BENGALURU: During the first eight weeks of 2018 (Saturday, 30 December 2017 to Friday, 23 February 2018), honours have been divided equally by two Hindi free-to-air (FTA) GEC channels as far as topping Hindi GECs in Broadcast Audience Research Council's (BARC) weekly lists of the top 10 television channels across genres goes. In weeks 1, 3, 4 and 5, it was Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (Zeel) Hindi GEC channel Zee Anmol that was ranked second after the Sun TV Network’s flagship Tamil GEC Sun TV in BARC’s across genre list. In weeks 2, 6, 7 and now week 8 it is Star India Private Limited (Star India) Hindi GEC Star Bharat that was ranked second after Sun TV in the lists.
As in the case during the past few weeks, seven Hindi GECs, of which four were FTA, and one channel each from the Hindi Movies, Tamil and Telugu channels made it to BARC’s list of top 10 channels across genre. Also, as in the case of the past few weeks, four Star India GECs’ – three Hindi and one Telugu; two Hindi GECs’ from Zeel; one FTA Hindi GEC and one Hindi movies channel from Sony Pictures Network India (SPN); and one GEC each from the Sun TV Network and Network18 comprised the top 10 channels across genres list for week 8 of 2018 (Saturday, 17 February 2018 to Friday, 23 February 2018).
As mentioned above, Sun TV topped the across genre list in week 8 of 2018 with 985.551 million impressions. The channel also topped BARC’s weekly list of top 5 Tamil channels in the Tamil Nadu(TN)/Puducherry markets. All the top 5 Tamil programmes during primetime in these markets were aired on Sun TV during the week under review.
Star Bharat was ranked second in BARC’s across genres list with slightly higher ratings at 762.407 million weekly impressions in week 8 of 2018 as compared to the previous week’s 755.591 million weekly impressions. The channel also topped BARC’s ranking of the top 10 Hindi GEC channels in the urban (U) and rural (R) Hindi speaking market (HSM) and was ranked second in HSM (U). Its soap Nimki Mukhiya was among the top 5 Hindi GEC programmes during primetime in HSM (U+R).
Zee Anmol was ranked third in the week under consideration with 715.586 million weekly impressions. The channel was ranked first in BARC’s list of top 10 Hindi GEC channels in HSM (R) and was ranked second in BARC’s list of top 10 Hindi GEC channels in HSM (U+R).
The Balaji Telefilms-produced family soap Kumkum Bhagya that featured on the channel was ranked first in BARC’s weekly list of top 10 Hindi GEC programmes during primetime in HSM (U+R) and HSM (R). Another programme that also featured on the channel in the HSM (R) list of top 5 programmes during primetime and was aired on Zee Anmol was Jamai Raja.
In week 8 of 2018, SPN’s FTA women focused Hindi GEC Sony Pal was ranked fourth – the same as the previous week. The channel garnered 682.137 million weekly impressions in week 8 of 2018. Sony Pal was also ranked third in BARC’s list of top 10 Hindi GEC channels in HSM (U+R) and was ranked second in HSM (R). Three programmes, Baalveer, Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah and CID, that were aired on Sony Pal were among the top 5 Hindi GEC programmes in HSM (R).
At rank five in week 8 of 2018 was Zeel’s flagship Hindi GEC Zee TV (same rank as week 7) with higher ratings of 600.766 million weekly impressions as compared to 587.318 million weekly impressions in the previous week. Kumkum Bhagya that is also being aired on Zee TV and its spinoff Kundali Bhagya were amongst the top 5 Hindi GEC programmes during primetime in HSM (U+R) and HSM(U).
Viacom18’s flagship Hindi GEC Colors was ranked sixth in week 8 of 2018 with 574.408 million weekly impressions. The channel topped BARC’s list of top 10 Hindi GEC channels in HSM (U). Shakti - Astitva Ke Ehsaas Ki that aired on the channel was among the top 5 Hindi GEC channels in HSM (U).
Star India’s flagship Hindi GEC Star Plus climbed two ranks from last week’s ninth to seventh in week 8 of 2018 with 573.432 million weekly impressions. The channel had scored 522.697 million weekly impressions in week 7 of 2018. Star Plus was also ranked third among the top 10 Hindi GEC channels in HSM (U). The Balaji Telefilms-produced soap Yeh Hai Mohabbateinwas among BARC’s list of top 5 Hindi GEC programmes during primetime in HSM (U).
Another Star India FTA Hindi GEC Star Utsav was ranked eighth in week 8 of 2018 in the across genres list with 543.482 million weekly impressions to the previous week’s 553.212 million weekly impressions. Star Utsav was ranked third in BARC’s weekly list of top 10 Hindi GEC’s in HSM (R).
Star India’s flagship Telugu GEC Star Maa was ranked ninth in week 8 of 2018 in BARC’s across genre list with 538.662 million weekly impressions. In week 7 of 2018, the channel was ranked seventh with 561.696 million weekly impressions. The channel topped BARC’s list of top 5 Telugu channels in the Andhra Pradesh/Telangana market. Like the previous week, 4 of the top 5 Telugu programmes during primetime in the same market were aired on Star Maa.
SPN’s Hindi Movies channel Sony Max was ranked tenth in week 18 of 2018 in BARC’s across genre list with 507.975 million weekly impressions, higher than the 501.759 million weekly impressions of week 7 of 2018. Sony Max topped BARC’s weekly list of top 5 Hindi movies channels during the week under consideration in HSM (U+R) and HSM (U) and the channel was amongst BARC’s list of top 5 Hindi movies channels in HSM (R).
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