A slew of new Hindi television content across genres like drama, comedy and mythology launched between April and June this year has failed to capture audience interest, with ratings remaining stubbornly low. This slump is not just raising concerns about the fading charm of traditional Hindi content on TV especially soap operas but is also a worrying trend for advertisers, who for a long time have relied on this genre for broad reach. Dwindling viewership is a widespread problem, affecting multiple networks airing Hindi fiction content.
According to experts, there are a variety of reasons behind this shift.
“The media landscape is evolving rapidly. While TV penetration and reach remain strong, there is a noticeable shift in viewership patterns, particularly with the growing influence of OTT platforms catering to Hindi audiences,” said the head of investments of a popular media agency.
This shift, according to industry experts, is also largely driven by the high penetration of platforms like YouTube.
News shows and their ratings
To start with, several new shows were launched on popular Hindi general entertainment channels in the April-June period. Sony Entertainment Television introduced ‘Pukaar- Dik Se Dil Tak’ on May 27th and ‘Jubilee Talkies” on June 24th. Sony SAB brought “Baadal Pe Paon Hain’ on June 10th. Star Plus launched “Meetha Khatta Pyar Humara’ on April 24th and “Maati Se Bandhi Dor’ on May 27th. Zee TV premiered “Main Hoon Saath Tere’ on April 29th. Lastly, Colors TV showcased a lineup of new shows including ‘Lakshmi Narayan’ on April 22nd, ‘Krishna Mohini’ on April 29th, ‘Suhaagan Chudail’ on May 27th, and ‘Laughter Chefs Unlimited Entertainment’ on June 1st.
According to data accessed by e4m, while Star Plus's ‘Maati Se Bandhi Dor’ consistently maintained a 0.69 TVR (television rating) across weeks 24-26, in the HSM (U+R) markets (MF 2+), viewership for other shows appeared average. Colors had shows exceeding 0.30 TVR, with ‘Krishna Mohini’ and ‘Laughter Chefs Unlimited Entertainment’ showing some growth. Sony channels seem to have the lowest viewership compared to competitors, with ‘Jubilee Talkies’ recording the lowest TVR of 0.09 in Week 27.
TVR is the measurement of audience representing the percentage of a base population watching a TV programme.
However, it is interesting that older shows on popular networks have not seen a similar fate. Long-running fiction shows like ‘Anupamaa’, ‘Gum Hai Kisi Ke Pyar Mein’ and ‘Yeh Risha Kya Kehlata Hai’ continue to garner audience love. For instance, in Week 26 (MF 15-50 ABC), ‘Anupama’ had a TVR of 2.6, followed by ‘Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata hai’ at 2.2 and ‘Jhanak’ at 2.1.
General TVR ranges and factors affecting it
While there's no strict standard to define a successful TVR, according to broad estimates given by experts, typically a rating above 2.0 or 3.0, depending on the market and time slot, indicates a popular program with a large audience.
An average TVR is between 1.0 and 2.0 (or 3.0, depending on the market) while a low TVR is when ratings fall below 1.0. This indicates a program with a relatively small audience. It's also important to understand that a TVR considered high for a niche channel might be considered low for a major network.
As far as factors apart from content that influence TVR are concerned, primetime slots generally have higher TVRs when compared to daytime or late-nights. Then there is also a genre influence. Popular genres like Hindi news or primetime dramas tend to have higher average TVRs.
A program might also have a low overall TVR but a high rating among a specific demographic. Last but not the least, there is the market size factor wherein TVRs in larger markets tend to be higher than in smaller ones. Ultimately, the success or failure of a program depends on a combination of factors, including TVR, advertising revenue, and audience engagement.
What is not working?
According to Partho Dasgupta, ex BARC CEO and Managing Partner of Thoth Advisors, the audiences are changing, and Hindi content creators are missing the mark.
“Over reliance on adaptations, exemplified by shows like ‘Anupama’, is stifling originality. The success of Panchayat, a low-budget original series, shows the power of fresh ideas. The industry needs to break free from the ‘Bandra-Andheri’ sensibilities and embrace diverse voices of the heartland to keep pace with evolving viewers,” he said.
“Additionally, the fragmentation of the television audience across multiple platforms, including OTT, is impacting traditional TV ratings as viewers increasingly consume the same content on different screens,” he added.
As TV ratings decline, advertisers are also pushing for price reductions, making it challenging for networks to maintain their rates.
However, some networks, like Star, are holding firm on their rates, though overall ad spend has decreased on GEC content on television, as per media planners.
In fact, Star, according to media buyers, also manged to inboard some new advertisers like Ather Energy, Tecno Mobiles, Birla Opus, Camlin, Axiom Ayurveda, Torrent and others.
The way ahead
“To compete, TV needs to evolve,” said Ashwin Padmanabhan, Chief Operating Officer, South Asia, GroupM.
Addressability and geographical targeting can breathe new life into the medium. While distribution methods (terrestrial, cable, satellite, streaming) have changed, the core value of TV which is mass impact remains relevant.
“As consumer viewing habits evolve, so must TV planning. We're witnessing a shift from traditional linear TV to a multi-platform approach, encompassing linear, VOD, and catch-up TV. This requires a holistic view of the TV audience across different distribution channels,” he added.
e4m contacted all major networks for comment but did not receive a response by the time of publication.
