Inside KBC Season 18: Akshay Agrawal on sponsors, strategy, and sustaining India’s biggest game show

MUMBAI: Akshay Agrawal, Head of Linear Ad Sales at Sony Pictures Networks India, speaks on the launch of KBC (Kaun Banega Crorepati) Season 18, its sponsor lineup, the Google Gemini association, audience trends, and what it takes to keep a show running for 18 years.

On how crucial the August festive window is for driving Q2 and Q3 ad sales, with KBC launching on August 10th

KBC is the network’s biggest property during these two quarters, and this year it launches on August 10th. This makes August a very important month, one that leads straight into the festive season, and it is where Q2 and Q3 revenues largely hinge. The season has already had a strong start, with over 20 sponsors locked in with two weeks still to go before the shoot even goes on air. Advertiser response to KBC this year has been excellent.

On whether the show is seeing new, Gen Z-focused sponsors this year

Sponsors aren’t classified by generation, whether Gen Z or Gen X. What matters more is how marketers view these properties: they want to be part of the content itself. The team works from a brand’s brief to build customised solutions on the show, similar to past examples like the association with Kalyan Jewellers’ “Kalyan Bhava” integration, or the Aditya Birla Group’s initiative unlocking education for children for every question answered on the show.

This year has brought back several previous sponsors while also welcoming new ones. Google Gemini has come on board as a co-presenting sponsor, an association the team is particularly excited about. ReNew joins as a partner in the clean energy space. In FMCG, Colgate has joined KBC for the first time, taking on a large sponsor position. AU Small Finance Bank is a new sponsor as well, along with Zed Black Agarbatti (Mysoredeep Perfumery), Jaquar Light, and BPCL. Returning sponsors include Pidilite, Polycab, UltraTech, and Maruti. The Reserve Bank of India continues to be the largest partner on KBC, a relationship spanning close to a decade. PhonePe has also come on board specifically for its loans category.

On how a legacy show like KBC integrates an AI platform like Google Gemini

Google Gemini has become a companion to contestants throughout their journey, from registration to the hot seat, with all the information on how to move through that journey available on the platform. This has already been highlighted across the network over the past few weeks and has picked up strong interest from viewers. The integration will also show up in the content itself once the season begins.

This idea is echoed in the brand campaign, which reflects what is happening around us: knowledge remains the core of KBC, as it has been since the show’s inception, but this year adds a new layer. The message is that simply knowing the answer isn’t enough; what matters is what you do with that knowledge. That shift, from knowledge to applied knowledge, is the central theme of this year’s brand campaign, and it will be visible in the show’s content as well.

On what makes KBC Season 18 a non-negotiable buy for brands on linear TV, given audiences fragmenting across linear and OTT

KBC has always stood for trust, attention, credibility, family viewing, and scale, and its reach on linear television remains massive. What sets it apart is the customised, bespoke solutions built for brands, similar to the Kalyan Bhava movement, or the specific work done for Amazon and Maruti on the show. Brands come to KBC for these tailored solutions rather than standard placements.

Brands choose non-fiction and impact shows like this because the solutions need to be native to the content while also serving a real business purpose. On KBC, sponsors see tangible business outcomes: increased brand consideration, spikes in search volumes, and more traffic to their platforms. The show is outcome-led, not just output-led, delivering more than just GRPs and reach.

On whether there is a rise in Gen Z viewership, or any age skew in who watches the show

Because of the show’s mass appeal and reach, it cuts across demographics. It is a show that brings entire families in front of the screen together, which is part of what makes game shows, and KBC specifically, special. Watching as a family naturally creates competition, with everyone attempting to answer the questions posed to the contestant by Mr. Bachchan. These moments hold high value for brands as well, since shows like KBC encourage those family conversations, and family viewing is central to the show’s identity.

On whether Gen Z specifically is watching KBC

Yes, they are consuming the content, whether through mobile, CTV, or linear TV alongside their parents. Beyond the live show, social media is flooded with short-form snippets and moments from KBC, and things said on the show often become part of pop culture.

On what new shows are coming to Sony beyond KBC

Alongside continued investment in existing IPs like KBC, Indian Idol, MasterChef, and Shark Tank, the network is also bringing new formats to the country. The Wheel of Fortune format was launched earlier this year, in January. There is also a new show announced with Rohit Sharma, which has already generated significant interest from viewers, consumers, and advertisers, even though it hasn’t yet been formally pitched to the market.

On the pressure of sustaining a show for 18 years, especially with new audiences each year, and how the yearly theme gets decided

At the end of every season, extensive research is conducted, including focus group discussions with viewers and consumers, and the findings shape the following year’s content. This year’s “Sochna Padega” campaign and the shift toward applied knowledge came directly out of that research.

On the advertiser side, the process restarts every year, even with returning clients. The team evaluates what worked the previous year and builds on it with new elements. These solutions aren’t created in isolation at Sony; they are curated together with the creative agency, media agency, and the brand teams themselves. The sales team frequently interacts directly with the brand’s own sales teams to understand how their customers feel about the brand, and to shape a customised solution around that insight, since ultimately, brands come to shows like KBC for business outcomes, not just ratings and reach.

On the personal pressure of driving ad sales for the show each year

Every year brings its own challenges, but with over 20 sponsors already on board for this season, there is a real sense of being far happier at this stage than a few months ago. Properties like KBC, Indian Idol, and the upcoming Rohit Sharma show are the kind that any salesperson would want to represent, because they offer a genuine chance to make a difference to a client’s business, not just deliver rating numbers. There are challenges and high expectations every year, but these remain exciting properties to sell in the market.