GECs
Hindi GECs gain lost ground across genres as IPL10 closes in week 21
BENGALURU: Only one T20 cricket match on one day of the tenth edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL 10) happened during Broadcast Audience Research Council of India (BARC) week 21 (Saturday, 20 May 2017 to Friday, 26 May 2017) – The Finals. And that one match on Sunday, 21 May 2017 at 2000 hours (800 pm) was enough to retain Sony Pictures Network India’s (SPN) Hindi Movies channel Sony Max in BARC’s top 10 channels list across genres for week 21, however at fourth place instead of second place that the channel had in weeks 20 and 14. Sony Max, which aired IPL matches,topped the lists for weeks 15,16, 17,18 and 19 of 2017. Before IPL10 which commenced in the middle of week 14, Sony Max did not figure in weekly the top 10 channels lists across genres in 2017.All the 10 channels that were present in BARC’s weekly list of top 10 channels across genres in week 20 were also present in week 21, but with shuffled ranks.
The seven Hindi GECs’ that were present in BARC week 20 saw a 9.27 percent growth in ratings in week 21. The combined weekly impressions of these seven Hindi GEC channels as per BARC list of top channels across genres in weeks 21 and 20 were 40,85,558 (000s) Sums and 37,38,931 (000s) Sums respectively. Six of the seven Hindi GEC channels in the list gained viewership, while one – Zee Anmol, witnessed a small drop of 1.80 percent in weekly impressions in week 21’s top 10 channels list across genres as compared to week 20.
Like last week, one channel each from the Tamil GEC, Telugu GEC and Hindi Movies spaces and seven channels from the Hindi GEC space were present in the weekly top 10 channels list across genres in week 21. Of these, three were from the Sony Pictures Network India (SPN) network, two each from the Network 18 (or Viacom 18), Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (Zeel) and the Sun TV Network stables, and one from the Star India Network.
Please refer to the figure below for the ratings table for BARC week 21: Across genres –All India (U+R): 2+ Individuals.
GECs
Samsung TV Plus launches Kings of Comedy channel
New free FAST channel brings iconic Hindi comedy shows to millions of Samsung Smart TV owners.
MUMBAI: Samsung TV Plus has just turned up the laughter volume and it’s completely free. The leading free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) service in India has launched Kings of Comedy, a premium comedy channel featuring some of the country’s most beloved primetime shows. Available exclusively on Samsung TV Plus, the channel delivers back-to-back hits including Comedy Nights with Kapil, Khatra Khatra Khatra, and Comedy Nights Bachao, with no login or subscription required.
The launch marks a milestone for free streaming in India, offering audiences a dedicated comedy destination directly from their Samsung TV home screen. It arrives as Samsung TV Plus India celebrates its 5th anniversary, during which the service has grown its monthly active users by 42 per cent and more than doubled its total viewing hours. The platform now offers over 180 free channels across 14 languages.
Samsung TV Plus India general manager and head of business development Kunal Mehta said, “Comedy is the heartbeat of Hindi entertainment, and Kings of Comedy brings together the shows Indians already love, completely free on their Samsung TV. Our focus remains the same take the content people know and make it effortless to access.”
Globally, Samsung TV Plus has surpassed 100 million monthly active users across more than 4,500 channels, solidifying its position as one of the world’s leading free streaming services.
Kings of Comedy is now available on all compatible Samsung Smart TVs. For viewers seeking non-stop laughter without any cost, this new channel delivers a royal treat proving that sometimes the best entertainment really does come with no strings (or subscriptions) attached.
