GECs
‘KBC’ opener boosts Star Plus’ channel share in 9-10 pm band
MUMBAI: The opening week numbers of KBC, Star Plus’ big ticket show for the season, seem to have done the trick at least on one front – jack up its channel share for the crucial 9-10 pm band significantly against rival Zee TV.
The much awaited ratings for KBC, revealed by Tam today, show Star Plus’ channel share increasing to 55.9 per cent from the previous week’s 37.7 per cent in Hindi speaking markets ( 9-10 pm; Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday).
As opposed to the aMap’s overnight ratings system that delivered an opening TVR of 5.3, Tam records the ratings for the premiere on 22 January as 12.3 for the Hindi markets.
Commenting on the opening numbers of KBC, Star Entertainment India CEO Sameer Nair said, “At the outset, we had set three objectives for ourselves for KBC with SRK: strategic to ensure that Star Plus continues to dominate viewers hearts and minds; tactical to gain clear leadership in the 9-10 pm weekday primetime band and commercial, to allow us to ensure that the cricket World Cup does not dent our revenues. We have conclusively met all our objectives.”
Expectedly, in the three metros (Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata) Star Plus has done even better, with a market share of 62.7 per cent, pushing down rival Zee TV from 38.2 per cent in the previous week to 15.3 per cent.
Given the pre-launch hype that the network put in place for the Shah Rukh Khan fronted reality game show, it’s no wonder that it opened well, but the big question lies in the ‘sustainability factor’ of the show in the coming weeks.
Of course SRK does not stand a chance against cricket, as the show was hit hard by the India Vs West Indies ODI match on 24 January, dragging the ratings down to 7.36 TVRs (HSM). Not surprisingly, the three metros also saw a steep decline as a result of cricket, clocking a TVR of 6.03. However, the average ratings for it’s first week seem to be stabilizing at about 10 so if KBC can sustain these numbers, the Star team should sail steady.
As for the big question on how SRK compares with Amitabh Bachchan, in the the opening ratings it is a no contest, since 19.75 was what the second season of KBC hosted by the Big B opened at.
An interesting point of note however, is that the first episode of KBC reached 23.3 million, which is 5 million more than the launch episode of KBC 2 did (factoring in the increased C&S population between then and now). Moreover, KBC reached 39 million individuals in the first week of its launch, which Star claims is the highest ever reach of a show in it’s first week in the history of satellite TV.
All in all, the network states that KBC has caused a 25 per cent growth in Hindi general entertainment viewing, with Star gaining viewers from movie channels, regional and hindi news channels.
But at the end of the day, this tale is really all about the ratings commitments that Star has given to its advertisers, so it ultimately will come back to whether the numbers will hold up. Can KBC deliver on a consistent basis over its full 13-week run will be what advertisers will be interested in, not how it opened.
GECs
Asianet Television Awards 2026 celebrates women power in Malayalam TV
“She is the Colour” theme honours icons as ceremony airs on March 14 and 15 at 7 PM.
MUMBAI: If television lights up living rooms, this year Asianet decided to let women provide the colour. The Asianet Television Awards 2026 turned the spotlight firmly on women empowerment with the theme “She is the Colour”, celebrating the strength, resilience and achievements of women who continue to shape society and the Malayalam entertainment industry.
The ceremony honoured several distinguished personalities whose journeys have left a lasting cultural imprint. Among them was legendary playback singer Vimala Varma, widely recognised as the first Malayalam playback singer. The evening also paid tribute to Padma Shri awardees Devaki Amma and Vimala Menon for their exceptional contributions in their respective fields.
Leading women from the Malayalam film industry were also recognised during the event, including actor Shweta Menon, who currently serves as president of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists, and National Award winning actor Surabhi Lakshmi.
The awards ceremony brought together a glittering lineup of actors and industry figures, including Jayasurya, Vijay Babu, Asha Sarath, Lena, Esther Anil, Anumol, Akhila Bhargavan, Sarayu Mohan, Prajod Kalabhavan, Gayathri Suresh, Sabumon Abdusamad, Swasika, Tini Tom, Sijoy Varghese, Kailash, Veena Nandakumar, Sabareesh Varma, Ansiba Hassan and Dinesh Prabhakar. Kishan Kumar, executive vice president Malayalam at JioStar, was also present at the event.
Beyond individual recognitions, the awards celebrated excellence across Malayalam television, acknowledging artists and technicians whose work continues to drive the industry forward.
The evening also offered plenty of spectacle, with elaborate dance performances, stunt acts and comedy skits performed by popular television and film personalities, turning the ceremony into a full fledged entertainment showcase.
Viewers will get to watch the celebrations when the Asianet Television Awards 2026 air on Asianet on March 14 and 15, Saturday and Sunday, from 7 pm onwards, bringing the star studded tribute to homes across Kerala and beyond.
