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Star Movies looking at a 40 per cent ad revenue growth
MUMBAI: Bigger is better! It was a decade ago that Star Movies launched as India’s first pay channel. The Rupert Murdoch owned broadcaster is showing no signs of slowing down.
The channel has targeted an ad revenue growth in the
region of 35-40 per cent. Speaking on this Star India senior VP marketing and communication Ajay Vidyasagar said, “We have around 500 brands advertising with us. Some of our major clients include Samsung and Phillips. Each year we go in for a 15 per cent hike in our ad rates. That is important because the cost of movie acquisitions keeps going up. Our aim is to constantly garner 60-70 per cent of the ad revenue chunk for English movie channels.”
“We have done initiatives like ‘Opening Night’ which has
become a trend. Advertisers have derived great value in partnering with us on that. ‘Opening Night’ was the first time that a viewer saw several minutes of a film prior to its theatrical release. Another initiative that has seen advertisers flock in droves has been our Hinglish films.”
“What we have decided to do is showcase ‘The Colours of
India’ every Thursday at 9 pm for the next few months. We have titles like Mumbai Matinee, Where’s The Party Yaar and The Guru. We are currently negotiating for the rights to Bride and Prejudice and expect a decision to be reached on this next month.”
Vidyasagar added that the channel never airs more than 2.5 minutes of ads per break. “In fact for our ‘Friday Night Premiere’ we sometimes air an hour of the film at a stretch in the beginning. This enables the viewer to get hooked and get into the mood. Every hour of programming does not have over ten minutes of ads.”
One major programming initiative lined up is ‘The Big Two’. This will see the channel air two big premiere movies back to back on one weekend every month. This month Daredevil with Ben Affleck and the Vampire film Underworld will air on 23 and 24 October at 9 PM
Vidyasagar added, “People ask me why we have called this initiative ‘The Big Two’ when our friends at HBO already have ‘The Big One’. The fact is that we are looking to blow up an entire weekend. ‘The Big One’ only takes care of half the weekend. This initiative helps us optimise the ratings slot. Next month we will air Bad Company with Anthony Hopkins and Chris Rock and X Men 2. In January we have Scary Movie 3 and Bruce Almighty.”
“Speaking of ratings if you look at Tam data c&s 4+ SEC A,B you will notice that in 2002 we had a 10 per cent lead over HBO in primetime and all day. Last year we extended our primetime lead to 20 per cent. For this year we are confident of maintaining this position. When HBO says it is number one it is looking at a viewer subset (15-44). In my opinion to a degree this is being unfair to the advertiser.”
Star Movies is also looking at packaging films that it has already aired in innovative ways. For instance on Monday Nights it will present films of one big superstar. The star will introduce the film before it is aired. This month the channel is showcasing Jackie Chan films like ‘Shanghai Nights’. Then there is the $100 million hit on Wednesdays. Here you have films like Shrek and A Beautiful Mind.
“Today if we air Jurassic Park it will get decent ratings despite the fact that it has aired numerous times in the past. Action and creature films are the biggest draws as far as English movies are concerned. Comedies however are static in ratings. That does not mean that we are ignoring them. Our premieres in the coming months include Freaky Friday and Just Married.”
In Freaky Friday a mother and daughter played by Jamie
Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan switch bodies. Curtis has a ball in the role as it gives her freedom to let her hair down as it were. Vidyasagar said that the channel would premier around 30 films in a month. Other big premieres in the Friday premiere slot in the coming months include The Human Stain.
Anthony Hopkins and Nicole Kidman star in this adaptation of Phillip Roth’s novel. Hopkins’ character is a professor of English classical literature who starts a relationship with a janitor played by Kidman. Then there is Seabiscuit, which earlier this year was nominated for a Best Picture Oscar. It tells the true story of an underdog racehorse during the depression era in the 1930’s.
Vidyasagar further pointed out that for India Star Movies has an exclusive deal for the films of Steven Spielberg and M. Night Shyamalan. So The Terminal with Tom Hanks playing an East European stranded at JFK airport in New York should come on board sometime next year.
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
