GECs
Zee asserts Mumbai ratings high for ‘Time Bomb’ debut
MUMBAI: Zee TV’s latest launch Time Bomb continues to be in the news. The Ketan Mehta serial, which has already created waves, be it the starcast, heavy duty promotions or the legal clash with Twentieth Century Fox over copyright issues, is now laying claim to being a ratings success as well.
Zee TV has claimed that the opening episode of its weekly blockbuster thriller that aired last night (10-11 pm) scored ahead of even Star Plus’ “big behen” soap Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhie Bahu Thi. Of course, it is pertinent to note here that it is not TAM India data that has been used to generate the results obtained but aMap (Audience Map) ratings. It was in June 2004 that Audience Measurement and Analytics (AMA) announced the launch of online television ratings system aMap and Zee is their first client.
According to the aMap data provided by the channel, Time Bomb recorded 3.2 TVRs, ahead of Kyunki…’s 2.5 TVRs in the C&S 4+ Mumbai market.
Overall, Time Bomb stands second, behind the other Star Plus heavyweight Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii, which scored a Mumbai high of 4.2 TVRs.
Additionally, Zee claims that Time Bomb helped it attain the maximum reach in Mumbai of 17.5 per cent, ahead of Star Plus’ 15.9 per cent and Sony’s 11.3 per cent. This was for the 10 pm band.
“Commenting on the TVRs from aMap, Zee TV business head Abhijit Saxena says, “These figures are a clear indication that viewers are looking for a change and Ketan Mehta’s thriller Time Bomb has been widely appreciated.”
Saxena added, “We have recently launched shows like Sinndoor Tere Naam Ka and Sarrkkar and with a slew of programmes lined up in the coming weeks, Zee TV promises to be the market leader. Time Bomb, the first amongst the many upcoming weeklies of Zee TV, has further strengthened the Zee TV prime time band that now starts at 7:30 pm with Sinndoor Tere Naam Ka and continues till 11:30 pm with Kasshish a daily at 11pm.”
GECs
ZEEL overhauls sales structure to chase growth across TV and digital platforms
New structure sharpens digital push as viewing habits fragment fast
MUMBAI: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. is reshuffling its sales playbook as it looks to keep pace with a fast-changing media landscape, where audiences are scattered, screens are multiplying and advertisers are following the data.
According to media reports, the rejig is anchored in the company’s push to build a more integrated, data-led monetisation engine, one that can straddle both traditional television and fast-growing digital platforms with equal ease.
At the heart of the move is a reworked sales architecture designed to deliver cross-platform solutions. With connected TV gaining ground and digital consumption surging, ZEEL is aligning its teams to move quicker, think broader and sell smarter.
The restructuring is being led by chief operating officer, advertisement revenue, Sandeep Mehrotra, at a time when the company says it is seeing tremendous growth. The idea is simple: match the right talent to the right opportunity in a market that is anything but static.
As part of the overhaul, several long-serving executives have been elevated to chief sales officer roles across regions and content clusters. Sanjoy Chatterjee will head the east market, while Gunjarav Nayak takes charge of the west along with high-margin verticals such as hmg, brand works, intellectual properties and digital sales. Rajnish Gupta will oversee bengaluru and chennai markets alongside the kannada and tamil clusters.
In other key moves, Divjyot Dhanda will lead hyderabad and kochi markets and manage zee tv, zee keralam and the telugu cluster. Roshan Vasu Kotian will supervise a diverse portfolio including Zee Marathi, &tv, Zee Punjabi, Zee Anmol, Big Magic and Zee Biskope.
The company is also strengthening its bench, appointing national sales heads across retail, regional clusters, digital and brand solutions. Ankur Kapila’s appointment to lead digital sales signals a sharper push into a segment that continues to outpace traditional formats.
Behind the scenes, dedicated strategy and operations roles have been carved out for both linear and digital businesses. Nitin Shetty, Rajkiran Shrivastav and Priya Nambiar will take on key responsibilities to ensure the new structure runs with precision.
The broader aim is clear. ZEEL wants a bigger slice of advertising budgets that are steadily drifting towards digital and connected TV ecosystems. By integrating its offerings, the company hopes to deepen client relationships while unlocking new revenue streams.
The new structure takes effect immediately, with Mehrotra continuing to report to chief executive officer Punit Goenka and steer the company’s advertising revenue strategy. Senior executive Laxmi Shetty will support the transition, with her revised role expected to be announced soon.
In a market where content is everywhere but attention is scarce, ZEEL’s latest move is less about rearranging the org chart and more about staying in the game.
