iWorld
Study claims Internet delivers audience comparable to TV, magazines
DoubleClick, which claims to be the leading provider of marketing tools for advertisers, direct marketers and web publishers, has released the results of its Cross Media Reach Study, which compares the relative audience reach of Internet sites, network TV programmes and consumer magazines. According to the study, the Internet’s most popular sites consistently deliver larger audiences than the most watched television programmes and are comparable in size to popular consumer magazines.
The study also found that the Internet, in comparison to TV and consumer magazines, is highly effective in reaching two coveted demographics, teens and adult males. However, the study also shows that consumer magazines on average continue to deliver the highest ratings of the three marketing mediums, with its most popular titles delivering ratings that are 36 per cent higher than television and the Internet.
Rob Frydlewicz, a media research consultant and a former director of media research at Foote Cone and Belding conducted this survey on behalf of DoubleClick. The survey is an extension of Mr. Frydlewicz’s original Cross Media Reach Study, which compared the audience sizes of popular consumer magazines and television episodes. In conducting this study, DoubleClick added the Internet to the mix and has established for the first time, that despite each medium’s inherent differences, the most popular consumer magazines, television episodes and Internet sites each attract audience sizes in the millions.
According to the study, on average, the top 3 sites attracted audience sizes 43 percent larger than the top three prime time television programmes. In addition, these same Internet sites attracted audience sizes that were on average only five percent less than the top three consumer magazines. However, with 26.6 million readers, People Magazine is still the undisputed leader in attracting large audiences.
Audience Sizes, Adults Age 18-49 (In millions)
Websites Primetime Magazines
Yahoo! Search 22.8 Friends 14.7 People 26.6
MSN Hotmail 22.7 ER 13.3 Reader’s D 22.8
MSN Search 22.6 Will & Grace 10.9 BH&G 22.5
Aside from attracting large overall audiences, in comparison to network TV and consumer magazines, the Internet is a highly effective medium for reaching certain demographic groups, including all males 18-49, high income males and high income adults 25-54. In these specific groups, the 25 most popular Internet sites deliver higher Gross Rating Points (GRPs) than the top 25 TV programmes or magazines in these same demographic groups, (See chart below). However, magazines continue to far out-deliver both the Internet and television in reaching women 18-49 and blacks 18-49.
GRPs OF TOP-25 WEBSITES, TV SHOWS & MAGAZINES
Websites Prime TV Magazines
Men 18-49 274 153 258
A18-49/HHI $75K+ 268 187 282
M18-49/HHI $75K+ 303 166 291
A25-54/HHI $75K+ 284 211 287
The study compared the 25 most popular Internet sites, primetime TV programs and consumer magazines across 12 different demographic categories, including age, race and gender. It should be noted that the period of time measured to capture the average audience for the Internet, network TV and consumer magazines differs: (average minute for TV, average issue for magazines and specific month for Internet sites). Moving forward, this study will be conducted twice a year to track and analyze how consumer usage of each medium evolves.
iWorld
Chahal spins a new tale for Story TV
Short drama platform bowls over viewers with 200 million hits.
MUMBAI: If cricket has its quick singles, storytelling now has its quick spins. Story TV, India’s leading short drama platform, has unveiled a new campaign featuring cricketer Yuzvendra Chahal and TV anchor-actor Shefali Bagga and it plays out like a one-minute match packed with twists. The film captures a spirited exchange between Chahal, introduced as Chief Story Officer, and Bagga as they brainstorm a new short drama idea. What begins as a creative discussion soon turns into a playful back-and-forth, mirroring the dramatic, high-energy format the platform is known for.
The campaign positions Story TV as a master of what it calls the “instant hook” narratives designed to grab attention within seconds and deliver punchy pay-offs within a minute. The tone is light, self-aware and fast-paced, much like a T20 over where every ball matters.
The numbers suggest the format is striking a chord. Story TV currently hosts India’s most viewed short drama, clocking over 200 million views, while several other titles have crossed the 100 million mark. Its content library now spans more than 600 short dramas across genres including romance, love, sports and thriller.
The platform has also scaled rapidly on the distribution front. With over 5 crore downloads and users spending more than 80 minutes per day on the app, Story TV has, over the past six months, emerged as the second most downloaded app worldwide in the Entertainment category, according to Sensor Tower. It also consistently ranks number one on the Play Store in its segment.
Speaking about the campaign, Story TV CMO Nishant Kumar said the platform was founded on mastering the art of the instant hook. While it pioneered the “1-Minute Break” format in India, he noted that the vision has evolved beyond simply filling spare moments. In an era of shrinking attention spans and rising audience expectations, he described Story TV as transitioning from a platform into what he termed a global cultural powerhouse.
Kumar added that the collaboration with Yuzvendra Chahal and Shefali Bagga during the T20 World Cup was a deliberate attempt to sit at the intersection of India’s two great passions cricket and cinematic storytelling. He likened the platform’s short dramas to a T20 match, where every ball can change the game, saying the narratives are high-stakes and twist-filled. Chahal’s unpredictability and Bagga’s quick-witted energy, he said, align closely with the Story TV DNA.
Chahal, reflecting on his appointment as chief story officer, described the experience as an opportunity to explore his creative side beyond the cricket field. He said the script allowed him to be himself on screen and tell a story in under a minute, adding that he enjoyed discovering his acting and writing skills during the shoot.
Shefali Bagga echoed the sentiment, noting that short dramas felt like a natural extension of her journey in entertainment. She said she had been hearing about the format for some time and was immediately drawn to the idea when Story TV approached her. For Bagga, the campaign offered a chance to experiment while staying authentic to her personality.
At a time when content consumption is increasingly fragmented and mobile-first, Story TV’s model banks on brevity without sacrificing drama. With industry actors fronting its short dramas and audiences spending more than an hour each day on the app, the platform appears to have tapped into a format that blends binge-watching with snackable storytelling.
In a media landscape where attention is the most contested currency, Story TV is betting that one minute is all it takes provided the spin is right.
