluttering policy fuels questions on its stability. While TV broadcasting is the most robust of all mediums, the effect of such policy-based tremors cannot be ignored. Especially by smaller TV channels, which already are fighting for eyeballs. It is likely that they might be ignored by the advertiser for other lucrative digital options. Investment into fresh content might take a back seat, which might further make it difficult for certain channels to attract advertisers on the back of new shows."
Sridhar also noted that the loyalty of the consumer is with the content and not the channel. If they can access the same content on OTT platforms or other media, they will not want to spend on purchasing the channels.
He further elaborated, “Advertisers are interested in viewership only. Also, they would play their ads during the content that is relevant to them. They are not going to place an ad on your channel even if you offer cheaper slots, or guarantee greater reach. Every advertiser is looking for relevant content now. If the content is not good, your channel will drop. OTT, therefore, is a big hindrance for the broadcasters in getting revenue.”
While the tariff order seems to be generating problems for the broadcasters, Yesudas feels that it will be beneficial for the marketers and advertisers. He said, “Marketing and adverting industry will only stand to gain from this as there will be further consolidation of the viewership pie. While the top-rung channels will find a place in almost all media plans (with reduced cost per contact) the mid-and bottom-rung channels which no longer can only stay focused on transactional and passive advertising time selling will also embrace true innovation in helping clients solve certain marketing challenges within a segment of consumers, they can influence.”
AD Agencies
Abhay Duggal joins JioStar as director of Hindi GEC ad sales
The streaming giant brings in a seasoned revenue hand as the battle for Hindi television advertising heats up
MUMBAI: Abhay Duggal has a new desk, and JioStar has a new weapon. The media and entertainment veteran has joined JioStar as director of entertainment ad sales for Hindi general entertainment channels, adding 17 years of hard-won revenue experience to one of India’s most powerful broadcasting operations.
Duggal is no stranger to big portfolios or bruising markets. Before joining JioStar, he spent a brief stint at Republic World as deputy general manager and north regional head for ad sales. Before that, he put in three years at Enterr10 Television, where he ran the north region for Dangal TV and Dangal 2, two of India’s leading free-to-air Hindi channels. The north alone accounted for more than 50 per cent of total channel revenue on his watch, a number that tends to get attention in any sales meeting.
His longest stint was at Zee Entertainment Enterprises, where he spent over six years rising to associate director of sales. There he commanded the Hindi movies cluster across seven channels, owned more than half of north India’s revenue across flagship properties including Zee TV and &TV, and closed marquee sponsorships across the Indian Premier League, Zee Rishtey Awards and Dance India Dance. He also handled monetisation for the English movies and entertainment cluster and the global news channel WION, a portfolio that would stretch most sales teams twice his size.
Earlier in his career Duggal closed what was then a Rs 3 crore single deal at Reliance Broadcast Network, one of the largest in Indian radio at the time, before that he helped launch and monetise JAINHITS, India’s first HITS-based cable and satellite platform.
His edge, by his own account, lies in marrying data and instinct: translating audience trends, inventory signals and client demands into long-term partnerships built on cost-per-rating-point discipline rather than short-term deal chasing. In a media landscape being reshaped by streaming, fragmented attention and AI-driven advertising, that kind of rigour is increasingly rare and increasingly valuable.
JioStar, which blends the scale of Reliance’s Jio platform with the content firepower of Star, is doubling down on its advertising business at precisely the moment the Hindi GEC market is getting more competitive. Bringing in someone who has spent nearly two decades doing exactly this, across some of India’s most watched channels, is a pointed statement of intent. Duggal has spent his career turning audiences into revenue. JioStar is clearly betting he can do it again, and bigger.
