2011 was a year of dynamic transformation for the industry. It will be remembered as a landmark year with the most noteworthy announcement being the government‘s new Digitisation Policy. The other major development which stands out was the sizeable M&A activity in the sector.
The competitive landscape intensified with every major broadcaster expressing their interest in India with strong actions. New channel launches increased fragmentation. To keep the viewers engaged, companies invested on the brands and launched multiple high-cost productions. Offering a new experience, the HD channels gained attraction. And, of course, there was increased pressure on the limited distribution bandwidth.
During the year, one of the most evident trends we witnessed in favour of the lifestyle and factual entertainment genre was the increased preference and value for differentiated, high-quality and entertaining content amongst all stakeholders.
For Discovery India, it was a momentous year. We consolidated our leadership as India‘s No. 1 non-fiction media company by making consistent investments in content, distribution and promotion.
During this exciting period, we expanded our business on all counts: new channels, new language feeds, path breaking India productions, quality global programmes like Curiosity, increased availability to over 173 million households, robust ad sales growth, all round innovations and high-decibel marketing and communications.
Discovery‘s guiding principle, "Right Place, Right Time" was in action in all our strategic launches in the year - be it the introduction of our first regional channel Discovery Channel Tamil or the 24-hour Bangla and Telugu language feeds or the innovative local productions like Oh My Gold with Lisa Ray. During the last year, we also showcased our preparedness for the emerging new media landscape.
India is witnessing a strident demand, amongst all stakeholders, for refreshing and distinct television entertainment. Discovery Channel has risen to the challenge and is today ranked in top 10 channels in India amongst more than 600 plus channels, measured on cumulative annual reach. A nationwide distribution encompassing more than 200,000 villages and a notable presence in the basic packs of the DTH companies are prime indicators of changing India and its strong preference for quality and differentiated entertainment.
Comprehending the emerging trends, along with the ability to produce matching products and solutions, has been the foundation on which Discovery has created its robust business in India. I am confident that Discovery will continue to be both a beneficiary and catalyst of this fantastic change.
2012 will be a year of new opportunities. However, it will also present unique challenges. The environment will be extremely vibrant with action on all levels - policy, industry, regional and genre. The year, amongst other things, will test the brands‘ strength and viewer loyalty. One can also expect an increase in spends by channels on both content creation and promotion. The viewer will get an even wider choice of networks, programmes and distribution platforms.
