2014 was a fantastic year for Big Magic as we expanded reach and launched as a national entertainment channel positioned as the one stop destination for humour. Our journey has been excellent; we have not only performed in terms of numbers but have also won the affinity of our viewers. We ranked ninth within the leading channels which is a commendable start in spite of the clutter in the entertainment market
After receiving phenomenal success in the regional belt, it was a logical step for us to go national. It was the perfect time as digitisation was getting implemented in key markets, which has helped us to reach out to a larger spectrum of audiences. With strong presence in HSM and PHCHP markets, our main focus was to create brand equity for the channel and newly launched shows. Each show has been conceptualised on the basis of market insights, derived from in-depth research amongst our core TG. The current offering on the channel has been a concoction of traditional celebrations peppered with comedy which has resonated excellently with the entire family. Our shows like Akbar Birbal, Ajab Gazab Ghar Jamai and Uff Yeh Nadaniyaan have been a huge hit amongst all age groups.
Our aim has always been to diversify humour genre and explore the untapped opportunities. In the new year – the promise is to deliver more chatpata content living up to the expectations of our viewers with season wise programming focus across our popular shows.
Hits and Misses
One of the catalysts for our success has been the channel’s proposition of serving clutter breaking and fresh content in the humor space e.g. India’s first historical comedy – Har Mushkil ka Hal Akbar Birbal. In terms of the overall performance, Big Magic demonstrated an impressive 48 per cent growth in its viewership along with a staggering reach in 85 million Indian households. At present the channel delivers a 10 per cent unduplicated incremental reach across the markets of UP, MP and Rajasthan, when compared to the top six GECs. The exuberant performance of Big Magic has also garnered interest amongst leading advertisers and marketers, resulting 100 per cent ad inventory.
Apart from HSM and having focused on distribution and marketing, we are experiencing new viewers from Maharashtra, Gujarat and other parts of the country. A major milestone for us was the launch of Big Magic International in US, Canada and Australia to tap Indian diasporas.
As we know the route less travelled is always difficult, and it was no exception for us. One of the major challenges we faced was the stiff competition from the leading broadcasters. When we entered the market, it was already cluttered, but with our innovative programming strategy and robust distribution in place, we emerged as a leading contender. Another obstacle we faced was establishing the brand lineage in the markets where our competition has been the leader, but with steady performance we see positive reaction across these markets as well.
In a nutshell
We have seen positive synergises between radio and television which has further consolidated our position as the leading media network. With successful implementation of digitisation, the television network witnessed further boost.
With the new government, the corporate world is optimistic, instilling positive sentiments amongst national and international investors. This year also saw e-commerce industry emerging as one of the highest spenders across advertising platforms especially on television. These factors will further help to boost industry.
We also saw the launch of many general entertainment channels, but future will belong to the segmented channels offering niche content. Overall, Big Magic saw a promising year with new show launches – Har Mushkil Ka Hal Akbar Birbal and Bal Gopal Kare Dhamaal.
92.7 Big FM has maintained leadership in share and some shows as Suhana Safar and Breakfast shows continue to rank as number one in the Mumbai and Delhi market. New properties as Big Green Ganesha, Big Green Durga that raised concern for the environment is our focus area, going ahead. New show launches as Seher with Anup Jalota has started rating well too.
In 2015 broadcasters will focus on newer formats, as content will drive engagement and growth. Comedy as a genre will further see diversification and will continue to move north on the rating charts.
(These are purely personal views of RBNL CEO Tarun Katial and indiantelevision.com does not necessarily subscribe to these views.)
